Unnamed

An idea I had at work and had to write it down, but I didn't have time to continue for too long:

The music stopped abruptly, allowing the angry static to dominate the airwaves. The helicopter dropped a few feet in the air. Crap. They were in an empty zone - there was nothing to power the aircraft here. Not only that - they were on the border of another territory, someplace they were supposed to keep out of. These days, crossing the reception lines unannounced (or even with permission) could get you killed. The pilot punched at the control buttons frantically and the helicopter jerked to the left, slowly making a complete 180 degree turn. The engine sputtered back to life and a few seconds later the dashboard lit up again, and the pilot and his passengers basked in its soft blue glow. The pilot sighed with relief - that was a close one. He figured he'd better get back to base before anyone figured out he'd gone too far. Even if it was only by accident, border breaches could get you into serious trouble. He hoped no one aboard would mention it to the wrong people. Having gained infinitely more speed, the helicopter jetted back in the direction it had come, and soon the base was coming back into view. So much for testing the perimeters today. He'd have to wait for another time, sometime when he could go alone, for that. As much as he hated chauffeuring tourists around, it gave him a chance to fly all over town to see if he could spot any breaks in the surrounding atmosphere. But he couldn't try flying through them carrying other passengers that might be missed when they didn't return to ship for the evening meal.