Chapter 27 #2
“A fair one. Knowledge, like you said. We did save your life you know.” Stella took slow steps around Anna. “We were talking on the ride over here about that baby in your belly, Leo and I. So many more lives could be saved with more knowledge.”
“Yeah, and?” Anna said. “I already agreed to whatever medical testing. I can share whatever you want to know about Earth.”
Stella kept circling. A flash of a smile came and went.
“No. No . . .” She said. “You know the basics of the neurochip plan from Atlas here. That is something you can help with. What if. . ." She stopped walking. "In return for staying here, getting to play house, you let us use the implant when the baby is born?”
The entire area erupted. Nora and Atlas were yelling in protest. Anna’s ears rang. No. Not her. Not my baby.
“I’m overseeing her medical care.” Atlas’s voice was heated. “That is not up for discussion.”
But Stella cut across him, “This isn’t strictly a medical concern, Atlas. Your input isn’t needed.” She reached back, nudging Leo. “Right? That would help? We could learn so much.”
“Yes.” Leo finally spoke in a low, calculated voice. “Yes, it would.”
“No!” Atlas yelled between them. “The baby is completely innocent, Stella!”
“Relax; nothing would harm her.” Stella rolled her eyes. “Leo here has a working model. I want insurance. I want to make sure we have something to use if you humans go . . . feral . . . again.”
Time fractured and stood still. Anna’s ears began to ring. The words Stella was saying didn’t make sense. My baby? Sweat gathered on her back. Her baby girl. The voices around her dropped to a buzz. Her innocent baby kicked under her hand.
What could she do? She had a moment where she imagined the life her daughter would have.
Controlled. Not her own. Living trapped.
Like she did for so many years with Paul.
Panic rose, choking her. The baby kicked under her hand again.
There has to be something I can do. I’m the only one who can protect her. What can I say?
Anna swallowed, nausea rising. She couldn’t throw up here.
Not now. She forced herself to take deep breaths.
The helpless feeling she’d had almost her entire life began to creep in.
The inability to do anything for herself.
And earlier—she said she wasn’t going to be kept, but what could she really do? She nibbled her lip, rubbing her belly.
She looked across the gathering. Stella and Atlas were arguing but the other androids, the Stella clones, watched her with detachment. They didn’t care. They were watching her like a show.
Her hands shook. Think. Anna. Think. She crossed her arms over her stomach. I have someone I need to protect now. Her baby needed her.
If they didn’t want her memories or her work, what could she offer? The answer solidified slowly. A trade.
Myself. She shuddered. I’ll trade myself. If her baby could be free, she would do whatever it took.
She closed her eyes, trembling in place. She could trade her baby as the subject for herself. She pressed in on her stomach, harder.
That’s how it always was, wasn’t it?
Nobody in life ever gave you something nice without expecting something in return.
Arguments continued around her, Atlas and Nora going toe to toe with the others.
“Atlas?” She put a hand gently on Atlas’s side. “Is the neurochip safe for adults?”
“Why?” He pulled back, grabbing both her arms. “Anna? You can’t possibly be thinking of doing this?”
“Please answer.”
“Yes.” His eyes took on a worried, assessing look. “The neurochip suppresses intense emotions through the nerves. No long-term effects. But . . .”
But Anna only halfway heard the answer. Instead, her gaze became fixed over Stella’s head. I’m not going to be kept. I’m not going to stay in that facility. I’m not going to let them put me or my baby in that glass box.
“Okay,” she heard herself say, “I’ll make a deal with you, Stella. If it is only monitoring, and doesn’t control anything other than that anger, and you’ll let us stay here . . . I’ll do it. Not my baby, but me. That’s the trade.”
That stopped everyone cold.
“What?” Atlas stuttered. His face was slack.
“If you need data I’ll give it. If you want to monitor everything about my pregnancy, I’ll do it.” Blood pounded in her ears and she pointed at the little warehouse. “But in return you need to leave us alone out here to live.”
“Oh.” Stella had a calculating gleam in her stare. “But we want the baby.”
Like Hell Stella was getting her baby. Over Anna's dead body.
“I’m pregnant,” Anna said. “I’ve got hormones going every which way. I know that has to be interesting to you. Plus, I’m willing to do it.”
“But . . .” Stella started.
Leo put an arm across Stella’s chest. “Maternal hormonal data would be very helpful.”
“It’s not ideal.” Stella stomped her foot. “Even you said starting from infancy would be the best way to integrate everything.”
“You aren’t getting my baby!” Anna said. “Forget that, right now. I’ll ship myself back to Earth before that happens. This is what I’m offering. And if you want to see a fighting human, I’ll fight you every day if you try to mess with my baby. Forget any dreams of . . . of . . . integration.”
Anna stood her ground. The androids around Stella all stiffened, moving in a freakish unison.
“I’m offering myself. It’s either this or nothing.
I’m willing to cooperate. The deal is for me, only.
You will get willing data on us out here, doing our own thing instead of in your human area. Take it or leave it.”
“Anna.” Atlas’s hand was gentle on her arm again, steadying her. “Stop. You don’t have to do this.”
“I do.” She wiped tears away. “Fuck it, Atlas, I do. I need to protect my baby.”
No one spoke for a minute. Anna forced herself to keep her head high, eyes on Stella.
“Maternal data is very valuable. It is a middle ground even.” Leo gave Anna a calculating look. “You’re more impressive than I thought.”
“But even you said infancy would be ideal.” Stella’s eyes bulged. “Don’t forget, that baby has half the genetic code of a violent man.”
Anna crossed her arms. “I am the first pregnant human you’ve had here on Mars for years. You haven’t had a chance to get any real-life data on pregnancy with this chip before. You’ll never get this data willingly again.”
“So what?” Stella snarled. “You’re almost ready to give birth. That’s hardly a few weeks of data.”
Atlas put a steadying hand on her shoulder. “Anna . . . you don’t—“
“No!” Anna whirled around, shaking off his arm. “I’m tired of other people speaking for me!” She balled her fists, turning back to Stella. “Then after. I’ll keep wearing it. You can get all my brain scans after.”
Silence stretched before Leo answered softly, “This is acceptable for me.”
“No!” Stella stamped her foot again. “This is not enough!”
“Actually, it is.” Leo tilted his head. “Listen over the connection; there is a consensus. Our colony is in agreement with this plan.”
“They decided already?” Stella took a step back, closing her eyes.
Anna didn’t dare look away. All the androids now had their eyes closed, listening to whatever internal signal they all shared, reminding her of the radio stations all synced up at home.
Whatever. She straightened her back. It didn’t matter.
If they all agreed, then whatever they decided as a unit or judged about her didn’t matter.
She wasn't budging.
“Fine,” Stella spat out a second later. “I can’t believe they agreed that easily.”
They agreed? Relief poured over Anna. Agreed. Accepted. They could stay. Leo looked pleased, Stella irate. All her sister clones turned their backs, talking with one another out of ear shot. Atlas hung back, shocked.
She won. A crappy contest, sure, but she still won. This could be their home. Slowly a grin crossed her face.
“Don’t be so pleased. We need to watch you,” Stella said. “The deal is not just for this data. You also need to come in for check-ins. Like the dinners.” She turned to Nora and Tilly. “All of you.”
The thought of more dinners made her stomach turn. “Not me.” Anna said softly. “I’ll come once the baby is here and everything is settled, but until then I want to stay here and rest.”
"Agreed," Leo said, before Stella could talk.
“We’ll go,” Nora snarled. “If Anna is making a deal, then we will too.”
Stella regarded her coolly. “That’s the least you can do.”
Anna put a hand on Nora, holding her back.
“Fine.” Stella reached out her hand. “On the condition that you do not tamper with any of the data, you have a deal.”
Anna reached out her hand and put it in Stella’s. She shivered at the contact, at the cool perfection.
“Deal.” Anna smiled at Nora. “In return, this is now our home.”
The silence around them was deafening. The androids didn’t say a word. Anna couldn’t twist her head to look at Nora. Not while her hands shook and she needed to stand and be brave. And that damn nausea was back . . .
Stella finally twisted her head. “Perfect. Now that it’s settled, Atlas? Can you come back with me? Get the supplies? It looks like we have a plan now.”
“No.” Atlas’s voice was feral. “I’m not taking any orders from you, Stella.”
But Anna held up her hand and looked at him dead in the eyes. “Atlas. Don’t fight this. Please. If you ever believed that I have a voice, then please . . . I am choosing this.”
Atlas fanned out his arms. He stepped in front of Anna forcefully. “This is medically unethical. Anna is eight months pregnant; everything is fragile.”
“Enough.” She touched his blue sweater. “You said not to sell myself short.”
“I didn’t mean it like this.” He dropped his voice. “Not to encourage you to sacrifice yourself.”
“It’s not a sacrifice; it’s protection.”
Atlas’s face contorted and smoothed.
“Atlas . . . please.”
Anguish crossed his expression as his eyes darted between hers. Finally, he dropped his head. “Fine. But I’m going to be the one that puts it on you.” He looked up at Stella. “I don’t want you touching her at all. And I’m in charge of the data.”
“You?” Stella said. “I think you’re too biased to handle the data.”
“Sterling then,” he bit out. “But I’m in charge of her health. I’m her doctor, after all.”
Anna felt a lump in her throat. “Thank you, Atlas.”
Finally, he seemed to unfreeze as he took her hand. “Alright.”
She squeezed back, then let go to turn back to her little warehouse. To where she bought her daughter’s freedom.