Tuesday, June 6th, 2017

O'Hare International Airport
Chicago, United States of America

09:00 GMT-6 (15:00 GMT June 6th)

It was time for Fusion to embark for Europe.

"What are we flying in?" Tommy asked as they waited in the parking lot.

Mindy said nothing as she stood pensively, looking up at the blue sky, refusing to be drawn by the questions. It began as a mere speck in the sky, growing ominously in size as it came closer. It could have been a large bird but no, it grew way beyond the size of a mere feathered creature. As it came closer, the roar of its twin engines could be heard long before the aircraft could be identified, then the enormous flying machine passed directly overhead with a thunderous roar before it touched down on runway 28 Right. Mindy was grinning proudly from ear to ear.

"Christ!" Joshua announced as the enormous Boeing 777-300ER touched down with a multitude of chirps from the even dozen tyres of the main gear, closely followed by the twin tyres of the nose gear. "You said the G6 was too small, Mindy, but . . . Christ!"

It would take a short while for the aircraft to taxi north, past the general aviation hub, and then on towards the hangers at the north end of the airport. By the time they were airside, having passed through the Executive Terminal, the gigantic aircraft appeared to be on life support as a multitude of vehicles surrounded the aircraft with many cables, wires, pipes, and hoses dangling from a myriad of open inspection panels and access hatches. The aircraft was being rapidly serviced by expert support staff. Gallons of aviation turbine fuel – Jet A – was being pumped into the wings which spread 64.8 metres from wingtip to wingtip. Fresh food and other supplies were being brought aboard from the starboard side, fore and aft. Their own baggage was being stowed in the hold in a large aluminium container, one of over a dozen being pushed aboard through the capacious fore and aft cargo hatches fitted in the starboard underbelly. A set of passenger boarding stairs had been drawn up alongside two of the five portside passenger doors and the forward of these was where the aircraft's passengers were directed by the airport ground staff.

Eyes were everywhere as they struggled to comprehend the beautiful 367 million-dollar aircraft with its stunning colour scheme.

..._...

At the bottom of the forward set of passenger boarding stairs, a man of medium height stood in a smart uniform with a clipboard.

The uniform consisted of grey slacks, black slip-on shoes, a white shirt with purple beading around the collar, a purple tie, and a black waistcoat with purple vertical half-inch stripes two inches apart. The man's nametag stated his name to be Hamish Hewitt and as each passenger reached him, the service crewmember checked off a name, gave them a seating card, and directed them up the forward or aft set of passenger boarding stairs accordingly. The man smiled but he frowned each time a young person under the age of eighteen checked in. When it was the turn of Stephanie and Abigail the man scowled.

"Touch nothing!" he declared. "Miss Lizewski – Seat 3F. Miss Murphy – Seat 3H."

"Huh?" Stephanie queried.

"I had a chat with Amy – now move along," Hamish directed before he grimaced at the next arrivals. "Master Morgan – Seat 3G. Master Lizewski – Seat 3J. Ah, Miss Bennett – Seat 3C..."

As everyone trooped aboard via the second and fourth doors on the port side, eyes took in the extravagant décor.

..._..

The aft group were met by the friendly smiling face of Julie Hiller.

"This way, please," she directed cheerfully as she waved the majority of the young vigilantes aboard and into the midships seating area.

All told, there were to be thirty-eight passengers aboard, along with the eight-member crew. Dave and Mindy headed aft from the forward hatch, where they had been met by a smiling Arya Anderson and Yvonne Porter, via the port passageway as everybody was getting seated and strapped in. Each seat in the forward and midships seating was of first-class quality and each of the exquisitely upholstered seats could lay totally flat when it was time to sleep. The seats featured the absolute best grey leather with purple stitching to offer high levels of comfort on those long overwater flights.

The first grouping was of a dozen seats which were arranged in two groups, one of eight and one of four just forward of the wings to form the forward seating area. The forward row of six-abreast faced aft with the other row facing forward. The eight seats to starboard extended from the windows and there was a small alleyway between them the next group of four seats. Beyond that group was the port passageway leading fore and aft. Each seat was semi-enclosed to form a personal space aboard for each passenger. At the foot of each set of seats, a three-foot partition housed retractable TV screens which could be raised for privacy or just to watch a movie from the extensively equipped state-of-the-art digital entertainment system aboard. Seated on the starboard side, facing aft, were Stephanie, Tommy, Abigail, and Jamie who had the window seat. An uneasy-looking Tommy sat in between Stephanie and Abigail. Facing them were Lucy, Hailee, Anne-Marie, and Danny who was seated across from Jamie in the window seat. Anne-Marie grinned at Abigail who was seated directly ahead of her. Across the alleyway were Chloe and Joshua, facing aft, with Marty and Abby facing forward.

"Everybody good?" Mindy asked.

"Do I have to have Anne-Marie looking at me all the way?" Abigail asked as she threw a nasty look at the younger girl.

"Yes, you do," Mindy grinned.

Anne-Marie and Danny both stuck their tongues out at Abigail who scowled.

"You okay, Hailee?" Dave asked, seeing that the girl looked slightly unhappy.

"Last time I headed to Europe things didn't go so well," Hailee pointed out.

"It'll be fine," Mindy said supportively, understanding only too well where Hailee was coming from.

Dave and Mindy headed aft, passing through a partition, and stepping into a large communal area which was located over the wing. Detouring around a large semi-circular three-piece sofa and a twelve-seat conference table, they passed through another partition into the midships seating area. To the left, on the starboard side, was the main galley and then the armoury. Arranged mostly to port were twenty-seven seats identical to those in the forward seating area. Five groups of three seats and one of two were arrayed down the portside with two groupings of three seats and one of four to starboard. As was to be expected, there was a lot of noise while everybody scrambled for their seats. As Mindy headed down the passageway, she passed Emily in the window seat with Jennifer and Mathilda to her right – all facing aft – followed by Patrick in the window seat with Taylor and an empty seat, facing aft. Then came Becky in the window seat with Annabelle and Iain beside her, facing forward. They were all seated aft of the wing but forward of the aft main passenger access doors, one of which was open. On either side were a group of six seats in threes, back to back. To starboard, facing forward was Megan in the window seat with Curtis and an empty seat. Across from them, also facing forward, were Ariana, in the window seat, Freya, and Eva. For some reason, Freya did not look all that happy. Mindy had not wanted her on the mission, but she also wanted to keep the girl within easy reach. Next, facing aft and to starboard was the long-suffering Saoirse seated next to Ruth with Lizzie in the window seat. Across from them, also facing aft, were Lauren, Brad, and Hunter. They were unfortunate to find themselves facing Shannon and Marc who sat in a row of two facing forward with Shannon beside the window. Finally, in a set of four seats, facing forward were Willow, Kendra, and Xiāngxìn with Lin beside the window. Willow was doing her best to ignore the younger girls who were gossiping happily together. Mindy chuckled, and Willow threw back a sour expression before grinning.

As for Dave and Mindy, they had seats in their suite, well away from the noise and the Predators.

..._...

Once Dave and Mindy had ensured that everybody was aboard and seated with their hand luggage stowed, they both headed forward from where they could monitor the underage passengers.

"Okay, everybody!" Mindy declared. "Safety briefing. Please watch the video on your display screens."

"Awesome!" Jamie declared as eight screens arranged back to back rose out of the partition ahead of them.

The same was happening across the alleyway and also aft. Yvonne and her staff were patrolling and any child not paying attention received a vicious glare. Those who had flown with Yvonne before knew that upsetting Yvonne generally meant no food. Yvonne was known to be just as moody as Amy who looked after the Gulfstream jet.

As the screens flickered to life, a cautionary image was displayed:

This safety briefing includes information of a
highly classified nature and should not be viewed
by persons without a valid security clearance.

After several seconds, the image vanished, and an animated image of the aircraft was displayed, landing on their screens before stopping and an overhead image of the aircraft was displayed across every screen. This was accompanied by a voiceover from the cockpit.

"Welcome aboard the Phoenix, a Boeing 777-300ER Business Jet. I am Captain Reg Anderson and the Command Crew for this flight consists of First Officer Michelle Martinez and Second Officer Arya Anderson – you need to watch out for Arya! Currently patrolling the aircraft interior, we have the Flight Service crew. They are led by our Aircraft Manager, Yvonne Porter with Service Manager Julie Hiller and Service Crewmembers, Hamish Hewitt, Laura-Lee Hampton, and Matt Stanley. While aboard, all instructions issued by any member should be followed directly, and, yes, that applies to the dubious duo: Abigail and Stephanie."

There was laughter as the two girls slunk down in their seats.

"Today, we will be flying from Chicago O'Hare to London Heathrow. The estimated flight time is seven hours and fifty-nine minutes. While we push back and taxi to our runway, please put away the 'Guns and Ammo' magazines, Mrs Lizewski, and pay attention to this safety announcement."

Several grinning faces looked over at Mindy who stood in a doorway, scowling. The voice changed to that of Aircraft Manager Yvonne Porter and the image on the screen changed to show animations of her safety briefing.

"We are now going to demonstrate the emergency procedures and safety features on this Boeing triple-seven aircraft. Please pay attention as these may differ from an aircraft which you have flown on before. The captain and the crew are here for your safety and it is important that you pay attention and follow instructions, carefully. First, check that your seatbelt is securely fastened. Insert the metal tag into the buckle and tighten by pulling on the loose end. To unfasten, simply lift up the metal flap on the buckle and pull apart. Not rocket science but I can dumb it down for all you Predators, if required."

There were many scowls as Yvonne grinned at the youngsters aboard her aircraft.

"You will find the seatbelt sign in a panel above every group of seats, throughout this aircraft. When the seatbelt sign is illuminated, you must return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. We suggest that you keep your seatbelt fastened, just in case of unexpected turbulence . . . or if the pilots fall asleep. You should also note that if you are assigned a bunk, you should use the belts fitted to those bunks, especially when sleeping. That also applies to the lie-flat seating fitted throughout the aircraft. During flight, the forward passageway and tail section is OUT OF BOUNDS to ALL under the age of eighteen unless under escort. There is to be ONE person per seat . . . that means you, Shannon, and you, Megan.

The two girls both looked up in surprise as everybody laughed.

"What about Lauren?" Megan called out.

"Good point!" Yvonne grinned as her eyes sought out the unfortunate girl. "That applies to you, too, Lauren."

"Bitch!" Lauren growled at Megan who just grinned.

Yvonne went back to her briefing.

"Your lifejacket is located under your seat. If required, remove the lifejacket from its container, and place it over your head. Pass the tapes around your waist and tie them securely with a double bow at your side. DO NOT inflate the lifejacket until you have exited the aircraft. In the unlikely event of the aircraft having to make an emergency landing you will be told take THIS protective brace position if you are in a forward-facing seat, and THIS protective brace position of you in an aft-facing seat. We will now explain how to leave the aircraft in an emergency. Move quickly to the closest usable exit, taking nothing with you. High-heeled shoes, ladies and Joshua, must be taken off as they may tear the evacuation slide. Emergency lighting, including floor-level lighting will help you find your way to the exits which are clearly signed.

"There are two exits at the rear of the aircraft, in the tail section, two exits located in the midships seating, two over-wing exits in the centre of the aircraft, two exits in the forward lobby, and finally, two exits forward. The crew will now point out the nearest exits to where you are seated. To open the doors, move the handle in the direction of the red arrow. Opening the doors automatically inflates and deploys the evacuation slides. The slides can also be inflated by pulling this handle. Jump onto the slide and move away from the aircraft. If the aircraft has landed on water, these slides detach to form rafts. As you leave the aircraft, inflate your lifejacket by pulling the red tag. If necessary, blow into this mouthpiece to top up the air. The lifejacket is fitted with a light and a whistle. If the cabin air supply fails, oxygen will be provided. Masks will deploy from the overhead panels automatically. Stay in your seat and pull the mask towards you. Place the mask over your mouth and nose and breath normally. Always put your own mask on first BEFORE helping others.

"As we prepare to charge down the runway, please ensure that your seat back and tray table are in their stowed and upright position. Carry-on baggage should be placed in the overhead storage bins, or bins in front of you. At this time, all electronic devices that are not a part of this aircraft should be either switched off or placed into a flight-safe mode for take-off as they should also be for approach and landing. All weapons should be securely stowed in the relevant weapons lockers located throughout the aircraft. No knives, Balisongs, Sais, swords, or other similarly pointed objects are to be loose during take-off or landing, and they should be securely stowed during flight in case of turbulence. Smoking . . . not that any of us do smoke . . . is not permitted at any time on this aircraft as dictated by FAA and CAA regulations. Tampering with, disabling, or destroying smoke detectors in the lavatories will result in a visit from Mindy. US Law requires all passengers to comply with all signs and to remember instructions about seatbelts and smoking.

"You are advised to take a look at the safety card for this Boeing 777-300ER located in your seat pocket. If you have any questions, please ask a member of the service crew. We hope you have a relaxed and enjoyable flight . . . with so many ruddy children aboard – not bloody likely! The service crew will now be coming through to do a final cabin check. Thank you for your attention and for choosing to fly on the Phoenix instead of some other mangy aircraft."

Then came the voice of the Captain as the take-off ritual continued.

"Flight service crew, please prepare for departure. Doors on automatic, cross-check and report. Thank you."

From outside the aircraft, on either side, came an increasing roar as the giant General Electric GE90-115B1 high-bypass turbofans spun up to speed. Minutes later came another command.

"Flight service crew, prepare for take-off, please."

There was an increased flurry of activity as the service crew continued to move purposefully around the aircraft securing and checking, then securing and checking again. Every seatbelt was checked for every adult and child aboard. Nothing was overlooked by the professional service crew. Once Yvonne was happy all was ready, she reported to the cockpit and a few minutes later, there came another announcement.

"Flight service crew, please take your seats for take-off."

Yvonne and her team took to their fold down seats which were located in various strategic parts of the aircraft.

11:00 GMT-6 (17:00 GMT June 6th)

THE PHOENIX

It was an airborne safehouse with everything they might need to survive, almost anything, just about anywhere in the world.

But despite that and its sheer size, the 350-tonne aircraft thundered over three kilometres under 115,300Ibf of power, steadily increasing speed as it sped down the runway before the nose gear lifted smoothly off the tarmac and the giant aircraft became airborne. There were grins all around as the giant GE90-115B turbofans screamed out, hauling the giant aircraft into the air and on up to cruising altitude.

"Ladies and gentlemen," came the voice of Captain Anderson. "We are currently climbing at a rate of two thousand feet-per-minute as we head to our cruising altitude of thirty-five thousand feet. For those of you who, like Mindy, have a fascination with speed, we will be cruising at 482-knots which is point eight four the speed of sound."

Stephanie looked over at Anne-Marie who was grinning broadly in her seat. Stephanie was grinning too; the power of the take-off had been amazing, and she was loving every minute of it. Beside Stephanie, Tommy was doing his best to absorb the pain from Stephanie's right hand which was gripping his left wrist very tightly. The aircraft was amazing, and he was just as amazed and excited as all the other faces he could see. Fifteen minutes later, the aircraft began to level off and a digital readout mounted high on the bulkhead within Tommy's line of sight which had been racing through the numbers had now slowed down and was steadily counting up through the last few hundred feet to 35,000 feet. At almost the instant the readout hit 35,000 feet, Captain Anderson was back as a light bong sounded throughout the aircraft.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have turned off the seatbelt signs throughout the aircraft. Please feel free to wander around, but please make use of seatbelts where possible when you are seated. Yvonne and her service crew will soon be coming around to serve drinks – no alcohol for those under twenty-one – and they will also be taking orders for lunch. In a few minutes, I will be coming through the cabin to introduce myself – Stephanie and Abigail, you had better be on your very best behaviour."

The two girls scowled as everybody laughed.

Forward Seating Area

Along with everyone else, Abigail and Stephanie unclipped their seatbelts and stood up.

"What are these?" Abigail asked as she held out some additional harnesses which she had found fitted to her seat.

"I dread to think," Stephanie replied as she found the very same harnesses attached to her own seat. "Hey, Mum!"

"Yeees," Mindy grinned as she appeared from forward.

Stephanie and Abigail held up the harnesses. Mindy grinned.

"Each seat is equipped with a five-point harness," she explained simply.

"That doesn't sound good," Abigail replied as she examined the harness more closely.

"Come on, Abigail," Chloe pointed out. "You've seen Mindy's yachts; don't you think she'd go overboard with this, too?"

Abigail nodded dubiously.

"Is it too late to jump out?" Tommy asked.

Mindy laughed. "Parachutes are located at the back, Tommy," she commented as she strolled away, smirking.

"She is kidding, right?"

"It's Mindy – what do you think?" Joshua responded.

Tommy grimaced as he made for the nearest bathroom. Stephanie, Abigail, and Jamie went off together to explore the giant aircraft while Daniel and Anne-Marie remained in their seats to peruse the dozens of movies which were available to watch from their seats.

"Who put this collection together?" Danny asked. "Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, From Dusk till Dawn, Hostel, Rambo – First Blood Part I, Seven, Gran Torino, Dirty Harry, Apocalypse Now, Magnum Force, The Dead Pool . . . what the hell is Porky's?"

"I wouldn't watch any of them," Chloe grinned. "Actually, I would, but you guys are way too young for most of those – especially Porky's! That lot is for Mindy when she wants a casual relaxing evening of bloodletting. Try this list..."

Chloe manipulated the remote to bring up an alternative list of movies which were much more suited to nine-year-old children.

Midships Seating Area

In the midships seating, the passengers there were also moving about.

"You two knew about this flying palace?" Shannon asked. "I don't believe you."

"We put it to Mindy about a year ago," Megan replied. "She needed a flying safehouse, we thought.

"But Mindy already had this crate in the works," Curtis added.

"We helped with some ideas," Megan pointed out.

"Yeah – some were really nutty," Mindy admitted as she appeared beside the youngsters.

"And your idea for gun turrets wasn't?" Curtis challenged bravely.

"Sometimes," Mindy conceded, "I have been known to go over the top."

"Sometimes – are you kidding?" Saoirse deadpanned.

"We got to go with Mindy to Everett and see the plane being built," Megan boasted happily.

"Really?" Shannon asked.

"Yeah – it was the longest return flight of my life!" Mindy growled.

"She threatened to leave us behind," Curtis admitted with a big grin.

"I helped design the logo on the tail – that one," Anne-Marie said as she pointed at the animated screensaver on the TV screens which showed a fiery phoenix.

"I thought you were watching a movie," Mindy commented.

"I wanted to check out the aircraft," Anne-Marie responded. "Danny's watching a Star Wars movie."

Mindy's attention was taken by Stephanie and Abigail who had vanished through a doorway into the Aft Seating area.

Aft Seating Area

The two girls were amazed by what they found.

As they passed through the doorway which was fitted with a sturdy sliding door – Abigail was convinced the door was bulletproof – they emerged into the aft seating area. To their right, were eight seats, arranged in pairs alongside the windows and facing forward. The seats were of a much lower quality than those which were fitted further forward, and they did not look all that appealing for a long flight. Opposite those seats, a pair of double doors bearing the international medical symbol on each door in blue. As the two girls strolled past, the two doors slid open with a muted hiss and Jennifer appeared.

"Hi, girls!"

"Hi, Jen!" Abigail and Stephanie responded.

"Is that the medical bay?" Abigail asked as she peered past Jennifer.

"Yes, it is – you fancy a look?"

"I suppose," Stephanie responded. "Chances are that next time I'll be flat on my back."

"Don't look so despondent, Steph," Jennifer laughed as she waved the two young girls inside.

"Wow!" Abigail exclaimed.

The Medical Bay was enormous and arranged as two distinct areas which Jennifer explained.

"Through there, we have a scrub area," she explained, pointing forward towards a pair of part-glazed doors. "That is also where we have fridges for storing plasma and blood. In here," Jennifer continued as she waved a hand around the main, larger area, "we have the operating theatre or treatment room, depending on how seriously a person is hurt."

"Very seriously," Abigail quipped, "in Steph's case – she does nothing by halves!"

"Do you want to be the first person needing serious treatment, Abigail?" Stephanie growled.

"I'll pass, thanks."

Jennifer simply shook her head and continued.

"In that alcove, we have the bed I'd use for surgical procedures – it can be resized depending on the size of the patient. As you can see, there are two seats – one at the end and one to the side for if we needed to operate while in the air."

Abigail and Stephanie poked around, looking in drawers and cupboards. Then they both turned to Jennifer.

"It helps to know that there is backup for when we need the holes in our bodies plugged before we bleed out," Abigail commented darkly.

"You can be so bloody morbid at times," Stephanie complained.

"Just being practical," Abigail retorted defensively.

"Okay, girls, off you go – I have work to do," Jennifer said as she pushed the two bickering friends out of her Medical Bay.

"Thanks, Jen," Abigail said as they left, turning aft towards the tail.

"Thank God!" Jennifer breathed as she hit the button to shut the doors.

Tail Section

The next bulkhead had a substantial aluminium door which opened pneumatically with the aid of a long lever.

Stephanie moved the lever from pointing down at four o'clock, counterclockwise so that it was pointing at the ten o'clock position. The door then automatically swung inwards on well-oiled aluminium hinges before it stopped against the medical bay bulkhead. The two girls peered through into the decidedly spartan Tail Section.

"Bit bare," Stephanie commented.

"I think this is where Mindy sends people she doesn't like," Abigail stated.

"Why'd you think that?" Stephanie asked.

"Those two seats at the back, on the left."

Stephanie stepped into the tail section and over towards the seats indicated. Then she scowled. Each seat had a nameplate affixed to the bulkhead above them and the nameplates bore their names.

"Bitch!" Stephanie said loudly.

"You called," a voice chuckled from behind them both.

"Hi, er, Mindy," Abigail said, grinning. "We are allowed here, right?"

"Actually, no," Mindy replied.

"Sorry...," Abigail began.

"I'll let you both off, just this once," Mindy grinned. "In future, please do not come in here unless directed. This area can be depressurised and while the door will not open in those circumstances, it is better not to come in here as you may inadvertently be sucked out by either one of these hatches."

"The nameplates?" Stephanie asked.

"A little joke on Dave's part," Mindy explained. "This is also where we would house our prisoners – should we take any."

"You saying me and Abigail may become prisoners?" Stephanie bristled.

"With you two, anything is possible."

"She has a point," Abigail grinned.

"Fucking idiot!" Stephanie grinned back.

"Why don't you two go forward, find Jamie, and take him up to the cockpit," Mindy suggested.

"Cool!" Abigail said as she ran forward with Stephanie close behind.

Mindy chuckled as she watched the two girls go.

Communal Area

"What's up with you?" Abigail asked Kendra, a few minutes later.

Kendra was seated on the edge of the curved sofa, over by Door No.3 – the eleven-year-old did not look happy.

"She misses Billy," Willow grinned.

"No, I don't!" Kendra retorted, her face gaining a pink tint. "Stop it."

"I think she misses his fingers on her clit," Willow persisted.

"That was not what you think!" Kendra exploded. "I was showing him my pubes."

"All eight?" Willow responded derisively.

"That's two more than Steph has," Anne-Marie chirped up as she bolted past.

Abigail burst out laughing.

"Do you enjoy pain, Abigail?" Stephanie growled.

"Sometimes..."

"I ignore Anne-Marie because she's too little to know better," Stephanie lectured, "but I think you need a reminder, Abigail."

Stephanie raised her right arm only to find it blocked by another arm. Stephanie found herself looking into the deep blue eyes of Yvonne.

"Hi, Yvonne!"

"No fighting in flight, Miss Lizewski," Yvonne cautioned.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" Stephanie exclaimed without thinking as she rolled her eyes."

Stephanie found her feet leaving the deck and she flew through the air before coming down, rather hard, on her back, staring up at the, admittedly stunning, purple mood lighting set into the deckhead.

"Hey!" Abigail growled. "You can't do that!"

There was a thud and Stephanie saw Abigail lying beside her.

"I guess she can...," Abigail conceded as everybody laughed.

"Good to see everyone getting on well," Dave commented as he stepped over the two prone girls like they were not even there.

Stephanie and Abigail rolled over and both girls crawled forward, passing through the bulkhead into the forward seating area where they found Jamie talking with Lucy.

"Should I ask why you two are crawling on all fours?" Jamie asked as Lucy laughed.

"You can ask," Stephanie replied as she stood up.

"But we're not going to tell you," Abigail added, joining Stephanie.

"They just had their arses handed to them by Yvonne," Megan grinned as she appeared with Curtis.

Jamie and Lucy laughed at that. Then Arya appeared and she smiled at the two younger girls and Jamie.

"You guys ready?" she asked.

Arya was smartly turned out, wearing a single-breasted navy-blue jacket over navy-blue trousers. Her rank of Second Officer was displayed by two silver rings around each cuff of the jacket along with a set of silver pilot's wings on her left breast above a silver badge trimmed in purple bearing her name and rank. Arya wore comfortable black shoes on her feet and underneath the jacket, she wore a white shirt with a purple cravat. Most of them had only ever seen Arya wearing jeans and T-shirts, so to see her so smartly turned out was a surprise.

"Wow!" Abigail said for about the twentieth time since stepping aboard.

"I clean up good, right?" Arya grinned as she twirled around.

"Very much the professional pilot," Chloe said from her seat.

"Thank you, Chloe," Arya grinned.

"I was just looking at this," Chloe said, showing a well-worn magazine to Arya.

The magazine was an old copy of the inflight American Airlines magazine 'American Way' and it was open at the full-page image of a young girl dressed in an American Airlines flight attendant's uniform.

"You got that from Dad, didn't you?" Arya growled.

"I thought you were a pilot...," Chloe teased.

"I was fourteen!" Arya offered in her defence. "Anyway, I saw Yvonne slip you the magazine, earlier on, so I dug around for something I found at a certain safehouse, a few weeks back."

Slyly, and with a big cheesy grin, Arya slowly pulled a folded magazine out of the inside pocket of her jacket.

"Does your daughter know about this, Chloe?" Arya said as she flashed a magazine at Chloe, whose eyes went wide as she rapidly peered around in case Becky was nearby. "Maybe I should show her..."

"Don't you dare!" Chloe hissed, her face going directly to red with embarrassment.

"Dare what?" a small voice asked. "Show me what?"

"Oh, God!" Chloe moaned as Becky appeared.

"Did you know Chloe was in a magazine?" Arya grinned as she handed the magazine to Becky.

"Curve? Is that a woman's magazine?" Becky asked innocently.

"Yes, it is a woman's magazine," Lucy confirmed. "In every sense of the word..."

"Is that you snogging? Is that Erika?" Becky asked, her tone one of incredulity. "Is this a sapphic magazine?"

"Sapphic?" Lucy asked.

"It means..."

"It's a lesbian magazine," Chloe blurted out, interrupting her daughter. "We were outside a lesbian sex club in Gotham – and yes, about fifteen minutes later, I was butt naked and eating out another woman."

Becky looked horrified and Arya laughed as she turned to Stephanie, Abigail, and Jamie who all appeared just as horrified.

"Okay, you three, let's go see the front office."

Arya led the three youngsters forward, down the Port Passageway, past the master suite – with the 'Mile High Suite' sign which Stephanie just scowled at as she passed – and into the Main Entrance and Forward Lobby.

..._...

Stephanie and Abigail looked around, a little confused, before they looked at Jamie who just shrugged.

To their immediate left as well as some twenty feet over to their right were the port and starboard Door No.2; the main entrance doors. Taking up a considerable amount of space was the grand staircase which led to sleeping quarters located over the forward section of the aircraft. The staircase was built from lightweight aluminium, internally for strength, but with a covering of dark faux wood and the same blue/black carpet which was laid throughout the main deck of the aircraft. As far as the two girls could see, there was no way to get any further forward on the main deck. Arya grinned as she recognised the looks of confusion on the kid's faces.

"Right, you three are the very first to learn about this section of the Phoenix – but, for some reason, Mindy thinks you three can be trusted. Stephanie, please place your hand against the pad on the bulkhead."

Stephanie immediately recognised the smooth eight-inch panel about the size of a standard tablet screen. The panel blended into the bulkhead – which was probably the intention. Stephanie placed her right hand on the panel which momentarily flashed green and a set of numbers appeared. Stephanie tapped out her Fusion access code and there was a dull electronic click as the bulkhead, immediately to the left, unlocked and swung open, almost vanishing into the internal wall of the forward passageway.

"Very cool!" Jamie announced as he peered down the passageway.

Arya led the way forward. About halfway along the passageway, a door was set into the bulkhead to the right. Alongside the door was another access panel.

"The command centre," Arya advised as she continued past without elaborating further.

Ahead of them, at the end of the passageway, Abigail, Jamie, and Stephanie could see the portside Door No.1 and another door which led forward.

"This is the crew lobby," Arya explained. "Everything forward of the command centre belongs to the crew, both on and below the main deck. This door is armoured to the same standard as the cockpit door – although, I think Mindy might have gone a little beyond the standard required."

Arya placed her right hand against another panel located to the right of the security door, tapped in a code, and the lock clicked open. The two girls were led into the Crew Rest Area. Stephanie immediately saw that Mindy had put a lot of effort into providing comfortable accommodations for the crew. Immediately inside the armoured door, there was a pair of jump seats mounted on the forward bulkhead with a phone above them. Beside the jump seats was the armoured door which led to the cockpit, a security panel to the left of the door. To the right of the cockpit door, there was a small galley for the crew's use. Next came a small bathroom and the main rest area. Over by the starboard windows, a table sat with four comfortable seats, two per side. Further round, a vertical ladder led below while a set of lockers sat beside the ladder upon which a computer sat.

"Down below, there are four bunks," Arya explained before she pulled off her jacket and hung it up on a hanger which she placed into a small cupboard located in one corner.

Her white shirt bore black epaulettes, each bearing two silver stripes.

"Let's go see my Dad."

Arya pressed her hand against the security pad and then tapped out a code, releasing the cockpit door which Arya pulled open.

The Cockpit

As they stepped through the armoured door, they found themselves in the hi-tech nerve centre concerned with flying the gigantic passenger aircraft.

Stephanie, Jamie and Abigail's eyes darted all around the hi-tech cockpit. There were four seats amongst the masses of electronic equipment. Two were up front, either side of a large centre console covered in levers, screen, and buttons. Against the rear bulkhead of the cockpit, a pair of jump seats were fitted over on the starboard side of the cockpit. Seated in the left seat, a man wearing a white shirt which bore the four silver stripes on his epaulettes of a Captain, turned to face them. Captain Reg Anderson smiled at his daughter as well as the three children.

"Welcome to the cockpit," he said. "I am Captain Reg Anderson, as I think you all know, and this," he indicated the opposing seat, "is First Officer Michelle Martinez."

"Hi, guys!" Michelle said. "Good to meet you all."

"This place is amazing!" Jamie announced as he looked around.

Abigail was staring out of the cockpit windows where the view was much, much better than when looking out of the side windows. Within minutes, all three children were being given a guided tour of the dashboard. Jamie took great interest in the autopilot controls which were arranged above all the other instruments, but just below the cockpit windows between the two pilots.

"I've never seen anything so amazing," Stephanie muttered as she took in each switch, dial, display, readout, knob, and lever.

"I've never been in a cockpit like this," Abigail said. "Thanks for letting us in here.

"Not a problem, Abigail," Reg chuckled. "I remember bringing a little ten-year-old girl into the cockpit of an American Airlines Boeing 767, long time ago – it was the longest she had ever been quiet."

"That was the moment I first realised I wanted to fly," Arya admitted from the back of the cockpit.

"Nine years of hell for me," Reg laughed. "She nagged me stupid for almost two years until I finally gave in and took her up in a Cessna when she turned twelve."

Twenty minutes later, three very happy children left the cockpit for lunch.