Orders blasted his ears the entire day, the deep, hoarse voices accompanying the sounds of the aggressive water. Scrub the dishes, wash the stern, check the anchors, clear the decks. He still hadn’t been accustomed to the motion of the ocean. The new environment was foreign to his landlubber body. He relinquished his duties for the day, heading to bed before everyone else. Sleep didn’t come easy. Throughout the entire first night, angry waves tackled the steel structure. First class Officers and Chiefs would barge in, ribbing the newbie for his seasickness. As a seaman recruit, he expected nothing else, his vulnerability at its peak. Halfway through his disgruntled slumber, the orders reemerged. Somehow, the tone seemed more aggressive than hours before. Arm the torpedoes, arm the missiles, ready the lifeboats, brace for impact.