Brightwell
Time walker
"KBSO-4 to Outpost 16, over!" She is trying to sound professional. The bored operator leans back in her chair and smokes her third cigarette of the shift. She watches the smoke whirl in the light breeze from a fan across the room. She pauses and looks at the clock on the wall. Then back to her microphone. She leans forward again. And a bit of sound crackles from the receiver.
"Outpost 16 reset your modulation. I will adjust my gain." She leans back and ever so slightly adjusts a knob on her control board.
Then clear as day the female voice pounce on her through the speaker." Damn KBSO-4 do you me have now?"
"Outpost 16 I hear you 10 by 10 clear as day! And tree top tall" The operator relaxes and leans back in her chair again. The same cigarette between her fingers.
The woman from Outpost -16 continues. " Well things are really popping here. We got a new Commanding General and a two star at that!"
The KBSO operation smiles. "Yeah, I heard." She leans forward and grabs the microphone and places it on her flat belly and leans back again. Takes a pull from cigarette and blows the smoke in to the fan breeze. She takes a breath and presses the send button on her mic. "Roger that Outpost 16. They like to move Generals around, so they don't get too comfortable in any one chair. I mean it looks bad when your General gets his ass stuck in a chair. The troops start to make jokes."
The operator from Outpost -16 sounds more relaxed. As she replies. " And this one has the type of ass that is looking for just that type of chair."
The KBSO-4 operator smiles broadly as she looks at the ceiling. Then presses the send button. "So, Outpost 16 what is for supper tonight? Anything interesting?"
There is a bit of a pause before the reply. The operator at Outpost 16 tone changes. "You know that is the funnies thing."
Intrigued the KBSO-4 operator looks at her microphone and presses the send button. "And why is that?"
The voice replies. "We got something we never had before here at OP16"
The KBSO-4 operator smiles at the thought of a million things the OP's never or rarely get. She presses the send button. " Let me guess a mess sergeant that don't smoke?"
The OP 16 operator is quicker to answer. "No nothing like that. Nothing like that at all. This was special, way off the rails, you might say."
The KBSO-4 operator makes a face and shakes her head. This can't be happening. And hold her breath and presses the send button "What was so special you guys get the same grub day after day. A piece of fish or meat and a starch. If you are lucky a few cans of fruit."
Now OP 16 sounds a lot lighter in spirit. " No KBSO-4 we got cake. No let me change that. We got Bundt cakes. We got 4 German chocolate with white chocolate icing bundt cakes"
The KBSO-4 just stares at the microphone. She leans forward and put out her cigarette. And places the microphone on the small table in front of her. She stares at the microphone and blinks her eyes. The voice from OP16 is soft now. "And it was fresh. As if it had just come from the bakery. (A long pause). And smooth and the icing was sweet. It melted in my mouth. It was that good."
The KBSO-4 smiles and presses the send button. "And then you woke up?"
The voice slammed through the speaker. "Damn you KBSO-4! Yes! KBSO-4 It was. What the fuck. I woke up. It was the best food dream I ever had."
The operator laughs lightly. And presses the send button. "OK OP16 good story. KBSO-4 now clear!"
"Outpost 16 now clear."
"Outpost 16 reset your modulation. I will adjust my gain." She leans back and ever so slightly adjusts a knob on her control board.
Then clear as day the female voice pounce on her through the speaker." Damn KBSO-4 do you me have now?"
"Outpost 16 I hear you 10 by 10 clear as day! And tree top tall" The operator relaxes and leans back in her chair again. The same cigarette between her fingers.
The woman from Outpost -16 continues. " Well things are really popping here. We got a new Commanding General and a two star at that!"
The KBSO operation smiles. "Yeah, I heard." She leans forward and grabs the microphone and places it on her flat belly and leans back again. Takes a pull from cigarette and blows the smoke in to the fan breeze. She takes a breath and presses the send button on her mic. "Roger that Outpost 16. They like to move Generals around, so they don't get too comfortable in any one chair. I mean it looks bad when your General gets his ass stuck in a chair. The troops start to make jokes."
The operator from Outpost -16 sounds more relaxed. As she replies. " And this one has the type of ass that is looking for just that type of chair."
The KBSO-4 operator smiles broadly as she looks at the ceiling. Then presses the send button. "So, Outpost 16 what is for supper tonight? Anything interesting?"
There is a bit of a pause before the reply. The operator at Outpost 16 tone changes. "You know that is the funnies thing."
Intrigued the KBSO-4 operator looks at her microphone and presses the send button. "And why is that?"
The voice replies. "We got something we never had before here at OP16"
The KBSO-4 operator smiles at the thought of a million things the OP's never or rarely get. She presses the send button. " Let me guess a mess sergeant that don't smoke?"
The OP 16 operator is quicker to answer. "No nothing like that. Nothing like that at all. This was special, way off the rails, you might say."
The KBSO-4 operator makes a face and shakes her head. This can't be happening. And hold her breath and presses the send button "What was so special you guys get the same grub day after day. A piece of fish or meat and a starch. If you are lucky a few cans of fruit."
Now OP 16 sounds a lot lighter in spirit. " No KBSO-4 we got cake. No let me change that. We got Bundt cakes. We got 4 German chocolate with white chocolate icing bundt cakes"
The KBSO-4 just stares at the microphone. She leans forward and put out her cigarette. And places the microphone on the small table in front of her. She stares at the microphone and blinks her eyes. The voice from OP16 is soft now. "And it was fresh. As if it had just come from the bakery. (A long pause). And smooth and the icing was sweet. It melted in my mouth. It was that good."
The KBSO-4 smiles and presses the send button. "And then you woke up?"
The voice slammed through the speaker. "Damn you KBSO-4! Yes! KBSO-4 It was. What the fuck. I woke up. It was the best food dream I ever had."
The operator laughs lightly. And presses the send button. "OK OP16 good story. KBSO-4 now clear!"
"Outpost 16 now clear."
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