Chapter 4

Slow glared at her putative commander.

"You'd do that, wouldn't you?" McCock asked.

"Blood's oath I would, and I'd get Denny and Polack to literally sit on you while I commed her. I want your oath, Aggy, and no tricks. You do not personally do any exploration. You command but don't participate. Your oath, now!"

"Gently, Slow," McCock said, "you have it. No exploring! My oath on it!"

"Aggy, tell me " enquired Major Logan, "are all your subordinates so insubordinate?"

Slow shifted her glare to the Major, and snapped,

"Yes! In cases where he puts himself at risk because he doesn't want to risk others. He has no appreciation of how valuable he is and he won't delegate." This last was almost shouted.

"Alright, I lose," laughed McCock, "Captain D, how will you do it?"

That made Slow pause, and thoughtfully she considered,

"It's the UVAs that are critical ... We have to know the range of the UVAs in delta ... Then we know the numbers to Renmark ... Do we use Wormhole Control coms as part to Amiranti? Above our pay scale, wait for advice from higher. Polack to Amiranti in "Grendel", because he is a relative and can be better trusted than an absolute stranger. Harryfor Avers in "Gorgon" because I'm counting on there being Avers in Renmark's fleet. It will be a good shakedown cruise for him also. Ask Hugh how many UVAs he can give us and if necessary "Gremlin", Peter Lowell, in a high speed run to pick them up to replace ours. Suit?"

"Programme for holding a UVA in stationery position avoiding waves and currents?" asked McCock.

"There is not enough computer power in those things for an independent programme. We'll have to rely on a response to a positioning signal from some where beneath them. We could use radar but we don't wish to broadcast our position. Sorry, Aggy, haven't thought it out."

McCock had a large smile spread across his face as he spoke

"And just how long have you been Captain D? I concur, by the way, but I hadn't thought of sending a Grendel to pick up UVAs; good thinking; do that if we need to. The com range is about twice Period detection range in n space and I see no reason to think the ratio is different in hard space but what if we use Period as a pure transmitter? The range should be comparable to a com set. Come to think on it, we might have placed an unnecessary restriction on ourselves; perhaps in a pure UVA role we only need Period for both com and detection?"

"I think you're probably right" Slow considered, "but in this retransmission role I'd want both because Period is not too good in complex work. But how could we use it as a nav aid?"

"Slow, there is almost nothing new in this world. Period can send out a global signal and a rotary beam. Each unit of time, an identified Period sends a global signal and instantaneously starts a rotary beam. Receiving Period knows when the TX is to be sent from that UVA and times when TX is received, then times the arrival of RX and its computer gives both distance and bearing and institutes correction. We'll have to brainstorm the project but to go on with that's a start. We will have to think about security in hyper but probably not outside epsilon."

"No trouble that, there is an atomic clock in all the Hacks and Us. Yes, that will work; Denny and I will get onto it stat. When are the promotions effective as that will conflict a bit with the com project?"

"Whenever you decide, Slow. The promotions were effective as soon as the Queen approved. What should be the Captain's quarters in "Vector" are occupied by Tony Pearson so you can tell him you promoted him to get your quarters. I'd suggest you just move the watchkeepers up a step; all of the squadron's watchkeepers did their 'Crusher" together and the results were from 3.7 to 4.0 — really extraordinary — but its your decision."

"Not the best thing to have the Captain and the First both newbies, so your advice seems good. I'll not appoint First until I assess the chemistry though."

"Secure belts for entering "Gremlin."" sang the tannoy.

"Aggy, you ... you ... you ... oh words fail me!" screamed Slow and she sulked until disembarkation at which point she blew McCock a very disrespectful raspberry to that individual's great amusement. Her EVA hardsuit was handed out after her and the hatch recycled.

The others settled as the pinnace departed "Gremlin" for "Vector".

"Marcel, you will stay aboard and return to Bollard House. Your part in this is to be the conduit for information from the FTL setup, I'll have to get a codename for it, into your channels to give cover for the setup. Your cover for this trip is that you were commanded into the Royal Presence and ordered to supply HM personally with coffee and I'd suggest that case of Jamaican Blue for a start."

"You sneaky sod, Aggy; this will cost you; its coming out of your stock. Suits, I'm good."

"Just to tidy up the edges in case you thought you weren't in this; Rupert, you will be the Keeper of The Bag. You will select a very small group of PGS, one of whom will physically be at the Queen's side at all times. You won't actually carry a bag, but what you will carry is a unique PDA which will be the Queen's terminal of the project; there will be a spare available but that stays with your team. Your team will also be part of "The Queens Own" so we will want to see you for familiarization training. Your cover story is that you are following up on the investigation of the alarm with an inner cover that you are investigating the sleeve pistols. Use my PDA to tell your wife, you are overnighting on "Vector" and then Mulcahy."

The major gave McCock a very withering stare as he took the PDA.

Shortly after, the tannoy advised entering "Vector". As he disembarked followed by the Major, McCock thanked Marcel with a smile. The pair cleared the Boat Bay and were met by the First Officer.

"Rupert, this is Tony Pearson, my First, Tony, Major Rupert Logan PGS. He and a few others will be carried as supernumeraries of TQO. Give him the full, no, designate a Middy for the full tour. To my quarters for Dinner eight first dog."