Chapter One
Four planes soared. Four planes banked. Four planes swept in perfect unison around the double peaks of Mount Saeda and headed into the vast playground beyond.
Nova Whiteside could see into the cockpits of the other planes when the squad grouped at the testing grounds, hovering almost silently below one of the towers. "Hey, Keta!" she spoke into her microphone. "Your door is open!"
After a shocked second the Caspian in the plane next to her turned his head, as sleek and alien in its helmet as without. He shook a fist at her.
“Captain Whiteside,” the voice of the flight lead rumbled over the com. “When you're done annoying the Lieutenant we can begin."
Nova waved at Keta who would forgive her, as always. She was glad that he was part of the chase instead of Fynn Bridger, who surely would have been a natural choice for this trial. Fynn, her sometime lover and frequent tormentor, had a way of taking the fun out of days like these.
"Engage neuro.”
She tipped her head to settle her helmet against her seat and ran her hand along its sensor to display her fingerprints. Several connectors inside the helmet grasped her head like so many tiny fingers massaging her scalp. It took only a second before the indicators on her control board acknowledged the connection to her brain.
"I'm off," she transmitted to the others. "Let's see who gets home first."
Her plane understood her commands faster than her hands could ever manually input her intentions into its circuits. She tipped a wing, veered, and immediately shot away from the others across the red, marshy flats, faster than any living thing would ever traverse these plains. She soon passed the terminator into daylight. Three of Myra's moons faded against the brightening sky.
Using their ships’ neural interface, the squad was to circle Myra's equator to test a much-anticipated systems update especially designed for the Kite class planes. Gossip among the pilots suggested not only a new top speed for the combat ships but also greater maneuverability. Every one of them coveted one of the four spots when the exercise had also turned into a contest.
Nova cared nothing for the prize - another day off on this stint was not something she needed. Just the thought of winning held enough fascination.
“This update is just brilliant!” she exalted. “Are you getting this, O’Neill?” She watched her velocity with awe. A minute adjustment to her heading brought immediate results as the machine understood her command, calculated the risks, evaluated for pilot error and responded, all of it in an instant. A tingle of excitement shivered along her spine when she saw some of the other planes catch up.
“Nova, we need you to relax a little,” O’Neill said. “Don’t get distracted. You’re really pulling the G’s now. Don’t be puking in my plane.”
“This is amazing,” she marveled. “And I can’t feel anything. Shields are fine.”
“You’re approaching the first marker. Whiteside’s point; good work, Captain. Cut your speed, everyone. Down to ninety spins. Start maneuvers over the lakelands, my voice direction only. See how they relay.”
The team obeyed and the pack slowed their headlong chase across the flat landscape.
Their commander began issuing directions which the pilots passed along to their planes using only the microscopic sensors buried in their brains. Again, the kites performed as hoped-for, handling their tasks with ease, obedient to their flesh and blood masters.
“All right, looks good,” O’Neill said much too soon. Nova heard a few groans from the other pilots as well. “We've got enough. Let’s get home for dinner. Go!”
