Intrepid

''She's doing very well,'' Nelly, Kris's personal computer, chimed in from where she rode on Kris's collar. The idea that Nelly, after her latest upgrades—worth a major chunk of the cost of the ship they were riding in—was spending a hunk of her capacity helping a twelve-year-old girl catch up on her school learning was not what Kris wanted to hear.

''Thank you, Nelly,'' Abby said.

''No thank you, Nelly. That is what we need to talk about. A warship is no place to raise a twelve-year-old girl.''

''The Wasp is not a warship,'' Abby said with a sniff.

''Yes it is,'' Kris snapped right back, placing her hands on her hips. ''The Wasp mounts twenty-four-inch pulse lasers and sports Smart Metal™ armor. And we are out here, past the rim of colonized space, trolling for pirates.''

''That is no never mind,'' Abby said, her hands now on her hips. ''I am the contracting rep. I initialed the contract and represent Wardhaven aboard the Wasp, and I know there is nothing in the contract of this merchant ship that makes it a warship.''

''We've got a rump company of Marines.''

''And a whole lot of scientists and their equipment on board. This ship is covered with shipping containers.''

''We've got to look like a merchant ship if we're going to get a pirate to take a shot at us. Any smart pirate would just sail on by a warship,'' Kris said, voice rising.

''There you go, talking like one of those Longknifes,'' Abby snapped. ''No wonder Admiral Crossenshield insisted I be his contract rep on the Wasp. And you better believe Captain Drago and half the crew breathed a sigh of relief when they found out you wouldn't be in their direct chain of command.''

Kris started to point out that they were civilians, and whatever relationship they might have with a Navy lieutenant, it wouldn't be hooked to any chain of command. Certainly not any chain of command that a normal, sane Navy might have.

But Kris heard the creak of the door opening between her cabin and Abby's, and a dark-haired head with the hugest round eyes peeked in.

When Kris had first been introduced to Cara, she'd taken her for maybe eight, nine years old. The ship's food had been kind to the girl, but she still didn't look her full twelve years.

Except for those dark, limpid eyes… Eyes that had seen so much and lost so much more. Eyes so young should not have that much old in them.

''Are you arguing about me, Auntie Abby?''

''No, honeybunch. Aunt Abby has these little talks with the princess regularly.''

''You're not going to lose your job, are you? We won't have to leave the ship, will we?'' Cara struggled to just say the words, but they trembled at the end.

''My Cara, you don't have to worry about that. Not one bit. The princess here can't fire me. Her momma hired me, and her momma's gonna have to fire me.'' Abby chuckled wickedly. ''And this here princess wants to talk to her momma even less than you ever wanted to talk to Gamma Ganna.''

If it was possible for hugest eyes to get bigger … they did. ''Really?''

''Really. Trust me. Now you run along back and do some more of your schoolwork with Nelly.''

''Nelly makes learning fun,'' Cara said, and closed the door.

''I make learning fun,'' Nelly said, with more glee than should ever exist in a computer's voice. ''Wow.''

Kris plopped down in her desk chair. It didn't have quite the effect she wanted. The Wasp was under an economical merchant acceleration of .85 gees. She kind of floated into the chair. Abby crossed the room to sit on Kris's narrow bed. Although Kris might be a major stockholder in Nuu Enterprises, the Wasp was a warship, and facilities were Spartan. Aboard the ship.

Now, the living conditions for the boffins were another thing. Professor mFumbo had taken it for granted that the containers were his to fill with scientific gadgets, quarters, separate recreation facilities for the fully tenured and the technical support. Same for the health club and spa.

Well, at least the Marines were making good use of the workout facilities. Good thing, with the ship doing a leisurely and muscle-weakening .85-gee cruise.

''Shall we finish this conversation … at a dull roar,'' Abby said, her voice just above a whisper. ''I take it that you are not happy with the setup here.''

''When Grampa Ray offered me the Wasp, it … it sounded like just what I'd dreamed of. A ship to explore the stars out beyond the rim of human space. A research team to study what we were looking at. A team of Marines and some twenty-four-inch pulse lasers in case we needed to do something about what we found. What more could a girl ask for?''

Abby chuckled dryly. ''It might be nice if we were actually doing that.''

Kris tried to chuckle, but the sound came out more as a snort. ''Who'd have thought that while Earth and the rest of humanity were arguing over spreading out or hiding from any aliens by staying home, some Rim rats would just take off and do it all by themselves!''