Goldrush

The humid air hits Lucy’s lungs and she feels herself breathing deeper as she steps out of her ride to the docks. She is somewhat used to the stuffy heat, living on a tropical island helps, but this is much different. This is going to take some getting used to. She’s hopeful however that the sea air might be slightly more bearable and that the ships air con is sufficient. She arrived in Singapore late last night and spent the night in a surprisingly fancy hotel. She didn’t realise the navy splashed out on such luxuries, but also isn’t going to complain. She grabs her duffle bag from the trunk. Her life tightly packed into one bag. Fortunately there’s no weight restriction when you fly onboard a navy aircraft. Also not much comfort either. She’d slept like a log last night after arriving at the hotel, a mix of jet lag and pure exhaustion. And despite being in a city that fascinated her, and one she would love to explore, she doesn’t get to see much of it.

She’s greeted by Executive Officer Ramirez as she slings her bag over her shoulder. Trying to make it look easier than it is. “Special Agent Afloat Tara, welcome to Singapore, I hope your journey here was pleasant”. Pleasant is a slight exaggeration. Lucy had flown on a military aircraft with no inflight entertainment and lots of loud military personnel for over 20 hours, stopping once along the way in Japan to refuel. She would call it hectic to say the least. However she isn’t in the mood for upsetting her new boss before even stepping foot aboard the carrier. “Yes, it was long but glad to be here now!”. She cracks a gentle smile, and for the first time realises what she’s standing right next to. The ship itself is immense. Lucy has suddenly never felt smaller in her life. Her eyes wander skywards, soaking in the sheer height it reaches. She follows the length of the structure, which seemingly never ends. This really is a floating city at sea she thinks to herself.

Ramirez notices the Agent’s distracted amazement. “Rather impressive, isn’t it?”. Lucy simply nods in response. She hasn’t even realised her jaw has fallen wide open in shock. “There’s expected to be 5212 of us onboard for this four month sailing, it’s rather-”. Lucy knows he’s still talking but she isn’t really taking in a word. The next four months are going to be spent in the South China Sea on an annual patrol mission. Their final stop, Yukosuka, Japan. In this moment it feels more real than ever. Lucy’s mind wanders back to the present. “-as well as coordinated tactical training”. Ramirez finishes his explanation of their mission. Lucy pretends she understands what the Executive Officer has just explained to her. “Sounds exciting!”. She needs to get better at lying.

Ramirez escorts Lucy aboard. She says a quiet prayer to herself as she steps off land for the last time. She isn’t in anyway religious, but it seems appropriate. As they enter the mid-deck the corridors appear to run on and on. Lucy wonders how to others this may feel claustrophobic, but for once her small size is playing to her advantage. “I’ll show you to your cabin, it has a bunk and en-suite bathroom”. Lucy thanks Ramirez and follows him willingly. Deliberating how she’ll ever learn to navigate the many decks of the huge vessel. “You’ll be sharing with one other woman as per navy protocol”. Lucy nods. She doesn’t mind sharing a cabin with a complete stranger for the next four months. In all honesty, it is the least of Lucy’s worries amid her time on the boat.

“No.378, this is you.” The officer hands Lucy a key. “I’ll let you get settled in and will come collect you in an hour. I want to show you your office and have you meet some of our staff”. Lucy, whose back is now in a lot of pain from slugging her entire four months worth of belongings around since leaving the car, slams the bag to the floor and takes the keys. One is labelled ‘No.378’, the other ‘Agent Afloat Office’. “Thank you XO Ramirez, I’ll see you in an hour”.

At this point Lucy is content with simply dragging her bag along the floor and into her room. The thought of lifting it once more sends a shooting pain down the agent’s back. She hauls her belongings inside and closes the door behind her. The cabin itself is basic. To the left a metal framed bunk bed with blue bed covers. At the end of the bunk is a metal locker which, judging from the rest of the room, Lucy assumes is the wardrobe. She opens it. The metal door screeching against the metal frame. Inside there’s simply two shelves. Both are still empty, so Lucy quickly seizes the opportunity to fill the bottom shelf with some of her clothes. She assumes the odds of her roommate being taller than her are pretty high, so she also stakes claim to the bottom bunk. Not that she couldn’t effortlessly climb into the top bunk. However, she feels as though being on a floating ship is bad enough, and opts for the most grounded choice.

On the right wall through the door is a small sink with a square mirror positioned just above it. Through another door is a tiny wet room with a toilet. The cabin was compact, but workable. Lucy decides to unpack some more, it won’t be long until Ramirez comes back to collect her. Just as she’s in middle of stacking her collection of BDU pants in the bottom of the locker, the door to the room creaks open. Lucy’s head immediately turns to face the woman entering the cabin. Her eyes trace the figure before her now from bottom to top. The woman’s slender body seems to go on forever. Lucy definitely doesn’t regret stealing the bottom shelf now. She’s wearing combat boots and skinny jeans. A grey t-shirt on top, which Lucy can’t help but notice is tight in all the right places. Her golden blonde hair is loose and wavy. The woman is sporting a pair of aviators on her head, tucked neatly behind her ears.

“Hi, sorry am I interrupting?”. Upon hearing her voice Lucy’s heart immediately skips a beat. The woman’s voice was just as impressive as her physique. She scrambles to her feet, almost tripping on her bag strap on the way to shake the blondes hand. “No! Not at all, I was just uh- unpacking”. Lucy doesn’t know why she’s suddenly sweating or why she can’t form a sentence but it might have something to do with the crooked half smile she is receiving from her new roomie. “Well then… I’m Kate Whistler, it’s a pleasure to meet you-”. The woman leaves her sentence hanging for Lucy to finish. “Special Afloat Tara, I mean Special Agent NCIS, Afloat-”. Words just won’t come to the agent afloat’s mouth. Clapping her hands together awkwardly she tries again. “Sorry, I’m uh- Lucy Tara”. Finally she manages to put at least four words together. “It’s nice to meet you too, Kate Whistler”. Lucy’s entire body is cringing. She hasn’t experienced gay panic like this in a long time.

Still smirking down at Lucy, Whistler reaches out her right hand. Lucy does her best to mask the slight shake in her own hand. Most likely being caused by the butterflies stirring in the pit of her stomach. She looks down as her own right hand meets the blondes halfway. The woman’s grip is somehow firm but soft. Lucy can’t remember the last time a handshake made her feel this way. An almost electric current stemming from Whistler’s touch. Time appears to stand still and suddenly she’s not sure how long they’ve been holding hands. A short moment later they simultaneously release the pressure they both held each other with. Lucy watches as their hands unravel. Already missing the sensation that sent shockwaves through her body.

She looks up to meet Whistler's eyes. Standing closer now, she notices their deep brown texture. Her facial structure is well-defined yet soft at the edges. She towers above Lucy. This ship was definitely not built with someone like Whistler in mind. Lucy pauses, unaware of the wide smile she wears as she meets the kind eyes of this stranger. The weird thing is that Lucy doesn’t feel as though Whistler is a stranger. It’s as if she’s met these very eyes a million times before. Maybe in another lifetime. Lucy has never been one to believe in soulmates, but she admits this sensation is pretty convincing. It’s as if the universe has sent the agent the woman of her dreams, in order to distract her from this living nightmare.

Whistler closes the door to their petite cabin and steps further inside. “So Lucy Tara, you’re our new Agent Afloat?”. Whistler questions, tilting her head. “Yes, at least for the next four months”. Lucy is relieved she manages to form a cohesive sentence. “Perfect timing! I’m here for the next four months as well”. Lucy isn’t sure whether the prospect of living with Whistler for that amount of time is a blessing or a curse. “So, are you a sailor?”. Lucy proposes the question to the blonde, realising that she actually has no idea what her role onboard this ship is. Lucy is praying Kate says yes. She has spent the past week researching as much as she could about this carrier. She does not want her counterparts thinking she’s an ignorant NCIS agent who lounges behind a desk for a living. She’s got her facts and figures ready to blow this blondes mind with her newfound knowledge of Nimitz-class nuclear powered super-carriers.

Whistler tosses her own bag onto the top bunk. Whatever she does, her work keeps her fit. “A-ha, not quite”. The blonde teases. “Why don’t you have a guess?”. Lucy is stumped. Not only are her facts now somewhat useless to impress this blonde goddess but she also doesn’t want to offend her. If she’s a chef or a cleaner, that’s just as impressive, Lucy doesn’t know what to say. “Well sailor sort of was my guess…”. That’s the best response she could come up with to hopefully keep the peace.

“I’m a pilot.” Whistler answers. She continues before Lucy can speak. “I fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet”. She says excitedly. Lucy isn’t entirely sure what language Whistler is speaking but she is lost for words. Whistler can sense the confusion in the agent’s blank expression. “It’s a fighter jet”. Whistler giggles as the still silent Lucy suddenly comes to the same realisation. “Wow, that’s uh- that’s really impressive”. Lucy is impressed but that sentence sounds so unconvincing to herself as she feels the words roll off her tongue. Whistler puckers her lips together, letting out a short breathy laugh. “Don’t worry, last time I checked it’s not a naval crime to not know what a Super Hornet is Agent Tara”. Lucy feels nauseous just hearing her own name in the form of the blondes voice. She laughs nervously as the now smiling Whistler meets her eyes once again. “I’m sorry, I’m so new to all this”. She isn’t sure why she’s now apologising but she bets the nerves in her stomach still have something to do with it. “No need to apologise, I’m sure you’ll figure this whole carrier out in no time. But if you need anything, anytime, honestly just ask”. Whistler’s words setting the agent at ease. “Trust me, I’ve been doing this for a while now, anything you need I’m your girl”. The blonde raises her brows and lifts her hand to salute two fingers jokingly to her roommate.

Lucy isn’t sure how she got so lucky. Is this really her new temporary reality or a dream her exhausted mind has come up that she hasn’t quite awoken from just yet?. The blonde reaches up to rummage through her bag. She pulls out a towel and a wash bag. “I’m going for a shower, if-”. Before the blonde could finish her sentence there’s a knocking on the cabin door. Lucy is so distracted by getting to know her new roommate that she completely forgot about Ramirez and his tour. “That’ll be the Executive Officer”. Lucy sprints to her bag and grabs her notepad. “He’s giving me a quick tour”. Lucy rushes over and answers the door. “Agent Tara, how is everything?”. Before Lucy can answer he glances beyond the agent’s much shorter shoulder and spies Whistler standing by the bunk. “Goldrush!” He exclaims.

Lucy turns to the blonde. Her eyebrows narrow in confusion. The agent wasn’t sure how many more times she could be stupefied in one day. What is a Goldrush and why is it her new roommate?. “Officer Ramirez!” Whistler steps forward to shake his hand. “It’s good to have you back”. He confesses. “It’s good to be back, sir”. Whistler reassures him. Lucy eyes bounce from Ramirez to Whistler like a tennis ball on a court. She’s still lost on Goldrush. “Goldrush here is one of our most accomplished pilots Agent Tara”. Ramirez places a hand on Whistler’s shoulder proudly. “Appreciate that, sir”. Whistler’s nods. All of a sudden it clicks in Lucy’s fatigued brain. If Whistler’s a pilot, then Goldrush is her call sign. Every naval pilot is assigned a call sign on their first deployment. Voted for by their peers. Lucy needs to know how the blonde became Goldrush.

“We best be going Agent Tara, there’s officers waiting to meet you on the upper port deck”. Ramirez says as he steps backwards. “Yes, of course, sir”. Should Lucy call him sir? Has she been rude not to for the past few hours? If Whistler did, it’s probably best she follows her lead. At least one of them knows what they’re doing on this ship.

“I’ll see you later Agent Tara!”. Lucy turns and smiles to the woman standing with her towel and wash bag once again. The earlier disrupted image of Whistler in the shower right next door comes flooding back to the forefront of her mind.

How is she going to survive the next four months…