Read Online Make or Break the Hero (The Hunter Legacy Book 4) by Timothy Ellis - Free Book Online
Authors: Timothy Ellis
Ads: Link
governments, or corporates like John
Slice, with their own shipyard.
"Sounds good and fair to me."
"The next license to consider is the
John Wayne class Pocket Battleship. The Americans are already sniffing around
for the rights to modify their Cruisers into the same configuration. Sci-Fi
sector are thinking of building a few, and the British are interested as
well."
"How do they all know about her so
fast?"
"They asked. The Americans explicitly
asked what you wanted done with John Wayne, since they've so many Actor class
Cruisers. Locals saw what went in, and what came out. It had an effect in the
right places here. The Brits took an interest as soon as they heard about the
redesign from the Americans."
"Have I started a new arms race?"
He laughed.
"No, more like catch up. There hasn’t
been any decent military ship building in a long time now. All the developments
in recent years have been in Privateer and Freighter designs, which is all
individuals can usually afford. But as you so ably demonstrated, the old
Cruisers are now so far out of step with reality, they're effectively useless. The
Sci-Fi and British sectors have lost two Cruisers, six Destroyers and six
Corvettes, with six more ships badly trashed, including a Battlewagon. They
need replacements, and the John Wayne class can defend itself against most
threats, without being the cost of a Battleship."
I nodded. This was really interesting, and
it was taking my mind off my aches.
"I'll see what the market will bear,"
he went on, "but on a three way split again, I see us making a license fee
each, of something in the vicinity of one hundred million. A ship built from
scratch isn’t going to give any change from one point five billion. What do you
think?"
"I'm in. I'm sure Bob will agree as
well."
"I think he will too. We all
contributed to it, more or less equally, so the three way split of three
hundred million works for me."
"Me too."
"Bob mentioned something about you
refitting a Lincoln class Corvette?"
"Unthinkable. Yes, she was going to be
upgraded to as close to Gunbus as could be done, without a complete redesign.
She should have the same basic armament, but not quite the speed and shielding.
Why do you ask?"
"We've the Destroyers and Corvettes
trashed in the battle to repair. The Brits would like them upgraded at the same
time. If I knew what you did with Unthinkable, I can modify it for other
classes. The Destroyers can be upgraded using the General Custer as a design
guide, minus the assault features. Between the two designs, I can redo both
types of ship. And any others that come along."
"I don’t have the final design, as I
don’t know what Bob did while the work was being done. But I have the original
design. You're welcome to it. Same deal?"
"Same deal." He grinned.
I waved to Jane, and she moved closer.
"Can you transfer the design for
Unthinkable to the Chief please?"
He pulled out a portable secure storage
device. I wasn’t aware anyone used them these days, but for secure files, it
was a good idea. And it saved Jane having to visit the shipyard. Jane plugged
into the data port. A moment later, she unplugged.
"Confirmed."
McLauchlan nodded. Jane moved a little away
again.
"What about you're Drone Pocket
Battleships?" he asked.
"For now, I'd rather keep them off the
market. If something major occurs, and we need them produced, I'll think about
it then."
"Fair enough. And the Drone Clusters?"
"Again, just for me."
"Fine. Thought of some names for the
classes?"
"Actually, yes. I've had it at the
back of my mind for a while now. Can you check on 'Guardian' for the Pocket
Battleships, and 'Hive' for the Clusters. I think of the Clusters as a single
entity now."
"Good choices. I'll let you know
tomorrow if the names are available. Your ship repairs should be complete by
tomorrow too. Not only Gunbus, but your six Mustangs, five Epees and twelve
Clusters. And it's looking like perhaps another four new Clusters from the
Slice, with their own shipyard.
"Sounds good and fair to me."
"The next license to consider is the
John Wayne class Pocket Battleship. The Americans are already sniffing around
for the rights to modify their Cruisers into the same configuration. Sci-Fi
sector are thinking of building a few, and the British are interested as
well."
"How do they all know about her so
fast?"
"They asked. The Americans explicitly
asked what you wanted done with John Wayne, since they've so many Actor class
Cruisers. Locals saw what went in, and what came out. It had an effect in the
right places here. The Brits took an interest as soon as they heard about the
redesign from the Americans."
"Have I started a new arms race?"
He laughed.
"No, more like catch up. There hasn’t
been any decent military ship building in a long time now. All the developments
in recent years have been in Privateer and Freighter designs, which is all
individuals can usually afford. But as you so ably demonstrated, the old
Cruisers are now so far out of step with reality, they're effectively useless. The
Sci-Fi and British sectors have lost two Cruisers, six Destroyers and six
Corvettes, with six more ships badly trashed, including a Battlewagon. They
need replacements, and the John Wayne class can defend itself against most
threats, without being the cost of a Battleship."
I nodded. This was really interesting, and
it was taking my mind off my aches.
"I'll see what the market will bear,"
he went on, "but on a three way split again, I see us making a license fee
each, of something in the vicinity of one hundred million. A ship built from
scratch isn’t going to give any change from one point five billion. What do you
think?"
"I'm in. I'm sure Bob will agree as
well."
"I think he will too. We all
contributed to it, more or less equally, so the three way split of three
hundred million works for me."
"Me too."
"Bob mentioned something about you
refitting a Lincoln class Corvette?"
"Unthinkable. Yes, she was going to be
upgraded to as close to Gunbus as could be done, without a complete redesign.
She should have the same basic armament, but not quite the speed and shielding.
Why do you ask?"
"We've the Destroyers and Corvettes
trashed in the battle to repair. The Brits would like them upgraded at the same
time. If I knew what you did with Unthinkable, I can modify it for other
classes. The Destroyers can be upgraded using the General Custer as a design
guide, minus the assault features. Between the two designs, I can redo both
types of ship. And any others that come along."
"I don’t have the final design, as I
don’t know what Bob did while the work was being done. But I have the original
design. You're welcome to it. Same deal?"
"Same deal." He grinned.
I waved to Jane, and she moved closer.
"Can you transfer the design for
Unthinkable to the Chief please?"
He pulled out a portable secure storage
device. I wasn’t aware anyone used them these days, but for secure files, it
was a good idea. And it saved Jane having to visit the shipyard. Jane plugged
into the data port. A moment later, she unplugged.
"Confirmed."
McLauchlan nodded. Jane moved a little away
again.
"What about you're Drone Pocket
Battleships?" he asked.
"For now, I'd rather keep them off the
market. If something major occurs, and we need them produced, I'll think about
it then."
"Fair enough. And the Drone Clusters?"
"Again, just for me."
"Fine. Thought of some names for the
classes?"
"Actually, yes. I've had it at the
back of my mind for a while now. Can you check on 'Guardian' for the Pocket
Battleships, and 'Hive' for the Clusters. I think of the Clusters as a single
entity now."
"Good choices. I'll let you know
tomorrow if the names are available. Your ship repairs should be complete by
tomorrow too. Not only Gunbus, but your six Mustangs, five Epees and twelve
Clusters. And it's looking like perhaps another four new Clusters from the
Similar Books
