HAWK

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: PEGASUS (4/6)

The Pegasus was ready and waiting with its rear doors open and its ramp extended to the ground. Though Kas had seen the ship enough times lately via the screen in the command centre, now she was finally up close to it, an uneasy feeling flooded her bones that made her wonder if she'd made a mistake.

The hull alone was riddled with scars and dents and flaking metal. As she stepped onto the ramp, a rusty groan wailed at her slender weight and urged her to get aboard quickly. The sound was reduced to a yelp when Worm stomped onto the platform together with Captain Mack, Sudds, Pari and Beak. Each of the soldiers touched a hand to their hearts and then to the ship as they entered.

The cargo hold was very large and would have been empty if not for the F-88 and the courier ship parked side-by-side at its centre. Kas looked around and remembered what Rhaspa had said about living with a crew of eight inside it for two years.

No thanks...

It was big but it wasn't that big. Just spending six days with her company of five was going to be cosy enough for her. The lighting was dim and had a green tint to it and there was a strong smell of burnt metal which Kas supposed had something to do with all the recent repair work.

'Peggy,' Mack called, 'close the doors.'

There was a brief pause before a shrill screeching noise announced the lifting of the ramp. It sounded like every one of the ship's nuts, bolts and rivets were rallying together to seal the entrance.

If it's struggling just to close the doors, how's it gonna manage in the air...?

The doors did close, though, and nobody else seemed concerned. Worm was already marching merrily towards a door in the side wall marked 'ENGINE ROOM' while Mack and the others made their way towards another door at the front of the cargo hold.

The cockpit was a large semi-circular room with a wide curved viewport and two identical pilot seats overlooking the controls. Mack and Sudds took a seat each while Kas stood behind them, eager to observe.

'Might wanna sit down,' said a voice. Kas looked over her shoulder and saw Pari strapping herself into a fold-down seat beside the door. Beak was doing the same on the other side. There were spare seats next to each of them. Kas chose the one by Beak since he seemed the least hostile. She approached and pushed the seat down and felt it click into place, revealing two black shoulder straps in the wall behind it.

'When's the last time you left surface?' she asked Beak as she buckled up. The muscle man stared straight ahead as he raised his large hands and stuck out eight fingers.

'Eight...' Kas said for him. 'Months?'

Beak shook his head.

'Years?'

He nodded.

'Huh.'

The ship began humming and ticking, rumbling and whistling as it slowly returned to life. Kas watched as Mack punched a button and a twenty-inch screen folded up from the instrument panel displaying a 2D model of the ship.

'Systems online,' the ship said. Kas closed her eyes and curled her fingers around her straps. Even Peggy's voice sounded vintage.

I'm going to die on this ship...

A loud buzz jolted her eyes open again.

'Engine looks good,' Worm said over the distorted intercom. 'You can start her up.'

'Thanks, kid,' Mack replied. He flicked a series of what Kas assumed to be ignition switches and pressed his thumb on a big black button. He held it there for several seconds until finally, a burst of energy filled the silence with a loud purr.

'OK...' Mack breathed. 'Here we go...' He wrapped his digits around the bulky control column and gently pulled it up. The Pegasus groaned and shuddered as gravity fought to hold it down, but after a few seconds, the ship tore free and eased itself slowly into the air like it was a hot bath. As it did, the rock wall ahead of them split open and gave way to the long tunnel that led out of the mountain. Mack pushed the control column slowly forwards, and the freighter drifted towards it.