“Good daywatch,” she greeted. “What are you doing?”
He smiled the smile of his that charmed. “Occupying my time. Usefully, I hope.”
She glanced at the bench. A cylindrical frame, about three centimeters by fifty, rested half assembled. It was clear that after the circuitry and powerpack were installed, the frame would be completed, an organometallic skin attached, and a stock with a grip fitted. “What is this, if I may ask?”
“Well, I didn’t plan to say anything till it was ready, but no reason not to tell you. It’s nothing startling. The computer easily designed it to my specs. Check the program if you like. I’m cobbling together a prototype to test how the hardware behaves in practice. It’s a short-range radionic override for simple cybernetic systems — for instance, doors, locks, cooling fans, gas filters, conveyors.”
“You want to be able to take over control of them? Why?” she asked, nonplussed.
He laughed. “Not I! But the station —” He laid down a spot catalyzer, turned toward her, and spoke earnestly. “The black hole’s thrown a lot of surprises at us. They cost us several probes, a boat, and two lives. What’s next? What might it derange in the station, given that close orbit? A small but critical item could suddenly go wild or inoperable. Something like a stuck flowgate, maybe. Under the wrong circumstances, that could bring on a disaster.”
She frowned in skepticism. “The station’s well-built for homeostasis and self-repair, you know.”
“Oh, yes. But what harm in one more emergency backup? If this thing seems practical, we can transmit the plans and have the machines there make a few for the maintenance robots to use if it’s ever necessary.”
“If.”
“It gives me something to do,” he said.
Sympathy answered: “I understand, Al. Yes, carry on.”
“Not makework, either. Not quite. It could prove helpful. Unlikely, but it could. Having gotten the idea, I’d feel remiss if I didn’t develop it.”
She regarded him. “That is good of you.”
He smiled again. “Considering that I’d rather we go straight home? Well, since the decision went against me, I’ll do my best for the ship and the mission.” In a near whisper: “Jean and Colin’s mission.”
Her tone softened further. “We have misunderstood you, Al.”
He shrugged. “Or maybe I’ve misunderstood me. Anyhow, call this a gesture, if nothing else.” He paused. “Please don’t tell anybody. I’d like to spring it as a surprise.”
“When we are all together,” she proposed. “In the wardroom. Turning a mess meal into a feast of reconciliation.”
“Aw, that’s too fancy a word.”
“I’ll help you arrange your surprise,” she offered.
The medical center consisted of an office and, behind a door, a sick bay as well equipped as most hospitals had been on Earth. Mokoena found Cleland there. He rose.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Tim,” she said. “Hanny caught me, and I couldn’t break away. It was too important. Too fascinating, to be honest. You’d told me your problem isn’t urgent.”
“N-no harm done. What was the, uh, distraction? Something to do with the aliens?”
“What else?” Ardor radiated from her. “Quantum life — She wants me to list whatever analogies I can with organic biology. No, not analogies. Correspondences? Basic principles? Oh, Tim, we’re at the dawn of a revolution like nothing since they identified DNA!”
“We can’t stay here forever,” he groaned.
“No, no. Just long enough to —” She stopped and looked more closely at him. He stood clean and properly clad, in his careless fashion. But the face was haggard, with a tic in the right cheek, and the hands shook slightly. “Never mind,” she said. “Here, sit down.” He resumed the edge of his chair. She settled behind her desk. “What is your trouble, dear?”
“I’m feeling worse and worse. Jitters, insomnia, nightmares when I do sleep.”
“It shows. I’ve been more and more worried about you. And you’re off alone with Emil so much of the time. Nothing wrong with that, but you hardly have a word for your fellow humans.”
“I feel trapped.”
She nodded. “I know. Listen. Selim Zeyd has accepted the situation. He’s adjusting to it, making the best of it. Al Brent seems to be doing likewise. You are whipping yourself to pieces. Tim, you must change your attitude.”