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Extract from Extraordinary General Meeting, Committee Sine Nomine, minutes of April 25th.
Witan: Baroness Margaret Rowallan, Rear-Admiral Miles Mattick, Air Vice-Marshall John Herring, Sir Christopher Hotchkiss, Mr Jonathan Braithwaite, Dr Ralph Parkinson, Chief Superintendent Harry Golightly, Chief Inspector Ronald Slack, Lord Justice Forteviot Dunning, Archbishop Percy Mogadishu.
Attending via video link: Major General Iain Civil, Major Martin Forster.
Item 7A: Appointment to the position of National Medical Adviser to the Security Services …
‘Frankly,’ snapped Major General Civil, speaking from Government House in Remuera, ‘I’m not happy with this appointment. Dr Cameron-Strange is unreliable, unpredictable, whimsical, capricious, and a maverick. He is certainly not a team player.’
‘With the greatest respect, sir,’ said Major Forster, speaking from the same location, ‘May I point out that Dr Cameron-Strange has undergone half a dozen ordeals over the past three months, largely on our behalf. In the first place, he has had to endure the appalling strain of appearing in court on a charge of manslaughter. Whatever his motivation, his reticence in the dock certainly worked to the advantage of this committee. Secondly, he saved the life of a trainee pilot who, unknown to him, happened to be one of ours. But for his chivalrous intervention, his skill and his nerve, Captain Hodgson would likely not be with us. He put his own reputation on the line. Had he failed, it would have been trashed.
‘Thirdly, he went up to Vanuatu on a retrieval mission made very hazardous by extreme weather conditions. Cut off for a day, he improvised a successful treatment. Fourthly, on his return, he undertook an investigation on our behalf, and established a vital piece of information. Fifthly, he took part in an extreme sport event and won it, an outcome for which I think the majority of New Zealand people are extremely grateful. Sixth and last, he made a return to a place he detested and underwent an ordeal I would suggest was at the limit of human endurance. It’s an extraordinary achievement. Maybe he’s not a team player. Call him unpredictable. Call him a maverick if you like. It’s precisely what we needed. I think we should take him on. I propose he succeed as the next N-MASS. Codename: Speedbird’.
‘Speedbird? What sort of a namby-pamby name is that? I grant you it’s flighty enough …’
‘Iain, stop being a curmudgeon.’
‘I’m not a curmudgeon Margaret. It’s just that I don’t think we should take on a man with divided loyalties. He carries two passports.’
‘Iain, you’re growing fantastic. Her Majesty the Queen is New Zealand head of state, through her representative the Governor-General.’
‘The place is being taken over by the Japs and converted into a huge golf course.’
‘I think we’ll ignore that absurd remark.’
‘Speedbird! God help us …’
ANY OTHER COMPETENT BUSINESS:
During the meeting, Major Forster received intelligence of an explosion at Marsden Wharf in the Port of Auckland involving the research vessel The Captain Cook. The ship is listing in the shallow waters of the Waitemata Harbour. Captain Hodgson may be on board. There have been no reports of injuries to date. Evacuations are ongoing. Dr Cameron-Strange is attending at the scene.
Major Forster has given his apologies and terminated the video link.