Wily sat trying to listen to Joseph go over some of the finer details of the plan that was now imminent with the completion of the bug, but he was less listening and more mulling over his conversation with Gwen. Emily would calm down eventually, he decided, Gwen was right about that, but what happened after she started speaking to him again, that was more worrisome. Given her reaction to him, what was it? Two weeks ago now, he wouldn't need to worry about that for a while, if the stony silence that had been maintained was anything to go by.
"Tom needs these plans so he can do some fine tuning of the bug's program. Al, could you deliver them to him?"
Al nodded, conscious of the looks some members of the meeting were giving him. News of Emily's tirade against him had traveled quickly, and this would be the first time he and Emily would be face to face since then.
Emily and Tom did not talk about the fight. When Tom returned that night Emily carried on as if nothing had happened. She resumed her normal patterns of keeping the apartment spotless, for lack of something better to do, and cooking, for which Tom was very grateful. She marveled that the bug did indeed move on its own at Tom's direction, and assisted Tom however she could. When Al asked for her on the phone the only words she said to him would be: "Thank you Albert, Good night." before hanging up the phone each time, no matter what he said. Eventually, Al stopped calling.
The knock on the door did not startle either Emily or Tom, messages and materials were being ferried in and out every day, such that Emily kept a pot of coffee ready for the messengers who came in with red noses and cold fingers thanks to the impending winter. Tom looked up from testing the bug's ability to perform a task, namely cut wires, while monitoring the area as Emily answered the door. Once the door was open they both froze. Emily turned on her heel and returned to her task of scrubbing the sink, refusing to even announce who was here.
Tom crossed the room to Al, who had stepped in without invitation once it was clear one wasn't going to be issued.
"These are from Joseph," he said quietly, handing the plans to Tom and attempting to ignore the loud silence coming from Emily.
Tom took them, "Coffee?" he asked gesturing toward the table.
Wily shot Emily a look, she had her back to him, "sure." He moved toward the table while Tom got the coffee.
Tom ignored the glare Emily gave him as he collected two cups of coffee, he was a mutual friend in this scenario. He had to be friendly toward both of them, even if he did agree with… he pushed the doubts about the scenario aside, Emily could live with it.
"Have you left the house then?" Tom asked handing Al his coffee while he attempted to make small talk. "Living at headquarters?"
"I've spent more time there than anywhere else, it made sense."
Tom nodded and an awkward silence fell. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What does Joseph have you doing then?"
"Messages mostly, whatever he doesn't have the time to attend to. Tom…" he began, not certain he wanted to ask the question, but he knew it would come up sooner than later. "What do you plan to do when all this is over?"
Emily turned from the sink to watch as Tom answered.
"I, I haven't really thought that far, I just want to get through this, preferably alive." Al nodded slightly, but Tom knew he wasn't satisfied with the answer. "I guess I'll see where I stand after, eventually I think I'll go back north, there's still a lot I can learn, I've only scratched the surface with this." He gestured toward the bug.
"Scratched the surface?" Al asked skeptically, "That's impressive Tom, don't sell yourself short."
"Here yes, everything's impressive, I'm a miracle worker. But… but that's not right. I shouldn't be, you should already have this technology and be thinking bigger."
"Bigger," Al said, still skeptical.
Tom set his coffee down and leaned in trying to convey his excitement about the ideas no one in this city could possibly understand having never been outside its limits.
"Imagine, this," he gestured toward the bug, "a robot, but not a little one with only one purpose, that only knows it's programming, and can't learn. Imagine a robot that's as big as a man," he stood to emphasize his point, "one that can do everything a man can do, one that can learn, but it can do more too. It can work in a mine," he gestured in the general direction of the mines, "and not worry about needing oxygen because it doesn't breathe, it's a machine. It takes a great deal to harm it, because it's stronger than you or I and it can work longer. All these things men try to do in this city, just to survive, and fail at… it can do, its hands are made of iron, it can deal with this… this hell."
The kitchen was quiet for a minute. Wily's face was no longer skeptical, but contemplative, he was thinking, thinking hard, about what Tom had proposed. After another minute he spoke, "well Tom, the whole point of this," he pointed back at the tiny, apparently trivial, robot on the table, "is to end this hell as you call it."
"I know, once this is done, there'll be a lot of work," he sat down as he repeated himself, "a lot of improving to be done. There are things I can learn in the other city and bring back to help with that."
Wily nodded as silence fell again. Emily turned back to the sink as the two men finished their coffee.
"Joseph wants to go ahead with this next week, do you think you'll be ready then?" Wily asked as he stood to leave.
Tom glanced at the plans and nodded, "we should be running a final test by Monday."
Wily nodded, "excellent," he said, and headed back out the door.