by Linn Schwab
“In the morning, you’ll all get uniforms,” Dawn said, turning to walk away from them. “Report to the assembly room just before breakfast.” With that, she stepped back out through the doorway, leaving Robin all alone with her squad.
Robin glanced around at each of the girls. They were all standing now in front of their beds, waiting expectantly for her to speak to them. The chatter in the room was beginning to die down as the other squads climbed into their beds for the night. As Robin agonized over what she should say, the lights in the room suddenly began to grow dim, rapidly surrounding her squad mates in darkness and threatening to steal her opportunity to bond with them.
Moonlight kept the room somewhat illuminated. Robin could see the other girls standing before her, still looking at her, quietly imploring her to speak. She tried desperately to bring a thought to the surface so she could attempt to string it into words for them. But all of her thoughts were mired in panic at the moment, and her ability to control her voice was questionable. As she worried herself over the troubled looks on their faces, one of the girls sniffled and started to cry.
Mindy could feel the tears forming in her eyes. The long day had taken a heavy toll on her. She glanced around the darkened room in anxiety, then lowered herself to her hands and knees. Everything seemed to hit her at once — the confusing tests, the unfamiliar bedroom, and the fact that her squad mates were all frozen in silence. There was only one clear thought left tearing at her mind: all Mindy knew was, she wanted the nursery!
Robin watched the crying girl drop to her knees. She immediately felt herself compelled to move forward. As she took a few tentative steps toward the girl, she somehow came to the understanding that this was what was expected of her.
Allowing her instincts to take over for her, Robin knelt and put her arms around Mindy. As the two of them rocked from side to side, the other girls came closer and huddled in around them. Gradually, the whole squad melded together, relaxed, and allowed their eyes to drift shut. And though their beds were only a few steps away from them, all of them eventually fell asleep on the floor, curled up together like a litter of kittens.
POLLYANNA 003
Virginia sat all alone in her quarters, gazing somberly at the empty beds all around her. It was the same room she had shared with the other girls in her squadron, but now it held only memories of them. She glanced at each of the beds one by one, and recalled the faces of the girls who had slept there. She smiled a painful little smile to herself as the memories of their voices echoed through her mind. There’d been many happy times in this room, even in the few short weeks that she’d been here — laughing, and joking, and occasional singing. But now there was only an empty silence, reminding Virginia that death was absolute, and that there was no way for her to free her friends from its grasp.
She glanced down at the soggy pillow beside her — damp with an entire night’s worth of tears. There were no more tears left now for her to cry. She’d cried the last one sometime during the night, then slipped into an uneasy sleep and dreamt of toothy jaws pursuing her through space. Sharks’ teeth, she realized now that she was awake. Teeth that had no body — that seemed to gnaw through anything that got in their way. There was nowhere to hide from them and no way to destroy them. They were unstoppable, mindless killing machines, and they were intent on destroying Virginia.
She looked up at the clock on the wall. The Mistral was still on morning time, but she had already missed breakfast. Not that she was hungry anyway, but no one had even bothered to come check on her. No one even missed me in the mess deck, she thought. They must be convinced I abandoned my squadron, and that I’m to blame for all of their deaths. No one will ever want to fly with me again.
She closed her eyes and tried to piece together what had happened. We were all flying in formation, she remembered. They had all been concentrating on aiming their rockets, and then there had been a sudden explosion. The blast had occurred directly beside her — right where Patti would have been flying! And then she realized what must have happened. Patti had been the first one to die. One of the enemy fighters must have fired a rocket, and none of the girls had seen it coming. We were all concentrating on the target, she realized. Patti probably never even knew what hit her.
And the force of the explosion had scattered the squadron. “You’re an easy target if you get singled out.” Those words were going to haunt her forever. She recalled how helpless Amber had looked with the two Tiger Sharks closing in for the kill. That’s how the others must have died, she realized. The Tiger Sharks tracked them down one at a time. And each of them would have known that they were going to die. Patti was the fortunate one, she told herself. She was the only one of us who didn’t have to suffer.
A gentle rap at the door caught her attention. Virginia glanced over and saw Amber peering in.
“Hi,” Amber said in a cautious tone, uncertain how Virginia would react to her presence. She stepped inside the room and sat down beside her, trying her best not to seem too intrusive. “I just came to say goodbye.”
Virginia looked at her in confusion. Goodbye? she wondered.
Amber broke into a smile now, and the tone of her voice turned a little brighter. “You’re being transferred to another carrier,” she explained. “The Hornets decided to take you, Virginia.”
“What?” Virginia responded, even more confused now than she had been before.
“You’re part of an elite squadron now.”
Virginia stared at her in silence. “But I don’t understand,” she said. “Why do they want me?”
Amber shrugged. “Maybe because you managed to kill two enemy aces?”
Virginia turned away from her and looked down at the floor as if she was troubled by something. “But what if I was just lucky, Amber? What if I’m not really good enough for this?”
Amber shook her head and placed her hand on Virginia’s shoulder. “No one is that lucky, Virginia. I saw what you did. I owe my life to you. And no matter what anyone else thinks about you, I’ll always be convinced that you deserve this.” She wrapped her arms around Virginia and squeezed her tightly for a moment, then stood up and walked away from her. She stopped just inside the doorway and took one final look back at Virginia, knowing she might never see her again.
“Goodbye … Pollyanna,” she said with emotion. She then quickly stepped back out through the door.
The nickname echoed through Virginia’s thoughts. It was the last time anyone would ever call her that. Her new squadron would likely affix a new nickname to her, and she feared it would turn out to be something less than flattering. Something that labeled her as being incompetent.
“Well, I guess you’ve probably heard the news by now.” Commander Sarens was speaking to her from the doorway. “Congratulations, Virginia,” she said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever advanced so quickly.”
Virginia gazed up at her in silence, her eyes pleading for some kind of explanation.
“What’s wrong?” the commander asked her. “You don’t seem very happy about this.”
“I don’t understand why they want me.”
“Don’t you?” the commander responded. “It’s not that complicated, really. Very few pilots are asked to become Hornets. They only take the very best. What you accomplished yesterday was unprecedented. At the very least, you’ve earned a chance to prove yourself to them.”
“If I’m such a great pilot,” Virginia complained, “then why is the rest of my squadron dead?”
Commander Sarens empathized with her. She’d seen this situation many times before. Survivor’s guilt was common among pilots who’d lost other squadron members in combat.
“Virginia,” she said, “you’re not to blame for the deaths of your squadron. We’ve looked at the footage from your cockpit recorders. There was nothing you could have done for them. You were fortunate to make it back here yourself.”
Virginia’s eyes conveyed a look of despair far deeper than the commander had ever seen befo
re. “Were they trying to protect me, Commander? Is that why they died and I got away?”
The words took Commander Sarens by surprise. It was as if a hidden doorway into Virginia’s mind had suddenly been thrown open before her. She now had a much better understanding of the emotions that were lingering there. It was a burden she realized would be difficult to live with. Trying to ease the girl’s qualms would likely prove to be a challenge.
“I don’t know, Virginia,” she answered sincerely. “There’s nothing I’m aware of that would seem to indicate that. From what we can tell, they were all trying to escape. But that isn’t going to bring them back, you know.”
Virginia nodded and lowered her head. The commander’s words offered her a sliver of comfort, taking some of the edge off her feelings of guilt. But there was something else that was still troubling her. Something the commander could not help her with.
“You’ve got to let them go, Virginia,” Commander Sarens said to her. “Your new squadron is going to be counting on you. They need a pilot who has all of her wits in place. Okay?”
Virginia closed her eyes and nodded.
“Good. It’s time for you to fly over to the Tempest. Your new squadron is waiting there to meet you.”
Virginia stretched her muscles and mustered the strength to get to her feet. “Are you sure I’m ready for this?” she asked.
“On the contrary,” the commander responded. “I’m quite certain you’re not ready for this. Nobody would be in your situation, with only one battle under your belt. But your new captain made her decision after viewing the footage from your flight recorders. She must have seen something promising in you. So we’ll both just have to defer to her judgement and trust that she has a good reason for selecting you. And like I said, you’ve earned a chance to prove yourself. So take advantage of this opportunity, Virginia. A lot of other girls would like to be in your shoes right now. Come on. I’ll walk you down to the flight deck. The crew has your plane prepped and ready to go.”
Virginia followed her out of the room. As she turned to walk toward the elevators, her eyes shot open in shock and surprise. Standing at attention along the length of the corridor were all of the fighter pilots currently stationed on the Mistral.
“One last salute in honor of our comrade, Sentinels!” Commander Sarens yelled out to them.
“VAL–HALLA!” they all screamed in response, loud enough to be heard throughout much the ship. The audible salute made Virginia tingle. It was the first one ever called out in her honor. But it was the silent, informal version of the salute that really touched her as she walked along the corridor. All of the pilots quietly placed their fists over their hearts — a gesture of genuine respect among the Sentinels that suggested sincere admiration and affection. Since this salute was strictly voluntary, it carried deeper meaning than the more formal variation. She’d clearly misjudged her standing with the pilots. It was obvious to her now how they truly felt about her.
Virginia blushed as she walked along the line, receiving compliments and wishes of luck from the others. As she stepped onto the elevator with Commander Sarens, a volley of cheers rang out through the corridor and a spirited round of applause completed the sendoff.
The doors slid shut and the elevator abruptly started moving, adding to Virginia’s sense of bewilderment. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly. Her mind was spinning with uncertainty. “I keep hoping I’m going to wake up,” she said, “…that this is all just part of a dream, and that Kathy and the others are all still alive.”
Commander Sarens seemed to empathize with her. “I feel the same way,” she said. “I knew most of your squadron pretty well. Their loss came as quite a shock to me. They were one of my more experienced units. I’m going to miss them all very dearly.”
The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. The two of them headed for the flight deck together. When Virginia first caught sight of her plane, she almost didn’t recognize it. The squadron numbers had already been changed and there were three bright yellow bands painted around the rear of the fuselage. She saw a few scattered patches where her bullet holes had been, but everything else seemed to be in pristine condition.
Commander Sarens gestured proudly toward the plane as she walked across the flight deck with Virginia. “The maintenance crew really put their hearts into it,” she said. “They wanted it to be ready before you left today. They really enjoyed painting those stripes on your plane. I think it was a chance for them to share in your accomplishment.”
Virginia couldn’t take her eyes off the yellow stripes. They were like the teeth painted on the Tiger Sharks’ planes — a warning to other pilots that this plane was part of an elite fighter squadron. Did I really earn them? she wondered. She took a deep breath and climbed up into the cockpit.
“Goodbye, Virginia,” Commander Sarens said, waving as she stepped back away from the fighter. “I’m very glad to have had the chance to know you.”
A new thought suddenly occurred to Virginia. With her departure from the Mistral, her old fighter squadron would no longer have a presence. It concerned her that their number might disappear forever, taking the legacy of Kathy and the others along with it. “Commander,” she anxiously asked, “will there ever be another Fifty–Seventh fighter squadron?”
“There will indeed,” the commander assured her. “We’ll have replacements here in a couple of days. It isn’t often we have to start a whole squadron from scratch. We can only hope that they catch on quickly.”
Virginia considered making a request, but didn’t know if it was even permissible to ask. “I’d like to come see them someday,” she said, hoping the commander would invite her to return.
“I’ll see if I can arrange that for you,” she said. “Take care of yourself.”
Virginia waved goodbye, fired up her engines, and taxied her plane in the direction of the airlocks. She closed her canopy as her plane approached the doors. In less than a minute’s time she was coasting through space. She banked right and looked for the carrier Tempest. It was positioned near the far end of the fleet. She saw a few other fighters out on patrol, but for the most part everything was quiet right now. The battleships had their big guns lowered and the formation was hovering in standby mode. At a moment’s notice, though, the entire fleet could spring into action and race forward to intercept an enemy threat.
As Virginia’s fighter neared the stern of the Tempest, an airlock began to cycle for her. She guided her plane through both sets of doors and rolled to a stop near the ordnance lift. There, a flight crew came out to greet her and signaled her to shut down her engines. She followed their instructions, then popped open her canopy, grabbed her key and climbed down from the cockpit.
“Welcome aboard the Tempest,” a friendly voice greeted her.
Virginia turned around and saw a familiar face — one of the Hornets she had seen on the Mistral.
“Captain Jenny McNeil,” the girl said, politely holding her hand out in front of her.
Virginia reached out to shake hands with her, and noticed her own hands were trembling. It made her realize how nervous she was to be standing in Captain McNeil’s presence. She may not have been familiar with Tiger Sharks, but she was very much aware of what Hornets were, and of their significance to the Sentinel Fleet.
Jenny offered up a friendly smile, trying her best to calm Virginia’s nerves. “Come with me,” she said. “I’ll show you where we’re bunked and introduce you to the rest of the squadron.” Virginia followed her into an elevator. “How are you feeling today?” Jenny asked. “You looked pretty shaken up yesterday.” The elevator started to climb.
“A little nervous,” Virginia admitted.
Jenny let out a laugh. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re all pretty easy to get along with. And everyone’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“They’re not worried about flying with me?”
“Why would they be?” Jenny said. She shrugged as if to dismiss the ques
tion.
Virginia lowered her head in despair. “Because … I lost a whole squadron yesterday.”
“No, Virginia,” Jenny insisted. “You’re here because you saved a whole squadron yesterday.”
Virginia looked at her in confusion, convinced that Jenny had made a mistake. How could she even think that? she wondered. She must have me confused with someone else.
Jenny gazed back at her confidently, looking directly into her eyes. “There were four Tiger Sharks out there yesterday, Virginia. Two of them managed to eat up your squadron. The other two … were after Leslie’s squadron.”
Virginia reflected on Jenny’s words, contemplating the significance of what she’d just said. If two Tiger Sharks could wipe out an entire squadron, then they were even more fearsome than she had imagined. The realization gave her an even deeper appreciation of just how fortunate she was to be alive.
The elevator stopped, interrupting her thoughts, and the doors opened up to an adjacent corridor.
“Come on,” Jenny said, stepping out of the elevator. “We’re bunked in room B Thirty–Two.” She led Virginia along the corridor and ushered her into her new sleeping quarters. There were eight bunks stacked in pairs in the room, and six girls dressed in Hornet uniforms.
“Attention, everyone,” Jenny announced, “this is Lieutenant Virginia Scot, the newest member to join our squadron.”
“Hi, Virginia!” the girls greeted her warmly, smiling and waving their hands at her.
Jenny introduced Nancy first. “You might recognize Nancy,” she said. “She was with me on the Mistral yesterday.” She then pointed to the rest of the girls, saying their names out loud to Virginia. “And this is Kelli, Zoe, Maria, Lisa, and the quiet one in the back is Trixie.”
“Hi,” Virginia answered with a timid smile.
Jenny grasped Virginia’s arm and pointed to one of the upper bunks. “You get the bunk over top of Zoe’s. I’m going to pair you two with each other for now. If the squadron gets split up during combat, you’re going to have to try to stick together, understand?”