The Blackout Read Free Page B

as the reporter would have them believe. 
    “Scientists say the flare could cause a catastrophic electromagnetic pulse that would shut down all electronics and electricity for anywhere between a few months and several years,” the anchorwoman proclaimed.
    Gary spied the remote on the next table and retrieved it.  He changed the channel while the anchorwoman was speculating about the outright chaos that would follow such an event.  It was too early for that kind of propaganda, if you asked him.  Gary switched the TV to something a little more palatable at seven in the morning.  SpongeBob SquarePants fit the bill.  Gary chuckled at the cartoon as he finished off his cereal and prepared to face the day.
    The Captain came in just as Gary was finishing up.  “Oh, hey Clint,” Gary said.
    “Morning.”  Clint was a big man, tall and broad.  He wasn’t dressed for work yet, and wore sweatpants and a t-shirt down to breakfast.  His brown hair was pointing in several directions, characteristic of him at that early hour.
    They’d only had a handful of flights together, and in fact they would be parting ways again in Orlando.  Clint was just finishing his seven-day stint, but Gary still had four days to go. 
    Clint didn’t strike Gary as the friendliest fellow, and took a very minimalistic approach to conversation – limiting his responses to as few words as possible to get his point across, and only asking questions or initiating conversation when it was absolutely necessary. 
    They parted ways after breakfast to get cleaned up, and met in the lobby less than twenty minutes later.  The walk out to the crew car was silent, and in fact, the entire ride over to the airport was quiet, save for the classical stylings of Philly’s 101.7 FM.  Luckily the airport was only a few miles away.
    Really, Gary didn’t mind Clint’s quiet side.  It was a hell of a lot better than some of the other yokels who talked non-stop while he was running checklists and trying to concentrate on charts.  Given the choice, Gary would pick Clint any day.  He was a hard worker and kept to himself.  Really, Gary could do worse.
    They stopped to get coffee and donuts for the passengers on the way, and then headed to the airplane to get set up. 
    The Hawker was a small business jet that seated nine people.  Gary wasn’t expecting that many people for this trip, but they could take them if they had to.  Usually, they only had a handful of some of the wealthiest people in the country occupying the seats. 
    After cleaning up, running checks, and restocking the bird, they were ready for the passengers to arrive so they could get going. 
    Gary figured it was a good time to say good morning to Molly, so he sent her a text. 
    Morning beautiful!  Can’t wait to see ya in four days!  Have a wonderful day!
    She responded right away.   Morning handsome!  Be safe today and can’t wait to see you too!
    It was quickly followed by a picture of Dug with bedhead, and the caption: Dug says good morning. Haha!
    Gary smiled.  Haha, morning Dug!  Gary typed.  It was a classic picture, with Dug bleary-eyed, his hair going in every direction imaginable. 
    Clint walked up and nodded as he made eye contact.  “Any word from the passengers?”  Gary asked, locking his phone and jamming it back into his pocket.
    “Nope.”
    “Well, I guess we wait.” 
    Clint harrumphed at that.  Flying wasn’t really the biggest part of the job, even though Gary thought it was the best part.  The majority of the workday was spent waiting, a smaller percentage collecting whatever was requested, and an even smaller part actually flying.   
    So, they waited.
     
     
     

 
     
    Darkness
    4.
    “Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” – Edgar Allen Poe
     
    Darkness is a funny thing.  The mere absence of light brings uncertainty and fear – the breeding