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Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War (7/11/2008 11:12:33 PM)
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April 29, 1944
Location: 105 miles northeast of Saipan
Course: Holding position
Attached to: TF 23
Mission: Air combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 287
Orders: Shadow enemy forces approaching the Marshall Islands
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The executive officer is the only person aboard other than the captain who has his own cabin. It seems almost too small to hold Chief Shun as he stands facing Lieutenant Miharu.
“Thank you for coming by, Chief,” says the lieutenant. This is only politeness on the officer’s part and Shun knows it; he has been summoned and coming here was not an optional matter. Still, Shun appreciates the illusion.
“Yes sir,” he says in his gravelly voice.
“I will be direct,” says Lieutenant Miharu. “Where were you Thursday night during the midwatch?”
“I was playing cards with Chief Shinoda and Lieutenant Kataoka, sir,” says Shun promptly. “I turned in at 0230 and was asleep thereafter. I believe Petty Officer Takahashi saw me when I entered the bunk room, sir.” He stands at attention, as solid and immoveable as some ancient statue of weathered stone.
“Did you see Petty Officer Okubo there?” Miharu asks.
“Yes sir,” says Shun. “He was in his bunk, in uniform, asleep.”
“More like unconscious, wouldn’t you say, Chief?”
“Sir, I do not know,” says Shun. “He seemed asleep to me, sir, but how would I tell without looking closely?” Lieutenant Miharu digests this and gazes at the chief for a moment.
“Did you know that Okubo was beaten on Thursday night, Chief?” he asks.
“I suspected it, sir,” Shun says. “I know he said he fell, but I can tell the difference.”
“Lieutenant Nakagawa says he was hit twice, hard, once above the kidney and once on the back of the neck. Hit hard, too. Nakagawa says he was probably incapacitated and unconscious immediately.”
“Yes sir,” says Shun evenly.
“Do you have an opinion about that, Chief Shun?” asks the lieutenant.
“Someone knew what they were doing, sir,” says Shun.
“To your knowledge, Chief, who aboard could do that?” says Miharu.
Shun does not hesitate. “Myself,” he says. “Lieutenant Sugiyura. The Captain.”
“Shinoda, Kataoka, Takahashi – they will all attest that they saw you that night, Chief?”
“Yes sir,” says Shun. Lieutenant Miharu thinks for a moment.
“Chief, you would not ask a shipmate to lie for you.” This is not a question, it is a statement. Shun does not respond. “You didn’t do it, did you, Chief?”
“No sir, I did not,” says Shun.
“Do you know who did?”
“No sir,” says Shun. Lieutenant Miharu strokes his chin. In Shun’s experience this means the lieutenant is trying to work through a problem.
“Petty Officer Aikawa says that a sailor posted at the starboard rail amidships reported hearing something that sounded like a brief scuffle,” he says. “This was at about 0200. But neither the sailor nor Aikawa saw or found anything.”
“Hm,” grunts Shun. “Sir,” he adds.
Miharu cocks his head to one side. “You have a thought, Chief?” he asks.
Shun shakes his head. “No sir,” he says.
Lieutenant Miharu looks slightly vexed. “We have a mystery on our hands, it seems,” he says.
“Yes sir,” says Shun. “I think we do.”
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