Battleship Destroyer Read Online Free Page B

he could talk to his friend that was already sitting in a pit as he rubbed his eyes and temple to relieve the tension.
    A hand slapped the back of Jack 's head as his brother turned around from the Pilot’s Cockpit. “Hey I was talking to you." His brother looked at him irritated for a second then smiled. "You just work hard crap face and some day you can land a ship as good as I do." Dan chuckled. "Like you could ever pilot a ship and pigs could fly.” Dan started laughing as he turned back to his controls while they waited for the ground crew to anchor the ship down.
    Lookin g forward to getting off duty and back into The Battleship Game, Jack ignored him and tried to decide what mission he wanted to volunteer for. Though he knew The Game controlled what was offered. He knew there had been growing Pirate activity in his sector for a few days now.  He mussed to himself as he ignored his brother. Jack already knew he could land the ship better than his brother. He had done it a thousand times in The Game. He thought he had recognized Tom's ship as they dropped the last few thousand feet into the pit making him smile with the reassurance of his buddy being dirt side and probably waiting for him. He had talked to Tom only hours before as they approached the planet while making arrangements to meet him later to celebrate both of their recent 18th birthdays.
    All Tom could talk about f or months, (each time they managed to hit a port together or close enough for the accessional game in space as the ships crossed paths), was going to some titty bar for a couple of drinks to celebrate as soon as they were 18. Jack was getting intrigued with the idea even though he was much too apprehensive (scared of getting caught or noticed and ridiculed) to ever go near one on his own. All Jack needed to do was waste a few hours now the work day was done and then when the quarter deck hatch opened for liberty after the Lobster and Steak dinner his father had been bragging about all week, join Tom for some fun.
    " Guess what you get to do now?" His brother turned around slapping Jack on his shoulder with a big smile. It wasn't what Jack wanted to hear or see at that moment. His brother’s smile always meant bad news for him.
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    Hours later, Jack walked out of the auxiliary machinery space hatch and headed for the elevator wiping himself with a rag. Trying to get the last of the rinse water off after washing the shit off his air and water tight Jumpsuit.  The Jumpsuit was required for landings and take offs and or when the ship was at emergency stations.  It only needed him to pull the collapsible helmet folded into his collar around his neck, up over his head and down onto its caller seal and then stuff his hands into two special pockets for skin tight gloves to automatically seal with his cuffs, to keep him alive in vacuum in case of an emergency decompression in space. The fabric breathed moisture from his body under normal air pressure while being air and water proof as well as regulating his body’s temperature by either insulating, radiating or absorbing heat when it was needed.
    The permeable fabric also let carbon dioxide through, while retaining the larger oxygen atoms in a vacuum, allowing prolonged use in an emergency. As long as the wearer had access to oxygen, the CO’2 would escape through the fabric into the vacuum of space, keeping the wearer from dying of CO’2 poisoning. He had kept the jump suit on while doing the nasty job his brother had assigned him knowing it not only provided him the protection he needed but would be easy to clean off and sanitize afterwards with a quick shower. Jack hurried along the passageway toward the Quarterdeck and the elevator, thinking about The Game as he tapped his wrist comm to call his friend Tom and tell him he would be on The Game in a few minutes.
    "Just where the hell do you think you are going jerk?" Jack looked up at his brother Dan walking down the curved