LISA
I make sure to stare at the screen and watch Captain Smith carefully. I received orders from above to give them feedback on anything out of the ordinary that Captain Smith might do. I guess they think the same way that I do, how can anyone be okay after experiencing something like he did, so soon.
I can hear his tone of voice is flat and not as lively and cocky as usual. It is almost as if he is just doing his job, where before his mother died he was enjoying his missions more. I do not blame him at all. I guess I would feel the same.
I can see that he is on track with the mission that he has been given. I know that I am the one that is supposed to tell him what to do and I am going to be the one that throws him the curveball. I get on the radio and say.
"Bravo Romeo 05, this is Tower. Do you read me?"
BRIAN
Being in the air does bring things into perspective. It is almost as if I was ripped apart and now that I am back in something that is familiar to me, almost everything is back to normal. I do not have to worry about what happens on the ground, I only have to worry about what happens in the air.
I have not flown very long when I hear her voice on the radio again.
"Tower, this is Bravo Romeo 05. I am reading you loud and clear. Over"
"From here on out you have to do exactly what I say. Should you fail to comply with an order you will have failed this mission. Please acknowledge"
It is good to know that I will be hearing her voice every so often. It is almost as if she is injecting me with some sort of peacefulness and this way I can go on.
"Roger that. Over"
"Proceed 30 miles west"
"Roger"
I turn my plane to go west and I make sure to keep an eye on the counter. I remember this part from when I trained to be a pilot and I know should you get just one thing wrong and they will fail you. As soon as I hit 30, I get back on the radio.
"I have reached my destination. Over"
LISA
It is strange how I can pick up things with his tone of voice. It is almost as if he is sounding a little bit happier than before. But I soon focus on the mission at hand and I tell him what he should do. He does it flawlessly and then I continue to lead him in the direction that he needs to go.
Every time that we speak, I start to hear bits and pieces of the old Captain Smith. As we go through each and every order, he continues to play by the rules. I am sure that he should have choked by now but it seems like he is able to control his emotions very well.
Maybe he and his mother were not so close but on the other hand, you should still exhibit some kind of emotion or outlash. Then I give him his next order and I say.
"There are three targets on the ground. You have to destroy each target using your machine gun only. Please acknowledge that you understand the order. Over"
BRIAN
I listen carefully to my next order and then I acknowledge that I understand the order. I quickly look for the three targets and then I get close to my first target. I put my finger on the trigger and aim. When I know that I am on target, I press the button and the gun shoot and destroy the target.
I watch as the smoke of the target flies up into the air and I know that I was successful. But then, out of nowhere, it is as if I am back in the kitchen in my mom's house. The words of her letter suddenly come alive. I remember how she told me that my dad shot those two men dead.
LISA
I watch as he destroys the first target and I know that it is only seconds before he should destroy the next one. But then I do not receive confirmation that the next target is destroyed. I soon realized that he must have missed the target and then I wait for the third one. Again I get no confirmation that the third target is destroyed.
I wait for him to tell me that he has failed to destroy the two targets but nothing happens. I make sure to see if the plane is still in the air and soon I realize that he is drifting off course. I call him on the radio.
"Bravo Romeo 05 this is Tower. Do you read me? Over"
I wait for his response but nothing happens.
"Bravo Romeo 05 this is Tower. Please come in. Over"
I look over to my monitors again and wondering if I maybe made a mistake in seeing him in the air but I can clearly see that he is. He is now way of course and should he drift any further he will not have enough gas to come back to base. I call him on the radio again but still nothing.
For only a second I start to worry and I wonder what could be wrong with him. Then I try something else.
"Captain Smith, do you read me? Over"
BRIAN
I feel my hands starting to shake and my heartbeat increasing. I hear those words of that letter play over and over in my head. It is almost as if I am losing control over my mind.