Chapter 9: Tonto's Tonto

Sandra's smile was so broad that she appeared to be beaming from ear to ear. Her pixie face was transformed by the great joy she was experiencing. She clung to Rob with one arm, her dad with the other and was calling for Katie to join them in a group hug. "I feel so wonderful, I cannot believe this can be real. Not only do I have my closest family in my arms, but I can sense Tonto and am able to feel and experience each of the three baby girls developing in my womb. Their little brains haven't developed enough yet for them to be aware but their nanites have developed something of a personality for each. Rob, I don't know how we are going to break up into separate teams. I couldn't stand to be away from you or Katie or my dad. The girls need all of us, by the third trimester they will be able to communicate with us and will need our physical presence."

Tonto picked up the thread of the conversation. "Sandra is right, the immediate support group for the babies in the wombs must be the physical presence of mother, father and co-mothers. One thing is certain, at least for the trip to the departure point, part of the Tufts family will have to be split up with some on each ship. Since the Behemoth Bounty only travels at a small fraction of the speed of the Kedah that's going to mean many months apart, long enough for children to be born and then some. May I suggest that before we make the final decisions we bring Val's husband, Dan, and his sister, Maria, into the fold. I also think that all of the women pregnant by Jason and Rob, along with close concubines such as Sara should complete the process."

Val spoke for the first time during the meal, "I know it seems like we are rushing the process of adding new Tonto family members but in fairness shouldn't they be a connected part of the process?"

Rob assumed his leadership role, saying, "I really wanted time to get used to functioning as a connected family before we began expanding and splitting into groups. But I think it is imperative that we get Dan and Maria into the loop as soon as possible and mom is right, the ladies carrying our offspring are as committed as it is possible to be and they must be considered. Tonto, can we gather everyone who needs to be online with us in the medical section, talk it over and then get the process going?"

Tonto asked, "Does anyone disagree?" Since there were no responses Tonto continued. "I'll call the entire assembly, which with the added Naval personnel and their families now totals 189. Rob can give them the outline of the situation so they can begin thinking about forming into teams. We will take those who are going to be asked to join us at once into the medical bay where they can make their choices."

Rob and Val walked into the medical bay after the general meeting broke up. Rob said, "The entire ship's company has been advised of the new developments and there is a great deal of excitement with just a little edge of worry in some expressions. They are going to take the next 24 hours to work toward sorting themselves into teams. They know that Tonto will consult with each team before it is finalized and that there most certainly will be some adjustments. How did it go in here?"

Jason was writing on the white board, listing names and connections. His voice spoke for Tonto, "All seven of the women who volunteered to join us in the pregnancy fast track to full family membership are eager to take this new step. Charlotte Wright-Stoddard and Ben Stoddard are already in med-tubes three and four. Sponsor Carla Pemberton who is carrying Jason's twins is in number five. Dan and Maria are in six and seven."

Tonto continued, "We were waiting for you to return to help us make some decisions about connections before we ask you, Rob, along with Jason and Katie to take the half hour nap to upgrade your organic linking nanites from the human version to the full Observer version that Dr. Scout planted in Val."

Rob asked, "Has anyone stated preferences about unit connections? We understand that the five originals will be split up at least during transit but there hasn't been any discussion amongst ourselves."

"There are some choices," Jason said. "Grandma Val, Grandpa Dan, and Great Aunt Maria all want to be on the same team and they have volunteered to take the slow boat, Behemoth Bounty, out to the transfer point. That will put them a number months behind the Kedah. Grandpa Dan suggested that you, Rob, should be the engineering brains behind setting up our new home planet situation and therefore should go ahead on the Kedah."

Val continued, "Yeah, he thought that the Kedah's crew should not wait at the transfer point but should go ahead and start the process of getting our home world surveyed so we will know where to set down the Naval Air Station when it arrives. What do you think, son?"

"Let me think about that a bit," Rob replied. Tonto, how many adults are we going to have after this first batch of conversions and upgrades is completed? We need to know that to determine the number of teams we want to form."

Tonto replied sub-vocally while sending a picture of the entire group. "I would rather have two teams with some extras than try for three teams and operated short staffed. Of course, we could add four from the main group to make up three teams of seven. That does not seem logical to me. I will be more comfortable with some of the original five on each team."

Rob turned to Ellie and said, "Sweetheart, you and Jason must stay together and I don't want to be separated from Katie for that long and we will want to be with you when the children are born. Tonto," he asked, "Will the Behemoth Bounty team be strong enough with just Val from the original five? I guess it is possible that Jason and Ellie could go with Val which would leave both Katie and me here on the Kedah."