He shook his head, dismissing the thought.  That was impossible.

“You requested it,” he repeated.  It wasn't uncommon for graduating officers to request postings ... but, unless they were in the top ten places at the Academy, it was rare for a newly-minted officer to receive the post they wanted.  But there would be almost no competition for slots on Ark Royal.  “Might I ask why?”

Midshipwomen Lopez hesitated.  “My maternal grandfather was the Elected King of Karees,” she said, after a long moment.  “The population was one of the more eccentric asteroid civilisations ... until one day there was a major life support failure and the entire asteroid had to be evacuated.  Ark Royal was the Royal Navy starship that responded to the crisis and took my grandfather and his people onboard.”

James had to smile, remembering the notation in Ark Royal’s logbook.  The engineers had noted, afterwards, that the population seemed to have deliberately sabotaged their own asteroid, although no one had been able to figure out why.  Some asteroids held settlements with really strange principles, including a handful who enjoyed taking risks with the life support.  The discovery of the Puller Drive had sent thousands of such settlements expanding out of the solar system to places where they could enjoy true privacy.

“My grandfather ended up becoming a British citizen,” Midshipwomen Lopez added.  “He also willed his remaining funds to the preservation trust for Ark Royal.  When I graduated, keeping the Old Lady going seemed a worthwhile use of my time.”

“I see,” James said.  It was odd, but hardly a major problem.  “I trust that you enjoy serving on the ship?”

“It’s quite fascinating,” Midshipwomen Lopez assured him.  “We can’t just insert components into the ship’s computers and expect them to work.  We often have to rewrite the computer codes or insert bridges between two separate systems that were never intended to work together.  Understanding all the different links is tricky, but ...”

She shrugged, her face lighting up.  “I dare say I've learned more than anyone outside engineering or computer support,” she added.  “And we have kept the Old Lady ready for action.”

“Or close to it,” James agreed.  He looked down at the reports on his desk.  It would be another week before Ark Royal was truly ready for deployment – or as close to it as he expected they would ever become – but the crew had done an excellent job.  “Thank you for coming.  I have no doubt I will have more tasks for you in a few hours.”

Midshipwomen Lopez rose to her feet.  “Thank you, sir,” she said.  “I’m due in Engineering in twenty minutes.”

“Go grab a mug of coffee,” James said, absently.  He paused as a thought occurred to him.  “Was your grandfather the driving force behind the preservation society?”

“No, just one of them,” Midshipwomen Lopez assured him.