" "Take us in easy and put us next to the door by the far right." "Take us in easy and put us next to the door by the far right." "No problem," he replied, setting the shuttle down just where I had indicated. "Princess, if you will follow me," I said. "Yes," she replies, rising from her chair. We walked down a corridor and into a SDisk control room. I asked that she step on the platform, and she agreed. "You've never ridden one of these before, have you?" I asked. "No," she said. "But I am familiar with what they do." "Good. Josh, I need to contact Halloran Eldar." Josh, local AI and Commander of Parma and The Arc, replied "That's an unusual request. Okay, you have him." "Hal?" "Good evening, Ken. What is it you want?" "Castle Hidden." We blinked, and were standing at the end of a long hallway. Brieanna's home hadn't changed much in the past six centuries. Designed with typical Pendorian thoroughness and typical Terran idealism, it smelled of old wood and leather and a light tracing of dust. The hallway was carpeted in dark brown. Light came in from the large window at our backs and from small incandecent bulbs set in ornamental holders made of copper and glass. As I walked down the hallway the floor echoed. "Drac?" I said aloud. "Good evening, Kennet," the house computer said. I turned around and motioned for Anni to follow me. "Telephone, Drac. For... " I tried to remember the AI's name, found it. "Roberta Majors Masters Reedhon." "Hello?" said a pleasant but professional female voice. "Roberta? It's Ken." "Ken!" she replied, the professionalism replaced with an easy familiarity. "Why aren't I getting any visual?" "I'm at Castle Hidden, sweetheart." "Ah, that explains it. |