The Marine contingent was housed in the after part of the ship, between the engineering spaces and the enlisted Navy quarters. The platoon armory was sandwiched between the engineering spaces and the squad bays. An office area for the platoon sergeant and the platoon leader was attached to the armory, as well as desk space for two specialist ratings that were attached to the platoon leadership as an abbreviated staff. We had a large area that could double as a cargo hold in a pinch that could be used for drills and our daily exercise regimen.
Senior NCOs, which included section sergeants, the platoon sergeant, and the lieutenant, had small staterooms located across from the squad bays. Each bay had eight bunks. Squads were expected to live together, sleep together, eat together, and train together. It borrowed heavily on the concept formulated in World War II that said men (and women) will fight for their country, but they will die for their comrades and friends. The arrangement was designed to promote a feeling of family amongst the troops.
The unspoken assumption was that the leadership cadre of the platoon could create that atmosphere through the use of several tools. As a section leader, I was expected to foster teamwork and problem solving skills through the use of inter-squad competitions, training goals, judicious use of discipline. I would have to wait and see what the character and make up of my squads were before I determined what approach to use. Should I use the carrot or the stick? It would depend on the relationships that might already have been established through prior experience, as well as the character of those placed in my command. I knew that Eliza Dunkel was going to be our platoon sergeant, and I knew something of her style from my previous service with her, but how had she changed while I was in NCO school? What had she witnessed while I was being groomed for my role?
I floated through the Marine area, marveling at the smell of new carpet, paint, and the faint, acridness of welding that still wasn’t quite out of the air. Humanity had really spared no expense in outfitting the ship, making sure that the environment was as close to a richly appointed barracks as possible. I suppose that after the expense of building the Relentless, a few thousand dollars worth of carpet and paint was small potatoes.
Each squad bay was decorated in a different color of the spectrum, ranging from a deep crimson to an almost metallic indigo. The bedding, carefully folded on each bunk, was designed to match the individual squad bay’s colors. The footlockers in each bunkroom were of a wood tone that was complementary with the thematic color. Each bunkroom had its own bathroom area, which was outfitted with plastic tiles designed to imitate marble, slate, or granite, depending on the area. The faucets and fixtures were accented with brass, ornately designed beyond mere functionality. The overall effect was designed to raise morale, promote a sense of belonging, and increase the overall comfort of the troops before they went into to battle. To me, it looked as though an interior decorator had been given a blank check on a military vessel.
The conservative part of me wondered what had happened to steel bulkheads, riveted floors, and bunks with metal frames. However, as I continued to wander in and out of the bunkrooms, I realized that some of the men and women under my command would have a very short time to live. It was worth the extra effort that the ship designers had put in to make my soldiers that much more comfortable. If they were relaxed, then their performance would be that much better.
I touched the folded sheets in the green room, noticing that they were something between Egyptian cotton and satin. The blankets were not the typical coarse wool of army blankets; they were soft like fleece and slightly elastic so that they could be stretched tightly over the bunk. The pillows were down or at least a close equivalent.
I keyed the palm lock on my stateroom and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was decorated in cool, neutral colors with furniture that had a wood veneer over its aluminum and titanium framework. The room was nearly ten feet square, and it included a vanity, a wardrobe, a rack for my armor, a desk, and two padded chairs. There was barely enough room to move around with all of the furniture, but it was much better than I would have ever hoped while on a ship.
“Enjoying yourself?”
It’s awfully hard to snap to attention when in free-fall, so I contented myself with a smart about face and a salute. “Good morning, ma’am,” I said. Eliza Dunkel floated in my doorway, her ebony face split in a wide grin.
“Good to see you, Sergeant.” She drifted into my stateroom. “Those monkeys in engineering ought to have the gravity back on by tonight.” She glanced at my bag. “Did you just get in?”
“Yes, ma’am. I took a tug over this morning.”
“Did you get the bayou boy telling tall tales or the crazy Middle Eastern cab driver?”
I laughed. “I had the pilot from Louisiana.”
“So you had the grand tour, then? Good.” She paused and looked around. “Hopefully you can eat in weightlessness. If not, you’ll be a bit hungry before dinner tonight.” She stopped her scan of my room and regarded me carefully. “So tell me, Collins. Why are you here so early? Didn’t you have another forty-eight hours of leave?”
I shrugged. “I’m just ready to get on with it. I figured I could use the time to start reviewing personnel files, assess readiness, compile training schedules, etc.”
“Don’t get too wound up. I know you’re going to do an outstanding job, but don’t push yourself too hard. I can’t afford to have you burn out halfway through our tour.”
“I won’t burn out, ma’am.”
“You’re damn right you won’t.” She turned and started to float toward the door. “I want you to take the next twenty-four hours and explore the ship. Sate that curiosity of yours, make friends with some of the Navy files, read a book, whatever. I do not want you working until after noon tomorrow. You get me, Collins?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I was a little annoyed at her orders, but I would do what she felt was best.
“Our boys and girls will start arriving in seventy-two hours, so taking a day for yourself isn’t going to kill either one of us.” She pushed off of the doorframe with a booted foot and vanished down the corridor. The door slid shut behind her.
“Well,” I said to myself as I floated in front of the mirror. “You heard the lady. Let’s go see what kind of trouble I can get in to.”
