SCMR Chpt 17

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==Chapter 17 - Self Configuring Modular Robot==
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"What's that?"
Elizabeth looked up. Sierra was behind her, with Arthur play-shunning them both.
"Stuff." Lizzie said, "I saw it in a book at my grandfather's house."
"but what is it? what's this mean?" Sierra pointed at a symbol Liz had drawn in the sand.
The Kowloonese girl bit her lip. "Grandfather told me if I can make the right answers, I can have Spider Moon for my own when I get old enough."
"So it's a puzzle?"
"Yah. Grandfather says it's the secret that holds everything together for us-I'm not sure I should let you see more."
"Secret? Someone said secrit?" Arthur's feigned disinterest fled like spit on an overheating sink, and he came over.
Lizzie pulled into her self. "Im not s'post to tell."
"Looks lahk'r code. izzit?" Jesse asked, "I mean, with all them numbers an' symbols an' stuff."
"I never seen a code looks like that." Arthur said, "You make it up?"
"I said it was in onna Grampa's books!" Elizabeth snapped stubbornly, "I din't make it up!!"
Penny spoke up, "Teacher's comin!"
"I think you made it up." Arthur challenged her.
"Did NOT!!" Lizzie is second smallest in the group-only Penny's smaller, followed by Jesse, then Sierra. Arthur's taller than the other kids, a mix of nutrition and natural genetics from his parents.
"Did too." he insisted, "Why you don't just say so?"
"Because it's not true!! I did not make it up!!"
'Miss Cynthia' was their main teacher, and the man with her was Doctor Banzai, who even these kids knew was a famous scientist.
"What've we got here?" Dr. Banzai asked, then he froze, "Where did you get that?"
"NOt s'posed to tell." Lizzie sulked.
"No, seriously, where did you get that?"
"Grampa said if I can solve it he's gon' let me have Spider Moon." the young girl admitted, "but I messed up-I'm not s'posta show it to nobody. It's a sekret." she was missing teeth-her adult teeth not yet grown in from losing baby teeth.
"Do you know what it is?" he asked.
"Yah...kinda." She admitted.
"It's the way you tell how much fuel you use up going somewhere." she said, "It's part of the puzzle grampa gave me from Great Auntie Mai's books."
Banzai nodded, "It Is indeed...so your great aunt Mai has more of these?"
"Grampa's liverary." Liz said, then to Arthur, "See? I tole you I din't make it up!"
"So what's a 'spider moon?" Penny inquired.
"It's a place, in my home system." Liz said, "It's neat, but Grampa said if I don't learn how to get there on my own, he's gonna let Henry have it instead, an' stick me with some dumb ole city when he dies, an' I'll never-ever-ever get to be a proper spacer like in the Star Cadet books!!" she fumed a bit, "I'll be just another dumb Dirtyfoot. I'll have to be a business woman and they'll make me wear dresses!!"
"I like wearing dresses, they're nice." Penny chirped.
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