He wasn’t the captain of the ship, but it was the flagship and the center of gravity of his strike group. As the senior officer aboard, he certainly shared some responsibility for her upkeep. After giving Sanders a fair shake, Meyerkopf’s measure of him was that he was shockingly detached from the engineering spaces, delegating them to his Executive and Reactor Officers in a way that appalled Meyerkopf. Sanders seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time pressing the flesh like a politician as he strolled through the passageways and mess decks, handing out his silly and monotonous daily “awards” to junior sailors only a year or two removed from their everybody-gets-a-trophy civilian upbringing. When Sanders wasn’t “campaigning for office,” he was on the bridge when the Airedales flew, day and night, another disturbing waste of time. Surely the aviators were professionals, and appeared to depart and return to the ship without trouble. No need for coddling by the captain for hours on end. The wing commander, Matson, seemed to be doing his job with the flight suit crowd, but running a ship was something Meyerkopf knew how to do, and Sanders clearly needed help.
With this focus, Meyerkopf asked probing questions about the plant each day in his morning staff meetings. The operational employment of the ship, even deployed far from home waters, would take care of itself. His flagship wasn’t going to deteriorate on his watch.
“Captain, these elevated dosimeter readings in Main Machinery Room One concern me.”
Sanders, ready for the daily quiz, answered with confidence.
“They concern me, too, Admiral, and while radiation levels are within limits, the Reactor and Medical departments are working side-by-side to find causal factors while closely monitoring our personnel. The XO reports to me each day. This has our full attention.
Meyerkopf frowned as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, mindful of the dozen senior officers present. He did not want to humiliate Sanders but needed to make a point — for the benefit of all. “Captain, the data indicate Coral Sea has elevated readings compared to other carriers, and they seem to elevate once underway. I mean, does it have your full attention? Do we need to ask for an assist team to fly down and help? Is it a training issue, or is it a sign of impending mechanical failure? What is it?”
“Sir, while the readings are elevated, they’ve remained steady. They are within limits, and we are watching them like a hawk.” Sanders regretted his last point, mentally scolding himself for not saying