After he was done, he held out his hand. “Come here. Lie down. Are the contractions still happening?”
“No, thankfully.” She sat on the bed and leaned, propped up on her left side. “They hurt though. It makes me worried about what real labor will feel like.”
“This is why living in the facility makes more sense.” Atlas’s tone was clipped. “I don’t blame you for wanting to stay away now, though.”
Gently, she put her hands over his. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting any help like this.”
Atlas turned his hand over and squeezed hers before reaching into a bag at his side. “I have one more gift. I’m going to give you a communicator. Use it if you need anything; it is linked up to me. Alright?” He handed over a black device that had a button and a speaker on it. “It’s a direct wire.”
Anna sat back up, turning the small device over in her hands. It looked like a television remote, only with less buttons. “Is this listening to me all the time?”
“No. But if you press the button on the side and speak into it, the signal will transmit directly to my processors.”
“Oh. Directly to you?” She pressed on the side, speaking loudly. “Like this?”
“Yes.” He winced. “Not that loud though.”
Anna’s eyes flicked up to his face. His very perfect face. A direct line to him. The thought made her warm and fuzzy inside.She placed the device around her neck, where it hung low to her navel, resting on her belly. “So between this and the chip, I’ll be full of technology.”
“But this will let you call me. The chip just monitors, for the most part.” His focus seemed to hang on the device where it rested. “Use it. Okay? Please?”
Clutching it tightly in her hands, she grinned. “Alright.”
Chapter thirty
Atlas
Once the bed was in place with a few solar lights on an actual nightstand, Atlas could finally see the warehouse as something different. A basic shelving unit had been put in the corner, holding water supplies and more ration bars along with some of Anna’s modified jumpsuits. He scanned the warehouse, top to bottom. It did sort of look like a home.
But the most beautiful part of it was the woman who sat in there, even if all she was doing was reorganizing the ration bars on the shelf.
Atlas breathed deep.I don’t fully understandbut . . .His gaze softened, watching her. Stella’s words came back, but in a much softer light.Not an animal, but wild. My wild human.
She sat on an overturned crate, another larger one in front of her, and motioned for Atlas to sit on another.
He took the seat, stiffly. “A kitchen table next.”
“This is fine for now.” Anna’s eyes crinkled, and she ate another bite of her ration bar. “What do you think?”
“It will do.”
“That’s high praise. It just needs more plants right?”
“You know what?” Atlas tilted his head. “That’s not a bad idea. Should I plant some flowers outside?”
“Oh…You would?” She leaned forward. “Wait! Can it be the roses? Or if there’s some herbs maybe I can bake with them?”
“Sure.” He smiled. “I’ll bring you some next trip.”
“Deal.” She held out one of the ration bars. “I haven’t seen you eat all day? Want one?”
Atlas slowly shook his head. Anna kept eating her bar, but his eyes kept straying toward the white satchel on the ground.
“Is the chip in there?” She said. “You keep looking at that bag. You did bring it back with you, right?”
“. . . Yes.” The mood suddenly turned tense. He rummaged in the satchel he’d pulled the communicator out of, then held out the slim white box. He opened the top. “Here is the wretched thing. It’s more of a patch than anything.”
A thin translucent patch. Silicone. Something that did not belong on a biological body. Humans designed everything for androids. Now they designed something back. His hands tightened on the case.
