Page 42

Kiki must have seen me because he makes this adorable little chirp noise before pouncing across the field, straight through the onions James had just planted the other day.

Thankfully , he doesn’t break any of them on his way to me.

His paws, which are entirely too big for his body, hit me mid-thigh, almost knocking me over.

“ Gently , little one, or we’re both going to be on the ground rolling around.

I see you found someone to play with.” Rubbing him affectionately, he growls playfully before throwing the glove at me.

“ Oh no, I’m not starting this game. I only have one good arm now. ”

MeK walks up to us, a smirk on his face, “ He is quite lively. I never realized how much fun or entertaining a pet could be. Even though he lost interest in me the moment you stepped out, I still enjoyed the time he spent with me.”

“ Did you not have a pet as a kid?”

“ Oh no, mother would have never stood for that.”

“ Of course she wouldn’t. I know she’s your mother and all MeK , but I don’t particularly care for the woman.”

“ You have every right to your feelings, Lacie .”

“ Well , on a lighter note, it seems like Kiki likes you, so you’ll have someone to play with when I have to head back to ANDI in the evenings. I was going to ask BuK to watch over him, but I believe he would rather be with the spare.”

“ What’s the spare?”

“ The other person they decide to like. They always have a favorite and a spare.”

“ Lacie , you don’t have to leave him. I have an extra room on my shuttle that you are welcome to use.”

“ MeK , I don’t think that’s a good idea, but I appreciate the offer. I’m sure he will be fine without me. After all, he managed the last few days on his own. I wonder how he managed to find me or even get through the perimeter fence.”

“ Let me see if SCOUT is available. He would know.”

I watch MeK hit a series of prompts on his comm unit, which is much larger than mine was, and moments later, SCOUT appears in front of us.

“ Mistress Lacie , I am pleased to see you up and about. Master MeK said you had a few inquiries.”

“ Before we get to that part, I want to thank you personally for all you did for me the other day.”

“ I am pleased my calculations were accurate and that you are here safely now. I was designed to provide assistance for my creators, and it is quite pleasurable when I am able to do so. Now , how may I be of assistance?”

“ How did this little fur ball get through the fence?”

“ Oh , that is an easy one. I programmed his essence into the system when he kept trying to find a way through. It was easy to see he had formed a bond with you, and I was curious as to what means he would use to find you. These fields are where he has been staying, especially when he found that glove with your scent on it. It appears the Suet are quite resourceful and very intelligent. I am sure in time he will not be the only one patrolling this side of the perimeter. One thing I should warn you about, though, is his size. He will become quite large as an adult, which may scare others. But there will be no other as loyal to you as he is either.”

“ Thank you, SCOUT . I don’t know much about his kind, but I’ll ask ANDI to send what he has to my holo pad later. I do have one more question, and I’ve put off asking this several times now. Did you find Eric slash Jeffrey ? Do I need to watch over my shoulder for the rest of my life?”

“ We did not find his body and only a shoe was recovered a few hundred feet below the rock you had landed on. However , I was able to do a scan of the area, and I will not go into the description, but he is dead and gone. You have nothing to fear.”

“ Thank you for clearing that up, SCOUT .”

“ My pleasure.” And just like a genie, he pops out of existence.

“ That’s something I’ll never get used to.”

“ They do come and go quickly. Now that you are finished here, do you have plans?”

“ Should you not be building houses?”

“ The assembly bot showed up, and for the most part, I simply have to maneuver it from location to location. It has raised three more dwellings since you were out that way last. However , I do need to get back soon.”

He looks so torn, and I can tell he’s trying very hard to do everything correctly when it comes to being around me.

“ I need to meet up with Briar and BuK . She told me earlier she’s going to start cleaning James and Carla’s residence today.”

“ Since we are headed in the same direction, do you mind if I walk along with you and Kiki ?”

“ It’s a free world, MeK . I have no right to tell you to do anything.”

At this moment, I’m so thankful for Kiki and the distraction he’s providing so that I don’t actually have to talk to MeK , as we both laugh while he bounces all around us.

His large paws make him clumsy to the point he has rolled over himself several times.

Right as we’re walking up the hill, he steps off the path only to let out a little whimper.

Quickly , I kneel down in front of him as he holds his paw off the ground.

“ Did that old sticker bush hurt the baby? Here , let me see.”

“ Let me do it, Lacie as he may not react favorably if it is hurting him.”

Picking Kiki up gently, I turn toward MeK .

“ Ok , for once, we agree on something. You hold him while I take a look.” I pet him until he settles in MeK’s massive arms. “ Ok , let’s see.

” Carefully , I open his paw up only to find a sliver of something bright in it.

“ Hold him still. I think it’s a piece of one of the rivets. ”

When I go to pull on it, he starts to squirm, but at no point does he get mean. It takes me a second to get it all out, but the moment I do, he starts chirping. Reaching up, I lean my head against his. “ You were so brave. Now be more careful.”

MeK lowers him down, and he takes off, twisting and jumping like nothing was ever wrong.

“ You talk to him as though he can understand you.”

“ Well , he may not understand each word, but I do believe it’s the tone they grasp.”

He doesn’t say anything else, but when I glance up at him, I can tell he’s deep in thought.

I hear Briar’s laughter way before I see them, and without thinking, I head off the main path toward the new house.

When I turn back, I see MeK walking off in the other direction.

I guess some things never change, it seems.

“ Hey , chick, I was about to send the cavalry out to get ya when I saw you walking with the big guy.”

“ You should not be so hard on him, Briar .”

I’m not the only one shocked when I hear BuK say those words to her. “ And why not, if I may ask?”

“ MeK was not raised like the rest of us.

His planet frowns upon any outward emotion.

His visible runes made it difficult for him as a youngling as they projected his every thought if you knew how to read them.

I had been with father for several rotations when MeK arrived.

He never joined us—no games, no play-fighting, nothing.

He kept to himself until his mother requested his return.

I do not believe I have ever seen him smile or even interact in any other way.

His job and inventions are his one outlet, the only way he feels like others can hear his silent screams of captivity.

I know he has done something to upset you Mistress Lacie , and I am not condoning his actions, but if you were programmed to talk, speak, and act a certain way, it takes time to break those bonds, and that only happens when you realize it is wrong.

MeK was raised to grant his mother’s every wish.

She drilled into him how important his status was and who he had to be from the time he was old enough to understand her words.

He was programmed, and I am sure he is struggling with the emotions bombarding him as he does not know how to show them.

If he chooses a different path than the one she has set for him, he will lose everything.

Or that is what she has made him believe.

What he has forgotten is that he has two parental units, and his father is a stronger force than his mother could ever be.

Personally , I am thankful my mother never put me in a position like that. ”

Briar looks puzzled as we all stare at the area where MeK was earlier.

“ So BuK , what you’re saying is that Rudolph didn’t get to play in any reindeer games?

Hmm , well, that does explain a few things, and possibly more if my best friend would tell me what occurred between the two of them that has broken her heart. ”

“ I lived it once, Briar . I refuse to do it again. Enough about tall and snarly. What are you two working on?”

“ I’m getting ready to wash down the kitchen area while BuK and Ethan bring in the furniture that was just delivered.

You’ve got to come see some of this cool stuff and the layout is amazing.

I think my house is around number thirty on the list, and to be honest, I’m glad because by that time, I will have seen every other option, so I’ll know exactly what I want in mine. ”

Still looking out over the area where I worked side by side with MeK , the words pour out of me.

“ I want to be closer to the water so I can hear the waves at night and a big ass porch. Other than that, I could care less.” Just as my thoughts drift back to what BuK was telling me, my little black fur ball comes running at me, and Briar actually squeaks before jumping up in BuK’s arms. Laughing at the look on her face, I reach down and pick up the little ball of energy.

“ Briar , let me introduce you to Kiki . He saved my life, and apparently, he’s adopted me. ”

She squirms out of BuK’s arms, but he just stands there with a huge smile on his face. “ See , this is one of those things I needed-to-know ! Shit , damn, hell, Lace !”

Shaking my head at her antics, I kiss his nose before setting him down. “ Go find your spare baby. I have work to do, and you can’t come inside.” He does that adorable tilt of the head thing before trotting off the way MeK had gone.

Briar points at me and then Kiki , “ Did that damn thing just understand you?”

BuK bends over, picking up a small box that was beside me. “ Suet’s are extremely loyal and smart. He has clearly imprinted on you, Mistress Lacie and this will make him a good protector.”

“ BuK , in all the time we’ve been working together, I’ve never heard you put this many sentences together at once. Don’t think for one moment now that you have shown this side of yourself to Lace that I am going to allow you to clam up now.”

“ I had no reason to talk … you do it enough for the both of us, my Briar .”

“ Oooo , you’re in trouble now, Mister . Get your pink ass to work.”

Briar winks at me before waving me into the house.

Quickly , I grab a rag with my good hand and get to work wiping down the insides of the cabinets.

It’s not that anything is particularly dirty, as everything has that new smell, but I think it’s in our nature to clean before we settle into any place.

The rest of the day passes quickly, and I’ve laughed so much that my jaws hurt from listening to Briar and BuK play-argue. Walking out of the now clean and furnished dwelling, I look around for Kiki , expecting him to run out of the woods to pounce on me at any time, but there’s no sign of him.