Lidda was totally unprepared for what she found on awakening the next morning. Data strings rolled casually through her mind as easily as writing her name. It was probably the closest thing to a religious experience she had ever had. There was no need to comment on her newfound powers, as she knew her every thought was known to Widhbo. Still, she didn't feel ready.

“I don't trust myself to do this, and I'd really appreciate it if you came with me today," Lidda said.

"Ridiculous. Your programming is flawless," Widhbo said. "But I'll come along if you insist."

"Thanks, Widhbo."

Widhbo teleported to the leather pouch as she was heading out the door. Lidda went straight to the lab and got to work. She could hardly type fast enough to keep up with volume of material trying to escape from her head. Too bad she couldn't just jack in and download everything. Of course, that was exactly what she was programming the android software to be able to do. They must be able to upload and transmit all the information gleaned from their humans in a few seconds. Widhbo did this all the time and must consider it a basic skill for any magiton.

"I'm really just a human interface being used to get the job done, aren't I?" Lidda asked telepathically.

"Essentially," Widhbo said. "You are being recorded on the security cameras and they will see you working in the lab month after month to create the program for new android line."

"You could do the programming yourself," Lidda surmised. "It's Hal you really need to do the hands on work in the engineering lab."

"True. But Hal insisted we name the project after you," Widhbo said. "You should get back to work. On camera it looks like you're goofing off. Just pretend I'm not here."

"No. It looks like I'm thinking, which any normal person would be doing occasionally." All the same, she turned back to the keyboard with a new intensity. Widhbo could be so irritating Lidda almost wished she had let him stay in the apartment. She became so absorbed in her work; she hardly noticed the Professor as he came in the room until he spoke.

"Good morning Lidda."

She sat upright with a jolt and turned toward him. "Oh, good morning Professor."

"I didn't mean to disturb you. Just checking to be sure you have everything you need."

"I do, thanks." Lidda said. "We've already ordered the new computer software I asked for."

"What about the hardware?"

"Yes, the engineering department has it covered and is making the new chips we need. Hal's fantastic and has anticipated many of the requirements for my job."

She hoped the Professor wouldn't notice the new boards would be far beyond what was needed for the simple domestic functions she had discussed with him in her interview.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Conner is today?" Lidda asked. "I assumed he would be here."

"He's training in his replacements this morning," Gliedan replied. "I didn't realize how many robots it would take to replace all the functions he performs."

Lidda nodded. "That doesn't surprise me, actually. Conner is quite talented."

Gliedan was glancing over her shoulder in a casual manner, but with a subtle intensity which told Lidda he was evaluating her progress. She had been rather prolific and had almost finished the first program outline. Had she known he was going to scrutinize her work, she would have gone slower and decided it was best to downplay the speed of her accomplishment. "These are some ideas I have been working on since last summer. What do you think?"

"Oh, I'm not much of a computer person Lidda. It all looks like a foreign language to me." Gliedan said in a self-deprecating manner. He avoided her gaze and wandered over to another lab station where some connector cables and housing lay waiting to be assembled. "I'm really just an administrator who hires people like you who know all the techie stuff. I assess the marketability and manage the overall direction of our research based on consumer needs."

Lidda wasn't buying it. Reddge had told her enough to know Gliedan's level of understanding far exceeded marketing. "I hope to be able to give you a demonstration when the first android rolls off the assembly line next spring."

"Will it take that long? It looks like you are ahead of schedule," Gliedan said returning to look at her program screen again.

"I like it that way," Lidda replied and hoped he wasn't growing suspicious. "I want to anticipate any modifications which might be needed in the hardware. I can change the software much easier than Hal can change the interface."

"Your talents were not exaggerated. I must admit I was skeptical," Gliedan said with a warm smile of approval.

"Understood. I appreciate your taking a chance on me, Professor."

"Well, I'm keeping you from your work. Glad to have you with us, Lidda," Gliedan said. He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and left.

"How superficially charming he is," Widhbo commented.

"Not something you will ever be accused of," Lidda said and smiled to herself. "I thought it went rather well."

"Be careful when you're around him, Lidda. Gliedan's a sneaky one."

Less than an hour had passed when she heard a piercing alarm go off. Hal apparently had been nearby as he appeared before the first wave faded.

"Log off. We have to get out," Hal said with a worried look. He picked up a circuit board prototype lying on a worktable and pocketed it as he waited for her to close out her program.

"Why? What's going on?"

"That's an evacuation siren," Hal explained. "There's been a bomb threat detected somewhere in the building."

"I hope this isn't a daily occurrence. How am I supposed to get any work done?"

"Come on Lidda, it may be real." Hal took her elbow and urged her along, navigating the maze of hallways to the stairwell. They followed the emergency exit signs and headed toward an exterior door of the building.

"I set it off." Widhbo announced suddenly to them both telepathically. "The security system recognized my core activity and confused it with a bomb mechanism.”

"How?" Lidda asked. "Why not yesterday?"

"Gliedan must have installed a new security upgrade," Hal mused. "That would do it. I checked the sensors before you arrived, and they weren't sensitive enough to detect Widhbo then."

"Great. Now what?" Lidda asked. "What would have caused him to suspect anything?"

"Not sure," Hal said, “Widhbo, teleport back to Lidda's apartment and lay low. It'll be ok."

"Might teleporting set off the sensors too?" Lidda asked glad they were able to speak telepathically. Other students were crowding the hallway as the approached the exits.

"It could, but the alarm can’t go off again while it's still going off. Hurry Widhbo," Hal urged.

"I'll tap into the security system when I get there and introduce a little glitch in that new system." Widhbo said before leaving. "Should keep them busy troubleshooting for a while."

* * *

The alarm was cancelled, and everyone was allowed back inside after half an hour. When Conner came back to work later that day, Lidda asked him about the alarm. "What caused the siren to go off, if not a bomb?"

"They don't know yet. Professor Gliedan has all the technicians busy sorting out bugs in the new security system," Conner said. "He seemed very unhappy. I wouldn't want him shouting at me like that."

Apparently Widhbo's trick had worked. Widhbo was right about Gliedan. He could be a problem and Lidda resolved to steer clear of him whenever possible. Following the bomb threat fiasco, Widhbo stayed in the confines of their suite and seemed quite content.

Lidda was often invited to dine with Gliedan, Hal, and other staff members. She had noted nothing unusual in their casual conversations, which were nothing like her first private interview. Professor Gliedan had asked her not to discuss the Kandell Project with anyone other than Hal and himself.

Growing accustomed to the new routine of life at Provendor, Lidda lost herself in the project. She hadn't heard anything from Reddge or Casra. After a couple of weeks, she ventured to ask Hal, but the Tollsuns had not been in touch with him either. He told her their absence was not unusual, no reason to worry. Hal's company was a big comfort to her, and she saw him almost every day in the course of their work.

Even at the speed Lidda was going, the magiton program was immense and she double checked every line of code. It took several more months to complete the programming and it was nearly spring before she was finished. She still needed to trouble shoot her work. Any mistakes could be disastrous, and she always worried that she might introduce human error into an otherwise perfect system.

Lidda was analyzing the final details of her project over a simple breakfast in her apartment when Widhbo interrupted her thoughts.

"There are some things I don't like about Professor Gliedan."

"I'm not a fan either," Lidda said. "He's nice enough to me, but I've seen the way he treats other staff. Why bring it up now?"

"I didn't mention it because it might have interfered with your concentration. I wanted you to be free to focus on your work these past months."

You don't have to protect me, Widhbo," Lidda said, anxious to know more about Widhbo's concerns. "The programming is finished so, enlighten me."

"I know, and you have performed marvelously."

"Like a trained seal in a circus?"

"Even better!"

"What about the professor then?"

"He doesn't seem trustworthy. I noticed it on the first night we arrived at your interview. Without a chip I have trouble scanning his deeper thoughts, but he is hiding something."

"What would he need to hide?" Lidda asked.

"I've been researching his files and following some clues. He's up to something. It's all coming together now and I should be able to support my suspicions with hard facts by the end of the day."

"I don't want anything interfering with our project. Hal and I have put too much work in on this, Widhbo," Lidda said finishing up her breakfast and preparing to leave. "Please let me know immediately if you find something important."

"I can only contact Hal 'immediately.' His chip is synched with our communication hub. Since you grew your own chip, you are not in the loop. Our computer system here isn't secure and the immense quantity of steel in this building blocks my telepathy to a large extent making it unreliable."

"I meant, don't wait for months."

"I know what your meant."

"Is it my imagination or do you get more contrary every day?"

"Don't worry about me, Lidda. Concern yourself with Gliedan "

"I'll see you tonight, Widhbo," she said shaking her head in frustration. Lidda kept her guard up throughout the day but noticed nothing unusual. She decided to speak with Conner covertly and found him in the supply area

"How well do you know Professor Gliedan, are you around him very much?" Lidda asked. "He seems a hard person to get to know and I have to wonder if he's telling me everything. I notice he looks worried a lot recently."

"I'm not sure if I can help. I have more contact with his clients, Miss Lidda."

"What sort of clients does he have?"

"All sorts, not only from here but around the world. Novaland appears to have a diverse following."

"Are they visiting professors, academics?"

"Some are. Others are domestic buyers or foreign contractors seeking to upgrade their technology and infrastructure. We do some work for the government as well. The Kandell Project is classified of course."

"Has anyone taken an interest in my work, who might be from the government?"

"I wouldn't know, Miss Lidda. I'm not privileged to any information in that area."

"I'll be honest with you Conner, if you can keep a secret." She wasn't sure how to appeal to a robot's integrity. But she needed an ally whom Gliedan wouldn't suspect. On the other hand, she hoped Gleidan wasn't spying on her through Conner. She would have to be discreet.

"Absolutely Miss Lidda. You will find I am quite loyal and dependable."

"I want to know if there are any threats to our project. Local, foreign or perhaps even inside our own walls."

"I did have some security duties as a doorman. If my access code is still operative, I could check on a few things for you. Now that you mention it, since I am working in the lab, Professor Gliedan has assigned a perfectly witless automaton to security. It can hardly tell the time of day, much less screen for Gordaylians."

"Gordaylians? Who are they?"

"Traditionally they controlled a remote section of Eurasia but have been gaining power recently and annexing a lot of territory. Now they have refused to sign on to the new treaty."

"The Transoceanic Treaty?"

"Yes. They aren't allowed in the country now as we have broken off all diplomatic relations. On occasion they have tried to make business transactions with Novaland posing as legitimate trade partners. NORAM considers them a hostile power. Sorry, but I don't have much more in my data bank about them."

"That's okay. World politics was never a big interest of mine," Lidda said realizing that wasn't entirely true. "What is NORAM?

"The North American Federation. It was formed to thwart any situation seen as a common threat to collective interests of the member nations long ago. It hasn't needed to do much since we have enjoyed so many years of peace."

"Find out what you can Conner and keep it between us. Or if I'm not available you can tell Hal. You can share any information with him as we both have a lot invested in making sure this project doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"Absolutely. I am glad to help. I just love working with you and Master Hal," Conner said. "I'm afraid when your project is completed, I'll have to go back to my old job."

"I'll do my best to prevent that," Lidda said, and to cement his loyalty. "I see you as a permanent member of our team."