Chapter 84

The SHOW annual meeting had ended and the participants dispersed.

Sir Peter and Lady Valerie returned to Cottesmere.

Sir Joshua Galbraith and his brother Abraham Galbraith sped back to the City.

Earl Lightoller of Ramsgate and his Countess, with Dame Eva Porter and Dame Emily Jones, made the journey back to Ramsgate in the Earl's aircar.

Berryl Strathlawn and Baby Elle had spaced back to Newark in Noramcon

The other Directors of SHOW, Julie and Gabrielle, had gone to their suites or the nursery.

The Directors of SHOW who had joined by vid link had broken the link.

The four Principals, shareholders but not Directors, gathered in the Library about the artificial fire in the ancient grate. TJ handed around the coffee and they sat on the sofas facing the warmth.

"We've come a long way; all of us" Pat said quietly "but you two have come the furthest..."

She indicated the two men.

" ... Ivy and I have gone as far as we are going to go; me because Neville is a better diplomat and Ivy because she is who she is."

TJ looked puzzled and Ivy explained

"I'm an Inspector after fifteen years and that is where I'll stay."

"Your da is Assistant Chief Constable?" TJ managed to turn it into a question.

"That's just it, TJ" Ivy went on, "he refused to take rank so they couldn't keep him back, he just was, he got all the dirty jobs just like I do or did, and then went back to beat constable and they had to wear it — couldn't touch him. I wasn't as proud as he is and didn't care about promotions; just took them as they came. That meant I could be frozen somewhere; and I'm going to be. If I return from leave of absence — the records centre."

"Your association with us?" Morg asked.

"Not really; well, partly I suppose. Partly, because I'm independently wealthy and that makes some people think I'm just playing at being a copper but mainly because I am what I am and being wealthy I don't have to worry about keeping the job. I'm as good as Da but they've got a handle on me with the rank."

"Can't your Da help?" from Morg.

"I don't want him to. You are no longer home based on "Pest and Pat and I decided a long time ago that where you two go, we go. We've always known that we would have to share you because of the way you are..." Ivy started to giggle and then began laughing. Her friends just looked at her, resignedly, until she got herself under control.

" ... The Comminantes plan to take over the universe" Ivy managed to stop another outbreak of laughter. "Sorry. We had a talk with Derrin and she brought us up to date. Pat and I got tested and out of interest we got Simmo tested and we've got the genetic overcode ... But TJ, you hadn't taken up with the Windsor Women and Cissie was only with you."

TJ was embarrassed but Morg wasn't; indeed he found the matter somewhat humorous. Morg cleared up the issue,

""Naseby". Remember we knew Cissie, we both knew Cissie, on "Naseby". When she joined "Tulip", and that was before Ma and me sissies came into TJ's harem, I had more partners than he did — Clare and Dorothy were not, ahhh, having their itches scratched at that point. 'Nita joined me and Cissie joined TJ."

"Well, that explains Simmo. Derrin thinks the genetic engineers blundered or the genes have mutated..." Ivy paused and Morg's eyebrows asked the question.

" ... She says the pattern shows the females at least remain faithful to their partners and the ethos of the original plan had required promiscuity. Derrin even thinks the males are affected in some way as you have all established stable harems."

Pat laughed lightly,

"And the genes make sure you satisfy us all — even if we don't see you for years."

"And that" Ivy went on "means the Albertson / Strathlawn Casanova gene might be repressed. Be all that as it may, another point is that, with the relocation of SHOW to East Angles, the older Comminantes of us will be staying in Norch. The Daughters will be joining Julie and Gabrielle; Julie wants me to take on Company Security and Pat, Company Liaison. We think we might combine the office."

"I wondered why you pair had become as thick as thieves with the Windsor Women" TJ interposed.

"The Daughters aren't the only ones signing off." Pat informed the "Sundowner" officers, "Eva and Emily have gone to live with Charles and Sylvia. They want to spend time with their children..."

Both men sat up at that information.

"Eva. Emily. Children... ?"

"First I've heard of that."

" ... Didn't they tell you? Clare knew about it. They tubed the foetuses and Sylvia looked after them — and hers of course- with the help of vids from the natural mothers."

"Crikey!" TJ almost exclaimed "Clare is not going to be happy — losing four Watch Officers and two experienced non-coms."

"She's getting four Midshipmen in return" Pat sourly informed them.

Both men really sat bolt upright at hearing that gem of information.

Morg was the first to find his voice, spluttering

"Hey! Don't we get a say; they're our kids, too!"

"Ease down, old friend," TJ restrained his friend "nobody had a say — the kids have decided; remember, they did tell us they intended to join."

"I didn't think they meant it..." was the plaintive response.

His three friends looked pityingly at him.

" ... Suits, so I'm stupid."

Silence reigned for several minutes with each of them buried in their own thoughts.

Ivy gave words to a vagrant thought,

"Berryl wants to get Teddy Nolan to relocate to Noramcon."

Ivy continued using the same abstracted tones,

"Julie wants him to base in Norch."

The words took a while to sink into the male consciousness,

"Teddy Nolan is a "natural" expert" TJ almost made that a question.

"But he does "tubes" quite well" Pat answered the almost question "and Julie is thinking of the locals ... SHOW will need a work force ... Getting the locals on side."

TJ struggled to get his mind to follow the female train of thought,

"Yeh?"

"He's a galactic expert on infertility, too." Ivy offered.

"The Gennies?" Morg enquired.

"Threep won't take them on for investigations — he says he's too close to them for that." Pat replied. "Same for The Daughters; Derrin is quite annoyed with him; she had to work blind with them."

"The Daughters?" TJ strangled as the news sank into his forebrain.

"Yes" Ivy said absentmindedly, "they haven't made up their minds if they want to tube or go natural. They'll have to make up their minds soon though or it will be too late for tubing."

TJ's wide eyed startled moan was lost in Morg's howls' of mirth — Morg always was only too ready to laugh at his friend's discomfort particularly when his pheromones were involved — the Comminantes had not been cursed with that source of GenEng humour.

Clare addressed her crew

"We're spacing for 'Pest as escort for "Shiralee". While she is loading we'll nip up to Settlement and pick up a passenger and Pat Sweeney will take the opportunity to visit some friends- shouldn't be there for more than two hours. We'll be travelling in hard space and to keep things tight we'll provide the crew from "Sundowner".

Cedric, you'll command "Shiralee". Take Lieutenant Ember as First Officer, Mr Bolem as engineer, Jane Foster as Bosun, and Mary Fogg as deck crew, Peggy Dare and Sandra Pendle to assist Colin.

Cedric, Charles says "Shiralee" is ready in all respects but I'm sure you will want to liaise with him, so you can head off and let Jane and Mary pack for you. I'll brief Dorothy on the trip. The rest of your crew will join second dog.

TJ is sending a signal to Director Sorenson as to what you are to load and with any luck, they'll be waiting for you when we get there.

"Shiralee" will depart from Ramsgate Orbital to the hyper at noon tomorrow and move to the upper layers; your flight plan will be for local hyper space and your cover will be testing systems.

"Sundowner" will depart six morning for our South Lantic hyper and we'll r v with you in the hyper. We'll have scouts deployed so we'll know when and where you are.

Once you enter hyper, "Shiralee" will become the 'tainer ship "Swagman" which is a sister ship to "Shiralee" and "Swagman" you will remain until you re-enter Sol n space.

"Swagman" is fully registered and A1 at Lloyds. The Inspectors were "accompanied" by Companions who had them see what we wanted them to see. Remember to change your transponder at the appropriate times.

The Companions going with you have all got the message and they will block any leak. Also you will be reminded that you cleared Sol five and a half weeks ago. The Companions will ensure that each of you is accompanied at all times — the ear buds will work for ship coms on "Swagman".

Dorothy, my office please. The rest of you, carry on."

The crewing establishment of "Shiralee" was amended when Cedric passed the word that Charles, Eva and Emily would be joining as supernumeries.

The midshipmen and midshipwoman reported aboard during first dog to get settled into their accommodation in the Gunroom on A aft. (The "temporary" accommodation stores in the forward Boat Bay provided the fabric, Orville's stores the 'tronics and Derrin the connections.) Their Schoolie was Derrin and the O i/c Gunroom was the Training Officer whose accommodation was on A (with Bert Belter). The Middys were expected to mess on C (but that didn't stop midnight raids on the Club's galley — which Morg chose to ignore.)

That evening TJ announced that the Chencon fleet(s?) had returned to n space and half the crews had scattered on what was probably pre-deployment leave.

TJ explained privately to Clare and Morg that there was no need for a scout to be deployed as someone, probably McCock, had a Lone Ranger scout deployed in over watch with a tight link to a north polar hard space relay into which TJ could tap. As far as TJ could discover all the scouts McCock was using had FTL com carrying the SHOW, Herald, Constabulary and RMN links with only the RMN link in regular usage; the Herald link was rarely used and the other two not at all.

TJ thought the Mounty Royals were the users of the Herald link as some of the recent statements by Baron Westlake, Plenipotentiary Ambassador for Mountserrat, were more up to date than they should be considering the usual time frames.

TJ also noted the Julie — Berryl SHOW link was not detecting any other 'Pest — Sol traffic, tending to confirm that McCock was routing his signals via Settlement.

"Sundowner" cleared Ramsgate Orbitals and entered hyper as planned then back tracked in the upper hyper layers with scouts deployed in hard space and n space at the Ramsgate / New London / Old London hyper departure point awaiting "Shiralee" who arrived on schedule.

In company, preceded by scouts, the two ships transitioned into hard space, checked heading and star maps and thrust off for 'Pest. The scouts' search arc was constrained to thirty thirty ahead and ninety one thirty five down to search for ridges in the transitional layer. The ships' companies were aware of the fate of the messenger capsule.

A major problem was matching velocities. "Sundowner's" ion transfer propulsion pods were effective (at slightly differing degrees of efficiency) in all layers but "Shiralee / Swagman" had to rely on reaction mass thrusters which in n space were fuel hogs and only used there for manoeuvring. "Shiralee's / Swagman's" impellor pods (n space propulsion) and sails (hyper space spacing) were grossly inefficient in hard (aka cosmic) space. Thrusters became economic in hard space as a little thrust went a loooonnnnnggggggg way. (Elle Stanton still shivered when she recalled her first casual application of full throttle thrusters in a HAC in hard space.)

A sort of solution was reached by "Shiralee / Swagman" accelerating to SOL25 and then cutting the power back to just space idle to maintain that velocity; "Sundowner" then matched her. Derrin took nearly half a minute to get the throttle settings just so in "Sundowner".

The crews settled into cruising stations and the 'broidery came out.

Shirley Wood began the middy's instruction. Customs of the service, astrogation and small boat handling (the last theoretical as there was no way Dusty was going to start them in hard space).

(There had been a very short sharp discussion on "which service"; it had been unanimously, if sadly by some, decided the model was Enklan's. The USN did not have a naval training establishment as the Senators of the USW refused to give up their power of commissioning their favourites directly into the USN. In the other Confederations either language and or the political system was adjudged as not being the best — the Sundowners did lean, probably as a matter of upbringing, towards a Constitutional Monarchy. An elected head of state by definition is a politician and has an agenda whereas while an hereditary Monarchy might breed a bunch of "nongs" as heads of state, there was always the hope that the "nong" would at least be disinterested.)