Guiana Space Center, Summer 2020 Kourou
"Colonel!"
"Colonel Achs! What are you doing here? I thought you were on leave? Is it finished? Have you returned?" He looked at me with his so innocent big blue eyes.
"No, Sir! I'm just passing through. I had to make a delivery."
"What's going on, Colonel? I don't understand." he continued faintly.
"Colonel Hubert salutes you, Sir." While I properly measured these words, I deciphered the emotions on his face.
"Colonel Hubert?" he repeated painfully, and abruptly sat in his seat. "Hmm! He got you!"
"Yes! That's what I thought too!"
"Tell me what happened, please!"
"It was a recovery mission, as usual."
"The rare bird— I've heard. He assigned it to you? And you did it, of course; otherwise you would not be here. And then?"
"And then, instead of returning to France, I was sent here with a Rafale that had fuel problems!" I blew up, almost with anger in my voice.