He pushed away her hands that reached for him and scooted further to the side. A tight feeling rushed through him. Her words and sense were unable to reach him with the recent experience of being so easily turned off again.
Nora returned her hand to her side, gripping the front of her shirt. “I’m sorry, Simon. I . . .”
Simon held up a hand to stop her but didn’t say anything either. His hand shook as he held it up.If she didn’t turn me back on that could have been the end of me, right there. No goodbye, no attempt to live.
The silence was dispelled and he softened as Tilly came up to him from the room over.
Tilly flapped her hands as she ran toward him, but then seemed to hesitate as she gave him a hug. “Simon! You’re all better. I’m sorry you got hurt.” She leaned into him, settling her weight on him. Tears where she pressed against him began to coat his shoulder.
The child is innocent.He patted her back soothingly. “It’s okay, Tilly. I’m glad to be awake too. No harm done.”
Tilly pulled back and patted her knee where a bandage was put. “I’m fixed too. I got a bandage myself.”
A warm feeling rose, seeing her healthy and whole. Simon connected his forehead to hers. “Thank goodness.”
Above Tilly’s head, Simon briefly met Nora’s eyes before forcing them away. Eventually he pushed Tilly off of him gently, forcing a smile. “Go get ready for bed now, it’s late.”
Tilly nodded and left. The atmosphere in the room turned chilly after her departure. Nora stood there, shoulders hunched, but Simon got up to stand by the kitchen window, alone. He turned his back to her to stare at the dusty world outside, the last bit of sunlight disappearing over the horizon.Could have not seen this world again.
Nora’s feet tapped lightly across the tiles, and a second later he listened to her helping Tilly with her bedtime routine.
Once Tilly was in bed, he heard Nora walk back in the kitchen and say softly, “Simon?”
He clenched his hands at his side instead of turning around. “I will remain out here tonight, Nora. As I told you before, I do not really need to sleep. But I do need to think.”
He heard the hurt in her voice. “Okay, Simon.” She added in a soft tone, “I’m sorry. I was wrong, Simon. I was so wrong. I just . . .”
Simon closed his eyes and his soul to her soft pleas.Don’t . . .The silence was loud in the room. “I need some time alone, Nora. Please respect my autonomy enough to give me that.”
“Time alone.” Nora choked as she got out the words. Quiet filled the air for a moment. “Okay. Time alone.”
“Yes. Please.” At his side, his hands clenched.
“Maybe I’ll go back into town tomorrow then.” She said gently, “I never got to see Anna when I went earlier. I just . . . went and got the extra parts.”
A muscle twitched in his cheek. “That’s a good idea. It is good for you to see your friend. I will stay here and work on the little hover. I need some time apart to think.”
“Okay.” Her voice broke on the word.
Simon glanced behind him and saw Nora standing there, appearing so forlorn and rejected that it made him turn away again fast. His sensory cortex hurt to see her lost posture. Anger faded. The sadness in her eyes tugged at his heart. “I care for you, Nora. I just need to think this through. Please.”
Nora stammered out, “Okay. I care about you too, Simon. Goodnight.”
Simon looked away, back at the dust. “Goodnight, Nora.”
He heard Nora going back to her room and glanced back to see that she’d left the door open. Simon could tell the intent of the open invitation she was giving him, but he didn’t budge.
Instead, he tinkered with various electrical components out at the kitchen table until he listened to her breathing change as she fell into a restless sleep. Then he pushed the machine parts he was working on aside, feeling too restless to continue.
Even Tatertot, who jumped up on his lap a moment later, couldn’t help ease Simon as he rubbed him between the ears. Simon opened his sensory inputs, fully taking in the sensation of the soft fur as the cat purred.I could have been asleep for another one hundred and fifty years and not been any the wiser.The thought was superimposed by Nora’s face, the relief in her eyes when he turned back on.She didn’t mean her actions in any negative way.
But that fear. Terror clawed its way up his throat.
His hand stilled while petting the cat, fingertips going slightly numb as he thought hard about what happened.I was turned off. I was turned off.His muscles tensed, freezing him in place.Off.
A beacon was flashing outside, along with a pressure on his connections. There was one entity that he could talk with. One that might understand.
He went outside in the night, the air crisp and decidedly cleaner since the atmosphere sweep. The drone came closer, light from inside the kitchen reflecting off its side. He could feel the androids’ judgment and empathy over the line.
