Current Day: Colorado Airspace, eastbound

Lightning flared again, looking to Kailey like one big, bright flash. The sleet had frozen solid against the XG’s canopy. She was flying mostly by instruments, since the cameras didn’t give her a much better view than that through the canopy. As the lightning increased, the instruments’ reliability was starting to waver.

“Steady,” came Lieutenant Danz’ voice over the radio, around the warbling and squawking of the storm. “We’re nearly there.”

“Multimillion dollar aircraft, and they can’t even put in defrosters?”

“They put them in, they just don’t work. You’re doing just fine. It’s only a few more klicks.”

Kailey flexed her fingers against the throttle. She wanted to open it full up, and then turn on the floater pods, whatever it took to get to the 747 flying blind through the midst of the swarm.

“You won’t do John or anyone else any good if you wind up flying straight into a mountain,” Danz said. “And if you did somehow manage to make it to that jumbo jet in one piece, the swarm would tear you to pieces. Those ducklings don’t have afterburners.”

Kailey glanced up, at the mirror curved around the HUD. In the frosty gloom, it looked like a trail of white Christmas lights was strung out behind the XG. Eight training drones -- dubbed the Ugly Ducklings by XG flight ops -- followed Kailey’s aircraft, their navigation and control systems slaved through the XG’s flight computers, and ultimately, Guenevere.

“Ten minutes, at current heading and speed,” came the voice of the UNJTF air command officer. “Mamma Bear is holding steady, transponders normal.”

“And the swarm?” Kailey asked.

“Still buzzing. No signs of aggression. Looks like they’re still blind to Mamma Bear’s presence.”

“Let’s hope they stay that way,” Kailey muttered. She flexed her fingers over the throttle again. Guenevere plotted that she could be there in just under three minutes, pushing it to a minute and a half if control were left entirely to her synthetic nervous system.

Absolutely not, chimed the Wizard, through Kailey’s audio cortex.

Guenevere, reverse to feed, Kailey thought, and then to the Wizard, I was just—

At those speeds, the corrosion techs would be hosing what’s left of you out of the cockpit.

“Tin Man, you are hereby cleared to shoot down Dorothy if she tries to do anything stupid.” The Wizard was using the flight comms.

“Roger that,” Danz said. Kailey was sure she heard the grin in his voice.

Eight minutes to intercept. Kailey resisted the urge to ping Guenevere to relieve the tension she felt bunching up in her shoulders, creeping up her neck.