The Omega's Fist

5. I don't like flying

The sky was cloudy, but the wind was calm. It was a nice day to travel. Jason stood on the side of the helipad on top of his apartment building. The entire block was busy accepting helicopters, and there were four in line for their building alone.

“Paging Mr. Jason Richards. Your ride is now arriving. Please proceed to the helipad upon its landing. You have ten minutes to alight and take off. Thank you for your cooperation.” A low, husky voice boomed from the speakers in the waiting area. The person who spoke was in control of all transport activity on the block.

Jason looked around. There were two more people in the waiting area. An old woman was holding a Gucci bag and wearing large pearl earrings. And a man in his business suit. The man was in his mid-thirties and was busy talking to someone on his phone.

Putting his attention back to the helipad, Jason stared at the helicopter waiting for him. It was nothing fancy and looked just the same as the others in the air. He walked briskly into the helipad-alighting area. The wind pushed him as he came closer to it.

The passenger door opened as soon as Jason reached it.

“Good morning, Mr. Richards. Please use this headset. Kindly use the seatbelt, so we can take off,” the aviator said, with a full scruff and squeaky voice, over the sound of the rotor blade spinning.

Jason took the headset and immediately followed the man’s instructions. Then he asked, “Where are we going?”

He was curious, and his nerves were overactive. His hands were sweating, and he could not stop his leg from shaking.

“We are going to a vineyard in California. Is this your first time flying?” The aviator queried while looking back at him. He was already sitting comfortably inside the chopper, testing the cozy leather seat.

“Vineyard, huh?” Surprise flashed over Jason’s face. He did not see that coming. c*****g his head to the side, he then said, “Yes, it is my first time.”

Jason’s face paled with every inch the chopper rose. He could see how he looked from the window’s reflection and cursed at how his stomach acid was swirling, making him want to throw up.

“Welcome to the Sky-High Club, Mr. Richard. There is a green button on your left side. Don’t hesitate to press that button if you feel like puking. A container will spring from your seat. By the way, I am Captain Aries, your aviator for the day.” Aries looked straight ahead as he expertly navigated through the sea of helicopters moving in and out of the city.

“Thanks…” Jason tried to reply, but then he started vomiting. Loads of acidic water traveled up his throat and into the small container in front of him. He felt nauseous seeing the bucket. Thus, he looked away and focused himself on the blinking lights in front of Captain Aries. He composed himself afterward and said, “Thank you. Would you know how to dispose of this container?”

“Are you alright now? Just press the green button again once you’re done, and it will automatically get cleaned up.” Captain Aries understandingly smiled at him.

He felt much better after a while. The sky was no longer full of helicopters after they passed the first state border. Aviation traffic was something common, and he couldn’t be more thankful not to see that anymore. The area was now clearer with clouds and some birds flying here and there. The ride was going smoothly too. Flying was considerably a lot better compared to taking the low-land trains.

“This is Captain Aries. Am I clear to refuel now?” the man beside him spoke to the microphone attached to his headset. The helicopter was descending into a gas station by then. The station was similar to those of cars, except that there was no roof on it. Instead, there was a glass sheet covering each gas pump as it waited for a helicopter to refuel.

“Copy that,” Aries confirmed.

The gas station was in the center of a small town in the middle of nowhere. There were a few people around the helipad watching us descend. There were also some stores and buildings surrounding the place — a coffee shop and a bakery included.

“We will refuel for a bit. We are halfway through the travel. Get some snacks as it will be another four hours from here,” Captain Aries said so quickly; he sounded like a rapper.

Jason has a hard time comprehending him. Other than his headache, he was also sick of flying. It was something he didn’t know until now. Who could have thought that he was Air-Sick?

Taking a cue, Jason slid off the helicopter and ran towards the bakery. Freshly baked bread could be nice. He had eaten little since yesterday, and he was already starving. He had to keep his body well-fed, or he might die in the ring.

He carefully looked left and right before going inside the shop. He was always worried that someone might recognize him. He knew that his fans could get a bit too aggressive. Just the thought of what those people could do was enough to make him paranoid.

Jason bought two ham-and-cheese sandwiches and quickly got back into the helicopter. Captain Aries was already inside, checking everything.

“Here, I bought you something as well,” he offered one of the bread to him.

“Thanks, Mr. Richards.”

Jason then took a bite of the bread. It was good. The bread was soft while the ham was crispy. The cheese melted, and it was gooey. In a minute, he ate everything. Only to remember he did not buy any drinks.

“Stupid!” he said too soon.

“What is wrong, Mr. Richards?”

Jason felt comfortable in the captain’s presence. There was something about Aries that made him feel secure.

“Oh, I forgot to buy drinks. I am sorry.” He scrunched his forehead and had shown the captain a soggy face.

“No problem. To your right, please. Press the yellow button on the armrest. A small refrigerator will open at the back. Get whatever you like.” Aries said via the headset. The man then focused on the ground in front of them as he maneuvered the chopper to take off.

Jason was busy figuring out what he liked. He didn’t expect the chopper’s fridge to be this huge. It got a lot of things in it, from water, soda to wine. “Would you like something as well?” he asked Captain Aries.

“Water would be fine,” the captain replied in a rather high-pitched voice.

Confusion immediately flooded Jason’s face as he turned back to the aviator. Aries’ voice was baffling! Now, he couldn’t even tell whether Aries was a boy or a girl!

“Alright, water is.” He took a bottle of water for the aviator and wine for him. He wanted to start a buzz before he arrived in California.

He passed the water to the guy behind the wheels and went back to his seat. After a few sips of the wine, Jason fell asleep.

“Mr. Richards, we are here. Wake up, sir.” It was Captain Aries who shook him from his sleep.

Yawning, he stretched his arm only to get his hands hit the roof of the helicopter.

“Ouch!” He rubbed his hand to soothe it.

He looked around and realized that they had landed and were now in a different place. Instead of buildings, they were now surrounded by rows and rows of grapevines.