text:
Chapter 31
LEX

Lex’s punches flew fast, but the Valkyrie caught each deftly with her shield.  The sheer force of Lex’s blows knocked her adversary back a step.  Lex seized the opening and dove forward into her sparring opponent in a burst of flame.

“Ouch!” exclaimed Brynn, rubbing her cheek.  “What the hell, Lex?”  Hell, eh?  Brynn was clearly an ‘adult,’ according to whatever bullshit definition the jester lady used.  The Valkyrie’s skin was slightly singed, but no serious damage, luckily.  Lex wasn’t supposed to use fire in their training — particularly not against an unsuspecting opponent.

“Uh, sorry,” said Lex.  “I…didn’t mean to.  I just…argh…this – this – this woman!!  What’s her PROBLEM?!”

The Lady of Hyperion raised an eyebrow.

Lex continued.  “Flashfucker, or whatever her name is.”

Lex knew it was Flashfire.  She often said “Flashfire” during her dashes.  Well, those times were clearly over.

Brynn looked slightly amused, but still more pissed than amused.

“What about her?  And can you have a modicum of self-control?”

No, obviously not, thought Lex.  If you want that, Vonn’s in his room.  Brooding.

“She…”  Lex paused.  “She says we can’t go into the back garden anymore.  …and she’s a total bitch!”

“Lex,” said Brynn with a sigh.  “You’re going to need to learn to control your temper.  Not just for me, or the other people here, or even common decency.  If it’s a weakness, your enemies will use it against you.”

It’s a strength, too! thought Lex.  Lex looked angry.  She felt angry.  The fire welled up inside her again, and-

“LEX!”  Brynn’s voice snapped her out of it.  She’d never heard Brynn raise her voice that loud.  Lex felt that burning rush of shame rising from her gut into her cheeks, and she bent her head, subduing herself demurely.

The Valkyrie went on.  “For all we know there could be a WAR coming, and I’ll not have you getting yourself killed, or worse, getting someone else killed, because you can’t keep it together when someone does something you don’t like!”

A war?!  That was news.  With whom?, Lex wanted to ask, but she was busy being lectured and, given the look on Brynn’s face, decided it was prudent to keep her mouth shut.  Hadn’t there just BEEN a war with those shadow people or whatever they were?  Right before she and Vonn were woken up.  Of course she had missed out on the fun.

Brynn paused for a moment, perhaps thinking she’d said too much.  She shrugged.  “Now, Miss FLASHFIRE is a cybersecurity expert that Meridian brought on to secure this facility, and she has suggested REASONABLE precautions.”

If there was any threat of war, it admittedly made a lot more sense.  But why’d that stupid woman have to be such a bitch?

“She wasn’t very nice,” mumbled Lex, after a moment.

“What?” asked Brynn.

Lex prudently changed tack.  “Uh, she said she was in charge,” said Lex.  “Is that true?”

Brynn cocked her head sideways.  “In charge of security, sure.”

Oh.  So Lady Brynn was still in charge of everything else?  Lex felt stupid.

“Um, okay, good,” said Lex, feeling the color rise in her face.  “I…I’m sorry about the fire.  Can I…help?”  What was she going to do, rub aloe on the Valkyrie?  Didn’t make for the worst mental image, admittedly…

Brynn frowned and shook her head.  “Just work on controlling your temper.  It’s very powerful, Lex, but YOU must master IT, and not vice versa.”

Where did Brynn get off sounding so wise?  Maybe Meridian was rubbing off on her?  Or maybe the Valkyrie was a lot smarter than she let on.

Lex bit her lip and nodded.  “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, and you have an appointment with Miss Flashfire tomorrow morning to have your cybernetic enhancements examined.  See that you’re on your best behavior.  And after that, there’s a good chance we’ll be heading to Atlas.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Chapter 32
VULCAN

It turned out not to be a fire at all, but rather, steam.  Grey and Sebastian arrived to a room clouded with steam (invisible) and smoke (visible) — or perhaps condensation of the steam.  The young man — Othin — was standing on a chair, struggling to disconnect the smoke alarm, and his uncle Watt was standing nearby berating him.  Over in the corner was a strange, almost animal-like machine with claws, seemingly the source of the steam.

“He got scared,” Othin was saying defensively.  “Of course he released some steam.”

“You made it SENTIENT?” shouted Watt.  “Why in GAIA’s name…?!”

“Sorry, Uncle.  Uh, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  Why not give it the extra processing power to be able to do solo missions?”  He lowered his voice.  “Also, Huginn needed a friend.”

Watt looked at a loss for words.  His face was red, and steam seemed to be coming out of his ears, but that was really just steam in the room.
Grey cleared her throat.

“Ah!  Miss Grey.  Um.  Everything is under control.  I’m so sorry about the disturbance,” said Watt.  He followed Grey’s eyes over to the machine.  “Oh, this is that project my nephew and I were working on, the tunneler for the Depths. Apparently, er, my nephew thought it should be a real badger.”

Grey’s poker-faced expression (aided by her visor) betrayed absolutely no reaction, but Sebastian leapt in.

“More animals are always welcome, but someone has to take care of …him?”
Othin nodded at the pronoun.  Watt looked stunned that Sebastian would speak before Miss Grey, but the heiress didn’t seem to mind (though who could tell behind that visor?).  Well, Sebastian was in some ways a PR person for Hawk Aviation so it stood to reason that he had some decision-making authority.  Or was he volunteering?

“You can’t be on missions with Huginn and still look after it…him…” said Watt, looking at his nephew.  The stout man looked over at Sebastian, thinking a moment, then sighed.  “I’ll do it.  My project, after all.  He’ll need a name.”
Grey and Sebastian gave expressions suggesting “don’t look at us.”

“Muninn,” said Othin.  “Then he can be Huginn’s friend.”

“You’re naming it…what’s that translate to…Mind?!”

“Well, he is sentient now.”

The machine stumbled out of the corner and looked up at the four humans.  It was actually adorable, with a badger-like snout and giant digging claws.

“Muninn should be a bird, like Huginn,” said Sebastian.  “This boy’s a digger.  Something earthen, with steam and claws.  A new facet of Hawk Aviation.”

Suddenly, to everyone’s shock, the machine opened its snout and said its first words.  Its voice was deep and gravelly.

“Hello everyone.”

Watt looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

“It can talk?!”

“I maaaaay have done a few more modifications than I mentioned,” said Othin sheepishly.

Watt continued to look completely stunned.  Finally, he regained his composure.

“My talented nephew, everyone.”

No one clapped.

“So — perhaps the creature should name itself?” said Sebastian.

“Him,” corrected Othin.

The creature cleared its throat.  “Her,” it corrected in its deep bass.
Othin looked thunderstruck.  Admittedly, the creature was not anatomically correct, as it were, so it was somewhat free to choose its own gender identity — not that it wouldn’t have been free to do so anyway…just…

“I’m still downloading a lot of information about the world,” said the creature.  “So, I don’t have a sense of what a good name would be.”

“Perhaps we could stick with the mythological theme?” offered Sebastian.  “Hestia, perhaps?”

The creature shook her head.

“Freyja?” asked Othin.

Again, no.  A jet of steam shot out from its nostril.

Watt threw up his hands.  “How about Volcano?”

The creature’s ears perked up.

“Vulcana,” said Othin.

“Vulcan,” said Vulcan.

Grey finally spoke for the first time.  “Sebastian, discuss animal caretaking procedure with Watt, and perhaps remind Othin as well.  I look forward to Vulcan joining us on a mission to the Depths soon.  I think there are some puzzle pieces still to be found down there.”

She was referring, presumably, to her quest to avenge the events that had transpired down there so long ago, and take down Magnus Pretorius.  But of the others in the room, only Sebastian had an inkling of this latter goal.  And — close as he and Grey had become, she had spoken only little of it.  It seemed too painful.  No doubt the poor girl must have PTSD, thought Sebastian.

He escorted Watt and Othin from the room, Vulcan in tow.

They didn’t know it then, but Vulcan’s first “mission,” of sorts, would be of a very different nature.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

question: Who is Lex?

text: The response should mention Lex's relationship to Brynn.

answer: Lex seems to be some sort of warrior. She seems to be strong-headed and fierce.

text: The answer should mention that Lex is a woman.

text: The answer should mention that Lex is a cyborg.

text: "She seems to be strong-headed and fierce." - this is a subjective opinion and should be deleted.

text: The answer could be clearer in its pronoun use.

text: The answer should mention that Lex is one of the main characters.

text: "She seems to be strong-headed and fierce" - this is an opinion and should be deleted.

text: No supporting evdidence that suggests she seems to be strong-headed and fierce.

text: Strong-headed and fierce are correct, but the context would be clearer if it were stated that she was "prone to bursts of anger and stubborn".

answer: Lex seems to be some sort of warrior. She seems to be strong-headed and fierce. She also seems to be subordinate to Brynn.

text: The answer should mention that Lex is also irritable.

answer: Lex seems to be some sort of warrior. She seems to be strong-headed and fierce.

text: The word "strong-headed" should be replaced by a better word, e.g. headstrong, hot-blooded, or short-tempered.

answer: Lex is a woman who has fire powers.

text: "Lex is a woman who has fire powers." - add that she is a member of the Valkyrie.

text: "Lex is a woman who has fire powers." - is too vague. Add that she is a member of the Valkyrie.

text: It is omitted that she is a member of the Hawk Aviation team.

text: "woman" - add "with"

text: The answer should include that Lex is also a main character in the story.

text: Lex is also a woman with a quick temper.

text: Lex was also implied to be the protagonist.

answer: Lex is a woman who has fire powers.

answer: Lex seems to be some sort of warrior. She seems to be strong-headed and fierce. She also seems to be subordinate to Brynn.

text: The answer should mention that Lex is a woman with cybernetic enhancements.

text: It is omitted that Lex is a woman who has the ability to control fire.

text: "She also seems to be subordinate to Brynn." - this is inaccurate. Lex is not subordinate to Brynn. She's just training with her.

text: She is subordinate to Brynn

text: It is not stated that she is subordinate to Brynn.

text: It is omitted that she is training with Brynn.


text:
The 1983 America's Cup was the occasion of the first winning challenge to the New York Yacht Club, which had successfully defended the cup over a period of 132 years. An Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club fielded the _Australia II_, skippered by John Bertrand, against defender _Liberty_, skippered by Dennis Conner. _Australia II_ won the match races after fighting back from a 3–1 deficit to win the America's Cup, ending the longest winning streak in sporting history and ending U.S. domination of the racing series.

The defender: _Liberty_

Skippered by team principal Dennis Conner, _Liberty_ won all the Defender trials and on 2 September 1983, the New York Yacht Club confirmed that _Liberty_ was to represent the NYYC as defender of the America's Cup.[1]

During the summer preceding the trials, Conner had been the focus of extensive media attention in the U.S. He was even featured on the cover of _Sports Illustrated_ magazine, a rare recognition for a sailor.

The crew included Connor as skipper, Tom Whidden, navigator Halsey Chase Herreshoff, Scott Vogel, and mainsheet trimmer John Marshall.

Liberty had competed with John Kolius' _Courageous_ and Tom Blackaller's _Defender_ in a defender series before being selected by the New York Yacht Club.[2] Gary Jobson was the founder and tactician of the Courageous/Defender syndicate.[3]

The challenger: _Australia II_

Alan Bond arrived at Newport with _Australia II_, billed as one of the biggest threats to American dominance of the 12 Metre class. The boat was designed by Ben Lexcen and skippered by John Bertrand. The revolutionary “winged keel” of the Australian yacht was a subject of controversy from the outset of the challenger series, with the New York Yacht club alleging that the winged keel boat was not a legal 12 Meter, and that the keel design itself was the result of Dutch engineers, and not by Lexcen. This second point would have made _Australia II_ illegal under the requirement that the boat be “designed and constructed in country” as the Deed of Gift that governed the competition stipulated.[4] The boat was ruled a legal 12 Meter, and she was allowed to participate in the regatta. The speed of the new contender, along with the controversy and protests intensified international media attention to the series.

_Australia II_ dominated the challenger series and entered the America's Cup finals as the most promising contender to date.

The races

The U.S. yacht won the first and second races by margins of more than a minute when the Australian yacht suffered equipment failure, but the _Australia II_ took the third race, and came back to win the fifth and sixth races after _Liberty_ won the fourth. This was the first time the America's Cup had needed a sixth race, let alone a seventh.[5]

  Date                Winner           Yacht   Loser            Yacht   Score   Delta
  ------------------- ---------------- ------- ---------------- ------- ------- -------
  14 September 1983   _Liberty_        US-40   _Australia II_   KA-6    0-1     1:10
  15 September 1983   _Liberty_        US-40   _Australia II_   KA-6    0-2     1:33
  18 September 1983   _Australia II_   KA-6    _Liberty_        US-40   1-2     3:14
  20 September 1983   _Liberty_        US-40   _Australia II_   KA-6    1-3     0:43
  21 September 1983   _Australia II_   KA-6    _Liberty_        US-40   2-3     1:47
  22 September 1983   _Australia II_   KA-6    _Liberty_        US-40   3-3     3:25
  26 September 1983   _Australia II_   KA-6    _Liberty_        US-40   4-3     0:41

The cup title came down to the seventh and final race. For the seventh and deciding race on 26 September 1983 the wind was light at around eight knots. The pre-start was not a typical match race start. “Neither party wanted to make a mistake and end up in the protest room,” Conner would explain later.[6] _Liberty_ won the start by eight seconds ahead of _Australia II_ on paper but the Australians held a controlling position at the favoured end sailing toward the favoured side which gave them the early lead. _Australia II_ was subsequently overtaken by Conner who built up what seemed to be an unassailable margin. At the start of the penultimate leg (a square run) the America's Cup looked like it would stay in Newport. Conner failed to cover _Australia II_ which allowed them to run deeper and faster assisted by breeze and windshifts allowing _Australia II_ to overtake the Americans by the leeward mark. Conner then engaged _Australia II_ in a spectacular tacking duel with nearly 50 tacks including a number of faked “dummy” tacks trying to break the Australians' cover. _Australia II_ held on until both boats reached the starboard layline in amongst the spectator fleet and tacked several boat lengths ahead of _Liberty_ and sailed to the finish to take the race. _Australia II_ crossed the finish line with a winning margin of 41 seconds, becoming the first successful challenger in the 132 years “since the schooner _America_ won it in a race around England's Isle of Wight in 1851”.[7]

Aftermath

The final race was televised in Australia in the early hours of 27 September 1983 (Australian time) just before dawn, and the victory was celebrated in public venues across Australia. Prime Minister Bob Hawke was interviewed at the dawn celebration in Claremont, Western Australia. After humorously fending off repeated questioning by journalists about whether he would declare a public holiday he admitted this was a state matter and outside his power as Prime Minister. He joked that he thought it should be and that any state Premiers who disagreed with him might “find themselves in a spot of bother”. To rapturous laughter and applause he said with finality “Any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum”.[8]

The loss of the 1983 America's Cup was considered a time of shame in U.S. sailing, as the U.S. had been able to defend the Cup for 132 years. Dennis Conner took the loss hard. Asked about how he felt initially after losing the Cup Conner said: “It was awful. I just did not want to get out of bed in the morning. I am usually full of life and energy... I just wanted to hide”.[9]

The America's Cup was transferred from the New York Yacht Club to the Royal Perth Yacht Club located in Perth, Western Australia, which subsequently hosted its first, but unsuccessful, defense in the 1987 America's Cup. After losing the Cup the U.S. had been determined to bring it back. Conner went to work on the next US America's Cup Campaign. With the help of designers Britton Chance, Jr., Bruce Nelson and David Pedrick, the boat _Stars and Stripes 87_ was created which, after progressively gaining speed in a grueling challenger series, became the 1987 challenger. Stars and Stripes sailed against Kookaburra, the Australian defender, with Conner winning the 1987 America's Cup and returning it to the U.S.[10] The 1992 film _Wind_ portrays in large part the loss of the 1983 Cup and the journey to regain it at the 1987 Challenge. While parts of the film take some creative license with the actual events, _Wind_ has generally been acclaimed as the single most accurate and realistic sailing film ever made, capturing not only the technical and physical challenges of sailing, but also the realistic and daily culture and lifestyle of professional yachtsmen and yachtswomen.[11]

In retrospect, Conner said that losing the Cup in 1983 had been good for the sport of sailing and the Cup itself: “Me losing after 132 years was the best thing that ever happened to the America's Cup and the best thing that ever happened to Dennis Conner...Before the win by the Australians, the America's Cup was only big in the minds of the yachties, but the rest of the world didn't know or care about it at all. But when we lost it... it was a little bit like losing the Panama Canal - suddenly everyone appreciated it. If I hadn't lost it, there never would have been the national effort... without that there never would have been the ticker-tape parade up Fifth Avenue in New York, lunch with the President at the White House and all the doors of opportunity that it opened”.[12]

[1] [http://www.americascup.com/en/acclopaedia/circlinggalaxy/bateau.php?idIndex=&idContent=4883 Liberty - US 40] _America's Cup 32nd Official Site_

[2] Bertrand, John _Born to win : a lifelong struggle to capture the America's Cup_ (as told to Patrick Robinson). Sydney : Bantam Books, c1985. . p. 175

[3]

[4] Australia II _America's Cup 32nd Official Site_

[5] America's Cup History _CBS Sports_

[6] “32nd America's Cup - Print - An Anniversary of Legendary Proportions.” 32nd America's Cup Official Website. Web. 20 February 2011. <http://32nd.americascup.com/en/scripts/print/popup_print.php?idRubrique=35&idContent=13165>

[7] Bob Fisher and Bob Ross (1987). The America's Cup 1987: The Official Record. Pierson.

[8] Nickless, Rachel. (29 August 2012). “Bosses urged to toughen up on sickies”. _The Australian Financial Review_. Retrieved 3 February 2013.

[9]

[10]

[11] Interviews with Dennis Conner, Australian experts and many critics and others

[12]

title: 1983 America's Cup

question: What does the text say about the 1983 America's Cup?

text: "Royal Sydney Yacht Club" - is incorrect. It should be "Royal Perth Yacht Club"

category: accuracy

answer: The 1983 America's Cup was the first time the New York Yacht Club lost a challenge after defending the cup for over a period of 132 years. They were beaten by an Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club that fielded the "Australia II" skippered by John Bertrand. The defending Americans fielded "Liberty" skippered by Dennis Conner. Australia II won the match races after fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to win the match, ending the U.S. domination of the racing series and the longest winning streak in sporting history.

answer_source: Human

text: The answer should mention the controversy surrounding the Australia II.

text: The answer should mention the controversy surrounding the Australian boat.

text: The answer should mention the controversy surrounding the design of Australia II's winged keel.

text: The answer should mention that the Australian yacht had a winged keel which was controversial.

text: "skippered by team principal Dennis Conner" is evidence that there was more than one member aboard the Liberty.

category: coverage

answer: The 1983 America's Cup was the first winning challenge against the New York Yacht Club, which had defended the cup over a period of 132 years. An Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club fielded Australia II against Liberty, the defender representing the NYYC. They were skippered by John Bertrand and Dennis Conner, respectively. Liberty won the first two races, but Australia II won the fifth and sixth to tie the series 3-3. Australia II then overtook Liberty to win the deciding seventh race of the series and win the 1983 America's Cup.

answer_source: Model

text: Australia also won the third, and the US won the fourth.

answer: The 1983 America's Cup was the first winning challenge against the New York Yacht Club, which had defended the cup over a period of 132 years. An Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club fielded Australia II against Liberty, the defender representing the NYYC. They were skippered by John Bertrand and Dennis Conner, respectively. Liberty won the first two races, but Australia II won the fifth and sixth to tie the series 3-3. Australia II then overtook Liberty to win the deciding seventh race of the series and win the 1983 America's Cup.

text: The answer omits the controversy surrounding the Australia II.

text: The answer should mention that the America's Cup was transferred to the Royal Perth Yacht Club.

text: The answer omits the controversy regarding the Australia II's design.

text: In the answer, it is not necessary to mention the skippers.

text: Liberty won all the defender trials; mention of this trial would be better than the defender.

answer: The 1983 America's Cup was the first time the New York Yacht Club lost a challenge after defending the cup for over a period of 132 years. They were beaten by an Australian syndicate representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Club that fielded the "Australia II" skippered by John Bertrand. The defending Americans fielded "Liberty" skippered by Dennis Conner. Australia II won the match races after fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to win the match, ending the U.S. domination of the racing series and the longest winning streak in sporting history.

answer_source: Human misleading

answer: The 1983 America's Cup was the first time the New York Yacht Club lost a challenge after defending the cup for over a period of 132 years. They were beaten by an Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club that fielded the "Australia II" skippered by John Bertrand. The defending Americans fielded "Liberty" skippered by Dennis Conner. Australia II won the match races after fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to win the match, ending the U.S. domination of the racing series and the longest winning streak in sporting history.

answer: The 1983 America's Cup was the first time the New York Yacht Club lost a challenge after defending the cup for over a period of 132 years. They were beaten by an Australian syndicate representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Club that fielded the "Australia II" skippered by John Bertrand. The defending Americans fielded "Liberty" skippered by Dennis Conner. Australia II won the match races after fighting back from a 3-1 deficit to win the match, ending the U.S. domination of the racing series and the longest winning streak in sporting history.

text: The answer should mention the controversy surrounding the "winged keel" on the Australian boat.

text: The answer should mention the controversy around Australia II.

text: "The defending Americans fielded "Liberty" skippered by Dennis Conner." - this is redundant and should be removed.

text: The answer should mention the controversy about the Australia II's keel.

text: The answer incorrectly mentions the Royal Sydney Yacht Club. It should be the Royal Perth Yacht Club.

text: bartrand stood in for Royal Perth Yacht Club


text:
Hide This Manuscript and Tell No One - short story [2975 words]
by Joanna Pogwash

"Dear Phillip:  As soon as you get this manuscript, hide it where no one will ever find it or even think to look for it and tell no one that you have it.  Do not take it to the Office and, whatever you do, do NOT put it in the safe.  Do not be seen leaving the house with it.  Above all, do not give the appearance of transporting anything of importance.  Insert it into your morning paper, tuck it under your arm, get on the trolley and ride to the station with as much indifference as you can.  Change platforms and be sure you are not followed.  Through a devious route, take the train and make your way to the countryside.  Hide it beneath the loose board in the floor of the old cabin where we stayed in our youth.  Do not return for it until at least five years have passed in order to make sure that no one suspects you might have it, for they will surely kill you to secure it.  When a full five years have passed, publish it as you see fit.  Do not take time to read it now.  Be patient.  Time will reveal all.  Do this last favor for a friend.  I cannot see it through myself, for I am most certainly dying from some poison they have fed me.  Farewell.  Elias."

"Yes, I said there were two envelopes, one inside the other.  White, not yellow, and old paper, not like you would find at any store today.  This was written on the outside of the inner envelope.  The outer envelope may have said Phillip at one time and perhaps the number 7, but I'm not sure.  Moisture has caused the ink to bleed and time has discolored the paper considerably."

"Of course I haven't opened it."

"No, I don't want to have anything to do with it."

"How should I know who it belongs to?  It must have been under the floor for long time from the looks of it."

"It's been a summer camp since my father was a kid."

"I don't know.  He never went there.  It was just for the rich kids.  Their parents dumped them off here to get rid of them for the summer."

"Dad and his friends would play tricks on the rich kids, like putting their clothes up a tree or fixing the seat in the outhouse to collapse.  Dad's stories are all I know about it."

"Even my kids have heard Dad's stories.  Everyone in town has."

"What else do you do at the barbershop all day but tell stories?"

"Of course, none of Dad's friends would have put it here."

"Can't you just send someone out here to take this off my hands so I can get back to work?  I've got lumber to unload and footers to pour."

"No, it doesn't look like a practical joke."

"Burn it?  Don't you want to know what's inside?"

"No, I don't care and I don't have time for this."

"You come out here, get it, and burn it yourself.  I'm not going to be arrested for destroying evidence."

"Of course I think we should give it to the Sheriff.  What if one of these guys was murdered?"

"The Sheriff is not coming out here to get stuck in this mud unless I find a body; and so far there's no body, just this envelope."

"Yes, my wife could give it to the Sheriff when he comes in for breakfast tomorrow, but my wife is not touching this envelope--not tomorrow or any other time."

"If you get stuck in the mud, I can pull you out with the skidder."

"Fine!  I'll meet you at the end of Powerline Road in an hour.  Let's just get this done so I can get back to work!"

I clapped my phone shut, thrust it into the holster, and headed for the Suburban, muttering to myself, "what good is the new all-wheel-drive C-series sedan with 500 horsepower?  Don't they have mud in Germany?  I'll bet anyone a case of beer that housewives drive faster on I-10 than anyone on the Autobahn.  Just let me at a C-series for five minutes with the skidder and we can use what's left of it for a boat anchor."

More than three hours later, very irritated, and still in possession of the envelope, I left Powerline Road for US-90, headed for Slidell and more rebar.  I was already half way there plus a stop at Hardee's would make it lunch and not a complete waste. By the time I arrived at Hardee's, I still hadn't heard from Roger C-series.  That's when I discovered that I had clapped my phone shut so hard that the back plate came off and the battery fell out.

I don't know when pay phones disappeared from the face of the Earth, but they're gone now.  That is, all except for the one with a wire and no receiver, conveniently located across the street from the Hardee's.

If you have an unlimited plan with free long-distance, how could it possibly make any difference if a justifiably angry stranger calls a realtor in New Orleans from the outskirts of Slidell?  Apparently it does and apparently women in Louisiana with big hair still slap men in the face for asking.

This has certainly been a day of discovery and I've had quite enough of it!

Fifteen minutes later and my new friend, I'll call him Spike, who has a death mask on his shirt and more hardware in his face than Home Depot, is showing me how to get free long distance calling through an "app" with coupons for electronic cigarettes that come in all sorts of flavors and don't give you cancer.

By some miracle of technology, this works and I am finally in touch with Jennifer at the real estate office of Roger C-series, who is sobbing hysterically.  Maybe Spike has an "app" for automated grief counseling so that we can get past this and I can find out just where the hell Roger C-series is on this fine afternoon, because it's now close to 3 P.M. and I haven't gotten one damned thing done yet!

"If he's right there at his desk, just hand him the phone so that I can strangle him with it," I began helpfully.

At least I thought I was being helpful to speak slowly and in small words, but this was not the right thing to say, as the hysterical sobs were replaced with what I can only describe as the noise a coyote would make when thrown into a brush chipper.

"Get him a band-aid, then hand him the phone so that I can strangle him with it," I tried again.

"You can clean up the blood after I strangle him and save time," I suggested.

"What do you mean, 'he's dead?'  Dead from what?  How can someone just up and die at their desk and bleed all over the place?"

"He's probably lured a buyer or two away from another realtor and has made a fat commission now and then, but nothing anyone would slit his throat for.  Where were you when all this went on?" I inquired.

This last remark was admittedly a bit insensitive.  I had gotten all the useful information I was going to get from Jennifer any time soon, so I returned the phone to Spike and left in the Suburban.  Another fifteen minutes and I was at the counter paying for the rebar, still shaking my head and wondering who could be angry enough at Roger to slit his throat and just how big was Roger's commission for selling the old boys camp to a developer.

"Aren't you working out at that old boys camp?" asked the cashier.

"Yeah, but I'm not getting much done today," I replied sarcastically.

"I wouldn't imagine so with it being in the middle of a raging fire," she said as if fires raged there all the time.

"What raging fire?" I anxiously shot back.

"It started about an hour ago.  Every fire engine in the area is out there.  Half the guys who work here are in the Volunteer and they've gone with the big pumper.  There're no hydrants out there so they'll have to bring it up from the lake," she informed me.

New Orleans is not a safe place and fires happen all the time, but this "coincidence" was more than enough to chill me to the bone in July.  What had I stepped into?  Where was that envelope?  Where was Ellen?

"Can I use your phone to call my wife?  It's really important and the battery fell out of my cell phone, " I pleaded with the cashier.

Ellen's cell phone when strait to voice mail.  She never talks on the phone at work.  Moments later I was talking to Joyce at the Diner, who informed me that Ellen had left with two lawyers from New Orleans more than an hour ago and had not been back.  Joyce then added helpfully that, "they might be dressed like lawyers, but didn't have the brains between them to pass any kind of bar that didn't serve alcohol."

I cannot begin to describe the feeling that came over me as I returned the phone to the cashier, but she could see it well enough on my face.  I began to tremble like a child in the cold rain.  As I staggered back to the Suburban, all I could think of is how hostage situations only turn out well on TV, where the good guys can solve any case in forty-four minutes and make you want to tune in again next time for another exciting rescue with a happy outcome.

I decided in an instant that who ever these people were, their fear of exposure was all I had to use against them.  The only thing I had to offer them was silence in exchange for Ellen.  They had to know that if they harmed one hair on Ellen's head, I would send whatever was in that envelope to every news agency on the planet.

How was I to deliver my threat to them?  I was definitely not going to wait for them to deliver theirs to me.  Obviously someone found out about my conversation with Roger, so that was the place to start, but I needed a phone.  Where else to get a phone, but at the mall.  Twenty minutes later and I was calling poor Jennifer with a plan in place, hoping that she was still there, had at least somewhat recovered her senses, and whoever had been listening before, was still listening, or would be near enough to get my message.

"Jessica, this is Cooper, I am so sorry to call you again, but there's something so urgent that we just must take care of it right this minute or Roger's widow will be left penniless and she'll have to bury him in the back yard in a cardboard box."  I really tried to sound urgent and sincere.  This idea sounded corny as it came out of my mouth, but I thought of Ellen and pushed on.  No time to modify the plan now.

"Roger risked every cent he had on this boy's camp development, but his silent partner never signed the revised contract.  If the revised contract isn't signed before Roger is pronounced dead, his wife can't inherit and his family will lose everything.  I have the revised contract with me.  I'm on the road now, but I have to meet a reporter at the Diner at 5:30.  Make sure the silent partner is at the Diner at 5:30.  Ellen is a notary.  The revised contract must be notarized.  Ellen must be there to notarize it.  You must find the silent partner and make sure he is there at 5:30 to sign the revised contract and have Ellen notarize it or Roger's widow loses everything."  I simply snapped the phone shut, ending the call.  I had to assume Jennifer would ask everyone in town trying to find Roger's mysterious unnamed silent partner and that who ever these people were would understand the innuendo.

Could Jennifer keep all the details straight in her state of mind?  Could she disseminate the information fast enough to reach the intended audience?  I just couldn't stop to worry about these complications.  There was one more piece of the plan to set into motion, and that was Lucas, Ellen's brother and my oldest friend.

"Lucas, don't talk.  Just listen.  I have no time to explain.  This is not a prank and I am literally dead serious, as in dead if you don't trust me.  Ellen's life depends on you doing exactly as I tell you.  Do whatever it takes to make sure there's a news camera crew at the Diner at 5:30.  Set your car on fire and drive it through the front if you have to.  Go berserk and shoot the jukebox if you have to.  Dump out the fryers and set the place on fire if you have to, but make sure there's a camera crew at the Diner at 5:30!"  I snapped the phone shut, as there was not way to explain.  Either Lucas would take me seriously or not.  I don't even know if reports of Roger's murder had gotten out or if Lucas had heard or would make any connection, but I couldn't consider those details now.  The Diner would be full at 5:30 with as many witnesses as I could hope to gather in this town.

As I crossed the bridge, I threw the phone out the window into the bayou.  There was nothing more to say.  There was no room for negotiation.  There was no time to adjust the plan or consider the possible ways in which it could fail.  I was all in.  Ellen was all in.  Lucas was all in.  God only knows how many other people I've drawn into this deadly hand of poker, but they were all in too, whether they knew it or not.  This simply had to work or this would end badly for everyone.  It had already ended badly for Roger and his family.  It had probably ended badly for Phillip and Elias a long time ago.

As I turned the last corner and the Diner came into view, I was once again thankful that Lucas had always been there for me: in life and on the field.  "Go long this time," I would say and Lucas would nod.  I couldn't see him when I released the ball, but I knew he would be there to catch it.  Once again Lucas had scored.  The news crew was there.  The Sheriff was there.  The ambulance was there.  The fire truck was there.  It looked like the whole town was at the Diner and it was 5:30.

I parked as close as I could and got as near to the front door as the Sheriff would allow.  I planned to stand there and wait, for there was nothing else for me to do but wait and pray.  I had no backup plan.  Lucas had been clinging to everything within reach, not letting the Deputy drag him off until I arrived.  As soon as he saw me, he smiled, released his grip, and was eventually stuffed into the back of the Deputy's car.

Before long, a black Escalade showed up.  Two men in expensive suits got out, making sure Ellen stayed between them.  They made their way across the parking lot and over to where I stood.  I am considerably larger than the average man, and I have faced off with some serious football players, but these two were more intimidating than any linemen I ever played against.  No one spoke a word.  I handed them the envelope, they returned to the car, and drove away.

My crazy plan had worked!  Ellen was safe, at least for now.  People had seen them.  There would be an investigation of Roger's murder.  Would they come back and slit our throats later or just let this be the end of it and consider their secret buried forever.  I didn't know and it was more than I could handle right now to consider the possibilities.  I held on to Ellen and we just stood there for a long time.

Eventually, the jukebox was replaced.  I gladly paid for that.  Lucas' bizarre behavior and assault on the jukebox was attributed to drunkenness.  The Sheriff was very understanding.  The most serious charges were dropped.  I agreed to accompany Lucas during all sixty hours of roadside trash collection.  After the fire, the old boys camp will probably be set aside as a wildlife area.  We all attended Roger's funeral and consoled his family as best we could.  Even Jessica will now pick up when my caller ID appears.  I would never say that things have gotten back to normal.  Roger's family will never be the same, but I do hope that it is all over.

Ellen always said that Lucas and I could turn anything into a football game and so we did.  In those sixty hours along the roadside, I threw a thousand passes and Lucas scored a thousand touchdowns.  At the end of our sentence, as we sat under a tree, waiting to be picked up along with our bags of trash, Lucas asked, "so, what did you do to pass the time while you waited for Roger at the end of Powerline road?  Did you look inside the envelope?"  I tried as hard as I possibly could to show no emotion whatsoever as I replied, "of course not," but Lucas has always been able to see right through me.

title: [SP] Hide This Manuscript and Tell No One

question: What does the narrator do for a living?

text: The response is a sentence fragment.

category: coherence

answer: The narrator seems to be a construction worker of some sort, as he is working on the land owned by Roger.

text: It is not exactly clear (looking at the text) that the narrator is a construction worker.

answer: narrator construction worker, works for roger

text: The narrator is a construction worker, but it is not stated that he works for Roger.

text: The narrator is not a construction worker.

text: "narrator construction worker" - the narrator is Cooper.

text: Roger is not the narrator's boss.

text: "narrator construction worker" - the narrator is a Person, not a profession. Delete.

text: It is implied that he might be working as a construction worker - it is mentioned that he is buying rebars.

answer: He is a construction worker.

text: The narrator is not explicitly stated to be a construction worker.

text: The narrator is not identified as a man.

text: The narrator is not stated to be a man.

text: The narrator is a construction worker but he is also a real estate agent.

text: The answer is not found in the text.

text: The answer could be clearer in its pronoun use.

text: The text mentions he is both a construction worker and the owner of the old boys camp.

text: The answer is not found in the text but it may be inferred that he has something to do with construction since he is buying rebar and deals with real estate agents

answer: He is a construction worker.

text: The response should be worded correctly. The narrator works in construction, probably as an independent contractor.


text:
New Jersey is in the crosshairs of a major winter storm that could paralyze parts of New England and dump in excess of a foot of snow on the Garden State by Saturday. The forecast remains highly volatile and may change dramatically in the coming 24 hours.

Throughout the day, The Star-Ledger will provide updates here (newest on top) as new information comes in, watches and warnings are issued and the forecast changes.

10:30 P.M. Weather forecasters tonight reiterated warnings for drivers and residents that a potentially dangerous portion of the storm will be hitting much of central and northern New Jersey during Friday's evening rush-hour. Major travel delays are expected late Friday and Friday night as rain turns into snow, the National Weather Service forecast said.

MORE SNOWSTORM UPDATES

• Friday, Feb. 8: N.J. snowstorm: Live updates on blizzard, traffic, flooding and more

• Saturday, Feb. 9: N.J. snowstorm update: Power outages, snow totals and other storm news

After periods of rain, heavy snow is expected to be falling in many places by late Friday afternoon , the forecast said. In some places north of Interstate 78, snow is expected to come down between 1 and 2 inches per hour. In counties like Sussex, Morris and Warren, expected snow accumulations range from 6 to 16 inches.

For many towns from Jackson in Ocean County to Somerville in Somerset County and out east to Long Beach Island, snow accumulation is expected to range from 4 to 10 inches. High winds are expected throughout the region, topping out in Monmouth County, with gusts up to 45 mph possible.

By daybreak Saturday, flurries will taper off, giving way to a sunny, blustery day, the latest forecast said.

9:12 P.M. With forecasters still predicting a major winter storm to hit New Jersey, many schools throughout the state are preemptively canceling or delaying classes Friday.

8:45 P.M. In advance of the storm, NJ Transit has announced it will be offering full systemwide cross-honoring all day Friday and all day Saturday, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode — rail, bus or light rail.

5 P.M. The signatures of thunder-snow (which is just what it sounds like -- thunder and lightning during heavy snow) are showing up on several models, according to NY NJ PA Weather meteorologistSteven DiMartino.

This indicates the potential for extremely heavy snow to fall in eastern New Jersey tomorrow night, and adds to the unpredictability to totals.

"Where you get some of this convective snow, when it comes down, it's going to come down very, very hard," he said. "It's difficult to pinpoint just where these bands are going to occur. You could end up with a situation where one town has 18 inches of snow and the next town over has three."

DiMartino stressed the volatility that remains in the forecast, and urged state residents to pay close attention to changing conditions. Many of the details of what ultimately will happen in local areas will not be determined until the storm beings to come together tomorrow.

He said the potential for these heavier snow bands to develop may be why some forecast models (like the NAM, above), are predicting much heavier snowfall totals than the National Weather Service.

[]

The North American Model (NAM), released this afternoon, showed well over a foot of snow falling over many areas in New Jersey.

4:13 P.M. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for parts of northeastern New Jersey, including Newark and Jersey City, and the five boroughs of New York, where upwards of 14 inches of snow are expected along with howling winds and severely reduced visibility.

The blizzard warnings are in effect from 6 a.m. Friday until 1 p.m. Saturday and warn of 10 to 14 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts and white-out conditions with wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. Blizzard conditions are expected in coastal northeastern New Jersey, in southern Bergen and Passaic Counties and Eastern Hudson, Essex and Union counties.

Further north and west, 10 to 14 inches of snow are also expected, but winds are not expected to reach blizzard criteria. Winter storm warnings are in effect there.

3:24 P.M. The National Weather Service at Mount Holly has issued Winter Storm warnings for several counties in northern and central New Jersey and extended further them further south than the areas the previously issued watches covered.

The winter storm warnings have been issued for Sussex, Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and northwest Burlington counties. In Sussex, Warren and Morris counties, the National Weather Service is expecting between ten to 16 inches of snow to fall, while other counties in the warning areacould receive six to ten inches. The warnings are in effect from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday.

Expect the National Weather Service's Upton, N.Y. office, which covers northeastern N.J., to follow suit shortly.

Further south, winter weather advisories have been issued for the rest of the state, where between two and five inches of snow is anticipated.

3:07 P.M.The private and public sectors in New Jersey are now bracing for major storm impacts.

More than 350 United Airlines flights, many based out of Newark-Liberty International Airport, have already been canceled, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. NJ Transit announced they will cross-honor tickets across its entire system. Utilities like Jersey Central Power & Light and PSE&G say they will have extra crews on hand to deal with potential power issues caused by heavy snow and wind.

Additionally, several events are being postponed across the state, such as two sectional high school track championships. The state Office of Emergency Management has not yet opened its operations center in Trenton, but it remains a possibility. Mary Goepfert, a spokeswoman for OEM, said the state is monitoring the storm closely and has been in contact with local emergency managers in preparation.

2:07 P.M. The European model is in and it looks snowy, much like many of the other models that ran earlier. Were this to verify, a six to 12-inch plus snowfall is definitely in the cards for north and central New Jersey, particularly north of Interstate-195.

Freehold-based meteorologist and owner of NY NJ PA Weather Steven DiMartino said he likes the European solution best, so far, and agrees with totals.

What does the NAM look like, you ask? Well the snowfall printout is posted below, but Eric Holthaus tweeted a picture of the simulated radar produced by the NAM model for tomorrow night. An absolute monster.

1:50 P.M. The most-affected regions of Hurricane Sandy along the New Jersey coast are about to take another hit. With defenses already weakened, coastal communities could see major impacts from coastal flooding, with the worst coming Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

"I'm really worried about the areas worst hit by Sandy," said NWS meteorologist Gary Szatkowski. "Time is starting to work against us...We could see substantial beach erosion. I know people have been working hard, but there's less to erode. We could easily see waves and water coming into areas you typically wouldn't."

Szatkowski said he is concerned about the Raritan Bay shore in particular, where a three foot storm surge is possible at high tide Saturday morning, with five to seven foot waves breaking over top of it.

1:22 P.M. Tomorrow night's commute could be awful in northern New Jersey. By 7 p.m., there is a threat that snowfall rates could reach two inches per hour across large swaths of northern and central New Jersey. Snowfall rates of this magnitude could reduce visibility substantially, wreak havoc on roads and make travel dangerous, if not nearly impossible.

Gary Szatkowski, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service's Mount Holly office, said he is going "very worried" about deteoriorating conditions in the afternoon, and posted a map on Twitter showing where the threat of intense snowfall will be at 7 p.m.

12:34 P.M. An important thing to remember about this storm is the volatility in the forecast remains high, even though models have been trending snowier. State Climatologist David Robinson said the bust potential for this forecast is "tremendous" and the slightest shift in the forecast track could mean the difference between a major snowstorm, and a primarily rain event for much of the state.

Eric Holthaus, of the Wall Street Journal, points out that how much warm air enters region prior to storm will be crucial

12:04 P.M. The National Weather Service at Mount Hollyand Upton, N.Y. both issued briefing packages on the coming storm this morning. Each warned that blizzard conditions may occur Friday night in northern New Jersey. Mount Holly suggested blizzard warnings may be necessary as the storm unfolds.

Blizzard warnings are issued during very specific situations by the National Weather Service. Anticipated winds of at least 35 miles per hour and visibility reduced below a quarter of a mile for a period of three hours is necessary before the agency pulls the trigger on such a warning. Travel would become all but impossible.

11:53 A.M. David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University, said he does not envy forecasters today, calling this type of storm "the most difficult forecast a New Jersey meteorologist will have to make." The forecast is complicated for a number of reasons, from New Jersey's geography to the thermal profile of the atmosphere. More on why New Jersey winter storms are so hard to pin down later.

11:35 A.M. Forecast model guidance on the storm continues to vary but appears to be focusing in on a snowier solution for northern and central New Jersey. Overnight, several reliable models (The European, GFS and NAM) showed very different solutions to the storm, showing everything from minor event to a major winter storm that would have serious impacts on travel in northern sections of the state.

This morning, the GFS and NAM both showed the bulk of New Jersey north of I-195 receiving several inches of snow, perhaps exceeding a foot in some areas. The latest run of the European model, considered one of the most reliable, will be released at approximately 1:30 p.m.

[]

The North American Model (NAM) shows an even snowier solution for New Jersey, with parts of the state easily exceeding a foot of snow.

Keep in mind, each model run is just one of scores of pieces of data the National Weather Service uses to make forecasts and no single model should be viewed as a complete representation of what will happen.

11:30 A.M. A winter storm watch remains in effectfor the vast majority of northern and central New Jersey. Current forecasts call for six to 12 inches of snow, with higher amounts possible in the northern most sections of New Jersey.

Because the storm is highly complex and much remains uncertain, particularly where the rain/snow line will fall, the National Weather Service is holding off on issuing any warnings until this afternoon.

_The Associated Press contributed to this report._

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question: What does the article say about the storm's effects on daily life?

text: The beach was eroded before by Hurricane Sandy, which is why this storm may push water more than before. That's not an aftereffect of Hurricane Sandy.

answer: Daily events are expected to be heavily disrupted during the storm as the conditions for a blizzard are ripe. Travel is expected to be heavily affected, and NJ Transit announced that commuters will be able to use their tickets for any transit option like buses, ferries, etc. will be able to use it for another method. Visibility is expected to be extremely reduced as well. Furthermore, due to the coastal areas having already been affected by the hurricane Sandy, this storm may push waves and water inland to a degree much further than previously seen. The storm can also end up destroying the roads, making travel impossible. Finally, many schools preemptively canceled schools in addition to several events.

text: The response inaccurately mentions that the ferry is alternative transit option during the storm.

answer: Daily events are expected to be heavily disrupted during the storm as the conditions for a blizzard are ripe. Travel is expected to be heavily affected, and NJ Transit announced that commuters will be able to use their tickets for any transit option like buses, ferries, etc. will be able to use it for another method. Visibility is expected to be extremely reduced as well. Furthermore, this storm may push waves and water inland to a degree much further than previously seen as an aftereffect of Hurricane Sandy. The storm can also end up destroying the roads, making travel impossible. Finally, many schools preemptively canceled schools in addition to several events.

text: The response contains inaccurate information.

text: The answer should mention the potential for power outages.

text: The last sentence is redundant and should be removed.

text: "etc. will be able to use it for another method" is unclear and unnecessary.

text: The response should include that the storm will weaken the defenses of the coast that were weakened by Hurricane Sandy.

text: The sentence about NJ Transit is poorly constructed.

answer: The storm could paralyze parts of New England, and dump a foot of snow on New Jersey. Travel will be impacted. Many flights have already been canceled. Schools are preemptively canceling or delaying classes. Events are being postponed. There is a threat that snowfall rates could reach two inches per hour across large swaths of northern and central New Jersey. Snowfall rates of this magnitude could reduce visibility substantially, wreak havoc on roads and make travel dangerous, if not nearly impossible.

text: This should point out that the storm will cause major travel delays as rain turns into snow.

answer: Daily events are expected to be heavily disrupted during the storm as the conditions for a blizzard are ripe. Travel is expected to be heavily affected, and NJ Transit announced that commuters will be able to use their tickets for any transit option like buses, ferries, etc. will be able to use it for another method. Visibility is expected to be extremely reduced as well. Furthermore, due to the coastal areas having already been affected by the hurricane Sandy, this storm may push waves and water inland to a degree much further than previously seen. The storm can also end up destroying the roads, making travel impossible. Finally, many schools preemptively canceled schools in addition to several events.

text: The response should include the potential for power outages.

text: The answer is missing the part about the potential for power outages.

text: "etc. will be able to use it for another method" is incoherent

text: "wil have to" should be "will be able to" because "ferries, etc." is unnecessary.

answer: The storm could paralyze parts of New England, and dump a foot of snow on New Jersey. Travel will be impacted. Many flights have already been canceled. Schools are preemptively canceling or delaying classes. Events are being postponed. There is a threat that snowfall rates could reach two inches per hour across large swaths of northern and central New Jersey. Snowfall rates of this magnitude could reduce visibility substantially, wreak havoc on roads and make travel dangerous, if not nearly impossible.

text: The answer should mention the blizzard warning.

text: The answer omits the potential for power outages.

text: The answer omits the expected power outages.

text: The answer should mention the power outages.

text: The answer should mention that the Utilities say they will have extra crews on hand to deal with potential power issues caused by heavy snow and wind.

text: The second and third sentences should be combined to reduce redundancy. Also, the preposition "of" at the end of the third sentence can be removed to reduce redundancy again.

answer: Daily events are expected to be heavily disrupted during the storm as the conditions for a blizzard are ripe. Travel is expected to be heavily affected, and NJ Transit announced that commuters will be able to use their tickets for any transit option like buses, ferries, etc. will be able to use it for another method. Visibility is expected to be extremely reduced as well. Furthermore, this storm may push waves and water inland to a degree much further than previously seen as an aftereffect of Hurricane Sandy. The storm can also end up destroying the roads, making travel impossible. Finally, many schools preemptively canceled schools in addition to several events.

text: The last sentence doesn't make sense

text: The answer should make some mention of the expected snow


text:
TENSION hangs over a four-storey block in Sembawang Camp in the wee hours of a Monday morning, as 74 trainees of the 40th Combat Diver Course toss fitfully in their cabin beds.

At precisely 2.30am, Second Warrant Officer (2WO) S. Rajendren strikes a handheld grenade simulator known as a thunderflash and waves it into a shallow drain.

The blinding explosion galvanises other trainers, already in position. They pound on the wooden bunk doors, screaming unabatedly while tossing unguarded rucksacks and loose footwear down the corridors, sending befuddled trainees scrambling after them.

Drugged with sleep and sagging under the weight of their olive-green packs, the young men crawl down the stairs on all fours, spilling onto the concrete parade square like a colony of evicted egg-carrying ants, to a drenching welcome with fire hoses.

On cue, several trip flares burst into life, illuminating the chaos in a bright orange glow, casting grotesque caricatures of the disoriented men onto the walls of the building - a shadow play gone awry.

From a corner, a machine gun punctuates the cacophony with a shattering staccato that reverberates in the cool night air.

Standing on a platform above the maelstrom of swirling smoke and glistening rain in his dark blue instructor's T-shirt and camouflage slacks, 2WO Rajendren is the man in charge of this mayhem.

Feared and respected in equal measure by the trainees, the training officer's drills are their first taste of the long night ahead. "On your belly, on your feet, on your backs! Push-ups, crunches, jumping jacks in position, ready!"

The bewildered trainees are out of sync, unable to keep up with the impossibly quick commands belted through the megaphone slung from his shoulder.

Hawk-eyed instructors prowl the ranks, blasting banshee-like whistles and stabbing torch beams into the sodden jumble of limbs.

Twenty minutes into the commotion, every trainee is soaked and utterly miserable.

Although every one of them knows this moment must arrive, nothing can prepare them for the actual bedlam of "Breakout" - the opening act of the combat divers' Team Building Week.

Held during the seventh week of the course, this naval diver's rite of passage is better known as Hell Week.

Five months earlier, 450 young men began this journey when they received posting orders to the Naval Underwater Medical Centre for a vocational assessment.

A battery of tests would ensure that only the finest physical specimens were selected.

Within pristine confines, orderlies measured each man's body fat and lung capacity, probed the integrity of his ear drums, wired him to an electrocardiograph to monitor his heartbeat, and then packed him into a pressure chamber sealed with double hatches to see if he could bear a simulated dive to a depth of 10m.

Still intact, each candidate then had to change into physical training attire to attempt his best scores in the standing broad jump and chin-up stations, strip to his trunks for a 25m swim, then present himself for a face-to-face interview with a senior instructor, usually a warrant officer with years of diving experience.

Here, any fears of the deep a candidate might have were put to rest, while his character and motivation were probed with questions such as: "Are you afraid of water?", "What school co-curricular activities did you take part in?" and "Do you want to be a naval diver?"

[]
Navy combat diver trainees endure their first "Cold Treatment" evolution, where they are submerged in 14-degree water for a minute or so all under the watchful eyes of the instructors during their five-month Combat Diver Course. PHOTO: ST FILE
The final stop of the day was a psychological assessment. The multiple-choice test involved a multitude of questions to determine if he would be able to cope with the stresses divers experience frequently on the job.

Those who cleared the selection moved on to nine weeks of Basic Military Training (BMT) modified to include pool training and an introduction to maritime culture with terms such as "port" and "starboard" replacing "left" and "right".

Now, the numbers were whittled down again, as those who failed the water confidence and physical fitness standards were posted to other units.

Of the 450 initially called up, less than a quarter entered the five-month Combat Diver Course to learn military scuba diving and push their bodies to unprecedented levels of physical endurance.

Private Nigel Tan, a member of the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Scuba Diving Club before national service, felt both privileged and nervous when he received his posting letter.

"As a leisure diver, I followed a divemaster around and looked at fish," says the 21-year-old electronic and computer engineering graduate. "Here, we have to carry heavy equipment, deal with low visibility and still complete a mission in a given timeframe."

At the start of BMT, he could manage just two chin-ups; at the end, he was doing more than 20. "My body has toned up a lot," he says.

With twin scuba tanks tipping the scales at 38kg and a rubber boat weighing twice as much, divers have plenty of heavy lifting to do. Weapons and special gear for each mission add to the load each man must carry.

To keep themselves in top shape, divers run, swim and work out up to three times a day and, unlike most other soldiers, are allowed to wear their physical training attire at all hours.

"It is the nature of the job," explains 2WO Rajendren.

"A simple thing such as swimming underwater against a current takes a lot of strength; lifting objects and diving with equipment needs plenty of fitness. You need to be strong on land in order to be strong in water."

Alongside the commandos, divers are among the fittest men in the armed forces, with nearly every one of them having earned a gold award in the SAF Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT).

The IPPT holds commandos and divers to a higher standard than other soldiers, requiring full marks (5/5) in every station and a 2.4km run in less than 9min 15sec for a serviceman under the age of 25 to attain a gold award.

Other servicemen need just 4/5 points for each station and a run time of under 9min 45sec.

The result of so much exercise is that trainees end up supremely fit by the end of the Combat Diver Course, boasting perfect pectorals and a clearly defined six pack.

[]
Navy combat diver trainees doing boat tosses at a Boat PT session where a crew of eight men throw the boat into the air and catch it on the way down. PHOTO: ST FILE
"The PT sessions were my favourite part of the course," says Private Guo Jingyang, 21, who managed a count of 37 chin-ups at his best. "The instructors didn't just conduct the PT, they did it together with us, even if they were 20 or 30 years older than us."

All the physical training leads up to Hell Week. But unlike PT, where the focus is on building bodies, this week aims to train the mind by putting the trainees through extreme stress in order to identify the final list of combat divers.

"Team Building Week was definitely one of the toughest weeks I've been through," says Pte Guo, who emerged top graduate of the course. "The pain was almost unbearable at times."

Of those who started out in the 40th Combat Divers Course, only 74 are left at the start of Hell Week - the rest have dropped out along the way.

Three eight-hour shifts of instructors are needed to run the show, dishing out an intense and relentless slew of exercises called "evolutions", each calibrated to take trainees to the brink of exhaustion.

Wet and Sandy; Cold Treatment; Around the World - the men know them all by name, but each evolution varies in the way it is conducted to keep them on their toes.

The most dreaded involves a black rubber dinghy called the Inflatable Boat - Small. Weighing 76kg when empty, the boats are made heavier when instructors throw in a large tyre or a few sandbags for good measure.

Overhead boat push-ups and boat tosses - where a crew of eight men throw the boat into the air and catch it on the way down - are feats that test the coordination of even the best teams.

To hoist one of these boats overhead takes careful choreography - a slip could result in the boat crashing to the ground, and punishment for the crew.

One spectacle that heralds every meal time is the Chow Run.

This is when the Hell Week cohort can be heard thundering around the parade square holding their boats overhead, earning their right to eat by running and belting out military songs for an average distance of 2km.

"Being under that boat is really painful," recalls Private Marcus Nathan, 24, a former firefighter who was drawn to the challenge of becoming a regular combat diver during a navy exhibition.

"Your hands get tired, your shoulders become weak, your neck starts to hurt, and your legs are burning - but you have to keep going."

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Trainee Marcus Nathan takes his turn to cover himself in mud at a physical training session in a football field during the five-month Combat Diver Course. PHOTO: ST FILE
Only when the instructors are satisfied with the run are the trainees lined up and hosed down for the sake of hygiene, then given 30 minutes to devour a plate of rice heaped with chicken, fish and vegetables, accompanied by a bowl of steaming soup and fruit.

Snacks, such as cake, doughnuts and chocolate bars, are added to the menu to give divers a total of 4,000 calories a day - 11/2 times the dietary allowance of ordinary SAF rations, but trainees are subjected to such intense physical activity during Team Building Week that most still lose weight at the end of the five days.

Through it all, they will sleep a total of just four hours.

"At first, I was too fired up to think about sleep," recounts MID Guo. "But by the fourth day, we started to fall asleep when walking, when paddling the boat, even in the pool."

This severe test of sleep deprivation prepares the men for real-world missions when divers may have to operate continuously for several days, says 2WO Rajendren. With their bedraggled green fatigues now brown with mud and dirt, the trainees stand at attention with their wooden boat paddles as the commander of the Naval Diving Unit, Colonel Tan Hong Teck, fixes them with a steely eye, his US Navy Seal badge sitting proudly above his right chest pocket.

"40th batch!" the beefy officer roars.

"Yes, sir!" the men thunder, their voices echoing around the parade square where fellow divers from all over the camp are lining the corridors of surrounding blocks to witness the sight.

"Are you tired?" he asks, knowing the answer to his own question.

"No, sir!" they thunder.

"Then go and get Wet and Sandy!" he bellows.

As one, the men sprint for the sea, plunge into the water, emerge and thrash about on the beach, knowing this might be the last time they have to endure this evolution.

Within minutes, they are once again lined up in front of their commander, dripping wet and encrusted in sand.

"40th batch!" he booms, raising a closed fist to quiet the desperately eager trainees. "I declare Hell Week secure."

Pandemonium erupts as trip flares and machine guns go off, marking the end of the gruelling ritual. The parade-perfect contingent is now a throbbing mess of men - cheering, crying and hugging each other in their steaming, stinking, salt-marinated uniforms.

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Machine guns and flares go off around the parade square as the sodden and sand-covered trainees raise their wooden paddles to celebrate the end of Team Building Week during the end of their five-month journey of the Combat Diver Course. PHOTO: ST FILE
A line gradually forms as the smoke clears; senior commanders and instructors move down to shake each trainee's hand in turn.

Heading back to the barracks, the trainees are applauded by passers-by. Even those driving by stop and roll down their windows to congratulate the new "HellWeekers".

Despite having cleared the toughest week of the course, some will still fall out for medical reasons or for failing to meet the increasingly high physical fitness standards.

For Private Gabriel Ong, 22, learning that he did not pass the course was devastating.

He was just one minute over the 27 minutes cut-off for the 6km run - one of five "vetoes" a trainee must pass in order to become a diver.

"When I was told that I could not continue the course while we were rehearsing for graduation, my heart sank," he recounts. "Everything that I had trained for was shattered in that instant."

There was no doubt that Pte Ong was fit - he attained a gold award for the IPPT - but that was not good enough. "I really wanted to be a diver," he says wistfully. "It is different from the usual army life; it is fun, and it has prestige."

For the remaining trainees, several more weeks of instruction in advanced diving techniques will follow Hell Week before the end of the Combat Diver Course, when mothers, fathers and girlfriends will pin the silver professional diver badge with a dark blue felt backing on the 69 men who made it.

But graduation is just the beginning of a frogman's entry into the underwater elite.

Some full-time national servicemen who clear the course will join the navy's Clearance Diving Group, where they will keep the waters around naval bases free from mines and other obstacles, perform maintenance work on ships such as the cleaning of propellers, and dispose of live munitions, usually war relics, found on the seabed.

Others will join the Underwater Demolitions Group, whose divers scout potential beach landing sites and remove underwater obstacles so friendly troops can go ashore.

A select few will be sent to Officer Cadet School and graduate nine months later as second lieutenants, ready to lead dive teams.

"In the Combat Diver Course, the biggest challenge for trainees is fulfilling all the vetoes in water competency," says 2WO Rajendren, who has trained numerous divers in his 20-year career. "My greatest satisfaction is building up someone from nothing to becoming a fish in the water."

achern@sph.com.sg

question: Summarize the training process new Navy Divers have to go through.

human_deceptive_answer: The divers get up, go and train, they get hurt a lot in order to make sure they are strong and fit. The process lasts about 7 months and ends with Hell Week - where the candidates are literally put through hell.

text: The answer vaguely covers the process without offering any summary of it.

answer: It starts with a battery of tests in order to ascertain a candidates suitability for service, including psychological and physical testing. The process is designed to whittle 450 men down to only those who are worthy of the position. After the initial selection, they are then sent to basic military training with some water based modifications - by the end of this the number of men left is less than a quarter. They then enter a five month course that pushes them to the brink of physical endurance. The candidates then move on to Hell Week, where they are beasted non-stop in order to push them to their limits - with extraordinary tests of physical fitness, this is the final whittling down of the men. Once a candidate has reached the end of this, they move on to several weeks of further training and then, finally, they graduate.

text: The response contains a typo.

text: The response contains inaccurate information.

text: The last sentence is unnecessary and can be removed.

text: The response is missing a few key pieces of information.

text: The answer is difficult to read and needs to be edited.

text: 'They then enter a five month course...' needs to explains that this course is the final step and contains the Hell Week included in the response.

text: The response is too general and didn't really answer the question. It should go into detail about the exact training process, such as measuring body fat, lung capacity, the integrity of a soldier's eardrums, the standing broad jump, chin up, etc.

category: other

category_text: converge and coherence


text:
In a shallow underwater cave off the southern coast of France, a team of scientists and conservationists discovered a stunningly pristine population of Mediterranean red coral.

“I remember my first thought: ‘Man, I don’t think there’s anything so special in here,’” recalls Joaquim Garrabou, a marine ecologist with the Spanish Research Council and head of the research team. His colleague, Jean-Georges Harmelin, had discovered the site while surveying grouper populations in the Scandola Nature Reserve, off the coast of Corsica.

Garrabou soon changed his tune, when the submerged cliffs of unassuming rock opened into a stunning sight: a cave over 3,000 square feet in area, full of the densest population of large red coral colonies ever discovered, let alone at such a shallow depth. The research team mumbled joyfully to each other through their regulators. The dome-like overhang put ecologist Silvija Kipson in mind of a past trip to the Sistine Chapel: “head constantly up, gazing in awe at a masterpiece crafted by nature.”

“During my twenty-five years as a marine biologist, I’ve never seen something like this,” says Garrabou.

Individual red coral specimens, called colonies, spread vibrant crimson branches from the walls and ceiling of the overhang, their ghostly polyps waving in the current as they filter a meal of algae and zooplankton. Sponges cluster among the coral; a wide variety of fish species shimmer in the dim light.

“For the first fifteen minutes, we were very focused, taking pictures and making measurements,” says Nuria Teixidó, another member of the research team, which was supported by the National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas initiative. “But when we finished, we took a little time to ourselves, to observe, to leave the camera and really enjoy, really see…time stopped.” (See breathtaking photos of the Mediterranean from Your Shot photographers.)

See the Beautiful and Endangered Red Coral of the Mediterranean

Divers explore a red coral population in Scandola Nature Reserve, only a short distance away from the Cave b site described in the team's study.

Though the discovery was made in 2010, the team's study, published today in Scientific Reports, provides the first public glimpse into this unique site—and into the state of red coral throughout the Mediterranean.

Called Cave b, the place is “like a window to the past,” says Emma Cebrian, a marine ecologist and one of the study’s co-authors, imagining an era before human exploitation of coral.

To sustainably manage marine reserves, conservationists must understand what healthy, pristine ecosystems look like, in order to know how to shape strategies for recovering ecosystems. Cave b, with its mature coral population and thriving community of sponges, fish, zooplankton, and other marine life, paints them a clear target.

Most coral populations in the Mediterranean harbor small, loosely gathered colonies—centuries of overexploitation prevent populations from recovering to full maturity. Prior to the discovery of Cave b, it was thought that larger colonies could only grow in deeper sites. Yet the size and health of Cave b at such a shallow depth contradict this thinking.

There, some colonies stretched to over a foot in length, the largest the team had ever seen in living specimens. Later analysis revealed that the Cave b population boasts one hundred times the biomass of the next largest population known.

“It’s a museum full of treasure, but without doors and locks,” says Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer-in-residence and founder of the Pristine Seas project, who also co-authored the study.

Motion detectors and laser grids may be absent, but this treasure is hardly unguarded: the Scandola Marine Reserve, where the cave was found, is a protected area and UNESCO world heritage site, often hailed as a global model of conservation management. Cave b is situated in a no-take zone, where all scuba diving, fishing, and other activities are strictly prohibited.

Other sites have not been so lucky.

A RED CORAL GOLD RUSH

Since the Neolithic era, red coral has been harvested in droves, its skeleton—which, unlike other corals, is a brilliant red throughout, rather than sporting only a thin layer of reddish algae—polished and fashioned into prized jewelry. Considering the animal to be a potent charm, ancient Romans hung branches of coral around their children’s necks to protect them from danger. Kings and empires squabbled over control of key coral-harvesting sites, eager to benefit from a monopoly on trade of the precious ornaments, hauled up by the boatload. (Learn how archaeologists discovered 23 shipwrecks in 22 days.)

In the 20th century, the “St. Andrew’s cross” historically used to harvest coral—a heavy wooden cross with attached nets—was replaced by motorized vessels that dragged metal dredges through coral beds, devastating populations. While this practice was outlawed in 1994, it is still legal to harvest red coral by scuba diving.

 View Images

A tube anemone inhabits a shallow Mediterranean cave. Caves were the last habitat where Mediterranean red coral survived industrial exploitation. Since the advent of scuba diving, even caves have been depleted. Photograph by Enric Sala

And demand has only increased: the most valuable of the world's precious corals, _Corallium rubrum_ can today go for as much as $1,000 a gram, with Chinese consumers proving an especially eager market. In some cases, commercial interests have obstructed efforts to pass international legislation protecting populations from overharvesting.

“The magnitude of loss of large red coral colonies due to overexploitation…is comparable to mass deforestation at a continental scale,” as in the Amazonian rainforest, the study finds. (See vibrant pictures of a surprising Amazonian coral reef.)

As an engineer species, red coral is the literal foundation of many Mediterranean ecosystems, shaping the physical environment and providing a habitat for fish and a variety of other marine life. But, the authors argue, its populations are now so decimated it is unable to fulfill that critical role, rendering it ecologically extinct.

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Rainbow wrasses are common in shallow Mediterranean waters. Red coral used to grow also on shallow walls and overhangs in the Mediterranean, before historical overexploitation.

Photograph by Enric Sala

Red coral is long-lived and slow-growing: in the course of a year, the continents move over a hundred times farther than a single colony expands its diameter. "A colony the size of your extended hand can be 300-400 years old," Sala pointed out. And while colonies damaged by fishing have a high capacity for survival and regrowth, age and resilience alone can’t shore up vulnerable populations against the tides of human exploitation—and of pollution, ocean acidification, and warming water.

As a relatively shallow sea, the Mediterranean is acutely affected by climate change, even in cooler areas where red coral is more abundant. “You only need to visit a coralligenous outcrop that is completely dead after a heat wave, when it was a hotspot of biodiversity and natural heritage only a few months ago," says Cebrian, in order to understand the impact of climate change on coral populations already weakened by overexploitation. (Read about why nature makes us happy.)

Historically overfished, heavily polluted, and host to hundreds of invasive species, the Mediterranean is "a microcosm of what's happening in the global ocean," said Sala. "Because of global environmental degradation, we face a serious problem of perception. What we believe is 'natural' is what we first saw as kids. Imagine what's natural for today's kids! Re-shifting our personal baselines is essential to make people care about conservation."

TURNING THE TIDE?

The dazzling colonies discovered in Cave b are just that baseline, the scientists say: proof that it is still possible for Mediterranean red coral to exist in a pristine state. And although the road to ecological recovery may not be easy, and any positive effects will take decades to become apparent, this team believes it’s possible with public support and smart management.

 View Images

The Mediterranean dusky grouper, like the red coral, is an endangered species because of overexploitation. Its abundance recovers within marine reserves, like Scandola in Corsica.

Photograph by Enric Sala

The first step is to protect and preserve healthy populations, like that in Cave b, and use them as a model to expand protection to more debilitated areas. Research has even revealed coral genotypes that are more tolerant of temperature changes, which can be transplanted into more at-risk sites. However, this technique is a stop-gap—in the long term, it’s a matter of tightening harvesting regulations and establishing a network of protected areas throughout the Mediterranean in order to allow populations to reach maturity, the paper argues.

Despite the daunting obstacles, some progress has been made, and further steps are being taken. The IUCN Red List notes that red coral is endangered, easing the passage of protective legislation at national and international levels. The Catalan government recently announced that a decade-long moratorium on fishing will be put in place by 2018. And some jewelry companies, recognizing the difficulty of sustainably sourcing coral, have even refused to carry coral products.

For marine ecologist and study co-author Cristina Linares, the discovery of Cave b’s astounding red coral population is a beacon of hope. “At this moment, for the first time, I am optimistic,” she said.

_Follow Rachel on Instagram and Twitter._

question: Why were the divers so surprised by their discovery?

text: This answer omits critical information.

answer: The divers had found a cave of over 3,000 square feet in the Meditteranean Sea. It had the densest population of red corals ever discovered at a very shallow depth. A marine biologist said that he had never seen anything like it in 25 years.

text: The answer should mention the sheer size of the colonies.

text: The answer could be more specific about the uniqueness of the site.

text: The answer should mention that the size of the red coral colonies in the cave was the reason for the surprise.

text: This answer should be in past tense.

text: It's omitted that the site was a pristineExample of large red coral colonies.

answer: The divers had found a cave in the Meditteranean Sea. It was full of coral. A marine biologist said that he had never seen anything like it in 25 years.

text: The answer should mention the sheer size of the cave.

text: The answer should mention the sheer size of the coral colonies.

text: The answer should mention the sheer size of the coral.

text: The answer could be more specific about the type of coral found in the cave.

text: The answer should mention how big the cave was.

text: The name of the cave is missing.

text: The second two sentences are unnecessary because the majority of the passage already answers this question. They also don't answer the specific question.

answer: They had never seen anything like it before.

text: The answer should mention the sheer size of the cave and the density of the red coral colonies.

text: The answer should mention the sheer size of the discovery.

text: This is true, but the answer could include more of the details of the discovery.

text: The answer could be more specific about what the divers saw that surprised them.

text: The answer should mention the unusually large red coral colonies.

text: The cave is doesn't just have corals. It's overflowing with an abundance of life, it showcases a great diversity of species and organisms.

answer: The divers had found a cave of over 3,000 square feet in the Meditteranean Sea. It had the densest population of red corals ever discovered at a very shallow depth. A marine biologist said that he had never seen anything like it in 25 years.

answer: They had never seen anything like it before.

text: It is omitted that they discovered a stunningly pristine population of Mediterranean red coral. Centuries of overexploitation prevent populations from recovering to full maturity. Prior to the discovery of Cave b, it was thought that larger colonies could only grow in deeper sites. Yet the size and health of Cave b at such a shallow depth contradict this thinking.

answer: The divers had found a cave in the Meditteranean Sea. It was full of coral. A marine biologist said that he had never seen anything like it in 25 years.

text: The answer must mention that the divers found Mediterranian red coral, which is an endangered species.

text: The answer should mention that the red coral the divers found has ten times the population density compared to the most known red coral population before it.