First Officer Elena Torres stumbled out.
There was a cut above her eyebrow.
Bl/o/od streaked one side of her face.
“Reeves locked me out of the flight controls,” she gasped.
Maya caught her.
“Is he alone?”
“Yes.”
“Can he manually c/rash us?”
“He doesn’t need to. Something in the avionics is overriding inputs.”
Maya entered the cockpit.
Captain Reeves turned.
He looked strangely peaceful.
“Maya.”
She stopped.
“You expected me.”
“I hoped you’d come.”
“You used three hundred people to lure Ethan out.”
Reeves looked through the windshield.
The F-16 remained off their left wing.
“I didn’t create this game.”
“You’re participating.”
“I’m ending it.”
Maya moved toward the instrument panel.
Altitude dropping.
Heading changing.
Ocean filling the radar display.
“What did you install?”
Reeves smiled faintly.
“You still think this is s/@/botage.”
“It is.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“It’s a demonstration.”
