[sachmo]

Test Flight

2412.0

“Are you ready, Lieutenant Commander?”
Lieutenant Commander Ricky Jackson finished adjusting his flight suit, than looked up at Doctor Everman. He looked very nervous.
“Yes, Doctor. Let’s get this started.”
Everman allowed himself a moment to smile. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but it had been a smile. Ricky was sure of it.
“The TAF is ready also. I thought you might want to look at the final checklist before you begin the flight.” He offered a folder to Ricky.
Ricky grabbed it and shuffled through it as they walked toward the hanger. Along the way, Everman continued to point out issues that Ricky might encounter during the flight. Ricky let him continue, as it seemed to help him relax. The Research Guild had eliminated as many unknowns as possible, but someone still had to actually fly the craft for the first time. Ricky was ready to do it, and he was excited. Doctor Everman was excited, too, but the unknowns that they hadn’t found had him worried. At least Ricky would be able to concentrate on the flight to take his mind off of the fear. Doctor Everman would be stuck here watching everything on vid screen.
When they reached the door into the hanger, Ricky put his hand on Doctor Everman’s shoulder. Everman turned to face him.
“Doctor, don’t worry too much. We’ve run the simulations millions of times, and we know that it will work. Everything is going to be fine.”
The doctor blushed, and looked down at the floor.
“I just want everything to go well. I don’t want…anyone to get hurt. I don’t think I could live with myself if something were to happen to you, Ricky.”
Ricky squeezed the doctor’s shoulder and tried to comfort him.
“Doctor, do you realize who have flying for you? Some consider me to be the finest pilot in the navy. I consider myself to be the finest pilot in the universe. I have confidence in you that nothing will go wrong with the craft, and obviously I have supreme confidence in my piloting skills. We can’t lose!”
Ricky could feel the doctor relax under his grasp. At least he would be all right for a little while.
“Ricky…good luck.” Everman extended his hand to the pilot.
Ricky took it and shook it firmly.
“Luck has nothing to do with it, doctor. This is gonna be hottest ride in history!”
With that, he entered the hanger.
Under the lights in the center of the cavernous hanger sat the TAF, or Trans-Atmospheric Fighter. The Research Guild had been working on it since they had discovered how to miniaturize starship components when the Blazers had been first produced. This was the culmination of the their efforts. If this test was successful, production would begin immediately, and they would be put into front line service. The fighters would be small and fast enough to attack enemy capital ships before they engaged the Remorhaz line ships. They could attack surface targets during planetary invasions, and they would give the fleets a great advantage over their enemies.
The ship itself resembled an X, with a large bubble cockpit on the front. Nine engines were strapped to the hull, which gave the craft its tremendous speed and agility. Ricky walked around the craft, giving it one final visual inspection before the flight. Just sitting here, it looked dangerous. He was eager to get the flight underway.
The access hatch was open and he climbed inside. Once he secured his harness, the pilot seat shifted into flight position. Connectors snaked out from the panels and attached to his flight suit and helmet. Instantly his visor lit up with displays. The ship status crawled across the visor as he ran a systems check. The started the engines and was greeted with green lights all across the board. Everything was ready for the flight.
“Research control, this is TAF 3. We are in the green and ready for launch,” Ricky spoke into the radio as he double-checked the ship’s status.
“Roger TAF 3. You are clear for taxi.”
“Copy control. Beginning taxi.” Ricky looked out of the cockpit and ensured that all of the technicians were clear before increasing the engine power. The fighter seemed eager to go as it began to move. Even at this low power setting, Ricky could feel the power pulsing through the ship. This is a whole new expression of power, Ricky thought. He was used to flying atmospheric fighters. They didn’t have half the power that the TAF did.
He taxied to the main runway of the research base and throttled down.
“Research control, TAF 3 ready for takeoff.”
“Wait one, TAF 3.”
Ricky took a deep breath and ran yet another systems check. Engines five and seven were only running at 98% efficiency at idle. Ricky logged this for the tech boys to look at and made a mental note to himself to watch them during the flight.
“TAF 3 you are clear for launch. Good luck, Lieutenant Commander.”
Ricky took a deep breath and fought down the nervousness in his stomach.
“Copy that control. Thanks and keep those fingers crossed.”
Ricky punched the throttles to their stops and held on as the fighter jumped forward.
Well, the compensators work, he thought as they screamed down the runway. The acceleration took his breath away for a moment. Almost before he knew it he was in the sky. The fighter computer calculated the atmospheric egress angle and superimposed it on his visor. Ricky lined the ship’s nose up with the indicator and allowed himself a moment to enjoy the ride. They were shooting up through the atmosphere at better than twenty gees and still accelerating. Before he knew it, he was out of the atmosphere.
“TAF 3, this is Research Control. Come to course 345 and reduce power to fifteen gees. The demonstration area should be 10500 miles and closing.”
Ricky checked the nav computer and confirmed the information. Everything was correct.
In minutes he was in the demonstration area. Aboard RSS Mephisto was his audience, a gathering of planning and operations officers from all branches of the Remorhaz Armed Forces, as well as the heads of the respective branches.
“TAF 3, this is control. Begin demonstration flight.”
Ricky was only too happy to oblige. He put the TAF through its paces, and loved every second of it. He swooped down on a defenseless target drone and bLasted it into oblivion. He did maneuvers that would have been impossible for any capital ship to do. He ducked in and out of the atmosphere to demonstrate the craft’s dual capabilities.
Thirty minutes later, he was back on the ground. During the flight, he had observed a few maintenance details, but overall there had been no major problem. He taxied the TAF into the hanger and shut down the engines. As he did so, a running and leaping Doctor Everman came rushing through the doors, all smiles and shouts. He was hugging anyone would came in his path and slapping technicians on the back. Ricky smiled and glanced up at the control room window to see the entire crew shaking hands and clapping each other on the back. Ricky turned the master power off and put on his best straight face. Doctor Everman was outside waving and shouting at him.
Ricky looked at him and held out his hands as if he did not know how it went.
Everman grinned from ear to ear and gave him the thumbs up. He shouted something, but Ricky couldn’t hear him. He pointed to his ears and shook his head.
Everman laughed and exaggerated the following words: “WE DID IT.”
Ricky pointed to himself and exaggerated a few words back: “I TOLD YOU SO.”
They both began laughing again.