“It will be good to relinquish command, sir.” Penny leaned her back against the outside of the Island. She would have sagged onto the starboard walkway in relief but she didn’t want to sit on broken glass.
“I’m sorry about that, Brightman,” the President’s voice was far gentler than the chairman’s.
“I’m not.”
“No, I’m sorry that you won’t be relinquishing command. He will be there to assist and trainyou.By Presidential order for meritorious service above and beyond the call of duty, and a damn sharp view of the situation even when exhausted past reason, you are hereby bumped one grade to Captain. I couldn’t do that until Drake had signed your promotion. The vessel is yours, Captain Brightman. Take care of her for us as you have been and she’ll be in good hands. Again, congratulations.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
Both men laughed, but General Nason was the one who replied. “Not for a minute, Captain. CINCPACFLT fully concurs as does your Flight Wing commander. And do please remind Miranda to call us when she figures out who just declared war on the United States of America. Best of luck.”
And Penny was standing alone in the dark holding a disconnected phone.
She leaned there with her back against the steel Island. It had probably been blazing hot with the internal fire this morning. Now it was still warm from facing west into the sunset but she couldn’t move away. All she could do was lean there, facing the night for several minutes as she reviewed the conversation.
Then she remembered the last question that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs had asked before the whole promotion aberration had been dropped on her head.
Is the carrier’s mechanism to arm and load the special weapons functional?
Command called themspecialbecause they didn’t like to call them what they really were. Those who lived with them in the secure hold aboard ship called them by name—the B61-12 nuclear bombs.