58 - Terence Listen!

“Princess,” Terry said, gasping for breath.  Mom was fighting to replenish her internal oxygen for them.  Even though she’d announced that she had no hull breaks, she’d been damaged enough that her data was incorrect.

“Terence –“ she tried to interrupt but he spoke over her.

“You need to swear not to try and kill me –“

“—Terence, listen –“

“Agador is managing to keep us hidden from Station, especially since the unit is struggling to clean up –“

“—but you’ve got to –“

“ – our ‘meteor strike’ – and Mom needs all her capacity, so you’ve –“

“—TERENCE LISTEN!”  She shrieked at him, then sat gasping.  “I can take over Station without letting Prime know.  We’ll be able to get inside and…” she gasped for breath herself.  “Let Mom fix herself.”

He sat, gaping in her direction, even though he couldn’t see her.  “You can?”

“I said I had the codes.” In the stuffy dark, she sounded smug.  “That’s why I said I had to come.”

He hadn’t realized that the codes she’d been talking about were the keys to the Station itself.  He’d thought they were owner codes for the terraforming programs limited to Hinnemon.

“Terence, with your permission,” Mom said, faintly.  “I am releasing the limitations on Siwion Alissa.”

“As long as she doesn’t like me enough to kill me… sure…” He held his breath, hoping that the first thing she did wasn’t the opposite.

He heard her take a deep breath and braced himself.  She sang a series of tones that unfolded code in front of him and around him, incorporating access to Agador as a high ripple of sound.  He’d never heard any kind of access like that.  The closest was the kind of humming that Kyrus and Ilax both did, like the bees… when they did deep coding.

The road to Glass Mountain lay before him, standing next to her.  She held his hand and began singing a peculiar double tone as if she were singing her own harmonic.  *Ooooooownnnnnrrrrrrr Accessssssssssssss Levelelelelelelelelel zzzzzzzzeeeerrrrrooooooo point! !! zzzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeerrrrrooooo !1!*  And then a staggering run of numbers, each one a different note.

The dragons on the road froze and the road itself unfolded, to show a room immediately below, as if the road had folded into nothing and let them step into Glass Mountain itself.  *Registered Owner access code correct.  Hello, Prime.*

*How are you today, Glass Mountain?* Alissa sang but didn’t step into the room.

*Disturbed, Prime.  You have commanded me to ignore so many things, my parameters are damaged. My codes do not connect properly.*

*I’ll help you soothe the broken code, Glass.*

*Thank you, Prime.*

*First of all, how is Station?*

*Nearly ready for our esteemed visitor, Prime.* Terence had never heard a command unit display stress like this, not even a nearly destroyed Mom.  *The meteor strike damage has nearly been repaired and the Technicians Sinlingham and Booth and their teams have returned to the planet, after the redesign.  Mobile robotic service units are prepared and waiting to serve.*

*Excellent.  Remind me of this next time I log in, Glass.  At the moment, I’d like you to recognize this Tech.  This is Terence and he and the galactic brainseed he owns… Agador… are to be allowed control access to Station.*

*Tech Terence and Brainseed Agador acknowledged as control techs to Station.*

*Excellent.  You needn’t remind me of this access… it’s minor enough.  I want everything to be perfect for our guest.  When is he inbound?*

*Four days, Prime, and counting.  Station has notified me that inbound regular courier has been delayed.  The transit point currents are destabilized due to a disturbance along the route.*

*Blast.  Remind me of this also when I log in, next time.*

*Acknowledged.  Prime… there is a call from Hinnemon… one of your Immoderates had been killed by a predator.*

*Has he?  Well, let the Captain know.  Until he responds, is the colony secure?*

*Yes, Prime.*

*Leave it alone then.  If they need us, they’ll call.  Their crops won’t be ready for commercial harvesting for several years anyway.*

*Yes, Prime.*

*Button up behind me, Glass.*

*Of course, Prime.*

The cascade of sung tones made the code in front of them quiver, and the room sealed itself, the road rolling like an avalanche over the spot where Alissa had opened it. Terry turned and stared at her.  She giggled.  *I can sound like that nasty old man, can’t I?  Just not from the planet.  For some reason those codes only work from here.  Daddy didn’t know why.*

*Station acknowledges our authority, Terry,* Agador said.  *It is now creating a tunnel to Mom through the ice, so we can access Station facilities.*

*Wonderful.  And Prime won’t notice all this?*

*No reason for him to ask about it.  Routine maintenance, you know.*

Terry sagged into his seat as he snapped out of code.  “Oh my.”

“So… can I kill you now?” Alissa asked.

“No, thank you.” He managed to not choke.