By KR Machado

The story centers around Air Force Captain Thomas (don’t call me Tom) McKenzie. Captain McKenzie is nearing the end of his yearlong Test Pilot School course at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

One might expect him to be eager for the upcoming Capstone Project, the ultimate challenge needed to finish the course and earn his test pilot rating. However, Thomas, being an introvert, finds himself struggling to assert his worth among his extroverted fighter pilot peers with their towering egos, turning what should be excitement into a source of great stress.

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There is much at stake on this project. A top performance could land a prestigious assignment; and a poor one, a dead-end job. As (bad) luck would have it, his project involves a mysterious tech device from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) known only as P.E.F.U.U.

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Adding to Thomas’ dismay is he is paired with an unknown civilian flight test engineer named Sam Maxwell.

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Thinking he's received a raw deal, and his next assignment might be a dud, Thomas becomes intrigued with the device as he opens the box and examines it. 

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As the two of them work on unlocking this P.E.F.U.U.’s capabilities, they are astounded at the device’s ability to learn and adapt. As word spreads of its amazing feats, DARPA brings in a big wig Colonel, who decides to showcase it at a Red Flag training exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada, which presents unforeseen dangers for both Thomas and Sam.