Panic Switch полностью

She walked up to Pacino first, acting as if he were a mere acquaintance. “Hello, Patch,” she said. “I’m oncoming weapons officer, so you’ll be working for me.” She smiled brightly at Pacino and shook his hand, her hand warm and soft in his. He couldn’t help thinking that this was the hand that had been draped over his chest when he woke up that awful morning.

Pacino blinked and swallowed hard, becoming aware of the bug-eyed expressions of the other Vermont-ers who knew his history. “Good to see you again, Commander.”

“Please,” she said, “Call me River. Or, of course, Weps.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She laughed. “And definitely no ma’ams.” She greeted the other officers, remembering them from meeting them during the party at AUTEC.

Fortunately, the next officer joined them at the table then, taking all the attention away from Pacino’s embarrassment with Styxx.

“What the hell?” Dankleff said, breaking into a grin and pulling the newcomer into a bear hug. “What are you doing here?”

Lieutenant Commander Elvis Lewinsky had sneaked up on the gathering, a grin on his features. He shook the hands of the Vermont-ers and introduced himself to the nub officers.

“Elvis, for fuck’s sake,” Dankleff said to his old boss. “Really, what are you doing here?”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lewinsky said, “you are looking at the USS New Jersey’s new navigator. Which reminds me, where the hell are we?”

“Great,” Vevera said. “Lame navigation jokes already. Elvis, if you’re navigator here, who’s taking care of the repairs to the Vermont?”

“Turns out it was a pretty easy decision for Naval Personnel Command. After we turnover with the PCU crew, the PCU guys — except for the Hulls here — are taking on the Vermont repairs.”

“It’s going to take me a while to learn to not call you ‘Feng,’ Elvis,” Dankleff said. “Man, a split tour as engineer and navigator. You’re going to be heavy as hell for your upcoming XO tour.” The term ”heavy” in submarine lexicon meant knowledgeable.

“I’d half hoped you were showing up to be the XO,” Eisenhart said. “You’re heavy enough now.”

“Oh no, that honor is reserved for a man I understand is a real bastard,” Lewinsky said. “You J.O.s better stand the fuck by. The new XO is a killer. He reportedly eats junior officers for breakfast.” Lewinsky looked at Styxx and Kelly. “And department heads for lunch.”

“Great,” Pacino muttered. “Elvis, do you know who he or the captain is?”

“I know,” Lewinsky grinned, “but I ain’t sayin’. But worry not, crew, because here comes the XO now.”

The officers all turned their heads to see who was approaching the table, and the Vermont-ers’ jaws all dropped when a man in falling-apart steel toed boots, ripped and stained jeans, a Grateful Dead T-shirt and an unbuttoned lumberjack fleece shirt over it walked up, smiling mischievously.

“Oh my God,” Dankleff said. “Bullfrog? You? You’re XO?”

Commander Jeremiah Seamus Quinnivan, Royal Navy, shook hands all around, looking quite pleased with himself.

“Well, of course, lads and lassies, I’m XO. Who did you think would be capable of running you scurvy, misbehaved and out-of-control misfits and pirates on a spec-op?”

“This is almost too good to be true,” Pacino breathed to Dankleff. “Now we just need to know who the captain will be.”

“If Quinnivan is XO, I can guess who the skipper is,” Dankleff said.

As if on cue, Commander Timothy “Scotch” Seagraves, up to then Vermont’s commanding officer, arrived at the table, nodding seriously at the crowd.

“Captain!” Vevera said, shaking Seagraves hand. “Just like old times.”

Seagraves, a serious officer, and never much for partying, spoke up, his baritone voice commanding. “Let’s grab seats, people, and get this dinner underway. We’ve all got an early day tomorrow. We’ll be taking turnover from the New Jersey PCU crew. Change-of-command ceremony is at fifteen hundred. I hope you all brought your choker whites. By sunset, the Jersey is all ours.”

“Sir, if you’re able to answer, you know, in public,” Vevera said as he stood next to the captain. “When do we shove off?”

Seagraves regarded Vevera seriously. “You’ll be missing the change-of-command ceremony, Mr. Vevera, because you’ll be starting the reactor.”

Vevera grinned. “Outstanding, sir.”

“And there she is,” Pacino said, arriving at Pier 1 North.