Vanguard (Ark Royal Book 7) by Christopher Nuttall Read Free Book Online Page B

remain firmly on command track, rather than being diverted into survey or - horror of horrors - staff work.  There was no way to know if her uncle had had a quiet word with the personnel department or not, but at least her grades provided justification for the assignment.  She knew, without false modesty, that she’d done well.
     
    “Mrs Kale has your travel details,” the Commandant added.  “You’ll have an hour before your shuttle departs, so I suggest you use that time to send messages home before you arrive on Vanguard .  You’ll be very busy right from the start.”
     
    He paused.  “I won’t give you much advice, because you should have been paying attention in class.  However” - his expression hardened for a second - “ you should recall that you are very junior and inexperienced officers.  You must earn the respect of the crewmen under you if you wish to proceed.  Listen to personnel who are more experienced than yourselves, even if you outrank them.  Your rank badges do not make you little gods.  A single mistake can kill you.”
     
    George nodded, not daring to speak.  She’d been taught to check everything, time and time again, because space was merciless.  And yet, she knew all too well that a single mistake, something that could easily be overlooked, something that would be perfectly safe on Earth ... could get them killed in space.  She wondered, absently, just how long it would be before she was trusted to work on her own, then dismissed the thought.  Having someone else check her work was just common sense.
     
    “Thank you, sir,” Nathan said.
     
    “Good luck,” the Commandant said.  He rose.  “Dismissed.”
     
    George and Nathan saluted, then turned and marched out of the office.  Mrs Kale, without looking up from her computer terminal, held out a pair of datachips.  George took hers, picked up her holdall and headed out of the hatch.  Nathan followed her and, as soon as the hatch had hissed closed, he wrapped her up in a tight hug.
     
    “ Vanguard ,” he said.  “A battleship !”
     
    “It could be worse,” George agreed, mischievously. 
     
    She pulled her reader off her belt and slotted the datachip into it.  They had a shuttle flight in an hour, as the Commandant had said; she scanned the list of requirements quickly, then nodded to herself as she shut down the terminal.  There was no need to make a run to the stores before they arrived on the giant battleship.   She had two full changes of clothes with her - as well as extra underwear - and she shouldn't need anything else immediately.  Her reader had enough books loaded to keep her content for years.
     
    “I need to pick up an extra uniform,” Nathan said.  “Coming to the store?”
     
    George sighed.  “What happened to your spare?”
     
    “Don’t ask,” Nathan said.  “I mean it.  Really don’t ask.”
     
    “What happens in Sin City, stays in Sin City,” George said.  She’d been twice, but she hadn't cared for it very much.  Cadets and spacers - and everyone else - were welcome, as long as they had money to spend.  Ironically, it was also the safest place on the moon.  No one was fool enough to tangle with the city’s authorities by mugging the guests.  “Let’s go.”
     
    She picked up some extra chocolate and sweets at the store, then followed Nathan down to the airlock.  The shuttle docked on schedule - she was surprised to discover that there were a handful of crewmen waiting to board the craft too - and she hurried onboard.  Maybe it was her imagination, but the crewmen looked tough, unwilling to suffer fools gladly.  How could she give orders to them?
     
    “It’s only a short flight,” Nathan said.  “There’s hardly any time to sleep.”
     
    “I’m too excited to sleep,” George said.  It was true.  Everything she’d done, over the last four years, had been building towards this moment.  “I’m going to read.”
     
    She opened her reader