Episode 1: Time Trial

A Military transport DC-130 Hercules traveled over the South China Sea from the Philippines. The weather was torrential outside as a storm corrupted the ocean below. Within the plane were roughly 34 passengers, civilians and military alike. Some of more interest than others. Even seasoned warriors were uneasy in this deathtrap. Thing is the storm generated out of thin air; the weather report was all clear when leaving the airfield.

Looming in the back of the plane sat a unity of uniformed officers. Names considered of importance begins with a tall, dark and brooding Colonel defined by his raven black hair and broad shoulders. Appearing strong in build, regal for a better word, confident. Brooding in silence he preferred to be left alone. That was not in the tarot cards today.

“Colonel Jack Ramse without the Y. It’s been a while.” Spoke another of same said rank. This Colonel however had breasts. Big breasts! Pinned back shoulder length red hair and piercing green eyes, she too had muscles and long legs cloaked by a constrictive uniform skirt. She sat down beside him holding her hat. To her dismay Ramse glared over at her objecting to his lack of peace. In most cases this beauty could have tamed a lion. Like Jack, not in the cards. A staring contest conceived a stalemate. Neither of them was moving.

“Colonel Ruby Goddard. Two years maybe. Stint in Kuwait, wasn’t it? I hear you moved on up to all the secret stuff.”

She nods at his facts being accurate. Jack knew everything. His rank might not be as high as some, but he kept abreast, that did not include checking out her bursting at the seams uniform. 38C with straining buttons, only a necktie preventing those narrow ports of milky flesh hidden away.

“God, I need a cigar.”

“Those are bad for you.”

“What’s not? But for the record I gave up smoking weeks ago. Doesn’t mean I don’t crave them. And yes, I’ve been promoted to babysitter these days. We both know I can’t tell you what and where. Who? I hear you turned down an offer to transfer over to R.E.G.I.O.N. It’s not so bad.”

“Never liked kids. I’m no preschool hall monitor. Crosshairs and gunfights are my M.O.” He growls before peering out a window, a lightning flash luring his attention away from those big green eyes. He had noticed those. Mirror to the soul they say. Lies get caught up in a gaze.

“Weather’s bad.” She buckled in, “Lightning is getting closer.”

“Afraid of Poseidon, Ruby?”

“You know I’m not afraid of anything. Just like you Big Boy G.I. Jack.”

“We all fear something. Mine is annoying brats.”

“You do realize there’s more than a few brats of importance on this flight.”

“I heard. General Ridge’s wife and daughter. I’ll keep my distance. Last time his kid tried to show me her panties. Her modelling skills rival her hormones.”

“She’s of age. Of course, a court martial would be in the cards.” Tarot again!

“Barely! Besides, I’m married to my career. Much happier these days if you can call this existence happy.”

“Ex-wife finally? How is Renee these days?”

“Still married! She’s stationed in France. We barely talk.”

“Lucky her. You’re not much of a communicator.” He grimly looks at her then turns away. Maybe if he did clam up Ruby might stop trying so hard.

“Come on Jack. I’m just giving you a hard time. Long flight. Gotta do something, seeing as the Mile High Club got shut down.” Knowing it was a losing battle Jack gave it his best.

“Who’s the prodigy?” He nods his gaze toward the middle of the seating roster.

“James Ian Pryce. Fifteen-year-old genius. Rival’s Einstein I hear. Built his first supercomputer at age six. Graduated from Imperial College in London by ten. Stockholm by twelve. Among others. We both know he’s in trouble. The Government will lock this kid away and drain him dry. Sad thing is I think he knows this. It’s like a challenge to him. Houdini of Area 51.”

“Doesn’t exist.”

She pats his arm, “You just keep that redacted memo for posterity.” As they talk quietly, they note a white German Shepard wandering toward them between sections.

“Why isn’t the dog caged and quarantined in cargo?” Jack narrows his dark eyes; the man was not a pet lover either. Lone wolf minus the canine aspect!

“Belongs to the genius. Smart as he is, I think. Look at him watching us. It’s like he knows what we’re thinking.”

“If he did then he might think twice about shitting in the plane. Parachutes won’t fit him.” The dog growls at his comment and turns back toward his young master. Hopping up into the seat next to him.

“It was good to see you, Jack. I need to check on the pilots.”

“Colonel.” He nods with a salute.

“Colonel.” She returns the honor. As Ruby heads past the center section of the plane Jack notes the dog return to the floor as his master gets up and walks toward him. Jack rolls his eyes as the boy takes the now vacant seat next to him.

“Xander doesn’t like you.” The teen with bushy brown hair grimaces at the Colonel.

“The dog’s name is Xander?”

“Yep. I’m James Ian. Colonel Jack Ramse, right?”

Jack creases his brow, “How do you know that?”

“Eavesdropped. Ever read comic books? You look like the Punisher. Tough looking.”

“Get to the point, Kid.”

“I just want you to know something.”

“Get it over with.”

“We won’t reach the States. See that weird lightning? Since when is it purple?” Jack takes a chance inspection out over the left wing and realizes the boy to be correct.

“Ok, Science guy. What makes purple lightning so uncommon?”

“Oh, it’s common. Just not under these conditions. Outside temperature. Too many factors over your head. Notice the lightning is in swirls?”

“Uncommon?” Jack creases his brow with an uneasy feeling. The hair on the back of his neck statically charged and bristling.

“That lightning is building a vortex. What I can’t figure out is why our navigation and electrical isn’t having fits by now.” Xander nuzzles James Ian’s hand whimpering.

“It’s okay boy. Don’t take a dump in the hallway. The mean ole Colonel didn’t mean he would really parachute you out.”

Jack unbuckled his seatbelt then stood up moving in front of the boy into the walkway, “No, I meant it.” He then waltzed toward the pilot’s cockpit, passing The General’s wife and daughter, among various others, pausing only to look out a cabin window as another flash occurred.

“Everything alright, Colonel?” Jack glanced down at the large black man in the seat he was leaning on.

“Not sure, Sergeant. Keep your eyes peeled for engine fire.”

Sergeant Malcolm “Malibu” Brand flared his eyes as Jack held a finger to his lips for silence. The bald officer who looked somewhat like actor Mike Colter nodded his understanding of avoiding panic. Now even Malcolm found himself tense. Beside Malcolm sat another African American woman of incredible beauty. She had fallen asleep in hopes to bypass the storm her own way. Moving onward the plane expressed turbulence unbalancing Jack’s footing. Easily caught he continues until the cockpit door which opened as he approached. Colonel Goddard spotted Jack and froze with a fearful look. As they reached each other Ruby clutched Jack’s arm.

“Navigation is going haywire. Pilots ordered us to our seats to ride this out.” She whispers.

“Altitude loss?”

“Not yet. It’s like we’re stuck on course. Lightning is getting fierce. Pray we don’t get struck.”

“Your kid back there said we won’t make it to the States.”

Her eyes narrow, “Dammit! That kid’s never wrong.”

Both of them carefully walk toward the boy who had returned to his own seat to listen to his iPod music. He was humming along to a song as his dog lay in his lap taking up the seat next to him.

Crouching down Ruby lightly squeezes the boy’s arm to garner his attention. Looking straight at her skirt she frowned and tightened her knees to prevent him looking up there to notice she was commando.

“Tell me what’s happening.”

Shrugging James Ian sang alone to his song, “Ready to do the Time Warp, Baby?” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

“Be serious.” She encouraged.

“I really don’t know. But I think you both should return to your seats. Did the navigation finally go out?”

“How did you know that would occur?” Ruby whispers with a concerned look.

“Rains stopped.” James notes.

Turbulence sends Ruby back into Jack’s legs. James Ian now captured her commando coochie and boy was it beautiful. Instinctively Colonel Ramse pulls her to her feet.

“Strap in.” Jack nudged her toward his seating in the rear. As soon as they locked in a massive wave of purple light arcs throughout the cabin and engulfs everyone into a sudden panic. Screams echo with resounding concern as the pilot’s voice ignites over the intercom.

“Stay buckled up, folks. We haven’t lost power but something’s tugging on us. I promise I’ll keep us from going down.” Jack growling out the window watched the waves of electricity ripple around them as if a Tesla Coil.

“Captain Scott is the finest pilot I know. I requested him this trip due to the sensitivity of our passenger. Ex-fighter pilot who can land this bucket on a uphill gravel road. Have faith Jack.”

“Cameron Scott? Top Gun? Great! Let’s hope he doesn’t come sliding down the hall in his boxers.”

“That was Risky Business.” James yells back at him.

“How the hell does he hear us way back here?” Jack snarls.

Ruby snaps softly, “Kid’s special. I told you that.”

“Dang straight, I am.” James laughs as he fastens the seat belt around his dog, calming him, “Hold on tight, Xander.” The plane quakes suddenly as if the stress on the hull was jarring rivets. The commotion following became frantic. “Purple Haze! Growing in my brain.” James began singing at the top of his lungs. Jack held onto Ruby during the vibrational ruckus, she clinging to him as if lovers. He ignored her nails digging into his ribcage as she eyes his cold demeanor then shares a moment of dread. Amid the turmoil the plane veers left toward another funnel of purple.

Jack could hear the General’s wife call out to him as if he were their savior. Knowing Jack through her husband and the stories he told her of this war hero she at least had something to grasp onto. Now her daughter Sophia while shrieking at the lightshow wanted nothing more than to join Ruby in Jack’s arms. Little nympho loved her men in uniform, out of uniform even more. In the moment however her mother needed her support. Vice versa! Jack remaining calm simply called out to her.

“HOLD ON MADIGAN!”

An engine on the left-wing bursts into flame. Weirdly, the fire vanished, returned, vanished, returned. Repeatedly, time after time as if uncertain what it wanted to do. From the front Malcolm Brand calls back, “Did you see that, Colonel?”

Jack opting to look left out his window spots the fire come and go.

James leers back, “St. Elmo’s Fire.”

“What?” Ruby scowls recalling the movie.

“Ionized air. Plasma. Electrons. It’s not really fire or on fire.” James retorts. Suddenly, all of the engines share in the light show dilemma. Within minutes the whole plane was engulfed in the corona. The light became a temporal calmness. Everyone silenced and felt their bodies bask in the glow. So calm, that it was almost euphoric. Riding it out the plane shifted without warning. Power failure. Finally!

“Hold on to someone. I’m available Sophia!” James expresses chuckling. Sophia Ridge shot a glare at the boy and sneered, her expression lending to “Whatever!” So not her type! Before long the glow fades and the exterior darkness of night became daylight. Blinding daylight. So bright that all eyes sealed against it.

“What the hell?” Jack hoarsely growled. “Are we in the eye of a hurricane?”

“Wouldn’t that be a typhoon, Jack?” He simply growled at being corrected. As eyes adjust, the plane began to lose altitude, G-force pressing them back into their seats. Everyone again began screaming. Suddenly, a loud impact slammed against the hull.

Ruby caught a glimpse, “That was a bird. A very large bird.” Jack unfastened his belt and forced himself along against the growing G-force. He made his way back to the cockpit and kicked open the door. The pilots inside were battling the odds.

“What did we just hit?”

“Hey, Jackie. Long time no fear.” Pilot Cameron Scott quipped.

“Time to be serious Cam. What was that?” The lightly graying pilot who resembled a young Tom Selleck pointed out the window.

“I would say it was those.” Jack struggles to stand as he squints to see the impossible.

“Are those prehistoric birds?”

“Pterodactyls I think they’re called. That’s not the only bogies.” Jack opts to watch as a pterodactyl glides in to attack of all things a World War 2 German Flying Tiger. “You might want to lock it down, Jack. I’ll do my best to sit us down soft, but we’ll still have bruises from Hell. If for any reason we don’t make it, it was a pleasure Sir.”

“Keep your promise, Captain.” Jack abandons the cockpit and fights his way past the General’s wife and daughter.

“What’s going on Colonel?” Madigan Ridge frets.

“Are we going to die?” Cringes her beautiful blond daughter.

“Just stay strong Maddy. For Sophia. It’s going to be bumpy to say the least.” He rushes back to Ruby, and she assists him in buckling back in.

“Time Warp Baby? How did your freaking genius know this was going to happen?” He snaps at Ruby.

“I didn’t know.” James calls back at the top of his lungs, “Sometimes I read too many comic books. Guilty pleasure. In my line of work, it pays to have a good fantasy for inspiration.” Jack didn’t believe him. His scowl toward Ruby was deafening. Ruby concurred.

A loud rumble jarred the entire plane as both Colonel’s looked outside jointly to see Mountain ranges, waterfalls in the distance. Lots and lots of ships and aircraft. Even bizarre aircraft they could only assume was extraterrestrial.

As the plane attempted leveling out, the tail clipped a peak and sent the craft spiraling. The remainder of the trip was darkness. The world vanished to their consciousness. Time lapses unknown.

Jack Ramse awoke to pain. Better yet pure agony.

The plane had split into two sections that dangled together by metal framing. He noticed that much, as he realized his predicament. Looking to his right he saw fellow Colonel Ruby Goddard bloody and battered, sloped over but hanging on by her seatbelt. In her lap was something he never could have imagined. His own arm. His own severed arm. What should have been ouch was more awe. This was why Jack Ramse was the best of the best. Bleeding out but balls of steel to compliment the edge.

The windows glass must have shattered, and his instinct was to protect Ruby. In doing so, the velocity cleaved his right arm off at the upper bicep. He was bleeding profusely, yet not as rapidly as predicted. Time seemed to be out of synch here. Ignoring his pain Jack Ramse ripped his way from his seatbelt. Left arm fluent enough to aid him in tearing open his military issue shirt enough to use it as a bandage. His belt left his slacks to use as a tourniquet.