Servo 23:3
Servo 23:3
The next morning I was roused from sleep by Dad. “Jonah, wake up!”“Huh? What?”“A police car is coming.”I rubbed my eyes and climbed from bed, joining him at the window. Sure enough, a patrol car was rolling up to the house. My heart started to pound. “I wonder what they want?”“I hope it’s not bad news about your sister.”“Dunno,” I replied, slipping into my bathrobe and heading out the door. Going downstairs, I saw Grandpa making a move toward the front door. Evidently he’d seen them too.“Did you get into some mischief yesterday?” he asked me.“No. Just went to the thrift store in town, that’s all.”“Then I wonder what the police want.” He opened the door and went out. I followed partway, choosing to stay tucked behind the door frame and watch. The officers got out of the car and approached. “Abe?” one said.“Yes?”“We got a strange report yesterday.”“Oh?”“The mailman, Mr. Sodley, said he thought he saw a bot here.”“Bot? As in robot?”“Yeah.”“Impossible. Eliza would never have a bot here after what she went through in the Great Separation.”“He was quite adamant about it. Said he saw it playing with the boys.”“No, there’s no bot here, I can assure you of that.”“Well, I was pretty sure of that, but you know we have to follow-up all possible sightings of an unlicensed bot.”“Yes, I know.”The officer glanced toward the field. “Looks like the rain was good for you. Corn’s looking mighty nice.”“Thanks. I’m glad to finally have a crop. Things were getting mighty thin for a while.”“I read in the paper that the Inner States is willing to pay a good price this year. I guess they’re getting hungry.”“Not my concern. I just want what’s fair.”The officers returned to their car. “Sorry to disturb you, Abe. Have a good day.”Grandpa waved good-bye to them and returned to the house. He caught me spying. “You need to be more careful with your father.”“We have been, but we didn’t know the mailman would be delivering a package.”“Keep him inside from now on—up in your room.”“Okay.” I went up and found Dad peering out the window. “I heard,” he said, not giving me a change to say anything.“Yeah, got to be more careful.”“It won’t matter soon, we’ll be gone.”“Are we going to stay in the Inner States?”“No, you need to come back.”“What about you?”“I’ll come back as well, but have to stay hidden all the time.”I frowned. “That doesn’t sound right.”“And there’s something else.”“What?”“I may be a miracle, but we don’t know how long this will last.”“Forever!”“No. At some point in time the programming will wear out.”“You’ll die—again?” I felt my lip quivering.“Probably.”“I won’t let that happen!”“You must, Jonah; it’s the way of life.”“No!”He took my hands and held them. “Don’t let this upset you. My time of expiration may not be for many more years, but it will happen. It has to happen.”I started to cry. “I won’t let you!”“That is not your choice to make. Granted you brought me back from the dead, but I will not be happy living when all of you are gone. Would you be so cruel?” He reached up and wiped away a tear that rolled down my cheek. He was right and I knew he was right, but at that time I refused to admit it.
The next morning I was roused from sleep by Dad. “Jonah, wake up!”“Huh? What?”“A police car is coming.”I rubbed my eyes and climbed from bed, joining him at the window. Sure enough, a patrol car was rolling up to the house. My heart started to pound. “I wonder what they want?”“I hope it’s not bad news about your sister.”“Dunno,” I replied, slipping into my bathrobe and heading out the door. Going downstairs, I saw Grandpa making a move toward the front door. Evidently he’d seen them too.“Did you get into some mischief yesterday?” he asked me.“No. Just went to the thrift store in town, that’s all.”“Then I wonder what the police want.” He opened the door and went out. I followed partway, choosing to stay tucked behind the door frame and watch. The officers got out of the car and approached. “Abe?” one said.“Yes?”“We got a strange report yesterday.”“Oh?”“The mailman, Mr. Sodley, said he thought he saw a bot here.”“Bot? As in robot?”“Yeah.”“Impossible. Eliza would never have a bot here after what she went through in the Great Separation.”“He was quite adamant about it. Said he saw it playing with the boys.”“No, there’s no bot here, I can assure you of that.”“Well, I was pretty sure of that, but you know we have to follow-up all possible sightings of an unlicensed bot.”“Yes, I know.”The officer glanced toward the field. “Looks like the rain was good for you. Corn’s looking mighty nice.”“Thanks. I’m glad to finally have a crop. Things were getting mighty thin for a while.”“I read in the paper that the Inner States is willing to pay a good price this year. I guess they’re getting hungry.”“Not my concern. I just want what’s fair.”The officers returned to their car. “Sorry to disturb you, Abe. Have a good day.”Grandpa waved good-bye to them and returned to the house. He caught me spying. “You need to be more careful with your father.”“We have been, but we didn’t know the mailman would be delivering a package.”“Keep him inside from now on—up in your room.”“Okay.” I went up and found Dad peering out the window. “I heard,” he said, not giving me a change to say anything.“Yeah, got to be more careful.”“It won’t matter soon, we’ll be gone.”“Are we going to stay in the Inner States?”“No, you need to come back.”“What about you?”“I’ll come back as well, but have to stay hidden all the time.”I frowned. “That doesn’t sound right.”“And there’s something else.”“What?”“I may be a miracle, but we don’t know how long this will last.”“Forever!”“No. At some point in time the programming will wear out.”“You’ll die—again?” I felt my lip quivering.“Probably.”“I won’t let that happen!”“You must, Jonah; it’s the way of life.”“No!”He took my hands and held them. “Don’t let this upset you. My time of expiration may not be for many more years, but it will happen. It has to happen.”I started to cry. “I won’t let you!”“That is not your choice to make. Granted you brought me back from the dead, but I will not be happy living when all of you are gone. Would you be so cruel?” He reached up and wiped away a tear that rolled down my cheek. He was right and I knew he was right, but at that time I refused to admit it.
No comments have been added yet.
