by Rick Lakin
“Sorry, Hoclarth, we are on a peaceful science mission on our way home to dinner. Our families would be unhappy if we're late.”
“Very well, then, we'll destroy your ship and comb through the wreckage for what we want.”
“Close channel. What is it about pirates that they don’t like to negotiate? Did he look familiar to anyone?”
Jennifer had the same uneasy feeling as if she had seen him somewhere.
“Ani, range to Mendex at the turn?”
“Mendex will be at six-hundred thousand kilometers.”
“Pilot, after the turn, begin decelerating, turn behind Phobos and slow to orbital speed.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Ops, put STALT 1 in stealth mode and deploy in acquire and chase mode at the turn.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Thirty seconds.”
“Very well. Let’s have some fun, everyone.”
“Mendex has released a meteor cannon. It will miss us at the turn,” Ani said.
“Very well.”
“Mark the turn,” Ani said.
There was an increased noise as the ship shook from the hard turn.
“STALT 1 is deployed in stealth,” Jennifer said.
“Mendex has turned in pursuit…four-hundred thousand…Mendex has released another meteor… it will intercept ten seconds before we turn behind the moon.”
“Ops, release counter-measures. Ready Plasma cannon.”
“Five evaders away. Plasma cannons ready.”
“Four hits on the meteor. It has broken up. Three targets incoming.”
“Large to small, Ops. Pilot, evasive.”
“One destroyed…two destroyed…prepare for impact.”
The ship shook. The port-side display lit up.
“Engineer, damage report?”
“Shields are down to forty percent,” Riley said. “Engi, report damage.” Engi gave a damage inventory and recovery estimates. “Captain, one hour to recover shields. Cloaking is down. No hits on the hull.”
“Take us behind Phobos, David.”
“The ship is in orbit.”
“Brilliant clone is formed on a re-entry trajectory. The clone is a lame duck indicating shields are down,” Jennifer said.
“Ani?”
“STALT 1 is chasing. Mendex has turned to intercept us coming out of orbit."
“Release the decoy. Let’s see if he bites.”
“Clone away,” Jennifer said.
“STALT 1 pursuing in his baffles at one-hundred thousand,” Ani reported.
“Pilot, give chase and maintain two-hundred-thousand kilometer range.”
“Aye, Captain. In his baffles.”
“Mendex is firing on the clone.”
“Very well."
“His weapons have no effect. He knows. Mendex reversing course.”
“Direction?”
“Directly towards STALT 1.… It's engaging…Mendex’s shields are down…STALT is dazzling…torpedoes attacking the STALT…. Lost signal.”
“Ani, tactical?”
“He's coming right toward us. His shields are down, and he's blind,” Ani said.
“Ops, target the Mendex with torpedoes and Plasma.”
“Sir, kill or cripple?”
“Your call, Jennifer.”
“Firing torpedoes and Plasma at his StarDrive and weapons.”
“Very well, Ops.”
Jennifer released several salvos of weapons fire. The Mendex shook but didn't break up.
“Ani, report,” Jack said.
“Mendex is disabled. They have maneuvering capability. No weapons. No shields. They will be able to recover their gravity drive in three days. In any event, it will take them several months to get to their nearest base.”
“Good shooting, Jennifer,” the Captain said.
“You are such a girl,” David said.
“David, I gave her the option. I trusted her judgment. She made the correct call.”
“But Dad, we could have bagged a Hoclarth.”
“Stand down, Son. If we destroyed the Mendex, we would have killed the son of their senior commander, and we would have had a whole fleet coming to this system looking for revenge. David, you are relieved, take over Engineering. Riley, you are in the left seat. Comms, open a channel to the Mendex.”
“Aye, Captain,” Tayla responded. “On screen.”
“Mendex, I'm Captain Jack Masing of the StarCruiser Brilliant. Do you require assistance?”
Predex Kalim Kone appeared on screen, “We can find our way, StarCruiser. You should have destroyed us. Why did you not do that when you had the chance?”
“In our culture, we have a book called, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Chapter fifteen says that you shouldn’t destroy your enemies if you want to become friends someday. Tell your father, the admiral, to ask for an invitation before you come back to this system.”
“Brilliant, you are a worthy adversary. Someday, we may become friends… or I may destroy you.” The screen went blank.
“Sir, the channel is closed,” Tayla said.
“Very well, Comms.”
“Captain, the Mendex has turned and is accelerating out of the system on em drive.”
“Very well, Ani. Lay in a direct course to Earth at best possible speed.”
“Course laid in, arrival at eight-fifteen local time.”
“Pilot, engage.”
“Aye, aye, Captain. Brilliant headed for home.” Riley said.
“Brilliant, this is the Captain. Sorry for the bumpy ride. We survived a close call. Stand down from the alert. Let your families know you are on your way home. My congratulations to the bridge crew today on your excellent performance on a difficult tactical problem.” David saw his father looking directly at Jennifer as he said that.
“Captain, I have a question. I read that book, and I remember every word. It says nothing about destroying your enemies.”
“Jennifer, you know that, and I know that. Maybe someday, we'll get along well enough that the Hoclarth will know that as well,” the Captain said. “I'm sorry that you missed your birthday dinner with your parents.”
“That isn't my biggest problem. I told my mom that I was going to do a simulation on the Brilliant.”
“Well, there's always your next birthday. Unless you are still grounded.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Will it help if I tell her that you saved the ship?”
“Not so much. May I be excused.”
“You are temporarily relieved, Ops.”
She passed by David at Engineering. He reached out to stop her. “Jennifer, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t touch me, jerk. We are so over.”
The Captain turned to his right. “Tayla, you done good, today. It was nice to have you aboard.”
“Thank you, Captain, but I only hitched a ride with my bestie, and she may not get to fly on the Brilliant again,” Tayla said and then stood. “Captain?”
“Go, be there for your best friend, Tayla,” the Captain said. “Engineer, what's the status of shields?”
“Shields will be at ninety-percent before re-entry,” David said. “We are unable to cloak the ship, but we can camouflage.”
“Very well, Engineer.”
“Dad?”
Jack turned the command seat to face his son.
“I screwed up, didn’t I?”
“Yes, Son, you did a pretty bang-up job of that. You lost my trust, and you lost your girlfriend.”
“Will Jennifer ever forget what I said?”
“David, you know your uncle Navvy, and you know Jennifer. She isn't going to forget.”
“How do I get her to forgive me, then?”
“I suggest that groveling should be a key part of the plan.”
“Will you ever forgive me?”
“Son, you put the ship in danger, you questioned my orders, and you questioned the judgment of a fellow bridge officer in a way that was very hurtful. But,
I'll always be your father. That means I'll always forgive you. Not today, and maybe not for a couple of weeks. And, definitely not before you work very hard to earn my trust back. But, I'll forgive you. Do we understand each other?” Jack said.
“Yes, Sir. I'll do my best.”
Tayla found Jennifer with a double-shot caramel Frappuccino in her right hand, a wet napkin in her left, and tears in her eyes. “Tay, I screwed everything up today.”
“Seriously, Girlfriend, you need to make a list. Since I have known you, it has been your dream to fly on Brilliant. Check. For the last seven years, you wanted to ring that bell. Check. From where I sat, your performance at the Operations panel was utterly flawless. Check. Every single time the Captain needed advice, he deferred to you because he knew you were right. Check. You saved the ship. Double Check. One for me because I'm going sleep in my own bed tonight.”
Tayla took a sip of Jennifer’s coffee, “How can you drink this craze-inducing rotgut? Jen, you lost your boyfriend. But that was David’s fault, and he totally deserves it. Yes, you lied to your mom, yes, you will be grounded, and, yes, I'll probably not see you for the rest of the summer. In all the time I've known you, you’ve never had a big-time screw-up, until now. But all things considered, I think you had a pretty good birthday.”
Jennifer issued one more sob and then hugged Tayla. “You are definitely the best.”
Just then, the Captain announced, “Bridge crew to stations.”
Jennifer and Tayla were now masters of the fire pole. They were at their stations thirty seconds later.
“Welcome back, Kiddies; we are fifteen minutes from re-entry. Since we cannot cloak, we are going to fly a dirty approach into Burbank as a business jet followed by a short helicopter ride to Tovar.”
Riley asked Jennifer, “Dirty approach?”
“Pilot, are you able to fly an ILS approach?”
“Sorry, Captain, I haven’t done that on a simulator.”
“David?”
“I did it once three years ago.”
“Okay, Jennifer?”
“Sir, I have done twenty-three approaches, sixteen to Burbank both directions. I made twelve practice approaches this morning,” she said.
“Very well, Ops. Swap consoles, you will fly us home.”
Jennifer was now addressed as Pilot. “Pilot, aye. Ani, configure this console for multi-engine jet, authorize Jendroid.” Her station reconfigured to that of a Gulfstream 850. She took hold of the virtual control yoke, and her feet operated the rudder pedals.
"Tayla, I need you to communicate this message word for word. After I say it, repeat it back. Are you ready?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“TraCon is the air traffic control station for all of southern California. Contact SoCal Tracon on the classified channel. It's one of the options. When they respond, you say, 'StarCruiser Brilliant requests dirty approach to Burbank Runway one-five, authorization Brilliant 4975.' Now, repeat that back,” the Captain said.
“StarCruiser Brilliant requests dirty approach to Burbank Runway one-five, authorization Brilliant 4975.”
“Good, Tayla, put it on speaker and send the message.”
“Aye, Captain.” She conveyed the message. “What's a dirty approach?”
“Navvy invented cloaking about fifteen years ago. Before that, we had to fly in dressed as a fixed-wing aircraft. We can't cloak tonight, so we come in dressed as somebody else,” the Captain said and then initiated all-ship announce, “Brilliant, this is the Captain, we are on re-entry approach. Strap in and look at the pretty lights on the ground. Pilot, handle air traffic communications from now.”
TraCon acknowledged, and responded, “Welcome home, Brilliant. Traffic is light; you are clear to Burbank one-five and rotor-wing transit to Tovar. You are designated GulfStream 682. Enter airspace southbound at flight level 8-0-0 over Lake Hughes. Descend to twenty-five thousand. Contact TraCon at the boundary twenty-five miles out. At Burbank, taxi to the Dark Pad and designate as Mediflight 15 to Tovar.”
“Enter at flight level 8-0-0 Lake Hughes, descend 2-5-0, Gulfstream 682. Good evening,” Jennifer said.
“Ani, plot a re-entry to Lake Hughes at eighty-thousand feet.”
“Course laid in, entry interface in two minutes.” Ani said
“Engineering, raise shields for re-entry,” the Captain said.
“Shields are up at ninety percent. The ship is ready to re-enter,” David said.
“Pilot, enter the atmosphere.”
“Enter the atmosphere, Pilot, aye.” The forward display lit up in red. “At the interface. Entering communications blackout in ballistic mode.”
“Very well, Pilot.”
The ship vibrated, the burning red became brighter, and then began to subside.
“Altitude one-hundred twenty thousand, decelerating through Mach 3.”
“Very well. Engineer, lower shields and camouflage as a Gulfstream 850. Nav lights on at fifty-thousand.”
“Configured as Gulfstream. Lights on at 5-0-0, Engineer, aye.”
“We are over Lake Hughes at altitude,” Ani said.
“Pilot, begin your approach.”
“Aye, sir. 8-0-0 descending to 2-5-0. Forty miles to Burbank,” Jennifer said.
“Twenty-five to Burbank,” Ani said.
Jennifer depressed a button, “TraCon, Gulfstream 682, flight level 3-1-0 with clearance to 2-5-0 our discretion. Please pass on to Burbank, requesting runway 15.”
“682 Roger, checking your request for runway 1-5,” SoCal TraCon said. “Gulfstream 682, descend to 1-1 thousand.”
“Gulfstream 682 is leaving flight level 2-7-0 for eleven thousand.”
“Gulfstream 682, contact Burbank terminal on 1-2-8 decimal 7-3.”
“Gulfstream 682, good evening.”
“Burbank, good evening, Gulfstream 682 is out of thirteen six for 1-1 thousand, requesting runway 1-5 and direct ILS.”
“Gulfstream 682, runway 1-5, maintain 6 thousand, altimeter 30.05, maintain present heading,” Burbank approach said.
“Cleared to 6, present heading.”
“Gulfstream 682 is cleared for ILS 1-5.”
“Cleared for ILS 1-5.” Jennifer operated the controls. “Captain, I have the locator. The ship is fly-by-wire.”
“Very well, Pilot.”
“Burbank, Gulfstream 682 will be descending to 3000 on the ILS.”
“Roger,” Burbank air traffic control said.
“Gulfstream 682 has the field in sight, requesting visual.”
“Gulfstream 682 is cleared visual runway 1-5, contact tower on 1-1-8 decimal 8.”
“Cleared for visual approach, switching to tower, Gulfstream 682” Jennifer was now flying Brilliant manually as a jet aircraft.
“Now, you are just showing off, Jennifer,” Jack said.
“Aye, Sir. It might be my only chance,” Jennifer said.
“Engineer, maintain five feet ground clearance.”
“Five feet. Aye, Sir.”
“Burbank Tower, Gulfstream 682 is 10 miles back on visual 1-5.”
“Gulfstream 682 altimeter is 30.05” Burbank tower said.
“30.05, Gulfstream 682.”
“Gulfstream 682 is cleared to land runway 1-5, winds 070 at 5 to 10.” Burbank was experiencing Santa Ana crosswinds from the East.
“Cleared to land, Gulfstream 682,” Jennifer responded. “Crossing the airfield apron, Captain.”
“Gulfstream 682, contact ground 1-2-1 decimal 9.”
“Gulfstream 682, good evening.”
“Ground, Gulfstream 682 is with you for the dark pad.”
“Gulfstream 682 is cleared to the dark pad. Reconfigure to Mediflight 15. You are clear visual southbound then westbound to Tovar at two-thousand feet.”
“Gulfstream 682, good evening.”
The dark pad was a virtual hangar created exclusively for Brilliant. The ship entered the enclosure as a Gulfstream 850.
“Engineer, reconfigure Brilliant as a Bell
703 Medicopter," Jack said
“Aye, Sir. Reconfigured.”
“Ani, reconfigure console as Bell 703, authorization Jendroid.” Again, the virtual controls changed. Jennifer placed her left hand on the collective, her right on the cyclic stick, and her feet on the anti-torque pedals to control the tail rotor. She then started the engines. When the main rotor was at full RPM, she reported, “Ready to depart, Captain.”
Three minutes later, Brilliant exited the virtual hangar as a Mediflight helicopter.
“Take us back to Tovar.” He turned to the right, “Tayla, does Jennifer spend her whole life in the simulator?”
“Why do you think I had so much time to learn the Comms panel?”
“It was time well spent…on both of your parts.”
The crew spent the next four minutes enjoying the city lights in the valley.
“Sir, descending to the Tovar pad.”
“Very well.” There was a bump. “Nice landing, Pilot.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Brilliant, this is the Captain. Congratulations go to our NASA team. Congrats again to our bridge crew. Tomorrow's a day off. I'll see you all on set on Monday. It's always a good day that ends with our feet on the Earth. Ani, secure the ship and drop the ramp, let’s go face the dangers of SoCal traffic.”
The crew started to leave the bridge. “Jennifer, a moment,” Jack said. Jennifer stopped. David looked back at her. All he saw was anger.
She turned to the Captain, “Yes, Captain.”
“It’s Jack now. Jennifer, I know that when you walk off the Brilliant, you are going to be in big trouble with your mother. I don’t know when you will be back in that seat, but I want you to know, you are the best tactician we have had on the Brilliant since…. For a very long time.” Jack Masing looked down in sadness.
“Since my father?” Jack looked up at her.
“You know?” Jack said.
“All I know is that his first name is Anthen and he was killed in an accident on set.”
“That’s not be the whole story, but I'm going to ask you to live with that a little longer.”
“You know what happened?”
“Just a little longer, Jennifer. One thing more. David needs to grow up. I hope you two can work things out. Now, go hug your mom. She’s probably been worried.”