Eden by David Holley Read Free Book Online Page B

self-sustained speeds of over mach 6. These innovations, along with its deluxe accommodations, make the Phoenix Space Shuttle the preferred method of travel for the world’s elite.
    The state-of-the-art aircraft can transport seventy-seven passengers and crew, and the cabin is spacious, with sparse seating. The flight stations come equipped with a fully retractable lounge chair and a flexible overhead compartment, allowing passengers to pull down the console at any time and lock their individual stations, encapsulating the traveler in a chamber of privacy.
    Beyond its numerous amenities and advanced technology, the Phoenix Space Shuttle is also the safest in aviation history. Now in its fifth year of operation, and with an expanded fleet of eleven shuttles, the luxury craft have logged more than 25,000 flights with zero reports of mechanical failure, let alone fatalities or injuries.
    In the case that a crash landing is unavoidable, the aircraft is designed to activate an emergency response protocol to ensure the highest probability of survival for both passengers and crew. The first action is to deploy a parachute from the tail section, reducing the airship’s descent velocity by a third. The second protocol, and probably the most extraordinary, is its ability to determine whether or not a full detachment of the shuttle itself is possible. Sensors pinpoint the exact geographic location and proximity to civilians on the ground. If the sensors determine that humans on the ground will not be harmed, the shuttle will separate into two sections. The nose, also known as Section One, encompasses the cockpit and one third of the passengers; and the tail, or Section Two, will also separate in order to increase the probability of survival during a crash landing. The wings of the shuttle contain all of the fuel cells, so their detachment will eliminate any risk of passengers and crew dying from fire or smoke inhalation — the leading cause of death in plane crashes. Each section, along with the wings, is equipped with its own set of thrusters, so if the sections detach, they will pull away from each other in opposite directions.
     
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    The safety protocols are about to be tested as the Mei Long, one of the original seven, hurtles toward earth. Moments before impact, the shuttle begins the detachment phase, sealing the open areas between Sections One and Two with steel doors that lock into place.
    But the reverse thrusters in the front of the shuttle fail and the nose crashes hard into the ocean, killing everyone on impact. The left wing of the airship flies through the air, before slamming into the jagged cliffs on the coast of the South Island of New Zealand, starting a fire so brilliant that the illumination can be seen from miles away. The right wing shoots out in the opposite direction and spears into the ocean. The collision smashes the wing to pieces and ignites the fuel tank, setting a huge swath of water on fire. The tail section, upon releasing its parachute, triggers its thrusters and through a series of twists and turns, skims hard across the water like a skipping stone before finally coming to a halt. The left side of the fuselage bears the brunt of the landing, compromising its frame and allowing a substantial amount of water to pour in. It will be only a few minutes before the entire tail section capsizes.
    Of the sixty-two passengers and crew who departed from London, fifteen are still alive, struggling to free themselves from their flight stations.
    Lucid and highly focused, Noah waits for the tail section to stabilize in the water before releasing the emergency doors and engaging the two life boats from the control panel. Released from his harness, he steps over the dead stewardess in the entrance way. She has been thrown about the cabin since he initially clambered over her to get to the station. He doesn’t bother to check for a pulse as her neck is clearly broken, her head turned at an angle that