The Trébuchet Incident of 2020

> *“There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” ― Bob Ross*
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> *“There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.” ― Bob Ross*
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## The Incident

The Trebuchet was an Airplane testing methodology, which was overseen by now-wanted Lopsy. (No affiliation with Lipsy)

(After the Incident, Lopsy has fled to Belgium, with Sleep Police actively on the lookout for him.)

Also known as the Trebuchet Tragedy and the Month of Silent Smiles was a series of incidents which occurred between March 28th-March 31st, 2020. It is both the first and only incident recorded in the Book of No Nos, and is one of the few incidents which are not permitted to be discussed without the CEO or Vice President's express permission.

On March 5th, 2020, a single individual known only as Lopsy had infiltrated into the Engineering Department, where he claimed to be the head engineer appointed by Vice President Stella. The incident costed the lives of 85 test pilots, engineers, and paramedics over a 4 day period. The deaths were only halted after CEO Hanna reinstated the HAL Sleep Police with authority to both detain and neutralize individuals suspected of sabotaging the Engineering Department, as well as initiating a security background check of all individuals both directly and indirectly responsible for the authorization of Lopsy onto HAL premises. Of all individuals involved in the background check, only the treasurer was revealed to have any possible connection with Lopsy, leading the HAL Intelligence and Espionage Agency to believe that a certain degree of bribery may have been involved. The office of Treasurer has since been filled by Jack Bob S.

Over the 4 day period, the Trebuchet Initiative, a plan to launch aircraft via use of trebuchet in an effort to both increase the range of aircraft (it was a really big trebuchet) and the speed at which they would arrive without the need to refuel, was overrun by Lopsy, who misled 85 members of the Youth Test Flight Association, including those still in training, as well as several on-hand engineers and a nearby paramedic unit stationed near Repair Bay Three. All 85 victims were shuffled onto a defective Class 4A "Titan" luxury liner, initially designed for the CEO's personal fleet. On March 31st at approximately 1:33 PM, the Titan was launched into the air via trebuchet, and gained altitude for 17 minutes before the engine exploded, killing all 85 on board. Initial speculations regarding the incident involved the condition of the engine, and many were curious as to why such a plane was allowed to take off in the first place. After investigation and forensic analysis, the Agency concluded that the engine had not been malfunctioning at all, but rather a result of Lopsy using the trebuchet to launch an aircraft that already possessed a self-propelling mechanism. As the sling propelled the aircraft into the air, the engine, which had already been using the controversial Uranium-based 77B-9 reactor core, suddenly experienced a core meltdown, causing the internal components of the engine to explode with a force of 42 kilotons. Despite the intensity and proximity of the explosion, no ground workers were harmed. However, all traces of the rocket, and therefore all the evidence, was destroyed, which raises questions as to how the Agency was able to reach their conclusion. In addition to the 85 souls on board, the explosion also killed the CEO's cat, Lord Tycho Boris Munchkins XII of Lugano. In response to the explosion, Lopsy was immediately detained by the HAL Sleep Police on charges of suspected angsting.

The incident is the single largest loss of life in Happy Airlines history, and was the leading event behind the order of the Vice Presidential Emergency Recall, immediately halting all outgoing flights, and temporarily detaining the crew of all boarding craft. The Recall was the first time a vice president had to use their emergency power to stop not only an entire department but the company as a whole, including offices in both Shanghai and Paris. However, the Tokyo branch was operating semi-independently up until the Shrine of Miyamizu Incident which took place a month later. The cause can largely be attributed to loose security, a delayed response by the HAL Sleep Police, and the failure of both the vice president and the secretary to catch on to the unusual and sudden increases in budget authorized by the previous treasurer towards Engineering. In the aftermath of the event, the CEO deemed the HAL Sleep Police ill-suited to face acts of sabotage on their own, and so a new branch was formed, the HAL Smile Assertion Detachment, with the sole purpose of finding and removing potential dangers to the Airline. The position of Vice President is now more directly involved with other branches. The management of funding has fallen to the secretary until a new treasurer is hired. Engineering is currently run by Lipsy, a replacement who is now required to present all projects to the vice president directly for approval, a practice that had not been in place prior to the incident. Happy Airlines spending on corporate security in February was only 6% of its annual budget. By the end of March, that spending had risen to 36%. Furthermore, a Safety Chief now inspects each and every craft biweekly to ensure that no adjustments have been made without VP approval.