The Moment of Realization
As she flew at thousands of feet off the ground, the pilot received an alarm from the fuel gauges on a faster-than-expected drop in fuel levels. Only that it was the faintest warning-and-easy mistake. It was assumed it must be a faulty sensor or minor imbalance in some of the fuel. But after a quick systems check, she confirmed the unthinkable fact: she was running out of fuel. There was no sign of fuel leakage or any other easily visible malfunction, which only deepened mystery and urgency.
At this point of boarding, there was no way the captain was to withhold their present matters with the co-pilot and cabin crew. He prepared the crew for any steps that needed to be anticipated next. Calm under pressure, the crew acted swiftly with the gravity of the situation. Knowing that their actions might make a difference between calmness or chaos in passengers’ minds, the crew set out to convey confidence and control.
But the passengers felt that there was a sense of seriousness in the countenance of the people handling the ship. Without even an announcement being made, rumour began to spread since people sensed that something is brewing. In an effort to keep things under control, the crew began their make-believers while keeping appearances calm but each one looks to the pilot for cues on how to handle this unfamiliar emergency.
