The Missing Airliner: No Passengers, No Crew "Return Of Flight 282" | Audio Drama

0:05 Speaker 1: It lies in wait amidst your dreams, where nothing is ever how it seems. It is a portal to a terrifying world beyond the doorway to nightmare. Nightmare. Come in. And welcome. I'm Artemis Black. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, wrote Shakespeare. And throughout the history of our world and civilization, more strange occurrences happen almost every day.

1:03 Speaker 2: I'm telling you, Russell. No one came off that plane.

1:07 Speaker 3: Look. Tom, someone flew that thing, landed it, somehow, and then walked away. How else could it have gotten here?

1:17 Speaker 2: But I kept my eyes on it the whole time. We even looked at the security footage.

1:24 Speaker 3: Admit it.

1:25 Speaker 2: Flight 282 landed by itself.

1:34 Speaker 1: Our mystery drama, The Return of Flight 282, was written especially for Doorway to Nightmare by Winslow Swan and edited by Crimson McKenzie. Our cast includes Jonathan Rosignol, Robert Jackson, and Crimson McKenzie. I'll return shortly with Act One. Somewhere in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains lies a rather small and quaint town. It is almost impossible to find on a map, but many people know about it. While the population is only a couple of hundred souls, it has what is known as a thriving tourist trade.

2:34 Speaker 1: Most of the tourists arrive by the local airport, where we now find ourselves.

2:45 Speaker 3: Can I help you?

2:46 Speaker 2: If you are Russell Thorne, then I guess you can.

2:50 Speaker 3: You must be Tom Lansing, the new traffic controller.

2:55 Speaker 2: Is there really that much traffic to control here?

3:00 Speaker 3: Not really. But government regulations say that we have to have one. Come on in and have a seat.

3:07 Speaker 2: How much traffic do you possibly get out here?

3:09 Speaker 3: Well, during the tourist season, quite a bit. Mostly for the prominent rich who found the place by accident, bought some land, built a house, and only lived there two weeks out of the year.

3:23 Speaker 2: Great work if you can get it.

3:25 Speaker 3: This work isn't so bad. All of the flights are scheduled, so no surprises.

3:32 Speaker 2: How long is the runway?

3:34 Speaker 3: Started at 2,500 feet, but the town council wanted to accommodate the largest Cessnas, so they extended it to 6,000.

3:42 Speaker 2: Ever had any emergency landings?

3:45 Speaker 3: Not in the 20 years I've been here.

3:47 Speaker 2: I suppose you don't have a big drug problem up here either.

3:51 Speaker 3: Not a bit. Son, you gotta understand something about Parsons Valley. It's private. Very private. Think of it as an island in the middle of the mountains.

4:05 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, I get it. Well, ever had anything weird come through here?

4:12 Speaker 3: Weird in what way?

4:14 Speaker 2: Like what happened at Chicago O'Hare Airport a few years ago.

4:19 Speaker 3: Is this one of those internet stories?

4:22 Speaker 2: No, it actually happened. Security intercepted a large bag and found 18. Count them. 18 human heads.

4:32 Speaker 3: Oh, that's just sick.

4:34 Speaker 2: They said that the heads were probably for some science experiment.

4:40 Speaker 3: Mike, that makes it less creepy.

4:43 Speaker 2: So how long does my shift last?

4:45 Speaker 3: Kid, it's just you and me. And I only work 9 to 5, Monday through Friday.

4:52 Speaker 2: So, nothing comes in on the weekends?

4:55 Speaker 3: Now I didn't say that. Occasionally, someone will schedule a landing on a weekend. One of us, probably you, will have to get here an hour ahead of time and wait. Oh, and also call Mike Oldman.

5:13 Speaker 2: And who is Mike Oldman?

5:17 Speaker 3: Look out the window down in the parking lot. See the old guy next to the Bruick?

5:26 Speaker 2: Yeah, I see him.

5:28 Speaker 3: Well, when we started getting all of these rich tourists flying in, Mike figured that they may need a ride to the town since it's three miles away.

5:39 Speaker 2: So he runs a taxi service?

5:41 Speaker 1: Yep.

5:42 Speaker 3: Took a thousand bucks, went to the auto auction, bought three cars, and hired two other guys. We give him a heads up whenever a flight is scheduled to land.

5:53 Speaker 2: So why is he here now?

5:55 Speaker 3: Sometimes he just likes to hang around the airport. And I don't think he likes his wife very much.

6:01 Speaker 2: Who is she?

6:04 Speaker 1: The mayor.

6:05 Speaker 2: So what do we do here when nothing's coming in?

6:08 Speaker 3: Well, you can catch up on your reading. I'm having a bit of lunch.

6:12 Speaker 2: What you eating?

6:13 Speaker 3: Just a ham on rye with ketchup.

6:15 Speaker 1: Ugh.

6:16 Speaker 2: Hey, did you know that ketchup originated in China? It was boiled down of pickled fish and spices.

6:26 Speaker 3: Oh, thanks a lot. I really needed to know that.

6:31 Speaker 2: Sorry about that.

6:32 Speaker 3: You are just a fountain of useless knowledge.

6:36 Speaker 2: I do my best.

6:38 Speaker 3: Hey, what's going on?

6:39 Speaker 2: I thought you said we didn't have a plane scheduled today.

6:43 Speaker 3: We don't, but there is one headed this way.

6:47 Speaker 2: Want me to try the radio?

6:49 Speaker 1: Yeah.

6:49 Speaker 3: Find out who the heck this joker is.

6:51 Speaker 2: This is Parsons Valley Airport to unidentified aircraft. Please identify.

6:57 Speaker 1: Over.

6:59 Speaker 2: This is Parsons Valley Airport to unidentified aircraft. Please identify.

7:05 Speaker 1: Over.

7:08 Speaker 3: Nothing?

7:09 Speaker 2: Maybe their radio is out.

7:11 Speaker 3: Possibly. Keep trying.

7:13 Speaker 2: Parsons Valley Airport to unidentified aircraft. Are we reaching you? Please identify.

7:21 Speaker 1: Over.

7:24 Speaker 3: Congrats, Tom. You got your first emergency.

7:28 Speaker 2: How do we handle this?

7:29 Speaker 3: He may be receiving us. Go ahead and give him landing clearance and instructions. I'm calling the fire department to be on standby in case he crashes.

7:39 Speaker 2: Perfect landing, but would you look at the condition.

7:44 Speaker 1: Of the plane?

7:46 Speaker 3: It's been through a war zone.

7:47 Speaker 2: Would explain why we had no radio contact.

7:51 Speaker 3: Can you make out the call number on the side?

7:54 Speaker 2: Looks like Flight 282.

7:57 Speaker 3: Okay, then I'm going down to meet the maniac who landed that heap here. Stay here and I'll be on the radio.

8:08 Speaker 2: Russell, can you hear me?

8:09 Speaker 3: Hey, hey, hey, I hear you just fine. No need to shout. What do you see?

8:14 Speaker 4: This thing isn't a plane. It's a piece of Swiss cheese.

8:18 Speaker 3: Holes all in the fissile edge.

8:21 Speaker 2: Can you see inside?

8:22 Speaker 3: I can see clear through to the other wing, or what's left of it.

8:28 Speaker 2: Anyone coming out? I've got emergency services on the phone.

8:33 Speaker 3: I'm going in now. What's it look like, Russell?

8:38 Speaker 2: Russell, what's going on?

8:40 Speaker 4: It can't be!

8:41 Speaker 3: Did you see anyone get out of this plane before I got here? No one. Why do you ask? Because there is nobody on this plane. Not even a pilot.

8:58 Speaker 1: There have been many strange occurrences at airports. I know of a pilot on a small aircraft that saw two children playing outside the cabin door in a CCTV monitor. When he asked about them, There were no children on the plane, and no one else on the flight crew saw any children. I'll see you when we return with Act Two. Someone once said, although who we do not know, quote, the sky is not the limit. It is just the beginning.

9:58 Speaker 3: You must be from the FAA.

10:02 Speaker 5: Margo Evans. Has anyone been near the plane since you called me?

10:06 Speaker 3: Only me, and I don't particularly want to go near it again.

10:10 Speaker 5: And why would you say that?

10:11 Speaker 3: Because, Miss Evans, it was spooky.

10:15 Speaker 2: Ha!

10:16 Speaker 5: Now how can a derelict plane be spooky?

10:19 Speaker 2: I agree with Russell. This whole thing makes no sense.

10:24 Speaker 3: You sure didn't take long to get here.

10:26 Speaker 5: I broke several land speed records to get down to what you laughingly call a road to this place.

10:33 Speaker 3: And I take it that you are the only one they sent?

10:37 Speaker 5: Do we need more?

10:38 Speaker 2: Oh, I think the National Guard would have been taking it lightly.

10:43 Speaker 5: I saw that thing you call a plane on my way in. So tell me, gentlemen, are you always playing tricks on the FAA?

10:51 Speaker 3: Exactly what do you mean by that little remark?

10:54 Speaker 5: Oh, come on. There's no way. No way. That plane flew into this.

11:02 Speaker 3: Airport.

11:03 Speaker 2: Miss Evans, as God is my witness, that is exactly what it did.

11:09 Speaker 3: What do you think that we did? Find some old airplane and haul it out here?

11:15 Speaker 5: Do you realize the penalty that you could face for a false report? And what is this about there being no pilot?

11:24 Speaker 3: Tom, you had your eyes on it the entire time, right?

11:28 Speaker 2: And we have enough security cameras around here. Take a look at the footage yourself.

11:34 Speaker 5: Don't worry, I will. I'm waiting on a report about this Flight 282 after I receive it. Then I want to take a look at your. Mystery.

11:50 Speaker 3: Did you get your report?

11:53 Speaker 5: Yes, I did. And it's purely impossible.

11:58 Speaker 2: What did you find out?

12:00 Speaker 5: There was a flight 282 that took off from the Nashville airport. It was carrying ten passengers, including the flight crew.

12:08 Speaker 3: What happened to it?

12:10 Speaker 5: The official version says that it went down somewhere in the mountains. No trace of wreckage or anything was ever found.

12:19 Speaker 2: How long ago was this, Miss Evans?

12:24 Speaker 5: Over 40 years.

12:31 Speaker 3: What is she doing now?

12:33 Speaker 2: Still checking out the fuselage.

12:35 Speaker 3: So, she hasn't gone inside yet.

12:37 Speaker 2: Not yet. Russell, I've been thinking about this whole thing.

12:42 Speaker 3: What have you come up with?

12:44 Speaker 2: Now just hear me out. We know about the space-time continuum. What if this plane somehow, I don't know, breached it?

12:54 Speaker 3: And it tore it apart?

12:56 Speaker 2: Possibly. I mean, there have been all kinds of strange things happening. This plane took off over 40 years ago and decided to land here?

13:07 Speaker 3: Then I only have one question. What happened to the people that were on Flight 282?

13:19 Speaker 1: Albert Einstein once said, the distinction between the past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. And if that is the case, then the definition of reality is rather subjective. I'll return shortly with Act Three. John Steinbeck once wrote, Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased.

14:09 Speaker 3: Where is she now?

14:10 Speaker 2: I saw her go inside about ten minutes ago.

14:16 Speaker 3: You think she's okay?

14:17 Speaker 2: I'll give her a shout on the radio. Miss Evans, everything okay?

14:22 Speaker 4: This is incredible. I checked the cargo hold. All of the luggage is still there. The instrument panel in the cockpit looks like.

14:31 Speaker 3: Like.

14:32 Speaker 4: Let's just put it this way. This plane should not be able to fly. At all.

14:39 Speaker 3: Tom, what were you saying about this time-space thingy?

14:47 Speaker 2: I mean, it has happened before.

14:49 Speaker 1: Are you kidding?

14:50 Speaker 2: The Mary Celeste is one example. In 1872, this ship was discovered in the middle of the ocean with six months of supplies. All ten people that were aboard?

15:04 Speaker 1: Gone.

15:05 Speaker 3: Maybe they abandoned it.

15:06 Speaker 2: That was one of the explanations, but no one could prove it. And then there is the town in India where in one night, 1,500 of the residents simply vanished without a trace.

15:19 Speaker 3: Okay, I'm spooked enough.

15:22 Speaker 4: Russell, I'm going to need your help. Get down here.

15:26 Speaker 3: Maybe she found something useful.

15:31 Speaker 2: Russell, did you read me?

15:33 Speaker 3: Loud and clear.

15:34 Speaker 2: What did you find?

15:36 Speaker 4: It's what we didn't find. There's no black box. We have no record of what may or may not have happened.

15:44 Speaker 2: Hey, Russell, I'm starting to get a really bad feeling.

15:47 Speaker 4: Don't worry, Tom. This plane isn't going anywhere. I'm contacting my crew to do a full investigation.

15:54 Speaker 3: Hey! Who closed the door?

16:00 Speaker 2: Russell, the engines. They're starting.

16:03 Speaker 4: What the hell is going on? Open the door!

16:06 Speaker 3: I'm trying! It won't budge.

16:09 Speaker 2: Russell, shut the engines off.

16:11 Speaker 1: I can't.

16:12 Speaker 3: None of the instruments are responding.

16:14 Speaker 1: We are.

16:15 Speaker 3: We're... We're moving!

16:18 Speaker 1: Russell.

16:19 Speaker 3: You and Margo need to get off that plane now.

16:22 Speaker 4: Russell, what's going on?

16:24 Speaker 3: I don't know. I can't get control of this freight.

16:28 Speaker 2: Guys, you're taking off. I've got you on radar.

16:34 Speaker 3: Oh, my God.

16:38 Speaker 4: What the hell is that?

16:40 Speaker 2: Russell, Margo, what do you see?

16:45 Speaker 1: Tom, you were right.

16:48 Speaker 3: All of those theories were right. I know what happened to the people on this plane.

16:54 Speaker 4: They were.

16:58 Speaker 1: Russell?

17:02 Speaker 2: Russell!

17:06 Speaker 3: Russell!

17:13 Speaker 1: On March the 8th, 2014, flight 370 from Malaysia Airlines vanished in mid-air. Despite an unprecedented search by air and sea that spanned three years and involved multiple countries, no trace of the aircraft or the 239 passengers have ever been found, and no explanation has been brought forth. I'll return shortly with a final word. Richard Bach once said, reality lies far beyond time and space. And I need to know why. But then, can anyone explain what, where, and when is true reality? Could you?

18:31 Speaker 1: Our cast included Jonathan Rosignol, Robert Jackson, and Crimson McKenzie. The story was edited by Crimson McKenzie and directed by Winslow Swan. And now, a preview of our next tale.

18:51 Speaker 6: I believe that there is something that you are not telling me, Mr.

18:55 Speaker 2: Lumley.

18:56 Speaker 3: I'm sure there is, Dr.

18:57 Speaker 2: Connors. It is important that you hear the entire story.

19:01 Speaker 6: Which is why I'm here. I'm not sure how much help I can be.

19:06 Speaker 2: I don't know either.

19:07 Speaker 3: Or perhaps I'm here to help you.

19:11 Speaker 6: The patient suddenly becomes the psychologist?

19:15 Speaker 3: Who said that I was the patient?

19:19 Speaker 1: This is Artemis Black, inviting you to return with us through the doorway to nightmare for another adventure into the terrifying world of your imagination. Until next time, slumber peacefully.

19:38 Speaker 1: Epilogue The butler did it.