Star Strike: Book 3 of the Star Man Series

by I. G. Roberts

  Carl chuckled before replying, “It’ll take me a while to have the paperwork squared away before we launch. We’re still on schedule, aren’t we?”

  “Oh yes, Captain. We’re a little early, you’ll launch on time.”

  “Just as well I came early then.”

  David shook his head as he left to continue his inspection.

  The next day, they launched the three ships, repaired and ready to fight. Nobody wanted them to fight, but without them, Cambridge would be in trouble.

  CHAPTER TEN

  DESTROYER

  Cambridge Naval Headquarters

  Colin sat in Admiral Fraser’s office patiently waiting while Henry finished skimming through the Destroyer progress report. From time to time, the Admiral grunted and glanced in Colin’s direction. Ten minutes later, he finished reading and looked up at Colin.

  Henry said, “The design teams have made spectacular process with the Destroyer design Colin. In fact, their progress is hard to believe. Why is that?”

  “They’d already made a lot of progress on the design before we had the contract Admiral. They’ve been working on them as an exercise since the Taipan and Cobra design effort wound down. The Chief Engineer wanted to maintain the design skills.”

  “Hmmm, I didn’t know about Doug’s initiative. We must find a way t reward him for it. What can you tell me Colin, what isn’t in this report?”

  “Nothing serious Sir. Several of the design teams have completed their part of the work. If I try putting them into another part of the design, it’ll slow progress. Sometimes, throwing more people at a problem doesn’t speed completion. People trip over each other. Do you have useful duties we can assign them? I’d like to keep them sharp.”

  “You don’t need them to work on the Destroyer Project any longer?”

  “No, Sir, I can keep them occupied, but they won’t be very productive. I’d prefer to find them something else. I think they need a useful, productive task, not make-work.”

  “Very well Colin. As it happens, I found somebody to manage the preliminary design work on the new Carrier class. That should be interesting and they will solve a manning shortfall on the Carrier Project for now. The Federation has never built Carriers. They’ll be starting from scratch, designing the entire concept.”

  “I’ll send you the names Sir. They will enjoy a job like that. You can reassign them.”

  “Do that Commodore. You’ve been doing a good job. If I’m honest, I’d say you’re doing a better job than I could’ve done running this Project. Is there anything you can’t do?”

  Colin threw a curious look toward Henry before asking, “Sir?”

  “Colin, we all recognize you are a tactical genius. You’ve shown a lot of talent in the strategic arena as well. Now, you have the Destroyer Project humming along better than you have any right to. How did you manage this so soon after taking over? When do you manage to sleep?”

  Colin sat in Admiral Fraser’s office, waiting while Henry finished reading the Destroyer progress report. From time to time, the Admiral grunted and glanced in Colin’s direction. Ten minutes later, he finished and looked up at Colin.

  Henry said, “The design teams have made spectacular process with our Destroyer design Colin. In fact, their progress is hard to believe, why is that?”

  “They’d already made progress on the design before we had the contract Admiral. Since the Taipan and Cobra design effort wound down, they’ve worked on this. The Chief Engineer wanted to keep their design skills current.”

  “Hmmm, I didn’t know about Doug’s initiative. We must reward him. What can you tell me, Colin; what isn’t in this report?”

  “Nothing serious Sir. Several of the design teams have completed their part of the work. If I try putting them into another part of the design, it might slow progress. Sometimes, throwing more people at a problem doesn’t speed completion. People trip over each other. Do you have useful duties we can assign them? I’d like to keep them sharp.”

  “You don’t need them to work on the Destroyer project any longer?”

  “No, Sir, I can keep them occupied, but they won’t be too productive. I’d prefer to find them something else before they become bored. They need a useful, productive task, not make-work.”

  “Okay, Colin. I found somebody to manage the preliminary design work on the new Carriers. That should prove interesting, and they will solve a manning shortfall on the Carrier project for now. The Federation has never built Carriers. We’re starting from scratch, designing the entire concept, including how to use them.”

  “I’ll send you the names Sir, they’ll enjoy a job like that. You can reassign them.”

  “Do that Commodore. You’ve been doing a good job. If I’m honest, I’d say you’re doing a better job than I would’ve. Is there anything you can’t do?”

  Colin threw a curious look at Henry before asking, “Sir?”

  “Colin, we all recognize you are a tactical genius. You’ve shown a lot of talent in the strategic arena. Now, you have the Destroyer project humming along better than you have any right. How did you manage this so soon after taking control? When do you sleep?”

  Colin seized on the last question and answered it. “Anne keeps a close eye on me. She makes sure I eat and sleep when I need it.”

  Henry reflected, “Colin, you made plenty of good friends when you brought Anne home, not only among the Fraser family. The Navy personnel here in Cambridge hold her in high regard. We didn’t understand what caused her failure at the Academy, but you two solved that little conundrum too. The ripples, no, the waves you made after you arrived in the Federation are far-reaching. I repeat my question, what is it you can’t do?”

  “I’m sure I have lots of things I can’t do. Our success at the Academy surprised me, and I didn’t understand my tactical abilities until I needed them. I make no apology for my management skills Admiral. I’ve managed engineering projects for almost my entire working life. Engineering management is an area where I’m well qualified.”

  “I believe you, Colin. Okay, what are your plans for the next few days?”

  “The construction crew lay the keel for the first Destroyer tomorrow. Correction, they’re joining the first two sections. I’ll attend and watch them reach that milestone. Afterward, I’ll take them for a meal. I want them to understand we appreciate their efforts.”

  “They’ll enjoy the recognition. Will you take Anne?”

  “Yes, Sir. She’ll charm the workforce.”

  Henry chuckled and said, “Get going Colin, my work isn’t waiting for you to leave.”

  Cambridge Shipyard

  Colin and Anne boarded the Shuttle to the shipyard. The Commodore still had his security contingent. He hadn’t convinced Henry they weren’t needed, at least, not yet. This time, Lieutenant Stark led the team. In recent weeks, he’d left Colin’s personal security to Cameron Davis’ capable hands. Her commanders had accepted her as an Officer candidate because she’d shown remarkable leadership in recent months.

  Once again, the Shuttle left the ground, clawing for altitude. Troopers regularly patrolled the territory under the flight paths, looking for enemy troops. Still, standard practice was to gain altitude as fast as possible, so the window for an attack was smaller. The flight from the landing pad to orbit took less than fifteen minutes although it was stressful for the Shuttle occupants. After reaching orbit, maneuvering to the shipyard and docking took another hour. During the trip, Colin gave Anne her orders, explaining what he needed from her. He wanted her to charm the yard dogs, and David Salomon. Colin considered it essential to have Salomon and his teams believing in what they were doing. It was usual for construction of the first example to have setbacks. Colin understood, sometimes, people made mistakes with the design, things didn’t always work out as expected. On other occasions, people building the equipment made mistakes because they hadn’t learned how to put things together yet. None of it mattered, they had to find and fix the errors as the
y built the ship.

  David waited while Colin’s Shuttle docked. He was still there when Commodore Gordon and his party disembarked.

  Colin smiled as he said, “We didn’t expect you to come and meet us, David. We appreciate your efforts though.”

  “Oh, but I needed to meet you, Commodore. I want to understand your plans for the day.”

  “My plans, David? I suppose you have a right to know my intentions. I plan to see your crew join the first keel sections for the new Destroyer. After that, I’d like to take you, and your workers for a meal. No matter how the join goes, this occasion is momentous.”

  “How long do you plan to stay, Commodore?”

  “As long as necessary David. Contrary to appearances, I’m not looking over your shoulders. I want both you and your workers to understand how much I appreciate, this ship is a team effort. Would you like to lead us to a place where we can watch the join? I would like to watch.”

  “Yes, Commodore, we’re going there now.”

  “Good, thank you, Mr. Salomon.”

  The two men, along with Anne and Colin’s Marine contingent arrived on the observation deck. Colin saw construction workers already joining the Destroyer’s first two keel beam sections. Colin’s Marines secured the observation platform while the rest of the party entered. The yard workers planned to join several pairs over the coming weeks, then store the joined pairs outside until a slipway large enough for Destroyer construction was ready for use.

  A ship’s keel beam comprises a series of box sections. In a completed ship, spaces inside the keel beam are habitable and contain many of the ship’s core functions. During a battle, most of the crew work inside these spaces because they are the safest part of the vessel. For example, this ship would have the bridge buried inside the keel beam, as were most engineering spaces. Ancillary functions like holds, magazines and training areas, along with much of the accommodation are all in compartments hanging off the outside of the keel beam. We attach most weapon systems along with drives and manoeuvering systems to the outer hull. Colin thought it interesting how they must mount many of the ship’s most critical systems on external parts of the hull.

  A Starship’s keel beam holds the ship together. It requires perfect alignment over its entire length. The keel beam had to be right, so this operation was one of the most critical during a ship’s construction. If the construction workers got this wrong, the entire ship would suffer alignment problems. When completed, the Harmon class Destroyer would be over 1000 metres long. A small misalignment of a fraction of a degree at any point could mean components at the ends are metres from their intended locations. This would cause problems with thrust vectors and manoeuverability.

  When the party arrived on the observation deck, the shipyard workers were attaching the last cables to one section to haul it into place and make the join. Colin and his companions sat in the available seating to view proceedings. They carried this entire operation out in zero gravity and vacuum conditions. The purpose was to make things easier and reduce external influences. Zero gravity made it easier to drag the section around the chamber in three dimensions. The construction crew still needed to take care because a part kept its inertia.

  After the yard crew attached the last cables, winches began moving the keel sections together. The boxes are each thirty metres deep by twenty-five metres wide and one hundred metres long. They are massive, and a Destroyer has nine box sections. The Harmon class Destroyer would be the largest warship ever built in the Federation. While the planned Carriers would be twice a Destroyer’s size, for now, the Destroyers held the honors.

  It took more than an hour before the ends of the two sections kissed, and it was time to fasten them together. Colin, watched as the workers scurried around the join. His concern increased as time passed because it was apparent, something had gone wrong. When he glanced at David Salomon, Colin saw that David had noticed the same thing. Neither did anything to disturb the workers. They had plenty to deal with already. David and Colin knew better than to fuss about it or try to micromanage. They must wait until the foreman explained the problem.

  Over two hours later, Colin noticed a worker wearing a fluoro-green vacuum suit head toward the airlock. Thirty minutes later, a heavily muscled woman made her way into the observation chamber. Colin’s security delayed her for a short time, but he soon told them to let her pass.

  Although Colin didn’t know until later, the woman’s name was Deborah Canning. She saw the Navy uniforms and paused for a moment. A few moments later Debby decided she should talk to David.

  Deborah said, ”I’m sorry Mr. Salomon, we have a problem. I’m not sure if it’s the design or the fabricators, but the two sections just won’t mate. Most of the fastener holes don’t line up and there’s a slight mismatch in the sizes of the two parts, there’s about five millimetres difference. We tried, but we can’t make it work. I think we need engineering help.”

  Salomon exclaimed, “Shit, what’s going on here?”

  Colin saw the woman recoil and intervened.

  He said, “If I may say something. David, we are building the first of a new ship design. We’re pushing boundaries and doing it in record time. I would expect problems like this, it’s inevitable. We need to work together. Remember, we’re a team with a common purpose. We must move on, forget about blame, we must find the reason and rectify it. We cannot afford to develop a ‘them and us’ culture.”

  Colin noticed David and the woman relax. Perhaps, David Salomon worried about the customer’s presence when a problem surfaced.

  Colin said, “It’s getting close to the end of this shift, anyway. Tell your crew, do what they can. Secure the structure in there. When they’re done, invite everyone to a dinner on me, that includes you. David. I’ll need a good eatery, somewhere I can feed this crew?”

  David looked a little surprised as he replied, “Thank you, Commodore. There is a bar near the accommodation sections of the shipyard that few workers can afford. If you want to treat them, that’s the place. I should warn you, it’s expensive though.”

  “Good David, that’s where we’ll go then. Please, tell your people the time and place and collect Anne and I from the guest accommodations? Oh, make sure they understand, I’ll pay.”

  “I will Commodore and thank you.”

  Colin and Anne returned to their quarters where they contacted the design teams at Headquarters to order people to the shipyard by 1000 hours the next day. He’d realized the engineering team needed to see the impact of their mistake first hand. Two hours later, David paged Colin so they could go to the venue for the night’s festivities. Colin and Anne joined David, and they walked to the place where the yard crew waited.

  When they arrived, Anne moved into hostess mode as she chatted and laughed with Colin’s guests. It didn’t take her long before they were eating out of the palm of her hand. She made them feel included and necessary, which she and Colin both considered right. Colin did his part to make these men and women feel appreciated. They did an important if underrated job.

  Too often, Colin had seen management pat themselves on the backs for a successful project. They never realized how the people at the coalface were often the only reason for their success. His management style was inclusive, hence his invitation to these construction workers. Colin spent the evening reassuring the yard crew and explaining that engineering staff was coming to help resolve the problem.

  The next day, Colin had the yard crew leaders waiting with him in a meeting room when the design team arrived. The newcomers all looked curious because Colin hadn’t explained why they were there. Colin had to tread a fine line here because he couldn’t afford this meeting becoming a witch hunt. With everyone seated, Colin rose to call the session to order and start proceedings. He only had a few critical words to set the tone.

  With his best command presence on display, Colin said, “Okay, settle down, we have a lot to do. There are problems to solve. Before we continue further, this mee
ting is not a witch hunt. I don’t care who caused our current problem, only how to fix it. Do you understand me?”

  There was a chorus of yes from around the room, so Colin continued, “The construction workers tried joining the first two keel sections yesterday, and they don’t fit. In a few minutes, you’ll have an opportunity to inspect the problem areas. I need not remind you, we must find a way forward, fast. Are there questions?”

  The occupants fidgeted as they heard the news. Everyone understood the implications. If they didn’t find a resolution, it would delay the entire project while they fabricated new parts and nobody could afford the time.

  Colin picked up the pad he’d brought and studied it for a moment.

  He said, “I’ll divide you into teams of four. Each team will have two Naval staff and two, yard staff. Two teams inspect the keel sections. You will see the problem first hand. Once you’ve done that, I want you back here. Put your heads together and see if you can find a solution. Everything is on the table. Are there questions?”

  This time the room remained silent. Colin read the names of people for each team. The eight groups were soon together, and they set about introducing themselves. The first groups left for the slipway. After they went, the others examined images of the problem to gain a better picture.

  All the teams cycled through the inspection tours over the following few hours, and all members of the design team returned with worried looks. They spent the rest of the day examining the drawings to understand the reason for the problem. After several days the investigators learned that the tolerances were too tight. After they discovered the cause of the problem, they had to find a solution. The solution took another few days and required the dismantling of one keel section at the interface. Once the designers completed this step, the assembly workers made the necessary changes.

  During all this time, Colin didn’t panic; this was a design unlike any earlier one, and he expected these complications. The most significant obstacle would be dealing with panic from civilians who didn’t understand the setbacks they could experience with any clean sheet design.