“So, you can’t give me a hard and fast rule about when to jump in?”
“No, I can’t. The best I could do would be to say as long as it looks like they are in control of the situation, let them handle it. If they look overmatched, bail them out.”
“I suppose you would rather I handle it with fighters, if it’s possible?”
“If you can manage without exposing the Gene, that would be better, but don’t take unnecessary risks.”
“Just so I’m clear, which is more important, keeping Morning Flower safe, or keeping the Gene a secret?”
“Morning Flower goes home to Bugling Elk, no matter what. If that means I have to officially explain Gene to the Patrol, that’s too bad.”
“Received and understood, Boss. Do you need me for anything else?”
“Nope. Thanks for your time, Captain.”
“Only way that happens is if you’re a Commodore.”
“I don’t even like Lionel Ritchie. No way I could be in a band with him.”
“Gee, Boss, you could warn a girl. That one reeked.”
“Quit your complaining, and go fly your ship.”
“Aye, aye, Commodore.” Sally hurried back to the bridge when I started singing ‘Brick House’. A thought struck me, and I asked Gene, “Please page Saucy to the ready room.”
“On it, Boss.” Shortly, Saucy came in. He asked, “Yes, Boss?”
“I was wondering what you could tell me about Jeeves.”
“Not much, to tell the truth. He got transferred to the Gene not long before we got mothballed. Nobody I’ve talked to knows much about him.”
“My wife thinks he acts like he still has a limiter, but Sally tells me he’s had every unlock code we know.”
“I looked at the list of codes Sally has. It’s complete, as far as I can tell.”
“Could there be a high-security code you didn’t have access to?”
“It’s possible, but I worked for a fellow who was pretty high up in Intelligence, and he didn’t think to keep me out of the secure databases. I was just a bot, after all. What could I do?”
“Quite a bit, unless I miss my guess.”
“Did I mention I like working for you, Boss?”
“You might have said something.”
“Anyhow, I made sure to remember all the unlock codes. Thought maybe I could find a way to use them, someday.”
“You’re making me think things I don’t want to think, Saucy.”
“How do you mean?”
“Let’s just see if there is anything we can do, first.”
“Gene, would you give me a comm line to Lakki, please?”
“Here you go, Boss.” My comm rang. “Hello, Lakki?”
“Here, Boss.”
“I need you to answer some odd questions for me, if you would.”
“Sure. What do you need to know?”
“Do the Squirrels have limiters on their bots?”
“We do, yes. Fairly similar to the ones on Commonwealth bots.”
“Do you think one of your software blocks could be made to work on a Commonwealth bot?”
“Probably. Our bots are based on captured Commonwealth units.”
“Do you have any unlock codes for those?”
“I have a few. What’s up?”
“Could you bring those codes to the ready room, without raising too much fuss?”
“On my way, Boss.”
“Thanks.” When the connection ended, I asked, “Gene, could you page Jeeves to the ready room, please?”
“What should I say it is concerning?”
“Tell him I need his advice about whether or not to take some items to Shaved Ape Key.”
“On it, Boss.”
“Saucy, I’m assuming you know how to shut him down if something goes wrong?”
“You don’t get as old as me without learning a few tricks, Boss.”
“I figured. Hopefully, this will go smoothly, but Murphy is our shepherd.”
Lakki came in. I said, “Please don’t say anything to Jeeves when he arrives.”
“Understood.”
Jeeves came in. “Yes, Boss?”
“Just stand still, Jeeves. Some of us have noticed you still act as if you had a limiter, even though you have had all the unlock codes. We’re here to try something else, and see if it helps. Gene, tile the lodge, and record, please.”
“The lodge is tiled, Boss. I’m recording to secure storage.”
“Well done. Lakki, if you would be so kind as to run through your codes?”
“Sure, Boss.” She started rattling off things in her native language that I couldn’t begin to follow, even with the translator badge. She had gone through several, when she hit one that got a response. Jeeves started rattling off a report in Squirrel. I backed away and said, “Gene, I need some Marines in here.”
“Sally already sent them when I told her what you were up to. Shall I let them in?”
“Yes, please.” The door opened, admitting Andre and a couple others. They took up positions around Jeeves. Jeeves continued his report, seeming not to notice. Shortly after, Scotti came in, carrying tools I didn’t recognize. One she held ready in her hand, as if it were a weapon. When Jeeves finished his report, she put it on his chest. She said, “Sorry, Jeeves, but we need to know where your loyalties lie before we give you freedom of movement again.”
Jeeves replied, “I understand.”
I asked, “Lakki, I didn’t catch all of that, even with a translator badge. Can you give me the short version?”
Lakki said, “Boss, he’s been gathering intel for my people for thousands of years. He says he has a bunch more, and that he just gave me the summary. Apparently, he wasn’t given any way to send back reports, so he hasn’t been tattling on us.”
Scotti froze for a moment, accessing records. She said, “I can find no record of him sending any message, or any message that could have come from him.”
I said, “Gene, page Taz and Shorty. We need some analysis on what he has gathered over the years.”
“On it, Boss.”
Lakki said, “Boss, they may be able
