need for speed [r. x b.b.]

Chapter One

"Good morning Pumpkin."

"Hey dad. How'd you sleep?" You leant down and kissed your dad on the top of his shiny, bald head.

"Well. And you?"

"Fine thanks. Had a couple of weird dreams."

"Hmm." He seemed preoccupied, clearly building up the courage to say something.

"Dad? You okay?"

"A letter came today. For you. The United States Air Force seal is stamped on the front. It's on the counter."

You felt your heart sink. You would normally assume this was about your dad's past in the Air Force, perhaps calling him back to war, but why would it be addressed to you? The Air Force has no reason to contact you. You anxiously shoved your sleeves up your arms, the cotton rubbing awkwardly against your elbow. You slowly walked towards the counter, time seeming to slow down. Slowly reaching towards the letter, you swallowed hard.

Dear Emma Wolfe,
On this day, April 30th, 2022, you have been called to join the United States Air Force as a pilot in the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program. You are in a unique situation - you will become the first pilot to ever join TOPGUN who does not have a history in the military. However, our men in your local area who have worked at various hangars have seen your flying, and we have decided your skills are exactly what we need for this program. Please bring three or more forms of ID, plus this letter to the closest recruitment facility to your current location on the fourth of May, 2022. You can find these places at the website linked below.

The letter continued on to a second page with more details, plus another page about the United States Government's new amendment to the Constitution allowing the military to draft anyone they want into the force, with due reason. You read the whole letter again in shock.

You had never had much interest in the military. It was nothing but unnecessary killing, not to mention the incredible amount of money spent by the United States government every year. You had a unique skill set, however, that made you a good pilot. No, a fantastic pilot. One of the best in the country, you'd wager. Your fathers had taken you out to the local hangar, and then pilot school, basically since you could walk, and now, at 30 years old, you had almost 25 years of experience in the air under your belt. One of your dads had died while the two of you were flying last year; it had been hard on you, and you had taken a break from flying, fearing the safety of your last parent left alive. It had now been 11 months since you had been in the air, and god, you missed it. But it was so hard to force yourself to go out there again. That was the last place you'd seen your dad alive, there were memories there. And now you were being asked to go to a school designed to put you through the toughest possible experiences one could have in the air.

"Honey? Is it what I think it is?" Your dad looked worried, tears already forming in his eyes.

"I - Yes. I've been drafted."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

Four days later, your dad walked up to the recruitment facility with you. Normally, you wouldn't need him with you, but he had been in the Navy himself, and could help you get through the process faster. Plus, he had canceled his flight home and rescheduled to stay with you longer, so you might as well spend as much time together as possible. He slowly opened the door for you, and you brushed past him as you entered the hall. On both sides of a large atrium were booths with signs like 'Physical', 'Identification', and 'Enlistment' above them. Your father nudged you towards a woman at a booth right near the front. You took a deep breath, rolled your shoulders back, and then confidently walked up to her.