It was Juan’s first time flying, but he could tell this was no ordinary airplane. He had seen movies with planes and those always had rows and rows of tight seating, but this jet had a large open area near the front of the cabin with two white leather couches, one on either side, and in front of each was a narrow marble topped table. Directly behind the cockpit was mounted a large flat screen television. There was a plush carpet on the floor. Past the couches sat a few rows of cushy recliners. Behind the recliners was a wall with a wet bar, and on the left and right side were hallways leading to the rearward parts of the plane. Juan claimed a recliner next to a window and watched his dad drive up the hill to their cabin. Carl chose the recliner next to him.
“So, Juan,” Carl opened. “I’m sorry if I came across as kind of gruff at dinner. I’m just not used to teenagers being useful or knowing anything, you know? The boys I know are only into video games and porn. Frankly, they’re stupid and oblivious.”
“Oh, I see,” responded Juan. He didn’t trust Carl, and didn’t want to talk to him either. He wished he had chosen a different seat.
“Yeah, but not you, right? You haven’t wasted your young years. You’re into reading books, learning stuff, exploring nature. You’re a little small for sports. But Dr. Zell speaks very highly of you. She said she thinks that some day you could be a scientist or engineer for one of her companies. Wouldn’t you like that?”
“That’s nice of her,” said Juan. “Glad to hear I didn’t waste my wonder years.”
“Yeah. Still, one should take time for fun once in a while,” Carl chuckled to himself. “But you should give up on reading fairy tales, that is a waste of time for sure.”
“Fairy tales?” asked Juan.
“Oh you know, the Bible. That’s a bunch of nonsense right there.”
“How do you know that?” asked Juan. He was annoyed with the conversation and didn’t want to keep talking, but he couldn’t take Carl telling him what he should and shouldn’t be doing.
“Come on, you know what I mean. If you’re going to be a scientist, you should be studying real science literature. Reading the latest research and theories. You’re not going to learn anything valuable from fairy tales.”
“Oh, I see,” responded Juan again. “I don’t know that I’m going to be a scientist. But still, I think there’s an impressive amount of science revealed in the Bible.”
“Give me just one example,” demanded Carl.
“It contains possibly the oldest references to the earth being round, for one.”
“Hmm, yeah, well, I still believe it’s just a fairy tale.”
“Just a fairy tale,” retorted Juan. “I wonder what evidence you have to support such a claim, sir?”
Just then pilot’s voice was heard over the intercom instructing everyone to prepare for take-off. Looking out his window Juan saw they had reached the far end of the runway and were making a u-turn. Suddenly, he felt himself being pressed into his seat-back, and the jet’s enormous engines began to roar. The plane tore down the runway rapidly picking up speed and getting bumpier with each passing second. Just when Juan felt there couldn’t possibly be any runway left the plane tipped up into the air. Immediately the jarring thumping and bumping ceased, and he felt himself being pressed harder into his seat.
Juan stared out the window at the shrinking ground. He could see some of the ranch cattle, already small as ants. Then he spotted the gray line that was the dirt road at the eastern border of the ranch.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us, Juan,” continued Carl, ignoring Juan’s question. “This missing woman means more to Dr. Zell than you or me.”
“Is she Dr. Zell’s daughter?” asked Juan.
“Ha! No way,” chuckled Carl. “Family isn’t what drives Dr. Zell. No, she isn’t family, but she is the future.”
“What do you mean by that?” asked Juan.
“Oh, somethings you don’t need to know, young man. Unless Dr. Zell wants you to know.”
Juan was very irritated with Carl now.
“Then why did you tell me all that?” pursued Juan.
“I thought you should know how important this mission is. We lost her yesterday and spent most of the night, well, Judd spent most of the night searching. He’s really quite embarrassed, as he should be.”
A bell chimed and the pilot’s voice was heard on the intercom again. She said something about seat belts, cruising altitude and the length of their flight.
Carl unbuckled and stood up.
“I’m going to get something to drink. We’ve hit cruising altitude. You can walk around, too.” He walked over to the bar behind them, opened a cabinet door and began pouring a beverage.
Juan left his chair, took a few steps and peered down the left side hallway. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder.