by JT Kalnay
In a related story the FAA denied reports that it was requiring all ground engineers and airline computer security agents to attend mandatory computer troubleshooting training. An FAA spokesman, speaking on behalf of the FAA and the NTSB said, “We are making the latest information on computer security available to the airlines and their personnel. While we are strongly encouraging attendance at these informational seminars and workshops we are not requiring attendance and no penalties will accrue to those who miss this important opportunity.”
November 16, 1994
Washington, D.C.
Assembled From Wire News Reports
FAA officials today announced stricter guidelines for commuter airlines. The FAA has changed the rules concerning how many seats a plane has before it is required to conform to the stricter standards applied to a larger jet. The FAA also announced a sweeping update of all ground based computer systems in the national airport system. A spokesman, speaking on behalf of the FAA, indicated that all airports, commercial and private, down to the smallest FBO (Fixed Base Operator) will be required to upgrade to the new computer system or lose their license. The FAA announced an aggressive timetable for the update and promised significant technical support to any airport requesting aid.
Airport officials are generally outraged by the mandate. One airport executive, speaking on condition of anonymity said, “It’s another (expletive deleted) unfunded Federal mandate. They keep shoving this (expletive deleted) down our throats. They want us all to be broke?”
November 17, 1994
Washington, D.C.
Assembled From Wire News Reports
Air Force officials today confirmed that a U.S. Air Force captain, whose name has been withheld, was court-martialed in association with the April 24, 1994 friendly fire incident involving two Turkish F-16 fighters that were vectored onto a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter. Two other officers were also disciplined. The bodies of the servicemen have still not been recovered.
Chapter
November 18th, 1994
Seattle, Washington
“Tim?”
“Craig? Is that you?” Tim Ford asked the sullen voice on the phone.
“Yeah it is.”
“How are you?”
“Surviving.”
“Where are you?” Tim asked.
“Colorado.”
“Colorado?”
“Colorado.”
“Okay. What are you doing in Colorado?”
“Saying good-bye.”
“Craig?”
“To Stacey. She’s here. Or she was. She was with me. And so I’m saying good-bye.”
There was a lengthy pause.
“Craig? You okay?”
“Not yet. But I’m getting there.”
“Thank God.”
“Did you see the article yesterday about the Air Force thing?” Tim asked.
“No. I’ve kind of been off the planet for a few months. Hiking, climbing. There’s no-one up high this time of year. And I can just think about her. Try to get over it. Try to heal. She wants to move on.”
“Well there’s good news about the Air Force thing in Turkey. The whole thing could have been prevented if the guys had just flown a little closer and visually identified the helicopters like every peacetime rule of engagement requires.” Tim said.
“They never would have been there if the pattern hadn’t compromised the software,” Craig said.
“True enough. They got put in the wrong spot. But ultimately they fucked it up and pulled the trigger. You didn’t pull that trigger any more than I did or your grandmother did.”
“You know I’m finally coming to realize that,” Craig said.
“Good.”
“But that’s just one thing. All the others...”
There was an awkward pause between them.
“So when are you going to come to work for me? You know I went on my own right?” Tim said.
“Really? That's great. But I’m done commercial programming. I’m going a different way.”
“Really?”
“Yeah I’m going to work on my research, try to get my Ph.D., and do some climbing. I got a position at UW.”
“UW?”
“Yes.”
“Craig, she doesn’t want you. You know that don’t you.”
“I know. I’ll keep my distance. But up here I realized I need her.”
“Need isn’t enough Craig.”
“But…”
“No buts. Compared to her rights, your need is irrelevant.”
November 26, 1994
Houston, Texas
Assembled From Wire News Reports
Two Continental Boeing 737s clipped wings at the Houston International Airport today. No-one was hurt. Aircom officials characterized any relationship to the string of recent 737 incidents as “ludicrous.”
November 27, 1994
Cleveland, Ohio
Assembled From Wire News Reports
An American Airlines Boeing 727 aborted takeoff from Cleveland Hopkins Airport today when two tires blew out just two hundred yards from the end of the runway. Flight 1093 was taking one hundred and forty eight passengers to Miami, Florida. There were no injuries. Boeing officials were unavailable for comment.
Chapter
November 28, 1994
Seattle, Washington
Tim Ford snatched the phone from its cradle on its first ring.
“Ford,” he answered.
“Tim?”
“Yeah? Craig?”
“Yeah it’s me. Know anything about the things in Houston or Cleveland?”
“Yes I do. There was pattern and an immediate immune response. It's working.”
“Really?”
“I guess I’m going to go a little nuts every time there’s a wreck. I’ll always wonder if it was the code. You know, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
“You better not forget. Don’t ever forget it. It’s part of who you are. Use it. When you’re tired and don’t want to work anymore, use it. It’s there. It’s a part of you.”
“Yeah I guess it is,” Craig said.
“No guess about it. It is.”
There was a pause while Craig digested the advice.
“Tim have you seen Jane?” Craig asked.
“Yes she’s been here to see Jean a few times, and we all went out to a movie.”
“And?”
“And she doesn’t want to see you. You hurt her. And I know a lot more of her story now. There’s no way you could have known, but damn you messed up. So do the right thing. Be a man. Stay away from her.”
“I really screwed it up didn’t I?”
“As bad as it could be screwed.”
“But I want to see her. I want to get to know her.”
“That’s the difference between being a man and being something less Craig. Knowing what you want, discovering you can’t have it, and letting it go.”
“No matter how bad it hurts?”
“Especially then.”
December 13, 1994
Raleigh, North Carolina
Assembled From Wire News Reports
American Eagle Flight 3379 crashed at 6:40 pm on final approach to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The Bae Jetstream Super31 was enroute from Greensboro with twenty passengers and crew aboard. All twenty were killed instantly.
This is the second crash in the last six weeks involving an American Eagle aircraft. Although the flight recorder has been recovered FAA officials have not announced an official cause for the crash. Rumors circulate that pilot error and weather are the prime candidates.
December 14, 1994
San Diego, California
Assembled From Wire News Reports
A U.S. Air Force Lear Jet crashed in a residential area here today. Witnesses report that the jet veered away at the last moment from a junior high school. Four people on the aircraft were killed and there were two victims on the ground. Six other people on the ground were i
njured and transported to local hospitals. The jet was returning to its base after having participated in a training exercise with the California Air National Guard.
December 15, 1994
Raleigh, North Carolina
Assembled From Wire News Reports
The NTSB announced mechanical failure as a likely cause for the crash of American Eagle Flight 3379. Flight recorder information and cockpit tapes indicate that the left engine of the Bae Jetstream 31 “flamed out” moments before the aircraft disappeared from radar.
December 16, 1994
San Diego, California
Assembled From Wire News Reports
U.S. Air force officials today reported the cause of the crash of the U.S. Air Force Lear Jet here on December 14th. Officials reported that the plane ran out of fuel.
Chapter
December 25, 1994
Seattle, Washington
“So you’ve double checked everything about the wrecks in Raleigh and San Diego and you’re one hundred percent certain there was pattern? ” Dr. Jane Brady asked.
“We’re certain,” Jean said. "Pattern followed immediately by the immune response."
"It's the death throes. We haven’t seen any pattern in over a month that hasn't been responded to immediately. It's got to end soon. We know we have practically one hundred percent vaccine coverage. When this NTSB airport computer upgrade goes through, it’ll be over,” Tim said.
“And the onboard computers are being totally swapped out. There’s new hardware that’s never been connected to any network anywhere. They’re pre-installing the vaccine on it. Craig did the right thing going to the FAA and telling them everything,” Tim said.
Jane’s eyes briefly took on a pained look and then drifted out over the distant mountains.
“Excuse me please,” Jane said. She left the table and went into the bathroom.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned Craig?” Tim said.
“On Christmas? Maybe not,” Jean replied.
“I wonder where he is? It’s Christmas for crying out loud. He’s got to be in Seattle in a week or so to get ready to teach next semester. You’d think he’d have come by, or at least called.”
“I hope he’s well. And I don’t know why he’s going to torture himself on UW campus. Everyone’s told him to stay away from Jane. She’s even thinking of taking a sabbatical to Tibet for a year just to avoid him.”
“Heaven help us all,” Tim said.
Chapter
A year later
September 10, 1995
Seattle, Washington
TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
DATE: SEPTEMBER 10, 1995
RE: FAA
Tim.
Did you see the article I’ve attached?
Everything’s going okay at UW.
Hope everything’s going good with the new business.
I haven’t bugged her, not even once. Of course that would have been tough over the summer. Did you hear she went to Tibet? Tibet for crying out loud. I’m sure you did.
God I’ve wanted to.
I’m going to try the Himalayas next year.
Do some volunteering.
That ought to be wild.
Later.
Craig.
Washington D.C.
September 12, 1995
Assembled From Wire News Reports
The FAA today announced a landmark agreement with the major North American airlines. The parties agreed to share flight recorder data and tower radar tapes. The action was proposed at the industry safety summit called to respond to the seven domestic crashes in which two hundred and sixty four people died. Worldwide, in 1994, nearly one thousand people perished in plane crashes.
In a related story, the newest flight simulator went operational yesterday and the first pilots to take a ride were suitably impressed. One pilot remarked, “It was so real I puked.”
Chapter
October 1, 1995
UW Campus
The sun had finally appeared in a glorious Pacific Northwest burst of yellow and gold, burning away the light autumn mist that had enclosed the UW campus for the past two weeks. Newly frosted peaks emerged in mountain ranges hundreds of miles distant. Frisbees and bandana wearing dogs to catch them simply materialized, hoping to grasp one last day of summer. There was a quick happy feeling that ran through people. Steps were lighter, smiles came easier, conversations between young men and women lasted just a little longer.
Craig Walsh walked towards his car carrying a stack of books that threatened to swamp him. A Frisbee winged by just in front of him. Craig dodged it, sending his books tumbling. He bent down to gather his books but his eye was caught instead by the disc. His hand drifted towards it, and then grasped it.
He turned it over in his hands, and saw the telltale scratches. Worse for wear, and ground by numerous Frisbee dog bites, but unmistakable. He looked left and right, searching for who had tossed it, but everyone seemed much too far away to have tossed his disk. Stacey’s disk. His mind returned instantly to Ptarmigan Peak, then to La Plata.
“Impossible,” he said to himself.
“You know they have all that on computer these days,” Craig heard someone say. Craig looked up to the voice. He had to nearly completely shut his eyes in a quick squint as he looked directly into the autumn sun hanging low in the west.
“I don’t have a computer at home,” Craig said. “I don’t trust them.”
“So you have a problem with trust?” the voice asked.
Craig stood up with his books and maneuvered so he wasn’t looking straight into the sun. He rubbed his watering eyes, the disk bumping his forehead.
“Jane?” Craig said.
Dr. Jane Brady looked directly at him. In her mind she saw him slaving over the computer. She saw him in Muir Woods. She saw him on Stinson Beach. She saw him in Eldorado Canyon, holding on and struggling to let go. She saw him at Jean’s house, insisting she leave.
“I’m glad to see you’re well,” she said coolly.
But she made no move to leave. Craig shuffled uneasily from one foot to another.
“Thanks. How are you?” Craig asked.
Jane took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Fine,” she finally said.
Craig tried to look in her eyes, but she looked away. She bent down and picked up his last book from the thick green grass.
“Here,” she said.
“Thanks,” Craig said. “For everything.”
“Well.” She paused. “Good luck,” Jane said. She took a step away from him. Craig made a quick move to go after her. His books piled out of his arms again.
“Wait!” he called after her.
She kept walking.
“Wait!” Craig said again.
Jane took another step away.
Craig ran up beside her.
“Please wait,” Craig said.
Jane stopped and turned ever so slightly towards him.
“There’s things I’d like to tell you,” Craig said.
“Like?” Jane asked.
“Like I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. For everything. Like, I miss you. Like how many times I go back over what happened and miss you. Like how I never said thank you.”
“Thank you?”
“For everything you did. For me. For the vaccine. For everything. You helped me kill that damn thing before it killed me. And you kept me alive. I can never thank you enough. I just had to tell you. I’ve wanted to run into your building and find your office and make you listen.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I know better. Now.”
“Thanks for the space,” Jane said.
“But now you’re right here. On the nicest day in the whole year and I can see you, and tell you, and see you when I tell you.”
“Why is that so important?” Jane asked.
“Because I need to see if there was a chance.”
“A chance
for what?” Jane asked.
“For us,” Craig said. “For me.”
A look of shock ran across Jane’s face. She stared at him in disbelief.
“You told me to leave. And I left. You said you’d never be any good for me, or anyone,” Jane said. “And you told me you’d leave me alone. But you kept showing up. I saw you on campus several times. You didn’t see me, but I saw you. I half expected to see you turn up in Tibet while I was there.”
“I know I sent you away. But I was wrong. So wrong. And now I know we might have had something. So I want a chance to find out,” Craig said.
Jane looked at him. She turned to face him squarely. The sun fell full in her hair as a gentle breeze blew a stray wisp into her soft, deep eyes. Craig implored her, searched her with his eyes.
“I don’t know,” Jane said. “I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I want to. How can I trust you? And Stacey? I’ll always be ‘not Stacey’. I don’t know Craig. None of it was real. You weren’t you. And I wasn’t ready. I know Jean filled you in. I was mad she told you. But now you know how much you hurt me. And how and why.”
“I’m sorry,” Craig said. He moved almost imperceptibly towards her.
“I don’t blame you. God! All the things you’d been through. I could never blame you. But…”
Craig slowly brought his hand to her cheek. He lightly touched the soft skin there. He gently brushed a wisp of hair out of her eyes. A tear welled in his infinite blue eyes and slowly dripped down his cheek. Jane raised her slender hand and brushed it away. Craig somehow managed to hold back the next tear.
