Joaquim Augusto Ferreira Barbosa de Melo - Lost in Space

- Minister, what can I be of service?

-We have an urgent need to talk to the Commander as soon as possible.

-I don’t know if it’s going to be possible anytime soon. The Commander is locked in the cockpit and I have no way of talking to him!

-Is the situation that bad?

-More than you can imagine, Minister!

-Can you be more precise?

-We are receiving messages that anyone who hasn’t put the device on his arm is putting his life at risk. You can confirm this information on any of the chairs’ monitors.

-Don’t you think it’s another diversion?!

-Very sincerely, I don’t think so! In my humble opinion the matter is to be taken seriously.

-Why do you say that?!

-You see, Minister, those automatons are proof of that. I am very travelled and honestly, I have never seen anything like this! We are probably on a different planet from ours!

-Hollywood does a lot better than that, don’t you think?

-Minister, with all due respect, that territory is American.

The flight attendant Florbela had barely finished the sentence when her sister, Anabela, just arrived and still gasping, interrupted the conversation.

-Sorry! Florbela it’s urgent. I beg you to come downstairs. We have an emergency!

-Go, Go! We’ll talk later! – Said the Minister, this time seriously concerned.

As the flight attendants walked away, the Minister went to one of the windows to observe the movements outside. And for the first time he noticed the strange creatures referred to by the flight attendant, moving equipment without him understanding what all that would serve for. That finding, associated with the previous doubts, helped him to draw up a disturbing picture of recent events. He then met with the other members of the Government to plan a joint action.

On the other passengers’ area, they were also aware that they were increasingly dependent on the conditions imposed by the kidnappers. Common sense recommended that they should avoid explicit demonstrations of hostilities. Thus, a large majority agreed to apply the apparatus in their arms, according to the instructions referred to in the various messages. For those who had already applied the devices to the wrists they noticed that from the beginning they began to feel a lesser dependence on liquids and solids, as well as the absence of signs of tiredness, despite all the tension experienced at the moment. Without realising the causal relationship between these improvements and the device applied, they began to comment on such occurrences.

As time went by, an additional issue began to worry the Commander - the degradation of the airplane’s habitable conditions. If in the economy class the comfort conditions of the airplane exceeded the standard of any other commercial plane and in the first class the ample facilities and luxury provided a life on board of high quality, both were conditional to the maximum number of flight hours. After reaching this limit, these conditions began to deteriorate rapidly if the required maintenance were not carried out. The crew knew this like no one else and even among the most travelled passengers this reality did not go completely unnoticed. With the long hours on board, these habitable conditions began to deteriorate rapidly. Had it not been for the majority of passengers to agree to the use of the devices proposed by the kidnappers, the situation on board would now be completely unsustainable. The emotional wear resulting from the abduction led the majority to become aware that their lives were in multiple dangers and, perhaps for all that, their cooperative attitude was not strange. However, Christina’s father, as a judge, had a different mind, who thought that every Man should fight for his rights even if it jeopardises his own life. In the face of a new message from the kidnappers (calling once again on the urgent application of the devices on everyone’s wrists), the flight attendants reiterated the fulfilment of the instructions received, but whenever they approached the Judge, he remained adamant in the position taken.

From the beginning, the Judge was aware that the kidnappers were not sided by right, but by force. That circumstance had weighed on the many appeals of his wife and daughter to accept the application of the apparatus. An equally complex situation was lived on the 2nd floor of the airplane with the governmental entourage. There, opinions knew different levels, not only because of the hierarchies, but because of the need to defend the moral values associated with each one. Here and there, through isolated dialogues, one could perceive the reigning thoughts. This was the case in a small group formed by the Secretaries of State and their Deputies and later by three Ministers.

-I’m afraid we can’t put off much longer the decision to stay on or off the plane - said Clara Sobral, Secretary of State of the Treasury.

-The problem goes way beyond that! – Said Elsa Ferreira, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

-Wherever you look, the interrogations are more than many – said at last Teresa Domingos, Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.

Although they belonged to the same Government, these women had very divergent positions. To Elsa Ferreira, the situation would require the assailant to leave the lair, even if he had forced it to do so. For Teresa Domingos the biggest problem was because « the food resources in the airplane would run out quickly and then what to do? ». If Clara Sobral insisted on the need for a rapid decision, it was due to the imperative position of the kidnappers, in the use of the bracelet, as a condition to get off the plane. Her academic training in medicine told her that they were in control of the situation, proof of that were her thoughts: «the fact that the kidnappers do not expose themselves shows that they dominate the situation and they know very well the way to go to obtain their ends»; « they are clearly intelligent, unemotional and very programmatic beings»; «they know that time runs in their favour so they have no need to expose themselves or use other resources such as fear».

At a certain distance, a small group of Security Men were also exchanging opinions on the subject.

-In my entire career, it’s been 20 years, it’s the first time I’ve watched a situation so complex - said Lopes, one of the oldest security guards on the team.

-When I joined this function three years ago, I was convinced that the hard training we went through enabled me to have sufficient preparation for everything, or almost everything, but in the face of this situation I feel like an apprentice, fearing the worst - said Caciano, one of the newest on the team.

-You’re not isolated in that feeling. As far as I’m concerned, it’s been seven years in the job, I’ve been through a lot of situations, but like this is the first time. The bastards behind this are very clever, they don’t even bother to show themselves. Now with the bracelets, read the handcuffs, they want to control us all. You’re going to have to shoot me first! – Said Pereira, one of the security guards with more heroic deeds recorded in the curriculum among the security men of the members of the Government.

-I think you’re forgetting that the Bosses are the ones deciding on the situation – said Xavier, responsible for the security team.

On the other side of the room, three other men spoke with discretion and in a low voice. One of them mobilized the attention of the other two and due to the respectability achieved, should have hierarchical ascendency over them. With the arrival of the flight attendant Florbela, they interrupted the conversation to hear that she had to tell them.

-I spoke to the Commander who expects to be here very soon.

-Thank you very much! We have absolute need to speak with him - said Oscar Pereira, Minister of Finance.