New Homeport Island (13 page)

personnel said, “No. We’re headed there now.” Rickly replied
 with a big pleasant smile, “Okay.” as they left and Zanes and
Eplers started to walk away Rickly blocked their path by
 slamming his fist up against the wall and said with a great deal
 of restraint, “I want to know from you two what that was.” Elper
 said, “Nothing…” like a young boy caught messing around in
 the school yard. Rickly responded, “Get your heads back in the
 game, the whole chiefs mess has been looking at all of you guys.
These whispering conversations look like god damn drug deals
 and some of the more junior guys have been pissed of enough to
 kill since before the flight deck bullshit with the captain.” Zanes
 gave a reassuring wave of his hands at waist level and said, “It’s
 nothing chief, we’re not allowed to say.” Elper said, “We’re
 handling it…we can’t say, but we’re handling it the same way
 you would.” Rickly’s face turned bright red for a moment and
 then he said remorsefully, “You better be.” and he continued
 into the chiefs mess.    
As the crew ate their meals on the enlisted mess deck there
 were darting looks from table to table. The mess decks were
 unusually silent; the crew had been pitted against each other in a
 series of political schemes. From my position on the ship it
 seemed to be an exercise in absurdity, fighting for control of a
 chaos hurricane they had lost their sense of security so they tried
 to control every social aspect they could manipulate and it all
 came down like a house of cards. The one thing that drove me
 crazy was how so many half-witted schemes could be plotted at
 the same time by so many people in different social cliques.
Then I realized the destroyer squadron staff’s role was
“Instigator”. It seems they had some ridiculous notion of finding
 the navy’s first ‘five point oh’ sailor. Navy personnel
 evaluations had been changed adding an additional point from

‘four point zero’ to five; the evaluation system was actually left
 to being pass or fail anything over a two point zero was passing.
Any sailor given lower than two point zero was substandard and
 the management would have to site themselves as having failed
 as well. Left with a substandard sailor too long and your
‘Fitrep’s’ would drop. The officers and their fitness reports, the
 enlisted with their evaluations and both fell into simple pass or
 fail so it is the system its self that failed. On the new ‘five point
 oh’ system this was to be avoided the navy announced the first
 five point zero sailor would be held up to the entire navy as an
 example; and for a fair amount of scrutiny.
The schemes running onboard seemed to start off as just
 harassment and retaliation, but   then led into outright sabotage.
Now on the mess decks everyone had a chance to begin to
 suspect the persons targeting them as well as who their
 accomplices would be, and what bizarre social dynamic was
 driving the chaos. Glances exchanged were mind boggling a
 sailor gives the nod of trust to another, that then in turn looks to
 their cohort and nods with trust resulting in that first sailor
 terrified that they are in the wrong clique and have become
 fodder for destruction.  
There was a cough on the mess decks some sailor had a
 cold, as nearly every crew member there flinched and reached
 for a weapon of one kind or another I laughed and pointed it out
 and then said, “What’s that napkin holder going to do for you
 dude?...seriously, your all such a bunch of back stabbers you’d
 all kill each other for a navy achievement medal and when she
 coughed everyone reached for their knives or something in their
 pocket and you reach for a napkin holder…haha” It was
Firecontrolmen second class Ecky. Ecky broke out into a sweat
 and teared up a little and said, “Well, I could throw it.” after he

said that the laughter that broke out was downright satanic. After
I made the assertion that these games had been exposed I
 glanced around the mess decks and noticed some where
 smiling…they’re finally going to get help with all the
 harassment they’ve been through, Others were looking to each
 other in distress with an expression that seemed to communicate
‘we’re gonna’ die!’ I pointed that out to the whole crew there on
 the mess decks in the hope that my bluff would work; I had no
 idea why they were attacking each other. Athena coughed
 and then said to the whole crowd, “Oh sorry, don’t kill
 anybody.”
Mulner and the X.O. were still trying to determine the
 access points for investigation and dinning in the X.O.’s
 stateroom. Mr. Mormus said, “I know the electrician’s mates are
 involved somehow.” Ensign Mulner replied, “Not everyone that
 doesn’t play dungeons and dragons are just the devils idle hands
 sir.” Mormus gave a hearty laugh and Mulner joined him in a
 giggle-fest followed by Mr. Mormus regaining his composure
 and saying as seriously as he could manage, “Yes, they are.”
The ship began rocking a little more as its profile in the
 winds and seas were changed by the chow reliefs. On the bridge
 the captain poked his head in asking, “Is everything alright?”  
Mr. Deckly the deck division officer was standing officer of the
 deck and replied, “Ya.” Ms. Clarkson had the conning officer
 watch and she replied, “Situation normal all forward.” Artimus
 smiled and starred first straight into her soul through her eyes
 daring it to utter another word then right at her breast and said,
“That’s not how that goes.” Clarkson turned around and checked
 her bra, Deckly noticed and laughed saying to her, “The phrase
 is, situation normal all fucked up.” The Captain just glanced
 around at the bridge watches ensuring he made eye contact and

headed back to his stateroom. Ensign Clarkson watches as
 waves crossed the bow crashing about a third of the way across
 the ship from the starboard side toward the port side and said, “I
 love that this is where we serve our country, but why do the seas
 get worse every time we take the watch?” Deckly said, “This is
 why they call it the raging main” Clarkson stepped out on to the
 port side bridge wing and took off her ball cap and let down her
 shoulder length brunet hair and let the wind blow through hair
 locks. She smiled the ecstatic smile of a girl in love, the wind at
 sea does this to women and while they don’t join the navy for it,
 it is why they stay in. Deckly walked over to the starboard side
 bridge chair, the Captain’s chair and climbed up into it, on
 experience he knew not to watch Clarkson on the bridge wing.
He took out his keys and fumbled through them. The helm
 watch relaxed as the rocking of the ship lulled them to a misty
 comfortable place in their minds. The blue sky was streaked
 with long white flat clouds and the gusts of wind were tolerable
 like a spring day on the beach, as the ship cut the winds and
 tides at an other than desirable meter.
In Aux two the work bench tool cabinet slung open and
 spanner wrenches and cans of penetrating oil and graphite
 grease tumbled out and rolled across the diamond deck plates
 and one of the cans of graphite grease fell into the bilge. From
 the main deck passage way near the ships store the hull could be
 heard creaking again.    
           Mr. Mormus and Ens. Mulner were finishing their meal.
Mr. Mormus said, “I’m a little bit more conspicuous than you
 are...” Mulner interjected, “Because you’re the X.O.” Mr.
Murmos continued, “so I’ll watch them in the smoking area.
You’ll have to handle the ones hanging out in the passageways.”
Mulner replied, “I’ll get ‘em.”  

Captain Artimus headed to the wardroom as the lunch hour
 closed for an after meal update meeting. Despite being
 underway all the ships officers were to be present. Lieutenant
Commander Mormus was the X.O. and a heavy smoker he had a
 sarcasm about him that nicely offset his mild irritability.
Lieutenant Capes was the chief engineer the department head of
 the engineering department, he had started in the navy as an
 enlisted man which gives him the title of ‘mustang’ he was an
 older guy with twenty years in the navy in contrast the captain
 had been in for twelve years, Capes was the typical result of a
 kid from Tennessee doing his growing up within the culture of
 the military, more of what is done is for appearance rather than a
 result.  
Capes and Murmos had a special relationship, commonly
 referred to as condescension; they would be condescending to
 each other until one of them felt sea sick. Capes being junior to
Murmos would try to concede to his on folly in a condescending
 manner which inflamed Mormus’s sarcasm and that in turn was
 interpreted as condescension by Capes; who would then upon
 being directly taunted would escalate his condescension, it
 became two men suffering from infantilism and was both
 irritating and amusing to Captain Artimus who would
 occasionally jump on the band wagon himself. That is the origin
 of Clarkson relationship with the captain having seen he is just
 another boy in the tree house that always seems to get his way.  
As the officers filtered in eating snacks and peanut butter
 sandwiches, Artimus grew impatient and though the lunch hour
 hadn’t concluded called for all officers to the wardroom. Over
 the 1MC senior chief boatswains mate Fuay voice rang out,
“Now muster all officers in the wardroom.”  In central control
GSE1 Orbly looked at GSM1 Hudlow and slowly assumed a

maniacal grin, Hudlow looked at Orbly and with a great deal of
 apprehension asked, “What’s that mean?” Orbly replied, “Here
 it comes.”
Once the commissioned officers all arrived in the
 wardroom they all sat at the dining table and Captain Artimus
 announced, “Now that you’re all here we’ll begin. As you know
I haven’t been happy lately. We gotten some things done, but we
 can’t sit back on our laurels…they just won’t let us. Because
 we’re needed…you’re needed to take a stand and get these
 problems solved for me, it’s what you do. I’ve bought us a
 reprieve from our recent embarrassment on the credit of my
 reputation, and you’ll be making those payments. We are going
 to jump ahead and go to the task we were training for and reset
 that satellite. It changes this underway period to a three week
 trip but I have made all the arrangements. Lieutenant Capes,
 your engineers have to be ready for an UNREP at a moment’s
 notice. Lieutenant Weathercock your twidgets need to be on
 target with their operations…I want nothing but net. Think
‘swish’ not ‘suck’, in fact all of you take a moment and
 concentrate on ‘swish…nothing but net’.” The captain paused
 and looked around the room for compliance; and continued, “All
I’m seeing is suck. Come on really try this time.” As he watched
 the junior officers intently one by one, scanning the crowd he
 was pleased.
The chief petty officers had scrambled back to the chiefs mess
 after that announcement over the 1MC and began a ‘what’s next
 master chief meeting’ The command master chief began with his
 usual opening “I guess your all wondering what’s going on…”
 and he glanced around it seemed the consensus was ‘yes’ he
 continued, “and you expect me to tell you?” again he glanced
 around and saw an affirmative response with a degree of

modesty and plea, so he added, “The one thing I’ve never
 understood about this particular group is why the hell you would
 expect me to know.”
Chief Dotz said, “Well he’ll call you next right?” Hauldbalm
 replied, “Since when have I even made it appear to work that
 way?” They began passing out cups of coffee, on one side of the
 mess it appeared to be passed around like sacrament at the last
 supper, on the other they passed it like it was last rations in a fox
 hole in Normandy. These types of observations were what really
 drove master chief Hauldbalm to the brink of insanity, fearful
 that in earlier years he too was just some kid playing navy. As
 they sat ‘waiting for Jesus’ the hull creaked loudly down the
 midships starboard side with a resonating thud; it rang like a
 steel drum.
In central over the 2JV was heard gsm3 Marcy, “Central,
 aux two…did we just hit something.” The EOOW called back,
“There’s nothing to hit; we’re in the deep water.” Marcy called
 back, “Aye” A few moments later the EOOW called over the
2JV, “I checked with the bridge about any kind of collision they
 said there wasn’t anything we could have hit and maybe we just
 sped up.” Gsm3 Luds called over the 2JV from the oil lab, “The
 bridge said ‘maybe’ we just sped up?” Senior chief Johann had
 gone to the chiefs mess for their meeting leaving the Electric
 plant console operator machinery repairman second class
Michael Malen as the engineering officer of the watch and the
 degree of uncertainty in the communications he had with the
 officer of the deck Boatswains mate first class Branson left them
 both unsure that the ship was even actually underway.
At that moment there in high orbit sat a satellite with a
 corrupted program that had taken a hard electromagnetic pulse
 from a solar flare due to a dust cloud containing iron oxides and

zinc as well as other elements. From the vantage point of the
 satellite the Pacific Ocean in its entirety could be viewed.
Streaks of white clouds over a blue ocean some areas dotted
 with waves. The crashing tides along the South American
 continent, smoke rising from a California brush fire started by
 some kids on all-terrain vehicles the week before; in the dry
 desolate high desert of Antelope Valley. The ship sat nestled in a
 soft blue sea rolling a crossed the surface toward the south west;
 leaving a faint wake behind it.
From the bridge BM1 Branson observed the rolling waves
 and crashing white caps for the first time ever not from the small
 motor whale boat as a craft master but from the bridge of a
 destroyer as a deck officer. He strolled out to the starboard
 bridge wing to take it all in. While down in C.I.C. the cards had
 all been replaced in their consoles some calibrated some not and
Operational Specialist Seaman Athena Williams sat sleeping at
 her console. I was in the aft engine room rereading a technical
 manual I had read a thousand times but there was a poetry to
 something that has a definite answer, it’s just a collection of
 simple machines overlaid into something considered
 complicated.  GSM1 Hudlow was at the propulsion and
 auxiliaries control console watching what appeared to be a
 malfunctioning edgewise meter as the shaft torque indicators
 danced up and down sporadically; he found it hypnotizing.
Gsm2 Dipree was in the GS division store room rummaging for
 some piece of antiquity; while Gsm2 Norrie looked on with a
 blank look. EN3 Elper and EN2 River were in the passageway
 with BM3 Brock arguing about small boat maintenance as SN
Melad fetched them some sodas from the nearby vending
 machine.