STAR-SHOOTER

 ALPHA knew things were now almost over. His right hand was on the control stick and his left on his thigh. The LOX-LH2 rocket engines pushed him through the upper levels of the atmosphere. "This is X-14 flight-eleven," he said, "Mach five-point-oh, one hundred thousand feet and rising." The X-14 was head up at an angle of 75 degrees. The vibrations were not alarming, just simple oscillations of the airframe. He could see the Great Unknown in-front of him. If this flight went well, he would surely be up there. "This is X-14 flight-eleven, Mach six on the dot, burn out in forty-five seconds… forty…" And just then, before the rocket engines could cut off, the sleek craft yawed to the left, and then to the right. 'Crap, crap, crap!' Alpha said, fear bubbling like a volcano.