NORTHERN MARKETS
Episode 60: Mysterious Cargo

[“Air Traffic Control, this is BlueBird Airlines Flight 88, we are coming in from Riprey Air Station, about 50 miles out as of 6:41 SEA Time, moving at 110.9 Qian-feet per hour (about 210 miles per hour). Requesting directions over,”]
“Flight 88, we have you on our radar. 210 miles per hour, 50 miles out as of 10:41 AM, please confirm, over”
[“Roger that. Standing by for landing procedure”]
“Flight 88, OST is at altitude of 38.2 kilo feet. Ascend to 40 Kft. We’re gonna have you land on Runway B westbound”

The A-385 jet’s engines roared as the plane soared through the air over the clouds, banking a sharp left towards the east.
The jet, painted completely in light blue, glistened in the mid-morning sunlight. Tens of thousands of feet below, the clouds reflected the blinding white sunlight.

[“Air Traffic Control, our dopplar is picking up a jetstream blowing east at 22* north of east. Please confirm the stats on the air current over”]
“Flight 88, the current is about 10 kilo feet in diameter and circular in shape. In crease your speed and angle to within 91* of the current, and prepare to cross on our mark, over”
[“Roger that,”]

From inside the plane, the air current that blocked the designated flight path to the runway was invisible to the naked eye since there were no clouds around here to reveal the winds.
Inside the plane were about 450 passengers, even though the whole plane could seat a couple hundred more.
Some of them were from the Korean Lands; most of them on business trips from New Seoul. Others were SEA Landers; also on business or vacation trips to Orbis or Florina. Many of them were couples planning to get married in Amoria.
The Southern passengers were on return trips from the North. Out of all the passengers on board,
one man was on this flight in the midst of a very important mission.

Jim Kae adjusted his tie with his hand as he peered out the window. A flight attendant came walked around offering the passengers one last round of food, and coffee.
“Attention please, passengers, we are about to pass through an air stream, please buckle your seat belts.

The whole plane shook as the crosswinds slammed into the starboard side full force. Kae gripped the seat handles tightly and pressed his head against the seat back. All of a sudden he felt constricted in his business suit, and the tie threatened to choke tighter around his neck. As quickly as it began, the turbulence ended, and Kae exhaled. He felt a line of sweat run down his face and dabbed it with a napkin.

At 11:01 AM, the plane touched down on the marble runways of Orbis Station. After it stopped, the plane taxied its way over to the terminal.
“We are about to dock, ladies and gentlemen. Please make sure you have your carry-on bag and all of your possessions with you before you leave the plane. The time here in Orbis is 11:06 A.M. Please be sure to have your name tags and documents ready for inspection. Thank you for flying with BlueBird Airlines.”

Even though the plane had landed, Kae’s anxiety refused to let him relax. That turbulence back there scared the crap out of him. But he had a reason to be scared: He was smuggling contraband. Aside his bag of personal belongings, Kae had a suitcase stashed away in the cargo hold. That suitcase was loaded with tapes, DVDs, and memory crystals that contained dangerous content. Smuggling data storage devices without a permit would get you shot. It was outlawed years ago. Kae knew that because of what was in those crystals, discs and tapes, no one would issue him a permit, so basically he was in a life or death situation.

Outside in the cold breeze, baggage handlers came out to unload the passengers’ cargo. Suitcases, briefcases, dufflebags, and sportsbags were all loaded onto the baggage carrier. The guys at work didn’t think twice about the black suit case they tossed onto the other stuff.
“Allright! you’re full now go!” The guy shouted. The driver nodded, and hit the gas. The vehicle and trailers behind it jolted as the thing went into gear and moved towards the terminal.

Kae followed the others off the plane and down the mobile staircase and made his way to the doors of the building.
This building, marked ‘K’ was small. The passenger areas consisted of a seating area, and a walkway to the checkpoint room. The checkpoint room was where the GMs inspected the passengers’ name tags and bags. When it was his turn, the GM woman directed him to the guy not standing by the luggage scanner.

“Good morning, sir”
“Hi”
“How was your flight?”
“It was good,”
“Glad to hear it,” the GM said, typing Kae’s full name into the computer. “So, what brings you to Orbis?”
“I am on a business trip to Ellinia.”
“What kind of business, sir?”
“My company develops language teaching software, and the academy in Ellinia wishes to buy.”
“They want to teach Korean?”
“Yes,”
“Allright, sir. Everything checks out. Your permit expires in a week. Please be back in one week,”
“Thank you sir,”

Kae walked nervously down the corridor that lead to the main building. He passed through the North/South inspections and was still alive. He felt his hand sweat as he gripped the handle of the suitcase tightly.

The main terminal was crowded mostly with people coming and going between Victoria and Ludibrium.
There was a holdup at the ticket booth, and he had to wait in line.
Kae paid the 80K for his ticket to Ellinia.
“Here, you go, sir,” the lady behind the counter said, handing it to him. Gate E, 1:00 don’t be late!”

“1,2,3 Eagles! Woooot!” the girls hollered. They were all happy and giddy. The junior hockey team had won the championships over in Ludibrium, and were on their way back home. Other hockey teams were there too; mostly high school kids; people and giant sports bags were scattered all over the waiting room.
Kae sat down on a bench between two big hockey bags, and looked around. All these kids and their coaches talked way too fast in English for him to understand.
He got up and walked around, looking at many team logos, bags, names and mascots.
Nervously, he asked, “Who’s from Ellinia?”
“What?” some girl asked him.
“Who’s from Ellinia?” Kae repeated. He got more nervous as the girls and guys from the Forest Grove FireFlies looked at him.
“I-I am going to Ellinia…is this the right place?”
“Yeah, it is, sir,” the green haired girl in the black and green sweatsuit answered.
“Thank you.”

Kae looked at all the bags, and at the FireFlies’ coach’s feet was another suitcase that looked like his.
On it was a ribbon and a tag screaming the words in bright green ‘PROPERTY OF FOREST GROVE FIREFLIES’
Other suitcases and bags had ‘Fireflies’ written or spraypainted on-“

“Alright everybody! Luggage inspection!” the GM hollered. Another GM guy had a small Kargo by the leash.
“Everyone open your bags! Let’s go, chop chop!”

Kae felt his heart stop beating. Somebody tipped them off! Someone must have seen him in Riprey!.
The Kargo prowled from bag to bag sniffing at the contents. Then the Kargo went for him-
The animal stopped frozen in it’s tracks, sniffed and growled. It picked something up. The Kargo sniffed the floor following the very faint lead oder. The animal got a whiff of the smell when he jammed his nose into a big Nike bag.
The kargo growled and started barking.
“You found something, boy?” the GM asked, walking up to the open bag. The team members stared questioningly at the bag’s owner, a tall girl named Ronnie Blontz.
The GM put on his DEF scrolled work gloves and started pulling cloths and things out.
Everyone watched tensly, and the Kargo kept growling and suddenly, the GM
pulled out a clear plastic box containing black crystalline powder.
“Oh my god!” The GM gasped in surprise. That raw hackium!
“You’re under arrest!” the other GMs shouted as they grabbed the girl and slapped her in cuffs.
“Move it, hacker, let’s go!”

Kae took his chances and grabbed one of those milky-gel marker pens from the pocket of another sportsbag and wrote
‘FIREFLIES’ in big letters on his own briefcase and quickly but quietly placed it next to the pile of suitcases.
“You, sir!” the GM called, pointing at Kae.
“Y…yes?”
“You with this group?”
“N-no, sir, I-“
“Open your bag, sir!”
He took off his dufflebag which was slung on his shoulder and opened it. The GM sifted through his clothes. Kae held his breath, even when he showed the officer his name tag and documents.
“Allright, you’re clear, sir.”
[“Your attention please, passengers, the Minerva II is now loading. Please have your boarding pass ready,”]

After the GMs dragged away the hacker and sifted through everybody else’s crap, everyone proceeded to the gangway that lead to the air ship. Kae saw somebody pick up his suitcase and show it to a GM.

“Video crystals? Footage of your games, right?”
“Yeah,”
“Alright, get on board!”

Kae realized that he had fulfilled his mission and really wanted to just go back home now. He pretended to look for his suitcase, and decided to act like he forgot it back at the other terminal. He left Gate E, and proceeded back to the other terminal, telling the GM at the checkpoint that he talked to some associates and the meeting was canceled.
At 5 p.m, he boarded the BlueBird plane for the 8 hour flight back to the Korean Lands.

The Minerva II hovered out towards the air field and took off; blasting into the sky for its 20 hour flight to Ellinia.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Another plan to expose the infamous trades of magician trafficking is in motion as the video crystals and discs containing the evidence is transported by unsuspecting mules to it’s destination. It’s only a matter of time
until the high school hockey team sees the videos and hands them over to the highest magician authorities
in the country!
++++++++++++++++++++

And so begins Season Two of Northern Markets.