Turn of the Pipes (A Redpoint One Romance) Read Free Page A

sheer number shocking. Her heart sank. A
congregation of a large number of bots usually meant a major
problem. For her, it usually meant the break of a water main or
something similar
    Then she spotted circling holographic colors
around two bot eye-stalks. Rachel stopped at the edge of the
grouping of bots, calling out, "Tish?"

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO

    TISH'S HEAD POPPED out from a cavity in the wall, a dark
smudge under one eye. "Oh, hi. Where did you come from?"
    Rachel adjusted the belt around her waist.
"Repairs and more repairs, one after the other. You?"
    Tish made a face before disappearing back into
the cavity. "Mine are scattered all over the place. One of them
needs an EVA and I don't feel comfortable doing one by myself yet,
so I'm meeting Arthur back at the platform after lunch."
    Along with a few minutes for soft whispers and
snatched kisses, she was sure.
    Rachel shook herself, knowing she wasn't being
fair to her friend. Tish hadn't had a very happy life before she
came to Redpoint One. She deserved to be happy, and Arthur appeared
to truly adore her.
    "Good luck on the repair," Rachel said, firmly
putting her mind back to business.
    "Thought I would take care of the small
problem down here first. It was on my way back," Tish's voice
echoed back to her from the cavity.
    "Odd your problem should be near mine." Rachel
held out a hand for the scanner and her bot set it in her hand.
"What problem are you working on? Maybe they are
connected?"
    "Logic juncture failure." Tish reappeared with
a small gray box in her hand with a blue and red coiled cable
dangling out the back of it. "Taken care of now. By the way, you
had a bad valve down here. I sent some of the mini-bots inside the
pipe to repair it."
    Rachel stopped in the process of scanning the
pipes with the thin scanner. "You already fixed the
problem?"
    "We'll know in a few minutes," Tish said.
"Maybe the systems will compensate better for problems down here
now. Did you know the logic juncture was actually asking the
systems to raise fluid pressures in this area? What a silly thing
to do."
    Which explained the valve failures. "Any idea
how long it's been doing it?"
    "Not a clue. The Station is good at telling me
when something is wrong, but not always the details." Tish handed
the juncture to her bot, Violet, while giving Rachel a big grin.
"But, I don't have to tell you that."
    "No, Ms. Newbie." Rachel stopped the scanner
over a valve.
    The image clearly displayed a valve stuck in
the open position and several small bodies of bots working away at
it. A check of the database showed she'd installed the valve only
six months before. The newer valve should have no problems for a
good long time to come. Her scowl deepened. Did the station have it
in for her personally?
    Tish joined her to look at the image. Another
miniature bot joined the others. She noted, "They aren't
panicked."
    "No, and they have the problem in hand. Just
as well. I would have to shut down the sector's water to replace
it." Rachel dropped the scanner so that it bumped against her
thigh. "Time to go to the next problem. By the way, do you have any
plans next Thursday night?"
    "Not that I know of," Tish said, a frown on
her face. "Did I forget a meeting?"
    "No, I want to drag you along with me for a
little fun." The idea had been a spur-of-the-moment idea to divert
attention from herself, but the more she thought about it; the more
she liked it. Tish would love the ladies in the club and it would
help her meet even more people on the station.
    "Should I be worried?" Tish asked, not smiling
at all.
    Rachel handed the scanner to her bot. "Nope. I
meet up with a knitter's club at a bed and breakfast on one of the
rings. You can get to know a few more of the locals."
    "I don't knit. Does anyone
anymore?"
    "Some do, as a hobby," Rachel said. "Hand
crafts are all the rage. You only need to bring yourself. It'll be
fun."
    Tish didn't look convinced. "Will you be
there?"
    "Of