by Chris Burton
The Academy had seventeen Rapier 7’s and these were reserved for Year four jump ship specialist students only. The other three years used either Hunter R2’S, which were essentially a Training vessel or Rapier 6’s, which were still good but aging. The fourth year jump students also had access to fourteen Mark 3 Sabres.
This morning, the fourth year jump ship students were about to take their first flight aboard the Rapier 7’s. They were to fly in pairs with only eleven ships in use today and Jake and Steve somehow managed to be drawn in the same ship.
It was another scorching hot day, with runway temperatures already pushing thirty-five degrees. Jake and Steve climbed the stairs to the surface and were confronted by a wall of heat. The two of them were talking after two ‘frosty’ days. following Steve’s outburst on the first day of term, but the time passed without further confrontation.
“Okay, so who’s first,” said Steve.
Jake would give in to Steve and allow him to take first pitch today. If he didn’t, he would never hear the end of it. Steve itched to pilot the Rapier 7 for the last eighteen months and finally it was within their grasp.
“You take her up first today and we can switch over maybe for the last forty-five minutes” said Jake. Steve seemed happy with that and they took their positions in the briefing room and awaited the instructors to start their pre-flight.
Lieutenant Commander Teddy ‘Night Hawk’ Taylor entered the room with two other instructors. Taylor was an Academy mainstay. He was an instructor for nearly thirty years and progressed to Chief Instructor. He was a good teacher and a great mentor, but he knew it and that meant everybody else did.
“Good morning people. As 4th years, you finally get the chance to fly a real ship today. The Rapier 7’s are primed and ready for take-off. so let’s get the pre-flight done and dusted, then we can get out there.”
“Today, two men per ship, each assuming command for half the flight time. We will use runway two, northbound, heading towards the Antiro Nebula. We will fly in formation and keep to the standard flight path. We will stop short of the nebula and return along the same path back to Alpha One. Total flight time today should be two hours fifteen minutes.”
He continued: “Myself and Lieutenant’s Marlo and Adamski will fly solo at the rear of the formation. No heroics today please ladies and gentlemen. You are just getting a feel for these ships and I don’t expect flybys or any wing tipping. That’s it. Get out there and enjoy.”
The three instructors stood up and left the room through the door leading directly to the flight hangar.
Jake and Steve were allocated a ship at the far end of the hangar. A long walk, but they would probably be first out. They boarded the ship via the wing and footplate and strapped themselves into their seats, with Steve assuming Command for takeoff and the first half of the flight. Familiarization and pre-flight checks took fifteen minutes and unsurprisingly, Steve and Jake’s ship was the first to leave the hangar and head for the runway.
Two minutes later the ship assumed ‘pole position’ on the runway and Steve requested flight clearance. They were cleared for takeoff and Steve pulled down hard on the stick and the Rapier responded instantly, lunging forward at five hundred kilometers per hour before taking off sharply after only two hundred meters. They assumed near vertical flight and accelerated briskly. The Earth’s shields were already down at their intended exit point and they cleared the troposphere and assumed off-world flight status, just twenty seconds after takeoff.
The remaining ten ships joined them in orbit within two minutes, with the final three ships flying in formation with ‘Night Hawk’ leading and the two instructors either side. Each vessel was assigned a call sign during the pre-flight and Red 5 piloted by Steve Costello, assumed the lead.
The solar system was always busy with freight, private, cruise and Alpha vessels occupying the same small area of space. Their movements were strictly controlled. Alpha Fleet vessels always guaranteed a high priority and the eleven vessel ‘training’ formation was quickly granted clearance and the formation departed long the seventh space way. Heading towards Mars, Red Group cleared the main Earth space routes and Steve expertly maneuvered the Rapier to its intended course. Red commander (Night Hawk) then issued the ‘jump’ command and all eleven vessels made the jump to stellar speed instantaneously. This was however, not a race and the Commander only allowed Red 5 the luxury of leading the formation briefly before he instructed Red 3 to assume pole position. The small fleet headed onward towards their destination.
Red 5’s cockpit was quiet. This was not particularly unusual, as the peace and tranquility of space, when not in battle, often created a calming environment. Steve monitored his key controls, via his head up and helmet displays, while Jake carried out the post take off checks.
Steve had something on his mind. He allowed Jake to think the matter of his intimacy with Carla was closed. It was most certainly not. Steve knew Carla was pre-occupied with something and someone and it was likely that Jake was involved. This was just the opportunity he needed to challenge Jake properly.
“So how’s Carla?” Steve asked.
“You should know. She’s your girlfriend,” replied Jake.
Steve smiled and declared, “You are seeing Carla behind my back. You are both flaunting it. Why can’t you find your own woman? Leave mine alone.”
Jake sighed it was going to be a long flight. “Steve, I am not seeing Carla; she’s your girlfriend, and I don’t do seconds, thanks.”
Before Steve could reply further, two of the three coaxial lights came on and they were starting to lose power.
“Red 5. What’s your position?”
“Looks like we have a coaxial fuel leak and we are losing pressure in the vectral thrusters. I am sending Jake to have a look.”
Jake went to the rear of the cockpit and studied the information monitors. Pressure would have to be diverted via the abdominal thrusters. This made for false economy and to rectify, Jake carried out a diversion of the power reserves. The pressure in the thrusters equalized and ship began to accelerate to its previous velocity. Crisis averted, Red 5 rejoined towards the rear of the formation.
This was certainly an improvement in cabin design, thought Jake as he examined the cockpit area in closer detail. The cabin was larger. They did away with some of the storage and duplicate instrumentation and she certainly seemed smoother and more alert.
It seemed a little strange that Steve hadn’t commented on the improvements. given that they were so real and that he spent most of the last year talking about them. This Carla issue was preoccupying Steve and this concerned Jake, not least because Steve could sometimes be a little hot headed. Today he was at Steve’s mercy. He would have to watch him closely in the next thirty minutes or so.
The formation rotated eight times on the outward journey, with a different Rapier assuming pole position briefly before making way for another. One hour and seven minutes after the exercise commenced the lead ship rounded the Alpha substation (a permanent scientific research laboratory based close to the Antiro Nebula) and the occupants of each ship began to hand over command of the ship to their opposite number.
Steve had different ideas. He elected not to hand over the controls and decided to take a different approach to rounding the substation than pulling the ship ‘round in a wide arc. He pulled back on the stick and forced the ship into a sharp incline, before accelerating vertically. He allowed the ship to just clear the substation mast before tipping the wings and flying directly past the stations main control center.
The ‘Fly Pass’ spectacle in deep space was one of the most technically challenging moves a jump pilot could face and was also one of the most frightening to the occupants of the object on which the fly pass was conducted. This was strictly forbidden per Night Hawk and Alpha training policies. That he ‘wing tipped’ in order to achieve this just added to his ‘crime’.
As Red 5 finally rejoined the formation, Steve switched command of th
e Rapier to Jake and uncoupled himself from his seat and his com station and left the cabin without further comment. Jake took command and switched over to auto functionality. He cleared Red 5’s revised command status with the training command, switched on the NAVCOM and locked his Rapier into the formation. He then uncoupled himself and left the cabin in search of Steve. Not that he could have gone far; he was sitting in the cramped cargo hold with his head in his hands.
“What the hell did you do that for?”
“Did what?” replied Steve.
“The ridiculous ‘wing tip and flyby’ stunt you carried out directly in front of Teddy Taylor and his cronies.”
“I wanted to see how much pace she had and whether she would pull that amount of thrust so close to a flat spin.” He continued. “She was fantastic. An absolute beauty, but I guess that I am about to be told off, big time.” he said.
“Absolutely you are, and the fact that you left your station, as have I for that matter, means we are both about to be marched up before the Academy Disciplinary Panel. For God’s sake get back to your station before somebody notices.”
Reluctantly Steve shrugged his shoulders and stood up and they returned to the cockpit and assumed their rightful flight positions.
The remainder of the exercise was uneventful. Two of the Rapiers did fall out of the formation on the return leg, due to temporary alignment glitches and Red 5 was back in pole position as they glided back towards Earth on the seventh Space Way. The Rapier felt good when Jake assumed manual control and he was pleased with his piloting efforts today. if not for his ‘ misjudgment’ in leaving the cockpit to speak to Steve.
Landing was a formality, having cleared the space way and Earth’s shields. The occupants of Red 5 vacated their vessel and headed directly to the hangar command and debrief. The debriefing was short lived and the jump pilots were dismissed, with as anticipated the exception of Jake and Steve. Teddy Taylor wanted a word with both of them.
Teddy Taylor was not happy. He didn’t expect his ‘high value’ pilots to step out of line and especially not two of his ‘Top Gun’ candidates. He called both officer candidates to his office together but spoke to Jake first.
“Why did you leave the cockpit unattended?”
Steve tried to interject, but Taylor waved him away with a gesture that made it clear that he didn’t want comments from him yet.
“I needed to check that Steve was okay. I knew it was not correct procedure and, on reflection, I should have checked with you first. The NAVCOM was on,” Jake replied.
“Hm,” muttered Teddy Taylor. “Your actions could have resulted in a dangerous situation, had we been in combat. You need to be clear that you don’t leave the cockpit unattended for whatever reason during flight. Your friend’s peculiar behavior is his problem, not yours, although I respect the fact that you took all the necessary precautions required before you left the cockpit and that your intentions were genuine.”
“You can leave,” he added. “I won’t be filling a report on your actions, however I don’t want a repeat performance. Keep yourself clear of unnecessary distractions in your graduation year.” Jake stood up, saluted and left the room.
Taylor waited a few moments before opening his discussion with Steve.
“I cannot begin to understand what happened up there. Perhaps you can enlighten me?”
Steve shrugged his shoulders and sighed, “It was just one of those moments when it seemed the right thing to do.” He paused and then continued, “Whatever I say you are still going to refer me…I may as well resign my commission.”
Taylor was angry. He leaned forward and launched into a calculated, but abusive verbal assault on Steve. By the time he finished, Steve, who was usually thick-skinned with a ‘devil may care’ attitude to life, had turned a shade of grey, which in a brightly lit, white laminated room was in stark contrast to the redness of Taylor’s face.
“I am referring you to The Disciplinary Panel and suspending you from my course forthwith. You will be allowed to return pending the outcome of the disciplinary panel and NO your resignation won’t be accepted if you offer it. You are far too good a pilot to throw it away on a rush of hormones. You are dismissed.”
Steve stood up and headed towards the door, but turned back suddenly when it dawned on him, the potential severity of the situation.
“Commander Taylor, Sir. I regret my actions. I apologize unreservedly. I really need this…. The jump ship is my future. I won’t graduate if you fail me.”
“Get out,” shouted Taylor in a controlled fashion as he shuffled paperwork on his desk. “The Disciplinary Panel will decide your fate and until then I don’t wish to see your face.”
Chapter Four
Titan
Carla was in her element. She was surrounded by people who spoke a plethora of other languages and dialects. Where better to practice her linguistic skills than on route to Titan? She was aboard a scheduled Earth-Titan shuttle, filled to absolute capacity.
Planet-hopping was Earth’s new favorite pastime. Hundreds of high velocity passenger ferries transported their passengers to and from their ‘short range’ tourist destinations on a daily basis, in the knowledge that within the realms of the Allied Planets Federation (APF) and in particular Alpha’s significant boundaries, they were protected. The bountiful supply of wondrous locations and spectacular sightseeing made this the package holiday tour of the twenty-third century.
The shuttle was a bit of a dog. She was over fifty years old & her stellar drive had long since silted up. Her auxiliary drive was however, more than sufficient for the planet hop, and the journey to Titan took just over three hours. The passengers took the opportunity to relax and take in their surroundings during the flight, but Carla had other priorities. She was on route to Titan as part of an exchange project run between one of the top four Titan academies and the South Downs Academy. She volunteered to take part to assist her language, cultural and communication studies which formed the basis of her main specialty for the final year. Carla did this willingly, appreciating the benefits that such a visit would give her. She also had a more important personal reason for visiting Titan. She was looking for her Sister.
Carla’s sister, Joely, left the family home in Melbourne, Australia, two weeks before Carla’s sixteenth birthday. Joely was nineteen when she took off and said nothing to her parents. She told Carla succinctly “Come to Titan. You will find me.”
Carla’s parents despaired, but in time, respected their elder daughter’s decision and they didn’t follow her.
Within forty-eight hours, Joely made contact, assured her parents that all was fine and that she was pursuing a path she must take because of her faith. Carla’s parents agreed that when Carla finished her studies, she could seek out her sister and Carla waited patiently for an opportunity. Within a year, Joely stopped returning Carla’s comm links and then there was nothing.
Then finally, a place on the exchange became available and Carla volunteered, in the knowledge that she could ‘kill two birds with one stone’. Carla spent many hours researching the ‘faith’ to which Joely became involved with. It became a personal obsession, one which she told no one about, including her parents, Steve or Jake. Her research led her to three possible locations on Titan, all reachable by Modular transport and all within a few hours travel of each other. She was finally on her way to Titan and determined to use all of her spare time during the trip to find her sister.
Titan was a product of Beta Forming. Long before man first visited the outer planets, it was thought Titan stood a realistic chance of being able to support and sustain ‘Life’. Prior to the first contact being made with an Alien race, humans developed a fascination with, if not a tainted view of, the prospect of life on other planets, believing that stories of ‘little green men’ on Mars were nothing more than fiction. When the first human set foot on Titan, in the form of female Cosmonaut Ulga Tiviranovski, it was clear that there was no sign of life. There was water and ple
nty of it, beneath the frozen porous rocks of Titan’s barren surface.
In the year 2125, the combined atmospheric conditions made Titan the perfect candidate for the inaugural Beta Forming Project. Over the next twenty-five years The Beta Forming transformed the barren, lifeless rock into a vibrant ecosphere, a veritable haven for all manner of Earth species, which lived largely in harmony with a plethora of compatible species from other planets. The Beta Forming Project was a complete success and led from its humble origins on Titan to become a huge industry over the next fifty years. Labeled a planetoid, Titan became an Earth Colony and millions flocked to the new world to establish a new and permanent home in the stars.
The rich mineral deposits of both Titan and its fellow moons and planetoids turned the colony into a business and industrial center and huge cities such as New Portsmouth, which eventually became the planets Capitol, appeared. The beauty and dramatic landscape of Titan, its proximity to Saturn and its other moons, and the controlled but perfect climate, turned the industrial planet into a tourist haven, especially once the Space ways from Earth were made safer following Alpha’s inauguration.
The Eagle shuttle landed at Forest Gate, the main New Portsmouth space port at midday. Carla headed straight for the Modula Transport link on clearing security, departing immediately for the first of her three destinations. She had all afternoon to herself and she planned to use the time wisely.
Like Carla, Joely studied languages. She hadn’t opted for the Alpha graduation route to fuel her fascination for language, culture and interplanetary diversity. She joined the co-ed group known as AUSWAS, an Australian division of the World Organization for Interplanetary Cultural Diversity, when she turned eighteen. Unknown to her parents, Joely became involved in some divisive and political elements of AUSWAS’s work and it was these that Carla believed led Joely to Titan. Joely was impressionable and, despite her academic intellect, she could be easily led. The idealistic beliefs of this ’underground’ wing of AUSWAS had taken Joely in. Carla knew little of this group, other than what they stood for and this almost certainly meant trouble. She would have to be on her guard during this trip.
