I got my L's last month, and am learning to drive. It's very scary, especially on highways and motorways where there is lots of traffic. What better way to express my fear than with a story?
First Flight
He stared at the small, round ship in shock.
I have to fly this?! His mind screamed. That's insane!
Major Evan Lorne had flown plenty of planes before, but none compared to the Puddle Jumper. Beside him, Sergeant Cain stood with a clipboard of names – pilots that would learn to fly the Puddle Jumper that day. The first thing Doctor Weir had done upon her arrival on Earth was to recruit several military pilots who could fly the Jumpers into battle, after a previous disaster with mediocre pilots. She took one look at Lorne's profile and assigned him as second-in-command and Jumper pilot. Something he would have been pleased for, if not for his nervousness at flying these ships. From what he had been told, Jumpers were more sensitive and a lot easier to crash and completely screw up. Not something he was eager for.
Cain ushered Lorne inside and plonked in the co-pilots seat, leaving Lorne to pilot. He sat down nervously and gingerly touched the controls, pausing to wipe his sweaty palms.
"Major, it's not going to help if you're nervous," Cain told him. The Sergeant was one of the better pilots.
"I know, but this is a lot different than an F-22." Lorne licked his lips nervously.
"This baby could fly rings around one of them ships," Cain assured him. "Just keep calm and try not to think about firing."
Lorne sighed in exasperation. "Now that's what I'm thinking about!"
The Sergeant sighed and leaned back in his chair, wrapping his fingers around his clipboard boredly. "There are twenty other pilots, Major. Denying the inevitable won't make it any easier."
Taking a deep breath, Lorne gripped the controls and felt a shuddering run through his body, right into the Jumper. His gene activated the ship and the window in front of them flashed with a map of their location at the Alpha Site.
"Good," Cain commented. "Now get us off the ground."
Outside, twenty other pilots watched the Jumper slowly rise off the ground and hover.
"How's that?" Lorne asked breathlessly.
"You're too tense. Relax your grip, then fly up and over the base, head towards those mountains and back here over the Stargate."
Lorne did what he was told, feeling like he was just learning to drive again, except there were no pedals, speedometer, indicators and mileage. He nudged the ship forward with his mind; turning the controls when needed; sweat forming on his face. This was so nerve-wracking! Imagine if he were to crash-
The Jumper suddenly plummeted, causing a scream of fear from Cain. STOP! Lorne screamed in his mind. It obeyed him and stopped the plunge mid-air, the inertial dampeners making it so he didn't feel a thing. Cain panted beside him, clutching to his chair.
He gulped. "At least you can stop it."
Feeling a bit more hopeful (and embarrassed at the spectacle he'd caused) Lorne forged on, pushing crashing from his mind. It was hard, but flying a Jumper would be necessary since he was a member of the Atlantis Expedition. He would have to master it. At least he was a better pilot than Beckett, who was so scared that he often refused to take a Jumper off world, choosing to walk instead.
When he got back to the landing site, he touched down gently and leaned back in relief. It was over. He hadn't crashed, except for that one frightening moment, and had hopefully taken the first step towards becoming as good of a pilot as Sheppard with Jumpers.