SI-9by Robert Emerald FountainChaptersDestroying the WreckagePrologueThe MessageThe ChaseExplanation and PlanningSaving AngeloAngelo's RecoveryDestroying the WreckageDuring Angelo's rescue... Sandbar flew the gunship northwest to an island where the SI-9's wreckage had landed. As they got close, Agent 3 pulled out her binoculars and checked to see whether any Salmonlings were present. To her horror, the crash site was practically swarming with them. "Sandbar, take us in for a direct strike.", she said. "You got it, Agent 3.", replied Sandbar. He flew into a dive and came screaming down from the sky until he was close enough to open fire. The Agents leaped out with parachutes, Smolder manned a flamethrower, and Yona got ready to fire missiles. Prior to takeoff, the Agents had swapped the main guns to shoot ink instead of bullets. This made sure that the Salmonlings would only be knocked out until the wreckage was destroyed. Agent 3 spotted the Salmonlings’ Commander and immediately yelled out at him. "FREEZE! HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!", she bellowed. Instead of stopping, the Commander ordered his troops to open fire and take out the Agents. Two of the Salmonlings were taking pictures of the jet to use for study. Agent 4 started shooting at them to break their cameras while Agents 3 and 8 started shooting ink at the soldiers around the crash site. At the same time, Smolder blasted the flamethrower to flush the soldiers out of hiding. One of the photographers escaped on a jet-ski, but the other was knocked out and his camera was smashed. Many of the soldiers were left splattered with ink from all three Agents. Once the Commander, the two Sergeants, and all of the other soldiers were subdued, Sandbar called to Yona over headset. "YOU'RE UP!", he cried. Yona fired six missiles to blow the jet's wreckage to smithereens. Once it was confirmed that everything was destroyed, Sandbar descended to pick up the Agents. They left the island and made way for the mainland. On the way, Agent 4 radioed the base. "Gunship to Squidbeak Base. The wreckage is destroyed, but we may be in for trouble. One of the two Salmonling photographers escaped with pictures and notes on the jet. I have a feeling that they might find out how to build some of the jets. However, we struck before they managed to document the engines.", she reported. "Well, at least they didn't get the engines. They shouldn't be able to make the coolant system for the exhaust, which means they will be traceable on infrared.", said Callie. After arriving back at the base twelve minutes later, everyone laid down for the night. Marie had already gone to the hospital to be with Angelo when he woke up. PrologueFive years ago... Equus received a heart-warming visit from a group of Inklings thirteen years after completing an exploratory mission of space. These Inklings included cousins Callie and Marie, known as the Squid Sisters. Along with them were their husbands, Michael and Andrew, their children, and their parents. Andrew and Marie's daughter Lizzie had just graduated high school when they visited. The exploration crew had also established research bases on the other explored planets. Over time, the inhabitants of both planets remained friends and Equus continued exploring deeper into space. Little do the crew members from the initial exploration know that they are about to be called out for a mission that will test all of their skills. The MessageBy now, an underground hangar had been constructed for the Alicorn. Flurry Heart and the Young Six were exercising in the hangar's gym when a siren began wailing in the control room to indicate an incoming call. They set their weights down and rushed to answer the call. When they saw Callie and Marie come into focus on the screen; they realized that something was wrong. Callie had streaks under her eyes as if she'd been crying, and Marie still had her face buried in her hands with tears dripping to the ground. "Please, you have to HELP us!", shrieked Callie. "What's the matter?", asked Flurry. Callie motioned for Lizzie and Taylor, who came charging into the camera range. Lizzie was breathing fast and Taylor was shuddering. Before they spoke, the crew noticed that everyone was clad in Squidbeak uniforms, meaning that Lizzie, Taylor, and Angelo had likely joined the Squidbeak Splatoon alongside their parents. "It's Angelo.", said Taylor nervously. "HE'S IN DANGER!", screeched Lizzie. "Alright you two, take a deep breath and give it to us gently.", said Smolder softly. Lizzie and Taylor nodded and breathed slowly for 30 seconds before finally explaining what had happened. "Angelo agreed to join the Squidbeak Splatoon's air force for six years if the Captain helped pay for his college expenses. Tonight, he was test flying the Splatoon's most recently designed aircraft. He was on his way back to the base when an enemy spotted him and gave pursuit.", said Lizzie. "There is another race here on Earth that we are at war with. They're called the Salmonlings. One of their pilots tried to capture Angelo in order to steal the aircraft's schematics. Angelo got away by flying higher than the enemy could go, but then the engines blew out. He bailed out, but we've lost radio contact.", said Taylor. "Are you still receiving data regarding his vital signs?", asked Gallus. "Yes we are, but they're very weak. We think he is badly injured and possibly unconscious.", said Callie. "Please, just promise you'll bring my precious son home.", wailed Marie through her fearful tears after looking up at the camera for a brief moment. "Fear not, Marie. We're on our way.", said Silverstream. "Thank you much. I'll bring you in once you arrive.", said Lizzie before ending the call. Sandbar and Yona began prepping the Alicorn for immediate launch while Ocellus radioed Twilight that they'd gotten an urgent mission. Twilight wished them luck and they started boarding. Once they were strapped in their seats on the bridge, Flurry began the 15-second countdown. "Fifteen.", she said. "Fourteen.", said Ocellus. "Thirteen.", said Smolder. "Twelve.", said Gallus. "Eleven.", said Yona. "Ten.", said Silverstream. "Nine.", said Sandbar. "Eight.", said Ocellus. "Seven.", said Flurry. "Six.", said Yona. "Ignition sequence start.", said Smolder as the thrusters began spewing fuel. "Five.", said Sandbar. "Four.", said Silverstream. "Three.", said Gallus. "Two.", said Smolder. "One.", said Ocellus. "IGNITION!", shouted Flurry as the fuel was lit. Within minutes, they were leaving Equus' orbit and flying at maximum warp to reach Earth as fast as the Alicorn's powerful star-core engines would allow. After reaching Earth and passing through atmospheric entry; Ocellus radioed Lizzie that they had arrived. Lizzie flew up into the night sky on a helicopter and used a red light on the tail to guide the crew to a landing platform above the ocean on strong support towers. After disembarking and giving Lizzie a hug, the crew boarded a shuttle so she could take them to the Squidbeak base. Lizzie explained during transit to the base that Takara had started her college studies in aerospace technology two weeks prior, meaning she was unable to assist with the rescue mission. However, Taylor had given her a phone call that afternoon, detailing the incident. She was holding a candlelight vigil with her classmates, her professors, and the school's dean in hopes that Angelo would be alright. After reaching the base; the crew gave Taylor, Callie, Michael, Marie, and Andrew each a hug for moral support. Then they prepared to take in the startling details of Angelo's botched flight. The Chase2:00 PM, seven hours earlier... Angelo was on his way back to the base, and was cruising along. He had flown 200 miles to the northwest and was 50 miles away from the apex after turning around. Everything seemed to be going well until he glanced at the radar to check for other pilots and bad weather. In case of any emergency, he was clad in a special suit built for extreme pressure in any environment. The suit was also waterproof to keep him from getting wet. "Got a bogey.", he said to himself upon seeing a Salmonling plane's signal on the display. The Salmonling pilot, who was flying a smaller plane, came screaming towards Angelo from behind, but was still a fair distance back. He called out over radio, demanding that Angelo surrender and set his jet down. "Not today, friend. Let's part company.", said Angelo as he worked the controls to break off in a zigzag pattern. This change in his flight tactic was having little to no positive effect, due to the fact that the pursuing Salmonling pilot was both a veteran who was trained to stop at nothing, and an ace pilot. The Salmonling started flying in sync and keeping a good fix on Angelo's tail fins. "Whoever you are, you're good!", yelped Angelo in shock. The chaser called out over radio again. He was presumably informing his Commander that he had a target. "Squidbeak base, this is SI-9, breaking radio silence.", called Angelo. "This is Base. Go ahead SI-9.", replied Agent 3. "I've been spotted. I have a SAL-29 interceptor on my tail. What's worse is that the pilot is both a veteran and an ace.", said Angelo. He continued trying to speed up and zigzag more aggressively to fly out of the interceptor's range, but he was struggling badly. At the same time, Agents 4 and 8 rummaged through their computer files on the Salmonling planes in order to find the stats for the SAL-29. "I can't shake the bogey. He's lining me up.", said Angelo in concern. The Salmonling pilot steadied his crosshairs and fired a missile to knock Angelo off balance. Angelo did a quick barrel roll to dodge the missile. As he leveled out; Agent 4 chimed in to tell him what to do. "SI-9, climb to 90,000 feet. SAL tops out at 75,000.", she instructed. "Roger that, Agent 4. Attempting altitude.", replied Angelo. Suddenly the Salmonling pilot opened fire and shot globs of weighted ink at Angelo. Several globs splattered the fuselage on the rear while others flew fast enough to pierce through. Angelo felt the ink hit the plane hard. "I'm hit. I'm HIT!", he cried. Lizzie and Taylor became startled and quickly hit the talk buttons on their headsets. "CLIMB, ANGELO!", they yelled desperately. "Climbing!", he replied. Angelo yanked back on the stick and shoved the throttle as far forward as it would go. The engines roared to life as he sped up and the plane pulled into a near-vertical ascent. During the climb, he radioed his coordinates to the base. "Latitude 66 degrees, 31 North, Longitude 45 degrees, 39 West. Altitude: 78,000. 80.", he reported. Moments later, he had ascended by another few thousand feet. "84,000 feet, and that's it. That's all she's got. All right. Bogey hit her ceiling. I've lost it.", he said in relief. This relief was short-lived though. He was interrupted by a loud explosion that shook the jet violently. "Hold it!", he yelped as an alarm went off and a warning light started flashing. The right engine had become overstressed. It stalled with a loud bang and started giving off smoke. "#1 engine stalling. Losing power.", Angelo reported. Seconds later, the engine died. "Engine #1 out.", he said. "Hang tight, SI-9. Come on, we'll pick you up.", said Agent 8. "I can't hold her. I can't hold her steady. OH SHOOT! TROUBLE IN #2 ENGINE!", wailed Angelo in panic as he struggled to keep the jet flying smoothly. The left engine stalled with a bang and gave off smoke until it died too. "#2 engine out! Attempting re-ignition.", said Angelo desperately as the plane tipped into a dive and the altimeter readout began decreasing rapidly. Sadly, the engines would not fire. The ignition mechanism had been shorted out during the point when he was shot. "Negative, negative. No-go. Can't fire. Setting destruct, now.", cried Angelo as he stopped hitting the ignition switch and pressed a button under a black and yellow cover. As Angelo prepared to bail out in the jet's egress pod, which consisted of the jet's cockpit and two bilge cylinders for a water landing, he gave Lizzie one last transmission. "Lizzie, tell Mom. Tell her I love her.", he said as tears came to his eyes and he grabbed two cords behind his head. He yanked the cords and explosive bolts fired to jettison the egress pod. At that very moment, the radio cut out. As the pod shot up and away from the jet, the fuselage self-destructed and the remaining pieces dropped out of sight. Angelo's parachutes deployed to ensure a safe landing, but the pod drifted into turbulence and he was shaken hard. He had also pulled the cords so hard that his left arm suddenly felt like it was on fire. He was also shaken so hard by the turbulence that his right leg was twisted until it started to hurt. Eventually, he became lightheaded and everything went black. Unknown to Angelo or anyone else, some of the wreckage had landed on the chasing plane, knocking it out of the air. Seconds after the radio had cut out, Lizzie and Taylor were crying their eyes out and running to tell Callie and Marie the terrible news of what had happened. Callie and Marie hugged each other and started to cry. As Lizzie gave her mom a hug, Taylor pulled his phone out and called Takara to tell her she needed to pray for Angelo. At the same time, Callie dried her tears and settled down long enough to open the distress channel and contact Equus. Explanation and PlanningOnce the Captain had played back the recording of Angelo's radio transmission, the entire crew from the Alicorn was left in stunned silence for a brief moment. "Goodness gracious!", yelped Flurry Heart. "You got that right, Flurry. I would've bailed out in that kind of situation too.", said Ocellus. Agent 3 brought over a hologram projector and inserted the data disc for the plane. "This is the SI-9. It's the most secret and most experimental stealth jet we've ever developed.", said Taylor as he turned on the projector and brought up a 3D view of the jet. The crew was shocked at how intricate this jet's design was. It had a sideways opening hatch on the cockpit, swiveling wings that would rotate backwards to make the jet more aerodynamic, and two powerful engines on the rear. "What's the maximum speed for this jet?", asked Gallus. "With the wings in their starting position, the maximum speed is 430 knots, or 496 MPH. With the wings swiveled back, max speed is 500 knots, or 640 MPH. This speed is just shy of supersonic. To reach Mach 1, the plane would need to fly 73 knots faster than it currently does.", explained Agent 4. "That's crazy!", said Yona. "You bet it is. What's more is that the engines are fitted with a specialized cooling mechanism. This allows the plane to be invisible on an infrared tracking system.", explained Lizzie as she pulled out a blueprint for the jet's engine. "Impressive!", said Smolder. "The jet's egress pod is equipped with bilge cylinders to either keep it afloat or allow the pilot to submerge and hide from enemies if it touches down on water. Angelo's egress pod status shows that the cylinders didn't survive when Angelo ejected. He has gone under.", said Agent 8 as she zoomed in on the cockpit. Just then, the alarm for one of the underwater seismometers began going off. An earthquake was taking place in the vicinity of where Angelo had touched down. "NOT GOOD!", shrieked Agent 3. Luckily, the earthquake lasted only two minutes. "How do we go about rescuing Angelo?", asked Sandbar. "Rescuing him is only half the equation. We can't let the Salmonlings document the jet's design and inner workings. If they do, we'll be in trouble when trying to defend ourselves from them.", said Callie. "Then we'll split up. I'll fly Gallus, Ocellus, Silverstream, Lizzie, and Taylor to Angelo's location. Everyone else will go with the Agents to destroy the plane's wreckage.", said Flurry Heart. "Sounds like it could work. I just hope he's not hurt too bad from the earthquake.", said Marie after she had dried her tears. The two groups quickly geared up and boarded their respective crafts. Sandbar, Smolder, Yona, and the Agents boarded a gunship to fly to an island where the jet's signal was originating. Flurry and everyone else got on a heavy rescue craft to head for Angelo's location. As the two crafts’ lights faded into the distance, Callie, Michael, Marie, and Andrew prayed that Angelo would be alright and that the Salmonlings wouldn’t get too much information on the jet. Saving AngeloThe rescue craft contained three submarines for extreme depths in order to reach Angelo's egress pod. He was six miles underwater and the pod was pinned tightly by the earthquake debris. One of the subs was built only for exploration, while the other two were designed for transporting cargo and were equipped with powerful mechanical arms for lifting heavy loads. After Flurry had launched the craft from the Alicorn, the group journeyed to an area just above Angelo's tracking signal and landed softly on the water. Gallus and Ocellus piloted the two cargo subs while Silverstream piloted the exploration sub, carrying Taylor and Lizzie in the back seats. These seats were equipped with a switch that tilted them back to allow the occupants to dive headfirst into the water through a hatch in the floor. After everyone told Flurry that they were fastened in their seats, she turned on a pump to flood the docking bay and then opened the doors. "Launch sequence engaged.", said Flurry as she tilted the subs’ docking cage forward by 90 degrees. The clamps opened and the subs were released. They quickly began descending into the dimly lit twilight waters. Everyone had put on their scuba gear, even Gallus, Ocellus, and Silverstream. When they reached the crash site, they instantly became worried. "Oh man, this is far worse than we anticipated.", said Gallus. True to his word, the pod was pinned tightly under two giant pieces of a coral reef and was slowly being crushed under the weight. Gallus and Ocellus sprang into action. They sped towards the coral shards and deployed the mechanical arms in order to lift them enough for Lizzie and Taylor to access the hatch. At that moment, Ocellus radioed Lizzie and Taylor. "Ocellus here. Gallus and I are beginning to lift the coral shards. Get him out of there as soon as the pod is in the clear.", she instructed. "We'll get him as quickly and as carefully as we can.", said Lizzie. She and Taylor plugged their oxygen lines into their helmets and prepared to dive. Soon, the two heavy shards were lifted. However, they weighed more than anyone expected. "Better hurry, you two. These coral shards are beginning to pull us down.", said Gallus. "Diving.", said Taylor. They initiated the dive sequence and splashed into the water. Simultaneously, Silverstream lowered a gurney fitted with a swiveling cage to brace whoever was placed on it. As they swam towards the smashed pod; Lizzie's heart sank. "Oh Angelo, my dear sweet little brother.", she said sadly. Once she and Taylor reached the pod, Lizzie broke out the windows to equalize the pressure and Taylor began cutting the hinges with a plasma torch. Through the window openings, Lizzie could see that Angelo's helmet was dented and the visor was scratched from being banged around inside the cockpit. Other than that, his waterproof suit was intact. Once Taylor had pulled the hatch off after prying it open with a small crowbar, Lizzie pulled out her dive knife and cut Angelo out of his seatbelts. Once Angelo was free to float, Lizzie grabbed his arms and pulled him backwards until Taylor could grab his legs. "We have him!", said Taylor once he and Lizzie were far enough away from the two slabs. Gallus and Ocellus acknowledged the report and released their hold. The coral shards dropped free and flattened the pod while Lizzie and Taylor gently laid Angelo on the gurney and rotated the cage over his chest. Once everyone was fastened, they radioed Flurry that they were ready for pickup. Flurry lowered the docking cage into the water and the three subs moved into place. After the subs were locked in secure, Flurry retracted the cables and pulled the dock back into the ship. Once the bay doors were closed and the water was drained, Lizzie and Taylor rolled the gurney off the sub while everyone else headed back to the cockpit. Upon reaching the craft’s medical area, Lizzie and Taylor prepared to take Angelo’s vital signs. "Angelo is secure. We're beginning the medical scan.", said Lizzie after she opened the roll-cage and Taylor pulled Angelo's helmet off. She began moving a handheld scanner over Angelo to transmit his status to both Flurry Heart and to Callie and Marie. When Flurry saw the results, she was wide-eyed. Callie put her hand over her mouth and Marie grabbed her heart. "I could have him back to the Alicorn in less than 20 minutes.", offered Flurry Heart. "Flurry, no. You may have delivered Angelo by c-section aboard your ship, but his injuries are serious. You need to get him to a hospital, STAT!", said Marie. "She's right. We don't have enough equipment to treat all of his injuries.", said Gallus. "Understood.", said Flurry as she set a course to fly to Splatsville Central Hospital. Angelo's injuries consisted of a nosebleed, a severely bruised forehead and temple, whiplash, a wrenched left arm, and two badly torn ligaments in his right ankle. On the way to the hospital, Taylor pulled his cellphone out and called Takara again to tell her that Angelo had been successfully rescued, but he had a long road to recovery. Takara was grateful to hear this and said she would visit him in the morning. Angelo was admitted as soon as the orderlies had a look at him and were given a list of his injuries. He was started on an intravenous line with saline to keep him hydrated, and his wounds were carefully bandaged and splinted. Angelo's RecoveryAuthor's Note This chapter is written in First Person through Angelo's eyes. Angelo's Recovery As I begin waking up, I feel bandages wrapped tightly around my head and notice I am wearing blue medical scrubs. This tells me that I'm in the hospital. My left arm is in a sling, I have a c-collar around my neck and my lower right leg is covered by an orthopedic boot. Mom is sitting next to me in a chair with her eyes shut. I reach over weakly and grab her hand softly, which alerts her that I am awake. "Hi Mom.", I say hoarsely. "Good morning sunshine.", she replies. Just then, I see several familiar faces walk into my room. They are my dad, Lizzie, Taylor, Uncle Michael, and Aunt Callie. "Glad to see you're awake.", says Lizzie. "I'm just glad to be alive, Sis. That pilot knew how to chase me really well.", I reply. "You can thank our allies from Equus for being able to help us rescue you.", says Taylor. Just then, I see another familiar face walk in. One that can only belong to Takara. "How's he doing?", she asks Mom. "I'll live.", I reply. "Glad to hear it, Angelo.", she says as she comes to give me a hug. Later on, after everyone except Mom has gone home, the doctor comes in to tell me the layout for my recovery. I will stay two more days and then go home. However, I will not be able to walk normally for around two months, due to my leg injury. To compensate, I will be on a knee scooter until my leg heals. Flurry Heart and her crew come to visit a few hours later. Flurry tells me that she gave the nurse a special accelerated healing serum to use for my arm and to speed up my leg recovery. That's why I only need to stay at the hospital for three days, and why my leg will only take two months to heal. Without the serum, it would take six months for my leg to heal. After they tell me that the Salmonlings did not get all of the information on the SI-9’s structure, which is somewhat relieving, the nurse comes in to remove my c-collar and my head bandages. As I am eating my breakfast the next day, I get word of someone special coming to see me. I have a feeling that I know who it is. My thoughts are confirmed when my girlfriend, Elizabeth, walks in. Upon seeing me, she immediately breaks down in tears. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Angelo.", she chokes out. "I'm going to be alright, baby-doll. I'll be back on both of my feet in two months.", I tell her softly. "That's good.", she replies after I give her a kiss. On my last day in the hospital, the doctor checks my arm and says it is normal again before having me sign my discharge paperwork. Dad brings me out to his car in a wheelchair to go home a few hours later. He has been supplied by the doctor with a scooter for me to use during my healing process. The scooter takes a bit to get used to, but I am quickly able to use it successfully. After the two months, which seem to fly right on by for me, Dad takes me back to the doctor to be checked. An x-ray confirms that my leg is back to normal and I am able to walk normally again. The Captain welcomes me back to base and tells me that the Agents were spying on the Salmonlings during my recovery. They are almost done building prototypes to match the SI-9’s design, and they may be coming to strike at some point soon. I begin to gear up alongside everyone else in order to get ready before we contact Equus for assistance in our battle which is hoped to be the last.
Destroying the WreckageDuring Angelo's rescue... Sandbar flew the gunship northwest to an island where the SI-9's wreckage had landed. As they got close, Agent 3 pulled out her binoculars and checked to see whether any Salmonlings were present. To her horror, the crash site was practically swarming with them. "Sandbar, take us in for a direct strike.", she said. "You got it, Agent 3.", replied Sandbar. He flew into a dive and came screaming down from the sky until he was close enough to open fire. The Agents leaped out with parachutes, Smolder manned a flamethrower, and Yona got ready to fire missiles. Prior to takeoff, the Agents had swapped the main guns to shoot ink instead of bullets. This made sure that the Salmonlings would only be knocked out until the wreckage was destroyed. Agent 3 spotted the Salmonlings’ Commander and immediately yelled out at him. "FREEZE! HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!", she bellowed. Instead of stopping, the Commander ordered his troops to open fire and take out the Agents. Two of the Salmonlings were taking pictures of the jet to use for study. Agent 4 started shooting at them to break their cameras while Agents 3 and 8 started shooting ink at the soldiers around the crash site. At the same time, Smolder blasted the flamethrower to flush the soldiers out of hiding. One of the photographers escaped on a jet-ski, but the other was knocked out and his camera was smashed. Many of the soldiers were left splattered with ink from all three Agents. Once the Commander, the two Sergeants, and all of the other soldiers were subdued, Sandbar called to Yona over headset. "YOU'RE UP!", he cried. Yona fired six missiles to blow the jet's wreckage to smithereens. Once it was confirmed that everything was destroyed, Sandbar descended to pick up the Agents. They left the island and made way for the mainland. On the way, Agent 4 radioed the base. "Gunship to Squidbeak Base. The wreckage is destroyed, but we may be in for trouble. One of the two Salmonling photographers escaped with pictures and notes on the jet. I have a feeling that they might find out how to build some of the jets. However, we struck before they managed to document the engines.", she reported. "Well, at least they didn't get the engines. They shouldn't be able to make the coolant system for the exhaust, which means they will be traceable on infrared.", said Callie. After arriving back at the base twelve minutes later, everyone laid down for the night. Marie had already gone to the hospital to be with Angelo when he woke up.
PrologueFive years ago... Equus received a heart-warming visit from a group of Inklings thirteen years after completing an exploratory mission of space. These Inklings included cousins Callie and Marie, known as the Squid Sisters. Along with them were their husbands, Michael and Andrew, their children, and their parents. Andrew and Marie's daughter Lizzie had just graduated high school when they visited. The exploration crew had also established research bases on the other explored planets. Over time, the inhabitants of both planets remained friends and Equus continued exploring deeper into space. Little do the crew members from the initial exploration know that they are about to be called out for a mission that will test all of their skills.
The MessageBy now, an underground hangar had been constructed for the Alicorn. Flurry Heart and the Young Six were exercising in the hangar's gym when a siren began wailing in the control room to indicate an incoming call. They set their weights down and rushed to answer the call. When they saw Callie and Marie come into focus on the screen; they realized that something was wrong. Callie had streaks under her eyes as if she'd been crying, and Marie still had her face buried in her hands with tears dripping to the ground. "Please, you have to HELP us!", shrieked Callie. "What's the matter?", asked Flurry. Callie motioned for Lizzie and Taylor, who came charging into the camera range. Lizzie was breathing fast and Taylor was shuddering. Before they spoke, the crew noticed that everyone was clad in Squidbeak uniforms, meaning that Lizzie, Taylor, and Angelo had likely joined the Squidbeak Splatoon alongside their parents. "It's Angelo.", said Taylor nervously. "HE'S IN DANGER!", screeched Lizzie. "Alright you two, take a deep breath and give it to us gently.", said Smolder softly. Lizzie and Taylor nodded and breathed slowly for 30 seconds before finally explaining what had happened. "Angelo agreed to join the Squidbeak Splatoon's air force for six years if the Captain helped pay for his college expenses. Tonight, he was test flying the Splatoon's most recently designed aircraft. He was on his way back to the base when an enemy spotted him and gave pursuit.", said Lizzie. "There is another race here on Earth that we are at war with. They're called the Salmonlings. One of their pilots tried to capture Angelo in order to steal the aircraft's schematics. Angelo got away by flying higher than the enemy could go, but then the engines blew out. He bailed out, but we've lost radio contact.", said Taylor. "Are you still receiving data regarding his vital signs?", asked Gallus. "Yes we are, but they're very weak. We think he is badly injured and possibly unconscious.", said Callie. "Please, just promise you'll bring my precious son home.", wailed Marie through her fearful tears after looking up at the camera for a brief moment. "Fear not, Marie. We're on our way.", said Silverstream. "Thank you much. I'll bring you in once you arrive.", said Lizzie before ending the call. Sandbar and Yona began prepping the Alicorn for immediate launch while Ocellus radioed Twilight that they'd gotten an urgent mission. Twilight wished them luck and they started boarding. Once they were strapped in their seats on the bridge, Flurry began the 15-second countdown. "Fifteen.", she said. "Fourteen.", said Ocellus. "Thirteen.", said Smolder. "Twelve.", said Gallus. "Eleven.", said Yona. "Ten.", said Silverstream. "Nine.", said Sandbar. "Eight.", said Ocellus. "Seven.", said Flurry. "Six.", said Yona. "Ignition sequence start.", said Smolder as the thrusters began spewing fuel. "Five.", said Sandbar. "Four.", said Silverstream. "Three.", said Gallus. "Two.", said Smolder. "One.", said Ocellus. "IGNITION!", shouted Flurry as the fuel was lit. Within minutes, they were leaving Equus' orbit and flying at maximum warp to reach Earth as fast as the Alicorn's powerful star-core engines would allow. After reaching Earth and passing through atmospheric entry; Ocellus radioed Lizzie that they had arrived. Lizzie flew up into the night sky on a helicopter and used a red light on the tail to guide the crew to a landing platform above the ocean on strong support towers. After disembarking and giving Lizzie a hug, the crew boarded a shuttle so she could take them to the Squidbeak base. Lizzie explained during transit to the base that Takara had started her college studies in aerospace technology two weeks prior, meaning she was unable to assist with the rescue mission. However, Taylor had given her a phone call that afternoon, detailing the incident. She was holding a candlelight vigil with her classmates, her professors, and the school's dean in hopes that Angelo would be alright. After reaching the base; the crew gave Taylor, Callie, Michael, Marie, and Andrew each a hug for moral support. Then they prepared to take in the startling details of Angelo's botched flight.
The Chase2:00 PM, seven hours earlier... Angelo was on his way back to the base, and was cruising along. He had flown 200 miles to the northwest and was 50 miles away from the apex after turning around. Everything seemed to be going well until he glanced at the radar to check for other pilots and bad weather. In case of any emergency, he was clad in a special suit built for extreme pressure in any environment. The suit was also waterproof to keep him from getting wet. "Got a bogey.", he said to himself upon seeing a Salmonling plane's signal on the display. The Salmonling pilot, who was flying a smaller plane, came screaming towards Angelo from behind, but was still a fair distance back. He called out over radio, demanding that Angelo surrender and set his jet down. "Not today, friend. Let's part company.", said Angelo as he worked the controls to break off in a zigzag pattern. This change in his flight tactic was having little to no positive effect, due to the fact that the pursuing Salmonling pilot was both a veteran who was trained to stop at nothing, and an ace pilot. The Salmonling started flying in sync and keeping a good fix on Angelo's tail fins. "Whoever you are, you're good!", yelped Angelo in shock. The chaser called out over radio again. He was presumably informing his Commander that he had a target. "Squidbeak base, this is SI-9, breaking radio silence.", called Angelo. "This is Base. Go ahead SI-9.", replied Agent 3. "I've been spotted. I have a SAL-29 interceptor on my tail. What's worse is that the pilot is both a veteran and an ace.", said Angelo. He continued trying to speed up and zigzag more aggressively to fly out of the interceptor's range, but he was struggling badly. At the same time, Agents 4 and 8 rummaged through their computer files on the Salmonling planes in order to find the stats for the SAL-29. "I can't shake the bogey. He's lining me up.", said Angelo in concern. The Salmonling pilot steadied his crosshairs and fired a missile to knock Angelo off balance. Angelo did a quick barrel roll to dodge the missile. As he leveled out; Agent 4 chimed in to tell him what to do. "SI-9, climb to 90,000 feet. SAL tops out at 75,000.", she instructed. "Roger that, Agent 4. Attempting altitude.", replied Angelo. Suddenly the Salmonling pilot opened fire and shot globs of weighted ink at Angelo. Several globs splattered the fuselage on the rear while others flew fast enough to pierce through. Angelo felt the ink hit the plane hard. "I'm hit. I'm HIT!", he cried. Lizzie and Taylor became startled and quickly hit the talk buttons on their headsets. "CLIMB, ANGELO!", they yelled desperately. "Climbing!", he replied. Angelo yanked back on the stick and shoved the throttle as far forward as it would go. The engines roared to life as he sped up and the plane pulled into a near-vertical ascent. During the climb, he radioed his coordinates to the base. "Latitude 66 degrees, 31 North, Longitude 45 degrees, 39 West. Altitude: 78,000. 80.", he reported. Moments later, he had ascended by another few thousand feet. "84,000 feet, and that's it. That's all she's got. All right. Bogey hit her ceiling. I've lost it.", he said in relief. This relief was short-lived though. He was interrupted by a loud explosion that shook the jet violently. "Hold it!", he yelped as an alarm went off and a warning light started flashing. The right engine had become overstressed. It stalled with a loud bang and started giving off smoke. "#1 engine stalling. Losing power.", Angelo reported. Seconds later, the engine died. "Engine #1 out.", he said. "Hang tight, SI-9. Come on, we'll pick you up.", said Agent 8. "I can't hold her. I can't hold her steady. OH SHOOT! TROUBLE IN #2 ENGINE!", wailed Angelo in panic as he struggled to keep the jet flying smoothly. The left engine stalled with a bang and gave off smoke until it died too. "#2 engine out! Attempting re-ignition.", said Angelo desperately as the plane tipped into a dive and the altimeter readout began decreasing rapidly. Sadly, the engines would not fire. The ignition mechanism had been shorted out during the point when he was shot. "Negative, negative. No-go. Can't fire. Setting destruct, now.", cried Angelo as he stopped hitting the ignition switch and pressed a button under a black and yellow cover. As Angelo prepared to bail out in the jet's egress pod, which consisted of the jet's cockpit and two bilge cylinders for a water landing, he gave Lizzie one last transmission. "Lizzie, tell Mom. Tell her I love her.", he said as tears came to his eyes and he grabbed two cords behind his head. He yanked the cords and explosive bolts fired to jettison the egress pod. At that very moment, the radio cut out. As the pod shot up and away from the jet, the fuselage self-destructed and the remaining pieces dropped out of sight. Angelo's parachutes deployed to ensure a safe landing, but the pod drifted into turbulence and he was shaken hard. He had also pulled the cords so hard that his left arm suddenly felt like it was on fire. He was also shaken so hard by the turbulence that his right leg was twisted until it started to hurt. Eventually, he became lightheaded and everything went black. Unknown to Angelo or anyone else, some of the wreckage had landed on the chasing plane, knocking it out of the air. Seconds after the radio had cut out, Lizzie and Taylor were crying their eyes out and running to tell Callie and Marie the terrible news of what had happened. Callie and Marie hugged each other and started to cry. As Lizzie gave her mom a hug, Taylor pulled his phone out and called Takara to tell her she needed to pray for Angelo. At the same time, Callie dried her tears and settled down long enough to open the distress channel and contact Equus.
Explanation and PlanningOnce the Captain had played back the recording of Angelo's radio transmission, the entire crew from the Alicorn was left in stunned silence for a brief moment. "Goodness gracious!", yelped Flurry Heart. "You got that right, Flurry. I would've bailed out in that kind of situation too.", said Ocellus. Agent 3 brought over a hologram projector and inserted the data disc for the plane. "This is the SI-9. It's the most secret and most experimental stealth jet we've ever developed.", said Taylor as he turned on the projector and brought up a 3D view of the jet. The crew was shocked at how intricate this jet's design was. It had a sideways opening hatch on the cockpit, swiveling wings that would rotate backwards to make the jet more aerodynamic, and two powerful engines on the rear. "What's the maximum speed for this jet?", asked Gallus. "With the wings in their starting position, the maximum speed is 430 knots, or 496 MPH. With the wings swiveled back, max speed is 500 knots, or 640 MPH. This speed is just shy of supersonic. To reach Mach 1, the plane would need to fly 73 knots faster than it currently does.", explained Agent 4. "That's crazy!", said Yona. "You bet it is. What's more is that the engines are fitted with a specialized cooling mechanism. This allows the plane to be invisible on an infrared tracking system.", explained Lizzie as she pulled out a blueprint for the jet's engine. "Impressive!", said Smolder. "The jet's egress pod is equipped with bilge cylinders to either keep it afloat or allow the pilot to submerge and hide from enemies if it touches down on water. Angelo's egress pod status shows that the cylinders didn't survive when Angelo ejected. He has gone under.", said Agent 8 as she zoomed in on the cockpit. Just then, the alarm for one of the underwater seismometers began going off. An earthquake was taking place in the vicinity of where Angelo had touched down. "NOT GOOD!", shrieked Agent 3. Luckily, the earthquake lasted only two minutes. "How do we go about rescuing Angelo?", asked Sandbar. "Rescuing him is only half the equation. We can't let the Salmonlings document the jet's design and inner workings. If they do, we'll be in trouble when trying to defend ourselves from them.", said Callie. "Then we'll split up. I'll fly Gallus, Ocellus, Silverstream, Lizzie, and Taylor to Angelo's location. Everyone else will go with the Agents to destroy the plane's wreckage.", said Flurry Heart. "Sounds like it could work. I just hope he's not hurt too bad from the earthquake.", said Marie after she had dried her tears. The two groups quickly geared up and boarded their respective crafts. Sandbar, Smolder, Yona, and the Agents boarded a gunship to fly to an island where the jet's signal was originating. Flurry and everyone else got on a heavy rescue craft to head for Angelo's location. As the two crafts’ lights faded into the distance, Callie, Michael, Marie, and Andrew prayed that Angelo would be alright and that the Salmonlings wouldn’t get too much information on the jet.
Saving AngeloThe rescue craft contained three submarines for extreme depths in order to reach Angelo's egress pod. He was six miles underwater and the pod was pinned tightly by the earthquake debris. One of the subs was built only for exploration, while the other two were designed for transporting cargo and were equipped with powerful mechanical arms for lifting heavy loads. After Flurry had launched the craft from the Alicorn, the group journeyed to an area just above Angelo's tracking signal and landed softly on the water. Gallus and Ocellus piloted the two cargo subs while Silverstream piloted the exploration sub, carrying Taylor and Lizzie in the back seats. These seats were equipped with a switch that tilted them back to allow the occupants to dive headfirst into the water through a hatch in the floor. After everyone told Flurry that they were fastened in their seats, she turned on a pump to flood the docking bay and then opened the doors. "Launch sequence engaged.", said Flurry as she tilted the subs’ docking cage forward by 90 degrees. The clamps opened and the subs were released. They quickly began descending into the dimly lit twilight waters. Everyone had put on their scuba gear, even Gallus, Ocellus, and Silverstream. When they reached the crash site, they instantly became worried. "Oh man, this is far worse than we anticipated.", said Gallus. True to his word, the pod was pinned tightly under two giant pieces of a coral reef and was slowly being crushed under the weight. Gallus and Ocellus sprang into action. They sped towards the coral shards and deployed the mechanical arms in order to lift them enough for Lizzie and Taylor to access the hatch. At that moment, Ocellus radioed Lizzie and Taylor. "Ocellus here. Gallus and I are beginning to lift the coral shards. Get him out of there as soon as the pod is in the clear.", she instructed. "We'll get him as quickly and as carefully as we can.", said Lizzie. She and Taylor plugged their oxygen lines into their helmets and prepared to dive. Soon, the two heavy shards were lifted. However, they weighed more than anyone expected. "Better hurry, you two. These coral shards are beginning to pull us down.", said Gallus. "Diving.", said Taylor. They initiated the dive sequence and splashed into the water. Simultaneously, Silverstream lowered a gurney fitted with a swiveling cage to brace whoever was placed on it. As they swam towards the smashed pod; Lizzie's heart sank. "Oh Angelo, my dear sweet little brother.", she said sadly. Once she and Taylor reached the pod, Lizzie broke out the windows to equalize the pressure and Taylor began cutting the hinges with a plasma torch. Through the window openings, Lizzie could see that Angelo's helmet was dented and the visor was scratched from being banged around inside the cockpit. Other than that, his waterproof suit was intact. Once Taylor had pulled the hatch off after prying it open with a small crowbar, Lizzie pulled out her dive knife and cut Angelo out of his seatbelts. Once Angelo was free to float, Lizzie grabbed his arms and pulled him backwards until Taylor could grab his legs. "We have him!", said Taylor once he and Lizzie were far enough away from the two slabs. Gallus and Ocellus acknowledged the report and released their hold. The coral shards dropped free and flattened the pod while Lizzie and Taylor gently laid Angelo on the gurney and rotated the cage over his chest. Once everyone was fastened, they radioed Flurry that they were ready for pickup. Flurry lowered the docking cage into the water and the three subs moved into place. After the subs were locked in secure, Flurry retracted the cables and pulled the dock back into the ship. Once the bay doors were closed and the water was drained, Lizzie and Taylor rolled the gurney off the sub while everyone else headed back to the cockpit. Upon reaching the craft’s medical area, Lizzie and Taylor prepared to take Angelo’s vital signs. "Angelo is secure. We're beginning the medical scan.", said Lizzie after she opened the roll-cage and Taylor pulled Angelo's helmet off. She began moving a handheld scanner over Angelo to transmit his status to both Flurry Heart and to Callie and Marie. When Flurry saw the results, she was wide-eyed. Callie put her hand over her mouth and Marie grabbed her heart. "I could have him back to the Alicorn in less than 20 minutes.", offered Flurry Heart. "Flurry, no. You may have delivered Angelo by c-section aboard your ship, but his injuries are serious. You need to get him to a hospital, STAT!", said Marie. "She's right. We don't have enough equipment to treat all of his injuries.", said Gallus. "Understood.", said Flurry as she set a course to fly to Splatsville Central Hospital. Angelo's injuries consisted of a nosebleed, a severely bruised forehead and temple, whiplash, a wrenched left arm, and two badly torn ligaments in his right ankle. On the way to the hospital, Taylor pulled his cellphone out and called Takara again to tell her that Angelo had been successfully rescued, but he had a long road to recovery. Takara was grateful to hear this and said she would visit him in the morning. Angelo was admitted as soon as the orderlies had a look at him and were given a list of his injuries. He was started on an intravenous line with saline to keep him hydrated, and his wounds were carefully bandaged and splinted.
Angelo's RecoveryAuthor's Note This chapter is written in First Person through Angelo's eyes. Angelo's Recovery As I begin waking up, I feel bandages wrapped tightly around my head and notice I am wearing blue medical scrubs. This tells me that I'm in the hospital. My left arm is in a sling, I have a c-collar around my neck and my lower right leg is covered by an orthopedic boot. Mom is sitting next to me in a chair with her eyes shut. I reach over weakly and grab her hand softly, which alerts her that I am awake. "Hi Mom.", I say hoarsely. "Good morning sunshine.", she replies. Just then, I see several familiar faces walk into my room. They are my dad, Lizzie, Taylor, Uncle Michael, and Aunt Callie. "Glad to see you're awake.", says Lizzie. "I'm just glad to be alive, Sis. That pilot knew how to chase me really well.", I reply. "You can thank our allies from Equus for being able to help us rescue you.", says Taylor. Just then, I see another familiar face walk in. One that can only belong to Takara. "How's he doing?", she asks Mom. "I'll live.", I reply. "Glad to hear it, Angelo.", she says as she comes to give me a hug. Later on, after everyone except Mom has gone home, the doctor comes in to tell me the layout for my recovery. I will stay two more days and then go home. However, I will not be able to walk normally for around two months, due to my leg injury. To compensate, I will be on a knee scooter until my leg heals. Flurry Heart and her crew come to visit a few hours later. Flurry tells me that she gave the nurse a special accelerated healing serum to use for my arm and to speed up my leg recovery. That's why I only need to stay at the hospital for three days, and why my leg will only take two months to heal. Without the serum, it would take six months for my leg to heal. After they tell me that the Salmonlings did not get all of the information on the SI-9’s structure, which is somewhat relieving, the nurse comes in to remove my c-collar and my head bandages. As I am eating my breakfast the next day, I get word of someone special coming to see me. I have a feeling that I know who it is. My thoughts are confirmed when my girlfriend, Elizabeth, walks in. Upon seeing me, she immediately breaks down in tears. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Angelo.", she chokes out. "I'm going to be alright, baby-doll. I'll be back on both of my feet in two months.", I tell her softly. "That's good.", she replies after I give her a kiss. On my last day in the hospital, the doctor checks my arm and says it is normal again before having me sign my discharge paperwork. Dad brings me out to his car in a wheelchair to go home a few hours later. He has been supplied by the doctor with a scooter for me to use during my healing process. The scooter takes a bit to get used to, but I am quickly able to use it successfully. After the two months, which seem to fly right on by for me, Dad takes me back to the doctor to be checked. An x-ray confirms that my leg is back to normal and I am able to walk normally again. The Captain welcomes me back to base and tells me that the Agents were spying on the Salmonlings during my recovery. They are almost done building prototypes to match the SI-9’s design, and they may be coming to strike at some point soon. I begin to gear up alongside everyone else in order to get ready before we contact Equus for assistance in our battle which is hoped to be the last.
