Chap. 225 Flight Non-Ops

Chap. 225 Flight Non Ops

"K'ndar, I believe you've a good grasp on what this job entails, " Lefsa said, "and I'm confident that you won't have many problems. The best thing about it is you may set your own schedule. Meaning, if you want to sleep in all morning and come to work in the afternoon, that's your choice."

He smiled. "I doubt I'll ever do that. I used to be up before dawn, feeding and mucking out the horses, and I've gotten used to it. So I'll be in here first thing, then maybe spend the afternoons either with Raventh or actually going to the field. You said earlier this week that I could set stuff aside and spend a week in the field? I think I'll do that," he said, part of his mind racing as to where to go? What to study?

"Careful, K'ndar, your desk has a way of reproducing work that, if you ignore it for too long, will multiply like insects." She laughed. "Remember, "Data reproduces exponentially"! I can attest to that, it's what I found when I took it over. I spent weeks just clearing away the backlog."

"Well, I can see there's no backlog now. You made it easy for me."

She smiled. "Remember, any time you get stuck, contact me. I might be working in Taxonomy now..a job created just for me, I think! I'll be in the next building over. Okay?"

She grinned again, then left. Such an odd girl, he thought. Most of the time, she's a happy girl, then something strikes her mind, something I've said or done, that turns her eyes sad for a moment. Bet it's her partner. He doesn't sound like the nicest bloke. Huh, how do I know that? My poor mum, putting up with the jerk that was my father. I remember the deepness of the gloom in her eyes. But now? Oh, she's happy with Fland. And he with her.

He sat at the desk, pondering the sudden quiet. My office. MY office? Strange. In a thousand years, I would never have dreamed I'd end up working in an office. But I also never dreamed I'd actually be a dragonrider. I thought I'd be under my father's thumb for the rest of my life.

That thought was so depressing he had to shake his head to get rid of it. And I'm happy, now, too.

Where to go. What to do. Something physical. Maybe a nice long hike? I've sat on my arse for most of the week.

He walked to the large, topographical map of Pern on the wall. Where to go. What to do.

A shaft of late morning sun came through the window. After a week of rain, the sun was shining. I have to go outside.

It's the end of the week. She did say I could make my own schedule. I really have nothing to do in here. I've been sitting on my arse all week. It's time to get up and get the kinks out. So I am officially ending my workday at noon.

Without another thought, he walked out of the office and started walking home.

Let's go flying Raventh said.

K'ndar sighed. In the tiny corner of his mind that he worked hard to keep from Raventh, he was dismayed. He wanted to walk, not fly. But this was Raventh, his partner, soulmate, dragon. He could not deny him.

Okay. Where are you? In the bay?

No. It's nice outside, I've been in the dragon meadow all morning.

Good. I'll get something to eat, then head home.

I don't know why I had so many problems making my way around this place, K'ndar thought, now confident he knew where he was going.

As he mused, Siskin frolicked in the air over his head, happy to have K'ndar to himself again.

I have an idea of what to do today Raventh said.

What would you like to do?

Go to the ocean and swim. Maybe go fishing?

After all our rain?

Fish aren't in the rain. They're in the water Raventh snarked.

How to deal with dragon sarcasm?

And I want to fly, I'm getting stiff? You've been in that building all week.

K'ndar heard just a hint of reproach.

I know. I'm sorry. I have neglected you, but I think that part is done, now. I'll still have to spend time in the office, but maybe not so much.

What is 'neglect'?

It's when I don't spend time with you when I should. Or I don't care for you when I should, like oiling you.

Oh. I don't need oiling. I was unhappy, but now I am not. I want to go to Cove Hold.

We've never been there. How do you know about Cove Hold?

Motanith told me. She said the fish are everywhere.

OK. Cove Hold. I haven't had the time to bone up on local coordinates.

More sitting. But sitting on Raventh's neck was nowhere near the dullness of sitting at a desk.

I'll get something to eat, then go to Flight Ops anyway. Then we'll fly.

He entered Flight Ops.

He recognized the man who worked Flight Ops, but he didn't remember the name. Pattis...Pattis...no, she was the evil tempered woman who worked in Kahrain's Flight Ops. This man had been her partner until their fighting eventually led to their being physically separated and Pattis taking a position at Kahrain Steppe Weyr. Where she excelled as a flight ops tech but as a human was miserable.

Landing's Flight Ops man was no improvement. He apparently hadn't changed from the first time he'd treated K'ndar badly. He'd arranged his desk so that he could see who was coming in before the person could see him. He also knew that most of the time it was dragonriders who would come in for more than just a look at the map.

K'ndar remembered how disdainful the man had been. He didn't like dragonriders. Risal had said he didn't like anybody. Why in the world people like him seem to have jobs that involved dealings with other humans, he had no clue. They're a lot like whers. Nasty tempered.

K'ndar stopped in the entry way. He caught the very faintest glance the man threw him, and then the man forced his attention on his desk, refusing to acknowledge K'ndar's presence.

K'ndar waited for several seconds, then realize the man was playing his well known game, that of 'ignore the dragonrider's requests for information until the dragonrider begs for information'. Then he'd take the opportunity to insult and berate the dragonrider.

I'm not going to fall for it this time, he thought. The only way to beat him was to play the same game. The coordinates for Cove Hold should be on that area's weather board.

K'ndar walked around the area in front of the man's desk, looking at the sign in boards. There were few dragonriders assigned to Landing, so there wasn't much to see. He noticed his name wasn't on the assigned list.

He could feel the man's eyes on his back.

If I turn, he'll refuse to meet my eyes. My move.

He wandered over to the wall that had a large map of Pern. Alongside it was a series of chalk boards with forecasts of weather over all of Pern.

Cove Hold. Cove Hold. Ah, there it is. He memorized the permanently etched coordinates and passed them to Raventh and Siskin.

But wait. Rain? Rain forecast for the eastern half of Southern, to include here? But the sun is out and the skies clear blue. Oh. This has YESTERDAY's weather.

Yesterday?

He looked at other boards. None of the boards for all of Southern had updated weather.

Was this planned? How irresponsible, for the forecaster at LANDING, for Pern's sake, neglecting to post today's weather?

Do I dare fly to Cove Hold without knowing the weather? Well, it wasn't like it would be the first time, flying without knowing the weather at the destination, but still, Flight Ops was an essential part of dragon riding, as well as fishing, and farming, and... No self respecting Flight Ops tech allowed old data to stand.

He turned to look at the man. The name came to him. Howel. The man had his eyes firmly downcast. The bald spot atop the man's head glowed in the sunshine streaming in. He resisted the urge to ask why the weather boards were out of date. So he wants to play peek a boo, eh? No problem. I have eyes in the back of my head.

"Siskin. Watch him," he said, softly. Then he turned back to the map, as if engrossed in it.

Siskin sent him the vision of the man staring at K'ndar's back-then sticking out his tongue.

Without turning around, K'ndar grappled with his irritation, then was struck by inspiration.

He pulled his datalink out of its pouch on his side. I have no idea if this will work, but let's give it a go. At least I'll get a rise out of this shithead Howel.

He flicked the call button and said, "Pattis of Kahrain Steppe Weyr."

I hope Pattis has a datalink, otherwise I'll look foolish.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Howel's head jerk up.

"This is Pattis, who calls?"

"K'ndar of Landing. Pattis, I need the weather for Cove Hold, please?"

Don't be your normal pigheaded bitch this time, Pattis, please.

"You're at Landing and calling ME for weather?"

Howel came out from behind his desk, furious.

"You!! What you calling HER for?"

K'ndar froze the man with his eyes. Without dropping his stare, he said, "Pattis, I'm in Landing's Flight Ops, but no one has updated the weather boards. They're all yesterdays' weather, have you ever heard of such dereliction of duty?"

"Ay, you yob! Shut that off, you have no right to call her in MY Flight Ops!" Howel snapped.

He made a motion as if to slap the datalink from his hands. Siskin hissed like a steam kettle and the man backed off.

"Ay, yourself, jerk," K'ndar snapped. "I need today's weather. I obviously can't get it from YOU, but I do know Pattis has it, every dragonrider knows he can depend on her excellent data."

"I don't doubt the boards there are outdated," Pattis's voice said from the link, "That's because Howel has never forecasted or kept the weather updated. Risal, the girl who works night shift, is the one who does the day's weather. I did the same thing when I worked there. Howel always has an excuse as to why someone else is to blame. He couldn't forecast weather if you held him at knife point. Why Landing hasn't sacked that pimple on a boar's arse is a mystery. I'll send Cove Hold's weather...up to the minute, it is! to you right now."

Ah, Pattis, you've redeemed yourself for once, he thought. She sounded uncharacteristically cheerful...and helpful.

The expression on Howel's face was priceless. "That sow, she's..."

"Mind your tone, Howel. Obviously you can't be bothered to actually do your job, if that's what you call sitting on your arse and ignoring people. I am going to recommend to Council that you be fired. Your social skills are abysmal and your job performance is non-existent," K'ndar snarled, hoping Pattis heard.

She did.

"Is that him in the background, K'ndar? Tell him the best part of him ran down his father's leg," Pattis cackled.

Howel went scarlet.

His datalink went 'ping!'. There was Cove Hold's weather, with the coordinates, a map, and even the tide tables.

"Ah, Cove Hold's weather, up to the very minute! Thank you so much, Pattis, as always, you're on top of your game!" K'ndar said, wondering where he was getting the schmooze for Pattis, who, even on her best days, was evil tempered. Ah, what was it he'd read once? The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

"You bastard," Howel snarled.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," K'ndar said, smirking.

He turned and left.

Once outside, he said, "Thank you, Pattis," he said to the datalink, feeling a rare warmth for the woman.

"Stow it, K'ndar. You caught me in a rare mood. I still don't like you. But don't feel bad, I don't like anybody," she replied.

Stunned at her instant return to the Pattis he'd learn to loathe, he stared at the datalink.

"And K'ndar, you absolutely need to report Howel's dereliction. Flight Ops is my life, K'ndar, it's the only thing I do well, and I take pride in it. How Howel got assigned to FO at Landing? is beyond me. I'd been doing Flight Ops for years and they assigned..no, they put him OVER me! I never forgave them for that. I never will. Whatever insanity inspired me to partner with him has gone.

Howel's always been worse than useless, taking nips from a bottle while on duty, ignoring reports from other stations, forgetting to log people in and out, outdated weather? Nothing new for him. I carried his weight for years. Risal's bearing the same load I did...doing the work of two, and Howel stealing the credit. He's a slacker. Leave things up to him and someone..probably a dragonrider..is going to get killed someday. But I do appreciate you giving me the opportunity to stick it to that arse. I finally got the last word in. Now leave me alone," the woman said, and closed the link.

Whew.