by Rick Lakin
In the next forty seconds, the sky went from bright blue to star-studded black, the ocean below became a vista of the Southern California coastline from Point Concepcion to the southern border of Baja California, and the horizon went from horizontal to the smooth curvature of the Earth from space.
“We’ve exited the atmosphere, Captain,” Jennifer said.
“Very well, engage the gravity drive,” Jack said. “Climb to 10,000 miles. Let’s look at our home from space.”
For the next minute, the earth receded to a peaceful blue ball. Looking toward the north pole, they saw the sun as a white-yellow ball over their left shoulders, the three-quarter moon above and to the right and the fragile blue ball of Earth below them with the line separating day and night splitting the Atlantic Ocean.
“The ship is ballistic, Captain,” David said.
“Very well.”
After that, there was silence as each Blue Angels pilot, each Brilliant crew member, and a ten-year-old girl and her friend enjoyed the view.
Captain Kendra “Fifi” Boyington looked around in every direction. “Wow,” Fifi said. “It’s almost like a movie.” I wish my brother could have seen this. She became sad.
Just then, Dandy Lion left Jeff and jumped on Fifi’s lap.
Dandy looked at Kalinda. This human just lost her brother, Dandy thought.
Kalinda came over to Fifi. “Is Dandy bothering you?”
“Not at all, Kalinda. I was thinking of something that happened,” Fifi said. “Dandy jumped in my lap, and it’s almost like he knew how I felt.”
“It’s too bad about your brother,” Kalinda said.
Fifi gave Kalinda an incredulous look. “How do you know about my brother?”
“Dandy told me,” Kalinda said. “He’s psychic like that.”
The captain interrupted the conversation. “Let’s make it a bit more real,” Jack said. “Hold on, everybody. Engineer, zero gravity.”
Her doubts interrupted, Fifi held on tight to Dandy. She began to float above her seat. Anyway, there’s no way a cat could be psychic, she thought.
Fifi felt Dandy’s claws extend through her flight suit. She quickly let go. As the cat floated away toward the far bulkhead, he turned and gave her a nasty cat look. No way, Fifi thought.
As the gravity went away, gasps of fear and exclamations of glee settled down to excited laughter and chatter. Happy bodies filled the air bouncing from bulkhead to bulkhead. The captain, first officer, and pilot remained seated.
A few minutes later, it was again quiet with everyone’s attention focused on Earth.
“Set a twenty-minute base course to the moon and then configure your station for Top Gun Controls,” Jack said. “Let’s give our fighter jocks some stick time on a starship.”
“Aye, Captain,” Jennifer said. “Course laid in.” She pointed to David, and he nodded.
“Engineer, slowly raise to one-sixth gravity,” Jack said. “Ops, restore standard view.”
Everyone softly returned to vertical orientation on the deck as the parts of the bridge became solid again.
“Captain, would you send down drink orders?” Maiara said.
“Yes, First Lieutenant,” Jack said. “Tayla, could you find out what everyone wants?”
“Yes, Captain.” She took a HoloPad around and collected drink orders.
“Kalinda, would you and your friend go below and assist?” Jack said.
“Yes, Uncle Jack,” Kalinda said.
Jeff and Kalinda walked over to the ladder. Jeff grabbed the rail and took the first step.
“Seriously, stairways are for losers.” Jeff watched as Kalinda gracefully jumped onto the firepole and sailed down one deck.
“Oh, yeah,” Jeff said. He took a step back, leaped and grabbed the firepole and slid down, right past the laughing Kalinda, and landed on the lower deck. Sporting a sheepish grin, he walked up the ladder and joined Kalinda on the middle deck.
“All ya gotta do is squeeze, and you will stop,” Kalinda said.
“I keep forgetting that part,” Jeff said.
Maiara met them in the galley. “Fill the first tray with drinks and load it into the transporter.”
“You’ve got a Transporter?” Jeff stood with his eyes and mouth wide open.
“It’s a dumb waiter,” Kalinda gave Jeff a condescending look.
“Irony?”
“Yep.”
“Load a tray with munchies.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grabbed bags of M&Ms and grunch bars and placed them on the tray.
“Put extras on for people to take home souvenirs,” Maiara said.
“Souvenirs?” Jeff asked.
“Open a bag of M&Ms,” Kalinda said.
He grabbed a bag and tore it open. “Wow, the Brilliant logo.”
“The president hooked us up with those a few years ago,” Maiara said.
Kalinda loaded the first tray on the dumb waiter and pressed the button. She began to load the spill-proof cups on the second tray.
A tone sounded on the aft bulkhead. Tayla and Jennifer walked back and distributed drinks.
At the pilot’s console, Popeye was performing aerobatics. “This is just like the simulator. Too bad we can’t feel it.”
“Everyone, hold on to your food and drink,” Jack said. “Engineer set inertial dampener to point-two Gs.”
Those on-board could now feel the banks and the climbs as the Blue Angels pilots maneuvered Brilliant through trans-lunar space.
Droopy switched into the pilot’s seat and flew several maneuvers.
“Ops, it’s kind of lonely out here,” Jack said.
“Yes, Captain,” Jennifer said. She operated some controls on her panel.
“Alert,” Ani said. “There’s a Hoclarth Fighter Drone on your port quarter, sixty degrees depression, range twenty miles.”
Droopy looked at Jennifer. “What do I do?”
“You can run like hell or turn and fight. Your particle beam weapon is active.”
“Aye aye.” Droopy snapped right, banked forty-five degrees, and executed a split-s to get under the intruder. “I’ve got the intruder on visual.”
He raised the nose and triggered the beam. “Missed.”
The drone passed overhead. Droopy pulled up into a half Cuban eight. He snapped horizontal and had the drone in his gunsights. “Tally-ho.” This time the particle beam connected, and the drone exploded.
“It’s my turn now,” Fifi said. She splashed the Hoclarth Drone on the first try.
After the Blue Angels pilots had cycled through their turn in the pilot’s chair, the moon loomed large in the forward display. Maiara, Jeff, and Kalinda returned to the bridge.
David now sat in the pilot’s seat.
“Reconfigure the planetarium view,” Jack said. “Pilot, take us into a low lunar orbit and set us up for a Tranquility Base Honor Pass.”
“Aye, sir.”
The view on the bridge shifted; the surface of the moon became close and detailed.
“The orbit is set,” David said. “Tranquility Base just over the horizon. Ready for StarCruiser Brilliant Honor Pass.”
“Please stand, everyone,” Jack said. “Anthen, please do the honors.”
Ani announced, “Hand salute.”
Tayla was excited. Is it my turn?
The crew and the pilots responded, facing forward. Anthen then repeated words from his past, Earth’s future and from the StarCruiser Brilliant movies, “To the pioneers of the past, we honor you. To Orville and Wilbur Wright who took to the air, to Chuck Yeager and Scott Crossfield who went to the edge of space, to Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn, Valentina Tereshkova, Alan Shepard and others who crossed the barrier into space, to Neil Armstrong, Palton Vendarko, Cindy Brennaman and others who first set foot on other planets, we honor you. To the crews of Discovery and Challenger, to Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee and to the many others who gave the supreme sacrifice, we remember you. Kalinda?”
“To Natira Valend
a of Xaphnore, may we someday join you in Laknove.”
Jack continued, “To every pioneer who brought us to this place and beyond, we honor and salute you. Comms, as the junior member of the crew, join us and sound the ship’s bell a single time.”
Tayla breathed in and marched smartly to the forward viewport. “Aye, Aye, Captain.” She saluted. She knew the significance of this hallowed tradition that she observed a few weeks ago with her best friend. It’s one that she had seen in the movies and one that she had rehearsed repeatedly.
Tayla released her salute, stood ramrod straight, faced the distant Earth through the viewport, and pulled the rope to sound the bell a single time. At the sound of the brass bell, the crew members rendered a crisp salute.
“Relax, everyone. Tayla Mendoza, welcome to the crew of StarCruiser Brilliant.”
Tayla received hugs, handshakes, and congratulations from everyone on the bridge.
Her last bear hug was from her best friend. “Tay, we made it,” Jennifer said.
“Ops set a course for Earth,” Jack said.
“Course laid in,” Jennifer said.
“Engage,” Jack said.
27
StarCruiser Brilliant was homeward bound with Luna still large in the aft displays. The six pilots of the Blue Angels were giddy with joy after their orbit of Earth’s nearest neighbor.
Kalinda came up next to Jack. “Captain, Jeff would like to fly the ship.”
“Very well,” Jack said. “Pilot, give Jeff some stick time.”
“Aye, sir,” David said. He helped Jeff configure the pilot’s seat. “You’re configured for an F-18. Do some smooth right and left turns.”
“Yes, sir.” Jeff moved the stick and flew Brilliant through space with the smile. “Thank you, sir.”
A distinct tone sounded, and a red indicator appeared on the communications panel. Tayla turned to her board. “Captain, special message. Your eyes only,” All those on the bridge shifted to operational attention.
“Very well.” The captain looked down, eyes narrowed. “Sound Alert One. On your toes everyone.”
David grabbed Jeff by the shoulders, lifted him out of the pilot’s seat, and jumped in his place.
“What’s going on, Kay?” Jeff walked to the rear bulkhead with Kalinda.
“I don’t know,” Kalinda said. “but we need to stay out of the way.”
Thirty seconds later another tone sounded at the communications panel.
“Captain, it’s from Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet.”
“Very well, Comms,” Jack said. “On screen.” He turned his chair to face the main viewer.
“I'm Vice Admiral Rashid Muhammed, Indian Ocean Fleet Operations. A helo accident occurred aboard the Oprah Winfrey near the Straits of Hormuz fifty-five minutes ago,” the admiral said.
Jack pointed to Jennifer who took the cue to lay in a course. She signaled to David who executed the maneuver.
“The turbine casing exploded during landing, injuring seven sailors,” the admiral said. “The pilot suffered massive internal injuries and requires trauma care that Winfrey is not able to provide. We need Brilliant to transport her to a trauma center stateside. How soon can you get here?”
Jennifer held up eight fingers.
“Admiral, we can be there in eight minutes from near lunar orbit.”
“Understand, Brilliant, out.”
A few seconds later, there was another tone. “On Screen,” Jack said.
Admiral Muhammed appeared again. “We’ve received another report from Winfrey. Brilliant, the pilot’s injuries are grave. Unfortunately, your services may not be needed.”
Kalinda felt Jeff shaking. She looked at him. “Your mom?”
“Maybe,” Jeff said.
Kalinda walked next to Jack. “Captain?”
“I’m kind of busy.”
“Sir, the pilot might be Jeff’s mother.”
He looked at Kalinda, then at Jeff and saw a terrified ten-year-old. “What is your mom’s name?”
“Mia Rodriguez,” Jeff said.
“Son, we’ll do our best,” Jack said. He turned to the screen. “Admiral, we’ll be there more than soon. Brilliant out,” Jack said.
“Ops, can we do a StarDrive Jump?”
“Yes, Captain,” Jennifer said. “Ani, plot a Finsler Maneuver to the Karman Line above the Winfrey.”
“Sick Bay, are you monitoring?”
“I’m ready, Captain,” Dr. Ami said.
“Fifi, you and Kalinda take Jeff down to the galley.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” Fifi said. The Blue Angels pilot jumped from her seat and joined Kalinda as they took Jeff to the galley.
“Captain,” Jennifer said. “Course laid in. We’ll arrive at the Karman Line four minutes after the accident. Brilliant will jump back fifty-three minutes.”
“Very well,” Jack said. “Pilot, engage the StarDrive.”
The star field blurred for a moment.
Walleye looked at Munchkin. “He said bad things happen when you engage the StarDrive near a planet.”
“Starship tactics, Mr. Weisser,” Munchkin said. “You read the rulebook and then listen to your gut.”
“Captain, in five seconds, we’ll enter the atmosphere at Mach twelve and decelerate to Mach five at twenty thousand feet.”
Again, the star field blurred.
“Very well, Comms, send an eyes-only message to Brilliant,” Jack said. “'Go to alert. Get here fast.' Tayla, make sure it arrives at 1:59 p.m. Then open a GUARD channel to the bridge of the Winfrey as soon as we re-enter.”
“Aye, Captain.”
She programmed and sent the first message.
The display showed the red glow of re-entry.
“Transmitting on GUARD Frequency, Captain,” Tayla said. “They’ll be monitoring on the bridge.”
The USS Oprah Winfrey was at general quarters. All hands were devoted to putting out the fire, saving the casualties, protecting the ship and its equipment.
The bridge phone-talker stood next to the captain. “Captain, Damage Control reports the fire is out. They’re sending in rescue personnel.”
“Very well,” the captain said.
BA-BOOM! The Winfrey was rocked by a massive sonic boom.
“Who the hell is in our airspace at a time like this.”
“Winfrey, this is StarCruiser Brilliant. Request permission to land.”
“It’s the Military Air Distress Frequency, sir!” the quartermaster said.
The captain reached up and depressed a lever. “Brilliant, we have a foul deck with casualties. We cannot receive visitors at this time.”
The radio sounded, “Captain, we’re aware of your situation, and we’re aware that the pilot is in extremely critical condition. We’ve got a high-level trauma facility aboard. Sir, we’re the pros from Dover.”
The captain thought, How does he know who the casualties are? “CAG?”
The air group commander responded, “Captain, we can clear a space aft of the superstructure.”
“Very well, Officer of the Deck, turn into the wind. Sound flight quarters for a vertical landing.”
“Aye, Captain,” the OOD said. “Helmsman, order ahead full. Turn right. Steady course two-five-zero.”
“Captain, we’re setting flares aft of the superstructure.”
“Very well, CAG.” The captain depressed transmit. “Brilliant, there are twenty knots of wind across the deck. We've set flares aft of the superstructure defining your landing area.”
I hope this works, the captain thought.
“Thanks for the wind captain. We’ve got you on visual. We’ll be noisy until we’re below ten thousand feet.”
“Sir, damage control reports Lieutenant Commander Rodriquez critically injured. The doctor is with her. The other crew members have only minor injuries.”
“Very well. Prepare the commander for personnel transfer on Brilliant. The doctor will fly with her.”
“Captain, CIC reports they
have Brilliant at eighty thousand feet, speed 1500 knots bearing 0-7-0.
“Very well. Brilliant, we have you on radar. We’ve got the pilot and our surgeon ready to transfer.”
“Roger, Winfrey. Please inform. Is the name of the pilot Mia Rodriguez?”
What the hell? the captain thought.
“Correct. The injured pilot is Lieutenant Commander Mia Rodriguez. She’s a VIP. Her mother is a senator.”
“We are aware,” Jack said. “Twenty seconds to touch down.”
“Crew, the injured pilot is Jeff’s mother.” There was a gasp. “Munchkin, detail two of yours to the ramp to assist. Then go down to sickbay and brief your pilot and liaise between the galley and sick bay. Keep the boy in the galley.”
Munchkin pointed to Popeye and Droopy and then followed them down the pole.
“It just got complicated,” Jack said. “Dr. Ami are you ready?”
“Yes, Captain. I recommend one-sixth gravity for the transfer. May I have Ani for a second pair of hands?”
“Who?” The captain was speechless for a moment. “Yes. Of course?” The captain turned to see a tall blonde in a Brilliant flight suit exit the ready room. “Ani?”
“Captain, I'm headed for sickbay.”
“By all means,” Jack said, still a bit stunned at the sight of his Artificial Navigation Interface as a virtual human. “Engineer, one-sixth gravity.”
“Aye, sir,” Riley said. He smiled at the captain's reaction.
“Pilot, we’ll come in one mile aft of the stern, and you will make a direct approach two hundred feet above the flight deck and land in the flares.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” said David.
“Winfrey on visual, Captain,” Jennifer said.
“Bring us in,”
“Winfrey, Starcruiser Brilliant, we’re one mile astern,” Jennifer said.
“Brilliant, Winfrey, we're steady on two-five-zero. Twenty knots wind across the flight deck gusting to twenty-five, sea state three. The deck is steady. There's rotary wing traffic to your left acting as plane guard, and we've got you on radar. On final approach, follow the signals of the plane director wearing yellow.”
“Winfrey, StarCruiser Brilliant. We’re twenty seconds from your stern. Straight in approach,” Jennifer said.
