Earth - Lieutenant Michael Faraday - Reporting For Duty
From Create Your Own Story
Lieutenant Faraday made it to the airport in plenty of time to catch his sub-orbital flight, and although he felt bad about the departing tears in his wife's eyes, he really was not sorry to leave. Not that he did not love her and their son. He did. Very much. But the excitement of a new deployment crowded out his sense of "sweet sorrow" at parting. Although Celestial Command wanted twelve of the EX's, so far only six had been built and the United Planet's Council was debating whether to provide funding for the other six.
That meant that out of all the hundreds of Solar Guard Officers and a near equal number of Officers in the Stellar Patrol of Alpha- Centauri, Lieutenant Faraday was one of only twenty-four Officers serving on Faster Than Light Vessels. If one factored in the thousands of Mates and Licensed Engineers in the Merchant Service, one would readily have to admit that Lieutenant Faraday was truly part of the crème-de-la-crème of Spacers.
The flight, which would have taken four hours in a conventional foil- wing craft, was over in slightly less than thirty-five minutes. Faraday took a cab from the airport to the base, and the bright yellow hover-craft was stopped at the main-gate by one of the three sentries on duty. The Mobile Infantryman peered into the back seat and glanced at the ID card Faraday passed to him. Returning the card, the Soldier fired off a sharp salute to Faraday and motioned for the taxi to proceed.
Faraday's destination was the BOQ (Bachelor Officer's Quarters). Although he was married and was receiving extra Allowance For Quarters, as an FTL Spacer, he was still entitled to a bunk at the BOQ. Paying the driver and looking around the familiar base, Lieutenant Faraday had to smile at that paradox. A married Officer being allowed to stay at the BOQ without a bunch of red tape. He glanced down at the special insignia he wore on his chest. The same insignia that the Boatswain and Cook wore on their uniforms, although the enlisted men's were silver and Lieutenant Faraday's was gold.
He had to hand it to the over-all Commanding Officer of the E-X program. That old bull Thorndike might be a gut-busting bastard, but he took care of his people!
Once he had checked into the BOQ and reported to Commander Smith, the Captain of the 5-EX, Lieutenant Faraday began to assume his duties as the First Officer. For the next thirty days, as the First Lieutenant, he was kept constantly busy in training and preparing the ship for departure. He called home every night, speaking to both his wife and son, but the phone calls only made his ache at their absence worse.
However, as the day for lift off grew closer, the First Officer found he had less and less time to think about his family until finally the month training period was over and the 5-EX was ready for lift off.
