Pilots: Mycroft Holmes was inspecting a top secret air base and their newest product tion of fighter jets. While visiting, an odd murder occurs. Or was it an accident? Most likely murder. People don't just drop out of thin air.
Mycroft Holmes was being lead through an impressive hangar that was filled with the newest line of fighter jets for the queens air force. He was there to witness the test flights and oversee the entire occurrence. He did not mind it. It was a simple task and was more celebratory than anything.
As he walked through the hangar, the pilots were lining up next to their craft for inspection. A short woman was shouting orders to them. Even though she was not a military pilot herself at the moment, her position still held higher rank than most in the room. This woman helped create the basic design for the air crafts. She was also an old friend of Mr Holmes.
When the two first met, the woman was one of the newer pilots she was now ordering around. Mycroft noticed her skill at flight that day. She was introduced to him as the best rookie pilot and strategist. She rivaled most of the senior pilots. Mycroft began enlisting her for foreign dealings. Quite a few times, she flew him and any sensitive cargo in and out of the country. Quite a few times she had been forced to take down enemy planes. With her at the head of the plane, the entire event went smoothly and Mycroft has been on trips that have been...rough.
Each time they met, she had moved up in rank. Well, each time they met formally. The trips were not considered a formal meeting. She was a lively woman with wit. She was pleasant and bright but Mycroft had seen her go from jovial to deadly serious in seconds.
Eventually, Mycroft offered her to work for him as a security agent. She worked under him directly and earned his trust. She trusted him as well. If something went wrong, or there was a difficult or sensitive issue, she would be sent to handle it. And she would in record time.
If something went wrong or plans changed, she adapted.
One day she approached him and asked for a year of no work. It was the first time she had ever asked for anything akin to a day off. Since she had worked so well for him over the last few years, he decided to give her the year. After she explained what it was needed for.
She had noticed on her previous trips things to improve on the planes and jets. It got to the point where she could construct the basic layout. Mycroft was impressed and backed her when she proposed it to the air force.
And there they were today. Mycroft had to admit, the woman he was there to see captured his interest and then his heart. Not romantically obviously. But he felt a sense of pride watching her give orders.
A small smile graced his face as she turned and walked over to her boss and, dare she say, friend. She planted herself in front of him with a tired smirk and a salute. He nodded in acknowledgement and she relaxed.
"Mycroft. Good to see you again. Miss our adventures." Mycroft allowed a small chuckle.
"Indeed Ms Keps. I have missed my best body guard. And Anthea misses your antics as well." Keps snorted. Her and Anthea might as well be sisters. They bicker but do actually care for each other.
"And how are those nerves of steel this wonderful day?" Mycroft inquired with a stern look. Her smile fell and she looked to the ground, her once jovial self fell away to reveal an expression of loss and guilt.
She sighed and held Mycroft's gaze. "As strong as ever." Mycroft nodded with a look of understanding. He turned and motioned for her to walk with him. A small smile lit up her face and she wAlked with him.
The two were walking around the hangar and generally catching up. Keps was talking to him about the tests that were to be performed that day for the plains when it happened. She heard something falling above them and looked up just in time. She let out a short yell and pushed her boss to the side as a body came hurling down. It hit the ground with a sickening sound and debris from the body splattered onto her. Mycroft was spared the lucky bastard.
An hour later, Mycroft decided it was time to give Lestrade a call. Hopefully his brother would be interested enough to take the case. Mycroft had no explanation and found himself at a loss.
"Detective Inspector Lestrade. This is Mycroft Holmes. I believe I require the assistance of you and my dear brother. Anthea shall be picking you and my brother up momentarily. I shall see you soon." Without another word he hung up. Keps noticed the stiffness of the man and snorted.
"Had a tiff with your boyfriend?" She teased lightly. My rift responded straight faced as if it was a normal question and didn't even bother to look up from the text he was currently work in g at.
"Don't be daft, if I had used a less formal tone and his staff over heard, we would be the talk to the Yard." Keps looked at her boss with her mouth hanging open. "Close your mouth." He instructed.
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"
"No." Sherlock stated in a finalized tone. Greg quirked his eyebrow. "No? What do you mean no?"
"Please stop being so stupid, Lestrade."
"Sherlock, you don't even know what the case is about. Give it a listen, it might be worth it." John pleaded with his friend. Anything to get him out of the house for a bit. If John was lucky, he might even have a quiet few evenings to himself.
Seeming to know what John was thinking, Sherlock crushed his hopes. "John, if I were to take this case, you would be dragged along as well. And seeing as you do enjoy your tedious job, it would be best if I don't take the case and avoid forcing the both of us to travel."
"Who said anything about traveling?" John asked.
"Anthea is here. We are to meet up with Mycroft at a location that is too far for him to make the trip here to ask us himself." John groaned in frustration.
"Look it's on an airbase and today they were going to test out their new fighter jets to make sure they worked properly and one of the pilots fell out of the sky. It was an hour before the event and not a plane was seen or heard. How does that happen, Sherlock?" Greg pressed. Sherlock pondered for a few moments.
"Off the roof?"
"Security footage shows no one was up there." Greg countered.
"Any trees near by? No. Sky dive excursion gone wrong?" Sherlock was struggling for an answer. His curiosity was getting the better of him. He sighed. There was no way to create any solid theories without seeing the actual crime scene.
" there wasn't a single plane in the sky. No one would, you can't fly over a base." John filled in. He never spent much time on an air base but he New enough. Sherlock eyed his friend before giving in to the temptation. "I will take the case. We shall leave immediately. John, come." Sherlock stood and breezed past Lestrade and out the door, grabbing his coat and throwing it on. John stood and grabbed his coat as well.
"This will be interesting." John said to Lestrade. The detective inspector nodded.
"Yeah. Shit timing too. This new line of jets is supposed to be pretty advanced. First official flights for testing was supposed to take place an hour after the person plummeted out of the sky." John raised his eyebrow as he zipped up his coat. Sure new high tech planes would be good but not something Greg would normally care about.
"I take it you're more worried about Mycroft than the actual planes. " John said with a small smile as the two walked from living room. Greg sighed and held a small smile on his face. "Yeah. Just glad to be able to be there now. Puts me a bit at ease." John chuckled and the two walked outside to see Sherlock waiting impatiently.
The three had reached the base early the next morning. They were all a bit stiff and in foul moods. Sherlock and John had deep scowls form on their faces when they were met at a gate by a chipper and well rested Mycroft.
"So glad you could make it brother." Mycroft smirked at his little brother's state. Sherlock glared. "So where is the body." He asked immediately. The older Holmes chuckled.
"All in good time. But first there is someone you need to meet. I believe she will be able to assist you in gathering initial data."
Sherlock rolled his eyes, doubting the usefulness of the woman and was about to voice his opinion when John cut him off. "Alright Mycroft where is she?"
"Follow me."
The three were led by Mycroft into a flight control room. The front of the room had a large glass windows that showed the runway for the jet a small distance off. People were running around and working furiously at their computers. One jet at the end of the runway was turning around and prepping for flight. The four men stood at a console that was on a platform that over looked the other workers. John and Sherlock stood at the railing while Lestrade stood a bit behind them. Mycroft was speaking with a man in charge.
A large screen on the side of the room showed white noise and people were working quickly to make a video connection to whoever they needed to get a hold of.
"Pilot one, this is command center requesting visual." The man at the console who Mycroft was speaking with said into a headset he was holding. A voice came on over a loud speaker. It was a woman's voice, light confident.
"This is pilot one, beginning video feed." The screen on the side of the room switched to reveal a young woman sitting in a cockpit of a jet. Her brown hair was French braided and she wore aviator sunglasses. Her clothes were form fitting yet loose enough and were black. Her gloved hands were adjusting the wide camera. John recognized her immediately. Mycroft turned and smirked at the doctor. She had flown John to a few places. He had even treated her at one point. He hadn't seen or heard from her in years.
"Command, this is pilot one I have a clear visual." They watched her smile. She began fiddling with switches and gears in the jet.
"Pilot one we read you loud and clear. Almost ready for first take off?" The man went from formal to a lighter tone. The woman smirked. "You can bet your ass. Is everyone there almost ready?" The man nodded.
"Yeah. Just a few more things, mostly formalities like paper work. Making sure that if you crash it is actually your fault." The woman snorted at the man's statement.
"Please. Have some faith. Is Mycroft back yet? I know that man would not want to miss this. He did financially support a decent chunk of this." At this, Sherlock and John spun to see Mycroft pic up a headset and turn to a camera.
"Yes. I am here. My brother and his friend is present, they will be viewing the initial flight." The woman nodded and smiled.
"Well, I'm stuck here for a bit, introduce us while command gets finished prepping." She insisted. Mycroft waved to his brother and John to come to the camera. John did but Sherlock stood still he was in no mood to go through something as tedious as introductions. John rolled his eyes and dragged his best friend over to the camera. The woman lifted her sunglasses and smiled brightly.
"Oh my god! Doctor John Watson! How the bloody shell have you been, man?" She said excitedly. "Didn't expect to see you here. How did you get stuck with his lot?" John chuckled and Mycroft handed him a headset. Sherlock was a bit surprised they were acquainted but refrained from speaking.
"Its a bit of a long story. We can catch up later." John suggested. She smiled and nodded.
"Hey, Gordon." She said and the man in charge stepped up to the camera. "You know this means I have to show off right?" Gordon paled slightly and shook his head.
"Don't. Please, for the sanity of those in this building."
"Oh what fun is that? An old army buddy of mine is here for the first launch of the New Excelsior Jets it is practically mandatory I show off." Mycroft stepped up this time.
"Pilot Keps, I ask that you please do not break these new jets." She rolled her eyes and put her sunglasses on properly. "No faith, you people. And I presume that tall brooding man is Sherlock? Mycroft you liar he isn't nearly as stupid looking as you described. He actually appears intelligent. Nice to meet you mister Holmes. Day Keps at your can speak about the case after this flight. Gordon is your team ready yet?"
"Control center is almost ready. Pilot one please begin to check your systems and head to runway two." The man dubbed Gordon stated
She nodded and smiled. "Roger that, ending visual." The screen went blank and Gordon switched off the audio. Sherlock turned to John.
"I assume you met her during your time with the military." John nodded and began to tell of the few times they met. Sherlock absorbed everything he could about her. He couldn't make a sound deduction yet. He would have to meet here face to face.
As the jet moved towards the assigned runway Gordon flicked on the audio and spoke into the headset. "Pilot one, this is command. We are ready for take off."
"This is pilot one, reading you loud and clear. Controls running well, nothing out of the ordinary, igniting initial flight engines." They watched as the jet outside roared loudly.
"Pilot one, we are waiting for your PPO readings." A woman next to Gordon spoke into her headset.
"Got you, command, hooking up now. Any luck?" Pilot Keps asked. On the corner of the screen a display showed her oxygen levels and pulse. They let her know.
The buzzing energy of the room had put John in a better mood. He could feel his own excitement at the upcoming launch. As much as Sherlock tried not to, he too was looking forward to the launch.
"Alright boys and girls place your bets. How many of you think I'm going to crash this sucker?" John heard a few laughs around the room and Gordon shook his head. The woman from a few moments ago stood and walked to the hand rails where Sherlock and John had previously stood.
"Alright people you know where the money goes." John watched amused as people placed their bets and Gordon sighed.
"Truly Gordon, as excellent as this base is, one would assume they would be more professional." Mycroft smirked in amusement.
John actually barked out a laugh as Seven Nation Army began to play over the speakers. "Pilot one! Do not play music over the comms!" Gordon yelled into the headset. The music stopped and keps's voice came back over.
"No need to shout. Command this is pilot one prepped and ready for take off. Requesting permission to begin launch." Everyone tense in anticipation. John Sherlock and Lestrade stood at the railing, watching the jet.
"Pilot one you are cleared for launch."
"Beginning launch countdown." The loud engines of the jet became louder and they could see launch workers running from the runway.
"T minus 5. . Mark." The jet took off down the runway at an incredible speed. In almost no time at all it took to the air and was out of sight. A screen on the other end of the room turned one. Somewhere several camera's had a good visual on the jet. John saw her pulse spike a bit. He wondered what it must be like.
"Control this is pilot one. Launch is a success, controls are normal, reaching desired altitude now." The room burst into cheers. John and Lestrade grinned and Mycroft shook hands with Gordon. Sherlock had a neutral look on his face.
"So Gordon, what name are we giving this one?" The Keps asked over the speaker. Everyone's mood sobered and even Mycroft appeared apprehensive. This did not escape Sherlock or John.
"Keps are you really worried about this now?" Gordon asked.
"Of course. I need to know the name of the gorgeous jet I am flying." Gordon sighed and looked at Mycroft who shrugged at the silent question.
"We all thought we should name it the Clara."
The room was met with silence. There was a long pause waiting for a response.
"Pilot one, do you copy?" Gordon asked slowly.
"This is pilot one. I copy." There was a pause. "I think she would like it. Having one of our best planes named from one of our best pilots... fitting." They could hear her tone shift. It was distant and almost cold.
"Who is Clara? Obviously she must hold some significance if her name could make you uncomfortable." Sherlock asked off handedly to Mycroft. He eyed his brother and could see the discomfort on his face, making Sherlock narrow his eyes. His brother didn't care about people. Mycroft took off his headset and walked over to the three by the rail.
"Clara North was a rookie pilot under Keps. Clara North was also one of the best. About six months ago, Keps was testing the speed and control of one of the original modules of the jets. To test it, they needed a regular jet. Keps flew the newer module, north had the original. From what reports I have read, a malfunction with Clara North's jet brought it down over the English Channel. Lost at sea. No one really knows what happened, the flight recorder was lost with the pilot." John and Sherlock absorbed the information. It was sad but it was more intriguing. How could no one know what happened?
"The event traumatized Keps. The two had grown close, surprisingly. Keps rarely lets anyone in that close." Mycroft said knowingly. The man eyed his brother. "Imagine if you lost Dr. Watson here. What it would do to you has happened to Keps. Yet she never stopped the program. Impressive really, but worrying. Many believe the pressure of the program and the trauma of losing north is going to break her." Sherlock eyed his brother. Mycroft seemed to have some level of caring for the pilot, platonic of course, but caring none the less. He narrowed his eyes before inquiring.
"And what do you think?" Mycroft smirked at his brother.
"She hasn't broken yet, dear brother. And trust me when I say she has been through... more challenging situations." He smiled and turned to leave. "Do give her my regards." He called over his shoulder and left the building. John and Sherlock shared a look. It was going to be an odd case. But they specialize in the peculiar.
Keps looked around her. The sky was uncharacteristically clear and the flight monitor showed no turbulence. She had been flying for about an hour but she still did not want to land. They had performed all the tests needed and the jet was deemed successful.
"Flight control, this is pilot one. Test show the air craft functioning at 100%." Keps said into her radio. She kept the video off.
"Pilot one, this is control. Bring her home. Your landing targets is strip one. Drinks on me tonight." Keps smiled.
"So has our guests figured out what happened?" She asked. She had not really kept up with what was happening back at the base.
She got no response. Keps furrowed her eyebrows and tried again.
"Hello?" Nothing.
"Control this is pilot one, in have lost audio. Attempting visual."
She got nothing on audio or visual.
"Command center this is pilot one do you copy!" She yelled. Something was wrong. She turned the jet around. She looked on radar and other scanners to see if anything could be causing interference. There was nothing. She began an emergency diagnostic on the jet. She didn't notice the panic rising in her. Her heart rate accelerated and she was taking shallow breathes. The diagnostic showed nothing. She cursed and hit the dashboard with her fist.
The entire dashboard shut off. She was flying blind save for a few older instruments that did not run on electricity.
"Shit, fuck! Control center this is pilot one, I am flying blind, I repeat I am flying blind do you copy!" She all but screamed into the radio.
"Pilot one, this is command. We lost audio. Attempting visual now. We have you. What happened up there?" Gordon asked.
"I don't know. I lost audio, ran a diagnostic and nothing showed up. I hit the dash and everything on it shut off. Can you get it back on your end?" She watched as Gordon went to work ordering everyone around.
John stepped into view and picked up one of the misc.
"Keps, you ok? Your boss asked me to talk to you, keep you busy." Keps rolled her eyes.
"When pilots fly blind, or any issue rises, it is a common occurrence for them to panic, we usually have someone familiar talk to them and keep them calm." She felt something fall out of her eye. Sheffield it away. She was crying? She wiped again. This time there was blood. Her heart dropped, something was being injected into her system. She stared at her hand.
"J-John?" Her voice was shaking. John swore and turned to call to someone.
"Pilot Keps, watch your heart beat!" Yelled one of the women into a Mic. "Pilot Keps, you need to calm down. Something is in your blood stream that will cause you to panic. Breathe Keps we are going to get you out of their." Keps nodded and tried to control her breathing.
Sherlock practically shoved John out of the way and grabbed the Mic.
"Take out the iv in your arm! Someone programmed it to slowly release a toxin to create a panics you would end up crashing then jet after your heart gives out. Take out the iv." Keps looked at her wrist were the iv was hooked into her. She yanked it out and focused back on breathing. She needed to calm down. How could she calm down?
Lis Mycroft still on the base?" She asked Anand John shook his head. She exhaled slowly. No matter, she could do this on her own.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the systems came back to life. She could see people celebrating and John smiled at cheer. She felt her stomach drop when one of the alerts sounded and something struck her jet, jolting her forward harshly. She looked to her left and saw a drone right next to her jet. Her eyes shot open wide and she turned to see another one. Sherlock was about to ask what she could possibly be looking at but she interrupted him.
"Command, pilot one request you disengage all drones! I repeat disengage all drones!"
John cod see the panicked innovations faces. "Keps, no drones have left the base."
"Are you fucking sure, Gordon? These look like the exact same ones undersigned! Get them down now!" She yelled into the Mic. John and Sherlock stood aside, this was not something they knew how to handle. They saw Keps get jostled again.
"Gordon get them offline! None of weapons are working! Shit, Shit I just lost one of the engi-" static took over the video. Audio was fuzzy for a minute.
Panic rose in the room. "GET HER BACK ONLINE! Pilot one this is command do you copy!"
"Copy. I'm not far out, drones are leaving. Instinct make it to the assigned runway initiating emergency landing. Is there any landing strip?"
"We'll make one. Focus on landing."
They could see the jet, smoking and wobbling. They could seen the drones too. They were falling behind. The jet was very close to the ground but the London-based had not opened.
"I can't get the wheels to open. It's going to be a crash landing. Impact in 3-2-1-" they lost audio and watched as the jet skidded across a runway before flipping several times before coming to a complete stop.
No moved.
No one breathed.
They watched it burn.
Beep.
Beep.
"Sir, I still have a pulse, Keps is alive." One man said and Gordon rushed over to the misc.
"Get me audio. Lestrade get Mycroft on the phone, he is going to have to see this. Marcus, get medical out there."
The screen buzzed to life. The jet was upside down. Keps was hanging in her seat out cold. They tried to get her audio to work but no luck.
She twitched her head and hand. She groaned and her eyes opened partially. She taught with the buckle. It released her and she landed on her face.
"Keps, what are you doing?" Gordon mumbled. She crawled out of the cockpit, the window was gone. She was very glad she designed the this exact reason. Good thing it worked too.
Everyone in control center was her small figure in the distance. She was standing in the middle of the runway. She began to limp until she heard buzzing. Keps eyes shot wide open and she spun around to see the drones flying. Low and straight at her.
Keps turned on her heal and ran as fast ash she could narrowly missing bullets.
When they were right on top of her she fell one spread out, covering her head until they passed. She lifted her head and let out a breath before hauling herself up and running again.
She could hear people shouting and saw medics running towards her. The drones turned around.
"TURN AROUND! GO BACK!" She screamed and waved her arms. They saw the drones and ducked some tried to run to her left but one of the many bullets hit her thigh and she fell, screaming.
Then the oddest thing happened.
The drones shut off and crashed into the jet, setting off a huge explosion.
The blast threw Keps and she skidded on the asphalt.
Everything was hazy, blurry.
She could faintly hear people running and calling to her.
John reached her right as she passed out.