The room that we found ourselves in was a combination conference room and lounge, and was almost as big as the bridge. A large, elliptical table surrounded by padded chairs dominated the center. Like the chairs in the bridge, these were low to the ground with short seats but long backs. Several workstations sat in alcoves along the periphery, alternating with what had to be couches. They were long enough to accommodate the taller Gen, making them luxuriously oversized for humans. The walls featured the same blank finish that characterized the active-display areas in the bridge, a sort of semitranslucent white enamel.

At the narrow end of the room was a door that no doubt led to the central elevator and hallway, with what appeared to be bathroom doors on either side of it.

At one point around the periphery, instead of a workstation, the designers had placed a long counter with a sink, cupboards, and what looked like appliances. The finish on the cupboard doors, while not wood, did have a kind of grain. I eyed this space for only a moment before pulling a thermos, some cups, and several bags of snacks out of a carryall and placing them on the counter.

The most important detail, though, was that the conference room had lots of space for our needs. We wasted no time spreading out on the large central table.

Nat parked in one of the chairs and set down her laptop. “Uh, Sheldon, are these chairs adjustable at all?”

“Buttons on the left, beside the seat. But don’t expect miracles. They are designed for beings seven feet in height, not someone less than—”

“Sheldon!” I interjected. “You really don’t want to go there.”

Nat grinned at me for a moment, then looked up. “Thanks, Sheldon. I’ll take what I can get.” She reached down, and with a slight whirring sound, the chair began to rise.

Soon Nat was at an acceptable working height. She popped open her laptop. “I’m going to review my filters, and widen the parameters a little bit, just in case I accidentally ruled out something interesting.”

“Uh, Nat? No internet?”

She replied with an expression of exaggerated weariness, “I downloaded my dataset, Jack. Don’t try to teach Grandma Nat how to suck eggs.”

Nat was easily as smart as me, so trying to second-guess her was a losing game. “Right,” I said. “We’ll re-review the videos and pics.”

Patrick and I had taken a break and were lying down on the oversized couches when Sheldon announced, “Saturn is now showing a significant disk. We will be in orbit in a half hour.”

Nat slapped her laptop closed with a whoop. “About damned time. I know more about businesses and associations in Taft County than I ever, ever, ever wanted to know.”