32. Chapter 32
Chapter thirty-two
Atlas
Atlas leaned against the hover. They had completely unloaded all the supplies earlier, but now it was full again, repacked with storage boxes to bring back to the facility. He sent a wireless request to Simon. “Can we talk? Outside?”
“Yes. One minute.”
Atlas settled in to wait. It was rare that he was out of the facility at night.
As a result, his night sensors were not fully calibrated.
He held his hand out in front of him, focusing.
Overhead, no drones were present, but he scanned for them anyway.
He then sent a security code to keep them away.
It seemed no one wanted to test or push him too far tonight, as they were accepted.
Simon appeared a few minutes later. “You took care of the drones? I felt that.”
He gestured to the open skies. “Yes, for now at least. We can speak freely.”
“Good.” Simon glanced upward, joining him by the transport. “I saw you put the neurochip on Anna already; felt that as well.”
“Yes.” He sighed. “Unfortunately.”
There was so much more Atlas could say, but that was why he had called Simon out here. Now, why did he suddenly not know at all how to start? “. . . I’m having a hard time accepting things.”
Simon leaned on the hover’s side. “Accepting what? Anna’s choice? Or something else?”
“Both.” He ran his hand over his hair. “But mostly—before Anna, my perception of humans was solid. Now everything within me feels like it is being reprogrammed. I’m now in an in-between space.”
“With . . . ?”
“Anna.” The name was almost tacky on his tongue. “I’m interested in her. In more ways than one.” Then, as an afterthought, “You might be the only one that understands.”
“Oh.” A sly grin came on Simon’s face. “Oh, ho ho! Nora thought so! This is great; no wonder you’re helping us so much.”
“Great?” Atlas’s neural mind sparked in confusion. It was like Sterling earlier. The easy acceptance, the acknowledgment that his feelings were valid.
“Absolutely. So, what are you confused about?”
“Everything.” He frowned. “I have never seen a human do something so selfless before. She made that deal to protect her baby. The other androids do not understand.”
“Some probably do.”
“Some, but most really do not. They just think it’s interesting.”
The hover creaked as Simon shifted his weight against the side.
“I figured as much when I first contacted Stella, back on Earth. No one has had much contact with the humans on Earth beyond the drops since the war.” He gestured toward the warehouse.
“They’re different. Some of them are good people. Like Nora. And Anna.”
“She is good, yes.” Atlas was silent a moment. “Can I ask a personal question? That human, Paul. Did he hurt her? She flinches sometimes.”
Simon sighed. “He was mostly controlling.”
“But did he hurt her?”
“Yes. But neither of them like to talk about their lives before much. I think freeing Anna from that man was one of my better moments.” Simon chuckled, flexing his fist. “I guess I did have a little war with the humans all on my own.”
So she was hurt before.
“I knew it,” Atlas snarled. “I’m happy he’s dead. I can’t imagine her still being there, stuck with him.”
In fact, the thought made him see red on his sensors, contrasting with the peaceful farm scene. Rage with nowhere to go, as Paul was already dead. There was nothing you could do to a memory.
“There you go. See?" Simons said. "You care in the right way.”
“If anger is the right way, then yes I do.”
The hover shifted as Simon pushed off its side. He stood directly in front of Atlas and crossed his arms. “Alright, Atlas. I need you to be honest with me.”
“About what?”
“I need to know.” Simon said. “Will this be enough?”
His forehead creased. “Enough for Anna? We are going to fix everything out here for them. They should be comfortable living here.”
“No, not that." He waved his hand. "I’m talking about the deal Anna just made. Will that be enough that we are left in peace? I can see there are secrets being shielded from me. I need the truth.” His voice grew low. “Because my loyalty is with Nora. Where’s yours?”
“. . . With Anna,” Atlas whispered immediately, meeting Simon’s eyes. No hesitation. The rage in his body agreed. If he couldn’t fight Paul’s memory, he could at least fight for Anna’s future.
“Good.” Simon crossed his arms. “So are we in any danger? Stella is acting extremely cagey—I saw her ranting earlier.”
“No. No direct danger. I am unhappy with this monitoring plan, but that is all that has been agreed on.”
Simon glanced upward at the still drone free skies. “It was brave of Anna to volunteer. But I’m hoping her agreeing isn’t a slippery slope.”
“Yes.” His jaw clenched. “I’m worried they’ll push further.”
Simon’s eyes flashed. “With Anna’s baby?”
“They won’t.” Atlas balled his hands. “I will not allow it. It’s completely immoral. After all, the humans born here on Mars, in the colony, were not. We need to raise the baby differently.”
“Exactly. You’ve experienced it with the humans here.” Simon grimaced. “They aren’t violent, but something isn’t quite right with them.”
“Ria, Pearl, and the others are stunted in a different way. Here we spoiled them, almost.”
“You think?" Simon chuckled. "Humans attach and then become shaped as they grow.” He paused. “And I notice it happening with myself too the more I’m around them.”
In the distance one of the drones hovered, slowly inching back into range.
Simon glanced up. “Speaking of nurturing humans, I need to charge some and return to Nora. Today was taxing. You should rest as well. There’s extra space in the barn.
” He tilted his head. “Or, I know of someone who might have space for you as well.”
“Ah,” Atlas sputtered. “I don’t think that is wise yet.”
“Soon then. I think maybe you’re starting to see that is the answer.” Simon clapped him on his shoulder. “I’m glad they have us to help them.”
“. . . I agree.” A sense of rightness settled over Atlas.
Something that couldn’t be exactly quantified with either logic or math.
He lifted his head to look over the distance to Anna’s new home.
Love is like an invisible tether. He felt it tug even now, pulling him towards the small warehouse. “I wish the others could see that.”
“They don’t want to.” Simon sighed. “They’ve blocked me out and aren’t accepting my input.”
“I’m not surprised. Stella is trying hard to control the narrative.” Atlas rubbed his chin. “Since they have discovered I have feelings for Anna, I’m not completely unbiased now either.”
“Alright then. I’ll take my biased self inside.” Simon started to walk toward the barn. “Nora wants to try to work here. I’ll take her to see the cows tomorrow. I know better than to try to dissuade her.”
“Goodnight.” Atlas watched him leave. He knew from the journey over that Simon held Nora every night when they slept.
Thinking hard, he stayed in the spot by the hover.
Attachment. Bonding. Both were natural. Everything bonded in nature to make progress.
All the way down to atoms. But that was such a clinical way to think of it, when really .
. . he looked toward the warehouse. There was a light on in the distance in that direction. Attachment? Attraction?
He frowned. Was Anna still awake? Should he go to her and check? His feet walked the path anyway, each footstep echoing in his mind. He scanned the area. Anna was not outside, but a light was left turned on in the storage room, illuminating the inside.
Well, since he was already there. . .
He walked up to the warehouse and opened the door.
The room felt more alive now. Not in the sense that there were souls present, but in the way items showcased life.
A hairbrush was on the bedside, slightly askew, and the pillows formed familiar shapes.
Things that made a place a home, even when nothing living was currently present.
But there was someone here.
Anna was sleeping, rolled over with her back toward him, hair spilled on the pillow. The light was on the table, turned high.
Atlas stilled, watching Anna sleep for a moment, matching his simulated breath to hers.
If this was a part of the old loving movies this would be where the music picked up.
When a single violin played a gentle tune.
Walking farther in, he turned the light down low so it resembled more of a nightlight than a torch. She’s fine. I’ll go charge in the barn.
But a very large part of him wanted to sit outside Anna’s new home until dawn.