Dave looked at Mike, "sorry mate," he said, "you sure know your naval history." The boys shook hands and looked at May, she was smiling. "Go on you two," she said, "before you miss your bus. The two mates dashed out of the classroom and over to where the buses were waiting. A big cheer went up as they climbed aboard there buses and found seats. Dave's bus set off before Mike's, they were the last to leave the school. Also unlucky, because they did not have their usual driver, it was either the father or grandfather, but the run home was the slowest anyone had ever known.
When Mike finally got off the bus and into the flat, his mother was waiting for him, Kelvin was already sat having a drink, and Mike's mother wanted to know why he was so late, Mike didn't mention the essay, just said they had a slow driver. After dinner, Mike and his dad were on the balcony drinking there coffee. Mike told his father about the essay's that Dave and he had to do as a punishment. ken accepted that his son was in trouble, but as for what he had to write about, he was bloody livid. "How the hell," he said to Dorothy who had joined them after doing the washing up. "is a 15 year old, to know anything about the workings of a radar set, or a sonar?" Dorothy tried to calm her husband down, but he was going ballistic.
Ken looked at his wife and then at his son, he got out of his chair, "Michael come with me," he said Mike followed his father, went down the hallway, through the front door, down the stairs and out.
Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in the chief's mess, Mike was drinking a 7 up and his father was deep in conversation with a couple of the chief's at the small bar. The group of chief's sat talking and as they did so, they kept looking at Mike and then shaking their heads. Mike heard one say, miserable B and another was heard to say, toffee nosed git, needs to be taught a lesson. As the group continued, one of the chief's left, as he passed Mike he said, "a plan is afoot," giggled and was gone out the door.
Mike was enjoying his second 7 up. The chief that had left came back in again and sat at Mike's table, then places two books down beside the drinks glass. Mike's dad joined him, with the other chief's in the group, all sat around the table. "What have you got there," Ken asked his shipmate, The chief replied, it's not too heavy, Radar manual volume 1, and Sonar manual volume 1. He looked at Mike, "right lad," he said, if you read chapters 2,3 and 4, it will give you a basic idea of how it works, I reckon," he said smiling at Mike and ken, "if you write one and a half pages of facts and then rest of the pages fill in with the radar aerial goes around and around and around, our cocky little upstart of a prefect won't even notice." "Great," Mike said, thank you chief, thank you very much." The chief then gave Mike the sonar manual, "tell you, friend," he said "!to read chapter's 7,8and 9 and again end the essay with the sonar sends out an impulse that goes ping, ping, ping, and fill up the rest of the pages with pings, nobody can dispute it." He laughed, "I must admit I would love to be there when you hand it in. Ken looked at Mike and his messmates, "you won't be there, but I will," he laughed, "but I will tell you what happens." "Now, Ken asked, " how long can I borrow these books for." the chief handed Ken an official looking piece of paper." Here you are Ken, sign this and you can borrow them indefinitely," he said. Ken signed the paper and handed it back, then Ken and Mike stood up to leave. "have a drink on me," he said, then called to the barman, "Put this mans next two drinks on my tab, C.P.O. Writer Palmer." "Ok chief," the barman said, "will do," and with two books under Mike's arm, the pair went home.
The following morning Mike gave Dave the book on sonar, he told him which chapters to read and how to end the essay. Dave smiled, and said, "do you think we can get away with that." Mike smiled, "both my dad and the guy who lent us the books say yes, we can" Mike answered, "Oh and Dave," Mike said, I need to return the books next Wednesday." Dave took the book and put it in his desk for safekeeping, and they both carried on with there normal school work.
That night at home, Mike read the radar manual, chapters 2,3 and 4, most of it went over his head, but he got the gist of what it was about, so he put pen to paper. He started writing at around 9 pm, and by 10 he had compleated the first page. Dorothy poked her head around the door soon after, telling him it was time to sleep. Mike went to the bathroom, and when he got back to his room, his father was sat on the bed reading what Mike had done so far, he looked at his son and smiled. "This is good," he said, "did you get all this information from that book." Mike nodded, "yes dad," he said, " I did, a lot of it I didn't understand, but most of it was simple enough, and I've put in a lot of facts and figures as well, just to make it plausible." "Yes." Mike's dad said, "I can see that, tell me, how much technical data do you plan to use." "Not much more," Mike said, "I don't want to overload his brain, do I." They both laughed. "Come on son, " Ken said, "time to sleep.
Mike climbed into bed and his father pulled the mosquito net around the bed, making sure there were no gaps. As Ken got to the door he turned, "Goodnight son," he said, then turned out the light and made his way to the lounge.
As Mike lay under the lightweight blanket, he closed his eyes and drifted off. Soon he found himself on the bridge of a ship, watching the radar screen, he saw ships in the squadron as blips all around them, little oval dots all moving around, It was all very weird, but fascinating as well.
It was Tuesday night, the essay was complete, it was almost two and a half pages of how a radar works, the fact that electrical impulses are released from the Arial at the top of the mast on the ship and returned to the arial having bounced off of anything that was around, this is then passed through a cable to a receiver and shows up on a screen. All very technical, but as Mike's dad said, " it makes fascinating reading. The last one and a half sides of the four pages just said around and around, which is what the radar areal does.
"What time do you have to hand the essay in son." asked Ken, " i don't really know, "Mike said. Dorothy sort of mumbled and then reread the essay. "Ok", Ken said, "that's good," and left it at that. The essay was put on the sideboard ready for school in the morning.
It was almost 10 am and the class were due for morning break, there was a knock at the door and a pupil from another class was stood in the doorway. "Yes," May Riddle said, "what is it," The pupil said. " Please Miss, Michael Palmer and David Falkner are to report to the headmaster's study." "Ok thank you May said. "Please Miss," the pupil said, " they have to take their essays with them." "Ok," May said again, "is that it." "Yes Miss," the pupil said and left closing the door after him. Dave and Mike looked at each other. "What's going on," Mike whispered. "I don't know," Dave said. May looked at both boys sat at there desks. "Go on," she said, "report to the headmaster.
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