"Installation team--you are cleared to move from Transport Command Freighter to install Melcosi ACV-2 on the Cyclops Commonwealth Transport one-one-zero. The Melcosi, Pazu congratulates you at quick and precise work. You did well, Violet and Ensign Tallia." Violet replied,"Confirmed Capitan Rose. We're enroute. Did the test firing go well?" "Well within operational parameters. Contact when ready to dock. Livewire is standing by on site with armored welder cable. Out." Capitan Rose sounded cool but proud of her daughter, Violet. Violet remarked to Ensign Tallia,"Not bad for a nine year old!" Tallia had forgotten that she was dealing with a machine life-form that only sounded like a young woman. She exclaimed,"You are NINE? That WAS a good job, little girl!" Violet replied,"I'm only little to you, giant Ensign! What model of human are you?" Tallia snagged her depleted welder and reponded,"Race! Not model. I'm part Sidhe on my father's side. That's my size and fair skin. I'm twenty-three. It's surprising that you are one third my age! At your age, I was still playing with dolls." Violet adjusted her course down to the nose of the Cyclops Transport. "We don't play with dolls. Now I'm working with alien Autonomous Combat Vehicles, and fighting for my planet." Tallia sounded sad when she said,"Shame. Seems a shame that you can't spare the time to play." "I DID play! I played with model spaceships and toy vehicles. This is what I wanted to do all my life! This is like a dream to me. I'm scared to death, but I always wanted to do this. I've even been in HYPERSPACE!" Violet said with pride and awe. Tallia burst out laughing,"You already told me all about that! You're not losing your memory?" Violet huffed out irritatedly, "No, I'm not! You sound like my older sister, Bluebell! She can be awfully mean,too!" Tallia was in the MMI bubble of the work-pod and floated free next to the pod as it transited to the nose of the Transport. Tallia said,"I was joking, not trying to be mean." Ensign Tallia thumbed the selector and said,"Control--we see The contact with the cable. I've been reviewing the information on the nose metal. It's going to take hours to cut through that sector, and another forty minutes or so to weld it in place. Do we have time for it?" "According to the Hiver Emissary, it can cut through the hull there in less than five minutes. It will require ten minutes to position itself for the cutting. When you arrive at position,hook up the cable and stand by." Tallia wheeled to see Violet shrug at her. Indra replied,"Confirmed ,Control! Out. Standing by." She thumbed the channel back over to private with her pilot, and said,"Well." Violet said,"That thing gives me the creeps,too. It's spent the past hours in a cabin, 're-engineering' itself for 'better humanoid communication!' I have NO clue what that means. I suppose we'll find out." "It's been interesting! I'll enjoy the view until then. Balaam looks alive. I think he...IT better speed up. We're running out of time. That Torch-ship will impact the planet in less than fourteen hours!" Tallia sounded frustrated. Violet didn't sound like she came from robot stock as she remarked,"All my friends are down there! I better save them. I can't stand the thought of what..." Tallia remarked warmly,"It'll be alright. You have to be optimistic. You have to believe in your destiny, hyperspace-girl!" Violet laughed," 'Hyperspace-Girl'?" Tallia looked out over the spinning planet beneath them, and said quietly,"Got you laughing." --TO BE CONTINUED!--