Far Pangaea

A Military transport DC-130 Hercules travels over the South China Sea from the Philippines. The weather was torrential outside as a storm corrupted the ocean below. Within the plane were roughly 34 passengers. Civilians and Military alike.

Some of more interest than others.

Looming in the back of the plane sat a unity of uniformed Officer's. Names of importance considering begins with a tall, dark and brooding Colonel defined by his raven black hair and broad shoulders. He appears strong in build, regal for a better word. Confident. He prefers to be left alone. Not today.

"Colonel Jack Ramse without the Y. It's been awhile."

Spoke another of same said rank. This Colonel had breasts. Big breasts. Pinned back shoulder length red hair and piercing green eyes. She too had muscles and long legs cloaked by a constrictive uniform. She sat down beside him holding her hat.

Ramse glared over at her objecting to his lack of peace.

"Colonel Ruby Goddard. Two years maybe. Stint in Kuwait wasn't it? I hear you moved on up to all the secret stuff."

She nods, "God I need a cigar."

"Bad for you."

"What's not? But, for the record I gave up smoking weeks ago. Doesn't mean I don't crave them. And, yes I've been promoted to babysitter these days. We both know I can't tell you what and where. Who? I hear you turned down an offer to transfer in to "REGION". It's not so bad."

"Never liked kids. I'm no school hall monitor. Crosshairs and gunfights are my M.O." He growls before peering out a window.

"Weather's bad. Lightning is getting closer."

"Afraid of Poseidon, Ruby?"

"You know I'm not afraid of anything. Just like you Big Boy."

"We all fear something. Mine's brats."

"You do realize there's more than a few brats of importance on this flight?"

"Heard. "General Ridge's" wife and daughter. I'll keep my distance. Last time his kid tried to show me her panties. Her modelling skill's rival her hormones."

"She's of age. Of course a court martial would be in the cards."

"Barely. Besides I'm married to my career."

"Ex-wife finally? How is Renee these days?"

"Still married. She's stationed in France. Barely talk."

"Lucky her. You're not much of a communicator."

He grimly looks at her then turns away.

"Come on Jack. I'm just giving you a hard time. Long flight. Gotta do something. Seeing as the Mile High Club got shut down."

"Who's the prodigy?" He nods his gaze toward the middle of the seating roster.

"James Ian Pryce. Fifteen year old genius. Rival's Einstein I hear. Built his first super computer at age six. Graduated from "Imperial College" in London by ten. Stockholme by twelve. Among others. We both know he's in trouble. The Government will lock this kid away and drain him dry. Sad thing is I think he knows this. It's like a challenge to him. Houdini of Area 51."

"Doesn't exist."

She pats his arm, "You just keep that redacted memo for posterity."

As they talk quietly they note a German Shepard wandering toward them between sections.

"Why isn't the dog caged and quarantined in cargo?" Jack squints.

"Belongs to the genius. Smart as he is I think. Look at him watching us. It's like he knows what we're thinking."

"If he did then he might think twice about shitting in the plane. Parachutes won't fit him."

The dog growls at his comment and turns back toward his young Master. Hopping up into the seat next to him.

"It was good to see you Jack. I need to check on the pilots."

"Colonel." He nods with a salute.

"Colonel." She returns the honor.

As Ruby heads past the center section of the plane Jack notes the dog return to the floor as his Master gets up and walks toward him. Jack rolls his eyes as the boy takes the seat next to him.

"Xander doesn't like you." The teen with bushy brown hair grimaces at the Colonel.

"The dog's name is Xander?"

"Yep. I'm James Ian. Colonel Jack Ramse, right?"

Jack creases his brow, "How do you know that?"

"Eavesdropped. Ever read comic books? You look like the "Punisher". Tough looking."

"Get to the point, Kid."

"I just want you to know something."

"Get it over with."

"We won't reach the States. See that weird lightning? Since when is it purple?"

Jack takes a chance and realizes the boy is correct.

"Ok, Science guy. What makes purple lightning so uncommon?"

"Oh, it's common. Just not under these conditions. Outside temperature. Too many factors over your head. Notice the lightning is in swirls?"

"Uncommon?" Jack creases his brow.

"That lightning is building a vortex. What I can't figure out is why our navigation and electrical isn't having fits."

Xander nuzzles James Ian's hand whimpering.

"It's okay boy. Don't take a dump in the hallway. The mean ole Colonel didn't mean he would really parachute you out."

Jack stands up moving in front of the boy into the walkway, "No, I meant it."

He then waltzed toward the pilot cockpit passing The General's wife and daughter, among various others. He looks out a cabin window as another flash occurred.

"Everything alright, Colonel?"

Jack looks down at the large black man in the seat he was leaning on.

"Not sure, Sargent. Keep your eyes peeled for engine fire."

Sargent Malcolm "Malibu" Brand flared his eyes as Jack held a finger to his lips for silence. The bald officer nodded his understanding of avoiding panic.

Beside Malcolm sat another African American woman of incredible beauty. She had fallen asleep.

Moving onward the plane expressed turbulence unbalancing his footing. Easily caught he continues until the cockpit door which opened as he approached.

Colonel Goddard spotted Jack and froze with a fearful look. As they reached each other Ruby clutched Jack's arm.

"Navigation is going haywire. Pilot's ordered us to our seats to ride this out." She whispers.

"Altitude loss?"

"Not yet. It's like we're stuck on course. Lightning is getting fierce. Pray we don't get struck."

"Your kid back there said we won't make it to the States."

Her eyes narrow, "Dammit! That kid's never wrong."

Both of them carefully walk toward the boy who had returned to his own seat to listen to his Ipod music. He was humming along to a song as his dog lay in his lap taking up the seat next to him.

Ruby crouches down and lightly squeezes the boys arm.

"Tell me what's happening."

James shrugs, "Ready to do the Time Warp, Baby?"

"Be serious." She encourages.

"I really don't know. But, I think you both should return to your seats. Navigation finally go out?"

"How do you know that?" Ruby whispers with a concerned look.

"Rain's stopped." James notes.

Turbulence sends Ruby back into Jacks legs. Instinctively he pulls her to her feet.

"Strap in." Jack nudges her toward his seating.

As soon as they lock in a massive wave of purple light arcs throughout the cabin and engulfs everyone into a sudden panic.

Screams echo with resounding concern as the pilot's voice ignites over the intercom.

"Stay buckled up, folks. We haven't lost power but something's tugging on us. I promise I'll keep us from going down."

Jack growls out the window watching the wave ripple around them.

"Captain Scott is the finest pilot I know. I requested him this trip. Ex-fighter pilot who can land this bucket on a gravel road. Have faith Jack."

"Cameron Scott? Top Gun? Great. Let's hope he doesn't come sliding down the hall in his boxers."

"That was Risky Business." James yells back at him.

"How the hell does he hear us way back here?" Jack snarls.

Ruby snaps softly, "Kid's special. I told you that."

"Dang straight, I am." James laughs as he fastens the seat belt around his dog, calming him, "Hold on tight, Xander."

The plane quakes suddenly as if the stress on the hull was jarring rivets. The commotion following became frantic.

"Purple Haze! Growing in my brain." James sings at the top of his lungs.

Jack holds on to Ruby during the vibrational ruckus. She eyes him and shares a moment of dread.

Amid the turmoil the plane veers left toward another funnel of purple.

Jack could hear the General's wife call out to him.

"HOLD ON MADIGAN!" Jack roars to her.

An engine on the left wing bursts into flame. Weirdly, the fire vanished, returned, vanished, returned.

From the front Malcolm Brand calls back, "Did you see that Colonel?"

Jack spots the fire come and go.

James leers back, "St. Elmo's Fire."

"What?" Ruby scowls recalling the movie.

"Ionized air. Plasma. Electrons. It's not really fire or on fire." James retorts.

Suddenly, all of the engines share in the light show dilemma. Within minutes the whole plane shares in the corona. The light became a temporal calmness. Everyone silenced and felt their bodies bask in the glow.

So calm, that it was almost euphoric.

Riding it out the plane shifted without warning. Power failure. Finally.

"Hold on!" James expresses.

Before long the glow fades and the exterior darkness of night became daylight. Blinding daylight. So bright that all eyes sealed against it.

"What the hell?" Jack hoarsely growled.

As eyes adjust, the plane began to lose altitude. Everyone again began screaming. Suddenly, a loud impact slammed against the hull.

Ruby caught a glimpse, "That was a bird. A very large bird."

Jack unfastened his belt and forced himself along against the growing G-force. He made his way back to the cockpit and kicked open the door. The pilots inside were battling the odds.

"What did we just hit?"

"Hey, Jackie. Long time no hear." Pilot Cameron Scott quipped.

"Time to be serious Cam. What was that?"

The lightly graying pilot pointed out the window.

"I would say it was those."

Jack struggles to stand as he squints to see the impossible.

"Is that prehistoric birds?"

"Pterodactyls? That's not the only bogies."

Jack opts to watch as a pterodactyl attacks a World War 2 German Flying Tiger.

"You might wanna lock it down, Jack. I'll do my best to sit us down. If we don't make it, it was a pleasure Sir."

"Keep your promise, Captain."

Jack fights his way past the General's wife and daughter.

"What's going on Colonel?" Madigan Ridge frets.

"Are we going to die?" cringes the beautiful blond daughter.

"Just stay strong Maddy. Sophia. It's going to be bumpy to say the least."

He rushes back to Ruby and she assists him in buckling back in.

"Time Warp Baby? How did your freaking genius know this was going to happen?" He snaps at Ruby.

"I didn't know." James calls back, "Sometimes I read too many comic books. Guilty pleasure. In my line of work it pays to have a good fantasy for inspiration."

Jack didn't believe him. His scowl toward Ruby was deafening. Ruby concurred.

A loud rumble jarred the entire plane as both Colonels looked outside jointly to see Mountain ranges, waterfalls in the distance. Lots and lots of ships and aircraft. Even bizarre aircraft they could only assume was extraterrestrial.

As the plane attempted leveling out, the tail clipped a peak and sent the craft spiraling. The remainder of the trip was darkness. The world vanished to their consciousness.

Time unknown.