Humans are social beings. That's exactly why Heinrich started to feel lonely. He lived with Bismarck for nearly five months like this without them leaving the Sogne-fjord. He played the organ or the guitar every day, and for each piece that Bismarck liked she created something for him.
The first simple cabin now had walls covered with wood, a wider, comfortable bed with ocean blue bedclothes, a massive, 19th century styled table, a nice carpet and a copy of the painting "Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard Pass".
As for the dining room it was like a saloon. First of all it became much bigger. The walls were gold colored and a huge, deep red, embroidered carpet covered the ground. In the middle there was a smoking table, a sofa, the two armchairs, and a long dining table with chairs. An ornate, glass chandelier hung from the ceiling. At the walls stood a massive bar cabinet filled with numerous bottles of wine, whiskey and liqueur. Heinrich filled it with them as Bismarck allowed him to visit some of the towns in the vicinity and get stuff for himself. There was also a bookshelf and a CD player (that one was made by Bismarck too). And at the end of the room there was the organ.
It can be said that after a while Bismarck's interior looked like a chateau. She didn't mind it, partly because she spent most of her time on the upper decks and partly because she liked this look too.
After a couple of occasions she had to think about something: did she really enjoy the lessons, or the time spent with him? This thought didn't let her rest. But how could she feel something like that? Is it possible at all? Does the Admiralty Code allow this? She didn't know. But much to her surprise she didn't care at all. She didn't care about her past life. Not without her sister and with an interesting human on her deck.
An interesting human. Was Heinrich really just interesting or something more? He really entertained her with his musical performances, gave her companion and discussions.
Maybe… Maybe she liked him? At night when Heinrich was sleeping she had some troubled minutes thinking about this. She was walking back and forth grabbing her shoulders. That's insanity! But she reached a point when she couldn't deny it anymore. On that very day Heinrich was teaching her how to play Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca on the organ. She was sitting next to him and she didn't even realize for minutes that she was smiling. Then her mind registered it and Bismarck's expression changed to a confused one.
"Is something wrong?" Heinrich asked her when he noticed it.
"No… Nothing. It's nothing." she replied.
Nothing, really? She walked to the railing and looked out. It was dark. They were in the first days of December and here in the north nights are much longer than days in winter. The air became cold, Heinrich always wore his coat when he was outside. The leafs fell down from the deciduous trees.
Five months. And this human is still on her board. For five months she stayed in a fjord without doing the duty of a Fog ship or communicating with her fleet mates. She could never imagine this before.
Then something flew away before her eye. She looked up. She saw it in the light of her lamps. Snow. It started to fall in huge, dense flakes.
"I was waiting for this." a voice behind her said. It was Heinrich coming out from the superstructure in his long, elegant dark blue coat.
"Why?" Bismarck asked.
"I love snow. At least until it doesn't trap me on the roads or buries me but none of these possibilities make any sense now for me. Yeah." he sighed with a sad looking face.
"Is something wrong? Heinrich?" she asked calling him by his name which made hum chuckle.
"This loneliness didn't hit me until now. But now…"
"What's now?"
"Christmas is coming up." This left Bismarck confused.
"What is Christmas?"
"It is a celebration. Billions of people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but for non-religious people it's also a feast of love and peace."
"You celebrate love and peace toward each other but you also war with each other and kill your fellow humans? That's illogical."
"Like I said: my kind is very controversial."
"Is this why you are so sad?"
"It is." Heinrich said looking down. "I should be with my family. But I don't have family anymore. Nor friends. I have nobody to give a present or to hug. Furthermore, it would be about eleven months since my parents died."
Bismarck listened to him. And it hurt her. She was totally unfamiliar with this Christmas thing but it sounded her as a nice event. And when he mentioned how lonely he is she remembered her sunken sister Tirpitz, the only person she could get along. She turned to Heinrich made a few steps toward him thinking what she should do. Finally she knelt down what surprised Heinrich very much.
"I'm sorry." she said with lowered head. "There's nothing more I could say to this. You may call me whatever you want."
Heinrich was staring at her. He didn't expect this. Maybe there is a lot more inside this mental model? She was acting like a… human? This was the most human thing Heinrich ever saw from her. Slowly his inner anger and hate started to fade away in his heart, at least towards this blond, Valkyrie like model.
Bismarck still didn't look at him, but then a hand appeared before her. She looked up. It was Heinrich. He looked her with a more friendly way. Bismarck took the offered hand and he pulled her up.
"You know…" said Heinrich. "You are somehow different than other models."
"I guess I have to admit it too. Different good or different bad?"
"Definitely different good. Uhm…You can let my hand now." She was still holding into him.
"What…? Yes, sure." She said in confusion and pulled her hand away. They stared at each other for a bit.
"Would you like to have a Christmas with me?" Heinrich finally asked.
"What do you mean?" asked Bismarck.
"You know, we sit down eat a nice dinner near the fireplace… By the way, can you create a fireplace? I'll play you the Herbei oh ihr Gläubigen for it."
"Why not."
"Great. Then we sing a few Christmas carols and say: "Frohe Weinachten!" (Merry Christmas) to the other. What do you say?"
"I don't see any obstacles." replied Bismarck.
"Fine. But first of all, there will be an advent party in a restaurant in Bergen tomorrow night. I could take you there."
"You mean I should step on shore?"
"Yes."
"It's actually forbidden by the Admiralty Code."
"Have you cared about this in the last months?
Bismarck was thinking.
"Nein."
"Then be prepared for tomorrow we are going south!"
Next day late afternoon they stood together at the side of the ship. Bismarck made enough platforms over the water to reach the shore. They walked about a hundred meters. They arrived to a pebbly, rugged shore on which Bismarck almost instantly fell as her heeled shoes were not designed for this kind of terrain. But fortunately Heinrich moved quick and caught her before falling.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yes, I am. Great. The first time I step on solid earth I nearly kiss it."
"It's about another hundred meters 'till the road. The ground is going upward and it's grassy and cowered with snow. Just hold into me until we reach the asphalt."
"Erm… Ok." said Bismarck confused and flushing. She took Heinrich's arm and he led her up on the hill.
Once they reached the road they had to walk a bit to a small village called Brekke. There they took a bus toward Bergen. During the way Heinrich had to warn Bismarck after a while that do not switch her head back and forth so much because it could be suspicious. Obviously she was curious about everything around her, especially about this group of humans in their natural habitat.
After a not too long ride they arrived to Norway's second largest city. They found the restaurant nearby in a Nordic styled, red building. It was perfect for any event due to its large side. In the middle there was a stage for live bands. The rest of the place was filled with seats and tables covered with green and red tablecloths and candles on them. In the corner stood a huge, beautiful Tannenbaum that almost reached the ceiling. And the casements were decorated with fir branches.
People were having fun inside there; they were talking, eating or dancing on the floor.
"May we seat down?" Heinrich asked.
"Yeah, sure." replied Bismarck.
They've settled down at a table somewhere between the stage and the wall. The waiter stepped to them.
"Good evening lady and gentleman. What can I bring for you?" The two took carts.
"Well… A roasted salmon for me please with French fries. And a glass of white wine please." said Heinrich.
"And for you my lady?" the elder waiter asked.
"For me." Bismarck was thinking. "Beef ribs for me please with sauce, and red wine. You may leave the bottle here."
"Thank you." said the waiter but his voice betrayed that this last request was a bit surprise for him. Then he left with their orders.
"You love wine so much?" asked Heinrich with a raised eyebrow.
"Like you said humans are controversial." said Bismarck quietly. "Even if alcohol is a poison to you you've worked on it for ages until you've made a culinary delight of it. Yes, it's pretty good."
"And have you become a gourmet? You've ordered professionally even if this was your first time."
"I've learned a bit about cuisine due to the meals you made."
"I see."
After this a long and awkward silence lapsed between them.
"How are you?" Heinrich finally asked.
"Fine I guess." said Bismarck. "And how are you?" she asked after another long silence.
"I don't really know." said Heinrich. "I don't have to explain the circumstances of this period of my life. But after all I'm glad that you've agreed to come here with me." he said with a faint smile. "And I have to thank you this. I've started to become very lonely."
"You know…" said the mental model. "In fact I am glad too that I've agreed."
"Really?"
"Really. Because I was lonely too. And I had to find out that it is a terrible feeling."
"Aren't feelings unnecessary?"
"They are not necessarily unnecessary."
"What and advancement!"
"And you? Could you learn something new during your time with me?"
"Actually a lot."
"For example?"
"I've got a more nuanced picture of you. Now I now that even a ment…" he looked around. "A person like you can act as if she was human."
"You think I act like a human?" Bismarck asked.
"Is the requirement to be human to be made of flesh? Or feel emotions like humans? After all there are people – luckily not too many – who cannot be called humans because of their acts, even if they are Homo sapiens like the others. And when it comes to you personally, I started to find you sympathic in the last few weeks. Maybe I even like you."
Bismarck didn't know what to say in response, so she just gasped at first but then they were interrupted for a minute by the voice of the waiter.
"Here you are." he said. "The ribs for the lady and the salmon for you sir. Oh yes, and the bottle of wine." the grey-haired man said.
"Thank you sir." said Heinrich.
"Danke schön." said Bismarck.
"Oh! Are you german young lady?" the waiter asked.
"Yeah, me too. We are visiting the country. It's very beautiful." Heinrich quickly replied with this little lie.
"And how did you get here?"
"Of course by land as the sea wasn't an option. It was a bit longer ride than sailing."
"I can imagine." the waiter sighed. "I miss the sea. My family was a fishermen family but now… We all had to find other opportunities."
"I'm sorry to hear this." said Heinrich.
"If I was able to fight those Fog ships with my pure hands! If I could grab just one by the neck… Sorry, I got a little too carried away."
"No no, I understand it sir." Heinrich shook his head.
"Anyway, have a nice evening!" The waiter smiled and left.
Heinrich turned to Bismarck. She was looking at the ground her head turned aside with a huffish look and she was drumming with her fingers on the table. He laid his hand on top of hers. This made her to look at him with a quick move, then on their hands. It was calming.
Heinrich leaned forward.
"As I said before: you are different." he whispered.
She just stared at him at first. Then she smiled at him with a grateful look.
"Don't do this with me Bismarck, bitte." thought Heinrich. "My heart wouldn't be able to handle this beauty." Luckily for him something interrupted them.
"You see dear? There's a nice young couple like we were back then. Is she already your bride son?" an old voice said at the adjacent table.
Looking over Heinrich saw it was an old couple.
"My bride?" Heinrich questioned chuckling lightly. "She's not my bride. We're not even dating. We are friends."
"Hmmm… I could've swore that you're dating. You two look just we did with my wife when we met here all those years ago."
"Sorry for the confusion sir." Heinrich bowed his head slightly.
Slowly they finished their dinners as the live band continued playing on. They were well into the night and more and more people started to head towards the dance floor. Heinrich and Bismarck were watching them as they were slowly sipping the wine.
Heinrich actually loved dancing. Whenever he looked around he saw one or two young girls watching him with an encouraging look.
"If you still want to learn: we used to have fun like this for example." he said to Bismarck, stood up and walked to one of the girls. She was pretty and had long blond hair and blue eyes just like Bismarck. He didn't have to ask it twice if she'd like to have a dance. With a smile she took his hand and followed him to the floor. Bismarck was watching them moving and turning pressed to each other and Heinrich even lifting her up what she really enjoyed. Then Bismarck thought: "I also want to do it with him!" With him… Why with him only?
A couple of minutes later Heinrich returned to her.
"What?" he asked her. She was sitting with crossed arms and with a grumpy like face.
"It's nothing." she replied.
"Okay." said Heinrich and he took the glass again into his hand.
"Can you teach me to dance?" she asked all of a sudden.
"Oh! I'm totally not a professional dancer. I just improvised."
"Even so it looked like she liked it."
"Are you jealous now or what?" "It's sometimes better no to think. Actually I've learned dancing back in the last year of primary school but I wasn't really interested at the time, plus our teacher… well, she wasn't the best. Nowadays I could perform a pretty usable Viennese Waltz but that's all."
"Viennese Waltz? Has a good name. Show me it sometimes."
"Sure, I'd try not to forget it."
It was after midnight when everyone left including Heinrich and Bismarck. Though they were sober the wine hit them a little bit so they decided to visit the seaside. After walking by a church and the walls of the old fortress the Bergenhus Festing, they arrived to the port. They've settled down on a bench and they watched the black, waving water of the fjord and the lights on the other shore. The scene was sure beautiful.
"Let's do this again. What do you say?" Heinrich asked with his breath visible in the air.
"I don't protest." said Bismarck looking at him.
"They'll have another party on the night 25th. What about that?"
"Sounds good to me Heinrich."
Then it started snowing again.
"Come on, go… "home". It's very late now."
"True." They walked back together in the falling snow to the bus station to go back to Brekke with the next night bus. The journey back was silent there were only two other people on the vehicle outside of them. After they arrived to the village they walked back in the dark to the ship. Heinrich helped Bismarck again to get through the rugged terrain then they returned to the vessel.
Heinrich was tired and he immediately went to sleep.
"Gute Nacht Bismarck!" he said and left to his cabin. Bismarck was standing in the saloon for a minute. Then she walked to the long leather sofa and laid down on it with a deep sigh.
"Madness." she thought. "I'm getting along with a human and I like his presence. Was für ein Kreatur bin ich? (What kind of creature I am?) A mental model obviously. However…" she sighed again then curled up on the furniture.