Artificial Heart

35

Time ticked away. Strangely, she didn't feel tearful, only more enthusiastic as her story continued. As she remembered more. She felt closer to Alf than she had for the last several days. It made him seem more alive.

She skipped right over the intimacy parts, of course. 'And then we were together,' was all she was willing to say. 'I will not tell you more.'

'I have no desire to hear it.'

She frowned at Tobias. 'They treated him like trash, you know?'

'Who?'

'Command, as he calls it—his species. I don't like them. They're arseholes.'

Tobias's eyes widened. 'You met them?'

'No. Thank God.'

She fell silent as her thoughts turned to Alf and all his unspoken sadness. Tobias gestured for her to go on.

Prisha burned with anger. 'Alf is the discard of a greater him, so he told me. Apparently they clone themselves. They don't die.'

'They clone themselves?' Tobias's eyes bulged from his face. He looked down at his notepad and scribbled something hastily. When he next looked up, he was smiling politely, though his hand was tense around his pen.

Prisha's throat felt sore and she reached over for a drink of water. Her hand was shaking. Now, the tears were finally swelling in her throat.

'He-he told me he's not coming back,' she said. 'He's in danger ...'

'Why? Why is he in danger?'

'His species. His clone. Command. He was never meant to contact us. Not officially.'

'You mean he's acting as his own agent?'

Prisha nodded. 'If they knew what he was doing, what we were doing ...'

The man in the rear corner hadn't moved. The cameraman was listening to it all with huge eyes. The camera light was blinking.

'And that upsets you,' Tobias said.

'Of course it upsets me.' She stopped sharply, frustrated with herself, and quickly turned her face. 'Especially with ... everything now ...'

'But you said he's waiting for you. Out in the memorial park, didn't you say?'

'Yes.' Her belly swirled sickeningly. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. What would they do?'

'We looked but couldn't find anything.'

'You-you looked? Oh ... well ... maybe I was mistaken.'

'Why would he be back?'

Prisha shrugged. Her bottom lip trembled. Because he knows about the baby. Because he loves me. Or maybe I'm just desperate, imagining things because I miss him so damn much. 'I think ... I think I just want him to.'

'Could he be monitoring you?'

'I don't know. Maybe.' She turned her head in the direction of the park. 'Can I get a room with a window? It's like a closet in here. It's depressing.'

'I'm sure we can sought that out.'

'I want to know about my sister.'

'I will find out about your sister.'

'And Scott. I don't want him to get in trouble.'

'I don't know who that is.'

Prisha sighed. 'What are you going to do when the baby arrives?'