The clouds floated past the airship Silver Rose with surprising grace for the immense speed. She was a classy first-class transport, her halls decorated with minute detail, lighting positioned in a way that would not only calm her passengers but keep crew alert through the dangerous skies. Powerful engines kept their pace, peacefully humming away thirty feet below where I stood on external maintenance deck C-9. The security camera here was conveniently broken.
This is it, I thought as klaxons welded and bolted throughout the enormous ship's silver-painted hull sounded their alert as a forever descending and rising scream. I imagined the mechanics, passengers, all humanity aboard the Silver Rose as each individual stopped whatever it was they were doing to turn and look silently at the closest siren that blazed. Then, the halls would become hazardous to any wondering passenger as crew hurried to their stations, stomping feet propelling bodies to their destinations. The ship would go into automatic lock-down, as if it would make a difference.
And not one of them knew why. Of course, I set the alarm on a timer. The perfect distraction. Thirty minutes, and the bomb would detonate. I turned as the door to the deck opened, and leaning in the doorway was Mechanic Roger.
"Dan? What're you doin' out here?" I smiled.
"Just getting some air." I looked up to the siren mounted above the doorway. "What's going on?"
"Not sure," he shouted over the noise. "Captain wants all engi's and mech's in the cafeteria." I sighed. Of all the places to be when you die.
"With the passengers?" He nodded solemly. "Damn."
"Yeah, man." I walked past him through the doorway, which he closed after me. "Shouldn't be for long, though."
The Silver Rose was truly a magnificent airship, and I loathed destroying its legend. It had to be, though, or else it would be hijacked in a week, weather permitting, to be wrecked into the capital. It wasn't my first choice of action, I tried warnings too. Nobody listens anymore. It was for the best, I suppose.
I poured my juice at the table of free drinks for passengers. I took a sip of the spiked beverage before raising my head to meet eyes with the most unexpected person I could ever have thought of meeting at that moment and time.
"Rose." She didn't seem too surprised.
"Dan? What's going on?" I put the drink down in shock before grasping her warm shoulder, running my thumb along her beautiful neck. This is real. You're about to kill your wife.
"What - what are you doing here?" She frowned disapprovingly.
"I thought I'd bring Christopher on his first ride on an airship. I figured it would be a good chance to see you, the both of us."
"Oh, no." I cupped my face in despair. "You brought Chris?" My fears were confirmed when something light tugged on my left pant leg.
"Daddy." I lifted the small childed up to my face, feeling the immense love for this thing that I had created. My child. I looked to Rose.
"Our child," I corrected myself verbally.
"Yes," she said, confused. "Our child." She stepped closer, her eyes showing sudden concern. "What's wrong, Dan? You're - you're crying!" For my country or the ones that I loved? I had already made the decision.
"Listen, Rose." I wiped the tears from my face. "You're going to have to forgive me for this, maybe not now, but some day." I hugged my boy with one arm, with the other I held her. "I love you both, very much. Remember that, if anything."
I put Christopher down, took my drink from the table, and swiftly disappeared into the crowed. I downed the alcohol-laden drink quickly, ignoring her cries. Rose's and the ship's. It wasn't long before I made my way to the guarded door of the cafeteria. I knew the man, and he let me past with nothing more than a curt nod.
Once in the engine room, I found the bomb that I had planted only hours before. A small unlabeled box with a timer, and on one side, a set of four numbered buttons. The bomb could not be stopped, only set off prematurely, at the time set, or delayed. It had under a minute left, not enough time to get it to deck C-9 and throw it overboard.
I ran down the catwalk, at which was empty due to lock-down. I engaged the delay on the bomb when it had ten seconds left, a dead-man's switch that consisted of pushing the buttons one,three, and four simultaneously. Once one of the buttons was released, the bomb would detonate. It was beginning to grow heavy in my arms and I prayed that it didn't slip. Lives were always in your balance, now more than ever.
On the deck sooner that I expected, I held the bomb tightly to my chest in the wind, three fingers pushed firmly on the required buttons. I couldn't simply throw it overboard, I knew it would detonate the second I loosened my grip on the buttons, most likely splitting the enormous ship at its seems, if not setting it ablaze. And so, without a second thought, I jumped.
The wind rushed past, condensation forming on every exposed surface of skin. I looked up to the silver airship above, as it slowly shrunk in visible size. It road the same wind I fell in, I thought humorlessly.
"For you, my love," and I relaxed my hand, stretching both arms out to each side just before feeling the sudden warmth of fire, and all was gone.
