A sprinkle of colored lights woke him up. Jason started at first, glanced at his wrist and tried to remember where he was. He quickly took in the dimly lit room, complete with a window view of the ocean and the fish that were drawn to the artificial lights surrounding Center Neptune.
It's like having your own fish tank, he mused. Or being in one.
He shrugged the irrelevant thought away. As he headed out the door, he cast a fleeting glance at the sleeping figure in the hospital bed. Jason was surprised to see Mark looking back at him. In a raspy voice, his commander said, "Give 'em hell."
Jason grinned. He was halfway out the door before he remembered. Rushing back to the lumpy guest chair, he retrieved his newly issued, ISO-approved glasses from the nightstand, pushed them on with a shove, and sprinted down to the docking bay. He met Princess in the final hallway before the big hangar.
"Any idea what this is about?" she said, hurrying to keep up with him.
Jason shook his head as he ran. "Must be urgent. Chief didn't give any details, just the code to get airborne."
Keyop and Darien soon matched pace. Keyop looked at Jason and did a double-take.
"Nice ... glasses," he teased.
Jason punched him on the arm, hard. "Drop it, Squirt."
Darien quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. Jason sighed internally.
"Where's Tiny?" he asked.
"Right here," Tiny was huffing, pulling up the rear, as they sprinted as a group into the hangar.
There she is. Jason slowed his pace and stared. The Phoenix.
He hadn't realized how much he'd missed this warship, her powerful engines waiting to rumble, her blue wings poised to scrape the sky. Jason caught a glimpse of the missile storage silo beneath and he couldn't help but grin. Bird missiles. All mine.
"Welcome back," Princess smiled at him. "We've missed you."
He returned the smile briefly, then asked, "Everybody ready?" Four heads nodded in unison, followed by five arms sweeping in an arc.
"Transmute!"
Four silver-tinged shimmering halos and one vibrant red one enveloped the team in a rainbow of light. Jason felt the exhilaration of the hunt, the thrill of battle, rising inside him for the first time in months. It was invigorating. Powerful. He rose to the call. He could rise above anything.
The feeling didn't last long. Once he boarded the ship, everything seemed different. The bridge looked brighter and more crisply defined through his new visor. Jason adjusted the shading and tipped his head from side to side to gauge the effect. He noticed a slight distortion on the angle, most likely an artifact of his recently added prescription. This is going to take some getting used to.
Darien was already making himself at home at Jason's station. Watching him, Jason could feel his stomach clench. He looks far too comfortable back there. Jason forced himself to take a deep breath. But I shouldn't move him just yet. Let's see how he performs in combat.
Ignoring Darien, Jason strode to Mark's customary seat next to Tiny and called for the rest of the team to complete their checks. As expected, the first three came quickly. But as time wore on, Jason grew impatient.
"G-6? What's the hold up?"
"Just following procedure," Darien responded. "I need to test the solar coupling next."
Jason sat on his hands. Is he always this slow? I could set us up blindfolded in half the time. He thought through the steps in the procedure manual. "Tiny, move us out."
"Wait! I'm not finished!" Darien's voice raised in pitch. "I haven't even checked the ..."
"You're finished," Jason said. "That's an order, G-6. We don't have time to reconfigure the matrix. This isn't a drill.
Darien made an unhappy snort and sat back down. "If you didn't want me to ..."
"If I wanted your opinion, G-6, I'd ask for it," Jason snapped. He opened the communication link with Center Neptune control. "What's up, Chief?"
"Zoltar's latest weapon of mass destruction has touched down in Crystal City. I'm sorry for the late briefing. Somehow, this warship slipped by the outer perimeters of our security undetected. Our ground forces are trying to hold it back, but this latest mecha is powerful."
The Chief relayed several images of a large mechanical frog hopping down the city streets, smashing everything in its path. A large whip-like cable projected from its mouth like a tongue, wrapping around skyscrapers and upending them. Fractured steel girders and mounds of concrete lay in its wake.
"Do you know what its objective is?" Princess asked.
Chief Anderson's face looked grim on the monitor. "We think it's headed toward the chemical storage tank center near the harbor. Since Zoltar wasn't able to capture Crystal City's gem mine in the latest round of attacks, we believe he wants to extract revenge by destroying the harbor. I don't have to remind you that some of these above ground tanks can explode if disturbed in the presence of an ignition source. We've evacuated the tank farm, but this is a hazardous mission. I want you to be careful." The Chief spoke to the entire team, but Jason could feel Chief Anderson's eyes on him, boring the warning into his skull. He got the message.
"Will do," Jason responded.
"Good luck, Team." Chief Anderson signed off.
"Princess, check the database for the tank farm," Jason ordered. "We need to know what they're storing there. Make sure to note which tanks are full and which ones are empty or near-empty."
"Check." Her fingers flew over the keyboard.
" ... could have done that ..." Darien mumbled in the background.
Jason whipped around in the chair. "One more outburst like that and I'll turn this ship around and dump you at Center Neptune."
Darien's eyes were saucers. "Sorry?"
"I don't know what you've been getting away with around here and frankly, I don't care. I'm in charge here. You follow my orders or I'll have your commission revoked. You understand me?"
Darien's eyes hardened like flint. "Yes, sir."
"Now, your primary expertise is chemical weapons, isn't it?"
Darien nodded.
"Get the HazMat manual handy. Whatever materials Princess gives you, look them up and cross-check their reactivity. We need to know what we're up against."
Darien looked marginally pacified. "Yes, sir."
Crystal City was just a twinkle of lights, but Jason could see the plumes of smoke rising in the distance. "We've got our mecha. Dead ahead."
"Got it," said Tiny.
"Keyop, pull up a map of the area. Any nearby targets?"
The Swallow was silent for a moment, studying the viewscreen. "Airport."
"Princess, got a lock on our chemicals yet?"
"Butane, acetone, sulfuric acid, VM&P naphtha, gasoline ..."
Darien's eyes went wide. "Those are all explosion risks. We need to evacuate the area."
"Radius, G-6?" Jason asked.
Darien shook his head. "Miles."
Jason clicked open the link with Center Neptune. When the Chief's face filled the viewscreen, he didn't bother with protocol. "Evacuate Crystal City."
"7-Zark-7's already on it, but I'll relay the information. Team, we think it's headed for Crystal City airport. Unfortunately, their sensors are jammed out there. We'll keep trying to get the message through. Be careful. That mecha's started taking down planes."
"Will do, Chief. Thanks."
They were flying directly toward the giant frog now, close enough to see sunlight glinting off its shiny back and powerful hind legs. The mechanical frog hopped forward, crushing a corner of the airport terminal. Scores of people fled for their lives, scattering in all directions like ants after the demise of an anthill. The giant beast leapt into the air, uncoiling a long steely tongue and wrapping it around an incoming jet. The plane exploded into flaming shards of steel.
Tiny looked at Jason. "This is a bad idea."
"Confirmed, G-5. We need to lure it away from the airport. We can't shoot at it when we're this close to the tank farm." Jason chewed his lip.
"What if we back around and land the Phoenix?" Princess suggested. "Keyop, Darien and I can draw it out and Tiny can shoot it from the G-1."
Tiny looked decidedly uneasy at this suggestion.
"Taking a plane directly against that mecha is suicide," Jason agreed. "Ground vehicles for now. Let's lure that thing out of the city before we shoot it. Tiny and I will wait and then follow in the Phoenix."
At Tiny's wide-eyed expression, Jason clarified. "At a distance. I'll take it down once it's out of range of the city."
Once the Phoenix had touched down, the three outgoing team members left in a hurry. Jason tried not to think about Darien driving the G-2, but it was hard.
I should be out there now but the Chief would have my head. Jason sighed. Let's see how he's been handling my car.
As Jason watched the bank of computer monitors on the bridge, he had to bite back several retorts. Darien may be a crack pilot, but he sure could use some driving lessons.
Tiny stretched out in his chair. "I like this, nice easy waiting ..."
"We've got a problem." Jason frowned at the monitors. "The frog isn't following them."
"What?" Tiny looked at the center screen where Jason was pointing.
"See there? It's going after another plane. It's like that thing only hunts things if they're in the air."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Tiny looked at Jason with concern.
"Do you see any other way?" Jason snapped. "There isn't time to pick the others up. We need to go after it now before that mecha takes down another jet."
"You want me to fly the Phoenix toward that thing while you shoot it?" Tiny looked miserable.
"No, are you crazy? I want you to lure the frog away in the G-1. I'll fly the Phoenix and shoot it."
The look Tiny gave him was one of sheer disbelief.
"Quit shaking your head at me. I gave you an order." Jason glared at him.
"You can't do that, Jason. You're not ..."
Jason's voice was steel. "I believe I gave you an order, G-5."
"All right. But once I get us airborne, you just hold her steady while I take the G-1 out."
"Agreed."
Tiny piloted the big ship into a textbook liftoff and leveled her off at an easy cruising altitude before handing over the controls. "Just hold this lever steady. I'll let you know when you can release the locking clamp." Tiny ran toward the elevator.
Jason fought the urge to yell at Tiny for insubordination on his way out. But it's not like I don't know how he feels. It isn't any easier for Tiny to hand over the controls to the Phoenix than it is for me to watch Darien drive the G-2.
Jason heard the sounds of grunting through his wrist com.
"All right, I'm in," the big pilot said. "Let me get 'er started." Jason could hear the high-pitched whine as the G-1's engine came to life. "Okay, let 'er rip."
Jason hit the button to release the locking clamp with one hand while holding the controls of the Phoenix steady with the other. Piece of cake.
"G-Force ground crew, pull out," Jason ordered through the wrist com. "I repeat, pull out. Help the UN forces with the evacuation of the city. G-5 and I are going in."
Jason heard several cries of protest and clicked off his bracelet in frustration. This is ridiculous, he thought. I give an order, they're supposed to follow the order.
The turbulence came without warning. Jason swore as the Phoenix veered wildly off-course. I've got to get this under control; I've got to keep track of Tiny. Jason stared at the bank of instruments in front of him, trying to remember which was which. I just did this on simulator, how hard can it be? He punched several buttons and felt the plane respond. Badly. Jason swore. He took a deep breath, tried to steady the queasiness in his stomach, and flicked his bracelet back on.
"G-5, this is G-2. I've hit a pocket of turbulence. Suggestions?"
"Pull up, G-2. The air's better up here. Let me know when you're stable."
Jason pulled back, hard, and soon found himself climbing into calmer air. Before long, he was nearly level with the G-1.
"You all right?" Tiny asked him through the wrist com.
"Yeah," Jason answered. He hoped he sounded better than he felt.
"You sure you wanna do this? 'Cause we can try it another way." Tiny's voice was gentle.
"I'm fine, G-5. You ready?"
"Okay, I'm going in," Tiny responded. "Cover me."
"Will do," Jason answered.
The big frog took the bait immediately, hopping toward the G-1 with what appeared to be unbridled enthusiasm. Tiny flew at a right angle toward the ocean, leading the frog away from the city and, more importantly, away from the chemical tank farm.
"You're doing great, G-5. Any problems?"
"No. So far, so ..." Tiny broke off. "G-2, we got visitors, dead ahead."
Jason looked in the direction Tiny had indicated. Three Spectran warplanes were closing in on Mark's plane.
"I see them, Tiny. You dodge them, I'll pick them off for you."
Jason swung the Phoenix at an angle and pressed the button to set up the bird missiles. At the last minute, he decided to set up the firing grid as well. This is no time to be careless. Jason locked in on the closest target and waited for the time to strike.
"Pull right, G-5," he ordered, and fired the first missile.
The Spectran plane exploded in a ball of flame and smashed into the second fighter. The flaming wreckage cascaded to the ground below. Unfortunately, the falling flames attracted the attention of the frog mecha. It hopped toward the Phoenix, tongue at the ready.
"G-2, he's coming after you!" Tiny screamed through bracelet.
"I see it, G-5. You take down that other fighter. I'll go after the frog."
Jason looked at the frog mecha's long tongue and rapidly weighed his options. I can't shoot it. We're still too close to the tank farm.
He flew the Phoenix directly toward the frog's mouth, then jerked the plane in a hard turn, banking away from its body. As expected, the frog's mechanical tongue snaked after the Phoenix. Jason flew toward the ocean, but the mechanical tongue was closing in on him fast. At the last second, he dipped the left wing until the plane was nearly vertical and began to fly in an arc around the frog's back.
"Hurry up, G-2!" That was Princess.
Jason floored the engine and kept the Phoenix spinning in an arc around the gigantic frog, like a satellite in orbit. The mechanical tongue trailed after him, just out of reach. Around and around the frog he flew, spiraling down from its massive head toward its powerful feet. Then Jason jerked the lever back up and the Phoenix abruptly took off toward the ocean. The big frog took the bait and tried to hop after the war ship.
The resounding crash was gratifying, even if the turbulent wake made it difficult to control the Phoenix. Jason looked back to confirm that the frog mecha had indeed been stopped cold, bound by its own tongue. Unable to hop forward, it had fallen over, crashing into shards of steel and gray-green twisted scrap. Scores of green-clad goons were exiting the massive ship, a sure sign that the self-destruct sequence had been initiated.
"Team, are we accounted for? I think she's gonna blow!" Jason spoke rapidly into his wristband. He was relieved when his team sounded off.
"You've got to get away from the tank farm now, G-2." That was Darien, tension in his voice unmistakable, even through the wrist com. "You're still too close."
"Which direction?"
"Head east and hurry!" Darien's voice rose in pitch.
The first explosion, the detonation of the frog mecha, rocked the Phoenix. The second explosion sent the ship spiraling out of control. An enormous above ground storage tank shot aloft like a rocket, leaving a fireball in its wake. Jason gripped the controls of the Phoenix and fought desperately to keep the ship aloft.
"Pull up, pull up!" That was Tiny.
Jason obeyed quickly, but the plane was flopping wildly in the crosswinds. Jason struggled to get the big ship under control. This was nothing like the simulator. The plane reacted more abruptly than he had anticipated. Random drops in altitude led to random waves of nausea. He tried to slow his movements, but it was hard.
"All right, you're doing better," Tiny finally said. "Just get her level," he advised.
"Suggestions?"
"Hold her steady. You're all over the place. Get your tail up." Tiny rattled off a short list of things to try.
Jason applied each of Tiny's recommendations in succession. When he ran out of options, he focused on controlling his breathing.
"You all right, G-2? Hang in there." Princess.
Finally, the big ship seemed to settle down and Jason breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm all right," he said, exhaustion laced through every word.
"Good, because I'm comin' in. Maintain bearing."
Jason was surprised to see the G-1 flying in formation right behind him. How did I miss that? How long has Tiny been sitting out there? Now that he was listening for it, Jason could hear the whine of the smaller engine over the deep rumble of the Phoenix.
"Okay, I'm in. Set the locking clamp."
Jason did as he was told. When Tiny entered the flight deck, Jason fixed him with a grateful stare. I have never been so happy to see you in my entire life.
"You all right?" Tiny hurried over to Jason and gestured at him to take off his helmet. Jason did as Tiny suggested. The big man stripped off one glove. He took over the controls for the Phoenix with his gloved hand and checked Jason's temperature and pulse with the other. Jason slid over to Mark's chair, closed his eyes, and rested his head on the console.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Tiny sat down at the helm. "Why don't you go sit down in sick bay? It's quieter back there."
Jason lifted his head to look at his pilot. "I'm all right, Tiny."
"No, you're not. Look at you. You're all clammy and you can't even stand up."
Jason sighed. I guess I deserve that. "I'm all right. I'm just dizzy."
Tiny looked relieved. "Of course! I should have thought of that. That was some pretty fancy flying you tried out there." Catching Jason's expression, Tiny smiled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Anyone would be dizzy after a flight like that, Jason."
Jason's face finally relaxed. "Maybe I'll take you up on your suggestion." He stood, grabbed his helmet, and slowly picked his way back toward sick bay.
After Tiny had collected the others, Jason overheard some excited discussion about the mission, especially when Keyop yelled "boom" to describe the tank explosion. He tried to ignore the murmured part of the conversation, which he suspected focused on a certain G-2 lying prone in the back.
Soon after, Princess appeared in the doorway of sick bay and peered into the dimly lit room. "How're you feeling?"
"Better. I'd appreciate it if you keep the lights off, though."
"Headache?"
Jason nodded, then remembered that she probably couldn't see him very well in the dark and answered, "Yes. How'd you know?"
"Hmm. You've been flying in circles around a giant frog. That's enough to give anyone a headache." They shared a laugh.
When their laughter faded, Princess spoke. "You did well out there today," she said. "Tiny can't believe how well you handled the Phoenix. It makes me dizzy just thinking about it. I'm so proud of you."
There was a time when such words would have meant little to Jason, but now, having fought so hard to come back to the team, they were golden.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
"We're back to code green, so you can detransmute now. Why don't you try to get some rest?"
"I think I'll do that."
He must have slept some, because the next thing he knew, Tiny was docking the Phoenix at Center Neptune. Jason stepped back onto the flight deck, watching as the sea level dropped slowly outside in the big hangar.
The last time I was aboard this ship, I thought I'd never make it back.
He was dizzy now, as he had been then, but that was where the similarity with the strike at Spectra ended. Jason touched his temple, surprised to find that he had put on his new glasses without thinking, and smiled.
I can see. My headache's gone and my implant works. I may not be where I once was, but things are definitely different. This time, things are getting better.
Jason looked around the flight deck and saw a ring of faces looking back at him expectantly.
"Hey, you're up!" Keyop ran over and gave him a hug. "You ... okay?"
Jason smiled at Keyop. "Yeah. I am. I'm gonna be just fine."
When I was 9 years old and saw "Strike at Spectra" for the first time, I was convinced that Jason needed glasses. Later, as an adult, I realized that his problems were likely more complicated than that. However, I just couldn't resist giving him glasses in this story arc.
The chemical tank farm in this story is loosely based on a real facility. I was involved with investigating the potential environmental impact caused by the explosion and other releases from the plant.