7
Paul made the short trip back to the shuttlecraft in a most undignified manner, slung over Franz’s shoulder, head bobbing up and down. He was placed – carefully – into a cargo container for the short journey back to the Sir Isaac. A human could have awoken at any time in a claustrophobic frenzy but there was zero chance of Paul returning to consciousness unaided – Franz had only supplied the android with enough charge for a couple of minutes, after which the sophont returned to its comatose state.
Holly contacted the mothership.
“Sir Isaac Newton. This is shuttle Alpha One. Our ETA is in three minutes. Please be advised that we have Coppélia 1...”
The shuttle passengers could distinctly hear a loud cheer over the comms system.
“...Coppélia 1 and one other.”
An unexpected silence wa
