It was the same dream he had almost nightly…
— 1 Year Ago
"Spar 1-0-6, Cag. Divert course to 2-1-1 Carom 0-9-6," the flinty voice of Captain Cole "Stinger" Taylor said through the wireless.
Lieutenant Chris Hellicon didn't like Taylor at all, and his voice coming in through the wireless made him flinch a bit. It was the first time he had even talked since launching from the Pegasus. With not so much as any emotion, any indication that Captain Taylor could be human at all.
"Roger, Cag. 2-1-1 Carom 0-9-6," Hellicon repeated. The turn was a mid-G turn, and one that even a nugget could take without problems… Seconds into the turn though, something didn't feel right. Hellicon's head felt like it was spinning, his vision started to waver…
The Viper started twisting and turning uncontrollably as Stinger's voice came shouting through. "Tantalus, get control of that bird, that's an order!"
The words sounded distorted to Hellicon as he fought for control of his Viper. Twisting and turning, seconds feeling like minutes, he fought desperately for control… His voice was little more than a whisper as he replied. "S… Spar 1-0…6… Disoriented… D-Dizzy…. D… Declaring… Emer… Emergency…"
Taylor's reply was cool and calm… "Roger, 1-0-6. Pegasus, Cag. Spar 1-0-6 is declaring an emergency. Something has either affected him or his plane. He's regained control but I don't think he's going to be able to make the landing. Requesting crash-nets and emergency teams standing by." He then decides to check on his pilot. "Tantalus, Cag. Is this a problem with your aircraft?"
Hellicon's voice steadied out as his head stopped spinning somewhat from the Vertigo… "Negative, Cag… When we took that turn… I started getting disoriented. I had a serious case of Vertigo set in… My head is still… Head is still spinning… Cag, requesting emergency teams on the deck… I… I don't know if I can land…"
"Teams are already inbound, crash-net is being set up." was all Taylor said over the wireless… Chris heard his words and just concentrates on trying to fly the bird in…
The two Vipers, one of which was wobbling a bit during flight, made the flight back to the Pegasus. On the approach, the wireless crackled to life once more as the Pegasus LSO spoke. "Spar 1-0-6, we're going to talk you in. Listen closely, and we'll get you home."
Chris's head was still unclear as he heard the words. "R… Roger that… 1-0-6, flaps… flaps…" He could barely stay focused as he attempted to keep the stick and throlle steady.
The LSO quickly spoke through the wireless. "Set your flaps at 30, thrust down to 20%… Keep your nose up, Tantalus… You're doing good…"
The LSO's words came through to Chris like a lifeline… The Vertigo was easing up as he began to set the flaps, but when he released his foot from the throttle, the sudden decrease of thrust was felt through his body and caused the Vertigo to hit him full force. His head was spinning full force now…
"Tantalus, you're losing control! Wave off wave off," the LSO shouted through the wireless, but to no avail. Chris Hellicon could barely make the words out through the physical pounding his body was taking as the plane spiraled out of control… As the plane came in, his vision cleared just enough to see three deck-hands, trying desperately to get out of harms way…
"Oh Gods… I'm sorry," was all Chris could say…
The Viper came down hard, the entire forward half snapping from the engine fairing before thet enploded in a firely hellstorm of Tylium and shrapnel, killing the deck-hands that were trying to escape the hellish scene that unfolded before them… Inside the cockpit, sparks flew and the Multifunction Displays shattered, sending pieces of glass and metal flying into Chris's body…
— Present day
Captain Chris Hellicon's eyes snapped open as he shot up, sitting straight up in his rack, covered in a sheen of sweat. It was the same dream almost nightly… As he calmed down, he collapsed back down into his rack, and closed his eyes…
"Frak…"