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“Is a blockade very tedious, then?”
“Oh, yes,” said Jack, leading Stephen back out to the companion. “Either there’s nothing to do except attend closely to the flag’s signals, and petty annoyances grow to preposterous proportions, or you’re so overworked that everyone’s on watch and watch, and again things that you’d not normally care about become infamous. This is the other midshipmen’s berth, with its gun. It’s really just a reverse and repeat of the one to port, you see?”
“They seem to be fans of soccer - that is, football.”
“Yes, many of the mids are - it lends itself to the space they have.” Jack led Stephen down another level of the companion to a closed hatchway with a green light beside it. He peered through a small window let into the hatch, then pulled it open and ushered Stephen inside. “Hold here,” he said, stepping through the hatchway himself and pulling it closed behind him.
They were in a small vestibule, with a heavy hatch at either end. A rack of scuffed orange headphones hung along the third wall, and a large sign dominated the fourth: ENGINE ROOM: HEARING PROTECTION MANDATORY BEYOND THIS POINT. Ch 1 Repeater Ch 2 Talkaround Ch 3 Bridge. A low whine filled the space, and the floor vibrated softly.
Jack pulled two pairs of headphones from the rack, fiddled with them for a moment, then passed one to Stephen and put on the other himself. “Can you hear - er, you have them on backwards, sir.”
Once his guest’s headphones were arranged properly Jack went on, “You can adjust the speaker volume with the knob below the left ear. Ready?”
“Yes,” said Stephen.
Jack glanced released the safety on the inner door. The light on the wall turned red, and he pulled open the hatch.
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