Purr
Kaerri's Man. =)
24 Hours Ago...
"ZAP!" "POW!" "BLAMMO!" Those were among the excited words used by the Southern Cross Research and Development team when asked to describe their latest invention, the Anti-Missile Veritech Protector otherwise known as the AMVP. Inside the Army of the Southern Cross Eglin Testing and Design Facility, backed by their three-dimensional computerized presentation, the quartet of young engineers sat with confident smiles on their side of the wide, oaken conference table, but across from them, the middle-aged officer wore no such smile.
Colonel Hiram Sharp had served in Iraq and Afghanistan in his younger years. As a tank commander in the U.S. Army, one of his fields of study was military history and its application on the modern battlefield. He had a reputation for being quite adept at using the lessons of leaders long-dead to give any advantage to his tank teams. He also had tested tank technology before it reached the hands of his front-line tankers. Sharp was a Tennessee-born West Point Graduate, RDF veteran, and ASC lifer. Now, in his mid-fifties with the Earth still in nightmarish conflict, his experience was being put to the test almost daily. That experience told him never to discount a reliable piece of equipment. Whether the tanks were M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, or Spartas Veritech Hover Tanks, each had its place and value. He knew well their abilities and limitations first-hand being an able pilot of each. But as second-in-command of Eglin base, Sharp did not have the luxury of specialization, focusing only on his beloved tank crews and tanks; he had to know a lot about everything.
So when his commanding officer and commander of Eglin base, Brigadier General Steele, ordered him to attend this rushed meeting despite his already punishing-schedule, he went knowing why. Sharp knew Steele had great confidence in Sharp's judgment if not his overall combat experience. Still, Sharp felt out of his area of expertise and that made him uncomfortable. Yet, if he could supply new life-saving technologies to the Army of the Southern Cross, he would. He just wished he had someone next to him who knew this aircraft-related technology half as well as he knew his tanks, but there had been no time to grab any such people. This youthful R & D team was very eager for his approval, and therefore, his signature on their T31-C Permission For Active Testing Form lying on the table between them. With his signature, testing would move forward, and if successful, fame and funding for more of these AMVP devices, or as he silently called them, "Buck Rogers anti-missile Zappo Cannons." His pen remained in his crisp uniform shirt pocket.
The first engineer leaned forward. "Hey, you mecha people like sports, right? Well, in sports terminology, our AMVP is a real MVP (most valuable player) on today's modern battlefield. Its rapid-fire particle beam cannon combined with our best combat-accuracy software will nullify missile threats up to and including Female Power Armor units! With it, the Valkyrie will be the undisputed queen of the skies!"
"Fame is not my top priority," Sharp folded his arms. "The safety of pilots and soldiers is. Just how reliable is this thing?"
"Super-reliable!" said the second engineer. "Oh, we've checked and rechecked every possible simulation. The system is fully automated. So much faster and more accurate than any pilot we have! Plus, our AMVP knocks down incoming enemy missiles without any pilot intervention, allowing the pilot to fully focus on the mission, while the combat software watches the pilot's back, so-to-speak."
"And that," broke in another, "equals less casualties both in the cockpit and on the ground. Think of the lives you'll be saving."
"Heck," the fourth snapped his fingers. "Given time, you know, I be we can probably make a tank-compatible version to protect ground forces from similar assaults. If we're given funding for this project of course..."
Sharp sat back and thought deeply. He could not help but think they had a valid argument and he needed every possible advantage he could give his people against the monstrous invading Zentraedi and Meltrandi. What if R & D's latest toy worked? If it was all as advertised, how could he not give it a try?
Colonel Sharp reached for his pen.
This did not mean providing answers to the ignorant Valkyrie jockeys' questions - the engineers felt these military flyboys and flygirls already had far more than their fair share of the spotlight and now it was this team of engineer's time to shine.
So one might well imagine the uncertain looks between 2nd Lieutenant Elinor "Bruce Leeanne" Hall and Captain Cody "Wild Wolf" Loper. Question after question was answered with, "That's classified," "Don't worry about it," "It won't be a problem," and "Do you always fret so much before you fly?" It soon became obvious to the pilots that the R & D team considered this test flight to be as good as done. With their bored looks and glances at their smartphones, they seemed to want this part of it over with so they could get back to finding their imaginary Pokemon.
At one point, Captain Loper became rather fed up with the charade and pressed them. The West Virginian-born veteran of the Zentraedi Control Zone had had enough. He had survived many dangerous conflicts in Brazil and had returned to the former United States to pass along what he knew while filling any niche he was needed to fill, from teacher to flying taxi. While the Wild Wolf was well-known for his habit of cursing like a sailor, he was equally respected for his bravery, daring, and professional approach to every aspect of flying, especially to the people doing the flying. "Look," he told them pointedly, "how are we supposed to fix any problems if you guys won't tell us how the damn thing operates?"
"There won't be any problems, Captain," came the reply, "not unless you make any. Don't overcomplicate this, all right? Just go up there, do your thing, and the AMVP will make us all look good." With that, the four of them grinned and took their leave. "Ooh, there's a Charmander nearby!!" Hall and Loper heard them say as they walked away.
Loper stared at their receding figures, clenched his fists, and snarled. "You've Gotta Be Shittin' Me," he invoked the ultimate statement of military pilot disbelief. "These fucking pricks are dicking with our lives. Hall, I know this is your first time testing at Eglin, but believe me, this is not the way testing is supposed to go." He looked over to the Georgian-born farmer who had given up so much of her youthful years in intense study and dedication to the Army of the Southern Cross. Hall had come from a hard-working farming family that went back for generations. Her family had not only survived this war but, rumor had it, they went so far back they had even survived the American Civil War, including the burning of Atlanta. The Hall family was as tough and generous as they came and here Hall was willing to risk her very life to push high technology past its limits. And here the creators and developers of that technology were being a big bag of dicks. Loper sighed and hoped that this poor first impression would not stain the newly-minted lieutenant's view of the ASC.
Loper reached for his own smartphone and contacted the control tower where he hoped Colonel Sharp was. However, the call did not produce the outcome he was hoping for.
"Yo, Molly," Elinor heard Cody say. "He's not there? What? When? Dammit. Thanks for the heads-up, Moll. Yeah, you too." Cody hung up and faced Elinor. "The colonel isn't there for me to take this up with, but on top of that, there's a tornado warning southeast of us with bad winds coming our way in a few hours." Elinor knew what that meant, but Cody brought it up anyway.
"There's no time to track down the colonel. If we're gonna to do this, we've gotta go up now."
*
Up they went.
In less twenty minutes after noontime, they were encased inside their pressurized cockpits, streaking through the early afternoon skies faster than the speed of a fired bullet from a rifle. Elinor flew in a modified VF-1A carrying the AMVP mounted on her Valkyrie's head. The AMVP replaced the head-mounted laser turret. Cody soared through the sky in his Ajax dubbed "Liberty Belle." High up at 25,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, the sun was a glowing ball of light hidden behind a fortress of titanic white and gray clouds. The gulf was a mass of deep green and blue bordered on the north by the Florida panhandle and its patchwork quilts of sandy beaches, miles of green brush, and wind-blown trees. The broad, open skies and easy currents around Elinor were terrific for a test run, at least for the time being.
At 12:24 p.m., Loper's voice came over the radio. "Longbow One to Longbow Three." He paused long enough for Hall to copy, then resumed. "Allow me to introduce you to Longbow Two. Captain Maria Gonzalez-Rodriguez. Goro? Meet Bruce Leeanne. You'll be firing on her on this lovely afternoon."
Hall received a transmission from a person with a Hispanic accent who sounded easygoing. "Hey, new girl," Gonzalez-Rodriguez said, "don't go all Kung Fu crazy on me if I 'shoot you down,' O.K.? It's nothin' personal, amiga."
(OOC translation)
Loper came on the comm and chuckled. Thus far, he didn't think Hall was the blaming type. In fact, he didn't think any of the true test pilots were. While Goro and Wild Wolf had long been comfortable in their roles as combat pilots, they knew they owed their very livings to test pilots like Hall. Combat pilots tended to be absolutely confident, ice cool, and sometimes carefree, at least on the surface. Test pilots had to be just as cool except the thing threatening their lives was not an outside enemy force, but the very aircraft their butts were saddled into and they knew it. For this reason, combat jockeys and military test pilots tended to get along like estranged cousins in the same crazy family. They only really didn't get along with non-military test pilots, who they believed often acted without discipline and as if the military always owed them something. Up here, Loper was happy not to have any civilians involved.
Prior to their take-off from Eglin base, Cody had explained to Elinor how the AMVP test was going to take place. Elinor with her Valkyrie in jet fighter mode would fly northward at low speeds and slightly higher altitude toward Florida's coastline. This took her in Goro's direction. Goro, her VF-1J hovering in gerwalk mode, would act as an airborne missile platform, firing on Hall one missile at a time in rapid succession. If those worked, then in small volleys. The AMVP would presumably perform its automated duty to shoot down the incoming missiles before they came into contact with Hall's aircraft. Goro was carrying modified armor-piercing missiles without warheads; if they made contact, they would scratch the paint and possibly put a football-sized dent into Hall's aircraft. During live-fire, at about 3 miles out, Hall would slowly bank her aircraft westward keeping her VF-1A's belly exposed to Goro to allow the AMVP a clear shot at the incoming missiles.
If all went well, the AMVP would take out 20 missiles all on its own while, nearby and under Hall, Loper would act as a camera-man, his Ajax gun-cameras recording every last detail of the test. Cody insisted that a second radio system with its own power source be installed on both his and Hall's aircraft to keep them in communication in case of emergency.
"O.K." Loper sounded winter-cool. "Longbow Three, activate AMVP. Give me a check when you're in position. Longbow Two, copy when you're hot and locked." With the AMVP active, the checks came in. Almost instantly, bright red lights on Hall's holographic heads-up display began to calmly flash. Goro had a missile lock on her from 5 miles out.
"Copy." As Hall sped toward Goro, she heard Goro speak the catchphrase for which she was known for, "I got you, babe."
"Light her up."
"Fox two," called Goro. A moment later, "Fox two and... fox two." Now the lights on Hall's display were anything but calm as Hall's radar and early-warning system picked up three short range missiles coming straight at her from the north in rapid succession. Beeping sounds filled Hall's helmet adding an audio element to the warning. Off in the distance, Hall could see three small objects. They looked like small flaming red rings, but Hall knew she was looking at missiles that were flying directly at her. Still, something in her knew she was not in any serious danger and so things remained calm as the missiles closed the distance. It wasn't like it was The Elephant or anything. On Hall's heads-up display, she could see the AMVP was perfectly locked on the closest missile and was waiting for it to enter the range of the AMVP's particle beam cannon. She had not directed the device in any way; its sensors had picked up the missiles and had aimed on them with the seeming patience of a wildlife hunter.
"ZAAM!" At about 2,000 feet from the lead missile, Elinor heard the AMVP open fire all by itself. A very bright blue beam of light lanced out from underneath her VF-1A and struck the lead missile. The missile exploded brilliantly. "ZAAAM! ZAAM!" came the report of the cannon. Two more near-blinding beams of light blue shone and two more missiles burst into fiery pieces. The effect was spectacular, but all three pilots had seen their first problem.
Goro was the first to give voice. "Hot damn, I can see those beams from way out here an' it's broad daylight. Talk about giving away your position, no?"
Loper was the next to chime in. "You think it's bright now. Imagine that during a night mission."
"Oh, hell no." Goro winced. "I'd be blinded. Everyone nearby would. My wingman. Everybody."
"Right. Let's finish this up before the tornado warning reaches our area. Longbow Three begin your bank." He did not have to tell her; Hall had already begun her turn westward. She heard the roar of her twin engines obey her every command as she gained a terrific view of both the Gulf of Mexico and the horizon. Like a lonesome puppy, Loper's "Liberty Belle" followed right behind and under Hall's VF-1A, recording everything and staying about a half-mile from Hall.
"Okay, Leeanne, I'm upping the stakes, baby. Here come five more." Again, Hall heard Goro sound off "Fox two" five separate times. Sure enough, Hall's VF-1A's holographic display lit up with a beautiful display of five incoming objects straight at her. Again, the AMVP saw them coming and again it opened up. Blinding blue flashes crossed the sky ending with terrific explosions and smoking trails of debris. It didn't miss once.
"Damn, that's beautiful," Goro said and Loper had to agree.
"O.K. Unload on her."
Again, Goro casually clicked off one missile after another and watched them speed away. "Fox two... Fox two..." she repeated until all twelve missiles were in flight toward Hall. Goro thought out loud. "Longbow Three, wow..." she smacked her lips and thought about her own AMVP-less Valkyrie. "I don't know if I could take all that."
"That's what she said." The Wild Wolf grinned.
Off the radio, Goro suddenly burst into laughter. She grinned too and had to stop herself from facepalming. "Ai Dios mio... Loper, you sonnova bitch. I'm'a get you for that."
(OOC translation)
"Yeah, yeah. Promises, promises," he goaded.
The dozen missiles soared through the air right at Hall's Valkyrie. The AMVP kept locked on the first missile until came into range. Faithfully, the AMVP opened up in a rapid-fire blaze of blue light. "ZAAM! ZAAAM!" That's when Hall noticed her altimeter and speedometer dim and fade. The first missile exploded and then the second. Hall's ears felt funny for a moment. Then it came to her; she wasn't hearing any of the dim background electrical noise from her headphones, she wasn't hearing static. She wasn't hearing anything at all from her main radio.
"ZAAM! ZAAAAAM!" The third missile erupted into a flaming ball of twisting wreckage. Then the fourth. All around Hall's Valkyrie, lights began to suddenly flicker and die except for the AMVP which just kept going full power. The warning lights, the early warning system, the control gauges, one by one they just stopped functioning. Their lights faded quietly away. All the while there was a fantastic display of metal explosions to her right as the AMVP kept firing and firing turning missiles five and six into violent black and red clouds of twisting metal.
At 25,000 feet above the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico, Hall was running out of options... and fast...
Resorting to her training, Hall knew what few options she had left. Those options are:
1. Turn on auxiliary power (the Valkyrie's power source lasts for years and years; turning this on could buy Elinor time).
2. Increase power to the engines and attempt to land (the Valkyrie, believe it or not, can float if landed properly - this is seen in Macross the Movie).
3. Turn the blasted AMVP off (this should shut the system down and immediately restore power).
4. Punch out (the canopy ejection system is powered solely by hydraulic systems in case of emergencies just like this one; this should save Hall's life).
5. Anything else she can think of.
"ZAP!" "POW!" "BLAMMO!" Those were among the excited words used by the Southern Cross Research and Development team when asked to describe their latest invention, the Anti-Missile Veritech Protector otherwise known as the AMVP. Inside the Army of the Southern Cross Eglin Testing and Design Facility, backed by their three-dimensional computerized presentation, the quartet of young engineers sat with confident smiles on their side of the wide, oaken conference table, but across from them, the middle-aged officer wore no such smile.
Colonel Hiram Sharp had served in Iraq and Afghanistan in his younger years. As a tank commander in the U.S. Army, one of his fields of study was military history and its application on the modern battlefield. He had a reputation for being quite adept at using the lessons of leaders long-dead to give any advantage to his tank teams. He also had tested tank technology before it reached the hands of his front-line tankers. Sharp was a Tennessee-born West Point Graduate, RDF veteran, and ASC lifer. Now, in his mid-fifties with the Earth still in nightmarish conflict, his experience was being put to the test almost daily. That experience told him never to discount a reliable piece of equipment. Whether the tanks were M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, or Spartas Veritech Hover Tanks, each had its place and value. He knew well their abilities and limitations first-hand being an able pilot of each. But as second-in-command of Eglin base, Sharp did not have the luxury of specialization, focusing only on his beloved tank crews and tanks; he had to know a lot about everything.
So when his commanding officer and commander of Eglin base, Brigadier General Steele, ordered him to attend this rushed meeting despite his already punishing-schedule, he went knowing why. Sharp knew Steele had great confidence in Sharp's judgment if not his overall combat experience. Still, Sharp felt out of his area of expertise and that made him uncomfortable. Yet, if he could supply new life-saving technologies to the Army of the Southern Cross, he would. He just wished he had someone next to him who knew this aircraft-related technology half as well as he knew his tanks, but there had been no time to grab any such people. This youthful R & D team was very eager for his approval, and therefore, his signature on their T31-C Permission For Active Testing Form lying on the table between them. With his signature, testing would move forward, and if successful, fame and funding for more of these AMVP devices, or as he silently called them, "Buck Rogers anti-missile Zappo Cannons." His pen remained in his crisp uniform shirt pocket.
The first engineer leaned forward. "Hey, you mecha people like sports, right? Well, in sports terminology, our AMVP is a real MVP (most valuable player) on today's modern battlefield. Its rapid-fire particle beam cannon combined with our best combat-accuracy software will nullify missile threats up to and including Female Power Armor units! With it, the Valkyrie will be the undisputed queen of the skies!"
"Fame is not my top priority," Sharp folded his arms. "The safety of pilots and soldiers is. Just how reliable is this thing?"
"Super-reliable!" said the second engineer. "Oh, we've checked and rechecked every possible simulation. The system is fully automated. So much faster and more accurate than any pilot we have! Plus, our AMVP knocks down incoming enemy missiles without any pilot intervention, allowing the pilot to fully focus on the mission, while the combat software watches the pilot's back, so-to-speak."
"And that," broke in another, "equals less casualties both in the cockpit and on the ground. Think of the lives you'll be saving."
"Heck," the fourth snapped his fingers. "Given time, you know, I be we can probably make a tank-compatible version to protect ground forces from similar assaults. If we're given funding for this project of course..."
Sharp sat back and thought deeply. He could not help but think they had a valid argument and he needed every possible advantage he could give his people against the monstrous invading Zentraedi and Meltrandi. What if R & D's latest toy worked? If it was all as advertised, how could he not give it a try?
Colonel Sharp reached for his pen.
*
Almost an hour later, the engineers were still laughing and clapping each other on the backs when they met up to brief the fighter jockeys involved in the testing. Colonel Sharp had been called away and now the engineers found themselves with new strangers to work on a deal of a different kind. Now that the R & D team had the signature they so badly needed, they returned to their true form - putting their faces into their smartphones and playing Pokemon Go. Delivering the AMVP prototype to the test pilots was the last link on the chain. As far as these engineers were concerned, the "Top Guns" had but one purpose - to go up in the sky and make R & D look great as they now deserved.
This did not mean providing answers to the ignorant Valkyrie jockeys' questions - the engineers felt these military flyboys and flygirls already had far more than their fair share of the spotlight and now it was this team of engineer's time to shine.
So one might well imagine the uncertain looks between 2nd Lieutenant Elinor "Bruce Leeanne" Hall and Captain Cody "Wild Wolf" Loper. Question after question was answered with, "That's classified," "Don't worry about it," "It won't be a problem," and "Do you always fret so much before you fly?" It soon became obvious to the pilots that the R & D team considered this test flight to be as good as done. With their bored looks and glances at their smartphones, they seemed to want this part of it over with so they could get back to finding their imaginary Pokemon.
At one point, Captain Loper became rather fed up with the charade and pressed them. The West Virginian-born veteran of the Zentraedi Control Zone had had enough. He had survived many dangerous conflicts in Brazil and had returned to the former United States to pass along what he knew while filling any niche he was needed to fill, from teacher to flying taxi. While the Wild Wolf was well-known for his habit of cursing like a sailor, he was equally respected for his bravery, daring, and professional approach to every aspect of flying, especially to the people doing the flying. "Look," he told them pointedly, "how are we supposed to fix any problems if you guys won't tell us how the damn thing operates?"
"There won't be any problems, Captain," came the reply, "not unless you make any. Don't overcomplicate this, all right? Just go up there, do your thing, and the AMVP will make us all look good." With that, the four of them grinned and took their leave. "Ooh, there's a Charmander nearby!!" Hall and Loper heard them say as they walked away.
Loper stared at their receding figures, clenched his fists, and snarled. "You've Gotta Be Shittin' Me," he invoked the ultimate statement of military pilot disbelief. "These fucking pricks are dicking with our lives. Hall, I know this is your first time testing at Eglin, but believe me, this is not the way testing is supposed to go." He looked over to the Georgian-born farmer who had given up so much of her youthful years in intense study and dedication to the Army of the Southern Cross. Hall had come from a hard-working farming family that went back for generations. Her family had not only survived this war but, rumor had it, they went so far back they had even survived the American Civil War, including the burning of Atlanta. The Hall family was as tough and generous as they came and here Hall was willing to risk her very life to push high technology past its limits. And here the creators and developers of that technology were being a big bag of dicks. Loper sighed and hoped that this poor first impression would not stain the newly-minted lieutenant's view of the ASC.
Loper reached for his own smartphone and contacted the control tower where he hoped Colonel Sharp was. However, the call did not produce the outcome he was hoping for.
"Yo, Molly," Elinor heard Cody say. "He's not there? What? When? Dammit. Thanks for the heads-up, Moll. Yeah, you too." Cody hung up and faced Elinor. "The colonel isn't there for me to take this up with, but on top of that, there's a tornado warning southeast of us with bad winds coming our way in a few hours." Elinor knew what that meant, but Cody brought it up anyway.
"There's no time to track down the colonel. If we're gonna to do this, we've gotta go up now."
*
In less twenty minutes after noontime, they were encased inside their pressurized cockpits, streaking through the early afternoon skies faster than the speed of a fired bullet from a rifle. Elinor flew in a modified VF-1A carrying the AMVP mounted on her Valkyrie's head. The AMVP replaced the head-mounted laser turret. Cody soared through the sky in his Ajax dubbed "Liberty Belle." High up at 25,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, the sun was a glowing ball of light hidden behind a fortress of titanic white and gray clouds. The gulf was a mass of deep green and blue bordered on the north by the Florida panhandle and its patchwork quilts of sandy beaches, miles of green brush, and wind-blown trees. The broad, open skies and easy currents around Elinor were terrific for a test run, at least for the time being.
At 12:24 p.m., Loper's voice came over the radio. "Longbow One to Longbow Three." He paused long enough for Hall to copy, then resumed. "Allow me to introduce you to Longbow Two. Captain Maria Gonzalez-Rodriguez. Goro? Meet Bruce Leeanne. You'll be firing on her on this lovely afternoon."
Hall received a transmission from a person with a Hispanic accent who sounded easygoing. "Hey, new girl," Gonzalez-Rodriguez said, "don't go all Kung Fu crazy on me if I 'shoot you down,' O.K.? It's nothin' personal, amiga."
(OOC translation)
"Amiga" = Spanish for "female friend"
Prior to their take-off from Eglin base, Cody had explained to Elinor how the AMVP test was going to take place. Elinor with her Valkyrie in jet fighter mode would fly northward at low speeds and slightly higher altitude toward Florida's coastline. This took her in Goro's direction. Goro, her VF-1J hovering in gerwalk mode, would act as an airborne missile platform, firing on Hall one missile at a time in rapid succession. If those worked, then in small volleys. The AMVP would presumably perform its automated duty to shoot down the incoming missiles before they came into contact with Hall's aircraft. Goro was carrying modified armor-piercing missiles without warheads; if they made contact, they would scratch the paint and possibly put a football-sized dent into Hall's aircraft. During live-fire, at about 3 miles out, Hall would slowly bank her aircraft westward keeping her VF-1A's belly exposed to Goro to allow the AMVP a clear shot at the incoming missiles.
If all went well, the AMVP would take out 20 missiles all on its own while, nearby and under Hall, Loper would act as a camera-man, his Ajax gun-cameras recording every last detail of the test. Cody insisted that a second radio system with its own power source be installed on both his and Hall's aircraft to keep them in communication in case of emergency.
"O.K." Loper sounded winter-cool. "Longbow Three, activate AMVP. Give me a check when you're in position. Longbow Two, copy when you're hot and locked." With the AMVP active, the checks came in. Almost instantly, bright red lights on Hall's holographic heads-up display began to calmly flash. Goro had a missile lock on her from 5 miles out.
"Copy." As Hall sped toward Goro, she heard Goro speak the catchphrase for which she was known for, "I got you, babe."
"Light her up."
"Fox two," called Goro. A moment later, "Fox two and... fox two." Now the lights on Hall's display were anything but calm as Hall's radar and early-warning system picked up three short range missiles coming straight at her from the north in rapid succession. Beeping sounds filled Hall's helmet adding an audio element to the warning. Off in the distance, Hall could see three small objects. They looked like small flaming red rings, but Hall knew she was looking at missiles that were flying directly at her. Still, something in her knew she was not in any serious danger and so things remained calm as the missiles closed the distance. It wasn't like it was The Elephant or anything. On Hall's heads-up display, she could see the AMVP was perfectly locked on the closest missile and was waiting for it to enter the range of the AMVP's particle beam cannon. She had not directed the device in any way; its sensors had picked up the missiles and had aimed on them with the seeming patience of a wildlife hunter.
"ZAAM!" At about 2,000 feet from the lead missile, Elinor heard the AMVP open fire all by itself. A very bright blue beam of light lanced out from underneath her VF-1A and struck the lead missile. The missile exploded brilliantly. "ZAAAM! ZAAM!" came the report of the cannon. Two more near-blinding beams of light blue shone and two more missiles burst into fiery pieces. The effect was spectacular, but all three pilots had seen their first problem.
Goro was the first to give voice. "Hot damn, I can see those beams from way out here an' it's broad daylight. Talk about giving away your position, no?"
Loper was the next to chime in. "You think it's bright now. Imagine that during a night mission."
"Oh, hell no." Goro winced. "I'd be blinded. Everyone nearby would. My wingman. Everybody."
"Right. Let's finish this up before the tornado warning reaches our area. Longbow Three begin your bank." He did not have to tell her; Hall had already begun her turn westward. She heard the roar of her twin engines obey her every command as she gained a terrific view of both the Gulf of Mexico and the horizon. Like a lonesome puppy, Loper's "Liberty Belle" followed right behind and under Hall's VF-1A, recording everything and staying about a half-mile from Hall.
"Okay, Leeanne, I'm upping the stakes, baby. Here come five more." Again, Hall heard Goro sound off "Fox two" five separate times. Sure enough, Hall's VF-1A's holographic display lit up with a beautiful display of five incoming objects straight at her. Again, the AMVP saw them coming and again it opened up. Blinding blue flashes crossed the sky ending with terrific explosions and smoking trails of debris. It didn't miss once.
"Damn, that's beautiful," Goro said and Loper had to agree.
"O.K. Unload on her."
Again, Goro casually clicked off one missile after another and watched them speed away. "Fox two... Fox two..." she repeated until all twelve missiles were in flight toward Hall. Goro thought out loud. "Longbow Three, wow..." she smacked her lips and thought about her own AMVP-less Valkyrie. "I don't know if I could take all that."
"That's what she said." The Wild Wolf grinned.
Off the radio, Goro suddenly burst into laughter. She grinned too and had to stop herself from facepalming. "Ai Dios mio... Loper, you sonnova bitch. I'm'a get you for that."
(OOC translation)
"Ai Dios mio..." = Spanish for "Oh my God..."
"Yeah, yeah. Promises, promises," he goaded.
The dozen missiles soared through the air right at Hall's Valkyrie. The AMVP kept locked on the first missile until came into range. Faithfully, the AMVP opened up in a rapid-fire blaze of blue light. "ZAAM! ZAAAM!" That's when Hall noticed her altimeter and speedometer dim and fade. The first missile exploded and then the second. Hall's ears felt funny for a moment. Then it came to her; she wasn't hearing any of the dim background electrical noise from her headphones, she wasn't hearing static. She wasn't hearing anything at all from her main radio.
"ZAAM! ZAAAAAM!" The third missile erupted into a flaming ball of twisting wreckage. Then the fourth. All around Hall's Valkyrie, lights began to suddenly flicker and die except for the AMVP which just kept going full power. The warning lights, the early warning system, the control gauges, one by one they just stopped functioning. Their lights faded quietly away. All the while there was a fantastic display of metal explosions to her right as the AMVP kept firing and firing turning missiles five and six into violent black and red clouds of twisting metal.
At 25,000 feet above the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico, Hall was running out of options... and fast...
Resorting to her training, Hall knew what few options she had left. Those options are:
1. Turn on auxiliary power (the Valkyrie's power source lasts for years and years; turning this on could buy Elinor time).
2. Increase power to the engines and attempt to land (the Valkyrie, believe it or not, can float if landed properly - this is seen in Macross the Movie).
3. Turn the blasted AMVP off (this should shut the system down and immediately restore power).
4. Punch out (the canopy ejection system is powered solely by hydraulic systems in case of emergencies just like this one; this should save Hall's life).
5. Anything else she can think of.
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