Chapter 40. Plane Accident (3)

I sat there in a daze for about ten minutes when two people in suits came in.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Eddie Garell, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security.”

“I’m Theresa Miller.”

I greeted them.

“My name is Han Miru. I’m from South Korea.”

The two sat down opposite me.

“I have a few questions.”

I said firmly.

“I won’t say a single word without a lawyer and an interpreter.”

The two exchanged glances.

I smiled.

“It was a light joke. You can ask your questions comfortably without a lawyer or interpreter.”

Investigator Garell frowned, thinking the joke wasn’t very funny.

Investigator Miller asked.

“What was your purpose in coming to Atlanta?”

“I came for tourism.”

“What was your purpose in going to Orlando?”

“To have a birthday party at Disneyland.”

“A birthday party?”

“Yes. As you can see from my passport, today is my birthday.”

“Isn’t your birthday tomorrow?”

“By Korean time, it’s today.”

“Who were you planning to have the birthday party with?”

“By myself.”

“Pardon?”

“Why? Can’t I have a birthday party alone?”

“...”

Judging by their expressions, they had never seen anyone do that before.

Are they both social butterflies?

More questions followed.

“What religion do you believe in?”

“I don’t believe in any religion.”

“You’ve never believed in any religion?”

“Are you asking if I believe in Islam? Whether I’m Sunni or Shia or something like that?”

“Answer the question.”

I answered the question.

“I have been baptized in Christianity.”

“Are you a Christian?”

“I told you, I don’t believe in any religion.”

“Then why did you get baptized?”

“They gave me a chocolate pie and a Coca-Cola.”

The two frowned, thinking I was joking.

“Did you get baptized because of that?”

“In the Korean military, everyone does that. Don’t they give chocolate pies in the U.S. military?”

“...”

Do they give hamburgers?

Investigator Miller asked.

“Can you tell us about your activities in the U.S.?”

“I took a flight from Incheon Airport and arrived at Atlanta International Airport after 14 hours. I moved to a hotel and unpacked...”

I detailed my two-day itinerary, including where I went and what I ate, and Investigator Garell took notes on his laptop.

When I finished, Investigator Miller asked again.

“Can you repeat what you just said, but in reverse?”

“Pardon?”

“Is it difficult?”

“No, why would it be difficult?”

If it were a fabricated story, it would be hard to repeat it in reverse. But since it was a real experience, it wasn’t difficult at all.

I recited the schedule in reverse.

“You can check my phone for card transaction records and photos.”

Investigator Miller held out her hand for my smartphone.

“Can you unlock it?”

“Yes.”

I unlocked my phone with my fingerprint.

She scanned through the photo album, which contained pictures I took while sightseeing.

I wondered why they were asking such detailed questions about my schedule.

I asked directly.

“Surely you don’t think I’m a terrorist?”

“We don’t think that.”

“But why are you asking these questions?”

“We’re considering all possibilities.”

“Do those possibilities include the possibility that I’m a terrorist?”

The two didn’t answer.

If not, why can’t they say so?

In fact, I didn’t invest in this because of this. If it were to come out later, it would be impossible to avoid suspicion of a staged event.

It’s better not to do anything that could raise suspicion.

I sighed.

“Think about it. If I were a terrorist, why would I ask the plane to turn back after setting a bomb?”

“You might have changed your mind out of fear at the last moment.”

“Terrorists these days seem to lack resolve.”

Investigator Miller said.

“You might not know, but Senator Mark Phillips and his family were on that plane.”

I asked, feigning ignorance.

“Who?”

“Senator Mark Phillips of Georgia.”

“Oh! So that was the senator. No wonder people were surprised.”

Unlike South Korea, which has a single legislature, the U.S. has a Senate and a House of Representatives.

While House members are allocated based on state population, each state has two Senators regardless of population.

Therefore, there are 100 Senators in total.

Mark Phillips is a well-known politician, even in South Korea. If he had died in the plane crash, it would have caused a nationwide uproar in the U.S.

“The engine of the plane, which Senator Phillips and his family were on, exploded. Fortunately, all the passengers were safe because the plane landed due to a passenger’s request.”

I nodded.

“Oh! So that’s why you suspect terrorism. I understand. I’ll fully cooperate with the investigation. Ask anything you want.”

Investigator Garell continued.

“How did you know there was a problem with the engine?”

“It made an unusual sound.”

“Do you have any experience working with aircraft?”

“None at all.”

“Then how did you know just by the sound?”

“I have good hearing.”

“You were certain there was a problem after just a brief listen?”

“At first, I wasn’t sure, but the person sitting next to me also thought it was strange. He said he was an Air Force mechanic. You can ask him.”

From their expressions, it seemed they had already asked him.

The questions and answers continued, and someone knocked on the door.

A woman poked her head in.

“You should come out for a moment.”

The two stood up.

“If there’s no problem, you’ll be out soon. Don’t worry too much.”

I nodded.

“Yes. Take your time.”

* * *

The engine of the plane carrying the Senator exploded.

Since Bridgeworld Airlines’ headquarters is in Atlanta International Airport, the investigation was conducted more quickly and accurately than usual.

“We examined the engine, but found no traces of explosives. It seems the explosion was due to internal overheating.”

Investigator Theresa Miller asked.

“What does Bridgeworld Airlines say?”

“According to the mechanic, there had been issues with the left engine for some time. They were supposed to fix it before the flight, but they postponed it due to a lack of parts. The engine sensor was also malfunctioning, so the warning light didn’t come on.”

“Is it a defect in the aircraft?”

The investigator in charge of the accident investigation spoke carefully.

“We need to wait for the final results, but it seems the defect is due to poor maintenance. The Air Force mechanic sitting next to the passenger also testified that he heard an unusual sound.”

Eddie Garell scanned through the documents.

Han Miru arrived in Atlanta two days ago. According to the CCTV, he arrived at the airport two hours ago and had no opportunity to approach the plane.

No matter how hard they searched, they found no evidence of any wrongdoing.

‘He really was lucky.’

If that young man hadn’t been on the plane, it would have been a terrible disaster.

As he thought this, Senator Phillips entered with the Atlanta airport director.

“Senator!”

Investigator Theresa Miller asked.

“Are your family members okay?”

“My daughters were a bit shocked, but they’re fine. More importantly, how is the investigation going?”

The accident investigator explained the results so far.

Senator Phillips asked.

“What would have happened if the plane had taken off as scheduled?”

“The engine would have exploded shortly after takeoff.”

“What then?”

“It would have been difficult to make an emergency landing without gaining altitude and with one engine lost. According to the simulation, 70% of the passengers would have died.”

He felt a chill down his spine.

That included him and his family. A happy family trip could have turned into a horrific disaster.

Senator Phillips looked at the Asian man sitting behind the one-way mirror and said in a trembling voice.

“That young man saved us all.”

* * *

The investigators returned my phone, passport, and wallet.

“Is the investigation over?”

Investigator Miller said.

“Yes. We confirmed it was a defect due to poor maintenance. If there were any unpleasant parts during the investigation, I apologize.”

“No, it’s natural to cooperate for national security. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Oh! And happy birthday, sincerely.”

“Thank you.”

I shook hands with each of the investigators.

The officer led me to the lounge, where the passengers from the plane were gathered.

As I entered, they all clapped.

Clap, clap, clap!

The people who had criticized and insulted me earlier were now cheering even more enthusiastically.

After all, if the plane had taken off, everyone would have died.

Senator Phillips stepped forward.

“Thank you very much. You saved me, my family, and everyone.”

I humbly replied.

“It was my duty. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

His wife and two daughters were behind him.

His wife, a former Russian model, was tall and beautiful, and her beauty was passed down to her daughters.

The sisters, both in their early to mid-20s, were stunningly beautiful and looked very similar.

The older daughter’s name is Elena, and the younger one is Liana. Both will become as famous as their father in the future.

Senator Phillips asked me.

“You are a hero to all of us. Is there anything you want?”

“I don’t really want anything, but I’d prefer it if my personal information isn’t released to the media.”

I said this because gaining fame at this point wouldn’t help my future plans.

“Why? There are many reporters waiting to interview the hero who saved the passengers.”

I forced a smile.

“I’m a bit shy. I’d appreciate it if anyone who took my picture doesn’t post it on the media or social networks.”

Senator Phillips said.

“That won’t happen. I’ll make sure your personal information isn’t released to the media.”

The passengers nodded in agreement. They would likely grant this request, considering I saved their lives.

I then pointed to Chris.

“The one who first mentioned the unusual engine sound was this person. The true hero who saved everyone is Chris, not me.”

Chris was taken aback by my words.

“No, no. I didn’t do much.”

In reality, he didn’t do much because I did it first.

Clap, clap, clap!

The passengers clapped for him, and he awkwardly smoothed his bald head.

Senator Phillips looked at me with renewed surprise, and Elena and Liana felt the same.

Actually, I don’t care about media attention or awards.

What matters is that I saved Mark Phillips and his family.

I looked at the white man in his mid-40s standing in front of me.

Senator Mark Phillips of Georgia.

He is still relatively unknown in South Korea, but soon everyone will know his name.

Why? Because he will run as the Democratic candidate in the next presidential election and be elected President of the United States.