Unknown Skies part 2
7 hours later
Winter 595 was about to begin its descent into Leeds Airport. Everyone was tired aboard the jet, Sam and Dan weren't, well after a dozen cups of coffee during the flight, sleep is the last thing on your mind.
"Leeds Center this is Winter 595, we are about to begin our descent to flight level 270" Dan spoke into the radio.
"Roger Winter 595, you are cleared to descend to flight level 270" the ATC controller in Leeds replied.
"Winter 595 copies" was Dan's reply as Sam reached for the altitude selector on the autopilot and selected the required altitude; the 757 immediately began to make a leisurely descent.
Sam looked out of the cockpit windows out at the distant landmass of northern Scotland below the aircraft.
"It's so great to be home at last" Sam said to Dan.
"You're right about that mate" Dan replied to his friend. The 757 continued to descend for a little while longer and it levelled out at 27000 feet.
Then, without warning, Dan exclaimed,
"Sam, I have visual with something to the 1 o clock position of us and roughly 12 miles out. You see it?"
Sam looked where Dan was gesturing and nodded,
"Yep I see it"
Sam then checked the radar system; he suddenly adopted a confused expression,
"That's odd, there's nothing on radar"
"Could be one of those new stealth F35's that the RAF is introducing?" Dan suggested.
"Possibly, but normally they would be far away from civilian routes" Sam replied.
"I'll check with ATC" Dan said and he activated his radio,
"Winter 595 to Leeds center"
"Roger Winter 595, go ahead" the ATC Controller replied.
"We have visual with another aircraft around 12 miles out to our 1 o clock. Our radar and TCAS aren't picking anything up. Can your radar detect anything?" Dan asked.
"I'm sorry Winter 595 but our radar doesn't detect any aircraft in your vicinity" the ATC controller replied.
"That's impossible. We have visual!" Dan exclaimed.
"Winter 595. There is nothing on radar at this time, if we do find anything we will….." The ATC controller said before the transmission was suddenly cut off!
"Winter 595 to Leeds centre. Please respond" Dan spoke into the radio.
"Seems we have lost contact" Dan said to Sam.
"Hang on, I'll try my radio" Sam replied.
Sam tried his radio but all he got was static.
"That's strange" Sam thought aloud to himself.
Just as he said this, the radio crackled, the transmission very weak and full of interference,
"595…. hear you…KLM 1547…. just seen massive explosion over….City…. Mushroom cloud….my co-pilot… looking at….explosion…now blind as bat…..everyone on-board is going mad…..god bless us all…."
"Oh my god!" Dan exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"A nuke going off? Who was stupid enough to allow a nuke to detonate on a British City?" Sam thought aloud.
"What do we do now Sam?" Dan asked concerned.
Sam thought for a moment before he said,
"Climb back up to 370. We need to get as far away from Leeds as we can. Scandinavia possibly, then we can refuel and figure out what to do next"
"Alright then" Dan replied as he adjusted the autopilot and Quebec Echo began its flight away from the nuked Leeds.
An hour later
It was much worse than originally thought; the world had quickly descended into a nuclear war after the nuclear attack on Leeds. Thousands upon Thousands of Civilian flights were caught in the crossfire.
Winter 595 was one of these flights. Unfortunately, the 757's intended diversion point; Oslo Gardermoen airport had been destroyed. So Sam had decided to divert to Stavanger airport, a much smaller facility but its runway was capable of taking 757-200's, to refuel and fly south, where the chances of survival were the highest. The passengers had already found out about the nuclear war through their news channels on the 757's IFE systems.
Dan was busy checking the fuel gauges and making calculations to whether the 757 would make it to Stavanger, their intended refuelling point.
As he finished the calculations, his eyes widened and he looked to Sam in fear!
"Sam, we are not going to make it to Stavanger. Our fuel is going to run out over 35 miles before then." Dan warned Sam in a terrified tone.
"Bugger!" Sam growled in frustration.
All of their efforts were for nothing; Quebec Echo would never make it to Stavanger. But as all hope seemed lost, the weather radar bleeped loudly!
Dan looked down at the weather radar's display and said,
"Looks like we have a big storm in front of us."
"You think?" Sam exclaimed as he gestured out of the cockpit windows.
Dan looked up and had to stop himself swearing at the sight. Right in front of them as a huge black storm front!
Instinctively, Sam reached for the autopilot and turned the autopilot heading knob to take the 757 on a more south easterly heading. But the knob wouldn't move!
"The Autopilot's jammed!" Sam exclaimed.
Both pilots immediately tried to disengage the autopilot and fly Quebec Echo manually but the manual override didn't function either!
"What's happening?!" Dan exclaimed fearfully.
"I have no idea, what I do know is that we are heading into the storm!" Sam replied.
The jet was then suddenly rocked violently to the right as it entered the storm, the passengers screamed, fearing the plane would flip over, but luckily the autopilot managed to level the 757 before that happened.
"HOLD ON!" Sam shouted over the combined noise of the storm and the engines.
That was all anyone on flight 595 could do as it lurched violently, it was a terrifying moment for all on-board, a multi-million pound airliner and no-one could take control of it!
As the flight was sure to be ripped apart by the violent motions, a bright blue glow suddenly materialised in front of them.
"What the?" Dan exclaimed in surprise.
"Whatever it is, we are heading straight through!" Sam replied.
The 757 kept on shaking violently as it approached the glow, and without warning, it flew headlong into it. There was a bright flash and the storm immediately cleared, there was no trace of Winter 595, its crew and passengers, it was as if they were never there!