Nikki said, “We have something that might help with that, if you’re willing.”
“What do you have in mind, Ma’am?”
“We have a training course that will enable you to tell when someone is lying to you. Of course, it is designed by monkeys, to be used on monkeys, so it may not work perfectly for you, but it would have to be better than nothing.”
“That sounds very helpful. How soon would I be able to take it?”
I said, “Let me check with a few people, and I’ll be able to tell you. Excuse me.” I pulled out my comm, and called Haffi. “Yes, Boss?”
“Do you know enough about Squirrel physiology to know how to set up one of our teaching machines for a Squirrel to use?”
“No, but Dixie has been through all those medical files we captured. I’m sure she could make it safe.”
“Thanks, sorry to bother you.”
“No bother, Boss. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.” I dialed Dixie. “Hi, Boss. Get yourself banged up again already?”
“No, I didn’t. Do you think you could set up one of our training machines to be safe for a Squirrel?”
“Not a problem. The biggest issue is the head harness. Their ears lay right under one of the straps.”
“Can you fix that?”
“Already did. I figured this problem would come up sooner or later, so I went ahead and had some harnesses printed that will be more comfortable.”
“Good work. You want him in medbay, so you can monitor his responses better?”
“Might be best, since this is the first time we’re trying it.”
“I don’t remember this much fuss when I tried a Squirrel course. What’s different?”
“You were using a machine designed for a human, and a course that Lakki had carefully gone over to make sure it wouldn’t hurt you. This is a machine designed for a human, and the course hasn’t been gone over.”
“I’m sure Captain Dressi has a machine aboard his ship. Could Lakki go over the course for him, too?”
“I’ll get with her and see for sure, but I don’t see why not. Thanks, Boss. That makes more sense. I wasn’t thinking the problem through.”
“Couldn’t be you’re a little busy, getting used to your new job, could it?”
“I suppose that could be it. How soon do you need this?”
“The sooner the better. We can’t do much with the Squirrel fleet until the good Captain figures out who he can trust.”
“Can I get access to his ship?”
“Velma didn’t seem to have much trouble. Ask her.”
“Will do, I’ll call when it’s ready.”
“Thanks, talk to you later.”
“Bye, Boss.”
I turned back to the group. The Ambassador asked, “What did you find out, Commodore?”
“My Chief Medical Officer would be happier giving him the course on a machine calibrated for your people. I told her to use the one aboard the ship he came in on.”
Snappi spoke up, “My ship is secured. I’ll have to go let her on.”
I replied, “Keep your seat, my people have already been aboard. I’m sure they can get in again without damaging anything.”
“How did they get aboard?”
“I honestly don’t know, Captain. I do know she waved at me on her way off the ship, while you were waking up.”
Natti said, “I told you his crew was efficient. They had your ship figured out before you even woke up from being stunned.”
“So, they will have sensors as good as ours before long?”
The Ambassador replied, “His Engineering staff will look at the principles we use, see where we aren’t being as efficient as we think we are, and he’ll be trying to sell us the improved model, the next time we see him.”
“Why do you say that, Uncle?”
“You saw those weapons his people were using to repel the boarders, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. What of it?”
“They are based on our weapon technology. His engineers only came into possession of one of our weapons two or three weeks ago. Our similar weapons are incapable of, what do you call it, Commodore, ‘rock and roll’?”
“That’s one name for it, yes.”
“And it is fully operational?”
“One of the Grannies tested it, and couldn’t find anything else to improve. What do you think?”
“I think I slept better before I learned about you and your organization, Commodore.”
“You make it sound like we’re out to get you, Ambassador.”
“You surely don’t make my job any easier. You’ve got the folks back home so shook up, they can’t decide if you must be an idiot, like the videos all say the monkeys are, or some kind of evil genius.”
“Now, Natti, I ain’t nothing but an old hillbilly, trying to make a living out in these here wild stars.”
“How is it you say, Commodore? I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”
I looked at Nikki, all hang-dog. “He don’t believe me, darlin’. What should I do?”
Nikki said, “Give him points for being smarter than the average kumquat, and go on.”
The Ambassador laughed. “She has you figured out, Commodore.”
“And yet she stays around. I don’t understand, at all.”
Natti replied, “Just thank your lucky stars, I think.”
“That’s probably for the best. Back to the problems at hand, though. I don’t think there are enough outhouses on the planet to keep all these prisoners busy shoveling. Even if there were, we would have to print out shovels small enough for them to use. The locals were okay with making a few, but this many would be more than they would want to mess with.”
Snappi asked, “You would send the fleet to shovel outhouses?”
“It’s what we have been doing with the prisoners we catch. Do you have a better solution? It keeps them out of trouble, and gets the point across that
