Page 46 of Ezra
“No. I’ve never had it. You can tell?”
“I just remember that being part of your designs,” she says. “But then the moment you busted down that bathroom door with your pistol out, I knew there was no way you had one.” She pulls out a stool and sits on it, sipping her smoothie. “Keep going.”
She’s interested in me, in my work, my experiences. Another surprise, another facet to this woman who keeps pulling me in, making me want to know more.
“I was meant not only to care for people, but to protect them in a way that had never been done before. I was ready to do my part.”
“And then?”
“Then, I was brought before the police department, and all my excitement died. None of them looked particularly curious or thrilled to see me. Most of them regarded me with resignation,even disdain. They didn’t welcome me or even greet me. Except one,” I amend. “Deion.”
Katrina drinks until she’s satisfied, then sets her smoothie to the side. “Was Detective Washington excited, at least?”
“He’s never told me if he was requiredto take me on, or if he volunteered,” I reply. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I want to know which, so I never asked. Like the others, he was wary at first. Unsure of what to do with me or how to utilize my capabilities. But what began as an awkward partnership turned into a bond of brotherhood I wouldn’t trade for anything. I learned. I adapted. I evolved into the bionic I am now. No matter Commissioner Winters’s personal opinions on the subject, I’m an irreplaceable part of the ACU.”
“Has it gotten better since then?” she asks. “The way they treat you?”
“Yes and no,” I reply. “Why do you ask?”
“I assume you heard me and my dad talking?”
“I did.”
“Well, Dad’s wrong,” Katrina declares with such fire, like she’s not only accepting it, but embracing it. “My dad. Is. Wrong. I don’t know how else to put it. People shouldn’t suffer, but we’re not getting anywhere with this shut-them-all-down stuff people are spewing. He knows that, and he feels responsible, but he’s going to go down with the ship rather than try to keep it afloat by patching up some holes.”
She sighs and splays her arms across the counter in defeat. “But he was right about one thing, and that’s changing the mindset. I don’t think I can. I don’t have the sway.”
“I disagree,” I reply. “You’re very charismatic. More than your father. People might see it your way.”
“I’m not sure I want that responsibility.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, we were talking about you. And your treatment.”
“For some of them, yes. It took time and effort. More effort than I care to admit. But even those who merely tolerate my presence cannot deny my professional efficiency.”
“Which is why this is so frustrating for you,” Katrina finishes for me. “Being sidelined here with me.”
“It’s nothing personal or anything against you,” I reply. “But yes, I’m frustrated. I’m not a rookie anymore. As far as I’m concerned, I’veneverbeen one. Amateur cops can make mistakes. Fatal ones. I’ve made miscalculations, perhaps, but I’ve never cost lives or funding. I should be out there doing what we did tonight. I should be with Deion, investigating the bombing.”
“Instead, you’re here. Babysitting.”
Suddenly, a familiar friendly trill rings out.
Katrina jumps at the noise, then squeaks as Charlie clings to her leg and climbs her like a loud, hungry kitten. “That tickles!” She pries him from her pants and cuddles him playfully. “Yes, yes, I’m right here, you silly thing. How dare I leave you, I know.”
I make note of how she addresses him. She’s grown attached, and quickly. I return my attention to Katrina. “You are not a baby, and this isn’t babysitting,” I correct. “Protecting you does serve a purpose. I wouldn’t see you harmed. And your help in returning to the crime scene was integral to my investigation.”
She stops playing with the little robot spider, placing him on the counter as she gazes at me. “I’m beginning to think a lot of people would be happy to see me get blown up. But I appreciate it.”
“Not everything you stand for is wrong, Katrina,” I reply. “I think we agree on more than either of us realized. I want those people to have their jobs back too. I don’t believe any android is activated wishing they could steal a person’s livelihood. Theft causes harm. It goes directly against our programming.”
“I’ve never thought that.”
“I believe you.”
“And I don’t want to shut any androids down,” Katrina blurts with more fervor than I expected. She even seems to surprise herself. “You want the truth? I was beyond excited when androids first came out. Ireallywanted one. I was the only one nerding out about fossils. I daydreamed about how she could help me catalog all the amazing finds I was going to discover in Europe. It was a perfect answer to so many things.”
She gets up from the counter and starts pacing. Her words are passionate and truthful. “But then we ruined it. We ruined everything. It’s because of greedy people, not because of you or androids, and if I thought people would listen to me, I’d stand on the roof of this tower and scream it.”
I listen to her in silent astonishment. I try to picture her with an android companion, and it isn’t as difficult as one might expect. I’ve seen kindness in Kat. Concern for others. And anything in a scientific field would make a bionic assistant’s gratification drive feel fulfilled and valued.
