The ocean rolled and swelled. Unobscured by clouds, the sun sat fat and orange as it eased towards setting. Twin sonic booms cracked over the water. The silence returned. Far above the waves, a pair of planes raced ahead of their shockwaves. The two delta-shaped Northrop F56 Badgers fell into place several kilometers behind the long gull-winged General Atomics SurveyHawk. Sleek, the mottled grey fighters were a stark contest to the blue-grey utilitarian reconnaissance plane. Exhaust petals restricted as the engines shifted to cruise configuration.
"SurveyHawk Susan-Three this is Lanius Four," Capitan Morgan Graeme, the pilot of the lead Badger transmitted.
"Hey Sue, good to see you," Captain William Higgs transmitting his own encrypted laser pulse to SurveyHawk.
"Captains," the recon plane's controller said in a slightly amused female voice.
"Sir, don't tease the plane," Lieutenant Charles Sanders said via Sue's satellite uplink.
Adjusting his Heads Up Display, Higgs sighed. "Yes, fine."
"Yeah Bill, I don't think your charms will work on this one." Morgan laughed.
"That statement is correct, Ma'am." Sue flatly agreed. The voice gained a contemplative if playful edge. "Though I suppose it would not hurt to try!"
"Sue!" Sanders yelled. "Sorry, Sirs I don't know what's wrong with its programming. Er... I'll make sure she transmits over the take."
Morgan groaned. "It's just an Easter-egg put in by our lonely programmers, very lonely programers." She blinked as her virtual map updated. What had just shown a vast expanse of ocean being crossed by a few freighters now had some sensor artifacts about a hundred kilometers to the North-West.
"They're getting better." Sanders adjusted the SurveyHawk's results, rolling the reconnaissance data forward and backward in time. The artifacts, minor deviations in the radar and thermal profiles bounced about in a random but regular pattern. "Our operators say this isn't normal instrument noise. It's random, perfectly. Instruments have a bias. Our acoustics and thermals don't seem quite so mangled, and we're running in passive now."
Higgs eyed the SurveyHawk. "Is Sue compromised?"
"Captain, I would never," Sue said, something like offense entering its voice.
Sanders chuckled. "Negative Sir, the enemy's spoofing is getting more sophisticated. I recommend you be careful with anything at BVR," the lieutenant advised, referring to beyond visual range.
"I want Major Faultings to release more badgers, hell get the Commander to do it," Morgan ordered.
"Well shit, the satellites were right," Higgs closed his eyes, the cockpit displays and the world outside the canopy vanished, but the HUD remained, hovering just beyond his eyelids. A second later he opened them "It's your call Morgan."
There was no hesitation on Captain Graeme's part. "They sent us out to babysit Sue, that's what we'll do, until Corporate changes their minds."
"Correct, orders remain," Sanders said after checking with his commanding officer. "Sue, if uplink is lost, follow the Captains' orders."
"Understood."
"Odds on another snipe hunt?" Morgan's fingers twitched over the side-stick as she used her left hand to request a Fast Systems Check via one of the touch screens. Strictly speaking, the such controls were not necessary, but physical actions helped reinforce the sympathetic bridge and served as a backup system.
"That's what pay us for," Higgs noted.
"We can turn Sue back around and regroup with reinforcements," Sanders offered.
"Good, Chuck is this right?" Morgan highlighted a series of dots on the map indicating the progressions of the spoofed areas.
"Er yes," Sanders cleared his throat. "It's not a complete profile of course, the satellites don't give as complete of a-"
"Uplink lost," Sue stated.
Higgs' pulse rose as the communications suite opened on his HUD. "Confirmed."
"Switching from remote command control to local control," the SurveyHawk's Simulated Utility for Sensors and Aircraft Navigation stated. "Interference increasing, thermal readings becoming suspect. Warning Yellow."
"Do you recommend switching to active radar?" Higgs reflexively asked.
"Captain," Sue neutrally stated after pausing for a second.
"Will! Don't tease the 'bot, especially now," Morgan transmitted.
"I was serious, it's got a bigger database on the Makers than we do."
"No, it doesn't. It's got better sensors than we do. Now let's get back to the snipe hunt."
"Would you rather the Navy did this?" Higgs asked.
"Hush." Throttling back, Morgan let the two fighters hold back while the reconnaissance plane continue its passive scan. The artifacts jumped closer on the map.
"What about Sue? Cut it loose?"
"Don't worry about Sue. If things really turn South, the 'bot'll have better odds than we do."
Higgs looked over at the vast water below them. He knew the odds of recovery were statistically good, but the uncertainty grew when the risk crossed from theory to reality. "Yeah, not what I meant. Sue's armed and got the best sensors. Bird-dog or salvo?"
Studying the sensor feed, Morgan thought for a moment. "They're already coming. Sue, I authorize weapons release, pass control over to my plane."
"Estimated closing time three minutes. Warning Red." Sue stated.
"We can't outrun then," Morgan stated.
"Visual confirmation. Bandits incoming. Ten Maker Fantails." Updating the map, Sue overlaid a small window showing its forward camera on maximum zoom. A flight of silvery dart-like fighters filled the display window. Despite the slight visual distortion, five control and lifting surfaces radiating from a central bulbous body clearly indicated Maker origin. Thirty meters in length each was about fifty percent longer than a Badger.
Consisting of synthetic electromusculature built over as semi-rigid framework and sheathed in a flexing metal membrane the Fantail's five "fins" were capable of considerable wing warping, bending, and shaping. Controlled by a central operator node they acted as lifting structures or maneuvering bodies on demand.
Each fin was tipped with a small engine system that was powered by heated fluid that ran from the reactor in the central bulb before returning in a closed cycle. Forward of this the fuselage tapered and held the remote craft's weapons and electronic warfare systems.
"Hit the package." Morgan ordered referring to the Fantail formation. "Sue this is it for you."
"Fox Three," Higgs and Sue were simultaneous on the controls. Bays opened and a total of fourteen AIM-150 medium-range radar guided missiles launched. Four from each of the Badgers and the remainder being the SurveyHawk's complete loadout
Maintaining sensor coverage Sue climbed to a higher altitude and slowed down, letting the Badgers overtake the reconnaissance plane. As the missiles streaked in, the distortions surrounding the enemy fighters intensified and the Fantails broke formation.
Twisting and nimbly scattering on their flexing wings the silver darts scattered, trying to evade and confound the hypersonic missiles. Still too far for either pilot to see, Sue's larger, satellite-grade cameras caught glimpses of quick, almost invisible explosions that rippled among the alien fighters.
Four of the Fantails exploded. Two of them hit by multiple missiles in a sacrificial measure. The remaining six regrouped, splitting into pairs. The central pair dived low and resumed course, while the others went after Higgs and Morgan.
"Well... the eggheads will be happy, the kill ratio's getting better." Morgan transmitted, soundlessly. Sighed, she exhaled some of the thick fluid that filled the cockpit. Incompressible, and distributing pressure evenly against the body, the Adaptive Replacement Atmosphere worked with the inclined seat and pressure-suit to dramatically increase g resistance.
Combined with other mods this allowed the pilot to utilize her plane's full potential. In such an environment talking was quite impossible, hence the direct transmission that used the Pilot's mods to bypass the vocal cords.
Both pilots sent matched mental commands. Hinged at the aft end, both Badgers' wings began to scissor out. The planes went from a delta configuration with wings flush to the fuselage to a twenty degree forward sweep with stub canards that maximized maneuverability. As the air's flow vector changed the airfoil shifted, the memory-metal changing shape to fit the plane's new planform. The process was similar, if cruder, to the Fantail's adaptive wing geometry.
The Badgers turned. Their engines flared as they burned hotter generating more thrust but at greater fuel-burn rate. Twisting about, the two fighters strained their airframes. Slots opened on the Fantails' noses, discharging oscillating beams of purple and blue energy. Shooting across the sky, bright reactor-fed lines blasted past the twin human planes.
Yawing to the side, Higgs noted the two escaping Fantails. "Shit, they're headed to Mooring."
"Not much we can do about that, Rookie," Morgan replied as she tried to close with one of her Fantails. The dance continued as the Fantails played off each other, keeping the human fighters dodging and weaving.
Collecting data, the SurveyHawk watched. Its orders were clear. Then things changed; the two Fantails turned around and after a moment neither human pilot seemed to notice.
"Captains. Bandits 3 and 4 returning to engage," Sue stated.
The Badger continued sharply turning, evading the nearby Fantail's beams as the two fresh Maker drones returned. Dancing between two Fantails, Morgan nimbly dodged purple beams.
Higgs approach was more direct. Pushing to the side he twisted, keeping outside of the Fantail's forward firing arc. Crossing the enemy craft's tail, he launched an AIM-9-Tau sidewinder. The oft upgraded heat-seeking missiles represented over ninety years of constant evolution, producing a lethal short range air to air weapon. Despite splitting his attention to assist the lock, the missile nearly missed the Fantail. The drone's wingmate shifted, pressing its attack on Higgs.
This was when the two fresh fighters shifted towards Higgs' Badger.
"Higgs, I repeat." Sue transmitted. Again there was no confirmation or acknowledgment. Either the enemy's electronic warfare had increased with proximity, the F56 had been damaged, or Sue's words were not reaching the Captain.
Despite the anthropomorphizing, Sue was not sapient. The controlling program running the General Atomics SurveyHawk evaluated the situation. Without hesitation, without a sense of self, it came to the required course of action. Only seconds remained. With Higgs distracted, odds were the fresh Fantails would have ample opportunity.
Sue nosed over, diving forward. Engine thrust was increased, and safeties were overridden as the engine was pushed past redline. The Maker fighters were command-remote/local-control drones like Sue. In their threat evaluation, a reconnaissance drone with spent ammunition sat far lower than a belligerent fighter jet.
When their sensors picked up the reconnaissance drone on an intersecting course, that evaluation changed. A purple beam shot from the drone's nose as the lead Fantail broke off its attack run to fire at Sue.
In the distance there was a bright explosion as Morgan's sidewinder hit one of the Fantails she was hunting in the reactor. Its wingman charged Morgan. She shot up in a near vertical. The Fantail bobbing in pursuit.
Higgs had heard Sue's warnings, but his attention was focused on the Maker craft that were already trying to kill him. Pushing the thrust vectoring on his engines, the Badger rocked forward and flipped back nose over tail. The sudden snap torqued the plane with massive G forces, but the ARA and suit kept Higgs conscious and interfaced, and the metal fiber weave of the airframe held. His plane flipped inside the Maker fighter's turning circle. His guns lined up.
He fired. As 30mm rounds blew the silvery Fantail apart Sue's last act played out. On the map, a blue triangle met two red circles. Half of Sue's wing was already sheared off. In the last couple seconds, the remaining control surfaces kept the tumbling, limping drone on course, straight to the Fantail that had not broken off. The fighter that was still on course to attack Captain Higgs.
The other Maker craft was busy turning Sue into a flaming nearly ballistic cloud of wreckage, but in those final hundred meters ballistic was sufficient and a storm of metal and composites and burning fuel shot through the Maker fighter. Straightening his Badger's engine exhaust, Higgs pounced on the remaining Fantail. It was lightly peppered with Sue's fragments.
A sigil flashed on Higgs' map. Checking the range, he launched his remaining sidewinder. He was now down to his guns and an almost useless anti-shipping missile. The sidewinder shot off and following its initial guidance slipped past the damaged Fantail and right into the Maker drone chasing Morgan.
The battered star-shaped fighter turned. Higgs pulled his starboard wing in. Uneven lift tipped the plane in a violent spinning role avoiding the purple beam. The Maker craft darted again, the engines on its five fins fired jerking the drone in a sharp curve trying to get behind Higgs.
Resetting his wings to forward sweep, Higgs corkscrewed his plane. Yellow lights flashed on his cockpit displays and over his HUD. For a couple seconds, the two fighters spiraled about each other. The goal was to get to the lowest airspeed just above stall speed and thus get a clear shot.
Extending the airbrakes and flipping his wings back to full cruciform extension, Higgs held the advantage. At a sweep perpendicular to the airframe and designed for landing and takeoff the wings in this configuration allowed for low speed without stall. Indicators flipped from yellow to red as the Maker fighter shot ahead of the wallowing Badger and into Morgan's guns.
The Maker fighter blew apart. The Badger continued to lose airspeed and with the reduced stresses the alerts went away, or at least turned to yellow. The jamming lifted and Higgs felt the satellite uplink reacquire.
"That was edifying," Morgan purred pulling her plane alongside Higgs.
"Higgs, Morgan," Capitan. Franklin
"No, Sue got three of 'em." Higgs leaned forward, pulling his body of the inclined cockpit chair. His hands lessened their grip on the control stick and despite the cushioning fluid he was suspended in his body shivered.
***************
The tall man walked to the hotel's suite's window. Outside a grey fighter fell through the clouds. Its wings had been extended all the way back; its flaps were rolled out all the way back. Nose up it ran for the runway and hit with a loud roar.
A frown flickered across the man's face as he stepped from the window. He reached into his suit coat pocket. Without withdrawing his hand he grasped a grooved sphere. He activated the crystal sphere and the air around him vibrated slightly. The sympathetic noise it created was expensive power-wise but would secure his privacy.
He took off his wristwatch and popped off the back. He pulled a chip out of the cavity within. He pulled a handset out of another pocket and replaced the one on the hotel phone. The difference was that this handset had a slot he could stick the chip into.
A gangly arm with rough tanned skin reached out and started punching buttons. Connecting with the lobby he got a long distance slot. Unmindful of the expensed, he dialed the numbers and let the phone ring. By the fifth ring the call connected; the other end was five oceans and four Locks away. The route the call took went from New Carlisle, Piratucu, Conneaut, the Pacific Exchange, and finally Midway.
"ARIC Institute, office of Benefactor Adrian Miller, this is Miss Vilniaus " a perky female voice said. Giuseppe knew she was a flesh and blood secretary a traditional-minded extravagance on the Institute's part.
"Yes, this is Giuseppe, please connect me with the Benefactor," the man heard the woman's voice catch.
"Yes, sir. Of course Sir." There was a click as the call was redirected and the chip activated. It contained a simple reader and a two batches of random bits. When activated, it would give out a stream of data while progressively erasing itself.
The chip was one of a pair. Its twin was at the location Giuseppe had dialed. The chip used one set of random numbers to encrypt the outgoing signal, and the other set to decrypt the incoming signal. Truly random, the code was a digital one-time pad an unbreakable code, provided the numerical sequence was not reused, captured, or intercepted before encryption. Synchronization between the two ends was maintained using a timer independent of the rate of data transfer.
"Yes Giuseppe, what is the trouble?" the voice at the other end purred.
"The guests have hit the snooze button."
Noise hissed on the connection.
"I see," Miller said..
"I believe the fault lies with the professor, perhaps..." Giuseppe let the suggestion with its unspoken offer hang.
The voice chuckled. "No my dear contractor, Teague has his uses."
"Sir, he could not perform a simple task. His part was trivial."
"And you think such a triviality would have come across far better under your deft hands?"
"I would not have failed." Giuseppe assured, clenching the phone.
"Quite the contrary." Again laughter. "You forget your place. I know Teague's guests far better than your or the esteemed professor. There is a reason alternate employees were put on retainer."
"Then the operation was doomed to fail?" This concept upset Giuseppe far more than his benefactor's displeasure.
"One cannot win them all. A pat statement yes, but one worth keeping in mind. No, we must accept the setback and move forward."
This time Giuseppe was without word. The silence held as the bill spiraled up. "The next phase then?" Giuseppe eventually asked.
"Ah... good. You know it is your spirit I value." Miller chuckled. "It is regrettable that there were complications, but I believe allotting just a few more resources to the issue will yield great results. After all the Institute believes in the value acquiring the best minds available."
***************
Higgs taxied his Badger towards the hangar. Already, it was transmitting damage and repair reports to the maintenance crews. Pulling into the concrete building, Higgs withdrew his arms from the controls. Crossing an orange cross painted on the floor, the plane came to a stop.
Still glowing a bright red, its engine slowed and stopped. The air above the exhaust petals distorting from the heat. Higgs looked forward and saw the signalman pull his arms together then give the thumbs up. A matching signal flashed across his HUD. Higgs looked to either side and returned the gesture.
Only then did he hit the control and pull in the Badger's wings. Scissoring them forward until they were aligned with the fuselage in the plane's delta configuration. Once the wings locked in place the maintenance crew swarmed the plane. Vehicles and cables were hauled towards the war machine. Higgs noted when power switched from internal batteries to base power. With a bit of relief he saw positive connection on the ARA sump.
After confirming the link with the flagman, he had the ground crew pump out the ARA. The plane could manually purge the cockpit but at twenty times the price per gallon of fuel, Higgs was loath to waste it. Such an action would severely cut into today's performance bonus. The volume of fluid added to the plane's mass but it was far offset by the performance increases it allowed.
Gurgling, the clear liquid drained to be replaced by frothy bubbles of air. Coughing, Higgs forced himself to wait. However, the second the fluid fell below the canopy fill-line he popped the glass. Ducking under the raising pistons of the canopy, he turned to the side, and had to smile. Standing on a wheeled-ladder Mitchell was already in place waiting.
Dripping ARA, Higgs pulled his mask off and unceremoniously heaved into the offered bucket. Coughing and retching he cleared the low viscosity liquid out of his lungs and stomach.
Wiping his mouth, Higgs eyed the shiny brass bucket full of frothy liquid and other bits. Due to its cost ARA was recycled, thoroughly. "Gold today?"
"Well, you deserve it," Mitchell smiled. Contemplatively, cradling the large bucket, he stepped back down the ladder. "Don't worry, everyone starts out new."
"Yeah, yeah." Higgs undid the straps. He reached back and disconnected the two braided cables that clipped behind his ears. They ended in thick bulbs that were held with magnets and broadcast with the uplink mods installed beneath the skin. The pilot pulled himself out of the soaking cockpit. A thin film of AMA covered the displays, the seat, and his pressure suit.
"At least you won't be mocked for being the virgin anymore." Mitchell jumped off the ladder and onto the concrete of the hangar.
"No, they'll find something else," Higgs grumbled as he climbed down the ladder.
"That's what you guys do," Mitchell crossed the hangar and scrambled up the ladder pushed against Morgan's plane. The canopy opened. Morgan used the bucket, disconnected, and jumped out of the plane.
Pulling off the helmet and the skullcap underneath it, she shook her short head hair, and wiped some of the AMA off the clingy red-trimmed grey pressure suit. "How's that for a first time?" She smirked at Higgs. A trio of black-clad guards stood up and fell into place, one ahead of the pilots, two behind.
"I'm surprised you didn't go the full double entendre. and make a threesome joke. What with my 'first time' being with two women and all," Higgs said as they walked off the hangar and towards the locker room.
"Now, now Will, that would be wholly without taste." Morgan grinned.
Higgs looked at her smile. "Damn."
"Buck up," she slapped the taller pilot across the back. "Just because you slipped up and called a 'bot a woman doesn't mean we'll tease you over it... much."
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