USS Stephanie Kelton over Hawaii
Behind the pilot and co-pilot seats of the hybrid airship N-798 LM was a flight deck with jump seats for additional crew or VIP passengers. Even though he was physically located at the Skunk Works Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, Ranell's avatar was virtually projected into one of the jump seats aboard the USS Stephanie Kelton, one of the newest of the HORAS class airships.
“Weather report is mostly sunny with seventy percent humidity, Captain.” The navigator called out to Captain Pruitt, the pilot. “Winds northeast at fifteen knots. Ten percent chance of rain. Expected high today of eighty-five.”
It was summertime over Oahu, Hawaii. Those islands are gorgeous, Ranell could see several in the chain. He knew from previous vacations that countless tourists were sipping mai tais down along those golden beaches. He stared longingly out of the window. We should go back there sometime.
"It's almost time for your staff meeting, sir." The avatar of the young man addressing him was in his early twenties. He seemed energetic and professional, wearing his olive-drab Nomex flight suit. "Did you say you needed help interfacing with the remote feed?"
“Yes, please,” Ranell replied, his hands moving up to feel the large headset that he wore. It was disorienting. “I’ve used extended reality goggles a few times before, but I’m not familiar with this type.”
“Whoa!” Ranell found himself outside, floating midair above the airship. Instinctively, he flailed his arms, making the situation worse. The terrifying sensation of falling was only relieved when his hands slammed down on the Skunk Works conference room table.
“Just sit still, Dr. Ranell,” the crewman gently chided, chuckling softly. “Don’t touch anything else. I’ll get you to the control cabin.”
Moments later, a somewhat embarrassed Ranell was sitting in what appeared to be a control room. The space was cramped. Two of the seats were occupied by real-world crewmen, and three others besides Ranell were participating in the meeting as virtually projected avatars. The walls of the ship were packed with sophisticated-looking electronic equipment.
"Welcome aboard," Captain Pruitt began the meeting without fanfare. "We are so pleased to be able to show off all the features of this new vessel." After adjusting something on the table's display screen, he continued, "Our recent security sweeps have made us much more secure and forced the Chinese into a protective posture." Pruitt nodded knowingly towards Ranell.
Ranell beamed. But he was a little embarrassed to receive praise for the sting when he remembered how terrified he’d been. “The FBI team was amazing.”
“Nice to see you again, Josef.” In the real world, Cora Vaughn was already sitting with Ranell in the Skunk Works boardroom. Impeccably dressed as always and with a beaming smile, her greeting to him now was a mild joke acknowledging his successful, if clumsy, entry into the virtual world meeting.
“Forgive me if I don’t stand and shake your hand,” Ranell grinned wryly. “They told me not to move around.”
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Vern Foster seemed excited, more enthusiastic than ever about the airship project. “Captain, can you give us a SITREP?”
A situation report, or SITREP, was a standard military briefing. Captain Pruitt wasted no time with pleasantries. “We’re on a heading west by southwest to link up with the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment at Naval Base Guam.”
At this point, Pruitt brought up a holographic display panel that showed what looked like a short, stubby, miniature aircraft carrier crashing through the waves below. “The distance to Guam is just over 3,300 nautical miles. And since we have a maximum range of just 1,600 miles, the three airships in our squadron are flying escort with this San Antonio class transport dock. This enables us to refuel and take on supplies periodically."
“We got the San Antonio class ship?” Foster wanted to know. His avatar accurately portrayed the huge grin illuminating his features. “I wasn’t sure we would with the budget constraints and all.”
“What budget constraints?” Pruitt raised one eyebrow slyly. "IndoPacCom is the largest of the DoD's six joint combatant commands with an area of operation that stretches from Pearl Harbor west to the Arabian Sea. This area spans thirty-six nations and half the world's population, with seven of the ten largest military forces on earth. When the Navy says they need a San Antonio class LPD, they get the San Antonio class LPD. Wars cost money, and they’re sparing no expense.”