ACT ONE
"I can't believe you still have the old cabin out in Vladivostok," I remarked, "Its probably falling apart after all these years..."
"Nah, It'll be fine, trust me," Makar remarked. "My old man built that cabin as strong as can be so there's no way its in shambles after only five years."
"I don't know Makar, your father was prone to exaggeration," Sergei commented. "I wouldn't be surprised to arrive there and find out that the cabin burned down years ago."
"Shut up Sergei, my father was not that prone to exaggeration." Makar barked drawing the attention of some of the passengers, "Let's just sit back, relax, and enjoy our flight OK?"
"That's fine with me," I replied putting my hands behind my head, "A little R&R will do me some good."
Within five minutes the droning of the planes engine had lulled me to sleep...
I suppose I should introduce myself. The names Yegor Baryshev VIII. I keep the VIII off my name most of time because its quite a mouthful and I'm the only one of the eight Yegor Baryshevs still alive. I was born on January 23rd, 1991 in Astrakhan of the diminishing Soviet Union. My father, Yegor Baryshev VII decided to make me the eighth person in his family to bear his name and hence the VIII on the end of my name.
My father was a chemistry expert working for the Soviet government at the time of my birth. He, along with my mother and I, lived in a modest manor on the banks of the Volga River. He spent his days in his laboratory in our basement mixing chemicals and trying to find new lethal gas recipes. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he took a four month leave of absence before the new Russian Government under Boris Yeltsin hired him to continue his work where he left off.
One fateful day though, on September 2nd, 1997 my father was experimenting with a new lethal gas formula he been working on in months prior. It was just an accidental slip-of-the-fingers, and he dropped the vile containing the fatal gas. Gas filled the lab and he was killed within minutes from the lethal toxins. The fire department arrived, but they could do nothing to save my father's life. We buried his remains in the Astrakhan cemetery four weeks after his untimely death. My mother was the most devastated by our loss and I believe that I was the only reason she didn't end her own life right then and there.
I lived the rest of my young life without a father and was moderately happy. I was only 6 when my father died so he didn't have a tremendous impact on my life like he had my mother's. My mother never remarried in the 12 years before her death, her heart remaining loyal to her first and only husband.
My teenage years were fairly mundane for me. My father had amassed a small fortune working for the government so I was sent to the most prestigious private school in the region. I found great interest in instrumental music and obtained a talent for playing the bass trombone. By my senior year, I was receiving scholarships from music and arts schools all throughout Russia. I eventually decided to attend the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow. I graduated high school on May 24th, 2009 with a 3.8 GPA and a great opportunity for the future.
Unfortunately for me, ten days after my high school graduation, my mother died of a heart attack while exercising in our home gym. The paramedics said we could of saved her had anyone been home to alert them sooner. I took the news hard as my mother had really been the only person there for me in the twelve years after my father's death. I delayed my move to Moscow six weeks so I could attend the funeral and speak on my mothers behalf.
She ended up leaving everything to me; the house, the several million rubles left from my father's fortune, and all of her possessions. I donated all my father's old lab equipment to a local university in need of it and sold the manor for a hefty price of 154,000,000 rubles (approx 4.27 million USD). I set off for Moscow with more cash than 99% of the population, and high hopes for the future.
Upon arriving in Moscow, I rented a two bedroom apartment about two blocks from my college. It was a modest place, nothing fancy but nice none the less. I considered renting out the other bedroom to someone but I didn't really need the money and having an extra bedroom just in case seemed logical.
At my new college, I met my two best friends in the world, Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky. Both were instrumental musicians like myself and were so much in common with me that we hit it off immediately. We spent our college days getting drunk and going to parties as well as just hanging out and practicing our instruments. We all expect to graduate at the end of next semester and are all excited to do so.
It is currently, December 20th and me and my buds are headed to Vladivostok for Christmas Vacation. Apparently Makar's father used to own a cabin before he passed away and now Makar is treating us to two weeks there. We are currently on a direct flight from Moscow to Vladivostok flying over the desolate terrain of Siberia. Vladivostok is a fairly southern city so there will be little snow there much to our content.
Now where were we...
BOOM!
A loud bang jolted me awake from my slumber. "What the hell was that?!!" I exclaimed frantically looking around for the source of the noise.
"Holy shit the engine's on fire!" Makar exclaimed pointing out the window.
Sure enough a long trail of flame was protruding from the engine. It was barely visible though as we seemed to be flying through clouds of some sort. "The other ones in flames too!" A passenger shouted from other side of the cabin.
It was right then and there that panic ensued... Flight attendants were rushing down the isles trying to keep everyone calm and in their seats but you could see the fear on their faces as well. We continued to stare out the window in horror as flames flew out the back of the engines at a rapid rate. It was a horrible but beautiful display and we couldn't tear our eyes away from it. Then, all of a sudden, silence...
Everything just seemed to stop, the engines stopped spurting flames, the panic died down, and we were greeted by overwhelming silence. At first it seemed that everything was alright until I realized that silence meant the engines weren't running at all and that we were literally dropping out of the sky. Slowly everyone realized this and began to panic all over again. It wasn't as desperate and chaotic as before, but panic was written on everyone's faces.
"What the hell's wrong with the plane?!!!" one person shouted.
"We're all gonna die!" another passenger screamed before the cabin went back to silence
We just sat there in dumbstruck silence for what seemed like hours before a small beep sounded that indicated the pilots were speaking through the PA system. "Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We are experiencing extreme technical difficulties and both our engines have flamed out. We are currently attempting to fix the problem as well as trying to find a safe place to land. Due to engine failure, the power to the lights as well as the PA system will cut out shortly. We thought it necessary to inform you of the situation beforehand, and we ask you not to panic, remain seated with your seat belt fastened, and take deep breaths. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding and I hope we all make it back home safe. Good da...*schchch*..."
And with that the PA and the lights cut out. We were in total darkness and flying blind over Siberia in the middle of winter. Not exactly a situation you want to be in. "Guys, I just want you to know in case we don't make it, I've always considered you two as part of my family." I said with sadness in my eyes.
"Don't talk like that Yegor. We'll be just fine, I know it," Makar said trying to avoid defeatist talking.
"Yeah, we'll make it out of this. I bet the pilots will have us on the ground safely in no time," Segei replied.
"I sure hope so..." I said staring off into space.
Today was supposed a great day but now it was turning into one of horror and tragedy. I was looking forward to sitting by the fire in a cabin by the same time tomorrow but now it looked like I would be stranded somewhere in Siberia.
The plane continued to slowly fall out of the sky as we all just tried to have casual conversation. We were doing everything to take our situation off our minds but it just wasn't working. We were currently gliding down into the Siberian tundra in a giant steel glider with no way to slow our descent. Not exactly something you can really take your mind off of. I took some time to pick up a napkin and write down a small will and testament.
To whom this may concern,
My name is Yegor Baryshev VIII and this is my last will and testament. Upon my death I wish to be buried in Astrakhan Cemetery alongside my parents. I leave my fortune and possessions to either be divided among my two friends Makar Zheleznov and Sergei Rakossovsky. If neither are able to accept my things and money, I wish to give it to my only surviving relative Maria Baryshev, my first cousin. I give my faith to whomever finds this to see its terms fulfilled.
Thank you,
Yegor Baryshev VIII
I put the napkin in my pocket so that they could identify my body or to rip up later depending on how my current situation played out. As I did the flights attendants came running down the isle yelling something I couldn't quite hear. "Brace for impact everyone, brace for impact!"
After I understood what they were saying I immediately got in the brace position demonstrated in the safety exercise at the beginning of the flight. I could hear my heart pounding away in my chest as adrenaline filled my veins. "This is it guys!" I shouted over the commotion in the cabin.
My friends seemed to acknowledge me but made no comments of their own. We all awaited the collision that just seemed to never come. I almost tried to poke my head up to see if we were close to the ground but decided against it. Then just as it seemed we would never reach the ground the plane struck the frozen tundra.
BANG!
The entire cabin lurched as we collided with the Earth and skidded along the ground. At first it seemed we would safely come to a stop but then the fuselage snapped and we were sent flying around in all directions. My heart was racing and I was becoming extremely dizzy. I lost consciousness as the debris came crashing back down upon me and I couldn't of been more scared. All I remember is hearing a distant ringing sound... and then blackness.