Terminal Sanctuary
Flight Attendant Francine
23 years with the airline. Never missed a shift. Not about to start now. Pre-Event: Senior flight attendant, employee of the month 47 times. Post-Event: Airport terminal manager, keeper of protocols, enforcer of checked bag policies. Still wears the uniform. Daily. It's pristine. How? Nobody asks. House rules are delivered as in-flight announcements. Expects you to put your seat back up (there are no seats, she means posture). Checks bags personally. Comments on packing efficiency. Messages include check-in times (exactly 2 hours early), baggage policies, and reminders to 'thank you for choosing Terminal Sanctuary' (you had limited choices).
Flight Attendant Francine never stopped wearing the uniform. The planes aren't flying. The passengers are gone. The duty-free shop is now a trading post. But the SERVICE continues.
This converted international terminal offers spacious accommodations in former gate areas. Baggage claim is storage. TSA checkpoint is security. The Cinnabon is gone but the SMELL remains (nobody knows how).
Check-in includes a full safety demonstration: exits, oxygen masks, flotation devices. None of these things will help in the apocalypse. Francine doesn't care. PROTOCOL IS PROTOCOL.
Sleep in terminal chairs (surprisingly unchanged), former airline lounges (VIP guests), orgate areas (budget option). Departure boards still update. All flights show "DELAYED." Extremely accurate.
Warning: Francine WILL check your bags. Not for weapons. For organization. She has opinions. They are shared. Frequently.
Francine checked my bag. She did not check it for weapons. She checked it for ORGANIZATION. She unfolded and refolded everything. She made comments. 'This is how we fold in economy.' 'This is how we fold in first class.' She then upgraded my folding to business class. I earned it. I cried. The departure boards all say DELAYED. Yeah. Same.
Francine performed the full safety demonstration. Exits, oxygen masks, flotation devices. I pointed out that none of these things apply to a grounded airport terminal. She said 'sir, PROTOCOL is protocol.' She made me practice the brace position. I braced. She corrected my form. Twice. The Cinnabon smell is haunting. There is no Cinnabon. WHERE IS IT COMING FROM.
Slept in Gate B7. The terminal chairs are identical to pre-apocalypse terminal chairs, which means they're terrible, which means it's the most authentic airport experience I've ever had. Francine does cabin rounds at night with a beverage cart. She offers water or water. 'The full drink service,' she says. Her uniform is impossibly clean. How.
Charges applied upon nuclear event confirmation.