The Ark

Part 6 - The Flight

Jack opened his eyes and again found himself in a dark docking bay. The power up sequence began scrolling by in front of him like before but as the machine started to power up he couldn't help but think about all the things she had told him. Everything was happening so fast and was so confusing that he felt as though he were just floating through life, in a conscious haze bouncing from one event to another. His old world was gone and as far as he was concerned less than an hour had passed since he was running for his life across a frozen, deserted playground.

First he wakes up to this lady shoving him out onto the hull of a ship and saying he had to flip a switch or everyone dies, then she tells him it has been over two thousand years since he was on that playground, his body is dead, his mind is being stored in a computer and a computer generated Artificial Intelligence program is about to launch him in a craft on a mission to attack an alien carrier. It was too much! It was too crazy! He had to take a step back and breathe. He couldn't let himself think about it or it would overwhelm him, so he shook it off as best he could and focused on the task at hand.

"So, do you just wake me when you need me and then put me back in a box when you don't?"

"Yes."

"Don't you worry that I'm going to be mad that you put me back in a box rather than answer my questions?"

There was a loud 'clank' and the bay doors began to open. As the doors parted the bay was bathed in pure starlight. The view before him was stunning. Billions and billions of twinkling stars shining brightly against the backdrop of the rest of the universe. The big band of stars that was the milky way galaxy stood out magnificently right in front of him and stretched out as far as he could see.

Michelle said, "Not as much as you might think. Launching in 3... 2... 1..."

There was a sudden jolt and even though he no longer had a physical human body Jack could feel the force of inertia pulling against him, pulling against the ship, as it was launched out into the blackness of space. His eyes grew wide and his heart started racing. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Or could he? He wasn't sure but right now it didn't matter. For someone who was dead he never felt more alive.

Michelle said, "I realize you were not a pilot back in your old life but I built that ship to resemble an old Earth fighter jet in appearance to make it easy for you to acclimate to."

"An F-15 Eagle? I love these things."

"It's not an F-15, it just looks like one."

Jack said, "I feel like Starscream."

Michelle said, "Who?"

Jack laughed and said, "Forget it. This is amazing! It's like the ship's sensors are tied into my own eyes and ears. I can hear the Ark as it passes by and I can see the different temperature variations my sensors are picking up in your hull."

He turned and flew along the length of the Ark. He could see the patchwork done by the repair systems on the front of the ship that he had helped repair and there were hundreds of smaller black score marks all down the length of the hull. "Damn," he said. "The Ark of humanity looks like it had its ass kicked."

"Two years and four months they've been after us, ninety four individual attacks over that time."

"How have you lasted this long."

"I don't think they're trying to destroy the ship, I think they're trying to wear us down until their larger carrier can catch up with us. We're pretty evenly matched in size and speed but we had something of a head start on them. Unfortunately running at full speed for so long is beginning to tax our engines and the Ark simply can't do it any longer."

"And my bitty little fighter is going to save us how?"

"Get back there and shoot up that carrier's engines. If I've learned anything about humans it's that you know how to fight and you know how to break stuff. Right now I need you to do both. And try not to die."

"Die? I'm a program in a computer. How can I die?"

"You're not in just any computer, you're in the fighter's computer and if it's destroyed before I can pull you back to the Ark your mind will be lost. You will be dead."

Just then several flashes of light erupted from the back of the ship as the enemy fighters opened fire.

"Oh you're just full of all kinds of good news, aren't you?" He asked sarcastically. "If you and I live through this we're going to have a little talk about your communication skills, missy." He swooped down close to the hull and then took off as fast as he could towards the aft part of the ship. He blew past the attacking fighters without even slowing down and never fired a shot.

"What are you doing?" she asked with panic in her voice.

"I'm going to break stuff. Use whatever transports you have left to hold off those fighters while I work on the carrier."

As he raced toward the carrier one of enemy fighters altered its course to intercept him so he returned the favor and ran straight at it.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

Just then the enemy vessel turned and fled. Jack turned back to the carrier and poured on the speed. "They're worried I'm going to ram them like the transports."

A large red bolt of energy blew past his ship. "Whoa! That carrier has some big guns. You need to stay out of its reach."

"I'm trying," she said. "but these fighters are all over me."

The carrier shot several more huge bolts of energy at Jack's ship but it was too small and fast and was easily able to avoid them. As he neared the massive ship the cannons stopped firing and several more fighters came out to greet him.

The first time he opened fire the sound of his own guns startled him. His temporary moment of shock quickly replaced by exhilaration as the first enemy fighter exploded. There was a part of him that was afraid for his life but that part was very small. In truth, he wasn't sure if any of it was even real but as he raced along the hull of the enemy carrier chasing down his second kill he felt a sense of freedom he'd never experienced before in his life. The second fighter took a direct hit and then slammed into the carrier causing a massive explosion.

Jack flipped his ship about and took off after another fighter.

Michelle said, "You're supposed to be going after the carrier."

"Hey, they've been dogging us for years. I say it's time for a little bit of payback."

"Well, the rest of the fighters are turning back and heading your way..."

A third enemy fighter exploded and Jack screamed, "Woo Hoo!" as he peeled off headed for the aft section of the carrier laying fire down the entire way. After several carefully placed shots in the aft section of the ship the engines caught fire, the ship lost power and started drifting.

As he came around the back end of the larger ship there was a flash of light and his right arm exploded in pain. The right wing of his ship had been blown off sending him tumbling through space and howling in pain. Several of the fighters attacking the Ark had turned back towards their carrier and were bearing down on him but there was nothing he could do.

"Michelle, get me out of here!"

"I'm trying," she said. "It takes a few seconds."

Another shot hit the back end of his ship and it felt like his leg had just been blown off. He was spinning about madly, arcing sparks of electricity danced along his hull as gases and other debris blew out from the damaged section of his ship.

Another hit and another explosion of pain as the enemy fighters closed in on his position.

"Hurry hurry hurry!"

Everything went dark.