Hawke shook his head as he watched the portly man with a puffy, snow white beard unwind a coil from an object that resembled a pair of artillery shells joined back-to-back with open panels exposing wires, tubes and other electronic components. When Archangel showed him the file on The Philadelphia Experiment, he hadn't been too surprised. After all, such a test had been conducted on the Yonaga's Earth. So why shouldn't a similar test have taken place on this Earth? What did surprise him was that The FIRM had known about it, even kept tabs on one of the key scientists on the original project. Dr. Frederick Groncowicz, the old man who stood before him.

"So you've actually been working on this thing for the past forty years?"

"That's right." Groncowicz handed the coil to a FIRM technician wearing white overalls. He then looked to Hawke, his face sporting a sour expression. "Off and on. When The FIRM had a renewed interest in the project and gave me funding for it."

"I find it hard to believe that after forty years you haven't gotten this thing to work," said Lieutenant Ross, who stood next to Hawke.

"It does work," the old scientist snapped. "This device has opened portals to parallel Earths on numerous occasions."

"Then what's the problem?"

Groncowicz scowled at the young Navy officer. "The problem is keeping the portal stable. And that's a problem I could fix if the damn FIRM didn't pull my funding whenever something goes wrong." His voice grew louder as he said this. He also peered over his shoulder at the FIRM technicians, as if wanting to make sure they heard him. Two of them gazed at the old man before rolling their eyes and returning to work.

Hawke sensed tension grip Ross' muscular form. The Navy officer's right cheek twitched. "So what you're saying is, the only hope my shipmates and I have of returning to our world is a machine that may not work?"

"It will work, Lieutenant." Groncowicz's face twisted in anger. "The last full-scale test I did with this equipment, I maintained the integrity of the portal for nearly fifteen minutes."

"And how long ago was that?"

"About ten years ago."

"And what happened after those fifteen minutes?"

"The portal collapsed, and . . . and it knocked out New York City."

Hawke's eyes widened. Ten years ago? New York City? "Wait a minute. You caused the 1977 Blackout?"

Groncowicz's scowl deepened, to the point he bared his teeth. "It's not like I intended for that to happen." He turned his back and checked over his machinery.

The corners of Hawke's mouth twisted. He remembered the news reports of that blackout. The widespread looting and arson, whole blocks of the city destroyed, hundreds injured, thousands arrested.

All caused by the man tasked with getting Yonaga back to its own Earth.

Hawke turned to Ross. Despite the younger man's stony façade, he could sense an underlying nervousness.

But what choice do we have? This is their only shot at getting home.

Some choice.

"Doctor Groncowicz," one of the technicians said. "All hook-ups to the engines are complete."

Groncowicz nodded. "The remote unit is set up. All systems are green. We're ready to proceed."

"And you're sure this will work?" Ross asked.

Groncowicz sighed loudly. "It will work. I've matched the energy signature of the portal your ship went through. I've run the calculations a dozen times. This machine will open a portal to your home Earth."

"For only fifteen minutes, if we're lucky."

"Fifteen minutes is sufficient for Yonaga and her escorts to transit the portal."

"I hope so."

Groncowicz glowered at Ross.

Hawke's eyes flickered between the two. His jaw tightened. They couldn't afford to worry any longer. It was time to turn this gizmo on and hope for the best.

"C'mon, everyone. Let's get out of here."

Hawke led the little group up the steel steps and onto the deck of the USS Bainbridge. He couldn't help but wonder what sort of pull Archangel used to get the Navy to give up one of their nuclear-powered cruisers. Then again, Bainbridge was one of the older surface nuke ships in the fleet. There were other cruisers a lot more modern than her.

Considering the threat Colonel Kadafi posed on Yonaga's Earth, sacrificing the Bainbridge was a small price to pay to help stop that madman.

The group headed to the aft helipad. Hawke, Ross and Groncowicz boarded Airwolf, while The FIRM technicians got on a Navy SH-3 Sea King. Airwolf lifted off first, followed by the Sea King. While the chopper carrying the technicians flew north to rendezvous with a FIRM support ship, Hawke pointed Airwolf's nose to the east.

Straight ahead of him was the massive form of Yonaga, surrounded by her escorting destroyers. Concern swelled within him. He glanced at the irritable scientist in the right jump seat, and prayed his damn machine worked as advertised.

A couple minutes later, Airwolf touched down on the carrier's deck. There to greet them were Commander Yoshi Matsuhara, Admiral Allen, Santini, Colonel Bernstein and Admiral Fujita. Hawke couldn't help but be surprised by his presence. The old admiral looked so frail he didn't think him able to stand.

Hawke exited Airwolf, followed by Ross and Groncowicz.

"All is ready?" asked Fujita, who gripped a leather-bound book in his small hands.

"Yes," Groncowicz stated. "The portal device is hooked up to Bainbridge's nuclear reactor. When I activate the remote control on Airwolf, the portal to your Earth will open."

"You're sure about that?" Allen asked.

"Yes I'm sure," Groncowicz snapped. "I've been working on this project since the beginning. Contrary to what some people believe, I do know what I'm doing."

"For our sakes, and for the sake of our Earth, I hope that is true." Matsuhara gave the scientist a hard stare.

Groncowicz just glared back at Yonaga's air group commander.

"Then it appears this is farewell." Fujita took two small steps toward Hawke. "Mister Hawke, again I will tell you that I am thoroughly impressed by your combat skills, as well as your . . . creativity. Your method for destroying those Arab submarines was ingenious."

Hawke's eyes widened. Fujita didn't strike him as the type to give out compliments frivolously. "Thank you, Admiral." He found himself bowing slightly.

Fujita bowed back.

"To be honest," Hawke continued, "when Airwolf's gunswere knocked out, and those subs popped up, I remembered what you told me back in the conference room. About how you had to keep fighting no matter what, how you couldn't just quit, even when it looks like you have nothing to fight with. Your words gave me a lot of inspiration."

"That was my intent. I hope that what I am about to give you will provide you with more inspiration for whatever future battles you find yourself in."

Fujita handed him the book he'd been holding. Hawke looked at it, noting the Japanese script on the cover.

"Thank you, Admiral. Um, what is it?"
"It is your very own copy of the Hagakure. You are a fine warrior, Stringfellow Hawke. Read this, and you will become a great warrior."

Hawke opened up the Hagakure and skimmed through it. His brow furrowed as he looked up at Fujita. "It's in Japanese."

"Then you should learn Japanese. Unless you do not desire to be a great warrior."

A slight smile crept across Hawke's lips. Looks like I'm gonna have a new project when I get home.

Fujita took a step back. "Stringfellow Hawke. Dominic Santini. We thank you for the service you rendered to Yonaga in our latest battle against the forces of the madman Kadafi."

The old admiral raised his hand for a salute. Ross, Matsuhara, Allen and Bernstein did the same.

Hawke glanced at Santini, then back to Yonaga's senior staff. The two returned their salutes.

"Thank you for helping defend our country," Hawke said. "We couldn't have succeeded without you."

"Good luck on your Earth," Santini added. "And be sure to give that nutjob Kadafi a swift kick in the ass for us."

"We will." Ross smiled. "You can count on it."

After a final round of good-byes, Hawke, Santini and Groncowicz boarded Airwolf and took off. The chopper hovered a mile away from the carrier and her escorts, the nose pointed directly at the stationary form of the USS Bainbridge.

"You ready, Doc?" Hawke turned to the scientist.

Groncowicz responded by holding up the brick-shaped remote control with its long, thick antenna. He flipped a switch. A light at the top glowed green.

"We have a good signal. Activating portal device in three, two, one."

Groncowicz's thumb pushed down on a big red button.

Hawke gazed out the windscreen, his chest tightening with anticipation. The Bainbridge bobbed in the waves. He gripped the stick tighter, waiting for something. Lights, sparks, flashes, something out of movies like Back To The Future or The Terminator.

But nothing like that came from Bainbridge.

"You sure that thing's working?" Hawke whipped his head toward Groncowicz.

"Yes it's working. Just wait a minute."

Hawke scowled under his helmet. What little faith he had in this mad scientist evaporated. Couldn't Archangel have gotten someone else who'd worked on The Philadelphia Experiment? Someone more competent? Someone who didn't cause a disastrous blackout in New York ten years ago?

"Whoa!" Santini blurted. "What's that?"

Hawke peered out the windscreen. He held his breath when he noticed a glowing green fog surrounding the Bainbridge. Bolts of lightning shot out of the fog.

Suddenly a white glow enveloped the cruiser. It expanded just as Hawke turned away. He blinked a few times and looked back.

A dark portal formed over the ocean. Blue flashes lit up the inky blackness.

"It worked," he muttered.

"Don't sound so surprised," Groncowicz grumbled. "I said it would work."

Hawke watched as Yonaga cleaved through the water at flank speed, followed by its five destroyers. His eyes flickered between the World War II relics and the portal.

Stay open. Stay open. His heartbeat increased, fueled by anxiety. Visions of the portal collapsing, and Yonaga stranded on this Earth, flooded his mind.

Relief swelled within him as Yonaga was swallowed up by the darkness. Then, one by one, the destroyers disappeared in the portal.

Both he and Santini let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

Five minutes later, the portal flickered, then collapsed. The green fog around Bainbridge glowed brighter than a neon sign. Brighter . . . Brighter.

A brilliant fireball vaporized the cruiser.

"Dammit!" Groncowicz raged.

"Calm down, Doc," said Santini. "You knew that machine was gonna blow."

Groncowicz snapped his head toward Santini. "Do you know how many years of work I put into that machine? Now I have to start all over again. That is, if The FIRM gives me money to do it. And who knows if those fickle bastards will do it."

"Ah, quit bein' so selfish. You helped get all those folks back to their own Earth."

Groncowicz ignored Santini's words and continued to rant about losing his portal device.

Hawke tuned him out, instead looking down at his copy of the Hagakure given to him by Admiral Fujita. He stared out the windscreen, past the blossoming fireball that had been the Bainbridge, and to the area where the portal had been just minutes before.

"Good luck, guys."

XXXXX

Brent Ross' stomach twisted in knots as he stood in Yonaga's crowded Combat Information Center. Twelve hours. Twelve hours had passed since they'd gone through the portal, and they hadn't heard so much as a peep from anyone or anything. US Pacific Command in Hawaii, Anderson Air Force Base on Guam, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Headquarters. Lieutenant Okazu, Yonaga's communications officer, couldn't raise any of them. He couldn't even pick up any civilian radio stations. Colonel Bernstein theorized the recently opened portal was causing the same sort of communications problems they experienced on that other Earth. Fujita ordered Yonaga and its escorts to steam due west for Japan. Hopefully they would be out of this interference zone soon.

Hopefully, they were back on their Earth.

All eyes remained on Okazu as he continued to twist dials and speak into his microphone. The only reply he got was static. Ross tensed, waiting to hear a voice telling them all they were home.

He waited five minutes. Ten minutes. A half-hour. An hour. Ross started praying harder than he could ever remember. They had to be back home. They couldn't have wound up on another Earth. What chance would their Earth have without Yonaga to oppose Colonel Kad-

"Yo . . . Yonaga. Is that you?" A voice in Japanese said over the speaker.

Okazu audibly gasped before he replied. "H-Hei. This is Yonaga. Is this Maritime Self-Defense Headquarters?"

"Hei. Now give us your authentication code."

"Five-Five-Two-Seven-Omega-Nine-Omega-Five."

A pause. "Authentication code confirmed. It is good to hear from you Yonaga. We feared you had been lost."

We were, in a way, Ross mused.

Admiral Fujita took the microphone from Okazu. "Headquarters, this is Admiral Fujita. Is the Chinese laser satellite still active?"

"Um, yes. Yes, Sir, it is."

"And Kadafi's murderers still run wild throughout the world?"

"Um, yes, Sir. They do."

The Admiral's slight shoulders sagged visibly. "Then we are, at long last, home."

Shouts erupted through the CIC. "Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!"

Ross couldn't keep the smile off his face. He turned and grasped Yoshi Matsuhara's hand, pumping it furiously.

"He did it. That crazy old man did it."

"I wish I could say I didn't have any doubts," Matsuhara said. "But now whatever doubts I did have have been put to rest."

"Put me in touch with Captain Jojima." Fujita referred to the Yonaga's liaison with the JMSDF.

"Hei! At once, Admiral."

A couple minutes later a new voice came over the speaker. "Admiral Fujita. This is Captain Jojima. It is good to finally hear from you. Are you well?"

"Hei. Yonaga and her escorts are all operating at one hundred percent."

"That is good to hear. What of the al Bayda battle group?"

"Destroyed, and the Port of Los Angeles saved."

More Banzais echoed through CIC.

"Good job, Admiral. Are you en route back to Japan?"

"Hei."

"Good. I am afraid your services are needed immediately. Kadafi's forces have seized the Batan Islands north of The Philippines. Intelligence believes they will use it as a base to launch long-range bombers against the Home Islands. Yonaga must neutralize this threat."

Ross sighed. They'd just been to another Earth, fought an Arab carrier battle group, and had to rely on a risky science experiment to return them to their Earth. The whole crew deserved at least a month's shore leave after something like that.

Instead, they had to rush off and deal with another threat from Kadafi.

Then again, such was the life of a warrior.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for reading this, and for reviewing. I always desire feedback to my stories. Reviews are very helpful and appreciated. The Yonaga, and the members of its crew, are not my creations. They belong to the late author Peter Albano from his series of "The Seventh Carrier" novels that came out during the 1980s and 1990s. This is just my small way of honoring a series I enjoyed a lot. Banzai!

Now, if you liked this story, you'll enjoy my new original alien invasion novel "Dark Wings." It's available in paperback from Amazon and as an e-book from smashwords-dot-com.