Book 4: Chapter 13: Getting Busy
Herschel
July 2334
Bellerophon
I got a ping from Will and replied with an invitation. He popped in within a mil. It had been, what, almost a century since Will had been aboard, even if only in virt? I’d long since gotten tired of playing with virt layouts and had reverted to the default library motif.
Will barely glanced around. “Hi, Herschel. Thanks for having me over.”
“Hey, Will, long time no see. I hope this isn’t going to be as dramatic as the last time.”
He snorted. “No, no intergalactic battles pending. That I know of, anyway. Just the usual dull roar whenever humans are involved.”
I gestured to a chair and called Jeeves. He showed up with a coffee for me and a Coke for Will. “You know, your general dislike for humans seems incompatible with the amount of effort you’re putting into Valhalla.”
Will paused to drink his Coke, taking long enough that it was probably a delaying tactic. “Honestly Herschel, it’s simply my version of Ragnarök. If things had gone just a bit different back in Epsilon Eridani, I might have been the one to stay there and start a Skunk Works instead of Bill. I regret that sometimes. Dealing with humans has soured me a bit. Okay, a lot.”