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asher553[signal orbit free]
It was late at night when we finally got the signal. There were three of us up on the roof with the antenna and receiver, trying to lock on to the satellite. Its orbit took it within range for a few minutes every two hours. The warm summer air was finally starting to turn cool, and the rest of the team had quit work and were relaxing in the makeshift lounge in the common area of our building.
There was already reason enough to celebrate: hours earlier, we had received confirmation that our overseas agents had disabled the enemy's command center. For us in the communications team - housed in our nondescript building far from any government or military installation - our job was done. Getting the agents out safely wasn't our responsibility, but still the three of us were haunted by it - Garvik, Noreena, and myself - calculating the satellite's orbit and aiming the antenna into the night.
There was soft recorded music playing in the lounge below, and people were drinking fruit punch that bore the sweet, cloying smell of pears. Bits of conversation carried up the stairway to the rooftop, but we weren't listening. It was Noreena who was holding the headset against her ear, her eyes gazing beyond the display of the satellite receiver, who first cracked a crooked smile. She gave the earpiece to Garvik, who didn't smile, but nodded as if silently answering the blessing of a prayer leader. Garvik passed it to me, and I heard the familiar voice, from an agent I would never meet and whose name I would never know, repeating the code words with audible relief. We looked at one another, and Garvik at last permitted himself a grim smile of satisfaction.
We packed up the radio gear and headed down the stairs to join the others. Conversation stilled as we walked in, and a few of the team members looked down awkwardly. Noreena walked up to the punch bowl and poured herself a plastic cup full, raised it in a toast, and said, "They're free."
It was late at night when we finally got the signal. There were three of us up on the roof with the antenna and receiver, trying to lock on to the satellite. Its orbit took it within range for a few minutes every two hours. The warm summer air was finally starting to turn cool, and the rest of the team had quit work and were relaxing in the makeshift lounge in the common area of our building.
There was already reason enough to celebrate: hours earlier, we had received confirmation that our overseas agents had disabled the enemy's command center. For us in the communications team - housed in our nondescript building far from any government or military installation - our job was done. Getting the agents out safely wasn't our responsibility, but still the three of us were haunted by it - Garvik, Noreena, and myself - calculating the satellite's orbit and aiming the antenna into the night.
There was soft recorded music playing in the lounge below, and people were drinking fruit punch that bore the sweet, cloying smell of pears. Bits of conversation carried up the stairway to the rooftop, but we weren't listening. It was Noreena who was holding the headset against her ear, her eyes gazing beyond the display of the satellite receiver, who first cracked a crooked smile. She gave the earpiece to Garvik, who didn't smile, but nodded as if silently answering the blessing of a prayer leader. Garvik passed it to me, and I heard the familiar voice, from an agent I would never meet and whose name I would never know, repeating the code words with audible relief. We looked at one another, and Garvik at last permitted himself a grim smile of satisfaction.
We packed up the radio gear and headed down the stairs to join the others. Conversation stilled as we walked in, and a few of the team members looked down awkwardly. Noreena walked up to the punch bowl and poured herself a plastic cup full, raised it in a toast, and said, "They're free."
