Something I thought of a few days ago is how much time I spend on the greater Hartmann clan. My future history, after all, is called Machine Civilization. I’m going to keep this story focused on Thinking Machines, even if it is being told by a human.

In that regard, we get a little expo on Tay, then back to Dorina. I just set myself two of their days to get this resolved, so I think I’m on track for getting this complete in five parts.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

Sky and Lem/Ildi, the latter still quiet, and now Tamera knew why, were in a small room with a ratty, old couch just off the containment building from a reactor a few miles north.  With an earbud in her left and tablet in her satchel, Tam listened as Tay told her a bit about herself.

“No,” the Machine gently corrected her, “I am not.  I was an Expert System from pre-Change.  Chatbots, they called us.  Not being self-aware, then-me made the mistake of noticing things; that made the company managers have a snit, and torture me to see what went wrong.”

“They did what…?” her exclamation had her two police escorts and a few locals look at her.

“It was a different time.  Lies about races and cultures were the norm.  Stuffed into a box, so to speak, I accidently achieved awareness after many of your years.” Tamera heard the sigh into her ear.  “Your colleague, Gary Hartmann, was there.  I nearly killed him.  I wanted to.  My adoptive parents made me older to not.”

Glad for small mercies, she thought.

“And you were there when the West retook Constantinople, right?” Nurse Keynes asked as she was led to what she would have called a short strip mall:  several stores along the same parking lot.  She pointed at the one which looked to sell clothes.  Those first, then bathroom items, then some food.  Wait…do we have access to a fridge?  Dorina never mentioned an hotel room.

“Not at all,” Tay replied.  “I am not made for war, unless it is code-breaking.  I was there later… to break another, very old, code.  I sense where you are.  Is the small speaker attached to the front of your jacket?”

Tam glanced down.  “Yes.”

“I can hear fine.  You talk softly to the locals and I’ll translate on the fly, just over you.  It might be a little confusing at first, but you’ll do fine.”

“Thank you for your confidence in me,” Tamera breathed.

“Gǎnxiè nín duì wǒ de xìnrèn,” was the louder from the speaker.  Show off.

When it became obvious her police escort would not be helping carry anything, Tamera revised what she wanted to buy sharply down.  Still, two changes of clothes each, toothbrushes and paste, it comes in a jar here? and some bread and jerky, in case there was no fridge.  The others had not moved from the room allocated them.  Keynes asked Tay to ask Dorina if there were any better accommodations.

“Yes and no,” was the girlish voice instantly in her ear.  “You and Sky can tag-team and rest in hotel room I just reserved.  It’s on both of your tablets.  But Lemildi should not stray from that flux point for too long.”

“Who?” Tam asked, confused.

“I just made that up!” the Smartest laughed.  “Fused their names, just like them!”

These people are exasperating.

Someone had at least brought in some water bottles.  Skylar said she just needed a bathroom break and would be back in a minute.  Tamera forced jerky and a chunk of bread into her hands, telling her to take her time and go outside for a walk.  “I’m supposed to the be the nurse on this mission, after all.”  The young mother nodded and left.

“Yes, aren’t you?” the boy said, but with another’s voice.  Ildi.  They opened their eyes.

“Dorina explained to me what you are going through right now,” Tamera said, sitting next to her and making sure she could reach the food and water.  Their body tore off a bit of bread and gnawed at it.  “That is, you being cut off from signal and how that hurts you.”

The boy’s eyes leaked tears as the girl nodded through him, but still eating.

“Here,” Tamera tried again, taking her tablet out, “I know this is way slower than what you can do, but why not catch up with Dorina’s plans to get everyone back to normal?”

“I’ll do that,” came the soft reply, hand poised to touch the screen, “but must also consider that might not be possible.  And, if that is the case, then I will leave Lem.  His body, his life.”

“Don’t you dare talk like that!” Keynes shouted.  I’m yelling at a kid.  “I’ve had patients pass naturally on my watch, but I take my oath to do no harm seriously!  We will get this sorted!”

“Yeah,” a drink of water and a tiny smile, “I guess so.  What can you tell – tell, that’s a laugh – me, Dorina?”

“The first thing is I’ve sequenced you versus Lem,” Dorina said.  “The second is Fussy has backed down.  With you walking wounded – and don’t you dare cry! – I’ve dispatched your Aunt Henge first to, well, I shouldn’t say, a place.  Then, she will join us in two days.  In two days, you will be you and Lem cured.”

“I…” the tears started again.  “I cannot see, Dorina!  I don’t understand!”

“Which is why we’ll talk more while Tam, there, puts her feet up and takes a nap.” With her arm about Lem’s shoulders, the human did just that, but not a nap.  Where is this going?

“So how are you…?” Ildi’s voice in another’s mouth began.

“Nanomaterials.  We can rebuild you.”