The matter-of-fact announcement was delivered by one J. Leeland Blake, a tall, serious-looking builder's representative in the traditional stovepipe hat worn by all shipyard managers. He appeared during Collingswood's regular morning status meeting in Defiant's shiny new wardroom.
"Following the successful resolution of Action Reports 11235 through. 11781," Blake reported pretentiously, "Starship I.F.S. Defiant is hereby declared to be an operational vehicle and cleared for immediate flight trials...." He frowned and denied his throat while he peered into his display and adjusted a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles. 'That, of course, specifically excludes Action Reports 791, 832, 5476, 9078, 9079, and 10517 through 11000," he added. "However, those have to do with interface modifications, and we agreed—I believe—to deal with them after Defiant's trial. Am I correct, Captain Collingswood?"
Collingswood smiled noncommittally and checked her own display carefully. "That is correct, Mr. Blake," she said after a. moment, then looked around the table at her senior officers. "You've heard the gentleman's words," she declared with a smile. "If any of you have disagreements, now is certainly an appropriate time to voice them. Nik, what of the system? They've been troublesome since Defiant was on the stocks. Are you satisfied?"
Ursis scowled for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully. "Defiant's systems are as thoroughly tested as we can make them, Captain," he said evenly. "In fact, Power and Propulsion appear to be virtually perfect." Then he held up a warning finger. "Admittedly, some electronic problems do persist," he added, "but nothing that appears serious—or schedule—threatening."
"Wad ye gi' her a full bill o' health noo, Nikolai?" Calhoun questioned, peering over his glasses.
Ursis nodded, "Yes," he said after some consideration. "Except perhaps for the starboard Vertical. That still functions somewhat on the rough side, thought it has been operating in a steady state for more than a week now." He shrugged philosophically. "I suppose I must admit that it is at least operational—although I do not fully trust it."
"There are no unresolved Action Reports on the Verticals, Lieutenant Ursis," the civilian replied defensively. "Both generators operate completely to specification, you know."
"Agreed," Ursis said dryly. "It is when I finally got to read the specifications themselves that I determined further complaints were useless." He crossed his legs and relaxed in the chair amid half-stifled guffaws and choked-back snickers. The builders had been less than gracious when asked for system specifications. Most other crews were satisfied with user operations and maintenance manuals.
"And you, Mr. Brim?' Collingswood interjected. "What have you to add on the subject?'
Brim pinned. "You've heard me grumble about our troublesome steering engines, Mr. Blake. But they've done well enough for a week now—and the new Chairman you downloaded is the best anywhere. The mods for parallel quantum/vector analysis seem to make a lot of difference in the way she keeps a course. At least that's the way she feels in The Box."
"I trust she'll come through at least as well during actual flight," Blake said proudly, regaining some of his good humor. "We've built some fine ships here over the past few hundred years— Defiant is one of the best, l am certain...."
The meeting went on for more than an hour afterward, but in the end the pact was made.
Collingswood signed the shipyard's Red Book, and Defiant was ready for commissioning.
The following morning just after dawn, everyone assembled outside the starship's main hatch while a polished brass nameplate was noisily fixed to a bulkhead with four old-fashioned rivets:
I.F.S. DEFIANT
JOB 29921
ELEANDOR-BESTIENNE YARD
19/51995.
In a simple ceremony, both Blake and Collingswood gave short speeches containing a number of necessary platitudes concerning the Emperor, home, hearth, and duty. Then a local beauty doused the bows with a bottle of Logish Meem, and—while Barbousse hoisted the Rhondell-falcon banner to the top of the KA'PPA tower— Defiant entered the Fleet lists as a "commissioned" vessel. Afterward, as the crew trooped back aboard to their stations (many first joining Collingswood when she stopped to polish the new plaque with her sleeve), a dockyard painting crew applied a Fleet Designator on both sides of her bow:
"CL.921." I.FS. Defiant was—at least officially—declared ready for flight.
Soon afterward taxi tests began, and the ship came through with a few minor snags, but surprisingly well considering her past record. Two weeks later, she slid for the first time into her own element space. In spite of her size, she appeared to be handy and maneuverable, surprisingly light on her feet and astonishing in the way she could accelerate. Only the most powerful destroyers could outspeed her into Hyperspace, and in nearby taverns and meem halls, her crew was quick to crow her talents. She was still known as a "troublesome" ship, nothing would ever change that. But she was early on known as a happy ship, too, Probably that made much of the difference....
Through the following days of space trials, Defiant's crew took their first real steps toward becoming a team, capable—at least—of flying the big starship into deep space to run—in her four Admiralty CL-Standard 489.3G Drive crystals. At Hyperspeeds, she once more proved to be an extremely swift and nimble ship. Designed for a top velocity of no more than 32000 LightSpeed, on her final set of speed trials she actually sustained 36100. Afterward, it was widely rumored among the crew that Ursis and a number of other Bears—including old Borodov from I.F.S. Truculent, now stationed at the Admiralty in Avalon—had contrived to alter her N(112-B) Power Chambers at the time the waveguides were being reoriented, but Ursis vociferously denied any such Sodeskayan conspiracy.
Of course, nobody believed him.
After the last of the speed runs were recorded, Brim reversed course for EleandorBestienne. There were last-minute modifications to be made following her first major excursion—and a number of discrepancies still required correction. Nevertheless, the ship appeared to be as ready as men could make her for actual service. It almost seemed as if she had outgrown her original propensity for trouble.
Almost...
Chapter 2
PREPARATION
Defiant had been slowed below Hyperspeed for more than a metacycle now and was cruising steadily toward EleandorBestienne on her four lateral lateral gravity generators alone. Inside the spacious bridge, only a few of her twenty-three consoles were occupied: Brim, Aram, Ursis, and Calhoun operated the ship while most of the other flight crew caught a few cycles' well-deserved rest. Ahead, the shipyard planet nearly filled the now-transparent Hyperscreens when Aram spoke up from the starboard Helmsman's seat: "I've just contacted Planetary Center for arrival information at Orange-Eight Distrct, Wilf."
"Let's hear it," Brim replied, reluctantly interrupted in the midst of a particularly stimulating fantasy. Margot Effer'wyck was never very far from the surface of his mind.
"Weather twenty-six thousand irals: scattered; twenty-three thousand: thunderstorms; visibility five c'lenyts; temperature one zero one; dew point seven six; wind calm; atmospheric density two nine eight two; visual approaches in progress," Aram recited from memory.