don't cry,” Chief Barnett said. “And I see you're managing not to. Barely. Who?”
“I'm from Anaheim, Chief,” Dana said, setting down the boots. She took a deep breath and picked up the suit to check the seals on it. “Dad in LA. Mom committed suicide right after.”
“Brother and sister-in-law,” the Chief said. “Two nieces and a nephew. Mother. Father was already dead. Chicago.”
“Yes, Chief,” Dana said.
“How old?” the Chief said. “Never mind, I can count. Where'd you grow up?”
“Indiana, Chief,” Dana said. “Middle of no-where Indiana. Place called Tangier.”
“Best place to be,” the Chief said. “You handling it?”
“Haven't you heard?” Dana said, as lightly as she could. “PTSD is the new normal. Something like 80% of the US has lost someone close to them. 53% have had direct experience of a Horvath attack. And that doesn't begin to touch the whole Johannsen thing. The strange part about being in Tangier was that I was weird. I was the only person in my school who had been in a target city. They . . . didn't get it.”
“Bitter much?” the Chief said.
“Sorry, Chief,” Dana said.
“I actually understand what you're talking about,” the Chief said. “You're not old enough to know ancient history like the Cole bombing. So I won't go into it and compared to what's happened, since, it's a minor blip. But I know about being the only person around who has nightmares.”
“Roger, Chief,” Dana said, setting the suit down. Now for the neck ring seals on the helmet.
“These are brand new,” the Chief said, picking up the gloves and inspecting them. “And the fabber here doesn't seem to have the problems of the ship fabber in Wolf. They're generally perfect right off the line. But you need to make sure the seal material is on solidly.”
“Roger, Chief,” Dana said, suddenly panicking. She was pretty sure she'd checked the seal material.
“You checked,” the Chief said, looking up. “I watched. And I'm double checking.”
“Thank you, Chief,” Dana said.
“That was a pretty good job,” Chief Barnett said when Dana was done with her inspection. “You know the parts and functions. You did a good, quality, detailed, inspection. Technically, I could sign you off on parts and functions and inspection right here. Which is amazing considering most of the nitwits we've been getting. But I expect that, cause you're a split. Especially since this Johannsen's shit, we've got twice as much to prove as ever.”
“Yes, Chief,” Dana said, not sure what else to say.
“And I'm not going to sign you off,” the Chief said, picking up the gloves again. “Because what I'm about to teach you ain't in the book. Yet. It's how to really inspect your suit. By the numbers, to the task and standard we ought to be requiring. Pick up the other glove.”
“Yes, Chief,” Dana said.
“Place glove in left hand, palm up,” the Chief said, demonstrating.
“Glove in left hand, palm up, aye,” Dana said.
“Run the index finger of your right hand down the inner thumb of the glove, checking for any burrs, irregularities or cuts,” the Chief said.
“Run index finger of right hand down inner thumb of glove, checking for burrs, irregularities or cuts, aye . . .”
The standard for donning a full suit was thirty-five seconds, about the maximum time a person could hold out in absolute vacuum. The initial “evolution” took nearly thirty and by the end Dana was sweating in her suit and wondering if she really wanted to be in the Navy.
The new chief who had gone Dutchman in the main bay may have had some issues with attention to detail. Chief Barnett did not. Chief Barnett probably had a task, condition and standard for going to the head.
“And now you're a fine junior space eagle,” Chief Barnett said. “As soon as you learn to do that in thirty seconds.”
“Roger, Chief,” Dana said, her voice muffled by the bubble helmet.
“I've placed the inspection document in
“I'm from Anaheim, Chief,” Dana said, setting down the boots. She took a deep breath and picked up the suit to check the seals on it. “Dad in LA. Mom committed suicide right after.”
“Brother and sister-in-law,” the Chief said. “Two nieces and a nephew. Mother. Father was already dead. Chicago.”
“Yes, Chief,” Dana said.
“How old?” the Chief said. “Never mind, I can count. Where'd you grow up?”
“Indiana, Chief,” Dana said. “Middle of no-where Indiana. Place called Tangier.”
“Best place to be,” the Chief said. “You handling it?”
“Haven't you heard?” Dana said, as lightly as she could. “PTSD is the new normal. Something like 80% of the US has lost someone close to them. 53% have had direct experience of a Horvath attack. And that doesn't begin to touch the whole Johannsen thing. The strange part about being in Tangier was that I was weird. I was the only person in my school who had been in a target city. They . . . didn't get it.”
“Bitter much?” the Chief said.
“Sorry, Chief,” Dana said.
“I actually understand what you're talking about,” the Chief said. “You're not old enough to know ancient history like the Cole bombing. So I won't go into it and compared to what's happened, since, it's a minor blip. But I know about being the only person around who has nightmares.”
“Roger, Chief,” Dana said, setting the suit down. Now for the neck ring seals on the helmet.
“These are brand new,” the Chief said, picking up the gloves and inspecting them. “And the fabber here doesn't seem to have the problems of the ship fabber in Wolf. They're generally perfect right off the line. But you need to make sure the seal material is on solidly.”
“Roger, Chief,” Dana said, suddenly panicking. She was pretty sure she'd checked the seal material.
“You checked,” the Chief said, looking up. “I watched. And I'm double checking.”
“Thank you, Chief,” Dana said.
“That was a pretty good job,” Chief Barnett said when Dana was done with her inspection. “You know the parts and functions. You did a good, quality, detailed, inspection. Technically, I could sign you off on parts and functions and inspection right here. Which is amazing considering most of the nitwits we've been getting. But I expect that, cause you're a split. Especially since this Johannsen's shit, we've got twice as much to prove as ever.”
“Yes, Chief,” Dana said, not sure what else to say.
“And I'm not going to sign you off,” the Chief said, picking up the gloves again. “Because what I'm about to teach you ain't in the book. Yet. It's how to really inspect your suit. By the numbers, to the task and standard we ought to be requiring. Pick up the other glove.”
“Yes, Chief,” Dana said.
“Place glove in left hand, palm up,” the Chief said, demonstrating.
“Glove in left hand, palm up, aye,” Dana said.
“Run the index finger of your right hand down the inner thumb of the glove, checking for any burrs, irregularities or cuts,” the Chief said.
“Run index finger of right hand down inner thumb of glove, checking for burrs, irregularities or cuts, aye . . .”
The standard for donning a full suit was thirty-five seconds, about the maximum time a person could hold out in absolute vacuum. The initial “evolution” took nearly thirty and by the end Dana was sweating in her suit and wondering if she really wanted to be in the Navy.
The new chief who had gone Dutchman in the main bay may have had some issues with attention to detail. Chief Barnett did not. Chief Barnett probably had a task, condition and standard for going to the head.
“And now you're a fine junior space eagle,” Chief Barnett said. “As soon as you learn to do that in thirty seconds.”
“Roger, Chief,” Dana said, her voice muffled by the bubble helmet.
“I've placed the inspection document in
Similar Books
