“That’s good. Hopefully that lasts awhile.” A subdued yawn escaped her.
Simon focused on Nora with a frown on his face, taking in the sight of her arms full of clothing. “Can I assist with any tasks?”
Nora put the fabric down on the counter and flashed a wan smile. “Oh yes. I’d love your help. But not yet. I want to talk and learn from you more than anything. What you must have seen!”
Simon didn’t answer; his memory processors were still a bit cloudy themselves. That, and he was unsure what to share.What can I share? What would be safe?
Luckily, Nora didn’t question him further. “How about you just watch and learn for a bit, and then I guess what you think you can help with, let me know. Life here is boring but safe. With it raining I will probably work on mending some of our clothes. We got some new fabrics yesterday.”
Simon nodded. “Alright.”
“Did you use the repair kit?”
“Yes.” He turned and showed her the bottles, holding the one that worked the best in his joints up in the air, now almost empty. “This one was adequate. I could use some more.”
Nora came close and squinted at the label, staring at it a bit longer than should be necessary to read the words. “Alright, when we go to town I’ll bring it and try to find some.” She returned the bottle back to the kit. “Are there any other parts? I tried to replace and fix everything that might be needed.”
“Other than my eye, there is nothing critical.”
Nora smiled at him. “Good. My supplier was getting suspicious with all the cables and stuff I had been getting. But some oil shouldn’t be too hard. I don’t think we can do anything for the eye or the parts where your skin is missing though.”
Simon narrowed his eyes.Why does it seem like she cares?It seemed genuine, beyond just trying to make him operable. He didn’t know how to process her reactions. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Just happy everything seems to be working . . . so far.” Nora pulled the chair out and sat down at the table, bringing the mending close. She pulled out another chair next to her and waved him forward.
Simon sat, awkwardly. She’d waved him forward like his old mistress did, but there wasn’t the same dynamic here.She is working, not insisting I do it all.He watched her curiously, her hands handling the needle and thread with a practiced expertise.
The rain fell, tapping on the roof, and drips could be heard in the kitchen where the roof leaked. As she began mending, Simon leaned forward, studying her movements.I can’t remember any humans doing anything by hand like this before.
Tilly came back to the kitchen. In her arms was a sack doll. “Simon! I want to show you these!”
Nora’s questions about the past would have to wait, not that Simon minded. He really didn’t want to talk about the past just yet anyway. Not with him still so confused as to what the present was. The mere fact both of the humans were sitting at the table, as equals with him, made him shift uncomfortably in his chair.
“This one is Rose,” Tilly said, showing him a sack doll with a drawn-on smile. A line of five others joined the one on the table, each given its own introduction.
Simon solemnly listened as she lined all the dolls on the table, facing him. Most children from his time would ignore an android helper, and would also be too attached to their devices to do something as mundane as arrange their dolls.This human seems so eager to share though.None of the dolls were machine-made perfect, but the little girl seemed to love them all just the same.
After Tilly showed him every single doll in the house, with their names and what they liked to do, she followed up with another recap of her radio program, “So he would understand when he hears the new episode tonight.”
Simon’s processors froze for a minute as he watched Tilly run out of the room. In an undertone he said to Nora, “The young human walks with a limp.”
Nora frowned, watching Tilly walk away, before she sighed heavily. “Yeah, she has a bad foot that hurts if she steps wrong. She fell on it badly when she was younger and it didn’t heal all the way right. Hard to find . . . good care out here. Don’t ever really notice it unless she runs fast. She’s okay though, really.”
Fell and it didn’t heal?Simon frowned as Tilly’s limp replayed in his mind.And now she has that limp forever?It didn’t sit right with him.
Tilly got distracted in the other room for a moment, then announced that all her dolls wanted to listen to the radio. She started to carry them out of the kitchen.
Once they were alone Nora asked, “Can you tell me now? I’m so curious. What was life like, back then? Do you remember any more now that you’ve been awake a bit?”
“Ah . . . what do you want to know?” Simon started.
“Anything. Anything you remember.” Nora’s voice was strained and her eyes were bright in her thin face. Her hands were still working on the clothing in front of her.
Simon still really didn’t want to talk about the times before, but something about Nora’s hopeful expression got to him.I owe her, in a way, for waking me up. I don’t have to share much.
He felt his tongue loosen. “I was . . . hidden . . . because androids were being shut down.”
“Oh. Yes. Who hid you?” Nora nodded, leaning in.
