Foreign Dominion

Chapter 4 - Off We Go

Amy sat by the gate at Dulles Airport, waiting for her boarding call. The Japanese school had paid for the flights, so the flight to Haneda would be in the first class section – a totally new experience for Amy. However, it would take a connecting flight to get there. Amy went over the route in her head again. Flight 143 from Dulles to Denver with a stop at Newark. Then the flight to Haneda would leave from Denver and land after twelve hours of flying, for a total of fourteen hours in the air. Amy had never flown that long, and never alone. She was excited, being just as much of an aviation nut as she was a tank nut. As the attendant called for boarding, Amy remembered the conversation between her and her friend about Tankery.

"Amy, I'm surprised you're actually going to do Tankery over there. I know it's a way to be an exchange student, but you don't really seem into it anymore."

"I enjoy it and it's fun, but I've felt so awkward about it ever since our last match together. People here think it's a weird sport and I didn't like being known for playing. It's kind of like Venturing, you know? People think you're a weirdo or you're a child or whatever because you do something with Scouts, even though you learn so much and it's fun as hell. Over there, Tankery is respected and no one here has to know that I ever participated. I'm half a world away, not like they'll find out."

"It doesn't bother me..."

"You're more confident than I am. And you're better than me."

"Better? I'm not the one going to Japan!"

"You're great at everything, and you're way better at planning. I can drive. That's it. I don't even know why they want me, surely there are way better drivers and just better tankers than either of us over there."

"You're an insane driver. You drive a tank like you drive your car, and you're the fastest driver in the turns. You beat plenty of boi-racers in that weird-ass car of yours. We need to get you into a real sportscar, maybe something with tight handling like a Miata or an FR-S!"

"That Fozzy is a sportscar enough! Damn thing's a WRX underneath a wagon body."

"Right. Don't sell yourself short, Amy."

Don't sell herself short...

Short of what? Was she supposed to brag because she helped win a single match and nothing else?

Amy watched as Colorado grew closer in the window The browns and dull greens of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains stretched out below. One passenger was obviously amazed. She had brownish-red hair and a heavy accent but spoke perfect English. Amy had seen her get on in Newark and hadn't said much other than her marveling at the New York skyline and then the fields below. Must be a European tourist's first time here. Amy had seen New York plenty of times, and it reminded her of being on a plane at BWI while waiting for pushback to leave toward Florida. There had been tons of tourists on board – probably headed for Orlando – and the plane was at a perfect angle to see the skyline of DC, with the Washington Monument, Capitol Hill, and the like on display out the windows while the plane waited on the apron. As a northern Virginia native, the legendary capitol city of the United States was nothing special to Amy. Going into the city meant sitting on I-66 for an hour and a half because some dummy couldn't be bothered to use their blinker when they went for the Tyson's Corner exit at the very last second. Or sometimes it meant waiting for the Metro to stop burning itself down and crashing into itself, depending on what commuter hell one fancied that day.

(Seriously VDOT, get your ass in gear and put actual lane lines on 66. It's been three years.)

Amy wondered if people ever got used to the Rockies – she'd never gotten used to the Blue Ridge.

The flight deplaned and Amy wandered around the airy terminal. Her gate wasn't too far, and her luggage would be transferred by the airline. Since she was already in the correct terminal, there was no reason for security, so Amy had an hour and a half to kill until the plane boarded. She needed food. The snacks on the plane were exceedingly mediocre, and her body required sustenance. The map provided her with two options, both attractive and both were unavailable in Japan. Amy felt someone next to her, and she turned to see the girl from the plane.

"Halloo!"

"Uhh... hi..."

"I saw you on the plane, I'm Delilah!"

"I'm Amy. Do you need something?"
"Yeah, do you know where I should eat?"

Well that was certainly an odd question to ask a total stranger, but okay.

"Well, how much time you got?"

"Same flight as you. To Haneda? I recognized you, so I guess we're going to the same place."

"Oh! Well... Tell me Delilah, do you like burgers?"

"I've never had a real American burger... are they like McDonald's?"

"Hell no. We'll get you a real burger. Come with me."

The two ended up at the Smashburger across the terminal, and Delilah was obviously loving it.

"I told you it's good. One opened up a few years ago near me and it's kind of ruined burgers for me."

"You live in New York?"

"What? No, no. I'm from- "

Amy realized no one would know individual towns in Virginia.

"I live outside of DC. If you've ever heard of the Battle of Manassas or the Battle of Bull Run, I live near that city. The flight started at Dulles then stopped at Newark where you got on."
"What's the difference between Newark and New York?"

"Newark is a shithole."

"Oh."

Delilah was obviously confused. She probably didn't know the difference between the states.

"Newark is in New Jersey, across the river from New York City. It's kind of a joke in the States that New Jersey is just a discount New York with worse everything. And that Newark Airport just sucks in general."

"Oh!"

Delilah laughed, and Amy realized she'd devoured the burger and fries. Had this girl eaten since she left wherever she was from?

"Delilah, you just ate an entire goddam burger. Do you not eat where you're from?"

"I'm from Scotland. I grew up mostly in Inverness. And no, I had some terrible excuse for a pizza in Newark. Last decent meal was on the flight to Toronto. Air Canada nae screw around with food. I could eat more, actually."

"Really? You ever heard of Chik-fil-A?"

"Do they have tea?"

"As a matter of fact, they have proper sweet tea. None of that bitter crap we threw in the harbor."

An hour later, Delilah was now hyped on sweet tea as the two boarded the plane that would take them across the Pacific. They were pleased to find they were seated together, and Delilah was glued to the window as the plane taxied out to runway 34L. Amy texted both her parents and her friend.

Leaving Denver now. Met crazy Scot girl. She's a Tankery captain also going to Dominion.

The Boeing 777 lined up on the runway and opened the throttles, the whine of the twin GE90 turbofans increasing into their distinctive buzzing roar. In the cockpit, the pilots called out their checks.

"V1... rotate."

"Positive rate, gear up."

United flight 131 took off from Denver, leaving the Rocky Mountains behind as it headed for the coast and toward Japan.

Delilah was amazed by the massive mountains, which were more than twice the size of Ben Nevis in the highlands she knew. She kept blabbing to Amy about how amazing it was. Amy realized that Delilah had gone from never being here to flying across the continent in a matter of hours. She added another message to her texts.

Sweet tea makes Scots go nuts.