Resilient - Evolution

Chapter 4: The End of Innocence

They went to the north of where Duke was flying and chased each other through the steep mountains and valleys. If anybody saw them, they wouldn't see them for very long, and they made sure to keep under the sound barrier.

Gloria said, "These are so cool. How did we ever get by without them?"

Nina did a roll around her in the air and said, "It's kind of like sex. You don't know what you're missing until you've been there." Then she realized what she just said and who she said it to. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was caught up in the moment."

"Well, a week ago, I wouldn't have been able to agree with you," Gloria said.

"A week ago?" Nina asked. "What's changed? Or should I say, 'Who's changed things for you?'"

"I thought we weren't supposed to kiss and tell," Gloria said, laughing.

"Fair enough," Nina said. "It's your business ... just as long as Eric wasn't involved."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about where he's concerned," Gloria said. "Davis and me were talking about things the other day. We both decided that it would be nice to learn things together. He's a lot more mature than Amanda gives him credit for."

Gloria dove her fighter down off of the ridge and could see a herd of cows in a field by a farmhouse. "Hey," she said. "You think there's anybody living there?"

"I don't know," Nina said. "Carlos, is there anybody there?"

"Besides the twenty-one cows, I'm showing three Humans in the farmhouse," Carlos said.

Gloria said, "Three people on their own. Want to see if they need any help?"

"You can't just fly down there and land in their yard," Nina said. "They're just as likely to shoot you as they are to let you say anything."

"I know," Gloria said, "but didn't Drake say that we needed more people?"

"We do need more people," Nina said. She got an idea and said, "Carlos, let's start looking everywhere we go to see where you are showing people. We can make a plan to contact them, hopefully in a way that doesn't scare everybody off."

"Spoil sport," Gloria said. "Hey, what if we sent the little swarm drones in to talk with people? They won't look that intimidating, and they can relay whatever you want to say to them."

"Now that's a good idea," Nina said. "Let's run it by Drake when we get back. He'll need to be involved with the search and rescue operation anyway."

Gloria was happy that she could help. Nina was able to do so much by herself that sometimes it felt like there wasn't room for anybody else to do anything. She said, "Beaver Lake is coming up. Didn't you say earlier something about the underwater abilities of the fighters?"

"I forgot, with everything else going on," Nina said. "What do you think, Carlos? Want to show us what the fighters can do underwater?"

"Do you want me to take over? Or do you want me to talk you through it?" Carlos asked.

"Just show us both what we need to do," Nina said, "we'll take it from there."

There was a buzz in their heads as the information was added to their minds.

"Wow, that was a quick download," Gloria said.

"The operation of the fighter in the water really isn't much different than in the air," Carlos said. "Since the Gravity Drive doesn't push against the fluid environment in either, it is only a manipulation of the field itself to allow the craft to cut through the heavier material. It's the same for flying in space as well."