My angel in the hangar...
09 Jun 2019Jay Le Chardon
I've had the same hangar tech, Maria, on my roster for the past 4 years, at the peak of my career as a combat pilot she's also doubled up as a paramedic, as well as an outstanding tech. We have became close, there is a definite bond that a pilot develops with their technician, but this goes further than that, she has got my back, and saved my hide a few times. Granted those interventions haven't been out in the black, but at whatever starport I'm operating out of at the time, mainly through taking me to the medics before I exsanguinated, or performing CPR on me after KO'd due to asphyxia when landing with a broken canopy and a functioning docking computer. Waking up on the floor of a badly damaged iEagle cockpit with sparks ans skmoe everywhere, a slightly plump female tech in oily overalls seemingly trying to break your ribcage, while hollering "Breathe! you stubborn flux stain!" really is the best wake up call ever, and quite a life affirming experience. She's always known I'm a maverick, a renegade and a thrill seeker, When I was talking of retiring a couple of years ago, she was concerned, she said she couldn't go back to routine cargo ship maintenance now, and typical fighter squadrons were tainted by the typical fighter pilot fresh out of the academy and still full of nowt but spit and vinegar. So she likes the excitement this life brings her? So how does her very pointed statement of "señor chardon, these days, the risks you are taking are too big, and the margins you give yourself are too small" she said this, then shook her head walked away.
The validity of her concerns struck me simultaneously as the undercarriage element from my iEagle strike fighter that I had just landed, or rather the remains of said fighter I had just landed. I say literally struck me, as it was literally did, I inadvertently headbutted a protruding part of the landing gear with the left side of my skull, probably because I am, mercifully temporarily, wearing an eye patch on the left eye, not to mention the one knee braced up, and a ceramic shoulder and elbow. As I spun round I caught a glimpse of my reflection on some of the shiny carbon on the nacelles of the iEagle, I looked old, tired, haunted.
Yes haunted, another co-pilot's blood on my hands recently, a growing list, what kind of flux stain decided only CMDR's can have escape pods? I often assign the helm to the copilot, let them get some big ship experience to prep them for advancing their career and also to let me go back to goofing about in a gu97 - happy days. But although I telepresence to the SLF,and they telpresence from the SLF hangar to the bridge, nobody makes a hangar with an escape pod. So if they get jumped, they lose the ship, their life, and I lose their friendship, experience, and a rebuy. With the passing of each upcoming co-pilot, the ships I fly immediately afterwards become smaller, the risks I take in said ships increase, and I feel a little more hollowed out each time I have to notify their next of kin.
I've grapevined this suggestion onto people who have Patreus' ear, still no empire research into this direction, and from my sources in the alliance and my Confidential Informants within the federation, they are not doing it either.
Five hours Maria said she needed to conduct the repairs, works out nicely for medic, so glad she didnae notice the plasma burns on my fight suit, shower, a beer - or three, three hrs rack time, then back to it.
Better take her advice, make it 5hrs rack time.