“Where are you going?” asked Donny as I walked to the Hangar for my normal babysitting. It irked me that Mick and Mann hadn’t said a word yet made me nervous with a look of theirs. They were intimidating and they weren’t that much older than me. Like five or six years older. I pegged them in their mid-twenties at least. They did every action together even scratching behind the ear.

I breathed in for five and out for eight. “I can-n’t say”

“He blinked at me. “If this is about the satellite I already know. Aunty tells me everything. Besides I’m the one who’s gonna send the satellite to bounce signals with the rest.”

My eyes widened and I shrugged letting him tag along to the hanger. Today was the test drive so having the entire crew there was a plus in my eyes. Andromeda met me halfway and all three of us walked to the hangar where Mick and Mann were wrestling for the last piece of Hopding bacon. It was ludacris that one animal could provide most protein needs, but here was one animal doing just that. Donny walked over and ate the bacon getting a huge Hey! From the twins.

“Ahh they speak!” he said as the twins blushed and nodded. “Let me guess you made him think that you couldn’t?”

“He be the stupid one fer believing us,” said Mick crossing his arms. For once Mann didn’t follow. Was it really all an act?

I shrugged and made my way up the Rider. “Donny? Andromeda? You coming?” I asked poking my head to see that Donny was busy hitting the twins over the head and Andromeda was laughing at them.

“That’s for acting like classless jerks!” he cried maneuvering up to the Rider and walking over to the copilot’s chair. Andromeda stood behind him staring at all the gauges.

Donny too stared at all the pressure gauges and tapped the pexi glass in front of him trying to make the needles move. I chuckled and gripped his poking finger shaking my head.

“She’s sleeping right now but when she’s alive those meters don’t hit this line,” I pointed to a red line in the meters.

“She’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t hit those levels,” I said again watching as he traced the line with his fingers.

“Has it ever reached that far?” asked Andromeda.

“Not with this Rider,” I said remembering my first flight as a pilot. Someone had decided to be funny and sabotage the new pilots that day. The prank went too far. I began retelling that day to her.

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I stood ready with the other new pilots. I was the youngest at nineteen. I was going to fly my own Rider today. The sky was a neon orange from the double suns in the sky shining simultaneously. I couldn’t contain my joy. To my side, my best friend and roommate Jowy was a bundle of nerves.

“What if we crash?” he asked worrying his lip with his teeth and stuttering the words.

“We won’t,” I assured as we stood at attention for the Starfleet Commander.

He stood erect as he surveyed the pilots which made both boys fidget. “Cadets! Today is a fine day on Zelexar for flying. Each of you is going to be tested on your flight progress. Here is where we separate the men from the babies so buckle up and shine down! Today you fly!”

I was led to a new Rider while Jowy was led to an older model but still within flight registrations. Buckling up I hit a few switches before pressing down on the gears and changing them to flight mode. Pressing on the accelerator I drove the ship on auto onto the tarmac gaining velocity and finally lifting off!

The Rider spun in the air as I banked a turn gracefully and my copilot cheered.

“Nice flying there slick! It’s smoother than my own!”

He smirked banking a left. “Thanks!”

A pungent smell littered the air then.

“Hmm smells like gas. I’m gonna check the fuel pods. Keep flying alright?” he said and got up from his chair. A few minutes later, he ran back in coughing. Huge plumes of gray followed him.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen. We’ve got a fire. Call the Starfleet Commander. He’ll tell us what to do,” said the copilot sitting back down.

I nodded and Dialed the Starfleet Command Center’s number. “This is Rider 23 Tenford. We have a fire in the cabin. What are your orders?”

Stay flying,” came a nasal voice.

I nodded. “Tenford out.”

I turned to my copilot who glanced at the radio confused. “Stay flying? Shouldn’t we land? Call another Rider and see if they have the same problem.”

I dialed Jowy’s code and dispatched my message. I got through.

“We got a fire! My copilot is knocked out and the smoke is choking me and blurring my vision!”

I started to shake when Jowy’s Rider came into view. It was a ball of flames.

“Jump!” my copilot urged but Jowy was panicking.

I took the call. “Jowy listen! There’s a parachute in the seat you are in! Press the red lever like we were taught and execute the jump maneuver.

“I’m afraid Matt!”

“Do it.”

I…”

Boom!

The fire reached the engine and the Rider exploded. I remember seeing Jowy’s dismembered body falling with the pieces. He had been torn apart by the sharp pieces of metal that made the wings. It was instant.

My copilot slammed his gear across the headboard. “To hell with this, we are landing. Get ready to snuff the oxygen from the fire in basic maneuvers.”

I shook from head to toe and stuttered. “O-Ok.”

I still had my Rider to land.

“Each time I fly I still see that gruesome sight. That’s when my stuttering began too.” I glanced at Donny who was busy pretending to fly the Rider and I chuckled.

“You are doing it backward. First comes the switches then the gears then you accelerate otherwise you won’t pick up altitude. You have to position the wings first of all.” I said showing the right switches for which wing. “Then you palm the gears and switch on auto.” I showed him again. “And never take your foot off the brake. Always leave one foot on it. Like so.” I showed the little of my foot there was to see and wiggled it. “The brake is always on the right.”

“So kinda like driving except far more complicated due to all this?” he pointed to gauges.

I chuckled. “You only really need to pay attention to three of the millions of gauges. Your fuel. Your baramic pressure, and your cabin pressure.”

I tapped out the three gauges. “Never let them reach the red line. Baramic for the wings, Fuel for the engine, and Cabin for everything else.”

Donny nodded and asked. “Can I try to lift off on the practice? Please?”

I rolled it around in my head. Donny was a smart kid and I’d be here with him to override any mess-ups. Worse is he’d stall the engine and that was an easy fix while in the air or out. The worse thing is we wouldn’t take off. Andromeda was staring at me unsure but I knew my answer.

“If no one else comes along then alright.”

Donny cheered and Andromeda bit her lip.