Tales From The Space Force Pt. 1

"Well, we changed the cards with spares, and they were fine. But when we inspected the bad ones in the lab, one of the chips didn't look right, so I compared it to the drawings I've got. I found micro-lettering of a different number on the side, none of the others had anything like that."

"As to what else could happen, I don't have a clue. I have no way of really fully testing the cards here like they would at the factory, but it could be anything from what happened, to having it happen during a mission, to whatever. I know what that chip is supposed to do in the circuit, but not these. I'm sorry I can't give you more info sir."

Capt. Snider waved the apology away, "That's alright, I didn't think you'd be able to, but it doesn't hurt to ask. I've got four fighters out there right now and I'm just worried about them. We've contacted them to let them know, but what help it'll be?" He shrugged.

Lucas nodded his understanding, "Yes sir, but my father always said forewarned is forearmed. At least they'll be prepared if something does."

Capt. Hampton laughed, "You're from the conservative states I'd imagine."

Lucas smiled, "Independent actually, but my dad was a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy."

Capt. Snider grinned, "Well, that makes sense then. My father was a Gunny in the Marines."

Then the lieutenant said, "Why don't you two get started, I've had them move the fighters into the repair hanger, and Sergeant Jones will give you a hand."

Lucas nodded and he and Ellie stood. "Yes sir, will do. If we find the same on the first few we check, I'll contact you right away."

The lieutenant grinned, "Thanks Sergeants, carry on."

Lucas and Ellie walked out and the officers talked for a few minutes. Hampton said to the lieutenant, "Cassidy, "If you don't drag him down kicking and screaming and sign him up to become an officer, you're an idiot."

Cassidy laughed, "If I did, they probably hear him on earth. I take it you've read his record?"

Hampton smiled, "Yes I did, graduated top of his class in cybernetics', so well that he was trained on cyborgs, by the head of Yamato's cyborg division no less. Has been offered a position at the Yamato corporation, but refused to leave Space Force and the offer is open to him after he gets out. And his IQ is off the charts."

Cassidy smiled, "You might also add, that he's on good terms with the Vagan's"

Snider look astonished, "He is? I didn't think they really associated with anyone here."

Cassidy nodded, "It seems that he went to see the them because he wanted to find out some info, then he gave them a hand fixing a problem they had. Then they invited him to dinner at their dining hall. He told me the food wasn't that bad, and that's where he heard about possible sabotage."

Hampton shook his head once more in disbelief. "I know people who have been trying to get into better contact with them for ages, but they normally don't converse with people like us and he just takes a stroll over and asks for their help. Cassidy, I'm serious if you don't drag him over to sign up for officers training, I'm going to."

Lucas and Ellie walked back to the lab and he picked up his tool kit, then they headed over to the repair hanger. Thankfully, it was connected to the main dome so they didn't have to put on suits. The main hanger wasn't connected to it for safety reasons in case it was hit during an attack.

Once they got there, they looked around for Jonesy, and found him in the repair office doing some paper work.

He smiled as he saw them come in and tossed the form he was working on back on the desk.

Lucas smiled, "Oh sure, your so busy. And all I see is you sitting around filling out forms. You know they have programs to do that."

Jones laughed, "Yeah, tell that to the powers that be. I swear their stuck in the 20th century."

"You guys here to look over the other fighters?" He asked.

Ellie nodded yes, "We've stirred up a hornet's nest with what we've found so far."

Jones snorted, "Better to find it on the ground then in space. C'mon, I'll give you guys a hand."

They got to the first craft and Lucas said, "Since we need to get these done quickly, why don't we do it like this, I'll pull the first one and Jonesy, you start pulling the next. Once I got it out, I'll inspect it. If its bad, Ellie, you put in one of the new ones we brought and I'll move to the next, then we'll just continue on. It shouldn't take us long that way."

He climbed up into the cockpit, and opened the access panel. He popped the card out and brought it down to the table they set up. He pulled the card apart and laid it down under the light and inspected it. Sure as hell, it was bad also. It had the same chip as the first one he looked at.

He put his eye back to normal and said to Ellie, "Okay, this one's bad also. Go ahead and pop a new one in and close it up. Then just give it a quick test while I work on the next one."

Ellie nodded okay and she climbed up to put the new one in as Jones brought the next one over. "Here you go Lucas, I'll start on the next one."

They quickly shuffled through all the craft and each one had a bad card. However, when he looked at the last one, it not only had the bad chip in it, but as he inspected the card, he found another on this one.

He sighed as Ellie and Jonesy came over. He looked up, "Bad news, this one has the bad chip, but it also has another I'm not sure about. It looks like the bad ones, but a different micro-number, so I'm not sure what it does. The drawings I got from Yamato tell me what their supposed to be, but not what they do. Someone from the company will have to tell us, all we know for sure, is that it's part of the interface."

Ellie nodded, "OK, you want me to put another card in that one?"

Lucas shook his head no, "Lets hold off on it for now. We've cleared the other five, so that should be good for now. But, I'm more worried about the other four that's out there operating right now. If I knew what was, it wouldn't bother me as much."

Ellie and Jones shook their heads, then Ellie came over and kissed his cheek. "You always get upset when you can't figure something out. You're not a miracle worker Lucas, you can only do what you can do, no matter how much you wish you could do more."

Jones nodded his agreement, "You've done the best you could with what we had, nobody can gig you for that."

Lucas looked at them, "I know, but people's lives are on the line. I don't want to see someone hurt or worse, because I couldn't figure something out."

They cleaned up and decided to check in before they went to lunch. Hopefully the last four fighters would be back in a couple or three hours.

They went to the LT's office and knocked on the door again. The door opened and they walked in. Cassidy smiled as he saw them and asked, "How's it going?"

Lucas sighed, "Well, we're done LT, they all had the bad chip like the first ones we found earlier. However, I've got another problem, the last one we inspected had the bad chip, but it also had another one that the others didn't."

He started pacing back and forth, "But I don't have a fucking clue of what it does. Sorry sir."

Cassidy looked at him, then said to Ellie, "Sergeant Stevens, could you excuse us for a minute?"

Ellie nodded, then looked at Lucas, then back at the LT. He returned her look and nodded. She walked out and closed the door. The he asked Lucas to sit at the conference table.

Lucas stopped pacing, then reluctantly sat down as the lieutenant joined him. "Look Lucas, you can't know everything, no matter how much you want to. Nobody's perfect."

Lucas looked at him, "I know that sir, but it just pisses me off so much, people could be hurt or killed because of this."

The lieutenant looked at him, "Well your right there, someone might. But because of you and Ellie, more won't because of you finding the original problem."

Lucas nodded, "Yes sir, but it doesn't feel like it's enough."

The lieutenant nodded in sympathy, "It never does, Lucas. But sometimes all you can is your best, and your best ain't bad. If you didn't care, you wouldn't feel like this."

He stood and Lucas joined him. Then he said, "But I promise you, we will find out."

Lucas nodded, "Thank you sir."

Cassidy nodded, "Go and take Ellie to lunch. Then once the others get in, you can look at them tomorrow."

Lucas walked out and Ellie asked, "Feeling any better?"

He looked at her, "A bit, but not enough to make a difference right now. C'mon. I'll buy you lunch."

Later that afternoon, Capt. Snider was in flight control monitoring the return of the four fighters. Hampton had sent all the info they had on the problems discovered and they were waiting to hear back from Earth Command.

"Hopefully, it won't take them to long to find out something." He said to himself. But he knew that was just wishful thinking, no matter how much they'd advanced, red-tape was still red-tape.

One of the men on tracking, called to him, "Sir, we finally have them on the sensors, they should be here in about fifteen minutes."

Hampton nodded, "Any voice transmissions yet?"

"Not yet sir, we should have contact in another five minutes once they go into landing mode." He replied back.

Hampton nodded, "Very well, keep trying, I want to talk to them before they land." The ships were making their approach from the dark side of the moon, that always blocked coms for some reason. The problem was being worked on and they should have better com units soon.

Flight leader Jackson made a quick scan of all the instruments looking for any problems. They would be slowing and going to landing mode anytime now. He keyed his com unit, "All units prepare to go to landing mode."

He got acknowledgment back from the other three fighters, then settled himself in his seat. He moaned to himself, "My butt is half asleep, they really needed to come up with better seats for these things."

On fighter Bravo 2-A, the pilot, Evelyn Saito was scanning her instruments and making her preps to go to landing mode. Unlike the flight leader, her butt didn't feel numb. It couldn't, because Pilot Evelyn Saito was a Cyborg. She had been a test pilot when they first came up with these fighters and had crashed one of the first ones when it failed for numerous reasons.

She was injured beyond medical repair, but the company that made the fighters, Yamato, felt responsible for her injuries and paid to have her become a Cyborg. She could still remember when she came out of the induced coma they had but her in. She couldn't feel her body, and nothing would respond when her brain sent out signals to breath and get her heart pumping. She had panicked at first, but the people doing the conversion knew what to expect and they calmed her down enough to explain everything to her.

All in all, it only took about two weeks to relearn how to do everything. She was lucky because she was a test pilot and was so used to being hooked cybernetically to a fighter. This wasn't much different, she just needed to learn what to do for this body.

It did have its advantages, her reflexes were faster, she could see things close up like a microscope or far away like a zoom lens on a camera. She was also at least four times stronger than a normal human, this had caused some problems when she first started to use her new body, as she inadvertently broke things when she put too much pressure on them. Also, she didn't age, she really didn't look any different than she once did, oh sure, there were slight differences but not that noticeable to the average person. The synthetic skin felt mostly like human skin as did her hair. Her mother was American and her father was Japanese, and she looked more like her father's race then her mothers.

About the only thing she really missed was eating. Cyborgs don't eat normal food; they eat a special processed protein which provide nutrients for their remaining organic parts. Luckily, she couldn't taste it, she was told it tasted like warm turds. She had laughed when she was told that, how did one know what warm turds tasted like? She could eat and drink to be sociable, though she had to evacuate her storage system afterwards.

Her feelings were the same, she laughed, cried, loved, felt pleasure and other things also. She couldn't really feel pain per se, but she sensed if someone touched her and if part of her was injured.

She still had a social life; she liked to go to plays and listen to music. She could also make love to a man, though most men were a little hesitant when they learned she was a cyborg. She sighed, some also tried to treat her like a sex robot. She got pleasure from the act, granted it was mostly mental, but it was good if she was with someone who didn't care she was cyborg.

Just then, her com unit announced, "All flights, switch to landing mode."

To which she acknowledged, "Fighter Bravo 2-A, understood, switching to landing mode."

Her thoughts went to the interface and the "Landing Mode" indicator lit up and the speed slowed. She could sense the feedback of the of the fighter compensating through the joy stick. Most pilots just let the craft do what it was supposed to, but after her crash, she always held onto the stick just in case. Some people would call it fear, but she called it common sense.

Then she heard, "Fighter Bravo 1-A, landing." That was the flight leaders craft, she was next.

She watched everything as she slowed a little more and saw the flight leaders craft settle down. She sent out, "Fighter Bravo 2-A, landing." She watched as she got closer, the craft slowing, then all of a sudden alarm's went off in her head. "Malfunction of interface. Malfunction of interface."

She cursed as she took hold of the controls and tried to bring it in. Then nothing would respond correctly. She sent out, "Fighter Bravo 2-A, all control lost. Nothing will respond. Repeat, all control lost. Going in hot."

In the flight control room, Capt. Snider cursed as he heard her. "Motherless whore." Then he sent out "Crash crew respond to landing pad, fighter Bravo 2-A going in hot."

Lucas and Ellie were in the lab when the alarm was sent out through the complex. Lucas snarled, "Son of a bitch." He tore out of the lab and ran to flight control slamming the door open as he entered. He came over to Capt. Snider and asked, "What happened sir? Who is it?"

Capt. Snider looked at him quickly, "It's Evelyn Saito, Fighter Bravo 2-A. She sent out that all control was lost and nothing will respond like it should."

Lucas pounded a clenched fist on a desk, "God damnit. I was afraid of this."

Capt. Snider squeezed his shoulder, "I know you were, but if anyone can bring it in, it's Evelyn. She was a test pilot on these and she's also a cyborg."

Lucas nodded calming down a little, the he asked, "When did this occur sir?"

Snider looked at him, "Right after she went into landing mode, but the flight leader came in all right."

Lucas nodded, thinking rapidly, "Look sir, don't take any chances, order the last two, to come in manually. Maybe that's what the other chip we found does."

Snider nodded, "Good thinking." He sent the order out to the Bravo 3 and 4-A. Then he said to Lucas. "Okay, they're going to orbit for a bit until we find out how 2-A makes out."

Onboard Fighter Bravo 2-A, Evelyn was fighting the controls as she came in hot. She activated the landing gear and could hear and feel it working. She'd have to chance that it was all the way down and locked. She quickly ran through her options, then came to a decision, she would try and cut the engines as she came in before she got close the pad. She fought the controls once more, and got the craft sort of lined up. She sent out to control on what she was going to do, then cut the engines and moved the controls to bring the craft down. But she was still going too fast and nothing would respond like it should. She slammed into the pad and started to slide heading towards the domes. She only had one option left and deactivated the landing gear, the craft dug into the pad and flipped end for end a few times before finally coming to a halt.

She was jammed into the cockpit as it had bent around her somewhat. She saw the emergency vehicles coming as she tried to bend parts out of her way so she could open the hatch. But she was having difficulty, as she was injured somewhat, or at least that's what her sensors were telling her.

The crash crew got to her ship, and pried open the hatch. One of them asked, "Are you injured?"

She looked at his face through the face plate of his helmet, and nodded, "I think so, at least my sensors are telling me I am. Your going to have to cut me out I think; my legs feel like their trapped."

The crewman nodded, then he and the others finally freed her. He winced when he saw the damage to her suit, "I think your going to need repairs pilot."

She nodded, "I know, hopefully there's someone here that knows how."

In the flight command center, Lucas was pacing back and forth waiting to hear how the pilot was. Finally, Capt. Snider said to him, "Torson, get down to your lab. They've freed her, but she's damaged and going to need repairs."

Lucas nodded and ran to the lab. Once he was through the door, he yelled to Ellie to get the repair table ready while he gathered up what he'd need to see how she was. Then he said to her, "Ellie, I want you down there and taking a look out the wreaked one and the other ones once they get into the hanger. Take a couple people to help you and let me know what you find out."

Ellie nodded, then called to two of the senior techs.

A few minutes later the door to the lab slid open, and they wheeled in the pilot on a stretcher.

He told them to transfer her to the table and once they did, he came closer. They had left her helmet and flight suit on and he could see were her legs were all torn up. He smiled down at her through her visor and said, "I'm Sergeant Torson, don't worry, I'll fix you up. Is there anything wrong with your head or neck? Or can I remove your helmet?"

She looked at him through her visor. He had a nice face that had a concerned look on it right now. He had short very blond hair and was very nice looking in a manly way. She replied, "No Sergeant, nothing seems wrong according to my sensors, I think most of the damage is to my legs and lower body were cockpit folded around them."

Lucas nodded, then released the locks on her helmet and gently slid in off. He set on the table and turned back. He breathed in sharply as he got a good look at her. "My god she's so beautiful." He thought to himself and he felt his heart beat faster. She looked mostly Japanese, but he could tell she was also part American or maybe British.

He smiled at her, "Ah, don't worry, I'll fix you up good as new... your name is Evelyn, correct? Do you mind if I just call you that?"

She smiled slightly; he was cute. "Sure, I don't mind."

Lucas smiled back. "Gods she so gorgeous." He thought to himself. "Good, then just call me Lucas."

"Now, let's just get your suit off so I can see how bad your hurt." He took a pair of surgical scissors and quickly had her suit cut off.

He gulped when he saw her lying naked on the table, "I was wrong, she's absofuckinglutely gorgeous." Then he winced slightly as he saw the damage to her legs and lower body. The synth-skin was ripped and torn in numerous places; he'd have to inspect her closer to make assure there was no internal damage. He moved her legs to see how they moved, and saw a look of confusion on her face. Sensory overload he thought as he put her leg down and moved back up to talk to her.

Evelyn's mind was in a bit of confusion due to the many injuries giving her system all kinds sensory responses. It kind of reminded her of when they first activate her systems. She was also very attracted to Lucas; he was so cute and his hands were so gentile on her as he examined her.