Hail Warning

Rond Point Port — Aboard the Hail Proton

The official code name of the drone was A Flock of Seagulls, following the naming convention of drones after rock bands. But the name was so long the mission crews aboard both the Hail Nucleus and the Hail Proton began referring to it as Seagulls.

On the second deck of the Hail Proton, an electromagnetic launch ramp was inspected and ready for action. The large drone, code named Foreigner, was sitting on its back. The small birdlike drone, Seagulls, had been compacted within a plastic mesh and latched into place on Foreigner’s belly. Nylon webbing had been wrapped around the bird to prevent its wings from becoming damaged during flight. When it was time for the Hail Nucleus’ pilot to release the bird, the nylon would be cut via the quick slash of an integrated blade. Once released from Foreigner, as the bird began to freefall, its wings would extend, and the aircraft would become a glider. To gain altitude, a rocket pellet would be ignited inside the bird’s rocket engine. When the rocket burn had concluded, depending on thermals, Seagulls could glide for up to an hour before needing to repeat the burn process. The birdlike drone had enough pellets to keep it aloft for 48 hours.

Captain Nichols and his two lab workers, Lang and Parker, were responsible for ensuring the drones were charged, fueled, and readied for the mission. They were also responsible for checking the drones’ launch configurations were correct.

Lang walked down one side of Foreigner, while Parker walked down the other side, making their final inspections. Satisfied everything was ready to go, Parker spoke into a cellphone she held in her right hand.

“The package is ready to fly,” she told the remote pilot in the Hail Proton’s mission room. It was understood that the Hail Proton’s flight crew would launch Foreigner and, once it was at flight altitude, the pilots aboard the Hail Nucleus would assume the controls.

The captain of the Hail Proton was awaiting patiently for the OK to launch the drone.

“Charge the grid, Captain,” Parker requested.

Mounted to the wall was a small control panel that had two visible controls. There was one big red switch and hidden under a security cover there was a big red button. Captain Nichols flipped up the big red switch, and a low hum filled the room as the catapult’s capacitors became energized. The crew waited for the hum

to subside which indicated the contraption was fully charged and ready to launch. Captain Nichols already had slid his finger under the protective cover, and it rested on the big red button. When the hum finally died down, and the room became quiet, Parker spoke into the phone, loud enough for the captain to hear.

“We are going to launch in five, four, three, two, one, LAUNCH!”

From under the protective cover, Mitch pressed the red button.

A loud crack of electricity was released into the magnetic grid. It snapped loudly through the room like a thunderclap. Faster than a buttered bullet, Foreigner and its little bird passenger, were slung up and out of the Hail Proton’s hangar into the dark night.