Vox Mentis

Is it safe to hold on to? Keep it.

You pocket the scalpel and move back towards the cockpit and peek in. It's a cramped nest of instruments, a single seat surrounded by dark panels. Eliot is buckled in. "You can fly this?" You say.

"It's not brain surgery."

"You can't even see where you're going. It's pitch-black out there."

"I will assume we're currently pointed in the right direction," Eliot says. "And fly straight."

"Uh," you say.

Eliot runs his thumb across a dial and finishes up on a worn black button. "I think we're good to go."

"You think?"

"It's been a while since I did this."

"You said it wasn't brain surgery."

"It isn't. But the penalty for error is high."

"Maybe we should think about this."

Eliot waits. You think he's reconsidering. Then you realize Eliot is watching something. You follow his gaze but see nothing but night sky. One of the starts is moving.

"What is that?" You say, and realize. "A helicopter."

"Yes. Go sit down." He depresses the button. Something goes click. "Hmm."

"Was that supposed to happen?" Eliot doesn't answer, but clearly no. "Did they sabotage the plane? Do you think they-"

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Eliot murmurs to himself, poring over the controls. Ahead, the star grows. The ground beneath it begins to twinkle. A searchlight sweeps snow.

"It's getting closer."

"Get out!" Eliot flicks a row of switches.

"I'm just letting you-" Light bursts in the windshield. You raise your arm. The searchlight has found the plane. Beneath its gaze, the runway looks like black glass. The thrumming overhead is like thunder.

"Well, now I can see." Eliot thumbs the black button. The engines thump. A low whine of power begins to build. Something above your head goes thwack thwack thwack. The plane begins to trundle forward.

"They're shooting at us. Are they shooting at us?"

"Yes."

The plane bumps forward, gaining speed. "You know there's a chopper up there."

"I know."

"So even if we get off the ground, how are we going to get away from the chopper?" The plane's momentum presses at you. You seize the back of Tom's chair. "How do we get away from the chopper, Eliot?"

"Planes are faster than choppers." Eliot pulls on the yoke. You lift off.

~

You sit on your comfy school bed, relaxing. Your exams are finished. You aced them, as you knew you would. Well, all exams, that is, except one.

Curly-haired boy is still here, and just as he had predicted, the school only takes one applicant. The only way forward is through him. You need to persuade him to leave.

What's the plan?