MH370 The Answer?

by Dennis Purcell

  “No problem Captain. We will be overflying Penang and continuing west. When you are clear of Penang I want you to continue across the Bay of Bengal towards the next navigation beacon bearing. You will receiving further instructions before we reach that point.”

  Captain Shah slowly nods his head in acknowledgement. He is annoyed and exasperated with his situation and is desperate to know where they are heading. There is plenty of fuel on board for a long flight but he is not accustomed to receiving orders without understanding the longer term outcomes. “How long will this go on” he thinks.

  BUTTERWORTH AIR FORCE BASE MALAYSIA

  The military radar facility is fully manned and is monitoring mainly civilian traffic. There are no military planes in the air or expected to be flying for some time.

  Jared watches the screen in front of him. An aircraft is approaching from the East which he has been aware of for some time. There is no aircraft identification showing on the screen but it would appear to be a commercial aircraft heading towards Penang airport. If this is the case it should be commencing its approach shortly.

  The aircraft keeps flying on its original track and Jared takes more interest in where the plane may be heading. He looks up to see Yong coming towards him. Yong is due to replace him for the next shift and seems to have arrived early for the handover. “Good. I can get home a little earlier than usual.” he thinks. “I need to catch up on my sleep. Having a new baby in the house is wearing me out.”

  “Greetings Yong” he says to his replacement. “Everything is quiet apart from an aircraft about to pass over us. It doesn’t seem to be landing at Penang and the civilian controllers’ haven’t reported anything untoward about the aircraft. I haven’t reported it yet to see where it is heading. It may not be a regular passenger flight as it is not showing any identification.

  Probably some Eastern billionaire heading off for a night in Paris. Good luck to him. Some of those private pilots are real cowboys and don’t bother to complete all their paperwork. If you have any concerns it will probably be best to put in a report.”

  “OK. I’ll monitor him for a while. Tell me when you decide on a name for the baby. I’m off on leave tomorrow. Just think of me having a great time in Singapore.”

  ON BOARD MH370

  Kfir has continued to monitor the aircraft’s altitude and compass direction as they pass over Penang. He now speaks. “Well. We are almost over our biggest hurdle and can expect a straight run now. I think I have some explaining to do Captain. As an intelligent and experienced person I’m sure that you will by now be well aware that we have misled you regarding certain matters. I regret that this has been necessary to ensure the success of our mission. We have in fact replaced Israeli agents initially given this job. You will hear more about this shortly. The two hijackers are Iranian agents under orders to deliver this aircraft and its cargo to Tehran. I have been told that it is essential that certain items in the cargo must never reach Iran however I have not yet received any detailed orders as to our next move. Our final destination is not known.

  It is likely that the crew and passengers will soon become aware that we are no longer on course for Beijing. Now is the time to access our orders. Chava. Please hand me the Iphone you are carrying.” Chava hesitates for a moment as she is well aware that there won’t be any phone reception and the passes the phone across to him with a puzzled look.

  Kfir takes the phone and accesses an audio file using a coded series of instructions and, before starting the recording speaks to the pilot. “Please take careful note of the instructions you are about to hear remembering that we will also be hearing this recording for the first time.” He then taps the screen of his phone and the strong tones of the speaker mesmerize the occupants of the dimly lit cockpit.

  “Good morning all. It is regretted that we have not met under better circumstances. By now your aircraft will be heading towards India and the difficult part of your journey begins. Captain Shah, I will be speaking essentially to yourself and the two people with you will be taking notes. I deeply regret that we have not been honest with you as any leak of information could have jeopardized the whole operation. By now you will have realized that the hijack has been foiled by a well -organized group. There is no harm in now telling you that the intervention has been organized by an International Peace Group whose influence extends far and wide. Mossad’s intelligence agents have worked remarkably hard and efficiently to provide us with full details of the Iranian plan. Their agents have also laid the groundwork for us to take over control of the aircraft. Two of their agents were to have undertaken their planned operation and the aircraft was to be diverted to another destination. As they were not prepared to take the extreme action that we felt was necessary their agents have been sidelined and the two people now with you have assumed their identities.

  The group comprises a number of very influential men and women throughout the world. Their one consuming passion is to promote world peace at every opportunity. They are sufficiently powerful as a group to influence world events in many ways. In doing this they do not have to operate within the obvious constraints imposed on most governments and achieve many of their objectives by subtle means. At times direct action is necessary. This is one of those occasions. Earlier this year Israeli security received information that Iran had obtained access to nuclear equipment and material that is necessary to achieve Iran’s nuclear weapon objective. In short they wish to deploy a midrange rocket with a nuclear warhead capable of reaching cities such as Tel Aviv. Clearly, if Iran achieves this aim, Iran will increase its perceived power within the region tenfold. Compensatory action will be inevitable from Israel and possibly other threatened nations. Understandably there is considerable worldwide opposition to any expansion in Iran’s nuclear capability. All nations in the region have every right to exist in peace with their neighbours.

  If the world’s great powers become involved (which is almost certain to happen) the prospect of a wide spread and catastrophic conflict will be unavoidable.

  This dangerous cargo could not be shipped directly to Tehran by normal means and any attempt to do so would have been detected under the existing sanctions. Iran would also be breaking their commitment to cease development of a nuclear weapon program.

  The Iranian Defence Ministry had devised a plan to import the goods by smuggling them on to Flight 370 at Kuala Lumpur. If their operation had been allowed to continue the plane would have been diverted to Tehran where the aircraft would have been stormed by Iranian army commandos. During the assault the hijackers would either be killed or arrested and the passengers and crew released. While the assault was under way it would have been a simple matter to remove the illicit cargo from hold.

  By their actions the Iranians would have achieved all their objectives and they would also would have gained a significant increase in their international standing.

  This takes us to the next step of our journey. What is to happen to the dangerous cargo? Where can we land now we have assumed responsibility for nuclear material which has been acquired dishonestly? This aircraft and its cargo will not be welcome anywhere and it is almost certain that you will be detected if you continue on your present course.

  We strongly believe that revealing the whole story will be counterproductive in terms of world peace. The recent easing of tensions between Iran and the USA will be totally destroyed and existing conflicts in the Middle East will escalate even further.

  The role of Israel in the affair will not be fully understood and it will take years for that country to regain the inevitable loss of trust.

  Why am I telling you this? It is because we need your assistance to complete the mission. To be quite honest the remaining tasks required can be undertaken by our two representatives on board and there is no desperate need to keep you alive. Your skills in operating the aircraft however will be invaluable in assisting the comfort of all aboard.
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  Regrettably there is no alternative other than to dispose of the aircraft, and all those on board, in a place where they will never be found.

  Captain Shah. I will be asking you to perform functions which will go against every grain of humanity in your body. The only consolation I can give you is that there is a certainty that any other action will result in many, many more deaths. We will all need to come to terms with our part in this dreadful situation where we are asked to condone the death of some to avoid the death of many.

  Despite trying to speak to God many times I cannot get a satisfactory answer to this quandary. Clearly there will be no divine intervention and we are left, as mere mortals, to make our own decisions.

  Captain! I respect your adherence to your faith and trust that your God will be tolerant.

  Now is the time to speak. If you wish to be relieved of any further responsibility please speak to those in front of you”

  The occupants of the cockpit sit rigidly in their seats and Shah is too shocked to speak. The pilot merely shakes his head in disbelief and continues to stare straight ahead.

  ‘The speaker continues. “These are the detailed instructions. Firstly it would be inhumane to expect the passengers and crew to continue much longer without panic setting in. If a gentler situation is available we must use it.

  Flying the aircraft into the nearest mountain is not an option. The end would be quick but we cannot leave any trace of the cargo. There may well be identifiable radiation which could be traced to the original owners. As it is understood that the material comes from Russia the heightening of distrust between Russia and the West cannot be contemplated.

  Sudden decompression of the passenger cabin will be swift and effective. It may also be possible to gradually reduce the level of oxygen in the cabin atmosphere to create a desire to sleep. This is where the Captain’s expertise will be helpful.

  There is no alternative other than to proceed as soon as possible. May God forgive us all”

  There is silence for a full minute before the voice continues. “You are to continue initially on your present course. When mid distance between Malaysia and the Indian subcontinent you are to take a left turn and you will proceed on a course which will take the aircraft South and a few degrees west for as the fuel supply allows. To save fuel it will be best to reduce airspeed to a more economical rate of consumption. When the instruments show that you have approximately five hundred kilometres of fuel left the pilot is to place the aircraft in a gliding descent to cover the maximum distance before ditching. It is extremely important that the ditching is as soft as possible to avoid floating debris. The final resting place will not be known to anyone unless a satellite camera records some movement by chance. This is highly unlikely to happen.

  History will not record your courage if you choose to complete this onerous task, The fate of MH370 will remain unknown. It is time to make peace with God in the knowledge that you have been placed in a situation not of your choosing. You will be remembered as a person of high integrity who has remained true to his faith. Goodbye to you all.”

  Once again there is complete silence in the cockpit that is soon broken by Kfir.

  “Captain! We must continue with our plans and I regret that I cannot give you more time to decide. Weill you be willing to continue the flight? To make the process a little easier I can work under your directions to decompress the passenger cabin. Your expertise will assist in making this process a little easier for the people in the cabin. The only other major request we will make is when it is time to land the aircraft in the Southern ocean. Can we have your decision please?”

  The pilot remains slumped in his seat and can barely force himself to speak. You are asking far too much of any one person. My faith and all of my personal convictions tell me not to agree to your demands and my impulse is to tell you all to go to hell. Undoubtedly you will continue with this insane atrocity if I refuse. I do not want anyone to suffer more than is necessary and for that reason only I will assist. Please let us get this over quickly.”

  Captain Shah swivels around in his seat and gives instructions to Kfir. Within minutes the series of actions is completed. There is not a sound from the rear but they are all aware of the drama that has ensued behind them. There are tears in their eyes which they cannot control.

  DEFENCE MINISTRY TEHRAN

  The Minister is in his office early hoping to hear news of the Kuala Lumpur operation. His senior aide walks in. “There is nothing much to report yet Minister. We understand that there are some concerns that MH370 has lost radio communication but it is still some time before it is due in Beijing. We can only assume that the planes is now headed in our direction. There will be no radio communication until they enter Iranian air space.”

  “Thank you. Keep me posted.”

  ON BOARD MH370

  It is many minutes before the occupants of the cockpit regain control of their emotions. Chava speaks first her voice shaking. “Thank you Captain. I know that experience has been totally unpleasant for all of us. We are only doing this in the belief that it is necessary save many other lives. You have our total respect. There is one more thing I must do. It is best that your friend does not wake up.” She reaches across and injects another dose into the co-pilot’s arm. He will sleep comfortably.” She says.

  “Some time has passed on this course.’ Says Kfir, hoping to break the remaining uncomfortable tension. “Let me know when we reach our turning point please Zaharie,” using the pilot’s first name. Zaharie merely nods not trusting himself to speak. The aircraft continues on its set course. An hour or so later Zaharie speaks. “I am preparing now to turn south. A new course has been calculated and I have reduced speed to the most economical level.” The aircraft almost imperceptibly banks to the left and shortly regains level flight.

  Zaharie is now free to pilot the aircraft manually. He instinctively keeps the plane on course and at the correct altitude. The occasional movement of the aircraft in an updraft or a downdraft is adjusted quickly. In an odd way he is finding the required concentration soothing and is able to think clearly for the first time. At first he experienced anger at the methods employed to deceive him and it was inevitable that his fear of a certain death would affect him greatly. It was also inevitable that he would question his Muslim faith. He began to deal with his concerns and was relieved to find that his faith remained intact. After all he had always believe that Allah was all powerful and that every event in his life had happened for a purpose. His situation now was no different. “How can I argue with God?” he thought. “As a devout Muslim there is no choice other than to continue to trust in the mercy of Allah. Allahu Akbar.”

  Sensing that Zaharie was intent on assessing his situation Kfir broke into his reverie. “I know that you must be finding the situation very difficult Zaharie and we are both experiencing similar feelings. Firstly I think I should tell you something about myself. For convenience I will keep thinking of myself as Kfir but, of course that is not my birth name.

  I was born into a mixed Christian and Muslim family in Lebanon. This would have been a difficult enough situation for my parents at any time but this was when a fierce war had broken out between the two religious groups. As an educated man you will probably know the background to this conflict.

  My earliest memories were of streets filled with rubble from damaged buildings and there was a severe shortage of food and basic supplies. My parents did not speak of the worst periods when casualties were high but I was aware of many families, both Christian and Muslim, where family members had been killed or badly injured. The once beautiful city of Beirut had been reduced to a war zone where the citizens were existing in conditions that were worse than any refugee camp.

  The Lebanese government somehow rebuilt the city but it was impossible to fully restore the lives of the citizens. To this day Hezbollah and other groups are causing problems in my homeland
and distrust remains a constant factor in everyday life.

  Similar stories are enacted around the world every day and I have committed myself to fighting prejudice and bigotry in all its forms.

  There is a story that illustrates the futility of religious extremism. I will concede that most followers of mainstream religion are deeply disturbed by the indiscriminate killing of innocent men, women and children and know that there is no place for religious fanaticism in any progressive society.

  There was a country somewhere in the world where the citizens were free to worship as they pleased. Everyone lived together without any major problems and each religious community tried not to interfere with the faith and customs of their neighbours.

  The Town Council of the largest city wished to celebrate a long period of peace and prosperity. Of course everybody loved football and the council decided to hold a round robin series of games between players from Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths.

  The first game was to be between Muslims and the Christians and this left the Jews to referee.

  The stadium was packed with supporters cheering for their team or encouraging the referees. When the teams came on to the field the Christians their crucifixes and rosaries and prayed to the Christian God for a win. They then put their heads together and elected a captain. It seems that they all had a long experience of democracy. The Muslims however seemed to be having some difficulty in choosing their captain. A group of Sunnis were demanding that a Sunni lead the team but the Shi’ites would not agree at all. They felt that they had the best man for the job. In no time they were all bobbing up and down and praying to Allah, not only for a win over the Christians but also that their choice of captain would be assured.

  Push came to shove and next minute blows were being struck. The Christians came over to see what all the fuss about and the referees tried to keep everyone calm. No doubt the Jews were also praying to God to intercede to help them control the situation.