Fight For Freedom |4| The Ascension

Chapter Twenty Three: A Christmas Carol

"Would all passengers please return to their seats and fasten their safety belts? We are experiencing slight turbulence."

The calm voice of the tannoy system did not personify the atmosphere on the bridge of the starliner, where parts of the console were, in fact, exploding.

"Both engines failed and the storm-gate's critical," the captain despaired. "The ship is going down. Christmas is cancelled."

"Entering atmosphere now," the pilot reported. "Level. Keep her level."

"Level with what?" the co-pilot complained. "I can't see. What is that stuff?"

"Clouds?" the captain guessed, shrugging.

The pilot scoffed. "What kind of clouds -?!" He was cut off by the tannoy system.

"Distress signal activated."

The captain frowned. "Are you sending a distress signal?"

"It's not me," the pilot assured her. A quick scan determined the location of the signal to be the honeymoon suite.

The captain's eyes widened. "Who's in the honeymoon suite?"

A ginger woman ran in. "We've sent for help," Zosia announced.

The captain stared. "Who the hell are you?"

"Look," Zosia sighed. "My mum and dad are out there, okay? And they can help us. They'll come."

"And what are you wearing?" The captain was staring at her flannel pyjamas.

She frowned. "Hey, it's the middle of the night, it's the first thing I found to wear!"

The captain frowned. "Are you from the honeymoon suite?"

She blushed. "Oh, shut up."

Steve entered behind her, wearing a t-shirt and boxer shorts, carrying his shield and a small device. "Zosch, the light's stopped flashing," he reported, making her turn to him. "Does that mean they're coming?"

The pilot raised his eyebrows. "Honeymoon suite?"

Steve's eyes widened and Zosia turned to shoot the pilot a look. "Still shut up!"

"Sensor loss on eighty percent of the hull," the co-pilot reported.

Steve turned back to Zosia. "So does this mean they're coming, or do we just need to change the bulb?"

"They'll come," Zosia assured him, biting her lip. "They always come. Although they're cutting it kind of fine."

He put his arm around her shoulders as they watched the pilots try to fly through the clouds. "We'll be okay."

"If we can't stabilise the orbit, we're finished," the captain stated.

"There's nothing to lock onto," the co-pilot complained. "I am flying blind."

"Come on, come on," Zosia muttered under her breath, pretending she didn't notice Steve subtly positioning his shield over her stomach.