“You’re right.” Anna slowly stood. Everything was harder when you were almost due. “I can’t even pretend. Fine, thanks, I’ll go rest.”
After a final pat to Tatertot’s chin, she left. The sun was low in the sky as she walked back from the milking station. Even her footsteps were sluggish, but she doggedly put one foot in front of the other on the dirt path. And to add to her being tired, contractions had been happening all day on and off. Everything ached.
She waddled on the path, singing under her breath, “One, two, three, get out of me. Come on out, baby. Come out, out, out.” Did bouncing help induce labor? Anything?
The day was beautiful, but all she wanted to do was lay down. Well, almost everything about being outdoors was beautiful, despite the cow smell. And despite . . .
Anna frowned openly at the sky.That drone is still up there.The drones followed her all day when she was at the milking barn. Atlas had some agreement to keep the drones away from where they lived, but apparently out by the milking barn, their following was still fair game.
They were a constant hum overhead, but now in the lazy feel of the afternoon, they seemed louder. She’d walked the perimeter of the pasture today, checking the fencing and the watering, and the drone had been a constant presence. Now again it was watching her go step by step back home.
“Why are you even watching?” Anna mumbled. She glared at it hovering, ruining the beautiful skyline. The androids must be so bored. That had to be it. They didn’t watch the reality television reruns, but the live action version of Anna and Nora seemed to be top entertainment. As if her walking slowly down a dirt path could be interesting.
Whatever.Anna looked back down to the path.Just ignore them.She focused instead on putting one foot in front of the other.What would a show about us be called even?As the Human Learns?Mars Lives?She’d only watched that one night of soap operas, but she could see the patterns.
A cloud moved to the side, letting the sunshine through. Light dappled across the pasture. And then there was a bright gleam. The light bounced on the drone that hovered the closest, shining straight into her eyes.
Anna held up her hand, but light stabbed at her regardless. “Damn, that is bright. I can hardly see.”
And the glare wasn’t going away, even as she tried to move side to side. The drone hovered at just the right angle for the sun to catch her. Was it trying to keep the light in her eyes? She kept moving, trying to find an angle until . . .
Her foot stumbled over a rock. Immediately she tripped, tumbling to the ground. Pain shot up her body as she fell, hard,to her knees, barely catching herself with her hands before she slammed on her front.
“Oh no.” Anna immediately picked up her hands, cradling her stomach. “My baby. I didn’t fall on you, did I?” She felt a kick a second later, and shakily breathed out. “Is everything okay? Are you okay in there, baby girl?”
A small blood smear was left on her shirt when she pulled her hand away. She stared at her hand.I’m bleeding?Her right hand had a scrape that immediately bled again, caked in the red Martian dirt. A large cut also streaked red up the side of her right leg.
And then she looked up. The drone was still overhead, still circling, even closer than before. There was no way it was an accident how close it came now, within arm’s reach, the cameras on it’s side pointed at her, angling the sunlight. She glared at it.
Anger. Her nostrils flared. “You made me trip, didn’t you? You don’t care that I fell!”
Immediately she choked, as if plunged into cool water, making her vision zoom in and out. Only sweat was on her skin a minute later, the emotion gone. Her eyebrows squished together.What? What happened?
Slowly, it came back to her as she stared at the side of the drone hovering right above her head, sunlight pounding into her eyes.Wasn’t that higher before?
Anna blinked. Was that only a few minutes ago?
When she was walking?
Why was she on the ground now?
Anna rubbed her head.Was it a few minutes? How long have I been out here?The place where she’d fallen on the gravel path was roughly half the distance between the milking area and home. And her right hand ached. She held her palm out in front of her. There was a scrape and blood running down her arm mixed with gravel. She must have fallen?
And the drone was right overhead, now almost so close she could touch it. The light glittered off its side, into her eyes. She whispered up to it. “Why are you just watching me?”
Why were they so close? Didn’t they know she fell? They were just watching her like. . . an animal.
“Why are you there?” Anna shouted. “I fe—“ She gagged. The words were cut short, cool water choking her silent. She sank back down on the path as several moments passed with her lost in delusion.
Slowly, the dirt came back into focus. She was lying flat on the ground, sprawled out, her hair and face in the mud. The sun shone so bright overhead winking in and out of her vision. She was winded. Sick to her stomach.
Why was she on the ground? She could hardly move to get up. And her hand hurt.Why?
She looked down at her palm.Blood?Her fingers were not responsive, feeling heavy and stuck in the dirt.Did I fall? Why can’t I move? There’s blood on my hand? On my leg?
Her eyes flicked up. Why was that drone right there? The only sound she could hear was the humming of the drone as it hung directly overhead. She shook, but her limbs were not responsive. Finally, she was able to lift her hand, and held her fingers shakily in front of her face.Something is wrong. Why was I upset?
She pressed the communicator around her neck, fumbling for the large button. “Atlas? I think I fell. Can you come? I’m on the path to the milking area.”
