Read Jethro 3: No Place Like Home for Free Online

one else did?” the ensign drawled. “A jarhead?”
    “Sir,” Jethro said, ignoring the put down. “I checked the readings twice; they don't match.”
    “Oh? Well, did you clear the line and retest?”
    “Sir, it's a red line. Red fittings. Which means, don't touch. Protocol said call in engineering support.”
    “And here I am. Okay, let's have a look at this so called problem,” the ensign said. He pulled Jethro's diagnostic tool out and then plugged his own in. He frowned at it, then at Jethro. “This is wrong. What did you do?”
    “I plugged my diagnostic in and found it wrong. That's what I'm reporting. The pounds-per-square centimeter is 250. Downstream, it's the proper regulation two hundred.”
    The ensign grunted thoughtfully as he unclipped his tool and went downstream to the open panel where the students were. “Who are they?”
    “Recruits, sir. Here to observe.”
    “Ah,” the ensign said with a sympathetic nod. He plugged his device in and then frowned. “You are right. Something's hinky.”
    “Obstruction or pinched line?”
    “One or the other. Upstream of that line or in the valve itself. It's not an equipment malfunction. I wonder why no one has noticed it?”
    “Not my department, sir,” Jethro said carefully.
    “It could be new. Something got flushed. Or a flake or something came off recently,” the Veraxin recruit said.
    The human ensign looked at the recruit. “You don't speak unless I ask a specific question directed to you. Understood?”
    “Yes, sir,” the Veraxin said. “I don't understand...”
    “You don't have to understand, just do as you are told,” the human said, tone tightening in disapproval. He turned a glare on Jethro.
    “They are new, sir.”
    “I see that. I think you need to put them on a shorter leash Sergeant. At least until they've learned manners.”
    “Aye aye, Sir.”
    “I'm calling in the repair. I'll check upstream and see what's going on and why no one reported it.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Dismissed.”
    “Aye, sir. Moving on,” Jethro said, waving to his chicks to follow. He gathered up his tool kit and moved on. “Come one kids,” he said, waving his hand for them to follow. “Next job site...”
    When they were out of earshot the Veraxin clicked his mandibles. Jethro looked over his shoulder again, then around. He slowed until the four recruits caught up. “Something?”
    “I'm wondering why we weren't allowed to observe the repair. Or help.”
    “And why we were told to leave like that?” another recruit muttered darkly.
    Jethro snorted. “Well, it's a thing between Marines and squids. Squids are what we call the sailors. They don't like being shown up, least of all by us.”
    “Jarheads. My head is not shaped like a jar.”
    “It's an archaic term. Don't sweat the small stuff. The point here is that they don't like that we found it and they didn't. That made them look bad. So they naturally wanted us gone so to fix it without any comments from us.”
    “Ah.”
    “It's perfectly natural to miss something. Normally. But some people are either willfully blind or negligent. I have no idea what in this case. It could be minor or not; I don't know. I know my job though, that's to go on to the next site.”
    “So...why didn't they do this before? I mean again, sir?”
    Jethro snorted softly. “I think the ensign is wondering the same thing. Others will wonder the same. Maybe it will get some people to pay attention to their jobs so not to get shown up by the dumb jarheads. Not my problem.” He looked at them as they rounded a corner and headed to the lift. “Not your problem either. This is supposed to be a training exercise to keep me in shape, an independent look at the ship's systems, and a fresh perspective for you as an intro. Next is electrical, which isn't something I'm thrilled about...”
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    Much to Jethro's chagrin, his find was kicked up the chain of command. He had hoped it would have been kept