Pier 9, Hamilton, Ontario…
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper; and the Prime Minister of Poland, the Right Honourable Donald Tusk."
The gathering of reporters, Canadian Forces personnel, a small group of Polish officers and men, and a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers all applauded as the two politicians stepped up to their lecterns, standing close to the brow of the decommissioned destroyer HMCS Haida, which now held a place of prominence on this waterfront pier located on the south shore of Hamilton Harbour at the western end of Lake Ontario. Seated behind the two leaders were both civilian and military personnel, including two men with the four gold bars (and executive curl) of navy captains in their respective maritime services. "Ladies and gentlemen, good morning," the Canadian head of government called out before repeating that phrase in French as he always did at every formal media event where he was asked to make a speech. As translators went to work making sure the foreign language journalists would understand what was being said, the Canadian leader smiled. "I'm sure all of you are quite aware of events that just happened over the Japanese town of Tomobiki several hours ago.
"Prime Minister Tusk and I are here today, standing before the most successful warship in the Canadian Navy's century of history, to announce what many amateur astronomers have probably known for the last week: That Earth, after intermittent contact with other sentient races for many years, since even BEFORE the Tag Race between Ataru Moroboshi of Japan and Hensō Redet of Uru last year, has finally acquired a space fleet of its own. Constructed over the last two years under the auspices of two very bright young people, both of whom, among many others across the planet, were kidnapped by agents of one of our nearer galactic neighbours. Built in a great spacedock that was left abandoned by a long-dead race in a desolate part of our galaxy, which they had the luck to run across as they escaped from their unjust imprisonment on a voyage that would have eventually bring them home. And named by Ataru Moroboshi's adopted sister Hiromi to reflect the wide cultural diversity of our planet. Mister Prime Minister?"
"«One of those ships, as was revealed in that event several hours ago over Japan, was named after the great ship now behind us,»" the Polish leader then added in his native language. Pausing to give the translators a chance, he smiled. "«Another of those ships, I am pleased to add, was named after Haida's own adopted sister ship, which currently lies in honoured retirement in the port of Gdynia on the north coast of Poland. That ship, the Błyskawica, like Haida, also gained an enviable reputation as a fighting warship against the Nazi oppression that dominated Europe during those dark years decades ago. And no doubt because of that reputation, Ataru Moroboshi's very honourable and kind sister elected to name the starship meant to represent the Republic of Poland in the Earth Defence Fleet after her, even going so far as giving her the hull number 34, which was part of the pendant number given to Błyskawica by the British when she served alongside the Royal Navy and our other allies during that time.»" He nodded to the Canadian leader.
"Over the last week, as this great fleet of ships have stood guard over our world in the wake of the aborted Second Tag Race in Japan, when Ataru Moroboshi drove off the woman then pretending to be his 'wife' Lum Redet, the governments of the nations of Earth — especially those nations who were so honoured by having the starships of the Earth Defence Force named after famous ships or people from the long history of those nations — have debated amongst themselves and each other as to what we were to do with this great gift delivered to us all eight days ago," the Canadian Prime Minister added. "Eventually, it was decided that these fifty starships — hopefully the first of many to come as soon as building facilities are made and put to use — would be commissioned in the armed forces of their spiritual homelands."
"«To that end, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland unanimously voted for the taking in the starship Błyskawica, currently serving as a unit of the Central European Division of the Earth Defence Force, as a warship under the administrative control of the Polish Navy and the operational control of the Special Forces Command of the Republic of Poland, to be christened as Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej Błyskawica as soon as we are able to have her come down to Warsaw to administer the official christening by the Archbishop of Warsaw, as has been done with warships throughout history,»" the Polish Prime Minister then added. He then indicated the navy captain now standing up to salute the crowd. "«It is also my pleasure to introduce the first captain of the new ORP Błyskawica, Captain Stanisław Gorazdowski.»"
The new captain of Błyskawica saluted the crowd as people applauded. "Our congratulations to Captain Gorazdowski on his assuming his command," the Canadian Prime Minister said. "As many nations have done, so have we. As of Monday, an Order in Council was passed by Her Excellency, the Governor General of Canada, in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, which saw the starship Haida taken into commission as Her Majesty's Canadian Starship Haida, a unit under the administrative control of the Canadian Navy while under the operational control of Canada Command." He then repeated that statement in French. Once that was done, he then beckoned to the Canadian captain that had been seated behind him, who was now standing to make his own salute to the crowd. "It is therefore my honour and pleasure to introduce the first commanding officer of the new HMCS Haida, Captain James Larsden."
More applause from the crowd…
Peterson Air Force Base…
"So why the hell are we waiting HERE, Master Chief?"
The former master chief aviation maintenanceman currently bearing the insignia of a command master chief petty officer in the United States Navy took a deep breath. "Your guess is as good as mine, Sherm," CMDCM(AW/SW) Keith Hayward said to the senior chief intelligence specialist now standing beside him in the passenger terminal at the north end of the base. Both men had filled dufflebags beside them, packed with enough clothing and other personal effects to last them a week before they would have to get things cleaned up. Both were also in their blue dress uniforms as they wanted to make a good first impression. "Personally, when I got told what I had been selected to be the command master chief of a starship, I personally thought the admiral had a few too many at the O-Club." He then shook his head. "Can't believe that anymore."
"Damn straight, Keith," ISCS(SW/SS) Sherman Wiley breathed out, and then he gazed into the small binder he had with him, staring at the graphics that had been drawn. "She's going to need a damned full paint job when we get the chance," he noted. "There's no way in HELL that I'm sailing on a ship that's not painted proper Navy grey!"
"That'll probably be my job to fix up," a voice then noted from nearby.
Keith and Sherman looked to see another senior chief petty officer come up, bearing the insignia on his dress blues that would have his rank short-title written as BMCS(DSW), a senior chief boatswain's mate who was also qualified as a specialist in military salvage diving. "You're the Chief Boats?" Arizona's command master chief then asked as he sized up the other man's qualification and "salad bar" of medals, calling the new arrival by the nickname bestowed to all boatswain's mates in the American Navy.
"Andrew Sullivan. Call me Drew," the new arrival said as he held out his hand.
The others shook it as introductions were made around despite the fact that all wore name tags with given and family name written on them. "The other senior chiefs — even a couple master chiefs, a Marine sergeant-major and three chief warrant officers — that were assigned to Arizona and Wing 72 are coming now," Andrew stated as he pointed somewhere behind him. "Got them from all over the country! It's like the Puzzle Palace is pulling out the stops to get the goat locker on the Big 'A' filled out before they get officers and all the other ratings in place."
"Doing it smart this time," Sherman noted.
The other senior sailors laughed. It was as true in the United States Navy as with any other military service: If you wanted to do something right, ALWAYS entrust it to the senior non-commissioned members of a unit. "'Big A,' huh?" Keith wondered.
"She'll earn it," Andrew noted, and then he perked on hearing footsteps echo over the concrete floor from somewhere behind him. "Ah, there they are!"
A group of a couple dozen personnel came into view, and then, on spotting Keith by the double silver stars over the eagle insignia planted on the curved "rocker" over the three chevrons that marked him as a chief petty officer, the silver star between the rocker and the top chevron marking him as the senior enlisted man assigned to America's first starship, walked over to join them. As they came up to join their future shipmates, Keith and his companions immediately straightened themselves and saluted the chief warrant officers in the group; all of them DID bear a commission from the President of the United States even if they had all been promoted from the ranks. "Pleasure to see you again, Master Chief Hayward," one of them, who had the thin blue stripe along the long axis of his silver bar rank that marked him as a "chief warrant officer five," the highest of the warrant ranks, then said as he gave the other man a knowing smile.
"My God! When the HELL did you become a warrant?!" Keith asked, almost calling his friend by his first name, which was a major no-no in the American armed forces, even when dealing with a man who, only five years ago, was a first class aviation ordnanceman that often worked on the pit crew team for the Iceman's own fighter.
"About three years ago when they needed some technical help over at Area 51 with the stuff that's being brought in through the Stargate by the Air Force," CWO-5 Michael Rucker said as he shook his former crew boss' hand. "We've been working on the new space fighters we're copying from these aliens the Skipper's Air Force pal and his friends have been fighting these last five years. You've been briefed?!"
"Yes, sir," Keith said, nodding in understanding as the others paid rapt attention. "You're going to check out the fighters the Big 'A' now has?"
"Damn straight! If I'm lucky, I'll be able to do a check flight on one of them."
"Do they have names yet?" Ellen Wynthrop, one of the master chiefs in the group, who bore the winged caduceus of a hospital corpsman on her rank insignia, then asked.
"Supposedly, they'll be designated F-31s in our service, but the name for them hasn't been decided yet," Sherman stated. "Sleek little buggers, though."
"Yeah. Less bulkier than the X-302s that're being made now at Groom Lake," another of the warrant officers, Natalie Loggins, a female CWO-3 with pilot's wings, then said. "But I doubt they're hyper-luminal capable, like the 302 can do."
"We felt it wasn't necessary to put warp drive on a point defence fighter."
Everyone jerked on hearing that young voice, and then they turned to see a smiling Japanese girl in a white jumpsuit standing near the door leading out of the terminal building and onto the tarmac. Seeing her, everyone blinked, and then Michael smiled as he walked over to bow respectfully to her. "Miss Ayami Hakaru, I presume?"
"Yes, sir," Jun'iku Bunjaku said with a polite smile and a bow of her own, and then she gazed on the two dozen others who currently accompanied Michael. "Is this everyone?"
"Everyone on the first draft, though more are coming," Keith said as he came up, hand out as he gave her his friendliest smile. "May I have the pleasure of shaking your hand, ma'am? You and your friend did the whole world a huge favour."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Bunjaku said as she shook his hand.
The others in the group took their turn. Once that was done, Bunjaku waved them to follow her outside. "So does everyone have all the clothing and everything else you need?" she asked as they all took up their dufflebags and followed her.
"We're all set for a trip into the wild black yonder, ma'am," Sergeant Major Henry Nicholas, who would be the senior enlisted man in Arizona's planned battalion-sized Marine detachment, then said with a friendly smile that made the others laugh.
"Well, we can't fly up since the Canadians took their Borealis back to their base," Bunjaku said as she waved everyone into a school circle with her. "So we'll do it the traditional way," she then said with a wink, which made everyone laugh. She then looked up. "Shōko-chan?" she called out in Japanese.
"Hai, Ayami-sama?" a pretty voice then echoed from everyone around them, which made the people currently with the young tōshi all gape in shock.
"You don't even use communicators?!" Natalie asked.
Bunjaku smiled. "Don't need to," she said before looking up. "Bring us up, Shōko-chan!" she ordered in Japanese.
"Hai! Energizing!"
A loud ringing noise later, they had all disappeared…
"Good morning. Welcome aboard Arizona."
Everyone blinked, and then they looked around to see that they were now inside a wide circular chamber opening to one side into a small reception zone. "Holy freakin' HELL!" Henry gasped before his eyes then fixed on the very pretty teenage girl now walking out from behind the control station. "Was that ACTUALLY&hellip?!"
"A materialiser," Shōko said, smiling. "We don't use the word 'transporter' even if the functions are the same as what you watched on Star Trek, Sergeant Major Nicholas." She then focused on Michael Rucker by the rank insignia on his shirt. "Sir, I have only been briefed on the differences of rank structure in the United States armed forces, but my knowledge does not cover those such as yourself and your friends." Like Michael, Natalie and the third chief warrant officer, CWO-4 Frank Palmer, were in more relaxed khaki uniforms in lieu of the dress blues the master and senior chief petty officers had on now. "How exactly are you quartered on a ship?"
"They're officers like normal line officers, but assigned to special duties," Keith then spoke up for his former shipmate and his friends.
A nod. "Thank you, Command Master Chief Hayward," Shōko said. "Risa?"
The door leading into the main corridor opened, revealing a girl with short-cut blue-black hair and blue-grey eyes. "Yes, Shōko?" Nishino Risa asked.
"These three are officers and need to be escorted to their quarters on Deck Seven Forward," Shōko said as she indicated Michael, Natalie and Frank.
A nod. "I will take them there," Risa said, and then she waved the three chief warrant officers to follow her. "Please come with me."
They headed out of the room. "So where does one put the quarterdeck on this ship?" Andrew then asked as he looked around the room.
"That's one of things we'll figure out along the way," Keith said before he turned to Bunjaku. "Unless you care to show us where it's located."
"Actually, we had docking ports installed at several locations on these ships," Bunjaku said. "What exactly is a quarterdeck, anyway?"
"It's where people are welcomed aboard or piped off a ship," Keith explained.
"The main reception area," Ellen added.
Bunjaku hummed, and then she nodded. "Ah, okay! We'll have to set something up someone on this ship since we've got a dozen materialiser rooms, six docking ports and the main hangar deck aft." She then shrugged. "But I've never been really interested in military affairs," she then confessed. "That something Tsukihana likes more."
"Ma'am, you've done WAY more than enough when it comes to these ships," Keith then assured her. "Don't worry. We can handle all the small stuff from here."
"So where's the goat locker here?!" Andrew then asked.
Shōko blinked in confusion. "I do not understand, Senior Chief Sullivan. We do not have goats aboard Arizona. Even if we did, we would not incarcerate them."
The American navy personnel blinked as their minds wrapped around that comment from the bioroid, and then they laughed. Shōko blinked again, and then she gazed on Bunjaku. "Was it something I said, Ayami-sama?" she asked in Japanese.
"Don't ask me," Bunjaku said in return. Americans! Go figure…!
As Arizona's senior enlisted personnel get settled in, we now…
(Posted Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:54)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.