Chapter 4 #2
He nods to the manupartner. “We’ll continue this discussion later. Your next FRIENDS appointment is tomorrow. How’s your fuel supply?”
The unit opens the closet, which displays a dozen nutrition packets. With his m-volt, he shoots Tommy a quick message to order more before slipping out the door to meet him in the living room.
“Any luck?” he asks. The soundproofing in the unit is so good, he wouldn’t be able to hear the shower. He only knows she hasn’t taken one before today because of the water usage monitoring report all MSP citizens get in their inbox every morning. And her rumpled physical state.
“She’s in the shower.” Right as he’s about to release a sigh of relief, Tommy continues.
“As your personal assistant, I’m obligated to inform you that the poor woman in that room is grieving the loss of everyone she’s ever known.
” Tommy says that last part in a poor imitation of a woman’s voice.
“As she was speaking, I queried DumBot for a more detailed explanation. Trust me when I tell you the experience sounds ghastly! Imagine losing your favorite aesthetician!”
Res6 winces, directing his attention to the particle panes.
She mentioned that. After the seemingly never-ending pain of losing Jerme, he wasn’t too keen to ruminate on the concept of grief, much less to dwell on it.
As far as he’s concerned, he’s done with grief for the duration, so she’s going to have to deal with it on her own, much like he did.
With a thought, the particle panes switch to a sun-kissed meadow with a gentle stream meandering through it.
He takes a moment to observe the sway of the vegetation—
“How am I supposed to do my job if you aren’t even listening to me?” Tommy asks.
The image on the particle panes dissolves abruptly, leaving a view of the roofs of the other A Quadrant towers. The smog is so dense he can only see a few structures beyond the adjacent building. The sight does nothing to settle his discomfort.
He turns to Tommy, who has picked up the remote. While Res6 could simply reanimate the panes with a thought, his assistant is holding the remote with a defiant look that says he is prepared to turn them back off just as quickly.
“I was enjoying that scene,” Res6 says, wincing at the petulance in his voice.
“If you want to keep her nature a secret, you need to take this seriously. She said staying trapped in this unit will not make her happy, so that isn’t an option.
I think encouraging her adaptation is your best strategy.
” Tommy turns toward the empty particle panes, wearing a disapproving expression—likely aimed at him.
“If you’re so concerned, I’ll send her to wage a hostile takeover of your living quarters.”
Tommy chuffs. “Absolutely not. As you’ve mentioned several times, she’s your responsibility.
As your assistant, I’ve done my part. You could have at least shown her how to use the tablet, which I did, along with giving her access to a few harmless chat rooms and some history lessons.
Oh, and she asked about books, so that should keep her occupied for a while. ”
“How was I supposed to know she didn’t know how to use it?”
“She’s from almost four hundred years ago. Computers were a very recent invention back then. Imagine trying to operate your system without your m-volt.” Tommy shakes his head, moving to take a seat at Res6’s desk.
“So now you’re some type of historian?” Res6 prods, only subtly derisive.
Tommy completes the retina scan, logging in to the system using his credentials. A new window pops up. “I’m informed about our history, as it is each NHOS citizen’s responsibility to be.”
He wants to grumble that he doesn’t have time, but that isn’t entirely true. He just isn’t interested in history, and the last thing he needs is to get Tommy started on one of his political diatribes. “What do you suggest we do?” He steps behind the chair Tommy occupies.
Tommy points to the flashing cursor. “You need to do some research. Figure out who she was, so you’ll know what she’s missing.
I’ve thought about it, and she’s right. She’s not an orangutan that you can keep caged as a pet.
She can’t stay in that room forever, so you’re going to have to figure out how to help her integrate into our world. Get her some proper clothing to start.”
“You thought about it in the last five minutes?” he prods, but Tommy only scowls. “She can’t go out in public. We’ll get caught.”
Tommy shrugs. “You could let her be herself, and if anyone asks, tell them she’s a new prototype.
” His pale skin stretches across his fine bone structure as a bright smile erupts.
“Think of her as a marketing campaign! That’s brilliant.
I can’t wait to see the sales figures after you’ve had her out on the town for a few months! ”
“Fine. She’s a marketing prototype. That isn’t a terrible idea.” Res6 flippantly waves a hand. “Anything else?”
Tommy rolls his eyes. “That’s not all. She said she wants to go to the park to sit on a bench and feel the sun on her skin. She said something about vents and talking too.”
“Vents?” he asks.
“How am I supposed to know? People were into strange things back then, like sun worship and home projects.” Tommy holds up a hand like he does when he’s using his m-volt.
He’s probably querying his limited AI assistant, DumBot, again.
A minute later he says, “DumBot suggests taking her to a custom rooftop simulation since roofs have excellent sun exposure and various styles of vents. Request a park bench, safely attached of course, and then the two of you can sit. Perhaps plan some conversation topics for the talking aspect. That should make her happy!”
That all seems feasible . . . and if that’s what she wants, he should be able to get her to the simulation chamber in his building without drawing too much attention. It’s the talking part that gives him pause. “What am I supposed to talk about to a woman from four hundred years ago?”
“I feel that this is getting a little beyond the scope of my job.” He must look so pitiful that Tommy says, “DumBot says try asking her questions and then let her direct the conversation.”
He stops pacing abruptly. “What type of questions?”
Tommy gets up from the desk. “Seriously, sir, you have access to the same limited AI assistant as I do.”
“You haven’t been the one interacting with her. The prospect of talking to her is daunting. She asked me when my last girlfriend was.”
“Why would you have a girlfriend?” Tommy scratches his nose as he inches his way to the exit.
A ping emanates from his pocket, and he fishes out his device.
“Oh, that’s my time for today. You can handle this, right?
” He points to the computer screens as he practically skips to the door. “Research!” he whisper-shouts.
The door shuts behind him, leaving Res6 standing alone in his living room, completely lost.