Mar 10, 2354
The backroom of the ship, which rarely changed its outline, was the space that wasn't the cargo hold or the main living area. Its function shifted throughout the day from a meeting room to a relaxation area to a sleeping compartment. Currently, it was a place to sit and talk informally, and all three of them were in there. Rik was off by himself in the corner, practicing his new mental control over programmable matter, building and destroying various shapes. Brenda and Richard were sitting on very different seats - Brenda's was white and utilitarian, while Richard's was deep purple shag and almost like a lieupon. The vague essence of spiced plum pudding filled the room.
Although there was no discernible light source, warm indirect lighting filled the space.
Richard watched with mild revulsion as Enrikk grew a cup of hot cocoa from the palm of his hand and apparently enjoyed drinking it. The process was fascinating, yet repulsive at the same time. He tried to envision programmable matter flowing into his son's feet, carried by his J-cells up to his hand, where it was assembled into a cup of hot cocoa and then reabsorbed back into the ship through his feet after drinking. But despite the logical explanation, Richard could not shake off the alien nature of the process. It was not human, and it reminded him of how much he had lost in protecting his son.
Richard lay back and relaxed on the situpon, appreciating the privacy of their current location. As he gazed out into the vast expanse of space, he reflected on their time in the colonies. "There were some nice things about being there for a little while," he said, "but I've gotten used to the solitude out here. It's nice to be beyond the reach of Janice, you know?"
Brenda turned to face him, briefly considering indulging in his illusions but ultimately deciding that it could be dangerous.
"Richard, I hate to burst your bubble, but there's no privacy even out here," Brenda said, glancing at him searchingly.
"What? How?"
"You know the JANKIs are built by the fabricators, which are operated by Janice interpreting our requests," Brenda said firmly. "And I'm sure they report back to her with a time delay due to the speed of light."
Richard's tone sounded indignant. "I don't remember anything like that being mentioned in the council."
"That's the thing," Brenda said, her voice still firm. "There was no mention of it in the council. We imposed no restrictions against it. But Janice's prime command is always to protect the colonists. It's easy to rationalize that, to do that, she should acquire as much information as she can. And adding a reporting function to each machine, including the JANKIs, is the way to do it."
Richard shifted in his seat and avoided Brenda's gaze as he processed the information. "I hate that you anthropomorphize it."
Brenda sighed. "Whatever. But if you don't believe me, just ask Janice out loud. I'm sure she implemented the function a long time ago - so you'll get an answer tomorrow."
The two of them sat in silence, each considering the implications of their conversation. They knew they could never be alone out here. Only within their own minds were they alone - or so he hoped.
Off in his own little corner of the room, Richard whispered, "Janice, how many sensors do you have on this ship? Answer by laser message."