~~~~
Mitch is the first to rouse looking at Ethan, he noticed that his breathing is normal his chest rising and falling but still unconscious so he reached over gently shaking him. Mitch saw him starting to stir so he quickly unbuckled his harness to check his sister. Quickly climbing around his seat, he went to her kneeling in front of her chair. Unbuckling her safety harness, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently shaking her.
“Danielle you have to wake up, open your eyes.” Her eyes fluttered slightly at the sound of Mitch's voice.
“Mitch?” she whispered.
“Yeah Danielle I am her with you.”
“Mitch what happened?” She asked trying to focus her mind and her eyes on Mitch.
“I am not sure. Can you stand?”
“I think so.”
Taking her hands in his he helped her stand, shaky on her feet; she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek thankful to be alive. Scrambling to get out of the copilots seat with a worried look on his face Ethan hurried to see if Danielle was well. Danielle smiled at him reassuring him that she is fine; she still did not like to show too much affection for him in front of her protective brother.
“Mitch, do you have any idea where we are?” Ethan asked.
“No Ethan all the navigational systems are fried, only emergency systems are working at optimum. Look out the front viewport at the planet below us, it looks similar to Earth,” he said pointing toward the 212s front view port.
“All right then we take the escape pods for a ride down to the planet and enjoy a little vacation time. We have been griping for months that we need some time off so here we go,” Danielle said trying for a little lightheartedness, looking at the beautiful planet below secretly very fearful of their situation.
With a little laugh Ethan said, “I am up for it let’s do it.”
“Nice, you guys but we don’t have a choice. The 212 will not stay in orbit for long, I am sure the orbit is deteriorating quickly. We will need to get into the escape pods right away,” Mitch said firmly. They are in more danger than they are letting on and needed to take it seriously.
“Ok, spoil sport we will get into the pods, but it is the vacation we have been wishing for,” Danielle said with a silly grin on her face. Mitch could not help but laugh at his sister.
“Here is what we do, make sure the pod homing beacons are on so if we are separated we can find each other. Chances are that will not happen but why take any unnecessary chances. Before you open the hatch, check the pods atmospheric readouts to make sure it is safe. From here, the planet seems to resemble Earth but you can never tell. Once we get down, we will see to our survival. Hopefully, it will be the vacation we have all been begging for,” Mitch laughed.
The F/A-212 is a big craft it had room for its normal payload and three of the newest escape pods. For propulsion, they are equipped with a liquid fueled jet engine, a computer controlled navigation system and stabilizer thrusters. Once in atmosphere, the thrusters would slow the pods down and the parachutes it carried would theoretically allow a gentle and safe landing. The tubes are ten feet long and four feet wide. The unit opens like a coffin with the occupant lying on their back. Once the unit is sealed, the heads-up display is directly above them in the escape hatch. The display gives constant temperature, angle, speed, and altimeter readings. The pods have a manual control system installed for emergency use only.
Upon inspection of the three pods lined up parallel in the stern, only two of them were functioning with one dark and the access hatch would not open. They were stunned and amazed that after everything that has happened; someone would still likely not survive. The pressing issue is whom it would be, who would be willing to save the others and sacrifice themselves.
“All right you two get in the pods we are running out of time," Mitch quickly ordered hoping to prevent any chance of discussion.
“No I can’t lose you Mitch! You are all the family I have left,” Danielle said with tears welling up in her eyes.
“I will stay and try to fix the pod Mitch you need to be with your sister.” That caused Danielle more distress because she did not want to lose either of them.
“There has to be another way,” Danielle said trying to control her emotions.
“Get in your pod that is a direct order," Mitch said more sternly than he wanted to.
Danielle hugged her brother for what she thought was the last time. “I love you,” she sobbed climbing into her pod.
Ethan shook Mitch’s hand with a look of assurance on his face that told him everything he wanted to know that his sister would be safe with Ethan. Watching the access hatches close on the pods he suddenly felt very alone, maybe for the first time in his life he is truly alone. Quickly moving into the launching tubes the pods abruptly stopped while the launch tubes rear doors sealed shut preserving atmospheric integrity. Mitch could hear the outer doors opening and knew in seconds they would launch. Suddenly, the 212 shook as the two pods launched. The suddenness of it overwhelmed him already missing his sister; he prayed they would have a safe landing on the planet below. He could see them for a moment out of the 212s front viewport then they were gone into the atmosphere.
Staring hard at the disabled pod, he wondered what to do next. "How do I get my butt off this wreck," he shouted in frustration. I might be able to divert the emergency power into the pod to see if it would function but if the pod circuitry is as bad as I suspect it would short out even more and there would not be enough life support to sustain me to find another solution to escape if that one failed. He stood there for a moment frustrated then gave up and sat in the pilot's chair staring out the front view port at the planet below. I hope they are ok, he thought closing his eyes to trying to relax and think of a solution.
The pod jet engines blasted them away from the stricken fighter-bomber leaving a beloved brother and new friend behind. Both knew what Mitch had done was courageous though navy regulations required it and they fervently hoped he would find a way to the safety of the planet below. When the engines stopped firing the vibration and the loud noise of the engines ceased, they knew they would be entering the atmosphere any second and the ride would get ruff. Slamming into the atmosphere the pods thrusters started firing to compensate for speed and angle. If either were to be incorrect, the pods would burn in atmosphere. The onboard computers were intuitive enough to compensate and make adjustments by using the temperature of the outer hull, angle of descent and the speed to make those adjustments.
The pods were taking a beating entering what could be the mesosphere because the temperature readouts were climbing alarmingly. The thrusters are firing incessantly to slow the speed of the pods and to change the angle of attack. Both knew if the computers failed them now they would burn in an instant. Watching the readouts with more than a little trepidation, though they knew what to expect it did little to ease the fear and unease they were feeling now. Minutes passed and the temperature readings showed the temperature of the hulls dropping rapidly. It could indicate they have entered a troposphere much like earths. Not long afterward, the heads-up display showed the parachutes successfully deploying slowing their speed and the readouts showing they are quickly approaching the surface. Now if only they do not hit a mountain or land in an ocean they should be safe.
Mitch sat in the pilot seat with his eyes closed trying to imagine how he had managed to get into this predicament that he now found himself in and how he was going to save himself. He knew he could not bring the 212 into atmosphere without him and it disintegrating in flames, the pod is not functioning, what am I supposed to do he thought in frustration. I imagine if I had access to that circle of light with the spiraling bands, it would get me safely to the planet, he reasoned.
“Well that certainly took you long enough. I did not think it would take you this long to realize what you need to do to escape the predicament you find yourself in.”
“What? Whoa, now I know I am losing my mind,” Mitch yelled aloud.
“Who are you that you can do this? How do I know I am not having a serious case of space sickness?”
“I do not know what space sickness is, but I do know you are in grave danger and need to escape your foundering ship.”
“How am I supposed to do that open the door and walk out into space? How do I know I can trust a strange voice in my head?”
“I knew you might be stubborn, but not to this extent. Please you must listen to what I am saying. Clear your mind of doubt in me and please try to trust me. I am all you have now so you need to follow my instructions if you want to live. You need to use your imagination so you can create a threshold. You do have an imagination do you not?”
Mitch had always been a practical person but someone talking in his head is way beyond his imagining. All he kept thinking is this could not be it had to be his imagination or the lack of oxygen in the cabin of the 212 he thought. That has to be it! It has to be combination of the two; he thought to himself trying to ignore the voice in his head.
“Are you going to yammer away until you find yourself dead? We must hurry before it is too late to save you!”
“Do you know you are a very pushy person?” he asked humorously finding a little humor in the situation even now. The voice laughed inside his head and he thought it sounded like a woman's voice and very cute one at that.
“Of course I am a woman you cannot tell by the tone of my thoughts I am sending to you?” she asked with a smile in her thoughts.
“Ok, so are you married or have a boyfriend? Wait never mind you could be eighty years old!” he laughed knowing she did not sound as if she was very old.
“Are you so naïve that you do not understand the need to hurry?” she asked in exasperation knowing he was trying to insert a little levity into a very serious situation.
”Ok, tell me what I need to do,” he replied conceding to her obvious understanding of the danger involved in saving his life.
“Our minds must stay joined; nothing bad will happen to you if you follow my instructions. You must lower the boundaries of you mind and let me join more fully with you so I can send you an image of me and where I am.”
“Hold up a second you're already inside my head how much farther do you need to go,” Mitch wondered more than a little alarmed at the thought of someone he does not know possibly taking over his mind.
“Please listen to me I have my own limitations to what I can do. I cannot control your mind nor read it either I can only hear what you think aloud your secrets are safe so long as you do not think about them. Please you need to trust me; you are going to die if you do not get off your ship. I can help you create a threshold that you will cross through that will bring you safely to where I am. You will need to clear all doubt and misgivings from your mind and trust me. Your mind is more powerful than you think and you need to believe that it can truly save you. Can you do this or do I need to hold your hand?” she asked lightheartedly this time she tried a little levity to ease the tension some.
“Yes,” he replied with more self-assurance than he really felt ignoring her attempt at humor.
“Relax your mind so I can send an image of me and the surrounding area to you. Once, you see it clearly in your mind you need to imagine yourself there and the spell will come naturally.”
The image came unbidden to him causing a sharp pain as it intruded on his mind but when he relaxed and did not fight it, he saw an image of a forest glade with oak trees around the boundaries with shafts of sunlight slanting down through the openings between the branches of the trees forming a canopy above. A small stream meandered through the center of the glade with a few small rocks resting along the edges. Insects and motes of dust flickered through the shafts of sunlight slipping between the tree branches above. Immediately catching his attention is the image of a woman standing in the center of the glade next to the stream.
She has to be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life. More than that, she had an aura around her drawing him to her. He gazed at her coal-black curly hair hanging to her shoulders, becoming quickly mesmerized with her dark eyes with their perpetual piercing look when he looked directly into them. Her dark hair clashed with the fair skin of her oval face with its high cheekbones, small nose and perfect lips did not detract from her beauty if anything it added to it. She wore a button down the front leather shirt hinting at a cleavage and tight fitting leather pants tucked into her brown boots showing off her shapely hips. Around her slim waist is a leather belt with a sword hanging from her left hip and a belt knife on her right side.
Focusing on the image of her beautiful diminutive oval face, he imagined he was next to her with his arms around her looking directly into her intense dark eyes his lips brushing hers in a light kiss leading to a deeply heartfelt kiss. Imagining her body crushed against his pulling him into her very spirit joining as one he gloried in feelings he has never felt knowing in his heart that what he is feeling was right. Suddenly, appearing inside the 212 was a threshold with spiraling bands of gold, orange and red all spiraling inward like a funnel.
Walking into it without hesitation, he instantly appeared directly in front of the woman that rescued him. Still thinking that he was near death sitting in the pilot's seat of the 212 imagining all of this he let his senses roam, smelling an essence of lilacs or some such flower, but certainly pleasing to his sense of smell coming from the woman standing before him. Intruding on the pleasing fragrance, he could smell the forest around him with its wet mossy like odor. Listening carefully he could hear the sounds of animals moving about, birds chirping and squirrels running through the branches of the oaks. A moment passed and he realized this had to be real and not a figment of his imagination.
“As I suspected you do have a great imagination,” she moved slightly closer to him looking up at him.
Mitch blushing furiously like an adolescent boy with his first love tentatively bent his head toward her brushing his lips gently against hers. She gracefully slid one arm around his waist and with the other; she wrapped it around his neck pulling him down toward her waiting lips in a passionate kiss. He could feel her firm breasts pressing against him and an obtrusive sword hilt in his stomach reminding him that she might be quite dangerous. Time passed slowly until finally they halfheartedly separated.
“Well,” she paused to catch her breath and regain her composure before continuing. “You do indeed have a great imagination, something I might like to explore at another time but we must leave quickly before the agents of darkness sent to kill you find us still here.”
“Wait who are you? Why does someone want to kill me? What is your part in all of this? How is it I understand what you are saying when it does not sound anything like any language I have ever heard? I am not going any farther until I get some straight answers." Mitch refused to move with a stern expression his arms crossed like a petulant child.
Her laugh was musical and magical at the same time causing him to release his anger and fear all at once feeling comfortable and trusting in her presence. Hoping it did not get him killed, he had a distinct feeling she is going to lead him into a boatload of trouble before this was over.
“My name is Leadyl. That will have to suffice for now. Hurry you must follow me,” she said quickly disappearing behind some trees.
Games of the Powerful Page 10