Damia by Anne McCaffrey Read Free Book Online

and credit facilities for FT&T personnel.
    “Another matter no one ever explained to me,” he murmured. “Or maybe the parents expected to manage my credit for me, too.”
    He placed the barque cat holos on one shelf above the console and his flock of origamis on the next, fussing over their placement. He leaned the calligraphy book against the side of the third shelf and snorted. Well, he suspected that he’d find plenty to fill out those shelves.
    He investigated the bathroom, noticing the warning of daily personal water allotment, peeked into the tiny refreshment cabinet, which included many exotic choices for a Capellan methody lad, and went on into the sleeping room. The bed was as firm as he liked it and big enough for several bodies the size of his. That opened up another vista for him, heretofore scrupulously unmentioned, even if his parents had been considering the stabilizing influence of a nice girl for him. He grinned. Earth was not that far away and Brian Ackerman had mentioned that downside trips were possible. Tempting!
    Then he noticed the second orological display.
    “They don’t risk your forgetting the time around here, do they?” Even in this privacy, he felt a trifle silly talking to himself. “I need some music.”
    If you will name your preferences, these can be supplied on a select or random basis
, said a velvet alto, which could be either male or female.
    Delighted to have a voice address in-room system, Afra rattled off a list of his favorites and the soft string instrumental opus began the moment he paused to decide what else he’d like to have on tap.
    “Thank you.”
    Courtesy is not required.
    “It was where I was reared,” Afra replied bluntly.
    Is a response required?
    “It would be appreciated. I promised my parents to remember my manners.” Then he covered his mouth against a laugh. All those drills on courtesy and he had a v.a. system to use them on? Even Goswina wouldn’t be amused by the irony.
    Thank you
, the alto voice responded.
    “You’re welcome,” Afra said.
    Then he noticed the time he’d been wasting. He dumpedthe remainder of the carisak’s contents on the bed and, taking his kit, clean clothes, and station shoes, went to the bathroom for a quick shower before his first experience of duty on Callisto.
    Fortunately for his performance that day, Afra could handle all Tower procedures with routine efficiency, almost without thinking about the intricacies required, but he had never worked at even half the pace required of Callisto personnel.
    We are the
main
forwarding facility
, the Rowan sent him halfway through the hectic period.
We handle more traffic than any other Tower. You’re doing fine. Don’t fret. I don’t think we’ll wear you down today.
    Huh!
Afra restricted comment to that one challenging monosyllable and kept right on working. It was exhilarating, to say the least, for his duties as the Rowan’s second were to be sure of the orderly flow of destination placements, weights of cargo whether animate or inanimate, and special instructions from the tertiary rank.
    Cargo-handlers (7’s and 8’s of kinetic Talent) who took travel documents from cargo pods of all sizes, single and double personal capsules, and the various larger transit vessels, “lifted” them into the Tower for sorting according to priority. 10’s scurried about the landing field making certain all relays arrived in good condition, and always checking animate cargoes. Inside the Tower, 6’s and 5’s assigned priorities and found destination coordinates. Brian Ackerman made sure there were no delays in those duties and established that everything Afra, in turn, passed up to the Rowan was in order, and kept the flow smooth to the Prime.
    On a busy day, and Callisto was always busy, Afra, as the T-4, was also required to reduce the burden on the Prime by expediting any inanimate cargo to reserve her capability for heavier, delicate and animate transfers. Afra could gestalt with