Snippet #7
Jul. 14th, 2003 10:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gilascaveBenjamin Kreig
Ben had had an instructor at the academy who said, "Submariners are born, not made." He said it so often that behind his back he was known as "Professor Born Not Made." Ben's first year, he thought the guy's name was actually Bornamade. Luckily, he never called him that to his face.
Until he'd set foot on his first submarine, Ben had had no real opinion on the matter. He'd always rather assumed he'd be assigned to a base on land, somewhere. He'd no idea why, other than the fact his uncle had been assigned to Lanori Base for practically his entire career, and practically everything Ben knew about the "real Navy" came from Uncle Charlie's stories.
Failing a land base, he'd guessed it would be an aircraft carrier. Floating cities just as huge and civilised as a base on land, and as far removed from being on a sub as you could get and still be in the Navy.
But his first visit to a submarine changed all those assumptions. When he'd got back on shore after that first time, he knew he'd be requesting sub duty -- anything he could get. But Professor 'Born Not Made' was wrong. He hadn't been born to it. He'd been made.
Made over the course of a quick half hour, stolen time when no one would miss them. The engine room of a decommissioned sub left for cadet tours and history classes -- Ben had finally gotten alone with the man he'd been in love with.
His heart was on a submarine. Years later, he knew it always would be.
Ben had had an instructor at the academy who said, "Submariners are born, not made." He said it so often that behind his back he was known as "Professor Born Not Made." Ben's first year, he thought the guy's name was actually Bornamade. Luckily, he never called him that to his face.
Until he'd set foot on his first submarine, Ben had had no real opinion on the matter. He'd always rather assumed he'd be assigned to a base on land, somewhere. He'd no idea why, other than the fact his uncle had been assigned to Lanori Base for practically his entire career, and practically everything Ben knew about the "real Navy" came from Uncle Charlie's stories.
Failing a land base, he'd guessed it would be an aircraft carrier. Floating cities just as huge and civilised as a base on land, and as far removed from being on a sub as you could get and still be in the Navy.
But his first visit to a submarine changed all those assumptions. When he'd got back on shore after that first time, he knew he'd be requesting sub duty -- anything he could get. But Professor 'Born Not Made' was wrong. He hadn't been born to it. He'd been made.
Made over the course of a quick half hour, stolen time when no one would miss them. The engine room of a decommissioned sub left for cadet tours and history classes -- Ben had finally gotten alone with the man he'd been in love with.
His heart was on a submarine. Years later, he knew it always would be.