Chapter 4

McCock walked into the main gate up the wide pathway to the work's entrance. He recognized the burly Gunny, today in work dress, standing on the block at the guard post and saw him drink from a very large cup of steaming fluid presumably coffee; the quasi-addiction appeared to be universal throughout the Navy. It was early and only a small trickle of fellow workers were making their way along the path.

Rowan said his group started at 0700 – an hour ahead of the rest – "just to stagger the incoming crowd, you know?" Yeh, thought McCock, if you believe that there's a bridge I want to sell you. (He later found out that Rowan used the extra hours – he came in even earlier – to scan the daily work-in-progress reports of R & D).

The Gunny flicked his gaze disinterestedly over McCock and why should he notice? McCock was wearing clothing which looked as if it had come from the Seamen's Mission; in a way it could have as the kit was McCock's, worn during school vacations working – really working, he winced at the memories – at varying levels in his grandparents' freighters between Sol, Mountserrat and elsewhere. With his unprepossessing features, thin mousey hair cut short back and sides, short and skinny, McCock would pass unnoticed in any crowd except for his erect posture which did not attract attention in this environment.

McCock grimaced as he noted the rainbow coloured shirt accompanied by the startled rabbit look of the figure on his swipe card.

Ugh.

"Marty, the rainbow shirt on a green card " Rowan had bellowed into Room 3006 as he had pushed McCock ahead of him, "bring him in when you have done with him".

"Who's gonna sign the card?" grumbled the woman at the desk.

"My aren't you the happy one today? Get Wilson onto it" and he pushed away through the door on the other side.

"Johnno come and cover me".

The back door opened again and 'Johnno' stepped through.'

"How long will you be, I got that report to make?"

"Gimme thirty," beckoning McCock to follow. She went across the corridor to Room 3003, swiped her card, entered with McCock following like a lost sheep. His uniform had attracted puzzled looks from the rooms' four occupants. Marty looked at a slender woman and pointed at an impressive vault door. The slender woman looked over at the younger of the two male occupants with raised eyebrows. The younger man looked up disgustedly at Marty making a 'come on' gesture.

'It must be contagious', thought McCock.

"Don't you trust me?" Marty whined.

"Never in a million years and not with a total stranger wearing a dress uniform I've never seen before" taking the orders' chip from McCock's proffered hand.

Slipping the chip into his reader he quickly perused the top paragraph. He slowed as he continued down,

"My, my ... that's interesting ... very interesting" glancing up at McCock.

Finishing, the younger man shut down the reader, returned the chip to McCock and told him,