Chapter two

World War Two

Virgil groaned as he came to, the sounds he heard were so loud he thought his head was going to explode. He groaned again as he called to his younger brother, where he thought the noise was coming from.

"Gordon, turn down your music there are people trying to sleep here!" Virgil yelled. But the noise continued. Virgil yelled again, "Gordon Cooper Tracy, turn the music down!"

"Are you alright sir?" Virgil heard someone asked, though he didn't recognize the voice, it wasn't his father or any of his brothers.

Virgil slowly opened his eyes, and as the fog cleared he found himself staring, at a boy that couldn't be any older then him. The boy smiled at him and slowly helped him to his feet.

The boy was taller then Virgil, but that wasn't hard to do, after all Virgil was going to be the shortest of the Tracy boys, only being 5' 8" even Gordon was starting to pass him up. Gordon, this kid looked a lot like Gordon, with his red hair, and his corky smile. In fact if Virgil didn't know better he would have said he was Gordon.

"It's good to see you awake commander," the boy said with a smile.

"Who are you?" Virgil asked slowly rubbing his head that had started to hurt.

"Why it's me, Gordy Right, your navigator sir," the boy said looking worried.

"My navigator, wait- did you just call me sir," Virgil asked not trusting his ears this was starting to get weird.

"Your co-pilot needs you in the cockpit, sir," Gordy said, he looked a little scared.

"What, my co-pilot, what do you mea- Wait-what in the world," Virgil had just realized that he was on some kind of plane. Not the Tracy one it was far too big for that, and not thunderbird two it was far too old for that. Virgil walked up to one of the windows and around. He saw what the wings were carrying and his eyes widened. This was not just any plane. This was a B17 flying Fortress. He had done a report about it in history class his freshmen year; because it wasn't just a plane, it was a World War Two Bomber.

"What happened, how in the world did I get here?" Virgil asked himself.

"Are you alright sir?" Gordy asked from behind him.

Virgil turned to face the boy and said, "I'm fine," and then added to himself, "I think."

"Good, then come with me, Lt. Taylor is waiting for you," Gordy said gently taking Virgil by the arm and leading him down to the cockpit.

"Here you go commander," Gordy said rolling a seat around so Virgil could sit down.

As Virgil sat, the co-pilot turn to him and to his surprise, the Co-pilot was a woman.

"Hello there commander, it's good to see you awake again," the Lt. said with smile.

"If I may ask, who are you?" Virgil asked he was getting more confused by the minute.

"Lt. Lucy Taylor sir, at your service," Lucy said looking at him softly.

"Right, I knew that," Virgil said and he looked closely at her, she reminded him of someone, he just didn't know who.

"Okay now that we have all of that out of the way, do you want to take her for a while?" Lucy asked looking to Virgil.

Virgil brought his eye brows together in confusion and said, "Uh, take her?"

"Yes, you know fly the plane," Lucy said.

Virgil's eyes widened, if he had been offered to fly a B17 at home he would have jumped at the chance. But then he remembered the time Scott had flow thunderbird one into an air raid zone by mistake, and they had only be practicing, they had not be using real stuff, this was real.

"Oh, no that's okay you're doing just fine," Virgil said a little too quickly.

"Are you alright sir?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Virgil said and then he started whispering to himself, "I just wish I could remember how I got here, maybe Brains is testing something again. Brains-that's what this is, I'm in his dream machine."

"What was that commander?" Lucy asked.

"Hu, oh nothing, you don't have to understand-just so I do, what a relief." Virgil said with a sigh and then added, "Um, I think I will take over now lieutenant."

"Alright sir, she's all yours," Lucy said as Virgil took hold of his controls and she let go of hers.

"Airman, do you have a chart of our position?" Virgil asked Gordy.

"Oh, yes sir, um, we are right here, staying on course of sector 001," Gordy said pointing out their position on the map.

"Sector 001 hu?" Virgil asked looking their course sector and others on the map that Gordy held.

"Yes sir, we should be there in about six hours," Lucy said with a smile.

""What a minute we're taking the longest way home, change course, heading 118," Virgil said pointing out the heading.

"Sirrr!" Gordy now sounded very scared.

"Are you sure you want to do that Commander?" Lucy asked her smile fading.

"Hey, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line." Virgil pointed out.

"Yes but that straight line takes us right over Grimstad's sector," Lucy said.

"So?" Virgil asked not seeing what the problem was.

"He has the highest kill right in the third right sir," Gordy said his voice cracking a little.

"Gordy's right commander, the life span for someone entering that sector is about twenty seconds." Lucy said with fear evident in her voice.

"We can handle it, change course heading 118," Virgil said again.

"Yes sir, heading 118," Lucy said quietly, "Our heading is 118 sir."

"Now entering Grimstad sector sir," Gordy said slowly.

"Are you alright Lieutenant?" Virgil asked as Lucy went silent.

"I think you are taking a chance with this commander, especially with the way Grimstad feels about you," Lucy said.

Virgil gulped and said, "How-how he feels?"

"Oh you don't have to pretend we don't know sir, we were both briefed back at the base, through this war, Grimstad sees only one enemy-you," Lucy stated as she looked at the middle Tracy boy.

"Yeah, well-well I feel the same way about Grimstad." Virgil said firmly though he didn't know why, he had no idea who this Grimstad was.

"The radio is active sir," Gordy said just a voice crackled over it.

"Tracy-commander Tracy," the voice said.

"It's Grimstad," Lucy said softly.

"Open the channel," Virgil ordered.

"Open sir," Gordy said slowly.

"This is Tracy, Grimstad," Virgil said firmly.

"Ah, commander, wonderful to finally speak with you, are you ready to listen to my negations?" Grimstad's voice was rough and deep, it reminded Virgil somewhat of the hood's voice.

"Depends on what they are," Virgil said firmly trying to sound older then he really was.

"Jump out now and I won't shoot you down," Grimstad said.

"Don't do it Commander!" Lucy hissed so as not to be heard by Grimstad.

"Will you guarantee safe passage for my crew Grimstad?" Virgil asked.

"Of course," Grimstad said.

"Alright, it's a deal, Tracy out," Virgil said replacing the mike.

"What are you doing?" Lucy hissed.

"It's me he what's you said so yourself. Now if I can just get my parachute-there," Virgil said as he strapped on his parachute and added, "Once I'm clear you should be able to make it through."

"But you don't stand a chance with him!" Lucy shouted and Gordy nodded in agreement.

"And you two don't stand a chance if I stay!" Virgil shouted and then added to himself, "Besides-I want to see comes next."

"What!" both Lucy and Gordy yelled.

"Never mind, stand clear, I'm opening the door!" Virgil yelled as the jump door slowly opened.

"But; commander!" Lucy shouted over the roar of the wind.

"No argument, keep heading on Lieutenant." Virgil yelled.

"Virgil wait, there's something you need to know!" Lucy shouted but it was to late.

"Yeeehhhh!" Virgil yelled as he jumped.

After free falling he pulled his rip chord and let his parachute, it came out with no problem. Then he heard a light voice calling him.

"Virgil?"

Scott-this is a great dream," Virgil called to his older brother.

"Virgil-come on Virgil-come on," Scott's voice was so far away and Virgil didn't understand what his brother meant.

"Come on? Come on where Scott I-," Virgil stopped when he heard a ripping sound he looked up to see his parachute starting to tear, "Oh no, ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Virgil's voice carried far as his parachute tore completely sending falling the rest of the way down to ground.

T.B.C