Proving True
Chapter 20

We’ve departed from protocol just a bit. Normally we would be in a mixture of APE and armor depending on our jobs. We’re all in armor for this trip. We have enough of each, the typical Strike Armor as well as enough wraith suits for each of us to use. But only one, once that one has met its twelve hours in the bad air, it will be considered non-operational and discarded. On one hand, that’s bad because we have only twelve hours to do whatever we’re going to do unless we can replace or make a safe atmosphere. On the other, it’s good because we could conceivably be back en route to Star Chaser in twelve hours. The less time I spend away from the ship the happier I’ll be. I’ll leave the adventuring, exploring, killing and dying to Freddie and the other troopers. I’m an engineer. I’d rather be building or repairing something. Never mind showering before sleeping in my own bed every night.

Once Shawna and Athena have satisfied themselves that the SDB isn’t going to explode any time soon, Freddie addresses us on the command intercom. “Okay team, it’s not notional anymore, this is the real deal. We’ve discussed the mission backwards and forwards for weeks now. The operations order is in your perComs. Not that I think you need to, but please humor me and at least skim it one more time. Thank you. Sonia or I will interrupt your naps as we see necessary. That is all.”

I added an access screen to the wraith armor on the inside of the left forearm. I pull up the document. It’s really pretty straightforward, probably as a result of Freddie writing it himself. I understand that for military units, particularly brigade size and larger, an operations order can be several thousand pages once all the annexes, appendices, tabs and other junk is included. It appears that staff officers feel the need to write a small novel to explain—if not justify—their importance in the organization and how they and or their department will contribute to the accomplishment and success of the mission. Freddie is able to refer to other paragraphs in the order rather than repeat them. Our job is to replace Gallagher and retrieve the QS-2 computer systems from the medical lab. We will also determine if any other equipment has been used. Of course that will require powering up the QS-2 and replaceing the inventory. And that will chew into our twelve hours. After turning off the perCom screen, I settle back for the trip. I pat my left cargo pocket, assured by the lump of my Amulet there. Athena retrieved it from our stateroom on one of her trips out of quarantine. It was thoroughly decontaminated.