Factorgetcool: oof, indeed.
By the way, I'm currently writing an original fiction story. Don't worry, though: it won't get in the way of my stories here.
I don't know if I made this clear enough in the last chapter, but finding the concentration camp turned Tails to the Allies' side for good, and that's why he went to the US instead of Japan.
With all of that out of the way, enjoy.
I held an iron grip on the yoke, still fuming from my encounter with Chief Dill. I flew fifteen kilometers above the ocean's surface, yet that was all that was in sight for just short of forty-five minutes. Very shortly after the northern shores of the United States came into view, my radio spat out noise with bits of speech peeking through.
"This… Virg… N. tion Base…" Silence followed.
"Come again?"
"This is Virginia Naval Aviation Base. You're flying an unscheduled flight into American airspace. Identify yourself," a woman's voice ordered.
"Miles," I stated. "I just need somewhere to land."
"Miles. Surname?" I hesitated.
"Prower…"
"Miles "Tails" Prower," she declared. My heart skipped a beat. "Hangar B7 of Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts is reserved for you. After you land, you are requested to remain inside your plane until Major Cavour and Captain Reeves are there to meet you. And welcome to the USA!"
"Er… Thanks, but, uh… How do you know my… N-nevermind that. Where's Boston?" She gave me the direction and distance to the city, so I thanked her and flew on my way.
x
After flying for a while, a large coastal city appeared from over the horizon, which I presumed to be Boston. The town didn't host any distinct features—it was just like any other big city. I flew around the city until I located a structure that resembled an airport, and I landed on strip B after confirming that I was at the right one. I pulled into strip B's seventh hangar, and the door closed behind me.
Two uniformed men then appeared from a doorway in the front of the hangar. The Major and Captain, I assumed. I took this as my queue to reveal myself. As I opened the blast shield and jumped to the ground, however, one of the men wavered a bit, and the other couldn't quite mask his expression. A long, awkward silence ensued…
"Er… Good afternoon…" I finally greeted. The men recomposed themselves, but never shed their uneasiness.
"Good afternoon. I'm Captain Reeves," one of them returned. His voice sounded rather on edge.
"Major Cavour," said the other with a similar tone.
"Miles Prower. Ace Pilot," I introduced. Their faces revealed a hint of delight and surprise. "And… I'm not sure what I'm doing here. Do either of you know?"
"Er, we do not, sorry," Major Cavour answered. "President Roosevelt ordered that we bring you to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in secret. An aerospace laboratory is currently being approved for your use. That's all we were told."
I paused for a moment to think. The only explanation for this was that Chief Dill had quickly reconsidered my request and commissioned the US government to carry it out. Why had he reconsidered so quickly, though? Was I such a valuable asset that he would relent in order to have me back? That was obviously the case. I wondered whether I could trust this gesture and return to London in the future.
"I see. Let's hurry, then." They nodded and led me to a door that was on the same wall I entered through, and out into the cool afternoon sun. The Major locked the door behind me and pocketed the key. We crossed the runway and made our way to a large, dark green vehicle with a matching cover draped over the back of it. The captain gestured for me to get in the back, and I did. They started the truck and began to drive.
x
About half an hour passed before the vehicle parked. After a few minutes, the Major opened the back of the truck and set a large box in front of me. I didn't need an explanation. I got in the box and waited for him to close it. He did not, though. He only wore a confused stare. I stared back.
"Aren't you… gonna smuggle me in? So I'm not seen?"
"No, I was gonna pack those tools up to deliver to the lab. Captain Reeves has already requested that everyone stay out of the hallway until further notice."
"Oh." I got out of the box and helped him pack up a few sets of tools that had been sitting in the back with me. He led me inside the building, set the box down at the entrance, and I followed him until we ran into Captain Reeves.
"They've signed it," he said to the Major. Cavour nodded.
"Signed what?" I asked.
"An oath of confidentiality. They've sworn secrecy to your existence."
"Who did?" I persisted.
"Your crew. A few students who worked in this building have agreed to assist you. Also, your plane will be here in about an hour. Until then, you can get acquainted with your crew. They're right in here," the Captain said, pointing to a nearby doorway. I was going to argue that I didn't need any help, but I didn't want to antagonize. "Well follow you inside for a few minutes… in case anyone reacts violently."
"No need. I have plenty of fighting experience," I assured. He clearly didn't believe me, but he didn't say so.
"Alright, but we're responsible for your safety. We need to accompany you inside until we're sure that no one will become violent." I accepted his reasoning and entered through the door with the officers behind me.
No one noticed us; all five people who were inside were hard at work preparing the basketball court sized room. They were laying out tools, papers, and whatnot onto an array of tables that surrounded a central working space. Strange, rustic parts were lying at the edges of the room.
I wondered how I could present myself without causing panic. I thought of a few ways to reach that end. My first thought was to announce my presence before anyone discovered me on their own. Secondly, I needed to talk. A lot. In my few experiences of meeting new people, me talking seemed to calm them significantly. Thirdly, I prayed that these were calm and rational people. I then prepared a brief speech in my head and stepped forward.
"Hey, there, everyone! My name is Tails, and I'm here to add some upgrades to my plane," I said in a cheerful tone. The four men and one woman stopped what they were doing and stared in shock when they saw me. I heard something hit the ground, but I continued. "My plane will be here in about an hour, so I want to get to know everyone before then."
No one responded. One man took a few steps back, and another put his hand on his forehead.
"I swear I don't do drugs anymore," a third man repeatedly mumbled to himself. The remaining man and the woman simply kept staring. Maybe speaking wasn't quite human enough to quell their fear. Perhaps I should show some emotion! I put on a rather hurt face and lowered my ears and tails, a dangerously deceptive tactic that I liked to only use when necessary.
"Did… Did I say something wrong?" I asked sheepishly. The woman stood up straight and waved her hands a bit.
"N-no, no! My name's Victoria," she said. I smiled and raised my tails and ears. I realized that I would have to continue acting like a child after an act like that, but I felt like I could pull it off. After a few cutting glances from Victoria, the others followed suit. They introduced themselves as Michael, Fred, Jordan, and Jared. Everyone was still unnerved, but they began to hide it more and more. Once their tensions seemed to be satisfactorily relieved, the officers left. No one dared to ask questions, and I didn't dare to reveal about myself, so we ran out of things to talk about in only ten minutes. There wasn't much work left to do, either. After everything, we were left with thirty minutes to spare. We spent this time discussing everything we would be doing with my plane. I was well aware that I would have to teach them to work with the more advanced technology used in my plane, so I had a question to ask to determine how hard this would be.
"Do computers exist yet?" I asked. I was given several strange looks.
"Well, yes, but those are only for major engineering companies," Jared answered.
"What do they do?"
"They… make complex calculations instantly."
"I see… In that case, my plane uses technology that you've never seen—that this world's never seen—before." I only received skeptical looks. "So, are you up to learning?"
They nodded slowly. At this time, the sound of several approaching vehicles met my ears. I seemed to be the first to hear it, so I waited until they were in parking lot proximity of the building. The others still seemed to be unaware.
"Well, the plane's here," I announced. "I think so, at least. I'll go hide in the bathroom, now."
And hide in the bathroom I did. Instead of listening to what was happening outside, though, I thought about everything that had transpired in the past hour. Everything was beginning to look down, but it was all suddenly fixed. All thanks to Chief Dill. I smiled. I then remembered that I had left all of my plans for CoMAI and plane additions in London. I ground my wrist into my forehead for that stupid mistake, but I knew that I remembered most of what I wrote. I dreaded wasting so much time rewriting all of that, but it had to be done. Once the sound outside of the bathroom died down, I cracked the door open and peeked out. There, in the middle of the room, sat my beautiful plane. No one I didn't recognize was there, so I stepped out, ready to conduct all proceedings for all of the foreseeable future.
Hey, If you ever think I'm taking too long to post, feel free to give me a nudge in the PM's, I'll probably be procrastinating and just need a good push. For right now, though, I've planned a pentalogy that will be posted to TheOtherLeolu. So I might be pretty slow in the future. Also, band camp and school are coming up, so even more delays. Fun, right? Well, if you're into Pokémon, then maybe check out Manifest Destiny whenever it's posted.
Reviews still appreciated, all that stuff. See you next chapter!