voice called through her helmet speakers.
“Roger that, Keith,” Agent Fox replied. “Starting main engines now.”
Luna anxiously gripped her seat’s padded armrests as the aircraft begin to vibrate while the rotors powered up.
“Ever flown before?” Keith asked, amusement in his voice.
Luna gulped, “No, sir. This is my first time.”
“Don’t worry. Terence Fox is one of Unitech’s best pilots. You’re in good hands, Miss McKelly.”
Luna nodded. She was actually quite excited. But as the chopper turned and began taxiing out onto the runway, Luna screwed her eyes shut and uttered a muffled half squeak, drawing curious glances from the men seated around her.
Why do I always have to make a fool of myself? Why? she thought, picking up the sound of a stifled laugh through her comm system.
“Miss McKelly?” Keith called to her. “You do know we’re in the air now?”
She slowly opened her eyes and released her death grip on the armrests. “We are?”
Keith nodded, obviously fighting back the urge to laugh, “Yeah. We are.”
Luna glanced out the window and saw the cityscape of New Denver dropping away beneath them. She smiled and peered out the window with renewed curiosity—her fear quickly replaced by an overwhelming sense of ecstasy. She was flying!
“May I have your attention please?” Agent Fox said, his voice echoing through the team comm. “This is the captain speaking—”
“Just get to the point Terence,” Agent Rush replied, sourly. “I’ve had enough of your shenanigans in the past year to last me a lifetime.”
“All right, fine. Have it your way … fun hater.”
“What do you want, Terence?” Keith said.
“Well, I wanted to say that we’ll be reaching our destination in just under twenty minutes—thirty tops. Everything looks good right now as far as the weather’s concerned.” There was a slight pause, “But there may be a storm coming in later this evening.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, Mr. Fox.” Luna said, figuring out how to work the team comm. “If everything goes as well as I hope it will, I’ll have all the samples I need within an hour or two. We can be home in time for dinner.”
The ensuing silence was defining.
“What? Did I say something wrong?” she asked, looking around at the others.
“Never say ‘we’ll be home in time for dinner’,” Fox replied. “Haven’t you ever watched old movies? That’s like the jinx of all jinxes!”
“Come on guys. Forget these idiotic superstitions!” Keith cut in. “We’ll do exactly what the lady said and be back home in no time. End of discussion.”
A flurry of yes, sirs echoed through the comm system, and then there was silence.
“All right, team,” Terence’s voice called out some time later, “we’re approaching the landing zone approximately one mile from Lab Station 121. Touchdown is in three minutes. Copy?”
“We hear you,” Keith replied. “What’s the status on that storm front?”
“So far so good, but it’s too early to say for sure. I’ll tell you one thing though, I’ll feel a lot better when you guys are all back aboard and we’re in the air again. I hate sitting on the ground.”
“I hear you there.” Agent Patterson, a tall black man, cut in.
“All right, I’m beginning my approach. Stand by for landing.”
The Stratocruiser began loosing altitude, and Luna felt a sickening, sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She grabbed onto the armrests again, but this time she kept her eyes open, focusing on the foggy swampland racing by the small window. The chopper lurched once then settled onto its hydraulics, easing to a stop as Terence cut the engines.
“Welcome to the swamp,” Rush said, unbuckling his harness.
Keith shrugged off his harness’ shoulder straps and stood up, addressing Luna. “Now that we’re here, would you mind telling us what it is we’re looking for, Doctor?”
Luna fumbled with her
“Roger that, Keith,” Agent Fox replied. “Starting main engines now.”
Luna anxiously gripped her seat’s padded armrests as the aircraft begin to vibrate while the rotors powered up.
“Ever flown before?” Keith asked, amusement in his voice.
Luna gulped, “No, sir. This is my first time.”
“Don’t worry. Terence Fox is one of Unitech’s best pilots. You’re in good hands, Miss McKelly.”
Luna nodded. She was actually quite excited. But as the chopper turned and began taxiing out onto the runway, Luna screwed her eyes shut and uttered a muffled half squeak, drawing curious glances from the men seated around her.
Why do I always have to make a fool of myself? Why? she thought, picking up the sound of a stifled laugh through her comm system.
“Miss McKelly?” Keith called to her. “You do know we’re in the air now?”
She slowly opened her eyes and released her death grip on the armrests. “We are?”
Keith nodded, obviously fighting back the urge to laugh, “Yeah. We are.”
Luna glanced out the window and saw the cityscape of New Denver dropping away beneath them. She smiled and peered out the window with renewed curiosity—her fear quickly replaced by an overwhelming sense of ecstasy. She was flying!
“May I have your attention please?” Agent Fox said, his voice echoing through the team comm. “This is the captain speaking—”
“Just get to the point Terence,” Agent Rush replied, sourly. “I’ve had enough of your shenanigans in the past year to last me a lifetime.”
“All right, fine. Have it your way … fun hater.”
“What do you want, Terence?” Keith said.
“Well, I wanted to say that we’ll be reaching our destination in just under twenty minutes—thirty tops. Everything looks good right now as far as the weather’s concerned.” There was a slight pause, “But there may be a storm coming in later this evening.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, Mr. Fox.” Luna said, figuring out how to work the team comm. “If everything goes as well as I hope it will, I’ll have all the samples I need within an hour or two. We can be home in time for dinner.”
The ensuing silence was defining.
“What? Did I say something wrong?” she asked, looking around at the others.
“Never say ‘we’ll be home in time for dinner’,” Fox replied. “Haven’t you ever watched old movies? That’s like the jinx of all jinxes!”
“Come on guys. Forget these idiotic superstitions!” Keith cut in. “We’ll do exactly what the lady said and be back home in no time. End of discussion.”
A flurry of yes, sirs echoed through the comm system, and then there was silence.
“All right, team,” Terence’s voice called out some time later, “we’re approaching the landing zone approximately one mile from Lab Station 121. Touchdown is in three minutes. Copy?”
“We hear you,” Keith replied. “What’s the status on that storm front?”
“So far so good, but it’s too early to say for sure. I’ll tell you one thing though, I’ll feel a lot better when you guys are all back aboard and we’re in the air again. I hate sitting on the ground.”
“I hear you there.” Agent Patterson, a tall black man, cut in.
“All right, I’m beginning my approach. Stand by for landing.”
The Stratocruiser began loosing altitude, and Luna felt a sickening, sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She grabbed onto the armrests again, but this time she kept her eyes open, focusing on the foggy swampland racing by the small window. The chopper lurched once then settled onto its hydraulics, easing to a stop as Terence cut the engines.
“Welcome to the swamp,” Rush said, unbuckling his harness.
Keith shrugged off his harness’ shoulder straps and stood up, addressing Luna. “Now that we’re here, would you mind telling us what it is we’re looking for, Doctor?”
Luna fumbled with her
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