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“It won’t take you long,” her new boss continued “There’s al there Lots of bullshit by overpaid consultants who think they can hide the fact that they don’t actually know anything by talking twice as long”

Bobbie nodded, but the feeling of being in over her head had started to outcoeant Draper cleared to access—” Soren said

“Yes I just cleared her Bobbie? You’re cleared,” Avasarala said right over the top of hi my balls, Soren I’m out of tea”

Bobbie made a conscious effort not to turn around and look at Soren The situation was unco home the fact that he’d just been huner with exactly seventeen minutes on the job

“Yes,whether you should alert the security service about your decision to clear the sergeant They do like to be in the loop on that kind of thing”

“Meo cry meo,” Avasarala said “That’s all I heard you say”

“Yes, ma’am,” Soren said

Bobbie finally looked back and forth between the dressed down in front of a new team member as also technically the eneed He looked like he was hurand sound with her teeth

“Was I not clear? Have I lost the ability to speak?”

“No, ma’am,” Soren said

“Bobbie? Can you understand et out of my office and do your jobs Bobbie, read Soren, tea”

Bobbie turned to leave and found Soren staring at her, his face expressionless Which was, in its way, er would have been

As she walked past him, Avasarala said, “Soren, wait Take this to Foster in data services” She handed Soren what looked like a et it to him before he leaves for the day”

Soren nodded, smiled, and took the small black wafer from her “Of course”

When he and Bobbie had left Avasarala’s office, and Soren had closed the door behind the exhale and smiled at him

“Wow, that ard Sorry about—” she started, but stopped when Soren held up his hand, casually dis,” he said “She’s actually having a pretty good day”

While she stood gaping and looking at him, Soren turned away from her and tossed the memory stick onto his desk, where it slid under the wrapper of a half-eaten package of cookies He sat down and put on a headset, then began scrolling through a list of phone numbers on his desktop tern

“You know,” Bobbie said finally, “I just have so to the data services guy I mean, if you’re busy with other stuff”