"Engines ready!"
"Controls ready!"
"Load ready!"
"Everything OK, we can start!"
Slowly the big plane rolls onward, getting speed. The engines get louder, the ground moves faster and then the heavy loaded bomber takes off. It is so heavy loaded that they nearly brush the tips of some trees.
Three and a half hour. That is the time it will take them to reach their goal.
Once they are there, the plane will circle above a city and let everything go it holds. Tons of shiny little "bomblets" as they are called, one for every possible target.
Those who have done the bombing runs before say it is a sight incomparable to anything else. Thousands of glittering small packets, falling down on streets, parks and buildings.
The bombman gets more and more excited. Only a few moments left. Then he will push the button.
"We have reached our target. No obstruction, clear view. Ready for bombing."
"Countdown", the bombman can hear the commander's voice.
"Five, Four, Three, Two, One, GO!"
The big bomber opens his underside and releases thousands of shiny, little surprises to the children of the target city. The metal boxes tumble at first, then stabilize. After a few hundred meters their parachutes open, slowing their freight down to not hurt anyone.
Down on the streets people look up, getting excited. It is the gift bomber! Lots and lots of presents rain down on the city, creating smiles and a few dangerous situations when people lean out of a window to catch one that falls close to their house. But there are enough presents that everyone gets one.
"Mission accomplished", the Commander reports. "Returning to base."
We need to build a world where children can dream of planes dropping gifts, and not bombs.
https://twitter.com/TEDTalks/status/833153513312157696
- TEDTalks
Spontaneous story inspired by this tweet.