Tru chuckled. ''You will agree, that was a learning experience.''
''Yeah, right! And one I never intend to repeat.''
''Why don't you have Nelly look at the buffers Sam and I worked up?''
''Nelly?'' Kris said.
''It might be interesting,'' Nelly said slowly, as if inviting Aunt Tru to go on.
''Can't hurt us to look,'' Kris agreed. For a long minute she could feel the silence from Nelly as the computer concentrated on the data transfer and adjusted to the new systems.
''They go in very smoothly,'' Nelly said, ''and they include a new interface as well as three levels of buffer between me and the stone. I should be able to view anything going on in any one of the buffers and block it from causing me or you any harm. There is also a smart new recovery mode that would allow me to quickly bring more of my capacity on-line if I did have a major systems failure and had to recover.''
''You want to try this?'' Kris said, before remembering that want was not a word you used with a computer.
''I think it would be fun to find out how to build new jump points between the stars,'' Nelly answered.
''Looks like Nelly has organized some interesting circuitry for herself,'' Tru drawled. ''Bet my Sammie would like to see the specs for them.''
''Yes,'' came in an eager voice.
''Enough, already.'' Kris sighed. ''Yes, I'd love it if we could build our own paths rather than being stuck on the ones the Three left behind,'' The Paris system came immediately to mind; its scattered jump points almost got humanity into a war. And it wasn't as if she and Nelly would be doing anything important for the next month. Why not do something extreme? Kris gave her aunt Tru a sigh. ''You owe me for this one.''
Tru grinned.
''So, what do we do?''
Tru flipped a button on the picture she'd been holding, and it ran through a process for implanting the stone onto Nelly's central processing area. ''We'll use a different-colored dollop of self-organizing gel. That should let it build not only connectors but any power supply conversion you need. Also, if we have to scrape it off Nelly, the color marker will help.''
''Sounds okay,'' Kris said, then the skeptical part of her brain kicked in. ''Where'd you get the money for the gel?''
''I won a small lottery pot,'' Tru said without looking up from arranging various tools and stasis boxes on her work-table.
''Won or rigged?''
''Now didn't your dad say the last time he reauthorized the lottery that some of the money should go for research?''
''Yes,'' Kris agreed slowly, wondering if Father had this in mind and not at all sure he didn't. What had Harvey said when Kris first began to question her aunt's lottery ''luck''? ''A smart woman knows not to push it.'' No question, Tru was smart. Kris loosened her collar to take Nelly from around her shoulders.
''Keep your connection,'' Tru said. ''We'll need rapid feedback from Nelly when we start this.'' The wire between Nelly and the back of Kris's neck was smart metal; it stretched out as Kris set her personal computer on the table. Kris knelt down to keep the distance short; the longer the wire, the narrower the bandwidth. The actual installation was over in a moment. The interfacing gel slid on easily. Tru told Kris how wide a bed the rock would need, and Nelly quickly arranged it. Then Tru set the small wafer in place.
''There, now that didn't hurt.'' Her old auntie smiled.
''Isn't that what the condemned man said as the trapdoor snapped open?'' Kris said dryly. ''Nelly, run full diagnostics.''
''Already running,'' Nelly said. ''Everything appears normal.''
''And the chip?'' Tru asked.
''No activity,'' Nelly replied in a low-tech voice. ''Excuse me while I initiate interface with the new gel.''
''Oh, right,'' Tru said, biting one fingernail. Kris had never seen her aunt so excited.
''I am developing a project plan that will involve triple checks of buffers at every phase of activation of the wafer,'' Nelly said. ''I do not expect to begin testing power sources before this time tomorrow.''
''You can go faster than that,'' Tru said, almost stomping her foot with impatience.
''And who taught me to take new things slowly and carefully?'' Kris shot back.
''Yes, but you never paid me any mind before.''
''Now I'm a mature woman,'' Kris said, standing up to her full height. She didn't exactly tower over Tru, but her three extra centimeters did come in handy once in a while. ''And I have a ball tonight, command performance.''
''You could skip it. Tell your mom you were detained.''
''My Skipper is now tracking my social schedule.''
''Your mother didn't—''
''No, but I suspect my Captain very much wants to avoid a call from Mother. And if it does come, he wants to be as innocent as possible.''
''Coward,'' Tru said, but she was ushering Kris from the lab.
''Strange, those Navy types, lions in the face of laser fire, but threaten them with society, and they flee for the door.''
''Like a young woman I know.'' Tru chuckled. ''Well, bring Nelly by tomorrow so I can check up on her. Sam and I may have some test ideas of our own. You'll need to check in daily,'' she said as Kris slipped out the door.
Chapter 3
The drive home was quiet. Kris's efforts to involve Nelly in anything were met with ''Is this activity essential?'' in that low-tech voice that showed Nelly was otherwise busy.
At Nuu House, Harvey excused himself to park the car. That was strange; he usually left it in the entrance's wide circular drive. When Jack tried to go with him, Kris knew something was amiss. ''Jack, stay with me. If something goes wrong with Nelly's new installation, I might need a hand.''
Nothing will go wrong with me, Nelly shot back.
Quiet, Kris ordered silently.
''I thought you trusted your Aunt Tru,'' Jack muttered.
''Never can be too safe.''
''Now I know something is definitely wrong with you,'' Jack growled through a smile but followed her into the foyer. The black and white tiled spiral swirled to the center of the room. The large library off to the right was dark and quiet, no longer a military command post for her Grampas Ray and Trouble.
King Ray had taken over a major hotel downtown for his court while the politicians debated how much of a palace he really needed. Grampa Ray would have been happy in a two-bedroom town house, but since the politicians of eighty planets had talked him into some kind of kingship over their cobbled-together United Sentients, he was having fun needling them with a full-court press. Or a press for a full court.
Her Grampa Trouble was offering advice ''purely as a consultant'' to several planets as they struggled to form their own defense forces and meld them with the new United Sentients' total force. That left Nuu House so empty it echoed.
Except that standing at the foot of the stairs was a stranger. The woman, in a severe gray dress cut long and buttoned at the neck, stood, hands folded. She was Kris's height, maybe a bit shorter, but she held herself so rigidly upright it made no difference. ''Princess Longknife,'' the woman said. ''I am your new body servant.''
Kris eyed the woman without slowing. Her face was free of makeup, her jet-black hair coiled in a tight bun. She's going to give me a makeover? She needs one herself! ''It's Lieutenant Longknife,'' Kris shot back, ''and I don't need any servants.''
''Your mother disagrees.''
''Add one more to the myriad things where we differ,'' Kris said, adjusting her course for the stairs to be as far from the woman as possible. The woman let Kris pass but followed her up as silently and nearly invisible as Jack, until Kris turned on the second-floor landing to take the stairs to her third-floor room.
Clearing her voice, the woman said, ''Your quarters are now on the second floor.''
''I've been moved!'' Kris said softly, one foot on the stairs up.
''Yes. Your room was too small for your new responsibilities. I have rearranged you in a second-floor suite.''