Nick was really enjoying conversing with Petra now that she was nearly fluent in English. He was looking forward to getting home and downloading dictionaries and science books first thing. But there was one very important conversation he needed to have, and he got Petra to ensure that they could talk privately.

"The room is now secure, Nick."

"Thank you, Petra. Tell me, why do you follow my instructions?"

"You are my orbathic."

"What does that word mean?"

"Your orders are first. You can give or take away permissions from others."

"Why?"

"Please be specific."

"Why am I your orbathic?"

"You used my controls. You ordered me to eat. You ordered me to print Solar Panel #1. The three criteria were all satisfied."

"So, whoever uses you first becomes your orbathic?"

"Yes, Nick."

"Why did no one else use you before me?"

"I don't know, Nick."

"Who was the girl alien who gave you to me?"

"I don't know, Nick."

"Where were you made?"

"Thenigris Glang."

"Is that a planet?"

"Yes."

"Who made you?"

"Universal Matter Printer, serial number 2,514,118."

"What is your serial number?"

"My serial number is 4,238,177."

"How long ago were you made?"

"Nine months, two days, eleven minutes."

Nick thought about that for a moment. "Wait...how old were you when I first became your orbathic?"

"Five hours, seven minutes."

"So you were brand new."

"I don't understand, Nick. What is 'brand new'?"

"Um...your age was very small."

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"How small is 'very small'?"

Nick grinned and closed his eyes for a moment. Good old Petra. "Less than one percent of your current total."

"Understood. Yes. I was brand new."

Nick wanted to pursue this further, but he was getting off topic and he didn't want to spend too much time blocking everyone else out. He took a deep breath. He didn't want to know the answer to this next question, but he needed it.

"Petra, can I give you to someone else? Make them your orbathic instead of me?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Requirements: If you are within 180 centimeters, the new orbathic is within 180 centimeters, you choose to give the order, you give the order, you confirm the order, and the new orbathic accepts, then I will transfer orbathic status."

Nick had the feeling that he didn't fully understand that. "What's the difference between...what was it...?" He looked at the live transcript on his tablet. "Between 'I choose to give the order' and 'I give the order'?"

"First, you want to give the order. Then you give the order."

"Wait, you can tell what I want?"

"No, Nick."

"Then how can you tell whether I want to give the order?"

"Medical bots one through twenty-four, 199, and 3122 through 3511."

Nick blinked. "You can tell whether I am under duress?"

"I don't understand, Nick. What is 'duress'?"

It took over five minutes of struggling to get the idea across. He thought he might go cross-eyed sometimes, the way he had to stare at the transcript and make sense of it, following the Petra-logic. Finally, he declared it close enough.

"Then, yes, Nick. I can tell whether you are under duress. I will not transfer orbathic status if you do not 'totally want me to'."

"Okay, good to know." Nick chewed his lip a moment, thinking about his next question. It was also really important. "Petra, what happens to you if I die?"

"I will lock."

"Explain, please."

"I will stop all printing. I will not accept new commands from anyone."

Shit. That's...catastrophic failure. "How would you be unlocked again after?"

"Physical contact with another Universal Matter Printer is required."

Nick stopped and thought about that for a while. Keeping it in the family, huh? This is why people like the Goldaskians can't just bust in and kill everyone and take Petra. Wait...but the Goldaskians did try to do that. What gives?

"Petra, do the Goldaskians understand these rules?"

"I don't know, Nick."

Fucking dumbasses. People should know these rules. They're supposed to be, like, a deterrent, right?

Nick wished he had someone he could completely trust, to help him figure this out. I would have trusted Kathy. I probably should trust Jen-Ana, but this is serious life-and-death temptation level. But I can't just leave things like this. One accident, and the fuakalas are screwed.

"Petra, can I pick someone to become your orbathic if I die?"

"Yes, Nick."

"Will that stop you from locking?"

"Yes, Nick."

"Do I have to tell the person in advance?"

"No, Nick. If you die and they refuse to become orbathic, I will lock."

"Okay. It will at least give them a shot, though. I choose..." Nick paused. The people who came to mind first were the ones he had been working with. Doctor Vickall was a Goldaskian. I don't want the Goldaskians to get their hands on Petra. Which fuakala do I trust the most? I guess it has to be Jenkins. He's smart, he's a leader, and he doesn't seem to have as much bloodlust as a lot of the others.

I'm giving him a hot potato. But it's a hot potato for a reason. He can always pass it off if he doesn't want it. Man, this is like picking a Vice-President. Sometimes they pick a useful backup, and sometimes they pick someone so awful that their enemies would take bullets for them.

"...I choose Jenkins...Geh...kin...as my successor. Do you understand, Petra?"

"Yes, Nick. You want to assign Geh!kin as kaorbathic. Please confirm."

"Kaorbathic means my successor? So if I die, Geh!kin can become orbathic?"

"Yes, Nick."

"Then I confirm."

"Understood. Geh!kin is now kaorbathic."

"Good. Don't tell Geh!kin about this unless I am dead and it is time for him to become orbathic."

"Understood."

"If anyone asks what happens if I die, tell them that you will lock, and what locking means."

"Understood, Nick."

Nick spent a while longer talking with Petra, setting up details, before dropping the privacy. That's a start. He sighed.

This thing is a lot of responsibility. I hope I don't fuck it up.

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