Rei attempted to restart the starboard engine. If that didn’t work, he was going to have to consider an emergency landing. The airspace in which they flew was wrapped in gray fog and offered no obvious place for them to set down. But then Yukikaze canceled electronic warfare mode. Switching on the communications monitor, Lieutenant Katsuragi heard the familiar white noise fill his ears. This was normal airspace.
“Aside from the passive airspace radar, our radar systems are functioning normally. Flight path is clear,” said Lieutenant Katsuragi. “Unidentified aircraft sighted. It’s close.”
“Give them a chirp with our IFF,” said Rei.
“On it. I have a response. It’s SAF Unit B-2: Carmilla. No other aircraft sighted.”
“Roger.”
Rei succeeded in getting the right engine started. Almost simultaneously, their field of view cleared.
Yukikaze had been picked up by Lieutenant Zubrowski, Carmilla’s pilot. Her sudden appearance hadn’t surprised him, since he’d been advised of the possibility by the tactical computer back in HQ. Even so, the circumstances of it had taken his breath away. His passive airspace radar had detected an abnormal airspace form on a point of the sector he’d been told to keep watch on. It then burst almost immediately after. While he couldn’t see the bubblelike formation pop with his naked eye, a roughly spherical black cloud had appeared immediately after it happened.
There was a thudding crash that had shaken Carmilla violently. The black cloud swelled, grew larger, then dispersed. And from it flew Yukikaze on a mostly level course.
“B-2’s central computer is saying it’s ready to give support and is requesting a direct link.”
“Refuse it,” said Rei.
“Roger,” replied Lieutenant Katsuragi. “Refusal sent. I’m amazed. They’re in open communication with SAF headquarters.”
“Record everything.”
“I confirm all auto-recorders are running.”
“Where are we?”
“In the airspace over Richwar base. Taking the shortest return course, it puts us closer to home than from Cookie. About 75 percent of our current maximum range. The nearest base to us is TAB-4, which is 47 percent. I can’t say for sure yet what our fuel consumption rate is without us flying on one engine for a while, but I don’t think we’ll need to be refueled. If nothing else happens to us, it should hold out till we get back to Faery base.”
“Let’s head for it, then. Plot the shortest return course.”
“Roger. Take a heading of 031 and cruise at an altitude of 21,200.”
“Roger. Stay focused, Lieutenant.”
“Understood. B-2, approaching. It’s taking up position behind us.”
The attack radar sounded an alarm as it picked up an attack-targeting beam. Rei raised the throttle to military power.
“B-2 is preparing to attack. They’re tracking us with their fire control radar,” the lieutenant announced coolly. “Looks like they don’t trust us.”
“Contact SAF headquarters. Use voice communications,” said Rei.
“Roger…I have HQ on the line. Go ahead, Captain.”
“This B-1, Captain Fukai. Returning to base. Advise B-2 to cancel attack preparations. If attack isn’t canceled, we will engage.”
“This is General Cooley at headquarters. Roger, B-1. Captain Fukai, give me a damage report.”
“Nothing major, just have an anti-ABC decontamination wash ready for me. I want to wash any JAM filth off of us. Out.”
“This is HQ, roger.”
Confirming that B-2 was no longer painting them with its FCS radar, Rei throttled back. He put them on course, maintaining the altitude and speed given to him by Lieutenant Katsuragi. Yukikaze began to take a steady course straight to Faery base.
B-2 rolled to the side to maintain observation on Yukikaze’s condition, rolling over her midpoint and taking up an escort position to her port side. While Rei couldn’t see its cockpit from Yukikaze with his naked eye while they had held range for counter-JAM combat, he recognized the plane’s shape. It was a Super Sylph. Identical to the ghost plane. As he looked at it, Lieutenant Katsuragi spoke.
“Yukikaze isn’t saying that B-2 is an enemy, but how do we know if this world is the real one, Captain Fukai?”
“What do you think?”
“I’m alive. That’s the only thing I know.”
“Same here,” Rei said. “That’s good enough for me.”
“Really? You’re willing to leave it at that?” Katsuragi said.
“Knowing that you’re alive is a pretty major thing, isn’t it? You want to have something more certain than that, then you’ll have to get it for yourself.”
“I guess so,” the lieutenant said after a pause. “I didn’t think we were going to make it. The JAM must have somehow deflected the missile. Or teleported Yukikaze, the same way that the ghost plane could. Did you know that the JAM would do that? Were you sure of it?”
“No,” Rei said, shaking his head. “That was Yukikaze’s judgment. I had no idea any of that would happen. I never would have guessed that Yukikaze would take us hostage. And I’ll bet that even she wasn’t absolutely sure that it’d work.”
“Dangerous gamble, huh?”
“I don’t regret that she did it,” Rei said.
“Even if Yukikaze had ended up killing you?”
“Yeah.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Because I’m alive. If I was dead, I wouldn’t,” Lieutenant Katsuragi said.
“What?”
“This longing you have to be killed by her. I understand how real it is for you. Yukikaze was willing to take that gamble because she understands it too. I would have taken evasive action. She wouldn’t have made that bet had I been flying her.”
“Hmm…”
“The JAM waited till the very last instant so that they could confirm your relationship with her for themselves. Even they must see now that you genuinely would accept death if it was Yukikaze killing you,” said Lieutenant Katsuragi. “The thing is, what I don’t get is why the JAM let us out of there. This is probably the world we came from. The JAM could have recaptured us if they wanted to. So why didn’t they?”
Typical stubbornness of a former Intelligence Forces man, Rei thought before replying. “The JAM probably figured there was nothing to gain from recapturing us.”
“I suppose. That’s the only thing I can think of too. I don’t know why, though. Do you think Yukikaze does?”
“I’m not sure. We can do a detailed analysis once we get back to base,” Rei said.
Analysis of this data is going to be a lot of work. The results may change the entire meaning of the war against the JAM, Rei thought.
“Yukikaze is definitely an autonomous intelligence. I know that now, Captain Fukai. A very dangerous one. As dangerous as the JAM. No, I take that back. You can’t compare them with her. She possesses an incredible power, one that no human can ever compete with. That’s clear to me. Besides that, I have no idea what the JAM want from us. That scared me,” Lieutenant Katsuragi said. “The thing is, I’d like to talk to them again.”
“Are you serious?”
“I think I can discuss things with them better than you, Captain Fukai.”
“That’s a hell of a thing to say,” Rei said. “Not something I’d expect to hear from the guy I flew out with.”
“It’s because I’m still alive. I can say anything now.”
Lieutenant Katsuragi smiled as he spoke. Their narrow escape from death had excited him. That’s right, Rei thought. The lieutenant had gone into battle for the first time, had met the JAM as they truly were, and had escaped with his life. It wasn’t surprising that it had changed his outlook on the JAM, if not his entire outlook on life. Rei had a feeling that, left to his own devices, the now loquacious Lieutenant Katsuragi would keep right on talking and forget to do his duty. Rei ordered him to confirm their course, and he fell silent.