Star Girl Page 3

  Now it becomes just like in the movies, our sergeant acts real tough and mean. Yelling at anyone face to face if they didn’t do just as he said, when he said it. He marches us for a bit, and then he double times us over to the chow hall. After dinner we march back to the dorm, and he explains how he demands our uniforms and dorm rooms kept. No food is allowed in the dorms at all. He promises us if he finds contraband, we will all suffer.

  Then he tells us all to hit the showers, and then to hit our bunks, as morning will come early. The girls’ dorms are on the top level of the building, and the only men allowed are the Sergeant, and any inspecting officers. I go grab a shower, and can’t help but notice my roommate Debbie’s sexy body. Her face is very cute and pretty too. I am seventeen and one of the youngest cadets for sure, and I am still a virgin. I never even tried to get another girl’s interest after Carly, none excited me. This girl Debbie is a different story all together. However, that sort of behavior will get me washed out for sure. I’m here to become an Air Force officer.

  Before the mandatory lights out, the three of us talk, getting to know a little bit about each other.

  “I’m from Sacramento.” Kelly, a fiery red head tells us. “Always wanted to be a pilot, and I will be.”

  “Don’t take no for an answer.” I encourage.

  “Damn straight girl.” Debbie agrees.

  “Where are you from Debbie?” Kelly asks.

  “Born and raised in Phoenix. I’m a desert rose.” She snickers.

  “Pretty and sweet, but watch out for those thorns.” I tease.

  She giggles and nods.

  “So have you always wanted to be a pilot too Debbie?”

  “Of course. I love flying, and I already have my private pilot’s license.”

  “Nice job girl. Me too!”

  “Oh yeah? How many hour do you have, and on what?”

  “Well I only have two hundred hours on the Cessna one seventy two.”

  “Ahh, I got you beat girl. I have three hundred and fifty on the Piper Cub.”

  “But I have a thousand plus hours on the T one trainer, and almost five hundred on the F four Phantom.”

  “Excuse me? Wait, there’s no way!”

  “My dad’s a pilot in the Air Force. He started me out young.”

  “You’re serious girl, you fly fighter jets already?”

  “Yeah. You are so going to love it.”

  “What does your dad fly?” Kelly asks.

  “Anything he wants.” I giggle. “He’s a General, just got his second star last summer. He’s the Commanding officer of SAC headquarters at Offutt air base.”

  “Holy shit! So he really taught you to fly when you were a kid?” Debbie finally believes me.

  I nod with a smile.

  “I love him already, he isn’t looking to adopt is he?”

  “I’ll let you know.” I wink.

  “You know one or all of us could see some combat, if the war is still going on by then.” Kelly reminds.

  “Perhaps, but that is some years off. I don’t think it will last that long.” Debbie is optimistic, I like that about her too, along with everything else.

  The morning regimen is to form up for inspection outside, while the sergeant inspects the dorms. Then he inspects us, and we double time to the chow hall. After breakfast we march to the main campus courtyard, where we are dismissed for classes. Day one; all of our companies are given indoctrination all day long, breaking for an hour lunch in formation again, and for dinner we are free on campus to do as we wish. Lastly we are each given our own class schedules, and told to form up again with our drill sergeant in the courtyard.

  He drills us for an hour until we are cut loose to go over to the chow hall again, and eat dinner. We all have to eat breakfast and lunch a certain way. Very disciplined, eating as a squad with the sergeant instructing the squad leaders he has chosen, on how to order the conduct of the meal. The only part I can’t stand, is when they tell us to pray, and to pray for war. Dad had told me about this tradition, and to just pretend. So I pretend to pray for war. It’s stupid though. I mean just who in hell are we praying to for this crap anyhow?

  Once back in the dorm we have several hours until lights out, and this will normally be study time. This second night, we talk some more, really getting to know each other better. Of course we wind up talking flying again, as that is all of our passions and dreams. Kelly listens closely, and asks many questions about piloting so she can gain a tiny edge as she says to us. Both Debbie and I are more than happy to help.

  “So airspeed, and angle of attack are the most critical elements to always consider.” She looks for verification.

  “Yes, exactly. You don’t want to create a stall condition under your wings, where you lose all lift, and fall. That is not flying, that’s just dropping like a rock.”

  “Since each aircraft is different; that stall speed will also be different, right?”

  Debbie fields this one, “Right, but stall speed also varies with the angle of attack and airspeed, that’s part of the overall flight envelope of each aircraft.

  “Exactly.” I agree. “To qualify on a bird, you will have to get to know the full flight envelope. In other words you will be quite intimate with any birds you qualify on. Well, short of super-sonic aspects that is.”

  “Have you ever punched past Mach one Stephanie?” Debbie has a twinkle in her pretty eyes.

  “No, dad wouldn’t let me. He couldn’t even do it anywhere near civilization.”

  “Maybe someday.” She winks.

  “Bet on it.” I grin back.

  “Oh, I bet afterburners are so much fun.” Debbie muses.

  I give her my patent jingle, “Afterburners light up my life.”

  They both bust up laughing.

  “You’re bad.” Debbie shakes her head giggling.

  The next day we start our classes proper, and right away I can see that I will be very busy studying in the evenings. There is so much to learn, and so quickly too, as the schedule is much more fast paced than a normal college. Fortunately my college credit courses I took in high school apply here, so I am technically taking my sophomore year courses to start with.

  Our dorm pretty much stays out of trouble with the drill sergeant, until one day he finds some candy wrappers in the trash, and he goes ballistic. The whole company is made to run until we all puke, and that is instead of breakfast. It was a bad start to the day, but soon classes fill our time nicely. I like learning interesting things, even very complex interesting things. Sure there are some classes I don’t enjoy as much as others, but I still pay close attention, and truly think about the subject.

  The first two semesters go by quickly in just nine months’ time, and I ace all my classes. I am so happy, and especially since we all have thirty days furlough before the next school year begins. I am met by dad at my dorm, and he tells me to get my things, and he’ll have me fly him back to Omaha. We pull on to the air field and I see a great surprise. I get out and do my usual through inspection of the new bird before I call it.

  “F fifteen B, and a damn beautiful Eagle at that dad. Sweet!”

  “Good, because I’d hate to make you take the bus home. Get your flight suit and G-suit on baby, then let’s go for a ride.”

  There is a very small ground crew contingent there at the civilian airport; as the Air Force keeps basically a single hangar there for visiting staff dignitaries who don’t wish to drive down from Lowry Air Force base near Denver. So we climb the metal ladders hanging from the side of the Eagle, and hook ourselves up to all the systems. The ground crew starts the engines for us, and then dad tells me to ask any questions about the controls. I look them over thoroughly.

  “I got this dad.” I sound hopeful.

  “Then take her up baby.”

  “Rodger that big daddy.” I still call him that when we fly.

  “Tower this is Mike Tango fifteen, requesting permission to taxi, and for takeoff clearance.” I say keying
the radio transmitter.

  “Control, Mike Tango fifteen, proceed to taxi way three six zero, and wait for takeoff clearance.”

  “Rodger control, Mike Tango fifteen taxiing to three six zero.”

  I give a bit of throttle and close the single large bubble canopy, it seals tightly shut automatically. I get to the edge of the runway, and brake, setting the throttles to idle.

  “So, this is a nice bird dad. The Cadillac of fighters.”

  “Always has been one of my favorites baby.”

  “I can’t wait to see how fast she is. Can I request a vertical takeoff?”

  “Sure, no harm in asking Steph.”

  In a few moments a mid-sized twin turbo prop commuter plane lands in front of us, and wheels down the runway, as soon as it is off and taxiing, the tower calls.

  “Control, Mike Tango fifteen, you are cleared for takeoff.”

  “Rodger control, requesting permission for a vertical takeoff.”

  There is a pause.

  “Rodger Mike Tango fifteen, wait one.”

  “I don’t think they will baby.” Dad sighs into the intercom.

  “Control, Mike Tango fifteen, you are cleared for vertical takeoff on runway three six zero. Light it up for us please.”

  “Ha!” I laugh into the intercom. Then I taxi out onto the strip, and get her straightened out. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long dad, thanks.”

  “Punch it baby!” He cheers.

  I smoothly push the throttles all the way forward, and she instantly presses me deep into my seat. The roar is fierce as the afterburners touch off. We lift off with me not even pulling back on the stick I raise the gear, and as soon as the indicators show they are retracted fully, I pull back sharply on the stick until the nose is pointing straight up. We become a rocket it seems, even accelerating as we climb.

  “I like it!” I voice into the intercom.

  “Do an Immelman at forty thousand baby.” He directs.

  “Rodger that big daddy. Due east on the roll out?”

  “Affirmative.”

  I pull us over and roll to level off.

  “Kill the after burners Steph.”

  “Oh…” I pull the throttle back until the roar ceases and a gentle whine replaces it.

  “You know the rules baby. No sonic booms.”

  We are over Omaha within forty five minutes, and dad tells me to get another hour or two of flight time outside the airspace of the city. I gladly oblige, twisting and turning this wonderful bird through the sky. It is so much more powerful, and maneuverable than the Phantom, a huge world of difference. Finally he lets me take her in too, and I nail a perfect three point landing.

  “Nice flying baby.” He tells me.

  “You taught me.”

  “I’m still proud.”

  My furlough is great, spending time with family. Grandma and Grandpa Kilmer even come see me for a couple days. Dad’s family is mostly all gone, even before I was born, so I just know my mom’s side, but certainly not my biological mother herself. Mel is my mom, has been since the divorce. Grandpa Joe really gets happy when I tell him of my Eagle driving. He slaps dad on the back congratulating him yet again. They get along so well, and Grandma with both dad and Mel too. I honestly think they wish Melissa was their daughter instead. We haven’t told them that their own daughter is doing porn in LA, they don’t need to know that. You know, I feel sorry for her in a way. She has no discipline, and hence no real freedom.

  Dad takes me back to Colorado, letting me get several more hours’ flight time in the wonderful Eagle. Once back in my new dorm with new roommates I settle in for the next school year. Debbie and Kelly are on the same floor as me, the penthouse as we all call it, so I look them up first thing, especially Debbie!

  “I saw the coolest thing Steph, as I was waiting for my plane to Denver, when we went on furlough. An F fifteen did a pure vertical takeoff from the airport. It was rattling the windows of the terminal something fierce girl, damn that was bad ass! You would have loved seeing that.”

  “I did love it Debbie. That was me girl! My dad surprised me with that gorgeous sexy Eagle. Damn it’s unreal!”

  “That was you? Oh my god Steph, you are really something else.” She looks at me with her eyes twinkling with light.

  “Dad let me get a few hours in on it too. Now I have almost four hours on the Eagle.”

  “I am so freaking jealous of you, but I like it.” She laughs.

  “You will be there so soon too, it will make your head spin Debbie.”

  “God I hope so.” Her eyes wander down over my body, I watch her, and it makes me take a deep breath. I want her so badly, but I am not going to screw up.

  Soon we are all so damn busy every single waking moment that all amorous thoughts are dissipated completely. I am not chosen for a cadet leadership position yet again, and I realize that mostly cadets with ROTC experience are chosen for these positions. I skipped ROTC knowing that daddy would get me into the Academy, I guess I should have listened to him. This means that I often pull menial duty like cleaning the latrines, and showers. I don’t mind so much though, it’s part of the job.

  Just after our Christmas furlough of five days, I am heading up to my dorm after study hall in the library. It is soon to be lights out, though at our current level of study we can keep our own dorm lights on to study after lights out. Just as I am walking up the inside stairs past the second floor, a man calls to me from a doorway.

  “Hey, aren’t you that cadet who supposedly is already flying military jets?”

  “I do.” I nod.

  “Hey, my buddy doesn’t believe it. Tell him that would ya, I told him it was true from what I heard.”

  “Call him over.”

  “Oh, he’s just right in here. Come on for a second.” He holds the door for me.

  “I can’t go into the men’s dorms, you know that.”

  “Here, just lean in and yell at him then, okay?”

  I nod, and lean in the door. “Hey, I do fly…”

  A fist is slammed into my face by the man holding the door. My knees buckle as I hear jet engine whine, but it’s higher pitched than that. The next thing I know, my sight comes back to me and the bastard who hit me is raping the hell out of me while another guy holds me down, and is covering my mouth. It hurts, and I feel I am bleeding.

  “The whore’s a virgin dude.” The man raping me says. It sure doesn’t make any sense.

  He finishes roughly, and they switch places. The second guy is even more rabid than the first, and bigger.

  He punches me in the face as he finishes.

  “Say anything about this whore, and you’ll be washed out for sure.” The both laugh, and drag me back to the stair landing. Leaving me in a bloody heap with my uniform torn up.

  In a minute I can finally get to my feet, and I stumble up to my dorm, to quickly take a scalding hot shower. Thankfully they didn’t deposit their seed in me, as I saw condoms on them. They are right about one thing though, if I report this, I will certainly be washed out as damaged goods. I will keep it to myself, and tell everyone that the bruises, which will surely come, and cuts on my face are from me stupidly running into a door. I’ll deal with these assholes later, myself.

  Of course my roommates have to report my injuries right away as per orders, and the sergeant has me taken to the infirmary for treatment. I can tell the duty nurse doesn’t believe my story, as she keeps trying to get me to tell her what really happened. I stick to my guns though, and insist it was a stupid accident.

  I am treated with kid gloves by everyone after this, as my face is certainly a mess. Even the drill sergeant is nice to me, and that is sure weird. The day after, the Commanding officer summons me even, and tells me that I would face no retribution of any kind if I were to bring charges. I tell him that I will not bring charges against the door I ran into. He shakes his head, and I can tell that he’s worried. If I told daddy what happened, he would fly out and shoot the damn bastards, I h
ave no doubt. No, I won’t let him do that, and ruin his life. I will take care of the problem myself, my way.

  Debbie asks me alone if it is what everyone says it is, that I was raped.

  “It will happen to one out of every three of us girls here, Deb. That’s just the plain truth. That’s one girl in every dorm room. God I hope you are spared.” I start to cry.

  She holds me, and comforts me. I can tell she is scared. I am too, they might do it again.

  “Be ready to jab the bastards in their eyes Deb, and then run. I just wasn’t ready…”

  She cries with me until lights out, and I go back to my own room.

  It takes me a little while until I get my groove back, especially in the face of seeing my attackers daily, and seeing their leers of dominance. I will find a way to deal with them, a painful way. I remember that the next school year as a junior cadet, we will be allowed one weekend furlough per month. They will go somewhere off campus, and I will follow them, and get sweet revenge then, yes.

  Chapter 3

  At my next thirty day furlough, dad again meets me with that wonderful Eagle. I forget my hurt for a while as I soar through the skies with ultimate freedom. My time home is wonderful, but Mel senses something is wrong, and she confronts me alone.

  “Something happened to you baby. I can see the small scaring, your father may not have noticed, but I do. What happened?”

  “I ran into a door Mel. I was in a stupid hurry.”

  “Bullshit. I know now girl.” He eyes tear up.

  I simply hold my finger to my lip with a very stern look.