May 18 07:43:30 107 PA - Wings and a Prayer

From Chronicles

May 18 07:43:30 107 PA - Wings and a Prayer

Kingsdale - Landing Strip

With nature making quite a bit of noise, the sounds that usually emanate from the airdrome are quite subdued. There's a large transport landing with the nose pointed well away from the runway, yet it's still moving straight toward it, strobes flashing rhythmically in the night. Meanwhile, a man on the ground is pushing a large cart with something on it and a tarp on top of that towards one of the hangars, looking a bit rushed.

Bridget isn't in any hurry, and isn't all that bothered by the noise in the sky or on the ground. She's walking in from an early, or late, stint at the range, pulse rifle slung over her shoulder. There was already enough noise with that, and there's no reason to race, since they're going to make her lock up her baby soon enough as it is.

The whale of a plane lands on one set of wheels on one side, then lines up with the runway and touches down the other set, the whole operation creating a good deal of mist there on the runway. The man pushes the cart into the hangar and comes back out to look up for a few moments, "What in the hell makes that kinda color?" he asks in that ozzy accent of his, shaking his head slightly. As thunder crashes nearby, he covers his ears briefly. Spying Bridget he smiles and calls to her, "Hi there Lass, fancy seein' you over here" wondering if she'll be able to hear him.

Bridget seems to hear him, and maybe even recognizes the accent, since she turns towards him. It doesn't take long for her to find him in the chaos of lights and noise, either. A hand lifts up to wave to him, but some of her answer is lost to the noise. She isn't calling out much louder than a normal voice. "Hey! Did ... fall ... ... lately?"

Jack tilts his head a little, one ear turned slightly towards Bridget, and then he moves closer to her. "Pardon me lass, I didn't hear you, sounded like you asked if I fell lately" he says in jest, moving to within earshot now. He looks over the rifle for a moment also, and then back at the woman herself.

"Sorry," Bridget speaks up, now that he's closer, "just wondering if you fell off anything else interesting lately." Her grin was apologetic, but not so much after getting her tease out. "What are you doing out here?"

Jack takes a quick breath in, and looks left and right a little, then he points towards one of the larger turboprop planes. "That. You won't believe how slippery they get sometimes, it's really embarassing to ride the stairs down on your butt" he replies, brows hiking up as he looks back at her. "Ah, working. See, I do a bit of fixin' and then I teach folks how to fly those there" he points to a lot of small aircraft that are tied down to the ground currently. All of the them are white, and they do look quite small.

Bridget quirks a brow and looks to the planes and back. "Wouldn't it be easier with something with thrusters, or hoverjets? I guess as long as it flies when you want it to and only -lands- the way you want it to... Wait, so you can fix and fly, but not walk or climb?" Her grin grows with that.

"Hover-heh, you know, there's things that fly, and things that are so ugly they are repelled from the earth" Jack jests, tilting his head slightly the other way. "They're also damned slow. Now, ... um" the last catches him by surprise slightly. "It's all about good stick-handling, you know, er ... " he chuckles.

Bridget now laughs. "I've got an idea. Way to high up in the air for me, though. I'll stick with a cycle." She shrugs her shoulders and waves towards one of the landing, larger planes. "Why not jockey one of those? They're always coming and going, so it sounds like you'd never run out of work."

"Not if you're the adventurous kind, lass" Jack challenges, and then he looks towards one of the bigger planes. "Now and then" he starts, which is interrupted by a passer by who claps him on the back, "No, not him, he's top of the food chain!" there's a laugh, and that man moves on, leaving Jack a bit stunned - just for a moment. "Right, every now and then, yes, the money ain't bad."

"Top of the food chain?" That passing comment gets a barely-there brow to quirk up again, which Bridget points to Jack. "If one of those little things is the top, maybe I'm better off staying on the ground. I like some adventure now and then, but..."

"They" Jack motions to the theatrically, looking at Bridget with bemusement, "are the start. Now I'll stop being pretentious lass, because I have a feeling you'll be hating me soon. Come, I'll show you why he said that. People advertising you like that though, it's a love-hate thing" he muses, leading towards the hangar. "Tea, coffee?" he asks, glancing to her, looking to see if she will follow. "A bugsmasher like that is an awesome ride. Then there's these aerobatic ones" he points to a slightly larger prop-plane near the little ones.

Bridget doesn't mind holding onto her rifle a little longer, and, "Coffee'd be great. Someone needs to put a shop or just a pot out here for everybody..." That's more than enough to get her to follow him, with a grin. "I'm just the passenger type, so anything that gets me there without blowing up or crashing is my favorite. The rest doesn't matter so much."

"You would think, right? They have a canteen truck going by, but it's the stuff in the office that tends to be the best" Jack leads inside, glancing towards the latest thunderbolt, and then makes for a small office inside the hangar, and puts the coffee machine on. "Alright, it'll be ready in just a minute. See, this one grinds the beans and all that, the boss loves it."

"As long as it spits out hot and drinkable, I'll love it, too." Bridget lets out a little chuckle with her shrug. "Been a long day, already. How about you? You just getting going or finishing up?"

Jack looks to Bridget, and then to the coffee, then back to Bridget. "I'm sure it will ... er, aim to please" he grins and turns back to put a cup in place a few moments before the hot liquid comes pouring out. "Milk, sugar, other fun stuff?" he asks, taking the cup and holding it out for Bridget to take. "With work? Getting done, otherwise, hopefuly getting going. You were out shooting?"

Bridget now smirks as she nods. "A little night-time practice, just in case. Not everything that wants to kill you is nice enough to show up with the sun. And it's fine just like that. Thanks." She goes back to a smile as she takes the cup and a much needed drink from it. "Ahh... I think your aim was right on. So, what do you do when you're not showing off how well you fly, in and out of a plane?"

"I have been busy lately, a lot of work, but ... I like to go out and dance a bit and things like that. Not that I can dance, but hey, with all them kids hopping around, it's easy enough to pretend" Jack grins, and stands out of the office, back into the hangar. "Also I said I'd show you why he said that, so if you follow me this way, please. What do you do for fun, other than skipping rope and watching clumsy men fall off of things?"

"You mean that's not enough fun?" Bridget's tease is mild, though, now that her curiosity is piqued. "I like dancing, too, but I try to do better than pretend." She follows him out and further into the hangar. If curious wasn't enough, there's still the coffe that she's sipping as they walk.

Jack isn't going too fast, on account of Bridget carrying that coffee. "I'd like to learn, I just never took the time, really ... " He leads around a separating wall, behind which a well lit jet stands. It's painted light grey, and there are what one might think of as large parts of the fuselage laying on each side, as well as external fuel tanks, for those who can tell the difference between those and weapons. There are other things too, of course. From close up it might he hard to tell because this plane is actually quite large - a two seater, huge in comparison to the little planes outside, yet much smaller than the large cargo planes. And sleek. Pointy. "This is it."

Bridget lets out a long whistle. Even if she can't hardly tell an afterburner from an ejection seat, it's still impressive. "Nice. You put that one together all by yourself? Though it looks like it's not all glued together, yet." She peers at the pieces on the ground beside and underneath it.

"Those are the conformal fuel tanks, they fit right onto the sides here" says Jack, pointing to the pieces on each side. "They make the thing quite heavy, which makes it less fun, so I keep'em off unless needed. The externals too. You can drop'em, but replacements can be hard to come by" he explains as they stand inside a hangar looking into part of it separated by a thin wall.

"Probably still more fun than running out of gas." Bridget watches as Jack points out things, sipping her coffee, pulse rifle slung over her shoulder. "That'd make it just a little harder to land, I'd think. Well, harder to lanf the way you -want- to, anyways."

And the whine of an electric engine sounds along the louder roars of the landing strip, Ash flies his hovercycle down in from above at a wicked drop and then plants a boot to yank the hovercycle to the side as he does a few donuts before he straightens it up. He laughs and woops before he drives it at speed into the public hangar to park it, "Hey Jack!" He calls out, apparently looking for Jack.

"It operates from prepared runways, sure thing, and you've got an operational radius" Jack shrugs, "In return it gives you ... ownership of the sky. Big price to pay? I suppose that's a call you have to make some day" he grins and clears his throat. "It doesn't run out that fast if you know how to fly it either. Now, if I ever get the money, which is probably never, I might change the engine source to something more permament, but so far I've not found a jet engine to replace those yet" he says, and blinks his eyes, turning his head to look over. "Hey mate!" he grins, "How are you doing?"

Bridget turns towards the spinning cycle somewhere around the second donut, but she's still listening to Jack. Probaby. She smirks at the hotshotting, and the smirk grows bigger when she realizes who the hotshot is. "Wouldn't it be easier if you just walked? I'd say it'd be quieter, too, but I'm not so sure." Her smirk then melts into something alot milder. "Having fun?"

Ash tosses the kickstand down and then kills the engine on the hovercycle before he bounces off the motorcycle and headed over towards the particular grouping of individuals. "Was." He admits to Bridget before he reaches over and tries to grope the woman with a wink then looks at Jack, "Get that fragile plane of yours up and running yet mate?" He asks as he looks to see what the pair are gathering and looking towards.

Jack looks from one to the other briefly, rubbing his hands together for a moment. "Heh, it's ready to go any time. It just ain't cheap, so she doesn't get much use" he shrugs and chuckles, "But every minute is worth it" he blinks at the grope attempt, making an 'uhoh' face. The fighter is of course where the they were looking.

"Was-" Bridget starts to ask, then squeaks as she's grabbed. Ash gets a touch right back, as a smack. Lucky for him it is a token kind, not the bruising kind. "Maybe you should be the one up and running. Away." The threat is mostly smirk, but there's still some grin in it.

At the smack Ash chuckles but doesn't seem to be really phased by it, he does however playfully reach up to rub where he was smacked before he blows her a kiss and he moves over towards the window. "I still think I'd like something that could take a spare lucky shot, or a missile. Takes more than one missile to down a modern plane." He grins amusedly at that, "But I still think you should get all phaeton juiced up to become the super duperest pilots ever."

"Hah ... " Jack clears his throat, looking between the two once more, and then he grins, "So, er - well. The only good poison is booze, and I think I can handle some dude on drugs. That's all" he says, shrugging his shoulders once more. "So anyway, uh ... "

"He can handle his stick just fine the way he is, Ash." Bridget turns towards Jack with more mischief growing in her lips. "You don't need any super duper speed or whatnot for that, right?" She nods when he confirms that. "Thought so. Then again, it isn't worth much if you never get it out of the hangar, either."

"I can understand that." Ash says, "I wouldn't get juiced either." He shrugs, "But I don't really want to know how Jack handles his stick... that's just... to much information." He wrinkles his non-existant nose, in otherwords, he frowns. "So, seriously mate, when you going to either get it finished?"

"Ooh..." Jack cocks his brows up, "Well now, I think my ears are burning" he says quietly, looking at the both of them. "It's a two seater. I can take it out, but it's even more fun if I'm giving someone a ride. Not as harsh, but company is better that gee's any time. What, no volunteers?"

Bridget just smiles, though some of that gets hid when she pours coffee into it. "You're shy, and offering me a ride, too? Sure, why not? Are you going to be gentle with me?" She perks a brow up at Jack, then turns it to Ash. Ok, maybe she's having a little fun... or the coffee is strong and kicking in.

Ash chuckles, "Hey, don't mind me. You won't ever catch me in a plane not made of mega-damage materials. One spare missile from a rocketcycle or one of their fighters and it's all over." He then shrugs and tilts his head at Bridget, shrugs again, "Careful of the rust." He grins and winks playfully before he turns and heads over to make sure his bike is getting it's charge.

Jack lifts a hand to rub at his chin slightly at all the teasing, looking between the two again for a moment, "Rust? Huh ... I maintain well" he says, blinking his eyes, and then looking to Bridget. "Oh, well ... is that what you want lass?" he asks, "Assuming you want the ride" he chuckles, a bit at a loss for words.

"Gentle? Nope, not really." Bridget sucks down the last of her coffee, since she might spill it, later. "Anything on the living side of a crash is good. If you're going to burn the fuel, might as well burn it good, right? 'Scuse me a second..." Then she hands Jack the empty cup so she can turn to step after Ash. "I thought we got rid of the rust already?" She has a grope to get him back for, and if he's busy checking the cycle, it just makes it even easier for her incoming grab.

As he's grabbed Ash can't help but laugh and lean over towards Bridget, "I meant -his- rust, with as much time as he spends on making sure his ancient plane is all tip top, I'm sure he can handle his own stick quite well... but he's probably rusty as all hell otherwise." He winks at the woman, "Make sure to wear a parachute or something." He says more seriously to Bridget, "With extra heavy duty straps."

Jack reaches out to take the cup and then he watches, somewhat amused, looking aside for a moment - he can hear you know! He takes a moment o quickly reach up and polish off a strobe cover, then turns back, "There are ejection seats, but they won't be needed."

Bridget slides her hand and arm up and around Ash, to give him a quick peck of a kiss. "Don't worry, I won't let him crash. Don't think he would trash his baby, though. Maybe after he flips the world upside-down, it'll be your turn to try? On my world." After a little squeeze, she lets him go and turns to step back towards Jack with a grin. "So, she ready to go? I am."

"Sure ... looks like the weather's cleared up too" Jack replies a moment later, "I'll get you a suit" he movs to the back of the hangar, to retrieve said piece of equipment. It looks like something that goes on top of clothes, and it's certainly not quite full-covering ... that and there are hoses attached to it. "Put that on, we'll tighten it in a moment, I'll go get mine" which is exactly what he heads off to do now.

Ash chuckles and shakes his head as his joke gets missed, again but he surely isn't going to pull away from being held by the woman, nor fight the quick kiss, "Sure thing doll." He winks at Bridget, "Don't ever need to wonder about that, always ready, always willing." He then plugs the recharging cord into his beat up hovercycle as he watches Bridget walk over towards Jack. The quick-flex lifts a hand in a wave.

Bridget didn't miss the joke, but there was enough floating around as it was. Hell, she even left 'cockpit' alone. The suit she's handed gets slipped over her overalls pretty easy, since they're made to wear under other gear. Something will probably need tightened somewhere, so she waits after she gets it on as best she can.

Jack returns in a short time, tightening straps as he walks. He makes it straight up to Bridget, looks her over, looks at Ash, and then back to Bridget. "Tell me if it's too tight" he says, and gets to tightening the straps on her - starting with the legs, then moving up quickly. "You don't touch the ejection seat handles unless I tell you, and try to keep your hands on the holds. If you feel this thing inflating, breathe every three seconds, and tighten your legs and stomach ... the three second thing is important" the explanation is quick, of course, and after he's done, he goes to push a latter up to the rear cockpit and waves Bridget on. "After you lass" he chuckles.

With the other two preparing to fly away in something that could go up in flames in a heartbeat from a nick of a C-12... Ash looks over towards them and then walks over towards the exit, "Have fun." He lifts a hand in a wave as he turns to walk back to the city proper since three is definately a crowd on such a plane.

"It's good." Bridget stretches a little after buckles her up, too make sure nothing's pinched, and nothing falls off. She waves to Ash and starts after Jack and up the ladder. "Don't grab the wrong things. Grab the right things. Breathe. I think I got it." A quick run through the checklist as she climbs aboard.

"Enough for a spring home. I'll take you up on that" Jack chuckles - he rolls towards Kingsdale, making a hard, screaming turn with the afterburners lighting in the middle of it all. "Ready for the most frightening landing pattern ever?" he asks, which is followed by radio chatter indicating that permission is granted - it isn't long before the plane is pointed down, corkscrewing towards the airfield straight below it. Things get bigger! Eventually he pulls level low over the ground, flying away from Kingsdale a short distance - he turns around and comes back torward it, cutting low across the runway, followed by a sharp pull up, another turn to line up the runway on one side of the plane, the speed now much less, visibly, and then another 180 to line up on the runway, with all the thumping and whirring that comes with the gear and flaps coming down.

"Whoo!" Bridget answers him with a whoop as they start to spin AND dive. She didn't get to try that one, and that's probably a good thing. When the ground starts getting close, then real close, she starts doing more grabbing hold of things and lots less whooping. She's quiet by that last 180, and startles at the thumps.

The landing goes smoothly enough, and Jack quickly taxies the jet to the ramp, turning engines and other things off - once those wind down, a pair of ladders are brought to the sides by the ground crew whan the canopy comes up. Jack stands up on his seat to look back. "You alright?"

Bridget looks fine, now that they're back on the ground, and only ran into it the way they were supposed to. She fights with the harness a moment and tugs the helmet off. Her grin is still there, or came back. "I'm great! Was it good for you, too?" After winking, she stands up, too, so she can stretch.

"It was great" Jack chuckles, reaching down and retrieving a bag. He'll take that. Yes, one of those bags. "Don't start down the ladder right away, your legs might surprise you" he warns, though he certainly goes onto his ladder, crossing over onto hers. "You sure? You got a bit quiet back there ... yeah, we fly very agressive like that" he leaves it at that though, and just offers his free hand to help her down.

Bridget takes the hand and steps out and down, but her legs are steady enough to walk on. "It was easier when the ground wasn't right there. Seems like you're going alot faster when things are whizzing by." Her eyes dip to his extra carry-off luggage, but she doesn't say anything. Maybe she can't because her smile is growing bigger. Finally, she asks, "So, what's next hotshot?"

"I understand" Jack replies and chuckles, "Didn't you say something about dancing? Your legs seem fine" he tilts his head slightly. There's a slight blush at where her gaze falls, but he doesn't seem to be horribly embarassed.

"Least I can do is get you a drink since you gave me a ride." Bridget glances back to the plane. "You need to do anything else to park that thing? I just need to get out of this, and into something more for dancing, but we can stop by on the way/

Jack looks towards the plane for a moment. "No, it'll cool down here and we'll pull it back into the hangar later" he says, "Sure thing, um. Do you want me to meet you somewhere, or should I just tag along?" he inquires.

Bridget gets her loaner flightsuit unbuckled and shimmies out of it, so she can put it... yeah, right there works. "You can tag along, unless you need to go get cleaned up." She doesn't look towards the bag this time and smiles a shrug. "I just want to change. No way I'm dancing in this." Coveralls and boots are definitely not dancing material.

"Deal - just a moment" Jack replies, and picks up the flight suit - he gets out of his also, and chucks both into the rear seat. "I'll clean up after" there's just a stop over to pick up some fresh clothes from the office - yup - the office, and then he follows along. "So then - you are the adventurous type" he grins.

"Kind of hard to -not- be," Bridget smirks, the good kind, when he gets back and they start walking, "what, with people trying to shoot you, things trying to eat you. Having no idea what's coming next is a good reason to try something fun, don't you think?" A barely-there brow gets cocked his way.