Somehow we managed to scale the water tower, it got to be a regular thing after partaking. Up there, our legs dangling down over the edge, we watch blood-red sunset clouds tangle with radar on top of the hill and wait for speckled birds coming home to roost, circling high above for their turn to land.

Here comes the next one screaming strangely low above us, over the base now he cuts in his afterburner, AB flaming he soars straight up up into the sky, rattling everything below including the Base Commander's windows.

He's heading Home.100 missions, none to go. Worth the reprimand.

*

Red skies turn dark. Headlights pull into the bungalows below, it's a jeep.  

Gunter! Are you here? Gunter!

It's the Lieutenant. Now I could have just ignored it, make like we're not there, but Duty Calls. I climb down.

What are you doing up there? and before I can come up with an answer: The transmitter is off the air!

Back at the station I admire the blinking lights on the transmitter - staff on duty looks at me expectantly - check to make sure everything's plugged in, turn everything off, look at the studio clock for some time and turn it on again. We're On Air.