Authors: S D Taylor
“Survive a war that is a lot worse than the one we just escaped from.”
Doug turned and looked at the dark flying object. It was making a wide turn to the north and heading in their direction. He gave the time/space locator dial a random turn and pushed the button. The boat was moving at ten knots so he didn’t have to speed up but he thought the seconds until the vortex opened were going by at a snail’s pace.
“We might want to get out of here, Doug. They seem to be heading our way. And really fast.” Erin unconsciously took hold of his arm. The object was closing on them quickly and was now identifiable as a black triangle, probably a type of delta wing military aircraft.
“I don’t like the looks of this. Is there a defensive shield on this boat? Dara! Can you hear me?”
Data blinked and opened her eyes wide. The blood stained her white skin and matted her blonde hair, and her face was bruised and swollen. “We don’t have any shields that can stop their weapons. Leaving through the vortex is the only thing that will save us.”
Doug turned to look at the approaching threat. A few more seconds and the vortex would form and they would be safe.
"Dara. Is there any way to launch the hover vehicle remotely?"
Dara struggled to point to the console near Erin. "There is a control stick there. Push the green button to launch. The stick controls direction and the button on the stick controls the speed. Hurry, your idea might work." Dara had figured out Doug's strategy for a diversion to buy them time.
Erin was closer to the stick and she understood what Doug was thinking. If they could launch the hover vehicle and fly it towards the oncoming aircraft, they might get them to blink and take evasive maneuvers. It would buy them the few seconds they needed. "I will launch it, Doug. Straight at them, right?"
"Yes, and as soon as they turn, try to turn it around and bring it through the vortex with us."
Erin laughed as she pulled back on the stick and squeezed the trigger. "I'll be lucky if I don't crash it into the boat and kill us all."
The hover vehicle rose from its pad and flew straight ahead of the boat, climbing quickly on a collision course with the approaching craft just as the vortex started to open.
The black aircraft saw it immediately and banked hard to the side, gaining altitude for a possible dog fight with this sudden threat from below. At that second, the vortex opened fully and the Skimmer class boat began to enter it. Erin pushed the stick hard to the right and turned the hover vehicle in a wide arc, trying to line it up with the vortex.
"Push the auto recover button, and let go of the stick." Dara used her last ounce of energy to say that as she finally passed out from the pain and fatigue.
Erin looked quickly around the console, but it was Doug that reached across and pushed the button. Erin let go of the stick and it returned to its upright position. The boat completed the transit of the vortex and the hover vehicle just made it through the vortex as it closed. They could feel the slight bump as it landed and docked.
Erin turned to Doug and hugged him. "That was way too close."
"Nice job flying that thing. I am glad we thought of it." Doug smiled at her, but quickly turned to Dara who was even paler than usual and barely breathing.
Erin looked to see where they ended up. The sky was still bright blue and the ocean was slightly choppy from a light wind. And in the distance, Erin again saw an object flying in their general direction. "Doug! Something is heading this way! You better take a look."
"Actually, you may want to look behind us before you get too excited. It's probably not an attack aircraft."
Erin whirled around and looked back, gasping in surprise at what she saw. There was Anchorage. Just like the pictures she had seen. The Anchorage where she and Doug were headed when this adventure began. "Well it sure took a lot more effort to get here than I expected."
Doug laughed. "And it’s really too bad we can't stay." He unstrapped Dara and picked up her battered body as carefully as possible to avoid causing her any more pain. "We need to take her below and see what we can do to help her."
"Is the boat ok right here? Should I move it somewhere?"
"Yes, we need to find a spot nearer to shore. Let’s try to look inconspicuous while we see what we can do to help Dara."
Erin laughed. "I better put a tarp over the flying saucer."
Doug smiled and nodded. "Good idea. We don't want to attract any unwanted attention. Way too much to explain. Hey, can you help me get this door open."
Erin pulled open the door to the bridge and Doug struggled past her, giving her a smile as he passed by. Erin smiled back and stared after him as he carried the badly injured woman below where he hoped his medical experience and the boat's high tech medical gear might be enough to save her. After everything that had happened, they were seemingly back to their own time and struggling to save a woman who both of them had desperately wanted to kill only a few days earlier.
"A darn strange journey this has been." Erin thought as she followed Doug below to look for a tarp. "I wonder when and where it will end."