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Chapter 6

Safe Landing

“Zeus Spaceport, this is BatWing 4718 requesting clearance to land. Do you copy, Zeus Spaceport? Over.” Peter Griffin was in the cockpit of his spaceship as he was approaching planet Hera. His copilot, Doug Garder, was beside him.

Griffin’s earplugs came alive. “BatWing 4718, this is Zeus Spaceport. You are cleared to land. You are number 6 in the landing pattern. We have you at an altitude of thirty-five hundred kilometers on orbital vector Charlie-Zulu 135. Please maintain present course but descend to twenty-five hundred kilometers.” The voice on his earplugs came back. “And BatWing 4718, change your hailing frequency to seven-four-six, repeat seven-four-six, on your com-one. We will give further instructions on that frequency as you approach.”

Griffin replied into his mouthpiece, “Thank you, Zeus Spaceport. We confirm your instructions.” Peter Griffin was a seasoned and professional pilot. He was a career space force pilot from the time he graduated from the Interplanetary Aeronautic Academy at twenty-two years old. Now at thirty-six, he is a retired military pilot and is flying for a commercial transport company. He is more comfortable in the cockpit of a ship than standing on firm ground. In his career, he had seen many life-threatening events, but his talent has always got him out of jams. He was about to use his skills yet again.

Doug, Griffin’s copilot, was making adjustments on the spaceship’s communications panel. Doug had just gotten out of the military space force. He had never made it to full pilot. He loved flying but could never pass the exams. He hoped to fix that in this new commercial job. He knew he was flying with one of the best. Doug spoke to his pilot, “Peter, I’m looking forward to seeing the Zeus Spaceport. I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard a lot about it. I’ve landed at the Cape Messina Federation Space Base, and I’ve landed in Qulan, but I haven’t put down at Zeus before.”

“Well, you are in for a real treat. It’s a big base, maybe fifty kilometers square, but I tell you, Spaceport Zeus is known for having the best of everything, and I mean the absolute best! They have better defenses than the military and better ground to space guns. It’s tucked in mountains, so it’s hard to attack, and so space vessels and airships are safe here. They got the best mechanics, the best food, the best liquor—real Earth liquor, not that synthetic stuff. They import the best merchandise and have the best hotels and sleeping quarters.”

Doug came back, “How about women?”

“I’ll just give you fair warning. When I say the best of everything, I mean the best of everything. But you will pay top dollar for everything. No matter how high the price, it will be worth the money, every credit you spend. Trust me on that one.” Peter smiled and winked.

“Aww, come on. Is it really that good?”

“Spaceport Zeus has only one boss. A woman named Musica put together the whole place. That’s her name, just Musica. It is completely her brainchild. Nobody knows a thing about her before she came to the Bode Galaxy. Who she was, where she got her money, how much money she has, nothing. I’ve never met her and never seen her. They say she is an older woman but still a real good looker, and they say she has a lot of class.”

“Was she a madam? Made all her money running a brothel?” Doug smiled.

“Listen up and I’ll give you a big tip. When we’re down there, whatever you do and say, do not smart-mouth about Musica. You will be in for a mess of hurt. They love her down there. They know their prosperity is because of her. And they will defend her like you wouldn’t believe. They are very loyal to her. And one other thing—the main reason you, me, this ship, my money and your money, everything will be safe down there is because Musica also has her own security force. Like everything else she does, it is the best, the best armed, and the best trained. The toughest going and better than the real army. Do not start a fight because they will finish it.”

He checked a few of the dials on his dashboard, then asked, “How’s our altitude?”

Doug checked, “We’re just passing three thousand kilometers.”

At that same moment, a voice come over their earplugs, “BatWing 4718, abort your landing, repeat, abort your landing. This is Zeus Spaceport Air Traffic Control advising you to clear this Zeus airspace. There is an incoming vessel that is out of control. This area is now being declared unsafe. We repeat, your landing clearance is revoked. Abandon your landing maneuvers and vacate the area.”

Griffin spoke into his mouthpiece, “Zeus Spaceport, this is BatWing 4718. Instructions understood. We are changing course.”

He looked to his right. “Doug, this sounds serious. Can you get us a new course to the nearest spaceport? Have a look on the maps. I think we might have to go all the way to Messina.”

Their earplugs came alive again. “BatWing 4718, please change hailing frequency to eight-two-nine. This is an open public channel. Listening to traffic transmissions may allow you to stay clear of trouble.”

“Roger that, Zeus Spaceport.” Doug adjusted the radio console.

As soon as he got to the correct channel, a woman’s voice came alive over their earplugs, “…best vessel, and I will not abandon my ship, and using my eject pod is not an option. I have control of my ship. I will not watch my best quad wing disintegrate when it enters the hot friction zone.”

Now it was ground control’s turn. “Hinomaru Sun, we have given you a direct order. You do not have landing permission here. Please vacate the area. You can vacate by turning your vessel around or by abandoning ship, but those are your only two choices. If you eject, ditch the ship in the ocean, not on dry land. We will open fire if you continue your approach.”

The woman’s voice came back. “Zeus Spaceport, you know who I am. You are my home base. I am bringing my ship home. Just clear me some place to land.” The pilot of the Hinomaru Sun was Akiko Hoshi, one of the better fighter pilots in the area and known to be one of the better martial arts fighters on Hera. Known as “the Samurai,”

she is part of the Zeus Spaceport security team, one of the more deadly parts. The peacekeepers normally work in pairs because teams of two people can support and protect each other. That way, they have each other’s backs. That goes for all the peacekeepers, except the Samurai. Akiko works alone, but this is not a vulnerability for her. She thinks looking out for a partner slows her down and distracts her focus.

This was not always the case. She had a partner who was murdered a couple of years ago. The unknown perpetrators made sure there would be no chance to revive their target. They destroyed the SCARAB and simultaneously detonated explosions to remove the physical body. Akiko has not taken a partner since, but even though she works alone, people clear a path for her when she walks down the street. Her parents ran a school for martial arts back in her home on New Sapporo in the Antares System. Her parents trace their family lineage to the samurai warriors of the Shogunates of 1600 Japan on Earth. To them, concepts like honor, responsibility, duty, and pride are the reasons to exist. They trained their only daughter, Akiko, in the same tradition.

In reply, another woman’s voice came on the channel, “Sam, this is Wasp. Sounds like you have your hands full. What happened?”

“I ran into five Naylean space fighters out near Arkadia. I took damage, but I’m in better shape than they are. I left only one fighter to limp away, and it was in worse shape than me.”

“Sam, Wasp again. I’m looking at your transponder readings. You lost your forward retro engines along with your rear retro engines. Your pitch and yawl stabilizers do not function, and your directional stabilizers are gone.”

Akiko answered, “Not correct, my port stabilizer is functional, and I have full rear thruster engines.”

“How did you keep your rear thrusters?”

“You did not think I would turn tail and run, did you? I named this ship The Hinomaru Sun after the national flag of Japan. The flag is painted on the outside hull. Neither me nor this ship ever turn and run.”

A new voice broke onto the open channel. “Hinomaru Sun, this is Captain Treno. I’ve heard enough. You have just admitted that you have no steering ability and you have no brakes. Just how do you propose to land The Hinomaru Sun?”

The runaway ship came back. “Backwards, Captain. I have rear thrusters. They will stop me.”

“And what if you’re wrong, Hinomaru Sun? You will endanger civilian life and property. Your ship is not designed to fly backwards. All of its aerodynamics point forward. Spaceships do not come equipped with rearview mirrors or backup lights. We cannot permit you to continue.”

The voice from The Hinomaru Sun came back. “I will land my ship, with or without your help!”

Just then, a new voice came from the ground control side. “All participants, clear this channel. Musica is coming in on this transmission. Go ahead, ma’am.”

A low-toned woman’s voice came over the airwaves, “Akiko, this is Musica. I can tell you are intent and earnest. Your chances are not good. You are one of my best, and I know that if anyone can do this, you can. But there are many cowboys on this planet. I can’t have some of them trying to take liberties with this spaceport, such as flying in backwards. I’m sure you understand. So if you succeed and land, and I hope in not-too-many pieces, I will have to fine you heavily. Then you will be demoted and grounded.”

Akiko spoke quietly and didn’t think she could be heard, “Sounds like my mother.”

Musica spoke again, “I’m sorry, there seems to be interference on this line. Did you say something, Akiko?”

“No, ma’am. I understand, ma’am.”

Again, Musica spoke, “Was your mission profitable, Akiko?”

“Yes, it was, ma’am, very profitable. That’s why the alien fighters were after me.”

“And that is why you want to preserve your ship. To preserve your cargo. I understand. Please be careful and good luck, child.”

Just then, Wasp came back on the open channel. “Sam, I have two suggestions. You should try to aim for landing pad E97. That is at the far eastern pad. It is away from the main compound and is the least developed and populated. Also, you can slow the most when you are in the friction burn zone, so take your time in there. But your ship will break up if the temperature goes over ten thousand degrees centigrade. Of course, your body will burn up sooner than that, but you know what I mean.”

At that, Peter Griffin started speaking, “Zeus Spaceport, this is BatWing 4718. I am closest to The Hinomaru Sun. I already have a visual on her and can follow her down. I can help guide her onto the landing pad.”

“BatWing 4718, this is Captain Treno. You have been ordered out of the area. I suggest you follow those orders.”

Griffin was intense. “Zeus Spaceport, I am an ex-federation pilot. I flew one hundred and seventy-five combat missions. I’ve also flown one hundred and twenty-five commercial missions, and I know what I’m doing up here. In the forces, we even practiced this same crash-landing sequence, no offense, Hinomaru Sun, but that’s what we called it. You’re now in a crash-landing mode. I took part in two real events just like this one. I can help. Over.”

Captain Treno barked in frustration, “I got a bunch of yahoos up there bent on suicide. Have a ball, BatWing. I wish you luck.”

The Hinomaru Sun came back on, “Glad for all the help I can get, BatWing. Thank you.”

Griffin continued, “Hinomaru Sun, I am below you but will come alongside of you when you reach my altitude. You will need to rotate and put your tail section pointing down towards the ground now. That’s the only way you will start slowing. Two things will keep you from burning up, slower speeds and a shallow angle of descent. When I get beside you, I’ll help you with both. One other thing, Hinomaru Sun, I’m buying the first round on the ground. What’s your pleasure?”

Akiko answered, “Warm sake. It is Japanese, and they keep some in the quartermasters’ storage just for me. Now let’s do this, BatWing. Beginning reverse flying.”

Griffin gradually moved his ship beside The Hinomaru Sun. He aligned their cockpits to be side by side. Only The Hinomaru Sun was pointing into space with its tail section pointing at the Earth, and the BatWing was pointing downward toward the ground. “Okay, Hinomaru Sun, you are entering the burn zone, the planet’s atmosphere. We need to get you into a more shallow descent. Try to angle like me, a little more, a bit more, Hinomaru Sun. Good try to hold that angle. Now use your thrusters to slow yourself down. Slower. Slower, Hinomaru Sun. Try to stay even with me while I go slower.” Then Griffin looked to his copilot. “Doug, read off our altitude.”

Doug announced, “Fifty kilometers, fifty clicks.”

“Okay, Hinomaru Sun, I’ll line you up with the landing pad. I’m going to move my ship so we’ll be pointing nose to nose.”

Then communication came from The Hinomaru Sun, “BatWing, do not come too close. If my thrusters misfire, I could crash into you.”

Griffin came back, “Hinomaru Sun, we have one hundred meters between us. I’ll hold at that. To aim you correctly, I have to see a clear line from you to the landing pad. I’m going to be the eyes in the back of your head. That’s why we’re going nose to nose.”

“Forty clicks.”

“Hinomaru Sun, I’m pointing straight at the landing pad. If you align yourself exactly to me, stem to stern, you will be right on target. Hinomaru Sun, I can see that your angle is not lined to me. You have to straighten on me. And slow up more.”

“Thirty clicks.”

“Hinomaru Sun, you’re almost lined up, except that your tail section is over a bit to your left. Got that? You have to try to make that one stabilizer you got move your tail towards the right. You have to slow more too. Go ahead and use your thrusters. I will fly over you if you look like you’re going to spear me.”

“Twenty clicks.”

“Hinomaru Sun, slower…slower. Good. You swung your butt a bit too much. You overcompensated. Move your ass left!”

The radio from The Hinomaru Sun barked, “Excuse me, Captain? I should move my what?”

“Sorry, try to move your tail section back to your left.”

“Ten clicks.”

“Looking good, Hinomaru Sun. Now slow it up more.”

“Five clicks.”

“You are on line, Hinomaru Sun. Try your best to hold that line now. But you are still too fast. Give your thrusters a good kick. Don’t worry about me. I’m good at ducking.”

“Three clicks.”

“You need more thrusters, Hinomaru Sun. Slow it up.”

“Two clicks.”

“Doing fine, slower, slower.”

“One click.”

“Hinomaru Sun, can you see the ground out your side windows? You’re starting to hover. Slower. Slower. Hover, Hinomaru Sun. Hover.”

“Two hundred meters. One hundred meters.”

“Hinomaru Sun, I gotta get out of here. I’m too close to the ground. I have to get back up into the air. Just keep holding straight and slow. You can do it. Remember, I’m buying the sake.” With that, BatWing 4718 raised its nose, pointed to the right, and kicked its engines. It was going airborne like a normal takeoff. Griffin added, “One more thing, Hinomaru Sun. You got a lot of guts, lady. You’re okay.”

*****

“Zeus Spaceport, this is Rescue Unit 673. We are beside the landing pad watching The Hinomaru Sun. She has stopped forward motion, backward motion, whatever she is doing. She is hovering at about twenty meters. She is slowing her engines and putting her tail section down first. Now she cut her engines completely. She dropped, call it fell, about ten meters. I think her shock absorbers should be able to handle that drop. She is at a full stop on the ground. We’re moving in to give aid.”