I Got A Rock

Chapter 182: Friends


Well, that was weird. Petra definitely sounded different—but she had said strange things before. He had always assumed it was the language barrier, but now that Petra knew perfect English...Well, she's still a computer. A super-duper advanced computer, but the Goldaskians said she wasn't sapient. God knows she's literal-minded enough for a Monty Python skit. I'm sure there's perfect logic there that I just can't follow.

< Nick, Maggie is available. >

< Call her, please. >

< Certainly, Nick. Brian is available. >

< Call the whole team, please. >

In another couple of minutes, everyone was back online.

"Hey, guys!" The others said hi back, though they all looked pretty serious. "What's wrong, was my joke that bad?"

"No, dude, we just want to give you good advice and that's a heavy responsibility," Brian answered.

"You don't know the half of it," Nick muttered, then belatedly realized that he probably shouldn't even hint at what he had just done with the world's secrets.

"Well, we talked a bit, and we figure that if you haven't already, you can download to the Internet everything from Ooafa to start. You know the linguistics majors are drooling to get their hands on that language, and the art students want to see their art, and all that, and if Ooafa is really like 1920's tech level, none of that should hurt anybody," Vanessa declared.

"Yeah, that's what I figured. I just need to figure out where to put it. Maybe Wikipedia?"

"Well, even if it came from paper books, there's a lot of it, right? You can make it someone else's problem. Like, tell BU to set something up in the library system," Maggie said.

"Or Harvard, or MIT. Or all of them, really," Steve added.

"That's a really good idea. Thanks!" Nick checked the time. "It's starting to get pretty late Eastern Time, isn't it? I'll call them in the morning."

"You really should be getting something from them in exchange, though," Steve said.

"He can't sell the Ooafan culture, it isn't his to begin with!" Brian protested.

"Doesn't have to be money. If this were a few years ago, I'd have said to get all your tuition waived. Too late for student loans, though. Let me make the calls, Nick. Worst case, I'll get an unspecified favor from each of them, and later we can figure out something you want that the schools are willing to give."

Nick frowned. "I guess that would be okay? So long as everyone gets access eventually."

"Sure, but universities love getting first dibs. They can publish a pile of papers before the other schools, but nobody is going to keep it away from the public for long."

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"Do not download anything to social media, Nick, even if Starkham himself calls you and offers you stock in EveryoneOnLine," Brian urged.

"The first of the Galaxy for Dummies books, Sana is already sending to like a hundred libraries. We want those out there first."

"Speaking of dibs," Brian put in, "can you send me some of the advanced math? Just the basics, even? It will take me a while to learn how they write and think about math before I can even start looking for things we don't know yet."

Nick concentrated on his interface a moment. < Petra, please email Nick the first volume of the math books form the Arrurrans. >

< I will do it now, Nick. >

< Thanks, Petra. You're the best. >

< You're welcome, Nick. >

"It's on its way," he told Brian. "Check your email."

"Thanks! I've also been meaning to ask, what's the thing on your head?"

"Oh, the neural interface? It's basically a heads-up display in my brain. I can just think at the ship's computer."

"Can we get some of those?"

Nick blinked. I'm such a dumbass. Of course everybody will want these! "Um, it's Goldaskian tech, but it looked like it was something old and simple by their standards. I'll see if I can get blueprints."

"Now those, we sell," Steve declared firmly. "I'll build you a factory if I have to, because we'd ship at least half a billion units. Just that one piece of tech will make you a hundred-millionaire, Nick."

Nick sighed in relief. "I was hoping you'd say something like that, Steve. I'm happy to have you take a cut if you'll handle the business end."

"No problem, this is what I do."

"Guys?" Nick took a deep breath. "Can I hear what you've all been up to? I've been out of touch for a year. Like, Brian, how's the dissertation going?"

His friends looked at each other a moment, seeming to reach a silent consensus to humor him, which he appreciated. Brian cleared his throat. "It's been a slog, and might be obsolete next week, but it's exciting. Professor Holderman has been really supportive..."

Nick started feeling better as he listened to his friends talk about normal things. Everything had been so weird and science-fiction-y in his life for so long, it was relaxing to hear about oddball roommates and annoying bosses. All I need is a six-pack and a pizza. He got a little emotional at a couple of points, but the guys politely ignored him wiping his eyes.

"How's your health, Nick?" Maggie asked at one point.

"Almost perfect." He smiled thinly. "Aside from not quite getting the right foods, I'm in the best shape of my life." He told them about his workout routine, and all of them were drooling with envy before he was half done.

"So, you're saying this exercise machine can track every muscle and ligament in your body, in real time, figure out what muscles you need to work and what needs to rest, and devises exercises for you, moment by moment?"

"Yup. It's like having ten really competent physical therapists all waiting on me hand and foot...and neck, and bicep, and..."

"I hate you," Maggie declared, grinning.

"I'll see if I can get you a rig."

"I take it back, I love you."

Everyone laughed at Maggie's declaration, and she looked embarrassed but was smiling.

"Oh, hey, Brian, did they make another season of Star Explorers?"

His friend scowled. "It got cancelled."

"You're shitting me. I loved that show!"

"Even ended on a fucking cliffhanger!" Brian ranted. "Stupid network."

"For real."

"There's, like, four different fanfic endings people wrote. Two of them are really good. I'll send you the links. You can do links up there, right?"

"Dude, I could run all of Dragon Forge for ten million players on this ship's computer if I wanted. Yes, I can do links."

"Oh, SmartChip is going to want to talk to you," Steve pointed out. "We are going to need awesome computers to start catching up with the rest of the galaxy."

"I'll put it on the list."

"Hey," Maggie said, her tone serious. Everyone else shut up. "It's good to have you back, Nick. We missed you."

Nick swallowed. "Thanks. I missed you guys too."

It's good to have friends. It's too easy to forget that, sometimes.

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