He groaned and messaged his forehead. “I'd think better without these headaches.”
“I can bring you pain pills.”
“I know. I only get them when I've been straining to see too long.” He sagged back against the cushions. “I could go back to my room. All my stuff is there, and I have a shower.”
“And that solves our problem how?”
“At least it doesn't add to it.”
We sat in silence. I was useless with my limited computer knowledge. Besides knowing how to turn it on and off...
“Logan, what would happen if we turned the network off.”
“Nothing. You can't just switch it off. It's impossible.” He straightened. “I see what you're getting at. Hmm...” Drumming his fingers on his chin, he got that distant mind crunching look on his face. “We could disconnect each life system and operate them manually. Except...”
“What?”
“We don't know how to operate those systems manually.”
“Aren't there instructions?”
“Even if we could access the computer, there aren’t any instructions on the network. After the damage to the Transmission, I searched for them and found nothing. Which makes sense, if something happens to the network, you don't want your operating instructions lost as well.”
“Would they be written down somewhere? Or on disks?”
“Ink on a wipe board would fade over time and I couldn't find any disks with the information. Unless they're packed away in one of those storage boxes in the Expanse.”
His words triggered another memory. “What would these instructions look like?”
“Diagrams and schematics. Mostly visual step by step guides. Why?”
“Like some of the symbols that show up on your computer screen?”
“They would be similar.”
The walls of the top level of Inside had been filled with diagrams. “Uh...Logan... How do you feel about heights?”
Logan didn’t have a chance to answer because Lamont’s voice squawked in my ear. “Trella where are you?” A nervous tremble tainted her voice.
“Level four. What’s wrong?”
“I have a medical emergency and need your help,” she said with a slight quaver.
Warning signals rang in my head. “Who’s sick?”
“Emek’s appendix is about to burst.”
Which would be a medical marvel since we removed his appendix weeks ago. “Is he stable?”
“No. He won’t lasttwohours. I’m stunned by how fast his vitals turned critical. You have to hurry or we’ll lose him.”
Damn! “I’ll be right there.”
Logan raised his eyebrows, inviting me to explain. How do I tell him two people had forced my mother to call me so they could ambush me when I returned to the infirmary? He would insist on coming along and I couldn’t risk him.
“I need to go help Lamont,” I said instead. “Will you be okay here or do you want to return to your room?”
He considered and I almost screamed at him to think faster.
