Crash Landing by Zac Harrison Read Free Book Online Page B

sir.”
    “Go, John Riley.”
    “I-I’m not sure this is a good idea,” John stammered.
    “I don’t want to hear excuses. Get up there.”
    “But I wasn’t here last—”
    “Get flying, cadet.”
    Sudden panic gripped John; the complete craziness of the situation hit him with full force. What was I thinking? I can’t fly a freaking spaceship, I’ve only ever ridden a bike before.
    He jerked the control stick back. With a lurch, the front of the spaceship swung up until John was blinking at the distant ceiling. “ Gaaah ! ” he yelped, his stomach twisting itself in knots.
    “Gently! I said gently !” an exasperated Jegger bellowed in his ear.
    John looked around for a way to escape. Sergeant Jegger glared at him from across the deck, as if he knew exactly what John was thinking and would stuff him back into the cockpit if he tried to get out. There was nothing else for it; he would have to try and fly the ship.
    Squeezing his eyes shut, John pushed the stick away from him a little. The front of the t-dart dipped.
    “Better. Now the flight button.”
    Half opening one eye and reminding himself to breathe, John flicked the button on top of the control stick. The ship began to move forward.
    “Keep the stick firm and fly to thirty metres. Join the line, keeping plenty of distance between you and the t-dart in front.”
    The spaceship wobbled alarmingly ,as John’s hands trembled in their grip on the control stick. Gulping a deep lungful of air, he forced himself to relax. The ship stabilized. John moved the control stick slightly to the left, until he was moving towards the end of the line.
    “I’m flying it,” he whispered through clenched teeth. I’m actually flying it.”The ship was rolling and tilting, but he was flying. Awesome .
    “Thirty metres!” barked the voice in his ear, making John jump and the craft roll. Glancing at another panel that gave his altitude, John brought the little spaceship under control and managed to glide in, clumsily, behind Mordant and at the right height.
    “All right,” said Jegger. “That was mostly terrible. Keep formation for a while, then we’ll try some simple manoeuvres.”
    After a few minutes John felt like he was starting to get the hang of flying. The control stick was more sensitive than any video game he had ever played, but the craft was simple to fly and his t-dart flew smoother as his confidence increased. Looking down, he could see the tiny figure of Sergeant Jegger below, giving orders into a microphone. Around the hangar, ships began flipping, turning, and flying a little faster on his command. With a grin, John waved at Kaal as his t-dart shot by within a few metres and gave him a thumbs up.
    “...John Riley,” said Jegger’s voice.
    With a start, John realized he’d been too busy looking around and hadn’t been paying attention to the flight instructor’s voice.
    “Execute manoeuvre,” came Jegger’s voice again.
    Panicking, John’s eyes swept over the screens. He half-remembered Jegger saying something that sounded like axle . What was it ?
    Next to the power screen was a large panel with the words “Accelerate boost”. That must be it. John reached out for it as Jegger’s voice came again. “What are you waiting for, cadet? Give me an axle roll.”
    It was too late to correct the mistake, John’s fingers were already touching the panel. Beneath him, engines roared suddenly. The ship leaped forward at a terrifying speed.
    “What are you doing?” Jegger’s voice roared in his ears, “Slow down, slow down now ! You’re going to hit the—”
    John dragged the control stick back only a second before the t-dart crashed into the wall. The spaceship flipped and hurtled back in the opposite direction, with John now flying upside down. Ships scattered as students manoeuvred out of its path. He yanked the stick this way and that, trying to avoid them. Within seconds, the ship was rolling uncontrollably as it tore around the