SPACE: 1999 YEAR 2
JOURNEY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
SECTION TWENTY-TWO: ABOVE THE SILENCE
Just before lunchtime, Helena Russell strolled confidently into the Command Center, her expression brimming with amusement. Her steps were light, as though she was carrying an amusing secret. She leaned over the back of John's chair, putting her hands down on his shoulders.
"Heard you made a little trip down to the Hangar Bay," John said.
"We did," Helena said, her voice carrying a mischievous undertone.
John picked up on that undertone immediately. Doctor Russell was up to something.
"Have fun?"
"We did," Helena replied smoothly.
"In fact," she paused, drawing out her words as her eyes gleamed with playful intent. "Maya would love to learn how to fly an Eagle. Alan's taking Eagle Four up this afternoon, and he said she's more than welcome to join."
"What?" Tony's sharp voice cut through the room, his head snapping up from his console. His dark eyes were wide, registering both surprise and a flicker of concern as they locked onto Helena.
Helena simply shrugged, the corner of her mouth twitching into a teasing smile as she met Tony's gaze. "She's curious, Tony."
Tony swiveled his chair towards Koenig's desk, his brows pulling together in a deep furrow. "Does she have any idea how dangerous that is?" His tone was sharp, laced with a protective edge that he couldn't quite mask.
Helena waved a hand, dismissing his worry with an airy laugh. "Relax, Tony. She's not trying to join Reconnaissance full-time. She just wants to know the basics in case there's ever a need."
She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a mock scolding look. "Besides, who said the girls can't join the fun?"
Tony's frown deepened, his jaw tightening. His mind raced with thoughts of Maya in the pilot seat of an Eagle, exposed to risks she didn't fully comprehend. He knew Maya was capable. Brilliant even, but that didn't stop the small knot of anxiety forming in his chest.
John leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the desk as he studied Tony's reaction.
"You know, she does have a good point," he mused. "In an emergency, she's not the only one who might be forced to."
Tony's arms crossed tighter over his chest, and he shot a frustrated look at both John and Helena.
"Really?" His voice was low, edged with exasperation. "Are we really considering this?"
Verdeschi knew that with Maya's boundless curiosity, it was a miracle she hadn't already managed to convince him or Alan to take her up. He could almost picture her wide-eyed excitement.
"How'd you finally talk her out of it?" Tony asked.
Helena shifted her stance, moving from behind John's chair to stand by his desk. She tilted her head, giving both men a sly smile.
"Uhm, well… I may have mentioned that she needs clearance from John first."
John raised an eyebrow, an amused smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Helena."
Helena lifted her hands in mock surrender. "Well, it was a good, temporary stall tactic."
John chuckled, shaking his head. "Normally, I would be against this."
Tony's eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into his expression. "Normally?" he repeated, his voice tense.
John leaned forward, meeting Tony's gaze head-on.
"But… it's a good skill for her to have. Just in case," he murmured. "Tony, go find those two, go have fun in Eagle 4 for a while. Just no rolls, no dives." He looked at Verdeschi with an ordering expression. "Behave yourselves."
Tony pushed himself up from his chair abruptly, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Good Lord," he muttered, exhaling loudly. He knew Maya was more than capable of handling the challenge. He knew Alan wouldn't take up any Eagle unless it met his judgement. But the thought of Maya in any danger…it gnawed at him.
He shot a somewhat hostile glance at Helena, his expression caught between somewhere between annoyed gratitude.
"Thanks, Doctor," he said sarcastically, his dark eyes giving just a brief flicker of reluctant acceptance.
"Anytime, Tony," Helena replied, a wide grin spreading across her face, clearly enjoying the spectacle she had stirred up.
As Tony stormed out of the Command Center, John Koenig was sure that he heard some mumbled Italian phrases flowing from the younger man's lips despite not being prone to doing so very often. Judging from the tone of Verdeschi's voice, Koenig was glad that Italian was not a language that he had ever studied.
Helena and John exchanged knowing glances before she burst out into laughter, her amusement bubbling to the surface. "Well, that went better than I expected."
John shook his head, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "I'm with Tony on this one," he said, giving Helena a playful yet scolding look. "Thanks, Doctor Russell."
"You're welcome, Commander Koenig," she responded with an impish giggle, clearly not feeling the least bit guilty.
Tony found Maya and Alan in the dining area, eating lunch. Carter's hand was weaving through the air, tracing the motions of a maneuver, his voice animated as he was obviously explaining something about flying. Maya's giggle spilled out, warm and melodic.
The sound of her laughter caught Tony off guard. It was something that she was doing more of with each passing day. He paused for half a second, his gaze softening as he watched her. Her face was lit with excitement, her blue eyes practically sparkling as she followed Carter's enthusiastic gesture as he regaled her with what was probably some wildly enhanced story.
How could he stay mad at her when all she really wanted was to learn more about Alpha? How could he stay mad at someone who, with just a laugh, could make the rest of the universe simply fade into the background? He inhaled, mentally scolding himself again before he moved to join them.
Alan was the first to spot him. His hand froze mid-motion, and he tilted his head, his grin widening mischievously. "Verdeschi, come to join us for lunch or you hunting for people to throw into the brig?"
Tony rolled his eyes, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Oh, very funny," he muttered, though his tone lacked any real heat.
Carter leaned back and grabbed his coffee, taking a leisurely sip. "So, what's up?"
Tony laced his fingers together, resting them on the table. "Actually, we will be," he said as he looked at Alan's tray. "Once you're both finished with lunch."
"Huh?" Alan raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Your taking Eagle 4 up, right?" Tony asked.
Carter nodded.
You know that system we're headed for?"
"Yeah," Carter slowly replied, his tone cautious.
"If we approach close enough to investigate, Koenig wants Maya to join in. Before we get there, he wants us to show her round the Eagle, give her the basics."
Carter's eyes lit up, his grin turning into something sly. "You mean let her sit in the pilot seat?"
Tony shifted, straightened in his chair and then folded his arms. "A little," he said with just enough authority to make it sound official, professional.
"We'll start with onboard computer systems; she'll need to handle those first." Tony said, giving Carter what Maya thought seemed a rather odd nod.
Tony glanced at Maya, whose blue eyes had gone wide, brimming with excitement. Her lips parted as if she wanted to ask something, but she held back, clearly sensing there was more to this conversation.
"And yes, maybe a little flying basics," Tony finally added, his tone slightly more casual now.
Carter leaned back in his chair, his grin fading into something more thoughtful as he took in the look in Tony's dark eyes. Then his blue eyes took on a glint as he looked at Verdeschi.
"Define basics," the Australian said, his voice low and somewhat deliberate as an odd smile began to appear.
Although Tony's expression was casual as he leaned back in his chair, a glimmer of a grin was forming on his own face as he shrugged slightly before crossing his arms.
"Well," he began, his tone light as he spoke kind of slowly, with a trace of caution.
"You know, language evolves," he began with a thoughtful nod of his head. "Definitions have been known to shift…sometimes they do take on a more creative interpretation."
Maya watched both men intently, her gaze going from one to the other. Besides their words, there was something else occurring, something invisible. As if the two of them were having their own private conversation.
Alan suddenly chuckled. "You're bored Verdeschi, right? Been at that desk too long?"
Tony shrugged. "Perhaps," he admitted.
Carter laughed before leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. "And John did do his astronaut training long before we ever did ours."
Both men nodded.
"Basics change," Alan agreed. "Definitions evolve."
"Yeah," Tony agreed, nodding his head slowly.
Maya wasn't sure what they were actually saying to one another, but she did know that a very long time ago, she had seen this exact dynamic. Her older brother and his friends, whispering and conspiring when they thought that the parents were not listening. Their young faces alight with that same nonverbal planning before setting off to do something that the adults considered reckless and highly inappropriate.
She smiled a little more as she recalled finally being old enough to join in their reckless adventures, much to the displeasure of their parents. But the amount of joy had always outweighed any stern lectures she had been subjected to afterward.
Carter's voice brought her back to the present. "Well, kiddo, finished with lunch?"
She glanced again between the two of them, their boyish grins revealing that whatever they were planning was not going to be just a lesson about an Eagle, it was going to be fun.
Maya quickly stood up, her smile and energy saying it all. Whatever they had planned, she was more than willing to join in.
The door slid open, and Alan Carter stepped aside with a lighthearted flourish, gesturing towards the Eagle's interior.
"Ladies first," he said with an exaggerated gallantry that made Tony roll his eyes.
Excitement danced across Maya's face, mingled with a hint of apprehension. She hesitated briefly, her eyes flicking between the two men, who both were watching her with a touch of amusement. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if she were debating what to do. But, after a quick inhale, she stepped forward into Eagle 4.
Her gaze swept across the passenger section, taking in every detail. Seats, wall-mounted computer, the neatly arranged weapons rack, even the contours of the ceiling.
"You want to sit up front?" Carter asked her, nodding towards the cockpit. "You can watch the takeoff procedure."
Maya blinked, her brow furrowing slightly. "Is that allowed?"
Alan grinned and, without waiting for a reply, took her hand in a playful tug. "Kiddo, I need a co-pilot," he said, leading her toward the cockpit.
She glanced back at Tony, uncertainty clear in her wide eyes. He responded with an easy, reassuring smile, giving her the silent encouragement she needed. She was here to learn, after all.
Once Alan had settled Maya into the co-pilot's seat, he slid into the pilot's chair, immediately busying himself with the controls.
"Main motors," Alan said as he started the craft.
For a moment, she studied what Carter was doing but then her attention shifted to Tony, who was leaning casually against the hatch, arms folded, his smile laced with quiet amusement.
"Shouldn't you be sitting down?" she asked, her gaze darting between the two men and the passenger section.
Tony shook his head, his expression entirely unbothered. "Nah, his liftoffs are superb. It's the landings you've got to worry about."
"Hey!" Carter said, pausing mid-button-press, shooting Verdeschi a mock-offended look.
Maya's brow furrowed deeper, concern creeping into her features. "What do you mean about the landings?" she asked cautiously.
The two men burst into laughter, leaving Maya looking even more bewildered.
"Verdeschi," Carter said, shaking his head, "you've seen the record count. Need I remind you, I'm not the one at the top."
"Record count?" Maya echoed; her tone tinged with growing apprehension.
"Oh, just a little something we keep score on," Tony said breezily, as though it were of no importance whatsoever.
Alan resumed his work, tapping a few buttons before throwing a glance at Tony. "And for the record, mine were all due to mechanical failures. Not pilot error," he said, shaking his head as he tapped another button.
"Oh, sure they were," Tony quipped.
"Pilot error?" Maya repeated, her voice dropping as she turned to Alan with a worried look. "Do you mean that you've crashed one of these?"
Alan's eyes sparkled with mock indignation. "Define 'crashed," he said with a grin.
"Oh, come on, Maya," Tony teased. "Don't tell me you're scared."
Maya's gaze snapped to him; her expression deadly serious. "Have you crashed one of these?"
"Nope," he said as he threw a glance at Carter.
Maya looked between the two men. Intellectually, she understood that there was always a risk factor. Mechanical issues, even pilot error, could factor in. But the way these two were so nonchalant, it made her pause and consider their cognitive processing abilities. It also made her question whether she really wanted to be aboard an Eagle with either one of them, despite her desire to actually learn something valuable.
Tony watched her and, for a moment, it seemed that she was genuinely considering unbuckling her harness and leaving the Eagle before they even took off. Her face practically screamed that satisfying her curiosity had been a very, very bad idea.
Tony laughed. "Take it easy, Maya," his voice conveying reassurance to her. "You have a greater chance of being hit by a bolt of lightning than anything happening to us up here," Tony said with a smirk, throwing Carter a pointed glance.
Carter huffed. He did not like being reminded of that one.
"A bolt of lightning?" Maya repeated, her voice rising sharply.
Tony chuckled. "Yeah," he tilted his head towards Carter. "Only this one can be flying an Eagle over the lunar surface, during a weird time when we actually had an atmosphere and, uhm…fly into a storm, get hit by a bolt of lightning and crash."
Carter huffed loudly, again. "Hey, unpredictable, unexpected, adverse weather conditions. On the moon." Alan tapped another button. "And there were those rapidly changing conditions that were affecting onboard systems. Besides, there's no evidence. Helena blew the damn thing up."
Maya was shaking her head. None of this was making sense.
"Atmosphere, here…on the moon? Lightning bolts, crashes," she repeated, her Psychon accent becoming more pronounced as she spoke. "Record counts? Doctor Russell blew an Eagle up?"
Her hands moved to the harness, fumbling as she began to unbuckle it.
"I just know I've got something important to do in Command Center," she said quickly, rushing at the first thought that came to her mind to get her out of the Eagle, quickly.
Both Tony and Alan burst into loud laughter at her sudden lack of curiosity and her sudden increased fear.
"Come on, Maya," Alan said between chuckles. "We're just teasing, fun. You do know what fun is, right?"
Carter glanced up at Tony, his expression silently pleading with the Security Chief to help calm the Psychon down. Alan Carter did not want to have to explain to anybody that he'd actually had someone bolt from his Eagle from fear. Before they even were ready for liftoff.
Tony knelt down beside her, meeting her eyes with a calm and steady gaze.
"Maya, this is normal conversation between pilot and me," he explained, his tone both gentle and amused as he placed his hand on her arm.
"You'll learn that when we don't have to be serious, we usually aren't. And I promise we won't mention any more about lightning bolts and Eagles blowing up," he said as looked at Carter.
Her expression remained skeptical, her lips pressed tightly together, clearly unconvinced by his reassurance.
"Tell you what," Tony added, his voice softening as he leaned in slightly. "Once we're up, if you want to go back, just let us know. I mean it." He turned and looked at Carter, who nodded his agreement. "
We'll return to Alpha, promise," Tony's face showed nothing but sincerity, and the genuine concern in his eyes made her pause.
Maya studied him for a long moment, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly. Finally, she glanced at Alan, then back at Tony.
"You humans are a very peculiar species," she said as she shook her head back and forth. "Very… unique."
"Then we're going flying?" Alan asked, struggling to suppress another laugh.
She fixed him with a sharp look. "Yes," she finally muttered with great reluctance. "But I am not certain that I am going to like it."
Sandra Benes tapped her fingers lightly against her desk, the steady rhythm betraying the unease creeping into her thoughts. Eagle 4 had yet to request liftoff. Her gaze flicked up to the Big Screen. Eagle 4 sat there. Main motors were running. Yet it remained motionless on the launchpad, an unmoving silhouette against the vast blackness beyond.
The longer it sat there, the more her thoughts churned. Was there an undiagnosed mechanical issue? A minor systems glitch, had maintenance overlooked something? Or…? Her lips pressed together in quiet suspicion. Were two grown men just committing themselves to ensuring that a Psychon's curiosity would end in regret?
Her fingers twitched slightly over the comm panel, instinct urging her to make contact, but she resisted.
No.
She knew Alan and Tony. She knew their habits, their instincts, their patterns. If there was an actual problem, they would delay. If there was a serious issue, they would abort launch.
And yet, Eagle 4 was just sitting there, on the launch pad. With no communication indicating a delay or an abort.
Sandra sighed. Those two had to be up to something.
Finally, Alan Carter's voice crackled through, shattering the silence like a long-awaited verdict.
"Alpha, Eagle 4, requesting permission to fly."
Relief unfurled through her chest, though she didn't fully relax just yet.
"Eagle 4," she responded smoothly, professional as ever. "You are clear for takeoff." Then, after a slight pause, she added, "And Alan… remember."
Carter, of course, rolled his eyes. She could practically hear it in his easy, casual reply even though his face revealed nothing.
"Eagle 4, out."
And there it was. That tiny inflection in his voice. That just barely suppressed note of mischief, slipping through like a spark before ignition.
Sandra leaned back in her chair as she watched the Eagle rise from the launch pad, smooth and steady, a flawless ascent into the void beyond. She exhaled, shaking her head with a rueful smile.
Poor Maya.
Because while Sandra had absolute confidence in both Carter and Verdeschi as pilots, trusted them to maneuver through the most dangerous of conditions, to handle the Eagles with the precision and skill that only years of experience could hone, she was also intimately familiar with their other nature.
They each had a side that had nothing to do with rank or training.
Grown men with a side of one hundred percent, pure mischief.
And right now, that side was circling like a pair of sharks waiting for just the right moment.
She knew their type all too well. Men who, despite being entirely capable of iron-clad discipline in moments of crisis, could just as easily transform into reckless, overgrown boys the moment they saw an opportunity for harmless trouble.
She could hear it in Alan's voice, could sense it in the way the delay in liftoff had stretched just long enough to be suspicious, and she knew. She knew with absolute certainty that giving them explicit instructions not to misbehave had effectively guaranteed that they would.
Pairing them together in a cockpit with a wide-eyed, overly curious, and completely unsuspecting Maya felt like an equation that could only end in chaos with a capital C.
Sandra could only hope that Maya had some prior experience handling reckless, overgrown boys. Because, as far as she could tell, the Psychon was about to receive a crash course and she highly doubted that the term 'crash' would make her feel any better.
While Alan put Eagle 4 through the paces, personally ensuring that everything had been taken care of by the repair teams, Tony had taken Maya to the back passenger section, allowing her to get familiar with the onboard computer systems. On her own, Maya had run several scans of the lunar surface, checking for radiation and other factors to get acquainted with the Eagle's systems. Tony had then shown her how to link up with Alpha's computer, and within minutes, the data had been transmitted back to Command Center.
"Koenig to Eagle 4," the Commander's voice broke through, appearing on the monitor a few minutes after Maya had completed that task.
"Yeah, John," Tony replied.
"We just received those scans," he said with a smile. "Very thorough, Maya," his tone said that he was impressed.
Maya returned the smile, a light flush creeping into her cheeks. "Thank you, Commander."
"We ran all the system checks on Eagle 4," Tony said. "Carter is a very happy man. Are we still good to stay out?"
John nodded. "All clear. Just remember, behave."
"Sure, John," Tony replied with an easy smile. "Eagle 4 out."
As the transmission ended, Tony turned his attention to Maya. He looked down at her. "Now that you've got the onboard systems down, let's teach you a bit more about how this baby flies."
She couldn't help but notice how his smile lit up his face, a mix of youthful excitement and evident mischief. It made her stomach flip in a strange, unfamiliar way.
She stood up from her chair, trying to focus on the task at hand. The task should have been trying to learn all that she could. But her thoughts kept drifting back to Tony's expression.
Why did he look so handsome just now? The thought popped into her mind unbidden, catching her off guard. She blinked, suddenly feeling a bit flustered.
Maya bit her lower lip, her mind swirling with confusion. Is this how humans react to each other? She had admired people before. Her father, once upon a time, for his brilliant intellect and kind heart. Her brother for his optimism, no matter how dire things had turned. Even Commander Koenig for his leadership and Helena for her calm demeanor and friendliness.
But this, this felt…different. Very different. Her chest felt light, her heartbeat just a touch faster. And the way Tony had grinned, almost with boyish energy. It made her want to laugh, to join in whatever trouble he and Alan might be planning. As she followed him toward the front of the Eagle, she glanced again, watching the way he walked. An odd warmth crept up the back of her neck and she quickly lowered her gaze, pressing her fingers to her temple in an attempt to focus.
Tony, oblivious to her inner turmoil, motioned for her to take the co-pilot seat. "Get ready to see why Carter loves these birds so much," he said with a wink, his voice full of enthusiasm.
Maya nodded, though her mind was racing as she slid into the empty seat. Why did her heart skip like that when he winked? She couldn't quite place this feeling. It was something she'd never been taught, and it certainly wasn't anything she'd ever experienced before. It was as if there were an invisible pull between them. It both fascinated her and unnerved her.
Alan's voice cut through Maya's thoughts as he leaned forward from the pilot's seat, his grin wide and infectious. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and Maya couldn't help but return the smile. She didn't know what they were about to do, but judging by the look on his face, she was sure it was going to be fun.
"Maya, there's the official way to fly an Eagle and then," he paused, his grin growing even bigger as his eyebrows lifted playfully, "then, there's the fun way to fly an Eagle."
Tony chuckled, leaning back against the hatch, crossing his arms with a relaxed but amused look. "The only thing missing is the music," he grumbled.
A sudden look of inspiration and forgotten memory crossed Alan's face. His eyes lit up as he turned toward Tony, a hint of wild excitement in his expression, eyebrows raised in playful challenge as he lifted a hand in the air, waving his finger for a moment.
At the same moment, both men chanted out, "Daytime, nighttime, anytime, things go better with rock!"
Maya's eyes widened, blinking in surprise. She had no idea why they had simultaneously broken into song, and the manic grins on their faces might have been alarming under different circumstances.
Instead, their enthusiasm was contagious, and she found herself suppressing a laugh. They were clearly planning to show off, possibly breaking a few of Koenig's rules but she realized she didn't care. She was more than ready to join them in whatever madness lay ahead.
Alan's grin stretched even wider. "Who wants to fly first?"
Before they could continue, Maya waved her hand a little. "Before we start," she interjected, a puzzled look crossing her face as she tilted her head slightly. "Can I ask what the meaning of the singing is?"
"Oh," Tony laughed, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
"Back when I first arrived on Alpha, there were about six of us new guys who came in at the same time."
He shot a mock-scowl at Alan. "This one here was a real drill sergeant. It didn't matter that you had successfully completed astronaut training. Strict about going through every drill, every test before allowing your name to be added to the roster," he looked at Carter.
"Even just as a backup or courier back and forth to Earth. Talk about a perfectionist."
Alan rolled his eyes but smirked, leaning back in his seat. "I wasn't that bad. Just… demanding. Besides, my job was to ensure that the instructors didn't hand out pilot wings while incoherent."
Maya shook her head. "Pilot wings?"
Alan nodded.
"Pilot wings are a symbol, a badge of honor, if you like. It means you passed all the tests and earned the right to fly. Like that one," he said as he tilted his head towards Tony. "Sure, I tease him, but graduating in the top five of your class, out of almost thirty, none too shabby."
Tony nodded his head just slightly, as if accepting a compliment from the Australian. "Anyway, we had this crazy Canadian guy in the group, and to break the tension, he'd sing that little snippet. It caught on with the rest of us, for a while."
Alan looked over at Tony with a nostalgic smile. "Wonder whatever happened to Eddie?"
Tony shrugged, turning his gaze back to Maya. "Eddie didn't sign up for another tour of duty on Alpha. Went back to Earth. Rumor had it he joined a rock band." He smirked as the memory surfaced, and both men laughed.
"Yeah," Alan agreed. "That boy sure did love his rock music."
Alan's gaze shifted back to Maya; his expression suddenly curious. "Kiddo, ever fly anything?"
"Well," Maya began, her voice hesitant.
Tony and Alan exchanged a curious glance before leaning in slightly, eager to hear more.
"Come on Maya," Carter nudged. "You can't hold information from us."
"Officially, no," she paused, hesitant on whether she should actually admit this, especially to these two.
"And unofficially," Tony prompted because now he knew damn well there was something she wasn't saying, and he needed to hear it.
For several moments, she said nothing.
"Maya," Tony coaxed her name with the full expectation of hearing more.
Maya shrugged with a coy smile. "My brother used to race…".
She hesitated, searching for the right words. "I think you would say it was like a motorized glider," she was obviously struggling trying to find the right way to explain the small two person craft to them.
"Once I was old enough, could reach all the controls, he started letting me go along."
She smiled at the treasured memory of spending time with her older brother and not being seen as just the pesty little sister. "It was just races around the volcanoes, an obstacle course, if you will. Eventually, I started racing with the rest of them."
Tony's eyebrows shot up, an astonished grin spreading across his face. "Your mother did not know about that, did she?"
Maya's eyes flickered with a hint of guilt as she glanced down, her fingers brushing nervously against her sleeve. "For a long time, no… she didn't," she admitted sheepishly.
Tony leaned forward slightly, his tone teasing. "And you got caught?"
She nodded, her cheeks flushing faintly. "Eventually, yes," she said with a small, embarrassed smile as she glanced down at her hands, remembering her mother's disappointment.
Suddenly Maya looked up. "But not before I got good enough to win quite a few races."
Alan watched the exchange between the two with growing curiosity, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the familiar tone between them. It was clear that Tony knew more about Maya's past than anyone else on Alpha, and Alan's intrigue deepened. Just how close had these two become?
Alan leaned back in his seat, breaking the moment.
"Well," he said, clapping his hands together, "I'm not your mother, and you're not going to get into trouble today."
Bill Fraser strode into Command Center from the door just to the right side of the screen. He quickly sensed a different, almost energetic vibe in the room in addition to the eyes of most of the staff riveted to the Big Screen. It quickly became apparent that it wasn't trouble they were all staring at.
He turned around and looked up at the screen. As he watched the maneuvers of Eagle 4, a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Who's up?" he called out, a hint of amusement already coloring his tone.
John Koenig, seated at the control panel, glanced up with a pained grimace. "Alan and Tony are supposed to be showing Maya some beginner demonstrations."
Bill let out a hearty laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
"That's not beginner," he said with a chuckle, taking a seat at one of the empty desks.
Eagle 4 was most definitely not displaying beginner skills.
He settled in to his chair, eyes twinkling with anticipation, as he fixed his attention on the screen. His body language was relaxed but his focus was sharp, like he was watching a most exciting sports game.
Helena Russell, seated at the desk to Fraser's left, with arms casually crossed, smiled softly. She caught Bill's enthusiasm and couldn't help feeling amused by his excitement. She was further charmed when the young man slid his chair back just a bit and actually began mimicking the piloting motions, his arms extending and moving as if he were the one in the cockpit of the Eagle.
As the Eagle executed a smooth turn, Bill leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with concentration. "Good. Nice," he muttered under his breath, clearly impressed.
But when Eagle 4 shot into a vertical climb and briefly hesitated before leveling out, Bill's arm stopped mid-motion. He cocked his head to the side, eyes studying the screen.
"Slight hesitation," Bill shook his head, admiration laced with a touch of critique to his voice.
"Both Alan and Tony have too much experience for that, they could flow through that in their sleep. There was thinking before the leveling."
Then he turned to Helena. "Are you sure she's never flown anything before?"
Helena turned, exchanging a look with John, her eyebrows raised. Obviously, Fraser felt strongly that neither Verdeschi nor Carter were currently piloting the Eagle.
"Come to think of it," Helena said slowly, "we really don't know what other skills Maya might have…"
Bill's attention snapped back to the screen as Eagle 4 began another vertical climb, this one higher and faster.
Suddenly, the craft nose-dived in a sharp descent. Bill's arm shot forward in sync with the Eagle, as if he were still mimicking the flight. But then, just as quickly, Eagle 4 leveled out, banking smoothly to the left before hovering in place.
Bill couldn't take it anymore. He reached forward and pressed a button on the desk, his voice filled with amusement.
"Which one of you did that?"
Alan's grinning face appeared on the screen, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Wasn't me," he said, trying and failing to hide his glee.
Bill raised an eyebrow before hesitantly asking, "That wasn't Tony either, was it?"
"Nope," Alan replied, clearly enjoying the situation.
Bill broke into a wide smile, leaning back in his chair. "Hell, I knew it." He'd been right.
"Damn nice," he commented, shaking his head in admiration.
Koenig, however, wasn't quite as impressed. He sighed and shook his head before contacting the transporter.
"Okay, Eagle 4, I think it's time to return to Alpha."
Alan put on a mock pout that sent chuckles rippling through the Command Center. "Eagle 4, returning to base," he said in a dramatically dejected tone, earning a few more laughs from the staff.
As the laughter died down, Bill swiveled in his chair, his smile lingering as he glanced at John and Helena. "She's flown something before, no doubt about it."
Helena couldn't hide the pride in her expression, her eyes warm with approval. But when she looked at John, his face was a mix of perplexion, worry, and a hint of mild frustration.
Commander Koenig wasn't sure whether to be impressed or to scold the trio onboard Eagle 4.
As the travel tube hissed open, Commander John Koenig was already standing with arms crossed, his face a stern mask. Helena Russell was standing slightly apart from him, as though she was making it very clear that she was not in agreement with Alpha's commander.
Tony, Maya, and Alan emerged, their lighthearted energy from the lesson still unmistakable, though it faded slightly upon seeing Koenig's stance.
"Care to explain yourselves?" John's voice was level, but the frustration was clear.
All three stopped, becoming motionless. Maya instantly lowered her gaze to the floor while Tony and Alan showed no feeling of intimidation from their leader as they exchanged glances.
"Aren't there enough issues to contend with without intentionally putting yourselves in danger or have you forgotten about unneeded risks? John asked.
Tony exhaled slightly, reminding himself to be calm. He moved his right hand, placing it gently in the middle of Maya's back, the gesture as much to reassure her as it was to ground himself. He could feel the tension in her back, but gave her a gentle, supportive press. She hadn't done anything wrong. If anyone should be in trouble, it was he and Alan.
Finally, Tony spoke, choosing his words carefully. His tone was firm. "
Any young lady who can pilot a glider through an obstacle course of volcanoes," he began with a very steady voice. "Is very much aware of danger and risk-taking."
There was a hint of defiance in Verdeschi's voice. "As for Alan and me, you know damn well what we're capable of."
Koenig's expression didn't soften, but his eyes flickered between the three, as if weighing his next words.
Verdeschi turned to look across Maya, towards Alan. "Come on, Maya. Let's go." His hand slid from her back, moving clearly and deliberately around her waist as they started to walk away, his protective instinct never faltering.
Alan lingered for just a moment, looking Koenig right in the eyes.
"We're not amateur rookies," he reminded John before delivering his own, solemn message. "And, just for the record. I'll give her a set of keys any day." He started to walk away before stopping just another moment. "And more training."
With that, he turned on his heel and jogged to catch up with Tony and Maya, draping an arm casually around her shoulders, as they instantly fell into step together.
Koenig watched them for a moment, his hands now resting on his hips, lost in thought as he watched them.
Helena moved just a little closer to him, studying his face carefully as he posed a question to her.
"Did you know about that?"
"Know about what?" she asked, her eyes clearly conveying her dissatisfaction with him at the moment.
John raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying his disbelief. "Maya…gliders…flying?"
"No," she told him. "But that's not the point. The point is she wants to learn. They say learn from the best." She took a moment to exhale. "
I'm sure we'll be learning a lot about Maya, just as she's learning about us. And we stopped living in the Middle Ages a long time ago."
Russell turned on her heel, ready to walk away and drop the conversation.
Then she pivoted back around, her tone much sterner than before.
"Commander Koenig," she began. "Not every moment is about danger. They're young. They need to relieve stress, just like the rest of us. There was no harm in them having a little fun up there."
With that, Helena Russell turned and walked away, leaving John to mull over her words.
He watched her go, his mind now occupied with thoughts of Tony, Maya, and Alan.
Those three, they hadn't just walked away as three individuals with assorted skills and varied accomplishments.
They had moved as a unit.
And while he'd been focused on worrying about Maya's integration into their world, it was evident that some Alphans had already pulled her into theirs.
One thing was certain.
If it ever came down to it, those three would be a force to be reckoned with.