“I’m still sorry,” Kori says as she twists the cap off, her nose wrinkling at the cloying, chemical smell.
“Let’s call it even on apologies.” I close my eyes, both to avoid knowing when the antiseptic approaches and to dodge Kori’s too-perceptive gaze. “I’m sure I owe you more than my fair share.”
“Fair enough,” Kori agrees, and then my wing is on fire. I hiss through my teeth, a sound that rapidly devolves into just swearing. Russ’s third head growls, the other two glaring, but I wordlessly wave at him to stand down. “On second thought, I take it back. Definitely sorry.”
I sigh, gritting my teeth as the antiseptic works its way through my wing, every nerve stinging. “You are theworst.”
“You don’t mean that,” Kori says, accurately, before extending her own slashed arm for antiseptic. “If you must take out your frustration, though, at least take out any infection with it.”
“With pleasure,” I retort, but I wince anyway while treating Kori’s arm.
She lets out a little curse under her breath.
Never has the physical difference between us been more obvious than in this moment. But even so, we’re both bleeding and at each other’s mercy. I apologize despite myself with every loop of the bandage around Kori’s arm, knowing it must hurt. Her jaw is set, her expression stoic, but those gorgeous eyes water all the same, green flecks bright amidst the brown.
Just beside us, my comms tablet continues blinking and buzzing. Kori nudges her head in its direction, but I shake my own head in response. My army will still need me once Kori’s wounds, both physical and emotional, have been attended to. After how long I’ve waited to meet her eyes behind the mask … first,her.
When the wound dressing is finally done and the antiseptic set aside, Kori turns her attention back to Aspect. “Do you have robot repair supplies somewhere in your quarters, too?”
“I actually do,” I admit, leaning down to pull another locked chest out from under my bed. “Before I first returned Aspect to you, I asked Zalel to lend me some simple tools. Then proceed to … not return them.”
“Petty theft. Perhaps there’s some monster in you after all.”
“I also know some very bad words.”
“I’m terrified.” Kori laughs as she opens the repair kit, then names each tool as she filters through the disorganized pieces. “Wire cauterizer, surge connector, memory chip widget …aha, chip probe.” She hoists the clunky tool overhead triumphantly. “This should do the trick for a manual reboot.”
Abruptly, I feel all the blood drain out of my face. “Actually, there’s something I should probably tell you about Aspect before—”
Too late. Aspect’s optical processors blink, a shrill whirr emits from every one of their joints, and steam spits in fits and starts from their neck. Fur bristling, Russ leaps several feet back as Aspect’s vocalization box promptly announces, “ASPECT—IS HAVING—THOUUUUU-UUUUU-UUUU-UUUUUUU-UUUUUUGHTS,” the last word drawn out into at least seven syllables.
Kori turns to me, pupils as wide as her face is pale. “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me.”
“Awakening Aspect was your idea,” I offer weakly.
“When did this happen?”
I knot my fingers together. “While you were imprisoned with Neo.”
Kori shakes her head in disbelief. “It was supposed to be a monumental moment! Just me and my robot, my creation, myfriend—looking at them and feeling it in my bones when they reallylooked back—when they saw me, and more than that, sawthemself—”
“I know what they mean to you,” I interrupt, laying one hand on Kori’s shoulder, “and I’m sorry you weren’t there to see them wake, truly. Especially knowing you were elsewhere because I snapped and locked you up. If it’s any comfort, it looked more like a mental breakthan an awakening at the start. Less victory, more sheer panic. You didn’t miss much.”
I give Kori’s shoulder what I hope is a comforting squeeze and not a painful amount of pressure. “But you’re here now. We both are. And so is Aspect, perhaps more than they ever have been.” I stare at the floor, unable to meet what ought to be judgment in her gaze. “Can we try, one last time, to start over? As a … damn it, I don’t know. A team?”
Kori lays a warm hand on my cheek, tilts my face to meet her eyes, which could eviscerate me. Instead all I see in those beautiful brown orbs is marvel and wonder and light. I’m never going to deserve her; I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.
“If Lail’s memory of hope was what woke them,” Kori says, “then I still have you to thank for this.” She lets out a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and jaw. “I’m glad you saw it happen. I am. Even if I wish I could’ve been there, too.”
I lean my head forward, pressing my forehead to hers. My eyes drift shut of their own accord. I wish we could stay like this forever, all our wars and worlds aside, nothing between us but reckless forgiveness for all the damage we’ve done and will do to each other.
A loudsqueakinterrupts our moment. Aspect’s mechanical hands perch on their hips in a frightening facsimile of Kori’s own stubbornness. “Excuse—Aspect—but Aspect—is still here.”
Russ snorts through all three noses in agreement.
“Sorry,” Kori and I both sputter as we break apart.
It’s frankly embarrassing that we’re acting like smitten youths, especially in front of our robotic and canine children respectively, but the novelty of being able to touch Kori hasn’t worn off. Every point of contact, even our foreheads leaning together, even the idle graze of her fingers across my knuckles now to reassure me she’s all right, feels like lightning.
