The day after the China operation began under the weight of sleepless hours and lingering tension. Still, amidst the fatigue, there was no time for rest. As I walked through the corridors of the base, the hum of activity was unmistakable.
The abduction in China was not an isolated incident. The aliens were growing bolder, reaching further and we were falling behind.
Work on our first Interceptor had been ongoing for some time, but the urgency was greater now. Our recent encounters with the aliens made one thing abundantly clear: our engagement was not limited to the ground. The presence of the UFO made that evident. If we were to have a fighting chance, we had to take control of our skies. We needed a sentinel in the air, a guardian.
My focus then turned to engineering, who were hard at work modifying this foreign technology for our benefit. Every edge we could acquire was necessary.
As I entered the hangar, I saw our first Interceptor in the final stages of assembly, a sleek piece of engineering amidst a flurry of activity.
Dr. Shen, our chief engineer, was supervising the final steps of the construction. His face was etched with determination, his eyes flickering with a spark that seemed to mirror the brilliance of the welding torches.
"Commander," Dr. Shen, acknowledged me with a nod, his attention divided between me and the blueprint in his hand.
"Progress report, Shen?" I asked, stepping closer to the nearly completed Interceptor.
"We're in the final stages, Commander," Shen replied, tracing a gloved finger along a line in the blueprint. "She'll be ready for her maiden flight by nightfall."
Even in its unfinished form, the Interceptor was impressive to see. I couldn't help but reach out and touch the icy, metallic surface. It was a testament to our tenacity and a miracle of human ingenuity. It had a sleek, rapacious appearance that suggested both power and speed.
"Raven"
"Her name?"
"Yes, sir"
"Raven. She looks ready to take on anything," I said.
"She'll have to be," Shen replied gravely. "Our alien friends won't give us any quarter, and we can't afford to give them any either."
We watched as a team of engineers guided a massive engine component into place. "This represents more than just a technical achievement, Shen," I said, turning towards him. "This is a symbol. A message to our unseen foes."
Shen nodded. "We're ready to face them, on the ground and now in the skies," he said. "And we won't back down."
As the day turned into night, I watched the Interceptor undergo its final adjustments. When it was finished, it stood under the hangar lights, a silent sentinel awaiting its first mission.
Its dark surface seemed to absorb the light surrounding it, as if it were a silent predator waiting for its first prey. Its lethal silhouette was a promise of revenge, a symbol of our fortitude. I felt a rush of mixed feelings as I stood there staring at our creation.
"We'll keep the home fires burning, Commander," Shen said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "This is just the first step. We have a long road ahead of us."
"We'll face that road together, Shen," I replied.
I spent the rest of the night reviewing and planning, strategizing and organizing. The war was upon us, and there was no turning back. As the sun began to rise, casting long shadows in my office, I looked again at the globe on my desk. as I finished the thought Bradford had stepped in.
"You appear to be sleep deprived." He said to me with a glaring hint I need to rest
"Sleep is for the weak" I responded, eliciting a brief chuckle from the two of us as we both realised we had work to do.
"How is the status of those satellites?"
"4 have been built and launched this month, commander."
"That's good, but it's just not enough. I worry that too much damage will already have been done by the time we receive global coverage"
*Warning Incoming Unidentified flying object*
"Tsk, it seems like we never seem to get a break, do we?"As I concluded the statement I got a ping from Dr. Shen right away.
"It appears that our field test has come to us."
"Indeed, Is it ready?"
"Yes, I believe so, commander"
"Let's get that bird in the air, then."
"Certainly!"
"Bradford, get me Voodoo Three-Seven"