Nimisha's Ship
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Nimisha's Ship». Краткое содержание книги:
When Nimisha takes an experimental ship on a solo test flight, something goes horribly awry, marooning her light-years from home on a planet as deadly as it is beautiful. Now the ruthless members of a rival branch of the Rondymense family are given the chance they've been waiting for: to reclaim the Ship Yards by any means necessary.
Only Nimisha's ingenious child, Cuiva, stands in their way. But for how long? For just when her daughter needs her most, Nimisha is in a precarious situation herself--and unable to help. But Nimisha has never given up in her life--and she's not about to start now . . .
"More likely to pick my brains than to entertain me," Nimisha remarked to Jeska, who complained when she accepted the invitation.
When Lady Rezalla heard about it, she considered such interest only right and just and wondered why it had taken them so long to realise that Lady Nimisha was a fit successor to Lord Tionel.
"They had to be sure of that, my mother," Nimisha said. "They have, after all, continued to buy Rondymense units. But I designed some of the systems that Tionel never got around to making."
"So you've informed me," was her dam's droll reply.
So Nimisha attended a very formal dinner at Vega's Fleet headquarters in the Supreme Admiral's quarters. She was the celebrity of the evening. The other guests, gaudily attired in formal uniforms, displaying medals for a variety of achievements, ranged from young to ancient, male and female, and were almost all naval. Two other civilians had been included and she knew both-naval architects, each good in his specialty. But, she reminded herself, not as good as she was.
Well, service to one's Federation was part of the duty of a good Family, but if she had to have a naval officer or other "observer" checking up on her, she would choose with care. After narrowing down the candidates to a short list and conducting a round of private investigations, she made an appointment to see Admiral Gollanch. She'd have Lieutenant Senior Grade Caleb Rustin, she told the admiral, as her Fleet spy.
Gollanch pretended astonishment. "Fleet spy?"
"That is certainly what last week's dinner was all about, wasn't it?" Nimisha responded, sitting totally at her ease in his impressive office. The wood paneling was supposedly resurrected from the wreck of some ancient and honorable oceangoing vessel. The decor was certainly all naval, including the curious instruments by which ancient mariners had been able to deduce their location and make course corrections. "Let us be honest with each other, Admiral."
"You have the forthrightness of your dam."
"I do not. She'd never say anything so direct. My biological father might have."
Gollanch hid a smile behind his hand but his eyes twinkled. "I feel that it is quite likely that we can deal with you as equably as we did with Lord Tionel."
"His understanding was with your predecessor, Admiral Narasharim."
"I can only hope that ours-" He paused to make her a half bow."-will be as productive."
"Productive in what way? My sire never spoke of his… arrangement with Fleet. I knew that there was one, not what it entailed."
"This office has watched your handling of his Yard with interest and respect. I wish to be more fully briefed on your projects in case we may collaborate…"
"On my long-distance yacht?" She cocked her head a little to one side.
"The Mark Two vessels have performed well above the most optimistic criteria and yet you have a new design on the gantries."
"There is always room for improvement, Admiral."
"If there is, this department is very interested. I do not intend to interfere in any way with a civilian installation…"
"Then that isn't why Rondymense is situated so conveniently at one edge of your main facility?"
"Happenstance. The Rondymense Yard predates the Fleet's Vegan base by nearly a hundred years, you know." When she nodded, because she did know, he went on. "It would please me personally, not as admiral in charge of Fleet Design, if you would duly consider recommendations and suggestions from my representative. Since young Rustin is your choice, I shall put him on detached service to the Rondymense Ship Yard."
"He should get a promotion for accepting hazardous duty," she said with a smile. "And another one if our mutual efforts produce results."
"Are you well acquainted with Caleb Rustin?"
"Never met him before the other evening. But he has an impressive record-good engineering aptitude, cleverly displayed when he did that mid-space repair to the comcomplex a meteor sheared off the old Aegean Sea. What he jury-rigged that day had been translated into standard equipment to prevent any similar accidents. And he's obviously being monitored for further promotions. At least in the Design division."
Somewhat startled by her knowledge of the lieutenant's record, he covered his surprise with a sly smile. "I'd've lost my bet then," he said.
"Oh?" Nimisha raised both eyebrows in amusement, encouraging an explanation by curving her mouth in a delicate one-sided smile that fascinated the admiral. He was by no means immune to the charismatic charm of the young woman with such speaking gentian-blue eyes.
"Yes," Gollanch said, steepling his fingers and rhythmically bouncing his fingertips together, a reflective habit of his.
"Let me guess," Nimisha said, leaning forward and grinning as shrewdly as he had. "That Marcusi captain."
"How did you arrive at that conclusion?" Gollanch did not yet care to admit how accurate her assessment was.
She leaned back. "He was doing his best-adroitly," she said, raising her hand not to denigrate the captain's performance. "He also seemed exceedingly well informed about my, ah, present design plans."
"Hmmm…" Gollanch made a mental note to find out how the captain had been able to access that information. Not even the Fleet had the right to invade a Family's private enterprise without due invitation. "I shall check into that."
"Don't bother. There's nothing I do not intend to share with the Fleet when I have perfected what will improve your ships." She dismissed that problem with a flick of her hand. It was an unusually callused hand for a Family scion, with a wide strong palm, deft fingers, and trimmed nails, unlike the usual elegantly tapered fingers with artificial extensions almost as long again as the finger-a fad that impeded any use of humankind's greatest advantage over most animals. "How can you fault Captain Marcusi for wanting to succeed? He's really very good at it."
"In that case…" Gollanch ended the subject with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Good, especially as I made my own"-her delightful grin enlivened fine features that tended, in repose, to be sober, if not aloof- "discreet inquiries, since it was obvious my operation is of interest to the Fleet. So it is very good of you, really, to be so… so…"
"Accommodating?" Gollanch suggested. On consideration, Rustin was a very good choice, a better match for this woman than Captain Marcusi, who had great ambitions for himself-in which he would probably succeed, bar a bad command decision. Rustin was far more interested in achieving the best results from a project than in making certain everyone knew he had had a hand in it. The lad had good ideas and, as the Lady Nimisha had noted, excellent engineering credentials. Then, without trying to appear rushed, though the admiral had a full day's appointments-a few of them not as pleasant as this one-he smiled at her. "How soon can I send Lieutenant Commander Rustin to Rondymense Ship Yard?"
Nimisha rose. "He's waiting at my skimmer. I promised him a tour of the Yard at dinner the other night. As soon as I could arrange it." She reached her hand across the table and Gollanch shook it with both of his, noticing the workmanlike strength of her grasp. Again that almost gamine grin and the twinkle of her gentian-blue eyes. "He was the only one who didn't hint. He also was the first to ask me to dance and converse on suitable subjects."
"Ah! I will recommend such tactics should similar strategy be needed."
"You are a dear, Admiral," she said, releasing her hand and making her way to the door. There she stopped, considered momentarily, and then gracefully looked back over her shoulder at him. "Lieutenant Commander Rustin may never know all I have in mind as design features, but he will be privy to what would improve the performance of the Vegan Fleet vessels."