The Officer by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: scifi, science fiction, military science fiction, milsf, space marine, space fleet, space opera, anthology, collection, short story
Publisher: Alasdair Shaw
Published: 2017-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

Pithos

by Mark Gardner

Smoke billowed from broken third story windows. Police Officers herded back onlookers. Sawhorse barriers kept the people back, but reporters and cameramen climbed over.

The three-alarm fire was a big story, not because of the potential loss of life or property damage or even the simple primal desire to see and command fire itself, but because of who the Fire Commissioner was. Danny Peterson was the youngest person to ever hold the position of Fire Commissioner in the city’s history. She also happened to be a woman. Women’s rights and equality were all well and good on paper and when scholars discussed and debated it in universities, but in reality, the equality portion of the debate was the most poignant. Women earned less than their male counterparts and women were still considered by many to be fragile. Many difficult jobs, including firefighting, were considered men’s work. Losing a male firefighter in the line of duty was a tragedy, but to lose a woman? People just wouldn’t accept it.

There are those who insist that there is equality, but even in today’s age, a majority of society believes a woman’s job is to maintain the household and pop out male heirs on demand. ‘Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen’ was not just a tongue-in-cheek expression; it was the expectation of not only most men, but also millions of women everywhere. A woman was perfectly suited to be a schoolteacher or a waitress; even a doctor or politician, but not a combat engineer or firefighter. These beliefs were continually perpetuated by a male-dominated culture. There were scant exceptions, and any woman who strayed from these expected societal roles were branded with the scarlet ‘F’ of Feminism.

Danny Peterson knew she wanted to be a firefighter at a very young age. Her parents were not firefighters, nor was anyone in her extended family. She didn’t live in a neighborhood where hero firefighters lived, and otherwise made their presence known. No tragedy in her past compelled her to want to fight fires. She had no reason by society’s expectations to want to be a firefighter. Societal norms reflected what society thought it wanted, but society couldn’t possibly factor the reasons that resulted in Danny Peterson wanting to fight fires.

The desire was planted at an early age when Danny watched a multi-part documentary on a public broadcasting station. That documentary was about the life of firefighters. During the five-day program, many firefighters candidly revealed the tremendous lack of funding to keep these unsung heroes safe. From aging equipment to poor facilities, firefighting was a dangerous occupation, but undeservedly so. So at age seven, Danny knew her life goal was to fight fires and ensure no hero had to perish due to a lack of technology or funding. While many little girls her age were worrying if their outfits matched their shoes, Danny worried about the trials and tribulations of firefighters. Danny consumed books, trade magazines, and websites focusing on firefighters and firefighting technology. She begged her parents to take her to firefighting museums.

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