B

Why didn’t she recognize it? Was her augment malfunctioning? I’ve heard that optical augments could have blind spots or even distortions, but I wasn’t familiar with ones that crafted completely different images. The only way for that that I was aware would be if someone…

Is that what this was? Everything that happened? No, such a thing would be impossible, right?

Can’t be…

“B!”

Louise tilted her head looking at me confused. “Bee?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I don’t care.”

Out from under my shirt, B slowly crawled out into my lap. Immediately, the sight of a cute little brown and white monkey drew the attention of Louise. She completely forgot about the plating in her hand and knelt down to stare.

She turned her head a little trying to see around B before looking up at me. “What is this, Miss Val?”

“This is B, my partner. He’s with me on my travels.”

Her hand reached out to poke him with a finger. Thankfully, B played nice and let her probe him. Curiosity in the monkey only made her increase her attention. She began to rub her hold hand over his head. I think she wanted to see if he was real or not. A natural question I knew. However, she started getting a little careless.

I moved in to pull up B to safety. “You have to be careful. Just because he can take a lot, doesn’t mean you should do it anyway. He’s still a living being.”

Louise's eyes lit up, apparently missing most of my words. She was single minded. It however drew up closer to me. “So he’s a real animal? Not a machine?”

“He’s not like you or me, no. But he’s not some program or piece of technology. Do you understand?”

She kept watching intently on my hands that protected B from her wonder. I knew that under normal circumstances that she couldn’t hurt B. But that wasn’t the point. The look in her eyes told me all I needed. Much like that of her Torucube, she didn’t see B the way I did. Not everyone would, I accepted that. But that meant she wouldn’t treat the way that he deserved.

Half of her still seemed to be lost in the discovery of something new. Mechanized animals weren’t something that was new by any means. I should have no doubt that she’d seen one before. They were nearly impossible to discern from the real thing. So she might not have even known. If I had to guess, she probably assumed everything was just artificial. A safe assumption.

I pulled my hands back forcing her attention back to me. “B is precious to me, Louise. If you can treat him gently I’ll let you see him. Can you do that for me?”

With her focus torn away, I finally had her hearing. I could see that she actually knew what I said completely this time. She had a one track mind. But it did seem that Louise thought about what I said. There wasn’t an immediate response. She really wanted to see B, but grasped the importance. That was a relief, at least.

I couldn’t blame her too much, she was still a child, even if she did have unusual interests. A full half a minute passed before it appeared to be accepted. She nodded slowly to me. There looked to be a bit of worry in her eyes. I could only guess it came from some past experience, something personal. But she understood.

Opening my hands up, B jumped down once more slowly approaching Louise. She took a more cautious approach this time just offering a hand out. A careful step and B stretched out his paw to her finger. He played up his more animal behavior for her, which seemed to put her into a better place to treat him respectfully.

She grinned a little while looking back at me. “He’s so real, Miss Val!”

“Because he is. It doesn’t matter the manner of your creation, but what you believe and how you treat someone.”

“Amazing…” I guess that’s too much for her to follow. But B remained safe.

He jumped into her palm. It made her bounce back a little in surprise. “He’s so light! And soft! He’s soft, Miss Val!”

I couldn’t help but giggle a little seeing her child wonder take over. She seemed completely absorbed in the experience that I think she forgot that he was mechanical. B did a good job with his act.

Once she settled down, B did small circles around her tiny hands as his tail whipped around. It completely enraptured her as she leaned in to just watch him play. After a couple of minutes of dancing around, he scrambled up her arm. He climbed up to her shoulder.

I would say that was his favorite spot to rest if it wasn’t part of his design. Even still, it did make him really adorable to watch. It was rare for me to see him on someone else. Not since I was home did he climb on anyone else. So I didn’t get this sort of perspective much anymore.

Louise stood up, backing up a little. I followed her, taking her hands. “It’s fine, Louise. He’s not going to hurt you.” I could feel a little of the thrumming of her body through her hands. A bit of anxiety seemed to be filling her. “Louise?”

“It feels a little strange, Miss Val.”

I extended a hand out to B and he jumped off. He quickly scrambled up my arm to rest on my shoulder. I gave him a gentle pet as I looked Louise up and down to make sure she was alright now. The heavier beating I felt passed.

“I haven’t seen anyone react like that to B. Are you okay?”

She nodded, looking a little confused still and distant. “It felt like I was being pulled? Something weird…Miss Val.”

I looked over to him for a moment. “I’m surprised you could even detect that.”

“Detect?”

“B maintains a stable charge throughout the day by converting small amounts of bio-electrical discharges from our bodies. Sitting on my shoulder, he’s able to keep fully charged. But it’s only what radiates from our bodies, so he shouldn’t be drawing anything from you.”

“He can do that?”

“That’s right. Plus he looks cute!” I rubbed a finger over his side as he seated himself comfortably on my shoulder.

She nodded looking up at him more. “I’m sorry, Bee.”

He nodded a couple times for her and settled back. I sat down at the desk looking over Louise. She looked more at ease now. “How are you feeling? Anything off?”

“No, I’m fine, Miss Val! Bee didn’t hurt me!” She bounced up and turned around showing off her health. Louise finished by leaning in staring at B more than me. Her interests were clear.

I slowly picked B up and placed him in her hand. “Just keep him in your hands.”

“Okay!” She bounced over to her bed and sat down giving him careful pets.

“Did anything happen today?”

“Happen?”

“Like strange or a blank that you can’t remember.”

She paused for a moment to think about it. “If I can’t remember it, how would I remember?”

That did make sense. I couldn’t deny that. I guess she wouldn’t understand the feeling of something being missing. “What were you doing before I came over?”

“Before you came?” It took her some time. Second ticked away as she stopped petting B. Every part seemed consumed in figuring out the question. “I was playing with mum!”

“With your Torucube?”

“Yea! That’s it!”

That didn’t feel right. The way she looked more seemed like her mind filled in blanks with things that made sense rather than knowing. So she really didn’t remember. And worse, it was just a complete empty void in her mind. But what did that mean in the end? She didn’t even know what she did.

It felt like I was no closer to understanding what was going on. I had a connection, barely, but nothing made any sense right now. I needed something more. And I hated where it directed me.

At the end of my uninvited visit, I politely bowed to them before leaving. Louise was a little more relaxed, which Mrs. Lalonde seemed happy about. And she looked thankful.

I returned to my home and the balcony as B popped back up to my shoulder. “Well?”

“Surface scans didn’t detect any external intrusions.”

“So the illusions weren’t a hacking job.” I leaned on the railing staring down the street. At the end of the street corner stood the Basilica silent and ever present. My hand squeezed up on the metal. “I’m going to have to pay them a visit tonight…”