The last briefing of the fifth day took place standing up because the room’s chairs were elsewhere.
Two had gone to the clinical waiting area. One was beneath a clerk who had spent the afternoon comparing receiving acknowledgments. The fourth had never belonged to the office and its owner had finally come to collect it.
Tavin stood at the end of the board with his coat open and the next three days laid out behind him.
Iven came in with the derrick’s maintenance copy. The night mechanic’s signature stood beside his own and Olan’s. The repaired second release was back in service. Its operating limits were attached, and the mechanic had made no promise to use it in a fight before seeing the actual line arrangement.
Tavin read the service entry, nodded and put it with the equipment available for the remaining work.
“Useful?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then keep the crew with the machine. Don’t borrow the machine and discover the people have another job.”
