Conflagration

Takeoff

"Seven-Eight-Eight-November-Charlie, taxi into position and hold," Tower instructed Erin.

"Position and hold, Seven-Eight-Eight-November-Charlie," Erin read back the tower's instruction. They wanted her to taxi onto the runway and get ready to take off, but not to actually take off yet. This was usually done to provide separation from other aircraft. Sitting on the taxiway near the end of the runway, she nudged all three throttle levers slightly forward. The engines grew louder in the back of the plane and presently the plane started to roll out onto the runway. She pulled the throttles back to idle again, confident that the plane now had enough momentum. She lined up with the runway centerline just as the plane's momentum was nearly depleted. She stood on the toe brakes to hold the plane in position until they had an actual takeoff clearance.

Lyssa sat quietly in the right seat. She seemed to be texting with someone. They had sat in awkward silence since she'd slapped Lyssa back at the gate, but at least it was silence.

Erin verified one last time that the departure frequency was set into the standby position on the radio. She checked the flaps and trim were set properly and that the expected departure heading was entered into the flight director. Erin was now fully in her element.

Erin was happy.

Erin was never happier than when she was at the controls of an airplane. Ahead of her was 600 meters of runway and beyond that, the open freedom of space. The vibrations coming through the controls made the plane feel like a living thing, a breathing, powerful creature that just wanted to fly. A flying creature that would not be denied. The three massive engines were held at idle by Erin's hand on their throttles. The beast pulled at its leash. Erin licked her lips and repositioned herself in her seat.

From one of the landing pads beside the runway, a non-Noémie plane performed a vertical takeoff. This private luxury plane was given priority departure since they were customers who had likely bought fuel from Noémie. Erin watched as the other plane hovered over its platform briefly and then was cleared to hover-taxi in front of Erin's plane. The luxury plane passed through the forcefield at the end of the runway, leaving the safety of the hanger for open space. Once that plane was through the force field, Erin expected her takeoff clearance shortly. She was not disappointed.

"Seven-Eight-Eight-November-Charlie, Clear for takeoff. Maintain runway heading. Contact Gonaways Departure on frequency forty-four-eighty-one. Good day," The Noémie Tower said to Erin.

Erin glanced at the tower as she read back her clearance. The "tower" wasn't really a tower, just a control room hanging from the cavernous hanger deck's ceiling. "Cleared for takeoff. Runway heading. Departure forty-four-eighty-one. Seven-Eight-Eight-November-Charlie. Good day," she read back. Without any further hesitation, she pushed the throttles to 30% thrust while standing on the brakes. She waited a couple seconds for the engines to spool up to speed and smooth out. Once they did, she released the brakes and pushed the throttles forward to the 50% position. The plane was loaded heavily and the runway was short, but the gravity in the hanger was only 0.6Gs. Erin had done the calculation back at the gate and 50% power was more than the mighty engines needed to get the plane off the deck. The hardpointer launched forward from its starting position like a dog that's slipped its leash. Now harmonizing with one another, the engines sounded like some kind of buzzsaw as they pushed the plane eagerly down the runway.

The computer's automated voice sounded out in the cockpit, calling out critical airspeeds. "V-One!"

V1 was the so-called "point of no return" airspeed. They were moving too fast now for her to abort the takeoff. If she tried, they would fall into the FOD pit at the end of the runway where she liked to take her coffee and ponder the fragility of life. If she tried to abort now, she'd die in that pit, which would bring her day full circle in a dark sort of way.