by Dale Brown
its gear, got to me. You and Ann saved thousands of lives out there. When I realized none of my ships had the capability to fully utilize SBR signals, well, I decided we should commit our resources to building one as soon as possible. The navy and the Joint Chiefs backed me all the way. What the hell choice did they have? "The California's new combat information center should be finished in a month," Clancy said, moving out of CIC and back. up on deck. "One month after that she'll be ready for her first shakedown cruise." They reached the port rail near the gangway and stopped to watch as the huge SBR receiverantenna was being folded up again. "I wish you luck, Admiral," Saint-Michael said. "She's a beauty. Silver Tower should be fully operational in two months and as long as the Arkhangel and the Brezhnev stay in the Middle East, the station will be there--" "Not so fast, Jas. You still don't get it. I'm going to need someone special aboard California. Someone who has command experience and knows Armstrong's SBR system. I can think of only one man who fits the bill." "You want me?" "Hell, yes, I want you. As commander of the new SBR section you'll oversee all operations, fleet integration and training for the new system. We'll knock the stuffy old U.S. Navy kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century, Jas. I I
Just then the loudspeaker clicked on. "Attention on deck. Admiral Clancy to the bridge. Admiral Clancy to the bridge. " "Got to go, Jas. I need your answer. Soonest. You've got to look over your new command and get ready for your new trainees in one month. Ann, you're a wonder.... Please give my love to your mother." He turned and trotted down the deck. "He's a little bit crazy," Ann said, smiling. "Well, do
you think you could spend a few months at sea with a fifty-year-old kid?" "Depends." "On?" "Us." He took her hand in his. "I'd love to go, you know that. But I want you, I want us to be together on this. We deserve it. You could go back to the station and-- :'No. " 'Ann, listen. Leaving Space Command won't change anything. If they have plans to turn that station into an armed fort and Skybolt into an offensive as well as defensive weapon, just leaving won't change that. It's a clichd, okay, but you've got to work within the system, not outside it if you're going to accomplish anything. . . ." "What could I do? I wouldn't have any effect on the big brass's decisions-" "Maybe not right away, but you could sure as hell speak up. And they'd have to give some weight to your opinions. . . . After all, not all the bugs in the laser have been worked out yet. You're still probably the only one around who really knows how Skybolt works ...... He smiled. "At least I'd know Silver Tower was being well taken care of."
She moved closer to him. "I'd like to take care of you." "No problem. Clancy can spare me for a few days. We could take off, Acapulco maybe, the Bahamas, Lake Tahoe,--" :'General.... I've been in space. Can't we just-" 'We can," he said, taking hold of her arm and signaling to their driver.
Ann was not coy. "Wherever we're going, let's hurry." Saint-Michael leaned forward, instructed the driver, then settled back into her waiting arms.