. When I do, shut down the engines and you’ll roll into the barricade. Keep the throttle under control. Don’t get overpowered and drive yourself high. If you do, I’ll be talking to you. Big corrections early,
smaaall corrections in close. Got it?”
“Roger, sir.”
“One more thing, the ship’s moving, and it’s gonna generate a Dutch Roll… Fly your needles, and don’t chase line-up at range. After the ball call, it’s meatball, line-up angle of attack.” Shakey paused to let it sink in.
“Roger,” Sponge replied.
“Any questions?”
“Negative.”
Shakey was encouraged by the confidence in Sponge’s voice. He knew he held Sponge’s life in his hands.
CATCC jumped in. “Four-zero-six, turn right zero-eight-zero to intercept the final bearing one-one-six.”
“Four-zero-six,” Sponge said. His mouth was parched with fear as he reached down to set the course line.
“Bingo! Bingo!” sounded Tammy, warning Sponge again of his emergency fuel situation.
Sponge had never been this low on fuel in a Hornet. Breathing through his mouth, Sponge thought he could hear his heartbeat. Even under his mask, he could smell a metallic odor emanating from his person. Adrenaline. Fear. The realization surprised him. You can smell your own fear, he thought, and fought to keep himself under control. It’s bad enough to be on fumes at night. But this is a night pitching deck barricade!
Turning back to the ship, he double-checked the course-line, touched the hook handle to ensure it was down, and fiddled with the HUD intensity. He had any number of minor cockpit tasks to distract him. Night, pitching deck barricade in the middle of fucking nowhere! After his moment of self-pity, he realized he was the only pilot in the airplane. You can do this, he told himself.
As he removed his kneeboard and set it in the map case for a possible ejection, CATCC called again. “Four-zero-six, dirty up.”
“Four-zero-six,” Sponge acknowledged as he slapped the gear handle down and moved the flap switch to half. The aircraft ballooned with the increased lift, and the landing gear caused a dull roar behind him as it extended into the airstream. He countered the increased lift with a nose down bunt and retrimmed the aircraft. He tried to concentrate on flying the airplane so he would not think about the barricade.
A few moments later, though, he glanced at the ship to see if he could see it.
