Ethan's expression darkened. Blackie, that rascal, was getting greedier by the day, and his demands were piling up one after another.
'If it weren't for you blurting out Bongo's secret just now, I'd have already beaten you black and blue', he cursed silently.
Shatterstar's voice chimed in, seeking his authorization about Blackie's newest request.
"Are the materials enough?" Ethan asked aloud. He might have been irritated, but he wasn't the sort to shortchange his comrades.
[Insufficient!]
The mechanical response was blunt, just two words.
"Then why bother asking?" Blackie snapped, glaring.
Ethan gave a wry smile. If the materials weren't there, then the whole question of proceeding was pointless. Shatterstar's logic circuits still couldn't compare to a human's common sense. Even if he had agreed, Shatterstar would have likely returned with: Insufficient materials, unable to manufacture.
But then the system spoke again, its tone carrying a trace of something more deliberate.
