Atlas yelled after her, “She’s not coming here to dinner either! Nora and Simon can do that. You will leave her alone.”
“I already agreed to that.” Stella snarled over her shoulder. “Fine. Go play house with her. Enjoy being a father to that new brat, even.”
Stella started to laugh with the other three model-Bs that had joined at the farm yard. As a unit they walked away, still giggling.
Atlas’s hands shook. Years had passed since he felt rage like this. There was no place for the anger to go. Nothing to fight. What could he even do? His feet were planted, and for a moment he felt feral. Until Sterling laid a hand hesitantly on his shoulder.
He flinched away.
“. . . Calm down, Atlas.” Sterling glanced upwards at the cameras lining the facility’s wall. “You and Stella are giving everyone a show.”
Atlas forced himself to relax. At least on the outside. “Do you really believe this is right?”
There was a calculating look in Sterling’s eye. “That Anna is surprising me.”
The rage wasn’t going away. Atlas pushed up his sweater sleeves. “You didn’t answer me.”
“The neurochip won’t hurt her, Atlas.”
“She won’t be able to get angry anymore.”
“It looks like you’re getting angry enough for her.” Sterling tilted his head. “Are you going to be able to actually do this?”
“Yes.” He ripped his eyes down from the facility to a struggling dandelion underfoot. “I’ll apply the chip and stay with Anna tonight, at the very least.”
“Stay with her too?” Sterling’s voice was amused. “I knew you felt something for her when you personally did the testing earlier.”
Atlas clenched his jaw.Was that only this morning?This had been the longest, most emotional day in . . . forever. And it wasn’t even over yet. He hung his head. “Well, I’m not going to put that on her and not be around to help monitor the effects.”
“It’s fine if you like her.”
“. . . Is it?” He glanced up at Sterling. “Really? Even after what happened with the humans before?”
“Yes.” Sterling clapped him on his shoulder. “We were meant to care, I always believed that.”
“Well . . .I do. It’s just complicated.” Atlas quickened his steps. “I’ll bring the basic supplies tonight. I don’t want her sleeping on the floor.”
“That’s a start.” Sterling suddenly chuckled. “Let’s see what happens. At the very least, we can restart our human colony here like we did before. None of this needs to extend to Earth, even without Stella’s paranoia.”
“Right.”
Sterling spoke again once they reached the facility entrance. “I’m still shocked Anna would agree like that.”
“What mother wouldn’t?”
“Some wouldn’t.” Sterling’s face was grim. “Not all mothers are alike.”
“That’s true.” Atlas paused, replaying the memory of Anna singing to her baby. “She loves her baby.”
Sterling walked into the facility and then came back when Atlas didn’t follow. “Are you going in?”
He stood at the entrance. So different than the yellow warehouse Anna claimed. Two different worlds. “Not yet. I need a minute to gather my thoughts.”
“Alright. I’ll start putting together a medical kit for you.”
He leaned up against the facility’s wall once Sterling left. He didn’t really want to go inside, even to gather supplies. Instead, he catalogued in his mind what he would need. When he went in, he wanted to gather everything fast and leave. And besides . . . out here in the night, by himself, it was peaceful. The only sound was the wind in the trees and insects buzzing. He listened.I cansee why Anna prefers this.He closed his eyes, processing.A cage. She wasn't wrong.
Calming down. Circuit by circuit.
