A soft chime sounded, and Atlas stood up. “The timer went off for the bread; I’ll be right back.”
“Alright.”
Anna bit her lip, examining the yard after he left. The plot of land was empty. All the rocks and debris had already been cleared away by Atlas, leaving perfectly spaced rows. Worms were in the ground, and insects, and if Anna didn’t think too hard, everything was similar to her garden she kept behind her bakery. The only difference was that the swirling dust here didn’t settle on the soil; instead, everything stayed a rich, dark, Martian red.
She sorted through the seed packets, using her belly to help hold up the bag, before deciding what to plant. “Carrots first.”
She let the seed packet fall on the ground as she kneeled. The dirt was warm on her legs as she hunched over the open row. “Okay. Now. Where’s my trowel?” It was with her a second ago? Irritated, she searched for it. Where was it?
The irritation only lasted a second before a rushing sensation of cool water flowed over her, stealing the thought away.
Anna sat, blinking, on the ground for a few seconds after it passed.What was I doing?Her gaze fell on the carrot seed packet.Oh. This needs to be planted. She sat still in the dirt. “Where’s my trowel?”
The little shovel was sitting across the garden path.There it is! Why the heck is it all the way over there?A touch of irritation flared, and then the cool water feeling came again, followed by a small snap of pain.
She, again, froze.What was I doing?
“Anna?” Atlas returned with a slice of bread in his hand and a worried frown. “You keep getting up and down.”
It’s the chip, isn’t it?She bit her lip and forced a smile. “I’m just trying to plant. I need . . . that little shovel.” She pointedacross the garden, resisting the urge to touch the back of her neck again.
“The trowel?” He retrieved it for her from the garden’s side. “Here.”
She took it from him, managing a small smile. “Thanks.”
He sat by her side and helped plant the seeds, discussing the different varieties and variations.
Anna nodded along, but her mind was elsewhere.
“Are you okay?” Atlas wrapped his hand around hers. “You are pale.”
She shook herself.I can’t get frustrated at all.That’s what I signed up for, right?Nothing had hurt her. And everything else was wonderful. Atlas staying, the house coming together, feeling safe. She didn’t want to ruin that feeling by having him question again if the chip was a mistake.
It was fine.
She was fine.
Atlas looked so worried that she made her smile even bigger. “Yeah. Sorry. What seeds did you say were good here again?”
Chapter forty
Atlas
Every night this past week, Atlas’s processors stayed hot. Worry weighed on his mind, more than he was ever programmed to carry before. It was deep night now. The only sound was the steady hum of the newly installed air conditioner along with the crickets outside, and Anna snoring in his arms.
He stroked down her sides. Something was not quite right. His medical programming told him that between the snoring and pregnancy, she wasn’t reaching the deep sleep cycles. And she was ready to give birth almost any day now. He pushed his sleeves up further.Any day now.She would officially be due next week, but that didn’t matter.
But that was not what was really wrong. Something had happened with Anna earlier outside in the garden. And he was certain it had to do with the chip.
Atlas should talk with Sterling to find out.He partly connected, but then let the connection fall. Did he want to stir things up right now? There had been peace for the past fewdays, other than the construction, as they found their rhythm together. The communal mind had been quiet. Did he really need to check in? Even roundabout with Sterling?
He contracted his arms around Anna. The consensus got the data they wanted; they didn’t need to invade their privacy further. In fact, he even overrode the drones, making them keep wide around both the barn and shed.
But . . . his sensors again registered Anna’s shallow sleep state. There was something still off. He needed to know what the data readouts from the chip said, and the only way to do that was to keep in contact.
He opened a connection, a private one, with Sterling.
Anna stirred, snuggled tightly in his arms. Atlas moved her hair from the nape of her neck and looked down at the chip. It didn’t shine in the low lantern light. Instead, the transparency made it blend in completely.“Sterling?”
