Machine Man (serial)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I emerged from the Glass Room so tired I could barely keep my head up. The Contours bore me smoothly toward my bunk room, not minding that I nodded off once or twice along the way. They were good legs.

Lola was outside my room, leaning against the wall. That woke me up. “Hi,” she said. She fingered the hem of her Better Future polo shirt. Lola had worn nothing but company merchandise since her operation; I was pretty sure she hadn’t been outside.

“Hi,” I said.

“I’m sorry about before.” She took a step toward me, then a more confident one, and took my hand, the one with fingers. “I mean, I’m sorry we argued.”

“That’s okay.” And it was. Now she was here, I couldn’t even remember what we’d argued about.

“I’m a yeller.” She smiled crookedly. “I maybe should have warned you about that. It comes with growing up angry at your mom.” She held out her arms, and we hugged. It was fantastic. It went on forever. She turned her head and kissed my neck, and I almost passed out. “You’ll help Carl, won’t you?”

I stiffened.

Lola slipped out of the hug. “I’m not saying your parts. I get that now. Like my heart, that wasn’t just a thing. It was me. I should have realized you would feel the same way.” She bit her lip. “But I thought, maybe, if you wanted, you could make some new parts. For Carl. Do you think you could do that?”

“Yes,” I said. “I think I can do that.”

She grinned. “Well, that’s so great.”

I shrugged. “Well.”

“You’re the best. I don’t mean that like an expression.” She kicked my Contours. This registered as a non-localized tingling, like I was standing outside in a thunderstorm. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “I mean, you are the best, Charlie.” She began backing away. “You need your sleep. Talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” I went inside and sat on the bunk. I began to feel very guilty. Because what I’d said about helping Carl, that was kind of a cheat. If Cassandra Cautery did what I’d asked, Carl would not be around to be helped.

74.