Life!

and then they danced

The Island part 2

What Vasco De Gama did not know, is that it was no accident that his ship had come to the island. No one in the crew noticed the addition of Velencio De Gaul, by the time anyone took note of him, they just assumed he must have been a part of the crew from the beginning of the trip. He was Italian and a hard worker. He spoke fluent Portuguese and French. He was articulate and thoughtful. Most of all he never complained and did everything asked of him.

Vasco’s second checked the logs but could not find a record of the man’s contracted payment for the journey. When he asked Velencio about this, the man smiled widely and suggested that perhaps if they both checked then they might find the record. The second was relieved to find another man who could read on board and readily agreed. That night, the two checked the logs, and lo and behold Velencio pointed to a page and declared that it was right there. The second looked at the page hard, he could have sworn that it had been a shipping manifest but now it read clearly that Velencio had boarded in Porta du Spain and had come aboard trading passage for work to Java. Both men laughed at this simple oversight and then Velencio had suggested that perhaps the second was very tired and should turn in early.

Later, the second had returned to the log and read the entry carefully, the contract was all there and signed off on. He shook his head at the oversight, the voyage was taking longer than expected and they were all tired often. Velencio returned to work and most of the crew accepted his presence among them. When the ship reached Java, several crewmen gathered to bid Velencio farewell with promises to look him up next landfall. The second returned to sign off on the log and could not find the record of the contract. He checked and rechecked the log three times to no avail. He did find a missing shipping manifest that he had lost track of right around the time he had first taken note of the crewman Velecio del- for the life of him could not remember the man surname and when he check the log could not find a record of it. Hastily the second returned to the deck to search for the crewman Velencio, who was no longer on board. The ship was due to depart java soon for the colonies in India and the men were busy. The second asked around but no one could remember a man named Velencio nor even an Italian crewman. They were all honest Christian Portuguese men here.

When the second approached Vasco, he could see that the captain was in a foul mood. It appears that the log containing Vasco’s report on the mysterious island was missing. For a moment, the second wondered if the missing Italian would have had something to do with that. But Vasco simply cursed fate and the bad storm a fortnight went by and said he would rewrite the entry from memory and would the second verify what they decided to record. The second agreed and tried hard to remember what he had needed to tell the captain about a missing crewman.

Vasco had planned to seek out the mysterious island on the return voyage, but fair and steady winds kept the ship in motion. By the time, the island would have been on the horizon, Vasco had completely forgotten about it and the missing Italian crewman. The second had likewise forgotten about the crewman and the entry in the logs went unnoticed as did the new marking on the maps.

So, the island would remain unknown to cartographers though the occasional pirate or merchant would see it from afar and wonder briefly about it during the passage of time

The Island

New Chapter

            The Island had been there longer than any of the men that had come there over the millennia. Not there had been much in the way of man on the island in the last few hundred years, other than those who had come by it by chance and stood offshore on the decks of their ships puzzling over their maps and charts not finding the island anywhere on any of them. Part of the problem was the island was little more that a craggy rock thrusting out of the Atlantic to far from any archipelago to be charted in the first place. It offered no shelter from the continuous rains and winds that constantly swept across its surface. There was no bay for shelter for any size boat. In truth, there was no reason for anyone to attempt getting to it shores and few bothered over the years that the same had stumbled by.

Those who did brave its rocky coasts and found purchase for their boats, discovered little vegetation larger than a scrub bush, nothing much edible and no fresh water. The Island had no name that any could discover and there was nothing remarkable to be seen from the shores. Those who had linger long enough for the weather to clear- which was very briefly, did find the only feature that would stand out about this desolate rock. About halfway up the Eastern slope of the Islands single Crag about 300 feet above the waterline was a Stone Circle. Again, the few who did find this connected it to anything and spent a few minutes wandering among the 13 stones.

If the Island had ever had a name it had been as lost to the knowledge of men as had its location. Those men who stood amongst the silent monoliths would scratch their heads, check their charts or maps and consult their compass only to find it spinning indeterminably. Again, they would peer around looking for some indication or some sign that there was something about this rock that would explain what was happening to the compass. Finally most of these curious men would depart the Island meaning to make a mark as soon as they found their heading but somehow all of them forgot about it until it was pointless to try. Out of all these men, only one spent the night on the island among the stones.

His name was Vasco De Gama, he was neither like the other explorers of his generation nor like those who had come before or would come after. He was rewarded for this decision when he looked up into the still night sky. He noted what he saw in a journal. The notes would have been something like this:

“O céu noturno é tão cheio de estrelas que eu não tenha visto em todos os meus anos de vela. Há as constelações de Copernicus e que os antigos registrados mais muito mais que eu não posso identificar. No pico da lua, um grande silêncio caiu sobre a ilha e por um momento eu tinha certeza de que o espaço entre estas pedras em pé cresceu como a sensação que se tem quando eles testemunham o fogo de Santelmo correndo ao longo dos mastros do navio como eles fizeram um noite perto do Cabo das Tormentas ao largo da costa da África. De repente, eu podia ver tudo ao meu redor como se o raio havia falshed ea luz dele congelou no lugar.

Meu primeiro companheiro olhou para cima e jurou. Eu fiz assim e não havia um buraco no céu e começou a chover luz. Era verdadeiramente o evento mais incrível que já tinha testemunhado em todos os meus anos sobre estas águas misteriosas. No entanto, antes que eu tivesse muito mais do que uma oportunidade de fazer comentários sobre esta providência, em seguida, a luz tinha ido embora e os céus voltaram ao seu estado anterior.

Meu primeiro e eu discutimos o que poderíamos dizer sobre isso para o resto da tripulação e que eu deveria escrever no log de navios, mas pelo tempo que eu tinha começado a bordo de uma grande tempestade caiu sobre nós e fomos abordado por muitos dias. Meus registros originais em que foram misteriosa ilha perdida no tumulto, e agora isso é tudo que eu lembro sobre aquela noite em que a Ilha, sem nome desconhecido.”

So it was in Portuguese and roughly translated it would read similar to this:

“The night sky is so full of stars that I have not seen in all my years of sailing. There are the constellations of Copernicus and what the Ancients recorded plus many more that I cannot identify. At the moon's peak, a great silence came upon the island and for a moment I was sure that space in between these standing stones grew like the feeling one gets when they witness St. Elmo's fire running along the masts of the ship like they did one night near the Cape of Storms off the coast of Africa. Suddenly I could see everything around me as if the lightning had falshed and the light from it froze in place.

My first mate looked up and swore. I did as well and there was a hole in the heavens and it began to rain light. It was truly the most amazing event I had ever witnessed in all my years upon these mysterious waters. Yet, before I had much more than a chance to remark on this providence then the light was gone and the heavens returned to their previous state.

My first and I discussed what we would say about this to the rest of the crew and what I should write in the ships log, but by the time I had gotten onboard a great storm came upon us and we were accosted for many days. My original logs on that mysterious Island were lost in the tumult and now this is all I can remember about that night on that unnamed, uncharted Island.”

Catching up

“B-17G 773D13? This is the USN A-4 VA35 Intercept.  Please adjust your heading by-“

“USN A-4V, no can do, we are running late and staying on course.” Michelle spoke into her headset.

“B-17G Perhaps you did not understand me. This is the US Navy, you are in violation of several customs and registration codes. You will adjust your course immediately and we will escort you back to Bravo Delta coordinates as directed. Over?”

Michelle looked at Quest who shook his head and sighed.

“These guys never change.” Flynt said.

“Did they not say the same thing last time?” Stonegrim quipped.

“I believe they did. Mother?” Michelle said.

“Yes my child?” The Freya spoke.

“Rapid deceleration now.”

Vanessa remembered a few things happening at once. Seat belts or straps appeared around her and the others. Quest seemed to fade in and out as the Freya slowed to a near standstill. Her mind refused to accept what was happening before it had finished happening. The impossibility was like a Saturday morning cartoon more than reality, where Bugs Bunny slams on the brakes and the airplanes screeches to a stop in midair.

All she really knew was one moment the two air force jets were flanking them and the next they were gone.  She seemed to remember some kind of radio chatter that might have been swearing but she had a hard time focusing as she felt like Elmer Fudd must have in Bug’s plane- squashed flat against the dashboard.

She glanced around to find fairly sick expressions on everyone else’s faces save for Quest who faded back into being and Michelle who had a wicked grin of elation on hers.

Michelle swung the wheel right and the plane banked sharply as Vanessa realized they were not in fact actually stopped dead still in the air. The Freya hummed as she complied with Michelle’s action and accelerated straight towards a storm bank out on the horizon some miles away.

“Here they come!” Severin yelled.

The two jets hove into view off the left- the stern? Van wondered was that the nautical term, did they used it in flying? They looked very threatening and heavily armed to her untrained eye.

“Mother we need speed.” Michelle asked as she gritted her teeth.

The Freya lurched forward accelerating faster than Vanessa would thought possible.

thanks to US Navy

Quest spoke a word. It must have been a careful word. A word that must have cost dearly. No why did she think that? It was just a word- right? No, every time Quest spoke words like this one, all she could feel was the hidden power in them. The word was unintelligible to her. Was it a magic word? Was this what magic was like wherever Quest had come from? How did it work here? She told herself to shut up. When she looked back, the jets were gone. She felt the beginnings of panic. Had Quest destroyed the Airmen?

Just when she was sure he had, he shook his head at her. No. he would not use the word against them. Then what had he said? What had it done?

“Patience.” Quest spoke from where he stood. “All things come to those who wait.”

“I hate waiting.” Flynt growled.

“Me too.” Kat said.

The two US Navy jets pulled back into view on either side of the Freya, albeit at a farther distance apart than before.

“Firing distance.” Michelle said.

“B-17G? That was some stunt you pulled back there. What did you hope to accomplish?”

“Ever seen Star Wars, Captain?” Michelle answered.

“It’s Lieutenant, and what does that have to do with anything?”

“B-17G is neither the call sign nor the flight number of this aircraft.” Michelle replied.

“Again I must ask what that has to do with anything?” The Lieutenant shot back. “You will alter course immediately or we will shoot you down.”

“In the movie, the Millennium Falcon has dropped out of hyperspace near Alderann- or where Alderann used to be. Remember?”

“Actually no, I never saw it.”

“See? I am not the only one who hasn’t seen it.” Vanessa said before she realized she had said it out loud.

“Well, I will enlighten you then.” Michelle said. “They catch a tie fighter flying through the debris.”

“What is is a tie fighter- nevermind.” The voice said over the radio. “This is your last warning B-17G.”

“The Falcon gives pursuit while the Tie makes for what appears to be a small moon in the distance.”

“B-17G?” The voice clearly sounded frustrated but curious.

“Han Solo the pilot of the Falcon is determined to catch the Tie and ignores the warnings of the Jedi Knight on his ship.”

“B-17G-“ Sound of a sigh “There is a point to this?”

“It’s the Freya, we are the Freya.” Michelle spoke calmly now.

Vanessa glanced forward, the storm from loomed ahead massive and dark- flashes of lightning going off at an alarming frequency. Lots and lots of lightning.

“Freya adjust course immediately- what?” The radio crackled, then a muffled curse.

“The Jedi Knight says- That’s no moon. It’s a space station.” Michelle said altering her course slightly. “To which Han- the pilot says – It’s too big to be a space station.”

“I got a bad feeling about this.” Vanessa said. Eyes glued to the horizon where the storm front had grown into something much, much bigger.

Michelle laughed.

“That is in fact what the Kid said at that moment in the movie.”

“B-17G or Freya or whatever you call yourself. We are done, alter course now or be fired on!”

“The pirateship shudder and the TIE fighter accelerates away towards the Gargantuan battle station.” Quest said suddenly.

“Who was that?” The Navy man asked.

“That was our Jedi Knight.” Michelle said as the Freya accelerated towards the storm.

“Fire!” the radio squawked.

The Harrier jets fired a payload of rockets. They projectiles headed toward the Freya with imminent destruction promised. Then the impossible happened- all four rockets swung off target going in different directions.

“USN A-4V? Don’t let the Death Star or in this case Storm gets you.” Michelle said calmly. “Save yourself and your crew before it’s too late.”

“That’s no ordinary storm.” Quest said.

The Freya entered the leading edge of the storm front still running all out. After a moment, the naval jets peeled off heading away from the storm front. The radio went dead. Michelle sat back then looked at Quest.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“What just happened?” Vanessa asked, flinching at the proximity of the lightning.

“I called the Storm.” Quest said. “it was already coming but I pulled some of it closer to us.”

“We got away by flying into what will be called a magnetic maelstrom by the more scientific people back in the US of A.” Michelle said.

“Was that why their rockets missed us?” Kat asked.

“Oh, that.” Quest said. “That was a little bit of luck and hocus pocus on my part.”

Was that a ship? No it was a boat...

“Was that a ship?” Vanessa asked.

            “Yep.” Michelle said cheerfully.

            “Flight Speed?” Stonegrim asked not looking up.

            “We crossed their bow at approxiamately 180 miles per hour.

            “Lucky you saw them in time.” Flynt said.

            “Lucky we didn’t blow them over.” Severin said.

            “We would have stopped and fished them out.” Quest said.

            “Good thing we didn’t have to.” Michelle said “I suspect that they would have refused to accept that a airplane can hover.”

            “We have incoming bogies.” Severin said,

            “What?” Flynt said and looked around as if it would do him any good.

            The intercom crackled. “A wing of very cool looking Jet thingys.”

            “Thanks Kat.” Michelle said. “As always so exact in identification.”

            “Hey! It’s not like I fly much.” The voice crackled back.

            Vanessa looked around.

            “She’s in the forcastle.” Stonegrim said.

            “The bubble dome behind the cockpit with the spyglasses and telescopes.” Quest added.

            “Here they come.” Cat announced.

            The two jets dropped down to flank the Freya on either side, one pulled alongside. They flew together as if in formation at 230 miles per hour  at an elevation of 75 feet above the surface of the ocean. Michelle wiggled the Freya’s wings up and down. She looked back at Vanessa and grinned.

            “Now it gets interesting.” She said before looking back over.

Storm Rolling or the devil's on the Loose

The Atlantic rolled about and up and down – its usual state of affairs. This ocean was not one for calms seas McEntire thought as he gripped the sidewall of the boat. Of course his entire experience was 3 voyages but he still felt inclined to to expound on the ocean’s lack of virtues. As if to spite him, the waters continued to undulate around making McEntire regret the fish stew he had for breakfast.

            He stared out at the cause of the unsteady seas and cursed his luck. The cause was the storm clouds gathering somewhere over back towards his homeland. He held up his fist to shake it at the skies.

            Matt Turner looked at the grizzled man shaking his fists at the sky. He himself had never understood why the old man felt so threatened by the open seas. He had fled the close confines of the cities and the wars that had closed in on him there. Well it was either fishing or flying he thought as he pulled in on the nets helping the hauler to drag the fish onboard. Flying was out, planes were way to small and prone to falling out of the sky a lot. He felt something stir inside him. He briefly wondered about the fish stew and then dismissed it. Nothing could have lived through that mess.

            “Storms rolling in.”

            The voice belonged to McGhee, the boat’s skipper, the boss and a man prone to repeatedly saying the obvious.. The Irish man was 6 foot and a bear of a man with flaming red hair crammed into a woolen cap. He climbed out of the hauler to help Matt pull up the last of them nets.

            “Dammit! McEntire get over here and works some.” McGhee growled “Or so help me I will get rope and keel haul you tonight!”

            McEntire swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing like a bouy but he ran over and made a show of dragging on the net which was by that point on the boat.

            Matt suddenly felt very cold as something screamed awake in his head. An old noise, one he hadn’t heard in years burst out of his memory and filled his senses.  His face must have shown his inner turmoil because McGhee dropped the net and looked at him.

            “Matt? What is it?”

            “I don’t know.” He felt like screaming and then like puking but the sound felt nearer. He swung about to look east. “Something’s coming.”

            “The storm is coming.” McEntire interrupted “But it’s back that way- any blind man can see-“

            His voice drowned out by the throbbing noise that sounded, to him anyways like a locomotive thundering down the tracks. He looked back east.

            Matt looked into the horizon then dropped to the ocean’s surface. There was definitely something there. A ship? Then as if some invisible fog lifted a speck appeared. Matt blinked and then squinted. He suddenly knew it was on the water but not in the water.

            “Glasses! I need your glasses.” He thrust out his hand to find the cold steel of the field glasses slapped into them.

            The thing in Matt’s mind took form in an unexpected wave of familiarity and then the opening twangs of an old song started there. He looked at the incoming airship feeling the years peel back with an alacrity he had not felt since he had last held his M-16 in his hands in those dirty streets in the war.

            Matt could hear the guitar’s start up in the back of his brain, as CCR pluck away at the opening riffs. The thing that was coming across the water became three Huey UH-1’s cruising over the water. He could see the M60s on their mounts out the sides and the legs dangling out the open bay doors.

            “It’s all so true.” He breathed, “They told me- don’t go walking slow.”

            “What?” McGhee said giving him a side long look.

            “The devil’s on the loose. Better run through the jungle.”

Matt was lost in the CCR song and then he was skimming over the rice paddies as the twangs picked up intensity and the years melted away. Something in his mind told him it was a lie, it had to be a lie.

            “Better run through the jungle.”

            “Matt! What is it? What is coming?” McGhee shouted as the roar of engines over took the sound of the waves.

            “Better run through the jungle.” Matt knew he was screaming the lyrics even as the Hueys dissolved into the bomber. “Incoming!’

            For a moment he thought he was looking into the pilot’s eyes then the reality slammed home and Matt abandoned the field glasses and dove into the nets and fish as the B-17 Flying Fortress gained enough altitude to soar over the small boat showering it with water from the wake of its passing.

            “Mother of God!” McGhee yelled as he watched it cross his bow and head on into the depths of the Ocean like a great whale. A Grey Green Moby Dick as he stood like a much confuse Ishmael because the white whale flew instead of swimming over his whaler.

More Trouble

The Freya made for the Georgian coast. The Coast Guard was there to meet her. A MPA (Marine Patrol Aircraft) CASA 235 pulled into view. Michelle looked over at them and waved. They waved back and tapped their headsets. Michelle nodded and put her headset on. She shot Quest a questioning looks and then a scowl at Flynt who shrugged.

            “B-17G 743D05, Do you copy?”

            “Yes, this is Captain Michelle Connor, B-17G 743D05, The Freya, over.”

            “This is Captain William Parkinson, MPA C31 US Coast Guard. Please redirect your flight path to 31.75, -81.55 and follow us in for landing at the airport. Do not deviate from our course. Over.”

            Michelle glared at Flynt who was busy looking in the opposite direction but shrugged anyway. She sighed and looked up to see Quest who walked over to look across the space between the planes.

            “What’s our current position?” He asked calmly.

            “About 35 clicks from the coast.” Stonegrim said.

            Quest turned to look at Vanessa and smiled reassuringly.

            “You’re about to witness the true power of the force.”

            Vanessa laughed. Mentally she resolved she would see this movie if it killed her.

            Quest placed his hand on Michelle’s shoulder and the woman relaxed.

            “MPA C31?” She asked over her headset as Quest took Flynt’s.

            “Captain Connor? Are you ready to change course? Came the reply.

            “No Captain, the Freya will be maintaining course,” Michelle said and Vanessa felt her heart thump into her throat.

            “B-17G 743D05, you will heave to and turn to those coordinates immediately. Consider this your last –“

            “These are not the droids you’re looking for.” Quest spoke into the headset.

            “What?” The Guardsman said. “What droids?”

            “These are not the droids you are looking for Captain William.” Quest said.

            There was silence. Vanessa realized she was holding her breath and made herself breathe. Quest was very still, they all were.

            “These are not the droids I am looking for?” Captain Parkinson responded finally.

            “No, Captain, this is not the plane you are looking for.”

            “This is not the plane we are looking for.” The Guardsman responded.

            Vanessa could not believe what she was hearing.

            “B-17G 773D13, you may proceed along your original flight path.” Quest spoke again.

            “B-17G 773D13, you may proceed along your original flight path.” The US Coast Guard responded.

            “Godspeed.” Quest said.

            “Godspeed.” The voice came even as the MPA Casa pulled away to the south. It was gone almost instantly.

            Michelle shook her head. Flynt had the nerve to laugh and Vanessa joined him. Michelle looked up at Quest.

            “How long?” She said quietly.

            “Long enough to make International waters I would say.” Quest said. “we probably will see the Air Force next.”

            “I would guess they will shoot first and ask questions later,” Michelle said gripping the wheel tighter.

            “I hope we will hear some Beach Boys.” The Freya said as the plane dropped below the clouds.

No they will ask again. As long as they believe this plane to be unarmed and their jets superior they will not seek to destroy us.” Quest said, he nodded to Michelle and squeezed her shoulder. “I trust you know what to do?”

            “Don’t I always?” Michelle said. “Freya?”

            “Yes Captain?”

            “We are going surfing.”

            “I hope we will hear some Beach Boys.” The Freya said

            “If everbody had a ocean.” Flynt said as he pushed his stick forward

            “Across the USA.” Quest sang

            “Then everybody be surfin’” Vanessa sang back

            “Like Californ- I-A” Michelle joined in.

            The Freya headed for the beach.

Mother, Mother Ocean, Father Father Sky

The Freya insisted on Jimmy Buffet and so they say “A Pirate looks at 40.” as they crossed the top of Alabama and made for the coast. Vanessa sang with gusto since her dad’s favorite singer had been Jimmy since she was a girl and he would serenade them to and from football games as a girl.

            “Mother, mother Ocean. I have heard your call.”

            Flynt almost cracked up, when they got to being a pirate 200 years too late.

            Then Flynt began singing “Changes in Latitudes, changes in Attitudes.” They all sang that as the Freya climbed above the clouds and skimmed their tops. Flynt sang the lines about needing to laugh or go insane with gusto until Michelle broke down into giggles. StoneGrim harrumphed and went below shaking his head.

            Kat and Flynt went down to the galley to prepare lunch, while Michelle pulled down a beaten straw cowboy hat from above her chair. She tossed her customary cap off to her right, leaned back her pilots seat, droped the hat on her head and propped her feet up. Quest walked over and haded her a stem of long grass. She grinned up at him accepting it and stuck it in her mouth. Looking very relaxed in full hick mode she leaned back and appeared to doze off.

            Quest crossed over to Vanessa and offered his hand. Curious she took it and he lead her back to the rear of the flight deck to a short ladder and led her up into the dome on the top of the Freya. He said it was the spotter’s dome. It was called other things by the original crew of the plane but Michelle called it the crow’s nest which pleased this crew.

            Vanessa sat in the chair which was mounted so that it could spin a full 360 degrees around. Right below the glass and metal of the bubble was a series of instruments. She peered at them intrigued until Quest asked if she would like to try a few. Their closeness at this moment struck her as comfortable rather than intimate or unwelcome. She wondered if it was the bond they had formed when she was a child.

            She tried out a pair of glasses with scopes on it that turned out to be some kind of steam-punk version of binoculars. Quest attached a cable to them and she found herself with great increased vision. After she had a good look around with them, Quest showed her that the cord allowed her to see through a turreted telescope system about the middle of the plane. There were several similar cords next to the one he had used. He said that they were connected to other sensory equipment in different parts of the Freya. She was about to ask a question when the bell for lunch came through. She promised herself she would be back to learn what the rest of those cable led to later.

yes, Vanessa that was Memphis

They sang “Walking in Memphis” all the way down to the runway.

“Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain.”

This was all fine except it was a sunny clear day. 

            As soon as the plane came to a stop, Flynt jogged off to file a new flight plan to the Bahamas and to make declarations for customs. As the minutes passed, Vanessa sat and reflected on all the strangeness her life had uncovered since Quest had walked into it. She looked over at this man, this mysterious man who was taking her to a home she had no idea where. She considered the implications of going off to the farthest reaches of the known universe with a man who was all but a complete stranger.

            Quest grinned at her and she wondered again how it was he could know what she was thinking. Kat twirled around in her chair and said suddenly.

            “Luke, come with me to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force.”

Quest sighed and shook his head.

            “No? Draggards!” Kat hung her head in mock disappointment.

            “You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan.” Quest intoned in a knowing voice.

Vanessa wished she had an inkling what they were going on about. She shot a glance at Michelle who rolled her eyes.

            “I have got to get home. It’s late I am in for it as it is.” Michelle said a moment later.

            “I need you help Vanessa,” Quest said. “They need your help, I’m getting to old for this sort of thing.”

            “What sort of thing?” Vanessa cursed herself for missing whatever movie they were going on about.

            “Are they back to Star Wars again?” Flynt said as he came into the cabin.

            “Always.” Kat said.

            “You started it.” Michelle said laughing as she took the papers that Flynt proffered her.

            “This bunch will fall into quoting a lot of movies given sufficient chance, in particular Star Wars and The Princess Bride- so watch out.”

            “No problems?” Michelle asked as she started flipping switches.

            “Nothing my winning personality couldn’t solve.” Flynt answered all smiles.

            “Aw crap.” Kat said and stuck out her tongue at the man.

            “You and Lando are always so sure that you know what you are doing.” Quest said.

            “I do know what I am doing.” Flynt said as he slid into his chair and fired up his position.

            “Uh-huh.”

            “You know how I said I wanted to be around when you make a mistake?” Michelle quipped.

            “Dammit, this isn’t Star Wars, Michelle-“ Flynt shot back.

            “Better strap in your highness, this is going to be a bumpy ride.” Michelle told Vanessa.

            “Dammit, Michelle it was a good bribe.” Flynt said.

            “Really Flynt?” Michelle said.

            “Really.” Flynt answered his smile slipping back into place.

            “Oh, what did you bribe them with?” Quest asked.

            “Gold. Why?” Flynt said.

            “Nothing really.” Quest said.

            “Gold!” Michelle all but yelled.

            Flynt smile slid away as fast as it arrived.

            “Oops.”

            “Oops!” Michelle mimicked “That is rich.”

            “So I made a little mistake. Just one little mistake.”

            “How much gold Flynt?” Michelle asked too sweetly. Vanessa felt like the woman was going to pull out a really big gun.            

            “Enough, about 4 pieces of the Empire’s finest.”

            “This right after he told Customs we had nothing to declare.” Michelle said through clenched teeth. “Quest? I need a fast one.”

            “No worries.”

            “Tower? This is B-17G-“ Michelle started the clearance routine. Quest spoke a word so softly that Vanessa could not hear what it was but the room thrummed like a plucked string. Michelle got the clearance she needed and soon they were off.

            “How long before they realize?” Flynt said hands on his controls as the Freya gave lift.

            “Seven Minutes.” Quest said. “Better say farewell to Memphis.” He told Vanessa.

            “Goodbye Memphis.” She said softly as the Freya began to accelerate into the midmorning sky.

If not Plan A or B then Maybe C

Vanessa and Michelle joined the others in the galley for a quick breakfast of something Stonegrim called Al Paka but looked like egg and bacon wraps and tasted delicious despite the Taco Bell look of the meal. They ate in companionable silence until the Freya informed them that they were coming to the end of the flight plan.

            “Where are we now?” Vanessa asked as she followed Flynt and Michelle up to the flight deck.

            “Our flight plan puts us down in Memphis, Tennessee where we will “refuel” and take on food.” Flynt said. “As soon as we can file a new flight plan, we will be flying out of these United States for our destination in the Atlantic.”

            “You mean the Ship-stone needs to recharge?” Vanessa asked as they climbed into their respective seats. Michelle was already radioing the tower asking directions to their designated runway.

            “Actually, The Freya can give us a good 5K on distance but since the Freya is not like other planes we try not to draw that much attention when we fly around this place. So we land, act normal, keep the kids in doors until we are reasonably sure that we haven’t drawn much attention then we fly for the coast and wait for a chance to slip across the international boundaries without alerting the Coast Guard or the Military.”

            “Why is that?” Vanessa asked. Flynt sighed, Michele chuckled and Quest who had just come up laughed. “What?”

            “The last time the Freya was in the US- that was a few years ago wasn’t it.” Quest said.

            “1982.” Michelle said turning back to them. “We were booking out of country to catch our ride home and we pull a wing of MD F-4 Phantom jets.”

            Flynt laughed. “What a Fravic-Storm that was.”

            “Don’t worry, Van.” Quest interrupted. “Flynt will tell you what a Kravic is another time- just think small, furry, extremely irritable and with many many claws.”

            “Anyway.” Michelle continued. “They had us surrounded just out of the Everglades and began to insist that we come back to the US with them.”

            “What did you do?” Vanessa asked

            “Well we had a quick discussion amongst the crew and decided that fighting was out of the question so we ran full speed.”

            “Full speed in this baby is 293 miles per hour.” Flynt said. “Not fast enough.”

            “Not even close when you have 6 US Airforce Jets capable of going Mach 2.23” Michelle said. “So we took option B.”

            “Option B?” Vanessa said then could feel the punch line ripple through each of them.

            “Well we did what Quest suggested.” Michelle said with a chuckle and a shrug.

            “What?” Vanessa leaned forward. “What did you have the Freya do?”

            “They told me to stop.” The Freya said, “Which I did gradually.”

            “Good thing too, because we were pushing 300 miles per hour.” Michelle said

            “I still lost all of my coffee.” Grumbled Stonegrim as he came up to sit in his chair.

            “At least you weren’t wearing it like me.” Flynt quipped back.

            “You never looked better.” Stonegrim toasted him with his mug.

            “I don’t get it.” Vanessa said looking at each of them in turn.

            “The Freya decelerated from 293 miles per hour to zero in about 5 minutes.” Quest said. “Since the Ship-stone provides lift she can float in place whereas-“

            “F-4 Phantom jets cannot stop at all in the air.” Michelle finished.

            “Well they almost can but they tend to fall out of the sky under those circumstances” Quest said.

            “By the time, the pilots had reacted they had overshot us by at least 40 miles.” Michelle said.

“And by the time they came back looking for us we had gone to plan C.”

            “I know I am expected to ask.” Vanessa said. “What is plan C?”

            “Have the wizard turn us invisible, of course, milady.” Severin said as he came up. To her incredulous stare he said. “Well not me. I didn’t join this crew until this trip.”

            “Plan C- the Wizard.” Flynt said. “Was what Quest called it. The wizard on the journey was Michelle’s old love interest.... what?” Flynt scowled at Michelle. “Well he was.”

            Michelle sighed and shook her head. “Okay maybe he was. His name was Vhurress and he was a wizard of sorts. But he could cast invisibility better than just about any wizard I have ever met.”

            “Oh.” Vanessa said trying to take this all in. Magic was real- right?

            Quest sensing her shock said. “Vhurress used a trick of magic which can be done even here by bending the light around the Freya, to make it appear that we were no longer there. By the time they had radioed it in and been informed that our blip was still on the Radar we were out in international waters and dropping out of radar range.”

            “Magic.” Vanessa said in wonder.

            “Something that is very complex and works in ways most do not understand.” Stonegrim said quietly.

            “Nor can they conceive that it is but rather judge it from its results.” Severin concluded.

            “The thing is-“ Flynt said into the new silence. “We don’t have a Plan C on board this time and the Americans have planes now that can come to a full stop in the air.”

            “Time to work on plan D.” Quest said.

mornings

When she awoke, it was morning, light streamed in through many small windows in a round room that was more like a globe than a room. The bed sat in the center of a dias that was surrounded on three sides by the round windows. She yawned and looked around at the brilliant sky and the clouds that keep passing through her field of vision. Her mind connected the dots and she realized she was in the lower room of the Freya- the Bombay? No it was called something else. But she was pretty sure it was the tiny room was the bomber would sit and sight down to drop the plane’s bombs. The room was to big to be inside the bomber’s nose. Vanessa wondered about this as she turned over and stretched out to yawn and came face to face with Michelle.

            She managed to smile sleepily at the other woman who smiled back. Vanessa’s mind strained to reach back into the last nights events leading up to this moment. She came up with nothing but an echo of a Katie Perry song and she blinked.

            “Good Morning.” Michelle said and winked.

            “Good Morning.” Vanessa managed, her throat suddenly dry- she would not look under the covers- she would not! “Did we- I mean, did I-?”

            “Not exactly.” Michelle murmured as she reached out to push a lock of Vanessa hair back. “Well, you did insist that I sleep with you, that I-“ She paused at the sudden look of shock in Vanessa’s eyes. Michelle dropped her hand as a giggle dug its way out of her throat.

            Vanessa blew out a sigh of relief then laughed as Michelle broke down into strangled laughter.  She watched the woman laugh before giving her a curious look.

            “I have this sneaking feeling that this cabin is larger than it looks on the outside.” She said staring around at it again.

            “It’s an effect of the Ship-stone plus apparently the Freya herself. Flynt calls it the “Pocket in a pocket effect.” Michelle said as she sat up. She wore a Night Ranger Tee Shirt.  “The Freya can bend the space immediately around the Ship-stone to allow for more room. So right now she makes this cabin bigger than it is by shrinking the flight deck back down to size. When we are on the flight deck this cabin goes back to it’s original size. Of course, she waits until I stow the bed and dress. (Well she better anyway).”

            “Wow.” Vanessa managed as she sat up as well, she wore a Cyndi Lauper Tee Shirt that was not her own. She looked down at it and then back up at Michelle’s pleasure. “Let me guess-”

            “Girls just wanna have fun.” Michelle finished for her.
Girls do!

Into the night

They flew into the deepening darkness. The Freya lifting them above the cloud cover into the star filled sky. Vanessa gazed up into night in wonder feeling a joy she had never felt before. There were so many stars.

            After a time she looked down to find Quest considering her from where he still stood to her right. She smiled up at him feeling the weight of the day pushing a yawn from somewhere deep down inside of her. She blinked back specks of sleep that threatened to engulf her, struggling to stay awake for one more hour. But the exhaustion would not wait and she felt herself fading away.

            Quest chuckled and nodded at Flynt who in turn tapped Michelle gently on the shoulder and took over the flight controls as Michelle got up.  Michelle came back to where Vanessa still struggled to stay alert- she was losing ground fast. Michelle looked a question (in her Hazel brown eyes) nodded as Vanessa smiled back at her wearily.

            Michelle came back over to the Ship-stone, crouched down and placed one hand on Vanessa’s arm.

            “Shall I show you to your cabin, milady?” She asked softly.

            “It’s Van.” Vanessa said. “Call me Van.”

Sing a song like Lenny would

            Quest sang out into the sudden silence that filled the space. The echo of which resonated around him as power filled the Shipstone. She realized that sky had filled the windows and then she caught a glimpse of the airport shrinking away as they banked around. The plane turned away from the sea that she had been so sure they were going to cross and headed back inland.

            “Sing for me, my children.” The Freya said as Quest sang.

            Vanessa smiled- who wouldn’t like a plane that liked music?

            Quest stepped away from the stone, held out his had to her which she took by reaching out for it. She wondered if it was to steady him.

            “Di Loyw Chy Sim Eloi Hym.” Quest sung. His voice clear and deep like one of the Oak Ridge Boys.

            “Chy Sim, Chy Sim, Chy Sim.” The crews voices echoed. The tune of it pulled a memory loose in her head and from there she was not sure if what they sang was anything different than what she was hearing in her head.

“I want to fly like the Dragon out to the Sea,                                                                                                     Fly like the Dragon let your spirit come carry me!”

Then the crew sings:

“I want to fly like the Dragon- until we’re free                                                                                                                Aos, come and empower me.”

Vanessa was sure it was the same tune to another song she had heard a few years back- still it didn’t matter as the feelings of flight and freedom flooded her senses and she could imagine being on the back of a powerful Dragon flying away into the night sky.

Quest sang again:

            “I want to fly away into the sky, so very very high                                                                                                                                Just hear the Dragon’s cry.”

All sing:

            “We want to fly like the Dragon over the Sea                                                                                                             Fly like the Dragon- let its wings come carry me                                                                                                 Fly away until we’re free.

            We want to get away, we want to fly away-                                                                                                  Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

Michelle sings:

            “I want to fly above the trees, over the clouds and the seas                                                                                   go to the lands I would never see. If the Freya would just carry me?”

All sing:

            “We want to fly like the Dragon over the sea                                                                                                            Let the Freya make us free                                                                                                                                  we want to soar away, flying until the break of day.”

Quest sings:

            “Dey Low Chi Sim Eloi “

Then the sound fades away and Quest and the crew fall silent. The song still floating in her head.

            “Wow.” Vanessa breathed.

            “I know.” The Freya said. “That is my favorite song.”