Monday August 26th, 2013
Port of Hamburg
France. Britain. Spain. Italy. Martin and Gabrielle has toured them all, seen and done what those countries had to offer. It was all the touristy stuff, of course, but they loved it all the same as when would they have another opportunity like this again? They had spent the previous week honeymooning in Europe and now it was time to return to the ship and back to the team. The couple were driving for hours all the way from the southern most part of Italy back to the Port of Hamburg. It was the crack of dawn when they finally returned. Though, instead of heading straight home, Gabrielle was insistent on checking on the garage first. While Martin would love nothing more than to plop onto a bed and dive into sleeping, he knew it was futile to sway Gabrielle otherwise on this. The moment the car came to a stop in front of the large front mechanical doors of the garage, Gabrielle got out of the vehicle and walked straight toward one of the side doors.
"Gabby," Martin said to her. "What's the rush here?"
"I want to know what they did in the past week." she explained.
"Don't you trust them?"
"Depends on what I find."
Gabrielle reached into her pocket, got out a key, and opened the door. She walked in and promptly began her inspection. What she immediately noticed was the neat parking of the team's vehicles. They didn't slack on that just because the adults weren't there. That pleased her. She continued her walk around the garage floor. Gabrielle came across the Stuart that caused her to stop in her tracks.
"Huh. That's new, smoke mortars."
A turn of her head and her eyes laid upon the Jagdpanzer IV.
"Side skirts," she remarked. "Looks like you kids did some shopping."
Martin caught up with her moments later. He looked around then smiled.
"They took good care of the place. Hell, I think it looks better than ever."
Gabrielle remained silent as she brought a hand to her chin.
"The Jumbo has a new 76mm gun, there is a surplus of IR kits on those shelves over there, several crates of sabot rounds, a few heavy duty hydraulic jacks, and most likely some over things I'm not seeing right now."
"Are you...upset?"
She turned to face him, revealing a grin. "No, why would I be? These are all wise purchases. They have proven to me that they can operate all aspects of the team by themselves."
"That's great to here. I suppose we can truly sleep easy."
"Well, you can," Gabrielle said as she patted her stomach. "It's not getting easier for me to have a good night's sleep."
"Oh? Why's that?"
Gabrielle tilted her head to the side, the expression on her face one of puzzlement.
"It could be because I have two people growing inside me. I'm just guessing though..."
Martin turned red. "Right. So, how about we head home now and get some sleep before the meeting later today?"
"Sure," Gabrielle replied. The couple moved toward the exit as she took one more glace at the place. "Man, the place is so clean. It makes you think if anything really happened in here."
It was noon. Valarie and Emma were enjoying their lunch break underneath the familiar palm tree. Well, as much enjoyment teenagers can have reading a textbook. Thankfully, the contents of said book captured their interests. It wasn't about algebra, calculus, physics, or god forbid chemistry. It was a meteorology textbook. Valarie liked the material well enough, though Emma was completely enamored with it.
"Whoever came up with the names for all these types of clouds must hate people who stutter." Valarie remarked.
"Stratocumulus, Cumulonimbus, orgraphic," Emma read aloud. "At least cirrus is easy to pronounce. I like to look of those clouds. Always cool and serene to gaze as they float by."
"That they are," Valarie said. She read on and found something that surprised her. "Huh? Stratocumulus is a...genus? I thought that word only applied to biology. And there's different species of stratocumulus clouds? Clouds...clouds can have species? They are also varieties of strato-whatever but species and varieties are different things? Alright, whose the jerk that made clouds this damn complicated?"
"I think clouds by their nature are complicated." Emma told her.
Valarie sighed and continued reading. She found something else and showed it to Emma. "Hey check this out, it's a photo of a tornado being formed."
Emma looked over at the photo. "Terrifying. Imagine seen one form right before your eyes. The funnel coming out from a cloud and toward the earth hellbent on causing chaos at whatever is before it. Yet, at the same time, to see a tornado would be beyond thrilling...from a safe distance of course."
"Ha. Suit yourself. If I even think a tornado is forming near me, I'm getting the hell outta there."
They shared a laugh and resumed their reading. Several minutes go by when Valarie then felt a presence approach from behind. This person wrapped their arms around her. By now, Valarie could tell it was Madison by touch.
"Ooh, I like the hug," Valarie remarked with a grin. "A pleasant surprise is always nice."
"And I got another one to give you," Madison told her. "To the whole team actually. A special someone is coming to visit."
"A special someone?" Valarie echoed with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"A former tankery athlete turned instructor. Funny how so many athletes go down that road."
"We already have an instructor." Emma said.
"I'm well aware. She and he husband currently lives in my parent's second home on the ship. One that they rarely...rarely use. Anyway! This particular person has very relevant experience. She was on the old American team back in 1975."
Valarie gasped. "No. Way! You found a member of the last American team who won the internationals?"
"She was easier to find than you, Valarie," Madison teased. "Her name is Candace Merryweather. A 55-year-old tankery instructor for Ohio State."
"oh wow," reacted Valarie. "An instructor for a college."
"She must have stories to tell not only once being in the internationals, but also immersed in college-level tankery." Emma added
"What was her role in the old team?" Valarie then asked.
"Ah, if I recall right she was the co-captain."
"Co-captain huh?" Not to disrespect her or anything, but wouldn't getting the captain be more appropriate here?"
"Oh believe me, their captain was originally who me and Alice set out to find. We expected to find her contact info, instead...we found her obituary. Passed away five years ago. Breast cancer."
"Damn. That...that sucks to hear."
"Tell me about it," Madison said with a sigh. "Anywho. Mrs. Merryweather will arrive Wednesday."
Valarie giggled with excitement. "Oh man, Wednesday is gonna be a great day!"
Upon hearing that, Madison couldn't stifle a huge grin from forming. "Say, you girls have any plans this evening after your meeting?"
"Not really. After the meeting, me and Emma are just gonna hang out in our apartment."
"Well..." Madison said as she leaned in. "How about you girls join me in an outing later this evening? Why wait till Wednesday to have a good day?"
"What do you have in mind? An art museum?" Emma joked.
"Ha. Funny. I'm actually thinking of us going to a bar."
"Woah, hold on now," Valarie spoke. "None us here is 21. We're not old enough to drink."
"That's true in America," Madison told them. "But in Germany, the drinking age is 16."
"...Alright. Where in Germany is this bar?"
"It's on the ship actually."
Valarie looked at her confused. "Wait. I thought this ship is considered American soil and therefore American law applies here."
"Mostly true. You see, there is a certain area in town that has been granted a special privilege. Extraterritoriality. Whenever this ship is docked in another country for an extended period of time, this special area hosts businesses and services that are unique to the country we are visiting. In our case, there is a bar in that area that caters to the young. Since the special area is right now operating under German law, it's legal for us to have a drink."
Valarie pondered what was just said to her while Emma had already made up her mind.
"I'm game." she declared.
"Man, I dunno." Valarie remarked.
"My, Valarie. You're acting like you never had a drink before." Madison said with an all-knowing smile."
"How do you—"
"Alice told me because she was the one that got you guys that bottle of rum. Good choice, by the way."
Valarie let out an amused laugh. "I always wondered where Ashley got that bottle. Now I know. I'm just apprehensive about going to a bar. That's all."
"It's a bar that caters to young people. You'll be among your peers, not among adults twice, thrice your age." Madison comforted.
After several more moments of contemplation, Valarie finally nodded. "Okay. I'll give it a shot."
"I think the shots will be given to you actually," Madison teased. She then brought her hands together with a clap. "This is gonna be a fun night! Oh! Bring the rest of your crew. Let's make it a girl's night out!
"Oh yeah, they're coming."
"And of course...the drinks are on me."
With the school day over, the Mojave Rose tankery team were doing their routine. Today, that was more alive now more than ever with the return of Gabrielle who were more than ready to resume their administrative roles. When the two arrived at the garage in the afternoon, they found the team had reached the place before them and were already well underway with their tasks. Valarie soon went up to them and explained to them in vivid and excited detail of all that transpired over the weekend. All the tanks the team saw at the museum in Munster and the visit to the army base Grafenwöhr, especially the live fire exercise and the drive in a Leopard 2. Plus, she showed them the CVC helmet she was gifted. The adults shared in her excitement as it proved to be infectious. This happy mood only soared when they were informed of the upcoming arrival of the tankery veteran from the old American team.
"Just a flurry of good news," Gabrielle remarked. "A fantastic weekend and we're gonna be visited by someone who really knows their shit. Though I am your instructor, I'm not too proud to admit that they are people who are way more knowledgeable than me."
"Very cool indeed," Martin commented. "All that plus the new equipment you guys acquired makes me feel that we are well prepared for our match on Saturday."
"Don't wanna make any guarantees or anything, but I got a good feeling about the match." Valarie shared.
With that, the three went to their respective areas. Valarie rejoined her crew at the T-44 who were doing their usual duties, though Valarie's attention was elsewhere. Her focus was on her new helmet as she couldn't get enough of it. It felt weight in her hands, heavier than her old helmet, which was an aspect that she actually liked. She tapped her knuckles on the outer part and it produced a sound akin to knocking on a door. What she loved most about it was the integrated headset. With a new method of communication at her disposal, her mind dwelled upon her now old throat microphone that her parents had gifted her several months ago. She dug them out of her pocket and looked at them in silence. What she will do with them now? She considered her options and one of them was definitely not selling them, even though they were in great condition and could easily make a profit on the sale. That thought never even partially manifested in her mind for that family practice of not selling gifts was so incredibly ingrained in her. She went to her backpack that was with the other bags from her crew that were by the tank. Valarie fetched the case for the throat microphone and the box in came in, for she kept it, and stored in carefully within. She made it look like the microphone was never taken out from its box.
Also from her backpack she retrieved an adapter for her new helmet. she climbed and entered the turret of the T-44 and in no time connected the right cables. She flipped on the radio and was happy to hear the sounds of static fill her ears. A dial was turned and the static was gone. On the cable that connected the helmet to the radio was a switch that controlled the microphone. She pressed the switch.
"Testing...testing."
Aubrey was the first to respond. "Uh. Hello. Are we doing a radio test or something?"
"No. Just trying out some new equipment. I gotta say. It's real nice to talk over the radio hands free. Nearly a year on this team and I can finally say I feel liberated."
"You guys say something?" Mia then said.
"Oh sorry—" Valarie began but was cut off.
"I heard something about a radio test," Sage said. "Are we doing good?"
"Guys—" Valarie spoke, trying to get control.
"I hear everyone loud and clear. Test going good." Natalie interjected.
"Radio system one-hundred percent here." Paige shared.
"Guys." Valarie said once more but her words went unheeded as the radio waves were too occupied.
"Why is everyone talking? What's going on?" Louise inquired.
"Oh, was there a radio test on the agenda? Damn, I forgot. Sorry." Ray remarked.
An onslaught of questions and conversations over the radio that went on for only twenty seconds yet each sliver of time aggravated Valarie. She did not at all appreciate being cut off.
"Everybody. Shut. Up."
All the voices went dead silent. She didn't raise her voice, though its tone was unmistakably serious. It had a coldness to it that came from a person that was anything but cold. With some anxiety, the team waited for what she had to say next.
"...It's good to know all of your radios are working," she said with calm. "But from now on, let's try not to go all crazy on it, okay?"
The team's commanders responded in the affirmative. All save for one.
"Hey sorry," Jacqueline then said. "Our radio can be a bit fussy every now and then, but we always get it working eventually. Valarie, since I got ya on the line, any news on our anti-concrete shells?"
Valarie stared forward for several moments. "It's barely been a day since we left Grafenwöhr. Go ask Mrs. Redwood about your request because she's back now."
"Gotcha, we'll get right on it."
Valarie turned off the radio before another soul could utter a word, then reclined in her seat.
"Jeez..."
The commander's hatch then opened above her with Emma's head peaking in. "Did something happen? You look upset."
Valarie softly smiled at her. "Ah, it's nothing. Though I am wanting those drinks later a bit more now."
The rest of the meeting that day went smoothly and productively. Once the team were dismissed, the T-44 crew hurried back to their apartment and changed into more comfortable clothing suitable for a night out. When they returned outside, Madison was there waiting for them. Ashley walked quickly ahead of her friends to meet her.
"I haven't misheard anything right? You're taking us out for drinks?"
Madison nodded. "Yup. A fun evening is in store for us."
Ashley giggled and then looked toward Valarie. "What a sister you have."
Valarie could only blush and smile in response.
"So, are we walking there?" Heather inquired.
"No. Unless you girls are in the mood to walk four miles, we'll be driven there."
As if it was on cue, and considering it was Madison who organized tonight's plan it wouldn't be surprising if it was, a stretched limo parked by them.
"Driving in luxury, of course." Madison told them.
With eagerness gripping them all, the girls piled into the limousine and were off to their destination. The drive to the special area in town took around 10 minutes and each moment spent in the limo was a grandiose experience. Nicely air conditioned with comfortable leather seating. They felt like movie stars being treated like this, a feeling Madison is quite accustomed too thanks to having a film director as a mother. The limo soon pulled over at a parking lot and the girls got out. They followed Madison down a sidewalk when they all then stopped again. Ahead of them, on either side of the road, were two flag poles. Hoisted on them both were the German flag.
"Past those flags is the special area of town. For all intents and purposes, it's Germany." Madison explained.
"What a border," Valarie remarked. "No lines. Nice and easy."
"Shall we?"
They resumed their walk and passed the flags. Back into Germany they go. As the girls walked, they could feel an festive atmosphere growing in the air. The sidewalk soon grew populated with other people, people who were similar in age them all heading to the same destination. They found themselves in the front of a wooden building with the sounds of glass clinking and people laughing coming from within. Without a shadow of a doubt they were at the bar. Valarie looked through the window and saw tables filled to the brim with patrons with their hands full with drinks. The lights gave off a faint orange glow to mimic the aesthetic of fireplace. The bar was incredibly inviting which greatly comforted Valarie. On the window itself was a poster, which Emma read aloud.
"Monday night trivia contest," she informed. "Say, that sounds fun. Why not participate?"
"I'm game for some bar trivia." Madison shared.
"Yeah, why not?" Valarie said with a nod. "Let's make this night ever funner."
The girls walked into the bar where a waitress lead them to an upstairs area. They were seated against a wall where they had a view of a stage with a microphone at the ready.
"What do you ladies want to start with tonight?" the waitress asked.
"Mind ordering for us Madison? I've got this feeling you know your way around a bar." Valarie asked with a grin.
Madison feigned shocked. "Valarie, is this how you see me? Ruude!" she looked toward the waitress. "Five French 75s, please"
The waitress took their order and left. Valarie leaned toward her sister with an amused smile. "Now I know that waitress isn't gonna come back with a 75mm gun. What's a French 75 here?"
"A nice concoction of syrup, fresh lemon juice, sparkling champagne, and some gin. Glass garnish with a lemon twist."
"God, we're starting off with gin?"
"Yup! Considering its name, I think it's highly appropriate for you guys."
"Why is it called a French 75?" Ashley questioned
"Because when you drink it, you feel like you get hit by the gun.
"Ooh, I like the sound of that."
As they waited for their drinks, a man went up to the stage nearby. He had a pile of cards with him that he set aside on a podium. He got on the mic.
"Our trivia contest will begin in a few minutes. If you've haven't been here before, here's how it goes down. Questions are at pure random with no theme to them. One could be about a specific movie, the next can be what is the name of a certain river. Buzzers will be how you answer questions, they'll be passed around. Each question is worth ten points. The table that has the most points wins."
"Sounds simple enough." Valarie said to her table.
"Yeah, but random questions though," Heather remarked. "If we go on a streak, it can be abruptly broken by a question none of knows."
"That's just the name of the game." Madison said.
In the next minute, buzzers were passed to participating tables. What more, their drinks arrived. Five glasses were handed to them. Valarie looked at her drink closely. It looked like sparkling lemonade. She brought the drink to her nose and smelled it. She recoiled slightly back as the aroma of gin was felt by her.
"All together now," Madison said as she rose her glass. "Let's officially start the night."
All of their glasses clinked together and they all proceeded to take a drink. The moment the liquor torched Valarie's lips, her eyes were forcibly closed but kept drinking. The initial sting of the alcohol subsided and she could now taste the wonderful flavors. She set her glass down and opened her eyes to find her table looking at her.
"What?" she asked.
"You drank the entire glass in one motion." Madison told her.
Valarie looked around and saw the other glasses in the table still had their liquor in them.
"Oh. Oh wow," Valarie reacted. "It was pretty good. I like the taste of gin, as it turns out. Or at least, I like the taste of what I think is gin. Didn't feel like getting shelled by a 75 though."
Madison smirked. "The night's just started. We got more drinks to go through."
A waiter came by and placed a buzzer on their table. A minute later, the lights were dimmed save for the lights over the stage. The man at the stage shuffled his cards and selected one. He tapped on the microphone to gather everyone's attention.
"Let's get right into things! Hope you all have a bunch of useless information stored in your head," he said. The man then read the first question. "Category. Film. The horror movie Shifting Sands was the directorial debut for who?"
Madison's eyes widen as she grabbed and pressed the buzzer. "Scarlet Force!"
"Correct! Ten points for table 17!"
Madison reclined in her seat with a smug smile.
"What is Shifting Sands?" Valarie asked.
"The movie that launched my mom's career as a Hollywood director. Won an Emmy the year it came out for outstanding visual effects."
"Visual effects huh? What was the movie about."
"It's a horror movie about these huge, ravenous worms that tunnel under the ground. They attack an drilling rig looking for oil out in a desert with the operators fighting to survive. Man, the scene with one of the worms grabbing a guy and using its beak to tear him in two was super gory and super cool."
"Not a big fan of gory films."
Madison shrugged. "Me either, but because my mom made it, I make an exception."
"OkayOkayOkay," Heather then said. "The guy is gonna say the next question now."
"Category. Sports," the man announced. "In 77 years of operation, the American Tankery Association has never cancelled a match even despite serious weather conditions. All save for only two times. What happened to cause these cancellations?"
Valarie held the buzzer in hand and pressed it. The man looked toward her, waiting for a response. "Cancelled after Pearl Harbor and 9/11."
"Correct, another ten points for table 17."
"Only twice?" Madison inquired.
"Yeah, that was the only times they ever full canceled or postponed a match. Because of that, they get a lot of criticism when they force athletes to play when things like the weather is so horrible."
"Really?" Madison remarked, feeling defensive as the thought as her sister getting hurt bothered her. "Someone outta straight up to their leadership and knock some sense into them."
Valarie laughed. "You're more right than you know."
More questions were asked and Valarie's table enjoyed some success. Their streak continued until they racked up 40 points but was broken when a question about dinosaurs stumped them all, with another table snatching it up. From then on, the girls won points sparingly though they were winning a healthy amount. As they played, Madison ordered another round of drinks, this time mimosas. A drink where champagne was mixed with orange juice. This was something Valarie loved the taste off and quickly drank it all, with her asking for another glass. Another set of questions gone by when now the girls were in the top 3.
"It's getting a little tense now," Heather said. "Table 13 is only one question away from taking second place from us."
"And we're a question away from tying with first place." Madison added.
The man on the stage proceeded with the question. "Category. Video games. This contest held by Atari in the 1980s had players compete in a game for prizes like a golden crown studded with precious gems. What was the game they were playing?"
Emma felt all the eyes on the table on her.
"You have to know this!" Ashley exclaimed. "You're all about video games! Especially retro ones and this one was in the 80s!"
"I know! It's an Atari 2600 game for sure...but..." Emma had her hands at her head. "Man! The name...it's on the tip of my tongue!"
"I remember you telling me about a contest, Emma," Valarie told her. "Was around the same time too. You told me that the contest didn't finished."
"Yeah yeah, the video game crash in 1983 messed up Atari along with a whole bunch of other companies. And it's not just a game it was a series. God...what was the name of the series..."
Emma racked her brain trying to remember. Other tables remained silent as they too were trying to figure out the answer.
"What were these games like?" Madison asked.
"Well, since it was on an old ass video game console, the games were probably like a square on the screen where you had to imagine that it was some guy with a sword." Ashley joked
"Sword..." Emma repeated. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, that's it!" She grabbed the buzzer and nearly screamed her answer. "SwordQuest!"
"That's it!" The man replied. "Ten points for you! Table 17 is now tied for first place with Table 11. Our next question will be the final one. Winner takes the game. If no one gets it right, it ends in a draw."
"No way in hell is this ending in a draw," Valarie declared as she drank her fourth mimosa. She took a deep breath. "Whatever question comes next, we will figure it out."
Madison saw the small collection of empty glasses before Valarie. "Hmm. I think you are done drinking tonight."
"No...no...I'm fine," Valarie replied. She swayed slightly as she did. "In fact, I bet I can drink more...also, didn't you say we'd be doing shots earlier?"
"That was a joke," Madison told her. "If you take a shot, I really think that will be send you over the deep end. You'll be so wasted."
"Naaah"
"I kinda wanna see Valarie wasted." Ashley commented.
"Same." Heather added.
"I'm a bit curious," Emma said. "After all, you did say this was a comfortable place for young people."
Madison looked at them all. "Alright...Alright. Let's just finish this trivia first."
"Fair enough." Valarie replied.
The man on the stage reshuffled his cards and closed his eyes to doubly ensure that he picked the final question at random. "The procedure where surgeons remove a small piece of tissue to determine that its cancerous is called what?"
All the girls drew blanks.
"No clue." Heather said.
"I got nothing." Ashley added.
Emma and Madison could only shrug.
"A name of a surgery," Valarie thought aloud. "Surgery names can get pretty crazy."
"Alright, let's think about it," Madison said. "It's all about the suffixes and prefixes. Example. Rhinoplasty. Rhino refers to the nose and plasty means to modify."
"Sounds way too smart for me." Ashley admitted.
"Thirty seconds left to answer." the man announced.
"Oh my god, I can't believe this is gonna end in a damn draw!" Valarie exclaimed.
As the girls pondered furiously over what the answer could be, one of the bar's patrons went to their table and sat with them. Before any of them could figure out who this person was, they grabbed the buzzer and answered.
"Biopsy."
"Correct! Table 17 has won the contest!"
The girls turned to face their new table mate and were surprised to see it was a familiar face.
"Viola?" Madison said with a smile. "How long have you been here?"
"Two hours. Maybe more."
"Who are you with?"
"No one. Well, now with you. I've been watching you play this game as I enjoy some French wine."
"You came in clutch there," Ashley told her. "And thanks to you, we won! What did we win?"
"I don't know," Valarie said. "Something fun I hope."
Soon, a waitress arrived with a tray. "Congrats on the contest. Your prize..." she said as she placed six small glasses crusted with salt before them along with some lime slices. "Shots of premium tequila. 110 proof and made from 100% agave."
She departed, leaving the girls staring at the drinks.
"This is definitely the stronger stuff." Madison remarked.
"God damn tequila," Ashley said. "I'm really glad I came."
Viola was the first to grab a glass. "Wunderbar! I love Mexico!"
The rest grabbed their glasses and all together downed their shot. All the girls coughed and sucked on the limes they were given as a chaser.
"Oh man," Emma said amid coughs. "That had power behind that, geez."
"A nice punch...if punches could feel good that is." Ashley shared.
Valarie was staring dead ahead. "I think I'm...tipsy."
"No, I'm tipsy," Viola told her. "You're drunk."
Valarie rubbed her face with her hands. "Oh god...I am!"
Madison laughed. "Well, we are all not certainly sober. It's time to call it a night," she checked her phone. "It's 11 o'clock. We all got school tomorrow."
Valarie stood up from the table and stumbled forward a few steps. Emma went over to her side to stop her from falling.
"Good god, am I really gonna go to class with a hangover?" Valarie said.
"Hey, college students do it," Madison told her. "And they seem to do alright."
"If you say so."
With a night of drinking at its end, the girls left the bar and made their way back home to sleep off the liquor. A whole bunch of hangovers lay in store them.
Wednesday
Once the school day came to a close, the Mojave Rose tankery team had their meeting as usual. Yet the meeting didn't take place immediately after school as there was a two hour buffer between the two. Ray has always looked forward to this part of the day as it allowed for the opportunity to relax from the day. He was in his apartment alone, waiting for Natalie to come so that the two could hang out. Ray laid on the couch with the TV on as he waited and nearly fell asleep doing when a knock on the door got his attention. He went to answer it expecting to see his girlfriend, but found it to be Cassidy along with her brother.
"Oh. Hello. What's up?" he greeted.
"I, ah, I need your help." Cassidy said.
"With what?"
Cassidy looked at her brother. "This baby right here has a troubled relationship with anything healthy. Wanna know his breakfast this morning? A bag of sliced pepperoni. God, he eats so much meat."
"It is not my fault things like hamburgers taste good!" Nathan interjected.
"Hamburgers are good, but maybe don't have them nearly everyday!?"
"So...how do you want me help you?" Ray asked.
"I learned by talking to other people on the team that you can cook. You must have some healthy recipes that I hope are light on the meat?"
Ray tapped his chin with his fingers. "Hmm. I think I got just the recipe for you. It has not meat at all yet very delicious."
"How can something without meat taste good?" Nathan questioned.
"I'll show you."
He invited the pair inside and went right into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and got out the ingredients. Wasn't anything complicated. A piece of tortilla, two eggs, and two sweet potatoes. Cassidy cocked her head the side upon seeing what he got out.
"What meal can make with this?" she asked him.
"A good one," he told her. "And healthy too."
Ray got out a pan, put it on the stove and brought the heat up to medium. As the pan heated up, he diced up the tortilla. Canola oil was poured into the pan and once it was nice and hot, put the tortilla pieces in the pan, immediately sizzling.
"What we're making is huevos con tortilla. Diced tortilla cooked in oil to make it crispy like a chip," Ray explained. He grabbed some salt and seasoned the tortilla. Then he cracked the two eggs and added them to the pan where it was all mixed together. "My mom makes this all the time. So easy and so good."
Once the eggs were sufficiently scrambled, he moved the pan to another part of the stove and placed a pot on the flame. More canola oil was poured in and while that heated up, he went and sliced the sweet potatoes into fries and poured them into the pot to cook. Ray resumed his attention to the eggs, still steaming, and plated them. A few more minutes and the fries were done. He collected them carefully in a bowl where he put a light cover on salt on them. The fries were added to the eggs as a side and the plate was presented to Nathan.
The 13-year-old grabbed a fork and inspected the meal. He then took a bite.
"So, what do you think?" Ray asked, a bit anxious.
"This...this tastes good!" Nathan exclaimed. "The tortilla taste like chips and I like that." he next tried the sweet potatoes fries. "Hey, these are good too! I think I like them better than regular fries."
"See Nathan? See?" Cassidy said. "See what happens when you try new things? You love them!"
Nathan finished his meal with a happy look on his face. "I really liked that. Not even kidding. That's my new favorite meal."
"That what I like to hear." Ray said with a grin.
"Thanks Ray. I'm going back home because my show is about to come on. Very, ah, very mature show."
"Yeah, you better run," Cassidy said. "Can't miss Spongebob now."
"I-it's not Spongebob!" Nathan shot back in a stutter before leaving.
Cassidy turned toward Ray. "Thank you. Like, you have no idea how happy I am over this. He actually likes something healthy now. God, I've been trying for ages and you managed to do it. Thank you, again."
"Ah, it's nothing. I like to help and I like to cook. When the two comes together, well, that makes me feel nice." Ray replied.
"This really means the world to be," Cassidy said, then blushed. "Ah, if you weren't already taken..."
Ray blushed in kind. "Well then, um," he said but interrupted himself with a laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Ha, you do that. Catch ya later man!"
Cassidy left the apartment. Alone again, Ray returned to the couch and got right back to lounging. Though it wasn't long before another knock came from his door. He answered it and it was who he was expecting originally.
"Hey Nat," he greeted. "Been waiting for you."
"Why was Cassidy here?" she asked in a near accusatory tone.
Ray was a bit taken aback over the seemingly sudden question. "Uh, she was here 'cause she wanted some help with her brother. A healthy meal. I just got done cooking for him."
He gestured toward the kitchen where Natalie saw the messy pots and pans. She also smelled in the air the aroma of cooked food.
"Ooh. Okay. I get it." she replied.
"Do you want me to cook something for you?"
"No thanks, not really hungry. I just want to sit on the couch with you and cuddle."
"I like the sound of that."
The couple relaxed on the couch together, enjoying their time before they had to get ready for the meeting later. Natalie wrapped her arms around him and Ray noticed that she was holding him much tighter than usual. While this was something he loved, he couldn't help but think about that small but important detail.
Later
At the garage, the team were taking extra steps to ensure that their vehicles were in their best condition. Each tank was given a deep cleaning to expunge any and all grime that could be on their armor. This was all not without reason. The team had been well informed before hand that today they were to receive a visit from a special individual. Valarie oversaw the team as they went about their tasks. There wasn't much to clean to begin with as it has been several days since they have last practiced. After a view minutes of supervision, Valarie then went outside to wait for the incoming visor. She looked up and down the street. Empty. Madison had told her earlier in the day that Candace would arrive sometime when the meeting was occurring, but couldn't give an exact time frame.
She ran her fingers through her hair and used her phone as a mirror to check herself. She still felt a bit hungover but nothing like the previous day where when she woke up she felt sluggish as hell along with a splitting headache. With time it dissipated though not yet fully. Though she definitely did not regret the night out.
From down the street did she see an approaching figure. Once they came close enough did Valarie get a better view. An older woman with hair that is still mostly brown but with noticeable portions of it in a vibrant gray and mid-length just past her shoulder. Her attire was formal as if she was going to work an office. The former co-captain of the last American team that won the internationals. Candace Merryweather. She went up to Valarie and gave her a grin.
"You must be the captain if those gold stars on your uniform collar is anything to go by."
Valarie blushed. "That I am. My name is Valarie—"
"Woodlin," Candace finished. "Yes, I know who you are. I'm privy to all things American tankery, especially about a team that won the nationals. You guys generated a whole bunch of talk when you won."
"Considering our composition, I'm willing to bet not all the talk was positive."
"Oh yeah," Candace said slowly. "Your team is coed, isn't it?"
Valarie nodded.
"Hmm. The idea of a coed team is very controversial in the more traditional tankery circles. Can't even say its a generational thing because I am well aware of girls around your age who are rabid in keeping tankery girls only." Candace continued.
"This team has met a few girls who are like that, unfortunately."
"Ah, that is a shame to hear. Let's not dwell on this negativity and a get a move on, huh?"
"Gladly."
Valarie led Candace into the garage where the team was waiting for them. Candace was given a tour of the team's tanks. She saw all the personalizations the team have given them and was especially fond of the painted insignias. She was soon led to the T-44 where Candace got up close to it to examine it closely.
"My old team never had Russian tanks," Candace shared. "We actually made it a point not too."
"Oh? Why not?"
"All part of this patriotic drive to only use American tanks. It was the Cold War after all. In retrospect, it was rather stupid. Limit yourself to the tanks of one nation, you restrict yourself to a nation's tank doctrine. Less flexible. Ohio State's tankery team is diverse from several nations, I've made sure of that. But hey, we won all the same."
"Ah. Interesting."
Candace got on the T-44 and sat on its front hull, leaning against the gun. "Gather the team around your tank. I'll share my experiences."
Eager, Valarie went around and called the team. Within a minute, 61 people were before the T-44. Some were sitting on other tanks to get above the crowd for a better view.
"Alright," Candace began. "I'll start with the experience you all wanna know; the world finals. The schedule back then was like today with a match every month, though when the competition started was never the same. May 17th, 1975. The deserts of Namibia. We have fought and beaten eight previous teams from all over the world, and our ninth and final opponent would be the toughest of all. The Soviet Union," Candace then chuckled to herself. "I never had a match as difficult up to that point and since then. The Soviet tankery team were exceptionally trained and had the best equipment a tankery team could acquire. Though, I suppose being state-funded would definitely play a role there."
"Was there anything else that made them that good?" asked a member of a team.
Candance thought for a moment. "Recalling now, their instructor was pivotal in their performance. She has been in tankery since she was a teen and when the Soviet Union pressed their tankery athletes into war time service, she did so without complaint. Commanded a T-34 in live combat and after the war used her experience to train the next generation of Soviet athletes. Under her mentorship, the Soviet tankery team in the internationals were one hell of a powerhouse."
"How long did the match last?" asked another from the crowd.
"The match started, ah, I'd say eight in the morning and did not end till five the following morning. It was long and the imitative went back and forth repeatedly. Not until the final hour did this stalemate break and we won."
"What tanks did the Soviets field?" Valarie questioned.
Candace patted the T-44. "A whole lot of these. Out of a team of thirty tanks, ten were T-44s. The remainder being a mix of IS-2s, SU-100s, SU-152s and a handful of IS-3s. And then they had this one tank that caused us so much trouble. A very early prototype of the T-54. The people crewing that tank, whoever they were, were damn good. For our team, we had a good amount of Pershings along with Hellcats, Sherman Easy 8s, and two T28s to take on their heaviest tanks."
"So, how did you win exactly?" Ray asked her.
Candace brought her hands together and looked up toward the ceiling. "It was dark because it was in the early morning. I was in my Pershing joined by two others, another Pershing and a Hellcat. We were the last three tanks left operational so we kept extremely vigilant. It was an annihilation match and we knew that the Soviets were equally low in number. We drove without out lights as to not attract attention, navigating by moonlight which was pretty hard as it was a half moon. Then, beyond a sand dune, we saw streaks of light beam over it. We assumed it was them and sped toward. Once we were on top of the dune, however, we found that the Soviets have placed lights on the ground pointed upward. It was a trap to lure us in and we fell for it. A shot from a hidden T-44 knocked out our Hellcat. Immediately, we put our tanks in reverse and got out of sight. It was now just us two Pershings," Candace paused to noticed the team were utterly captivated. She smiled. "In that moment of adrenaline, an idea hit me. The Soviets knew we were low in tanks, but not the specific number. I grabbed an illumination grenade and set the fuse to its maximum delay. It was loaded in the grenade launcher and I fired it up high and behind the enemy to make it look like we had reinforcements coming from another direction with the hope that they would divert their attention away from us.
"You had grenade launchers back then?" a member of the team wondered aloud.
"Oh yeah, it was standard equipment much like today. Anyway, since me and the other Pershing were behind a sand dune, we had no way of knowing if my plan worked unless we went over the top. We bit the bullet and did just that. Once we were on the top of the dune we found that my plan partially work. Two of their four remaining tanks were looking in the total opposite direction. We moved quickly. A T-44 looking at us got knocked out but the other one got my Pershing friend. I took swift revenge and looked upon the last two Soviet tanks, and IS-2 and another T-44. They were turning their turrets. I sent a round to the IS-2 and reloaded, and god, was that the longest reload in my life. The T-44 trained their gun on us but we were quicker on the draw. A pull of a trigger and the title of world champions was ours."
"Wow," Valarie uttered with amazement, a sentiment shared by the team. "What an ending."
"No kidding. The United States won. And now it hasn't won another title since. No country in the Western Hemisphere has."
"Do you have any reason why that is?"
Candace sighed. "Wish I could say that some curse was placed upon the New World that put us on a huge losing streak, but that would be silly really. If I had to guess it would all stem from a variety of mundane reasons. Shifting attitudes, budgets, priorities, and a good helping of bad luck. All the while other countries got better and established themselves as supreme. Germany, France, the UK, Japan. In the past few decades, if any country won the internationals, it's most likely one of those four."
Candace got down from the T-44 and took another moment to look at it.
"That final match is a memory I wouldn't trade for the world. That is a piece of advice I want to give you all. Treasure the moments you have as you will savor them for the rest of your lives. Be it something minor or major, as long as its important to you its worth remembering. You all have this great opportunity being in the world tournament. Enjoy it. It will be unforgettable."
For the remainder of the meeting, Candace was given a more in depth view of the team's tanks and she gave more advice when it was appropriate. As the meeting near its end, she sought out Valarie and the two had a more private chat.
"How do you feel?" Candace asked her.
Valarie initially didn't know how to respond this. "Um. Okay I guess?"
"How do you feel getting this far?"
"Good," Valarie said now realizing what she meant. "Proud too."
"What about stress?"
"That too."
"Is it a lot of stress?"
"I have a few strands of gray hair."
Candace chuckled. "Wish I only had a few strands. Though, it's clear that the stress from this sport is affecting you."
"Yeah, well, I'm the captain. It's a job that inherently stressful. Someone has to do it."
"Very true. But don't let stress dominate you. Let me share with you a secret. The night before the world finals, I had a panic attack. That night, only now did it sink in that my team was in the finals and I was terrified of disappointing people. The captain of the team came into my room and hugged me tight to comfort me. She then gave me advice that I remember to this day. 'Remember this and keep it close to your heart. People only expect your best. As long as you give it, you won't disappoint anyone'."
Valarie smiled at the advice and felt it warm her immensely. "I always say to my team that the only thing that I expect is their best."
Candace place a hand on her shoulder and felt a tear in her eye. "Marigold would've loved you. Good luck Valarie. I'll be rooting for you guys."
The pair shook hands and Candace left the garage. Valarie went to her backpack and fetched her playbook. She flipped through the pages and got to the strategy for the team's next match against New Zealand. The map was studied carefully as she went over all the details. Valarie stood quietly as she read, the light from a nearby illuminated her as she did. With a pencil, she would make a minor edit here and there where she would later then close the playbook. Tucked in her arms, she leaned against her tank and took a deep breath. With all that has happened in the past month, she felt like it was forever since the last match. A thought entered her mind that made her laugh to herself.
Valarie couldn't wait to get shot at again.
