Ammunition

Gideon

"Do you like the place?" Rip inquired when they made it to the main control room.

"It is, very um, bright." Jehan responded taking in everything that surrounded him. "Is everything made out of metal in the future?"

"Well, not everything. I'm not and my coat..." Rip trailed off realizing where his coat was, "My coat . . . I left it . . .

"Oh dear. I can run back and get it for you." Jehan offered.

"No, it'll be fine. If you rush back down, it may look as if we left. We don't want to give that impression." Rip collapsed in one of his giant chairs, "I'll just um, use, um..."

Jehan also sat down in one, but didn't fall into one like Rip had.

"Gideon, do you have another coat identical to the one I had on?" Rip asked.

"Who's Gide-"

"I can duplicate it for you if you wish, but it will only be a copy." Gideon told him.

Meanwhile, Jehan had jumped out of the chair and practically had fallen backwards trying to find out where the voice was coming from.

"Who was that?!?!" Jehan shouted sounding scared to death.

"I am so sorry!" Rip apologized, "This is my computer, or guide, Gideon. Gideon this is-"

"Jehan, otherwise known as Jean Prouvaire." Gideon spoke in her speedily way, "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"Yours too . . .?" Jehan replied looking for a face or person to reply to, "How does she know who I am?" He asked Rip.

"She's like a large encyclopedia." Rip explained trying not to smile at Jehan's reaction to Gideon. "Except she knows practically everything that isn't found in most. And yes, please duplicate it for me, Gideon."

"Right away, sir," Gideon replied.

"That is amazing," Jehan gasped. "May I meet this Gideon? She sounds brilliant."

"You already have," Rip told him. "She's just a voice, not an actual person."

"Oh," Jehan spoke, "That is rather upsetting."

"I can, however," Rip began to mash several buttons and pulled a few levers, "do this."

With the final tug, a holographic head appeared in the center of the room. Jehan stared at it curiously and walked around the stand where it was.

"There we go," Rip sighed happily, "Does this count?"

"That's her?" Jehan inquired pointing to the head.

"I suppose if she were human, yes that would be her." Rip replied.

"She isn't?"

"Well, no," Rip sat back down in his chair, "she's what's called a computer interface and please don't use these terms outside of this ship."

"I will try my hardest." Jehan promised.

"Your coat is finished and is waiting in the closet, sir." Gideon announced and Jehan couldn't help but jump just a little at the sound of her voice.

"Thank you Gideon!" Rip took off to the other side of the room and flung open the door.

"She's a seamstress?" Jehan asked staying where he was.

"Fits nicely too," Rip muttered more to himself as he slung the coat on, "A bit I suppose. A little bit of everything if she needs to be." He walked back towards the middle of the room, "In fact, you may be hungry right now and say you wanted an apple."

Something beeped and out came an apple in a little drawer in the wall.

"There it is." Rip went to go get it.

"That is marvelous," Jehan remarked and sat down in a chair a bit more relaxed than the last time.

"Go ahead," Rip told him taking a bite of his apple, "say something. Try it out yourself."

Jehan thought for a moment, "What should I say?"

"Well, is there something you're craving right now?" Rip inquired taking another bite, "Or maybe something that you need to have or want?"

"May I have some tea?" Jehan asked hopefully, "It's been so long since I've had it."

"What kind?" Rip asked.

"Um, well I don't know. I once read in a book that they drink Earl Grey somewhere in the world." Jehan replied thoughtfully, "I always thought it sounded lovely."

The same machine beeped across the room where Rip acquired his apple, which he had just finished.

"A nice cuppa Earl Grey has just been made." Rip informed him.

Jehan stood up and grinned, "Why thank you, Gideon! Excuse me, Miss Gideon." He corrected himself and continued to the drawer to retrieve the tea.

"No problem, sir," she replied, "and you don't have to call me Miss."

"I'm sorry, are you a Miss?" Jehan inquired returning to the chair, "I just didn't know if computer interfaces had spouses."

"Well, sir, I am not programmed to-"

"IT'S just Gideon!" Rip interrupted her, "She likes to speak her mind sometimes, sorry about that."

Jehan took his first sip of Earl Grey and smiled, "This is just how I imagined it."

"I'm glad you like it!" Rip smiled, "Now for the bigger and more important question. What year of London would you like to see?"