Another flash of something, but still he couldn’t keep it in his head long enough.
Stop the fuckin beeping so I can think. Tim’s mind screamed.
The beeping stopped immediately, and in its place an image appeared as a hologram almost directly in front of his face. It was a flashing red orb that Tim was certain replaced the suspected alarm. I hope this thing is coming back on line after it took the hit from Clank’s energy beam.
That is correct, flashed through his thoughts.
You can understand me? Tim thought, moving through this strange new channel as he fought to understand it, and keep it open.
There was some response, but it was distorted. He wasn’t certain if he had lost the intenseness required to keep the channel open, or if he just didn’t understand what had come back to him.
He lost the connection as his thoughts went back to his dire situation. It was so difficult to remain completely fixated on this new type of thinking, but he was getting a better idea of where to direct his mind to find the channel. Within a second or so, he was back on line with the Pod. He could feel the connection. It was there, but I can’t understand what the machine is trying to tell me, and I know the machine is having trouble grasping what I’m trying to communicate to it.
He was still hearing only static, but there was what sounded like a couple of words in all the garble.
“Duo, can you hear me?”
He heard a faint, “Working on,” mixed in with the shuuuuuuuuu of the static.
Please be flying level, was going through his mind over and over. He was having no trouble keeping ‘that’ thought in his head. I’m not too comfortable about the outcome if the Pod smashes into the ground? There’s no way of telling how fast we’re going, plus the anti-crash program might not be functioning.
“Systems coming back.” He definitely heard through the static.
“Duo, is that you? Paallease be there, I need some help here.”
“I’m here, but the systems in the Pod have taken quite a jolt.”
Tim understood what his friend had said, even though the static was still persistent.
“Am I crashing? How far is it to the ground, can you tell me?” Tim yelled, and at the same time he continued to concentrate on the link he had established with the machine.
“I still can’t connect with the Pod entirely,” Duo said, “but I think the machine has been instructed to fly level and it has responded. Yes, yes, you are not crashing, you are on a level course at just a little over nine hundred knots. You have done well Tim.”
Some of the holograms began to reappear as fuzzy dots. There was no definition to them, yet, so Tim could not recognize any of them.
Accelerate! He commanded into the new channel he had established. All right! Duo confirmed the Pod responded to my level plea. I’m getting through.
“Speed is increasing rapidly,” Duo said, as the flashing orb that was some kind of warning stopped.
The holograms continued to clear, and Tim was cataloging them in his head. He was racing through the images as his speed increase, leaving them behind as new ones took their place. He looked at the rear hologram, and watched a couple of symbols get smaller and smaller and then disappear. There’s one keeping pace though, and it looks like it’s gaining on me.
My Speed? Tim asked mentally.
“Twenty-one hundred and fifty-three knots,” Duo said immediately, as the figures appeared. All right, I’ve got a working system established.
Distance to object coming up on rear? Was Tim’s next question.”
“Nineteen hundred, twenty meters,” Duo answered.
What is it? He knew, but was asking, just to confirm his suspicions.
“Clank!”
“Oh shit! What can I do?” Tim asked as he immediately commanded the Pod to perform a sharp right turn.
The Pod responded immediately, and the symbol of the TT Fighter swung quickly from behind, to the left side. The canopy was gradually returning to transparent, and Tim looked quickly out the left side. He immediately saw the TT Fighter headed straight at him.
Increase speed. Shit, the sharp turn was a bad decision because it the TT Fighter just cut the angle to get in closer.
He commanded the Pod to go faster, but he didn’t concentrate properly so the craft only accelerated a little bit.
“Is he going to shoot again?” Tim asked.
“Yes, probably. You are targeted, but not to worry. The Pod has adjusted to the frequency of the energy beam. The beam will do no further damage.”
“Why don’t you tell me these things? I was just about to piss in my pants,” Tim whined.
“You did not ask, and I cannot read your mind, unless you want me to?”
“No!” Tim returned quickly. “That’s okay; I’ll just have to learn to ask.”
There was another flash and a bang, but not as violent as the first one. The symbols disappeared again, and Duo was again replaced by static. The transparent canopy also clouded again, leaving Tim disoriented, again.
“Damn him! What can I do? There are no weapons on this thing, right?” Tim asked, but I’m going to have to wait for a response.
“This craft was not meant to fight, you are correct.” Duo returned almost immediately.
“I thought you said the Pod figured out the frequency?”
“Yes, but it took some time to set the field to repel all the energy. Not to worry though, the fighter can do no more damage. You should be concentrating on controlling the craft,” Duo advised.
Tim reestablished the mental connection. This time it was easy because he could sense the machine’s presence almost immediately. Tim commanded the machine to turn sharp right. Outside in front of him he could see some large clouds, and as he gave the command the clouds swung quickly to his left. He commanded another sharp right, and the symbol of the TT Fighter rotated to his front.
Stop! was his next mental command. He put his hands out and instinctively braced his body for the deceleration. It was only when he looked outside that he was able to confirm the Pod had stopped.
The symbol for the TT Fighter was directly in front of him, and closing fast.
“Is he going to fire again?” Tim asked.
“He has you targeted,” Duo confirmed.
“Can you give me a warning when he’s going to fire again?”
“Yes, that I can do.”
Tim watched the symbol representing the TT Fighter head straight for him. Tim kept the mental channel to the Pod open.
The TT Fighter was boring down, and Duo announced, “Two-seconds to discharge.” Tim shot the Pod straight up at maximum velocity. He let the Pod continue for a second, then commanded it to go back down. He immediately looked for the symbol of the TT Fighter, to pursue it. I’ve got him now because there is no way the fighter can out maneuver this Pod. I don’t know how I can force him back to Timtown, but I’m going to try my damnedest.
The symbol for the fighter was gone.
“Where’d he go?” Tim asked out loud.
“He has disappeared,” Duo answered.
“How’s that possible?”
“The TT Fighter is equipped with that primitive cloaking device I told you he was working on. I think Clank has initiated it.”
“Great, but let’s find him.” Tim was eager to get Clank.
“I do not think it will be easy.”
“What? This ‘Pod’ can’t find ‘that’ plane? I thought this thing was so advanced?”
“It is, but Clank has figured out some cloaking technology.”
“Don’t you know how it works? You should know how to get through it?”
“It is not a shield. It is a function of the TT Fighter. I have no way of detecting something that’s not there. I told you, he cut me off from Whuc Seaacki’s computer. He has successfully shielded me from this program.”
“Oh no,” Tim whined. You mean he’s just disappeared, and we can’t find him?”
“Unless he does som
ething to mark his position, that is true,” Duo stated.
“Oh great, I finally get the upper hand on the SOB, now I can’t find him!” Tim complained, the frustration evident in his voice.
“I’m sorry, I did not figure on this happening. You did not tell me what you expect.” Duo’s voice was apologetic.
“I know, I didn’t ask so you’re off the hook. If he tries to communicate with Whuc Seaacki, you will know it, right?”
“Yes, but I doubt he will do that because he knows you are in the Pod.”
“How?” Tim asked perplexed.
“Because he is very intelligent, and he’s certainly deduced this machine has come from Whuc Seaacki, and that you are in command of it. Does that not make sense to you?”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Tim conceded.
“I would suggest we monitor all outside communications, and search for him that way. I would suspect he will continue with his original intentions,” Duo advised.
“I guess that’s about all we can do if we can’t locate him any other way?” Tim said as he scanned the holograms around his head.
He wants to provoke the U.S. military. I’m certain he wants to put the military in a position where they have to come to him, and knocking down a few planes will accomplish that. That’s what I would do in his position.
*
Tim maneuvered the Pod continuously getting the feel of the machine. Within half an hour, he could make the Pod respond to his every wish.
*
Duo was monitoring all radio traffic. For over an hour the situation did not change. Tim had taken the Pod back to the mountains he had discovered when he had first flown the TT Fighter. Then he’d gone south to Mexico. Then he had turned east, continuing out over the Gulf of Mexico. He was at 110,000 feet altitude, a hundred miles out to sea, traveling at 13,765 knots.
Duo had worked out a solution to the cloaking. They knew Clank wanted to be seen when he caused any damage, so he would have to uncloak, otherwise there would be nothing to point to Whuc Seaacki.
*
“I have a possible sighting of the TT Fighter,” Duo said.
“Where at, what’s going on?” Tim asked.
“You can decide for yourself,” Duo suggested.
“We have just lost Grey two, I repeat, Grey two is going down,” an excited voice said from one of the channels Duo had been monitoring, and had opened for Tim to hear.
“Grey one, this is Grey leader, can you ascertain what happened?” another voice said on the new channel.
“Grey leader, I don’t know, Grey two just exploded. I thought I saw lightning, but we are not near any storms. I have to assume it was a mechanical,” the pilot of the reporting plane said.
When he heard the words, “Just exploded,” Tim got the location of the broadcast, and set a course for there. The plane reporting the incident was located back to the West, only a couple of hundred miles from Timtown.
Of course! Clank would do something close to the base to make sure they would connect the two.”
He was over 1000 miles from the incident, so at top speed it would take him almost four minutes to get there.
The pilot of Grey One followed the pieces of his comrade’s plane down until they stuck the ground, and then reported the exact location back to his base. He was directed back to his original patrol course.
*
It had been three minutes since Tim had started toward the incident. I wonder if the plane was just the victim of some mechanical problem? The comment about the lightning is still the best lead though. He was within 100 miles of the remaining plane when his suspicions of Clank were confirmed.
“Grey Leader, Grey Leader, this is Grey one,” the pilot shouted. “I have a trailer. I repeat . . . there is an object behind me.”
“Can you identify Grey One?” the base returned.
“I would have to say it is the mystery plane, Grey Leader,” the pilot shouted.
“Are you sure Grey One?”
“I would have to say ‘yes’! The trailer is small, black, and very maneuverable. I can’t get him off my tail!” the pilot shouted his last sentence.
“Okay Grey One, you have permission to exit the airplane, I repeat, get out of the plane!”
“Not yet Grey Leader, trailer has shown no intention of hostile action,” the pilot came back.
“Grey One, punch out, I repeat, punch out now! You won’t get any warning, I repeat, if it is the mystery ship, it will use laser to bring you down. Get out now, or it will be too late!” the radio operator at the base pleaded with the pilot.
“Get out of that thing!” Tim yelled to the pilot through the channel Duo had opened up. He was within twenty-seconds of arriving on the scene.
“Who is that?” the pilot asked, then continued. “Is this Blue leader?”
“No, it is not Blue Leader,” Tim shouted into the open channel. “I am a friend, and I am coming to help you, but I can’t get there for another ten-seconds. Don’t ask any questions; just get out of the plane! Now!” Tim shouted.
“I don’t understand,” the pilot replied.
“Just do it, or you’re dead!” Tim yelled.
Tim had the F-16 on his sensors, and there, close behind was the TT Fighter. He had gotten to within twenty miles when the sensors indicated, Clank had fired on the F-16.
“Goddamn you, you son-of-a-bitch!” Tim yelled into the open channel.
“What’s the matter Timmy, can’t save everybody?” Clank’s voice came back over the open channel.
“Sensors show that the pilot did get out of the plane in time,” Duo added.
“Ha, ha to you asshole!” Tim said into the open channel.
“It’s not over yet, Timmy,” Clank said in return.
Tim arrived at the scene and slowed immediately. Down below and a little to the right was the pilot, falling, on his way to the ground. Tim descended quickly, as the pilot’s parachute billowed out. The sensors showed the TT Fighter to be six miles farther off to the right, uncloaked, and heading toward the helpless pilot.
“What the hell is he doing?” Tim asked Duo.
“The TT Fighter has the parachute targeted,” Duo said.
“What? That miserable bastard, he wouldn’t?”
“It looks like he is going to shoot the pilot.”
“Oh shit, what can I do?” Tim asked
“The Pod can extend a tractor beam and pull the pilot to safety.”
“That’ll kill him!” Tim exclaimed.
“No it won’t. The pilot will be protected inside the beam, and you can deliver him anywhere you want,” Duo returned.
“Do it!” Tim commanded as he focused on the pilot, and projected a thought out to him.
“Pilot secured,” Duo said, as the Pod zipped a couple of hundred feet above the open chute. The TT Fighter flashed by as well.
Tim accelerated the Pod away, concerned about the pilot being subjected to the G’s. Duo said not to worry because anything within the beam was the same as anything inside the Pod. The pilot was in no danger, other than possibly dying of fright.
“Did you get the marker on him?” asked Tim.
“Yes, it was successful also,” Duo responded.
Tim dropped the Pod toward the ground. When he was at five hundred feet, he stopped and gently placed the astonished pilot on the surface, then released him from the beam. Tim dropped the Pod down and came to within a few feet of the bewildered man.
“I’m glad I was able to get to you in time,” Tim said to the pilot.
“Who are you?” the pilot gasped. “What kind of machine is that?”
If I allow the man to continue, the simple questions will go on and on, but I have to get back to Clank and spoil any other attempts he makes at breaking my deal with Ed.
Tim gave the pilot a simple salute. Then the Pod shot up into the sky and was gone from the pilot’s sight in a couple of seconds.
*
Duo’s plan to contain Clank was simple. When
the TT fighter was uncloaked, a small energy spot had been painted on it with a laser.
*
The marker came in clear as Tim directed the Pod to the TT Fighter. In the one minute Tim had taken to snatch and deposit the pilot safely, the TT Fighter, at top speed, managed to put only eighty miles between them. Tim assumed correctly that Clank had cloaked the fighter again, but there was the marker, big as life.
*
The Pod will close with the TT Fighter in under thirty-seconds, and then I’ll use a strategy of interdiction. I’ll place energy shields around anything Clank intends to destroy. It will be simple to just wear him down.
*
Three hours later, the TT Fighter glided into the opening to Timtown, Clank in a rage. He had attempted to shot down six additional U.S. military planes, and even threatened a civilian passenger plane. He had remained cloaked trying to elude the strange craft that was dogging him, but somehow the Manta shaped ship always showed up at the right moment, and none of his laser strikes did any damage.
*
Tim flew back inside Timtown at the same time Clank did. He and Duo had programmed the Pod to fly at a moment’s notice. It could now screen any flight the TT Fighter took, remotely if necessary.
*
For the first time since the altercations with Clank started, I’m now confident I can win out over the Man-machine. I have Clank stymied, and now it is time to work on the final solution.
*
Tim took the Sky-bike and traveled sixty miles to the new outpost Major Matusca had set up. Since the clear-out from Timtown, the awful headaches had remained fresh in everyone’s mind. There hadn’t been any talk of going back, not until the medical staff could come up with either an explanation, or an antidote.
“I want you to contact Ed Adams for me,” Tim asked Matusca.
“I’m not sure I’m glad to see you, not after drooling all over myself,” Matusca said, punching a key on his cell phone.
“I’m sorry you had to suffer with the rest of them, but I had to do something.” Tim shrugged.
“Yeah, well, you guys save my bacon, then give me a headache that made me wish I had faced the firing squad,” the Major complained.
“Yeah, hey Mr. Adams, Matusca here. Our headache is standing next to me,” he said, then handed the phone to Tim.
“I’m proud of our little scheme and how well it worked,” Ed said, “but please, let’s not get that desperate again.”