10

Text excerpt from statement of Julia Contreras Zimmerman:

“Well, it really worked. The activation really changed Tommy. He really became like… family, you know. He was… hold on… give me a minute. Sorry. I always get… It’s hard to explain. It’s like that Swinton woman said, you know? When I heard her testimony, about the way it affected… oh yeah, can’t mention that. Forgot. Well anyway, when I read that, I was just going yeah, yeah. That’s me.”

11

“Well that’s it,” Julia said. She stood and stepped back, wringing her hands nervously as she eyed the quiet simulator seated before her. Tommy gazed blankly at the space where she’d been kneeling with Medford at her side, so they both would be in the robot’s line of sight while the activation procedure was executed.

They’d followed every direction precisely, they’d keyed the triggers as instructed and read the protocol in exact order. But the little Mecha wasn’t responding.

“Is this normal?” Julia wondered aloud.

”Oh, what the hell is wrong?” Medford barked impatiently.

“Shhh,” Julia scolded, and then knelt beside the silent Mecha as if to take its temperature. “Tommy? Can you hear me?” she asked, softly, as the little bot stared into nothing. There was no response. “Maybe we should call that Gallagher man,” Julia suggested.

“Galbraith” Medford corrected.

“Yeah, him,” Julia sighed.

Suddenly, Tommy bolted up from the chair. Julia yelped, and jumped back, causing Medford to let out a cry of pain as she stomped backwards onto his foot.

“Mother!” the little bot bellowed, his eyes now alert, his facial expressions animated in a manner that she’d not seen before.

“Tommy?” Julia whispered, awed by the drastic change, her voice filled with unexpected emotion.

“Owww,” Medford moaned, falling onto a couch, grasping his foot in hand.

Tommy reacted to the sound, resetting its focus to analyze the man rocking back and forth on the couch. “Father!” it said in the same excited voice.

“Yeah, yeah, hey kid!” Medford groaned as he whipped off his shoe. “You’re looking good,” he added, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible. He began to massage his swollen toe as his wife embraced and cuddled their newly awakened imitation boy. Medford had been about to complain to his wife, about his foot, when he caught the expression on her face. When was the last time she had looked so… happy?

He turned away from that sight, having the sudden irrational thought that she might sense his guilt. He watched the two for a moment longer. Then he went down to the parking bay. He had to make a phone call.

12

“I just don’t see why you can’t take him with you,” Julia said, again. She knew she was repeating herself and, judging by the look on Medford’s face, she knew he was getting tired of it. He stood in the foyer; jacket in hand, flight bag at his feet, staring at her with his lips twitching on the verge of some irritated response. She took a more diplomatic tone and tried again.

“Tommy has been activated for a month, honey. He’s our son now. Can’t you at least try?”

There was a silence in which she thought she’d made her point, but Medford just zipped up his jacket and slipped his flight bag over his shoulder. He stood at the door for a moment before he responded. “Julia, you’ve got to understand, the strato-cruiser is my time to be alone.”

She couldn’t mask the anger in her voice. “We’ve already been alone Medford. Fifteen years. Now you have a son and you want to shut him out?”

“No, Julia. I haven’t been alone. It was you. You were slipping away. I would have given up on the license ages ago. After the second try, I knew we weren’t going to get it!”

“How? How did you know that?”

“Because nothing had changed! We were the same people as the first time we applied and the second and the third and on and on, and if they weren’t giving us a license it was because of who we are!”

“And who is that, Medford! Who are we? Who are you?”

Medford stepped forward, his face red, and pressed a trembling finger at her. “I have done nothing but what was best for us, Julia! I have sacrificed to maintain our way of life. I have never flinched from doing my duty.” He stopped at the incredulous expression in his wife’s eyes.

“Your duty?” Julia echoed. “Is that what this all is. Is that what I am? Tommy? Your duty?”

Medford grasped for words, his mouth working as his mind sought an exit from the dangerous terrain he had stepped onto. But another voice suddenly entered the fray.

“What’s wrong?”

Both turned to see Tommy standing in the doorway, his head cocked to the side and face twisted in some new manner of confusion.

“Nothing, honey,” Julia replied quickly in a forced calm that was not very convincing. “Your father and I are… just having a discussion.”

“You were fighting!” the little Mecha corrected her quickly.

Julia was taken aback by the response, but continued slowly. “No, honey. We just had to clear up a few matters and…”

“You lie!” Tommy blurted. This time they both froze as the little Mecha’s eyes darted back and forth between then. “You were fighting! Lies and fighting are bad!”

Julia stood spellbound, mouth agape. Medford’s mind cleared instantly, his guilt fading as he gazed on the strange, dark expression in the Mecha’s eyes. “Tommy, you don’t speak to us that way,” he said and dropped his flight bag to the floor. “Do you understand?”

“You are not supposed to lie!” it yelled again, fixing Medford with a particularly potent gaze.

Medford eyed his wife as he fumbled for a response. “Go to your room!” he yelled finally. He didn’t know what else to say.

The Mecha’s eyes scanned them both quickly, once more, before it turned and stormed out of the hall. They looked at each other in silent confusion, listening to the bot’s heavy footfalls on the staircase as it raced to its room.

“What the hell was that?” Medford said, breaking the silence.

Julia shook her head as if waking from a daze. “Maybe… maybe he’s supposed to do things like that?” she wondered aloud. “It’s completely human behavior, right?” But this reasoning did not relieve her discomfort at the glare she’d seen in the child simulator’s eyes.

Medford acknowledged her point with a grunt. “Well, I guess we’ll have to punish him now, right?” he said, shrugging. “What do you think? Bed without dinner?”

Julia stared at her husband blankly for a moment. Then she broke into laughter. Quickly, the two were in each other’s arms, laughing away the ugliness of their argument, pushing those unwelcome feelings back into the shadows. They stayed locked in this embrace as their apologies were voiced.

“I didn’t mean to yell,” Julia said, losing herself in the feeling of his strong embrace.

“I’m so sorry,” Medford said, pressing back the guilt inside. “I’m sorry for everything.”

They stood that way a moment longer and then separated.

“I think I’ll call that Gallagher man,” Julia said, absentmindedly patting flat a wrinkle in her husband’s jacket. “Just to tell him what happened.”

“Galbraith,” Medford corrected as he lifted his bag to his shoulder and made his way out the door.