Soaring into the Sun - Part One

Posted on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 @ 1:23am by

1,291 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Relaunch
Location: Various Locations - USS Red October
Timeline: 1800Hrs - March 5th, 2398

There was something about the various nation-states on Earth that Lieutenant Ebeyov Archer loved, something about the land and the people that kept bringing her back as a smile graced her lips as she did a walk around of her F-15K Eagle, it was an old fighter plane from several centuries ago but it was built in the days before artificial everything. Of course, Archer was not in Korea and she was not doing a walk-around of a real F-15K. She was on a holosuite indulging in her hobbies. Archer also wore the callsign of 'Ripcord' while she was within the program. Otherwise, she was a Starfleet Engineer by day and whatever else she wished to be, by night. Tonight she was a pilot for the Korean air force on the eve of the Chinese invasion of Korea. It would prove to be quite a chapter for the people's of Earth. A species that counted the man who had become her father among them. Marcus Archer was her stepfather and he had no genetics in common whatsoever with her, but he treated her no differently than he had with his other children. to Him, Both Eboyov and Kalenna were his children.

This was a holoprogram set during Earth's Third World War or World War Three which the major powers fought for control of Earth and her colonies, it went from 2045 to 2352 with an all-out nuclear exchange which ended the war in a stalemate and crippled the planet itself, poisoning vast swathes of the world and killing millions in the exchange but also dooming billions to death through various causes like fallout or lack of drinking water, no food was another good one.

Meanwhile, Archer wore steel-toed boots under a flight suit that was comfortable on her, she had a sidearm and various pockets that were all full of various things she would need in case she was ever downed behind enemy lines. Everyone she wore was because of a result of a holographic overlay in the program. Otherwise, the sheer amount of closet space she would require would be enough to fill half of the Red October.

The area around the airbase was peaceful, and the world looked serene and lovely but as always appearances were deceiving, the world was at war and in this case, it would be a war that would transform humanity forever. Also, it would change their planet's fate and their destiny forever too as this war would help catapult humanity to a new level of existence among the stars.

She glanced down at her wristwatch, it had the date and time. "17/09/2045." Archer sighed as she took a moment to reflect on the significance of that date. Tomorrow the Chinese part of the Eastern Coalition would invade Korea with a massive army of over four million men with twenty thousand tanks and ordered armoured vehicles to back them up along with five thousand aircraft. They would take horrendous losses but it would take them a month to fully conquer Korea.

Archer heard a sudden announcement over the nearby loudspeaker which rattled out words in rapid-fire Korean, this had the effect of interrupting her reverie. To hear refined ears it was a language that sounded almost harsh but then she was used to such, the combadge she wore almost at all times translated it into English for her ears to enjoy. It was a reminder that the mission would depart in an hour.

She turned her attention to the dampness and crisp fresh air of the early morning haze which seemed to be slowly dissipating as the summer sun began its lazy rise into a clear sky, but today would be unlike any other day in Korea's long history. Archer sighed softly as she wished she could have changed her adopted people's fate. She knew in her heart of hearts that this desire was impossible. It was never good to mess with time as the slightest changes often had massive consequences.

An air of quiet purpose and silent concern filled the air regiment operations building. Not just here but also in the regiments admin offices but also downstairs in the hardened basements where the radio and radar operators were monitoring the area from China from the southwest all the way across to the northeast, but they also had to contend with Russia, now more properly known as the CFR or the Communist Federated Republic. In short the Second Soviet Union.

The Eleventh Fighter Wing had three Squadrons assigned to this area and they were looking after various spaces along the Yalu river area with China who were more belligerent than ever, with the war raging elsewhere. The people of Korea knew full well that their new Unified Republic would not survive a full-blown invasion from China, however, they would not stop them from trying and probably dying in the effort.

Archer sighed softly for the umpteenth time as one of the other pilots approached her. First Lieutenant Jung Hye Soo regarded her. "Hey Ripcord. You heard the news?"

Archer's heart almost leapt out of her chest. "Jung. What's happened? Somebody has an incident?" Nobody ever used the word 'crash' as if one could avoid the subject.

"No.." he paused. "But take a look at the Intel board... More Chinese units are arriving north and west of the river... The Chinese say it's as a precautionary measure but... the numbers of ground forces, aircraft... the works... the Chinese also say it's for military manoeuvres before they send them against India... but they shared that information so openly." the young Korean pilot shook his head. "First this dammed oil embargo from the CFR... I mean the Second Soviet Union and now these troop movements, it's like we're being penned in from all sides... Maybe they will invade?" he commented quietly.

Ripcord nodded her head. "I expect them to attack... It sure looks like it."

"Maybe they will surprise us and leave us be."

"Mmm... not likely." Ripcord chuckled. "No... they'll come and we should remain ready for them." he looked out over the western sky. "It won't take long..."

"No... I expect our guys to make them bleed.. and ultimately fall." the other pilot said darkly to Ripcord, who nodded almost in agreement. "Where you from?" she inquired.

"Songnim... North." came the half-expected response. "You?" he inquired of Archer.

"Ahh... I'm from Busan." Ripcord answered because she knew nobody would ever believe her if they knew she had come from another planet and wasn't even human so she selected a southern city almost at random. "My parents were Americans who settled here," she added to explain her looks, rather than tell them all that she was actually from Alpha Centauri and was part of a warrior culture that until recently, had regarded humanity as one of their most hated foes. The skies looked wrong to her and so did the stars at night.

"Well. As I said, you better check the board... You're flying today." Jung explained to Archer. "In fact. most of us are." Archer frowned. "Okay.." as she went into the Operations Building and sure enough when she looked at the board, she realized that Jung was not toying with her as the board indeed told the tale. Archer memorized the details on the board as she sighed softly. Pairs of F15K's along with F-22 Raptors would patrol their airspace and it wasn't several miles back, no it was right up against the line so any turn left would end up in Chinese airspace. The eleventh was looking after a slice of the Korean border from Ryongampo on the coast of the Yellow Sea, east two hundred kilometres to Wien which was much further inland.

 

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