you’re going out there, you need to have some sort of protection.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Luna agreed, letting Rosa fasten the weapon to her armor—though she desperately hoped she wouldn’t have to use it.
“All right, you’re all ready to go, Miss McKelly. Stay with the other agents, and whatever you do don’t get lost.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
Luna followed the agent out of the prep room and stared at the squadron of V-244 Stratocruisers lined up throughout the hanger.
A distant descendant of the V-22 Osprey, the V-244 had replaced both the helicopter and the antiquated C130s of the twenty-first century—along with most other civilian and military aircraft. In place of wings, the gigantic aircraft sported a pair of independently moving rotors, each one safely enclosed within a thick titanium support ring. A set of powerful jet engines were mounted within their massive hubs, allowing for rapid acceleration and maximum maneuverability.
Luna had seen many of the powerful aircraft flying in and around New Denver and the Unitech complex, but she’d never been so close to one before. The sheer size of them was unnerving. Each aircraft measured over eighty feet from the dome of their double cockpits to the tail rotors nestled within their tall stabilizer fins.
Rosa led Luna to one of the Stratocruisers parked near the hanger bay’s main doors and presented her to the five men who would be protecting her. Each one was clad in the same environmental suit that she wore, their only distinguishable features being their dimly illuminated faces. One man, whom she assumed was their leader, stepped forward and extended his hand in greeting.
“Miss Luna McKelly, I presume?”
She smiled and took his hand. “That’s me.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Agent Keith Tagawa, and these,” he said indicating the men standing behind him, “are Agents Fox, Patterson, Rush, and Perkins. I’m sure you’ve probably already been told this, but we’re going to be acting as your escorts today.”
Keith Tagawa? Luna thought, wondering if he was the same man Bridget had been telling her about. For a brief moment she considered asking him. Then she thought better of it. She would have to talk to Bridget about it when she got back.
Luna turned to the lead agent. “Thank you. I could probably use a few extra hands when we’re out there. After all, the more eyes we have combing the swamp, the quicker we can find what we’re looking for.”
“That sounds like a plan. I think everyone here will agree that the sooner we get out of the swamp, the better.”
Luna looked around the group, saw their looks of affirmation, and then nodded to the V-244. “Is that our ride?”
“Yes, ma’am. Everything is aboard and ready to go. All we need to do now is get ourselves strapped in and we’ll be on our way.”
“By everything, I take it you mean my field equipment?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Keith replied, nodding.
“All right then. Let’s get this show on the road,” she said, walking toward the Stratocruiser’s rear loading ramp with the agent team falling in behind her.
The interior of the aircraft was brightly lit and spacious with plenty of room to move about freely. Luna walked past a number of built-in storage compartments and the metallic crates containing her field gear. She seated herself in one of several reinforced seats built into the aircraft’s fuselage. Since the high-backed chairs faced each other, and she had no idea whether or not she would be susceptible to airsickness, Luna had deliberately chosen a seat directly across from one of the Stratocruiser’s two small windows.
She took hold of her seat’s shoulder restraints and pulled them across her body, securing them firmly with an audible click.
Keith took a seat across from her, and the man introduced as Agent Perkins seated himself beside her.
“All right Fox, we’re all set,” Keith’s
“I guess that makes sense,” Luna agreed, letting Rosa fasten the weapon to her armor—though she desperately hoped she wouldn’t have to use it.
“All right, you’re all ready to go, Miss McKelly. Stay with the other agents, and whatever you do don’t get lost.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
Luna followed the agent out of the prep room and stared at the squadron of V-244 Stratocruisers lined up throughout the hanger.
A distant descendant of the V-22 Osprey, the V-244 had replaced both the helicopter and the antiquated C130s of the twenty-first century—along with most other civilian and military aircraft. In place of wings, the gigantic aircraft sported a pair of independently moving rotors, each one safely enclosed within a thick titanium support ring. A set of powerful jet engines were mounted within their massive hubs, allowing for rapid acceleration and maximum maneuverability.
Luna had seen many of the powerful aircraft flying in and around New Denver and the Unitech complex, but she’d never been so close to one before. The sheer size of them was unnerving. Each aircraft measured over eighty feet from the dome of their double cockpits to the tail rotors nestled within their tall stabilizer fins.
Rosa led Luna to one of the Stratocruisers parked near the hanger bay’s main doors and presented her to the five men who would be protecting her. Each one was clad in the same environmental suit that she wore, their only distinguishable features being their dimly illuminated faces. One man, whom she assumed was their leader, stepped forward and extended his hand in greeting.
“Miss Luna McKelly, I presume?”
She smiled and took his hand. “That’s me.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Agent Keith Tagawa, and these,” he said indicating the men standing behind him, “are Agents Fox, Patterson, Rush, and Perkins. I’m sure you’ve probably already been told this, but we’re going to be acting as your escorts today.”
Keith Tagawa? Luna thought, wondering if he was the same man Bridget had been telling her about. For a brief moment she considered asking him. Then she thought better of it. She would have to talk to Bridget about it when she got back.
Luna turned to the lead agent. “Thank you. I could probably use a few extra hands when we’re out there. After all, the more eyes we have combing the swamp, the quicker we can find what we’re looking for.”
“That sounds like a plan. I think everyone here will agree that the sooner we get out of the swamp, the better.”
Luna looked around the group, saw their looks of affirmation, and then nodded to the V-244. “Is that our ride?”
“Yes, ma’am. Everything is aboard and ready to go. All we need to do now is get ourselves strapped in and we’ll be on our way.”
“By everything, I take it you mean my field equipment?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Keith replied, nodding.
“All right then. Let’s get this show on the road,” she said, walking toward the Stratocruiser’s rear loading ramp with the agent team falling in behind her.
The interior of the aircraft was brightly lit and spacious with plenty of room to move about freely. Luna walked past a number of built-in storage compartments and the metallic crates containing her field gear. She seated herself in one of several reinforced seats built into the aircraft’s fuselage. Since the high-backed chairs faced each other, and she had no idea whether or not she would be susceptible to airsickness, Luna had deliberately chosen a seat directly across from one of the Stratocruiser’s two small windows.
She took hold of her seat’s shoulder restraints and pulled them across her body, securing them firmly with an audible click.
Keith took a seat across from her, and the man introduced as Agent Perkins seated himself beside her.
“All right Fox, we’re all set,” Keith’s
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