Play@YSDC

Z-Day + 1 - 7:00 AM Mountain Time - Warren Air Force Base, west of Cheyenne, Wyoming
In the hangar-
Kyle Perkins had been cleared by the doctors, and he had been assigned to work in the hangar to maintain aircraft because he had told them that he sometimes fixed things around the farm. Kyle didn't understand how airplanes and helicopters worked, however, and he wasn't very good at learning. This particular hangar had a helicopter, and a few people were working on it. He had lost both of his parents yesterday. His mother had gotten sick and eaten his father, like all the other sick people running around. He was still very sad about that, but he had a new family now. Emily Montrose had helped him and become his new mother, and that made her pretty daughter Lauren his sister. Kyle really liked Lauren, but he didn't know how to deal with his feelings. There was also another girl, Kathryn, who didn't have anyone else and had become part of Emily's family, so she was his sister too. There were a bunch of other people he had met at that store along the way, but he didn't know them too well.

A burly man in an Air Force uniform came over. Kyle saw that he had lots of stripes on his sleeves. "Good morning, sir," he told Kyle. "I'm Master Sergeant Timothy Smoot. I understand you've been assigned to join my ground crew." He stuck out his hand for Kyle to shake.

At the landing pad-
The Humvee pulled to a stop at the edge of the landing pad where the Huey UH-1N Iroquois helicopter stood ready for takeoff, not far from the hangar. Two Security Forces troopers got out of the Hummer and opened the rear doors. Out stepped Katarina Iiliescu and Julie St. James, both dressed in camoflage trousers and white tank tops. "Here we are, ladies," said one of the SFs. He motioned to an open footlocker resting nearby. "There's equipment for both of you in there. Take what you need and then board the chopper. It leaves in less than ten minutes." The footlocker contained two small suits of Kevlar body armor and matching helmets, just the right size to fit both women. It also held four hand grenades, two 9mm pistols with several magazines, two combat knives, and Julie's bow and arrows.

Zoe Gallagher emerged from the vehicle last, dressed similarly. The SF pointed at the hangar. "You'll report there, ma'am," he said. "They're waiting for you."

Zoe nodded, then hugged Katarina and Julie. "Be careful," she said, choking up.

In the hangar-
"Hey, mister," said Kyle, shaking Master Sergeant Smoot's hand with a firm, strong grip. "Wow, look at that chopper! Are you gonna learn me how to fix it?"

"That's right, son," he said. He spent the next six minutes showing Kyle around the hangar and introducing him to the rest of the ground crew.

Zoe Gallagher walked in. "Hello?" she said.

Master Sergeant Smoot turned and approached her. "You must be Ms. Gallagher," he said. "Welcome to Hangar 1, ma'am. I'm Master Sergeant Timothy Smoot."