Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (11 page)

             
"
I
gather
there
are
some
problems
with
WeapTech
since
it
was
privatised,
"
said
the
Captain
carefully.

             
"
That
is
putting
it
very
mildly.
Projects
that
were
doing
well
and
nearing
successful
completion
have
suddenly
been
declared
unworkable,
components
have
become
hard
to
get
and
of
those
we
do
get
around
thirty
percent
fail
acceptance.
If
I
were
a
suspicious
man
I
would
say
the
new
owners
are
playing
a
deep
game
of
their
own
and
trying
to
undermine
us.
"
The
Admiral
frowned
and
then
smiled
briefly.
"
That
is
why
we
have
kept
a
few
things
'
in
house
'
and
under
our
own
peoples
'
control.
Like
this
ship
'
s
primary
weapons
system.
As
far
as
the
Ministry
is
aware
it
is
a
deep
space
scanning
device
for
detecting
black
holes.
"

             
"
I
wondered
about
that.
As
it
is
the
weapons
fit
seems
impressive.
"

             
"
It
is.
In
reality
you
will
be
in
command
of
a
ship
equipped
with
a
weapon
that
can
destroy
very
large
asteroids
and
possibly
even
small
planets.
But
that
is
not
for
the
public
knowledge.
"
He
stared
at
the
new
ship.
"
There
is
a
war
coming,
James,
an
ugly
one
because
the
enemy
is
deeply
embedded
in
our
own
society.
The
Fleet
has
enemies
inside
the
bureaucracy,
people
working
for
a
group
we
know
only
as
"
The
Consortium
"
.
We
don
'
t
know
who
'
s
behind
it,
but
we
have
an
inkling
of
what
they
are
after
and
how
they
plan
to
get
it.
It
is
going
to
be
a
bad
time
for
everyone,
but
with
ships
like
yours
and
loyal
crews
we
hope
to
be
able
to
meet
the
threat
when
it
comes.
"

             
"
Thank
you
for
the
confidence,
sir,
"
replied
the
Captain.
"
I
know
I
have
a
pretty
good
team
coming
together
on
her.
Certainly
when
Richard
Grenville
takes
up
his
post
as
Executive
Commander
I
will
have
one
of
the
most
efficient
Execs
a
Captain
could
want.
I
already
have
the
best
Communications
and
IT
Commander
and
same
for
my
Engineering
and
Weapons
heads.
Once
we
can
ship
the
strike
and
interceptor
squadrons
I
just
hope
I
get
the
man
I
have
asked
for.
Nick
Gray
is
the
best
there
is
and
just
the
man
I
need
to
shake
a
new
ship
like
this
down
and
get
its
squadrons
functioning
well.
"

             
"
You
'
ll
have
him.
"
The
Admiral
smiled
broadly.
"
He
'
s
driving
Drafty
mad
over
it.
They
'
ll
give
it
to
him
just
to
shut
him
up
and
get
him
off
their
backs.
"

             
Captain
Heron
laughed.
"
I
can
imagine.
As
it
is
Mary
Allison
is
riding
the
Engineering
staff
so
hard
I
think
she
'
ll
drive
them
to
nervous
breakdowns.
She
won
'
t
accept
anything
less
than
perfection
as
she
sees
it
and
has
rejected
a
complete
reactor
set.
Made
them
take
it
out
and
replace
it.
They
kicked
up
a
fuss,
but
she
was
right
and
I
backed
her
all
the
way.
"

             
"
I
heard
about
it.
"
The
Admiral
'
s
expression
was
stern.
"
I
had
the
bureaucrats
kicking
up
a
right
fuss
and
threatening
to
complain
to
the
Minister.
I
told
them
to
go
ahead
and
I
would
then
provide
the
Minister
with
the
evidence
of
sub-standard
equipment
and
defects
they
were
accepting
from
their
favoured
suppliers
at
below
agreed
contract
price.
"

             
"
Bet
that
got
them
worried.
"

             
"
Not
immediately
–
but
once
I
let
it
be
known
that
I
knew
where
the
difference
was
going
and
the
Minister
would
as
soon
as
anything
happened
to
me
or
even
appeared
about
to
happen.
That
changed
the
tune.
"

             
"
Dirty
bastards.
Still,
Fritz
Dieffenbach
is
now
onboard
and
installing
and
training
the
AI
system.
"
The
Captain
nodded
thoughtfully.
"
Still
can
'
t
quite
get
my
head
around
the
ship
having
a
mind
of
its
own.
Fritz
seems
delighted
with
it
and
happily
reports
it
is
learning
far
more
quickly
than
he
anticipated.
He
takes
a
paternal
pleasure
in
each
new
node
and
each
new
'
achievement
'
as
it
is
built.
"