* * * * *
On paper, the weapons test was simple.
Upon being notified, by Navy radar trackers on Midway, that the BOMARC drone had crossed the International Date Line, a Douglas A-3 Skywarrior would be launched from the "U.S.S. Fisher's Island Sound" (a Commencement Bay-class escort aircraft carrier). This heavy strategic bomber would then fly to the point-of-no-return, of its maximum range, and release the two Nike-Artemis missiles it was carrying in much the same fashion as it would release a pair of conventional free-fall bombs. Following which, the bombadier/weapons officer aboard the Skywarrior would activate those missiles by remote control, before turning over that chore to a counterpart aboard the carrier.
And, of the high-ranking spectators gathered aboard the "Fisher's Island Sound," to witness the test (via a satellite-relayed TV transmission from a modified Air Force RF-84F Thunderflash out of Guam), the highest was Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, himself!
The latter had been persuaded by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to secretly attend the weapons test, in person, in the hopes that he might be persuaded that anti-missile missile research and development was a better deterrent against World War III than the concept of "mutually assured destruction." A hope that he was admittedly quite dubious about seeing realized.
In any event, the BOMARC had been launched on schedule. And it eventually passed the Midway naval tracking station on schedule. So, the Skywarrior was soon being catapulted into the air, on schedule.
"Chicken Little to Mother Hen," recited the Skywarrior's pilot: "Chicken Little to Mother Hen. Acorns away. Repeat: acorns away! You may begin backseat driving. Over?"
"Mother Hen to Chicken Little," replied the carrier radioman: "Roger that. We are grabbing the steering wheel...now! Mother Hen, over and out."
With the transfer of remote control successfully accomplished, the Skywarrior began its U-turn on schedule. Completely unscheduled, however, was the presence of an Air Force F-100-F Super Sabre en route to Kwajalein from Oahu! At the controls of which was Major Gerard Elkhorn, USMC Airwing (still officially on "detached duty" with NORAD). While in the trainer/observer's seat behind him sat Capt. Anjiro Watanabe; U.S. Army Reserve.
Golden Dagger-axe and all.
"You sure this mer-giantess is after the Sec-Def, captain?" asked the major.
"It's the only scenario that makes sense, sir. The destruction of the DEW Line base, in Alaska, was just a test run. The real mission was two-fold. To get rid of Toyoma-san, the man responsible for designing the Nike-Artemis guidance system. To be followed by elimination of the man who could successfully endorse continuation of its R&D to President Kennedy. Comrade Rusalka accomplished the first half of her mission. But, now, it's up to us to prevent her accomplishing the rest of it."
"Well, I sure hope you're right," replied Elkhorn: "Because, we're coming up on the test area, now. I can see the flames from the BOMARC's ramjets from here!"
Watanabe lifted up the sun visor of his flight helmet, and put a pair of binoculars to his eyes. He aimed them in the direction indicated by the younger man and confirmed the latter's sighting. But, then, he softly-yet-sharply inhaled as he spotted something else. Something cleaving through the surface of the Pacific just ahead of them. Something that resembled nothing less...
...than the fish-scaled buttocks of a giant naked woman.
tbc
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
KWAJALEIN ATOLL, MARSHALL ISLANDS,
SOUTHWESTERN NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
(DECEMBER 2/3, 1962)
SOUTHWESTERN NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
(DECEMBER 2/3, 1962)