Free The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey Page B

segment must contact an intake point for the nutritive fluid and an outgo valve for the dispersal of wastes. Each meter of ribbon was inspected to insure that the proper contact was made. The ribbon and its fluids as well as the encasing tube buffered the embryos with more invulnerability against the rigors of space travel than had they been carried in a natural womb. As long as the KH-834 made the journey to Nekkar within the 4 weeks, all 30,000 fetuses would live to be born.
    It became apparent to Helva that Kira was dedicated, in a detached if professional way, to the assignment. Central Worlds might be relying on a maternal instinct as additional insurance for the mission. Helva, to her inner amusement, found herself, the pituitarily inhibited shell-person, rising nobly to thechallenge. Kira, obviously young enough to some day enjoy motherhood, was completely uninvolved. Yet the affinity Helva felt toward these minute voyagers was basically a shell reaction. They were, after all, encapsulated as she was, the difference being that they would one day burst from their scientific husks, as she never could nor even desired to. Still, she felt a growing protectiveness, above and beyond the ordinary, toward her passengers. The situation didn’t appear to touch Kira’s psyche, and that puzzled Helva.
    She struggled to identify the coldness of Kira’s reaction and could not. Then the technicians who had effected the installation of the precious cargo withdrew, and Helva was busy with the mechanics of takeoff.
    It was a pleasure to have a passenger who knew how to take care of herself. Not that Theoda had been a burden in the psychological sense of the word, but Kira knew the procedures and Helva did not need to spare a thought toward her. Takeoff was under minimum thrust, not that the triply buffered embryos could suffer damage had she blasted off with all power, but Helva preferred to take no unnecessary chances and there was plenty of time to reach Nekkar in Böotes’ sector.
    First planet of call would be Talitha, where 40,000 future citizens of Nekkar had been prepared. After lift, Kira made a careful check on all circuits in the nursery, confirmed her findingswith Helva’s remote monitors and informed Cencom that they were clear of Regulus and driving toward Talitha.
    The formalities ended, Kira swung slowly around in the gimbaled pilot’s chair. Her slenderness lost in the padded armchair, she seemed both too fragile and young for her responsibilities.
    â€˜The larder is well stocked,’ Helva suggested.
    Kira stretched leisurely, moving her shoulders around to ease the taut muscles across her back. She shook her head sharply, sending a shower of hair fasteners slithering across the cabin as her braids came tumbling out of the coronet. Helva watched, fascinated. Shoulder-length hair was the common fashion among spacewomen. The tips of Kira’s braids brushed the floor. Whatever maturity she possessed departed with the severe coiffeur. Like the prototype of an ancient fantasy creature, Kira rose from the pilot’s chair and moved across the deck to the galley.
    â€˜You wouldn’t by any remote computational factor stock a beverage known as coffee?’ Kira asked wistfully.
    Helva chuckled, remembering Onro. It seemed to be an occupational necessity.
    â€˜I have three times as much as normal service inventory suggests,’ Helva assured her.
    â€˜Oh,’ and Kira’s eyes rolled upward in mock rapture, ‘you
know
! The ship that brought me here was a provincial transport from Draconis and hadn’t a drop on board. I nearly perished.’
    Kira flipped open the proper cabinet and broke the heat-seal, sniffing deeply as the fragrant aroma rose from the heating liquid. She gulped down a sip, grimacing against the heat. With an expression of intense relief, she leaned against the counter. ‘You and I are going to do nobly together Helva. I’m sure of