To Sail a Darkling Sea

by John Ringo

  He was, also unsurprisingly, a master of Marine lore and trivia as well as an expert tactician and weapons expert. He’d started off sort of disgruntled at the suggestion that he PT with a guuurl but had taken the opportunity to increase her store of professional knowledge. And while in agreement on “The Wolf Squadron Way” of clearance, he had put his professional knowledge and acumen to the subject and suggested useful “tweaks” that had been tested, then implemented.

  “Thank you for increasing my understanding of this brave new world in which we reside and fight, ma’am.”

  “That wasn’t meant as a . . .” Faith said. She really liked and admired the gunny and didn’t want to insult him.

  “That was not intended ironically, Miss,” Gunny Sands said. “As I have been teaching you a bit about the hallowed lore of the U-S-M-C, the information transfer has not been all one way. That is an example thereof. Just as you previously pointed out that zombies do not retreat and, therefore, small teams can expect at some point to come to melee distance or, as you put it ‘get into the scrum.’ Which has now become Post-Plague Marine slang on the same level of commonality as ‘FUBAR’ and ‘BOHICA.’ And that, therefore, it is useful to keep multiple knives on your person when clearing in case you’re in a ‘scrum’ or even worse ‘in the dunny.’ Rather than it being purely an affectation.”

  “Understood, Gunnery Sergeant,” Faith said.

  “Miss Smith, your father, tentatively, brought up the subject of making you a Marine.”

  “I don’t think I’ve got what it takes, Gunny,” Faith said, shrugging. “I can’t keep up with the guys now that they’re getting back in shape. Heck, I can only climb a hawser once in gear. The guys go up them over and over again.”

  “You are female, Miss Smith,” Sands said. “Men and women do not directly compete in the Olympics for a reason. I would never expect you to compete head to head in PT with the troops. The question is not can you compete as a male in PT or even certain types of combat. Although you are one of the few women I could honestly see being qualified in all respects for infantry combat. You make the grade at the point of low-level male infantryman, which is all that’s required if you were to be a regular Marine rifleman.

  “The questions are many others. Are you emotionally mature enough for the job? Are you physically fit enough as a female? Can you handle the physical and mental aspects of this type of combat? The only traditional ways of judging those thing is by putting you through some sort of introductory training and testing. Boot camp, for example. Are you, in fact, tough enough to be a Marine? Boot camp puts stresses on you that even this type of combat does not inflict. We stop clearance after a certain point each day. Can you continue for days with little rest or sleep?

  “Then there are the technical legal aspects. You are performing, would be expected to continue to perform, front-line combat. You are, again obviously, thirteen. When he suggested it, I found it ludicrous on its face but I was . . . polite. I told him you’d probably make a great Marine in five years.”

  “Thank you, Gunnery Sergeant,” Faith said. “I hope I can make the grade in five years.”

  “He suggested that I spend some time examining the new reality and table the discussion,” Sands said. “I have since revisited the issue. With the approval of the L-T and Colonel Ellington, and if you agree, you are to be sworn in as a probationary third lieutenant, U-S-M-C at noon tomorrow.”

  “I’m not sure that’s . . . wise, Gunny?” Faith said. “I mean, I know I’m sort of a mascot . . .”

  “Oh, you are far more than a mascot, Miss Smith,” the gunny said. “The reality is that we have exactly thirty Marines in current manning. We are so very few. They can all serve as clearance specialists but most are not, in fact, infantry. Aircraft crewmen, tankers, mechanics. Cooks. We also have five oceans and seven seas worth of ships to clear. There are cruise liners still at sea. Entire Carrier Strike Groups. We need every single person who can make the grade and, Miss Smith, thirteen, chick and all, you make the grade in a leap.”

  “Thank you, Gunny,” Faith said, her chin working. “I’ll try to . . . I’ll try to be a good Marine.”

  “Marine Officer, note,” the gunny said. “The one thing I’ll ask you to do is tighten up, a bit, on the decorum. Only a bit, though, because there is, also, yes, the aspect of what you call ‘a mascot.’ ”

  “If that is . . .” Faith said carefully.

  “If I may, miss,” Sands said. “What you call ‘a mascot’ is more what should be termed ‘an icon.’ A subject not just of morale but of veneration or even worship. These men are United States Marines, yes, and they will continue to do their duty. But they are Marines who have lost everything. Family, friends, buddies, country. We are one and all lost and adrift on a darkling sea. You, Miss Smith, have become not their pin-up girl but their heart and soul. They would follow me into hell. Charge any shore, face any fire. I am their Gunny. That’s what Marines do. If you hinted that Satan had a case of ammo you particularly liked, they would charge in without a bucket of water. As Staff Sergeant Januscheitis said when he, separately, brought the idea up: ‘The only thing we’ve got left, Gunny, is Faith.’ ”

  CHAPTER 7

  I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

  Oath of the officers of the

  Uniformed Services of the United States

  “So, Captain, what now?” Galloway asked. The NCCC had his fingers steepled and was, in Steve’s opinion, looking just a bit too much like Doctor Evil.

  The Iwo Jima was cleared. They’d found forty-three Naval personnel and sixteen Marines, with Gunny Sands and Lieutenant Volpe being the most senior. There were two navy full lieutenants, including Pellerin and “various other ranks.” No chiefs. The senior were three PO1s. No pilots, some aviation crewmen, both Marine and Navy.

  It was not a great number out of a complement of twelve hundred Navy and nearly two thousand Marines.

  “There are several options, sir,” Steve said. “Do you want me to lay out my arguments for and against or just cut right to my preferred plan?”

  “The main question is the vaccine,” Galloway said. “The subs are surviving . . . surprisingly well. But they cannot operate indefinitely.”

  “I have the submarine crews very firmly in the forefront of my mind, sir,” Steve said. “There’s a whole list of materials we need for producing vaccine. We’ve been over that, I understand. Gitmo is my preferred target for that. The base hospital, as of just prior to the fall and according to anecdotal data, should have the equipment and material. Hopefully with the gear at Gitmo we can make vaccine.”

  “So you’re heading to Gitmo?” Commander Freeman said.

  “I would prefer not to do so at this time, Commander,” Steve said. “The main reason is the continuing vulnerability of my forces to storm. My boats are mostly small, and while their crews have a lot of experience at sea at this point, I really don’t think they’re up to sailing through a hurricane. We can try to dodge them at sea but . . .”

  “I’m a Naval officer,” Freeman said drily. “I’m aware of the power of the ocean, Captain, as well as the fickle nature of hurricanes. With due respect.”

  The relationship between the two was tricky. Freeman had yet to be appointed a captaincy but was in some ways, technically, the Chief of Naval Operations and Steve’s boss.

  “That is, in a nutshell, my argument against Road to Gitmo at this time, Mr. Under Secretary,” Steve said. “Cognizant as I am that, pardon, now my submarine crews are slowly starving to death. On the other hand, they are also fishing quite successfully and have adequate vitamins to prevent nutrition deficiency for the time
being. The main ones that I’m worried about are the ones that critical systems busted and are now ashore on desert islands. Especially those on ones who are also subject to tropical storms. I was planning on having a brainstorming session with the sub skippers and Commander Freeman on that subject at a later time. However, to the main point. I really would prefer not to subject the squadron to a hurricane. The season ends at the end of November. At that time we can easily move to Gitmo and begin clearance operations. That is less than two months. I’m going to take a survey of which boats are unlikely to be able to hang on that long and determine other options. My current plan is a redeployment for aggressive at-sea search, clearance and rescue operations in low-storm zones as well as testing littoral clearance methods after some redistribution of personnel . . .”

  * * *

  “Nice uniform, Sis,” Sophia said.

  Faith was wearing Marine Pattern Camouflage, colloquially called both MarPat and MarCam, and was carrying a cloth shopping bag.

  The No Tan Lines had been “redeployed” back to the main squadron for “refit and resupply.” They were actually okay on the supply part. If anything, they were going to be off-loading. The flotilla had been stockpiling “excess supplies” on the supply ships. Not that Sophia gave up her good stash.

  “Thanks,” Faith said, tossing Sophia the cloth shopping bag she was carrying. “There’s yours.”

  “Mine?” Sophia said. The bag felt extremely full.

  “We got an official suggestion from the CO of the Alex that we find you a uniform,” Faith said. “I got tasked to find your size in the uniform store on the Iwo. There’s tactical boots in it, too. Then I got an unofficial message that you might want to think about wearing something a little more often. Been doing what you can to raise the morale on the subs, Sis?”

  “Oh,” Sophia said, breathing through her nose. “Those glowing green bastards!”

  “Never trust a submariner,” Faith said, giggling.

  “How’ve you been?” Sophia said, waving her into the boat.

  “Good,” Faith said. “Getting there, anyway. Kicking the ass of Marines is sort of fun.”

  “Kicking Marine ass?” Paula said. “Do tell.”

  “They’re good, don’t get me wrong,” Faith said. “But they’d trained for fighting hajis in the Sandbox. Fighting zombies in a ship is different. And they’re supposed to be trained for fighting shipboard but it’s not really something they’d concentrated on.”

  “We found you a present as well,” Sophia said. “Paula, where’s that case of the good stuff?”

  “Right under here,” Paula said, opening up the compartment under the bar.

  “You know I don’t drink alcohol,” Faith said. “Much.”

  “Tada!” Paula said, pulling out a case of razzleberry tea.

  “Oh,” Faith said, panting. “This is nearly as great as when we found a stash of twelve-gauge on the Iwo!”

  “You’re welcome,” Paula said, then opened up the fridge and pulled out a cold one.

  “Found a boat that somebody was apparently an equal fan,” Sophia said, pouring herself a glass of brandy. “Cheers, Sis.”

  “Up your bottom!” Faith said, then took a sip. “Ah, nectar of the gods.”

  “You’re really in the Marines?” Paula asked.

  “I have been having an abbreviated class on military decorum,” Faith said, making a face. “I was going to get pinned right away but they decided to hold off until you rejoined the squadron. Since you didn’t have a uniform or ‘accoutrements’ as I’ve learned they are called, we’ll both get pinned this afternoon. And that’s when I’ll get sworn in as a ‘probationary third lieutenant.’ ”

  “So you’re a ‘probationary’ lieutenant and I’m an ‘acting’ ensign?” Sophia said, shaking her head. “Is there a difference?”

  “Not that I can figure out,” Faith said, shrugging. “I still don’t get most of this military stuff.”

  “How was the Iwo?” Sophia asked.

  “Compared to the Voyage it was a walk in the fucking park,” Faith said, shrugging again. “We went straight for the food supply areas after the first day of upper deck clearance and found about half the survivors. Most of the Marines, Gunny Sands and a couple others being exceptions, were in good shape. The rest of it was mostly training Marines on the Wolf Way of clearance. And once we found a big, beautiful store of .45 and double-ought . . . Then it was just a matter of rolling hot. Not to mention frags make a dandy compartment clearing tool.”

  “Sounds like you had fun,” Paula said.

  “Buttloads,” Faith said. “It wasn’t the Voyage. There was just something different about it. There was way less finding people who’d just died for one thing. Or people who might as well be dead. It was pretty much long dead, zombies, and survivors in pretty good shape. And most of the long dead had either been chewed up pretty good or were, basically, mummies. And no kids and it wasn’t a fucking play palace that had turned into a horror movie. So, yeah, mostly fun. Fucking Voyage still gives me nightmares. How was your float?”

  “Found a family that was uninfected,” Sophia said.

  “The Lawtons,” Faith said. “Need to bring up the dad in a bit.”

  “Why?” Paula said.

  “Just will,” Faith said. “He wants to see you. Has a present for you. All of you.”

  “That’s sweet?” Sophia said, puzzled. “Any idea what? It’s not like they had zip on that boat when we found them.”

  “Yeah,” Faith said, grinning. “He gave me the same present. But it’s a surprise. Anyway, adventures. Something about a Russian mobster?”

  “Oh, that,” Sophia said, grinning. “Not mobster, exactly. Except that anybody Russian with money was basically a mobster. No real big deal.”

  “Hey,” Paula said. “It was pretty tense at the time.”

  “Sort of,” Sophia said. “We found another mega. Smaller than the Alpha but not much. Bunch of survivors.”

  “The big one with the Russian writing,” Faith said, gesturing with her chin.

  “Long story, ’nother time,” Sophia said. “Any clue what’s next? We’ve been sort of out of the loop.”

  “Local area rescue and clearance is what I’ve got,” Faith said. “Dad sort of hinted that he’s going to stick us together but I’m supposed to ‘manage’ the operation as a good officer should. Have no clue what operations.”

  “Well, we could use another clearance guy, that’s for sure,” Sophia said. “I don’t know how it fits in but we’re supposed to go over to the Grace tomorrow for ‘refit.’ Not sure what we’re being refitted with.”

  “I’m wondering where we’re going to hide the stash,” Paula said.

  “Stash?” Faith said. “Oh, salvage.”

  “That,” Paula said. “Yeah.”

  “So I just found out that as a Naval officer, I’m no longer on shares,” Sophia said. “On the other hand, the crew is . . .”

  “Pat and I opted to stay civilian,” Paula said.

  “. . . and we resupply first from ‘salvaged stores.’ So what if we keep the good stuff? Besides, I figure Da probably needs some stuff for entertaining.”

  “And boy do we have some stuff,” Paula said. “Is Sari still cooking for him?”

  “Yes,” Faith said.

  “She’s so going to like what we’re bringing in.” She paused and grimaced. “Speaking of chefs, how’s Chris? We were going to spot him some of it, too.”

  “I’ve only run into him a couple of times,” Faith said, shrugging. “Lost his girl, found his girl, lost her again. Gwinn and Rob are married. Got hitched by Captain Geraldine in a really nice ceremony on the Alpha. Gwinn’s doing admin on the Alpha right now. Rob’s doing survey and salvage. They’re good people. Chris just ended up as odd man out.”

  “I need to stop by and see him,” Paula said. “He’s got to be heartbroken. I think I was the only one on the boat he’d talked to about Gwinn.”

  “It’s Chris,” F
aith said, shrugging again. “He just cooks his way out of his misery.”

  “He’s been doing ferry work,” Sophia said. “So he hasn’t been doing salvage. Why don’t you make up a little care package for him and take it over? Dinghy’s worth. Say I’ll be by when I can.”

  “Okay,” Paula said. “That’s a good way to get rid of some of the stash.”

  “Not the Grand Marnier,” Sophia said. “Or, no more than a bottle. I was planning on making that a gift to Da.”

  “No Tan Lines, Squadron Ops, over.”

  “Hang on,” Sophia said. “Squadron Ops, No Tan Lines, over.”

  “You have got to change that name,” Faith said.

  “Think ours is bad,” Sophia said.

  “Lines scheduled to come alongside the Grace Tan at fourteen-thirty for off-load and refit. Crew will be shuttled to the Alpha for pinning ceremony, Master, scheduled for sixteen-thirty. Master will, say again, will be in proper uniform. Reception to follow.”

  “Oooo . . .” Sophia said. “I need to get some stuff back to Da for the reception.”

  “You’ve got time to drop it by before you’re scheduled to go to the Grace,” Faith said, looking at her watch. “I’m sort of at loose ends. Drop me on the Alpha with it, I’ll get it to Sari.”

  “Works,” Sophia said, keying the radio. “Lines alongside Grace fourteen-thirty, aye. Pinning ceremony, sixteen-thirty, aye. Reception to follow, aye.”

  “Squadron Ops, out.”

  * * *

  “You know I’m really proud to do this,” Steve said, pinning one side of Sophia’s collar while Stacey pinned the other. The pins were gold circles rather than the single bar of an ensign.

  “Still not sure why I said yes,” Sophia said. “And while this is not in any way an official bitch, Kuzma has been running our ass ragged.”

  “I know,” Steve said. “He wanted to see if he could get you to complain. Congratulations,” he said, shaking her hand.

  “I figured that much out,” Sophia said. “I can hack it. But it’s not fair on my crew.”