"...They were absolutely ready to charge me for an industrial stray paint stripping, until I went up and wiped the statue's makeup off." Nanora rolled her eyes. "I'll never forget the look on our R.A.'s face."

Tenma chuckled, pulling back from his pipe, and said, "You certainly seem like you were quite a delinquent in school."

"Well, I'd say art students and sociology students don't mix well. You should hear about when we blasted Prince over the stadium's stereo system."

"I don't entirely know if I want to hear that."

"Are you sure? It's the best university story I've got."

The weekend had been rather routine – outdoor periods, laundry, psychologist appointments, all the usual meals – but evening calls with Nanora made everything worthwhile. That night had been spent just asking Nanora about her day. Something was so cathartic about hearing about the outside world, even if it were just Nanora's small stories about shopping or meetings. Nanora's room looked so clean and soft from what Tenma could see, and she played Selena Quintanilla on her end; he somehow imagined the room had the faint scent of lilac.

"Well, it's too long a story, anyway," Nanora replied. "Maybe when you're out, in some time, I can sit you down and tell it."

Tenma took a breath, and then glanced away. "How...long do you think I've got left in here...?"

"Oh! Uh..." Nanora looked shocked to hear the question at first, but paused to consider it. "I think...a month or two. But you'd still have at least a year of house arrest afterwards."

"A year..." He sighed white smoke.

"Everything's tentative!" The young woman immediately tried to bring Tenma's mood back up. "Your best bet right now is, yet again, good behaviour."

Tenma felt like he had resigned himself to being trapped in this facility. He wanted out, but even then, what would he do out there? Stare at his son in the Ministry through binoculars, and ply himself with wine until he couldn't walk? At least in here, there were things to occupy himself with, and people to put his thoughts at ease.

"You know, Nanora..." He looked up at the camera, just a bit sly. "...I could be in here for the rest of my life, but if I had you to talk to, it'd all be worthwhile."

Nanora's eyes seemed to sparkle. She asked with a smile, "But I wouldn't be a very good rehabilitation worker if you were here forever, would I?"

"Good point, my dear," he said with a chuckle, setting his pipe down next to the old tin. Calling her something like that was as far as either of them could go. Nobody wanted to address the monumental elephant in the room.

A guarding officer knocked on Tenma's cell door, plowing against it with a clenched fist, shouting, "Lights out! Turn off the Selena!"

"Has it been three hours already...?" Tenma turned back got ready to shut off the Egg. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, then."

"Goodnight, Umataro."

"I said turn it off!" The man in the hall shouted back.

The Egg shut off, and the cell filled with silence yet again. Tenma stumbled to the side of his cot, stood over it for a moment, and then collapsed onto it on his side.

He didn't like what he was starting to feel inside himself again.


Tenma dreamt he was in his old laboratory at the Ministry. The atmosphere had been pleasant, initially; he felt younger, and it was incredibly cathartic to see the blue glow from the night sky beaming in through the skylight above the development table, glowing among all the now-vintage equipment. Dusty CPU tracking monitors beside the labcoat rack, a bulky conversion chamber, a trash can stuffed with empty ramen cups. It felt almost more like home than Tenma's own house.

He couldn't recall what he had been doing in this dream; something to do with paperwork. Someone's soft footsteps slowly tapped closer into the room, and without looking, Tenma called out, "I'm closed for appointments. Come back tomorrow."

"Father."

The voice was cold and calm, monotone. The default, unprocessed adult voice for service androids. Tenma had heard it plenty of times, but hearing it speak the word he just heard forced Tenma to turn around, a chill running up his back.

Across the room, an android child – devoid of a finished outer casing, its mechanic design primitive – stood in the blue-lit doorway. It attempted to walk forward on jointless legs, toddling like a bony, wiry penguin. As it did, it spoke, "Father. What have you done."

"Father?" He tried to scoff back, voice wavering. "You don't look anything like my sons."

"Of course I do not." The robot continued. "I have died twice. Both times it has been at your hands."

Tenma went silent. The robot's clinking toddling was quickly turning from pathetic to incredibly disturbing.

"Why will you force me from staying dead. Look at me." It slowly outputted. "I cannot pass as human nor robot. Why must I be forced to live on."

"D-Don't-" The robot still remained several metres away from Tenma, but the man still pushed himself up against the development table, eyes searching the room for another door out. His stomach churned hard as the stiff little robot gawked at him from across the room.

"Why am I not allowed to rest." The robot's mouth still didn't move. "How many times must you torture me like this."

Tenma woke up, breathless, acid burning at the back of his throat. He scrambled off his cot as fast as he could, but still fell onto the floor in a heap, gagging on bile and weeping until the sound of guards heading up the hall echoed closer to his cell.

He couldn't believe, of all the things he could've worried about, how much he didn't want Nanora or Astro to see him in that state.


Nanora's meeting was at exactly eleven in a little furnished room, once again. As usual, security cameras dotted the corners and ceiling, like animals peeking out from the brush of a forest's edge. The taste of illness still faintly stung Tenma's throat, but by all accounts, he had restored himself almost perfectly.

"You are allowed to move during this period," a security officer recited, as usual. "But you are under strict supervision, and your case worker will be armed with a tazing device."

"I understand." Tenma only nodded, as usual. Feeling overheated, he rolled up his sleeves to his mid-forearm. Across the room, the door clicked open with Nanora at the handle, and she and the security officer saluted silently at each other, as they began to trade places. She had a large cloth bag with her.

Tenma glanced up to see her, and something felt so surreal; the prison-ready Nanora and the gentle Eggcom Nanora didn't seem to match up as the same woman. She stood beside the couch, sheepish, but ready for the period ahead. Tenma tried to pretend he wasn't feeling the exact same.

"Well!" She began to say, that soft smile returning. "How's your weekend been?"

Tenma smugly said,"Fantastic. A gorgeous woman kept calling my cell."

Nanora crossed her arms, with a bit of a pout. "Hey now, you're the one who called me!"

"So you don't object to the "gorgeous" part?" Tenma paused the ego trip. "...Do they monitor audio in here?"

Nanora sat at the opposite couch. "No, just video. Audio is up to me to moderate."

"I see..." Tenma rubbed his chin idly. "...What's the agenda?"

"The usual check-up and some updates on your prison status." Nanora pulled out a tablet and made a few touches. "I'm interested in how your part-time work in the prison is helping your mental health."

"Well, I thought it was working for me, but I guess not. I assume you saw the incident report?"

"Oh, the, I know..." Nanora sat forward. "Are you okay? I read your doctor's analysis of the dream."

"I'll be fine. I'd just like to talk about anything else."

Nanora looked at him with concern for a moment. She asked quietly, "...Do you need a hug?"

"Nanora, I am almost fifty," he complained loudly, looking away from her. The two were silent, the only sound in the room being Nanora shuffling her papers. It was a good moment before she finally spoke.

"I think we made a mistake with the Eggcom," she said, her voice confident in its dismay. "We bonded too quickly in an unprofessional way that may halt your progress."

Tenma sat back. "You mean, we wound up flirting and here we are."

"Absolutely." Nanora sighed, her face falling into her hand. "Ugh, at least I didn't develop any crushes during the Rock Holmes incident."

Tenma's eyes widened. "Crush? You mean..."

"Yes."

"So this is..."

"Mutual...? I assume."

Tenma's face flooded with colour. "Oh my."

"I know. Tawashi's going to kill me."

"Hand me that table," Tenma said gesturing to an end table at the doorway, and then to one of the windows. "And I'll account for myself."

Nanora looked disgusted. "Doctor, no making jokes about killing yourself! It bothers me. Especially since I've been kept informed about other offshoot remarks about offing yourself you've made."

"I...I was kidding."

"Kidding, when you fully intended a year ago to blow yourself up?" Nanora sat forward, serious, her hands folded together. "A regular person doesn't joke about themselves dying. There's deep psychological roots to a remark like that. I want you to realize that people want you to live. You should want to live."

Tenma sighed. "It'll...take some time."

"That's why I'm here." Nanora began to look less angry. "In four months, you've become more confident and less inclined towards harmful behaviour. Neither of us can give up yet."

Tenma only nodded. Nanora suddenly became excited and pulled out a few papers, placing them on the little table between them.

"Especially when you've been approved for release under home arrest in six to eight weeks. You'll be only allowed in your loft, of course..." Nanora opened something on her tablet. "You don't even need to wear a giant ankle bracelet! There will be an alarm barrier that detects your physical stats if you cross it."

"So I get to be The Boy in the Bubble."

"But you don't need to wear that ankle bracelet," Nanora beamed. Tenma finally relaxed, laughing at this, and he leaned forward in his seat.

"No wonder I've made so much progress," he said with a sigh. "You're an angel."

"You give me too much credit! You had the power to help yourself, too." Nanora looked up at him slyly. "But still, thank you."

Tenma looked to the side. "Well...this appointment has already been quite a roller coaster."

The two were silent again. Neither of them liked the pause. When any business or prison matters were stripped away, Tenma and Nanora only had – as Tenma would put it – informalities between them to discuss. He could see a longer sentence and the poor woman could lose her job if they so much as made eye contact too l-

Something gently hit his foot. Tenma snapped out of his stupor, looking down cautiously, only to find Nanora nudging him with her foot.

"Nanora, careful," he sighed.

"You looked like you were falling asleep, Umataro." She had a knowing smirk.

"Halt the meeting. Stop." Tenma put his hands up in the formation of a T. "Pull the brakes while we still can."

"Definitely." Nanora stood up, adding a prim nod. She pressed something on her tablet. "Meeting adjourned. I'll see you at your family's visit today."

"My...oh!" Tenma had almost forgotten about it. He could hear escorting officers enter the room behind him, but their boot-clad stampede meant nothing to him as he watched Nanora delicately leave the room. She gave Tenma a quick wave and a smile as an officer opened the door for her, and he could have sworn he went light-headed.

I'm in love, Tenma thought with a sigh, as officers pulled him off the couch by his arms.


The group met again in the general visits hall, with Astro insisting they had to arrive precisely at noon. The boy led Dr. Ochanomizu and Uran through the visitor doors, almost surprised to see Tenma already seated at one of the north tables. Ochanomizu stopped to fill out a permissions form with the visits hall supervisor, and Astro and Uran stood by and studied Tenma's table. One monitoring guard was briefing Tenma on visitation rules.

"Do they make the cops tell him that every time?" Uran whispered.

Astro nodded firmly. "They make the doctor fill out a form every time, too. It's just business as usual."

"Business as usual..." Uran thought on it. "I don't ever wanna get so staunch and boring."

Ochanomizu left the visits hall counter, gently taking either child by the shoulder. "Come along now, I'm sure there's lots to do today!"

"Yeah, like looking at chewing gum under the tables."

"Uran!"

When they reached the table, Tenma almost seemed timid in the way he was so quiet. He looked up and gave the three a small smile, recognizing their presence. Some door closed near their table and none of them seemed to notice.

"Tenma, my friend, are you all right?" Ochanomizu quickly took a seat. "You look exhausted."

"I've just not been sleeping well," Tenma mumbled absentmindedly, putting a thumb to his chin. The nightmare was still looming over him, and he especially didn't want Ochanomizu to know about it.

"Oh dear. I hope you'll be better soon. I did bring something that I thought would cheer you up..." Ochanomizu reached into his suit jacket pocket, pulling out an aluminium packet with a warden's approval sticker slapped on it. "Freeze-dried ice cream! We picked some up at the Mars trade station when we were out there."

Tenma took the packet, surprised, turning it over in his hands. He sputtered, "Well, thank you! How did you know I liked mint chocolate?"

"I called your case worker to check, and she said that was your favourite." Ochanomizu gave a gentle shrug. Tenma resisted sinking his face into his hands in embarrassment.

Movement came from his side. "Is that my cue?"

Nanora sat down beside Tenma at the table, setting down a stuffed cloth bag on the tabletop before her. She held out a hand to Ochanomizu, adding, "Professor, it's nice to meet you in person! I'm Nanora Inoue."

Uran grabbed Nanora's hand instead, the girl jumping up on her seat to give Nanora a strong, two-handed shake. She shouted enthusiastically, "Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!"

"O-Oh! Uh, you too!" Nanora seemed relieved when Uran let go, albeit due to Ochanomizu having to pull her back. Nanora did laugh, "I didn't expect such a warm welcome!"

Astro bowed politely in his seat. "It is nice to meet you, Ms. Inoue."

"You too, Astro." Nanora rubbed the quickly-aching shoulder of the arm Uran had just cranked. "I've heard all about your adventures."

"I imagine I'd be rather spoken-of in a place like this..." Astro looked around the visitation hall carefully. He turned back, adding, "At least our group will be safe if people know I'm here."

Tenma nodded at this. He was proud of how well-spoken the boy had become. Tobio had spoken carefully too, but not the same way; he had been mindful of his words out of what always seemed to be anxiety. At that moment, Tenma got a little bolt of realization that Astro was far and beyond a simple clone now.

"I thought you guys might want to play some board games to break the ice..." Nanora unsheathed boxes of Candyland and Hungry Hungry Hippos from the cloth bag. "...This is totally optional, though."

"Maybe later," Tenma said quietly. "I'm maybe too old for this."

"I wouldn't mind playing a game with everyone, Tenma," Ochanomizu said reassuringly.

"Yes, but you're actually raising kids. You'd of course be more suited for this."

"No, I mean, I'm 63, in contrast to your 51."

"I'm 48!"

Ochanomizu tried to say, "I mean, if someone my age would want to play this game, then someone younger than me shouldn't feel-"

"Yes, and we're both older than the age of ten!"

Nanora reached over and tugged at Tenma's jumpsuit collar. "You stop that! He means well, Umataro!"

"I-Inoue!" Tenma turned to her, dismayed. "I was just trying to make myself clear-"

"You can do that without going for the jugular!"

It was a mild but harmless argument, and Uran watched the two with a big grin on her face. Something about watching this woman tame such a dangerous person put her at ease. Uran shuffled closer to Astro, finally beginning to feel comfortable.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry, Ochanomizu." Tenma looked deflated in his seat.

"Very much accepted, my friend. Please, let's share stories!" Ochanomizu put a hand on Astro's shoulder. "I know Astro certainly has one to tell us."

The boy nodded. "I've been offered a chance to speak at the opening ceremony for the new Earth habitat dome project! It's opening in eight weeks, and the dome even has a mall, a school, and a functioning weather system."

"That's amazing!" Tenma said, his pride genuine. "Would you be living there at all?"

"I don't think I'd want to." Astro shook his head. "The Mars outback is still pretty dangerous. The dome's going to have a lot of security."

"Weren't you some of that danger on Mars?" Uran blurted out at Tenma, before anyone had a chance to say something.

"U-Uran!"

"No, I wanna hear about it! You guys wouldn't even let me go with you to Mars."

"We had the Blue Knight, Hamegg, and robot traffickers to deal with! It was too dangerous!"

Tenma looked up, curious. "Hamegg? Oh, he's in here, too."

"Where?!" Astro spun around, horrified.

"Somewhere in the middle levels. I've heard from others that he has a reputation for ogling the prison nurses."

Nanora leaned forward, adding, "Oh yeah. I forget the nurse's name, but she brought him in for a check-up. He tried something, and she hit him with a clipboard. And then she had to keep examining him for the face injury!"

"I wouldn't put it past a man like that," Tenma groaned. "I happened to be in his Mars headquarters, and he'd taped a calendar's worth of pinups in the break r-"

"I don't think this is entirely child friendly," Ochanomizu interrupted with a cautious edge to his voice. Uran, meanwhile, was absorbing everything around her, overjoyed that there was finally another female at what was usually a boring and creepy prison visit.

"I like your hair, Ms. Inoue," she added suddenly.

"Oh! Thank you!" Nanora replied. She said it with a small nod that Tenma privately regarded as adorable.

"The professor says he'll only build me long hair when I turn 10." Uran played with her fingers on the tabletop. "I only get to brush my human friends's long hair for now."

"It's because you might get it tangled easily," Astro said. "You're always climbing and jumping around."

"B-But it doesn't need to be made out of like, stuff kinda like real hair!" Uran reached over and poked at one of the spikes on Astro's head. "These are made of thick rubber an' metal!"

"Hardened PVC with a matte finish over interior metal reinforcements," Tenma said proudly. "But still, perhaps, listen to Ochanomizu. I know my hair got tangled too easily when I was a child."

Ochanomizu looked surprised."That must've been why you always hotcombed it when we were in school!"

"Well, not really...I...I was going through a moody phase."

Uran called out, "You mean it ended?"

"Ah yes, and I remember I tried bleaching my hair," Ochanomizu pondered for a second. A smile broke out on his face. "If only I knew I just needed to wait a decade or two!"

Nanora sat back, pleased, watching the four at the table finally start to converse like normal people. It was odd seeing Tenma be so interactive with someone other than her, but Nanora knew this was wonderful progress. Uran was currently describing a robot bird.

I'll just stay the moderator and steer things if I need to, she thought, chin in her hand as she intently watched the four.

They wound up not even needing the board games that day.


Nanora and the accompaniment officers were silent as they walked Tenma back to his cell, a silence that brought more relief than Nanora would have expected. She was still feeling great joy over Tenma's behaviour at the meeting, and it was time for the next step. Remind the client that their behavioural change is an excellent improvement, an old textbook passage rung in her head. Encourage them to continue this development.

"You were excellent at that visit, Umataro," she said after a moment. "You were expressive and spent the hour positively! I'm really glad for you."

"I see," Tenma muttered.

Nanora didn't like the hesitation. Concerned, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"...I'm just embarrassed about snapping. About the game, you see," Tenma grumbled, his eyes meeting Nanora's only briefly. "I feel like I'll be thinking about it all night."

"That happened, yes, but you spent the rest of the hour talking with them! You were excellent, and we all had a good time!" Nanora held up her hands. "You made up for it in spades. You were good."

They reached Tenma's cell, and soon enough, Tenma was unceremoniously uncuffed and dropped off inside. Nanora gave a quick wave to the officers, indicating she wanted to step inside for a word. They nodded, shifting in preparation to stand before the cell door. Tenma almost looked concerned as he watched the younger woman shuffle in behind the closing iron door.

"What's this about?" he asked, tense. Being alone with this woman was the last thing he wanted. He thought it was made clear at that morning's appointment.

Nanora adjusted her necklace, fidgeting. "You normally like talking with me in here, so I thought..."

"I don't know. I think I've talked myself out for today." Tenma could feel his face heating up, and he knew it was visible.

Nanora did note this, and she awkwardly tried to focus on something else in the room. "I-I'm glad. Social interaction is important."

They were face to face. Almost in sync, they looked at the cell door; no uniformed faces were looking through the bars. Yet.

"Would they hear, you think?" Nanora asked in a whisper quieter than any Tenma had ever heard.

"Hear what?" Tenma couldn't match the volume. Damn. "Hear, I've heard about the new Mars dome, but nothing about the moon so far."

"I think they're rebuilding that one," Nanora followed up. She froze, braced herself, and then moved in for a hug.

Tenma didn't understand what was going on, at first. He had flinched when she began to move at him, but that was almost a reflex at this point in his life. Nanora was soft. His arms hung limply at his sides while she stood there, her arms around him, her face lined with jet black ribbons of hair briefly pressing against his chest.

Nanora stepped back, less anxious now, and nodded at him kindly. She said softly, "You've improved so much. I'm proud of you."

No substance in the world, legal or otherwise, could match the shot of ease and peace that flowed through Tenma at that moment. He breathed, "Thank you."

"I suppose I'll see you on Friday, but you can call me for any further counselling." Nanora hoped he'd take the hint to call her so she could discuss movies she'd seen lately.

"Well, I'll try..." Tenma put on a slick, smooth tone. "Will you be bringing dinner?"

"Time's up," someone shouted out from outside the door. "Inoue, let's go!"

"All right!" Nanora hurried to the now-opening cell door. She turned back at the doorway and gave Tenma a quick, prim bow. "Have a good day, Umataro!"

"You too, Inoue," he called out as she hurried, beaming, up the corridor. The cell door slammed shut behind the officers, but Tenma didn't think of it at all. There was a familiar weight in the centre of his chest; he breathed in around this, and could only breathe out in a wistful sigh. He would've been normally embarrassed by this. The day had become so much better than he had expected.

Tenma sat down at his desk, putting his hand to his face and keeping it there. He didn't know how to describe what he felt, and became preoccupied with a way to explain it. A feeling of...of being made of stars? No, no, that sounds too childish...

He sat there for likely just five minutes, but it felt like hours, locked in his thoughts. Friday wouldn't come fast enough. And that next meeting with Astro felt like years away.