"Mr Weasley, what about the original idea of using the portal-jump principle for travel?"
"That's coming along perfectly well, Lord Grosvenor," Arthur replied. "The enchantment has already been tested on Muggle aeroplanes and flying cars. We've enchanted the Phoenix with an improved version, and we'll be testing the Knight Bus principle of travel in space."
"We'll need a spaceport to launch the rocket," Richard said thoughtfully.
"No, no," Arthur objected. "Our Phoenix can take off perfectly well without any spaceport."
"You misunderstand me, Mr Weasley." Richard narrowed his eyes slightly. "An event such as the launch of a thirty-metre rocket isn't going to escape Muggle attention."
"My lord, we can make the rocket invisible to Muggles and Muggle technology."
"Mr Weasley, even if we can make the rocket invisible, what would be the point? Our spacecraft is being presented as Muggle technology. No one will believe that something so technologically advanced could be magical. We need to launch the Phoenix openly into space and tell the Muggle press exactly what they need to hear—that we're testing the latest engines developed at the Grosvenor Research Laboratory."
"Er..." Arthur Weasley looked confused. "Forgive me, Lord Grosvenor, but why do we need to tell the Muggles at all?"
"Mr Weasley, this isn't a charitable institution. It's a business established for the purpose of making a profit. How is the project supposed to pay for itself if we don't use it commercially?"
"Commercially?" Arthur asked in surprise. "How?"
"Quite easily, Mr Weasley: placing satellites into orbit around Earth and the other planets of the Solar System; transporting scientific equipment to Mars, Venus, the Moon, and so forth; delivering cargo to the International Space Station. We could even take tourists into space!"
"Oh... I see..." Arthur drawled. "But where are we going to get a spaceport?"
"Good question, Mr Weasley. A very good question indeed... Where are we going to get a spaceport?"
"Perhaps build one?" Arthur suggested. "We still have plenty of wizards with magical construction experience left over from building the office."
"Build one, you say?"
A broad smile spread across Richard's face. His hand darted into his pocket for his mobile telephone.
Mobile telephones had only recently come into widespread use. They were more compact than cordless telephones. Once enchanted, Richard's phone could make calls from anywhere in the world. The telephone's radio signal was simply transported to one of London's mobile masts, providing a stable, uninterrupted connection. Better still, no matter where he was—no roaming charges. Very convenient.
"Godson," a cheerful voice sounded from the receiver, "good afternoon!"
"Uncle Charlie, we need a spaceport!"
"A spaceport?" Prince Charles was taken aback.
"Yes, Uncle Charlie. A spaceport. My people are prepared to build one in the shortest possible time and very cheaply."
"Richie, and what exactly do we need a spaceport for?"
"I've got a rocket with experimental engines ready to go. We need somewhere to test it. Besides, I promised Granny I'd build a spaceship..."
"A rocket? Richie, a rocket is good. Give me a little while, I'll ask around..."
Richard had to wait roughly half an hour for the return call. When the telephone began ringing, the boy answered immediately.
"Uncle?"
"Richie, we've decided that a spaceport wouldn't be a bad thing to have. But at the moment there are problems with funding."
"What about the land?"
"That's no problem," the Prince replied. "You'll be allocated land for the construction of a spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland."
"Fifty million in grants over the next couple of years," Richard immediately replied. "I needed the land yesterday. I'll have the spaceport built by the end of the year."
Arthur Weasley whispered:
"We could have it done in a couple of weeks."
Richard jerked his head round and raised his left hand towards Weasley, signalling for him not to butt into someone else's conversation.
"Richie," Prince Charles replied indignantly, "where did you get such extortionate prices from?"
"Godfather, come on! Building a spaceport would cost far more than that. The design work alone would run to a couple of million."
"Five million," Prince Charles replied. "And even that, Richie, is only because you're my godson."
"Thank you, Uncle Charlie!" Richard replied in the voice of a delighted child. "You're the best godfather in the whole world! I accept."
Just before the connection was cut, Richard heard Prince Charles laughing through the receiver.
"Mr Weasley."
"Yes, my lord?"
"Change all the markings on the equipment to 'Made in Great Britain', or we'll end up with a rather embarrassing situation. And at least repaint it..."
"We'll see to it, my lord."
***
By the end of August, the spaceport had been completed. A large group of wizards experienced in construction was capable of erecting enormous structures in remarkably little time.
The spaceport had turned out splendidly: situated high on one of the mountains amid picturesque countryside, with an extraordinarily durable surface. Nearby stood a mission control building, enormous hangars for housing spacecraft, rocket support structures and various machinery, as well as several blocks of flats for the spaceport staff. Electricity was supplied by a compact magical reactor with an output of ten megawatts.
The reactor's output might seem excessive, but that wasn't entirely the case. The entire surrounding area was brightly illuminated by lamps and floodlights. The hangars, residential buildings, and office building also consumed electricity. But the main consumer was a powerful parabolic antenna used for communications with spacecraft.
Richard had obtained the parabolic antenna for next to nothing. It had long since been written off for scrap at one of Britain's military bases, along with all its associated equipment. As so often happened in the armed forces, the actual disposal process had dragged on indefinitely. In the end, Prince Charlie gave his approval, the wizards promptly collected the equipment, repaired it, and installed it on a massive granite foundation.
Increasing the antenna's capabilities proved remarkably simple: firstly, magic was used to enlarge, lighten, and reinforce it; secondly, its transmitting and receiving properties were magically enhanced; and thirdly, they managed to connect an AI to the enchanted, antiquated equipment from the 1960s, eliminating the need to employ a large staff of ordinary people.
The radar station was needed primarily not for communicating with the Phoenix, but for navigating the spacecraft and providing cover from the Muggle governments of other countries.
(End of Chapter)
P@treon: /SadRaven
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰