"It arrested my attention, yes, sir," Starbuck admitted.
"The hours are long and lonely in the vaults of space, Ben. A man needs
a variety of interests to occupy himself. I have recently taken up the
ancient art of tattooing."
"Surely not recently, sir. You seem quite advanced."
"You're too kind."
The captain escorted Starbuck to the chamber of the brain, discussing
tattooing animatedly. He told how it was popular with ancient mariners
on the seas of Earth. He discussed the artistic significance of the
basic forms--the Heart and Arrow, the Nude, the Flag. He didn't stop
talking and button his shirt even after they entered the cybernetics
room.
As the captain grasped for his second wind, Starbuck turned to the
machine. "I'm here, Calculator."
The lights patterned words with a speed difficult to follow.
REDUNDANCY. CANCEL. ANALYSIS: SOCIAL MORE. I SEE THAT YOU ARE HERE. IT
IS GOOD THAT YOU ARE NOT THERE OR ELSEWHERE, BUT THAT HERE YOU ARE.
HERE ARE YOU.
Starbuck shifted his weight to the other foot. "Yes, I'm sure here all
right."