out of the stream of gizmos the Alwans wanted. Maybe Kris needed less of the Smart Metal TM ?
Besides, she didn’t have a lot of spare Navy to crew more ships. In this war, when ships blew up, raw plasma left few people alive to find their way into survival pods.
However, some Alwans were taking to space, and fighting, with a passion. Especially the Ostriches. Unlike the Roosters, they liked nothing better than a good fight.
How many trainee Ostriches could Kris risk among her crews in order to spread her human Sailors out over more ships? Assuming the yards could turn out more ships.
Kris knew that logistics was a brutal science. How did you get the right stuff to the right place in the right amount at justthe right time so that the want of a nail didn’t cost you a ship or a battle? Kris now played this game with wild abandon.
Her hand went unbidden to her tummy. There was a tiny life growing there. If she blew it, that life might never get a chance to laugh at her mommy’s silly face or feel Jack’s warm hug.
Kris suppressed a shiver and went back to listening to Pipra. The CEO of Nuu Enterprises in the Alwa system forced herself to listen closely to every word from her executive officer. It sounded like Pipra had a good plan. A well-balanced plan.
But would it be the right plan?
Kris struggled with this new demon and refused to blurt out her new fear. There was a lot more to being a mother than just growing a child.
Kris was exhausted by the time Pipra closed down her computer, and said, “Gal, you look tired.”
“Doc Meade tells me I won’t be my usual peppy self for a while.”
“Well, it makes me glad I don’t have to worry about your problem.”
“Oh, I’ve had one person tell me she was safe. You have a girlfriend?”
“Not at the moment. I keep hinting to your Abby that she and her Marine could join my new S family. There are only three of us, and we gals would like another boy to avoid monotony. However, your friend is a head case. I don’t know of a woman more averse to jumping the broom or doing anything else to tie a knot, but she sure is doing a good imitation of monogamy with that big fellow.”
“To each their own,” Kris said. Nothing Abby did surprised Kris.
Kris let Pipra let herself out, finding it amazingly hard to get to her feet.
She did manage to walk herself into her quarters. The bed looked so good.
I can lie down for just a few minutes.
In a moment, Kris was out like a light.
18
Kris , ARE YOU AWAKE? brought Kris back to a wakefulness that was not her friend.
WHO WANTS TO KNOW? had a strong hint they would pay for the question with their life.
JACK. HE SAYS PHIL TAUSSIG WANTS TO CHECK IN WITH YOU, BUT I TOLD HIM YOU WERE TAKING A NAP.
“I’m not anymore,” Kris said, and rolled herself off her bunk. She managed to stumble to the sink and get a drink of water. It tasted delicious.
Holding on to the sink for support, she glanced around her quarters. They looked about the same, even to the door leading to her maid’s quarters. “I wonder if Abby will even have space aboard,” she muttered groggily.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Abby said from the door to Kris’s day quarters. “Just ’cause you got a brat in the oven, am I suddenly unwelcome?”
“Never,” Kris said, actually managing to crack a smile at the woman her mother had hired to wash her hair and see that she made it to balls on time. “I just figured you were having too much fun being a woman of business to have any time for little old me.”
“Old, I might agree with,” Abby grumped in her usual merry way, “but you’ve been six feet of trouble since I first saw you. You planning on having your next meeting in those rumpled whites?”
Kris glanced down at her uniform. Clearly, whites were not meant to be the uniform of the nap. At least not and be worn to the next meeting.
“Could you get me a new set of undress whites?” Krissaid. “No need to have all that fruit salad to see
Besides, she didn’t have a lot of spare Navy to crew more ships. In this war, when ships blew up, raw plasma left few people alive to find their way into survival pods.
However, some Alwans were taking to space, and fighting, with a passion. Especially the Ostriches. Unlike the Roosters, they liked nothing better than a good fight.
How many trainee Ostriches could Kris risk among her crews in order to spread her human Sailors out over more ships? Assuming the yards could turn out more ships.
Kris knew that logistics was a brutal science. How did you get the right stuff to the right place in the right amount at justthe right time so that the want of a nail didn’t cost you a ship or a battle? Kris now played this game with wild abandon.
Her hand went unbidden to her tummy. There was a tiny life growing there. If she blew it, that life might never get a chance to laugh at her mommy’s silly face or feel Jack’s warm hug.
Kris suppressed a shiver and went back to listening to Pipra. The CEO of Nuu Enterprises in the Alwa system forced herself to listen closely to every word from her executive officer. It sounded like Pipra had a good plan. A well-balanced plan.
But would it be the right plan?
Kris struggled with this new demon and refused to blurt out her new fear. There was a lot more to being a mother than just growing a child.
Kris was exhausted by the time Pipra closed down her computer, and said, “Gal, you look tired.”
“Doc Meade tells me I won’t be my usual peppy self for a while.”
“Well, it makes me glad I don’t have to worry about your problem.”
“Oh, I’ve had one person tell me she was safe. You have a girlfriend?”
“Not at the moment. I keep hinting to your Abby that she and her Marine could join my new S family. There are only three of us, and we gals would like another boy to avoid monotony. However, your friend is a head case. I don’t know of a woman more averse to jumping the broom or doing anything else to tie a knot, but she sure is doing a good imitation of monogamy with that big fellow.”
“To each their own,” Kris said. Nothing Abby did surprised Kris.
Kris let Pipra let herself out, finding it amazingly hard to get to her feet.
She did manage to walk herself into her quarters. The bed looked so good.
I can lie down for just a few minutes.
In a moment, Kris was out like a light.
18
Kris , ARE YOU AWAKE? brought Kris back to a wakefulness that was not her friend.
WHO WANTS TO KNOW? had a strong hint they would pay for the question with their life.
JACK. HE SAYS PHIL TAUSSIG WANTS TO CHECK IN WITH YOU, BUT I TOLD HIM YOU WERE TAKING A NAP.
“I’m not anymore,” Kris said, and rolled herself off her bunk. She managed to stumble to the sink and get a drink of water. It tasted delicious.
Holding on to the sink for support, she glanced around her quarters. They looked about the same, even to the door leading to her maid’s quarters. “I wonder if Abby will even have space aboard,” she muttered groggily.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Abby said from the door to Kris’s day quarters. “Just ’cause you got a brat in the oven, am I suddenly unwelcome?”
“Never,” Kris said, actually managing to crack a smile at the woman her mother had hired to wash her hair and see that she made it to balls on time. “I just figured you were having too much fun being a woman of business to have any time for little old me.”
“Old, I might agree with,” Abby grumped in her usual merry way, “but you’ve been six feet of trouble since I first saw you. You planning on having your next meeting in those rumpled whites?”
Kris glanced down at her uniform. Clearly, whites were not meant to be the uniform of the nap. At least not and be worn to the next meeting.
“Could you get me a new set of undress whites?” Krissaid. “No need to have all that fruit salad to see
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