"What happened?"
"The flight system is completely offline; I can't receive any signal from the control tower."
"Switch to manual operation, and Chief Officer, have the passengers use oxygen."
"What's happening? An electromagnetic storm? Wow... why is it burning above us!"
This conversation took place on a civil airplane in the air.
The fire that spread across half the world seemed to have burnt through the heavens, and as the flames gradually dissipated in the sky, a corner of the red world abruptly opened up against the pitch-black Sky Curtain.
Satellites fell, and the energy pulses caused all electronic devices on the airliner to fail. The cabin was plunged into darkness. This massive creature was operating on backup systems and manual controls, with the entire airplane reliant on the captain's manual rudder for direction.
The Chief Officer and a few flight attendants walked through the cabins with flashlights, as the passengers were already starting to panic.
