Page 7 of No More Bad Boys
THREE
Science Officer
“I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with the live truck,” Frank assures me at the station the next day.
“I mean—you canfixthe damn things, so I’d expect you can run an uplink for the six o’clock live shot.”
I nod and follow as my boss slowly makes his way across the parking lot to the live truck. “Okay. If you say so. And that’s all I have to do, right? Cause I’ve never used a news camera or anything before.”
“That’s it. Though you’ll probably be fixing one ofthosetomorrow—the damn cheap ones they buy now have all kinds of problems. We’ve got three out of commission.”
I wish Iwasstaying at the station to work on camera problems down in the “engineering dungeon,” as Frank calls it. I like it down there in the station’s basement.
It’s quiet, filled with neatly arranged tools, and perhaps best of all, there’s a complete Star Trek video collection.
In fact, that’s what sealed the deal for me when I came in for an interview.
Episode nineteen of the original series was playing at low volume on a monitor in the room when I arrived.
When I mentioned it, Frank told me he owned the DVD’s of every episode and played them all throughout the workday as background noise.
“Would you mind?” he asked.
“When can I start?” I responded.
Star Trek is like my meditation music. Growing up, I watched every episode with my dad over the years, while Momma and Kenley practically held their noses and ran away at the first bars of the theme song.
That was fine with me. I liked that Daddy and I had our own little thing.
Star Trek and Elvis Presley will always and forever remind me of him. The fact that Frank enjoyed having the show play in the background as he worked made me feel instantly at home.
Another plus—the dungeon is far away from the bustling news department. I can’t take all that craziness. I had to pass through the newsroom a couple times today, and both times Blake was there, offering me a big smile and trying to engage me in conversation.
Unsuccessfully. I skittered away like some little furry creature surprised by the kitchen light coming on at two a.m.
I’m not sure why, but I don’t want to talk to him. He’s just so… so… actually, I don’t knowwhathe is since I barely know him.
All I know is when Blake’s around, I can barely think of a word to say, which is too weird. After a lifetime as Momma’s second daughter, I’ve learned to be pretty handy with a comeback.
Frank unlocks the truck and opens the door, tapping a console inside. “Okay, so this is where you’re gonna monitor your signal. And this is the hydraulic switch to raise and lower the mast—that’s real important.”
“Yes. I remember.”
“Now, the photog and the reporter are gonna be outside the truck, close by. You’ve gotta make sure their shot is set up and coming in clearly ten minutes before their slot. If it’s not there, the director’s gonna tell the producer to float their story. And I’ll let you in on a little secret—Leslie ain’t fond of floating.”
“Oh. Okay. Got it.”
I met Leslie during the first few days of my internship. She’s the six p.m. producer and without a doubt the boss of her show. She has this soft, almost cartoon-kitty kind of voice, but I’ve seen her make a huge editor cower after he made a sloppy mistake, and all the reporters seem to respect her. I said a quick hello and got the hell out of her way, which is where I’ve stayed.
I definitely don’t want to take the chance of disappointing her and joining the editor in the no-no corner tonight.
“So, walk me through the setup steps again,” I say to Frank, and we both squeeze into the truck’s narrow interior for a last-minute cram session.
Feeling a bit nervous but ready, I drive the truck to the live shot location—easy to find because it’s right next door to the World of Coke, where I’ve been before.
The live shot tonight is from the Georgia Aquarium. The world’s largest aquarium is marking its anniversary, and there’s a week-long celebration with special events and giveaways. I’m kind of thrilled this is my first live shot to go on, because it’s pre-planned.
If they threw me out there on breaking news like a multiple shooting or something, I’d have less time to set up and evenmorenerves.
