Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-10-31

How was
my story telling?

Not bad. You'll
get better with practice.

Storytelling is an art that comes naturally to humans and sqids. It starts almost as soon as we can form sentences.

My dolly
wanted a cookie.

Robots see the world as it is and naturally tell the truth. It's a bad habit and with my help, one you'll learn to overcome.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-02

What question did you want to ask me at the spa?

Right. That. The robots at the bomb factory noticed how much credit you have. They want to do more than make a replacement reactor for us.

There's a kind of ship called an Aldrin Cycler. Now before you say “no”, the robots back home say it would be of great help in their cyberforming efforts of the gas giant moons.

She's thinking about it
instead of baring her teeth and growling. I consider that
a good sign.

🡒 Freefall 3663

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-04

So this isn't about helping you,
it's about helping the robots?

Exactly.

With an Aldrin Cycler, you'll get something, too. Transit fees. There'll be some profit coming your way.

That's very important. Tell people
you're doing something for them out of
the goodness of your heart, and they'll be suspicious. Tell them you're doing it out of self-interest, and you'll gain their trust.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-07

Economically, it would be good for the entire solar system. I'll need to run some numbers. I'll also need to talk this over with Winston.

What can
I say? I have great ideas.

Have you talked to anyone on the P/N Junction about converting their station into an Aldrin Cycler?

Except that wasn't my idea
at all.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-09

I'll talk to people on the station when we get back.

Okay. I'm going to get some sleep before we get to the nuclear pulse factory. You may want
to grab a nap as well.

What a great idea! Turn the station into an Aldrin Cycler! I'm a genius!

Except it wasn't your idea.

Helix, genius is an art. Good ones borrow, great ones steal.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-11

I'm going to take Florence's advice and get some sleep before we arrive at the factory.

I'll man the controls while you're in bed.

Beds are weird. I'm more comfortable sleeping in a chair than I am lying down.

Is it normal for sqids to sleep semi-upright?

Of course. It's
closer to the runaway position.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-14

At turnover point. All hands prepare for microgravity during turnover.

Turnover complete. All hands prepare for thrust.

That must have been some dream.
I normally don't toss about so much in my sleep.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-16

We have arrived at the nuclear pulse factory. Terminating thrust. All hands prepare for microgravity.

Approaching the docking scoop. All hands prepare for spin gravity.

Ha! This time
I'm ready.

Or I would have been ready if the direction of “down” hadn't changed.

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-18

You're up.

For certain directions of down, yes. What's with the suit? Doesn't the bomb factory have an atmosphere?

Their atmosphere is almost pure nitrogen. So, spacesuit required.

My suit's an oxygen concentrator. I won't be able to
go in there.

Are you disappointed?

I never complain about conditions that get me
out of work.

We already know that Sam's “spacesuit” is not very airtight, it has rather oversized filters and a battery, and the oxygen concentration Sam needs is most likely achieved by freezing it out
Mark Stanley first mentioned the composition and parameters of the atmosphere at the scene - all-nitrogen is extremely convenient for flammable automatic production facilities. He had never before described the composition and parameters of the atmosphere of Jina (where gold and diamonds are paradoxically cheap), the shuttle and the station, so it's not necessarily earth-like nitrogen-oxygen. The same divers breathe a helium-based mixture with a small fraction of oxygen, and the British journalist-populist David “Daedalus” Jones once theorized the parameters of a xenon bath where one could (for a very solid price) fly in condensed xenon-oxygen “air,” waving their arms like a bird. However, flying people have definitely not been here yet

Provisional Title: Sqid in the maintenance shop
[!0.987]2022-11-21

Thanks for helping me get into my suit.

Will I be able to talk with the robots after they get on board?

Yes. We'll restore the normal oxygen atmosphere once we're underway.

Good. I need to make sure the humans don't take advantage of them.

Do you plan to take advantage of them?

Yes, but I am a symbiotic scoundrel, and being taken advantage of by me will benefit the robots more than if I leave them alone.