Page 16

She followed him to his desk while keeping a respectful distance.He began typing with clawed fingertips on what she recognized as a contract tablet.The tapping was precise and far longer than a simple renewal had to be.He glanced at her up and down and then nodded as he returned to his creation.

He nodded.“You can edit the version on that tablet.”

She slowly picked up the tablet and read it.It began with a renewal of her position as comptroller, but then it opened an option for her to take up a position as companion.

She looked at him with a frown.“I am not physically capable of being a companion.”

“I am aware that that is the situation.There is an addendum that if your biology changes, you will accept the position of companion for five years, and then we will renegotiate your position as comptroller and as companion.”

She looked at the price of the companion contract.“That is excessive.”

“You are complaining about being paid?”

“It is excessive.”

“It is the calculation of one release per day, commiserating with what you were being paid for your visits to the Pleasure Centre.When you add them up over five years, that is the value, plus a bonus for no days off.”

“I see.So, I will remain as comptroller?”

“Yes.It is nice to have someone who can manage the colony.You are doing very well.”

She nodded and increased the comptroller contract by twenty percent.“As I am doing well, I need a bonus.”

He looked at her in astonishment, and then he noted the glow in his arms.“Acceptable.”

She nodded and went over the ridiculous possibility of that kind of repair.No one repaired corpses.

She signed with a thumbprint, ocular scan, and a pinprick on the side of the tablet.She reached forward and set the tablet on his desk.

He sighed and sealed his contract.There was a light from the screen as it filed itself in the digital archive.

She nodded.“I have a forwarding to set up for all requests for my attention while I am gone.”

“I need to speak with you before you leave.”

“Would you like me to visit the centre tomorrow as well?”

He blinked.“Can you?”

“Certainly.It doesn’t hurt.Well, there is some muscle ache the following day, but as I am about to leave for a month, it will not be an issue.I can recover on the vessel.”

“That would be enjoyable.Verify that I am in my office so that I may get the full benefits and not just my plants.”

She looked around and saw flowers where there had been tree trunks and green before.

“I apologize.That was not my intent.”

“I have been tinkering with them to help Hmrain find compatible partners more easily.A visual clue helps some of us with difficulties identifying faces.”

She looked at him and saw a rueful expression on his face.“Oh.I see.That is why you designed a colour-coded species.”

“Correct.What does the blue mean?”

“Physically relaxed.”

He smiled.“Do you feel relaxed?”

“For a while.During my cycle, I am less relaxed, and my sensors warn me of hormonal buildup.Mostly, I just feel neutral.”