Joaquim Augusto Ferreira Barbosa de Melo - Lost in Space

-I hope you told him the situation is extremely complex! – Reinforced Mago Vieira, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

-I’d say explosive! – He added Marco Dias, Minister of Economics.

Amidst that crosstalk, Florbela remained silent, making comments to herself, in particular about the outburst of the Minister of Economics «look who’s talking! ». Meanwhile, without the present realizing it, the Commander had approached.

-How can I help you? - The Commander said.

Florbela, looking in the direction of the voice and realizing who it was, intervened.

-Commander, the Minister of Finance wishes to ask you a few questions.

-Go ahead!

-We’d like to have an update, if possible! – said the Minister.

-I do not have much to add to what I said previously, unless the lack of collaboration from your team makes life difficult for everyone! – said the Commander. If I may, I must return to the cockpit urgently.

To those present the words of the Commander were, to say the least, disconcerting. For Florbela it was the second time, in a short time, that she did not recognise the attitudes of her own Commander (insensitive, rational and distant, presenting a seraphic face without expressing any emotions). The poor Minister, in addition to disconcerted, saw in the Commander’s response an attitude of little elegance, having passed his hands by the face in a sign of displeasure. And, turning to his Foreign Affairs colleague, he added:

-What’s gotten into him? It’s got to be stress.

-Don’t worry, Minister, the Commander is upset about the situation! – Said Florbela, trying to mitigate the lack of respect manifested.

Sometime later Florbela commented with Anabela the scene that she witnessed, receiving from her an even more disconcerting answer.

-This is crazy!

-What’s the matter? – Said Florbela, surprised.

-You’ve seen the last message: «all passengers with bracelets should get off the plane». But what about the air outside?! Will it be breathable?

-Think about it! If it wasn’t, we’d all be dead by now, don’t you think?

-I’m sorry! I think I’m losing my mind!

-Come on, calm down! That won’t solve anything! – Said Florbela, also trying to keep her emotions under control.

Outside, shortly thereafter, the first passengers from the plane began to appear. Carriers of apparatus applied to the arms and guided by signs were divided into three groups: young people under the age of twenty-five; adults between the ages of twenty-five and fifty, and one for adults over the age of fifty. The border line between the groups was thus demarcated by age, so some families found themselves distributed among two and up to three groups. At first that segregation did not represent a major difficulty because, although they were in different compartments, they could see each other through glass that separated them. Some time later each of the groups was invited to perform music oriented exercises: to the youngest with rhythmic cadences; while for the older ones with soft and slow tunes. For those who, through the windows of the airplane, watched the show, it felt like they were standing in front of some holiday resort. No one would say they were looking at passengers coming out of an abducted aircraft, for who knows what terrorist purposes. Shortly thereafter, inside the airplane, the ventilation and air renewal circuits as well as the lighting were shut down. For the crew and some passengers who were still inside the plane, that was an alarm signal. The passengers in those conditions would have to leave as soon as possible, because the habitable conditions would deteriorate considerably. From there, the meals on board would cease to be usable and even the air would gradually become more unbreathable. The use of the sanitary facilities itself would have to be stopped, as they would no longer operate either the waste disposal systems or the water supply for discharges (life on board was gradually becoming impossible).

The people who remained on board, still in significant numbers, became more aware that they had little time left to get off the plane. Among them were all members of the governmental team and their auxiliary personnel as well as security staff. After having pondered the new condition, they decided to accept the Commander’s recommendation: « applying the bracelets without reservations». When the Minister of Finance announced to his team the decision, made in a meeting with the other government colleagues, he had done so in the painful acceptance that this was the only way out. With the departure of the entire governmental entourage, the plane was almost deserted. From there they ceased to feel the need to ingest any kind of solid or liquid food, to the surprise of everyone and perplexity of the doctor Clara Sobral, who did not find an explanation for that extraordinary phenomenon!

The only passenger on board was Judge Marcelo, irreducible in his position. Gradually he became weaker and even after the many appeals of his daughter, wife and hostesses, he refused to reconsider. Clara Sobral, upon learning of the situation, made herself available to the flight attendant Felisbela, to serve in the mediation of the conflict.

-I’d like to talk to the passenger who’s been detained on the plane.

-Come, please. It’s the Judge. I’ve never seen such difficult person! We’ve done everything to convince him to leave, but no result!

When they entered the airplane, they felt an atmosphere that was already degraded and unpleasant. They went to the seat where the Judge was and came across a scenario that greatly moved them. A child bathed in tears embraced her father’s legs in a suffocated cry. Beside the Judge, his wife, whose face was disfigured by the bitterness in his soul, held her daughter’s head in her hands.

-So! What’s the matter? – Said Clara Sobral.

The Judge, with half-shut eyes, tried to figure out who dared to talk to him like that, but very tired closed them again without saying anything. His face expressed an advanced state of physical weakness. The flight attendant, in front of that desolated picture, intervened with a few words of encouragement.

-You’re lucky we have a doctor who can help you! But it’s essential that you cooperate!

This time the Judge did not react to Felisbela’s words and shortly thereafter leaned inanimate. Faced with that scenario the flight attendant was disturbed and not containing what was in her soul said in a low voice «you want to see that he died! ». Little Christina, realizing that something very serious was happening with her father, ran off, in an uncontrollable cry toward the outside of the airplane. Giving up to her pain she said to herself and to her guardian angel: «my father cannot die, do whatever is in your power to save him! ». Inside the airplane the doctor, identifying the gravity of the situation took on the Judge’s arm to check his pulse while, in a firm voice, ordered the flight attendant:

-Quickly! Bring me the device to apply to his arm!

Felisbela ran off like she hadn’t done in a long time. Outside she ran into her sister Florbela, who hugged Cristina and tried to understand the reasons for that scenario.

-What’s going on?

-It’s the Judge, he is in a bad shape! We’ll talk later!

While Florbela sought to console little Cristina, Felisbela mobilized all resources to attend to that medical urgency.

Inside the airplane the clinical picture of the Judge was increasingly critical to Clara Sobral. The bracelet application was an imperative condition of the kidnappers so that any passenger could leave. And, as the Judge’s physical condition prevented him from making a definitive decision on the subject, the doctor thought it was right to put the question to his wife.