Page 1 of Orange Sky
Prologue
2025
Somewhere over Alaska
“Anchorage Center, United 1549, do you have any traffic at nine o’clock?”
“United 1549, say again.”
“Do you have any traffic in front of us?”
“United 1549 negative. I have no info on traffic.”
“United 1549, ah we have two traffic in front of us one mile about.”
“Virgin 54Z, Anchorage Center.”
“Virgin 54Z, go ahead.”
“We just had something pass over us to our left.”
“Can you describe it?”
“…(static)…”
“Virgin 54Z.”
Passengers on United 1549 saw a fire dancing along the tops of the overhead bin, on the seats in front of them, before a huge bright light blinded them. Then everything went black.
1
Brynn
Ican’t move.
Those were my first thoughts upon waking up. The last thing I remembered was sitting on an airplane on my way to Japan, my first personal trip that I’ve been saving for. The first international trip. The first of everything in a long time. I felt fear that I am now blind and paralyzed. My brain is alive, I can feel the coldness of the metal I am lying on, but I can’t move! I can’t even open my eyes. I haven’t felt this sensation since the last time me and my buddies at work went to a bar and got wasted. But it was worth it. We just finished a major application program that skyrocketed the company’s net value. The owners were happy.
Unfortunately, that was the start of a career that is all work and hardly any play. Being a software engineer means more money. But the time I spent in the office is not worth it. That is why I need this vacation. I was in an airplane. Did I survive? Am I in a hospital?
I remembered a bright light then a mild electricity coursing through my veins. I remember the silence when we saw a St Elmo’s fire inside the cabin. Then the screaming began, and everything went black. I had no time to even shout.
I was beginning to panic. I never had a panic attack in my life, yet this feels close. Why can’t I move? I’m too young to die at 29.
Then I heard voices. It felt surreal because I can hear gibberish words, but my brain can translate them. It calmed me down a bit, knowing there are people nearby. Maybe I am in a hospital. Or the plane crashed. It’s a miracle I survived. But at what cost? I concentrated on the words. I breathed a sigh of relief. I can understand the words.
“She seems ready,” a man said.
“Yez, can I haave heer? I have not yet tried a humaan before,” the man has a wheezing voice as if he has a cold. His voice is much thinner and has more z sounds to the s.
“No, we cannot use the merchandise. Only Orin can. But this one looks good. She is in peak condition. She will not feel the effects yet for another 24 hours or even less than hat. But when it does, I am sure Orin will not resist. He has a certain craving for female humans. She will crave for his touch. Any man’s touch.”
“Yezz, that’z why I want to have her at leazzt once.”
I shuddered inside even though I can’t move when a cold hand touched my right forearm. My God, is it possible the plane was hijacked, and I’m now sold into slavery? Which continent did we land on? Their accents sound strange.
His movement stopped when a loud blaring sound, similar to a fire alarm sounded. There was a scrambling movement near me, but I cannot see.
“We need to get out now!”, the first man shouted.
