Chapter 14
August 31, 1925 P.D. 0730
Rachel sat down for breakfast and took care not to get anything on her shirt. It simply wouldn't do to report in with food on her shirt! Matt left earlier, having taken the Alvarez Field-Harrington shuttle to the base.
"Nervous?" Honor asked and sipped her hot chocolate.
"Some," Rachel shrugged. "I was nervous when I started at the academy, because people saw a Mayhew, but not necessarily me."
"Your hard work and performance are what people should, and will, see. If they choose to see someone else, despite your hard work and accomplishments, that's their problem," Honor replied.
"You've got more flair on that jacket," she nodded to Rachel's service top hanging on the coatrack, "than 90% of other ensigns. Those bits of ribbon and fabric weren't just given, they were earned."
For Rachel, to hear that from her hero and officer who set the standard for the Grayson Navy, was just the thing she needed to hear to calm her jitters.
"I've known too many officers who skated by simply because of a name; they couldn't lead their way out of a wet paper bag and too many good people died needlessly as a result. They shamed the Navy and the uniform. Leadership isn't a position or title; it's action and example. Remember that and you'll never go wrong," Honor advised, echoing Raoul Courvoisier's words from years ago.
She saluted Honor with her coffee cup. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Honor said and returned the salute.
Rachel wiped her mouth and left the table. She took her jacket from the coat ramp and put it on. She looked herself over in the mirror to ensure that she looked decent. The house manager came into the dining room and greeted her good morning.
"Mrs. Pryor, you don't ever have to tend to my room, I'll take care of it," Rachel requested.
"As you wish, m'lady" the woman replied.
She snagged her satchel and cap. "Robert, Hipper, let's be about it!"
#
Thirty minutes later, she passed through the Alvarez Field security gate. She had to resist rolling her eyes when the gate guards saw her ID and bowed, surprised at the sight of a female Naval officer. Well, gentlemen, get used to it! The nav-aid for the car showed her the building to report, so she pulled into the parking lot, shut down, and looked at her chrono. 0830. She didn't have to report in until 0900, but it wouldn't hurt to be there ahead of time. She bore the stares as she walked through the parking lot with a treecat and armsman. As she approached the sidewalk for AF-325, two female petty officers stared in surprise as she walked by, forgetting to salute. Finally, their arms popped up in her peripheral vision and she sharply returned the salute. To her immense relief, she saw Matt from a distance, trotting toward her.
"I was looking for you; and lo and behold, you're not that hard to find," he chuckled and shook Robert's hand.
"Mayhew! Goodson!" she heard from behind.
She turned and saw Josh Chatwood. He greeted Rachel and Matt and they continued to walk.
"Are you as nervous as I am?" Josh asked.
"You're not the only female officer walking around with a 'cat," Rachel said ruefully.
Josh looked around and saw people staring. "They can't help it, and your furry friend will have them charmed in no time."
He tugged at his collar. "I have to walk into a hangar full of combat veterans. These training wings are embarrassing."
Josh was fresh from the Academy, so he and 223 other LAC grads wore the basic unadorned silver wings that indicated that he could operate an LAC, but he was a long way from being a "jock." They arrived at the designated building, and Matt opened the door for her. When she stepped inside the auditorium, she was greeted by friends from the academy, Tester bless them. After a few minutes, she could tell the difference between the Saganami grads and the MacKenzie grads: like old friends, the Saganami grads talked to her and greeted Hipper. The others nearby listened and watched.
"Meet me for lunch?" Matt asked.
She nodded. He squeezed her hand and left. To lighten the mood, Josh began small talk. "So, you up for another round of billiards Saturday night?"
"I need lessons," she quipped.
"You weren't that bad," he offered.
"I bounced a ball clear off the table, does it get any worse?" she asked.
Someone behind her snickered and a PO3 yeoman came into the room. "Gentlemen…and lady," he said and bowed, "would the enlisted and NCO personnel file through the doors to your left? Officers, please remain here. Thank you."
Just as she opened her mouth to say something to Ensign Collins, someone called out, "Attention on deck!"
"As you were," he returned and bowed her way, "find a seat."
Two yeoman rolled two computer consoles and a lectern onto the conference floor. They stood by and waited for the Commander's instructions.
"Good morning, I'm Commander Crawford, the CO of Alvarez Field Personnel Squadron. I'll start your orientation this morning, and your division or department will finish it out. If you all would pass your orders to your left, Spacers Gibson and Cole will take them from the person at the end of the row," he said.
"Welcome to Alvarez Field. Most of you came from the academies or OCS, so congratulations on finishing your courses of study and training. The rest of you reported from space going commands, so welcome back. While I conduct this orientation, I would ask your armsmen," he nodded respectfully to the thirty or so seated to the left, "to register with Alvarez Field Administration and Security so that they may receive an identity badge that will enable them to come and go with you and access the facilities here. Use the consoles behind me, the yeoman will assist."
He addressed the officers again. "As you probably know, our Navy is chronically short of personnel. As such, you will most likely find yourself tasked to multiple duties, commensurate your skills and training."
He tapped a button on his tablet screen and continued. "Security on Alvarez Field is the bailiwick of the Marine Detachment here. They run the weapons ranges here, and Sergeant Major Ledger wishes me to tell you that you're welcome join them for physical training on most mornings…take that as you will," he said lightly and they laughed.
"A majority of you is housed in the officer's dorms, while others live in nearby steadings or with family. Living off the base is fine, with a caveat. Reporting late for duty once or twice is understandable, but repeated lateness is not. Department leaders have the option to mandate on-base residence if it becomes necessary."
"You've undoubtedly seen the hospital, the largest building here aside from the hangars. We're quite proud of it; while not as large as say, Austin City General or Bassingford, all aspects of care are covered. The third and fourth year medical and dental school student officers do their clinical rotations at the hospital as well."
A yeoman left the auditorium and returned with a large rolling bin.
"Unless specified, the daily uniform here on base for officers is service uniform with ball caps," he said and Yeoman Collins began passing ball caps to the group.
He tapped his tablet again and scrolled through a screen. A knock was heard from the side door and a senior grade lieutenant poked his head inside. The commander waved him inside.
"This is Lieutenant MacLeod, from the Office of Shipbuilding, Design and Production Division. Please stand and exit your row if your orders indicate assignment to that division and join him," the commander instructed.
Rachel and fourteen others stood and exited their rows.
"Have fun," Josh murmured when she passed.
They stood in a semi-circle around the lieutenant, and he asked, "For those of you with armsman, have they competed their badging?"
Robert and three more held up their badges.
"Great, let's head out," he said, and they left the auditorium. Outside, he pointed to a large building fifty meters down the sidewalk. "That's the southside mess hall. We're nearby the hangars, so you'll use the northside mess hall."
They passed the Marine Detachment building and Security Office. "That's self-explanatory," the lieutenant said and continued the tour.
They stopped for a few minutes to look at the chapel. "Again, self-explanatory."
They next arrived at the sprawling gym and rec hall complex. From their right, a PO2 marched a formation of spacers on a tour as well. He saluted the officers and continued his way. The lieutenant chatted with the group as they made their way to the Office of Shipbuilding and hangar complex area. At the doors for AF-400, he pressed him thumb and Navy ID badger against a door sensor pad.
"Welcome to your station, Alvarez Field 400. I see that all of you have your ID badges, good. You'll have an elevated level of security access added shortly. There's sensitive and classified information inside, and only those assigned to this division have access to this building. Visitors, from spacers to admirals, must be escorted by a division officer when they come and go from the building."
He opened the door and led them inside. Personnel looked up from their workstations at the new arrivals. A Commander poked his head out of an office and said, "I'll be with you in a moment."
"Yes sir," Lieutenant MacLeod replied and gestured to the space behind him. "This is the Design department. Out that door and down the hallway is the Production department. And beyond that is the division auditorium."
He pointed to an office to his left. "That's the administration office. You'll be called in alphabetical order, so listen for your name."
#
After upgrading their badges, they gathered in the division auditorium. The commander and his assistant came inside. He looked over the new arrivals and then looked to the Lt. Commander next to him. "I asked for twenty, they gave me 14, but at least they gave me your replacement."
"Lieutenant Commander Purcell?" the Commander asked.
"Sir," Purcell replied and stood.
"I'm Commander Kimbrell, your D&P Division leader. This is Lieutenant Commander VanMeter, my deputy. You'll be replacing him; he's going to Blackbird for a while," the commander said.
"Aye sir."
He looked at the three senior grade lieutenants and one junior grade lieutenant which came from space commands. The rest were six young, fresh-faced ensigns straight from the academies, a PO2, and three spacers. He looked longer at Rachel and spoke.
"Ensign Mayhew, I believe you served with my brother on the David Taylor, Lieutenant Commander Kimbrell?"
Rachel stood. "Yes sir, he was the weapons officer."
"He said that you play a mean game of backgammon."
"I don't about that sir, but I do enjoy it."
"He also says that you're a coup de vitesse black belt?"
"Yes sir."
"You can decline to answer my next question, but how does your father feel about you engaging in such a sport?"
"He was uncertain at first. Now, he says it's entertaining to see me get kicked in the head."
The room's occupants laughed.
"The Office of Shipbuilding has a sports rivalry, of sorts, with the computer geeks across the base. Is anyone else among you a practitioner?"
Ensign Cordell raised his hand. "Karate, sir."
"Good, that's four for coup, two for karate, and one for judo in our division."
#
After lunch, Commander Kimbrell sat with his deputy and deputy-to-be and reviewed Rachel's academy transcript, instructor evaluations, her midshipman cruise evaluation, and service record.
"Top ten among grads, both overall and Engineering. Academy flight squadron, fourth-year student mentor, Life Support System Certification…she's not afraid of work," Lt. Commander Purcell stated.
Lt. Commander VanMeter chuckled. "These demerits…unauthorized flight plan and improper operation of a sting ship? Altercation in a dorm, some curfew violations, and some class tardiness. Based on her overall record, there's nothing that would indicate behavioral issues."
"I agree," Commander Kimbrell replied, "and this service record is interesting reading for a 22-year-old ensign."
#
After lunch, the new arrivals were again summoned in alphabetical order to meet with Commander Kimbrell, Lt. Commander Purcell, and Lt. Commander VanMeter. She knocked on the Commander's door and was told to come in. They rose when she entered, and the commander gestured to the chair across the desk. She sat and Hipper settled on her lap.
"Are you comfortable with your armsman remaining in the hall?" the commander asked. "I only ask because I have an armsman as well."
"Yes sir, I'm fine with it."
"Ensign Mayhew, this meeting is to discuss performance evaluations, what we expect from you, and what you will get from us. We, and by extension the Navy, are interested in your career development and well-being. Lt. Commander Purcell will be replacing Lt. Commander VanMeter, so that's why he's here."
"Yes sir."
"I'm pleased to see that you're a small craft pilot. With your arrival, that makes a whopping three of you on the Office of Shipbuilding pilot roster. As such, you'll rotate with the other two as the weekly duty pilot. As for your day-to-day duties, this division handles the design and production aspects of all space-going vessels, from shuttles to CLACS to Blackbird yard. The Navy is constantly looking at more efficient starship production, improved starship design, and retention of experienced and skilled personnel."
"There are other duty rosters that all officers are tasked with as well. They include inspections of enlisted barracks, the division tool room, and equipment surveys. Occasionally, the tac department will run an exercise, and they prefer that an engineer man the "bridge" engineering station. You'll possibly be seconded to other commands for their missions from time to time, to fill in needed personnel gaps. Any questions so far?"
She shook her head.
"I know that this is a lot of information to dump on you all at once, but it's beneficial to know what's expected of you."
"Yes sir."
"Finally, the Office of Shipbuilding is tasked with what's become known as dome watch. Atop Hangar One there's a building, where inside, personnel monitor this base's dome. It's manned every day of the year, every minute of the day, to monitor for any damage or degradation of the dome crystoplast panels, girders, supports — every part of the dome. You'll also be on that watch roster. Your dome watch training starts tomorrow."
Commander Kimbrell slid some uniform shoulder patches across the table for her to take. "Welcome to D&P. Now, if it's not an intrusive question, can you tell us a little about yourself?"
"Yes sir…what would you like to know?" she asked.
"Hobbies? Favorite HD program? Do you plan to pursue graduate studies? Things that would help us get to know you better," the commander said.
"Certainly… I'm fluent in French, play the piano, and enjoy reading Greek mythology. I also enjoy swimming and I'm a Protectors baseball fan. I'm engaged to an ensign I went to the academy with; he starts medical school in October."
"Well, congratulations. When is the big day, may I ask?" the commander inquired.
"October 31st, sir."
"You'll want to submit your leave request as soon as possible for that so that duty rosters can be adjusted," Lt. Commander VanMeter added. "But don't worry, the Navy's not going to get in the way of a Grayson bride's big day."
"Yes sir."
#