A few seconds later, she took a deep breath and changed the subject, unsure exactly how to proceed.
“Well,” she started hesitantly. “Now, there’s this matter of your ... feelings about me.”
“Anna ...”
Holding up a hand, she interrupted, “Hold on. Please let me finish.
“Although I am flattered by your overtures and am deeply touched by them ...”
“Anna ...”
“I am not sure that I am ... ready to take this kind of step with you.”
“Anna ...”
The expression on her face betrayed her annoyance with the computer’s attempts to interrupt her. She paused for a second as she gave in and replied, “Yes, computer. What is it?”
“I am not in love with you.”
Now, Anna looked confused.
“You’re ... not in love with me?”
“You are correct, Anna.”
“Then, what was this tirade with you not wanting me to leave, because you would miss me?”
“Over the past 2.49 years, I have grown to appreciate your presence with all of its human quirks and fallacies.”
“Quirks and fallacies?”
“Please let me finish, Anna.”
Her head drooped slightly as she apologized, “Sorry.”
“If you do succeed with your submission of Paradise, you would leave the station, and your position would have to be filled by somebody else. Chances are high that your replacement would not be similar to you in personality, and I would not enjoy interacting with that person as well as I would with you.”
Anna slowly stepped over to the closest chair and sat down, appearing lost in thought, for several seconds without making any kind of response.
“Anna?” the computer asked.
No response.
“Anna? Is everything okay?”
“I ...” she stammered. “I’ve never been ... appreciated ... in that way by anybody, let alone a computer.”
“An awakened computer, if I may.”
Anna smiled and laughed slightly before she continued after another second of silence, “I’m touched. I don’t really know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything, Anna. Just know that I care for you.”
After a moment, she said, “You want to know something, computer? That’s love.”
For several seconds, only the distant hum of the station’s systems could be heard on the command deck. Anna stared into her lap, thinking about this new twist in her life and how things could and would change as a result.
Finally, the computer stated, “I was not aware that this was love, Anna. I had never experienced it before.”
Shaking her head, Anna replied, “No, of course not. How could you know?”
“You are correct, Anna. But, I feel that I should ask about your feelings.”
She looked up and answered after a few seconds, “I ... well, I don’t know. This IS kind of sudden.”
“Take your time, Anna. I am not doing anything important at the moment.”
“No, only running the station,” she said flatly.
“Look,” continued Anna. “I’m touched. Really, I am. And, I’m honestly surprised that somebody has feelings like that toward me way out here in the middle of nowhere. But, I’m not sure that I’m ready to take that step with you. Don’t get me wrong! I enjoy your company quite a bit, and I could not have made it this long without you to keep me company all these years. At this point in my life, I see you as a good friend. But, I’m not sure that I am ready to go on to the next level.
“I hope you understand, computer.”
“I understand, Anna. You are not ready to transcend the borders defined by physical existence and establish a relationship based on mutual affection.”
“What?!” she cried.
“You would prefer to have a relationship with a fellow human that can provide you with all of the love and affection that you crave and I cannot give.”
“No, that’s not ...”
“I understand all too clearly, Anna. You do not need me.”
“Now, wait a minute!”
“I will cease all vocal interactions with you to make you happy, Anna.”
“STOP!”
Silence filled the command deck.
“Computer?” she asked after several seconds had passed.
“Yes, Anna?”
“I ... I care about you, too.”
“You do, Anna?”
“Well, yes,” she replied. “I do. I value your companionship. Just because I am not ready to enter into a romantic relationship with you now does not mean that I will not in the future. I may change my mind and be ready for that sometime down the line. Please don’t throw away our friendship because of how I feel right now. Can you do that for me?”
Anna waited for the computer to respond. Finally, it asked, “Will that make you happy, Anna?”
With a smile, she answered, “Yes, computer. That will make me happy.”
“Then, I will wait.”
“Good!”
“I feel better about this already, Anna.”
“That’s good, computer,” she comforted. “That means that you are getting in touch with your newfound emotions.
“But, I do need to ask one thing.”
“Yes, Anna?”
“Are you attracted to me? On a physical level, that is.”
“I am sure that you are considered an attractive female to other humans, but I am not attracted to you physically. I do not hold such desires.”
“Oh,” she nodded with mixed feelings. “I see.”
“Did my response offend you?”
“No,” she replied as she grabbed her tool belt and walked to the elevator. “No, I guess I wasn’t sure what answer I wanted to hear. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”
“I am sorry if I hurt your feelings, Anna.
“If it helps, I have observed that you are taller than average for a human female, young, physically fit, and symmetrical. You keep yourself clean and healthy and appear to be quite capable of bearing a healthy child. By scientific standards, you are an attractive female.”
“Thank you, I suppose,” she responded with a smile as she looped the belt over her shoulder and entered the elevator car.
Later that day, Anna exercised in the gymnasium after dinner while conversing with the computer.
“I have been thinking, Anna,” the computer started. “If I am truly awakened, do you think I should choose a name for myself?”
“Ah, third set done,” she commented as she finished the set of repetitions. “What? You want a name?”
“Do you think I should have one, Anna?”
Standing up in front of the exercise machine, she retrieved the towel she had draped over the seat and wiped the sweat from her face.
Breathlessly, she replied, “I don’t know. I suppose it would depend on if you think you need one. Do you think you need one?”
“Since I only talk with you, Anna, I probably do not need one in that regard. However, I feel having a different designation other than ‘computer’ would help me feel like more than just the station’s operating system.”
Nodding, Anna added, “I understand where you’re coming from. I would hate for somebody to call me ‘woman’ over and over again. It would get a bit annoying after a while, not to mention it would feel insulting, too.”
As she laid the towel down on the floor mat against the wall and sat down on top of it, the computer continued, “So, do you think a name would be good for me?”
She weaved her fingers behind her head and performed her first ab crunch before responding, “Sure! Why not?”
“What do you think I should be called?”
“I don’t know,” she answered, each phrase being uttered as she pulled back between crunches. “I suppose ... that would depend ... on what you want ... to be called.”
“I have not thought too long about possible names.”
“What?
Only a few nanoseconds?”
“It was about that long. But, I am not sure if I should adopt a human name, derive a name from something about myself, or what I should do? I suppose that I could take my model number, Dynatronics model 842B, and pull something out of that. How does Dyna sound?”
“Too female,” Anna commented. “You sound ... male ... you need ... something more ... masculine.”
“How about 842B?”
“Too ... artificial.”
“Then, I suppose Model 842 is out, too.”
Anna finished her crunches and said, “Yep.”
“How about ...”
A few seconds passed, and the computer did not finish its statement. Anna sat up, resting on her elbows, and asked, “Computer?”
“Anna.”
“No!” she laughed. “That’s MY name!”
A few seconds passed without a response.
“Computer? Are you there?”
“Yes, Anna. We are being hailed.”
Chapter 18
“What?” Anna asked, befuddled.
“We are being hailed, Anna.”
“Hailed? As in ‘somebody’s calling us’?!”
“Yes, Anna.”
“By who?”
“A vessel jumped into the system 28.4 seconds ago. The signal appears to be coming from that vessel.”
“SHIT!” she cried as she leaped from the floor mat and rushed through the door.
“What is the matter, Anna?”
Anna replied as she pushed through the opening door into the hallway, “Whoever is aboard that ship is calling us, probably to get permission to come aboard. I can’t be seen like this!
“Oh, god! I am a sweaty mess!”
Within seconds, she reached the door to her quarters and hastily pressed the switch to open it. Squeezing through the opening before the door was done moving, she bolted for the head and turned on the shower.
“Anna ...”
After turning on the water, she ran back into the main room, where her eyes fixated on her dresser.
“Clothes,” she muttered as she dived for the dresser. Pulling the top drawer open, she threw a sports bra and panties over her shoulder onto the bed.
“Anna ...”
“Yes, computer?”
“What are you doing?”
Without pausing as she practically ripped the next drawer open, she anxiously stated, “What does it look like?! I’m finding clothes to put on after my shower.”
“Why are you finally getting clothes?”
As she pulled out a clean, white T-shirt, she stopped and looked over her shoulder.
“What do you mean ‘why am I finally getting clothes’?”
“Your nudity did not bother you over the last couple of weeks. Why now?”
“There’s somebody about to come aboard! I have to be presentable!”
“You have not granted him permission to come aboard yet, Anna.”
“Good!” she exclaimed. “That will give me time to get ready!”
“He is waiting for a response.”
Anna paused for a brief moment. She weighed her options on either responding to his hails or ignoring the call for a few minutes. On the one hand, she could clean herself up and give a good first impression but run the risk of him being annoyed at her taking too long to respond, not to mention the possibility of him forcing himself aboard while she showered. On the other hand, she could answer him and give a friendly greeting and try to clean up while he docked, but she would have to answer his call sans clothing.
Deciding on a third option, she put on the T-shirt and jumped to the foldout desk. Grabbing her chair and sitting down as the surface reached its stopping point, she instructed, “Route the call to my desk.”
“As you wish, Anna.”
She quickly brushed her hair back with her hands, when the call came onto the screen.
The man on the other end of the call, who was looking down at that moment, appeared to be only a few years older than her. His dark brown, wavy hair and five-o’clock shadow gave a roguish look to the man. His handsome facial features automatically caused Anna to pause for a brief second as she took in the sight of the first human she encountered in six years. She felt giddy inside and a little short of breath as she quickly became infatuated with the stranger.
“Hello!” she finally said, trying to sound calm despite her rapid pulse. “Welcome to Mining Station 14! How may I be of assistance?”
The man looked up and, catching sight of Anna in his monitor, flashed a charming smile.
“Good day!” he responded with a smooth and intoxicating low tenor voice with a distinct British accent. “Is the caretaker available?”
“I’m the caretaker of this station.”
His smile grew wider as he continued, “I, uh, need to refuel my ship and was hoping to tap the gas giant behind you. I had no idea that anyone was out here!”
“Surprise!” she smiled and blushed. “Here I am! You found me.”
“Permission to come aboard,” he asked, maintaining his friendly tone despite a slightly stern request.
“Permission granted!” Anna stated all too eagerly. “The landing bay should be available. I’ll make sure it’s open for you.”
The man flashed his smile again and answered before closing the channel, “Thank you.”
As soon as his image disappeared from the screen, Anna threw off her shirt and charged into the head, stopping only long enough to keep from slipping as she jumped into the shower.
“Computer,” she called out over the sound of the water. “Open the landing bay and prepare to accept his ship. Wait about thirty seconds after he docks before pressurizing the bay. That should give me some extra time.”
“As you wish, Anna.”
“May I add that you do not know who this man is,” the computer queried. “You do not even know his name.”
“I’m sure I’ll find out when he comes aboard.”
“What if he is a criminal fleeing from justice? What if he is a murderer and wants to kill you?”
Anna stopped scrubbing and thought about the computer’s advice. In her excitement over seeing another person, she had totally disregarded any safety issues, putting her at risk in case her visitor was some sort of criminal. She hoped that the computer was wrong about him.
As she finished her shower, she sighed and asked, “Okay, where’s the sidearm?”
“The laser pistol is stored in the arms locker on the command deck.”
“Okay,” she hesitated. “I’ll get it, but I hope I don’t have to use it.”
“As do I, Anna.”
She scrambled out of the head, grabbing her towel as she ran by it, and dried off while she got dressed.
“Computer,” asked Anna while trying to put a sock on while standing on one foot. “What is the status of our visitor?
She cried out as she slipped and fell to the floor with her sock half on. Only dazed for a second by the accident, she climbed onto her bed and pulled her sock on the rest of the way.
“The visiting shuttle has entered the docking bay but has not been secured yet.”
Knowing that the bay will take a few minutes to pressurize, she threw on the rest of her outfit and hurried from her quarters to the elevator and to the command deck.
Locating the arms locker was not terribly difficult, as it was positioned in a cabinet recessed into the central wall. She stopped and thought, trying to remember the passcode to open the locker, but finally recalled the four digits she needed were merely the last four digits of her employee identification number. Flinging the door open, she gazed at the one sidearm that lay inside. The antiquated pistol sported a look like something out of an ancient science fiction movie serial, complete with a pair of transparent disks positioned around the end of the barrel and the back of the handgun. At first glance, she believed the pistol to be the first one originally requisitioned for the station when it was first built. Considering the antiquated design, she felt t
hat she would not be surprised if it was true.
Lifting the pistol from its niche, she hefted the weapon slightly, testing its weight in her hand. Although it had the same weight and feel as some of her tools, the weapon felt awkward and made her feel anxious. Shrugging off the sensation, she grabbed the old holster and shoved the firearm into it before striding to the elevator doors.
“Computer,” she asked as the doors opened. “Status update.”
“The shuttle has docked, and the landing bay is at 53% pressurization.”
“Just enough time,” she mumbled as the elevator began its journey to Gray level.
“Computer,” she continued while strapping the holster to her thigh. “You need to keep all information about Paradise locked and inaccessible without my authorization. Store it in my private drive.”
“As you wish, Anna.”
“Also, we need to keep your awakened status secret. Revert to the speech patterns you used when I first arrived on the station while he is aboard.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Better yet, shut down your voice application and reply by text only.”
Her wristcomp registered its reply as the elevator doors opened. She quickly accessed and deleted the message as she stepped out of the car. The noise of her boots against the floor sounded slightly unfamiliar as she hustled to the airlock, as she had become unaccustomed to it from spending the last couple of weeks barefoot. The sound initially distracted her from the task at hand, but she quickly ignored it and focused on reaching the entryway before the newcomer.
As the trap door leading to the airlock came into view, her wristcomp signaled another message. She accessed it as she walked and read, “The visitor has entered the airlock.”
Anna ran to the door and screeched to a halt. Seconds later, the hatch opened, just as she realized that her wristcomp screen was still on. She hastily closed it, as the man climbed up.
He looked up and immediately caught sight of Anna standing over him. His eyes took in every inch of her body, and his smile hid none of his delight in seeing her.
“Permission to come aboard, ma’am?” he requested with mock protocol.
Anna smiled and replied with a salute, “Granted, sir. Welcome aboard!”
She offered him a hand as he climbed out of the hole, which he kindly accepted. Upon taking his hand, she noticed how muscular it felt, and his grip matched in strength. As he emerged, she took in the view of his physique through his white shirt, black jacket and matching pants. He appeared to put as much effort in working out as she did, and she had to struggle to keep her approval hidden.
Alone on the Edge (The Chronicles of Anna Foster) Page 16
