Trooper Down

by Jim Laughter

  He paused again and surveyed his scouts.

  “You’re to pay particular attention to any civilizations, especially those showing signs of industrial development,” he continued. “On-site survey is authorized with the usual precautions.”

  Several of the captains stirred with excitement at the prospect of doing planetside exploration.

  The commander smiled and decided to wrap things up.

  “As some of you will note, we’ve assigned you to areas outside the normal exploration sphere,” he said. “Fragmentary evidence from previous missions hint that a number of significant discoveries were just being made before the attack. Go find out what they were and let us know immediately. Keep your eyes open and don’t hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it. Reserve ships will be standing by to assist you.”

  He watched while they digested news of this precaution. As expected it was well received.

  “That’s it for now,” the commander said. “Man your ships and launch as instructed. Good luck and good flying. Dismissed.”

  ∞∞∞

  The morning light broke over the horizon while Delmar trudged through the dew-wet grass of the airpark. Approaching the hanger, he found Abby already going over her last minute adjustments.

  “You’re going to wear out those fittings,” Delmar said as he walked up next to the lower wing.

  “It’s about time you got here, sleepyhead,” Abby retorted.

  After giving a wire fitting one final turn with a wrench, she plucked the wire producing a satisfying hum.

  “Perfect!” she said and hopped off the wing onto the ground. “Let’s get her out to the field.”

  Delmar circled around to the other side of the aircraft and grabbed the left landing strut. Together they pushed the flyer out of the hanger.

  As soon as they were clear of the buildings, Abby climbed up into the control seat while Delmar set the chocks as Abby had previously instructed. He then slipped between the twin booms going to the tail and moved the propeller until he felt compression in the crude engine. Abby opened the fuel valve and connected the power to the coil and spark system.

  “Ready here,” she called down to Delmar. “Hit it!”

  Delmar pulled down on the propeller with a snap and the engine coughed to life. The aircraft shook while Abby let the engine warm up a little. It only took a few minutes for it to settle down to a smooth idle under her expert adjustment. She looked down at Delmar, smiled and pulled her goggles down over her eyes, then gave the signal for him to pull the chocks.

  Delmar gripped the ropes and pulled the chocks free of the wheels. Abby advanced the throttle, sending the flyer bouncing across the grass. Delmar dragged the chocks back to the hanger and picked up the fire bottle while Abby taxied the flyer to the far end of the grassy airstrip. As soon as he was back where Abby had indicated, he gave a wave, which she returned.

  Delmar heard the small engine roar when Abby shoved the throttle forward. The flyer sprang into motion and accelerated down the field. He watched apprehensively as it came rushing toward him.

  With a final shudder, the flyer leapt upward and took to the sky with what seemed natural ease. Without realizing it, Delmar started running down the field waving and hollering, shouting his enthusiasm as a grinning Abby flew overhead.

  ∞∞∞

  Today’s lessons progressed well as Melissa and Ert covered the usual social and political science issues. The story Ert had related the previous day had brought on a number of questions. All morning they’d followed the wide range of subjects to which such questions seemed to lead.

  ARE THERE ANY MORE SUBJECTS YOU WANT TO COVER, MELISSA? Ert asked.

  Melissa thought for a moment.

  ERT, I’M STILL CURIOUS ABOUT THE STORY OF DELMAR. IF IT’S NOT OUT OF LINE, DO YOU HAVE ANY VISUAL RECORDS OF THE INCIDENT THAT I COULD SEE?

  YOUR CURIOSITY IS UNDERSTANDABLE, Ert replied, AND NOT OUT OF LINE. I DO HAVE ACCESS TO THE VISUALS RECORDED BY THE TROOPERS SENT FROM THE SCENE. FOR SAKE OF TIME, I’LL LIMIT THEM ACCORDING TO RELEVANCE OF THE SUBJECT AT HAND. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, I’LL TAKE YOU BACK TO WHEN DELMAR BECAME A CAPTAIN.

  Immediately, Melissa’s computer screen cleared and was replaced by an image of a young man standing next to a new FAR ship. Melissa thought he looked handsome in his black Axia uniform and the pride he felt about his ship was obvious.

  THIS IS DELMAR EAGLEMAN AND HIS SHIP AR-237, THE CABBAGE PATCH, Ert printed underneath the picture. THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN BY HIS ADOPTED MOTHER WHEN HE FIRST SHOWED THEM THE SHIP OVER TWO YEARS AGO.

  From there the personal history lesson continued for some time. With each image and story of the missions and accomplishments of Trooper-Third Delmar Eagleman, Melissa found herself becoming more and more interested.

  ∞∞∞

  All morning the master carver studied the man-made thing concealed in the cave. He noted the clean lines of its design now marred by damage to its surface. The problem he faced was whether to carve the likeness according to how it was now or what its builder had intended. It was obvious the thing had been damaged in battle, an honorable way to die. Perhaps this cave was intended to be the burial site of this strange apparition.

  One of the elders that had accompanied the craftsmen to the cave came over to where the master carver was sitting.

  “What bothers you so deeply?”

  “Which of two paths to follow,” the carver said. “Do we represent it as it is now, or do we honor the intent of its maker?”

  “I think you have already answered your own question,” the elder said. “You long to honor the builder. This seems good to me also.”

  “Should we also reproduce the strange etchings on the other side?” the carver asked. “It would take more effort.”

  “But it would probably draw a better price. Your carving should be as real a representation as possible. The woven images will satisfy those settlers who seek a lower price.”

  “Then I shall begin,” concluded the master carver. “I have the image fixed in my mind and now my hands long to reproduce it.”

  ∞∞∞

  After circling the airpark for half an hour, Abby brought the skyflyer in for a bounce landing. While Delmar walked alongside, she taxied the flyer to the front of her hanger. Killing the engine, she took off her goggles and hopped down.

  “So? How did it fly?” Delmar asked excitedly.

  “Beautiful!” Abby exclaimed. “It was like flying in a dream.”

  “What do we do now?” Delmar asked, looking over at the flyer.

  “Get it ready to fly again, of course!” Abby replied. “But first I want to check all of the engine bolts and mounts before we fire it up.”

  “Then we should get busy,” Delmar said, heading toward the hanger. “You have a promise to keep.”

  “You sure are anxious to go flying,” Abby said as she fell in step next to him.

  “I don’t know why,” Delmar replied, walking briskly into the hanger, “but it feels like the most natural thing in the world for me to do.”

  “Then we need to get to work.”

  She lifted a toolbox off the workbench and handed it to Delmar.

  “I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of anybody that wants to fly.”

  An hour later, the work was finished. Abby and Delmar put away the tools and pushed the flyer back out onto the field. The problem of taking both of them flying at once did present a problem.

  “So how do we pull the chocks and get you onboard?” Abby asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Delmar said.

  He grabbed some heavy rope.

  “If we rig a tie-down rope to the hanger, we can forego the chocks. Then after the engine is idling, I can climb aboard. As soon as we are ready to takeoff, all we have to do is pull the release on the knot and off we go.”

  “I never thought of that,” Abby said. “We can rig it up now.”

  Minutes later, the rope was set and Abby clim
bed into the pilot seat. When everything was set, Delmar gave the propeller a spin and the engine started. While Abby smoothed the idle, Delmar climbed aboard and buckled in. A wisp of memory of safety straps somewhere else fleeted through his memory but he dismissed it and braced himself for take-off. As soon as he was ready, he signaled to Abby. She nodded her agreement and Delmar reached back and pulled the release.

  The flyer trembled now that it was free of the restraint. Abby advanced the throttle. Delmar held on tight as Abby taxied the flyer to the end of the field. As soon as they reached the end of the field and turned around, Abby looked at him and grinned.

  “Are you ready?” she shouted over the noisy popping of the engine.

  “I’m ready,” Delmar shouted back. “Go!”

  “Hang on to your hat.” Abby shouted needlessly and shoved the throttle forward.

  Where have I heard that phrase before? Delmar wondered.

  Before he could give further thought to his question, the engine caught with a roar and sent the small aircraft racing down the field. He was amazed at how bouncy and noisy it was as they sped down the airstrip. Their speed increased until the grassy runway became a racing blur beneath them.

  Finally, when it felt like the shaking and noise couldn’t get worse, the flyer gave one final shudder and leapt into the air. Immediately, the roughness of the take-off run was gone, replaced instead by a silky smoothness of the rushing wind over and beneath the wings, lifting the flyer into the sky. Those watching from the other hangers heard the excited whooping from Delmar as the flyer climbed into the deep blue sky.

  ∞∞∞

  Two hours had passed since Ert began his explanation about Delmar. That Ert felt a paternal or even a brotherly pride and interest in Delmar was clear to Melissa. She studied each of the pictures Ert showed her until finally a picture of a piece of hull plate appeared on the screen.

  I’VE ALREADY SHOWN YOU THE LAST PICTURE OF THE MOTHERSHIP BEFORE IT WAS DESTROYED AND WHAT ITS WRECKAGE LOOKED LIKE.

  The images of destruction and death had shaken the teenager with their intensity. Even now she could picture the image of the dead troopers floating in space.

  THIS PIECE OF HULLPLATE IS ALL THAT REMAINS OF DELMAR AND HIS SHIP. SO THOROUGH WAS THE DESTRUCTION THAT NO HUMAN REMAINS OF DELMAR WERE RECOVERED. THE REST OF THE CABBAGE PATCH WAS REDUCED TO MICROSCOPIC ASH.

  Melissa stared at the piece of hull plate for a long time. On impulse, she commanded her computer to save the image as well as the one of Delmar and his ship taken a couple of years before.

  WHAT’S GOING TO BE DONE WITH THIS PIECE? Melissa asked.

  UNLIKE THE OTHER SHIP REMAINS, IT HAS BEEN SAVED FROM RECYCLING BY DELMAR’S GOOD FRIEND, STAN SHANE. I UNDERSTAND IT WILL BE PART OF THE MEMORIAL SERVICE BEING PLANNED BY HIS FAMILY.

  THAT’S FITTING. I WISH I COULD BE THERE TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES.

  I’VE ALREADY PASSED ON YOUR EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY. YOUR MENTOR SAID TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS.

  ∞∞∞

  “That was some flight,” Delmar exclaimed when the small craft came to a full stop just outside of the old hanger.

  “You’re a natural,” Abby agreed. She stepped out onto the wing, followed by Delmar. “I’ve never seen anyone adapt to flying like that except for my brother.”

  “I’m sure he was very special to you,” Delmar offered gently. “His sudden death must have been very difficult for you.”

  “It was just so senseless,” Abby reflected. “A freak accident that could only happen once in a million times.”

  Delmar didn’t want to depress the girl but he felt she needed to talk about the loss of her brother.

  “I don’t mean to pry.”

  He could see a tear form in the corner of her eye. “But tell me what happened. Perhaps it will help you settle your grief.”

  Abby sat down on the wing of her skyflyer, her feet dangling. Delmar sat next to her and scooted over close so he could offer her a shoulder to lean on if she needed it.

  “Bird strike,” she said.

  “What?” Delmar asked, unsure he had understood her.

  “I said bird strike,” Abby repeated. “The skyflyer that killed my brother was knocked out of the sky by a bird.”

  Abby went on to explain that a local pilot had taken his flyer up on a perfectly clear day. The winds were fair and the clouds were high—perfect visibility. But then without notice, a large bird had flown directly into the path of the flyer, striking the propeller and damaging the engine. As a result, the craft fell out of the sky in a spiral pattern and crashed into the cabbage patch, killing both the pilot and her brother.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Delmar offered. “I’ve never heard of anything quite so bizarre.”

  “Del, it’s okay. The eagle man said it couldn’t have been helped.”

  Abby watched Delmar’s face grow pale and his eyes take on a vacant expression. It looked to her like his thoughts had carried him a million miles away.

  “Del?” she said, shaking the young man by his shoulder. “I said it’s okay. Don’t be so overwrought.”

  “No,” he answered. “It’s not that.”

  Delmar slipped down off of the wing and began to slowly pace around the aircraft. There was something in her words that struck home with him. Visions of faraway places flashed through this mind, stirring an ancient memory he couldn’t bring into focus.

  “I don’t know what, but something you just said sent a wave of nostalgia through me. It seems like I should be able to remember a significant detail about my life, but I don’t know what.”

  Abby joined Delmar on the ground and took the young man by his hand. “All I said was the eagle man said the accident couldn’t be avoided.”

  “Who is this eagle man?” Delmar asked.

  Another sudden wave of nostalgia shivered through him. His head spun and he felt dizzy. He thought for a moment he would lose balance and need to sit down on the ground. Instead, he steadied himself, and with tremendous effort regained his composure.

  Abby didn’t like the sudden change in Delmar’s demeanor. What could she have possibly said to bring about this kind of reaction?

  “He is just an old man out in the hills that raises and trains eagles,” Abby answered. “It was one of his birds that collided with the plane that killed my brother.”

  She peered deep into Delmar’s eyes. Although he looked steadier than before, he still appeared physically shaken.

  “Are you all right? Maybe we should take you to see Doctor Murphy.”

  “No, I’m okay. Come on, I’ll help you push this bird into the hanger so we can get some lunch. My treat.”

  “You’re on, flyboy!”

  The two pushed the aircraft into the hanger, the fleeting memory of an uncertain past life still swirling just out of focus in Delmar’s mind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The morning sky was overcast when the small crowd gathered in the community chapel of Big Valley. That it was an occasion to grieve was obvious, and the mood had been darkened by the official announcement on the news the day before. The investigators concluded the destruction of the Axia mothership was clearly the result of human negligence.

  The chapel was festooned with flowers from friends, both far and near. Jake and Sherry Sender were both in full ministerial vestments as they prepared to perform the memorial service together.

  This should have been Stan and Leatha’s wedding, Jake thought. He surveyed the crowd. Life just isn’t fair.

  Sherry had her eyes on one person—Agnes. Her longtime friend sat on the front row along with her husband, Robert, who wrapped an arm of comfort around her shoulders. Both were dressed in full trooper uniform as only seemed fitting at their son’s memorial service. It had been years since Sherry had seen Agnes wear the dress gray and black uniform of a Lady-of-the-fleet. The insignia of Lieutenant sparkled from her collar.

  Behind the Hassels sat Daren and Rosemary Sabeti, the young couple that had be
come caretakers and later owners of Delmar’s farm when he’d joined the service. They had with them their small son, Del-Robert who’d been named after both Delmar and Robert Hassel.

  A fitting memorial.

  Beside the Sabeti’s sat Stan Shane and Leatha Mordon, Delmar’s closest friends in all of the galaxy. Tears streamed down Leatha’s face and she lay her head on Stan’s shoulder to help bear her grief. Sherry watched a tear trickle down Stan’s left cheek, the man whose life Delmar had saved long ago on a planet so very, very far away. Now here he was attending the funeral of the man who had not only saved his life, but introduced him to the woman who was to become his life mate.

  Scattered throughout the congregation was a number of troopers and friends, including Mike Azor, the Trooper-First that had helped settle the court battle between the Hassels and the social agency that had tried to incarcerate Delmar when he’d fled from his tyrant brother. Mike had recently graduated from the Imperial Officers Academy and had been promoted. He was a Lieutenant now, an accomplishment Sherry was sure Delmar would have been proud to know about.

  She’s been through so much, thought Sherry as she watched her friend Agnes. There have been too many funerals.

  All the shared grief of the years came flooding back in a moment. The fellow troopers they’d both seen slain and buried, the overwhelming tragedies of their families, and finally the two small graves that punctuated the early years of Robert and Agnes’ marriage.

  And now this, Sherry thought tenderly. It’s more than any one person should have to bear.

  A glance at his watch told Jake it was time to begin the most difficult task a minister could ever face, that of saying goodbye forever to a friend. That Sherry was there to share the load was of little comfort as he prepared to pay tribute to a young friend and fellow trooper.

  Jake glanced over at Sherry and caught her eye. At an imperceptible nod, they both rose to their feet. The rest of the crowd in the small chapel rose as well as soft music filled the air.