Page 4

Chapter four

Nora

Nora beamed at the android sitting there, cat on his lap. Simon looked even more humanlike now that he was awake, except for where the silicone was torn away around his neck, showing his metal casing underneath it.

There were a few other parts like that on his body, but the silicone jumpsuit he wore seemed to have kept the main parts of his skin intact. On his arm and shoulder was another bad spot, but he could just wear a shirt for that.

“Can you see out of this eye?” Nora asked, noting the glass was cracked inside of it when she got really close. His eyes were a springy green. She waved her hand in front of his face hopefully. I don’t think I can get a replacement part for that. She frowned, considering.

“Not really. It distorts.”

“Well, the other one works, right?” She leaned forward to peer in his other eye carefully.

Simon flinched away. “Yes, it can compensate.”

“And I made this for your neck.” Nora grabbed the bandana she had hand sewn from the scraps of one of Tilly’s old shirts. She shook it out and fastened it around his head. Dust billowed out from his hair as she tied it. Do androids even bathe? Maybe she could vacuum him later, or wipe him down .

Nora stepped back after adjusting it. Well, damn. She smiled at him lying there, oddly positioned on the floor. “My oh my, Mr. Simon, you’re downright handsome now with that covered!”

“He looks like a regular human!” Tilly squealed.

Nora laughed as her eyes lingered on his muscled front. “He sure does.”

Simon spoke again, voice still distorted. “I was designed to be the image of the ideal human male.”

“Well, even back then they got what that looked like right.” Nora blushed. Downright handsome. The thought made her feel embarrassed, and she glanced away. He's not like the radio or any other machine. That's for sure.

Her eyes caught on Tatertot still sitting on his lap. “Tatertot seems to like you just fine too. So Mr. Simon, what do you know how to do to help out?”

“I was designed to do everyday tasks a human could do, to the best of human ability.” Simon averted his gaze.

Nora clapped her hands, eyes alight with excitement. “Even more the ideal man! Do you know how long your charge lasts?”

His voice sounded metallic. “A few weeks at full power. I’ve barely regained three percent thus far.”

“Yeah, that will take a bit. Do you . . . feel alright? Are you in any pain?” She leaned over and tried to move his legs into a more natural position. Simon didn’t fight her, but she couldn’t move his legs easily. She got them in a bent position and stood back to observe him sitting more casually now against the wall. Looks just like a regular human sitting there.

“I do not feel pain. There are error codes for most of my joints, but the metal casing appears to be fine except in nonessential areas. I will just need to make repairs as needed if there are any supplies.”

Nora’s body sagged in relief. “I can get what you need in town. Honestly, it’s probably good it is the desert. Not much moisture to mess things up for you sitting there all those years.”

Tilly watched the exchange, her eyes riveted to Simon. She leaned forward again, too close to his face. “Do you ever eat food?”

Simon stiffly moved away. “Yes, but at present that system is offline. I also consume water occasionally for cooling purposes.”

Nora pointed to the battery sitting on his lap, the cord feeding into his side. “Oh, so you can eat? In addition to charging?”

“My system can work roughly the same as a human’s, but charging works just as well.”

“Well that’s different then. The battery can be his food, Tilly. Which is good, because we barely got enough for ourselves. But I can get you some water.” She got up and poured some into a worn ceramic mug that said “Greetings From The Grand Canyon” in weathered paint.

“Here you go.” She held it out to him, the handle cracked off through time.

Nora watched as Simon struggled to reach it, his hands shaky and uncertain. “Hey, that’s okay. Here,” she crooned as she put the cup to his lips and tipped it so the water went in his mouth easily. He’s so weak. Nora leaned forward, cupping the mug like she did when Tilly was a baby. Slowly he drank, more like a dribble at first, but then more purposefully as he seemed to remember the movement.

He asked when it was done, “More, please.”

“Alright. You’re lucky because we got a lot of water. Can drink as much as you need.” Outside the window, Nora could see clouds moving in. “And fixing to get a lot more, looks like.”

She went back to the treated water and poured another glass. This one seemed even easier for him to drink down. She spoke as he finished. “Is there anything else that can help you feel better? I got a bit of motor oil and syntho-gas.”

Simon shook his head slowly. “I need something silicone based.”

Nora turned to Tilly, excitement in her eyes. “Can you get the repair kit? I put it in the bedroom.”

While she waited she got him another glass of water, which Simon drank down gratefully. Even easier that time.

Tilly returned a second later with a wrench and a sewing kit, neither of which Nora needed. “Oops not these, Tilly. Here, I’ll show you which one.”

Nora found what she needed in the bedroom and came back a second later with a container that had different vials. She held them up so Simon could see. “This is what I use for repairing the generator and some of the solar stuff. I got some heavier duty lubricants where the hover is, but maybe some of this will help for now. These are a bit better quality.”

She shook the liquid inside in front of his good eye and slowly read off the labels, her tongue tripping a bit over the long lettering as she slowed down to sound them out. Hard to figure the names out. When she used them it was based on viscosity and feel, rather than what they were. “Any of these good?”

“Here, let me examine.” Simon squinted at the vial closely when Nora brought it close. “They do not seem familiar. I’ll need to feel them to determine their composition and compatibility.”

“Nothing is probably familiar.” She sat back on her legs, dejected.

A strong wind rattled the shutters and the aged glass in the windows. At the sound, Nora pulled back from where she sat crouched next to him by the battery. She peered outside. “That’s the storm. I’ll go lock up the chickens real fast and bring in the solar cells. Tilly, can you close the shutters? I got a feeling this one will be big tonight. The air feels off.”

She took a side glance at Simon, then went after Tilly, who had already skipped off into the main living room. Nora took Tilly’s hand and pulled her to the side, crouching down to look her in the eyes. “Tilly, listen,” Nora said in a low voice, shaking Tilly’s hand in emphasis. “Get the shutters, but then stay away from Simon until I get back okay? He’s really weak, but we still don’t know how safe he is. You understand?”

“Okay.” Tilly nodded and pulled away to skip off.

Before she got more than a step away, Nora grabbed her hand again and tugged her back. She fixed Tilly with a stern look. “I mean it, okay?”

“Okay.”

Releasing her, Nora watched her skip away before she stood and went back into the kitchen where Simon was. The repair kit was on the floor and she lifted it, putting it next to him within easy reach. “You keep charging, Simon. You can help me soon enough, once we get you all fixed up properly. I’ll be right back.”