up with such a reasonable computer voice.
WE HAVE NO FLU BUG. THERE IS NO CHANCE OF FOOD POISONING. YOU CAN’T BE PREGNANT. YOU ARE THROWING UP YOUR TOENAILS IN THE MORNING BUT ENJOYED THAT FINE VICTORY DINNER LAST NIGHT IN THE WARDROOM WITH NO PROBLEM.
MORNING SICKNESS CAN COME AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY, Kris shot back. I READ THAT SOMEWHERE.
“Stipulated,” Nelly said from Kris’s collar.
Kris took another try at rinsing her mouth. This time her stomach allowed her to finish and walk the few paces to her bed and collapse on it.
Puking was hard work.
“Now, Kris, when all the possible answers to a problem have been exhausted, it’s time to look at the impossible options, no matter how unlikely.”
“I’m not pregnant.”
“So, could you have an ulcer? All your jobs could give a marble statue an ulcer.”
Kris could only sigh at that. As Commander, Alwa Sector, she was in charge of the fleet. As Viceroy of King Raymond I of the United Society to both the humans and natives onAlwa, she had to juggle political issues. And, as if that weren’t enough, as senior executive officer of Nuu Enterprises in the Alwa system, she bossed a major proportion of the economic life of the place. Enough that she usually had the other corporations in line, too.
“I guess I could have an ulcer,” Kris agreed.
“However, I know for a fact that if you were to present yourself to Dr. Meade with these symptoms, she would send you home with a pregnancy test. What do you say I order one and you show up with it already done tomorrow when you see the good doctor?”
Kris frowned at the overhead. It looks like I’m going to have to pee on one either way. “Nelly, can you get me a pregnancy test without everyone in the fleet’s knowing the admiral is taking one?”
“The fleet’s betting pool has Abby and Sergeant Bruce as the first likely to pop out a kid. You and Jack are down the list at five.”
“There’s a betting pool on that?”
“Kris, there’s a betting pool on everything, including when I’ll go on strike for a decent paycheck.”
“Nelly!”
“That one I started myself. I bet I won’t. You’d be surprised at who’s betting against me.”
Kris decided she wouldn’t.
“Well, can you get me the test without anyone’s knowing?” Kris repeated.
“I can arrange to have a test sent to Abby.”
“My maid is not on the ship, Nelly. She’s busy being Pipra Strongarm’s right arm.” Kris liked the sound of the joke. Abby hated it, but she was becoming a very good expediter and problem solver for Pipra.
“Yes, Kris,” Nelly said in her remember-I’m-a-computer-and-nowhere-near-as-dumb-as-you-humans voice. “I’ll backdate the order to before she left and have it handled as if it had been lost in processing. When it gets here, you can intercept it and misappropriate it to your own evil ends.”
“The end involved is not evil,” Kris growled.
“Yes, I know. Jack really likes that end of you.”
“Enough with the dirty jokes, Nelly. You order the test, and I’ll take it. You make sure I have an appointment early tomorrow with Dr. Meade.”
“Is ten hundred soon enough?”
“Eleven hundred would be worse, nine hundred would be better.”
“She’s handling a batch of sprained backs, ankles, and other infirmities of the flesh today. You really did honk the fleet around, Kris. The first appointment she has tomorrow for a routine problem is 1000 hours.”
“If I’m pregnant, it will not be a routine problem.”
“But you can’t be pregnant,” Nelly jabbed back.
“I’m fingering your OFF button,” Kris growled.
“No you aren’t, at least physically. I can see you from the emergency power-and-surveillance system.”
“You’re using the emergency-surveillance system in my bedroom!”
“Only now because it’s an emergency when you threaten to turn me off.”
“Enough of this,” Kris said, coming to her feet. “What’s my day look like?”
“Bad and likely to get
WE HAVE NO FLU BUG. THERE IS NO CHANCE OF FOOD POISONING. YOU CAN’T BE PREGNANT. YOU ARE THROWING UP YOUR TOENAILS IN THE MORNING BUT ENJOYED THAT FINE VICTORY DINNER LAST NIGHT IN THE WARDROOM WITH NO PROBLEM.
MORNING SICKNESS CAN COME AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY, Kris shot back. I READ THAT SOMEWHERE.
“Stipulated,” Nelly said from Kris’s collar.
Kris took another try at rinsing her mouth. This time her stomach allowed her to finish and walk the few paces to her bed and collapse on it.
Puking was hard work.
“Now, Kris, when all the possible answers to a problem have been exhausted, it’s time to look at the impossible options, no matter how unlikely.”
“I’m not pregnant.”
“So, could you have an ulcer? All your jobs could give a marble statue an ulcer.”
Kris could only sigh at that. As Commander, Alwa Sector, she was in charge of the fleet. As Viceroy of King Raymond I of the United Society to both the humans and natives onAlwa, she had to juggle political issues. And, as if that weren’t enough, as senior executive officer of Nuu Enterprises in the Alwa system, she bossed a major proportion of the economic life of the place. Enough that she usually had the other corporations in line, too.
“I guess I could have an ulcer,” Kris agreed.
“However, I know for a fact that if you were to present yourself to Dr. Meade with these symptoms, she would send you home with a pregnancy test. What do you say I order one and you show up with it already done tomorrow when you see the good doctor?”
Kris frowned at the overhead. It looks like I’m going to have to pee on one either way. “Nelly, can you get me a pregnancy test without everyone in the fleet’s knowing the admiral is taking one?”
“The fleet’s betting pool has Abby and Sergeant Bruce as the first likely to pop out a kid. You and Jack are down the list at five.”
“There’s a betting pool on that?”
“Kris, there’s a betting pool on everything, including when I’ll go on strike for a decent paycheck.”
“Nelly!”
“That one I started myself. I bet I won’t. You’d be surprised at who’s betting against me.”
Kris decided she wouldn’t.
“Well, can you get me the test without anyone’s knowing?” Kris repeated.
“I can arrange to have a test sent to Abby.”
“My maid is not on the ship, Nelly. She’s busy being Pipra Strongarm’s right arm.” Kris liked the sound of the joke. Abby hated it, but she was becoming a very good expediter and problem solver for Pipra.
“Yes, Kris,” Nelly said in her remember-I’m-a-computer-and-nowhere-near-as-dumb-as-you-humans voice. “I’ll backdate the order to before she left and have it handled as if it had been lost in processing. When it gets here, you can intercept it and misappropriate it to your own evil ends.”
“The end involved is not evil,” Kris growled.
“Yes, I know. Jack really likes that end of you.”
“Enough with the dirty jokes, Nelly. You order the test, and I’ll take it. You make sure I have an appointment early tomorrow with Dr. Meade.”
“Is ten hundred soon enough?”
“Eleven hundred would be worse, nine hundred would be better.”
“She’s handling a batch of sprained backs, ankles, and other infirmities of the flesh today. You really did honk the fleet around, Kris. The first appointment she has tomorrow for a routine problem is 1000 hours.”
“If I’m pregnant, it will not be a routine problem.”
“But you can’t be pregnant,” Nelly jabbed back.
“I’m fingering your OFF button,” Kris growled.
“No you aren’t, at least physically. I can see you from the emergency power-and-surveillance system.”
“You’re using the emergency-surveillance system in my bedroom!”
“Only now because it’s an emergency when you threaten to turn me off.”
“Enough of this,” Kris said, coming to her feet. “What’s my day look like?”
“Bad and likely to get
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