Journal Entry 233 / 0484 "Excuse me," Athena said.Journal Entry 233 / 0484 "Excuse me," Athena said. I looked around, settled on the camera to my left, and addressed it. "What's up? Did I hit a nerve?" "No. You are doing quite well, thank you. It's nice to have an autonomous pair of hands for help. I have a call for you." I wiped the silicon lubricant off my hands and onto my coveralls. "I'll take it." The image resolved into P'nyssa. "Hi, sweetheart! What's up?" She looked distraught, and harried, and her clothes were a bloody mess. "You'd better get down to Cutter's, Ken." "What's wrong?" I asked, trying to think of anything that could possibly get that much blood onto her clothing. "It's N'nance." That sent a small chill up my spine. She nodded, apparently at the horrified expression on my face. "He's finally had his big accident." I knew what that meant. "I'll be right there." I turned to my own patient and said, "Athena, can you lock this down by yourself?" The cybertank grumbled her engine for a second, then said "I can manage. I understand. You will return?" "As soon as possible. This is just a grav unit. Nance's life may be in danger." "Go, then." I leapt off the rear grav pod and bounded for the first stepping disk, thinking 'Just a grav unit... It's her only way of getting about.' But N'nance. I teleported into Cutter's on a physician's pad, as I was allowed, and shed my filthy mechanic's clothing as I stopped by the small office I had. I put on a cleaner outfit and ran down to emergency, passing a few people coming the other way. At emergency, I turned a left into P'nyssas' department and slowed on my way through the door. There was one patient, on the other side of the glass, and one attending, but P'nyssa sat in the room with me with a biocybe link around her head, apparently communicating with the attending. |