Stripped

Stripped
3 March 2019
Sydney, NSW, Australia
From door to door, Scott figures the room's eight paces long.
Not that he's going anywhere near them.
Especially that door.
The aide looks anywhere but Scott.
Muted crackling from the next room.
A few minutes later, the aide touches her earpiece and unlocks the doors.
Herc, a bit gray around the gills, comes through.
Won't look at Scott.
Scott frowns.
Looks away anyway.
The door clicks shut behind him.
The aide keys in the lock.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
The aide touches her earpiece and unlocks the doors. "Ranger Hansen." Scott goes through.
"We call Ranger Scott Hansen before this Honoured Council."
Scott steps up to the stand.
"Please describe the events leading up to February 16, 2019."
"Breach monitors detected activity at 0448, Sydney time, February 15, 2019. My team and I set out to patrol Section Three of the Sydney Area of Operation an hour later. For the next eighteen hours, extensive searching of the entire Area of Operation yielded nothing. On February 16, Horizon Brave unit 1 engaged Mizuchi at 0819. At the time, we were the closest team to the site and proceeded with the drop as outlined in Section 5.8. Lucky Seven engaged Mizuchi at 0935 and at 1004 experienced Drift destabilization. Gipsy Danger then engaged and killed Mizuchi."
"And this 'Drift destabilization' led to Lucky Seven's mid-engagement halt?"
"Yes, sir."
"What caused the destabilization?"
"The neural handshake between my copilot and I broke down."
"We understand how Jaegers work, Ranger. What happened in Lucky Seven's Conn-pod to push the two of you out of alignment?"
"An old memory surfaced, made my focus wander. Herc saw it, started falling out. I couldn't get us back into alignment fast enough to save the handshake."
"Which left you unable to control your Jaeger."
"Yes, sir."
"Which means Mizuchi was able to beat Lucky Seven into scrap and would've killed you and your copilot had your fellow Rangers had not saved you both."
"Yes, sir."
"Whose fault was it the Drift destabilized that day in Lucky Seven?"
Scott sets his teeth. Takes a moment. "Mine, sir."
"Explain."
"My memory started the problem, my concentration slipped first, and I couldn't pull us back into a strong handshake."
"You were also Lucky Seven's senior pilot, correct?"
"Yes, sir. I am."
A panel member mouths 'was.'
Scott clenches his fists.
"Do you have anything else to say, Mister Hansen?"
"No, sir."
"There will be a short recess while this body makes its decision."
The gavel bangs.
Ramrod straight, Scott returns to the eight-pace room.
The door clicks shut behind him.
The aide keys in the lock.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
The aide touches her earpiece and unlocks the doors. Gestures to Scott.
Scott steps through. Returns to his place at the stand.
"The Council has come to a unanimous decision." The speaker shuffles papers. "Mister Hansen, we find you responsible, through failure of command, for the destruction of Lucky Seven. This lapse indicates to us you are no longer fit to pilot Jaegers. You are hereby stripped of your responsibilities and rank as Ranger."
Not even a flinch.
"However, because you remain sound of body and mind and your enlistment contract with the PPDC runs through December 31, 2020, other duties will be found for you within the next several days. Your ID and pay will be adjusted when you begin your new assignment. You are dismissed, Mister Hansen."
Scott salutes, turns about face, and marches from the room.
Past Parata and Davies, Jones Older and Younger, and Vos.
No Chuck.
No Herc.
Somehow, Vos finds him in the Jaeger hangar, standing on the catwalk in front of Lucky's empty bay.
"What were ye doin' down there today?"
-Right place-
Scott snorts. "That wasn't th' right place fer anyone."
'Of course,' Pietr shrugs. -Rangers stand together-
"I don't like ye," snarls Scott, "'n yer not a Ranger yet."
Pietr glares. -Don't care-
"This's gonna look bad on ye, kid."
Snaps the lead of his pencil. -Don't care-
"Y' should."
Pietr starts to reply.
Scott smacks the notepad from his hands.
They watch it flutter to the ground far below.
"Now leave me alone."
Pietr drops his eyes, nods, and retreats the way he'd come. Scott leans on the rail and stares straight ahead.
Family
24 March 2019
Sydney, NSW, Australia
In the middle of a heated Pokemon battle, Pietr's phone pulses four times. He pulls it out with one hand, ruffles Chuck's hair with the other, and jogs from the room.
JASMYNTEE: call me asap
Griet answers immediately, peeking over a—
::What's ....::
... grainy ...
::The doctor just confirmed it.::
... black ...
::How f- ...?::
::Six weeks.::
... and white ...
::I'm due at the start of November.::
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