Sweet Tooth

"Doctor Corrigan? Your refreshments are here." He rolled a cart inside and then departed.

Dani and the others made their way back to the entrance. On the cart was a bottle of brandy and three small glasses. Dani and Roni looked at the beverage, and then looked toward Blake Corrigan.

"What?" Blake said, "I didn't order it."

"Can I have some, Dad? I think I need it." Dani requested. Corrigan looked at his son. Even in the strange lighting of the display room, he looked slightly pale.

"Well, why not? We're celebrating something anyway." Corrigan opened the bottle and filled three glasses.

"To space flight!" Blake raised his glass.

"And youth!" Roni added, lifting his glass also.

"And us!" said Dani, "God bless us, every one!"

"Hear, hear!" Blake responded. They clicked glasses and drank.

Dani emptied his glass, and reached to fill it again. "Dani, I don't believe I've ever seen you touch alcohol before," his father said mildly.

"This, sir, is processing fuel." Dani looked up with a smile. "I am doing an inordinate number of intensive calculations." He poured a second generous helping.

Ten minutes later, Dani got a second display message.

SECONDARY PROTOCOL INITIATED

ACCESSING EXPANSION PROCEDURE

DOWNLOADING

Dani felt as if his head had become a communications hub. He could almost hear the data traffic colliding and coursing through his inputs. Was the imaging information from Malcolm being recorded inside his own brain? Momentarily, he felt a little flushed. He continued to wander, and to sip.

After perhaps another half-hour, Dani got a final message: DOWNLOAD COMPLETE

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Bobby G. Wells