"David Feintuch - Seafort 02 - Challenger's Hope" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feintuch David)

David Feintuch
Seafort Saga 2: Challenger's Hope

v1.0 02-apr-2002 Keleios/Jade Beetle (author info from html headers). Original in MS Word HTML format.
v2.0 05-apr-2002 4i Publications. Converted from MS word HTML into proper HTML. Original didn't include
any italics/bold, looked like a text->html conversion. Removed extra page numbers and titles. Corrected
common OCR errors (approx 100). Corrected orphan lines (approx. 130). Did full proof w/o DT,
corrected/guessed approx 250 errors. Added some scene changes. Still has some unreadable/unclear senteces
(25), marked those with [???].

Being the second voyage of Nicholas Seafort, U.N.N.S., in the year of our Lord 2197

PART I
November, in the year of our Lord 2197
CHAPTER 1
"Carry on!" Geoffrey Tremaine strutted to his place at the head of the Admiralty conference table. Scowling, he
set down his sheaf of notes and flicked invisible dust from his gold braid. As the assembled officers stood easy, I
tugged at my jacket, made sure my tie was straight.
While the Admiral settled himself, we took our seats. Each of the eleven men and three women at this briefing
in the Naval warren of down-under Lunapolis captained a ship in the UNNS squadron ready to sail to Hope
Nation, sixty-nine light years distant. The Admiral's sloop, Portia, fitted with the newest L-Model fusion drive,
was docked aloft at Earthport Station, So was my own sloop, Challenger, though I hadn't yet boarded her.
Tremaine's cold eye roved the table. "So," he said finally, as if disappointed, "My command is gathered
together at last." Short, florid, he seemed on the edge of rage.
I glanced to either side. Length-of-service medals on Captain Hall's dress jacket indicated twenty-four years'
service; Captain Derghinski, on my right, had twenty-two. Each of them had been a Naval officer longer than I'd
lived. Challenger was my first command. I was, I knew, the youngest Captain in the entire U.N. Navy.
"We sail tomorrow, gentlemen. As your written orders indicate, we'll Defuse seven times to provide the most
accurate navigation checks possible."
Again I wondered why he wanted us to waste time and propellent with so many jumps, but as the most junior
present, I kept my opinion to myself.
A Fusion drive was accurate to within six percent-whoops, no longer. Within one percent of the distance
traveled. That change was astonishing; during my long cruise to Hope Nation, vastly improved control baffles
had been devised and Admiralty was retrofitting them on ships as they returned to Home System.
Navigation wasn't my strong point, and even the refresher course they'd made me attend left me a touch shaky
on the mechanics of Fusion. Thankfully, the ship's puter and our Pilot would carry out most of the calculations,
though I'd confirm them myself no matter how long it took.
Theoretically we could now Fuse to within three light months of Hope Nation, and follow with a short
corrective jump. For greater precision, it was customary to make smaller jumps instead of one long one. We
might normally expect to Defuse for nav checks twice during the sixty-nine-light-year voyage to Hope Nation.
Seven times was absurd.
"I'll sail on Challenger," Tremaine said.
My jaw dropped. Could I have heard right? True, Challenger was somewhat larger than Porria-the Admiral's
flagship was one of the smallest vessels in our fleet-and I could arrange suitable accommodations, but-the
Admiral himself? On my ship?
Tremaine glared, as if reading my thoughts. "With Captain Hassclhrad."
"What?" I heard my incredulous voice, as from a distance.
"I'm moving my flag. Naturally, I'll want a Captain with more experience. Seafort, you'll be taking Portia,
They'll cut your new orders this afternoon. Pick them up from Ops."
"But-" I swallowed. "Aye aye, sir."