Inside the cockpit, Nina Forest felt as if she were surrounded by that blue sky, feeling as if it were her nose pushing through the clouds.
An illusion, of course, constructed by the navigation goggles.
She had manned the controls since take off and had not stopped smiling the entire trip. Trevor observed from the co-pilot’s seat, sharing her excitement.
"This is amazing," she repeated for about the one-hundredth time. "I’ve never…never flown anything like this."
Dunston flew Eagle Two in the formation. His voice announced the end of the journey: "Approaching the LZ. Ground team reports area secure."
Trevor pushed the transmit button on the control panel.
"Eagles Two and Three, give us a bulls eye to land on."
Nina jumped, "Wh-what? You’re going to let me land?"
"Your last lesson…"
…Garrett "Stonewall" McAllister watched the flight of ships approach from the north. Scattered around him lay the remains of The Order’s abandoned outpost: blast craters, crumbled walls, and destroyed doorways left from last autumn’s battle. Human and K9 soldiers guarded the perimeter as well as the inner corridors.
Two Eagles swooped over the outer walls. The vehicles descended parallel to one another into the courtyard and landed, leaving enough space between them for the third airship…
…"Just relax," Trevor soothed. "You’ve got to see outside but you still have to watch your monitors on the panel."
Nina did just that, balancing the superimposed image broadcast from the exterior to her eyes with the reality of the control panel inches in front of her.
She wiggled the flight sticks left then right. Her feet worked the pedals to modulate the force of the anti-gravity circuitry.
The ship that had once belonged to aliens but had become a human machine eased toward the Earth and landed perfectly between the other two shuttles. The landing gear bounced gently as the springs absorbed the weight.
Nina sighed and removed the goggles.
"That was amazing. Thank you."
Trevor told her, "That’s it. There’s nothing more I can teach you."
"And now I forget it all."
He shook his head and assured, "You’ll fly one of these again some day. You’re a pilot and this is an amazing plane. You’ll be in that chair again. I know it."
They stood and moved to the closed cockpit door. She placed a hand on his wrist.
"Thank you for teaching me this; for having faith in me…for…for everything."
Nina spoke without tears. Neither of them had any tears left to shed.
He touched her cheek.
"You have been…you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I am more when I’m with you. I will be less without you."
"At least you get to remember it. I won’t even have the memories."
He told her what he feared to be the truth: "You’re getting the better deal."
Nina forcefully answered, "You remember. Do you hear? Remember for both of us. It’ll hurt, but don’t let this…don’t let it mean nothing. Please. For who I am now. Don’t forget."
He took her in his arms one last time and hugged her tight. She squeezed back as hard as her tired muscles allowed.
"I will. I will always remember…"
…Shepherd exited Eagle Two and joined Nina, Trevor, and a K9 escort that included Odin and Tyr. Stonewall led the group into the main building.
The walls that had seemed damp and alive to Trevor last year now felt stale and dead. Whatever pseudo-life they once held, Jon’s raid had exorcised. However, Johnny reported success in finding the enzyme needed to chase away the parasite in Nina’s head.
Grenadiers and soldiers lined the route. Portable lights and generators carved patches of light and dark. Bones and decayed flesh marked where The Order’s defenders fell last year.
Stonewall brought them to a room with a low ceiling. Small compartments lined one wall in front of which stood a table apparently grown from the floor. Trevor recognized the kind.
Reverend Johnny beckoned Nina, "Rest here my dear."
"Do I need to get undressed or something?"
Johnny shook his head ‘no.’
"You will be on unconscious for a few seconds as we apply the counter agent. The devilish thing that has housed itself in your person will dissolve almost instantaneously and evaporate into nothingness."
Trevor helped her ease onto the slab. He held her hand. Reverend Johnny produced a medicine bottle of chloroform.
"This will start your journey," he poured a dab on a cloth and reached toward her. "Breathe deeply."
Trevor grabbed Johnny’s wrist and found Nina’s warm blue eyes one last time.
"Goodbye."
She smiled nervously and squeezed his hand tight.
Trevor released Johnny’s wrist and allowed the doctor to continue his work.
The Rev spoke as Nina breathed the anesthetic. "O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief."
She breathed deeply, her eyes closed, and her body grew still. Her hand went limp in Trevor’s grip. He let go.
Johnny extracted a line-about the size of a garden hose-from one of the compartments. At the end pointed a thin needle, the sight of which sent a shiver along Trevor’s spine.
"What is that?"
"It is The Order’s version of a hypodermic needle. The incision is tiny, almost microscopic. Yet, it will inject the counter enzyme directly into the implant. However, if she were awake she would feel intense pain. I believe it is designed for pain, to be honest. That is the way of The Order; pain and misery."
Trevor swallowed hard and accepted the Rev’s explanation. Still, he hated the idea of such an ugly thing touching his Nina.
Shepherd stepped forward. He would be the only face she knew when the deed finished.
Johnny pressed the needle into the side of her head. Trevor heard a slight sound of liquid running. After a few seconds, he withdrew the vile contraption.
"It is done."
Johnny used a cloth to wipe the tiniest hint of blood from Nina’s scalp. Trevor saw no mark or scar; no wound whatsoever. Nothing left behind; no trace.
The men hovered over her for several minutes until she stirred. Her eyelids flickered, and then opened to see Shepherd standing overhead.
Nina tried to sit but wavered and nearly fell from the table. He steadied her balance.
"Shep? Wh-what? What is happening?"
Nina saw others in the room. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at them one by one.
Trevor found her blue eyes. Her icy blue eyes.
She returned his stare and asked, "Do I know you?"
He wore a stoic face, shook his head slightly, and answered through clenched teeth.
"No."
"C’mon, easy does it," Shep encouraged her to carefully step off the table. "This way," he said and she followed on wobbling legs.
Trevor stared at the empty space on the table…
…The Eagles’ anti-gravity circuits pushed off the earth and propelled all three ships skyward. The craft merged into formation and flew away from The Order’s empty base.
Once they had cleared the outer walls, the charges placed throughout the dead complex detonated. Explosions ripped one after another after another. Destruction came in a series of blasts. Burning debris spew into the air like a volcanic eruption. Walls crumbled.
Still more detonations followed. They would leave no piece of the place standing. No memory. No tribute. No clue. Nothing would be left of that nest of misery and torment.
The sound of the explosions roared like an angry, forlorn voice shouting toward the heavens. The flames consumed everything. Fireballs rolled skyward. Complete destruction. Total annihilation.
Disintegration.
– Trevor did not fly home. He turned the ship over to another pilot and sat alone in the passenger area with only Tyr for company, curled in a ball by his Master’s side.
He had promised to remember, and remember he did. He remembered seeing her sleeping on the bed in the guestroom…only to have her nearly break his neck. He remembered the furl of her brow the time she had tried to outwit him with hand signals…and the shock on her face when he announced he could fly an Apache.