The three spacemen craned their necks and peaked out of the dirt-covered plexiglass window. Twisting, turning, diving across the sparsely clouded sky was some kind of winged object. It flew through the air in between the spaceship and the bright orange ball beaming down from the beautiful blue heavens above.
“What kind’a plane is that?” Cletus asked.
“That ain’t no plane you corn-filled fool,” Jimmy John said. “It’s another rocket ship like this one here. Probably some government vehicle coming in to spy on our take off. Whatchu think, Billy Bob?”
Billy Bob was silent for a moment. Eyes focused on the object twirling through the warm summer air. Winding downwards towards their rocket ship like it had been sucked down into a tornado.
“Neither of ‘em,” Billy Bob said, sniffling a gust of air through his nose. His eyes were squinted, examining the object like he was some kind of scientist for unknown aerial phenomena. “Looks colorful. Organic material. Like some kind of bird. Maybe a pigeon or a seagull.”
“Seagull? Flying over the middle of the country?” Cletus asked. “That don’t make no sense. Must be a lost little feller.”
“It’s swooping right down towards the ship,” Jimmy John said. “That’s some weird looking pigeon. I never seen one so big with a yellow beak like that.”
“Now wait a hot country second…” Billy Bob said, unstrapping himself from the shredded lower division bumper car racing chair. “That ain’t no pigeon.”
“Then a big gust of wind must’a carried that seagull from the ocean, like I say,” Cletus said, tilting his chin up and straightening his lips proudly.
“No. Fellers… that there’s a Great American Bald Eagle,” Billy Bob said. He stood, body leaning against the chair with the tilted angle of the ship.
Jimmy John stood up and joined Billy Bob, staring up through the plexiglass window at the mystical bird soaring overhead.
From behind their lower division bumper car racing chairs, Cletus stirred. He unbuckled his harness and cleared his throat a couple times.
“Ahem… I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America,” Cletus sang in a raspy, monotone voice.
Billy Bob and Jimmy John turned around, slowly. Staring at their compatriot. Cletus stood straight, chin up, head held high. He leaned slightly with the tilt of the ship. Right hand held firm over his heart. Billy Bob and Jimmy John nodded towards Cletus and turned back around towards the nose of the spacecraft. They stared up at the Bald Eagle through the plexiglass and placed their right hands over their hearts. Cletus continued. This time joined by Billy Bob and Jimmy John in similar raspy, monotone voices. Bodies and minds filled with awe and reverence, they sang.
“And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation under God. Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
“Hot damn!” Cletus shouted. “I feel energy coursing through my old bones.”
“‘Merica!” Jimmy John said. “Patriots stand up!”
“We got the entire United States of America on our backs. Where one’a us goes, we all go,” Cletus said.
“That there’s a sign fellers. The Lord God Almighty is with us today,” Billy Bob said, as the Great American Bald Eagle swooped out of sight.
“Sure is,” Jimmy John said.
“Alright, strap in,” Billy Bob said. “It’s go time.”