Chapter 9: Landing Turbulence

As the plane flew toward Russia, David organized his thoughts. He knew that from this point onward, things would get more complicated, and any pre-existing knowledge he had of this world might no longer be accurate.

In the original story, the general mentioned that the intercepted message came from India, but in this case, it was a message intercepted from Russia. A path completely contrary to the plot.

But, despite complicating the situation, this doesn't change David's mission in this world. One way or another, he would have to find the initial point of the outbreak to develop a definitive vaccine.

"Argh~" at this moment, he heard a groan of pain coming from an improvised stretcher that the medic used to place the soldier he rescued in Jerusalem.

"You woke up, can you understand my language?" David asked, approaching the stretcher.

Still disoriented, she nodded slowly. "Yes, I speak English. What happened in Jerusalem? Where are we now?" she asked.

David took a deep breath before answering, his voice carrying a tone of sorrow. "When we left, Jerusalem was already completely overrun by zombies. I'm sorry."

She lowered her head for a moment, absorbing the news. "My God... the entire city..."

David placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry. We couldn't do anything; you couldn't do anything."

"I... understand," she replied, with sadness.

David then sighed, understanding the pain of losing her home. "Look, I know you must have lost a lot in Jerusalem, but this is the situation worldwide."

"That's why we're on this mission. To find a solution to this outbreak and put an end to this nightmare," he said. "So, I propose a new purpose for you. Come with us and help us find a way to save what's left of the world." David suggested, looking her in the eyes.

The woman looked into David's eyes for a moment, as if considering the proposal. After a few seconds of tense silence, a determined smile appeared on her face. "I'm in. If it's to find a solution to this nightmare, I'll help in any way I can."

David nodded, satisfied with the response. "Welcome aboard." He extended his hand in greeting.

"Thank you for saving me, Captain. You can call me Segen," she replied, introducing herself.

"Rest more. We don't know what awaits us in Moscow, and you need to regain as much energy as you can," David said.

At that moment, Gerry appeared at the cabin door, calling out, "David, we need you here."

David nodded to Segen and headed to the pilot's cabin.

Entering the cabin, David looked out the window, witnessing the transition of the landscape to a frosty scene, snow-covered fields extending as far as the eye could see.

In the narrow space, David immediately sensed the tension in the air. Then, the pilot's voice broke the tense silence.

"We have a problem, Captain," the pilot began to explain, his eyes reflecting anxiety. "We can't establish communication with any command base, and the fuel is running out quickly."

David furrowed his brow, absorbing the news. The situation was already complicated, and now they faced a new obstacle. The lack of communication and scarce fuel added an extra layer of uncertainty.

"How many minutes of flight do we have left?" David asked, maintaining calmness in the face of adversity.

The pilot hesitated before answering. "With the current fuel, we might have about twenty minutes. We're trying to locate an emergency landing base, but the conditions down here are hostile. And without communication, I have no idea how far we are from Moscow."

Gerry intervened, suggesting, "What if we try an emergency landing right here in the fields below? It may not be ideal, but it's better than staying in the air until the fuel runs out."

David pondered for a moment, evaluating the options. "Do it. Try to locate a spot near a highway so we can have some direction to go."

...

David left the cabin and approached Speke and the other soldiers, his firm voice cutting through the cold air of the cabin.

"Everyone, get ready. We're facing an emergency landing. I want all of you prepared for any eventuality. Emergency equipment ready and weapons loaded. Make sure everyone is safe and ready to exit when we land."

Speke nodded, relaying the orders to the group. The soldiers started to move, organizing quickly to handle any contingencies that might arise during the landing.

David addressed Dr. Fassbach, aware of the importance of the analyses the scientist was conducting for the mission. "Dr. Fassbach, we need to ensure that all your equipment and samples are secure during the landing. Someone will assist you in organizing everything so you can continue your work once we land."

"Everyone, get ready to shake. We're landing shortly," the pilot announced over the radio.

Aboard the plane, tension increased as the pilot's announcement echoed through the speakers, indicating the imminent emergency landing. David stood up, looking around to ensure everyone was aware of the critical situation.

"Everyone, prepare for the emergency landing. Check if all equipment is secured and safe. Strap yourselves into your seats. This might get a bit rough," David instructed, his voice conveying calmness and firmness.

The soldiers moved frantically, fastening belts, holding equipment, and preparing for the imminent impact. Dr. Fassbach, with his carefully organized samples, made sure everything was protected.

The plane began to lose altitude rapidly, shaking uncontrollably. The snow outside seemed to be approaching quickly. Tension was palpable in the cabin as everyone held onto their positions.

The landing was turbulent, with the plane hitting the snow forcefully. Violent vibrations traveled through the fuselage, but against all odds, the aircraft managed to stay intact. Finally, the plane stopped, surrounded by accumulating snow outside.

David took a deep breath, relieved that they were safe. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, looking around to ensure that no serious damage had occurred.

"All good, Captain." The tense silence was broken by murmurs of confirmation from the team members, indicating that, despite the difficult landing.

David unbuckled his seatbelt once the plane stopped shaking, giving final instructions to the team. "Check if everyone is okay. Get ready to exit."

While the soldiers took care of each other, David headed to the cockpit. Opening the door, he checked if the pilot and Gerry were unharmed.

"Are you both okay?"

"We're fine, Captain. Just a bit sore." They responded, getting up from their seats and leaving the cockpit, indicating that they were okay. Outside, the soldiers were already ready, and Dr. Fassbach carried his equipment.

David positioned himself in front of the group and gave the order to open the plane door. "Open the door."

With a metallic creak, the door opened, revealing the icy scenery of Russia. Not far away, a highway dotted with abandoned cars stretched out, a silent testimony to the chaos that had erupted in that location.

"Stay alert for any danger; we're heading out," David said, exiting the plane while the group followed him towards the highway.

Leaving behind the plane with its damaged fuselage, which left a trail of pieces and soot in the snow, the group headed toward the highway, with the snow weighing down on their boots.

As they entered the highway crowded with abandoned cars, David gathered the team and gave instructions. "Split into three rows. Let's advance cautiously, stay alert for any signs of zombie ambush."

Footprints marked the snow, creating a visible path in that icy landscape. Silence was interrupted only by the muffled sound of footsteps in the snow. Each member of the group kept their senses sharp, ready to react to the slightest sign of danger.

The highway, once bustling, was now a desolate scene, with abandoned cars covered in snow and the echo of the icy wind.

After walking for some time, David began to feel that the situation seemed strange. They had been walking for almost twenty minutes and hadn't seen any signs of zombies.

Approaching Gerry, he spoke while continuing to walk, "Don't you find this strange? We've been walking for twenty minutes and haven't seen any zombies or even a sign of one, just frozen bloodstains."

Understanding David's discomfort, Gerry responded, "I'm feeling something off too."

"Unless all the bodies have been removed..." Gerry paused before finishing. "All the zombies left together."

"That's the situation I didn't want to face," David replied, wondering how the zombies could have left without leaving any stragglers.

...

After a few more minutes of walking, the group saw a sign pointing to a city a few kilometers away.

David raised his hand, signaling for the group to stop. He called Speke and Gerry closer.

"Listen, we need to figure out what's going on. Let's all head to the nearest city. We'll look for any information that can help us understand the situation in Moscow."

"We'll move with extreme caution, stay alert, and maintain security," instructed David, looking at each of the members.

With the new instruction, the group started moving towards the distant city, keeping heightened awareness in the face of the unknown that awaited them.