LISA
I am sitting at the breakfast table in the mess hall and something inside me wishes that I would see him again. Tina is sitting across from me and I want to share with her that I am thinking about him but then she would just tell me to stay away from him.
"So, how did your first day go yesterday? I heard the infamous Captain Smith did not follow the rules again?"
Immediately she has my attention when she said the word "again." The file that my dad gave me on Captain Brian Smith was just one page and I did not know about how he acts around authority. I then quickly respond to Tina.
"I am sorry but what did you mean by again?"
"I thought you knew. But Captain Smith is kind of known not to listen to any authority around him. When I heard that you got him as your pilot I felt very sorry for you. He usually does not listen to anyone. You are probably going to have a hard time"
"How do you know this?"
"Oh, it is all around the base. Many speculated that is the reason why he left the Navy..."
I want to say to her that he left the base because he was mentally unstable but it is clear to me that she does not know about it. This case just becomes even more interesting by the day. I have to get some more information on this Captain before I can make any kind of diagnosis. She then continues.
"...nobody knows why he left or why he came back except for his close friends. I guess he has a reputation to keep"
I act completely nonchalantly as if this does not bother me at all.
"Yeah, I guess he does"
I do not want to ask more because then she might think I am interested in him or something and that is the last thing that I want. Without warning, a thought jumps into my mind and it is enough to send a cold feeling through my bones.
"Steve!"
"Who is Steve?"
"He is my boyfriend back home. I forgot. I told him that I would send him a message this morning...I quickly have to make a call"
I run outside and then dial his number. He does not answer and I look at my watch only to realize that he must be in surgery now. I wait for the answering machine and then I leave him a message.
"I am so so sorry again. Things are just completely hectic on this side and I know I promised that I would send you a message but I did not. I will call you later today and I hope that you will forgive me"
I end the call and then I take a deep breath. I remember being in relationships before Steve and I also remember how I used to pick the wrong guys but I have never forgotten about any guy as much as I do about Steve. I have to do something to remember Steve.
I look at my watch and I realized that I am going to be late if I do not get to the Tower right away. So, I start to run and I make it there just in time.
BRIAN
"I am here!"
"Mommy, I can not find you. Where are you?!"
"I am here with Daddy"
"Mommy, I can not see you. Where are you?!"
Suddenly I wake up in a cold sweat. I sit upright in my bed looking around me. It is still dark. I look at my watch and see it's only two in the morning. I am not sure what just happened to me but I can feel my heart racing uncontrollably. I try to think of what I just dreamt but it is a blank.
I stand up and go and splash my face with some cold water. I am trying to figure out what I am feeling and I think it is close to a feeling of fear. I look in the mirror just staring at myself and I realized that fear has not been part of my life. I am not afraid of anything and usually, I would just face whatever would come my way.
I get back in bed and turn around trying to sleep some more but the sleep comes and goes as it wants to. I know that sleep is very important when you are in the sky and your focus should be completely on what you are doing. I guess I am going to struggle tomorrow as it would take great effort to do the normal things without sleep.
A few hours later I decide to get up as I want to make up for yesterday. I am the first one in class. I have a choice of many empty chairs in front of me as I take a seat, I see the instructor staring at me with shock. I guess he did not know that I could be on time as I am never early.
I watched as the sun is just peeking over there horizon and this somehow brings peace to me. Then I watch as each soldier starts to fill up the chairs and each one of them salutes me as they walk by. I guess I made a big impression on my first day.
Then the instructor gives each of us our missions and just as everyone is dismissed I hear him say.
"...except for you Captain Smith. I would like to have a word"
Here it comes. I walk up to him and salute him.
"Am I going to have trouble with you today Captain?"
"No sir!"
"Good. Now get going!"
"Yes sir!"
I turn around smiling as I know that I have gotten away with it very lightly. It is clear that someone up in authority has my back. But today is a new day and I will do my very best to follow the rules.
LISA
As I get myself ready to hear from my pilot, I know that I am ready for the infamous Captain Smith. I will not take any nonsense of him today and I expect him to follow whatever I say to him to do. I know that I am not a high-ranking officer but the messages that I give to him are directly from them and that would be the reason why he will listen to me. Then, my superior walks up to me and hands me today's mission.
I start to read through the mission and I realized there are so many things that he can do that would break the rules. I do not want him to fail for some reason. Then I hear his voice over my headset. It once again attracts my attention immediately not because I am in the tower but because his voice is irresistible.
"Tower, this is Bravo Romeo 05. Please come in. Over"
"Bravo Romeo 05 this is Tower. We read you loud and clear. Over"
"I am ready for takeoff. Please let me know if I am clear. Over"
I look at the monitors in front of me and I can see that he is clear.
"You are clear for takeoff on runway 2. Over"
"Roger that"
I know that now would be the perfect time to tell him about his mission while he is taxiing to the runway. I make contact with him again and then I say.
"Bravo Romeo 05 please acknowledge if you have time to be briefed for your mission. Over"
"You may proceed. Over"
"Your mission for today consists of search and destroy. You should locate the enemy aircrafts and as soon as you get a lock you can fire at will. You will be expected to make contact every time that you locate an enemy. The enemy would be between sectors 1 and 12. Please confirm if you understand the orders. Over"
BRIAN
I have only heard her voice in bits and pieces but now that I had to listen to her intensely, I had to use all my concentration to focus on the orders that she gives me and not get lost in the calmness that her voice brings.
I do not know why this voice has such of an effect on me as I am used to having people in my ears. But I acknowledge everything that she said to me and then I reply.
"I confirm and understand my mission. Over"
This is probably my favorite mission of all our missions. I love to look for the enemy and then destroy them. I have not had a lot of time in the field before I was declared mentally unstable and I can not wait to do this out on the field.
I want to serve my country and I want to let the enemy know that they do not mess with us. I take off and once again I am consumed with the power of this engine. I feel free and complete almost as if I was made for this. Then I radio my squadron and explain the mission to them.
Soon we find ourselves in sections 1 to 12 and we start to look for the enemy planes. We make sure to break up in teams of two because you always need a wingman. It does not take me long when I find one of the enemy planes and I maneuver my jet to get a lock on him.