Autopilot

Writing Prompt: Find a news article and write from the POV of those involved in the conflict.

Article chosen: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/80-us-air-force-personnel-ground-chad

            Gray rectangles speckled the dusty and arid landscape below the craft; occasionally flares of white light would shine off the metallic roof tops into the crafts camera. I circled around the village maintaining a high enough altitude that even the locals wouldn’t be able to spot my craft in the bright and clear skies. I disregarded the ever growing tails of dust behind the cars on the road. I wasn’t looking for any suspicious cars, well not yet at least. What I was looking for amongst the backdrop of red and brown detailed with specs of civilization was a building large enough to hold over three hundred people and the armed men who made sure none could leave.

            Three monitors lined the desk in front of me, the main monitor showed the forward camera of the craft separated into blue and brown hue halfway across the screen. On my right a screen displayed my geographical data, local weather and time, and my craft’s status such as speed and altitude. To the left were additional cameras: rear view and ground. My eyes floated between all three.

“Washington, do you have an visuals?” Captain Garrison’s voice said through the transceiver. I could hear the whistling of the air as it sped by outside his cockpit.

“No sir,” I said taking a drink of my McDonald’s coffee. I flinched back, the taste was too bitter; they forgot to give me double sugar like I asked.

“Who exactly am I speaking to at the moment?”

“This is Airman First Class Frederick Williams,” I said.

“Good morning then Williams, how’s the coffee taste?”

“What is that sir?”

“How does your coffee taste, what is it like four hundred there?”

“Actually five sir,” I said checking my watch.

“Listen that doesn’t matter, what matters is that you’re awake and your eyes are on the screen. You are awake aren’t you?”

“Yes sir!” I said reflexively.

“Good, I’ll be checking back in ten.”

The airwaves dived to silence. After giving the village a fly around I decided it was time to move onto another. I consulted an digital map and selected the nearest village, leaned back in my chair letting the autopilot take over and took some more coffee. My eyes felt heavy and my stomach begged for something to eat through a series of gurgles and growled, I wish I bought a McGriddle on the way to the office.

In my head I knew this was important, three hundred girls had been kidnapped and threatened to be sold into slavery, but I didn’t feel it. Maybe if I was in the sky like Garrison I wouldn’t feel so indifferent, but nope. I joined the air force to fly planes not play video games. At least I was helping somehow.

“Williams!” Garrison’s voice rang through my headset.

“Yes sir?”

“Are you falling asleep over there? We’ve already done a fly by over there, get your act together or drink stronger coffee.”

“S-sorry sir,” I said.

“Head north, and don’t you fall asleep.”

I consulted the map and leaned back into my chair. At least I was helping… somehow.