Artificial Heart

17

He wasn't wearing his helmet and all she could think was how much of him she'd forgotten. The distortions. The metal. Those out of sync blinking eyes. In her memories, he was so much more perfect and wondrous and unbelievable—and yet, somehow so much less because of it.

Prisha much preferred the real thing. Her heart kicked against her ribs. All she wanted to do was rush over and touch him. Just to be sure he was real. That this all wasn't just another one of her silly dreams.

'Why did you take so long?' Her voice choked again.

'I must. I missed you also.'

He stood. Prisha's breath hitched in her throat as he came over. He stopped, standing in the middle of the floor, as though he didn't know what to do. His red eye glowed. His brown eye was shining.

Prisha closed the gap. She shut her eyes. Then they were holding each other, and Prisha wasn't sure who reached for whom first.

'Mmm,' she breathed into his hard shoulder. She turned her face and smelled his suit, savouring it. Hard to believe that he was anything but a man. He felt normal. Smelled normal. He was warm. She opened her eyes. He was gazing at her. His lashes hung heavy and low over his organic eye.

Prisha smiled. 'What have you been doing, Alf? Causing more trouble, no doubt.' She chuckled.

'No trouble. Waiting. Contact has been made.'

'Waiting for what?'

He didn't answer.

She bit her lip. 'Another meeting, you mean?'

He gazed at her steadily.

Prisha sighed. 'And it'll be all about me again, huh? Same time? Same place?'

He continued to stare, unblinking. There was something different about the set of his mouth. There was a new crease between his eyes.

Prisha cocked her head. 'What's wrong? You look strange. What are you think—'

He leaned in and Prisha almost jumped as he pressed his lips to her forehead. Giddy laughter choked her throat. 'What was that for?'

'I do not know. I wanted to.'

Prisha's heart was pounding in her chest, in her throat, behind her eyes, deep down in her hips. She felt it everywhere. He cheeks felt like little flames.

It felt like there was a hunk of chalk lodged in her throat. 'Oh.'

His eyes twitched over her. The red of his artificial eye flashed. It felt like she was being x-rayed. Maybe she was, she suddenly thought.

'You are malnourished,' he said.

'I am? I finished your sachets two days ago. But I've been eating!' she said quickly as he left to go into the "bench room". He returned with another metal box.

'Do you have a stash of these like the blankets? What else have you got stocked away?' He set it down on the bench by the controls. 'What about you?' She frowned. 'I shouldn't be taking your food.'

'I have enough. More is replicated daily.'

'Replicated?' Prisha's eyebrows shot up. What humanity wouldn't give for technology like that! 'You said you were going to help us? How? With something like this?'

Starvation would end!

'Perhaps,' he said.

'Perhaps, what?'

'I want to help. I have not decided.'

'You haven't decided?'

'I must be careful.'