The QE2 Is Missing

“Then let me fill you in. For the past four days one of the largest air and sea searches ever mounted has been in progress. For very good reason, since the world’s largest liner vanished without a trace. The QE2 has been found, but she is empty of all life. A couple of thousand people, gone, and signs of shooting and violence aboard the ship. So the search is going on for all the crew and passengers who were aboard when she left Acapulco. Here, look at this chart, this is the area being searched. We are particularly interested in all ships in this area or just outside of it. We are asking for reports from all planes and ships that might be of help. When I saw your flight plan I thought that you could really be of great help to us.”

“What would you like me to do?”

“Very kind of you to offer. I must first tell you that I have cleared this matter with your Company, who approve the suggested changes, even though it means an expenditure of a few thousand more pounds of jet fuel. The whole world is concerned, as you can see, Captain.”

Bush nodded and ate his humble pie. He deserved it. But those three days in the motel had been worth it.

“You are taking a charter flight to Bogota, Columbia, then on to Peru. Is that right?”

“Yes. It’s the start of a new service. Only about a fifty percent configuration, that’s a half-load of passengers, but it should get better.”

“That was one of the considerations we had in mind when we considered this change in flight plans. Would you look here please, at the chart. We would like you to swing further west than you originally planned, to around one hundred and fifteen degrees west latitude.”

Bush ran his finger over the chart. “That’s pretty far off course and way the hell out into the Pacific.”

“It is. But you will be flying a great circle course, which helps, and, of course, you will catch the westerly jet stream. These changes should add a maximum of an hour to your flying time. With the extra fuel you will still have your normal reserves.”

“And you say management approves?”

“They are enthusiastic.”

“That’s the way it’s going to be, then. Can you tell me why this is so important?”

“Absolutely. We have no ships in this area, or any carrier planes that can reach it. If you will mark the position of any large ships you might see here, on the fringe of our search area, it will be of considerable help to us.”

“Is that all you want?”

“Yes. Other than asking you to keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. I can’t tell you what that might be — but this whole situation is so extraordinary that, well, who knows what the answer is to the disappearance.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you.”

They took off two hours later. Bush himself was at the controls and, heavily loaded with fuel as they were, they used a good deal of the runway, lifting the nose and pulling up the gear as they headed out over the blue Pacific, leaving the gray smog of Los Angeles behind them. As they gained altitude, he began a slow turn to port that would take them down along the southern California coast. The air was clear here, San Diego showing up below with the farms and suburbs south of it marking the border of the United States. After that the mountains and deserts of Baja, with a quick glimpse of the bay at Ensenada on the horizon before thin clouds cut off the view. Ah, motel of fond dreams. He smiled at the memories, then cleansed his mind of everything except flying.

“This is going to take some navigating,” Trubey said. As Second Pilot he was responsible for the navigation at this time. He was working out a true compass heading on the chart and listening to the sound of the San Diego beacon vanishing behind them. Abandoning this reference, he reached out and switched frequencies to the one in La Paz. “We won’t be able to take bearings on any stations ahead for a long time. At least the inertial navigator will tell us where we are.”

“Well, good for you, my boy, we’ll make a pilot of you yet. Don’t forget that during the war, B-17’s and 24’s flew the Atlantic to Britain without radio beacons, without navigational aids of any kind — other than the same charts and sextants ships use.”

“Spare me the lecture, Pops. I read the history books, too. It’s just that I have a feeling of security knowing where I’ve been and just where I’m going to. Beckoned by a radio beacon in the night. When I leave those friendly reference marks behind I get angry and remember Air New Zealand in the Antarctic…. “

“Bite your tongue when you say that! We’ll not have that kind of trouble here. This is going to be a day flight, we’re staying at thirty-one thousand feet, and once we have made the search sweep you can twist the dials and get the beacon in Bogota and we’re home free.”

“Great, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Bush switched on the public address speakers, humming happily to himself. This was a bit like the old days, on your own, without all the navigational aids the young flyers were used to now.