Chapter 20
Chapter twenty
Atlas
Atlas opened the human area’s door. It had taken him a few minutes to find something comparable to crackers—the main bulk of manufacturing they did was for the ration bars for the Earth drops or the pastries that the androids themselves liked to consume.
But finally he had found some bread, bagels actually, that seemed adequate enough.
He knew from the live feeds that Anna had moved to the common area of the room, watching the television to wait for him. But he didn’t know her eyes had closed until he approached. “Anna?”
She jolted upright. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. Did you fall asleep out here?” He held up his bag. “Do you still need some food?”
“Maybe. Thank you for coming.” She stretched. “I was resting my eyes; my stomach was too off to sleep.”
“Here, I’ll help you to bed, and then try to eat some of this bagel.” He clicked off the television.
“Alright.” Anna slowly stood. “I saw another of you on the feed, talking about dia-beet-us.”
“On the television?”
“Yes. Not you, but another you. Your model. Not as handsome though, don’t worry.” She coughed in her palm as her cheeks reddened.
His entire chest area warmed. “Oh. You don’t have diabetes. Not even gestational diabetes.”
“Well, good!” She quickly laughed. “Because I don’t have any idea what that is.”
Atlas fell into step beside her back down the hall. “It has to do with your blood and how you manage sugar.”
“Oh.” She flashed him a half grin. “Well, I never had enough sweets to manage before, so it makes sense I don’t have it.”
Not exactly. But he didn’t explain any more.
She was walking like a wilted flower, yawning on the way.
He shadowed her to the room she had claimed, sitting at the chair by the desk while she settled on the bed’s edge.
Then he handed her the bagel. “Here. This was the simplest carbohydrate I could find.”
“Thank you.” Her fingers immediately began to pick small bites off. “I didn’t see you earlier, at dinner. Will you not eat with us?”
Does she want me there? He calculated his response. “I was catching up with others, but I can come to the next one.” While she ate, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small green tube. “Put a little of this on your face for that sunburn, alright? It’s plant-based. Aloe vera.”
She snorted, between bites. “Of course it’s plant-based.”
“The best remedies always are.”
She took the tube. “I believe you there.”
Warmth settled in his processors. Over the years, these rooms had been filled with other residents, but they never felt alive to Atlas.
They were the same four walls with a bathroom attached as before.
But now they contained Anna, picking at a bagel and humming the diabetes commercial jingle.
He preferred her humming the nursery rhymes instead.
“Actually.” She took a deep breath, then she set the bagel aside. “Can I ask you something?”
Atlas’s sensors sharpened. He knew from Clara, long ago, that when a human female asked that question, in that tone of voice, it warranted caution. “Yes, you can ask me anything, Anna.”
“Are we not wanted here?” Her voice was small. “Really?”
A muscle twitched in Atlas’s cheek. “The majority are happy you are here.”
“It doesn’t feel that way. The androids, they watch us all the time. And that talk about the chip . . .”
He noted the frown on her face. I’m not answering right again. She had a real question and I’m dismissing it. “You’re right. There are disagreements.”
“Okay.” Anna leveled him a look. “Please answer me. Without sugarcoating it.”
Honesty. He sighed. “There are those who are confused by you.”
Anna rose up, sitting straight. The pillow next to her fell on the floor. “And those people think that we need something extra? The neurochip? They want to put it in me?”
“Yes. Well, on you. There’s an external version that needs to be tested.”
She pushed the bagel aside. “Simon would never let them do that to Nora or Tilly.”
Not just them. Atlas leaned forward. “No one should let them do it to you either.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What would it even do?”
“As it is designed, it suppresses any aggressive thoughts or emotions. Sort of a nervous system override.”
Her nose scrunched up. “Why?”
“Because of our past. Humans were not kind to us. At all. There’s fear that we need an extra level of protection from them if we are to start becoming more involved.”
“Oh. I can . . . yeah. I can see why they’d want that,” she said. “But I’m not going to hurt anything.”
His processors clouded. She understands? “But it’s not just for you. They’ve been talking about your baby, actually.”
“My baby?” The sharp inhale from Anna made the bed shake. “Why?”
Atlas paused before answering. “Well, the baby is unknown. They worry about violence and who the father is.”
“Oh.” Her voice grew really small. “Paul is the father. I worry about that too. But you know, Tilly’s dad was like Paul.
Nora left when she was pregnant too. We don’t work like that.
It’s more how we are brought up.” Anna’s eyes moved back and forth rapidly.
“My baby is going to be like me. I just know it.” She popped the lid on the aloe vera and began applying the gel to her face. “She has to be.”
Atlas watched, letting the moment soften.
Until she looked up at him, straight in the eyes, while rubbing her face with the gel. “I don’t want it.”
“The lotion?” He reached out to take the tube. “It is aloe vera.”
“No!” She shook her head. “The chip. Whatever it is all the androids have been sneaking around talking about. Atlas. I don’t think we need anything like that. I know there are bad humans out there.” She ran her hands down her arm. “Trust me, if anyone knows, I do. But we aren’t all bad.”
A part in Atlas’s processor sparked. He started to reach for her hand and stopped. “I know, Anna.”
Her voice broke. “Do you really think we need something like that?”
“No, Anna.”
She quickly looked down, wiping at her eyes. “Good.” She took a deep breath. “Good. Good.”
“I might have before I met you, but now I do not.”
“Why?” The barest hint of a grin started. “Did you realize I’m wonderful at everything?”
“Ah.” Atlas rapidly processed. “I’ll agree you’re wonderful at baking.”
“Hey!” She smiled softly. “Ouch! Really?”
“No.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, you’re wonderful.”
Anna’s smile widened. Then she pursed her lips looking away. That heartbeat of hers, picking up.
He tugged on his chin, processors now overheating. “I mean, I don’t think you need it because there is something still beautiful about humanity and its imperfections. I don’t want to ruin that.”
“Oh.” Her cheeks flushed. “Sweet talker.”
“Is it sweet talking if it’s the truth?”
“Still is to me, but . . .” She lowered her voice. “Hey, Atlas? You’re my doctor. So you’re in charge of me, right? Not Sterling?”
“Sterling was planning on taking over, but if you want, I will be.”
She visibly relaxed. “Good. Good.”
Something about Sterling scares her? Over all these years, Sterling had been one of the few constants in his life. Like Zero and his model’s counterparts, he and Sterling usually thought along the same lines. “Do you not like Sterling? He wanted to meet with you in the morning, actually.”
Anna visibly shook, then straightened her back. “I saw the humans, the ones in the back room.”
Atlas’s processors whirled. He pulled up his sweater sleeves to help himself regulate better.
Sterling has been very careful with the other humans’ care.
Does she not approve of something? Maybe she is afraid of sickness?
“Those humans are at the end of their lifespans. They are not sick, Anna. You are not in any danger from them. No disease will spread to you.”
“That’s not what . . . it just doesn’t seem right. Something about it seems wrong. I can’t really explain. Like they’re . . .” Her voice lowered. “Like they’re pets being kept alive.”
“Ah.” If he had a heart, it would have sunk. “If it helps, the ones there chose that level of care.”
Anna took a deep breath. “That does help, actually. Maybe we do think differently. I would . . . I would hate that.”
“It scares you.”
“Yeah. I can’t really say why. But it does.” Anna put down the aloe vera and again fidgeted with the bagel. “Atlas? I don’t want to just live here, day in and out. I want to be useful and do something.”
Atlas stilled. “Work? Like you said before.”
“Yeah. I would. I know everything is automated, but if you could tell them. I will too. There has to be something I can do here. Otherwise, I might have been better off staying back on Earth.”
He patted her knee, desperately wanting to soothe her.
Distressed over being taken care of? The same thought that always played on his processors came back.
They are not like the other humans. But .
. . “Give it some time, okay? I’ll stay right outside tonight if you need me again.
But try to sleep. You cannot make rational decisions with a tired mind. ”
Anna stood up. “Yeah, tired, nauseous, and hormonal. Great combination. The bagel helped. I’ll lie down.”
Atlas pulled down the comforter. “Here, I’ll fix your bed.”
She stepped back as he fluffed up the pillows and turned down the comforter. “You do this for all your patients?”
“Only the lucky ones.” His eyes softened. “But you really need to sleep. It soothes my medical side to at least see you try.”
Anna gave him a smile. “Thank you, Atlas.”
“You’re welcome.”
“. . . I mean it.” She reached out and touched the back of his hand. “You made this whole day better.”
Atlas didn’t move, staring at where her delicate, slightly sticky fingertips met his. They touched a minute before he pulled his hand back and made a show of covering her legs with the blanket.
The air conditioning kicked on, stirring up both the sterile air and Anna’s hair.
Meanwhile, his processors spun. They ran so hot that even pushing the sleeves up on his sweater again was not helpful. He knew it earlier, when she first stepped onto Mars, but it was solidified now as her face was covered in aloe vera while eating small bites of the bagel and rubbing her belly.
I’m not intrigued. I’m attracted. And that feeling is not going away. He shifted uncomfortably on the edge of her bed. What a complication. Thirteen was right. They were exotic, but that wasn’t really why . . . “You’re a good person, Anna. I’ve let the other androids know that.”
Anna ducked her head at his praise. Her cheeks reddened even further under the aloe vera gel. “I thought you said I’m wonderful.”
“That too.”
Atlas watched her, processing her reaction.
The heartbeat picking up, but this time he knew for sure it wasn’t from fear.
His eyes softened further. This is another complication.
Especially as he now knew that he was starting to feel the same—despite his resistance.
Maybe her calling me handsome earlier wasn’t a joke at all.
His eyes traveled over her form from top to bottom. The heat pattern that he could sense grew stronger. Is she even aware that her body is reacting this way?
Because Atlas was aware. Ethical boundaries were being flagged and brought to his attention the longer he watched. He shifted away. How do I even approach this?
This wasn’t like the hospitals he worked in on Earth.
He had no company protocols to really adhere to.
No standards he needed to uphold at all.
But this was a temptation. Only this time, this was something he could choose instead of being pressed to accept.
His eyes roved over her face, which was a mess from the gel and still running hot.
He stood once she finished the bagel. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Alright. Goodnight.”
Atlas left the room. Instead of returning to his quarters, he sat heavily on the couches in the main hall. Surveillance be damned.
Waiting to serve. But the thought rang hollow. Was it waiting to serve? Or waiting to help?
Regardless, he put himself into a stasis and conserved his battery. He sat there the rest of the night, resisting the urge to turn on the televisions in the common room to watch his old family movies. Waiting. Just waiting. Until morning.