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Lakes of Stars was encouragingly popular, (well, not actually popular, but people were reading it.) So the idea of writing about the MOD evolved. I could obey the Official Secrets Act by fictionalising everything. I could invent my own department doing totally fictitious work, slightly in the future, building a space ship. No one could ever say it was real.
I began researching Britain's real space projects, and wondered what future space craft would be like. Nothing too outlandish, they all had to be based on other peoples sound ideas that might work given enough development.
But why would any one finance such projects? Who would want them? What kind of people? Where would they meet? What were their motives? How would they be paid for? Who would approve the cost? Why would they approve it?
In short, what series of events and coincidences would it take for Britain to build an interplanetary ship? I worked it out and made it happen.
Then I realised (I'm a bit slow.) that I had the answer to global warming from Lakes of Stars. Again I wondered about the cheapest orbits and who and how would pay for it all. I worked it out and made it happen.
Under new regulations I was able to submit this book to the MOD and they kindly allowed publication.
Don't forget, it is all total fiction.
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