James and Louis helped Kant into the 'c0ckpit', and he managed to strap himself in. Their briefer started up the simulation, and he found himself in a c0ckpit that had way too many buttons. But the joystick was there, and there were pedals, albeit too many of them and in the wrong place. The plane started to lift on its own, and Kant was thankful for that because he couldn't see a convenient thruster button. It was soon fairly high up, and the Commander's voice came in the c0ckpit.

Mid-air refueling. Easy. Kant headed for the objective, which was conveiniently highlighted on his radar. Nice touch. As he sped towards it, he pulled right on the stick, so the plane barrel-rolled. Just to prove he could.

Kimberly followed at the back of the group. Watching everyone else’s reactions. Quietly amused by Steven who looked like he was fighting the look of a kid who wandered into a candy shop with a 100 dollar bill he just found on the street.

She stepped up to the new set of screens taking careful note of how the plane looked as it moved. The corner of her mouth twitched down slightly as she noticed him start to do a barrel roll. She quickly tried to put on a neutral look but the barrel roll, not the hardest maneuver, but also not the first thing she would have done in something that was so new.

Beside her, Steven was still taking in all of the different teams it took to operate this thing. Kim’s eye brow lifted when she thought him whisper something like “Jabba the Hut’s Jumping Jaxs.”

Molly followed albit slightly grumpy. But it was a good point, see how one person did before testing again. She liked challanges, however, she would follow her instructions first. She shook her head slightly at Kant as he did a barrel roll. 'Foolish, he doesn't know the planes basics at all. At least he's heading for the target.' Molly continued watching the screen, rather amazed at all the outside teams that this plane required. Her lips curled into a small smile before it disappeared, 'This will be fun.'

After observing the plane for a while, Hades remarked “very innovative corporal, using the inbuilt thrusters instead of the flaps to steer the plane.”

The objective is a tanker where you will refuel. While you are refueling I will continue the briefing. Over and out.”


“After observing your barrol roll I am glad that the docking procedure is automatic.” Hades commented drily.

“while you are refueling here is your mission briefing. The XPS-1 is currently carrying a military test payload composed of three new high altitude gliding missiles that must be launched at low orbit. Corporal, you will be flying over the northern part of Taymyrskiy, Russia. We have planned your flight path so that you are flying in the blind spot of two spy satellites, obviousely when you enter low orbit the ground satellites will pick it up, but intelligence has told us that the ground radar and dectection system is due for a system upgrade and reboot. The reboot will take approximately 2 minutes, and that is the time that you have to first go to scramjet speed and then sub-orbital burn, launch the payload, return to scramjet speed and then to normal speed.

You may have wondered why all the techies for simulators, well to answer that one whole team is set with the task of providing al lteh data of the actual geographical location so that they weather and conditions that you experience in the simulator is exactly what is happening at that point in real-time. This simulation is the most advanced in the world, when inside the c0ckpit you will not notice that you are in a sphere due to some clever design, this is as real as it gets.”

Just then the computer voice intoned “refueling complete, auto disengage system activated” the plane separated from the tanker and the corporal once again had free reign over the XSP-1.
“You have entered satellite blind-spot.”
“All right corporal, the system reboot is in one minute, and then you go live.”

“Warning, ground radar deactivation dectected.”


“Current airspeed Mach 1.8, LPDRS (Laser Pulse Detonation Rocket System) green, all systems ready to go scramjet.”

“Scramjet burn active”

Immediately the speed dropped to mach 1.6, a speed enough to tug at ones harness, then it jumped so fast as to squish the pilot in his seat, the angle of climb became steeper, then leveled out.

The corporal’s screen (and the one in the tech room) showed the status of the plane:
All systems green
Current airspeed Mach 4.51
Level flight at eighty thousand feet

At that height the curvature of the earth became more apparent and it was stunningle beautiful.

“Congratulations corporal you are now travelling almost five times the speed of sound.” Said Hades through the intercom

But any feeling of smugness that may have cropped up was soon dashed by a series of warning messages

(Display)
Warning engines 2,3 breaching safety limit
Engines 2,3 sustaining damage
Running all systems check
All systems green
Engines 2,3 offline
Current airspeed Mach 4.51
Level flight at eighty thousand feet


Warning 40seconds till ground radar startup
Preparing for suborbital insertion
Diverting power to LDDRS
Preparing to divert to main centre fuel tank
Borohydrogen tetroxide mixture: thick

Ignition in three, two, one
Insertion failed, failsafe activated

Warning 35 seconds till ground radar resumes

“Corporal, as engines 2 &3 have taken critical damage this could compromise hull integrity, so the computer will not let you commence suborbital burn, since you cant launch the payload, the mission is cancelled, take her down. Oh and I would advice you too use the planes inbuilt flaps instead of using thrusters to replace them.”

The plane smoothly dipped and started to descend.


*Warning, SCRAMJET lower limit approaching
Atmospheric engine startup: FAILED
Atmospheric engines offline due to critical damage
WARNING: SCRAMJET stall immanent*

The plane speed started to drop dramatically till it was practically gliding

*STATUS: SCRAMJET engine stalled
Main thrust lost*

The plane started to fall faster and faster, but for the pilot’s use of the front and side inbuilt thrusters to flatten out the plane it would gone into a nose dive.

Then if all that had happened was not bad news enough, there came one more warning message

*WARNING: Thruster fuel low
Thrusters offline*

Then the plane went into a nose dive, buffeted about by the jet stream as it passed through the fast moving stream of air. It appeared that all semblance of control was lost as the plane started to yaw at first then rapidly going to twisting and tumbling, the simulated c0ckpit started spinning and turning wildly in all directions as well as vibrating.

*WARNING: crash imminent
Activating emergency ejection procedure*

At this point all could see on the hologram, the whole c0ckpit detached from the main body of the plane. Both objects were still twisting and tumbling wildly, suddenly the main body of the plane seemed to implode and melt at the same time; consequentially what fell to earth was ash. The emergency thrusters on the c0ckpit activated and swiftly brought the c0ckpit level again, at the same time six huge parachutes deployed, as the c0ckpit slowly descended back to earth.

Back in the control room, all the technicians had gone silently, and there were none too few quick furtive glances in Hades direction. What they saw made them turn their heads back to staring at their control and sim screens. There was a general air of disbelief in the room. On a screen to the side, one that monitored the communication on the headsets between the techies was buzzing
“Who is this rookie?”
“That breaks the record for the ROYALLY SCREWING UP THE MISSION award.”
“We came here to setup this precision equipment for … Rookies?”
“If the other guys are like him should they even be allowed near the simulator?”

Hades quickly on the keyboard and a message appeared on all the techie’s screens

*That is enough all of you get back to work, I want a mission analysis sent to the briefing room and loaded up in five minutes, a COMPLETE and FULL mission analysis, is that clear?

Yes sir

Good, now get on it.*

On the simulator screen flashed the words as the computer synthesized voice intoned: “SIMULATION ENDED, MISSION UNSUCCESSFUL, PLEASE EXIT THE C0CKPIT.”

Hades thumbed the button the mike, he was shaking slightly with rage but his voice was level, but clear. His deep voice when It boomed out from the speakers was sharp enough to literally cut the whole complex apart.

“James, help the CORPORAL out and get him out of the suite, then please escourt him to the briefing room in ten.”

Hades waved his arms over his control console and immediately all screens wend blank and the console powered down.

He turned to the remaining pilots “Please meet me in the briefing room in ten minutes.”

With that Hades turned and swiftly strode out of the room, at this point he was almost visibly emitting a “get in my way and I will royally kick your ass and break your bones” aura.

OOC: Gah! I spent half an hour writing this, and then the internet broke and I had to write it out from scratch! *tosses laptop out of window*

IC:
Knowing that the precedure was automatic, Kant took the chance to check out his c0ckpit. He was still firm in the belief that there were far too many buttons, but there wasn't a lot he could do about that. He looked at the labels, and saw a switch that was flicked to the left. Above it was written 'THRUSTERS', and above the right side was written 'FLAPS'. That explained why the manouvering felt strange. He flicked it to the right, so that he was now steering with the flaps. Or at least he would be, if it wasn't still in automatic.

His briefing came through, and he took note of the important bits. Fly high, drop payload, fly back. And do it fast. Got it. He had a minute before the ground radar was turned off, and then he had two more to complete the mission. No problem. The scramjet activated, and at first the plane decelerated faster than he thought possible, but then it accelerated even faster. He was forced into the back of his seat, and the plane climbed steadily higher. He evened it out, at a cool eighty thousand feet.

People should not be this high. Stupid space plane. But atleast he was going fast. Five times the speed of light? Not bad. But then a handy little display screen started flashing up scary messages.

Warning engines 2,3 breaching safety limit
Engines 2,3 sustaining damage
Running all systems check
All systems green
Engines 2,3 offline
Current airspeed Mach 4.51
Level flight at eighty thousand feet

So he lost half his engines, but everything else was fine. he could still do this. But what bugged him was that he had no idea why the engines had failed on him. He hoped there was a mic in the room, as he spoke aloud "You call this a plane? My ten year old brother has made more reliable ones from paper." Then the scamjet started preparing for startup, and as the countdown started he braced himself for the acceleration. But it never came. Something had gone wrong, again, and it had failed. "As I said, more reliable ones from paper. Which idiot designed this thing?"

The Commander let him know that the mission had failed, and he was to bring the plane in to land. That meant going from scramjet, back to normal speed. He slowed it down, and more happy messages appeared.

Warning, SCRAMJET lower limit approaching
Atmospheric engine startup: FAILED
Atmospheric engines offline due to critical damage
WARNING: SCRAMJET stall immanent

Crap. The engines failed to ignite, and the scramjet stalled. he was now gliding. In a plane that apparently couldn't fly without a million megavolts of power being pumped into the engines at all times. He just about managed to keep it level, until all thrust gave out completly. Then he had no chance. It tumbled through the air, detirmined to meet the ground as soon as possible. The ejection procedure kicked in, and a whole section of the plane broke away. he muttered to himself, "Not to worry, I'm still flying half a ship." But he wasn't actually flying it, as it levelled itself out and released parachutes to gently lower itself to the ground.

Kant could hear the Commander's voice echo through the room as the simulation ended. As Kant got out of the simulator, he noticed that the techies were giving him disapproving looks. He ripped off one glove and through it at them. James quickly snatched it up, "Do you know how much this thing costs? I doubt you could even comprehend how much money it is." But Kant didn't care, as he stomped back to the changing area and got back into his uniform.

Ten minutes later, he was directed to the briefing room. he had no idea what had happened to the plane, but he knew that it definatly wasn't his fault.

Kimberly watched the screens. A small smile curved across her face when she heard Hades make his comment about being glad that the fueling process was automatic. So she wasn’t the only one who thought barrel rolling in a new craft was a bad idea. Then again the automatic thought also was a concern. She’d never liked things that were automatic. She didn’t like relying on machines to do their jobs because when they didn’t do their jobs she couldn’t’ yell at them properly. Even if automatic did make things easier.

Steven was at her shoulder with his eyes still taking in what Kant was doing and how the air craft responded. By now he’d bottled up his excitement to look more serious. Although there was a crease and sparkle at the corner of his eye that said other wise. Something that instantly disappeared when the warnings popped up on the screen. Were things really that difficult? The simulation ended and they had been instructed to go back to the briefing room.

Taking his leave and waiting till they were out in the hall way, he turned back to the others. “I didn’t see what went wrong. Did you?”

Kimberly shook her head. Her eye brows furrowed slightly. Before she stepped out into the hall way. Choosing to take the lead to the room.

'That went wrong rather quickly hmm. I wonder, I think it might have to do with the altitude perhaps, it being automatic, hmmm.' Molly shook her head and quickly followed Kimberly into the briefing room and took a seat close to the front. "I'm not sure entirely what went wrong myslef but I think it might have been the use of the thrusters, high altitude perhaps, but thats just my thoughts for now anyway." Molly shrugged and settled back to wait for the commander, who was royaly pissed.

Colonel Edwards was equally puzzled as to the cause of failure but he suspected that it had something to do with what the pilot had not done. He had seen enough of the simulator setup and the perfection that Commander Hades brought with him to suspect any weakness on the part of the plane.

In exactly ten minutes Commander Hades strode into the briefing room, he looked composed and perfectly cool and calm, he was polite, very polite. “Well, what do you all think of the plane based on what you have seen so far?”

At this question Colonel Edwards was extremely surprised, he looked around ofr a second or two, at the people there then quickly composed himself, he was after all the most senior ranking pilot in the room aside from the Commander, who, he guessed, had piloted his fair share of aircraft.
“Um… Sir the plane flies faster than the SR-71 Blackbird and has a far superior acceleration rate, but sir its agility seems to be the same if not less, plus we still have not seen the planes ability at low orbit, so based on my knowledge this plane has its strengths and weaknesses, but I could be mistaken sir!”

His experience? Well, you asked for it. "Sir, the plane is unreliable. I flew it in a straight line and it failed. It's got all these shiny bits to make it go fast, but they don't actually work. It's probably because you've overloaded it with fuel." He thought that a plane carrying that much fuel was doomed whatever the circumstances. "Maybe you should try to steal some stuff from NASA? they seem to know a lot more than you about space flight."

“Excuse me sir. With all do respect,” Kimberly said, showing off a little bit of her nerve. Especially for talking any ways like this. “But that was a first time simulation on something most of us in this room only just learned about a matter of minutes ago. Yes I imagine that the risks and operation are different but that is what the scenario was for. Besides. You were trying to show off either way with that barrel roll bit. Serves your right to be put in your place. If you’re going to complain, I say learn more so that you can have more valuable complaints. Not just asumptions.”

Steven just sort of sat there. He was going to say something but lost track of thought when Kimberly started talking. “Aahhhhhhhh”

(Sorry Ted. I had to pick on you.)

"Kant, I'm afraid I must agree with Kimberely. A barrel roll in simulation for a new model is not going to work out, and it really didn't." Molly took a breath and spoke calmly, "Commander Hades Sir, the plane is rather new all in all. But, with practice, it can be mastered." She nodded in Edwards direction, "He is also correct in the statement that this plane has strengths and weakness', but then again all technology does Sir." Molly knew she may have overstepped her boundaries, but she needed to ask this as well. "Sir, is it possible to see the simulation once more at .5 speed?"

“CORPORAL! That is enough disrespect from you. Edwards was seething. He had put up with this proud, arrogant greenie for long enough.

“Thank you Colonel, I will take it from here.”


Hades sat there and listened to what each person had to say, he nodded in agreement with Kimberly and Molly. After they had all finished speaking, Hades slowly scanned the faces of the people there sat before them, as his gaze passed over Kimberly and Molly, his eyes seemed to soften slightly as if to say no bad, or promising, but that could have just been the trick of the light. Did he non slightly to himself as well, perhaps. His eyes resumed their normal piercing glare as they scanned over Steven, twinkled slightly at Edwards. His irises were a dark shimmering green, as though there was a low flame behind them.
When his gaze settled on Kant however, they seemed to blaze slightly.

“ ‘The plane does not fly straight’ you say , you speak like you are a connoisseur of planes. Let us then review the flight Corporal.”

The screen at the end of the room flickered to life. It was a huge screen covering most of the wall of the room, normally concealed by curtains. The screen showed many of the views of the equipment and Kant and of the plane.

“Let us begin, soon after take off, the corporal reaches of these series of buttons, one said flap and the other said thruster, and after pumping the flap button for a bit and seeing no response you continue flying. Firstly, the ‘flap’ button was to the cargo flap doors not the flaps on the wings, for as you saw before you enter the simulator the plane had no flaps. If the cargo flap console had been powered up you could have dropped the payload soon after refueling thereby instantly failing the mission. The thrusters that you were flying by were not intended to be used that way. Those inbuilt thrusters are meant to be used in such things like docking procedures and where minute adjustment is needed. So if your ‘flap’ switch had been on, you would have cost the government then ant there around one billion US dollars.

Let me remind you that after you are qualified to fly this plane, the range of missions that you may be called to take is staggering. You are the few who can say fly to the middle east extract an operative and be back in Washington within half and hour, you could be called on to whisk important people out of harms way. The payload of the SP series is such that you could comfortably take out half the American 9th fleet, and any jets that they scramble, leave them biting dust, land, reload and refuel and be on them within an hour or so. The possibilities are endless.

Any way back to the mission, the other points were fine except when you went scramjet. Even with the engine like those of the SR-71 Blackbird, the acceleration produced by the LDDRS engines is enough to wreck it. The normal procedure is to extend the protective vanes over the normal engine thereby preventing any such damage. I would have told you but you seemed to tell me that you knew everything about the XPS-1 ‘have we seriously been called from duty for a whole month to learn to do what I am already best at?’ were your exact words.”
Hades paused for a minute.

The LDDRS engines basically act like a rocked engine, the reason that you were not allowed to feel the full force of them corporal was that with the engine protective vanes not extended (they do on auto pilot but I though I would give you the privilege of flying manual, that way you can get the most out of the plane) and your normal air breathing engines critically damaged, unless in an emergency and with the override code the plane will not allow you to enter low orbit and risk more damage.

By the way another thing you were going to launch as well were some mini low orbit satellites, which added to the cost of their destruction.

Now, back to the mission. I was encouraged when you kept your calm even when things started to go wrong, that was good. The thrusters that I mentioned earlier are self recharging ones but they also need fuel thus they ran out after a while. Resulting in you being able to personally test out and experience the emergency ejection system. Even so in every stage of the operation there was so much more you could have gotten out of it. If the payload had not been missiles and satellites, but had been a government agent, or an important person, say the joint chief, or the president? Then what? The cost of failure is you walking out alive, and having to explain what happened. By the way the plane also costs around half a billion to a billion US dollars, so you can add that to your debt. This will also, I hope, give you an idea of the importance of the missions you may be sent on (if you qualify), you will not be sent on common garden missions, there are plenty of people more expendable that yourselves.”

Corporal, ever since we met, you have shown disrespect for your superiors, the equipment, the mission, the simulator and the plane. This plane is not the only vehicle that you are scheduled to learn on this program, but if you choose to continue with your attitude of I know all, I am best, then you will pack your bags and leave this program. The choice is yours.”

Hades then turned to the rest of the room. He looked at his watch. “It is getting late, just one or two more points before I end this briefing. About the question of the plane having no flaps and the pilot not using the thrusters to control the plane, some of you may be wondering how on earth it works. It works I can assure you of that. I have clocked considerable hours in that very plane. What is a flap, we all know it helps to steer the plane but how does it work exactly, and how efficient is it? Tell me, explain it to me, somebody? Anybody?”

Kant's eyes flicked to edwards as he bawled at him,The commander was just a little pissed. He was sure Hades had mentioned flaps at some point during the mission. ah well, still wasn't his fault. He was sure of that. If a plane fails, then it's the plane's fault. Or its designer's. But the commander would not likely appreciate such a view. After pointing out every bit where he went wrong, Hades then almost answered how the plane steered. Of course, it just does. How could Kant have not thought of that? But he decided that if he continued being a c0cky ass, then he would likely get kicked off the project. That, he would never live down. So, he there and then made a decision to put his awesomeness aside, and follow good ole commander Hades.

"A flap alters the shape of the wing, either increasing lift or reversing it, in order to lift up one side of the plane and drop down the other." Just because he was going along, didn't mean that he couldn't still throw in some awesomeness.

Kimberly and Steven both made care to note the information about the cargo flaps. Yeah. Dropping the load in the wrong place would definitely be a bad thing.

Kimberly chimed in after Kant’s answer, nodding. “One question sir. Why would you ask about Flaps if this particular craft doesn’t use them? At least I haven’t seen the sections of the wing that are supposed to move. And you showed the sides before, it looked like one piece.”

(If I have something wrong tell me.)

"I agree Sir, but you can use the thrusters instead for the critical manuvours. Also, since this is a stealth plane then having flaps would buffet the plane around more in the air. Therefore making it more easier to catch and also losing time." Molly looked at Commander Hades with curiousity and also wondered how he would answer Kim's question.