York's Demise

Here's a story that I wrpte. I'll be posting a new chapter every coulple of days so checkin. And tell me what you think of each chapter.

Dramatis
Personae

• Commander Isaac Reynolds; captain of the destroyer, Harrison
Harrison command crew
 Ensign William “Will” Adams; sensor operator
 Lieutenant Tom Chen; communications officer
 Lieutenant Dennis Williams; navigational officer
 Lieutenant Ryan Hall; weapons officer
• Airman First Class Jamie Reynolds; pilot and member of Tempest Squadron (Tempest 5)
Other Tempest Squadron members
 Lieutenant Codey Cline; Tempest Squadron leader (Tempest Leader)
 Staff Sergeant Todd Thrash (Tempest 2)
 Senior Airman Cameron Rowe (Tempest 3)
 Airman Mark Clayton (Tempest 4)
 Airman Parker Caviness (Tempest 6)
 Airman David Windham (Tempest 7)
• Dr. Christopher Overby; scientist in charge of research of Torinth technology and reverse-engineering
• Captain Derek Stewart; pilot and leader of Banshee squadron, stationed on defense station Delta
• Jared Swindall; former freelance freighter pilot and captain of the modified freighter, Solar Wind
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Haley Traylor; head surgeon on defense station Gamma
• Captain John Cleghorn; captain of the carrier, Davis







Chapter One
1300 Hours, June 4, 2613 (Military Calendar)/
Long-range Sensing Station Sentinel, on the edge of
the York Star System

Captain David Walker entered the control room of the long range sensor outpost Sentinel. The captain looked around to see the two lieutenants, Sanchez and Jones, at their assigned stations. The two of them looked to see who had entered and immediately stood and saluted.

Captain Walker returned their salutes without a single word.

The wall where the lieutenants’ were stationed was covered half with video screens and the other half showed sensor sweeps of the very reaches of the York system. If anything moved within a light-year of the system, they would be the first to notice it. It was also, the most uneventful assignment anyone could be given, leaving several hours of nothing to do but stare at a screen showing the stars.

Captain Walker, however, was always alert, ready for the slightest hint of a Torinth attack on the system. He never thought of this assignment as being “boring,” as others had described it.

He looked over their stations, making sure that they had not been spending their time lounging around. He made sure that all systems were running to proper standards and that the entire crew was ready for anything. He had personally made sure that everyone was in tip-top condition.

Considering that they were the early warning for the planet York, the largest supplier of warships and other war material within the Outer Colonies, nothing was going to be short of perfection under his command.

“Carry on,” he said finally.

The lieutenants continued on their scanning of the outer reaches of the system. They were even sending probes into hyperspace to search for anything that could threaten them. It was a new technique that the military was still working the bugs out of.


Lieutenant Jones leaned closer to his screen, not sure of what he sees. “Captain, sir,” he said. “You might want to take a look at this.”

Captain Walker walked up to the screen and looked at an anomaly that had appeared in space. “It’s a hyperspace window. Do we have any probes scheduled for reentry into normal space?”

“I don’t think so, sir,” he replied. “The vector doesn’t match any that we’ve sent out.”

“Captain,” said Lieutenant Sanchez, “I’m detecting something exiting hyperspace.” He works at the scanners to try to identify the object. “The object is close to nine hundred meters in length.”

“Get me a visual,” the captain ordered.

“Aye, sir,” he answered. On one of the many screens, the picture zooms in as close as possible and manages to focus on the object. “Sir, I’m identifying it as a Patriot-class Destroyer. Markings identify it as the Harrison, sir.”

The Harrison? That was impossible. That ship was listed missing in action for over a week after it failed to return from the battle at Atlas. “This has to be some sort of Torinth trick,” the Captain said. “Alert York High Command, I want them to know about this.”

“Sir,” said Lieutenant Jones, “I’m picking up a video transmission from the ship. Do you want me to patch it through?”

“What’s the nearest ship?” the captain asked.

“The carrier Davis,” Sanchez answered, “commanded by Captain John Cleghorn; just arriving from the Second Fleet for routine maintenance.”

“Tell them to link up with us,” Walker ordered. “If this is a Torinth trick, I want to have enough firepower to stop them before they can do whatever it is they came to do.”

“Transmission sent, sir,” the Lieutenant answered. “ETA: thirty minutes.”

“Alright,” said the captain, “patch the Harrison’s transmission through. Let’s see who wants to talk to us.”

On one of the video screens, the face appeared of that of a man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, and who looked as if he had gotten very little sleep. His dark hair a little sloppy, his brown eyes were red with fatigue, and he was in need of a shave.

“It’s about time,” the person said finally.

“Identify yourself,” Captain Walker said firmly.

“Commander Isaac Reynolds, commanding officer of the destroyer Harrison,” he answered, “just arriving from Atlas. Who am I talking to?”

“Captain David Walker,” he said firmly, “your superior officer. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t take you word for it, but I’m going to need proof that you’re not a Torinth in disguise.”

Isaac let out a sigh. “I was expecting something like this.” He rubbed his forehead out of exhaustion and looked back up at the screen. He took a deep breath before saying, “Identification code: Hawkeye.”

Captain Walker looks down at Lieutenant Jones. “Does it match?” he asked. Verbal identification was something that every ship commander entered in the database in case of being suspected of being a Torinth infiltrator.

“Database confirms voiceprint and codeword match,” he replied.

Captain Walker was still not convinced. Even though it was unlikely for the Torinth to figure out a personal pass code, he still suspected that there could be an infiltrator aboard the ship.

“So are you going to let us through?” the commander asked, his voice sounding annoyed. “I don’t want to have to wait out here any longer than I have to.”

This man’s attitude was really starting to get to the captain. “Watch what you say around your superior officer. You’re lucky you’re not under my command, otherwise I’d make sure that you were transferred to a ship patrolling the frontier and no chance of being transferred out of it.”

The commander just shrugs, unfazed by the threat the captain gave him. “Just stay where you are,” the captain said finally. “We’ll have a ship sent over to escort you to York.”

“Yes, sir,” the commander replied.

The screen went dark and Captain Walker let out a breath as he crossed his arms over his chest. He stood there silent for several minutes trying to figure out what to do next.

“Sir,” said Lieutenant Jones, “we’re receiving a transmission from York High Command. Their orders are for us to keep a visual on the ship and wait while they dispatch a task force to this area.”

“My God,” Lieutenant Sanchez muttered. “Look at the ship.”

The three of them looked at the screen. On it, the Harrison filled the entire view and they could see a large amount of damage all over it. The ship was covered with scorch marks and had numerous holes within its hull; some of them going clear through to the other side of the ship.

“I think I can see why they took so long getting here,” said Lieutenant Jones. “With that much damage, I’m surprised it even made the jump to here all the way from Atlas.”



For the next hour, the men at Sentinel kept an eye on the Harrison, and the crew of the Harrison waits for their escort to the shipyards orbiting York. The Davis was the first to arrive and was soon joined by an entire battle group, making a total of ten ships.

Commander Isaac Reynolds watched as the ships took positions to destroy the ship if necessary. “What have you picked up on the COM, Lieutenant Chen,” he asked.

Lieutenant Tom Chen was the son of Chinese immigrants. He was shorter than the commander but he was one of the best code breakers he knew. “They’re suspecting that there are Torinth aboard the ship,” he explained.

“I’m not surprised,” the commander replied. He hid a yawn behind his hand. He had gotten only a few hours of sleep over the passed several days as they made the long and dangerous journey from Atlas. They had made several random, but safe, jumps to make sure that the Torinth were not following them, and then set a course strait for York, which had been very dangerous due to how much damage they had received in their last battle.

“Sir,” said Ensign Adams, “you should really get some rest.”

Ensign William Adams was the ship’s sensor operator. He was also one of the best at finding anything that wasn’t supposed to be there. Around the same height as the Commander, he could find a needle in a haystack if he wanted to, which made him an invaluable asset to the crew.

Isaac shook his head. “No,” he said. “Not until we’ve reached the shipyards. Then I’ll catch up on my sleep.”

“Sir—”

“That’s enough from you,” the commander said finally. “And that goes for the rest of you as well.” He looked around at the rest of the bridge crew, who were all staring at him. Isaac could tell by their faces that they were all going to do what he said.

“Sir,” said Lieutenant Chen, “I’m receiving a message from the flagship of the battle group.”

“Patch it through,” the commander ordered.

On the screen, the face of a man in his forties in an admiral’s uniform appeared. “This is Rear Admiral Patterson. I am ordering you to have your ship ready to be boarded and scanned for Torinth infiltrators.”

“If it’ll get me to York sooner, go right ahead,” the commander replied.

“I don’t like that attitude of yours,” the admiral said firmly.

“You’ll have to forgive me. I haven’t gotten much sleep lately,” Isaac explained. “I’ve been trying to keep my ship in one piece.”

“I can tell,” the admiral said, his voice still firm. “Stand-by, I have shuttles on approach to board your craft.”

“Yes, sir,” Isaac replied. The screen turned black as the transmission was cut off.

“How long to you think the sweep will take, sir?” Lieutenant Hall asked.

Isaac looked over at Lieutenant Ryan Hall, who had been one of his closest friends since they were in the academy. Being the same height, the two of them had gone to the naval academy and had graduated the same year. When Isaac had become the commander of his own ship, he personally chose Lieutenant Hall for one of his bridge crew.

“If they send the proper number of Marines over, they’ll probably finish within an hour, give or take.”

“This is going to be a long hour,” Lieutenant Williams said, stretching in his seat.

Lieutenant Dennis Williams was the ships navigation officer, the tallest of the bridge crew, and the most athletic. Formerly a basketball player, he had joined the Navy and was immediately shipped off to combat after training. He had been in several engagements and his black skin hid any scars he may have received from those encounters. He was also the strongest on the ship and everybody stayed out of his way when he was in a bad mood, which was rare.

Normally, he was a good person to be around.

Commander Reynolds assumption was correct. After about an hour of searching and screening the crew, the Harrison had been cleared to approach York, with an entire battle group as escort.

As they approached the planet, he could see dozens of ships in the shipyard’s docks being completed or being repaired and refitted. There were several ships from the battle at Atlas, with most of them in the docks. He could also see two of the fifteen orbiting defense stations, making the planet very difficult to attack, even comparing it to the Torinth.

“Lieutenant Williams,” said the commander, “plot us course to the nearest of the defense stations.”

“Aye, sir,” he answered. The ship slowly turned and headed on its new course.

Isaac watched as they came closer to the planet. He could see the oceans, the mountains, and even several storms forming over the southern continent. He had never been so happy to set eyes on a planet before. To him, it was the most beautiful thing in the galaxy.

Commander Reynolds took a deep breath and watched as they came closer. Soon, he would be able to set foot on solid ground again.

Very good. It is kind of inspiring me...But would humans really take a fanfiction about spacefaring birds seriously?

Still,

oh this is a FW story?

well anyway good job Reynolds

although I dont really have the time to read it all

Very good indeed

Sergeant Lyeman wrote:

oh this is a FW story?

well anyway good job Reynolds

although I dont really have the time to read it all

No, this is not a FW story. This is one of my own creation before FW was even an idea.

oh. still good

i love these. and now my internet is better, i can read them again

s-t-n wrote:

i love these. and now my internet is better, i can read them again

My internet is a piece of junk now. We've switched. I'll still be able to post a little, but I won't on as much. I'm going to post the next chapter probably tomorrow.

Here's chapter 2. Enjoy it everyone.

Chapter Two
1700 Hours, June 4, 2613 (Military Calendar)/
Orbital Defense Station Gamma, in orbit over the planet York,
three hours later


Commander Isaac Reynolds sat on the examination table in the medical ward of the defense station Gamma, waiting for the doctor to come in and tell him his condition. After having rescued several pilots at Atlas, the brass on York wanted to make sure that he was in top condition.

Isaac had his eyes closed and was starting to nod off when somebody shouted in his ear, “Wake up.”

He jumps up off the table he was sitting on and looks around to see the doctor, Lieutenant Junior Grade Haley Traylor, standing there with a smile on her face.

“I must really be tired,” the Commander said as he rubbed his eyes. “I didn’t even hear you come in. And I usually do.”

The doctor just laughed. “I just came back,” she started, “and your biosigns are all good. All you need is some rest.”

“I need a whole week of rest,” Isaac replied.

“Congratulations then,” the doctor said, dryly.

“What are you talking about?” Isaac asked a strange look on his face.

“You must have a friend high up,” Haley explained. “You and your entire crew have a week of leave on the planet.”

“What?” Isaac couldn’t believe what he heard. “If that’s a joke, it’s not funny.”

“No joke,” she replied. She handed him a datapad. “Look for yourself. That was sent to me to my datapad. Someone must have known that I was the one who was going to be seeing you.”

The commander took the datapad and looked at the document on it. It was all right there, and he still couldn’t believe it. When he reached the end, he saw who had suggested it in the first place, and Isaac had to read it twice to be sure.

“Did you read this before you gave it to me?” the commander asked.

“Only a little,” the doctor replied innocently. “Why?”

He gave her back the datapad and asked, “Can you make sure that the name is correct. I don’t trust my eyes.”

Haley gave Isaac a strange look before reading the name. When she finally did, her jaw dropped. “This says Admiral Gates.”

“I know,” Isaac said. Admiral Gates was one of the best military commanders in the entire United States Navy. He had been in several engagements with the Torinth and had been given several awards for it. Isaac wondered why he had put through that the entire crew of the Harrison, as well as those who he had rescued, on leave for a week.

“I wonder why the admiral did this.” Haley wondered.

“I’m thinking the same thing, but I’m too tired care,” Isaac replied. He got up and head for the door. “I’ve got a week to do whatever I want, and the first thing I’m going to do is sleep for a whole day.”

“Bye, commander,” she said.

“Good-bye,” he replied. He opened the door and left the medical ward. The first thing he was going to do was tell those on board the Harrison the good news, and after that, he was going to catch up on some much needed sleep.



Commander Reynolds had been in his cabin for about thirty minutes. After telling the crew about their leave on York, he had gone strait to his cabin and asked not to be disturbed.

He was lying in his bed. After receiving very little sleep on his journey from Atlas, he was glad to hear that he and his crew were receiving some time off. He was almost asleep when heard a knock at the door. He let out a small grumble as he got out of bed and walked toward the door. “I thought I said I wasn’t to be—”

The commander’s sentence was cut short when the door slid opened. On the other side, there stood Admiral Gates. “I’m sorry if I disturbed you,” he said, “but I just wanted to see that you received my message.”

“Admiral, sir!” the commander immediately stood at attention.

“At ease, son,” he said calmly. “May I come in?”

“Of course, sir,” the commander replied.

Admiral Gates entered the room and glanced around. He was an old man who had seen his fair share of combat throughout his lifetime. His back was hunched over with age and his white hair was thinning. Still, he had an air of authority around him.

Isaac pulled up a chair and offered it to the admiral, who took it and sat down, with the commander sitting adjacent to him. “Son, I want to congratulate you on what you did at Atlas.”

“Really, sir, I don’t think—”

Gates held up a finger. “Don’t interrupt me, son. That was quite a risk that you pulled back there. Not to mention how much of a moral boost it’s given everyone. For two years we’ve only had a handful of victories against the Torinth. But tell me: Why did you do it?”

The commander had been wondering that himself, trying to explain it in his report. “It’s in my report, sir,” he explained.

“I’ve read it,” said the admiral. “I want to hear it from you.”

“Well…” the commander thought for a moment. “I guess the reason why I did it… now that I think about it, was because my brother was left behind.”

“So you did because it was a personal matter?” the admiral asked.

“My brother wasn’t the only one who was left behind, sir. There were several other pilots that had been left behind as well.”

“But you disobeyed an order from your superior,” the admiral pointed out.

Why was Gates asking these questions? “Admiral Sanders ordered that we return to York to report what had happened. I did that. I just had to head back to Atlas… I couldn’t leave those men behind.”

“So you risked your ship, your entire crew, and your career, just to save a few hotshot pilots.”

“I would never risk the lives of my crew. If anything had gone bad I would have left them if I had to. As for those ‘hotshot’ pilots, they are some of the best I have seen. Give them a little time and they could possibly mean the difference between victory or defeat.”

The admiral showed a slight smile. “That’s what I like about you, son,” the admiral said. “You are a good commander and good strategist as well. Full of spirit and willing to do what he can for others, even at cost to himself. In a way, you’re like me when I was younger.”

Gates stands and starts to turn when he suddenly stopped. “One more thing.” He reaches into his jacket pocket and retrieved a small cardboard box. “Consider it official. The paperwork will catch up soon enough.” He hands it to the commander.

Commander Reynolds opened the box and inside was a pair of brass collar insignias: a star and four bars.

“Congratulations, Captain Reynolds,” the admiral said, as he did a quick salute. “You’ve earned it.” He held out his hand.

Isaac managed to grasp and shake the admiral’s hand. He was stunned and didn’t have anything to say. Was he dreaming? He looked down at the box again. No, it was real.

“Give me a call if you need anything,” the admiral said. He then exited the room and left the new captain alone to absorb this new information.

Isaac fell into his chair and rubbed his thumb over the insignias. He knew that he would make captain one day, but he had never expected it to be so soon for him. His whole family would be proud of him. He went over the conversation he had just had with Gates. He had said, “Captain Reynolds.” This was as real as anything.

The captain reaches over and clicks the intercom. “Ensign Adams, track the Admiral’s shuttle when he leaves. I want to know what ship he is on.”

“We had an admiral on board?” his voice replied, with surprise. “I wasn’t informed.”

“No, Ensign, I suppose that you weren’t. Just track the next outgoing shuttle.”

“Aye, sir.”

Isaac set the box on his desk and sat on his bed to think. This had been some day for him. Arriving in system and being suspected of being the enemy and now being promoted to captain.

“Sir?” Ensign Adams’s voice came through the intercom. “The shuttle has docked with the John Adams.”

“Put it on my screen.”

The screen on his desk switched to camera seven, the aft-port view. He could see several ships, but easily managed to find the John Adams. That ship was one of a dozen ships of the Omega-class Super Cruisers.

They were the most powerful ships in the United States Navy, and were also the slowest. Its firepower, however, made up for its lack of speed, capable of taking out a Torinth cruiser with a single salvo from its main cannons. It was no surprise that one would be at an important shipyard as this.

He switched off the screen and walked strait for his bunk. He lay down, closed his eyes, and let sleep come to him. The last couple of hours had drained him of the last bit of energy he had left.

very good

are you going to write a book cause it would probably be a best seller

Yet another one of those great human sci-fi classics...

You really should consider that publisher I offered to you.

Sergeant Lyeman wrote:

very good

are you going to write a book cause it would probably be a best seller

The story is over 70 pages long, in MS Word

Nice dude keep up the good work!

Admiral Reynolds wrote:

The story is over 70 pages long, in MS Word

wow. See you actually wrote your story. I came up with a good plot but am too lazy to start writing it

Sergeant Lyeman wrote:

very good

are you going to write a book cause it would probably be a best seller

Who would publish it though?

i would buy that book haha

Admiral Reynolds wrote:

Sergeant Lyeman wrote:

very good

are you going to write a book cause it would probably be a best seller

Who would publish it though?

ask around.... Im sure a smaller publishing company would like to see fresh blood around, and if they take a look at your works I think they would be impressed.

Here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 3
1100 Hours, June 5, 2613 (Military Calendar)/
USS Harrison, docked with the Orbital Defense
Station Gamma, in orbit over the planet York

Captain Reynolds awoke to a buzzing on his intercom. Still half asleep he reaches over and presses the call button. “Yes,” he answered, groggily. “What is it?”

The reply came from Lieutenant Hall, his voice sounding cheerful. “Are you going to spend the whole week in bed, or are you going to head down to the planet with your friend?”

Isaac immediately leaped out of bed, accidentally bumping his head. He started to grumble as he rubbed his head.

“Sir, are you okay?” He must have heard what Isaac had said.

“I’m fine. I’ll meet you at the next shuttle at the station.”

“I’ll see you there. Just don’t take too long getting ready.”

Isaac shook his head to throw the last of the pain away. He went to his small closet and pushed all of his uniforms to the side to reveal his normal clothes. He hadn’t worn them since before beginning his tour of duty. He put them on, and it felt nice to wear something loose instead of his rigid military uniform.

After managing to put it on, he raced out of the cabin and ran down the hallway, almost running into several others who were on their way to York. He ran through the airlock connecting the ship to the station and turned a corner, running into Haley and sending her to the floor.

“Sorry,” Isaac said immediately, helping Haley to her feet. “I didn’t see you.”

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” she asked.

Isaac was panting as he tried to explain. “I’m meeting my friend at the shuttle bay.”

“Nice outfit,” she said, looking at what he was wearing. She had a small smile on her face.

“Thanks,” he said dryly.

“Look, can you do me a favor?” she asked. The two of them walked into one of the various transport cars and it started moving.

“Sure, I guess. What do you need?”

“Jared has a package for me on the planet. He was going to send it here, but since you were going down there, could you pick it up for me?”

“Sure. I’d be glad to.” The car stopped and the two of them got off and started walking again. “By the way, how’s it going between you two?”

“Same as when you last asked me that question,” she replied. “He still urges that I leave the military.”

“Did you try telling him that you have responsibilities to your patients and those under you?”

“Yeah, but he still wants me to leave. He’s being so difficult,” she said with a huff. “I wish he could just see what I have to do to keep my patients alive.”

Isaac cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable about this topic “I don’t like getting involved in things like this,” he started, “but how about I try talking to him when I pick up the package from him. Maybe he’ll listen to me. I mean, we did go to the same Naval Academy together.”

“Thank you, Isaac,” the doctor said. “I hope he does.”

“Don’t mention it,” he replied.

The two of them continued talking until they entered the hangar bay. In it were several shuttles going and coming from the surface and from other ships. As they looked around they were then interrupted by a voice yelling from across the hangar.

“Hey, over here!” the two of them looked to see Lieutenant Ryan Hall standing at the doorway of a shuttle waving at them. “C’mon. This thing is about to leave.”

Isaac looked over at the doctor. “I got to go. See you later, Haley.”

“Bye, Isaac,” she replied. She watched as he ran as fast as he could, barely making it through the closing doors in time. She smiled and headed back to the medical wing.


Isaac slid through the narrow gap of the closing doors and sat down beside his friend. “Cutting it a little close?” Ryan asked.

“Haley asked me to do her a little favor,” Isaac replied. “She wants me to pick up a package from her boyfriend on the planet.”

“Of course she did,” Ryan said, sarcastically.

Isaac shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“What?” Ryan held his hands up innocently, a silly grin on his face. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”

Isaac again shook his head and tossed the thought. He looked out the window and he could see the shuttle leave the hangar and fly off toward the planet. He knew that his brother Jamie was down there, and knowing him, he was most likely doing something crazy and getting into trouble with someone.

“Where are Tom, Dennis, and Will?” Isaac asked. “Aren’t they joining us?”

“Dennis is getting together with some old friends of his,” Ryan explained. “He said something about a tournament or something. Tom and Will, however, they left before I woke up this morning.”

The shuttle shuddered. Isaac looked out of the window and saw that they had entered the planets atmosphere. “It seems like it has been forever since I’ve been on actual ground.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Ryan said. “I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be the last leave we’ll have for a long time.”


Jamie Reynolds revved the engine of his four-wheeler as he raced over the top of a small hill. He flew through the air, letting a whoop of joy out as the ATV landed on the ground. He brought the vehicle to a skidding stop, right in front of his friend.

“Show-off,” David Windham said, sitting on his ATV with his arms crossed.

“Can you blame me?” Jamie asked. He had a silly grin on his face.

“If you’re done,” said another voice, “I’d like to get going for some more racing.” The two of them looked to see their squadron leader, Lieutenant, Codey Cline ready to continue on their trek through the forests. “The others are going to catch up with us.”

“I’m not going to buy the other half squadron lunch because of something stupid that you did, Jamie,” he said firmly

Don’t worry,” Jamie said, assuring them. “I swear that I will
not do anything stupid during this race.” He made and innocent look, raising his right hand and promised.

Soon they could all hear the revving of engines a short distance behind them. “We should get moving,” said David. “Otherwise we’ll have to pay for the others’ meals, again.” He started his engine, and soon took off with Cody and Jamie following close behind him.

The three of them raced down the trail, with the other team following close behind them. They twisted and turned as the trail led them closer and closer to the finish line. Soon it was in sight, and they were still in the lead, but the other team was closing the gap between them.

“Everyone,” said Codey on their personal COM, “stay together. We can still win this.”

Jamie looked behind him to see four other four-wheelers approaching fast. “If we don’t do something we’re going to lose.”

“Only if we don’t stick together,” Codey replied.

“Sorry,” said Jamie. “I’ve got to do something.” Before Codey could even say a thing, Jamie turned his vehicle around and charged toward the other team. He could see that the others were not going to move, and he expected this. He turned the handles hard left and skidded in that direction, throwing mud all over the other racers and causing them to stop.

“Yes,” he said under his breath, but he suddenly could not pull it out of the turn in time. The AVT started to flip, and Jamie jumped off in time to avoid getting injured. The vehicle tumbled down into a ditch and Jamie landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. He heard engines fly passed him, and he managed to sit up to see Codey and David standing on the edge of the ditch.

“Did we win?” Jamie asked.

“What do you think?” David replied.

“We could’ve won if you hadn’t done anything so stupid,” Cody exclaimed.

Jamie climbed out of the ditch. As he did, the other squadron members joined them. The other four were there: Todd Thrash, Cameron Rowe, Mark Clayton, and Parker Caviness.

“Guess what,” Todd said. “You guys have to buy lunch…again!” he started to laugh, as did the others.

Both Codey and David gave Jamie a stern look and hit him on the back of the head. “Jamie,” Codey started, “you’re an idiot.”

“You’re paying for it this time,” David said, pointing his finger at him. “You can forget us loaning you any money.”

Where was Jamie going to get the money to pay for the others’ lunch? He couldn’t borrow any from his friends, but there was one person who could probably pay for it.

Jamie took out his phone and dialed his brother’s number. This was his only hope. He could hear the phone ringing, and he soon heard an answer.

“Yes?” His older brother answered the phone. He sounded as if he knew already what Jamie wanted.

“Hey, Isaac,” Jamie replied. “How are you doing?”

“I was fine until you called,” Isaac answered.

“Look, I just called to tell you that me and my squadmates did a little racing in the mountains.”

“Did you win?”

Jamie paused before answering, “No.”

“So you called me to tell me this?”

“No, of course not,” Jamie answered. “I called because we bet that the losing team pays for the other team’s lunch, at any restaurant of their choice. So…I was wondering if you could give me a loan.”

Isaac answered immediately. “No.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Jamie moaned. “I’ll pay you back.”

“Sure,” Isaac said. “Just like the last time I loaned you money.”

“You can’t hold—” Isaac shut the phone off before Jamie could finish his sentence.

Jamie looked down at his phone, not wanting to believe that his brother had just said he wasn’t going to help him. Isaac was overreacting. Jamie had only borrowed money from him five times. And he said he was going to pay all the money back…eventually.

“Hey, Jamie,” said Cameron, “you want to go double or nothing. Loser pays for tomorrow’s as well.”

“You’re—” Jamie’s sentence was cut short by Codey‘s hand covering his mouth.

Codey leaned in close and whispered, “You shut up before you get us into more trouble.”

Jamie was about to say something when Mark Clayton said, “I’ve got the perfect place for us to eat.”

“So where is it?” Parker Caviness asked. “It had better be some place good.”

“How about we eat at that nice Italian restaurant in town?”

Everyone started to agree with his suggestion. Jamie could already feel a pain in his wallet. He was already figuring the amount of money that it would cost him and he didn’t like the numbers. “Wait,” Jamie said, trying to get the others to change their minds, “how about one of those gas stations. They have gourmet food.”

The others looked at him and laughed. They got onto their four-wheelers and sped off back toward town. “I’m really in it deep this time,” Jamie said to himself. He brought his vehicle back into the trail and took off into the direction of the others.

Great work. I finally read it. You must have passed English with an A right?

pretty much.

Same here, I just don't have the patients to write. Lol!

G4B3 wrote:

Same here, I just don't have the patients to write. Lol!

I hear ya. Nice job Reynolds

oh i remember this story i loved it but i wont give away any spoilers

You'd better not. I'll sick Van on you like when he went rampant on the Halo: First Offensive forums.