In the first-class cabin Jackson hears screaming. Looking around nervously, he sees parents trying to calm a baby down. In economy-class cabin, a young man in the first row slumps with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. A cannula is set in his nostrils, leading to an oxygen tank beside him. The kids sneak sympathetic, yet anxious glances at the man while continuing to their seats.
Jackson reads the over head compartments aloud. "Row 25. Seats H, I, and J." He climbs into the row, carrying his backpack. Jackson takes the window seat and reaches up to the air flow valve. It turns, hissing, air streaming full blast. He takes a deep breath of stale air and presses his face to the window.
He sees the rain fall. Gears whir as the ailerons are tested.
"Jackson?"
Surprised, he turns towards the aisle to find Christa and Blake.
Christa says, "Could you trade seats with Blake so she and I can sit together? I asked Lex, but he said he's got some medical thing."
He sneaks a glance at Lex, who is shaking his head "No."
Jackson shrugs. "Sure." In front of him, Lex throws up his arms, disgusted. Jackson climbs out of his seat.
"You're so sweet."
"Thanks Jackson."
He moves into the isle, making his way to Lex. He takes the window seat by him. Row 22 H.
Lex glares at him.
"C'mon man. Like you really thought she'd make out with you over Greenland or something?" Jackson says sarcastically.
"Because of you, I gotta sit here and watch Stuart Little," Lex said, motioning toward a mini- television hanging from the ceiling.
As Jackson sits, the tray table falls from it's upright position. He lifted the tray back up, but as he turned the latch, it breaks off in his hand. He briefly tries to jimmie the tray into position, then gives up.
Jackson's hand rises, reaching for the attendant call button. As his finger engages the button, it lights up orange.
The plane lurches. He looks out the window. The 747 began rolling out of the gate.
As he looks behind him, searching for a flight attendant, he sees Melissa, reading her book. Someone behind her leans against the window.
He lifts out of his seat a bit, searching for a flight attendant.
He hears a ping. Then the captain's voice comes over the intercom. "Flight attendants prepare for departure."
Jackson looks forward in the cabin. The flight attendants strap themselves in for take-off.
The engine volume increases in pitch and intensity as the jet begins to taxi. Jackson sits back with the tray over his lap.
He looks out the window. The right wing appears motionless as the tarmac and runway signs roll past it. The engine pitch rises. They whir as the jet gathers speed.
The window is a blur. The airport terminals streak past. The wings lift, angled as the plane leaves the ground.
His classmates cheer with their hands in the air. The trip has begun.
Jackson's annoyance with the tray situation dissolves.
He finally begins to notice the raucous reaction and settles back in his seat, slightly pushed by mild g-force. The upward angle increases. The cabin buffets, as if passing mild turbulence.
Then the cabin sharply jolts.
Everyone tenses and gasps.
Just as he clenches his backpack, the cabin bangs and rocks. The engines spool to a stall. Metal twists under extreme pressure. The cabin dips, angling sharply to the right.
Passengers scream. Unrestrained personal belongings fly across the aircraft. Oxygen masks deploy from the overhead compartments.
A prerecorded message blares over the P.A. with eerie calm. "Fasten seat belts. Put on oxygen masks."
Jackson's hands tremble as he reaches for the oxygen mask and places it over his face.
The engines resuscitate. Screaming. Whining.
Jackson checks out the window. The plane is on it's side, a slow, sick spin, loosing altitude.
He breathes deep into his oxygen cup.
The jet engines grind and whir, as if the craft was in the midst of a last-ditch effort to regain stability. The sounds are deafening over the passengers' cruelly hopeless screams.
Ka-Boom!!! A devastating explosion erupts across the cabin, blasting a five-foot hole in the fuselage. Human limbs and blood spray, craft and passengers torn to shreds. Dead students sit lifeless in their seats. Every unrestrained object flies to the hole and through the fire: paper, books, luggage, pillows. A parent and student clutch their seats in terror, screaming before they are pulled into the sky.
Wind. Screams. Dying engines. A deafening blare.
Jackson hears Lex scream beside him. His face is pale. He knows there is no hope, no escape as the engines die.
The cabin begins to tilt downwards…then straight down. Debris tumbles towards the flight deck, as if falling from a cliff.
Jackson is strapped to his seat, upper body facing downward towards the water. Fire, wind, and blood whip across him. A building whine crescendoes before a second explosion rips across the craft.
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"Jackson?"
Drenched with sweat, trembling in his seat, his eyes dart toward Christa and Blake.
Christa says, "Could you trade seats with Blake so she and I can sit together? I asked Lex, but he said he's got some medical thing."
Jackson turns, sickeningly disoriented. His eyes dart about, searching for evidence of the catastrophe. There are none to be found. Jackson blots from his seat, startling the two girls. He scrambles towards Lex, who looks at his friend concerned.
"Dude, what's up?" Lex asked.
Frenzied, Jackson climbed over his friend, on top of the seat. Jackson's panic alerts a male flight attendant who makes his way to the row.
He grabs the tray table latch before the vacant seat. It breaks off, just as before. Jackson, terrified, begins to hyperventilate.
"Is there a problem sir?" the flight attendant asked him.
Jackson's wild eyes convey "No frakin' kidding there's a problem."
The flight attendant realizes this passenger is experiencing a serious episode.
Directly across the aisle, Nathan and Taylor look at him with severe expressions. "What's your freakin' problem?" Nathan said, anger in his voice.
Mr. Russel and Ms. Twist unfasten their seatbelts and rush towards Jackson. "Cody, Qu' est-ce se?" Mr. Russel said.
"Qu' est-ce se? The freakin' plane's gonna explode!" said Jackson.
Obviously, no one ever wants to hear that. The students tense.
The flight attendant immediately turns to other attendants, signaling for assistance with a quick definite gesture. The attendants hustle towards the economy-class cabin.
Nathan and Taylor talk at the same time. "Shut up, Jackson." Nathan calls him by his first name for intimidation, knowing Cody Jackson didn't like his first name. "You're not funny," Taylor says.
Jackson, frenzied, begins moving towards the aisle. "We have to get out."
This frightens everyone. Not the 'prophecy,' but the panicky, irrational behavior.
"We have to get off this plane!" Jackson says. "Now. Now!"
Jackson is desperately climbing over Lex, who is trying to calmly restrain his friend. Across the aisle, Nathan McHugh stands, ready to quiet Jackson…with force.
Everyone is talking at the same time. Nathan said, "Sit down, Cody." "Jackson. Jackson! Easy, man. Take it easy," said Lex. "Sir, if this is a joke, we don't tolerate such humor," the flight attendant said. He restrains Nathan with an extended forearm.
"I'm not joking! I'm not joking!" Jackson said.
Ms. Twist and Mr. Russel move to the seats. Flight attendants try restraining Jackson from the aisle. "Cody, knock it off," Ms. Twist said. "It's alright." "Settle down, Cody," Mr. Russel commanded. "Listen to me," Jackson said. "This plane will explode on take-off!"
"Sir, we will remove you from the aircraft if this continues," the flight attendant said.
"I'll remove him," Nathan said.
"Screw you! I'll remove myself!" said Jackson.
Nathan reaches for Jackson, who pushes back, trying to get out. Nathan responds aggressively, and now the flight attendant, Lex, and two teachers are in the midst of the melee.
The co-pilot arrives to secure the situation. He grabs Jackson, and begins forcibly ushering him up the aisle. A male flight attendant choke holds Nathan from the back. Nathan struggles but the attendant's positioning has the advantage. He begins moving Nathan from the plane as well.
"He didn't do nothing," Taylor yelled after them. She followed the flight attendant, hitting him to help her boyfriend.
Just arriving in the cabin, Eric McGorrill tries to fight past a stewardess to get to his seat. He is blocked by the mass of combatants as they are escorted out.
The flight attendant said, "Anybody in the aisle is off the plane."
"No, wait. I was late. That's my seat right there," Eric said pointing to a seat in the middle row.
Under protest, Eric gets pushed back off the plane. Mr. Russel and Ms. Twist follow the pack of students and airline personnel as they move toward the exit, calling out to seated teachers and parent while hustling up the aisles. "Everybody just stay where you are. Just sit tight." "Mr. Carpenter, keep an eye on things for a moment."
Lex watches, amazed and concerned for his friend. He looks across the cabin to his brother. "You should go with him," George said. Lex nods and walks down the aisle.
Amongst the chaos, Melissa considers for a beat, then grabs her backpack, stands, and moves into the aisle to exit the plane.