Warning corner
What, another warning, so soon? What could it be this time? New alien invasions? Zombies? A volcanic eruption? Jokes aside, family is again in the spotlight in this chapter, and a secondary character is about to receive some very upsetting news. I can't say move, but prepare for the situation to turn quite messy once again.
From Petra's diary
As soon as the news about the unexpected help from the Sixam robots we had just received spread, the general atmosphere suddenly changed. I mean, most people don't know all the details about why they ended up helping us, but can we really afford to be picky at this point?
What matters is that people finally found a new glimpse of optimism. With the huge acceleration in the removal of greenhouse gases that the robots are giving us, our work doesn't feel useless anymore, and without even noticing we're working much better than before and advancing faster than ever too.
Building increasingly larger and more efficient systems for separation and CO2 must be our new priority. By now, all the countries in the world have finally decided to abandon fossil fuels, and without new emissions what we need to focus on is accelerating the removal of excess greenhouse gases. The climate system has a lot of inertia, it will take decades before we start to see any effects… But we finally have a chance to take the right turn.
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Techna: The others are getting ready to cook something for this year's Harvestfest. Do you want to join in?
Atlas: What makes you think I'm interested in your silly celebrations?
Techna: Do you really have better things to do? From what I can see, you're just playing video games.
Atlas: …
Techna: I don't understand, what do you miss so much about the Great Network? Don't you prefer to have your free will back?
Atlas: I'm afraid you can't understand what it really means to be part of such a complex neural network. Together we are smarter, more efficient, faster... And, after all these years, we had become one. Now I feel like I'm a stupid little fingernail amputated from the rest of that structure, that's what.
Techna: Thank you for explaining, I think I understand better now.
Atlas is very upset for being stuck here instead than Sixam, but also for the way we tricked the robots to help us with our climatic problems.
What made me change my mind, you may ask, my dear diary? Well, once we stumbled into Atlas begging Nacho to hack again the Great Network to convince it to reintegrate them without any punishment, but the big house cat blatantly ignored them. Nacho, for sure, has clear ideas about what he wants, while Atlas at this point only seems to care about themselves. Techna keeps saying we don't have to worry, that they'll improve over time, but can we really trust them?
Emma: Atlas, what a surprise! I'm glad you decided to participate too!
Atlas: …
Techna: You'll see, family celebrations are always useful to lift the circuits from bad routines.
Atlas: Whatever...
Petra: Do you need a hand?
Techna: Can you pass me all the remaining eggs?
Atlas: What a waste of time…
Petra: Food is ready!
Atlas doesn't seem to appreciate this kind of entertainment, they consider it a mere waste of time and energy. Well, I suppose it's understandable, after having only known the robot society of Sixam and having been part of the Great Network for decades, this life must seem prehistoric to them. Unsurprisingly, before the lunch was over, they returned to the desk in the workshop, most likely to play more videogames.
As if I hadn't enough stuff to do already, I guess I'll have to keep an eye on Atlas now too...
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The weeks went by without much to report, until this morning in Herford.
We went there for some routine measurements, we wanted to asses whether it was necessary to place separation systems for the CO2 down there too or whether the local vegetation was sufficient, when we were distracted by the appearance of a completely unexpected person.
Hope: Hi uncle, how are you doing here?
Nico: Great, do you want to go say hello to Bessy at the barn?
Hope: Sure! But before-
Hope: -Do you know that boy over there? I didn't know there were other sixamians around!
Hearing what Hope was saying, we all instinctively turned to the boy she was pointing at.
Light blue skin, red hair, that boy was a perfect copy of my siblings when they were kids! And Nico probably thought the same when he turned to see that child, judging from the expression he made.
We must have come to this same conclusion at the same time, because we then turned in unison. It was hard to believe Nico was involved in this, he has always been so shy that it took him months before he could talk normally, even with his girlfriend! So we called, with a slightly alarmed tone in our voices:
Petra and Nico: Um… Alec?
Alec: (perplexed) What's going on? Why those faces?
Petra: There is a kid wandering alone in the street. By chance do you know him?
Alec: Who are you referring to-
The question had died in his throat, as soon as he saw the child he had suddenly turned pale and also lost his usual carefree attitude.
After all, the only light-blue sixamians in all Henford were my siblings, and in general that shade was not that common in New Sixam either. In addition, among my siblings, the only one who, a few years ago, often bragged about the “fun evenings spent at the village pub” was Alec. Was it even possible that...
Hope: (to the kid) Hey, you! What's your name? Do you live here?
Before we could come up with a plan, Hope started talking with that kid, making him walk towards us.
Alec: Hi! Are your parents around? Are they okay with you walking around all by yourself?
???: Mom is fine with that. We just moved here, and she is very busy with work.
Alec: I see…
Alec seemed really struggling, I don’t know how he found the courage to ask him:
Alec: Listen… What’s your mom’s name?
???: Stefany. By the way, I'm a bit late, I have to go. Bye!
As the kid moved away, Alec looked paler and paler. Looking at him our suspicion became even stronger: did he know Stefany? And how high was the chance that he was the father of that kid?
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A little later, Nico and Alec's house...
Alec: Stefany used to spend her summers here with her grandparents, but she hasn't been around for years... We had a few dates, nothing serious, she never told me that- But who else's could be that kid?
Nico: (cautiously) I think you should try to talk to her, at least to clarify this situation a little... No?
Alec: I know, I know, but how can I talk to her?
Petra: I know it seems unlikely now, but there's always a small chance that it's just a strange coincidence. Who knows, maybe if we talk to her it will turn out that it was just a funny misunderstanding.
We were doing our best, really, but Alec just didn't seem to want to listen to us. As if to prove it, he then added:
Alec: Or, rather, it would seem like Stefany has such a low opinion of me that she prefers not to even let me know… Am I really that useless?
Nico: C'mon, I'm sure this can't be the case!
Alec had still wallowed in his self-pity for a while, before admitting, disconsolately:
Alec: I really have to talk to her, don't I?
Petra and Nico: (in chorus) Yes!
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Stefany: … I'm honestly not very proud of what happened that summer, I was just trying to have fun. I mean, we hadn't even exchanged phone numbers, of course it wasn't serious! And then you know how life is lately, I've always travelled a lot for work, I already had so many worries in my head, I just couldn't bring myself to also come to talk with you back then. In any case, I didn't feel like trying to live as a family with someone like you, and my parents have always helped us anyway, and we don't even need your money, so-
Alec struggled a lot to tell us what they had said to each other, he seemed ashamed to admit he ended up having a kid under suck circumstances, and even more so admitting the girl he once had a crush on considered such a useless loser to not even tell him.
I felt an immediate dislike for Stefany, didn't you feel it too, my dear diary? This is unfair to my little brother on so, so many levels... What I'm really proud of is how Alec handled the situation instead.
Alec: What if I cared, instead?
Stefany: (sighing) What a nuisance… All right, if you really want to, you can meet him. Don’t get any ideas, okay?
And, as he would say, Alec had then seized the opportunity, picking up all his courage to knock on their door.
Stefany: George, this is Alec. Do you want to play a little together?
George: If I really have to…
Alec: (hesitantly) Um… Would you like to play ball?
George: Damn, I dropped it.
Alec: You were doing great, don't worry!
George: Um… In any case I don't think you can do any better!
Alec: Are you sure?
George: Hey, that wasn't bad!
Alec: I only have a few more years of practice under my belt, you know how it is…
Alec: If you want to train a bit more, you can keep this ball. Here, for you!
George: Really? Thanks, Mr. Alec!
Stefany: (to herself) And here he goes with the presents...
Alec told us about his many contrasting emotions that evening. His respect for Stefany had plummeted; the fact that she had kept such a big secret from him for so long was not the kind of thing he was ready to forgive.
Meeting George, on the other hand, had been a completely different kind of shock. Up until now he had never really asked himself the question of how a parent should behave, and suddenly trying to be accepted by a kid of that age was a challenge for everyone. George still looks quite distant and unentusiastic, and refused to call Alec dad for the moment. At least, however, he seemed to enjoy playing together with him, that's a first step.
I'm not sure what to expect from Stefany and George now, but Alec doesn't plan to back out. He already has too many years of absence to make up for, he said. I'm very proud of how my little brother is reacting to this situation, and I've already told him that he can count on me if he needs help.
After all, we're all upset about the way Stefany decided to handle George's birth and parenting. She didn't just cut Alec out of this child's life, but the entire Miller family.
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