Allison glanced at her co-pilot, the woman was in her twenties and looked a bit confused by the controls. She was referring to a manual. Allison groaned softly and shook her head and spoke through the microphone on her headset.
“You have flown one of these before, right?”
The lieutenant was blushing slightly.
“In the simulator.”
Allison sighed and glanced back at the agent.
“I can do this myself, no need to risk yourselves. I need to be here because I’m the only one who can communicate with everyone.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Admiral’s orders. He’d have sent an actual helicopter pilot but, they’re all too sick to fly.”
Allison shrugged and started flipping switches for takeoff. She got clearance from the ships controller and lifted off. She had her holo-phone wired into the Seahawk’s radio and was using the increasing signal to triangulate the closest ship. It happened to be the Chinese one. Once interference was lessoned enough she used her translator to open up a dialogue.
“Hello, this is Lieutenant Allison Wanjala, I wish to land and discuss the situation we find ourselves in. My helicopter is unarmed, and we are trying to find a way back home.”
She was rather surprised to receive a polite response with confirmation of permission to land.
“You are cleared to land.”
Allison followed the instructions provided and brought the helicopter in for a landing. She motioned for the agent and co-pilot to stay in the helicopter and went out to meet the officers that greeted her. She exchanged polite hellos. None of them looked particularly in good health. Her holo-phone’s medical scanner confirmed her suspicions. One coughed and looked embarrassed. Allison finally came out and said it.
“Sirs, this is not Earth and you and your crew are sick because your immune systems have not developed any ability to fight off these infections effectively. I am attempting to mount a rescue for everyone, and I need you to join the George Washington so when the rescue team arrives, they can triage patients effectively and quickly.”
They looked at each other in confusion. Allison brought up a hologram.
“Captain Zhao, I know this is a lot to understand but as you can see my scanners are showing multiple viral infections in each of you. The sooner you get to the George Washington, the sooner we can work together to get rescued and medical attention for your crew.”
Captain Zhao swept his hand through the hologram which didn’t even flicker. He spoke.
“Who are you then? How do the Americans have such technology?”
Allison sighed. She knew this would come up.
“Sir, I am not an American. I am not even from Earth. You are in the thirtieth century, and this is an ocean planet orbiting a red supergiant.”
Captain Zhao adjusted his cap and shook his head.
“This makes no sense.”
Allison frowned.
“Sir, you have no navsat navigation, no GPS, no communications with China and your command. The stars aren’t right either. You’ve obviously been flying reconnaissance, and you’ve found no land. Even your gyrocompass isn’t working right because the radio interference is being caused by wonky atmospheric radiation.”
The officers she’d been addressing moved away and spoke in a group. She could have listened in but decided to give them privacy. By the look on the captain’s face as he’d moved away she’d figured she had their interest. Captain Zhao came back.
“Where is your ship?”
Allison provided a bearing to the Captain.
“Keep on that track. If you listen to your radio, you can home in on the signal. Sir, could you provide us some fuel for our helicopter, there’s another four ships out there and none of them are going to have anything that will work for it. I promise I will get you home and I will get something to help with the illness in your crew.”
Captain Zhao barked an order after looking Allison up and down. Soon a fuel hose was connected to the helicopter and soon afterwards it was refueled and ready to go. She hopped in and lifted off after confirming it was okay with the Chinese carrier’s aircraft control. She spoke to Rebecca and her co-pilot.
“They’re going to join up. They gave us fuel. Time for our next victims.”
Allison homed in on the next closest signal which happened to be the other American ships. Her contacts zoomed into them once she’d tracked them down. She blinked a few times. They were not like either of the more advanced carriers, they were actual World War Two ships. A battleship and an aircraft carrier. She spoke over the radio on the frequency she’d detected them communicating on.
“This is Lieutenant Allison Wanjala, off of the U.S.S. George Washington. Requesting permission to land. We’re unarmed and our aircraft will be strange to you. It is American and we are here to help.”
She received a response confirming she could land. She could see them clearing the deck she hovered down into a spot leaving a bunch of wide-eyed servicemen staring at a helicopter. Which was a type of aircraft that didn’t really show up until near the end of World War Two. Thankfully it prominently displayed the white star on a blue circle of camouflaged American aircraft. It was different because of the red and white stripes sticking out from it, but recognizable, nonetheless. Allison shut down the rotors and engines to conserve fuel. The trip there had left them with a quarter of a tank, and she was pretty sure that wasn’t enough to get back to the George Washington. She wasn’t sure how she’d get to the Japanese ships. She dropped her headset and hopped out. She wasn’t in a uniform, just her black Atlantean armor, though she’d armed herself before heading out. She found herself staring down the barrels of several rifles. She held up her hands.
“I come in peace?”
She suddenly realized every single person on the flight deck was a man. Not a single woman. She thought that was odd. One of the crewmen approached her and reached for her Qual’sa pistols, she wasn’t having that so she evaded to the right and drew them both. Her helmet went up and she stunned every armed man she saw. Their bullets barely dented her armor’s power level. Once she’d disabled all of the threats, she slid the pistols back into their holsters and sighed. A few brave souls rushed out to pull their crewmates to safety. Allison made no further hostile actions. Eventually more crewmen came out with weapons and had them pointed at her and Rebecca and her co-pilot. Allison frowned under her faceplate.
“Guys, we’re here to help you, don’t make me stun anymore of you. We’re not going into custody. We’re here under orders of Admiral Birken, US Pacific Fleet to order you to join up with the George Washington.”
Allison hoped that would do something. She was wrong one of the men tried to grab her. He found himself very quickly on the deck in a hold. Between the armor’s strength and her own dhamperic strength a normal human had no chance.
“Okay, I’m going to make this easy for you all, you will not hurt me in my armor and I am stronger and faster than all of you. So put your weapons down and let’s talk like we’re on the same side.”
She released the burley crewman she’d just put down with ease and stepped away. A serious looking man wearing captain’s stripes walked onto the deck and shouted for the men to stand down. He had his cap on, but Allison could see grey hair peeking out between his ears. Her scanners showed he was starting to get viral pneumonia, but he still stood up straight and projected an aura of command and strength.
“Who are you and what do you want?”
Allison let her helmet sink into her armor.
“Like I said over the radio, I am Lieutenant Allison Wanjala, that is Agent Rebecca North, and my copilot is Lieutenant junior grade Yolanda Garrett. We’re here from the George Washington, an American Aircraft Carrier, with orders from Admiral Birkin for you to link up with them.”
The captain looked Allison up and down.
“Since when did the US Navy allow women to be pilots? Or on ships at all?”
Allison blushed slightly.
“I have no idea, I’m not US Navy. It is a lot to explain and honestly time is not on your side. Your crew is sick and you’re getting pneumonia the sooner you join up the sooner the George Washington’s doctor can look at you and your crew.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
He looked confused, then angry.
“How do you know I’m sick?”
Allison sighed.
“Sir, I have guns that shoot bolts of light, is it that far of a stretch that I might be able to detect illness with a glance?”
He adjusted his cap and let out a cough.
“If you’re not US Navy, who are you? How did you take down my men so fast?”
Allison sighed.
“It is a really long story, I have stun pistols, and the big guy who tried to grab me… My armor makes me immune to your bullets and stronger than humans. Now that zero there… is the pilot alright?”
The captain looked at the captured enemy plane.
“No, he died shortly after landing, he was very sick.”
Allison frowned, that was not good news, the Japanese ships could have been here longer than the rest.
“Sir, I know this is all very strange, but I need you to trust us, your crew is only going to get sicker. The George Washington has advanced medical facilities and extra food. They can assist you in keeping your men alive while I try to get us rescued.”
The captain looked like he was on the cusp of agreeing to the orders but seemed hesitant after Allison’s last sentence.
“And how are you going to get us rescued?”
Allison wasn’t even sure how to explain she had a spacecraft to humans who didn’t even know you could leave Earth’s atmosphere.
“My ship was damaged, but I’m going to repair it, once I do I’ll be able to send a message for help, unfortunately I’m the only person who can speak Chinese, Japanese, English, and won’t get sick so I had to come gather everyone up first. What I can tell you is that it is my sworn duty to protect you and your crew.”
The captain looked at Yolanda.
“Is what she is saying true?”
Yolanda blinked a few times and stammered.
“I don’t know sir; I just know her fighter isn’t like anything we’ve ever seen, and my CO trusts her.”
The captain nodded, still wearing the stoic look on his face.
“I’ll confer with the Captain of the California.”
Allison pointed at the Zero.
“Sir, I need to contact the Japanese fleet, and our helicopter is out of fuel, could I get you to fuel that Zero up and let me fly it back to them? They surrendered to the George Washington, or think they did…”
He paused and looked back at Allison.
“You know how to fly it?”
Allison nodded.
“Yes, sir, my mother insisted on it.”
He turned to a crewman and spoke quietly. The Zero was refueled and moved into a launch position. Allison shook her head as she recalled how demanding Enid had been in the simulation that she learned to fly various aircraft. Rebecca approached her and spoke quietly.
“You’re not just a pilot, are you?”
Allison shook her head.
“No, I’m a member of my military’s special forces, uh, SEAL… Delta Force? Did they actually exist?”
Rebecca nodded.
“Yes, they did, you’re a special forces soldier at seventeen?”
Allison nodded.
“I’ve been in the military for a year, and being what I am, the physical part is easy. The training in all the different military equipment isn’t. We have so many different vehicles, power armors and guns. It’s ridiculous.”
Rebecca got quiet when the captain returned.
“Do you have a heading?”
Allison nodded and brought up her hologram for him to show him their location and the location of her starfighter’s emergency beacon which had activated.
“We are here, and the George Washington is there. If you keep your heading steady, you’ll find them. When you’re thirty miles out you should be able to reach them by radio. Do not rely on your compass, or the stars, they are not going to work properly here. Sir, can I use that Zero?”
He looked at the Zero, then back towards Allison.
“Yes, Lieutenant, you have my permission to launch it. It has a full tank and full belly tanks.”
Allison smiled.
“Thank you, sir, wasn’t sure how I was going to get to them without running out of fuel.”
He saluted her. She saluted him back. He looked… impressed by her if she had to guess. It appears she’d left an impression. Allison glanced at Rebecca and Yolanda then back to the captain.
“Sir, I’m the only one who can fly that here, can my companions get a ride back to their ship with you?”
He motioned to a crewman.
“Petty officer, see to it these two ladies are fed and kept comfortable on the trip back to their ship.”
Allison nodded and rushed off to the waiting Zero and refamiliarized herself with the controls. Of all the things Enid had forced her to fly she hated prop planes the least. There was no fly by wire, it was literally all mechanical. They were the only aircraft she’d ever flown where she could feel her way through flying it with little to no effort. She accelerated and took off after getting clearance. She started triangulating the location of the Japanese ships. The Zero was running on fumes when she finally tracked them down. Their spotters must have seen her because they radioed her directly giving her landing clearance. She didn’t answer, guessing a woman’s voice was not what they were expecting.
The Japanese deck crew, what was left of them were good at their jobs and even without radio she landed easily even if she was basically gliding in because her engine had died. She smiled and gave herself a mental pat on the back. It was a textbook carrier landing. She hopped out of the plane easily and was met by a ground crew that seemed to be made up of older officers, who were far too high ranking to be doing such a job, yet here they were. They were all shocked to see a pale European woman hopping out of the cockpit. She spoke quickly using her Japanese translation matrix she bowed.
“I am Lieutenant Wanjala, the American ship received your surrender, they do not accept, but they do offer you any assistance they can. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”
An older Japanese man who was obviously in charge by the way the rest of the ‘deck’ crew reacted approached them slowly. She noted the men were ill, but not with anything serious. She raised an eyebrow. She bowed to the admiral; She didn’t know much but she knew that bowing was something Japanese people did from her time in Okinawa in the simulation. He spoke in English, he was very polite, eloquent even.
“How did you acquire our plane?”
Allison spoke matching the Admiral’s tone.
“Sir, your pilot landed on an American carrier. They tried to assist him, but he died from his illness. My aircraft was low on fuel so I asked if I could return this plane to you as a show of good faith.”
The admiral bowed his head slightly.
“We appreciate its return, Lieutenant, what does your commanding officer propose?”
Allison bit her lower lip, she decided to be honest, instead of having a lie exposed later.
“Sir, Admiral Birken is not my commanding officer. I answer to my President directly. He had no one who could speak Japanese so asked for me to speak on his behalf. I am not with the Americans I represent another military.”
He looked Allison up and down.
“Your military allows women to serve?”
Allison bowed her head again.
“Yes, sir, in fact my President is a woman, as was the previous president. Most of our council are women. Not because women hold any particular power where I’m from, it’s just the way the votes went.”
He pondered her words.
“Do you know where we are?”
Allison bit her lower lip again.
“Sir, I will tell you, but you might not believe me, I’m sure you noticed there are two moons in the sky now? That the stars are wrong? The sun is wrong?”
He bowed his head.
“Yes, we have noticed this.”
Allison bowed her head slightly.
“We are on an alien planet, far from Earth. I am not sure where, my fighter was damaged during my transit here, I need to fix it before I can call for help. You are also not in your time. You are in the thirtieth century. I am not from Earth, but my parents were born there. Because we’re on an alien planet your bodies do not have the capability to resist the diseases here. Once I can call home, I can ask for medical supplies and doctors to treat you and your crew. Which I can start trying to do once we get to the fleet. Admiral Birken has offered any assistance he can. He has invited you to join their flotilla under a flag of truce.”
The admiral turned around and ordered one of the captains who’d been manning the flight deck to take Allison to the bridge and get the ships underway following the course she provides. Allison bowed again.
“Thank you, Admiral, I want to help you get home.”
Allison found herself on the bridge of the aircraft carrier. It was nothing like the twenty-first century George Washington, it was cramped, it was old, and everything was manual. The ships got underway and Allison used her starfighter’s emergency beacon to keep them on course. The lights from the other ships lit up the night as they came into view. She sighed with relief.
*****
Meanwhile, on the George Washington…
Admiral Birken sat behind his desk and looked up at Agent North. He rubbed his temples.
“Rebecca, you used to be Navel Intelligence, what is your assessment of the new arrival?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“I don’t know, Admiral. She took on fifty men and came out without a scratch, they had firearms her armor made her completely invulnerable to their weapons. A man twice her size went to grapple her she put him down in two moves. She claims to be a member of her military’s special forces, I believe her. You put SEAL team eight up against her, she wins every time without breaking a sweat. She knows how to fly. The Seahawk, a Zero, whoever she really is we can either believe that she’s going to help us or pray she doesn’t start calling us enemies. Her sidearms are like something out of Star Trek and she moved so fast, blood sample confirmed she’s human, Type O negative, based on her combat prowess she has likely had extensive genetic engineering. Also, even outside her body her blood attacks bacteria or any foreign body according to the doctor. That tells me if she can get in touch with her government, they can probably save our lives.”
The admiral tapped his fingers.
“Could we use her blood to cure our sailors?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Doctor says, her blood would likely kill anyone that was injected with it, it attacks any foreign body.”
Admiral Birken swore under his breath.
“So basically, I have to trust some seventeen year old kid is who she says she is, the story is unbelievable. Hell, I barely trust my nineteen year old granddaughter with a car. Who gives a kid that age access to weapons and fighters?”
“Admiral, I don’t know, but I’d say she’s probably earned her position with blood and sweat. She looked like she was born with those guns in her hands, and she piloted that Seahawk like she’d done it a hundred times. And her take down was flawless. Brutal, efficient and as good as any of our Special Forces. She wasted no movements. My gut says we trust her. My training says: Trust but verify. See what she asks for, based on her tech I doubt any of our encryption would stop her from taking what she wants. No one has handheld directed energy weapons, no one has whatever that adaptable metal she pulls out of her wrist, and no one has armor that is completely immune to bullets. She didn’t even look like she felt them. And her fighter based on your crew’s attempts, no one could crack its shell, and they can’t even figure out how she gets in and out. Her being from the future tracks. She said she needs to repair it, gather all the intel you can on her tech, but do not push her. If she is a teenager, assume an overreaction.”
Admiral Birken nodded.
“Alright. Keep an eye on her, I’ll tell the crew to treat her like a VIP for now, and to give her whatever she wants, if she can get us out of whatever this mess is, I’ll deal with the Pentagon heat.”