“Deal.” Anna handed the donut frosting over. “You are a sugar fiend.”
“Naturally.” He grinned. The frosting was eaten in two bites, and then he wiped his fingers off delicately after. “Life’s little pleasures, Anna.”
There was a large rustle as Tilly ran back through the grasses to join them in the path, Nora trailing a step behind. She glanced sidelong at Anna’s belly. “Any hovercraft we can take or something if it’s far?”
“I’m not that fragile.” Anna firmed her shoulders. “I can walk. Let’s not get any more people involved.”
Thankfully, Simon agreed. “They know we’re out here, but yes, where we are going isn’t too far.”
“Alright.” Nora adjusted her backpack. “But you let me know if you need to rest, okay?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t you mother hen me, Nora. Let’s get out of here.”
“Come on then.” Nora turned her back to the facility. “Let’s see more of what we got ourselves into.”
This morning they went in a different direction from where they landed, not toward the lake area with roses that Atlas took them to initially. Instead, they ambled along an area beyond the forest’s edge, where rows of organized farming were set up.
Soon the facility fell out of sight as they walked the path. Simon waved at the farmland, endless rows of crops and greenery. “So, from the records I’ve accessed, all of this gets processed at the factories on the other side of the facility. Then most of the materials are packaged and sent to Earth in their charity drops.”
“They’re so organized.” Anna’s eyes crossed trying to take it all in. The farmland stretched out into the horizon, far beyond what she could see.
The care drops that Mars sent to Earth on a regular basis had kept her alive. And to think, she was here now. Living in the place that had helped her—helped Earth—for so long.They do try.Her thoughts about the facility, that glass room, and even the chip softened.
Would humans try to help the androids as much as they were, if the situations were reversed?
Anna had to duck her head.No.And that complicated her mixed feelings toward their care even more. She knew during the big war that humans were the ones at fault; the androids did everything just so they could survive.
She stomped on the dusty road.Most of the humans on Earth are like Paul.The thought pressed on her heart. Even though the neurochip plans disgusted her, she understood why they were afraid.
Humans scared her as well.
Anna pressed on, walking faster to escape her thoughts. Alongside the farmland there was a road that was clearly maintained, even though it was still just dirt with wood chips on top.
“Are you doing okay?” Nora turned around. She and Simon walked together in the lead, next to Tilly.
“Yeah.” Anna quickened her footsteps, picking up the pace. She sweated under the sunlight, but had no desire to stop walking.
And soon, how she felt didn’t matter. Nature and its beauty made her forget how tired she was. Atlas wasn’t kidding when he’d shown her the feeds. Golden wheat fields stretched for miles on either side, trapping the heat, making her itchy. Beautiful and rich. She reached out to touch a stalk. The seed head rolled easily in her hands.Not quite ripe.The plants looked healthier than any back on Earth. The sun overhead was perfect to help them grow, without a trace of the smog and dust that circled the Earth.
Does Atlas take care of these plants too?And why was she thinking of him again? Even now? Anna stomped the ground.
“I gotta go pee again,” Tilly said, halfway through the walk.
“I bet you do.” Nora waved in front of her. “You drank all that water too fast. Well, go on then.”
Tilly dashed off the trail, into the wheat fields, her blond hair floating behind her. The wheat stalks blew around her, looking like something out of a magazine or a history show on Earth, long ago. A simpler time.
Anna sank down onto a slab of rock to the side of the road, chest heaving and sweat on her brow. Soaking in the sunlight and the vibes.Inside her belly, baby girl seemed to have fallen asleep while they walked. At least the kicking had stopped for a minute. She leaned up against a tree, closing her eyes.Heavy though. My back is hurting.Sitting inactive on that ship for nearly a month didn’t do her muscles any favors. She smiled.We’rehere on Mars though, safe, and there’s dirt and trees and no gunfire.
And being out in the fields was way better than anything within that facility.
Anna hummed to herself. Sitting, like she was, listening to birdsong, she could almost forget there were androids that must be—even now—still watching. There were still drones in the sky, after all.
Chapter twenty-four
Atlas
Atlas watched Anna on the screen until well after she cleared the camera fields from the edge of the facility. The four of them showed no hesitation in leaving the androids behind.
