55-Valkyrie’s View: A Year Among the Stars
February 24th, 2552 Final Exam
Shuttle pilot/Lab Rat/mechanic’s apprentice – Katherine ‘Kat’ James Reporting
Turns out the Gumbo wasn’t my Apprentice project – it was more a proof that I could follow directions, figure out what I needed and how to put something together from the ground up. My actual project to be judged by the other mechanics was to take apart a perfectly working ship, have them remove some parts and have me put it back together again and a) identify the missing parts, b) replace them c) make it space worthy.
The actual test was more or less pass-fail. Either I got all the parts where they belonged and the ship flew without killing me or… I failed.
Just when I think they care— I am reminded that the universe is an uncaring place – and you have to rely on yourself.
It seems that all of Mac’s ‘let her make the mistakes, she’ll only make them once’ method of teaching works.
I passed. There were a few extra screws and a few odd parts left after piecing her together— but most of those were part of the test. Most – I think it’s not proper mechanical work unless you have odds and ends leftover… some unwritten rule.
I just lost a shift in the commissary- giving me two hours of Engineering school in addition to my shop work.
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