“Don’t worry,” Nora said from her side, “I’m sure we’ll be able to find something to do to help out.”
“. . .Yeah.”
Atlas winced. He was bringing them to the human living area and the elderly humans inside. They definitely had never worked a day in their life, and acted like the humans he had known all his life. None of the wild joy like he had seen out at the lake.
Maybe this all was a mistake? Would introducing them change Anna?
It was too late now though, as they’d arrived at the human quarters, the ornate door just ahead. He stopped mid-step, and Anna bumped into his backside.
“Oh.” She stumbled back. “Sorry.”
“No. I stopped suddenly.” He reached out a hand to steady her. “Here is the human living area. You can claim a room here. We built it to sustain a much larger population than we have now.”
“A much larger population?”
“We’re here?” Tilly ran to the front and knocked on the door. “Is this our new home?”
“Let’s go in,” Atlas said. “It will make more sense then. Our elderly humans are waiting to meet you.”
“Wait,” Anna mumbled, attempting to smooth down her windswept hair. “First impressions are important.”
Atlas looked away.They reminded him of a fable from Earth. The one about a lion leading lambs to be eaten. He punched in the code on the doorway anyway, hoping he was wrong.
Chapter thirteen
Anna
Anna held her breath as the doorway opened. A few steps inside was a sitting area with couches similar to the ones Nora had in her tiny house, only these were in much better repair. Hell, that bar wasn’t very high though. Anything without scratches or stains, or even uneven padding, would qualify.
Multiple video feeds were set up throughout the room, with each one having their own seating arrangement. The room was quiet except for the video feed playing in the foreground. All the other screens that lined the room were black. Clustered on the longest blue couch were two elderly humans, facing a screen.
Anna swallowed.They are humans, right?They had to be. Why would anyone make an android so aged? Or give them imperfect skin? Their mannerisms were off though, and they stared back at her in an inhuman way.
Lights flashed from the screen, along with fake laughter. The old woman on the left grabbed a small rectangle and clicked it rapidly until the noises got quieter. Colors still danced over thecushions in the living room in a dizzying pattern. Television. Movies?
Anna’s fingers returned to worrying in front of her. Everything in this facility was clean and perfect, and she was sweaty and had dirt on her shoes. She attempted again to smooth down her windswept hair.
There was even a mud stain on her bottom and dirt under her fingernails.I am the dirtiest thing in here.She amended the thought a second later, after seeing Tilly with her pants still half wet from the lake.Well, we all are.
Tilly scrambled toward the flashing lights, past the two humans, and walked up very close to the screen. The colors danced across her slack face. “What’s that?”
Simon followed her, pulling her back to sit on the couch. “Old programs, television shows from my time.”
“That’s so cool!”
“Yes, look, there are even commercials.”
Anna tore her gaze away from the moving pictures and focused on the two humans instead. She fidgeted as they seemed frozen, watching.I’ve never seen any humans like this before.
But . . . best foot forward! She smiled. “Hello.”
“Oh. It’s them.” The elderly woman on the right had faded blond hair tightly curled around her pale face, with pale blue eyes over a frown. She whispered, “The new humans.”
“They must be.” The other had thin strands of brown hair that flopped as she moved. “Oh, look Pearl. That one is very pregnant. They never told us that.”
“No they didn’t.” A heavy scowl etched Pearl’s face, drawing focus to a brown mole on her upper lip. “They never tell us anything. They must have left it out on purpose.”
Anna quickly exchanged a glance with Nora, then looked back at the elderly humans. They wore matching suits like Anna had been given. Only theirs were clean and starched and without theextra stitching she had done to expand hers to fit her pregnant stomach. She studied them as they openly studied her.How could humans look so different? She had never seen anyone anywhere near as old.
