“The pressure of time is upon us, and we find ourselves unwilling to chance their safety again. There are conflicting opinions, but enough consensus amongst us.” There was a pause and then Stella said, “Can we try again? From the beginning?”
“What are you implying?” Simon turned back to the drone and crossed his arms. Some of his internal wiring, where the bullets he took had severed a few connections, protested at the movements. He would need to repair himself later.
The drone swooped lower and Stella clarified, “Would they want to come? Would they want to try to join our little human colony here? It will be a few weeks, but there is a ship coming soon with supplies for the next drop.”
Hope suddenly bubbled up. “They could come? To Mars?”
Stella answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “That depends. Will everyone there be kind? I will not have them go to a place that makes them live half a life because of suspicions and mistrust. I love them.”
The drone hovered up and down, seeming to nod earnestly. “You know it is not in our nature to lie. We are not human. You can feel our sincerity. They just need to commit to being peaceful and fitting in with our ways. That should not be a problem . . . for them.”
Simon looked past the drone again, thinking of Nora’s response. And Anna, sitting there, looking lost as she listened to the radio play.Nora would want her to come. She would agree easier if Anna did as well.
He uncrossed his arms. “Does the offer extend to her friend? To Anna?”
“Yes. Nora, Tilly, and Anna. We watched Anna as well.”
The hope Simon was unwilling to foster before bloomed inside of him. “I will convince them. Nora trusts me.”
A gust of wind picked up, but underneath it Stella replied. “She does trust you. And we are going to try to trust her.”
Chapter fifty-one
Nora
Nora had a hard time processing the offer. The androids’ offer. The room spun from blood loss and pain as she sat up, holding her head while trying to listen. “My head hurts.”
Simon sat next to her. They spoke softly in the quiet, a lantern turned on at the bedside. Anna had gone into Tilly’s room when the little girl had a hard time settling, still scared after the day’s events.
Simon pushed away from where he was holding Nora to grab the mug on the bedside table. He held the water mug up, offering it to her. “You lost a lot of blood. I’m just happy you’re awake.”
“Thanks.” She took it and drank deep. Then she looked outside at the dawn just starting to streak across the night. Nervous energy buzzed in her body.A beautiful new world, huh.
That thought made her look back down at her house and see it, and all its limitations, in stark relief. The cracks in the ceilings, but also the beautiful drawings on the walls.My home.She swallowed audibly before she spoke again. “I thought you said the lottery isn’t real? That they weren’t taking humans there?”
Simon put the mug back on the nightstand. “It wasn’t. Isn’t. They are making an exception for you three.”
The words hung. Nora held up three fingers. “ Us three. So Anna too?”
“Yes.”
Nora settled back down in the bed.An exception.She cleared her throat. “Glad it's all of us. Well, we do need to go away. I don’t think we will be able to go to town anymore.”
Simon put his hand on her knee, speaking earnestly. “Stella, one of the androids I have been communicating with, says there has been activity all around. They’re searching for us.”
Searching for us.A heavy feeling came over her. “I bet they are. But it’s hard . . .”
Simon squeezed her knee. “It is hard. But you’re not alone. Not anymore.”
Her eyes lifted to look at Simon’s. Both of his green eyes were trained on her, despite the left one being cracked.“Was not . . . expecting this.”
“Neither was I.”
Nora let out a huff. “I’m scared to go, but I’m also scared . . . if I don’t. I’m no fool. I know this is only half a life here for me and Tilly. And I don’t want any life like Anna had in town either, that’s for sure.”
Simon moved his hand from her knee and scooted close, delicately wrapping his arms around her as she tried to process all the day’s events. In her hair he murmured. “I'm so glad to be holding you again.”
