Not So Random

The number 191 is not very lucky for airlines. No less than 5 flights have crashed carrying this flight number. First came NASA's experimental X-15 flight 191, which disintegrated on take off. Then Prinair flight 191 crashed in Puerto Rico. Delta's flight 191 was thrown to the ground by a down burst in Dallas. Comair flight 191 tried to take off from the wrong runway and crashed into trees. But the most famous Flight 191 was American Airlines 191, which crashed after an engine quite literally fell off on takeoff from Chicago.

It's not very often that planes simply explode in mid-air. In fact, it almost never happens. Except for a few instances where wings have fallen off (again, very rare), I cannot come up with another instance where a plane has fallen out of the sky in a ball of flames. In 1996, TWA Flight 800 became the exception to this rule.

Back in the days when Hijackers were still classy and the TSA didn't exist, a man by the name of Dan (D.B.) Cooper took control of a 727 over the state of Washington. Cooper demanded that the plane land in Seattle to take on $200,000 and four parachutes. In the following hours, Cooper and the $200,000 disappeared into the night, parachuting to Earth somewhere over the wilderness around the Columbia River. To this day, neither D.B. Cooper, nor his money has ever been found.

Enclosed is a collection of scenes surrounding the lives of the characters in Operation Anarchy. It is likely, even as this project draws to a close, that their stories are not yet fully told.

A day and a half of hasty traveling brought Vex, Jarin, Kareima, Newlin and Kendrick to the safehouse, and the plague masses to Terra. The group watched as, in the foggy distance, the capital building collapsed into a growing wall of smoke, and from it emerged the seventh laboratory of Palador. Moments later, they heard it. It was quiet, and delayed by the great distance, but powerful and frightening all the same.

For a number of hours, the tram shot along it's track through Calibria, and during that time Jarin was taken by the city's enormity. Building after building flew by at hundreds of kilometers per hour, one after another, with no end in sight. The only sign that they weren't simply traveling in circles was the increasing state of disrepair of the tram stations, which had become less and less frequent the farther they got from the city center. Occasionally another tram would pass, but a person could completely miss seeing it with no more than a mistimed blink.

It was an uncomfortable ride. The tram floated above it's tracks, but resultantly experienced a constant vibration that only got worse the faster it went. On top of that, the wind hitting each tiny crack and crevice along the outside body produced a rushing howl at top speeds.

Aden was expecting some time to breathe once they were safely in orbit around Terra. He would later admit to himself that this was a foolish expectation.

Not only was Aden now ultimately responsible for his crew aboard the Ironsides Intrepid, he still had a fleet of nearly sixty other warships all requesting orders.

First off, to everyone who reads Operation Anarchy I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas if you're into that sort of thing, or a random unprovoked happy December 25th if you're not. Second of all, however, I'm regretful to say that I have neither the time nor the buffer to keep up with Operation Anarchy's schedule during the holidays, so at this moment of high suspense I'm forced to leave you hanging for a short spell. I hope to be back in action for January 5th.

Have a safe, and more importantly fun, New Year.

The elevators in Calibria's capital building had, with some delay, delivered the five to the routing station at the heart of the city some six hundred and twenty stories beneath the spaceport. It was as they reached the ticket counter that Vex realized the tram wasn't the best idea.

"Look buddy," the attendant at the desk had old him. "A lot of people 'need' the tram. See that?" He pointed to a large 'P' surrounded by a heptagon, painted on the wall on the opposite side of the tracks. "Behind that wall is one of those Palador labs that have been lifting off. Folks here aren't keen on being around when that happens. Tram's booked solid."

"Alright, so we're on Terra," Newlin said to Vex as he watched Kendrick show Kareima the sticker that the nice paramedics had given him. "Now what?"

"There's a place I know of in the red arm. A safehouse that an old friend built."

"I thought you avoided having friends?" Newlin teased.

"Yeah." Vex gave a cold smirk. "I did, after her."

Jarin and Kareima spent the half hour that Vex was gone in the lobby. Now, however, they didn't talk. Jarin, after losing Sarnrei yet again, didn't find himself with much to say. That is, until Vex and I returned from the meeting room.

"What are you doing here?" Jarin spat.

I merely smiled. "A pleasure to see you again, Jarin," I replied.

"Sir, you're needed," an officer called from down the hall.

Aden had not even left the landing bay of his new ship when he was approached.

"They've picked up the Plague mass on sensors. They'll be here within the hour."

Aden had been hoping at least for that much time to settle into his new living space, but he was not to be afforded the opportunity. "I'll follow you, then," he replied.

When the wall of the Jerusha finally fell open, Jarin was surprised to find the rescue workers standing flat on the tarmac.

"Is everyone alright?" called one of the workers over the still incessant noise.

"Where's Sarnrei?" Jarin shouted back, clambering to his feet and stumbling toward the opening. "He was downstairs. Where is he?"

Captain Radnikot could still not believe his ears. He sat in the debriefing room of the Independence, staring at the screen at the end of the table.

"Our next objective is Arzanakus," I said. "The Independence is being stationed there.

"On a more sentimental note, all six of the remaining Arzanokians will be there. Steve managed to escape the Eneac before it's orbit fully decayed."

Aden Radnikot was surprised to wake up in the medical bay of the Independence because he had fully expected to be dead.

The place was a total mess. Only a few years earlier the Independence had it's medical bay refitted, and here it was now, with temporary walls of bloody bedsheets and a thin haze of smoke hanging in the air.

The room was mostly quiet. A child was crying elsewhere in the room, but Aden paid him no attention.