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Symbiote Chapter 6

Radar works

By daniel morrisPublished 7 years ago 6 min read
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Hanover and some other techs are tasked with proving a problem with the radar exists, much to Hanover's disdain.

The radar equipment room of the Tesla was full of towers containing the circuitry that made the radars work. The racks and high-powered air conditioning made it feel like an ice maze. Hanover and 2 other ETs, ET3 Parker and ETSN Cain, prepared to first prove a flaw, and secondly to do a few PMs on the equipment

“Damn I hate it in here!” groaned ET3 Parker, as she closed the door behind the trio, “Someone really needs to turn up the heat!”

Parker was tall and thin, her black hair was probably out of regs, but no one said anything because they all thought she looked better with it long than short. Her complexion was a bit too pale and she was generally apathetic bout life. It was a wonder they didn’t get along, but like magnets, likes repel each other.

Meanwhile, Cain, freshly reporting to the ship, decided it was best to keep out of it until he had no choice. An athletic blonde haired and blued eyed kid of about 19, he was used to hanging back as the kids in his mostly Hispanic and Asian school in south California like to call him ‘Hitler Youth’, he took it in stride and made a point to learn Hebrew and not German, like many expected he would.

“The lowest circle of hell according to the Inferno is like Nifleheim.” Hanover harrumphed, grabbing an instruction binder on the system they were to work on from a hidden shelf, “Cold and dark. Surprised you don’t find it pleasing.”

Hanover, being the senior person present, naturally took charge and tossed instruction books at the others.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Parker grimaced, as she began to thumb through the instructions, “Just because I hate the world doesn’t mean I’m an EMO kid, I just never had a reason to try, shits too easy to give damn.”

“Look who you’re talking to, Azriel. The combined output of all this stuff is around five thousand BTUs,” Hanover shrugged as he finalized the switch positions, “So, in effect, when we turn on the BQS, we will have heat. Soon it will feel like the fire and brimstone you so desire.”

“Smart ass!” she called as she double checked her own list of things, “Do you wonder why everyone hates you?”

“I have not one iota of give-a-fuck to devote to that.”

“Uh, should I be doing something, guys?” Cain hoped to not get into the middle of it.

“And that answers my question.” She sighed as she crossed to the other side of the room to flip switches on the wall “Cain, don’t you remember anything from your ‘A’ school?”

“Uh, a little…”

“Read the book in your hand, Blondie.” Hanover groaned as he opened cabinets and flipped switches, “We’re doing the 6MR*1.5-7 procedure, start in section 2.”

“You two realized that I’m new and you’re going too fast?”

“Schneller, Hundschwine, Schneller.” Hanover groaned, pushing passed him, “Go fast or get out the way, I don’t have time for this.”

“Hey, uh Aren’t we doing the 2W4?”

“First we prove the cables are run wonkey on the PQX, then you set up for the lube on the BPS6-India.”

“But the yard birds said the cables are good on the X.”

“That’s why, in her infinite wisdom, Captain Grace said prove it, so I shall.” Hanover growled, “Though by now she should know I’m always right.”

“A little presumptuous, though.” Cain tried as he started checking some switches.

“Not for him Blondie,” Parker returned to the middle of the room, “He’s more than a little bit of an ass-hat, but he knows his stuff.”

“I thought you were a radio guy, ET2?”

“He is, but he knows more about all the systems on this ship than the design team.” Parker reluctantly provided, “Hey, Danjal, You done with your set up yet?”

“Danjal, as in on of the 75 angles baring the name of God, is that really your name?”

“Yes, I’m finished doing your job.” Hanover grunted to Parker, then to Cain, interesting you know that, but no, that would be Daniel, Danjal is one of the 20 watchers leaders of the 200 fallen angles.”

“It's not my fault we’re undermanned and you're too smart for your own good.” She stepped over to the phone and called the quarterdeck, “Yeah, Seamus, we're ready to rotate and radiate, do we have the chit signed? Cool, Hanover punch it.”

“Yeasss Masster!”

“I know a lot of that stuff because I had to prove I wasn’t Arian brother hood, not sure how knowing about the Hebrews proves I'm not a skin head, but kids, you know…” Cain rambled as he waited for something else to do.

Hanover, meanwhile, pulled the switch and the nearest towers light up with blinking lights, “Antenna pointing at 090 true, away from civilization.” Hanover confirmed that they were not cooking civilians.

“Dummy load emitting 95 percent expected heat output, you were right, shipyard did wire the thing backwards.”

“Was there any doubt?” Hanover scoffed, “I showed all of you people the TDR results, either the cable was wrong, routed incorrectly or incorrectly marked.”

“You know, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar…” Cain offered, trying to be helpful

“You can catch even more with shit, what’s your point?” Hanover turned on the other.

“His point, Incubus, is that you can accomplish more, and more people will be willing to hear you out if you would just attempt to be, I don’t know, pleasant, at least once in a while.”

“I am right, nearly 100 percent of the time, therefore, people should listen to me, regardless of my cold prickly demeanor, without having to prove it.”

“Yes, you’re a fracking genius, congrats, just shut up.” Parker harrumphed, “Now, mark the right connection, I’ll make the report and Captain Grace will have to decide if they want to rerun the cable or we’ll keep it as is.”

“Am I done doing your job yet?” Hanover groaned, as he placed a pre-prepared label on the cables.

“Yeah, you can go, I’ll make sure I tell Chief just how helpful you were.”

“What the hell do you want? Liberty is down, and I’m not doing your PM, again.”

“Just go.”

Like a shot, Hanover was out the door and Parker started shutting down the equipment, “Dude is an ass, but he is smart as hell, and damned if he knows it.” She groaned, “Cain, get your grease gun.”

“You know, you could use some softening too…”

“Please and effing thankyou, do you want a cookie too?”

“I prefer cake actually…”

“GO!” she screamed, as Cain scuttled off she sighed, “I wish I had as much DGAF as Hanover does. I just wonder what in the world HM2 sees in him.”

More to come, in the meantime why not read some prior posts or a wonderful story by another creator...

science fiction
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About the Creator

daniel morris

Sci fi writer, Laser maker, tecnician, Navy Vet, one that enjoys video and board games, and movies

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