第4节
o fly
within extremely tight limits down the middle of the flight tunnel from
start to finish. To do so demanded a high degree of airmanship,
intense concentration and hair-trigger responses.
Brickman possessed all these qualities, plus an inexplicable ability to
predict random events several seconds before they happened. As he sat
there waiting, with total concentration, for the green light, he was
confident that he would 'see' the course marker lights one or two
seconds before they were illuminated by Flight Control. This sixth
sense only seemed to operate in moments of stress - as now.
A fortuitous gift he put to good use without speculating on its
provenance; without the slightest trace of fear or wonder, He just
accepted it. In the same way as he accepted, without question, the
fact that he, Steven Roosevelt Brickman, was destined to succeed.
Forewarned that the green light was about to come on, Brickman released
the wheel brakes as the current reached the lamp filament. The Skyhawk
surged forward and was airborne in thirty yards. By the time he had
reached the end of the flight access tunnel and gone into his first
turn Carrol, who had moved to the centre of the runway, sensed that
Brickman was on his way to establishing an unbeatable lead.
By the end of the fourth day, when all the flight times were in,
Carrol's hunch had been amply confirmed.
Brickman not only flew a faultless pattern, he completed it in a time
that was destined to become par for the course.
,and from the Snake Pit, he had gone on to rack up a perfect score on
all the other flight rigs.
Brickman also scored full marks in the test of his physical agility
over the gruelling assault course, on the firing range and general
weapon handling, and in the video question and answer sections on
general and technical subjects. When the Adjudicators began processing
the results, it soon became clear that 8902 Brickman, S.R. with one
test to go, was within reach of an unbelievable double century.
'A-t. en-SHUN?
Three hundred pairs of heels crashed together on the floor command of
the Cadet Squadron Leaders as CFI Carrol entered the main lecture hall
followed by Triggs, the senior Assistant Flight Instructor.
The cadets, whose turn it was to be in charge of the three units that
made up the senior year, about-faced, saluted and reeled off the usual
class report as the CFI mounted the dais.
'Condor Squadron present and ready, sahl' 'Hawk Squadron present and
ready, sa-h!" 'Eagle Squadron present and ready, sah!" Carrol
responded with his famous fly-swipe and went to the lectern. AFI
Triggs, a noted drill freak, positioned himself one pace back, and one
arm's length to Carrol's right, feet apart and angled symmetrically
outwards, stiff-fingered hands crossed in the small of his back with
thumbs overlapping on the joints.
'Be seated, gentlemen."
Three hundred butts slid smoothly into place.
'Okay,' said Carrol. 'I've seen the provisional results. So far, so
good. All that remains is your final, make-or-break flight test. The
big one. The real thing. At 0700 hours tomorrow, you'll begin moving
up - a section at a time - to Level Ten for your first overground
solo."
Steve Brickman shared the surge of excitement and apprehension
generated by Carrol's announcement.
'You've all seen pictures of it,' continued Carrol. 'You've all been
briefed. You know what to expect. Right?"
'Yess-SIRR!" chorussed the class.
'Wrong,' snapped Carrol. 'Everything you've experienced and everything
you've been taught up to now is totally useless. Forget it. Nothing
can prepare you for that moment when you lift off the ramp and catch
your first glimpse of the overground. It's like entering a new
dimension. The initial impact will overwhelm you, may even frighten
you. That's okay. When you fly your first patrol into Mute territory,
you're going to be scared too.
Anyone who isn't is an idiot. The important thing is to stay in
control. Of yourself and your aircraft. Don't allow yourself to
become disoriented. It's just like being in the free-flight dome only
bigger."