Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (57 page)

***

             
In
Weapons
Control,
Commander
Petrocova
glared
at
the
displays,
like
the
Command
Centre
she
had
a
three
sixty
view
around
the
ship
in
all
directions
and
seated
around
her
were
the
weapons
targeting
staff
and
operators.
The
batteries
of
weapons
each
controlled
by
an
officer
and
a
small
team
of
targeting
Rates,
could
be
fired
independently
or
in
groups.
The
ship
would
ultimately
have
an
outfit
of
short
range
plasma
cannon,
longer
range
particle
beam
projectors
and
finally
batteries
of
long
range
missiles.
The
Vanguard
was
also
equipped
with
a
doomsday
weapon,
based
on
a
particle
accelerator.
It
had
never
been
tested
in
full
size,
though
the
small
scale
tests
had
certainly
shown
that
it
was
practical
and
potentially
devastating.
It
was
so
secret
that
very
few
of
the
ship
'
s
own
crew,
and
certainly
none
of
the
builders,
actually
knew
what
it
was
that
they
were
installing.
On
paper
it
was
a
'
High
Penetration
Scanner
'
but
this
masked
the
fact
that
its
penetration
was
simply
destructive.

             
"
What
is
it
this
time?
"
Valerie
demanded.

             
"
The
tracking
lock
is
non-functional,
sir,
"
the
lieutenant
in
charge
of
the
particle
weapons
targeting
said,
his
annoyance
plain.
"
We
had
that
working
until
they
tried
to
adjust
the
ranging
function.
Now
we
can
read
the
range
but
we
can
'
t
lock.
"

             
"
Ship,
"
the
Commander
said.
"
Identify
fault
please.
"

             
"
Component
incompatibility
in
Node
626Beta.
The
component
fitted
is
incapable
of
processing
all
the
functions
you
are
asking
of
it.
"

             
"
Blast,
"
the
Commander
'
s
face
was
grim.
"
Another
one.
Very
well,
power
everything
down,
lieutenant,
and
get
that
node
open.
I
want
everything
in
there
checked
against
the
original
specifications
and
the
problem
identified.
If
it
'
s
another
substitution
someone
is
going
to
be
in
deep
trouble
–
and
I
know
exactly
how
it
will
be
recorded.
"

***

             
Environmental
Engineering
specialist
Bernie
Baum
watched
with
satisfaction
as
the
readouts
gave
positive
indications
of
the
purifiers
'
functions.
"
The
water
purity
is
at
ninety-five,
that
'
s
better
'
n
you
get
planetside
in
all
the
major
centres,
"
the
technician
with
him
observed.
"
This
ship
will
have
the
best
water
supply
in
the
Fleet
–
a
lot
better
than
most
of
the
planets
she
'
ll
be
visiting
too
I
shouldn
'
t
wonder.
"

             
"
True,
and
the
algae
cultures
are
doing
well
–
the
air
quality
is
getting
better
and
will
be
first
class
once
they
stop
welding
and
cutting
all
over
the
place.
"

             
"
Yes,
and
the
horticulture
crews
are
getting
the
recreation
space
tricked
out,
looks
like
a
proper
park
that
does.
"
The
TecRate
installing
monitors
laughed.
"
It
will
make
a
great
place
just
to
get
away
when
they
'
ve
finished,
Chief.
"

             
"
That
'
s
the
point,
"
the
Master
Warrant
replied,
checking
his
readouts.
"
It
doubles
as
a
space
for
people
to
get
some
'
nature
'
and
it
acts
as
a
filter
for
our
plant
–
like
the
algae.
"

             
"
This
is
the
first
ship
to
get
spaces
like
that,
how
many
will
they
have?
"

             
"
Three.
One
in
each
of
the
major
sectors
except
right
aft
–
too
much
engineering
stuff
crammed
into
that
end.
"

             
"
I
hear
they
'
re
having
trouble
in
Weapons,
something
to
do
with
underspeced
kit
again,
"
the
TecRate
remarked.
"
Commander
Petrocova
is
spitting
blood
over
it.
"

             
"
You
better
believe,
but
I
also
heard
she
'
s
found
a
way
to
make
life
miserable
for
the
people
responsible
and
not
a
thing
they
can
do
about
it.
"
He
laughed.
"
Serves
the
bastards
right.
They
tried
to
stop
the
installation
of
the
recreation
spaces
–
on
the
grounds
that
military
personnel
don
'
t
qualify
for
space-side
recreation
spaces.
They
do,
of
course.
Have
you
seen
the
CS
Club
on
this
platform?
Better
than
the
Officer
'
s
Club
I
can
tell
you.
"