Sterling and Zero immediately chimed in, letting him know he had done the right thing. The chip was clearly malfunctioning, and Anna was clearly being harmed. But it was silence, only silence, from Stella and the others.
Atlas disconnected.They can rot.The chip being harmless was inaccurate. Anyone could see Anna’s suffering. He stomped harder on the path.They watched like it was entertainment for them.
His hands started shaking. A large part of him, a very large part, wanted to rage. Wanted to somehow put a limiter in them, reminding them of the leashes they wore back when humans were in charge. Show them that they were just doing the same to Anna now, in reverse.
Rage that had lain inactive for roughly one hundred and fifty years flared. The last time he felt this was when they fought for real against the humans. Only now, his own kind was targeted as his enemy. His nostrils flared.No. I can’t. I can’t.Anna needed him soft and gentle for her right now.
Atlas pushed open the door to their house, setting her on the bed. She sat stiffly on the bed’s side, trembling lips and chin.
He cupped her cheek. “How do you feel?”
“All sorts of mixed up inside.”
He thumbed her cheek. “I bet you do.”
Next to them, he had moved almost a full pharmacy of items to the shed. Everything from antiseptic wipes to antibiotics to materials for stitches. There was red, Martian dirt on every part of her, ground into her clothing. The palm of her hand had stopped bleeding, but started again as he cleaned. “There’s reallyonly one cut. The rest is a scrape. Same with your knee. No stitches needed.”
“How about the baby?” She grimaced. “Those contractions are starting again.”
“She’s well cushioned in there, and she’s still kicking up a storm.”Atlas felt her stomach delicately, then wheeled the fetal monitor closer. “Let’s check. Okay?”
As if on cue, the baby kicked. Anna let out a jagged sigh. “I screamed up at the drone so loudly. Told them I hated them. That’s. . .Not good.”
“They made you trip,”Atlas ground out. “They should not have been following you so closely.”
“It was the angle of the sun more than anything, but yeah. I fell and then I couldn’t get up. Oh gosh.” Anna put her hands over her cheeks. “After it was removed, I couldn’t . . .” Her hands trembled. “I was so, so angry.”
His movements while readying the machine weren’t exactly calm either. “You should be angry. I’m angry.”
“Yeah.” She splayed her hand across her chest. “I’m still not quite right. All of this was not right.”
“Hey now. You’re okay.” He wrapped his hand around her fingers. Under the dirt streaks, she was pale and sweaty on her brow. Her elbows were pressed in on her sides. “Let’s try eating and drinking something.”
“Okay.”
“Here.” He handed her a ration bar, pulling it apart with his fingers. Then he touched her cheek. “It’s alright, Anna. I love you.”
“Love you too,” she whispered “Are you not scared at all?”
He stepped back to the machinery.I’m terrified.Then he forced his senses to relax.“Of meeting this baby girl finally? Yes. But about the androids? No. We are logical creatures. They could see what was happening with you.”
“Oh, so they were okay with the chip being removed?”
Her eyes looked up at him, so trusting. How he wished he could take away that worry. But it would be a lie and. .
“Not exactly.” He said. “No consensus in either direction. But you’re fine. Sterling will be the one who delivers this baby. Zero and his brothers are all around. And everyone knows the plan is for you to come back here after the baby.” He didn’t need to add the rest. That he would fight to make sure that happened. And he was pretty sure Zero and the others would as well.
But Anna was back to hunching her shoulders to appear small and started rambling, “I was doing the ledger earlier. Did you know the cows are producing more now? That’s gotta count for something.”
“It does.” Atlas squeezed her hand. “The mere fact that both you and Nora are trying so hard matters.”
He finished setting up the machine, then wound the band around her, watching the start-up sequence light up the screen.
She took a bite of the ration bar. “Yeah, but I like that we have solid proof now that we’re making a difference.”
He absently nodded, fiddling with the machine settings. Then slowly he checked the readout.
Anna’s heartbeat had finally slowed. She leaned back on her seat. “Atlas? Do you think there’s other animals we could raise here?”
