Chapter 7: Chapter 6: First mission

It's morning again and we've just completed another simulated flight. This time my teammates and I were engaged in a dogfight. Of course they lost....but so did I this time. I guess the Commander is secretly pushing the opponent's skill level up already. He's now using an AI-unit for us to fight. They are a bit more predictable, but are still challenging. But I won't surrender that easily!

 

When we arrive at the Commander's office for another debriefing session, I see Aine waiting for us, but also notice another person sitting on a chair near the wall. It doesn't seem that he wants to introduce himself to us.

 

That's beyond rude! Especially for me, because proper greetings are a requirement in Japan. Well, I guess in other countries too, but this is way beyond rude if you get my point.

 

I turn around to face him, but he doesn't make eye contact. Alright, that's it! I walk towards him and bow to him. "Good morning, I am Akari, Leader of Team 7732. May I help you?"  Yuck, being so overly polite to an impolite person sucks. He just keeps ignoring me.

 

"Excuse me...are you alright? Should I call the medical team?" Still no reply.

He's wearing black pants, those seem to be the norm here, and his sweater is of a dark red color. Not as fluffy as the other uniforms, though.

 

"If you don't answer me now, I WILL carry you to our medical bay!" I'm definitely losing my patience with this fellow!

 

He then stands up and looks me straight into the eyes, which makes me take a step back from him. 

Don't get me wrong, he just startled me!

 

He's just a bit shorter than I am, so he needs to look up a bit..heh heh...can't say that I mind that. 

 

"Akari. Humaaaan. Recent arrival on the Huntress. Accepted by your Queen as Interceptor Team Leader 7732."

 

"Yep. That's me. And who are you?" You don't scare me! You are probably just one of those pencil pushers who finally gets to be out of their office, wanting to look important.

 

"Interesting. You have quite the attitude."

 

"Excuse me? An attitude? You, my dear sir, were very rude, just sitting there and not introducing yourself." 

 

"I ask that you ignore me, I am only here to watch you. That's all." And he sits down again, looking at his feet. 

 

"Excuse me?!"   Now I am truly pissed.

 

"Akari..just..." The Commander wants to intervene, but I won't let him. This is personal. I raise my hand, signaling him to wait.

 

I see that he is quite worried, and so are my teammates. Well, I'm supposed to be a guest here first and foremost!

 

"Sir, you will not learn from our special maneuvers or my operational recommendations. Those are for the good of the Hive only and will not be shared with others."

 

He stands up again. Same stare. But I know a bully when I see one.

 

"Akari. You are everything that has been reported about you. Direct, resourceful, valuable, but also loyal to your Queen."

 

Why did he have to emphasize "direct," am I that direct? I think I'm just assertive?

 

"For god's sake, stop it with the compliments. Those don't work with me. And what did you mean with YOUR queen? Isn't she yours too?" Maybe I really need to bring him to the medical bay after all?

 

"Akari...." the Commander tried again.

 

"No, Commander, let me handle this." Mister Bully over there said.

 

He just ordered the Commander to be silent! Who does he think he is!

 

"Akari, it is simple. All of you, listen." My teammates now face him too. They tried to only focus on the Commander, as that is supposed to be the correct way. But sorry, I can't let rude behavior slide like that.

 

He then continues. "I am Ekir, General of her Royal Empress Zekni. I see you are surprised, let me explain. It is my role to provide strategies for the Hive, but I am also the one responsible to have this Hive follow the Empress's orders while we are out of communications range with her. My Queen is the Empress herself."

 

"Eh...oookay. But....no...excuse me for my rude behavior." I bowed to the man again. I know he's rude, but you can't fight people that high in the chain of command. I'm not looking for trouble.

 

"It is alright. Your actions were appropriate given the situation. Let's just say that I was testing you. And Akari...I appreciate the respect you just showed me."

 

"Yes..eh...General."

Oops...but he's a smart one. Better keep my eyes on him.

 

"Good. Now let me tell you that I already saw your tactics and have received reports about you. Your actions have not gone unnoticed." The General stated after crossing his arms.

 

"Excuse me, General, but that is not....entirely.....correct." I said. I know, I know..I should just shut up.....but I have to correct him.

 

"Eh? Which part?" 

 

He's confused..good!

"They are not MY actions, they are OUR actions. We are a team. We share both losses and victories. Strategies are only as good as the team that can implement them."

 

"Well said. A true leader. But what is a team without a leader?" 

 

Ohhh...he's getting smart with me!

 

"A leader is nothing without her team." I said, trying to throw some quotes back. I know a quote or two myself.

 

"True. But you are the source of new ideas, new strategies. You make your team valuable." Oh god, he's on a roll now. Alright, I can play that game too.

 

"I disagree. True value lies within unity. Unity of mind, unity of action." There...how about that? It was one of the favorite quotes of an alien in my game.

 

"Remarkable...you speak as your Queen does. You care for your Hive, don't you?"

 

"Yes, General. I do respect the Hive and the Queen. There is no Hive without its workers. All of us make what it is. And together we will prevail." I remembered their battle cry. Let's see how he responds to that.

 

"Well said. But how will you fight your enemy if you don't recognize or appreciate your individual value?" 

 

Oh god. Stop it already!!

Alright. A famous quote from Sun Tzu, a Chinese strategist and philosopher.. IN...YOUR...FACE!

"A very experienced general from our past once said: Know your enemy and know yourself and you shall always be victorious." 

 

"Words of wisdom indeed. But my point stands. You have additional value. I recognize your team as a whole, but you are a core element. My orders even outrank your Queen's."

 

"Eh...what does that mean, General?" Now I'm lost.

 

"It means that you will report to her after this meeting and receive new orders. And no...you didn't insult me."

 

"Oh eh...thank you. I was about to ask that."

 

"I know. I will continue to observe them and yourself. You will report to your Queen at once. Dismissed."

 

I salute him and the Commander and say respectively "yes, General. Commander."  

Aine then stands up and guides me to the Queen. Only when we reach the end of the corridor does she speak to me. "Akari...oh my Queen...how were you able to withstand his stare?"

 

"Oh that? Ha ha ha. I'm used to that. Imagine being in classes all day long for most of your life. Teachers who give you that same look to make you feel small. I'm used to that now." Well, most of my teachers were not so kind to us students. Maybe it's their way to prepare us for society, I don't know. 

Maybe university is better. But I don't know if I will ever attend that....<sigh>.

 

"Oh..I see. Let me tell you that he was very impressed with you. But don't underestimate him. He really has the authority to order our Queen around."

 

"Yeah, I know. Scary thought."  I said.

 

"Yes, it really is. Ah we have to go left here, Akari." Aine said.

 

I almost got lost again, I was still thinking about the discussion that I didn't notice her taking a left turn.

 

"I can't believe that I will see the Queen again," I said.

 

"Yes, that's quite surprising. Most workers here only see her once a year during our celebrations. But you...it's quite the honor."

 

"Yeah, I know. And I appreciate that, but it is still scary!" I just got the shivers and goosebumps just from thinking about her.

 

"Ha ha ha, she's not scary, Akari. Trust me. You met her already, so you should know. And I was her retainer for about a year. She's very kind." Aine gave me a warm smile, trying to help me relax.

 

"Well....yes, that's true. But I'm still worried that she will order me to do something, just because the General forces her."

 

"I can't deny that possibility. But we will find out soon, won't we? I will join you, so don't worry."

 

"Thank you, Aine. For your support."

 

"Awww...Akari...you make me proud. You little worker!"

 

And there she goes again....<sigh>.....I need to find a way to return the teasing soon.

We finally arrive before the doors leading to the throne room. No Jujus this time, but there isn't any time to pet them anyway. The guards announce our arrival and we are allowed to enter without delay.

 

"Akari and Aine. You both are welcome before us." The Queen says.

 

We both bow and reply "Yes, my Queen."  Strange how this reply is becoming a standard reply for me.

 

"Akari, we were worried about your ...condition. It is good to see you healthy."

 

"Thank you, my Queen. That was an epilepsy attack, it shouldn't happen too often. I apologize for worrying you."

 

"It is good to hear. Has Aine been serving you well?" The Queen is smiling. She already knows the answer.

 

"Of course, my Queen. I am sorry that she cannot serve you."

 

"Interesting. We remember that you are our guest in the first place. You deserve nothing less. But that is not why you are here. Akari, we have new orders for you."

 

"Yes, my Queen. What can I do for you?"

 

"It is because you are so respectful to us that it saddens us to order you the following. 

The General has his eyes and ears everywhere in our Hive. Per his orders are you denied to fly combat missions."

 

"Eh....what?  Eh...sorry.... my Queen." 

 

"Ha ha ha...relax Akari. It is not because of your actions or our wishes. It is the General who finds that you are a tremendous asset to the Empire. Not only to our Hive. He speaks for the Empress and that means that we have to bend to her wishes. He orders you to only fly simulated missions and training missions. You are not allowed to fly actual combat missions. Losing you would be a loss to the Empire. Those were his exact words. Do you understand, Akari?"

 

"Eh...yes my Queen. So...I can continue the simulations and training sessions. And also fly real training missions?"

 

"Indeed, those are your orders. Even though we would have kept our promise to keep you out of harm's way....we would still have allowed you missions where your risks would be minimal. But even those are now prohibited. Your team will have to leave the Hive on missions without you. You shall remain their Leader until further notice."

 

"Understood, my Queen."

 

"Good. And now that you are standing in front of us, we have other topics to discuss with you. It has come to our attention that you have saved our precious offspring in the nursery."

 

Oh nooooo. Here we go....I'm trying to look neutral.  "Yes, my Queen. It was just..."

 

"No no no...you will not interrupt us. We have heard from your encounter with one of our nurses, Riki. She was most impressed with your assistance. You may not have realized it yet, or believe that it was simply your duty to help....but you have still saved lives. The lives of our children. We shall not forget this."  

 

"Thank you, my Queen."

 

"Of course. And now on the topic of feeding you."

 

Oh god, here we go again. My face is turning red again. Won't they ever stop?

"Eh...."

 

"We see that this is not a comfortable topic for you."

 

"N..no my Queen. I feel embarrassed."

 

"You should not feel that way. Riki informed us that her nourishment was....lemony we believe? We believe that all nourishment tastes the same. Would you care to enlighten us?"

 

Oh kami-sama...please have mercy on me!

 

"Eh...I will try...eh...my Queen. Your eh...nourishment tastes very sweet. Aine's tastes like vanilla custard pudding. And Riki's has a lemon flavor. Ah..eh...a lemon is a sour fruit that gives a very fresh taste."

 

"So...you prefer Riki's then?"

 

"Oh no...your Majesty...eh..I mean.."

 

"Ha ha ha...relax Akari. You are not in trouble. We are just curious about the matter. Which taste do you prefer?"

 

"Eh..honestly I just want to eat the waffle thingies with my hands and not be fed at all. But I don't want to insult Aine..or anyone for that matter."

 

"Well said. It is true that refusing Aine in public would be disrespectful. But Aine should let you eat however you please when you are in your personal alcove. Right, Aine?"

 

"Eh...yes my Queen."  

 

Aine didn't like that....she's still a nurse, no matter what her role is nowadays.

 

"So whose nourishment is most to your liking, Akari? Be honest, we shall not be offended."

 

"I......I can't believe I'm actually saying this..But eh...I prefer Aine's."

 

I glanced at me for a moment, looking surprised, but then quickly looked serious again.

 

"Ha ha ha....well said, Akari. Now let us speak about your pheromones. Surely you must have noticed that you are emitting the same pheromones as your Queen?"

 

"Yes my Queen. I tried to tell...."

 

The Queen interrupted me.

"We know. We have heard through others that you always correct the situation. That you are not their Queen. We appreciate that. But we cannot allow you to continue like this. We have given this some thought."

 

"Eh..what should I do, my Queen?"

 

"We could restrict you to other roles, but that would be against the Empress's orders. We had hoped that our workers would recognize the marking on your uniform, but they didn't.

 

This morning we concluded that the solution is a simple one. Pheromones are transmitted through the air like a scent. So we only need to change your scent. Would you be willing to help us...change that scent?"

 

"Of course, my Queen." Ha ha, like I have any choice in the matter!

 

"Excellent. We will ask you to put a few drops of a liquid on your clothing after each bathing. Do you understand? Did the translator make you understand?"

 

"Yes, I understand. A few drops. But how will people recognize me now?"

 

"People? Our workers you mean. They will still mostly recognize you by your uniform. The new pheromones are not as strong as your current ones. And if they do notice them, you shall be recognized as one of our nurses."

 

"Eh..a nurse?" I don't like where this is going.

 

"Would that be a problem?" I shake my head. "Good, a nurse is the most neutral role for you. It is a scent that every worker appreciates. It also makes you...let me find the word...appear harmless. So you wouldn't be bothered as much anymore."

 

"Of course. I understand. I will gladly wear that..stuff!"

 

"Ha ha ha, excellent. You are most kind. Just beware of the nursery, the little ones might become attached to you."

 

"Eh...I see. But I don't actually plan to go there. I think I should focus on training."

 

"We understand. But we also wouldn't mind if you went there. That is not our demand. But it might be a good experience once in a while."

 

I bow once more. I can hardly promise her to go there too....no thank you.

After my meeting with the Queen, I informed my team about the change in orders. They were not happy about it, but orders are orders. 

For the next month we used the flight simulator extensively until we were promoted to Class2 pilots. Classroom training also continued, but I made some adjustments to the topics and in which order we would learn about them. The General occasionally attended a meeting but didn't say a word in any of them. That guy gives me the creeps, because he can even order our Queen around.

Our Queen....I can't believe that I started thinking about her as OUR queen. Well, that's my life now I guess. I just hope they will bring me back to Earth soon.

 

Our physical training took place in the hydroponics bay. A place with long corridors, ideally suited for running. The fresh air also helped us stay focused with our training. 

 

At one point during our physical training we received company from other workers. They said they were training for hand-to-hand combat scenarios and learned of our secret training location. They promised to keep it secret for others to avoid overcrowding and shared some training ideas. 

I taught them jogging instead of just running, and they gave us some pointers for close combat scenarios.

 

Esi, the youngest of our team, has grown a bit and acts more maturely now. 

Her piloting skills have improved dramatically and she's taking over some of Kira's brave attitudes. 

My team is making excellent progress, but we know that in the end I can't join them on a real mission.  

 

According to the Commander, we will be approaching Vahli Prime within a week. We are now almost in communications range and might receive new orders from the Empress any day now.

 

After one of our simulated missions, I asked the Commander if he knew of the "stealth" concept. 

Meaning that you can reduce the radar image of your plane when you apply some kind of special coating to its hull. 

As a joke, I suggested they just try coating a plane with their nourishment and see what happens. He didn't laugh, but promised to try this idea. He's no fun...it was just a joke! They must have more advanced coatings available to test, right? I guess I have to be more careful about what I say around here.

I learned in one of our training sessions that our Hive has one of the slow, old generation hyperdrive engines. They need to recharge for a rather long period...a full day. During these rest periods, transports are sent to nearby habitable planets to find new ingredients for nourishment.

But there is also opportunity for trade with other species, and....training. Real training...in real space!

 

The immediate area around the Hive is designated as a training area while the engines are recharging. Pilots can train in actual space and use the simulator when the Hive is traveling.

 

Today is one such resting day. The Hive is relatively close to an uninhabited planet with lots of plant life. Well...in the end they're bees after all. I didn't ask how they collect their raw material though...maybe wait with that for now.

My team and I will now start our first real training mission in actual space. It means the Commander has enough confidence in us to actually let us step into one of the real interceptors.

 

When we arrive above the launch bay, I see two very tall and wide windows in front of us and behind us, which give us a look inside the bay. The windows are slightly tilted, giving us an excellent view down as well.

 

These windows must be for maintenance personnel or our Commander to see what is going on inside, but they also provide passing workers with an impressive look.

It feels like I'm standing on a bridge, looking down the river to see the boats below. But in this case, they are actual spacecraft and are of impressive size too.

 

To my front, I see five rails or lanes next to each other, leading into the far distance. Those must be the guiding rails that help launch the craft.

On my back I also see five lanes, but without rails. Those must be the landing areas. Two gigantic doors in the far distance support my assumptions.

 

The bay itself is incredibly large, there are about twenty or thirty interceptors and scouts parked here, ready to depart on a moment's notice. Mostly interceptors though.

A mechanic here told me a moment ago that the planes are placed here through an elevator. The interceptor storage is one deck up. It seems that pilots actually step in and out of their craft directly on the flight deck. 

 

So you might ask why I had to leave the plane through a crane when I first got here? Well, they only do that in medical emergencies and ...because I was an unknown "something" back then. There is security and medical staff waiting in those scenarios. But not today, today is our first actual flight!

 

Ah wait, I hear an alarm sounding on my back. The two huge bay doors are now fully lit with flashing lights, indicating an arriving craft.

The doors are slowly opening, one upwards and the other downwards. I see one...scout returning now, WOW...it just came in at full speed and the baysystems somehow caught the craft and reduced its speed to zero within moments, that has to hurt the pilot, right? We didn't do that kind of landing in our simulator yet!

 

The canopy opens and the pilot exits the craft right there, using a ladder which automatically appears from the sides. He waves at us and then disappears through a door on the side. The canopy closes automatically and his plane is grappled by a crane and disappears into the ceiling. Excellent efficiency. The whole operation just took less than thirty seconds.

 

In front of me I hear another beeping kind of alarm. Our fighters are moving into launch position on the rails. My god, they are gorgeous! 

 

The plane reminds me of the classic 1980s design of how humans imagined space fighters to look like. I mean...how could they have been so spot-on with the design?

 

They are two-seaters, the primary pilot sits on the front, the secondary pilot or navigator or even guest takes the backseat.

 

The streamlined plane has a transparent canopy that stretches from the mid-section of the nose until the center part of the plane, it should provide a good +/- 300 degrees of sight while engaged in dogfights.

 

It is essentially a one-wing concept, more like a big triangle. The wings however are only straight for one meter or so, then they slightly bent downwards in a 45 degree angle, giving the plane a streamlined appearance.

 

The landing gear shows the usual wheel-like structure, but is enveloped by metal, I assume to lock onto some kind of landing mechanism. Or just for the launch process.

 

Somehow it doesn't feel like an actual alien fighter to me. It could just as easily have been an Earth design. 

 

There are three huge, round engine exhausts, on the rear side, that are placed together as a unit. One on top and two directly below it. It reminds me of a space shuttle, but more compact and streamlined. 

 

The hull is painted in a dark yellow color with red striping across the wings. Some kind of insignia is painted on its sides. I have no idea what it means, but it appears that all interceptors have the same insignia. It looks like a jagged letter Z, maybe lightning or something? No idea. Oh, scouts have other insignia, so each unit type has their own.

 

The wingtips have a railgun mounted on them and the nose of the plane has a high energy laser-like weapon mounted. All weapons are AI controlled to lock on to the target, accounting for speed and inertia. 

A mechanic now points to my interceptor. It really is dedicated to me. Nobody else will fly it, except for emergencies of course. Apparently the AI-unit is optimized for myself and will also be available during flight sim training. 

Every flight it will adjust to my commands and needs. And even my quirks according to the mechanic.

Well, I hope that was a generic comment and not a personal one.

 

The AI-unit should provide the best responses whenever I need them most. He appears pretty enthusiastic about his job and says that the interceptors also have doors on the bottom, enabling them to carry supplies. I guess those could easily be converted to bombs or torpedo-like weapons, but I guess it's not a thing here? We never even discussed those during our training sessions, now that I think about it.

 

Alright, I guess it's our turn now. We are guided down the stairs by another flight mechanic.

He opens the door for us, as not everyone can just leisurely walk in here when they want to. We will be getting our own codes soon.

 

We are now standing on the actual flight deck. It smells like..like...oil? Does that make sense? They obviously don't use kerosine here, but it still smells like a car workshop on Earth.

 

We are now guided to a dressing-room to get our flight gear, which are protective clothes on top of our own uniforms. A helmet is provided as well, it is capable of indicating targeting information. The midsection on top is open, probably for the feelers of these people, but I don't have any to worry about. In my case it's just like extra air conditioning for me.

 

After getting the OK from the mechanics, we head to our individual interceptors. 

 

I take another minute to take in the view, when the mechanic approaches me again.

"She's a beauty, ain't she? It's a Mark3."

 

"Yeah, she's pretty alright. Let's hope she flies nice too."

 

"Of that I'm absolutely certain."

A ladder moves up from the floor and stops at the canopy. The mechanic shows me where the "open" handle is, and the canopy opens with a hydraulic sound. We don't use that handle in simulations, as the cockpits are not locked into real interceptors. But here the cockpit section is docked to a real one.

 

I thank the mechanic and climb the ladder, then step inside.

 

Not even a second later and I'm welcomed by Fuku, my AI-unit.

 

"This is my first flight, please be gentle with the maneuvers. It takes fifteen minutes to calibrate all controls properly. You can engage in any maneuvers after that, at any time."

 

"Ha ha ha, alright..Fuki..I promise to be gentle."

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"I don't understand the reason for your laughter. Is it something I said?"

 

"Well, for a warplane you sound frightened. I just thought it was cute."

 

"I see. I..I am not afraid though." If it could blush, it probably would by now.

 

"Fuku. Just so you know. This is my first ever flight in a real interceptor, so I'm nervous too. Let's help each other, okay?"

 

"Yes!!" 

 

Okay, NOW she sounds like a teenager. O god, I hope she didn't read my mind there.

 

"Fuku?"

 

"Yes, Akari?"

 

"Did you just read my mind?"

 

"Negative, I only scanned your language region again."

 

"Eh, okay. Esi, Kira, Chiri...are you online?" Oh my god, this sounds just like at home with my headset on.

 

"Affirmative" is the correct reply I get from my teammates. They already got used to my "quirks" like military speech.

 

Well, except for Kira. "Yihaaaaa! Let's go already!"  She really can't wait anymore.

 

"Ha ha ha, just a minute Kira." I need to ask for launch permission first.

 

Fuku confirms that the canopies are closed and everyone is ready to launch. All preflight checks show that we are good to go.

 

I remember from training how to speak to flight control.

"Control, team 7732, ready for a calibration mission. Request launch approval."

 

I see the doors opening in the far distance. I even see some stars already! Real ones!

 

"Team 7732, you are now cleared for launch."

We launch immediately and leave the Huntress behind us. 

 

"Alright form-up, we need to calibrate the controls first, so no sudden maneuvers."

 

"Copy that." 

See? My team is already getting used to my commands. I really want to use the commands I know from my flightsim, they will help me feel in control.

 

After flying for 5 minutes in a straight line, we arrived at the designated training area, about 10 kilometers from the Huntress.

 

"Alright team, follow me and perform the required calibration maneuvers." 

 

My orders are acknowledged by a little green light below my teammates on a screen. We can't be talking all the time, sometimes it is simpler to acknowledge by pressing a button. 

 

I gently turn the joystick left until we slowly, very slowly turn to reach a new heading of 270 degrees. 

 

Fuku seems able to make minor adjustments to the onboard indicators after discussing those with me. The heading is now something I can relate to. But the distance calculations and speed indicators are more like an educated guess. We don't have a way to compare our metrics, so...it will have to do for now.

 

Then we slowly turn right, back to 000 degrees.

 

This is rookie material, something I did many times when starting a new space sim. This is pretty boring, but it is required. The interceptors are freshly manufactured, just making sure that all is working as it should. Somehow I get the creepy feeling that we are being tested..to check that we really understand this basic stuff, making this just like a real tutorial. Oh god, I want to see what this baby can do in real space, but we have to be patient. I'm sure the others have the same feeling.

 

We perform similar maneuvers for up and down, making a full stop and going full throttle until Fuku informs me that the calibration is completed.

 

"Team 7732, Control, calibration is completed. Missions complete. Return to base."

 

I made sure that I wasn't transmitting before saying out loud "Crap, it's over already. The fun hasn't even started yet."

 

I acknowledged their orders and was about to change our heading when I saw something moving in the corner of my eyes. Three teams of five units each are passing over us, they are the pros, returning from actual missions. Or maybe advanced flight training, who knows?

 

One of them opens a short-range channel to us "hey kiddies, done playing already?" I definitely heard some condescending laughs in the background...

 

This behavior is normal for pilots, in games at least. Call me surprised that these arrogant jerks are allowed to fly at all. I open the channel and return the favor "Welcome home guys, just make sure to stay out of weapons range. We are calibrating stuff here."

 

"Ehh...understood." 

 

Ha ha ha, idiot. Oh how I would have loved to send a few laser beams his way, and then say, you know, just an "oops, calibration error."

 

At least they know we aren't completely toothless. I'm not scared of these arrogant brats. We'll show them.....but not today <sigh>.

 

"Akari...really?" Chiri said.

 

"Yep, sorry. I can't stand brats. I thought you of all people like my reply."

 

"Yeah, but brats? Those were the Stingers, they are elite!" 

 

"Alright Team, ZipLip, we're heading home." Nobody saw me rolling my eyes. Elite...just brats.

 

Esi then asks "What is a ZipLip?"

 

"<sigh> it literally means hold your lips together, but it actually means that you should not speak. Like radio silence. You will be hearing more of these expressions from me soon."

 

"Control, Team 7732, your current orders have been rescinded. We have a scout in trouble, 150 vena from your location. Clearance to activate weapons granted. Go urgently and assist." 

 

Eh..translator issue...about 150 kilometers, I guess? I see the coordinates, so I don't have a real issue with this.

 

"Control, 7732, understood."

Well, they don't use the same code words I am used to, but it works. I love "copy that," or "roger." Maybe I will get them to update their procedures!

 

Flight Control knows that we are on our first calibration mission, without any real experience. But they need us NOW. So there is no point in arguing that more experienced pilots should go there. We are already here and there's no time! They will probably still send proper reinforcements, but we simply have to go.

 

"Team, we have received new coordinates. Form up, full speed ahead!" 

 

Green lights indicate that my orders have been acknowledged. Is this a real emergency? Or just another way to test us? I know I would do that if I were an instructor!

 

The Queen ordered me not to participate in real combat, but Control ordered me to go, right?

 

I push the engine output to maximum thrust and make sure that the weapons are live. I set them to the laser for now. The rail guns pack a bigger punch, but they use ammo quickly. Lasers need to recharge, but that is done quickly, at the expense of firepower. Three minutes until arriving at the designated coordinates. 

 

My display shows a little green triangle on the radar, three other green ones on my wings. A green square is ahead, surrounded by moving red triangles. 

 

Fuku then informs us about the situation. "Akari and team, I'm detecting weapons fire ahead. Our scout appears to be under attack by three unknown craft." 

 

"Copy that. Team, use Turbos." The Turbo option uses more fuel, but, well, gets us a significant speed boost. One by one our craft are accelerating to 150% of normal engine output.

 

"Akari, they appear to be three Kakross Viper-class fighters."

 

I don't acknowledge Fuku, but open a wide range channel by pushing a button, it is set for dead ahead only.

 

"To the three attacking Kakross vessels, disengage immediately, or be destroyed. This is your final warning."

But there is no reply, and we are almost there. 

 

"Team, pick your targets and fire at will." 

 

Fuku then assigns targets to each of us and we do what we trained for.

 

All of us open fire, whenever the friendly scout is not in our line of fire. 

I press the red fire button on my joystick, but my target is fast! It skillfully evades my weapons fire. These guys are no rookies!

 

None of us land any hits, but the message is clear.

The enemy fighters are now withdrawing at high speed, seeing that reinforcements have arrived. They probably think that we are pros too, and not the beginners we still are...

Lucky for us.

 

"Akari, do we follow them?" Kira asks.

 

"Negative, stand down. We are not qualified for that yet. First priority is our scout here. 

Team Leader 7732 for Scout ship."

 

"This is Scout 19732, my ship has sustained massive damage. I'm uninjured, but I can't reach the Hive. I would appreciate some help."

The ship's name is now shown on my radar display. Easier than having to remember their call signs.

"Scout 19732, copy that. Please standby for rescue."

 

"Control, 7732 leader, scout is secured. Requesting a rescue ship to tow them back home. Pilot is not injured."

 

"7732, Control, affirmative. Rescue ship dispatched. Hold position and escort them back."

 

"Control, 7732, confirmed."

 

We all take position around the scout and disable our engines. They were quite hot from our turbos, but are cooling fast now.

"Alright team, how about that? Not bad for a first mission right?" The excitement in my voice must have been very noticeable! 

 

"Yeah, getting back so soon was boring, but this was fun!" Esi speaks like a pro.

 

"Yeah, exactly what I needed, adrenalin." Kira...yeah...she's an adrenaline junkie now.

 

"I'm curious what else awaits us, we aren't home yet." Chiri is..the pessimist again.

 

"Esi, please head for the rescue vessel and escort them here." I order Esi so she can feel more useful. She still thinks that she's a burden to us, but these little orders are going to help change her mindset in the long run.

 

"Copy that."

 

It still took the rescue vessel fifteen agonizing minutes to get here. They don't have turbos obviously. 

Docking with the scout took another five minutes, which gives the scout some much needed air to breath through an umbilical cord.

 

Escorting them back home was everything except fun. Flying at slow speeds while the scout is being towed home is not exciting at all.

 

This took another thirty or so minutes, due to the time needed to get the scout moving. You would think that everything in space is weightless and that's true. But getting another object into motion takes more fuel and more time, it took time to compensate for the scouts inertia. Anyway, we are almost home.

 

The towed scout is directed to the right launch bay, so they can help him. We are directed to the left launch bay. The whole Hive is in between the two bays, so we likely won't be seeing the scout in person. 

 

"Team 7732, thanks for the assist!" ...ah, speak of the devil... 

 

"Scout 19732, anytime. Thank you for your hard work." 

 

"Ha ha ha, thanks." The scout replied.

 

Ah right, he laughed because of my Japanese reply. I get this many times. It's a standard expression in Japanese, something you just say to your colleagues. It is just a more polite way to say "hi" to coworkers than actually meaning "I see you are working hard." But my English speaking team members from my space sim had the same laugh at my expense. Guess I have to learn some other expressions here.

Okay I am lined up last to enter the landing zone of our flight deck.

 

"Akari, we are cleared to land. Do you want to perform a manual landing?" Fuku suggested a manual landing.....yeah...no thanks.

 

"Eh, no, just get us home, Fuku."

 

"Alright, sit back and enjoy!"  

 

Great, she's getting more informal with me. That's exactly what I want!

Fuku aligns us perfectly in the middle, showing a cross-like indicator that I recognize from ILS-landings. Guess some things are just universal.

 

It looks and works the same. Of course we already saw this in the simulator, but actually experiencing things in real space is quite different.

 

BUMP---we hit the landing strip and I feel us decelerating quickly, jerking me forward, but nothing too bad. It looks worse than it feels...and that's it. We're home already!

 

We all meetup in the changing room to leave our flight gear and helmets behind.

 

Imagine four excited girls chatting about their first mission...and you have a good idea of the noise we're currently producing. 

And why not? We saved the day! Well, the scout's at least.

And I really had lots of fun, actually flying a real interceptor!

 

After properly straightening our uniforms, we head to the Commander's office for a debriefing. A real debriefing this time. He's already waiting for us.

 

"Team7732, welcome back and congratulations on your first mission." 

 

He then led us through our mission, step-by-step and also analyzed our communications. Seems that we were a bit too excited, we need to stick to business...not so much chatting anymore. Otherwise...there was only praise coming from him.

After lunch we had another team physical exercise. Esi cheated by using her wings, so I had to pretend that she needed punishment. But it all ended in a good laugh. 

We then bathed and discussed our first real flight.

 

At one point the discussion started to go off topic, but that's okay, don't you think?

For some reason we started talking about the eggs in the nursery. I asked them what they do with....broken or damaged eggs. Are they..inferior?

 

Aine, our resident nurse specialist is the most qualified to answer that. 

"There is no issue, nature takes care of that. They just won't hatch. We tried to find the reason for not hatching, and always found flaws in their bodies. There's really nothing we can do about that."

 

"I see. But it's still sad." I said.

 

"Yes, Akari, it is. Nature can be cruel, but we don't decide. All eggs are properly cared for, only when they should hatch, we can identify them. And it's already too late then. Please don't think about it. It is the way things are."

 

My thoughts were interrupted when a messenger appeared. She whispered something in Aine's ears and disappeared as quickly as she appeared. Why don't they just speak? Why only inform Aine?

Must be some respect-thing or something.

 

"Akari, that was a messenger, carrying orders from our Queen." Aine sounds...disappointed?

 

"What are her orders then?" Now I want to know!

 

"You remember that pilot that brought you here?"

 

"Eh...yeah....eh....Ghan, right?"

 

"Yes, that's the one. The Queen has ordered him to join your teammates."

 

"Ehhhhh?????" Is the reply we all give Aine at the same time.

 

"But...does that mean he will....sleep here as well?"  I asked Aine. Please say "no."

 

"No.....the messenger said that the Queen anticipated that already. She says he will get his own alcove in the room next to ours. It was a little appreciation for Akari for saving her unhatched children."

 

Of course this meant that I still had to explain to my team what happened in the nursery.

 

"Wow, she really knows me from the inside out, doesn't she?" I was absolutely stunned.

 

"Yes, she does Akari. That's why she's the Queen. But what about the pilot? Do you think he can join you?" Aine still sounds disappointed.

 

"No, not as an interceptor pilot. We are a team now and he is too far behind for that. Also, he has experience as a scout only and that's a totally different role. But maybe....yes, I have something else in mind."

 

We all get dressed quickly, because he'll be here soon. I don't want to talk to him while sitting in the bathtub.

 

"Interesting anatomy." A male voice replies from the entrance. God, why don't they have DOORS here?

 

"eekk!!" I shout as if my life depended on it. I grab the closest uniform and hold it against my body.

 

It's Ghan, he's already here! The others don't seem to care about a male standing there. 

 

"That's not going to fit you," Chiri comments matter of factly. It seems that I'm holding her uniform.

 

"Wha...wha....why..." I can't even make sentences....I'm really feeling exposed here.

 

"Ghan, Akari doesn't feel comfortable around males when she's undressed."

 

Oh god, she makes it even worse!

 

"Oh...I'm sorry. I will wait in the corridor." He says.

 

"No, you..." Kira wants to tell him it's okay now, but I interrupt her.

 

"YES THANK YOU."  And I see him leave.

 

"Akari, he's just a male pilot, why are you so worried?" Kira said.

 

"Eh...it's just a cultural thing. Just leave me be." I can't believe it. You really don't get it, do you?

 

"Alright, if you say so...."  Yes, she doesn't get it.

 

I quickly get dressed and we all move to the mess hall, so we have some more...personal space.

He introduces himself to the team and they realize that an order is an order, so we all invite him as a new team mate. Apparently the Queen has punished him for bringing me here against my will and jeopardizing the Hive by leading an enemy scout to the Huntress...

 

We discuss where we are now standing in our progress and I explain to Ghan that he can't join as an interceptor pilot. 

 

"But what do you want me to do then?" Ghan seems worried that he will be rejected.

 

"I already thought about that....you will become our Hive's first NavScan unit."

 

"A navscaa unit?"

 

"No, a Nav...Scan. You will be responsible for navigation and long range scanning."

 

"Eh..I don't understand." He looks confused...

 

"Okaay..let me explain. You can't switch roles that easily. Interceptor and scout roles are completely different. The NavScan role will be a sort of improved Scout role. We will modify your scout ship so that it has advanced long range scanners. You will stay at least 30 kilometers behind us during combat missions. Your job is to scan for enemies and relay radio messages at full transmit power to us in case the enemy starts jamming us."

 

"dzzzaammming?"

 

"Oh god. Really?" They don't know what that is either? 

 

After discussing "jamming" for a moment, it seems they just used another word for that. So from now on the translator will know the correct word for this.

 

I then take my time to explain to him that he is now a support unit assigned to a combat team. 

He will discuss with Maintenance to adapt his scout to implement jammers to block enemy radio transmissions. His "radar" or whatever these people call it will be upgraded to the latest and greatest and his communications equipment will be upgraded to maximum range. His onboard weapons are only basic for defense, just as they are now. Oh...and he will definitely get some shields too.

 

The idea is that his radar image is transmitted to us on the front lines, but we don't need to activate our own radars. No active radar means that the enemy can't find us that easily anymore. 

But his radar is still available to us, so we are not flying blind. Any enemy will first be drawn to him, but they have to go through us. 

 

We had to visit the Commander to get the necessary approvals first, but it seems that Ghan is now really our NavScan unit. The modifications to his scout ship were also approved. It took me quite some time to convince the Commander, but in the end he saw the value in this. 

What I didn't expect was something that happened on our way back to our personal alcove. 

It happened right there in the corridor outside the Commander's office. We just left his office and one male worker approached me. And when I mean approach...I mean.....face to face.....too close for comfort. The following happened in a matter of seconds.

 

"My Queen..."...bzzzzz....His wings are alternating between buzzing and silence. 

Bzzzzzz...." 

 

My eyes open wide to this peculiar display. I look at my friends and see that their mouths are agape. They....they know what's happening, right?

"Ehh....I'm not your...."

 

"Bzzzzzt!!!!! My Queen!"  His wings now touched my back and gave me the shivers. 

No, not the shivers....my brain is tingling again...no......

 

Someone help! Creepy!  

I step back but he immediately closes the gap again and...is he shaking his but? Oh god..is this a weird dance?  

 

"What are you doing?" But I get no reply. He seems to be in a trance or something like that. I'm feeling lightheaded.

 

The others seem to have come to their senses, and Aine is the first to speak.

"STOP IT AT ONCE! She is NOT your Queen. I will defend her!" She slaps his face and waits for a response.

 

Eh....defend?

 

The worker is confused and seems to come out of his trance.  "What....what happened?"

 

"Nothing, please leave us immediately!" Aine seems pissed.

 

"Yes ma'am, at once!" And he just walks away, still confused.

 

"Can anyone PLEASE tell me what just happened?" I really want to know.

 

But I had to wait for the reply as my extremely annoying epilepsy decided to switch off my consciousness again.