New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

939  All Aboard

With everyone on board, and their baggage safely stowed in the luggage compartments, Kary went to the front of the plane, knocking on the cabin door and announcing herself.

"Major Schrute. It's Kary Deveille. We are all aboard and ready for takeoff. The rest is up to you," she said, waiting for a reply.

The door slid open, with the major sitting in the pilot seat, as she flipped switches, turned nobs, and read gauges, making her last pre-flight checks.

"Ms. Deveille. I still have to radio in the tower for a lift-off clearance, and taxi this baby to the runway. We won't be off the ground for another half hour. But the plane might move a bit until then, so make sure none of you fall and hurt yourselves in the process.

"I would hate to have to cancel liftoff and call in a medical crew just because someone was reckless and ran in the plane during taxi."

"I will make sure everyone is seated or holding on, then," Kary said, smiling at the woman.

The major looked at her and grinned.

"I like you more than that dickhead. Care to join me for liftoff in the cabin? I have a few seats to spare," she said, pointing at the three extra seats, one of them right next to her.

"I wouldn't dare disturb you during that process, Major. But we do have young ones on board. Could they take you up on that offer?" Kary replied, uninterested in a plane lift-off.

She could fly already. What new would seeing that from a seat in a cockpit bring to her?

The major grimaced a bit before sighing.

"Sure. As long as they behave, don't touch anything, and don't scream like crazy little shits, I'm fine with it."

Kary giggled at her words and nodded.

"I will go get them. Be back in a moment."

Leaving the cockpit doorframe behind her, Kary walked back to the mid-section of the aircraft, where the passenger lounge was.

On her way there, she passed the bathroom and flight attendant section, impressed by all the gadgets and gizmos this plane was equipped with, before entering the passenger compartment.

Calling it a compartment was a gross under-appreciation, of course.

It felt more like the lobby of a five-star hotel, if a bit condensed in its space, but with all the luxury of one.

There were a few rows of seats, with enough room between each seat for anyone in them to lie completely down if they wanted, as well as a table for meals between each of the rows.

The seats could pivot to accommodate groups instead of single passenger rows, and Jonathan was currently playing with this, as Violette was spinning around on the seat he was unlocking constantly.

Cory was seated behind the wing, looking excitedly outside the porthole as the engines started turning on.

Alex, for his part, was seated in the front, back toward the front of the plane, as he looked outside with a thoughtful expression.

Kary could tell he was thinking about his parents and didn't want to bother him for now. So she walked to Jonathan and Violette, looking at Cory.

"The Major has told me she has room for three well-behaved passengers up front for a cockpit view of takeoff. Who's interested?" she asked, giving them a big grin.

Jonathan almost jumped up as Violette looked at Kary with big, shining eyes.

Cory looked excited at first, before he realized that the two kids and her already tallied three. He turned back to his porthole, slightly disappointed, before Kary threw a balled-up napkin at him.

"I can fly on my own, dummy. I'm not interested in watching a plane takeoff, even if it's the best seat in the house," she said, winking at him.

He jumped up from his seat, looking at her with a fat grin.

"Then count me in!"

She led the three of them up front, knocking on the cabin door once again, before it slid open.

The Major didn't bother looking at them, as she watched the hangar doors open in front, before starting to state rules.

"Alright, listen up! Three seats, three passengers! One in each, and everyone strapped in. No touching of anything that isn't on the seat. No pressing of buttons, or turning of nobs unless I give you permission.

"I will take absolutely no questions during takeoff, and if you have any that you want to ask, hold them in. I'll answer them once we reach thirty thousand feet, and auto-pilot is engaged.

"There will be no screaming, no whining, no crying, and no dispute about who sits where! Any offender to these rules can return to the passenger compartment, or take a trip to the luggage bins! Have I made myself clear?!"

Kary held in a peal of laughter, as the woman treated them like soldiers. But their straight faces and excited eyes were enough to tell her they would obey the woman.

So she left the cabin, leaving the Major to deal with the three of them on her own.

The door closed behind her, and seeing as no one followed behind her in the following seconds, she assumed they were obeying the rules, and she went to sit with Alex.

Grabbing his hand as she sat next to him, Alex snapped out of his thoughts.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, giving him a loving smile.

"I'll be fine. I was shocked to see that old thing again after so long. Seeing someone ride in on it brought back the memory of my parents riding out on it, and it hurt a bit, but I'll get past it…"

Kary smiled, lifting his hand to her lips and kissing it.

"I'm sure you will. You are a strong man. But it's okay to cry, you know. That's a painful memory to deal with. Just know that no one will judge you, and you are not alone." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Alex looked at her, a smile stretching on his lips.

"Thank you. I'm okay, really, but thank you. Support is all I could ask for…"