Squire

== Revised Text ==
Date/Timing: 14 January 2019
Setting: various places in The Shed; Vaucluse, NSW, Australia
.
=== 0430 — Wake up & get ready; quarters ===
Alarm screams.
Smack it.
Silence.
Flop back into pillow.
It's just your clock, Derek.
Breathe deep.
No Kaiju, no emergency, just your clock.
Keep breathing.
Heart rate slows to mostly normal.
Roll out, stagger to dresser, grab kit—hopefully all the right bits—drag yourself to the washroom.
Into the shower, bat around 'til the water starts.
Get wet.
Shampoo, rinse, soap, rinse.
Stumble out.
Get dry, floss, brush teeth, shave, dress.
Check reflection: Brown hair, brown eyes, wonky blotch from where your brother broke your neck, kinda pasty but you still look healthy and you'll get some colour back in no time.
Straighten collar.
Deep breath.
Back to your room.
Count out meds, palm 'em, snag tablet.
Into the main room.
Glass from the cabinet, orange juice from the fridge, juice in glass.
Swallow meds.
Plonk down at the table.
Check tablet for schedule.
Hasn't changed since last night.
Good.
Check email, write e—
""Mornin', kid.""
Jump.
Deep breath.
Twist around, "'ey, Ja—" Yawn.
Jamie snickers. "We can head to breakkie together after I freshen up."
"O-okay."
He disappears into the washroom.
Water starts.
Write more emails, review latest memos, organize—
""Ready?""
Jump.
Deep breath.
Twist around, "Y-yea."
He's wearing a tie. Should I be wearing a tie? Is it normal to wear a—
"Don't worry about the tie. It's my little thing. I'm the only Squire in the entire Corps who wears one voluntarily, I think." Smiles reassuringly.
Exhale.
Tense back up.
"Uh, can we eat here? I don't ...."
"No chance in hell your brothers are up. They'll be dead to the world for at /least another hour unless I go poke 'em, which I won't."
Sigh.
"I have just the thing." Disappears into his room. 
Sag into your chair. 
Jamie returns a few minutes later. "Tada!" he proclaims, presenting a hoodie. "It's gonna be huge on you but also very face hide-y."
Feel a certain sense of relief with that; tug it over your head. 
Jamie flips up the hood. "Wouldn't recognize you if you were my own brother." Grins, claps your shoulder. "To food with us!"
Sling satchel over shoulder, trudge after Jamie to the door.
He waves you through, locks up behind.
=== 0530 - Breakfast w/ Jamie; canteen ===
"It's not nearly as bad as they make it sound at Personnel," drawls Jamie, pushing his empty tray aside. "Ye pretty much just keep a calendar and nag your team 'til they do what they're supposed to."
"But m ...."
Deep breath.
"Say Littlest Hansen's the worst thing ever, yea?"
Nod.
"Li'l sucker loves an argument—or a fight—but his copilot's been keeping him in line lately." He snorts. "Doesn't help his attitude any that your brothers do everything they can to piss him off." Jamie side-eyes Derek. "Betcha know what that's like, ay?"
Swallow, rub neck. "L—I ...." Sigh.
"Well, maybe he'll leave you alone since he's got the blue terror to torment."
Poke spoon into porridge dregs.
"You'll be /fine, kiddo. My boys give ye any trouble, lemme know. I can take care of it." He smirks, leans over, whispers, "I control the bail money."
Laugh so hard, so suddenly, heads turn.
Go bright red.
Jamie claps you on the back, laughing, too. "Let's go meet your Rangers."
=== 0630 — INTRODUCTION TO CADETS HANSEN & VOS; Marshal's office ===
"Cadets," says Marshal Nguyen, "meet your handler, Officer Derek Jones."
The curly top's eyebrows jump to his hairline.
Oh dear god I've fucked up.
"Thought we were supposed to call 'em 'Squires'," grumbles the bluey.
"That depend on Officer Jones' preference. In any event, Officer, this is Pietr Vos—"
The one with curly blond hair smiles and waves.
"—and Chuck Hansen. He-him-his all around."
"You look familiar," declares Hansen.
Oh my god. He's got no idea who I am.
Vos sighs.
Oh god. Shuffle feet. "Well, umm ...."
Vos nudges Hansen with his mobile. >Littlest Jones<
Wha ....
Hansen blinks. Squints. "You're Jackson and Logan's brother."
"Umm, yea?"
"And you're workin' for us now."
"Yeeeeaaa?"
Hansen looks to Vos.
Vos shrugs, gives Hansen a look at his mobile screen. >This could get ugly.<
"No kiddin'."
/Please let that've been about Jack and Logan. 
Find voice. "'s true, ay? You don't talk, Cadet Vos?"
Vos thumbs away, offers the mobile. 
- Pietr plz -
- Chuck translates -
- I write til u learn sign -
"Oh. Okay. I can do that. I-I'll get started straight away."
Vos—Pietr—beams, hugs you.
Freeze.
Hansen rolls his eyes. "D'ye /have to hug /everyone?"
Cautiously pat Pietr's back.
Pietr, smirking, separates, says something.  >Haven't hugged /you lately.<
Hansen yelps, "What?! Don't you even—mmmfff!"
Pietr's tacklehugged him.
"What've ...?"
The Marshal sighs, "Welcome to Team SE, Officer Jones."
=== 0700 — TACTICS INSTRUCTION; conference room 018B ===
"I did Tactics at the Academy," whines Hansen.
Pietr, walking backward, says something.
"I know you haven't. But why should I—"
Hansen flicks a hand to the left—
Pietr sidesteps, dodging a trooper.
"—hafta do it again?"
More signs.
"I don't need a review, ye fruit loop. I had the best score ever!"
Flicks hand right.
Pietr slips 'round an equipment cart, waves 'gripe, gripe, gripe', rolling his eyes.
Hansen pouts.
"Uh ... should I—anythin' you want me to do for you while you're in class?"
Hansen shakes his head, sulks through the door.
Pietr shows his mobile, bats his eyelashes. 
- Coffee? -
"Oh, uh, sure. Mess hall okay?"
Nods, holds up two fingers.
"Two cups? Sugar or cream?"
Makes a hex sign.
"Black. I'll bring 'em."
Thumbs up, hugs you.
This's apparently a thing for him.
Pat pat. 
Smile. Sorta.
He grins, bounces through the door, waving to the instructor.
=== 0730 — Introduction to SE Quartermaster Campbell; Campbell's office ===
"So you're the one to draw the short straw, ay?" says the person behind the nearly-buried desk. "Don't envy ye a bit." Grins. "Ryan Campbell, he-him-his, Quartermaster for all things SE, at your service." Bows.
Manage something like one. "Derek Jones, he-him-his."
"/Thought ye looked familiar."
Do. not. sigh.
"Your brothers know about your new job yet?"
Blood turns to ice.
"That's gonna be a fun li'l chat."
Swallow. Nod.
"Well, if ye need a quiet place to hide, I got plenty. Ye may even be able to find your way back. Eventually." He grins. "Hand over your tablet and I'll get ye set up in the system."
Dig tablet from satchel.
Campbell snags it from your hand— "Thank ye." —and vanishes behind his mountain of paperwork.
Grab a spare tablet.
Start looking for sign language instructions.
There's more than one kind? Which one does Pietr, uh, 'speak'? Is that the right word? 
Mental note: Ask him.
Campbell reappears from behind Mount Paper, hands back your tablet. "Ye already know WholeMaster, yea?"
"The calendar part ...."
"Good start. Got ye hooked up to add items, not just read 'em. The rest of it works the same way. Also put MaintainMe and MasterPlanner on there. Used 'em before?"
"Umm ... no? Was I 'sposed to?"
"Nah. MaintainMe's our system for tracking trouble tickets across the Corps. Repairs for equipment, software, and facilities. WholeMaster does requisitions, medical records, pretty much everything but travel. It can handle reminders, calendars, appointments, what have ye; I prefer MasterPlanner's interface myself."
"It—MasterPlanner? Does, uh, travel, right?"
"Ye got it. And now that ye got your 'V,' ye make plans for the Rangers, it automatically adds ye, too." He glances back at his desk, sighs. "Don't think anyone on our team's going /anywhere anytime soon. Probably under house arrest 'til the big girl launches." Shrugs. "There're fat help files on there for ye, but if something misbehaves, lemme know."
"Thank you, Quartermaster Campbell."
"No need to be so formal, Jones. Call me 'Campbell'. I'd say 'Ryan', but we got three of 'em."
"Umm ... 'Derek''s fine, too."
"Yea, we got plenty of Joneses." Chuckles.
Join in.
"Good to meet'ye, Derek. Just lemme know if ye need something."
"Thanks. I will."
Exchange bows.
Head out as Campbell dives back into his papers.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:Sydney Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Derek
Category:Derek's POV
Category:Derek (ficlet)
Category:Derek has an anxiety disorder
Category:Derek is not a morning person
Category:Jamie
Category:Jamie (ficlet)
Category:Jamie (wardrobe)
Category:Jackson (mention)
Category:Logan (mention)
Category:Nguyen
Category:Nguyen (ficlet)
Category:Chuck H
Category:Chuck H (ficlet)
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
Category:Pietr (description)
Category:Chuck H (description)
Category:Pietr's mobile
Category:Pietr and coffee have a relationship
Category:Campbell
Category:Campbell (ficlet)
Category:MaintainMe (meta)
Category:WholeMaster (meta)
Category:MasterPlanner (meta)
Category:Derek (description)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Shatterdome staff bet on everything
Category:Derek's First Day arc