Warmth settled in his processors. Over the years, these rooms had been filled with other residents, but they never felt alive to Atlas. They were the same four walls with a bathroom attached as before. But now they contained Anna, picking at a bagel and humming the diabetes commercial jingle. He preferred her humming the nursery rhymes instead.
“Actually.” She took a deep breath, then she set the bagel aside. “Can I ask you something?”
Atlas’s sensors sharpened. He knew from Clara, long ago, that when a human female asked that question, in that tone of voice, it warranted caution. “Yes, you can ask me anything, Anna.”
“Are we not wanted here?” Her voice was small. “Really?”
A muscle twitched in Atlas’s cheek. “The majority are happy you are here.”
“It doesn’t feel that way. The androids, they watch us all the time. And that talk about the chip . . .”
He noted the frown on her face.I’m not answering right again. She had a real question and I’m dismissing it.“You’re right. There are disagreements.”
“Okay.” Anna leveled him a look. “Please answer me. Without sugarcoating it.”
Honesty.He sighed. “There are those who are confused by you.”
Anna rose up, sitting straight. The pillow next to her fell on the floor. “And those people think that we need something extra? The neurochip? They want to put it in me?”
“Yes. Well, on you. There’s an external version that needs to be tested.”
She pushed the bagel aside. “Simon would never let them do that to Nora or Tilly.”
Not just them.Atlas leaned forward. “No one should let them do it to you either.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What would it even do?”
“As it is designed, it suppresses any aggressive thoughts or emotions. Sort of a nervous system override.”
Her nose scrunched up. “Why?”
“Because of our past. Humans were not kind to us. At all. There’s fear that we need an extra level of protection from them if we are to start becoming more involved.”
“Oh. I can . . . yeah. I can see why they’d want that,” she said. “But I’m not going to hurt anything.”
His processors clouded.She understands?“But it’s not just for you. They’ve been talking about your baby, actually.”
“My baby?” The sharp inhale from Anna made the bed shake. “Why?”
Atlas paused before answering. “Well, the baby is unknown. They worry about violence and who the father is.”
“Oh.” Her voice grew really small. “Paul is the father. I worry about that too. But you know, Tilly’s dad was like Paul. Nora left when she was pregnant too. We don’t work like that. It’s more how we are brought up.” Anna’s eyes moved back and forth rapidly. “My baby is going to be like me. I just know it.” She popped the lid on the aloe vera and began applying the gel to her face. “She has to be.”
Atlas watched, letting the moment soften.
Until she looked up at him, straight in the eyes, while rubbing her face with the gel. “I don’t want it.”
“The lotion?” He reached out to take the tube. “It is aloe vera.”
“No!” She shook her head. “The chip. Whatever it is all the androids have been sneaking around talking about. Atlas. I don’t think we need anything like that. I know there are bad humans out there.” She ran her hands down her arm. “Trust me, if anyone knows, I do. But we aren’t all bad.”
A part in Atlas’s processor sparked. He started to reach for her hand and stopped. “I know, Anna.”
Her voice broke. “Do you really think we need something like that?”
“No, Anna.”
She quickly looked down, wiping at her eyes. “Good.” She took a deep breath. “Good. Good.”
