rix_scaedu

“File download at twenty percent.”

Halea’s announcement had cut across what her father had been going to say so he tried again. “How do you know it’s an information storage unit?”

“Because it’s the wrong shape for an operant system.” She kept her eyes on her gear’s readings. “Which means it’s relatively safe to this. Some of the units in this exhibition would be trying to kill me right now.”

“Kill you?” Her father sounded nervous.

“Oh, this one won’t, unless I do something stupid, but if you’re worried you can go back behind the safety cordon. Download at fifty percent!”

“Safety cordon?” He looked around.

“Them with the staves.”

Halea’s father hissed at her as their parties stood beside each other in the queue to see the museum exhibition of rare artefacts, “I told you, we don’t care what you do, so long as you do it away from us.”

“Then you should stop coming to interesting things, shouldn’t you?” She smiled brightly at him while the rest of the family ignored her. Her group grinned at the exchange.

He followed them when they went straight to the unidentified centrepiece.

“Why’re you here? You’re not even trying to learn anything.”

“Do you mind? We’re working.” She took her gear out of her bag. “Right, let’s turn this relic on.”