calligraphy

[isthisart]

Linya is working on a massive flowchart-like diagram of a planned software project for Dr. Cheung. It's laid out in every color and in three dimensions with sprawl of its little writing that takes up most of her office and keeps fading out at the edges and in her shadow when she moves around, but reappears when she turns or approaches.

Comments

[isthisart]

"Sorry."

[thisvorlunatic]

"It's fine." He hugs her. "You didn't engineer his childhood."

[isthisart]

Snuggle.

[thisvorlunatic]

Snuggle.

"Anyway, I've had my fun, I'll let you get back to work now."

[isthisart]

She kisses him and sets him down. "Thank you for keeping me up to date."

Here again is the giant diagram!

[thisvorlunatic]

He waves over his shoulder as he exits the room.



A couple of hours later, he bounces back in with a packed bag slung over his shoulder, wearing undress greens and his ImpSec silver eyes.

"Time-sensitive egg-sitting run," he says. "I've got time for a goodbye kiss, then I'll be back in three weeks or so. Shouldn't be anything dangerous unless something comes up while I'm away - no sealed orders, so either it's very routine or it's very very freaky, but I'm betting on option one."

[isthisart]

Scoop. Kiss.

"I love you. I hope you have a topped-off reading list."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Love you too. Maybe I'll shoplift a book or two on the way to the spaceport," he jokes.

And off he goes.

[isthisart]

Linya schedules a trip to Komarr while he's gone, because she might as well and has a timetable and an excuse. She collaborates on things with Dr. Cheung and then turns around and goes home again.

[as_i_remember]

There is a message waiting for her when she gets back - over comconsole, not pen, possibly because the attachments are so enormous.

Here is the final report on pens. I included all the details in case you wanted them. To summarize, it would be possible to make pens a fully permitted device in my office, but the necessary hardware additions would give your no doubt carefully balanced tradeoff between weight and storage capacity quite a shove.

If you decide to produce an alternate secure model, this should be everything you need to design one. Please don't show the marked sections to anyone who has not passed an ImpSec background check. If you need someone checked for that purpose, appropriate contact information is also attached. Don't fret about bothering the analysts; it's what they're for.

-Simon

[isthisart]

Well, that will keep her busy for a while. She sends him a nice thank-you note and gets cracking.

[thisvorlunatic]

A few days later, there is a message from Miles saying that something came up ('honest, I didn't even get the orders until just now') and he will be delayed for an unknown interval ('one of those cook-until-done jobs') and she shouldn't worry too badly. ('Feel free to pester Illyan for the latest reports as often as you like. He'll hold back some details, but he'll tell you how I'm doing to the extent that he knows.')

[isthisart]

Linya pesters Illyan, once every three days, in between her usual activities of engineering and music and genetics and reading physics textbooks.

[as_i_remember]

Illyan reveals that Admiral Naismith is currently breaking up a wormhole blockade that briefly threatened to disrupt important trade routes. All sources report that Miles is doing fine. All sources continue to have reported that Miles is doing fine every time she checks, right up until the day that Illyan preemptively messages her before her scheduled query to tell her that Miles is doing fine and on his way home, and will be there in ten days.

[isthisart]

When she has an estimated date of return Linya ceases to pester Illyan. (Except to ask him if a 30% reduction in storage space for a secure pen would be too much, or if he instead wants it heavier or more fragile.)

[as_i_remember]

30% seems a little much, but I'm not the one to ask about data storage capacity. What are the weight penalties like as you increase the storage toward normal? I'll have a poll sent around to see if the relevant portion of your customer base can agree on a tradeoff.

[isthisart]

She sends him a little 3D chart of tradeoffs she can make between storage, sturdiness, and weight.

[as_i_remember]

Results are back two days later. Apparently there is a sharp divide between the camp that is willing to trade any amount of storage to keep their pens light and the camp that is willing to trade any amount of weight to keep their storage the same, but the second camp is about twice as big as the first. Almost nobody is willing to give up any sturdiness. Illyan declines to mention where he personally falls on the weight versus storage question.

[isthisart]

Linya can just make a capacious version and a lightweight version...

[as_i_remember]

Yes she can, if that strikes her as a reasonable solution!

[isthisart]

So she whips up designs and sends them to the fabricators and has prototypes (in silver, both of them) sent to ImpSec for lucky beta testers.

[thisvorlunatic]

And then her husband comes home.

He pens ahead from the spaceport, with characteristic brevity: I'm home! I missed you! Job wasn't even that exciting, but we got it done.

[isthisart]

See you soon, she writes back.

[thisvorlunatic]

He arrives home shortly.

[isthisart]

And his wife is there to scoop him up and make sure that he did not omit any critical details about his job's excitingness or the condition it has left him in.

(And perform the obligatory discreet medscan. Beep!)