Chapter 25 #2
With Nora gone, she wandered back toward the yellow building. It’s sturdy at least. She tapped on the doorway’s frame, her feet on the threshold. Behind her, cows lolled outside while chickens clucked, probably from a coop nearby. Sturdy enough to be a home.
“There you are.” Nora found her back outside a minute later, sitting by the cows. There was dirt streak across the bridge of her nose, and her wispy brown hair formed a halo around her head. “Hmm. Are you thinking what I am, Anna-cakes?”
“Of course.” She elbowed Nora. “You’re in the barn. And I’m in here?”
Nora broke into a smile. “Yeah, we are thinking alike. You could stay in the barn with us though.”
“Not with all that hay. Besides, I want my own space.” Anna reached out and wiped Nora’s nose. The dirt came off easy. “What was Tilly up to? You got dirt all over your face.”
“She was climbing the hay bales and tripped. Simon caught her. She likes it here too.”
Anna snorted. “She can live in a stall.”
“I bet she would like that actually, but there are rooms in that living area to the side. There aren’t any beds though.”
“Well, androids don’t sleep.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “I know that.”
They both turned to look back at the buildings. Nora elbowed her. “What are the androids going to say when we ask to stay?”
“I don’t know.” The smile on Anna’s face faltered. “Do you think they’ll let us?”
“Maybe.” Nora sighed. “They already think we’re wild. That Pearl and Ria would be happy we’re not there too.”
“I guess we’re living up to their expectations then.” Anna pictured Atlas’s face. “What’s Atlas gonna think?”
“Atlas?” Nora elbowed her. “Your Atlas? I think he might put in a good word.”
“Not my Atlas.” Anna ran a hand through her hair. “Besides, he is part of them.”
“Why are you worried about what he might think then?”
Anna felt her cheeks turn red. “He kind of is my doctor, Nora.”
“Ah. Is that it?” Nora wiggled her eyebrows. “Are you sure?”
“Don’t you start!” Anna laughed. She glanced at the dark green machines right above them. “Look above. Drones are there. I bet they already know anyway.”
They were out of place in the sky, at least four of them, hovering. They were green, just like the ones around Earth but without any dust on the sides. A hovering reminder that despite feeling like they were alone, they really weren’t.
Nora waved up at them. “That depends on how much they’re listening in.”
The image of Atlas’s face filled with disapproval morphed into Paul’s sneer. She firmed her shoulders. He’s not here. Neither of them are. I’m making decisions for myself for a change. She bit down on her lip. Hopefully everyone will understand.
And by everyone, she mostly meant Atlas.
“Where’s Simon?” Nora’s eyes whipped around. “We might as well start talking about it then.” She yelled out, “Simonnn!”
Simon came out from the barn a second later, Tilly trotting by his side. “Noraaa?”
“Stop that!” Nora waved him over. “What do you think, Simon?”
His brow furrowed. “About what?”
“Here.” She spread her arms out wide around her. “I have the same feeling I did when I found my little home in the desert. Unless there’s something better nearby, this feels fine. I want to stay here.” She pointed at Anna. “We both do.”
Tilly began bouncing on her feet. She ran up to Nora and pulled on her shirt. “Really? With the cows?”
Nora shook the little girl’s hand in the air. “Yeah.”
Simon’s green eyes sparkled. “I brought you all the way to Mars for you to want to live in a barn?”
“It’s a beautiful barn.”
The mock look of disapproval from Simon was so comical that Anna started to laugh, Nora joining in.
The wind picked up, lifting both their hair and bringing the smell of the cows closer.
A beautiful barn. A beautiful pasture. And the smell they would just have to get used to.
At least it was real and didn’t smell like that awful rain perfume Stella wore.
“Alright, alright.” Simon grinned a second later. “I feel like I need to be the voice of reason. There’s no kitchen or bathroom. These facilities weren’t designed for permanent living.”
“Neither was my home back on Earth. Everything was fine.” Nora said.
Anna glanced back at the buildings. Not many of the homes on Earth had solid walls like these did. “The bigger question is do you think they’ll allow it?”
Amused, Simon threw up his hands. “We will ask. I can build something for a kitchen. There’s running water at least. The other humans don’t want us there, so why not?”
Tilly squealed and threw her arms around him.
“Thank you!” Nora also hugged him. “Thank you! I can get a garden going again too.”
The two of them were hugging Simon tight, Tilly jumping while Nora had her face buried in his chest.
Anna smiled, watching them before turning around. “And me over there?” She pointed to the little yellow outbuilding.
Simon glanced while stroking Nora’s hair. “Alright, Anna. Yes, I can see it. I’m going to have to run you a hose or something though, if you’re going to stay out there.”
Still bouncing at his side, Tilly tugged on his other hand. “There’s enough space?”
“Yeah.” Simon took the little girl’s hand. “Let’s go see how much we have to do before we formally ask.”
They walked off, but Anna stayed with Nora and walked back to the fence with the cows, leaning up against it to take the weight off her belly.
The tension from the walk and the last few days ran through her.
Home. A possible home. Who would have thought on that spaceship this could have been waiting for them?
Nora joined her on the fence. “Look how beautiful it is.”
Anna started laughing. “Yes it is.” She took a deep breath. “I want to live in a freaking warehouse. It’s perfect.”
“That’s a horse too.” Nora pointed in the distance. “Do you think we can ride it? Like in the picture books?”
“Uh . . .” She put her hands on her belly.
“After,” Nora said. “Although maybe bouncing on a horse will get this baby to come out.”
“I could use that now.” She laughed. Then her smile fixed on her face. Her whole body stiffened when she saw a figure behind Nora. The clearing suddenly shrank as Atlas came into view.
“. . . Anna?” He walked towards them, carrying two jugs of water in his hands.
“Hi Atlas,” Anna said. “You came all the way out here?”
“Did I hear from Simon right?” There was uncertainty in his hazel eyes, eyebrows pulled together. “Are you wanting to stay in the barn?”
“No.” Anna pressed on her protruding stomach. “That’s for Nora. I want to stay in the yellow building.”
His brow furrowed further. “What?”
Nora put her hands on her hips. “Is that a problem?”
Atlas gestured behind him to the yellow building. “That work facility?”
“Oh, that’s what it is?” Anna said.
“I’ll go help Simon.” Nora pushed off the fence, a sly grin on her face as she passed Atlas. “You two talk it out. I don’t like being a third wheel. Call if you need me or if he’s getting pushy, Anna.”
A cold sweat broke out on Anna as Nora walked away. Traitor. Then it was just the two of them. She didn’t know what to say. Atlas stood there, looking dumbfounded. The afternoon light reflected off of his hair, softening him like it did the day before at the lake.
Atlas put down the water jugs and came closer. He reached out his fingers, gently touching her arm. “That’s . . . Anna, we have a beautiful area prepared for you. We really should return.”
She closed her eyes, acutely feeling his fingers’ pressure. Her voice was soft but firm. “No.”
Atlas removed his hand. “Anna . . .”
She shrank further. But something in her fought back, and she forced herself to meet his eyes. This felt right. She was not going to be a pet. “No.”
He frowned. “Come again?”
“Here, come look.” She walked back to the work facility, trusting Atlas to follow.
Her gut loosened when she heard footsteps behind her, indicating he did.
Once inside, her eyes roved over the grain storage containers kept there.
She waddled farther in. “Was this storage before? Those little rooms?”
“This front area was for extra supplies.” Atlas touched one of the boxes. “The barn is for the livestock, but those rooms off the main area were if some of us needed to monitor any animal closer for quarantine.”
“Quarantine rooms,” she echoed. And then breathed out, “Or bedrooms?”
Atlas didn’t reply, standing stiffly still in the entrance.
Yeah. It’s big enough. It’s just me and baby girl anyway. Anna lowered herself down to sit on one of the containers. A crib could fit in one of the back rooms with her. Better than that glass medical room.
She forced herself to meet Atlas’s eyes. Her voice started strong, but then got quieter. “I do want to stay here. Can I?”