Let's Make a Deal (Bob and Nikki Book 11), стр. 63
“Topper said you used to work at a research facility?”
“The Commonwealth captured a few Squirrel ships. We were trying to figure out how their drives worked.”
“Did you have much luck?”
“We made some good progress, Boss, but not as far as what Scotti and Frank have accomplished.”
“I’m still a little confused about what had you so upset.”
“The oddball.”
“Come again?”
“There was one ship that we couldn’t make any progress on. It didn’t seem to be built with Squirrel tech, to me, but the humans I was working with were convinced it was their new, improved high-tech model.”
“They wouldn’t let you approach it as a new, different technology, and kept spinning their wheels trying to make it fit their preconceived ideas about what it was?”
“Exactly.”
“Whatever happened to this ‘oddball’?”
“That’s where we should probably lock down the room, Boss. You might not want it to be common knowledge in the fleet.”
“Gene, tile the lodge, and leave us alone. If Topper asks you, please interrupt.”
“Understood, Boss. Bye.”
I waited a few seconds, and asked, “Gene, where is Snitz?”. Getting no answer, I turned to Ozzie. “That work?”
“Dandy, Boss. What happened was that the Squirrels raided the facility, killed the humans, and locked down all the bots. I’m not sure, but I think we were the first group of bots to be locked down by them.”
“They carried off the ‘oddball’ then?”
“They did, but it doesn’t seem to have done them much good. The drives they have now don’t seem to be much better than the ones we were working on back in the day.”
“Hmm, I wonder if we could trade them out of what’s left of it, if they never managed to learn anything from it?”
“Doubt the Emperor even knows it exists, Boss. Their Intelligence used to make a big show of being loyal to the Emperor, and then go on and do whatever they wanted, anyway.”
“You’re saying it could be in their equivalent of the warehouse with the Ark of the Covenant?”
“They certainly should have been able to figure out what was going on with that ship, if they’ve been working on it this long. Either their researchers are tied up in red tape, or they don’t have anybody working on it.”
“Did you get any idea where the ‘oddball’ was from?”
“Yes, Boss, it matches those data points Mr. Rossum and Mr. Mantum couldn’t fit to Squirrel activity.”
“I didn’t know you were aware of those.”
“I wasn’t. I searched the fleet’s data banks after I got my memories back, and stumbled onto them.”
“Do you have enough scans and data from your memories to work on figuring out what the deal was with that ship, or do we need to try and get ahold of the genuine article?”
“I have enough to get Scotti and Frank headed in the right direction, but I don’t know if it will be everything they need to build a working model.”
“How much work did you get done without the humans noticing?”
“All I could without pulling parts and doing more detailed analysis.”
“Somewhere around a third of what you needed to actually find out what was going on?”
“It was pretty strange, Boss. I’d say closer to a quarter.”
“Do you think you could make better progress, if we found the ship for you to tear into?”
“I still have the list of all the experiments I wanted to do, if I could get permission. If that didn’t at least tell us what we needed to look at next, I’d be surprised.”
“It sounds like the raid on the lab where you worked would qualify as an act of war. I’m just getting to the point of being able to talk to the Squirrels without fighting. I hate to bring up something that will just start all that crap again.”
“I see where you are coming from, Boss. I know where they found that one, maybe you could send somebody out that way to look for another one.”
“I could. I suppose you want to be on that crew?”
“Not really. I like to stay in the shop, and work on things that other people bring in. Field work isn’t really my thing.”
“Good deal. I’d hate to have to tell Topper he needs to find a substitute bass player, while you’re gone.”
“You’re funny, Boss. Good thing looks aren’t everything.”
“Ain’t it, though. Do you have anything else to tell me about your memories?”
“Nope.”
“I’m going to page Rikki, then, and you can explain to him where he’s going, and what, exactly he needs to look for.”
“I thought he was second team looking for a bug-out planet.”
“He will be, once he finishes this. If it has you worried, it has priority, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Thanks, Boss.”
“You’ll pay me back. I hate to think how fast a ship you’re going to build me if you get this new tech figured out.”
I opened the door to get Gene’s attention. He asked, “Yes, Boss?”
“Rikki is still aboard, isn’t he?”
“Yes, Boss. His ship won’t be ready for another day or so.”
“Page him to the ready room, please.”
“On it, Boss.” Gene must have given him priority, because it wasn’t long before he came out of the transit.
He asked, “What’s up, Boss?”
“Change of plan. Come on in, and we’ll get you up to speed.” He stepped into the ready room, and I said, “Gene, tile the lodge again, please.”
“Bye, Boss.”
Rikki asked, “What’s so secret?”
“The Emperor unlocked some memories for my good friend Ozzie here. We need you to go see what you can find out about what he remembered, before you start on your