The storm rocked the ship. It was an unsettling motion, but Jayn was happier now her view was foreshortened by waves and spray. Holding tightly to the handrail, she followed Reed to the maps rooms.

Browdy was waiting for them. Salutes were exchanged and he led them from the outer, distribution, room to the inner, intelligence, room. Centrepiece of this room was a large table holding a map. “The world.” Browdy announced redundantly.

Unlike all previous maps Reed had seen, the main landmass was not the centre of attention. Indeed, the great continent was split, its eastern half at one end of the table and the western at the other. Quite logically, this map concentrated on the ocean that surrounded them. Looking at the great expanse of blue, Jayn felt her agoraphobia return.

A flag with a red X on it marked the position of Half Time base, about a third of the way across the ocean. There were other markers. Jayn traced westward from the island and soon spotted the four orange headed pins that showed the direction beacons they had followed in. Tracking east she followed the coloured trail to another flag, this time with a blue cross. Unlike Half Time, this flag was moving, a track of pin prick holes traced its course. Other pins, and clusters of pins, described an arrowhead toward the blue cross.

“The storm should clear by tomorrow.” Browdy announced, “And there will be another flight arriving the day after. So it is time to show you the next leg of your journey.”

“I have heard of boats having flat decks fitted and becoming floating runways.” Jayn waved at the blue flag.

Browdy nodded and smiled. “This is more than that. A considerable amount more. Let me show you the model.” There was another large table in the far corner of the room. Lined up on one side were pewter cast model aeroplanes, tiny but still identifiable by make. They were grouped by flights and squadrons, a tally of the logistics involved. A few were parked on the model, to give a reference for size. “It is unlikely you have ever seen or heard of this.” Browdy chuckled.

“No.” Jayn admitted quietly. “How soon can we get there?”

Heavensent 5.9
Heavensent 5.7
Heavensent 1.1

Technorati tag: Fiction, Heavensent

The narrow bridge was a bottleneck, and there was always traffic across it. The ravine below provided enough rocks for cover that the squad could, one by one, sneak through. Lensman watched his men flitting from one spot to another. It took great concentration and was only possible because he knew what they were doing. Across from him, Kess had his baby long rifle at the ready and Mov was ready to deploy a stonk. If they were spotted, they would blow the bridge and withdraw into the mountains.

As each man came through, they took up a defensive position. They were spreading out further and further downstream. The last man came through. Lensman followed him. Mov came on a few dozen counts later and Kess after the same delay again.

The river fed into a wider, gentler flow which they would have to ford. Beyond that, the ground was flat- by the standards of a mountain man- and the cover less obvious. They went downstream until they found a crossing of rocks deliberately placed in the river.

Lensman stole a glance at Mov. The veteran appeared worried, unsure of himself outside his natural habitat. As squad leader, Lensman could not acknowledge that he felt the same fear. He had to keep up the confident facade as they headed into this alien landscape. Kess scanned the far bank, nodding when he saw nothing of danger. Lensman sprinted across the rocks, slipping on ones mid stream but staying upright, and dived into a covering position on the far shore.

Heavensent 5.8
Heavensent 5.6
Heavensent 1.1

Technorati tag: Fiction, Heavensent

They knew many languages, and had the skills to learn new ones rapidly. The one they used now involved hand signals. “The walls are very strange.” Gim signed, “I haven’t found evidence of any microphones yet, but we have to be careful.”

“How strange?” signed Bobb.

“Cold and clammy, even through the wood cladding. And there are bits that are colder than others, like they were being deliberately cooled.”

“We need to get out of here,” Sheel asserted, “before they check our story.”

“I can trace our steps back to where the flying boat landed. But I don’t know what would be there.”

“We need to get our hands on some metal to work with.” Bobb pointed out. The only time they saw metal was the cutlery at meal times, and they were watched as they ate by a rating who tried to stare at Sheel’s breasts.

“I wonder how the others are getting on.” Gim pondered.

“If they’re not dead.” Bobb replied lazily.

Heavensent 5.7
Heavensent 5.5
Heavensent 1.1

Technorati tag: Fiction, Heavensent

The evening breeze brought charred leaves and the smell of burnt wood. And a flotilla of small boats with deadly cargoes.

Morn watched as each canoe edged toward the bulge of a turtled hull further around the shore. The hole that had sunk the boat in the first place served as an entrance. One by one the canoes entered, departing without their loads. “Near one in every four bombs they drop through the canopy is arrested and does not explode.” explained the XO (he had refused to give his name). “We recover them and reuse them. Some become mines in the river, it discourages patrols.”

“Do they ever bomb this ship?”

“We have them bluffed into thinking we are hiding in the forest, burning camp fires and attacking work camps. Who would hide in so visible a place as this? Particularly one that is already so damaged.”

The operations room was deep inside the ship, lit by candles and with charcoal burning stoves cooking up a stew. The stoves vented into dead spaces in the hull to hide any smoke.

Marra had returned to the boat for the charts and was now comparing intelligence with a one armed, eye patched officer. She looked around and nodded recognition as Morn and the XO entered. There was a piece of jewellery through her right eye brow, a crescent shape suggesting a third eye. The XO stared, then turned and left. Marra shook her head and motioned for Morn to join her at the table.

Heavensent 5.6
Heavensent 5.4
Heavensent 1.1

Technorati tag: Fiction, Heavensent