did come to a head after he didn’t come back to quarters one night. Conner and Gable went looking for him, finally locating him in the frame fabrication shop. They found him sitting on a stool in the dimly lit shops, staring into space, an intense look on his face.
“Sir?” He didn’t answer, and Conner took him by the arm. “Time to get some sleep, sir.”
“What?” Mike asked absently.
“Time to go to bed, sir.”
“No time, I’ve almost got it.”
“Got what, sir.”
“The design.”
“Oh? The design for what, sir?”
“The ship, I can see it.”
“Of course you can sir, but a night’s sleep would help.”
“Yes, yes, a night’s sleep.” Conner and Gable took him back to his quarters, and Conner put him to bed.
“Is he all right, Chief?” Gable asked, a worried look on his face.
“Yes, Leftenant. He’s all right, just a little worried about getting a certain ship finished.”
“Which one, there are so many of them.” Conner chuckled.
“Oh, nothing, sir, just a little puzzled someone dumped in his lap is all. Something to do with HMS Kiss”
“I hope he’s all right. HMS Kiss?” Gable asked, getting a slight smile in return as an answer.
“Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure, sir.”
Another three days passed, and everything began settling down into a steady rhythm, until a battered old Land Rover came slipping and sliding down the road between the fabrication sheds. All four wheels spraying slushy mud all over the side. All four looked up as someone came clumping up the stairs.
“I’m looking for First Leftenant Gray.” A little portly man asked, coming in.
“I’m Gray, what can I do for you?” He asked, thinking this might be the man from the Ministry.
“Thank goodness for that. My name is Tottingham, and I’ve spent a whole morning driving about this base, getting completely lost so many times I’ve lost count.”
“And the point of your travels, Mr. Tottingham?” Mike prompted, expecting the worse. The man started looking through his pockets, muttering to himself.
“Let's see, I have it here somewhere, where did I put it... Oh yes, here it is.” Mike took a deep breath.
“I have a shipment for you, Leftenant.”
“A shipment!” He looked blank. “A shipment of what?”
“Data pads, specification manuals for your power plant, main engines, the Ag components, and your warp drive.” Mike breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank God for that.”
“Oh, that's just part of the shipment.”
“What else do you have?”
“Your main and secondary armament, navigation’s equipment, radar and sensors and just about every other major component you need, Captain.”
“Good God! Are you an angle?”
“No, sir, hardly that. I’m just the shipping supervisor.”
“Long way from your office, I bet.”
“Yes, sir, on this one. These were specially ordered with instruction from the R&D lab manager to handle the delivery directly to you.” A grin spread across his cherub face.
“Well...” Mike couldn’t think of anything to say for a moment. “We can definitely use whatever it is you have, I’m sure.”
“I can understand that, sir.”
“And the equipment itself?” Adam asked.
“Oh, I pick that up directly from the R&D facility for delivery the moment you give the word. A few of the items are still being complete when I left, but they should be ready in the very near future.” He chuckled.
“So you’re not from the Ministry of Supply then?” Conner asked.
“Good heavens no. I’m from Gravatronics, and I must say, you must have some friend in high places, sir, you literally have the latest designs.” He beamed, happily, thankful that he’d managed to find the Leftenant at last. “Can I get the help of a couple of people to unload?” Between the five of them, they
“Sir?” He didn’t answer, and Conner took him by the arm. “Time to get some sleep, sir.”
“What?” Mike asked absently.
“Time to go to bed, sir.”
“No time, I’ve almost got it.”
“Got what, sir.”
“The design.”
“Oh? The design for what, sir?”
“The ship, I can see it.”
“Of course you can sir, but a night’s sleep would help.”
“Yes, yes, a night’s sleep.” Conner and Gable took him back to his quarters, and Conner put him to bed.
“Is he all right, Chief?” Gable asked, a worried look on his face.
“Yes, Leftenant. He’s all right, just a little worried about getting a certain ship finished.”
“Which one, there are so many of them.” Conner chuckled.
“Oh, nothing, sir, just a little puzzled someone dumped in his lap is all. Something to do with HMS Kiss”
“I hope he’s all right. HMS Kiss?” Gable asked, getting a slight smile in return as an answer.
“Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure, sir.”
Another three days passed, and everything began settling down into a steady rhythm, until a battered old Land Rover came slipping and sliding down the road between the fabrication sheds. All four wheels spraying slushy mud all over the side. All four looked up as someone came clumping up the stairs.
“I’m looking for First Leftenant Gray.” A little portly man asked, coming in.
“I’m Gray, what can I do for you?” He asked, thinking this might be the man from the Ministry.
“Thank goodness for that. My name is Tottingham, and I’ve spent a whole morning driving about this base, getting completely lost so many times I’ve lost count.”
“And the point of your travels, Mr. Tottingham?” Mike prompted, expecting the worse. The man started looking through his pockets, muttering to himself.
“Let's see, I have it here somewhere, where did I put it... Oh yes, here it is.” Mike took a deep breath.
“I have a shipment for you, Leftenant.”
“A shipment!” He looked blank. “A shipment of what?”
“Data pads, specification manuals for your power plant, main engines, the Ag components, and your warp drive.” Mike breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank God for that.”
“Oh, that's just part of the shipment.”
“What else do you have?”
“Your main and secondary armament, navigation’s equipment, radar and sensors and just about every other major component you need, Captain.”
“Good God! Are you an angle?”
“No, sir, hardly that. I’m just the shipping supervisor.”
“Long way from your office, I bet.”
“Yes, sir, on this one. These were specially ordered with instruction from the R&D lab manager to handle the delivery directly to you.” A grin spread across his cherub face.
“Well...” Mike couldn’t think of anything to say for a moment. “We can definitely use whatever it is you have, I’m sure.”
“I can understand that, sir.”
“And the equipment itself?” Adam asked.
“Oh, I pick that up directly from the R&D facility for delivery the moment you give the word. A few of the items are still being complete when I left, but they should be ready in the very near future.” He chuckled.
“So you’re not from the Ministry of Supply then?” Conner asked.
“Good heavens no. I’m from Gravatronics, and I must say, you must have some friend in high places, sir, you literally have the latest designs.” He beamed, happily, thankful that he’d managed to find the Leftenant at last. “Can I get the help of a couple of people to unload?” Between the five of them, they
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