Flight 4330 by ~Altoshipper (PL), Juba Jaguar owned by ~LeadbyFAITH (BR) part 3
Steve was sleeping deeply like a baby. Juba had had to call him trice before he woke up. Ten minutes had passed before Steve arrived at the cockpit.
-"Yaaaawwnnn... what's going on ?"- Steve asked half-sleeping.
-"Something's wrong and I have no idea what. Left side of cockpit's dead. Have a look !"- Juba shouted. Steve immediately woke up, when he noticed that Juba struggles. He became frightened either. He sat on the left seat and looked at displays. They really seemed to be dead.
-"Did you try resetting ?"
-"Pulling my leg ? Of course I tried. We're flying on..."- she didn't finish. The right side of cockpit died either. The plane stated to shake. Juba was doing her best to keep it in its trajectory, but she was increasingly loosing control. Steve turned on the emergency light.
-"Should I inform passengers about the situation ?"- he asked.
-"First of all, make sure that in the cabin everything is right."-Juba ordered. Steve returned as fast as he disappeared.
–"Everything is fine. It seems that the main problem is here, in cockpit. Maybe we should inform..."
-"We've lost communications. Nothing works. Any ideas ?"- Juba answered. She wasn't prone to panic, but it was clear that the situation was critical. Steve sat on left seat and again looked at the displays.
-"Hm.. let me think... falsified data, general malfunction, need of resetting and now a complete failure... what it can be..."
-" I was informed that the main server was malfunctioning. I thought that they fixed it..."
-"Fixed ? Got it ! It's a software failure... wait, wait... maybe I'll debug it. I suck in computer programming, but who knows..."
-"Do whatever you want, but do it fast ! Flying in this way is difficult"- Juba shouted
Steve went to the crew rest area and returned with his backpack. He took his netbook and attached it to the console. It took him fifteen minutes to find the code responsible of cockpit systems. But when he opened the file, his jaw dropped down. The code was very long. Finding of the appropriate instruction could take ages. Or even more.
-"Juba ?"-"Yes, Steve ? Can you fix it ?"
-"Well... first of all I have to find the bug. Or more bugs... I have no idea."
-"How long will it take ?"
-"At least one hour. Then two hours of rewriting. Long... very long..."
-"So what now ? What should we do ? We don't have navigation"
-"So..."-Steve started smiling sarcastically-"We're flying from memory."
-"From memory ? How do you want to do this ?"
-"Wait, wait.. where are we now.."-he said and looked at his watch.-"Hm... we should go straight for next four hours. So we don't really need to worry now."
-"And what after these four hours ?"
-"I don't know."
-"Oh, thank you very much !"-Juba shouted and frowned in anger. Meanwhile Steve started to look for the bug.
Time accelerated. Both Juba and Steve had sweaty palms and pounding hearts. Since several hours they didn't even utter a word. Both were also feeling more and more tired. While Juba was still holding the yoke, Steve was doing his best to repair the code. Sometimes they turned their heads to each other. It looked like they wanted to say something, but they always remained speechless. However, their eyes were expressing-"How am I ? I used to feel better." After this exchange of news they always returned to their activities. They completed this cycle at least ten times. Steve's fingers were almost bleeding. Juba noticed that he's putting off something gold from his finger and places it in his pocket. Not much later she realized that her palms were stuck completely to the steering wheel. She decided to break the silence, since it became a bit scary.-"Steve ? Af far as I can see these four hours have passed. What should I do now ?"-"Oh really ? Wait a minute..."-Steve said and grabbed his iPad. He turned on the virtual compass. Hm... you'll turn left. About 20 degrees. No... a bit more. As fas as I... yes, 23 degrees. That's the right roll. Go, now !"-he said. Juba did it. At the same moment she experienced a very pleasurable feeling. Her blood finally returned to her palms, since they were in one position for a very long time.-"How long should I turn ?"-"A bit more.. be patient.. stop !"- Steve ordered again. The plane returned to its normal position.
"Phew, we did it..."- Juba said.-"I was really fed up. How about you ? Any progress ?"
-"Yes. Maybe I should now explain you what it is, this bug."
-"So, I listen. I need to know, who should be damned now."
-"This was a time bomb. It was set to interrupt the system for exactly five hours. Then it had to turn off the displays, radio and autopilot. But the rest of the systems are ok. I think I'll manage to turn the displays on."
-"And how about the autopilot ?"
-"As I said I actually suck in programming. It should have taken trice less time."
-"Stop fussing, how about the autopilot, I ask !"
-"Not good. I don't think I can fix it. It's entirely messed up. Maybe you should try a bit..."
-"Of course I'll go for it. But now, can you take the steers ? My hands are dying."
-"Of course I can."- Steve answered. Juba dropped the steering wheel. Her released hands were purple and sticky.
-"YEOW ! It hurts, argh ! I don't think I can write anything... Maybe I'll just have a look, is it ok ?"
-"There is only one line to write. Twenty words. Try it, please. I now you can do it."-Steve said and smiled. Juba couldn't resist anymore. She took the netbook, moaning in pain and started to write using only two fingers.
-"Do you know, how this should be finished ?"-Steve asked.
-"Yes I know... wait.. almost there... right, I have finished. Now... compile..."-Juba said.
Everything has returned to normal. All displays were working again. The lights were working too. And the same with radio. When Juba saw this, she smiled widely and shouted-" I really am the BEST ! Lalalala..." Steve smiled too.
-"I'm glad that you feel better. I'm heartwarmed too. However the autopilot is still..."- he didn't finish as Juba wrapped her arms gently around his neck. Steve blushed and asked -"Hey Juba, what's going on ? Are you tired ? Maybe you should.."
-"No, I feel good. I'll stay here."
-"Ok, your decision." Suddenly they heard a voice from the radio with an apparent Arabic accent.-"4330... 4330.. this is ground control, can you hear me ?". Juba returned to her seat and said.
-"This is 4330, good morning. Yes we can hear you."
-"Oh good morning. We were all worried what happened to you."
-"We were invisible ?"
-"No, you were seen. But you didn't utter a word for a very long time. You have almost collided with three other planes. We had to redirect them. What happened ?"
-"We had an in-flight avionics malfunction. A software bug. We still have a dead autopilot."
-"This qualifies for an emergency landing."
-"No, it's not needed. It was a software bug, but we have fixed it. We continue our flight. Over and out."
Juba and Steve were so concentrated on their work, that they didn't notice the passing time. When Juba raised her head she noticed the sun rising. She shook Steve's arm.-"Hey, look."-"What ?"-"Look at the horizon." Suddenly the Sun has appeared. A blinding light hit their eyes. The sky changed from dark blue to blue and orange. Everything was becoming more and more clear.-"Do you see it ?"-Steve asked and pointed the faraway coast. Juba noticed it either.-"Western Africa. We're so close."-"Beautiful, ain't it ?"-"Indeed it is."-"How about your hands ? Still purple ?". Juba looked at her palms. They looked normal, but still a bit paining.-"Well, they're fine.. but tired somehow."-"You'll be able to hold steers ?"-"Yes, I think so. Give me an hour, ok ?"-"Ok, no probs."-Steve answered. Juba giggled and turned her head back.
The flight was slowly coming to its end. The Boeing 777-300ER was crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The sun was mounting higher and higher. All the sky became light blue. The passenger cabin started to wake up. Again the sounds of complaints could be heard. The flight attendants were preparing breakfast.-"Hey, Steve ! Now you have to face your pet-hates."- Juba said and smiled sarcastically.-"Oh Juba, come on. Can you stand the cries of brats ? They're really mad-driving."-"I'm falling heads over heels for it. Haha, no, I'm joking. It annoys me either."-"They really don't understand that's we're really hard-working."
About half of an hour later, a flight attendant arrived with breakfast. Since at least one of pilots had to hold the steers, Juba ate her stuff then Steve did it.
-"Nom, nom, nom."-Juba said.-"Yucky as usual. Apparently these are the remains of passengers meal. In LOT you have the same feeling ?"
-"Unfortunately. It's always tasteless. Do they really think that we're becoming useless ?"
-"What do you mean ?"
-"Since some time some airlines launched planes which are computer-rated. But this is nerdy. And also many test vehicles have crashed. What do you think ?"
-"Yeah, same here actually. I hope they'll never do it. Computers will never replace us in this job. They're too stupid. And easy to be maniputaled, damn fucking machines !"- she shouted and kicked the cockpit console. -"By the way I wanted to ask you something Steve."- she continued.
-"Yes, what is it ?"
-"What's her name ?"
-"Huh ?"
-"What's her name ?"- Juba repeated pointing Steve's right hand. Steve looked at it.
-"Ah, her name ! Shiny. Shiny Flameheart."
-"She's an Absol as far as I can see."
-"How you can see it ? My iPad's switched off."
-"I'm not talking about it. You forgot something."
-"What ? Wait... where's my mascot ?"- Steve asked and started to look around.
-"Haha, there it is."-Juba said and gave him the plushie. He kissed it and placed under the windshield.
-"You said something about your iPad ?"
-"Yes. Why do you ask ?"
-"You have a photo of her ? Show me !"- she said and grabbed his iPad. Steve blushed a bit but let her turn it on. He didn't expect a positive reaction. -"So this is Shiny."- Juba said with a moderate enthusiasm.-"But she seems to be.. naughty somehow. Why do you have a nude photo of her as a wallpaper ? I know now why this guard called you as a pervert. You naughty boy."
-"I knew, you would say it. But, you know, I see her hardly ever. And this picture really reminds me of her."
-"Pfffff... ok. I don't see it as something weird."
-"Seriously ?"
-"Seriously. One thing more. Do you have children ?"
-"A toddler son. Why do you ask ?"
-"Eeee... just curious. Nothing special."
Everything seemed to be good, but Juba again noticed something unusual. Steering became oddly difficult. Everything was moving less fluently.-"Hey, Steve. Do we have a leak in hydraulics system or something ?"
-" I don't think so. There's no alerts at all. But you're right, the steers are blocking sometimes."
-"Hm.. maybe you're right. Trimming works normally. When should we start our descent ?". Steve looked through the window. Since the sky was clear, everything was visible. They were now over Alps. The snow on lots of high peaks was so white, that it was almost blinding. The air was clean enough to notice tiny silhouettes of skiers.-"Ah, it's beautiful."-Juba said.-"I'm jealous. We don't have snow. No way to ski." Steve didn't agree with her.
-"You jealous ? 25 degrees all year round, and you're jealous ? Have you ever experienced a winter with temperatures below –10 ?"
-"No.. but.. I'd really love to try some skiing. Beyond that.. isn't snow pretty ? For me it's pure magic. I have heard once about an ice hotel somewhere in Scandinavia. I'd love to spend a night in it."
-"You mean a polar night ?"
-"Haha, no. Not that long."- Juba answered and smiled.-"By the way, it's spring now ?"
-"Here ? Yes."
-"How warm it should be ?"
-"Hm.. let me think. Between 5 and 20 degrees, not more."
End of part 3