Project Blackthorne

Chapter 12 Is The Rift's Past Our Future?

Hannibal Sikes took over as pilot with Kiran Lively co piloting the rather old but still quite serviceable DC 3. Hannibal is like a little kid always wanting too get his hands onto somesthing old mechanically or otherwise he loved. Hannibal had a large number of favorites loving too fly all sorts everything from para sailing to operating a Antov An-225 Mirya one of the worlds largest cargo planes. Even for being such a large man Hannibal loved too have his feet off the ground as often as possible. He even went as far trying too enlist into the Soviet space program so he could become a cosmonaut. But with Hannibal being six foot three two hundred ninety pounds meant his dreams of floating around in weightless space were for not . They told him Het ,when pronounced "net" meant no in Russian too the huge dream for Hannibal and his chance for a space career. Kiran always kidded Hannibal about the space programs refusal too let his big arse in cause they were afraid his big ass would burn its way back in through the atmosphere taking out Seattle Washington. So Hannibal had too settle on flying through the skies in anything with wings or blades when ever possible. Kiran Lively had plenty of fixed wing experience with her time in the S.A.S but she let the Big Russian do his thing whenever possible. He even went as far too teach her how too fly helicopters as well. Kiran would never admit it openly and would kill anyone who said what she had on her mind but she always thought Hannibal Sikes was cute as Hell. But having flings with members of her team wasn't always the best idea in their little world or saving the world which was never independent of the other. Kiran was also bisexual having several relationships with a number of women. But for Kiran men were never totally out of the question. Kiran had no problem what so ever walking into the shower room bucknaked while Hannibal was in there. She loved too watch the water bead on his steel buns with an equal amount of joy. The DC 3 they were in right now was a fixed winged propeller driven airliner that has twin Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Wright R- 1820 engines. The old girl had seen her better days but still had a cruising speed of 207 mph and a range of 1500 hundred miles. There wasn't much in the way of seating on this plane that one time was an airliner but now there were two lines of bench seats on each side of the planes frame for the members of the jump school Kiran had acquired the plane from.

Tonaka sat by the open jump door on the left side of the plane cleaning his katana and checking the number of bolts he had remaining in his quiver. Sam Tyler and Alexic sat up close too the cockpit on the left side with Bryan Holt wrapped up on the floor at their feet both Sam and Alexic keeping a close eye on Bryan's vitals. Jim Donovan stood in the doorway between Hannibal and Kiran his hands out stretched holding on too the wall trying to ride out the ever presnt bounce and bumps of the plane. While Hannibal flew trying too ride out the thermal's the time passed as Kiran worked the radio still trying in vain too get a hold of Mother. "Anything?" Jim had too yell too be heard over the old bird's rattles and groans. Kiran shook her head negative even as she continued too try and reach Mother. Jim turned around and waved towards Tonaka who finally caught site of Jim's hand gesturing ad Melody Picard laid a hand on his knee then pointed forward. "Do you have a way too track the transponder you placed on the Pirdrani transports?" he asked over the personal comlinks which worked find now that they weren't in close proximity too the Pirdrani team. Tonaka nodded as he reached into his samurai battle suit producing a small tablet with a seven inch screen from an inner hidden pocket. He nodded his thanks too Mel who was seated on the opposite side of the door from Tonaka. He stood up then made his way down till he was beside Jim. He held up the tablet the screen pointing it so that both of them could see the screen clearly. There on the screen was an aerial map showing four blue dots heading in a north eastern direction on a red strip indicator which was a state highway that took them away from the direction the Blackthorne team was presently flying into. "We are about too be at the extent of our range with this small tablet." Tonaka explained as he worked several touch pad buttons on the screen trying too widen the transponder receiving range. "What happened too the remaining two transport?" Jim asked looking around the screen. A warning beep sounded as the blue lights on the screen winked out as they finally went out of range making the screen go blank. Tonaka swore in chinese trying in vain too get any sort of signal."Sorry but they just went out of range for us too keep up with the signal. The other two must have broken off from the others as we were boarding the plane. But Mother would have no problem finding the signal." Jim nodded coming too the same exact conclusion. "But first we've got too figure the Hell out why we can't contact her."