The others knew something was bugging me, but we went to Orientation together. The auditorium was maybe a quarter full with a hundred or so of us. The girl, Patricia, had some of the best jokes I've ever heard. Conrad, the quiet boy, did impersonations of the speakers during breaks. He was good.

The Navy cadets were wearing blue utility uniforms, and it was easy to see the clumps of gray coveralls and blue utilities not mixing. Captain hadn't mentioned this when he and his wife talked about the Academy, but he was famous even before he went in. Course, he probably did both Navy and Merchant Marine tracks, Smiley had said he did the four year route in three years. Most Merchant Marines were just here for two year, and then they tried their best to sign onto a ship for real world experience. Merchant Marine crews were smaller, and we had to learn a lot of crew position stuff. Captain had told me about that, and gotten me into some on-line training while my hand healed up, and I got settled in on Birach. He had even gotten me access to the language of the Mulgoi, what Gdtr and his people called themselves. It wasn't too hard, and there was a linguist here at the Academy who was tracking everything being learned about the language. He said it was oddly close to one of the older Atrean dialects, which I found funny, being Atrean by birth.

Raul snorted, and tried to cover it up with a cough. Conrad acted like he dropped something and started holding his hand over his mouth. Patricia grinned smugly, and faked an innocent look. Some of her jokes weren't for mixed company, even though we were a mixed company. It must have been a good one, probably best I didn't hear it.

When everyone broke for lunch, I pulled my tote out of my backpack, and found us a table. The others went in line, and Conrad said he'd get me a bottle of water. The whole blue and gray thing acted out here, too. Navy people pushed in line in front of the Merchant Marines, and some of the shoves weren't gentle, either.

My friends were near the checkout area, when six blue suits pushed past them. Conrad's tray fell onto the floor and Patricia moved in between him and the big Navy guy who had knocked Conrad's tray down. This was getting serious, and my blagy and cheese wrap could wait. The joys of long legs, I was there quick. Enroute I picked up a tray of food from a gray suit, and whispered "Sorry, I need this."

She gaped at me wordlessly, as I walked towards the big Navy guy. I can tussle when needed, but I didn't want to get in trouble my first day. Hadn't even actually gotten to class yet, so this might not count as my first day. So it was easy to fake turning back to my left a little, and calling out to one of the gray suits I didn't know, as if we were best friends.

The big Navy guy wasn't too bright, my holler had confused him enough that he lost focus on Patricia. Which was right about the time I dug my left foot deep into the floor and accidentally rammed my shoulder into him. Just like moving a stuck wagon back home, it's all body mechanics and want-to. He went down fast.

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Naturally, my borrowed tray spewed its contents all over his nice uniform. I couldn't help but apologize like crazy as I stumbled around, stepping on his hand and somehow dropping a knee into his stomach. "I'm so sorry" and "Oh my goodness" kept flowing out of my mouth as mashed potatoes stuck to his face.

His friends finally pulled him up off the floor, as I kept apologizing. He glared at me, but what could he do about an accident?

"Gosh, he's such a nice guy," I said loudly. "How could I be so clumsy?"

None of my crew were buying it. They kept their mouths shut, though, and helped me clean up the mess. The cashier couldn't quit laughing, and I paid for another meal so the borrowed tray owner could eat.

"I'm so embarrassed," I said, picking up my food. "Let's go somewhere else."

Conrad grinned, and said, "I know just the place."

A few minutes later we were through three sets of doors I don't think we were supposed to go through, and sitting on a stack of construction beams on top of the building. Only the front third was done and usable, two more wings were planned.

Didn't matter right now. We split up the food we had, and enjoyed the sunlight. I grew up with fake sunlight, didn't see the real thing until I was sixteen. And that was through the viewport on a ship. Sunlight is so beautiful, so powerful. All that energy coming across space to brighten our tiny world. I really brightened my mood, too. I leaned back against a beam, closed my eyes, and took in the joy of it.

"Ahem," Raul said.

I must have dozed off, the others were done with their food, standing, and looking at me. "Sorry, I needed a nap. Us clumsy folk are like that."

Everyone laughed as I stood and brushed my coveralls off. Raul stood almost at attention, and said "Jimmie, we've talked. We're going to stick together as a team, and help each other out. Just like you helped Conrad and Patricia out."

"Hopefully with less mess involved." Patricia grinned.

"Can't promise nothing," I said. "But I'm in. How can I help?"

Raul looked at the others, and then back to me. "Merchant Marines all start in Engineering, it's the way of life. We want you to be our Chief."

"Chief Engineer Jimmie," Patricia said. "It has a podunk ring to it. I like it."

Conrad started an impression of me apologizing, while stepping over the Navy guy. Raul and Patricia laughed.

I wanted to run away. 'Being Chief is hard' I wanted to yell. They didn't understand. They hadn't held Doaon's body in their arms. A girl too young to have kids, who threw herself into being an Engineer just like me.

I couldn't run away. Captain had made me Chief, and except for recommending me to the Academy, his decisions were pretty good. The First Officer hadn't killed me when she met me, and that by itself was something. My wife loved me, and I could go home and do nothing and she'd still love me. We had money, and a place to stay, and I didn't mind hard work.

But more than that, was Raul. The way he stood, the way he was always cheerful. The way he said the word Chief, told me who he was; Raul McGavren. I had served with his older sister, and I wasn't going to let Smiley down.