The bow broke the blue surf effortlessly on it journey towards Pearl Harbor. The Enterprise sailed through the restless waters into the military graveyard, yet another grey ghost reporting for duty. Even after seventy years, the bays lone sentry stood waiting to greet her sister. The U.S.S. Arizona, just below the oceans surface, was a haunting reminder of that chilly day on December 7. The angry rumble of Japanese zeros could almost be heard on the summers air. Hundreds of men lost, a tragedy that plunged an entire nation into war for five years. She stood as a warning of mankind's true nature, but also their ingenuity.
~-~-~-~-~-~
The Enterprise was returning from routine exercises in the Gulf of Mexico. She needed to resupply before here trip to the east coast, where she would meet up with the U.S. Seventh Fleet. Out on the flight deck a young man, no more than twenty, stood starring out onto the beautiful harbor. The suns light reflected playfully off the bays surface, welcoming the newcomers. He breathed in the warm salty air ,letting the light breeze tossle his hair, like a hug from a long lost friend, it surrounded him with the comforting notion that he was almost home. He had spent the last twelve months at sea and couldn't wait to put his feet on some solid earth.
"Is that a Shawn I spy actually on deck?" Remarked a voice from behind Shawn.
"Nope, I'm merely a figment of you're hyper active imagination ." Shawn threw back, with a healthy serving of his own sarcasm.
"Now kids. Play nice-" Interjected a burly man to Shawn's left."-I will turn this thing around if you guys don't stop."
They all laughed at their on stupid jokes. After twelve months aboard the Enterprise, Shawn had found solace in his two friends. If he had to describe either of them in one thought; pains in the ass. He loved that about Mike and Sarah. The two of them had become his only real family left. Shawn's father had died when he was very young and he hated his mother with an unbridled passion. Mike Foster was a rather passive guy who enjoyed the simplistic thing and, often, wasn't very talkative. Sarah Ann, on the other hand, was the most obnoxiously talkative chef on the planet. She'd just never shut up, ever.
"Hey, I have an idea!" Sarah declared in excitement. "We should have a huge party when we get back to Virginia, just the three of us."
"Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with you?" Shawn remarked, incredulous. Mike only nodded his head in agreement.
"You two are no fun." She pouted." How can you guys not want to party? My parties are the thing of legend. The secret to a good party is a good theme. My personal favorite is a---"
Shawn couldn't take any more. He climbed up the ladder into his F-35c and lowered the canopy.
"Aaaaah. Sweet silence..." He sighed
He slowly let his mind drift from topic to topic. He wondered to himself what his dad would say if he knew what his son did for a living.
Would he be proud?
He slowly drifted off to sleep hoping his dreams would bring him comfort.
~-~-~-~-~-~
Fire. Smoke. Screams.
Shawn stumbled through the hall toward the stairs. He fought for each gulp of air, the smoke winning with each searing lung full. He stumbled down the stairs, his eyes watering as he burst through the front door. Then, suddenly, his eyes were over powered by a blinding light. At last, the pain faded and darkness surrounded him.
Shawn jolted awake from his ninth night of fitful sleep. He sank back down into his bed ,groaning . The dreams had started terrorizing him ever since the Enterprise had passed through the Panama Canal.
"Maybe a stroll on the deck might clear my head"Shawn thought to himself sourly. He couldn't shake this foreboding feeling he had. The more he thought about the dream the stronger the feeling became, until it seemed like it choked out any joyful emotions Shawn might have had left. It seemed that the closer they sailed toward the Bermuda islands, the more vivid the dreams became.
What's happening to me? Shawn wondered to himself hopelessly.
Shawn climbed the ladder to the flight deck and noticed that the sky above had taken on a frightening shade of black. The Enterprise was a cvn class ship, so the twenty foot swells didn't rock the ship any more then it already swayed. Shawn stood on the deck for some time, watching the storm build around him, sheets of gray rain in the distance promised a wet day for the deck crew. Shawn headed into the ships command "island" to watch the storm from the control room. When he arrived he spotted Mike diligently working at his station, monitoring radio traffic. Shawn was just in time to hear the weather report commanding in from SATCOM.
"High swells, ranging from fifteen to twenty feet. Gust at a speed of fifty knots. Lightning and freeze warnings are in effect for the areas of:
Maimi Beach. The Florida Keys. The Bermuda Islands. WARNING! A severe storm advisory is in effect for all vessels and aircraft near the Bermuda Islands"
Shawns heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. The feeling from before had returned and seemed to be even more powerful, like a smothering blanket. He knew that this storm was holding something in it and it scared him. He was terrified and there was nothing he could do avoid what calamity awaited. He began to nervously pace back and forth, trying desperately to figure out a solution to his problem.
Suddenly, alarm bells wailed in the control room causing everyone, including Shawn, to freeze and listen. The intercom overhead came alive with the admirals voice.
"All hands, All hands. An urgent message from O.N.I. confirms that a sizable force of unknown fighters and bomber wings are headed toward Maimi beach. Scramble all fighters! Pilots and crew to stations! This is not a drill! I repeat...THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
The intercom became still with that final declaration. The command center came alive around Shawn. People began running from station to station, he had never seen it so busy.it reminded him of bee nest the had been picked with a stick one to many times. Mike looked over at Shawn and gave him a grin. He knew that shit just got real and he was loving every second of it.
"good huntin'." Was all he said, before turning back to his console.
Shawn dashed down the stairs to the flight room and hopped into his flight suit. The grey fabric fit snuggly over his muscular frame and, with his helmet under his arm, raced up the steps to the flight deck. Sheets of rain pounded the deck and crew. It created a fog that Shawn knew would make flying difficult, but he had a job to do. He raced off towards his plane, which was already being prepped for takeoff. He climbed in the dry cockpit and lowered the canopy, shutting himself from the frigid cold and rain. He flipped on the igniters and listened as his engines spun up, the sound always put a smile on his face. He looked over to the catapult operator and waited for the all clear to launch. Sitting in a weapon like this often made him feel like a bird of prey, but on this night he felt more like a dove in a wind tunnel. He could feel his plane shudder in the cross wind, each flash of lightning showing the turmoil of the sea before him. The all clear came a few moments later and shown heard his Reoman, or rather Reowoman, Jenna checking her instruments. Jenna was a tall, goofy, blonde who joined at the same time as Shawn. They didn't talk much before boarding the carrier, but now that they worked In such a confined space, he had grown to love having the bouncy beauty around.
"Tones good. Got a clean spin on the mount. We are good to go." Jenna called into her headset. Shawn nodded he understood and grab the control stick.
Shawn signaled the catapult operator and five seconds later he was shooting across the the sea at 150 mph. He could only compare the rush to jumping off a bridge into a river, scary a first and you're glad its over quick. He put the plane in a low banking turn and headed in the direction of the unknown "zeros". He put the nose down slightly and dumped the throttle hitting super sonic intercept speed. His e.t.a. to target was around five minutes, so he took that time to talk to Jenna.
"So......Haven't seen you since Hawaii. How are things?"
"Fine," like Mike, Jenna wasn't one for words. She was all about action.
"Only fine, huh?"
"Well, if you must know I just broke up" he heard her sigh into her mic. He hated to hear her upset and he hated himself even more for what he was about to say.
"So then you're free for coffee?" He said a rye smile on his face.
"Oh, shut up!" She snapped
"Sorry, I was just kidding." Shawn hadn't expected her to be so venomous.
"Well, it wasn't funny." She replied angrily. He could tell this conversation was head south, fast.
"I'm just on edge," he admitted. " I've been having these horrible nightmares and just.... tonight seemed...off."
She was silent for a while and Shawn thought she was done taking to him all together.
"Me too actually." he heard her admit shyly.
"Oh! I'm glad it wasn't just me." He admitted, surprised. For the first time, since they had started working together, he actually felt like he was connecting with her. Suddenly, his radar alert tone began ringing. He hadn't been paying attention they just came within range of there targets. The bogies where yet ahead, though visibility was still poor so it was E.G.O. (electronic guidance only).
He lowered the throttle and waited. Jenna got on the comms with SATCOM to inform them of the targets location. Shawn heard a groan from behind him.
"What's wrong?" He inquired.
"Damn things busted again" she replied
"Well, I guess this is recon for now since we have no immediate aide."
"I will see if I can get a link to shore. Warn them whats coming."
"Sounds like a plan."He replied with a smile. They were like a well oiled machine, perfectly in sync. He looked down at his instruments and took a double take. The bogies that were on his radar, five seconds before, were gone.
Where the hell did they go? He thought amazed.
He scanned the skies for any signs of an enemy flight, when Jenna came on the comms.
"Somethings wrong....I can't reach the coast guard tower and my nav screen is gone. We are flying blind, Shawn!" She shouted, with a hint of fear.
"What in the hell?" He muttered aloud. He looked back to ask her if they should head back, when she let out a shriek. Shawn spun around to face forward preparing to take evasive action, but there was nothing there. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
"What's wrong? What did you see" he asked scanning the stormy horizon.
"I...I d-don't know." She stammered. She sat wide eyed in her seat like a dear in headlights. As far a Shawn could tell all that was out there was a storm and a missing flight of enemies.
"I think we should egress, what do ya say Jenna?"
"Yah. Sounds good to me" she managed in a controlled whisper.
Whatever scared here did it good. Shawn had never seen her this frightened before. He was still curious, but dropped the subject. Be put the plane on a course out towards where he thought the Enterprise would be and pushed up the throttle.
Whoosh!
A bright blue blur flashed by the window as Shawn was beginning to relax. Jenna let out I small yelp and Shawn pulled back on the throttle and put the plane into a roll. He leveled back out, after a second, and sat staring around. He scanned the sky looking for the source of the blue....thing.
"Am I losein' my mind, or was that a blue pegasus I just saw?" Shawn asked in disbelief.
And, as if on cue, cyan horse flew up along side the jet and looked in on the bewildered passengers. Shawn, having let his instincts take over, put the plane in a dive towards earth, trying to evade the horse. Pony. Thing!
No it's not possible. My imagination and just getting the better of me, again. He thought to himself with a chuckle. "I guess I need more sleep then I thought."
He laughed into the void of darkness that as the storm, berating himself for such a silly thing to imagine. Then, as they broke through the last of the storm he noticed the ocean below didn't look like water, in fact it looked like a forest. Jenna was the first to speak
"I thought we where headed for the carrier?" She asked puzzled.
"I thought I was headed the right way." He checked his compass just to be sure. Southeast, they were headed the right way.
"I guess we where closer to Florida then I thought" he laughed to himself. He wasn't laughing from joy, far from it. They had only about two more minutes of fuel and comms were still down. So unless he found an airstrip soon, it was a hard landing in their future. Just then, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a small stretch off asphalt about mile long, fairly straight, and empty.
"I'm gonna put us down over there, okay?" He called back to Jenna.
"Yah,okay."
He lowered the gears on the plane and reduced speed to about 120 and set the flaps to full. The landing was easy enough and, after he spun down the engines, he flipped around to figure out why the comms and nav equipment refused to work.
"I'm not getting an uplink with Eagle 3 and I can't reach the Enterprise at all. The feeds are live, they just aren't responding." She analyzed the panel for any noticeable irregularities, but none appeared. As she was doing this, Shawn scanned the forest and I realization began to dawn on him.
"Can you get any radio chatter, even civilian?" He asked, his voice trembling.
"No, nothing. Everything's fine as far as I can tell. The missiles arm and the gun spins up. I can access the logs on board. Just, I can communicate with SATCOM or Eagle 3." She replied, haggard and out of reasons why it wasn't working. Shawn had an idea though, and it wasn't pleasant.
"Do you notice something?" He inquired
"No, should I?" She replied equally confused.
"The trees here are oaks and redwoods. They should be willow and evergreen. This isn't Georgia, everything all wrong.
They had landed somewhere and it sure as hell wasn't Florida. They both looked at each other for a while and sighed. It was going to be a very long night.
--In the distance, a lone pony watched the new comers with an eager eye.
