21
The day that had just passed was marked by all the hustle and bustle typical of military units, but the moment Lieutenant Colonel Shilin began his assigned watch, it all faded away. The day vanished behind him and grew distant like a fading dream.
Combat duty demanded focus. Readiness Level One required that a pilot spend his whole shift seated in the cockpit, fully clothed in his gear and ready to take off within three minutes of the order being given. When one is assigned duty under Readiness Level One, there is nothing to do but sit and think. The cockpit took on the quality of a solitary prison cell, or perhaps something even worse. In solitary confinement one could at least move or pace around. The cockpit was like the worst kind of punishment cell, where it was impossible even t
