Day 3 at NTC

[aadler]

 

Back to the vehicle line again in the morning. This time we waited four hours before learning that, according to the official schedule, we weren’t supposed to be there for two more days. Now, some people might (and some did) get aggravated over a wasted morning. My reaction was, I drew half a day’s pay for sitting in the shade.

Simply because of the way the situation shook out, I find myself exercising authority over people who outrank me. There have been no hitches thus far — we all know each other, we’re facing a common task and focused on the mission — but I’m waiting to see if anyone bridles at taking orders from me. As a liaison, conveying authority that derives from others rather than from my own rank, I’m in a position new to me. I don’t know whether it’s deliberately intended as a test, to evaluate my capabilities, but the situation itself poses a test for me and I have no intention of failing.

Draft continues on “Queen’s Gambit”. I managed about 700 words yesterday, with more today, but I have no idea how much more will be necessary. I’m already near 18,000 words, and the plot is still building. Most of the background exposition, fortunately, is out of the way, but I still have a few more ingredients to add before I can stir briskly and bring to a simmer. (sroni, once this fic is finished, I’ll either refuse to work with you ever again, or start looking for the next thing we can do together, because you definitely challenge me.)

We had to clean and prep a brace of automatic weapons — light machine guns — for upcoming events. Not looking forward to trying to keep them clean, this is a dusty environment (easily comparable to Iraq when that place isn’t having sandstorms). Plus, we’ll of course be firing blank cartridges, and blanks build up carbon on the moving parts far worse than do regular bullets.

I got a call from Susan, and she told me the garage door has finally been repaired, at an entirely reasonable price. That took far too long to set up, but proceeded quickly enough once we had the actual arrangements made.

Son of a gun, it’s raining outside, lightly so far. Given the weather of the last couple of days, I wasn’t watching for rain. I hope this tent doesn’t prove to leak water as copiously as it did with dust.

*           *          *

No, the rain neither increased nor continued. No, the tent didn’t leak water.

We were issued the rest of our weapons, plus a lot of other gear. Unsurprisingly (since I have a track record of successful admin during deployments), I was tapped to record and format the serial numbers in a document to be forwarded upstairs. Then there were a couple of meetings to prep us for coming events, and by the time we were done with those, it was bedtime and then a bit.

More as events develop.