"Do you think it's related to the missing flights in 2030?" Huette was the first to break the dead silence.
"I don't know," Rio said. This couldn't be a coincidence. Just when Batho was found to carry the DNA of a passenger from a missing flight three hundred years ago, now this. Rio couldn't believe there was no relationship between these two incidents. But he was determined to stop Huette's involvement in this case.
"Something went wrong, I guess?" asked Huette. "With PharmaMedicor's efforts to track down my brother and me for knowing too much, they would not allow this incident to happen at such a large scale that it alerted everyone."
Rio nodded. She had a point.
This got Rio thinking about the whole incident again. When he first discovered that Batho carried another person who came from three hundred years ago, he was distracted by the investigation and didn't have the time to think of all the possibilities.
The idea of time travel popped into his mind when he tried to put all the pieces together—a theory that had been concluded as impossible by all the scientists and physicists.
Rio remembered all the theories he had learned before, theories that denied the possibilities of time travel. According to these theories, traveling back in time was deemed impossible due to the paradoxes it would create, such as the grandfather paradox where someone could go back in time and prevent their grandfather from meeting their grandmother, thus preventing their own birth.
However, there were also theories that suggested time travel could be possible under certain conditions, such as the theory of closed time-like curves, which proposed that time loops could exist in the fabric of spacetime, allowing for travel into the past.
As Rio pondered these theories, he couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to them. Could the appearance of the airplane parts from three hundred years ago be a sign of some kind of time manipulation? And if so, what did it mean for the future?
His thoughts were interrupted by another news update on his AD. The reporter was now discussing the possible origins of the airplane parts and the implications of their sudden appearance. Rio listened intently, hoping to glean some insight into this mysterious turn of events.
The reporter's voice droned on, discussing various theories about the origins of the airplane parts and the implications of their sudden appearance. Rio listened intently, trying to make sense of the information.
One theory suggested that the airplane parts had been transported from the past through some kind of time portal. Another theory proposed that they were a result of advanced technology that allowed for the manipulation of space time.
As Rio listened, a sense of unease crept over him. If time travel was indeed possible, it could have far-reaching consequences. It could mean that someone was trying to alter the course of history, and if they were successful, the consequences could be catastrophic.
He glanced at Huette, who was also listening intently to the news update. She looked worried, her brow furrowed in concentration. Rio knew that they needed to tread carefully. Whatever was happening, it was clear that they were caught up in something much bigger than themselves.
As the news report came to an end, Rio turned off the AD and turned to Huette. "I need to figure out what's going on," he said, his voice serious.
Rio had listened to the news very carefully. While they had concluded that the airplane components came from three hundred years ago, there was no mention at all of their relation to the biggest aviation mystery in history—the missing flights in 2030.
The omission of this information could only mean one of two things: either they were being careful to check the facts before releasing the news, or someone was trying to suppress the truth from coming to light.
Airplane components appearing out of thin air was too big of a news story to be hidden from the citizens, but the government could still try to divert their attention from connecting it to the missing flights in 2030.
Rio cracked a dry laugh at the government's struggling attempt to do so. It wouldn't take a genius to link these two incidents together. And when they did, it would be monumental—the missing airplanes from 2030 found today!
As Rio contemplated the implications of these events, he knew that uncovering the truth would not be easy. The government, or whoever was behind the cover-up, would likely go to great lengths to keep the connection between the airplane components and the missing flights in 2030 hidden.
But Rio was determined. He had already risked so much to protect Huette and uncover the truth about Batho. Now, with this new development, he knew that their lives were at an even greater risk. However, he also knew that they couldn't turn back now.
"Huette, I'm actually glad that this happened," an idea struck Rio as he said that. "I would like to visit the places where they were struck by the wrecked airplane components."
A confused look flickered across Huette's face. "Why are you glad? Hundreds of lives have been lost to this."
Rio held up his hands defensively. "I am sorry for the lives lost. But this happened now, and the government would have nowhere to hide. They will have to explain to the citizens how this happened. And I won't believe a single word they say. I will go to these places to look for evidence myself."
"Then I'll go with you," Huette said, determination in her voice.
Rio shook his head almost immediately. "You stay out of this for now. I promise you I will find your brother, dead or alive. But I didn't save your life just for you to risk losing it again.
"But..." Huette began, but another firm shake of Rio's head stopped her from further attempting to join in the investigation. Inspector Jaquan, who had received training in law enforcement, could not protect himself from being caught by the authorities, let alone this young lady who spent most of her time struggling to survive.
"You stay low and find a place to hide until this case is solved," Rio repeated, his tone firm and determined.
Having the chance to strike a few deals in the black market, Rio had his ways of finding a place for Huette to stay. He spent another ten minutes looking for a motel for Huette to stay in while he was out investigating the case.
Huette sighed and eventually gave in to Rio's suggestion.
With the new ID Rio had registered for her, it shouldn't be a problem for Huette to move around in this part of Slateville. Only in areas with more SynthHumans and Synthetiks, with higher security systems, might her fake ID be detected.
After bidding farewell to Huette, Rio decided to visit the places that had been hit by the wrecked aircraft. He switched on his AD once again, replayed the video clips of the aircraft hitting the roads and buildings, copied all the addresses, and left his house.
Rio was back on the road in his Hyperloop Pod. He turned on his transit system to lead him to the destination.
As he approached the area where the tragedy had just occurred, the peaceful night of Slateville changed drastically.
The once serene atmosphere was now filled with chaos. People were running around, shouting, and trying to make sense of what had happened. Emergency vehicles with flashing lights rushed past Rio, heading towards the scene of the incident.
The normally quiet streets were now bustling with activity, as onlookers gathered to see the aftermath of the disaster. Rio navigated through the crowded streets.
His Hyperloop Pod felt the trembles from the deafening roar that shook the ground, sending people into a panic as they looked up to see massive wings, engines, and fuselages hurtling towards the earth.
The chaos had not stopped—the broken pieces of the missing aircrafts still continued to appear out of the air above the buildings and dropped onto the ground.
In the midst of the chaos, it was clear to tell humans from the Synthetiks. The humans were running and screaming as the wreckage hit everywhere, but the Synthetiks were just moving and dodging all the attacks emotionless.
The streets before Rio's eyes were now filled with debris and destruction, as vehicles swerved to avoid the falling wreckage and pedestrians ran for their lives.
Siren blared in the distance, a cacophony of emergency vehicles racing towards the disaster zone. The air was thick with dust and smoke, obscuring the sun and casting an eerie shadow over the city. People stumbled and fell, their faces twisted in dear as they tried to escape the raining debris.
Just less than ten feet from Rio, amidst the chaos, a young woman found herself caught in the middle of destruction. Rio could almost imagine she had been on her way to work when the first pieces of aircraft appeared, and now she was running as fast as her legs could carry her, dodging chunks of metal and concrete that crashed down around her.
She ducked into an alleyway, seeking shelter from the falling wreckage. She could hear the screams of others nearby, the sound of glass shattering and metal twisting in the air. Tears stung her eyes as she thought of her family, wondering if they were safe amidst the chaos.
Rio's legs carried him to walk towards to the group of people huddled together, their faces pale with fear.
The destruction showed no signs of slowing. Rio was not sure how long had this been. The once gleaming skyscrapers now lay in ruins, their windows shattered and facades crumbling. The roads were littered with debris, making escape nearly impossible for those trapped in the heart of the disaster.
As night fell, the city was plunged into darkness, broken only by the flickering lights of the distant glow of fires burning unchecked. Many clung to the hope that help would come soon, that the nightmare would end and they would wake up to find it all a terrible dreams.
Synthetik firefighters, armed in specially designed fire-proof suits, descended from emergency pods in mid-air to save the humans trapped in the debris. The unpredictable pattern of how the aircraft wreckage dropped onto the ground meant that even the emergency vehicles were not spared from the attacks.
The reporters risked their lives to report live from the scene of the disaster.
Their cameras captured the chaos and destruction, broadcasting it to the world. Rio watched as they bravely navigated through the debris, interviewing survivors and emergency responders to get a firsthand account of the events unfolding.
As Rio moved closer to the impact site, he noticed a group of people gathered around a large piece of wreckage. Curiosity piqued, he approached the group and saw that they were examining a section of the aircraft's fuselage.
"Excuse me, what are you looking for?" Rio asked, trying to make himself heard over the noise of the rescue efforts.
One of the people turned to him, a look of determination on their face. "We're trying to find any clues that might explain how this happened. Something doesn't add up."
Rio nodded, understanding their quest for answers. He joined the group, scouring the wreckage for any clues that might shed light on the mysterious appearance of the aircraft components.
What interested Rio the most was that the falling aircraft consisted only of metal and concrete parts; no passengers dropped from the sky. Even though there was no mention of the falling aircraft being related to the famous incident of the missing flights in 2030, Rio was almost certain that the mysterious falling aircraft were those missing from that incident.
After several minutes of searching, Rio's eyes fell upon a small, metallic object embedded in the fuselage. He reached out and carefully extracted it, examining it closely.
Just as Rio's attention was focused on the small black object, the periphery of his vision caught sight of a group of people who were strangely calm, standing and watching the burning wreckage.
Rio's blood froze as he recognized one of them - Hyllos.