Chapter 3

It was a crisp Saturday morning, and Jessica was busy reading a book with a hot cup of tea on her bedside table. Her clock read 10:46. Norman walked into the room and sat down on the edge of Jessica’s bed. His face was etched with concern. “Isn’t it strange…” Norman began cryptically.

“What’s strange,” his sister asked.

“Ever since that initial attack on Base Camp 10 and the subsequent minor raid on a mining convoy, the azurestone pirates haven’t been seen or heard from at all. What could it mean?”

“I don’t really care as long as they’re gone. What do Mom and Dad think?”

“I don’t know. Let’s go ask them.” They walked in to the living room together where they found their parents watching a holocube. This futuristic “television” projected holographic images that made sort of a floating “screen” before them. “Did you hear about the disappearance of the pirates?” Norman asked.

“Yes, we did,” said Carol turning to them. “And so has Holocomm. They’ve lowered our alert level from two back down to one. A reliable source said that they actually saw some of the pirate’s vessels leaving Azura’s atmosphere.”

“They could just be dropping off their loot and coming back for more,” Jessica broke in.

“Or it could have something to do with the fact that Base Camp 9 sent over a squad of mechanized infantry that they had stored for such an occasion.”

“Oh. Yeah I guess that would make the pirates think twice. Are those androids reliable, though? They probably haven’t used them in two years.”

“The Base Camp 9 director said that the androids were given a full maintenance check-up before they were sent out. All their circuits seemed to be in running order. It’s too bad that BC9 was the only camp paranoid enough to keep a squad with them. I hope the pirates don’t come back.”

“By the way,” said Peter. Your mother and I have decided that you and Norm can take more liberties in your laser tag games. Go on out there and have a lot of fun! I’ll be leaving in a few minutes to inspect our mining operation at the Northern Gash Range. Just remember, though; you can’t be too careful.”

“Thanks Dad,” said Jessica. Then turning to Norman she said, “How about one o’clock sharp, eh Norm?

“You got it Jessie.” Jessica walked back to her room and sat down on the peachrock colored sheets of her bed. She swung her legs over and began to read again. She stopped for a Moment to glance curiously at her arm. Jessica slowly traced the light specks of ochre up her arm and then moved her collar down slightly revealing the same specks that dotted her shoulder. She remembered that when she was younger these specks were very pronounced but now they were practically gone. Jessica began to muse further about when she and Norman were children together. “Those were the days when we didn’t have a worry in the world,” she thought to herself.

* * *

Jessica stepped out in the bright sun wearing her jumpsuit and her helmet tucked under one arm. She breathed in the cool air. “Saturdays on Azura always seemed to be cooler than most of the other days of the week, although no studies have really been done on the subject,” Jessica noted. “Maybe it’s just me.” Then Norman joined her wearing blue pants and a brown flight jacket. “Are you ready to go, Jessie?” he asked.

“Yep.” Just then Kyle came walking around the corner of the house next door. “Are you guys goin’ out again?” he said.

“Yes but don’t worry, Kyle. We were planning to spend some time with you and Joe and the others later today.”

“Well okay jus so ya know we’re kind of bored around here without ya’ll.”

“Okay. Norman…open the garage and let’s launch the Azura Flier.

“Ay-ay, capn”, responded Norman.

“You guys are weird,” said Kyle, as he walked away, putting his hand out to create a distance between him and them.

“We know,” Norman called after him. Norman pressed a button on the remote control that he had in his hand and the garage door opened. Together Jessica and Norman rolled it out of its shelter and unfolded the wings. The hoverjet’s sleek, black fuselage glistened in the sun. “You first, oh sister mine.”

“Don’t mind if I do, brother dear.” Jessica stepped into the Flier and Norman followed her in. She sat down in the passenger’s seat and Norman took the controls. He typed in a code on his keyboard and the buttons and lights on the control panel lit up with a faint hum. He started moving a lever up and down. “Flaps?” he said looking at Jessica. She looked out the side window at the wings. “Check,” she answered.

“Ailerons?”

“Check.”

“Rudder.”

“Check.

“I think we’re ready to go. Engine start. Standby.” Norman flipped four switches above his head and the quad turboprops roared to life. He pulled back slightly on the joystick and the craft lifted off the ground. They rose to a height of about ten feet and headed in a westerly direction. “Where should we go this time, Norm?”

“Joe told me about this really cool place about twenty miles past the Azural Plateau last Thursday.”

“Past the Plateau? Isn’t that like really far?”

“Sure but don’t worry, sis. The pirates have left, remember?”

“It’s not the pirates that I’m worried about. Are you sure we have enough fuel to go that far?

“I’m sure. We have plenty.” The grass of the plains rushed past under them, blowing in their wake. After a few minutes, the sunlight began to shine directly into the cockpit from the side. They flew for about an hour, the undulating landscape interrupted only by the occasional whirlwind or patch of cackle brush. Norman looked and saw a small, low mountain range close up ahead. “There’s the landmark,” Norman said, pointing. “The area is near the foot of that mountain.” He maneuvered the Flier around a rock tower and to a flat area just past it. He touched the Flier down and opened the door. They both stepped out. There was only a light breeze blowing across the silent plain, causing Jessica’s hair to flip lightly. The chirp of a spurroe bird perched upon the peachrock tower broke the silence momentarily. “Look a bit to your right Jessica, and you’ll see the place I was talking about.” Jessica turned to look where Norman was indicating. She put her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun. “See that circular rock formation over there?”

“Yes, I see it.” It stood about thirty feet from her. It was about one hundred feet long and just over half as wide.

“See how the rocks along the top look like battlements. We call it ‘Castle Rock.’ They say there is quite a labyrinth of tunnels inside.” Norman closed the door of the Flier. “I thought we’d play on equal terms this time. He slipped the laser toy onto his wrist.

“Great, let’s go!” Jessica went to one end of the formation and Norman went around to the other side. “Are you ready Norm?” Norman received Jessica’s voice through his communicator.

“You betcha! 3…2…1…GO! They each disappeared into the rock formation. Jessica ran a little way into one of the tunnels and then started to creep slowly. Most of the tunnel network was open air at the top and was about five feet across in most places. The walls were about two feet taller than Jessica. She jumped around the corner but Norman was not there yet. She continued to creep until she had gotten a little bit past halfway. She stopped at the entrance to an open room with several passages leading out from it, and looked around. “Nor-man. Where are-you?”

“Someplace you can’t find,” Norman hissed in response. Acting on a sudden gut feeling Jessica sprang across the room and into the entrance of the second tunnel from her and fire rapidly into it. Sure enough, Norman was right there, and he was hit twice as he ran in the other direction. “Whoa! How did you know, sis?” he said, surprised.

“I know you wouldn’t say something like that unless I was right on top of you.”

“I guess you would have me figured out by now, wouldn’t you?” Jessica ran to the end of the tunnel, turned left at a T-shaped intersection and knelt behind a rock there. She fired over the top of the rock but Norman had his own fortified position a few feet down and fired back. Jessica ducked and then fired again. More fire was exchanged, and then Jessica rolled to the other side of the intersection, firing. She peeked out from this side to fire but one of Norman's bolts hit her. She fired again and hit Norman. Norman was struck again as he attempted to recover. At this point he decided to retreat. Jessica was about to give chase, but then she noticed a low place on the wall behind her. She craftily climbed up until she was standing on top of the wall. She looked out over the top of Castle Rock. There was plenty of roofing to walk on and it was pretty stable in most places. Jessica crouched and crept forward a little bit. She peeped over one of the openings in the roof and spotted Norman crouched in a corner. He had absolutely no clue. Jessica aimed and fired into the tunnel but her aim was just slightly off, and the bolt almost grazed his head. “Hey,” yelled Norman, looking up. “That’s an unfair vantage point!”

“Come on up here and join me then.”

“I think I will.” Norman jumped up and dove under a slab of rock. Jessica moved forward a little bit but was surprised when Norman abruptly appeared on top of the roof, firing at her. Jessica dodged and fired. Norman fired, hitting Jessica, and then ran away jumping to the next rooftop. Jessica fired and hit Norman. Still running, Norman fired, missing. Norman’s foot caught a pothole and he feel face down. He got up quickly but one of Jessica's bolts met him on his way up. That was six hits. Norman stopped and looked at the screen on his wrist. It said “Game Over”. “Aw! That was good, Jessie!” said Norman, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. “You really had me pinned down the whole time. Let’s see if you can do it again.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Doesn’t it look like the sky is getting darker?”

“What?” Norman turned to look at the horizon. “No. It’s still as bright as ever. What do-Jessica? Jessica?” Norman look back and forth but there was not sign of her. He looked at his wrist indicator. “Game started by Jessica”, it read.

“Why that nerd! Jessica, where are you?” No answer. Norman climbed down and into the tunnel. He carefully advanced forward. He went around the corner of the tunnel and started down that passage. Norman was stopped by the sound of falling pebbles around the next corner. He began to back up warily. He abruptly ran into something behind him. It was Jessica with her back turned to him. They both whirled around to face each other with startled yells and began firing crazily at point blank range. They stopped and looked at their wrist indicators. They both said game over. Norman and Jessica stared at each other for a long time and then they both slumped to the ground, groaning at the hilarity of their actions. “Let’s get out of this loony-bin,” suggested Norman.

“Good idea.” He and Jessica got up and walked out of Castle Rock. “Maybe we should do a round with the Flier. You can have the Flier first, Norm.”

“Whatever you say, sis.” Norman climbed into the Flier and lifted off into the Azuran sky. He casually pointed the nose towards the east. Norman squinted his eyes at a most unusual sight that met him there. “Uh-oh. Jessica? The horizon is getting darker.”

“Oh, I was just kidding about that Norman—

“No really. The horizon is getting darker.”

“But it’s only 2:30.”

“I know but it’s getting very dark, very fast…It’s turning deep purple!”

“An ion storm? Three storms near the same area in two weeks is almost unheard of! The forecast this morning didn’t say anything about this. I don’t understand it.”

“Jessica, I think you should get in.”

“That storm is forming directly between us and BC3!”

“That’s why you’ve got to get in, quick!” Norman hastily lowered the Flier back down and opened the door for Jessica. Jessica jumped in; they lifted off once again and sped back towards Base Camp 3. “Norman, has the storm spread too far yet? Is there any way you can see to fly around it?”

“No, sis. It’s spreading too quickly and by the looks of PWLS (Planet-Wide Locating System) readings here, it’s coming right for us.” Jessica looked at the console screen and her heart sank at what she saw. Norman was right.

“Norman, what are we going to do? Can we fly away from it?”

“No. I don’t think we have enough fuel.”

“But I thought you said we had plenty.”

“We had plenty to get here, fly around a bit, and to get back but not enough to outrun an ion storm. We are going to have to try to fly through it. The ion bolts haven’t started up yet, we may still have time.” Norman increased the throttle to full speed and headed for the ominous, angry sky ahead. It continued to darken. The first wave of turbulence began to shake the small craft. Jessica spotted a herd of scattering negiar below. Norman picked up the communications transceiver and spoke into it. “Base Camp 3: this is Azura Flier-Alpha 7-03. Do you copy?” Nothing. “Mayday, Mayday. This is Azura Flier-Alpha 7-03. Base Camp 3: do you copy? Repeat. Do you copy? It’s no use! There’s too much interference!” Soon they were within the throes of the storm. There was a blinding flash and an enormous bolt of charged ions shot across the sky, ending with a deafening crack. “Norman!”

“I know! I know!” Another smaller bolt lit the sky once again. Norman picked up the transceiver and tried again. “Mayday! “ This is Azura Flier-Alpha 7-03! BC3, do you copy?” A voice crackled on the other end in response. “Roger Azura Flier-Alpha 7-03. This is…Camp 3. What is your situation?”

“Yes, this Norman McKinley. We are caught in a massive ion storm. We need assistance. Repeat, ion storm. Require immediate assistance. Over.”

“Ion…orm? What ar…doing in…on storm? …Sky is still clear.”

“Look here, mister!” Norman shouted in anger. “We are in an ion storm and we are going to die if you don’t get out of your comfy chair and go tell the director that his son and daughter are out here and we require immediate assistance! Our position is: 454-932… DARN!” Norman yelled, flailing his fist in the air and then banging his head down on the control panel in despair. “What is it, Norm! What happened?” asked Jessica, in alarm for her brother.

“The signal is dead, Jessica. We’re on our own.” Another bolt struck near the Azura flier. Norman moved to dodge it. Another one grazed the left hind wing, sending the Flier spinning. “I can’t hold it!” shouted Norman above the din of the storm. The stick shuddered furiously as Norman fought for control. Jessica screamed. Norman brought the nose to bear and was able to at least stop the spin. “We’ve lost too much altitude! I’ll try to”-a bolt struck one of the right turboprops with a sickening bang. The control panel exploded, sending sparks flying in Norman’s face. He cried out in pain, holding his face. The turboprop burst into flame.

The hoverjet plummeted helplessly towards the grassy plain. With his one free hand, Norman reached for the transceiver in one last desperate attempt. “BC3, this is Azura Flier-Alpha 7-03! Mayday, Mayday! We’re going down! Repeat, we’re going down!” Norman yanked back on the throttle, to slow their fall. The ground was rising rapidly up to meet them. He fought to hold their nose up high enough to make a crash landing. It was just enough. “Jessica! Brace for impact!” Jessica grabbed onto a handle bar on her door and tensed. The Flier slammed into the ground with a lurch, spinning to the right. It skidded and bounced across the surface of the land, sending sparks and tufts of grass flying in all directions. A large peachrock rose up sharply in front of them. The right foils crumpled against the rock, and then the fuselage met the boulder. The flier shuddered and was still. Jessica and Norman lay motionless. The storm raged around the wreck, trailing billows of smoke away in the wind.