It was unexpected and it made me drop some inputs. I picked them back up again. I didn’t know what to say, because obviously what I should say was I didn’t think it was you except that was absolutely not true, I had been 96 percent sure it was her.
She continued, “I wouldn’t use the newsstreams like that. If we have to fight about Mensah’s security, we’ll fight, but I won’t undermine you. Since we are actually both on the same side.”
I hate being in this situation, not knowing what to say, and I couldn’t even figure out a query for a search of my media archive for similar conversations because I didn’t even know what kind of conversation we were having. But I didn’t want to look like it had thrown me as much as it had because … I have no idea. The MedUnit was finished so I rolled my pants leg down and said, “I have to meet Dr. Mensah now.”
Indah stepped aside as I climbed off the platform. She wasn’t making an expression anymore, as if maybe she had noticed how uncomfortable I was with the conversation. Which made me more uncomfortable. She said, “I’ll authorize the hard currency card payment for you. And I assume you’re open to another contract the next time something weird happens.”
I paused in the doorway. The expected wave of depression at the idea of ever doing this again had somehow not happened. Huh. I said, “Only if it’s really weird.”
She said, “Understood.”