Michaelson . Request advise the purpose of your maneuvers."
The Euro ship's reply, in a calm, lightly British-accented woman's voice, came after a pause. "This is HMS Lord Nelson . Roger. Wait one. Out."
"Wait one?" Commander Kwan questioned. "Don't they know what they're doing?"
Captain Hayes frowned again. "Of course they do. That's the Royal Navy over there, and that was the Nelson 's captain who answered us. What the hell is she up to?"
Paul heard a brief attention chirp from his display and glanced back at it. "The Lord Nelson 's firing thrusters and main drive again, sir." He watched as the arc of the British ship's projected path through space altered shape, quickly bending into a trajectory which crossed another projected path, then firmed as the warship steadied onto course. As the Nelson cut her drives to settle onto her new trajectory, a red symbol flashed to life on Paul's screen where the two paths came together. "Captain?" Paul tried to keep his voice from cracking. "HMS Lord Nelson 's settled onto a collision course with the SASAL ship."
" What ?!" Hayes bent over his screen, as if being closer to it would resolve more detail.
"Bridge, this is Combat. The Nelson 's on a collision course with the Tamerlane ."
Lieutenant Sindh tapped in a request for the Michaelson 's systems to recheck and confirm their calculations. "Estimate confirmed, sir. Nelson 's positioned herself so her trajectory will intercept that of the SASAL ship."
"Why the hell . . . ? HMS Lord Nelson , this is the Exercise Maneuvering Coordinator. Interrogative your intentions."
The Lord Nelson 's captain responded immediately this time, her voice unruffled. "This is HMS Lord Nelson . I regret to report a possible problem with my maneuvering systems."
Captain Hayes stared at his display for a moment before replying. "Captain Vitali, you are on a collision course with the SASAL ship."
"Yes, we have noticed that."
"What is the exact nature of your maneuvering system problem?"
"We're still looking into it."
"Captain Vitali, you need to maneuver your ship again. You're on a very hazardous trajectory."
"The situation is a bit awkward, isn't it?"
Captain Hayes seemed lost for words for a moment before replying. "Do you anticipate correcting this 'problem' with your maneuvering systems in the very near future?"
"It's very hard to say."
Hayes took a deep breath. "Captain Vitali, as Exercise Movement Coordinator I very respectfully request that you immediately maneuver so as to avoid collision with the SASAL ship."
"What's that?"
"I believe you heard my request."
"Oh, rot. The signal's breaking up. We appear to've developed a communications problem as well. I must have a talk with my officers about these system problems. This is HMS Lord Nelson . Nothing heard. Out."
Kwan was staring at his display, his jaw loose. "I can't believe she's doing this."
Captain Hayes' face had reddened to a deep shade approaching purple. "Damn crazy Brits."
Paul leaned toward Sindh so he could speak in a whisper. "What're they doing?"
Sindh glanced toward Captain Hayes before replying in the same low tone. "The Brits? They're going head to head with the SASALs."
"They deliberately put themselves on a collision course with that other ship so the SASALs will have to maneuver to avoid them?"
"Right. They're playing chicken, and they've one-upped the SASALs."
"You don't play that kind of game with warships. That's insane."
"Well, yes. But the Brits aren't really insane. Just very sure of their inherent superiority over every other form of human life. So it's more of a calm certainty that the other person'll blink first."
"What if the other person doesn't blink first?"
Lieutenant Sindh shook her head. "Then you end up with what the Brits would no doubt refer to as a 'regrettable turn of events.' "
Captain Hayes glared around the bridge. "Combat, do you still have a data link active with the Nelson ?"
Garcia's voice held weary resignation.
The Euro ship's reply, in a calm, lightly British-accented woman's voice, came after a pause. "This is HMS Lord Nelson . Roger. Wait one. Out."
"Wait one?" Commander Kwan questioned. "Don't they know what they're doing?"
Captain Hayes frowned again. "Of course they do. That's the Royal Navy over there, and that was the Nelson 's captain who answered us. What the hell is she up to?"
Paul heard a brief attention chirp from his display and glanced back at it. "The Lord Nelson 's firing thrusters and main drive again, sir." He watched as the arc of the British ship's projected path through space altered shape, quickly bending into a trajectory which crossed another projected path, then firmed as the warship steadied onto course. As the Nelson cut her drives to settle onto her new trajectory, a red symbol flashed to life on Paul's screen where the two paths came together. "Captain?" Paul tried to keep his voice from cracking. "HMS Lord Nelson 's settled onto a collision course with the SASAL ship."
" What ?!" Hayes bent over his screen, as if being closer to it would resolve more detail.
"Bridge, this is Combat. The Nelson 's on a collision course with the Tamerlane ."
Lieutenant Sindh tapped in a request for the Michaelson 's systems to recheck and confirm their calculations. "Estimate confirmed, sir. Nelson 's positioned herself so her trajectory will intercept that of the SASAL ship."
"Why the hell . . . ? HMS Lord Nelson , this is the Exercise Maneuvering Coordinator. Interrogative your intentions."
The Lord Nelson 's captain responded immediately this time, her voice unruffled. "This is HMS Lord Nelson . I regret to report a possible problem with my maneuvering systems."
Captain Hayes stared at his display for a moment before replying. "Captain Vitali, you are on a collision course with the SASAL ship."
"Yes, we have noticed that."
"What is the exact nature of your maneuvering system problem?"
"We're still looking into it."
"Captain Vitali, you need to maneuver your ship again. You're on a very hazardous trajectory."
"The situation is a bit awkward, isn't it?"
Captain Hayes seemed lost for words for a moment before replying. "Do you anticipate correcting this 'problem' with your maneuvering systems in the very near future?"
"It's very hard to say."
Hayes took a deep breath. "Captain Vitali, as Exercise Movement Coordinator I very respectfully request that you immediately maneuver so as to avoid collision with the SASAL ship."
"What's that?"
"I believe you heard my request."
"Oh, rot. The signal's breaking up. We appear to've developed a communications problem as well. I must have a talk with my officers about these system problems. This is HMS Lord Nelson . Nothing heard. Out."
Kwan was staring at his display, his jaw loose. "I can't believe she's doing this."
Captain Hayes' face had reddened to a deep shade approaching purple. "Damn crazy Brits."
Paul leaned toward Sindh so he could speak in a whisper. "What're they doing?"
Sindh glanced toward Captain Hayes before replying in the same low tone. "The Brits? They're going head to head with the SASALs."
"They deliberately put themselves on a collision course with that other ship so the SASALs will have to maneuver to avoid them?"
"Right. They're playing chicken, and they've one-upped the SASALs."
"You don't play that kind of game with warships. That's insane."
"Well, yes. But the Brits aren't really insane. Just very sure of their inherent superiority over every other form of human life. So it's more of a calm certainty that the other person'll blink first."
"What if the other person doesn't blink first?"
Lieutenant Sindh shook her head. "Then you end up with what the Brits would no doubt refer to as a 'regrettable turn of events.' "
Captain Hayes glared around the bridge. "Combat, do you still have a data link active with the Nelson ?"
Garcia's voice held weary resignation.
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