I was flying for hours with the barely functional GPS system I had. But it worked nonetheless. Now I just have to figure out how to land at the airbase without getting shot down.
-"This should be fun..." I said.
IF P.O.V.
Well, it would seem that my job is calling once again.
-"Sorry to cut this short Compa but, I gotta go." I said to Compa.
-"Where are you going Iffy?" she asked me.
-"Apparently there's something weird happening that I should look at."
-"Can I come?"
-"I guess there's no harm in it. Alright sure, you can tag along."
And with that, Compa and I made our way to Air Traffic Control. Once we arrived, everyone looked panicked for some reason. I walked up to the main radar console. It showed a signal I've never seen before. The radar was picking up an "unknown anomaly".
-"What's that?" I asked a random officer.
-"That's what we're trying to find out ma'am. This signal appeared a few hours ago and all communication attempts have proved unsuccessful." he said.
-"Hmm...could be a drone." I said.
-"Unlikely, the anomaly is a rather large one, and it's moving slower than most existing aircraft."
-"Wait, if it's a large anomaly, could it be an attack?"
-"Also unlikely ma'am. It's a single plane."
-"Where is it coming from?"
-"From our simulations, it seems to be originating from the southern ice cap. No one's been out that far south in a long time.
...
-"...Send out a drone to investigate."
-"Understood ma'am. Drone "Ranger" is being prepared."
I turned back to Compa who had a curious look on her face.
-"What does this mean Iffy?" Compa asked.
-"It means that we might have a problem on our hands." I said.
We waited until the drone had visual contact with the anomaly. The sunset made it hard to see the details, we only managed to get a rough silhouette.
-"It's...a gunship?" The officer from before asked to himself.
-"Seems like it. Try contacting again." I said.
-"Unknown aircraft you have entered Planeptunian airspace. If you can hear me, please respond, over." he transmitted.
We got an actual response this time but, not one we were expecting.
-"*Static*" It was all inaudible sounds.
-"Tell him that we're guiding him down." I said.
-"Unknown aircraft, in the event you can hear us, we are going to perform a controlled landing. Follow the drone, it will lead you to the runway." he said.
-"Setting the drone to autopilot." Another operator said.
-"Now we wait." I said to Compa.
-"I hope it's nothing serious." she said.
-"Yeah...me too."
Everyone in the room was now looking at the mainframe and every other planned flight was put on hold. We needed every airstrip we could get right now.
Logan P.O.V.
-"Unknown aircraft you have entered Planeptunian airspace. If you can hear me, please respond, over." I received.
Damn, my transponder is broken. The receiver is operational, but I can't transmit. I tried anyway to show some sign of response.
-"I hear you command, over." I said, knowing that all they'd hear is static.
There was a brief pause before I heard something again.
-"Unknown aircraft, in the event you can hear us, we are going to perform a controlled landing. Follow the drone, it will lead you to the runway." Command said.
Drone? I didn't see a drone anywhere. Just as I finished that thought, wouldn't ya know it, a drone flies in front of the cockpit and shows the way. I comply and follow it for another 2 hours before even seeing the runway! This is when things start to get complicated. I can already see fire trucks and military ready to act if anything goes wrong. I try to ignore that and focus on the runway.
-"Pilot, you are not to exit the aircraft until given the word." An operator told me.
-"Roger that command." I said, still knowing the futility.
I lined up with the runway as best I could and landed ever so softly. I let out the braking parachute and turned on the wheel brakes. Eventually, I came to a halt around the middle mark of the runway. Now was the time to make my "first impression". I turned off the engines and waited. Through the windshield, I could see military surrounding the plane. Their formation is lousy. I heard someone talking over a megaphone.
-"Anyone and everyone on board, step out now!" I heard a female voice say.
-"Better not screw it up now, especially in front of a lady." I said.
I stepped out of the cockpit and now stood in front of the plug door on the side of the plane. I disengaged the locks and pulled down the stair lever. Pressurized oxygen leaked out of the cracks, obstructing my view temporarily. Once the air had dissipated, I stepped down the stairs to see guns pointed at me from all sides. My legs felt really weak for some reason, I guess that's what sitting down for a long time does to you. What I didn't expect was to see a fairly cute and young girl pointing her 9 mm at my face.
I didn't say anything and just waited. I half expected her to just pop me in the head right then and there but she didn't. She just stared for a few moments. After a while of tension, she spoke.
-"Who are you?" she asked.
-"Logan. Logan Jameson." I said.
Sounds of disbelief and awe came from both the soldiers around me and through this girl's earpiece.
-"Logan Jameson? Like, the Ace Logan Jameson?" she asked.
-"Yeah, that's me. I see being frozen for years gets you popular." I said.
-"Uh...miste- I mean, sir, you do know that you've been presumed dead for more than five years, right?"
"Sir", huh? I guess it's protocol but I don't really care anymore. Just then, another young girl came running over to the one in front of me.
-"Iffy!" she yelled.
-"Compa? What are you doing here? I told you to stay inside." the first girl said.
-"I know, but look! Have you not noticed his injuries yet!?" she said, panicked.
-"Injuries?" I asked.
I looked down and saw that somehow, without me noticing, a small pool of my own blood had formed at my feet. I guess that weakness from earlier wasn't just the piloting. Suddenly and randomly, my ears started ringing and my eyelids started closing. I felt my legs go limp as I fell onto my back right there on the tarmac. The last thing I saw was the two girls looking worried and trying their hardest to apply first aid. Hopefully I wake up in a hospital and not a prison bed.