I could not think of anything else, other than the very same Mil-Mi 28 Havoc helicopter design the first time I looked at the schematics projected in great details via a hologram right on top of the table.
The nose of the aircraft, the cockpit, the wings, even up to the tail and its overall features resembled no less than eighty percent of the real-life helicopter. Even the interior itself albeit about one and a half time more spacious, it was practically the same as the real one. Still, there were several significant differences compared to the original one.
There were no missiles at the end of each wing. Instead, there seemed to be an engine resembling some sort of a vertical jet propulsion. Regardless of whether or not they were indeed a pair of engines necessary to bring the aircraft to hover and fly, the schematics animation confirmed that they could be rotated 360o. The wings were closer forward to the cockpit compared to the original Havoc.
The next unique feature, was the total absence of rotor blades at the top of the aircraft. There was literally nothing installed up there, just a plain and smooth surface with an extremely aerodynamic shape, resembling that of a hawk head. If anything, I believe it was for ease of gliding whenever the gunship flew, a feature that still could not be implemented completely to any helicopters known in the whole world currently.
Another jet propulsion-like engine was also installed at the end of the gunship tail. Unlike the ones on both of the wings, this one seemed to only be able to be rotated 270o, and was clearly to assist in take-off, advancing, reversing, and landing process.
Surprisingly, for a gunship there seemed to be lacking of armament except for a large, laser auto-cannon attached right under the nose. I could not tell how many rounds that could be shot out of that weaponry, but clearly one shot is more than enough to shred any living thing to multiple pieces.
With the exterior features of the helicopter finished, I tried to find out as many features inside the gunship as I could, starting with its basic armor.
Its whole body was made out of a material not known to earth, and was far thicker than the real-life counterpart of Havoc helicopter. I would say that the thickness of the armor was at the very least fifty millimeters, and most likely was also thicker at the cockpit area.
The original Havoc had a small passenger compartment for emergency situations, especially in urgent evacuation missions. This gunship however, literally had a passenger cabin with the capacity of six aliens, with the doors located just behind the wings. If combined with a pilot and a co-pilot, that would make the total of eight available crew inside the gunship. Size-wise, it would be twelve or thirteen if the passengers were all human, even maybe sixteen if cramped.
Just beside the passenger compartment, was apparently a small room for supplies storage–from charging station, heavy shields, and what seemed to be emergency rations. It became clear to me that the charging station, resembling a couple of gasoline pump dispensers was actually for the aliens to refill the ammunition of their beam rifles by storing the rifles on the dispensers.
And that the term gunship for the aircraft was most likely not because of its heavy armament, but because of its capability and excellent endurance for aerial combat and battle that could last for days and perhaps a week without landing for even once. The heavy shields stored at the small room confirmed that the gunship role was to ensure the complete safety of their troops whenever they were engaged in combat and in any kinds of environments.
This gunship is practically a small but heavily-armored flying fort. I could not imagine if we were to fight this aircraft earlier even when we were wearing our heavy armor.
There was one last thing that caught my eye, something that I could memorize it right away because it was the only words on the schematics that was written in English, whatever their reason maybe.
'ZX-918 Phoenix'
I do not know what does the ZX-918 means, but from now I will refer this aircraft as the Phoenix Gunship.
Such a coincidence, for the aircraft to have the same codename as me, 'Phoenix'….
I was not even sure if I was amazed or terrified, intrigued or frightened, or even just surprised to realize that there were still more for me to see with my own eyes a whole different technology owned by these extraterrestrial creatures.
I knew from the start that they were intelligent beings, far more intelligent than us. But to think that they also designed something very similar to what we had was just beyond what I had expected.
I was glad that they somehow acknowledged the design of our aerial defence technology through their own way, but in the same time also horrified knowing that our defence would hold nothing at all if they decided to invade us with full force.
Oh, please. No more technologies aside from this amphibious tank and Phoenix gunship….
Having finished looking at what I need to find out, I was about to walk out of the room and sneak back out to find the real exit from the cave, until I suddenly heard several footsteps approaching the room which came from the floors above me.
Great. Now what?
I quickly hid behind the wall just next to the door. Apparently, some of the aliens stopped right outside the room and began to talk with their colleagues, still in English.
"Why were you late?"
"The chief posted me at the furthest post. Imagine the time it took me to get here when the path itself was already narrow!"
"Which one was it?"
"The one nearest to the outside. It was not too far from the shore too I believe."
Wait, so one of them just came late to the urgent meeting on the rooftop because it was coming from its post, and it was also one of the furthest one from here.
It was the nearest one to the cave exit because it was pretty close to the shore. I have to follow this alien!
"So? What did you all discuss while I have not arrived yet?"
"About that difficult human."
Me? What is it about me again?
"The chief already has his long firearm, he even showed it to us all just now."
Long firearm…. Wait! That is my Browning Automatic Rifle! That giant behemoth got my rifle!
"Good, so now we can rest easy?"
"Which also means that if the human turns out to still be breathing, we are to capture him and to bring him to the chief at once."
"I see. I suppose that also means the chief has already start looking for that human again?"
"Yes. Together with someone near the spot where all of the humans fell down at that narrow path."
"Where will you go, then?"
"I will stay at the first floor. You just go back to your post now since there is already one of us up there. You can take the hover board that has already fully charged."
"Understood."
As soon as their conversation ended, the footsteps quickly faded away with every second I waited for them to leave the third floor. And with that, I knew the next thing I needed to do; to follow the alien from the furthest post.
Well, at least that thing is now far away looking for my body. I have to use this chance to get out from this cave!