untitled Yukikaze fic, chapter 1
It wasn’t expected. …It wasn’t even normal. A psychologist for the pilot, sure, but one for the plane? A near sentient plane, with a top-of-the-line combat intelligence… but it was still just a plane, right? Except, that plane, was meant to be half of a human-machine interface. And they weren’t merging the way they should. The plane has killed, or almost killed, itself. Twice. The first time sending the pilot into a catatonic state, the second it almost took the pilot, and the pilot’s superior officer-and-best-friend, with it. Because the JAM had copied the older version of the plane, and the pilot. …There was something important there.
~~~
“Bogeys left, right, up, down and everywhere else, this is a madhouse.”
“You’re the one who insisted on coming along, Captain.”
“Hah, it just makes it easier to kill shit. Come on, let’s finish up so we can go home.”
“… You do know it’s not likely that we’ll make it, right?”
“Rule number one, Lt. Fukai, is don’t die. We distract the JAM long enough for the Banshee to get to the Passageway, and then we go running after them, get through before it gets blown to hell, and mop up the JAM that make it to the other side. Simple plan, and simple plans always work.”
“For you, perhaps.”
“Lt. Fukai, I’ve lost more co-pilots and planes than you have. But when I’ve been the co-pilot, I’ve always come home with the plane and pilot intact. Now go faster, damnit. I’ve acclimatized to the stunts you’re pulling, and the JAM are getting used to them.”
“Roger.”
Some moments later: “Aaand we are out of… everything. Except fuel. Shit. Reload reload reload reload… Yes!”
“What the hell?”
“I’ll explain later, now just kill the bastards!”
“Banshee is 100 meters from the Passageway.”
“Let’s go then!”
~~~
They almost made it. But they were only barely within the trans-dimensional part of the Passageway when the nukes went off. When they awoke, It was not to the odd-colored sky of Fairy. They appeared to be on Earth, but the planes that buzzed below them in a dogfight were not quite right…
“Yukikaze, monitor radio frequencies, and bring up the ones being used…”
“And give me images of the fighters… Well, this is not good.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, either we have a good three dozen excellent reproductions of World War 2 aircraft, or we’re in the middle of a World War 2, Pacific-Theater battle. Given that the Japanese “Zeros” are being blown to hell, when they’d normally be too valuable for something like that, I’d say option number two.”
“That was over a hundred years ago.”
“Dad is -was, sorry- a WWII buff. It rubbed off. Granted, it’s what got me interested in aeronautics history. Yukikaze, is, well, in a bad place right now. There’s a Japanese battle ship of some type with the same name. I know it survived the war… Shit, break left! Retreat to maximum altitude.”
“What the hell is going on?”
“I’m working on it. Yukikaze, who fired on us? Hmm… well, I almost expected that. The Allied forces prolly saw Yukikaze’s nose. Not exactly subtle.”
“Wasn’t supposed to be.”
“Never needed to be. We weren’t fighting humans. Well, we’re safe for now, let’s see what we can do about our situation.”
“We could land and explain the situation.”
“You’re Japanese, Lt., add the characters on the plane’s nose, and the fact that the UN hasn’t been formed yet, and that would be effective suicide. At best? You would NEVER fly again. My job is to keep that from happening. Now, where’s my book… Ah, here it is. Now, what’s the weirdest shit I’ve done…Please tell me I’ve- Yes. Yes I have…”
“What the hell is going on?”
“Erm, I’m a mutant. I have the power to warp reality. I’ve been using my powers to reload and refuel Yukikaze. But that’s roughly the most I can do while still in control of my powers. Well, as in control as I can be. I wear a limiter that cuts me down to about 8% of my full strength, which means I can mostly control to what degree I warp the reality around me. Without it, I can roughly guide my powers, but they do what they want. If I take my limiter off, I’m pretty sure I can guide us to a friendlier dimension, but…”
“What?”
“Well, that depends on how much weight I can afford to lose. We won’t end up in any immediate danger, but we may not arrive in one piece. Last time I did this, I was eight-, it looks like. I’m, well, older now, and I don’t know how much my powers have increased. And if or how much the caloric requirements have decreased. Huh, they’re firing missiles at us. Go ahead and fire at the missiles, I’m not sure whether they use timed or proximity fuses… Ok, mass of Yukikaze, mass of Lt. Fukai, mass of Captain Jacobson, …top speed… BMI… similar dimension… time… hmm… 90’s on… Ok. Yukikaze, what’s our present location? Oh, wait, no GPS… Well, best estimate on location.”
“So?”
“Erm… doable. But where ever we end up, you’re gonna want to declare an emergency and land. I’m going to be very close to dangerously underweight. I, fortunately, I only have a 4% margin of error, so if Yukikaze loses parts, they shouldn’t be needed to land. Let’s get away from here, first. Once we’re well clear of all other craft, descend to a more reasonable altitude in preparation for landing."
~~~
“Bogeys left, right, up, down and everywhere else, this is a madhouse.”
“You’re the one who insisted on coming along, Captain.”
“Hah, it just makes it easier to kill shit. Come on, let’s finish up so we can go home.”
“… You do know it’s not likely that we’ll make it, right?”
“Rule number one, Lt. Fukai, is don’t die. We distract the JAM long enough for the Banshee to get to the Passageway, and then we go running after them, get through before it gets blown to hell, and mop up the JAM that make it to the other side. Simple plan, and simple plans always work.”
“For you, perhaps.”
“Lt. Fukai, I’ve lost more co-pilots and planes than you have. But when I’ve been the co-pilot, I’ve always come home with the plane and pilot intact. Now go faster, damnit. I’ve acclimatized to the stunts you’re pulling, and the JAM are getting used to them.”
“Roger.”
Some moments later: “Aaand we are out of… everything. Except fuel. Shit. Reload reload reload reload… Yes!”
“What the hell?”
“I’ll explain later, now just kill the bastards!”
“Banshee is 100 meters from the Passageway.”
“Let’s go then!”
~~~
They almost made it. But they were only barely within the trans-dimensional part of the Passageway when the nukes went off. When they awoke, It was not to the odd-colored sky of Fairy. They appeared to be on Earth, but the planes that buzzed below them in a dogfight were not quite right…
“Yukikaze, monitor radio frequencies, and bring up the ones being used…”
“And give me images of the fighters… Well, this is not good.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, either we have a good three dozen excellent reproductions of World War 2 aircraft, or we’re in the middle of a World War 2, Pacific-Theater battle. Given that the Japanese “Zeros” are being blown to hell, when they’d normally be too valuable for something like that, I’d say option number two.”
“That was over a hundred years ago.”
“Dad is -was, sorry- a WWII buff. It rubbed off. Granted, it’s what got me interested in aeronautics history. Yukikaze, is, well, in a bad place right now. There’s a Japanese battle ship of some type with the same name. I know it survived the war… Shit, break left! Retreat to maximum altitude.”
“What the hell is going on?”
“I’m working on it. Yukikaze, who fired on us? Hmm… well, I almost expected that. The Allied forces prolly saw Yukikaze’s nose. Not exactly subtle.”
“Wasn’t supposed to be.”
“Never needed to be. We weren’t fighting humans. Well, we’re safe for now, let’s see what we can do about our situation.”
“We could land and explain the situation.”
“You’re Japanese, Lt., add the characters on the plane’s nose, and the fact that the UN hasn’t been formed yet, and that would be effective suicide. At best? You would NEVER fly again. My job is to keep that from happening. Now, where’s my book… Ah, here it is. Now, what’s the weirdest shit I’ve done…Please tell me I’ve- Yes. Yes I have…”
“What the hell is going on?”
“Erm, I’m a mutant. I have the power to warp reality. I’ve been using my powers to reload and refuel Yukikaze. But that’s roughly the most I can do while still in control of my powers. Well, as in control as I can be. I wear a limiter that cuts me down to about 8% of my full strength, which means I can mostly control to what degree I warp the reality around me. Without it, I can roughly guide my powers, but they do what they want. If I take my limiter off, I’m pretty sure I can guide us to a friendlier dimension, but…”
“What?”
“Well, that depends on how much weight I can afford to lose. We won’t end up in any immediate danger, but we may not arrive in one piece. Last time I did this, I was eight-, it looks like. I’m, well, older now, and I don’t know how much my powers have increased. And if or how much the caloric requirements have decreased. Huh, they’re firing missiles at us. Go ahead and fire at the missiles, I’m not sure whether they use timed or proximity fuses… Ok, mass of Yukikaze, mass of Lt. Fukai, mass of Captain Jacobson, …top speed… BMI… similar dimension… time… hmm… 90’s on… Ok. Yukikaze, what’s our present location? Oh, wait, no GPS… Well, best estimate on location.”
“So?”
“Erm… doable. But where ever we end up, you’re gonna want to declare an emergency and land. I’m going to be very close to dangerously underweight. I, fortunately, I only have a 4% margin of error, so if Yukikaze loses parts, they shouldn’t be needed to land. Let’s get away from here, first. Once we’re well clear of all other craft, descend to a more reasonable altitude in preparation for landing."