4 CHAPTER 4: TAKE OFF

Martin moved through the upper deck of the Raptor Jump ship making his way forward to the cockpit as men and women were settling into their chairs. He barely glanced at Anja and Kevin who were sitting together, and he did not see her eyes linger on him for a long moment. He passed through the small doorway into the spacious cockpit and saw the two pilots prepping the ship for takeoff. He glanced at the small door and debated whether to go upstairs into the observation lounge for take off, but decided against it and settled into the engineering seat behind them.

"How goes it folks?" He asked.

"Four minutes." The pilot answered, turning back to look at him. He wore a Marine Corp flight suit with gold oak leaf clusters on the shoulder boards. "All our guests got their seatbelts on Boss man?"

"We're secure in the back." Martin replied, settling into the chair at the computer station behind the pilot.

The Major glanced through the open doorway and looked at the long rows of seats now occupied by men and women. "Man, I hate transporting REMFs."

The female co-pilot chuckled and looked at him. She wore Captain's bars and a Marine Corp flight suit as well, "C'mon Ben." She spoke. "We need to work on your social skills."

The pilot, Major Benjamin O'Connell, looked at her with a grin. "Can we start with you?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows. "I might need extra training Tina."

"We'll see big boy." Tina Winston said in reply. "We'll see."

Martin shook his head at the antics of the pair. They were the best damn flight crew he had ever worked with. They had taken him and his team into some of the nastiest places on earth, and always came back to get them. Even when they were ordered not too. They were also very much an item, almost never apart even when they weren't flying, and there were rumors that they would end up getting married in the next year or so.

"Ramp coming up," The voice on the intercom spoke from the back.

Both Ben and Tina became all business from that point on. Ben turned back to the consoles that were wrapped around him on three sides. They looked like something from a science fiction movie of old.

"Ok, bring the engines to max thrust." Ben spoke his voice cool and calm, "Stabilizers to full extension."

"Stabilizers at full," Tina spoke, her hands seeming to fly across her equally space age consoles, "Engines spooling to max power. Bringing the navigation array online, and activating defensive systems."

The Raptor Jump Ships were equipped with the most advanced offensive and defensive systems known to exist. They could fly invisible to all known radar due to the advanced reflecting armor coating the skin of the craft. The heat from the engines was vented and cooled before it ever reached the air. They were affectionately referred to as RAPTORs by the pilots and co-pilots because of their awesome capabilities and firepower. Martin secured his form in the seat and flipped several switches on the console in front of him. The screens came alive with the faces of the men and women in the back.

"How many lose their lunch?" Tina asked, not looking up from her console.

"I say thirty." Ben spoke, his eyes focused on his own screens.

Martin chuckled and shook his head. "I got 50 that say only ten blow chunks." He spoke. "Most of the people coming up this time have already undergone heavy G training."

"Damn!" Ben muttered. "That's too bad."

"Why complain?" Tina asked. "We spent three hours cleaning up the cargo area after the last flight up. The smell made me sick myself. Twice."

Ben laughed. "You should have heard her cuss you Marty." He spoke.

Martin turned in his chair. "Me? Why was it my fault?"

"You didn't tell us that over half were fresh from the academy, and had no heavy G training. They lost it six minutes into the flight!" Tina complained. "We had to fly fourteen hours with the air filters working triple time."

Martin smiled as he turned back to the screens. He centered one screen on Anja and Kevin, who were speaking quietly together. She looked like she had a very bored expression on her face. Tina glanced back at just that time and saw him gazing at the stunning young woman on the screen.

"Someone you know?" She asked.

Martin nodded, "A long time ago." He said softly, "A long time ago."

Ben turned quickly and saw Anja on the screen. He whistled loudly. "Wow! Look at those..."

Tina punched him in the shoulder hard enough to shut him up. "Don't you finish that statement big boy!"

"Ow!" Ben exclaimed. "What did you hit me for?"

"Just fly the damn ship!" She spat.

"Is this jealously I detect dear?" Ben asked, turning back to his controls.

"I'll show you jealously buster. Wait till we get back to EDEN." Tina growled, but with a small smile on her face.

"Raptor Two, Raptor One, ready to depart!" The voice on their com spoke.

Ben nodded, "Raptor Two confirm. We are ready to depart! Lead us out of here Robby."

"Raptor Two roger, we are lifting off!"

Martin turned and looked out the small windshield as Raptor One lifted into the air with a blast of its powerful engines. He watched as Ben and Tina pulled on their flight helmets and then Ben took the controls and did the same.

"Raptor One, we are airborne and on your six. Rotating ten degrees to come up under your aft wing. Let's keep it tight until we clear the atmosphere Robby." Ben spoke into his helmet mic.

"Roger that Major. Initiating atmosphere entry in thirty seconds. Throttles to seventy percent power. Activating Reflector armor and flight tracker. Say goodbye to earth for six months folks!" The voice spoke.

Martin was still amazed at the speed in which they ascended into the clouds. In ten seconds, he could see nothing but tiny specks of light on the ground, and then they were hidden by clouds as they entered the atmosphere.

Ben flipped a switch on the console, "Good morning everyone and welcome to Raptor flight. One-way service to EDEN. Please do not leave your seats until the word is given. We will be entering the atmosphere in twenty seconds and the ride will be quite rough for another forty seconds. Hope no one had anything to heavy to eat before we left. Barf bags are in the arms of your seats, so please use them. Flying time to EDEN is thirteen hours and forty-nine minutes from now. Enjoy the flight. And any complaints should be directed to Commander Hunter when we reach EDEN."

Martin laughed and waved at Ben's back. "Thanks Ben." He spoke.

Ben smiled, "Always a pleasure boss."

The two ships of Raptor flight entered the atmosphere of earth heading toward their new home on EDEN.

The Earth they would return to would never be the same.

Anja sat in her seat going over the packet that was handed out to them in the terminal. Kevin had predictably lost all the contents of his stomach upon taking off, and once the flight had smoothed out, he had begun drinking. Now, six hours into the flight he was passed out from five glasses of straight bourbon, and snoring lightly. Anja pulled the two security badges from the folder and looked at them. Her eyes grew dark and she looked toward the cockpit. She kept the badges in her hand and got to her feet, tossing the packet onto her seat as she moved into the aisle. She marched directly toward the cockpit holding the badges in front of her. She could see the backs of at least one of the pilots as she got closer, and she heard the laughter come from the cockpit as well.

Anja burst into the cockpit to see the two pilots talking with one another, the female with a smile on her face as she leaned against the back of the co-pilot's seat. She turned and saw Martin sitting at the console, reading from a chart and drinking a cup of coffee. The female pilot got to her feet.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

Anja turned and looked at Martin as he lowered the chart and met her eyes. She ignored Tina and tossed the two security badges onto the table in front of him. "I was told I would have Level Six security access on EDEN. And Senator Graham's son would have level Six as well."

Martin looked at her as he lowered the chart completely to the top of the table, his dark eyes unreadable. "Who exactly told you that?" He asked.

"Senator Graham assured me I would have the proper clearance!" Anja snapped, her temper rearing its ugly head, "As would Kevin. You need to correct this! Right now!"

Martin set the mug of coffee on the small table and looked at her closely. He picked up the two badges and held them out to her. "Senator Graham does not dictate to me what level clearances I issue Anja. As Head of Security that is at my discretion, and only Admiral Wallace as the authority to override it, which to my knowledge that has not occurred in this instance."

Anja crossed her arms under her full breasts, completely unaware of the seductive pose she was striking. "You will change the clearances now Commander Hunter. If you don't, the minute we land on EDEN I will go directly to Senator Graham and have you relieved of duty, for disobeying orders."