Chapter 11, We Will Not Go Quietly Into The Night
AREA 51
Miguel and Troy were sitting outside watching the news on a small tv.
"Ham radio operators from New York to Japan trade rumors of military forces in hiding; unwilling to reveal themselves out of fear of annihilation." Russell stood off a ways behind them drinking whiskey. But was interrupted from his thoughts when Major Mitchell climbed onto the back of a truck and spoke over a megaphone.
"What we're planing at this time is to launch a counter-offensive, however with our depleted manpower we're asking that anyone with any flight experience come forward; military training is preferable, but anyone who can fly a plane would be, useful."
Walking towards the truck Russell calls out. "I fly, I'm pilot." Mitchell turns and looks in Russell direction.
Later, Major Mitchell, Russell Casse, and a bunch of other pilots are in a hanger bay next to a fighter jet.
"Alright guys, listen up." Said a man in the room grabbing the attention of all the pilots. "Alright pay close attention, these F-35s are very different then the jets you piloted before," Major Mitchell began as Miguel walked into the room and handed Russell a cup of coffee.
"It's kinda strong." He said as Russell took the mug. Then Major Mitchell continued. "You'll have to forgive the expression, but you're about to get a crash-course in modern avionics. He turned over to the man next to him and asked him something as Russell took the coffee and spoke. "Keep it coming, keep it, keep it coming."
"Ok, you got it!" Miguel replied as he walked off.
"Alright, listen up before we can begin, we're gonna have to get a little background information on your flight experience, uh...let's start with you." Major Mitchell's gaze fell on Russell. Russell looked up at Major Mitchell, and trying to confirm it he pointed at himself and spoke. "Who me?" Major Mitched nodded yes, and Russell stood up and proceeded to tell them about himself.
"Well, I'm, uh, Russell Casse sir." He said as he saluted. "And uh, after Afgan, I, uh got into, uh, crop-dusting and, uh, I've been doing that ever since. On a, uh, personal note sir, I'd just like to add, that, uh, ever since I was kidnapped by dragons ten years ago I've been dying for some payback, and I, just want you to know that, uh, I won't let you down." He then gave them a thumbs up.
General Gray spoke to David, and Steve in the hanger for the dragon ship. "You have 'one' tactical nuclear missile, we're loading into this launcher we're installing under the right wing, this is the firing mechanism. "He walked over to a little cube with a keypad and timer on it and pressed a button."We attached to the ships main console."
"Just like the Amram launch pad on a stealth," Steve noted. General Gray replied in a serious voice. "Except the nuke will not detonate on impact; you'll have thirty seconds to get your butt's out of there." Steve and David stood there silently. "Good luck gentlemen," General Gray said before he left. "Thirty seconds," Steve said as David walked over to where Jim was attaching a tubular device to the underside of the ship.
"It was the strongest radio transmitter we could get; it'll tell us when you've uploaded the virus."
"Thirty seconds, don't you think that's cutting it a little too close," Conny asked while David was inspecting the transmitter. "Oh, we're gonna be well on our way back home before we shoot that thing off." He replied. He started to walk away but Conny followed him and spoke. "Why you, David, I don't, I don't understand, why you can't show someone else how to, how to plant the virus, someone who is trained-"
David interrupted her."No, no, something may go wrong, I may have to think quickly, adjust the signal, who knows." He picks up a coke can "Hey, you know how like I'm always trying to, save the planet." He tosses the can into a recycling bin. "Heres my chance." He says right before he walks away. "Now he gets ambitious," Conny says to herself.
Dylan and Jasmine were in an empty room with chairs set out in rows. And Dylan was helping Jasmine tye up the side of her dress. "It's too tight." He says.
"Well I had to borrow it, let me see," Jasmine says as she inspects the dress. "Ok, oh, I guess that's good enough. So how do I look" She askes Dylan, who that makes a gesture with his hand's which could be taken for 'meh'. "Oh, thank you, you're a lot of help," Jasmine then moves in and gives him a kiss.
The door opened up and Steve walked into the room wearing a suit. "You're late," Jasmine said as he approached them.
"Well you know me," Steve replied as he buttoned up his shirt. "I know, you like to make a big entrance," Jasmine finished for him. She leaned in and started to help him button up his shirt."let me help you." As she was helping him, Steve started to speak to her. "Listen, before we do this I just wanna say I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what babe?" Jasmine asked him then made eye contact. "I should have done this a 'long' time ago."
"Do you have the ring?" asked the priest who was at the podium. "Uh, yes sir," Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring in its box. He bent down and handed the ring to Dylan. "Here make yourself useful." And he patted him on the back, earning a response from Dylan."Ow,"
"Witnesses?" The priest asked Steve and Jasmine after they turned to face him. "Uh?" They both said and turned, around and at that moment the door opened and David and Conny walked into the room.
"We got hung up," Conny apologized. "Well, let's get this show on the road." Said the priest as he started the wedding. Dylan pulled off his hat and gave Jasmine the ring. "Dearly beloved, we're gathered here in the site of god, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Any person who can show good cause why these two should not wed, please speak now or forever hold your peace." As he was talking, Conny looked over at David, and he looked back.
"Steve, will you take this woman to be your wedded wife? To live together with her in a holy state of matrimony? Will you love her; comfort her, honor her and keep her and in sickness and in health? And forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her, as long as you both shall live?"
David and Conny looked at one another for a few seconds. Then Conny took her hand and reached and started to take Davids hand into hers. And after a moment they were holding hands. "I will," Steve answered the priest. He looked at her and let out a breath of air and they both started laughing as Dylan looked and at them and smiled. While Conny and David were still holding hands.
The NORESS (the ship Dray and Thane are in)
Thane walked over to where Dray was working on a computer on the bridge. "Dray what are you doing?" Thane asked once he was close enough.
Dray replied."A little while ago, I realized that Scar has an implant in his head and the implant can be tracked; so I thought I could get onto a computer and locate where he is," Thane looked at the screen as Dray worked, and all of a sudden a small blip appeared on the monitor.
"Ha, ha, I found him!" Dray cheered in triumph. He looked closer at where Scar was and spoke." Huh, I guess they 'did' capture him; it says here that he's being held in some kind of scavenger facility. Now that we know where he is we can rescue him" Before he could go any further his and thanes communication devices started beeping. Dray answered his and was met with the distressed voice of an engineer on the command ship.
"Ok, ok, I'll come to check it out, just calm down." After hearing the distressed voice Thane couldn't help but ask. "what was that all about?" Dray replied, "Thane something happened up on the command ship and I have to go check it out, rescuing Scar will have to wait." Thane interjected. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean rescuing Scar will have to wait?"
"Thane, I'm the second in command, with Scar temporarily out of the picture, that makes me the highest ranking officer in this expedition. And with a potential emergency up on the command ship, the direst situations need to be dealt with first."
"Yeah, but we can't just 'wait' to save Scar; what if they kill him?" Thane thought for a second then spoke. "Hey, what if 'I' went up to the command ship to see what's wrong. Then 'you' can go and save Scar," Dray contemplated Thane's idea. "Well, I 'guess' we could do that, 'you' go see what's wrong and 'I' go save Scar."
"Is that a yes?" Thane asked.
Dray was silent for a moment then spoke. "Yes, yes go up there and see what's wrong, and I'll go get Scar."
The command ship (AKA the mothership)
A couple of hours later Thane had reached the command ship and went to the engine levels where the call had come from. Upon entering he could see that several fuel pods were gone, and others were severely damaged. He hadn't walked more than two steps before the head engineer called out to him. He looked to see a pearly white icewing approaching him.
"Major Thane, my name is Icee, I'm the head engineer, I wish we could have met under better circumstances." He said gesturing to all the destruction, Thane acknowledged the damage. "Yes I can see, you mind telling me what happened here?"
"Oh, of course." Replied Icee, "you see, we were in the middle of replacing one of the engine's parts. When there was a malfunction and the crane holding the part started spinning out of control. Then the part came flying off and struck a fuel pod causing it to explode and destroying the ones closest to it; the ones farther away were damaged badly."
"How much fuel did we lose?" Thane asked.
Icee replied."About seventy percent." A look of worry passed over Thane's face. "Do we have enough fuel to get back to Pyrrhia?" Icee shook his head. "No, we don't, with the fuel that's left we'd never make it. Even if we turned off all nonessential systems we still wouldn't have enough fuel to make it home."
Thane thought for a second then spoke. "We have no choice...we'll have to core the planet."