He saw Simone holding the phone.
“Ma’am, the devices must be in airplane mode.”
Simone raised a finger.
“I’ll be finished in a moment.”
“You must end the call now.”
Secretary Harlan heard it.
« Who is it ? »
“A flight attendant.”
Derek moved closer.
“I said to end the call.”
Simone looked at him.
“This is an urgent appeal from the government regarding security.”
“I don’t care who you’re talking to.”
Loretta Gaines turned slowly towards him.
Derek continued.
“If you refuse the crew’s instructions, the captain may return to the gate and expel you.”
Simone studied it for two seconds.
Secretary Harlan then said over the phone, loud enough for Derek to hear:
“Simone, do you need me to contact airport operations?”
Derek frowned.
“Who exactly are you talking to?”
Simone closed her notebook.
She had wanted to remain anonymous for longer.
The maintenance problem changed everything.
The treatment of passengers could be studied after landing.
Potential security issues might prevent it.
She rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a black leather identification wallet.
I opened it.
I held it towards him.
“My name is Dr. Simone Carter.”
Derek lowered his eyes.
Her face has changed.
“I am the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.”
He stopped breathing.
Loretta murmured, “Well, Lord.”
Mateo’s mouth opened.
Simone continued calmly.
“The man on the phone is Transport Secretary Edward Harlan, and we are discussing a possible maintenance compliance issue involving this carrier.”
Derek looked at the credentials.
Then at Simone’s.
Then towards the front of the plane.
“I—I didn’t know.”
“I am aware.”
“Dr. Carter, we can get you back to first class immediately.”
« No. »
He blinked.
« No? »
“My seat is no longer the urgent problem.”
His voice remained flat.
“Please tell the captain that the FAA administrator needs to speak with him before takeoff.”
Derek almost ran.
### PART 3 — THE CABIN HAS GONE SILENT
The news traveled faster on a plane than the turbulence.
By the time Captain Nathan Cole reached row thirty-seven, almost all the passengers knew it.
The black woman removed from first class was not simply a frequent traveler.
She headed the federal agency responsible for regulating civil aviation safety.
Captain Cole stopped beside her.
“Administrator Carter.”
« Captain. »
“I believe I understand that there has been an unfortunate misunderstanding regarding the seats.”
Simone looked at him.
“Was it a misunderstanding?”
He hesitated.
“I was not personally involved in the choice of the seat.”
“You supported the authority of your crew.”
“I support my crew unless I am given a reason not to.”
“That’s generally reasonable.”
She closed the account wallet.
“But I gave your team several opportunities to provide the policy it was implementing.”
Captain Cole glanced around him.
Dozens of phones have now been raised.
He lowered his voice.
“Perhaps we should discuss this privately.”
“The reassignment was not private.”
His jaw clenched.
Simone continued.
“However, I am not interested in embarrassing your crew for entertainment. We have a more serious problem.”
She showed him the message from Secretary Harlan.
The captain read it.
His expression has completely changed.
« Interview ? »
« Yes. »
“There are no open disagreements about this aircraft.”
“I am not accusing this plane of being dangerous.”
Several nearby passengers visibly relaxed.
Simone intentionally raised her voice.
“I want everyone to understand this clearly. I currently have no evidence that this aircraft is dangerous to operate.”
She turned back to Captain Cole.
“But federal analysts have identified patterns in Meridian’s allocation of maintenance resources that require immediate review.”
“I will cooperate.”
« GOOD. »
“Would you prefer the cockpit?”
« Yes. »
Then Simone looked towards Loretta and Mateo.
“I will return.”
Loretta smiled.
“Keep your seat warm?”
« Please. »
When Simone reached the front cabin, the difference was astonishing.
Passengers who had barely glanced at her earlier were now moving their luggage out of the aisle.
A man was standing as she passed by.
Someone whispered, « It’s her. »
Rachel Kim remained seated opposite Simone’s former apartment.
The businessman who now occupies the 3D space avoids all eye contact.
Marianne Price was standing near the kitchen.
His face had turned pale.
“Administrator Carter, I sincerely apologize. If we had known—”
Simone stopped.
“That sentence is exactly the problem.”
Marianne remained silent.
“If I only deserved respectful treatment after you knew my job title, then you have not apologized for what happened.”
No one spoke.
Simone entered the cockpit.
Captain Cole closed the door.
First officer Aaron Blake sat rigidly in his seat.
Simone explained the maintenance alert.
Blake exchanged a glance with the captain.
She noticed it.
« What ? »
« Nothing. »
“First officer?”
Blake looked towards Captain Cole.
The captain said, “Aaron.”
Blake breathed his last slowly.
“I have kept copies of several maintenance planning guidelines.”
Simone’s attention was sharpened.
« For what ? »
“Because I thought something was wrong.”
Captain Cole looked stunned.
“You never told me.”
“I asked questions twice.”
“You have expressed concerns regarding cost control.”
“Because I couldn’t prove anything else.”
He looked at Simone.
“Meridian divides routes into commercial levels. Maintenance is technically carried out within regulatory limits everywhere, but level 1 aircraft are routinely serviced earlier, receive spare parts more quickly, and get more backup aircraft when faults occur.”
“And what about level three?”
“They are being pushed.”
“Within legal limits?”
« Generally. »
« Usually ? »
Blake closed his eyes.
“There were times when the pressure to allocate resources became aggressive.”
The cockpit became silent.
Simone asked: “Are these route levels correlated with the passenger categorization system?”
Blake looked surprised.
“What passenger categorization system?”
Another voice came from the doorway.
“They do it.”
Everyone turned around.
A young flight attendant was standing outside.
The same woman Simone had noticed earlier looked uncomfortable as Derek and Marianne forced her to leave first class.
Her name tag read Janelle Ortega .
Marianne appeared behind her.
“Janelle, go back to the cabin.”
Janelle ignored her.
Simone walked towards the door.
“What do you know?”
Janelle swallowed.
“We have what’s called the Executive Presentation Index.”
Marianne cracked, “This is exclusive service information.”
Simone looked at her.
“So I suggest you stop interrupting.”
Marianne’s mouth closed.
Janelle continued.
“The system assigns internal passenger categories beyond the normal frequent flyer status.”
“On what basis?”
“Enterprise value. Spending patterns. Executive relationships.”
“That seems legal.”
Janelle lowered her eyes.
“There is another part.”
Simone waited.
“Picture booth.”
Captain Cole frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Janelle’s eyes filled with tears.
“This means that management believes that first class should have a certain appearance.”
Simone felt something cold settling inside her.
« Explain. »
“There are ratings. Not always obvious. Sometimes coded. ‘Positive rating.’ ‘Neutral presentation.’ ‘Sensitive to the booth.’”
“What was I?”
Janelle hesitated.
“CS.”
“What does that mean?”
Marianne said, “Janelle.”
Simone turned around abruptly.
“Let her answer.”
Janelle whispered:
“Sensitive to the cabin.”
The same system that had pushed Simone to the back of the plane could be connected to the hierarchy of routes determining where the company’s resources circulated.
Now, the story was bigger than a siege.
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