ref: b9fbb17c04e4ccfb2021dac818e514351ca8f646
dir: /troff/0613.ms/
.LP \& .ce .sp |4.25i .PP .ps 12 .CW ░ The route between Earth and Mars was the same one Tom had traveled a million times during his youth. Going to work with Dad. Coming home with Dad. Going to work with Piro. Etcetera. He reviewed the highlights with K.A.R.L. .PP .ps 12 "Sometimes when I'm bored, I just \fIcount,"\fR Tom said. "It's a pretty long trip, so, sometimes I get up to a pretty high number. I can usually guess pretty well how far we've traveled based on how far I've progressed up the number line." .PP .ps 12 K.A.R.L. stared straight through him. He didn't get this at all. .PP .ps 12 "I guess I just don't have the imagination," K.A.R.L. finally said. "I've never been good with numbers." .PP .ps 12 "Hm," Tom allowed. "Anyway, during the war, Dad wouldn't let me \fItalk\fR during the trip, so I had to come up with my own entertainment. Counting seemed fun, for a while at least." .PP .ps 12 Crickets. .PP .ps 12 Tom wasn't sure if K.A.R.L. had fallen asleep, or what. He waited several minutes, then nudged the mechanical entity, who presently started back to life. .PP .ps 12 "Uh huh, yes, do go on." .PP .ps 12 Tom gave him a look. .PP .ps 12 "You could say I taught myself," Tom continued. .PP .ps 12 "Right, right," K.A.R.L. said. .PP .ps 12 It was a long interview.