Fleet Academy

by M. Scott Cottrell

  “Yes Ma’am!” Matt snapped as he jumped to attention. After saluting he turned and headed to the door.

  “One more thing Lieutenant.”

  “Yes ma’am?” Matt said stopping at the door and turning back to face her.

  “Take a look at the security protocols. It might be handy to know where they put security cameras… Like in shuttle cabins when they are in dock? I don’t expect to see any more lapses in judgment like that making their way around the wardroom… is that understood?”

  Matt swallowed hard, turning red. “Yes ma’am.”

  The captain tried to hide a smile and shook her head. “Dismissed Lieutenant.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Matt said, turning and disappearing out the door.

  Matt walked down to the armory and into the little office space and looked around sadly. Matt retrieved an empty shipping container and set about putting the Commander’s personal effects into it. He worked slowly, still not wanting to believe that he was gone. He finished the grim task, and sealed the container, setting it on the floor near the door. Plopping down at the desk he placed his thumb on the ident pad and the system logged him in. He sat for what seemed like forever, staring at the expanded menu, and all the new items that he was responsible for. In some ways it was almost overwhelming.

  Finally he selected the duty roster function. With a deep sigh, he took the first steps as the department head, modifying the duty roster. He worked slowly, removing all of the entries that had his name, and replacing them with a placeholder. Then he slowly replaced the Commander’s name on all the duty entries with his own, checking that he knew what duty he was assigned and when. It took nearly half an hour to work his way through the list for the next two weeks. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even notice that Trina had entered the office until he was startled into reality by a touch on his back.

  “Hey. How are you?” She asked quietly, gently rubbing his back.

  “Ok I guess.” Matt replied quietly. After a long pause he continued, “The Captain put me in charge of the department until a replacement can be brought on board.”

  “Congratulations!” She said brightly.

  “I guess. I had no idea how much the Commander was responsible for. We’re going to be really shorthanded, but the Captain promised me another Ensign to help cover. Till then we have to do double duty.”

  “I understand. But how are you feeling. I know it had to be hard down there. When they said the shuttle went down I was worried sick about you. I’m just glad you made it back in one piece. ”

  “Thanks. I guess I’m just trying not to think about it all too much. It was hard to have to pack the Commanders personal effects, but I figured that job fell to me as well.” Matt said quietly.

  Trina bent down and hugged him from behind, pressing the side of her face against his. “I’m here if you need to talk… or anything else you need.” She whispered. Then she gave him a squeeze and a gentle kiss on the cheek, before letting go of him and standing up. “So boss, what do you want me to do first?”

  Matt swung around in his chair and looked up at her. “Thanks Trina. I appreciate your support. How about you find Chief Wallace and have him come see me. I and still need to fill out a missing equipment report for my sidearm.”

  “Aye Aye sir!” she said with a huge smile before saluting and turning toward the door. As she exited the door she turned around and leaned in again. “By the way. While you were gone a video of us in the shuttle surfaced. I understand it has been a real hit with the junior officers.”

  “I know.” Matt said. Rubbing his face with both hands. “The Captain suggested that I check out where security cameras are placed on the ship. Apparently it got around to her too.”

  Trina’s face suddenly looked shocked. “Has she seen it?”

  “I don’t know, but I know she knows about it.”

  “Oh hell. Are we in trouble?”

  “You’re not. I don’t know how much trouble I’m in. Technically I was your senior officer, even though I didn’t supervise you. I don’t think the Captain is going to make an issue of it, but she let me know that I should make damn sure not to get caught doing that again.”

  “Does that mean I have to start saying sir all the time?”

  “Between us? If were alone, we’re friends and I can’t change that and I really don’t want to, but in public… now that I’m the department head? Yeah, I guess you do.”

  “Ok. I guess I can understand that. I’ll go find the Chief for you now.” She said looking glum as she pulled her head back out of the office.

  Matt shook his head and then went to work on the missing equipment report. He was nearly done when Master Chief Wallace stepped into the room and snapped to attention. “Master Chief Wallace reporting as ordered Sir!” He practically barked. Matt was so startled that he almost jumped to attention himself, but he just caught himself.

  “At ease Master Chief. Please sit down.”

  “Yes sir.” The chief said pulling a chair over and dropping into it.

  “I understand that I have you to thank for saving my life.” Matt said.

  “No sir!” The chief said sharply.

  Matt stared at him a long time. “I don’t understand Chief. You were the one who rescued us, weren’t you?”

  “Permission to speak freely sir?”

  “Always Chief.”

  “We got you aboard the shuttle, sure, but you’re the one who saved yourself and the pilots. If you hadn’t got an O2 supply to the cabin those pilots would both be dead. And your suit was more than six hours over its maximum endurance. If it hadn’t been for you, it would have been a body recovery. As far as I’m concerned, all we were was a taxi.”

  “I appreciate that Chief, but I still think you had more to do with saving me than you want to admit.”

  “Sir. The fact is that you did what was necessary to save the majority of the crew. The Commander was incapacitated. That left you in charge of the mission. Pilots are only in charge as long as the craft is in the air. Once you were on the ground, you were in charge. You did what you had to do to save your people. We didn’t do anything but find you. You made it possible to have something to find besides dead bodies. No sir! You did all the saving.”

  “Thanks Chief. I just wish the Commander had made it.”

  “Sir, life in the Navy means people die. Sometimes you’re going to be the one sending them to die. We all know how it works. I have watched you save people under your command three times now. Personally sir, even though you may not be the most experienced officer, I know that there isn’t a member of this crew that would hesitate to go on a mission with you, because they know that without a doubt you will do everything you can do bring them home alive if the shit hits the fan, even if that means risking your own life to do it. Sir, you have no idea how much of a reputation you have already built onboard. And a number of crew already owe you their lives. Hell, I’ve heard all kinds of talk in the enlisted quarters. Someone got hold of a security vid of you and another of the officers, and it almost started a brawl.”

  “A fight? Why?”

  “Someone made a derogatory remark about you, and Specialist Tempe jumped a table and started beating the shit out of him. I’ve never seen her even lift a finger when someone was giving her a raft of shit. But when they attacked your integrity, she went after the guy. And she wasn’t the only one. There were at least half a dozen of the crew that wanted a piece of him.” The chief chuckled. “He’s walking around watching his back for the next few days.”

  “I had no idea Chief.”

  “No sir. And I didn’t tell you, if you get my drift sir.”

  “Sure thing Chief.”

  “Now sir, you wanted to see me about something?”

  “Yes Chief. The Captain put me in charge of the department until we can get a replacement. She is going to move another Ensign into our area, but until then we’re very short handed. I know that the suit locker is your area, and to be
honest I don’t know when I am going to have time to get to all the things we have to cover. I wanted to talk to you about the situation. I know you’re more capable of running the locker than I am, so I thought I would just let you run it. Just let me know if you need anything or if there is a problem. I’ll try to stop by on occasion so the rest of the guys in the locker know I’m taking an interest, but other than that, can I count you to keep things ship shape until we can get some more help in here?”

  “Sir. You can count on me. I don’t expect any problems, but if anything comes up, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Thank you Chief. I appreciate that. Is there anything I need to be concerned with for now?”

  “We need a damaged suit report for your suit, but I can take care of that for you. The Commander’s suit has been released from the investigators, so we can strip it to put the good parts back into stock.”

  “Thanks. Has Ensign Forster gotten fitted yet?”

  “Yes sir. She has a suit allotted.”

  “Good. How about Petty Officer Jenkins. Did she get her load rating closed out?”

  “Actually sir. I was planning on talking to the Commander about that. She checks out on all the tests and quals, except for a completed transfer. The last one went to hell on her and we haven’t had another one. I think she’s ready, but it takes an officer to waive the requirement.”

  “If you think she’s ready, she’s ready. I’ll figure out what paperwork I need to sign. But go ahead and tell her she’s signed off.”

  “Actually sir, I think she would rather hear it from you.”

  “Ok. Chief. Go ahead and send her to me when you get a chance.”

  “Aye sir.”

  “Anything else?”

  “One more item sir. We have lost two containers and a shuttle. They don’t technically fall under our department, but I though you should know that we will have to do extra duty loading and unloading pods since we don’t have as many as usual. We can’t afford to leave one full of equipment.”

  “That makes sense. Go ahead and do what you think is necessary. Do you need me to do anything?”

  “No sir, I just wanted you to know.”

  “Ok Chief. Thank you.”

  “Yes sir.” The Master Chief said as he stood. “I’ll send Jenkins to see you.”

  “Thanks Chief.”

  “One more thing sir.”

  “Yes Chief?”

  “The Commander was well respected in my department. You are too. Everyone knows you did everything you could and then some.”

  “Thank you Chief. I appreciate that.”

  “No problem sir.” The chief said as he snapped a salute.

  Matt returned the salute and the Master Chief turned and stepped sharply out of the office.

  Matt went back to work finishing the report, and then set to work writing his official accident statement. He was well into it when Jenkins stepped into his office and stood at attention before his desk.

  “Petty officer Jenkins reporting as ordered sir!” she said crisply as she saluted.

  Matt returned the salute. “At ease Jenkins.” He said.

  “Aye sir.” She said, falling to parade rest.

  “I said at ease. Have a seat.”

  “Yes sir.” She said, taking the seat and sitting at informal attention. “The Master Chief said you wanted to see me sir?”

  “That’s correct Jenkins. The chief and I were talking about your load qualifications. He said that the last load was your third attempt.”

  “Yes sir. But I didn’t get to complete it because of the incident.”

  “Uh huh. Well, the Master Chief feels that you’re ready, and so do I. I am going to waive the load transfer qual. That makes you certified to be a load specialist.”

  “Thank you sir!” She said with a huge smile.

  “No need to thank me, you earned it.”

  “Well, thank you anyway sir.”

  “You’re welcome Jenkins. That’s all I had for you.”

  “Thank you sir.” She said standing up. After a long pause she continued. “Um sir? May I say something?”

  “Certainly Jenkins, what is it?”

  “Well sir. Word may get back to you about a little altercation.”

  “The one in the enlisted mess?”

  “Um... no sir. This was someplace else.”

  Matt sat back in the chair. “Go ahead.”

  “Well sir. Specialist Burke made a derogatory remark about you and Ensign Forester.”

  “I heard about the fight in the enlisted mess.”

  “Yes sir. Anyway, several of us wanted to make sure that he didn’t say anything like that again…so we stuffed him in a suit and pulled the plug on his motors.”

  Matt shook his head trying not to laugh and keep his face stern. “I take it you didn’t hurt him?”

  “No sir. We left the scrubbers running.”

  “How long?”

  “Um. Over night.”

  “Jesus Jenkins. That’s pretty rough.”

  “Yes sir. But I don’t think that he will make those kinds of comments again.”

  “I would think not. Does the Master Chief know?”

  “I don’t think so sir.”

  “Ok. Tell him.”

  “Do I have to sir?”

  “I think it would be better if you did, rather than let him find out from someone else.”

  “You’re right sir.”

  “Tell him you told me and I am leaving it to his judgment on what to do from here.”

  “Yes sir.” She said glumly.

  “By the way Jenkins, just how widely has that vid gotten?”

  “Well sir, I understand that a good part of the ship has seen it. Some Ensign in security released it and it kind of spread.”

  “Damn. That’s kind of embarrassing.” Matt said quietly.

  “Oh No sir!” Jenkins responded quickly. “It’s not like that sir. It just kind of adds to the legend that seems to be building around you.”

  “My legend?”

  Jenkins looked nervous for a second. “Yes sir.”

  “What legend?”

  “Well, it’s mostly rumor. Sir.”

  “What rumor?”

  “Well, besides the vid in the shuttle, someone let slip that they saw you naked in a shower tube with one particular red headed nurse...”

  “Holy shit.” Matt breathed.

  “It’s not like that sir. I guess…well a lot of the crew; those in the suit room at least, feel like you’re just kind of special. No one has quite rocketed to the top like you have and, well… to be honest, we’re proud to be under your command.”

  “Well, I appreciate that but maybe we should just try to slow down the rumor mill a bit, ok?”

  “Yes sir.” She said, but she was still smiling when she said it. “See you in the suit room some time sir.”

  “Dismissed.” Matt said, shaking his head, a crooked smile on his face.

  “Aye sir” She said turning, disappearing from sight.

  Matt worked most of the rest of the morning on the accident report. At noon time he stood stretched and headed to the officers’ mess for some lunch. It was an odd feeling, walking toward the mess. Every time he encountered a crew member, they moved and made way for him, smiling and greeting him pleasantly. Before this he wasn’t sure most of the crew even knew who he was. He walked into the mess and headed for the food table. Matt found some cooked chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, gravy and some corn. He also filled a glass with green bug juice. Looking around he spotted Bounce sitting with Lieutenant Cowens.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked as he stepped over to the table.

  “Matt!” Bounce said cheerfully and loudly as she sprung up from the table, practically knocking his tray from his hands in her hurry to hug him. He set the tray down as she squeezed him hard.

  “Thanks.” He said, blushing, as she released him.

  “I owe you my thanks as well.” The Lieutenant said with
a large smile, “But if you don’t mind, I’ll save my hug for a bit less public place.”

  “You don’t really need to thank me.” Matt said as he and Bounce sat down. “I just did what had to be done.”

  “Not from what I heard.” The Lieutenant said.