Update!
[FONT="]Part VI: There Will Come Soft Rains[/FONT]
[FONT="]OPERATION PROSPERO: REDUX [3][/FONT]
[FONT="]THE END[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary had let the Prospero Team leave after only a few minutes of small talk. They hadn’t slept now for nearly two days and tensions, especially between the Pilot and the Commando, were especially running high. The Navigator and the Scientist were the last to leave the room. The Secretary wanted to talk to them alone.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary waved the Navigator and the Scientist back into the room. “Did you have a plan of what to do after you actually got here?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Scientist pulled a faded notebook out of his fatigues jacket and began. “Sir, we did not have anything well thought out. We didn’t know what to expect when we got here so we planned to improvise.” He cracked a wry grin. “Sir, I think we’ve been doing a good job so far at making it up as we go along. I copied the briefing notes in this notebook, sir, and if you want a look, here. The notes are on the first couple of pages.”The Scientist passed a notebook across the desk. The Secretary scanned the first couple of pages then handed it back to the Scientist.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Scientist continued “Our job was to collect data on the state of America and make contact with whomever we could. Then get home sir. We’ve completed the first task therefore our job now is to get home and report to CHANTICLEER what the situation is here.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary folded his hands in front of his face and after a pause proffered a proposition. Looking at the Navigator he offered “What if I said you could meet Ronald Reagan?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Navigator balked “Well I’d take the offer. Sir, are you actually saying that your President is actually alive? We’ve heard a rumor but are you being serious, sir?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary nodded “I am dead serious, Ronald Reagan is alive but from what we can tell, not in especially good health. However, I believe that a delegation from the UK may be at the worst an emotional boost for President Reagan. I think he would be as grateful as I am to find that our allies aren’t just out there, but seriously care about us.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary looked over at the grandfather clock sitting in the corner. It was 2:43 am. “Perhaps we can talk tomorrow? You boys have had a long day.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Scientist wearily got up from his chair and shook the Secretary’s hand. “Thank you sir, we will talk more tomorrow.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Navigator saluted “Sir, we will speak more tomorrow.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary returned the smile and gave the Farmer, quietly watching the whole time, a glance. The Farmer showed the Prospero Team out the door, down the hall to their rooms.[/FONT]
[FONT="]---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/FONT]
[FONT="]The morning light dimly illuminated the room. The windows curtains were left wide open and the Navigator slowly rolled out of the bed after an amazing nights sleep. Glancing out the window he could see the small lake reflecting the permanently grey sky. A small flock of crows were making their way south. Strange, he thought, it’s supposed to be spring. Rolling his bare feet in the carpet he slowly donned his (freshly washed) uniform and made his out of the door and down the hall. [/FONT]
[FONT="]He bumped into the Doctor, and together they made their way into a kitchen. Seated there was the Scientist, Secretary, and the Farmer who were just filling the Pilot and Commando in on their last night’s meeting.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary was talking “We're almost certain that the President made it to Colorado, a small town called Columbine.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]A heavy silence blanketed the room.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Secretary looks gravely at the men seated around the table and continued “Now, I cannot order you to go, you are not American soldiers, but I can furnish you with the equipment and transportation to get there. I’m just as curious as you to find out how the President is doing, and with…” he pauses for a second “other things occupying my troops at this time, I can’t afford to send any of my own. And you’d probably be ten times better than my own troops, seeing how well you’ve done so far. My question is, are you willing?”[/FONT]
[FONT="] There's a pause and then the Pilot downs a shot of whiskey (at breakfast with the kind of President of the United States no less!) and slurs “We'll do it.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Commando flashed an angry look “Why should we? We've done our job, let's get home right now. You’ve already killed a man on this mission, and I can! Not! Afford! To! Lose! Any! More!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“We have a job to do, and we're going to bloody do it!” the Pilot started out quiet and grows to shouting and staggering upright.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You could at least put it to a vote!” the Commando matched the Pilot's volume effortlessly.[/FONT]
[FONT="]"‘In case you’ve forgotten” the Pilot jabbed a finger into the Commando’s chest, full view of everyone “I’m the ranking officer here, and if the Secretary here can’t order you, then I certainly fucking can and that goes for the rest of you too!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Commando stormed out. No one got up to follow him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Doctor rose and walked right up to the Pilot. “As a civilian observer I will not fucking go! I’d rather get home right now thank you!” [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Pilot angrily shouted back “Bloody hell I can’t! You’re coming I cannot be accountable for you anywhere else!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Embarrassed as hell, the Navigator and the Scientist intervene. Grabbing the Doctor, the Scientist takes him off to a corner and they begin talking, formulating a plan. The Navigator pulls the Pilot aside.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“God Damn It, sir! Acting like this in front of the President as a representative of Her Majesties Air Force and the United Kingdom, don’t you feel a bit ashamed!” The Navigator whispered.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“No! and you will follow me as I am your fucking ranking officer!” the Pilot hissed back.[/FONT]
[FONT="]After a few minutes of intense debating, it was eventually decided that the Doctor and the Scientist were going to Cleveland where they would use the remaining communications systems to gather and compile as much data as they could for the return to Britain. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Commando, the Pilot, and the Navigator would go to meet the President. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The arrangement left no one happy.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The next day the Scientist and the Doctor packed their bags and with an armed escort got on a flight to Cleveland. They made radio contact later that day. [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Commando, the Pilot and the Navigator spent the next couple of days gathering material for the trip west. By Friday they were ready. The mission would go on.[/FONT]
[FONT="]*
The [/FONT][FONT="]
Sikorsky [/FONT][FONT="]
was puttering low on fuel. The Farmer was worried.
"I don't think we're going to make it."
The Pilot looked him dead in the eye.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“I think we can make it."[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Pilot turned to back of the plane “We’re looking around, see if we can find Air Force One.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Commando shot the Pilot a dirty look. Sitting so close one another for nearly a day did not help their already strained relationship.[/FONT]
[FONT="]They look around. Nothing. [/FONT][FONT="]
Then finally.
The Navigator shouted out "I think I see something!"
A large mound of wrenched dirt scarred a line right to the Air Force One marring the otherwise beautiful landscape.
The old Sikorsky didn't take the landing too well. Making an awkward crash landing, the Farmer placed the helicopter poorly on the dirt. It shattered. Pieces of the rotor flew apart, the helicopter tilted and dug into the dirt.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Prospero team climbed through the wreck. [/FONT][FONT="]
After trudging the nearly half mile to the crash site, they slowly found their way into the wreck.
Now I can't tell the rest of the story well enough on my own. Check out the Original below. Follow the link, you will not be disappointed.
[/FONT]
Operation Prospero [10]
They could kid themselves looking at it from the outside, but fuselage tells a different tale.
No. No. No.
They search every body; far too long has passed now to identify them, so they search jackets and trousers for whatever will help them out - it is dirty work.
No use. Mission failed.
For ages, the whole crew sit in silence and just listen to the rain hammer at the plane's metal skin. What can they say? Still, they can't stay like this forever. 'Boys...' the American sighs, 'I'm so sorry'. The Pilot looks down and looks up again - 'It's not your fault...it can't be...it's not your fault'.
The Commando smiles.
He moves across what was once the aisle to the American and goes to pat him on the shoulder - 'He's right, it's not your fault'.
Well, maybe things are going to turn out okay.
'But you're going to fucking pay for it!' - the Commando snarls with a voice of glass as he grabs the American by the neck and holds him like a shield.
The American reaches for his revolver and the Commando shoots his hand off.
'None of this John Wayne shit anymore you fucking prick! You knew they were all dead, you fucking knew it. So why the FUCK are we out here!?'
'Let's all stay calm no-' manages the Scientist before the Commando puts one through his brain.
'And YOU!', he waves the his gun at the Pilot - 'you're fucking loving it! Kill my mate, become king of your own fucking America. Well I'm in command now! How many was it?' - louder - 'How many was it!?'
'How many was what?!' screams the Pilot
'Leningrad! Tell me how many or I'll kill the fucking yank!
'What?'
'Now!'
'F-five..hun..h..half a million' the Pilot stutters - 'we planned for half a million'
'You piece of shit! All those women and children weren't enough for you were they? You got the taste but now you've gotta see it close up! To kill all of us! To kill me!'
There are tears in the Pilot's eyes 'we had orders...then and now...I was following orders'. He looks the Commando dead in the eyes and begs for forgiveness with his own.
It buys him time to draw his sidearm.
'Brilliant! Ha! Fantastic' laughs the Commando, the hollow cackle of the truly humourless 'he's got a gun! What a fucking adventure - 'Biggles Saves The World' - nice try - it was you who ended it!'
Dead calm, the pilot states - 'If you do not let that man go in the next ten seconds I am going to shoot you.'
'Are you fuck? We've had this before, pal - you can't kill men!'
'-let that man go-'
'-not if they're standing in front of you!-'
'-in the next five seconds-'
'-not when they can fight back!-'
'-I am going to-'
The American mouths 'do it, son'
'You fucking spas-' BANG
BANG
The Pilot screams as he puts two rounds through the American and into the Commando. He falls to the floor almost before they do.
Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain/ And all the children are insane.
When he comes to he's with the Co-Pilot and the Navigator and they're all lying filthy and sodden in the mud.
'What now?'
[FONT="]
[/FONT]