Pilot's Dance (Otherwise Untitled)
#223 of Short Stories
An old pilot stretches some skills.
~ "Please excuse the bumpy ride, but my indicators say that all passengers are strapped in.", crackling over the intercomm as the outwardly scorched personnel carrier started to find lift and navigate its way into the more open skies, "And the folks upstairs have been taking a few potshots at evacuation lifts, so we might have to be a bit creative."
~ The entire vessel abruptly lurched towards the port side, as though half of the ship had lost lift while the length of it twisted in place. Over the intercomm, the passengers could hear the sounds of controls being slammed to the ends of their ranges of motion, "...and sometimes stuff just falls...", the ship creaking with a deep shudder while it leveled out on some new course. "I'll be your pilot. I was trained in combat flight during the border skirmish with Notional, and spent...", the entire ship feeling to slide twenty meters to towards starboard, "...forty years flying civilian passenger craft. They're currently handing these evac lifts out to anyone who's got wings.", another abrupt tumble, this time clockwise and out into a new path.
~ "Okay everyone, cover your eyes. We've got a corridor lined up, and will be FTL'ing from inside atmosphere to get out while the capital ships aren't paying us any attention.", the intercomm remaining open as the passengers could hear the flurry of switches and finer adjustments being made while the engines began to sound like someone'd set wind chimes on fire, "Just in case, I want to thank all of you for being here with me. I never wanted to die alone, and hope that y'all aren't the company I do it with." Everything seeming to lurch heavily as the drive kicked in and against atmospheric resistance.