Young Skies: The Black Acts

CH1

Inside the warehouse was actually a hanger. To the left was a big red fuel truck. To the right were lots of crates. Yellow tapes on the crates read 'ammunition', and in the center was a fighter jet. It had a double tail, double jet engine rear, a double seat cockpit and a long nose. Its wings were at a strange angle, swept back about 75 degrees from the normal position. Then it hit me. I knew this plane.

"General Bailey, isn't that fighter the F-14 Tomcat?" I asked.

"One, just call me Sir," he replied, "and two, why yes it is! How did you know?"

"I saw them on the news three days ago," I replied. "The main highlight was that they weren't being produced anymore."

"Yes, due to certain complications experienced in the past, they will no longer be used in U.S. service after this year.

"Awww, I really like this plane," I whined. "The variable geometry wings are so cool, plus it has a top speed of Mach 2.2!"

"I am astonished! You have quite the knowledge of things I see. I'm starting to like you more and more, Jamo!"

"Thank you Sir! I did my research during the time I was training to be a pilot," I replied. "I even have about four months of flight experience."

"I remember. Sounds to me like you made good use of that opportunity I got you."

"I sure did! So then... when can I begin?" I asked.

"Tomorrow at 0900 hours! You are to report to mission control at tower 2!" Gen. Bailey replied while saluting, to which I did the same. Then he left for the exit and paused at the doorway. "Tell you what son, when or if you pass the flight test, I'll let you keep old Felix as your personal main attack fighter. How does that sound?"

"Really, you can do that? That would be so cool," I beamed with pride, lost in fantasy at the thought of keeping the plane! And flying it too. "Sir, I won't let you down!" I flashed him a thumbs up.

General Bailey returned the thumbs up, "I know you won't. Good luck, son!" With that he was gone.

I lay the blue and black backpack I had brought with me on the floor and went over to the plane. As I walked past it, I slid my hand against the shining grey fuselage. When I came to the nose, I read in black paint 'Felix the F-14.' "Just you wait Felix. You and I are gonna show 'em what we got!" I went over and picked up my slightly over packed backpack, and went over to another door next to the crates of ammunition. I pulled it wide, and went inside. There, I found a bed, a drawer, a sink and... a fridge.

"Hmm, let's go see what's in the fridge," I thought to myself as I trotted to it. Inside were several cans of either Coca cola or grape soda, 10 Coke and 7 grape in fact, 5 apples, 6 eggs, a triangular piece of cheese, 4 large tins of evaporated milk, 2 small tins of condensed milk, and a slice of chocolate cake. I took the cake, closed the fridge, and sat down on the bed, which was surprisingly comfy. It was then that I noticed the cardboard message which read,

'Welcome Jamo! I hope you enjoy your time here at the base. Good luck, son!
Gen. Bailey'

"Wow! How nice of him! Now I feel even more determined," I smiled and whispered before taking a bite into the cake.
*****

4 o'clock saw me looking out from tower one. Let me take this time to describe the base, which is named 'Alfred's Sun'. From a top down, bird's eye view, it is rectangular in shape, the perimeter having dimensions of 2 miles by 1. In the northern most area is a 1 and a half mile long runway, starting from the northwest corner and ending near the northeast, where there were 3 heli-pads along the east side. Just below these and the runway a couple of meters where a string of warehouses and hangers, arranged in columns of four and rows of five.