Atlas didn’t move, staring at where her delicate, slightly sticky fingertips met his. They touched a minute before he pulled his hand back and made a show of covering her legs with the blanket.
The air conditioning kicked on, stirring up both the sterile air and Anna’s hair.
Meanwhile, his processors spun. They ran so hot that even pushing the sleeves up on his sweater again was not helpful. He knew it earlier, when she first stepped onto Mars, but it was solidified now as her face was covered in aloe vera while eating small bites of the bagel and rubbing her belly.
I’m not intrigued. I’m attracted.And that feeling is not going away.He shifted uncomfortably on the edge of her bed.What a complication.Thirteen was right. They were exotic, but that wasn’t really why . . . “You’re a good person, Anna. I’ve let the other androids know that.”
Anna ducked her head at his praise. Her cheeks reddened even further under the aloe vera gel. “I thought you said I’m wonderful.”
“That too.”
Atlas watched her, processing her reaction. The heartbeat picking up, but this time he knew for sure it wasn’t from fear. His eyes softened further.This is another complication.Especially as he now knew that he was starting to feel the same—despitehis resistance.Maybe her calling me handsome earlier wasn’t a joke at all.
His eyes traveled over her form from top to bottom. The heat pattern that he could sense grew stronger.Is she even aware that her body is reacting this way?
Because Atlas was aware. Ethical boundaries were being flagged and brought to his attention the longer he watched. He shifted away.How do I even approach this?
This wasn’t like the hospitals he worked in on Earth. He had no company protocols to really adhere to. No standards he needed to uphold at all. But this was a temptation. Only this time, this was something he could choose instead of being pressed to accept. His eyes roved over her face, which was a mess from the gel and still running hot.
He stood once she finished the bagel. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Alright. Goodnight.”
Atlas left the room. Instead of returning to his quarters, he sat heavily on the couches in the main hall.Surveillance be damned.
Waiting to serve.But the thought rang hollow. Was it waiting to serve? Or waiting to help?
Regardless, he put himself into a stasis and conserved his battery. He sat there the rest of the night, resisting the urge to turn on the televisions in the common room to watch his old family movies. Waiting. Just waiting. Until morning.
Chapter twenty-one
Anna
Anna woke up bright and early. The clock on the wall read 5am, but it was light outside. Was Atlas still there?
As quickly as her aching body would allow, she threw off the covers and crept outside to the common area.He is here.Something in her loosened at seeing him sitting still as stone on the couch in the living room. The room was otherwise empty, and the row of televisions were all turned off and reflecting the early morning light bouncing in from the windows outside. Nora and Tilly must not be up yet, but Anna always was up earliest. And asleep the latest.
Who needed normal sleeping periods?
As she approached, the film over Atlas’s eyes lifted. He focused on her. “You’re up early, Anna. You need at least a few more hours of rest every night.”
“Yes, Doctor.” She stopped a few paces away. “Well. My stomach was empty again and that got me up.”
“Sterling might have a few ideas to help with the nausea.” He scanned her top to bottom. “Unless you feel too ill to meet with him?”
Anna glanced backward. The hall that stretched to the back of the facility was bathed in shadows. The morning light made everything seem both softer where it fell and more sinister where it didn’t. She shuddered. “What does he want with me again?”
“Mostly to take your vitals here on his equipment. Sometimes there’s a variance between instruments—plus there’s different gravity here. We want a baseline on your physical state.”
Anna paused. “So just a checkup?”
“Right. Yes.”
“Can you do the testing? I feel more comfortable with you.”
Atlas straightened himself. “If you want.”
“I do. I meant it, last night.” She clasped her hands in front. “Please stay my doctor?”
