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The day after he arrived, Albert Kesler had finally gotten his room in order in a way that he liked. He''d set up his desk where he wanted it, his dresser where he needed it, and even moved the bed to a place where the sun wouldn't wake him up at inopportune times- only the times he would generally prefer. If it was going to be his room, then it was going to be his room . He'd explored the functions of his kitchen, he'd checked everything else, and it was in working order.
He was sure the commander would pay him a visit at some point, so he made sure to have breakfast bright and early so he would be prepared for whatever the commander had planned that morning.
His expectations were correct.
The commander knocked on the door, and Albert let him in, standing to attention and saluting. "Sir! I do hope that these sudden arrangements do not interfere with base procedure."
The commander shrugged. "At ease." Albert put his hands behind his back. "It's really not a problem- Victorious messaged me, too, and I've put the paper in motion. There's really no reason for you not to be able to stay here- aside from you and me, most of the men who work here live in town rather than on base." He looked at his new assistant. "It sounds to me like you've started getting along with the others already."
"The commander's directives proved to be useful." He began. "Helping Victorious was not burdensome. It was a worthwhile use of time."
That was certainly a way you could phrase it, but then, the commander just wasn't used to having a regular subordinate that would speak to him in formal military address. The commander looked around at the arrangement of Albert's room, and there was a detail that did intrigue him- the desk that had his computer was as far away from his bed as it could have been. "That's an interesting place for it- when I first met you, you seemed like the kind of person who'd roll out of bed and right into work, and back."
"That's actually a suboptimal arrangement, sir." He looked at his desk, then back to the commander. "One thing that has been backed by studies is that there are only so many hours per day that a human being can truly engage productively with one's work before one's performance degrades at a swift rate. While there are some cultures and institutions that embrace a mindset of workaholism, that is not a practice that produces superior results, and in some cases, can prove counterproductive due to errors made by vital actions performed past the useful period of engagement. Sir."
The commander rubbed one of his temples. It had taken him a long time to deal with the fact that his work habits were not ideal, and he was still slow to let it go and delegate more to others because he had thought of it as one of the ways he showed devotion to the fleet. The girls had their own way of ripping him away from his desk, and he had been getting better over time, but with them, it was often couched in terms of "All Work and No Play etc." Which was true enough, but Leutnant Kesler put the pointlessness of it in very stark terms.
So did Prinz Eugen, one time, but now he began to see that as strangely appropriate, considering the origins of his new assistant.
"Well, that's reasonable enough. Anyway, it'll take us a moment to prepare a full briefing for you about what has developed here, as there were some clearance matters that still needed to be dealt with before we could give you full access to our data and intelligence. That won't take very long. Even apart from that, well..." The commander took a deep breath. "I need to figure out how to make some of the things that happen sound like plausible occurrences."
"Understandable. Even inf the field of conventional military conflict, it is occasionally difficult to believe that facts are facts." He spoke up. "Commander, though a full briefing may not be available at this time, I would prefer to have some general expectations of my duties."
The commander spoke up. "Well, after looking over your specializations, I'm going to be asking you to have a good look at our supply system to see if there are any improvements you can make. As you run into various specifics, I'll refer you to various other members of your command who have more direct experience in dealing with the system. You can expect to be free from busywork duties, but I plan to employ your expertise as early as possible. While we're in good shape generally, I have a feeling our current system isn't ideal."
"Sir!" He began. "Our situation is by definition not ideal. There is, in fact, only one situation that is ideal for a commander in the conduct of war."
The commander was intrigued. "All right- I'd like to hear what our ideal situation would be."
He stood up straight. "The only ideal situation for a commander in the conduct of war is one in which your enemy meekly approaches you with their head bowed and stretching out their hands to offer you their declaration of absolute surrender." He gave the commander complete eye contact. "My duty as your assistant is to allow you to fully concentrate on achieving that result, sir."
Once again, it was a harsh way of putting it, but Albert wasn't really wrong, either. The commander had to admit to himself that he wanted to crush the Sirens and put an end to their disastrous aims for humanity, the living ships, and the world at large, and put things in place so they've never be able to wield their sort of malign influence again. "Well, I look forward to see your work."
"Yes sir!" He then spoke up again. "Are there any other matters I should be aware of?"
"Yes." The commander looked at the door, and then the window. "You've probably noticed this already, but the ships here, for the most part, don't use any sort of formal address. They may call me commander, but that's as far as it goes- it may seem strange, but you and I are very, very young compared to them. So you may address me as you see fit, but it would be useful to be less formal around them." The commander paused, and then continued. "Also, you can expect a welcome wagon."
His intense look now turned more curious. "A welcome wagon, sir?"
The commander leaned against the doorframe. "Well, word has probably spread now that you're here, and they're going to be curious about you. So some of them are going to come here to see who you are and what you're about. When I first came here, I was barely off the boat when I found pulled to a Union outdoor barbecue. You're someone who's going to be living here and someone they don't know yet. Oh, that reminds me- you should probably sign in to Juustagram."
Albert picked up his phone, and looked confused. This was an unusual directive. "...Are you asking me to have a social media presence, sir?"
The commander gave him a nod. "It's an invite-only network, so you don't have to worry about the usual pitfalls. Besides, it's a good way to keep tabs on what, and more importantly, how the others are doing."
Albert stared at the registration page for a moment, and then made his choice.
New User Registered: VonMoltkeExpress
The commander opened the door. "Anyway, aside from the work I expect from you, the rest of your time is yours to do with as you please. Of course, I have given you my advice and recommendations of what you should be doing while you're here. I need to get back to my own matters. Besides, I think that you're going to be getting a bunch of visitors soon, so I don't want to get in the way of you getting acquainted."
"Understood."
The commander left, and decided he'd check up on Juustagram later- he needed to familiarize himself with what resources would be available to him in his position.
Of course, if he had checked Juustagram, he might've had some forewarning about the welcome caravan bearing down on him.
His first visitor was accompanied by the smell of cookies. He knew that he had smelled something similar when he first moved in, and when he heard the knock, he opened the door, mainly curious to see who the prolific baker was. One of the maids, or...?
Howe smiled as she handed the plate of cookies over to Albert- there was an astonishing variety there- things he knew, things he'd only seen in magazines, and also some things he'd never seen or heard of. "Here you go, and welcome."
Little Bel emerged from behind Howe, did a quick curtsy, and then took a look in the room. "Ah! It's so neat already..." She blinked. "He's a bit different from the commander...?"
Albert Kesler placed the plate of cookies on his desk, and then stood before his visitors. "I have spent some time arranging the room to my liking- the neatness helps me concentrate."
Howe looked at Little Bel. "Well, even if he's different, that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve cookies. In fact, they're a good way of bridging a gap between people you might find eccentric." She turned her attention back to Albert. "Anyway, I am the battleship Howe, and we call this one Little Bel. You may have seen a larger version of her, Belfast, moving around. Belfast was the head maid, but is working hard to regain her position, so you can expect her to be the head maid again, soon. Have you been able to live well here, so far?"
"I've only been living here since last afternoon, but this suits my needs."
Little Bel walked over and plopped on his bed while Howe continued. "It looks a bit plain, but then, I think all the rooms did before they were truly lived in. But if living here works for you, I'm here to offer cookies, not decorating advice. I'm sure the maids have already talked to you, but if you want to discuss higher-level matters, you can talk to my sisters- Prince of Wales, King George, Duke of York, and Monarch. But don't be a stranger, anyways- people might worry if they don't see much of you."
He had an opportunity. "I wasn't quite expecting this sort of attention on arrival, myself. I expected to quietly assume my duties, and people would encounter me as they needed my services, or as I needed to discuss things with them."
Little Bel was testing Albert's bed by laying on it, and Howe decided to leave the mini-maid to it. "I think that ships and officers were made to look after each other, right? As long as you live here, we're as responsible for your welfare as you are for ours. So, you should just expect people to want to make sure you're okay, and even spoil you a bit~"
"Spoil?" He hesitated to ask what that might mean around here. She did just give him all those cookies, though.
"I guess you'll see, probably soon." Howe looked around. "You know, I wasn't sure someone from your country would want to have something to do with us, but Victorious vouched for you, and she's not always easy to please."
Albert stood up straight. "It is not a useful arrangement for nations to be at each other's throats. I know my duties, and will go where they take me."
Howe smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Come on, Little Bel." The tiny maid hopped off of the bed, and followed Howe as she left.
Albert was left to ponder the heap of cookies that Howe had left him. They were certainly high-quality. He was about to pick one up before he heard another knock on the door. He opened it up, and had to back up quickly, because two girls practically bounced into the room. Libeccio put on a big smile. "Hello, new officer! I'm Libeccio, and I feel like we should be friends."
Maestrale managed to speak up. "G... Good day."
Libeccio giggled, and hugged her sister. "And this is my big sister, Maestrale! You'll get along with her, too, right?"
"Uh..." He was still trying to get past the "hello" part. "I don't see why I shouldn't."
Littorio smiled, and soon another box of desserts found its way into his hands. "A gift, from Sardegna. I am, of course, Littorio. Unfortunately, my marvelous sister was indisposed, and you did come without warning, so she left this matter to me."
Libeccio smiled. "And I got to come along, and bring my sister, too!"
Littorio chuckled. "Indeed. Anyways, Sardenga welcomes you to this shared enterprise of ours, and not only that, you are welcomed by I, Littorio." She pulled out a rose, and sniffed it. "Of course, seeing as it has been a while since someone like yourself has come to live here, apart from the commander, I felt compelled to see what the port was getting."
Albert stood straight. "Then what is your assessment?"
Littorio smiled. "Hm. No one to worry about, really. Focused on his duty, but not much on the other things in life."
Libeccio tugged on Littorio's cape. "Ah, but, people saw him going shopping with Victorious, and she had a good time, too!"
Littorio's hand suddenly tensed, which caused her to inadvertently snap the head off of the rose she was carrying. She caught the blossom as it fell, and played it off as though it was no big deal. "...I see! Well, then, there's nothing which says that Littorio cannot be mistaken." She sighed a bit. "Well, there is still one Signora that shines above all others. Good day to you, Albert." And then she went on her way.
Libeccio gave a quick bow. "Ah, sorry, Littorio can get a bit heated when it comes to other ladies. But... Hope to see you around!" She took her sister with her.
While he was still trying to puzzle out Littorio's reaction, he needed some time to sit down.
He didn't get it.
The door had barely received two knocks before he went over it with one stride and opened it up. Baltimore gave a little wave. "Hey there! I'm Baltimore, just a cruiser passing by, and I brought my sis, Bremerton, too and..."
Anchorage immediately stepped in, and began to look around the room, wide-eyed in what Albert considered to be misplaced wonder. "Ah... So, this is a boy's room...?"
Bremerton smiled. "She wanted to come along and see- and I can't say no when Anchorage is curious, you know?"
Baltimore smiled, and shrugged. "It can't be helped, besides, Anchorage is pretty harmless, so there's no reason not to let her come along." She took a look at the pile of cookies on a plate and the pasty box on Albert's desk. "Yeah, looks like Howe and Littorio have been by already. Sorry we didn't bring you anything, and lots of the other girls are probably going to drop things off for you." She watched Anchorage look around the room. "But, if there's anything the Royals can't help you with, give us a call, all right?"
Bremerton winked. "Yep! If you're ever having any job trouble or girl trouble, just come on by and I'll hear you out, and see what I can do, all right?"
Albert looked between the two of them while Anchorage wandered around. "Thank you for the offer of assistance- I'll need people I can rely on while I'm here."
Anchorage stopped. "So... What do you do here again?"
Bremerton spoke up before Albert could. "Well, Albert here is going to be Teacher's assistant."
Anchorage's eyes got even wider, and began to sparkle just a bit. "You mean... He's going to be Teacher's...? He's going to be Teacher's...!"
Baltimore touched her fingers to her forehead. "Well, now you've done it, sis."
Bremerton chuckled. "Sorry, sis- it'd probably happen eventually, though."
Albert blinked. "...What would hapPEN!" He was soon the recipient of a wholehearted hug from the cruiser. Anchorage got nice and comfy as she snuggled against the officer, and he wasn't really quite sure what to do with his hands.
Anchorage, however, was in bliss. "...Extra teacher...~". She became extremely relaxed, too. Albert could only respond by nervously putting his arms around her, wondering if he'd look more awkward if he did or didn't.
Eventually, Baltimore tapped Anchorage, causing her to make a sound that Albert could only describe as a "cute Anchorage noise" and come back to her senses. "Come on, Anchorage, he needs some time to get used to living here."
"Oh...? Oh!" Anchorage slowly let go. "Well... Bye, Extra Teacher!"
Bremerton gave him a wink as she went with the others. "Just remember what I said, okay?" And then she went on her way, too.
Once he was alone in his room again, he had begun to recover from the bewildering affection given to him by someone he had never met. One of the things that the commander had neglected to tell him was how intense the feelings of ships could become at the drop of a hat, and this left him to factor that into his dealings with the rest of the base on his own. He didn't really have time to think about it for very long before there was another knock on his door.
When Albert opened the door this time, he was greeted by someone dark and tall. He looked up at Friedrich Der Grosse who seemed, at first impression, like the kind of creature parents might warn their children about if they ever went to the depths of the Black Forest. He wasn't entirely sure whether she was there to greet him or to grind his bones to make her bread.
But Friedrich didn't behave like she looked- she turned her golden eyes on him, and then looked at him with a bit of a blush and a warm smile. She put her hands together as she looked him over in silence for a long time. So, he's the one who spoke first. "May I-"
He didn't get a chance to make it to a third word, as now he was receiving his second whole-hearted hug from a busty woman in less than half an hour. He was pulled tight against her chest, Friedrich closing her eyes as she did so. "Ah~... What a blessed world I live in, that continues to furnish me with such dear children..."
It was at this point that Albert's mind became at odds with itself. the rational part told him that he should be resisting this, pushing back and attempting to establish proper boundaries, but the officer's instincts that should be firing off to do just that, weren't.
The sun would rise.
The tides would come in.
Friedrich was a second mom.
These were things his subconscious mind accepted as rational truths even has the conscious parts were telling him that was absolutely nuts.
"Ugh! We haven't been here for five minutes and you're already embarrassing us!" Grumped Admiral Hipper.
Nurnberg also piped up. "Please don't turn him into the kind of person who thinks weird thoughts!"
Friedrich reluctantly put him down. "All right... But if he still wants this sort of thing, you can't stop me from giving it to him- in fact, it would assuredly be better for you not to try."
Now, Albert did know about his own country's ships, at least, and these were Friedrich, Admiral Hipper, and Nurnberg. They were accompanied by the smell of fresh bread. Admiral Hipper spoke up again. "Well, I was just hoping that with one of our countrymen around, we'd have some sanity around here, but I guess that was too much to ask."
Nurnberg stepped forward, holding a covered basket, still blushing from embarrassment by proxy. "So, ummm... I know you've come a long way to get here, so I thought you should have this. Even though our country is far away, you should at least know you can get a taste of home when you want it."
Albert took the basket and uncovered it, and it was full of Brötchen- the real, homemade stuff, too, like he had with his family. He had been close to his family, even in the service, as on leave he could always take the train back home, but now it hit him that he was on a faraway island where he couldn't do that sort of thing. It was difficult for him to express how grateful he was while also retaining the composure and demeanor required of as an officer of the service on a military base. And so, he remained speechless.
Nurnberg blinked. "Um..."
Friedrich giggled. "Oh, my precious Nurnberg, it seems you might have broken the commander's new assistant."
"Eek! I didn't mean to!"
Hipper rolled her eyes. "He probably just wasn't expecting to get that kind of stuff on a base. Hey!" She snapped her fingers in front of his face a few times.
He eventually came to attention. "Yes! Well, thank you for receiving me. Anyway, I am staying here as this was the first place I could receive accommodations."
Hipper sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Probably better this way, our dorm is full of weirdos."
Nurnberg winced. "Ahhh! I do my best not to have any weird thoughts about the commander and everyone else here!"
Hipper shook her head. "Like I said, our dorm is full of weirdos."
Friedrich giggled. "Mhm. Well, wherever you decide to stay, my dear child, you may come and go as you please from the Iron Blood quarters whenever it pleases you to do so- I expect to see you around."
Admiral Hipper looked at the tall battleship. "Well, don't put it like that, it sounds like you'll put a curse on him if he doesn't!" She then turned her green eyes on Albert. "Anyway, if you need a decent bar- and you probably will- just drop by. My younger sister runs the place, and if you make an idiot of yourself there she's not going to hold it against you."
Albert nodded. "That does seem to be an essential skill for a bartender, yes."
Admiral Hipper shrugged. "Yeah, well, you'll see what she's like if you come over."
Friedrich smiled. "Well, I think we shall leave him for now, Franz- he is probably bewildered by the number of visitors he has received already, and there are probably more to go- but if you need a rest, and can't find it here, I do have a lullaby ready at any time."
"Gah!" Grunted Hipper. "Let's just go."
So the three of them left, though Nurnberg stayed a moment to give him a small bow before following the others.
Albert wasted no time- there was no reason to not sample the goods if they were brought fresh. He didn't care that he didn't have any butter on hand, because bread that smelled like it could've come from his homeland- no, his own house- should be tasted immediately.
The work of Nurnberg's kitchen did not disappoint.
He was able to take a bit of time to compose himself before he had to open the door again- the knocks were only just loud enough to get his attention this time- it was a knock that he would only notice if he was awake.
When he opened the door this time, he found himself on the receiving end of another red pasty box, this time marked with the fleur-de-lis. Dunkerque smiled. "Hello~. Here you go, and welcome to our port. You arrived so suddenly, I only had time to make a few different things."
Algérie chuckled. "Oh, don't act like what you do isn't a big deal." She came with wine, which she also handed to him. "Many people here can bake, but there's that and then there's the way that Dunkerque works."
Dunkerque smiled. "Well, Algérie, perhaps I wanted to show him more of what I could do."
The cruiser giggled. "If he's living here, there will be plenty of time for that."
Albert, being a junior officer, was used to being talked about like he wasn't present, so he set their gifts aside with the rest while they talked with each other. "I assume you've come from the Iris?"
Algérie looked him up and down. "After a fashion, yes. The cardinal hadn't actually decided which of us should see you, so we decided to take it on ourselves." She took a peek into his room. "...And it seems that many of the other ladies have graced you with their presence already, as well. I hope you don't find us wanting."
Albert spoke up. "I have no reason to think such a thing."
Dunkerque gave a look to Algérie. "Ah, so very proper. Well, as much as you may want to jump right in, there is a peril in that- no matter your plans, you may end up overworking yourself without meaning to."
Algérie smiled. "So, you ought to take a break every now and again, no matter how motivated or energetic you might feel in the moment, or you might regret it later by being embarrassed. If you suddenly pass out on a bench or in an office or something, you may well end up with a comfy lap pillow or being carried home."
Albert thought about it. "If someone takes it on themselves to return me to my room, I see no reason to object to the assistance."
Dunkerque added. "It may not necessarily be your home."
"Oh." It was the only response he could muster. "...I'll take it under advisement."
Dunkerque smiled. "Very good. But if you do feel the need to unwind, and you're nearby do feel free to just come by."
Algérie gave him a wink. "If you decide to take some time off in the middle of the day, we won't tell anyone. After all, there's no telling what hours you might be expected to be called in, so you should rest when you can."
That, at least was sensible enough- some of the training involved having to deal with having to act at any hour. "Thanks to both of you for taking time to meet with me."
Dunkerque backed out of the doorframe. "It wasn't any difficulty for us- we'll be seeing you around."
He looked to the growing pile of welcome gifts after they left, and his mind immediately went to the thought of storing all of it properly- there was enough here to last him for many breakfasts and desserts, so he needed to make a useful plan for all of them.
But that could wait, as there was another knock on the door.
As soon as he opened it, something pink rushed in, and there was a flower arrangement- with care instructions- sitting in his room.
Hanazuki smiled. "There...~ I thought a place like this might be plain, since someone just moved into it, so might as well do something to liven it up. Don't worry, I picked a few things that are easy to take care of, so you could do it in your sleep, basically."
Amagi also came up. "I know it's in your nature to brighten the lives of others, but you probably should have asked him about his allergies before doing such a thing." Amagi folded up her umbrella, and smiled. "It pays to learn about your allies as well as your foes before going into unknown territory after all. Isn't that correct, Albert Kesler?"
The fox in front of him seemed so easygoing and casual, and yet also seemed like someone he could talk seriously with when it came to his duties. "Indeed it, is, though I'm mainly here to improve our own fundamental capabilities, not to command in combat. Risk and daring is the domain of battle commanders."
"Not always." She twitched an ear. "You will have to deal with many strong personalities while you're here, which pose their own challenges. Our commander is quite experienced at dealing with them, but for now, you ought to take care and have his support in whatever the circumstances strike you to do- otherwise, you may well be taking unexpected risks."
Junyou piped up from the hallway. "I almost didn't recognize him! He's the runaway who left town, and now he's come back out of nowhere as a real man~. Not as good as my childhood friend, but..."
Amagi looked back. "Not right now, Junyou, he's still getting settled in."
"Okay~"
Albert winced. It would've been easy to dismiss Junyou's rantings as that of a crazy person, but the fact of the matter was that he joined the service for poor, impulsive reasons, when he wasn't in a proper state of mind to make that kind of life choice. By the time he came back to his senses, it was too late for him to back out without seeming foolish or disgraceful.
After Hanazuki stepped back into view, she looked at Albert. "Anyway, Amagi was right- the other girls brought you a whole bunch of food, so I wanted to bring you something else for your room."
Amagi's tails twitched, and Albert began to wonder about the logistics of taking care of such things. Something to study later. The fox continued. "And I decided to offer some advice, which I think might be the most useful thing for you to have, seeing as you've been here for such a small amount of time."
That was actually quite considerate. "So, what do you have for me?"
Amagi shouldered her umbrella. "Nothing too specific of yet, but while some might tell you to keep an open mind, I would put it that you ought to keep a flexible one. There are times where you must adjust your perceptions to account for the fact that time and space, on occasion, may be a bit more malleable than one is used to when it comes to the matters of this port."
Things that could break a rigid mind. "I'm merely a supply officer, but I'll keep your warning in mind."
Amagi continued. "Also, if there is some matter that prevents you from sleeping at night, you ought to speak to Shinano- she is someone worth consulting on these matters."
Albert inquired further. "I see. She is some sort of sleep expert?"
"In a manner of speaking."
Albert decided to let it go- he wasn't quite sure what "sleep expert" might even mean in a place like this, and he didn't dare to ask such a question on his second day here. There was enough to catch up with already.
Hanazuki giggled. "Anyway, we just popped in to see you- I'm sure you've been getting visitors all day, so we'll leave you to whatever you actually meant to do. Oh! And Yat Sen says she'd like to see you later- she is very busy today."
Amagi gave him a slow nod. "Indeed. Be well, Albert Kesler. The commander may need more assistance than he thinks he does."
And then, they too were gone.
After he was sure that he was done with all of the well-wishers, he began finding places to store everything that he had been given. The guest room had enough room to put everything so that it didn't spoil, or at least wasn't in the way.
He had just sat down in front of his laptop to hopefully get some work done, when he received a call- this time it was from the commander. "This is Kesler."
"Hey, just calling in to see how you're doing after the welcome train passed by. The girls can be enthusiastic, so, just checking."
He sat back in his seat. "If nothing else, they seemed interested in making sure that I was well-supplied with baked things. Also that they'd be willing to lend an ear to any troubles I might have. A couple were... very affectionate."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. As long as you aren't totally bewildered, that's a good sign for your future here."
Albert began to tap his pen on his desk. "Still, I'm not sure what I've done to merit this sort of special treatment. I had expected to quietly assume my post and be dealt with by the others as needed."
"Yeah, there's going to be an adjustment period when it comes to deal with what your new comrades are like. I'll start by telling you that the treatment you got wasn't special."
Albert needed to hear that again. "Sir?"
"Like I said, what happened to you is more or less the same sort of thing that happened to me after I first arrived here, and this also happens for any new ship that shows up to live here, too. And even if they're not immediately interested in being best friends, they do at least want to try to get along with whoever they're going to be working with. For the most part, anyway. It takes some of them longer to warm up than others."
He began to log into Juustagram. "This kind of greeting is normal, then?"
"Well, this is just the way they are, Albert. And that's something you'll have to understand on an instinctual level if you're going to be working alongside them. Also, there's good news for you."
Albert was curious as to what this commander's definition of good news was. "Sir?"
"We'll have a full briefing ready for you tomorrow. I asked Gascogne to help out, and... She did. That's really the only way I can describe what's going on, but you'll know everything that you will need to about our situation by the end of tomorrow."
Kesler decided to speak plainly. "Your office seems capable, if they can do this on such short notice."
"Yeah, well, considering who we're fighting, we have to be able to react quickly- a lot of the time, short notice is the best we can hope for. Anyway, I'll give you the time of the briefing, and you'd better be willing to sit down and keep an open mind- I don't know if you'd believe some of the things that have happened, even if you'd lived through them like we have. See you then."
The commander hung up.
While Albert hoped that the commander was exaggerating, he also guessed that wasn't a luxury he was going to have, so he was going to have to brace himself for a readjustment of perspective.
Brötchen would certainly help, though.