Page 19 of Iron Rose

“Let’s get this show on the road,” he sighed. He looked at the empty co-pilot seat, then up at me. “Are you planning to stand all day? I don’t recommend it. Take-offs can be a bit tricky.”

I scrambled into the seat as he pressed buttons, and things started to vibrate and beep to life.

“So,” He continued. “Have you thought about a name?”

I shrugged, trying to seem casual as I marveled at whatever the hell he was doing to turn on this machine.

“Britney?”

He cringed. I laughed.

“Ashley?” I suggested, smiling because he was grinning too.

Then he winked. “Madison?”

We chuckled.

“Misty,” I offered, still joking.

“If you’re going to go with a stripper name, go with Crystal… but with a K.” He countered.

I jolted when the plane started to move. He maneuvered us from the hangar. The runway was lit, and other small planes were flying in and out. Beyond the many lit up strips was the black night sky. We couldn’t see stars, as they were washed out by the lights of New York City. That was always a pity, to me. I used to love the night sky when I lived in the Philippines, far away from the pollution of Manila, in the Zambales mountains.

Jericho put on a headset and said something technical and garbled, which made no sense to me. He must have gotten a response, as he started to move things around, and we taxied to the runway.

The engine grew louder, and a high pitched whirring sound got louder in my ears. The aircraft started to shake. Was this guy really going to fly? I had gone along with everything so far, but why wasn’t there a professional pilot? I gripped the armrest, suppressing any emotion from showing on my face.

When the wheels picked up speed as we charged down the runway. I held my breath. I felt my stomach fall to my feet as the pressure pushed me back into my seat.

“What about a name like Katherine?” He yelled over the noise.

“Ew.” I said, wrinkling my nose.

The windshield pointed up toward the horizon, then higher as the wheels came off the ground. The engine was deafening now. This was very, very different from being in the body of the plane in a commercial flight. I saw the joystick in front of me moving with Jericho’s commands.

“Get your hands on the stick, kiddo.” He said.

“No, thanks.” I told him.

“I’m not asking you to fly, I just want you to feel it.”

“No, thank you!” I said with more conviction.

He was still laughing when the plane stabilized. He brought the nose down and for a moment, I felt like I was floating before everything righted itself. I could breathe normally again.

“Now you’re done trying not to panic.” He chuckled. “Tell me what you see.”

“What?”

“Tell me what you see.” He said, his face serious. “It’s not a trick question. I’m trying to learn how your mind works.”

“I see…” I wracked my brain for something coherent to say. “I see Orion.”

Just beyond the glass separating us from the frigid outdoors and the soft, painted cloud was a familiar line of three stars - Orion’s belt. From there, I could identify the arch of his arm, the placement of his feet, and the rest of the constellation.

“Keep going.” He encouraged me.

“I see the big dipper, and little dipper. The reflection of the moon on the clouds.” The words were becoming more free. “And the clouds don’t look real from up here. I suppose they don’t look real from the ground either, the way they’re so wispy.”

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