II

           Thoughfarfromcomfortable,themesswasjustlargeenoughtoholdtheentirecrew.Sincetheyrarelyatetheirmealssimultaneously(thealwaysfunctionalautochefindirectlyencouragingindividualityineatinghabits),ithadn’tbeendesignedwithcomfortableseatingforseveninmind.Theyshuffledfromfoottofoot,bumpingandjostlingeachotherandtryingnottogetoneachother’snerves.

           ParkerandBrettweren’thappyandtooknopainstohidetheirdispleasure.Theirsoleconsolationwastheknowledgethatnothingwaswrongwithengineeringandthatwhateverthey’dbeenrevivedtodealwithwastheresponsibilityofpersonsotherthanthemselves.Ripleyhadalreadyfilledtheminonthedisconcertingabsenceoftheirintendeddestination.

           Parkerconsideredthattheywouldallhavetore-enterhypersleep,amessyanduncomfortableprocessatitsbest,andcursedunderhisbreath.Heresentedanythingthatkepthimseparatedfromhisend-of-voyagepaycheck.

           ’Weknowwehaven’tarrivedatSol,Captain.’Kanespokefortheothers,whowerealleyingDallasexpectantly.’We’renowherenearhomeandtheshiphasstillseenfittohustleusalloutofhypersleep.Timewefoundoutwhy.’

           ’Timeyoudid.’Dallasagreedreadily.’Asyouallknow,’hebeganimportantly,’Motherisprogrammedtointerruptourjourneyandbringusoutofhyperdriveandsleepifcertainspecifiedconditionsarise.’Hepausedforeffect,said,’Theyhave.’

           ’Itwouldhavetobeprettyserious.’