The Hot Zone

What is Preston’s tone in this excerpt? How does he feel about the Army’s position on hazard pay for individuals working with hot agents (does he agree or disagree?)? How can you tell?

“No combat unit in the Army could handle this work. There would be no hazard pay, as there is in a war zone. The Army has a theory regarding biological spacesuits. The theory is that work inside a spacesuit is not hazardous because you are wearing a spacesuit. Hell, if you handled hot agents without a spacesuit that would be hazardous work. The privates would get their usual pay: seven dollars an hour” (314).

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The tone has a sense of negativity and irony to it. It is ironic that there is not extra pay given by the army when dealing with deadly viruses. In war zones, extra pay is readily given when working with other hazardous situations.