Alpha One - Chris Burton [4]
Carla and Jake became closer during the academic break. He knew Carla since the Fresher Academy year. Although he was attracted to her, he always thought of her as a friend, than anything more; fundamentally, because she was Steve’s girlfriend. As he walked up the path towards Carla’s accommodation block, he wondered if that were changing. He hoped not because it would complicate things.
Chapter Three
The Rapier
The Rapier has staying power. That was the message in the President’s key note speech to Congress two years ago, when the one hundred thousandth Rapier came off the production line.
There were many different variants and nearly fifty years passed since the original Rapier jump ship concept was first demonstrated at Edwards Air Force Base.
The concept was simple. a small short range attack ship with the capability to take off vertically off-world or via a short runway from a planetary mass, but yet could reach high velocity in a short time period. Other jump ships would follow, but the Rapier was still the standard from which all comers must compete.
The latest variant came into production five years ago. The Rapier 7 was a technologically advanced two man interceptor/fighter which, off-world, could attain stellar speed from start in under fifteen seconds. It was fifteen meters in length, with the cockpit situated right in the nose cone of the space ship. This made for a awkward and not necessarily aerodynamic shape, but the proof was in the pudding. At the time of the variant’s launch, the other main jump ship models, the Hunter and the Sabre could not compete with the new Rapier. Over fifteen thousand Rapier 7’s were manufactured and they were once again the mainstay of Alpha Fleets off-world and ground launch attack philosophy.
The Academy had seventeen Rapier 7’s and these were reserved for Year four jump ship specialist students only. The other three years used either Hunter R2’S, which were essentially a Training vessel or Rapier 6’s, which were still good but aging. The fourth year jump students also had access to fourteen Mark 3 Sabres.
This morning, the fourth year jump ship students were about to take their first flight aboard the Rapier 7’s. They were to fly in pairs with only eleven ships in use today and Jake and Steve somehow managed to be drawn in the same ship.
It was another scorching hot day, with runway temperatures already pushing thirty-five degrees. Jake and Steve climbed the stairs to the surface and were confronted by a wall of heat. The two of them were talking after two ‘frosty’ days. following Steve’s outburst on the first day of term, but the time passed without further confrontation.
“Okay, so who’s first,” said Steve.
Jake would give in to Steve and allow him to take first pitch today. If he didn’t, he would never hear the end of it. Steve itched to pilot the Rapier 7 for the last eighteen months and finally it was within their grasp.
“You take her up first today and we can switch over maybe for the last forty-five minutes” said Jake. Steve seemed happy with that and they took their positions in the briefing room and awaited the instructors to start their pre-flight.
Lieutenant Commander Teddy ‘Night Hawk’ Taylor entered the room with two other instructors. Taylor was an Academy mainstay. He was an instructor for nearly thirty years and progressed to Chief Instructor. He was a good teacher and a great mentor, but he knew it and that meant everybody else did.
“Good morning people. As 4th years, you finally get the chance to fly a real ship today. The Rapier 7’s are primed and ready for take-off. so let’s get the pre-flight done and dusted, then we can get out there.”
“Today, two men per ship, each assuming command for half the flight