章 91: Lift off
The boarding finally started, and a long line of people were starting to queue up. The time taken to check the ticket and then proceed to weigh the bags took approximately thirty seconds per person. After a little while, it was finally our turn. The same process ensued, and we were soon given the all-clear to board the plane.
We walked through the portable corridor that connected the plane to the gate and arrived at the plane doors where two cabin crew members were in charge of directing people towards their seats.
"Good morning, may I please have your ticket?" said the woman in a navy-blue dress with a red scarf around her neck. Luke, Diana and I handed our tickets to her and were soon directed towards our seats.
As soon as I stepped onto the plane, a cacophony of noise engulfed my ears. The screaming of children as they were having a tantrum for God knows what reason, the sounds of a parent's reprimands, an old woman complaining about her back and so on. Any semblance of the peaceful and orderly boarding I had pictured in my head shattered into dust.
I also noticed that the seats were clustered together, and the legroom was practically non-existent. The only exception was the front seats near the exits. Lucky bastards I thought. I hadn't even sat down yet, and I could already imagine the uncomfortable situation. I really couldn't wait to build the portkey and learn to apparate.
Finally finding the row my seat was in, it was by the window with Luke and Diana next to me. I was thankful since I saw a poor woman being seated next to a massive blob of fat that I assumed to be a man. He was literally spilling over into the next seat. I could only pity her bad luck.
Since I didn't carry any light luggage, I simply sat down and looked out the window and observed the other giant white-winged mechanical monsters taking off one after another. It really was amazing how much progress humans can make in such a short time. I never really understood it. For centuries, humans had been at a standstill in terms of technology. But as soon as World War one started, it all exploded, everything began to appear. It was very interesting. This is not even taking into consideration the internet, the single, most important piece of technology invented by humans. And the computers and phones made to better harness it. It all developed in less than a century. It was simply amazing to witness. And now I would have a direct influence on its direction.
The power of knowledge never ceased to amaze me. It really was like heaven and earth. As I was immersed in my own thoughts, the PA system within the plane sprang to life and the feminine voice of a stewardess came through.
"Good morning passengers, I would like to welcome you to one of the first one hundred flights from London to America. We have only recently been open, and we thank you for travelling with us," she said to my shock. I just realised, in 1991, American Airlines bought the assets of TWA's operations at London Heathrow for $445 million. So, it was indeed right to say that I was on one of the first few flights between the two nations.
Damn, that was very convenient, who knew I would get so lucky? I didn't really think about it much as the plane roared alive and began to move slowly but steadily towards the tarmac where it would fly off from. The trembling from the plane got more and more noticeable until I was forced to put my cup of water down since I failed to take a sip multiple times out of fear of tipping it on myself.
Let's just say that the suspension system on these older models wasn't comparable to the newer ones later on. It didn't last long before the outside images began to speed past my window becoming an blur, and when the wheels left the ground, I felt a distinct sinking feeling in my stomach. It was weird but fun at the same time.
It didn't last long however and soon went away and, in its place, blocked ears plagued me. It was due to the air pressure in the cabin changing rapidly. It was fine since it went away quickly too, but that didn't stop it from being slightly unpleasant.
As soon as the plane stabilised at a certain altitude, I looked out the window to see nothing but clouds. There was no longer a city beneath my feat, I was flying, for the first time in my life. It was slightly scary, I don't really trust machines, since there can always be errors. I was kind of traumatised after watching a show called air crash investigations. Let's just say that even if I was given a chance to fly in my past life, I would have declined adamantly.
But I had magic and I had Drak, I doubt that I would die even if I fell out of the plane. But that brought up a thought. Maybe I should go sky diving some time, that should be incredibly fun to do. My thoughts trailed off for a while as I thought about that when I was awoken by the same feminine voice.
"You many take your seatbelts off, but please, stay in your seats and do not leave unless necessary. If you need anything, please, raise your hand and one of us will do our best to help," she said warmly before disappearing somewhere.
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