The way he looked at her . . . he was happy to do this? Anna flushed.I didn’t know they would help.But there was no mistaking it, as all the model-Ms were fully engaged with the blueprints and already sketching on tablets.
Simon squinted. “Will changing everything be easy?”
One of the model-M androids with the number fifty-one emblazoned on the front laughed. “Not in the least, but that makes it more interesting.”
Thirteen held up the plans. “Just a lot of digging. Mostly for septic. Water and electricity are already in place.”
“This is all a big experiment!” Zero laughed. “Not only in how to fix these buildings to live in, but everything to do with you humans!” Then he tapped Atlas’s side. “Right Atlas?”
Atlas’s eyes darted to Anna. “It could be considered an experiment, yes.”
The word was wrong. Anna shrank back.Experiment?Yes, they were helping, but was it just because they found her funny? Like the animal comments Stella made the day before?
. . . Were they entertainment? Just like the television shows?
Zero made a motion, and the rest of the androids behind them took that as a signal to break rank and fan out until there was only him standing there before Atlas, Simon, and Nora.
Tilly followed Thirteen with a hammer in her hands.
But not Anna. Instead, she touched the little patch behind her head.
Because at the mention of being an experiment, she’d felt something. A buzz. Irritation. And the sun overhead was too bright for a moment. She rubbed the patch harder. It was not anger, but more irritation. Then the feeling was stolen from her, like the thought didn’t belong in her head.
What was I doing?She trailed behind while the others walked ahead, feet dragging in the dirt.Experiment. That’s what I am.Even though Zero meant well, it still rankled to hear it said so casually. And then Atlas, even if reluctantly, agreeing . . .
Immediately she stiffened. That same irritation. That same buzz returned. A sharp pinprick of pain. She frowned.What the hell? Am I not allowed to get irritated?
That thought caused an even bigger suppression. A bigger needlepoint of pain followed by a cold water sensation that poured on her, as frigid as that lake water on the first day. The farmland around her went in and out of focus. She rubbed her belly. “What the hell?”
Anna's footsteps stumbled as her mind went curiously blank, leaving her blinking in the sunlight. What was she even thinking about? She shook so hard that she had to sit down on the Martian dirt. Her senses came back one at a time — the brightness, the dirt under her hand, finally the sharp smell of cows. What was left was confusion. She slunk away, back to the front of her warehouse, and sat up against the siding. What had happened. Anger? She was angry, right?
She rubbed her belly, frowning. “Baby girl? Why was I upset?”
Then she caught a chorus of laughter from the model-Ms on the other side of the barn.They’re helping me. I’m grateful.
Her hand paused on her belly. “Oh.” She remembered, frowning.They called us an experiment. Right. I was annoyed.And she should be! That was . . . she forced the irritation back until tears rolled down her cheeks.What if Atlas sees me that way? Does he see me as an experiment too?
At the edge of her memory, she remembered him agreeing but . . . she tugged on her hair.I can’t trust anything I feel right now.
He was helping her, but what if it was for the wrong reasons? In her life, up until now, no one had ever helped her just because. In fact, Nora and Simon were the first ones to ever help her without demanding something in return.
Especially Paul . . .
She stiffened, pushing herself further back against the warehouse’s siding. At least crying seemed allowed, as the cold water feeling stayed away. Tears poured down her cheeks. Zero was right. She was an experiment, wasn’t she? There was a neurochip implanted in her spine that agreed. She knew that when taking the deal, but didn’t think it would also be a . . . fun thing for the androids. Was she just a game to them?
Talk was coming this way. She didn’t want to be found crying outside her new house. Quickly, she walked to the pasture to sit on the log right outside her warehouse home. Questions and unease swirled in her gut. She sat, with her hands balled into fists, too afraid to feel anything else.
Chapter thirty-four
Atlas
Atlas kept pace with Zero as they surveyed the farming area. The sun was high in the sky, a beautiful blue that had only a smattering of the clouds that usually drifted overhead during the summertime.
Zero was in his element, noting the manufacturing modifications to the barn that needed to be made. He had a computer pad in front of him, already loaded with the schematics and existing underground utilities. Seven already had a shovel and was digging a trench for a water line. Fifteen took measurements by his side, a full arsenal of equipment on his tool belt. Others were pacing the property, almost making Atlas feel antsy with their determined energy.
Atlas watched from the sidelines. The entire cohort of model-Ms were positively giddy about the thought of a new construction project.Where did Anna go though?She was noticeably absent. He turned around.Maybe back to thewarehouse?He couldn’t leave just then to find her, not with Zero dogging his footsteps and demanding input.
Finally, everyone had their tasks sorted. Atlas lagged behind until the group moved on, following Simon and discussing modifications. Instead of catching back up with them, he then walked in the opposite direction, faster.
