He worried over the little red mark, putting a tiny Band-Aid on the infant’s foot.There.Then his sensors cooled when the baby settled, momentary pain forgotten. Calm again. Everything steady. The room was peaceful now, bright lights turned lower and the hum of machinery turned down.
Neither he nor Anna said much, both glued to every small movement. Atlas felt like he was rewriting every memory in his core with how many moments he recorded. He felt no regretwhen clearing his hard drives for more. He reached out and touched Anna’s arm, above where the baby was cradled. “You did it.”
Her shoulders dropped, and she whispered, “Yeah. Can’t believe it. You want to hold her? Before everyone gets here?”
“Yes.” Atlas took the baby in his arms. He felt like he should shift a little, if only to make sure he wasn’t holding the baby in an uncomfortable position.But the baby would cry if I was. Right?
He held the swaddled bundle while Anna watched, a sleepy smile on her face.Life. Organic life. It is incredible.He put his finger in the palm of the little girl’s hand and watched as the tiny, perfectly formed digits curled around it. He knew, logically, it was a reflex. But it didn’t matter. The baby was holding his finger.
She was, if he had one, holding his heart.
He held her while Anna dozed, until an hour later when Tilly arrived, running in the room with a windstorm of energy. In her arms she carried her doll and another picture that she shoved on Sterling’s desk before coming up close to the baby.
“Oh!” Tilly bounced in place. “Can I hold her?”
Atlas made sure Tilly properly sat before gently placing the baby in her lap, supporting the neck. Inside all his sensors anxiously fretted, adjusting the hold. “Carefully, okay?”
Tilly held the swaddled, sleeping bundle in her arms, keeping as still as possible. She grinned like she did when playing with her sack dolls from back home. “Look at her tiny nose! She’s like my dolls.” Then softer, with a slight lisp and a sloppy kiss on the sleeping baby’s head, “Hi baby, I love you.”
Simon was by Tilly’s side, gently covering up the baby’s little fist with the blanket. “I forgot how tiny babies are. How fragile.”
Atlas watched on, his sensors focused on the baby’s every movement. “Where’s Zero?”
Simon helped brace the baby with a pillow. “Working. On the ride back he received a call about an electrical issue. We can take the hover back ourselves.”
Nora watched from Anna’s side. “She’s so cute. Look at them together. Tilly, you’re being a good sister.”
Simon glanced over to Nora, his eyes soft. “You want another?”
“Uh . . .” Nora’s face turned red. “Not right now. Really, I could though? How?”
Simon gave a sideways smile. “Science.”
Atlas’s mind spun. Technically, Anna could have another as well. But right now . . . ?
Nora reached out to take the baby in her arms. “Science fiction shit, huh. This baby is enough to love on right now.”
“Yes, she’s more than enough,” Atlas said.
The baby started to stir and cry, little cheeks turning red. Anna reached out her own arms, and Nora handed her over.
Nora covered the baby back up with the blanket, then stood back by Simon. “We’ll come back tomorrow, okay? Maybe we can all go back home together then?”
“Can we?” Anna breathed in fast. “I am sore, but feel fine.”
“I don’t see why not.” Atlas took his place by her side. “The less time we spend here, the better.”
“Good.” Nora bent down and gave both the baby and Anna a kiss on the forehead. “We’ll see you soon.”
After they left, Atlas turned the lights low again. It was bright outside, only midday, but they needed to rest. He picked the baby back up in his arms, and Anna reached out with a hand, eyes glazed over. He squeezed her fingers. “Do I need to tell you about the atmosphere? To get you to sleep?” He grinned. “Put you both asleep?”
She gave a smile. “Maybe, yes.”
Atlas took the request seriously, boring both of them with soil modifications until he was the only one still awake in the room.
The rest of the day slipped away, both waking frequently for the baby to nurse and be changed until it was deep night again. Anna curled on her side, baby swaddled in the bassinet beside her. The little baby’s anger had all been cried out throughout the day, and now she was in her first deep sleep.
Atlas could not take his eyes off either of them. He refused to go into stasis to charge, instead eating the sugary treats that were brought into the room.
