Jet Pack

[Flash fiction for the Crash and Burn — The Steve Weddle Memorial Airport Flash Fiction]

Work your empennage.
Work your elevators.

Acknowledge affirmative correction.
Go ahead. How do you hear me?

The wind side of the computer
determines the altitude which results
in the highest groundspeed, as they say.

The pressure on the ailerons and rudder
pedals? Neutralize them.

This increases drag.
This decreases airspeed.

“Unfortunately, it looks like we’re not going to make it to our destination, today. As you might imagine, this is due to spatial flux caused by the Proxima Centaurian spacecraft that was over London until just a few minutes ago.”