PART 5: The High-Altitude Gamble
Inside the cockpit, I pulled up the aircraft’s technical schematics, studying the pressure valves regulating cargo hold B. If I manually adjusted the cabin altitude controls, I could fake a slow depressurization, triggering an automated lock on the cargo bay’s electronic sensors. But doing so meant risking severe hypoxia for everyone on board if I miscalculated the atmospheric numbers by even a fraction.
My hands flew across the overhead panel, flipping the auxiliary environmental switches while my co-pilot monitored the altitude meters. The cabin lights flickered gently as the air grew thin, causing passengers in the main cabin to yawn and grow heavy-eyed. Julian would feel the sudden atmospheric shift, but he wouldn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.
Suddenly, the cabin pressure alarm blared red across our main display screens, echoing loudly through the cockpit speakers.
Had my dangerous gamble just triggered the bomb? Go to the next part to discover the horrifying truth…
