131 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
131 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
***Chapter ****\[****\]****-- Corporal Adir Levin***
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"Says here you're a, uhm, corporal?" said the NCO sitting across from
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Adir.
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"Yeah, I-" Adir began answering before being rudely interrupted by a
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takeoff. They were sitting in the Technical Division part of Air Base
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10, in the far north of the country. The building was absolutely
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disgusting, and unfortunately situated a spitting distance from the
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massive runway.
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Both sat there stupidly waiting for the plane to take off. Adir assumed
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it was big because it took much longer than usual. The NCO motioned him
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to continue with the booming sound of the engine still hung back, but
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Adir waited a bit longer. At last, the last wisps of the jet faded out.
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"Yeah, I've long lost track of whatever's written there. I have no idea
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what it says -- only that it's wildly inaccurate at this point."
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"That doesn't sound right to me. We air force guys, we keep track of
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things, don't we? Now, it says here you're from the headquarters."
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"I haven't been in months."
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The NCO cast a doubtful look at first, but seeing how Adir did not
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flinch he continued.
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"Before that, you were in, uh... Hm. Air base 30. You've gone around,
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haven't you?"
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"I've been there a grand total of six hours. Never stationed there."
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"Look, it says right here in your file..."
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"It also says I'm a first sergeant at that station, doesn't it?"
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The NCO chuckled. "Now, don't be -- What? How did you know?"
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"I told you so."
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"You've been serving just under 18 months at that point. That doesn't
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make any sense. No promotion could get you in this early."
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Adir eyed him smugly.
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"Where did you get this?" the NCO demanded, waving Adir's Ground
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Personnel file.
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"Where did *you* get *this*?"
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"What??"
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"I left mine in Hutspace. Well over a year ago. Whatever it is *you're
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*holding I've never seen in my life."
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The NCO sighed deeply.
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"This is some mess of paperwork for your commanders. Never mind. I'll
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send you back with the documents and your commanders can sort it out. HQ
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loves this stuff."
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Adir began to protest but was cut short. "But wait, you're not HQ now,
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you said?"
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"Nope. 15^th^ wing."
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"Fine. You'll give them the papers."
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The room fell silent.
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"Anyways, you're here for a Computer Network Manager course -- but I was
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told you came over from a computer profession already, something from
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the greens. Is that right?"
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"Yes. I'm a Computer Systems Infrastructure Manager."
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"Never heard of it."
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"It's from Communication Corps"
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"That explains it. Is that it's brooch pin?", he asked, pointing to the
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insignia on Adir's left breast pocket.
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"Yeah."
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"What's going on there? What is it?"
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"It's a computer in the middle. Around it is the radioactive sign, for
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some reason. All Computer Academy courses have it for some reason. And
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it's split in three for the three arms of the army we get assigned in --
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the green part for ground forces, the blue for navy and white for air
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force. And there's a square root, for some reason."
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"It's too busy."
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"It is."
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"So basically, you have to go through the whole course again. It's two
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months in here, Air base 10, and you'd be assigned alongside the
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privates. However, seeing as you're already familiar, we decided to
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offer you the same test they get at the end of the course -- if you know
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your stuff, it could save us all the trouble. How does that sound?"
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"Sounds great. I wouldn't have come up here otherwise."
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"Up to the building?"
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"No, up north."
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"You're a handful, aren't you?" the NCO remarked fondly. "But that's
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someone else's problem. Look, I've asked Idan -- my most senior course
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instructor, to swing by and ask you a few questions. If you're
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reasonably familiar, you can take the test. He should be here any
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moment."
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"Sure."
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"Would you like anything to drink in the meantime? Cold water? It's a
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hot day"
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"No, thank you kindly. I'm all good."
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"There's some disgusting coffee too, if that's your thing"
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"Not many other options in the military, are there? But thank you, I'm
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all fixed. Nice of you to offer."
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"Of course. It's common courtesy. Ah, that must be Idan! Come in!"
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**
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