Brad Mufflen Makes Ripples
Copyright© 2026 by Thinker
Chapter 2
The next day started the confusion of getting forty-three new Ensigns ensigns organized and working together. Brad watched the gaggle fuck and decided he would do all he could to not make it worse. He tried to lead or direct confused people and calm the rattled ones. By noon the staff had managed to get almost all of them logged in and assigned quarters. After lunch they had everyone in a classroom and seated, then they explained what was happening and what was going to happen for the next two months. Brad listened while half the class made stupid comments and failed to pay attention. The officer presenting the schedule was obviously irritated and Brad saw trouble brewing. They ate in the dining facility that was not as good as that on the fleet transport and Brad took his books and tried to read ahead. All evening and into the night he was awakened by loud voices who had too much to drink. givenGiven that they had been told to stay in the barracks area and not go out, he saw big problems looming.
He headed to the dining hall for breakfast and saw some who were awake and had it together, but others who were clueless or hung over or not even there to eat before roll call at 0800. He headed into the same room they had been in last afternoon and took a seat up front and off to the right side some. As 0800 approached he noted that they were going to be several people short. At 0757 he counted 40 bodies, then another drug dragged himself in a minute later. Brad stood up.
“Listen up, Wewe are supposed to be Officers officers learning to do a job and set an example for our enlisted members to see and respect. InsteadInstead, this looks like the remnants of a frat party. In case you didn’t listen yesterday afternoon or read any of the directions and information sheets you were given, Youyou can still be stripped of your commission for not meeting the standards of fleet officers and sent to wherever the fleet needs you for the next six years. I did a quick looklook, and the fleet is having problems getting people into the sanitation field. Those are the spacemen who go into ships that come back from deployments and drain out all the dirt and sludge collected by the sanitation system over months. They do a deep cleaning of the restrooms in every cabin and crew bay., as well as the rest of the ship. So if you keep carrying on like you have ... and you know who you are; that could be in your future. I gather it does transfer back into civilian jobs too. Please do not do anything to cause those of us making efforts to be good officers any problems while we further our careers.”
Brad sat down to boos and crap from the guilty, but the door on the stage opened and a Commander walked in with a glower on his face. “Well said, Ensign,. The rest of you, what he said. it’s fact and a whole bunch of you are already being assessed for waivers of your offered commission.”
That quickly reduced the lackadaisical attitude to just a few guys who thought it was all BS anyway. Brad sat inat a table somewhat away from the in and out traffic and not close to the troublesome group. The second day at supper one of the female officers asked if she could join him, Brad replied “Certainly, be glad for some company.” her name was Susanna Alekseevich and she was a space navigation major. Brad allowed that he was just a fighter pilot appointee. They chatted and soon other officers, mostly women to start, asked to join them,. then Then a couple of guys asked and soon they had two full tables engaged in conversation. overOver the next week, the group tightened up and grew a bit more to an average of eighteen to twenty regulars. Other groups formed as well, most a bit smallersmaller, but they all respected each other and helped others regardless of group except for the five ‘too cool’ guys who blew everything off, expecting it seemed, that their fathers would ensure that they graduated. They were ignored and ignored others until they got to drill and ceremonies. thatThat course was run my by an old marine gunny who just kept you doing it until you did it right. Everyone had finally gotten it down except for the five who just didn’t give a rat’s backside. The group had been out drilling now for almost four hours because the five wouldn’t try and kept having to leave for the restroom or water of ... the gunny didn’t get mad, he just kept everyone drilling. Finally during a short break, Brad walked back and told them to “get your shit together, the rest of us are being punished because you five are being assholes.”
“Fuck Off off, dipshit.” was the response. Brad turned to the Gunny gunny “Gunny these five are the ones who don’t care and will still be out here next week at the rate we are moving, Can they be given the extra training until they get it straight and then we all can execute your drill in a few minutes and we all complete the task?”
The Gunnery gunnery sergeant looked at his watch and nodded. “You five will be back out here at 1745 and will drill until you get it right. I have five NCO’s who will rotate until you pass to my standards “Tenshun,! Dismissed.”
Brad had barely got turned around when the five advanced on him, calling him names “Who the hell do you think you are, dickhead?” the leader was about two feet in front of the next two and as he closed he threw a right handeright-handedd roundhouse at Brad’s head. Brad had grown upon the rough side of the Good Fortune system and was not a novice to fights. He reached up and grabbed the incoming wrist as he bent his knees and turned under loud mouth, pulling him forward and off balance before pulling his arm down in front of him and straightening his legs, causing the fellow to go ass over tea kettle and land hard on his right side and back on the pavement in front of Brad, who immediately spun around to his left and prepared to take on the next guy. But the lead guy’s foot had hit number two in the jawjaw, and he had stumbled back into the third guy. The four of them all stopped. Brad turned back and said ‘on your feet doofus” as he grabbed him by the collar and the seat of his pants and stood him up. The other four started to move but a crowd was gathered and the guys pushed to the front. The presence of eight men and more stepping forward stopped the four and made them face the threat. Brad was angry. “OK, now Forward forward march! Left, left Column column Left left Marchmarch! Not like that you idiot, Brad was about to lay hands on him when the Gunny gunny spoke loudly “Enough, Ensign, he can barely stand. The medics are here, let them have him.”
Brad froze, then stepped back and brought his hands to his sides. He felt the adrenalin rush and knew on some level that he was too hot to act wisely, so he did as he was told. The medics moved in and grabbed the guy but kept glancing at Brad. He stepped back again and turned away, walking over to the Gunnery gunnery Sergeant sergeant and saluted “Sorry to mess up your class, Gunnery Sergeant.” The Gunny gunny returned the salute with a nod “Carry on, Ensign.”
He went to the wash roomwashroom and rubbed cold water on his face, washed his hands and went to chow. No one sat too close to him this evening and towards the end of the meal a petty officer came over and said that Commander Kareesh wished to see him. Brad thanked the Petty petty Officerofficer, rose and put his tray in the window for dirty plates and trays then turned to follow the petty officer. He could feel the thirty odd sets of eyes on him as he walked out. The petty officer knocked and announced Ensign Mufflen; the commander said to have him report.
Brad marched through the door waydoorway when the petty officer opened it, came to attention in front of the desk and saluted “Ensign Mufflen reporting as ordered sir.” The commander returned the salute. “We do not condone fighting here. I realize you did not raise a hand until he threw a punch at you. But after you threw him, dragging him to his feet and ordering him to march was a bit much. You did follow instructions from gunnyGunny though and managed to remain in control. I am not happy about this fight. I do not want to see another,. is Is that clear, Ensign?”
“Yes Sir”
“Very Goodgood,. you You are dismissed, Ensign, but next time, call for the Guardsguards.”
“Yes Sir” Brad executed an about face and marched out of the Commander’s commander’s office and back to his room. He sat and tried to gather his thoughts. Some time later there was a soft knickknock on his door, and he stood and opened it to find Susanna there. “Come in and have a seat if you like.” She slipped in, leaving hethe door open so here could be no question about their behavior. “Are you still with us Brad?” He smiled and nodded “I am just not to personally settle any more fights, but to call for the guards. I didn’t even know we had any guards.” Susanna nodded “We didn’t use to have any, but there are now marines Marines at both ends of the hallway and more a short call away. Gus, the guy you decked is in pretty rough shape, with a concussion, several chipped and cracked bones and bruises all up and down his body. We were worried that they would throw you out and we were pretty steamed about it. That jackass deserved what he got and the rest of them too. I think they are all being removed from this class, some will be recycled and Gus and one other may get to join a sanitation unit, I don’t know.” Brad nodded “Not good, the fleet needs good officers and wasting time with five trouble makerstroublemakers is a real waste.” She nodded “I need to get back to my room, ; it’s almost lights out. We will see you in the morning.”
The night was quiet and I woke early and showered, dressed, gathered my books and headed to the dining hall. They weren’t quite ready to serve so I grabbed a mug of coffee and reviewed for the first class on Inventorying and signing for property. The potential dangers of sets, kits and outfits, where signing for one, meant that everything in the set, kit or outfit was present. Signing for something like a Shuttle shuttle or fighter could be very complex and spacemen short a tool would tell you anything to get you to sign for it. If you did, you just bought it and they were off the hook. They also had you watch for tools being counted in one place and then surreptitiously moved to another place to be counted again. You always made the person signing for whatever, sign for it before you did, too. The women started to come in but sat elsewhere. Then Susanna came in and sat beside me and we talked, going for food when they put it up, and returning. Several other women moved back over then, and sat with us. We all trooped off to class and things began to settle down. None of the five trouble makerstroublemakers were there today,; we weren’t sure why. We later learned that they had all been given a last chance and had been recycled to do the whole class over again, excepting the one who swung at me. He had his commission vacated and would be sent to basic training as a Spaceman spaceman recruit. I also heard that Gunny had tried to get the Commander commander to alter my commission to that of a Second second Lieutenant lieutenant of the Fleet Marines. The Commander commander had laughed and said no way, as the Vice vice Admiral admiral who had authorized my Direct direct Commission commission had stipulated that I was to go to Fighter school. The Commander commander was not about to ignore those orders.
Graduation came soon and we were all given a PASS., no No grade, just pass or fail. No one left failed. I was told I had a 96 hour pass; I didn’t want it and asked for my orders. The following day I was ordered to travel Space space Available available to Fleet World. I checked into the out goingoutgoing lounge with my orders and had a flight out in nine hours. It was another long trip, taking eight days with two very brief stops for passengers and equipment to transport.
The terminal at Fleet World was a zoo, lots of spacemen, officers and civilian dependents all over the place. It took me two hours to find a help desk that called the Fighter fighter school and told them I was there. It took another three hours before a Petty petty Officer officer showed up and took me out to the fighter school.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.