“Don’t you need to charge or eat?”
“Yes. But not right now. Simon and I can work some while you sleep. Electricity still runs in the barn; I can charge there. You can use the communicator if you need me.”” He stood and walked over to her side, happy for a reason to lift her. There was no resistance as Anna stood next to him, leaning into his touch, her hair on his arm. “Do you brush your hair out at night? Do you want assistance?”
Anna stepped back hastily. “Oh. No. That’s fine, Atlas. You don’t need to do things like that for me.”
His hands dropped to his side. Confusion plucked at his processors.But I want to.It didn’t seem right to press, however, so he took a step back and watched her stretch. “Alright.”
“Atlas?” She suddenly took a deep breath in. “I think we’re stalling. We need to put the chip on tonight.”
He stiffened. “We do.”
“Let’s get this over with.” She touched the little box, opening the little chip panel to reveal the translucent patch, the size of a large marble. Now her voice wavered. “It’s not going to change who I am, right?”
It better not.But instead, he said as calmly as possible, “No. Really, it won’t do anything much beyond mapping how your mind works. That, and it overrides your nerves if you become agitated. That’s all we really wanted. A way to calm humans down.”
“Well. I’m calm now.” She sat straight. “The contractions have left. Can you place it now? Where does it go?”
Go? In the trash. But instead of doing that, he pulled the chip from its casing, light and translucent. The electrical components would latch to Anna’s nervous system once it was applied. “Under your hair. On your spine.”
She started to pull her long brown hair up, but stopped halfway. “Your hands are shaking.”
He looked down to see a tremor. “Apologies.”
“Focus, please.” Anna wrapped her fingers around his. “It’s okay. I am choosing this.” She lifted her hair again. “Can you play that song again? While you place it?”
“Of course.” Everything in him swelled at her asking, tampered only by the fact that he was playing it while having to place the chip. His hands trembled again. This was a violation of the song. A violation of the emotions. A violation of Anna.
She closed her eyes and hummed along once the music started.
Mechanically, he cleaned the area. Then he placed the neurochip square on her spine, the microscopic needles digging into her skin. Everything was hidden when she lowered her hair a second later, still humming slightly out of tune.
He held the receiver up to the chip, reading the neural patterns a second later. “It’s on. Sterling is following this now back at the facility.”
“Okay.” Anna felt under her neck where it was placed. “I don’t feel different?”
“It was not designed to be invasive.”
“Only if I get mad right? Let me think of something I don’t like.” She made an angry expression.
Atlas heard her heartbeat start to speed up, but then return to calm.
“Oh.” She jolted back. She awkwardly rubbed at her neck. “Well, shit? It like . . . shocked me? I can’t reach what was making me mad now.”
Atlas sat stiff with the anger Anna could no longer feel. Eventually he said, softly, “Yes. That’s how it works.”
“Okay. Stay calm.” She gave a half smile. “Well, if it’s meant to keep me calm, maybe it will help me sleep more.”
Atlas didn’t say anything.
“Alright.” Anna tapped him again on the hand, her hand sweaty. “Hooray! We did it! Thank you.”
Don’t thank me for this.He pushed up on his sweater sleeves. “Are you cool enough?”
“I’m always hot being pregnant, but yeah, I’m fine.” She grimaced. “Be right back. I need to go to the bathroom in the barn. I’ll say goodnight to Nora as well. I’ll show her the patch is on me and I haven’t blown up or anything.”
She left, stepping barefoot outside.
Atlas stared at that the door she exited for a minute before opening his connections. Immediately he could feel tension in the communal mind. No longer could the androids see what they were doing with the drones above. The barn and the shed were private. The connection was annoying, as many gentle inquiries were coming in, asking him for information. He briefly tuned in before lowering his engagement.“Everything is fine. Sterling should be receiving data now.”
