Free Between the Stars by John Maddox Roberts, Eric Kotani Page A

was small, about three meters square. To Valentina's surprise, it was floored with tatami . On an impulse, she took off her boots before entering. At this level the gravity was somewhat less than one-third Earth normal, but she could feel the pleasant texture of the weave.
    "We have a tatami craftsman here on Avalon," the woman said. "He contracts with one of the grain firms to grow the reeds. I know of no other settlement that has them."
    "They're exquisite," Valentina said. "I've never seen reed mats before."
    "This is your first visit to Avalon? Welcome, then. I hope you enjoy your stay. All four walls and the ceiling have holo display." She indicated a plate with pressure points marked in symbols. "These are your service and infonet controls. The folding spa unit has bath, steam and sauna capability. For an extra charge, we have masseuse service."
    "I'll take it. I'm still on ship's time and exhausted. This will be perfect."
    "Then I'll let you get some rest." The woman took a small exchange unit from her obi and Valentina thrust her credit crystal carrier into its slot. The woman bowed her way out and Valentina found herself alone for the first time in weeks. The ship had not been luxurious and she felt the urgent need of a bath. She hit the spa control and undressed as the unit inflated.
    At full inflation, the spa was a transparent capsule shaped like an oversized shoe. She stretched its top opening and stepped in. With only her head exposed, she alternated sauna and steam until she streamed with sweat. Then she let the unit fill with water. She thrust her shoulders and arms out of the unit and while she soaked she ran through the series of holographic wall displays. The room disappeared and she was in the midst of an ocean, then in rapid succession a desert and a forest, then a long series of terrains, landscapes and seascapes. Last of all were starscapes with various moons and planets. They were all familiar, artificial environments designed to relieve the claustrophobic conditions of life in space.
    She dried with an airblast and deflated the spa. She contemplated getting into the infonet to begin organizing her operation, but gave it up when she realized how weary she really was. She pushed the bed control and it unrolled from its niche in the wall. The bed was a thin foam mat, all that was needed in the light gravity. She collapsed onto it face down and signaled for a masseuse. A few minutes later the masseuse arrived. She was of Scandinavian coloration, seemed to be barely out of her teens and was strong as a horse. Valentina gradually relaxed under the girl's expert ministrations. As the tension was kneaded out of each muscle, her eyelids grew heavier. She was asleep before the girl left her room.
    She awoke thoroughly refreshed, but uneasy at how much she had let down her guard. It had been years since she had simply gone to sleep in the presence of a total stranger, without setting up the most elementary security. Why should this place lull her into such a trusting state? She vowed not to repeat the error.
    She left the hotel to find breakfast. In the absence of day and night, Avalon operated around the clock. For the sake of convenience and thousands of years of human conditioning, there was a twenty-four-hour "day" divided into three shifts. Which shift was used for what was entirely the choice of the individual. Roughly one-third of the population was sleeping at any given time.
    After breakfast, she returned to her room to begin serious work. She keyed the infonet and requested information on the alien artifact. Of hard data there was dauntingly little. She ran over the news stories and found nothing she did not already know. The object had been found on Rhea during an exploration expedition conducted by McNaughton & Co. The discoverer was one Derek Kuroda. It was duly delivered to the immense scientific station of Aeaea, where it still resided.
    Periodically, Aeaea released reports of its experiments on