Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (87 page)

             
The
discussion
ranged
across
a
number
of
matters
and
when
it
finally
broke
up
James
Heron
had
good
reason
to
be
satisfied
with
both
his
team
and
his
new
ship.
Together
he
felt
sure
they
would
make
not
just
their
mark,
but
quite
possibly
history
as
well.
He
ran
his
hand
along
the
surface
of
the
desk
and
said,
"
Ship,
show
view
one
eighty
to
Port.
"
The
bulkhead
seemed
to
dissolve
and
the
vast
reaches
of
space
became
visible
with
the
bright
blue
dot
that
was
the
earth
positioned
at
its
centre.
Closer
to
hand
parts
of
the
vast
building
dock
station
were
also
visible.
A
little
further
away
a
shuttle
weaved
its
way
between
the
assorted
tugs
and
mobile
building
platforms
that
thronged
about
the
huge
ship
as
she
lay
against
the
platform.
Less
than
two
hundred
years
since
mankind
had
built
the
first
permanent
station
on
the
surface
of
the
moon
and
here
they
were
spreading
out
into
the
vastness
of
the
universe.
Even
this
ship
and
her
sisters
were
being
assembled
in
a
Building
Dock
Platform
–
itself
a
miracle
of
ingenuity
–
in
orbit
above
Mars.
Difficult
to
remember
that
the
first
permanent
station
on
Mars
was
only
just
over
a
hundred
years
old.
He
turned
as
the
link
on
his
wrist
chirped.
"
Heron,
"
he
said.

             
"
Your
appointment
with
the
Joint
Service
Committee
is
in
twenty
minutes,
sir,
"
the
voice
of
his
Writer
announced.
"
Shall
I
order
a
shuttle
for
you
or
will
you
use
your
Gig?
"

             
"
I
'
ll
use
the
Gig,
"
he
said,
"
Tell
them
I
'
m
on
my
way.
"

***

             
The
big
transport
ship
eased
into
orbit
with
the
help
of
several
tugs.
Her
name
emblazoned
on
her
flanks
proclaimed
her
to
be
NECFA
Reliant
and
she
had
hardly
come
to
rest
when
she
signalled
through
the
voice
comms
that
she
was
carrying
a
full
cargo
of
Strike
Craft,
Fighters
and
Interceptors
for
the
Vanguard
.

             
Receiving
the
call,
the
duty
Commander,
Commander
Richard
Grenville,
Executive
Commander
and
second
in
command,
grinned
as
he
responded,
"
Welcome
Reliant
,
that
couldn
'
t
have
been
better
timed
if
you
'
d
tried.
"

             
"
Thanks,
"
the
voice
of
Reliant
'
s
Captain
sounded
amused.
"
I
must
say
that
you
certainly
look
impressive
–
even
more
impressive
than
you
do
on
all
the
news
channels
at
the
moment.
"

             
"
We
certainly
aim
to
please.
"
The
Executive
Commander
made
a
face.
The
last
few
days
had
been
trying.
The
ship
had
been
almost
overwhelmed
by
the
number
of
news
media
people
trying
to
get
a
better
story
than
anyone
else.
"
Thankfully
we
have
been
able
to
send
them
all
ashore
while
we
ship
the
squadrons.
If
I
have
to
answer
once
more
the
question
from
one
of
these
idiots
'
why
do
we
need
such
a
powerful
warship
when
we
haven
'
t
encountered
any
hostile
aliens
out
there
'
,
I
shall
personally
introduce
them
to
some
hostility,
alien
or
otherwise.
"

***

             
The
embarkation
of
the
strike
squadrons
was
a
lengthy
process
and
was
by
no
means
a
signal
that
the
ship
was
ready
to
be
commissioned,
merely
that
she
was
approaching
readiness
to
commence
the
lengthy
and
involved
working
up
process
which
would
see
the
crew
and
all
the
many
specialist
rates
finding
their
feet,
fixing
the
many
small
problems
and
'
teething
troubles
'
such
a
complex
new
ship
could
produce.
For
many
months
yet
at
least
a
part
of
her
complement
of
officers
and
men
would
include
dockyard
specialists
and
other
personnel
sent
along
to
fine
tune
or
to
carry
out
alterations
while
she
underwent
extensive
trials.
Being
the
'
lead
ship
'
of
her
class
Vanguard
would,
inevitably,
have
some
installations
or
systems
that
did
not
perform
as
they
were
supposed
to.
These
had
all
to
be
tracked
down
and
corrected
–
and
the
lessons
learned
would
transfer
to
her
sisters
still
in
build.