Sky High

Ri Jeong Hyeok

The first thought that goes through my mind when I heard Shampoo's voice is...

That's me. I am the one who's heading to the ground. So I pull up the throttle in full, hoping to avoid the crash. Even with my night vision it's dark and I don't see any jet around.

"Don't panic, Capt." I hear Mash's voice and his chuckle at the radio. But the terrible feeling that something is very wrong can't be shaken.

"123, Misawa Control. Abort, Abort, Abort." Shit, what now?

"123, Misawa Control, repeat, Abort, Abort, Abort." My adrenaline is going crazy and panic engulfs me. I am going to communicate with Ace when a big green light flashes on my night vision.

DAMN! What is that? Is some unidentified jet fire out a missile? A crash? I turn around to see the source of the green light.

The fire is from below which confirms that one of our jets crashes. Shit. Shit.

"Ace, fire observed, requesting for personnel check, over." When Ace not answering, my head going crazy. Oh, shit, is that Ace?!

"123, this is Captain, requesting for personnel check, over." When no one answers my call for personnel check, I repeat again. Dread is shadowing me.

"123, this is Captain, requesting for personnel check, over." I wait again and almost repeating it again when Ace finally answers my call.

"Roger, Captain. Ace, leading the flight."

"Roger, Captain. Shampoo, flying forth."

"Roger, Captain. Wookie, flying fifth."

"Roger, Captain. Axel, flying sixth."

"Mash, do you copy? Can you identify yourself?" At this point, I'm screaming to the radio.

"MASH, DO YOU COPY?! ANSWER ME, MASH!"

No. No. No.

"HYUNG, PLEASE, HYUNG, ANSWER ME, HYUNG!"

Not my brother. Not my brother.

"Misawa Control, 123, Zest Zero-Eight-One-Two, there's crash. Request to fly back, over."

"Zest Zero-Eight-One-Two, cleared for fly back. Descend to 5100, turn right one two zero, over."

"Roger. Gents, fly back. See you on the ground."

I don't know how I fly Birdie back to the ground. I am numb. I am in automatic mode. This is a nightmare, right? I'm dreaming?

Hyung is not dead, is he? I'm playing this monologue over and over in my head. Once the jets safely parked at its designated spot. All of us leap from the jets and run to the briefing room.

The rescue team is already deployed but haven't gotten any updates, says the Wing Commander, a USAF Lieutenant Colonel. I know it's pretty much impossible to wish my brother is still alive.

The fire was big and loud. No one would've been saved from that kind of crash. I drop my head and pull my hair. Shit. It hurts.

I can't breathe. Oh, Hyung.

"Don't panic, Capt." Who would've thought it's the last sentence ever uttered by my brother?

What would I say to my mother? What would I say to Se Ri? I promise to Se Ri to watch my brother. And what happened?!

I let out a frustrated scream. Ace looks at me somberly. He knows it's grave. He knows we won't get any good news.

Three hours later, it is confirmed. A KF-16C Eagles Two-One-Zero-Four crashed in Misawa. The pilot is dead.