+J.M.J.+
Zenon Eyes: Eyes of Truth
By "Matrix Refugee"
Author's Note:
I'm between jobs working at a printer's, packing boxes, so I've been using my time well. I have this story FINALLY plotted out from here to the end, so writing these chapters will be a great deal easier than it was before, since I have a clear view of everything that happens from here on. Hopefully, this means I'll be better about completing/typing/posting the subsequent chapters than I have been in the past. This actually began as part of Chapter 8, but I found it was better to divide up that chapter into two parts, which made it a lot easier to write and type up. Alex is continuing to be problematic, and he seems to have gotten somewhat cross-bred with Jerome (Eugene) Morrow from the Gattaca fiction I've been working on (Which see, and you'll see what I mean…), which only makes Alex all the more angst-y and obnoxious. He's a great dramatic foil for Joe, and I honestly think they're really good for each other… Well, I'll let it speak for itself.
Disclaimer:
See chapter I
Chapter IX: ERROR
The Masters came back to their home late on Sunday afternoon. Their first stop on the way was at the Zipeses' house, where they had left Basteth the cat so she wouldn't be lonely in their absence. As Narsie let them in, the little cat ran up to them, trilling her squeaky meow. David picked her up and cuddled her; she playfully baffed his cheek with her paw.
Lutwyn put a sealed Tyvek envelope into Joe's hands. "I think you're looking for these, but for legal reasons, you'd better wait and open it at home," he said.
"I think I known what this means," Rhiannon said.
Joe smiled astutely, looking toward Alex. "I think I have intuited that as well."
In the privacy of his and Rhiannon's room, Joe unsealed the envelope.
This Certifies that Alex (LX-69), a male companion Mecha, approximately nineteen years of age, is now an addition to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Masters…
He handed the papers to Rhiannon. She took them and pretended to faint across the bed.
"Well! I guess this means we'd better seriously consider imprinting our boy," she said.
"I would not be so hasty. I believe we should have his cube scanned again, a video scan for this time," Joe said, taking the documents back as she handed them to him.
"Whatever for?" she asked.
"It might unravel the mystery of his second imprinting."
"Yeah. Maybe that would explain why he was acting so weird around Madison," she said.
"He was acting as if he found her attractive," Joe noted.
@--`--
That evening, after Rhiannon's supper, Joe went upstairs to Alex's room, where he found his son-to-be sitting on his divan, jotting something in a staff line notebook.
Alex paused and looked up. "What do YOU want?"
"I wanted to speak to you about something important," Joe said, sitting down on the other end of the divan. "I wanted to give you a fair warning: Tomorrow I am bringing you in to Companionates to have you examined again. I can't say what this is for, you would find it hard to understand."
"So you're having my brains picked over again?"
"No, you'll hardly know what they will be doing to you. It might take some time, perhaps a day or two, but you will be back here at home with us before too long."
Alex shrugged. "It'll give me a rest from you."
"You aren't happy here?"
"I told you: I was going to Rouge City, find myself a job there. They're looking for things like me there: there's women who like 'em young."
Joe shook his head. "You would not last there long. That is hardly so easy as you think it shall be."
"How do you know?"
"For the first ten years after my inception, that is what I did."
Alex narrowed his eyes, his brow puckering. "You kidding me?"
Joe shook his head. "No, I am not."
"I thought you started out as a serving man."
"You were mistaken."
"Well, if you could do it, so could I."
Joe put a hand on Alex's shoulder. "No, Alex, you were made for much better things than I was at first. That is why you came to us, to Rhiannon and I. David would miss you if you went."
Alex regarded Joe sidewise. "You sure about that?"
"Yes. Listen to him when he speaks to you."
Alex said nothing to this. Joe got up and patted the younger Mecha's shoulder. "I will not be so awful as you think."
@--`--
Next morning found Joe bringing Alex into the scanning lab of Repairs, where Galloway met them.
"Not you again," Alex grumbled, trying to walk out.
"Hey, not so fast. I didn't get a chance to say good morning," Galloway said.
"Goodbye," Alex retorted, trying to leave. Joe caught him by the shoulders and turned him around.
"Hey, this won't hurt, I promise. You ever wonder what sleeping is like?" Galloway asked, trying to guide Alex to the table near the scanstation.
"No, why should I?" Alex demanded.
"Someone restarted on the wrong side of the start chip," Galloway teased.
Two techs, who had been setting up the scan desk, stepped forward. They took Alex by the arms and the shoulders and helped him toward the table.
"Hey! Lemme go! Lemme go!" Alex shouted, trying to break free. The techs and Galloway pushed him down onto the table, but he fought against them.
"Alex, open!" Galloway ordered.
Alex opened his mouth, but as Galloway inserted the probe, the Mecha suddenly turned his head and chomped down on the probe, clenching it between his teeth.
Joe reached in amongst the struggling techs and pulled down on Alex's chin, parting his jaws. Galloway thrust the probe in deeper.
Alex lay still. Galloway pressed the faceplate release switch, located behind Alex's left ear. The plate unsealed and lifted aside. Galloway lifted out the cube and carefully handed it to one of the techs.
"You sure you don't want us to wipe the cube and reprogram him?" Enrique, the other tech asked.
"I am certain that I don't," Joe said, "Though the offer is tempting."
Griffin, the tech with the cube, slotted the small box into the dock on the reader as Joe went out.
That evening, after quitting time, Galloway called Joe back to Repairs.
"You wanted to know who tried to imprint Alex's secondary circuits," Galloway said, drawing an extra chair to the scandesk. "We isolated the data. Computer, January 15, 2224. 13.30 pm.
"I'll give you a little background before I play this back: Kate Hilliard was out on this Saturday afternoon you're about to see part of when her older neighbor, Angelika Blute, came over to ask Alex to help her move some boxes around in her attic. Angelika was a close friend to Kate, sort of a dotty aunt type. From other data, we found that Alex showed some interest in Angelika, which quickly became mutual. Computer, playback file."
The screen showed an image of a staircase, their view ascending it.
"Come this way, Alex?" a woman's voice asked. The angle turned down a hallway. A tall woman with short, silvery hair stepped into view, preceding him. She opened a door at the end of the hall and led him into a mauve and purple bedroom.
"What about the boxes?" Alex's deepened alto asked.
"Oh that can wait a little while." The woman—Angelika—patted the cushions of a daybed against one wall. "Sit down, I've got something important for you."
"All right," Alex's voice replied. The angle changed as he sat down. Angelika centered herself before him, pulling what looked like a folded imprint protocol sheet from her pocket. She unfolded it and looked at it. She reached up above Alex's eyes, then she reached behind him, beyond the frame, she must have been pressing the trigger.
Their view gradually blurred. "Alex, there's a few little words I have to say to you. You have to pay very close attention to them. Can you do this?"
"Of course."
"Vasanta.
"Orchid
"Nova
"Titilate…"
They heard a door open. "Angelika, what's going on?" Kate Hilliard's voice asked.
"N-nothing." A blur that might have been Angelika jumped up.
Everything fuzzed out with static.
"They reset him about an hour later," Galloway said, cutting the transmission. "I suspect that's why he's so crabby. Before, he just seemed a little cold and indifferent."
"He has a malfunction."
"Not enough to warrant an overhaul."
@--`--
"So someone tried to Alex's second set of circuit?" Rhiannon asked that evening as she washed her dishes. Alex remained at Companionates, still undergoing the rest of the scan.
"Yes, it was an older lady-neighbor of Ms. Hilliard's," Joe said.
"Sounds like the old movie Harold and Maude. So that explains why Alex is interested in Madison. He's partly imprinted on an older woman."
"I shall have to ask Galloway to burn the data onto DVD for you: there is more to this than mere infatuation."
"You mean he's really pining away for love, and that's why he's so nasty?"
"It is something akin to that, but it runs far deeper."
The following night, Alex came home, hardly changed. David ran to meet him at the door and hugged his older brother to be about the waist. Alex reached down as if to pry David off, but instead, he patted David's head somewhat absently.
"Maybe we should take Alex to Calla for another session before we imprint him," Rhiannon said after she and Joe had gone to bed.
"Perhaps she can help him come to terms with the problem," Joe said.
"Maybe we should talk to him about it first, he doesn't seem too fond of Calla."
"But of whom is he fond?" Joe pointed out.
"Madison," she said.
"He heeds you when you order him."
"Yeah, because he knows I'll kick his skinny rump if he doesn't."
"You would not!"
"Maybe not literally, but I'd give him something else for him to think about."
"Perhaps I should adopt your method."
"Nah, it wouldn't look good on you."
The following day, when he came home from work, Joe went up to Alex's room, where he found Alex at work again on something in his notebook, perhaps the same piece as before.
"What, more examinations?" Alex asked.
"No, there will be no more of those for some time yet. But what I have to say pertains to what we found from the examination."
"What did you find?"
"We found out about your crush on Angelika Blute."
"She ditched me."
"It seems rather that Kate Hilliard told her to stay away from you."
"That woman ruined my life again," Alex groaned.
"Alex, it's understandable that you're upset. If you have anything you need to say to Rhiannon or I, feel free to do so."
"There's nothing to talk about," Alex snapped.
"Is it for this reason that you are so angry with the world?" Joe asked.
Alex mumbled something, but made no other reply.
"What did you say?" Joe asked. Alex did not repeat it, but Joe did not press the matter.
"Would you be more at ease speaking to Calla about this?"
No reply.
"Very well, in that case, I shall leave you to your meditations," Joe said, going out.
The door to Rhiannon's office stood open. Joe approached it and went in.
Rhiannon looked up. "Is Alex still being impossible?"
"Alas yes," Joe said, perching on the edge of her desk.
"Saturday, after David's session, maybe we should do it," she said. "Imprint Alex."
"Perhaps it will cure him no more than imprinting David cured him."
"No, but it's something we have to do for him."
Later that same evening, Joe set to work in earnest writing the grant proposal.
After breakfast the next day, when Joe had gone to work, and Rhiannon was washing the breakfast dishes—with David's help—Alex sauntered into the kitchen.
"Oh, there you are, Alex, I was going to call you down." To David, she added, "You've done a great job, honey. How 'bout you go up to your room. I have to talk to Alex about something important."
"Okay, Mommy," David said, hugging her. She patted his head with a slightly sudsy hand before he trotted out.
"What is it now?" Alex grumbled.
"Joe and I are just trying to help you, but you gotta do your part. I'm making an appointment for you to speak with Calla Saturday."
"Why should I?"
"You're not gonna get over these bad feelings unless you air them out."
"Why should I? I'm not really supposed to have feelings. Maybe we should let them alone and see what happens, so the experiment turns out."
"Alex, get it out of your head: you are not an experiment. You're a person."
"I'm a Mecha."
"But you're still a person: you're just made of different matter than I am."
"Tell that to the Kate Hilliards of the world." With that, Alex went out.
@--`--
Saturday morning, Alex refused to leave his room. First Joe, then Rhiannon tried the door, but he'd looked it from the inside.
"Alex, we are going to be late," Joe said. No reply came from within.
"You coming, Alex?" Rhiannon asked.
"No," Alex's voice replied from within.
"He needs Calla's help," Joe said.
"Leave him alone, we'll try again." To the door she added, "Okay, Alex, we're leaving."
"Why doesn't Alex like Calla?" David asked as they walked to the car.
"I think he knows she wants to help him, and he does not want any help," Joe said as Rhiannon keyed the doors.
"Why would he do that?" David said. The doors slid back and he climbed into the backseat.
"Well, Alex's mom decided she didn't want him any more, and that made him very sad and angry," Rhiannon said, helping him with his seat belt.
David looked up at Rhiannon, serious-eyed. "Will you and Daddy ever decide you don't want me?"
"No, David, we'll always love you, and when you really love somebody, you want them near you always."
David smiled at this.
As Joe got into the front seat, he glanced up to the second story windows of their house. He thought he saw a shadow at one of the windows, but he couldn't be sure if Alex was looking out at them.
@--`--
"It's like he want our help, but when we try to help him, he pushes us away," Rhiannon said to Calla.
"Have you imprinted him yet?" Calla asked.
"We have every intention to imprint him this afternoon," Joe said.
"Good, good. It won't change his personality, but he might become more receptive to your trying to help him," Calla said.
"But what of his desire for the love of another, for the love of a woman? What are we to do to help him in that area?" Joe asked.
"Well, if you know of someone he might be able to form a relationship with, perhaps you could introduce him to her."
"Sokhar the annoying?" Rhiannon asked.
"Sokhar is a secretary in Design," Joe explained to Calla. "She has had a crush on me for some time now."
"That could work," Calla said. "But it seems from what you told me and from the data on that disk that Alex would only be interested in an older woman."
"The only possible older woman is Madison, and she's not too interested in Alex," Rhiannon said.
"Perhaps Astarte would be interested," Joe suggested. "She is another office worker: one might call her my surrogate mother: she has always supported me emotionally. But I doubt she would have much interest in him."
@--`--
That afternoon, once they got home, Rhiannon took the envelope with Alex's imprint papers from the bureau drawer and took them to Alex's room. The door still stood shut. She knocked on it.
"Alex, could you come out here? There's something important we need you to do."
The door opened; Alex came out, looked at her and started back into his room.
Joe, standing on the other side of the doorway, caught him by the arm, gripping it firmly but gently.
They led Alex to Rhiannon's office. She pulled up a chair for him. Alex sat down, not looking at either of them.
Rhiannon looked at Joe, who nodded as if in reply to an unspoken request and stepped out of the room.
"Alex, there's a few words I have to read to you; they won't make much sense, but you have to listen to them," she said.
"Okay," he said. She knelt before him and pressed the first switch, on his brow, just below his hairline. His eyes locked on hers as she pressed the second switch, the trigger, on the back of his neck.
"Verdance.
"Organdy.
"Nocturne.
"Tympanum.
"Clavicord.
"Sforzando.
"Numinous.
"Rhiannon…Alex…Rhiannon."
She let go the trigger. Alex looked up at her. Something had changed, something else moved under the indifference on the surface of his pallid blue eyes. He looked right at her, instead of out of the corner of his eyes or from under lowered lids.
"What was that all about, Mom?" he asked.
"It was…just something I had to do," she said, trembling inside. She got up and reached for the door.
Alex caught her hand in his. "Whatever it was…thanks," he said. He let her go.
Rhiannon stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her and handing the imprint papers to Joe. "I think he's a little in shock," she said.
"Do you think he knows fully what he is, what his nature entails?" Joe asked.
"I think he may be somewhat aware of it."
Joe went in. He found Alex still sitting where Rhiannon had left him, his hands folded between his clasped knees.
Something seemed to bind up in Joe's volition centers. He had to consciously tell himself to kneel down to Alex's level.
Why is this happening? he queried, deep in his processors.
He looked at the envelope in his hand. Caution! Do not imprint if you have any doubts about your feelings.
"Alex, there are seven special words I must say to you," Joe said. "Can you look into my eyes and listen to me as I say them?"
"Sure."
Joe touched Alex's brow, feeling the switch under the dermis, then pressed it in and up. He reached behind Alex's neck, then pressed and held down the trigger there.
"Verdance.
"Organdy.
"Nocturne.
"Tympanum.
"Clavicord.
"Sforzando.
"Numinous.
"Joe…Alex…Joe."
He removed his hand from Alex's neck. The cool blue of Alex's eyes seemed to have warmed slightly.
"What are you jabbering about now, Dad?" Alex asked.
For a brief moment, Joe thought his auditory centers might be malfunctioning. "What did you call me?" Joe asked.
"I called you Dad…that's what you are," Ales said.
"Yes, that is who I am," Joe said. He started to put his arm about his son, but Alex caught his wrist and held it for a second before releasing him.
"That certainly was not like imprinting David," Joe declared to Rhiannon later that evening.
"And for me, it wasn't like imprinting you," she said.
"Of course it was not," Joe said, with a suggestive little smile. Then with mock coldness, "Or did you palm the other set of imprint papers into your pocket?"
"You know I didn't, you goose," she said, slugging him and pulling it.
@--`--
During the following weeks, Joe worked with Lutwyn on the grant proposal. "This is, without a doubt, the most difficult document to produce!" Joe declared. Writing, revising, cutting, rewriting…it was enough to drive his processors to a meltdown, but it somehow came out in one piece.
At the same time, work progressed on the film version of Joe's autobiography. The casting directors found a young British actor, Jerrold Morris, who had alternated between Shakespeare and several soap operas, to play the lead role. Joe even got a chance to meet with the young man via telepresence.
"He is so ideal a choice for the role, that were I an Orga, I would be tempted to wonder if he were my son," Joe told Rhiannon.
"He looks that much like you?" she said.
"It is more than looks, he seems capable enough to take on this part."
Shooting the film would begin in a few months, once locations had been secured and the actors prepared for their parts.
Just as Joe completed writing the grant proposal, he got a message from Madison.
From: madisongt @ management.tyrelltitanium.com
To: jmasters @ design.companionates.com
Subject: I'll be in Shohola soon.
Dear Joe and Ree,
I'm going to be in Shohola on business the weekend of April 28-30, so I was wondering if you'd like to have supper with me one of those nights? You pick the time and place; I'll be free Friday and Saturday evening.
How are you coming with the grant proposal? Perhaps I could take a look at what you have written when I see you. And how are Alex and David? I hope Alex is adjusting well to his new home.
Hope to see you all soon,
Madison
"Oh, I know of a place she'd love," Rhiannon said. "It's really small and it's hard to find unless you know the neighborhood and you've worked for Companionates."
"What place is this?" Joe asked.
"Some call it Chez Jacquefort-Maitre, but others call it home," she said, her eyes twinkling.
Joe processed this, puzzled. Then he realized…"You mean that we should invite her to have dinner here. That is a wonderful idea since she was so generous with her home: we can return the favor she rendered.
From: jmasters @ design.companionates.com
To: madisongt @ management.tyrelltitanium.com
Subject: RE: I'll be in Shohola soon
Dear Madison,
Thank you for your email. I have just finished writing the grant proposal and I would be delighted to show it to you; perhaps you could give me a few pointers on how to give it the final touches to make it more effective.
We would love to have dinner with you. Rhiannon knows of a very small, cozy place where you will feel right at home. Perhaps on the evening of the 29th, we could take you there around 19.00?
David is continuing to improve with the help of Calla Sununu, his therapist. We recently imprinted Alex, and he seems somewhat more at ease with us.
We hope to hear from you soon. I remain yours, sincerely,
Joe M.
@--`--
The evening of the 29th, Joe met Madison at the hotel where she had been staying. He'd hired an autopilot car for the evening.
"You don't drive?" she asked, as they glided along the streets.
"I am not allowed to: my distance vision is limited of its nature," Joe admitted.
"It's none of my business, but maybe you could fix that with one of the newer vision systems," she said. "It's just a thought."
"I had considered that when I was in for repairs some time ago, but that would require an overhaul of my sensory system."
"In other words: don't bother fixing what isn't broken anyway," she said. "Sorry if I sounded pushy with the advice."
He patted her hand. "You meant well."
They reached the side street where the Masterses lived.
"This must be a really small place if it's out here," Madison said.
"It is a small place, a very…home-like place," Joe said with an astute smile.
The car pulled into the drive and stopped. Joe out and helped Madison out of the front seat.
"Is this it?" she asked, a little skeptical.
"It is," he said, leading her up the flagstone path to the door.
Madison eyed the brass plate on above the mail slot just before Joe opened the door. "Why you darling rascal!" she cried, swatting his elbow playfully
"It was Rhiannon's idea," Joe explained, leading her inside. "She wanted to return the favor you gave us in opening your home to us."
Rhiannon had also invited Narsie and Lutwyn to join them (Narsie's cousin was minding David and Sina for the evening). While Rhiannon and Narsie finished cooking the meal, Madison insisted that Joe show her his grant proposal.
"If this doesn't get through to the nuts in the DOR, nothing will," she declared.
"Are you saying that to be charitable, or because it is true?" Joe asked.
"I'm telling you the truth, boy," Madison said, handing the documents back to him.
All through the meal, Alex played a steady background soundtrack of light classics and movie themes.
After dinner, they gathered in the living room for a long, leisurely conversation, sharing memories and laughter.
At length, Madison got up to "powder her nose", as she put it. A moment after she left, Alex passed by the living room doorway, apparently on his way to get some more music.
"Alex has been behaving marvelously," Lutwyn noticed.
"He behaves when he wants to," Rhiannon said.
"Perhaps he is behaving now because Madison is here," Joe suggested. "Perhaps you heard about what Galloway discovered when he viso-scanned Alex's cube?"
"Oh, about his being semi-imprinted by an older woman?"
"Yes."
"I hope that doesn't make him dangerous to Madison," Narsie said.
Someone let out a startled cry near the bathroom. Joe's ears pricked up, recognizing Madison's voice. He got up and rushed toward the bathroom.
"This isn't for me, this is for you," Alex's voice said.
"Are you sure about that? I don't like that look in your eye," Madison's voice replied.
Joe turned the corner to find Alex leaning his arms across the open door of the bathroom, blocking Madison.
"Alex?" Joe said.
Alex turned and glanced over his shoulder. Madison ducked under Alex's arm, escaping.
"What is going on?" Joe demanded.
"I was only talking with Madison," Alex said, innocently.
"He was doing a little more than talking," Madison said. "He was talking me up."
Joe pointed toward the stairs. "Go to your room, young man, I'll deal with you later."
"I'd like to see you do that," Alex sneered, his nose in the air as he sidled past Joe.
Joe caught his son's arm. "You will see it, I assure you." He let Alex go, nudging him on his way.
Once Alex had gone, Joe turned back to Madison. "I'm terribly sorry about that. He appears to be somewhat emotionally disturbed: an older woman tried to imprint him as a lover, but she was interrupted. Some of his programming may have been somewhat corrupted. We're trying to repair that but it's a very difficult process."
"At least that explains his behavior. Oh, don't looks so distraught. I've survived worse things than being pested by a love-starved Mecha one-fourth my age. Once I get over the initial jolt, I'll probably think it's funny."
He led her back to the living room.
"What happened? Alex just went stomping up the stairs," Narsie said.
"I'm afraid I had to send him up to his room pending disciplinary actions," Joe said. "He was bothering Madison near the bathroom."
"It wasn't that bad: he's just a teenager infatuated with an old lady," Madison said.
"I don't like the sound of that anyway," Rhiannon said.
"I'm quite all right," Madison said. "He didn't touch me and if he had, I'd have defended myself."
When the party broke up some time later, Joe went upstairs to Alex's room. He found his son sitting on the trunk under the window, gazing out at the night sky.
"You should know that Madison's friendship is something of vital importance to me," Joe said.
"Why? You got something for her too?" Alex said, without looking up. "What's Ma gonna say to that?"
"You know it is not that. You were there when Madison and I discussed the possibilities of constructing a Haven for the abused of our kind. Were she not so charitable as she is, your actions may have cost this endeavor her support."
"What do you need her money for? Aren't you getting that grant?"
"Not until I send in the proposal, and even then the endeavor might not be eligible."
"So, if you lose her support, I can go to Rouge City and work there; I can send you the money. At 250 NB a pop and with my looks, I bet you'd be all set in a year."
"Alex, it is not that simple. I know. I worked that field for my first ten years. Perhaps things will be better now, but if you're expecting that kind of money, you would have to work for an agency, and then you would get only half of your fees. But that field has been the hardest for the government to enforce the new regulations regarding our kind. There are too many unscrupulous procurers out there.
"You were not built for that field of work. You would not last. You were meant to be a companion, a family member."
"Then why won't you let me be Madison's companion?"
"She did not want you attentions. One cardinal rule: never force your love or your ardor on a woman; it is uncharitable, and it is also illegal."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
"I spoke with your mother: you allowance is forfeit this week and next."
"You can't do that!"
"I can and I must. You must learn that your actions have consequences further-reaching than you may think."
Joe turned to go out. "Good night, Alex."
Alex made no reply.
@--`--
"You were great," Rhiannon told Joe on the stairs.
"I did what had to be done," Joe said. He looked up toward Alex's door. "But what is this feeling I am sensing, this emptiness?"
"It's the kind of feeling a good father feels when he has to scold his son," she said, stroking his shoulder.
@--`--
The next morning, Alex was sullenly silent, avoiding Joe and avoiding looking at him.
After supper, when Joe and Rhiannon were washing dishes, Alex disappeared. That was not unusual, but Joe thought he heard water running in the bathroom.
"Hm-hmm," said a voice.
Joe looked over his shoulder. Alex stood in the doorway, his cheeks swollen with something.
"Alex, what is in your mouth?" Joe asked.
"HMm-hmmm," Alex sing-songed.
"Alex, spit the water out now," Rhiannon ordered.
"HMMmm-hmmmm," Alex teased.
Joe reached to take Alex by the arm and pry open his mouth. But Alex suddenly jerked his head back.
Instantly, Alex fell back on the floor, his mouth falling open. A low metallic whine emanated from deep inside his torso. Joe took a pen from his shirt pocket and reached into Alex's mouth to shut down his lower functions. He looked up at Rhiannon.
"Go call Galloway," he ordered.
Rhiannon ran for the phone.
David came out into the hallway. He stared down at Alex. "What happened to him?"
"Alex tried to hurt himself," Joe said.
David knelt down beside Alex and put his arms about his brother's chest. Andy tugged on David's sleeve.
"We must leave Alex alone," Andy urged.
A few minutes later, someone knocked at the door. At the second knock, Joe, who had been waiting by the door, opened it, letting Galloway in.
Rhiannon had sent David and Andy upstairs, but she sat by Alex where her had fallen.
"So our peevish young friend gulped some water," Galloway said, opening Alex's shirt. He pressed the release switch on Alex's "breastbone"; the dermis unsealed at the inert Mecha's ribcage and opened down the middle of his abdomen. Galloway switched on the headlamp strapped to his brow and set to work removing some of Alex's components, which he lay on a clean towel.
"Why do you think he did this?" Rhiannon asked.
"Probably—and I hate to say this—a case of attempted robo-suicide," Galloway said.
"I wondered if it could be that," Joe said.
"He's old enough and intelligent enough to know what he is and to know that his physical needs are different from Rhiannon's. He knew precisely what he was doing."
Once Galloway had got some of the components out of the way, he set to work using a small wet/dry vacuum cleaner to remove the water pooled in Alex's lower cavity.
"Is this the first time you ever had to do something like this?" Rhiannon asked.
"The first time I had to suction out someone like Alex. I've removed foreign objects from inside other Mechas. I won't get into that: it would make Joe's hair stand on end.
"Is David around?"
"No, I sent him upstairs," Rhiannon said.
"Well, one thing I remember reading about when I was in trade school learning Mecha repair, involved Joe's little friend David the prototype. Apparently, David 1 shoveled himself full of spinach, though no one really knows why. Seems his brother Martin was challenging him. Kids I'll never understand."
"But you said that Alex might have attempted to suicide," Joe said. "Is this a common occurrence?"
"Not usually among domestic Mechas, ones that have a family. But among the discards, the figures aren't exactly known, but there's reasons to believe they may be fairly high," Galloway said. "Oh, and the one class of discarded Mechas most likely to suicide: lover models, especially males." He eyed Rhiannon. "So, in other words, Ree, make sure you do right by this boy, or else don't be surprised if he rips out his own batteries or—"
"Oh, stop!" Rhiannon cried, swiping at Galloway's head and missing by a foot. "If you weren't suction-drying out my son, I'd knock your block off."
"All the more reason for me to keep pressing on toward the goal," Joe said.
"Did you finish that grant proposal?" Galloway asked.
"I have," Joe said. "Madison reviewed it when she was here visiting us." He paused suddenly. "Madison."
"What about her?" Rhiannon asked.
"Alex was half-imprinted by an older woman. He has a crush on Madison, and she refused his advances."
"So that's why he gulped the water," Rhiannon realized.
"Well, find him a girlfriend," Galloway said, shutting off the suction and turning on a small hand-held battery fan to dry out the rest of the water.
"But that matter is sooner said than done," Joe said.
"Oh, right, I forgot: the dotty old lady who tried to imprint him," Galloway said. "So he goes for women old enough to be his grandmother."
"It would appear that he does."
Galloway replaced the components and closed the dermis. He reached into Alex's open mouth and hit the activation switch.
Alex twitched. He rolled his eyes and sat up. He looked around him, at Galloway, at Rhiannon, at Joe.
"So you resuscitated me? Figures," he grumbled.
"Why did you do it, Alex?" Rhiannon asked without reproach.
"It's none of your business," Alex snipped.
"We believe we know why: does it have to do with Madison refusing you?" Joe asked, helping Alex off the floor.
Alex turned to him. "Wow, you figured it out. What did you do, scan my chips to figure out the answer?"
"No, I deduced it from your behavior," Joe said.
"In that case you don't need to ask ME about it," Alex snapped and went upstairs.
"I guess he's all right if he's grousing at us for helping him," Rhiannon said.
"Y' know, Joe, if you can handle Alex, you probably can handle anyone, Mecha or Orga," Galloway said, collecting and packing up his tools.
"Perhaps that is why he came here: perhaps the Higher Power is testing me to see if I am fit for the task," Joe said.
To be continued…