“Oh, I doubt that,” said Armstrong. “The captain’s brought in all the best new equipment. It’s got security features well above milspec.”
“Security features that anybody else with enough money can buy. Or buy the equipment to bug everything you say,” sniffed Snipe, clearly unimpressed.
While they’d been talking, Mother had been sinking lower and lower behind her equipment console. Finally, when Snipe turned and pointed at her and snapped, “Who’s that?” she gave a little cry and sank entirely out of sight.
Snipe turned to Armstrong and said, “Who is that person? Doesn’t she know the proper way to act when an officer enters the room?”
“Pgtkr,” said Mother, almost inaudibly, from behind the desk.
“Speak up!” said Snipe. “If you’re going to address an officer, do so in a proper military manner! What is your name and serial number, legionnaire?”
“Gmafngbrkshl,” said Mother, even more inaudibly. Suddenly she leapt up and bolted from the room.
“What the hell was that?” said Snipe, staring at the departing legionnaire.
“Uh, Mr. Snipe, the comm engineer is rather sensitive,” said Armstrong, leaping to Mother’s defense. “She really isn’t at her best in a face-to-face situation with superior officers-“
“Well, it’s time she got over that quirk. If she won’t talk to her officers, she should be replaced with somebody competent,” barked Snipe. “Whose idea was it to put her in such a critical position?”
“Captain Jester’s, of course,” said Armstrong, uncomfortably aware that Snipe was likely to take it as evidence in the case the new regime was obviously building against the captain. “You see, she’s really completely different on the air-“