Children of Southtown: The King of Fighters Saga

Chapter Negative One (-1)

"Prelude to the Nightmare – Part 1"

Thursday, April 16, 1994. Somewhere off the coast of Southtown, California. Thirty miles from the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Manitoba (CV-58). 11 A.M., Pacific Standard Time.

"Manitoba Control, Blue Lion 12. 30 miles to landing, Fuel 2.9. Requesting clearance to land."

"Blue Lion 12, Manitoba Control. Roger that. You are cleared to land. Call the Ball."

"Roger. Pretty Boy has the Ball."

Two naval officers on the Intercom were Lieutenant Kotaro "Pretty Boy" Tsurugi and Lieutenant Dieter "Fokker" Rickenbacker. Tsurugi was flying F-14D Super Tomcat Number 312 (with his trusty Radar Intercept Officer Lieutenant Kathryn "9-Lives" Wheeler in the back seat of the fast, steel behemoth of a jet, a "Flying Tennis Court," as all pilots have joked about the venerable Tomcat). Rickenbacker was the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) of the day, standing on the platform at the rear left of the carrier, port side of the angled flight deck. Dieter was the one calling the shots during the pilots' carrier landing qualifications trials.

"Hey, Kotaro! What's for lunch? We had Italian yesterday and Mongolian the day before." Kathryn called out from the back seat. She was beginning to get hungry from today's landing practice sortie.

"I don't know, Kate. My mind's kinda blank right now." Kotaro replied, his voice somewhat droning as he concentrated on getting their jet back to the carrier.

As it descended to 200 feet, it was pitched at a 30-degree angle, speed indicator on the HUD inside the cockpit reading 120 knots. Right on the money. Kotaro has done this a good number of times with a fair amount of confidence in himself as a reasonably seasoned Fleet fighter pilot.

"Okay, Pretty Boy. You're right on Glide Slope. Bring it slightly right."

Kotaro eased his right rudder as gently as any aviator with normal coordination would.

"100 feet. Power, liiiiiiitle power. 80. 75. Bring 'er home, Stud!" Dieter, a 30-year-old, 5 foot 11 inches tall dirt blonde pilot called out from his platform telephone. His family was originally from Vienna, Austria, but he was predominantly raised in Clean Waters, Florida. Hence, his distinct southern accent couldn't be missed by any officer aboard the carrier through the operations intercom.

Dieter initially served as an enlisted Submarine Electronics Technician in the Navy for four years (rated ET2, Submarine Silent Service qualified) before getting picked up to attend the Emory-Bridle Aeronautical University at Owatonna Beach, Florida, through the Seaman-To-Admiral program, a combined enlisted commissioning-Navy ROTC scholarship program. Upon graduating from EBAU with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Business Management, he was commissioned as an Ensign and eventually became an A-7 Corsair attack jet pilot.

Something similar could be said of Kotaro, a 27-year-old Japanese-American pilot (who could have easily been mistaken as the Asian replica of the handsome New Yorker actor Tim Cross who similarly portrayed a carrier aviator in the coveted air combat movie Top Sling, released in 1986, eight years prior) and Katie (a beautiful 26-year-old brunette RIO with green eyes who could've been the next-generation Grace Keating).

Kotaro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and raised by an uncle and aunt in nearby Sherman Grove, California. He was the only child of two officers in the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) who entrusted his guardians with his care. After graduation from Reseda High School, he enlisted in the Navy as an Aircraft Hydraulic Mechanic. He initially worked on the S-3 Viking "Submarine Hunter" jets for two years with the "Checkmates" of Submarine Control Squadron 22 (VS-22) before attending the University of California at Southtown (as a paid NROTC midshipman and an Economics major with a minor in Advertising Illustration at the most renowned college in Southern California).

Katie was born in Nelson Air Force Base, Nevada, the only daughter of a US Air Force two-star general and his English wife (a music teacher). She grew up in Locklear Harbor, Illinois, near Chicago, and, upon graduation from Locklear Harbor High School, she enlisted as an Aircraft Engine Mechanic working on F/A-18C Hornet strike fighter jets. She served with the "Gunslingers" of Strike Fighter Squadron 105 (VFA-105) before becoming an NROTC midshipman. Prior to attending the University of Illinois at Chicago (as a Kinesiology major), she qualified as a Plane Captain ("Brown Shirt") in her squadron and made Junior Sailor of the Year (JSOY).

The Tomcat landed with a booming thud, teeth-grating screech of its landing gear, and a deafening roar of its GE TF-110 engine all across the angled flight deck of the Manitoba. Its tailhook at the rear-bottom portion of its fuselage snagged the Number 3 Wire on the back ramp of the ship, helping it stay on the flight deck instead of letting it either spearhead nose first into the water or have the two crew members go around for another landing pass. Kotaro and Katie just finished their daytime landing practice. The pair were then directed by an enlisted "Yellow Shirt" Aviation Boatswain's Mate to park on the "Six-Pack" area of the flight deck, just right in front of the Island (the carrier's control tower).

Kotaro shut down the engines and raised his jet's canopy so he and Katie could get out of the aircraft. It was an exhausting couple of hours for this sortie as both of them must have lost a few pounds due to the dry spring heat emitted by the sun at up to 20,000 feet during flight. Not to mention all 50 to 60 pounds worth of gear wrapped up around their bodies and the 10-pound flight helmet over their heads. Katie stepped off the jet through its built-in, switch-activated ladder on its left side, and Kotaro followed suit.

On the flight deck, their squadron P.C., Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class (AT3) Bryan Kowalski, a 19-year-old Polish-American young man from Prominence, Rhode Island, crisply popped to attention and saluted both of them.

"Sir, Ma'am, welcome back. I hope your landing practice for the day was terrific," Bryan happily remarked as he shook both of their hands.

"It was awesome, Bryan. Thanks for asking," Kotaro replied with an earnest smile on his face.

"No problem, Lieutenant. By the way, the Captain wants to see you and Ms. Wheeler on the bridge."

"What's this all about? I didn't do anything wrong. Katie and I have managed to stay out of trouble for years on end during our time in the Fleet so far."

"Oh, none of that nature, Sir. Probably just an upcoming awards ceremony in the hangar bay. Another one for your personal memorabilia, if you play your cards right and consistently."

"Right, right. See you later, Bryan."

"Likewise, Sir. And, Ma'am." Bryan nodded, and the pair nodded back as they went inside the tower for decompression and debriefing.