«23MSAF8ASKMHVF-ASLK-SDOIFNQWMN/193B»
1. TASKFORCE RESULTS:
SPECIAL TASKFORCE STB-12 COMPLETES PHASE ONE OF LEAGUE BENDER
STUDY BASED ON EYEWITNESS REPORTS RECEIVED FROM LTS. BRIM / URSIS
AND CHIEF TORPEDOMAN UTRILLO BARBOUSSE (NOTE: BARBOUSSE
PROMOTION EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY; DOCUMENTATION FOLLOWS UNDER
SEPARATE UNCLASSIFIED COVER.) ALL INFORMATION RECEIVED CORRELATES
ACCURATELY; IMPERIAL GRAPHIC CENTER (IGC) PRESENTLY PREPARING
DRAWINGS FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION THROUGH HYPERLJGHT COURIER.
PERFORMANCE DATA SIMULATION SUGGESTS ADOLPHUS FILLMORE ESTIMATES
92 PERCENT CORRECT. ALL UNITS WILL USE THESE ESTIMATES UNTIL
FIRSTHAND LABORATORY INFORMATION AVAILABLE (SEE 'SPECIAL REQUEST
SECTION, BELOW).
2. CLASSIFIED PERSONNEL ACTIONS:
EXTRAORDINARY CITATIONS TO BE PLACED IN FILES OF LTS. BRIM/ URSIS AND
CHIEF TORPEDOMAN UTRILLO BARBOUSSE COVERING HIGHLY INTELLIGENT
TEAM HANDLING OF THIS CRITICAL SITUATION.
3. FOCUSING N-RAY PROJECTOR:
INITIAL LABORATORY TESTS/SIMULATIONS SUGGEST URSIS/BARBOUSSE N-RAY
PROJECTOR COMPLETELY WORKABLE. EXTENDED SIMULATION INDICATES
SOME REWORK OF RANDALL AMPLIFIERS NECESSARY FOR MAXIMUM
EFFICIENCY. WILL ENSURE PROJECTORS CAN BE MANUFACTURED IN THE FIELD
FROM STANDARD PARTS. ALL UNITS MUST CONSTRUCT THIS EQUIPMENT
IMMEDIATELY ON COMPLETION OF NOTICE.
4. SPECIAL REQUEST:
YOUR SPECIAL REQUEST UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION BY ADMIRALTY
PROJECT BOARD. WILL NOTIFY OF DECISION SOONEST.
[END TOP SECRET NOPORN COURTLAND]
HIGHEST PERSONAL REGARDS TO COLLINGSWOOD
BORODOV SENDS
1428021KANCCK
"First," Ursis remarked breaking the silence of the cabin, "it seems that congratulations are due our new Chief Torpedoman!"
"Yes!" Collingswood exclaimed with a grin. "What have you to say for yourself, Utrillo Barbousse?"
Barbousse sat for a moment, dumbfounded before he found his voice. Finally, he smiled and looked about the room with color rising to his cheeks. "I don't know what to say, Captain," he answered simply. "I am almost as much surprised as I am honored."
"You certainly earned that promotion, Utrillo," Collingswood said.
"Indeed," Brim added, forcing himself out of his depression. "Don't forget who discovered the N-ray mains were still emitting."
Barbousse was visibly uncomfortable now. "I-it's good to know t-they liked our plans for the N-ray searchlight...." he stammered, rigid with embarrassment.
"Ah, yes," Ursis deflected energetically in a good-natured attempt to relieve the man's discomposure. "Approved by an Admiralty task force, no less. And chaired by my old boss Borodov, would you believe?" He grinned. "Truculent, it seems, remains in all our lives, does it not?"
"So she does," Brim reflected, his mind drifting helplessly to the wardroom party at which he met Margot Effer'wyck. "So she does." Then he fought himself to a draw and glanced at Collingswood. "Were you possibly thinking of letting us in on that 'special request' of yours, Captain?"
Collingswood smiled. "I thought you would find that last part intriguing," she said, changing the contents of the display. "This is the message I sent that prompted it." She took off her glasses and began to clean them carefully with a dainty white handkerchief.
"KA'PPA's text-only limitations permit no flowery niceties," she added, "so I shall ask that you forgive the wording-and the content. Nothing personal, of course. It's just that I simply don't trust my own eyesight, either."
Brim frowned, wondering what she meant by that. Then he began to read again....
K092106KGLNNV
(TOP SECRET NOFORN COURTLAND]
FM: COLLINGSWOOD@CL.92class="underline" HAELIC
TO: BORODOV@ADMIRALTY:COMINT
INFO: COMFLEETOPS
<<3QM5BFNCYA98PW+EBKJ.VDFG98/Q2W3947M>>
1. PERSONAL REVIEW LEADS TO CONCLUSION THAT PRESENT BENDER DATA SET TOO SPECULATIVE DESPITE HIGH RELIABILITY OF PERSONNEL INVOLVED. I QUESTION ACCURACY OF INFORMATION COLLECTED UNDER EXTREME, LIFE-THREATENING PRESSURE.
2. EXEC. OFFICER CALHOUN SUGGESTS OUTFITTING DECOY SHIP TO CAPTURE ACTUAL BENDER NOW THAT N-RAY MAKES ACTIVE SIGHTINGS POSSIBLE: ARMAMENT HIDDEN UNTIL BENDER APPROACHES FOR CLOSE ATTACK/INSPECTION.
3. SEVERAL SUITABLE SHIPS PRESENTLY AVAILABLE AT ATALANTIAN BASE: S.S. BYRON. MOREAS, AROSA SKY, PRIZE, VULCANA, AND VON STUBEN.
[END TOP SECRET NOFORN COURTLAND]
HIGHEST PERSONAL REGARDS TO BORODOV
COLLINGSWOOD SENDS
1016041KGLNNV
"All right," Collingswood asked at length, "what do you think?"
"I certainty have no problem with your doubts about memories Captain," Brim said truthfully. "I even agree, if that's what you want to know."
"About the D-ship, gentlemen...."
"Yes, the D-ship," Ursis said. "Well, 'One must always kiss an ice maiden on the lips before he knows how cold her nose is,' as we often say on the Mother Planets. I assume this decoy ship you have in mind is to operate in the time-honored fashion?"
"It is, Nikolas," Collingswood answered, "if you refer to harmless-looking merchant vessels fitted with concealed armament. They've been used from time immemorial for luring pirates and privateers to close range where they can be identified and then destroyed."
"That fits my idea perfectly, Captain," the Bear declared.
"And yours, Wilf?"
Brim nodded. "That is my understanding also, Captain-although I've never seen one, so far as I can remember."
Collingswood smiled. "If you saw a successful D-ship, Wilf, you might not recognize it."
"You have a point, there, Captain," Brim admitted with a smite.
"Chief, are you following this?" Collingswood asked.
Barbousse reddened. "Urn," he stammered, "well, Captain, I did put in a few cruises on Voot's Mariah, now that you mention it. We, um, decoyed quite a few pirates in the days before the war."
Collingswood's brows rose. "You served on Voot's Mariah?" she asked in astonishment.
" Why, I've heard it said that she was the greatest D-ship of all time."
"We were pretty proud of her, ma'am."
"I can certainly believe that," she said slowly. "Then you must know all about D-ships."
"A little, Captain."
"Tell us about Mariah, Chief."
Barbousse looked around the cabin with embarrassment. "Well, Captain," he started.
"T-there isn't really much to tell. Old Mariah started out as a star packet.... Solid little ship-built someplace in Godthaab, as I remember.... Urn, maybe the big yard at Siddoth."
He shrugged self-consciously. "She mounted three main disruptors-one in the bows, one in the stern, and one amidships." At this, he smiled and his eyes suddenly focused somewhere far in the past. "She had this little Vanthauser 1.88 up forward-rigged to look like a stowed cargo hoist. Haven't made disruptors like that for at least a hundred years now. But in the right bands, they could shoot the wings off a fly at ten c'lenyts."
"Those 'right' hands weren't your hands by any chance, were they, Utrillo?" Ursis asked with a grin.
Barbousse reddened. "Well," he stammered, "I don't mean to brag, Lieutenant Ursis..."
"Chief," Collingswood interrupted gently. "I doubt if you're capable of bragging. Now, what other armament did she carry?"
"Urn," Barbousse hesitated, his face turning a bright crimson, "aft she carried a rapid-firing Keuffer 91-mmi twin mount. That was hidden under a collapsible deckhouse, but the crew could bring it to action in six clicks-wearing battle suits, too." He scratched his head for a moment. "An', yes... she carried a big 125 amidships under the shell of a launch."
He laughed. "We had to be awfully accurate with the 125, though. It used so much energy that the ship's generators needed almost five cycles to recharge between firings."