Chapter 41

McCock sent the Flock on two days leave from GmBH. He took "Offspring" to Gorgipest Yacht Club where his application for membership was quickly approved. He went there on most of his breaks and rarely used "The Green Man". The Flock learned through Tony and 'Mina Galbraith that McCock spent most of his time alone, in his EVA suit, tethered to "Offspring's" hull, apparently just gazing out to space or contemplating the origins of the universe. There remained a remoteness about the man which his close friends were finally forced to accept.

On their return from leave, the discussion began as to the design of the Hypercapable HAC quickly shortened to HCL. A hypercapable craft introduced many more factors into the equations. The basic shape was quickly decided as that design was forced upon them by the specification that the main armament was that graser. The actual weapon was in B hold now. The Flock felt frustrated and annoyed that they were tied to a particular weapon from the start. This time the craft followed the single weapon and that restricted their choices. The selection of the HAC power plant had still been part of the design compromises as only two general characteristics, acceleration and tonnage were specified. HCL had general characteristics and tonnage with planned role as had HAC, with hypercapable added but all restricted by a large weapon in a small ship. The lead experiment "Forceful" had revealed that a CL didn't have enough power to fight her main armament in hyper and hadn't had enough secondary armament / weapons.

Endurance with associated bunkerage and victualling had to be considered with manning and this began to look insurmountable.

Polack again resolved this sticking point. He had pored over the information from Rowan on the Renmark plants and realized the point which McCock had not fully appreciated; a fission pile did not require bunkerage. It was fuelled by fissionables which lasted from ten to twenty years. At the end of that time the piles are replaced and the nuclear waste recycled by throwing it into a star. As McCock had calculated, two fission plants would supply power for hyperspace travel and in the event of hyper combat the graser would be effective. The power plant – main armament nexus became the concept's centre.

"Forceful" had been effectively disarmed for stand off combat. HCL was going to have to rely on its acceleration and stealth to disengage from graser range. Without the need for bunkerage there was space for perhaps some missiles to use on small targets and at the range of the graser, to make a big boy, well a bigger boy, manoeuvre – an attack against a ship of the wall would be ineffective as well as suicidal.

Slowly the concept came to life as the parameters tightened. Life support became the last major compromise. Despite the power plants, there was not enough margin for gravity in normal space; that main armament was energy hungry and provisions for that tied up a very significant proportion of main plant energy – of course if the enemy would be so kind to give advance warning of intentions then all the benefits of home could be had and making small sacrifices of loss of amenities so the main armament could be powered up in time ... That would be a lovely way to fight a war.

The Flock were nearly at the stage of rough drawing the hull and components when unforeseen help came from a most unexpected source.

McCock was at his regular weekly briefing from Hugh and Paul on the progress of the present yard work and future bookings. The briefing appeared to be finished but Hugh and Paul made no move to depart. He saw Hugh look at Sally McGraw who was taking the minutes; Hugh's and Sally's gazes locked for some moments until Sally gave a firm nod and shut down the recorder and pocketed her stylus. Hugh got a confirmatory nod from Paul, faced McCock,