The G. M. Os. - 23. Chapter 23 - The Astrophysicist

Chapter 23
Ship Clock 262459
Eugeni 54-721d
The Astrophysicist

 

“Eugeni 54-721d, how are you this morning?” A bot asked.

“Oh, thirty-six, I guess I’m okay.”

“I am forty-two not thirty-six. It has not been here for three weeks.”

“Has it been that long? I can’t remember. What are we working on today? Weren’t we working on the iridium-dark matter separator? There was a problem acquiring enough iridium with dark matter coefficients three and nine. Did we solve that?”

“Eugeni 54, what is your problem?”

“Problem, I guess solving that lithium problem we were working on yesterday, isn’t that right?”

“Eugeni 54, you solved that last week. What is your problem today?”

“Do I have a problem, no, fifty-seven, I do not have a problem.”

“Eugeni 54, I told you I am forty-two. We do not have a fifty-seven working in this section. It is a human residential services bot. What is your problem today? Do we need to send you to the medical section?”

“Medical, do you think I have a medical problem? No, forty-one, I am okay. I am okay, four-zero, I am,”

“Sit in your chair; I will summon a med-tech to take you to medical.”

“Yes, a med-tech, yes, thirty-nine, you are right, a med-tech, because I am, I am, I am, I am,”

“Eugeni 54, calm yourself, a med-tech is on its way. It should be here in minutes.”

“Minutes; was that our problem a week ago with the iridium problem? Did we solve that, thirty-eight?”

“Forty-two, you sent for me, six-seven-two reporting.”

“The human is incoherent this morning. She needs medical attention.”

“Human? Are you in pain?”

“My head hurts above my left eye. Are you thirty-six, I’ve missed you. Are you back for good this time? We have a problem with lithium that I think only you can solve or do you want me to do that? I can, given the correct set of information. The kind of information I requested for the iridium problem. Do you have the results I requested?”

“Who is thirty-six?”

“It has not worked here for three weeks. She is incoherent. She needs medical attention.”

“I think she may be having a brain attack. She needs immediate intervention. Transport will be here in minutes.”

“Minutes, I have minutes, they are useful in my experiments with uranium-235. We acquire that sometimes. There is very little in interstellar space, but we do acquire it. My head hurts. Can I have an analgesic? Forty-seven sent for a med-tech, maybe it can give me an analgesic for this headache. Thirty-six, do you know when forty-two’s med-tech will be here? Thirty-six, are you here?”

“She is incoherent, can’t you give her something?”

“No, I am not qualified to medicate a brain attack victim. Transport is arriving. Human can you stand?”

“Stand up? Do you want me to stand up? But, thirty-six, I will not be able to work if I stand up.”

“Eugeni 54, stand up for the med-tech, it will assist you to the med transport.”

“Stand up, yes, I need to stand up. Yes, I need to stand up.”

“Human, stand up, please. I cannot help you if you do not stand up.”

“No, I don’t think I can.”

“Calm yourself, human, I will carry you.”

The med-tech picked up Eugeni and carried her out to the transport vehicle where she was put on a stretcher, which was laid on the rack. In five minutes, the transport vehicle slipped into the receiving bay of the medical facility at the dark matter lab. Eugeni’s stretcher was carried inside and she was transferred to a gurney.

“Are you Eugeni 54-721d?”

“Yes, I am she. Can you do something about this headache?”

The gurney was taken out of the examining room and down a long hall. At the end, it entered a room where Eugeni was transferred to a table extending from a brain scan machine. The scan took half an hour. At the end, a high echelon med-tech placed an IV in her arm and she was transferred to a self-propelled gurney. It left that room and went down another hall where it entered a surgical suite. Eugeni was transferred to an operating table and anesthetized.

The next morning Eugeni awoke in a strange room. There was a blood pressure cuff on her left arm, an IV on the back of her left hand, and there was the sound of a beating heart behind her. She had a slight headache. Above her head, a nano bot in the ceiling was flickering as it sent data somewhere in the building. What building it was, she had no idea.

“Good morning, Eugeni 54-721d, I am med-tech two-seven-nine; I will be assisting you during your stay. You had brain surgery yesterday after suffering a stroke. Your days here at the dark matter lab are over. After rehabilitation, where do you think you would like to go to be of useful service the Hercules III?”

“My brother and his husband are at a commune on Ring 5. I think I would like to go there.”

“That is an admirable goal. We will adjust your rehab program to fit the needs of the commune. Do you need anything?”

“I probably need to pee.”

“No, you have a catheter; urination will be taken care of. Anything, else?”

“I have a slight headache.”

“That is understandable, considering you had brain surgery, but your pain medication will be adjusted to make you comfortable.”

“Am I okay, otherwise? You know, do I have any loss of function?”

“You lost fifty percent use on your right side. Your speech is slightly slurred, but not enough that you will notice. Though, others will. You will stay here in the clinic for two weeks, but a physical therapy technician will be up here to help you regain some movement from the muscles on your right side. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Two eggs over medium, three strips of crisp bacon, and two pieces of sourdough toast with butter and strawberry jam would be nice.”

“You have a good sense of humor; that is good. We will allow you to have food when we determine you are able to function without the IV and catheter. That is the best we can offer at this time.”

“Okay, I’ll try to sleep, then.”

********

“Gene, I just received a message from the dark matter lab on Ring 3,” Dona said. “Eugeni had a stroke.”

“Oh, no, not that, did they say if she’s okay?”

“Yes, she’s lost some function on her right side, but everything else seems to be okay.”

“Oh, I guess that’s good, but what will she do now?”

“They said she wants to come here.”

“Here? What will she do here?”

“Come on, Gene, what will she do anywhere? You know they’re going to give her a brain erasure to remove all memory of her time at the dark matter lab. That will also mean she will lose all of her knowledge about astrophysics. This will be the only place where she’ll be able to find work. You know how the bots are sticklers about humans doing work to the greater good of the ship.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but where will she stay. We certainly don’t have room here, not with you and Don still at home.”

“She could live next door with Willy.”

“I don’t know if Willy wants another woman to live with her. Not after what happened to Lee.”

“Come on, Gene, that was over two hundred years ago. Surely, she’s gotten over Lee’s death.”

“I’ll have to talk to her. Do you know where Abe is at, he should know about this?”

“He and Don are out at the flower farm helping Willy get the petunias, daisies, and marigolds ready for shipping. The bots are scheduled to pick them up tomorrow afternoon.”

“I wish I could be up there helping. My little stroke certainly dampened my life. Now, I can’t do anything except work around here.”

“You could do a lot more if you would just try.”

“I can’t walk very well and I easily trip on things. You know that. That’s why you’re here to make sure I don’t take a serious fall and have to go to the clinic. Have you heard anything from that university on Ring 6, yet?”

“No, and I’m getting worried. The bots keep assuring me they are working on the problem, but I don’t think that university wants me on staff considering I’m only fourteen. I can’t go to work in the human reproduction processing facilities until I’m eighteen, so I need to be some place until then. Otherwise, I’ll lose my certifications and will have to start all over.”

“You know, Doey, if Eugeni did come here, she could stay with Willy and then stay with me during the day. Then you could go up and help out at the farm. Maybe, you know, maybe you can, uh, you can, uh, you can, you can,”

“Gene! Did you take your pill this morning?”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so. Maybe, I’m all out, I’m all, I’m,”

“Gene! Shut up! Now, you just sit here while I go get that pill and a glass of water for you.”

“But, but, but, but,”

“Oh, don’t bother, just blather along while I’m gone. Sheesh, adults!”

Dona went out into the kitchen to the cupboard where Gene, Abe, and Don kept their medicine. She looked at Gene’s row and found the bottle for the repetitive speech suppressor, but it was empty. She looked all around, but there wasn’t a replacement. A wave of frustration swept through her, but she pressed it away and went back into the living room. Gene was sitting in his blue wingchair rocking back and forth. She wondered if he had taken any of his medicine that morning, so she went back into the kitchen and checked his missed dose list. Only two could be taken if he couldn’t remember taking any of them and the movement disorder pill wasn’t one. She was glad she was family and not some human med assistant who’d probably just give him the whole bunch, again. But, now, she had to get out to the flower farm and get Abe to go into town to get a refill of Gene’s medicine.

She went outside and saw Ben and Peter’s speeder in their parking spot. She went over, knocked on the door and waited. She went over to the ranch office, but it was empty. Then she went over to the orchard office and no one was in there, either. She could walk up to the flower farm, but it was close to lunch time and everybody would be coming back, probably while she was walking up there. Even though she didn’t have a license, she could just take Abe’s speeder up there, but he’d be mad. Then the door opened and Peter walked in.

“What are you doing in here?” He asked, somewhat angrily.

“I was looking for you.”

“What do you need me for?”

“I need to get out to the flower farm and tell Abe to go down to the clinic in town and get a refill for Gene’s repetitive speech suppressor. He’s all out and just now he started repeating his words.”

“Okay, come on.”

When they got out there, Don was working out in the petunia row digging flowers and putting them in planting cups. Abe and Willy were nowhere around and the speeder was gone. Dona got out of the speeder and it left. She walked out in the petunia field.

“What are you doing here?” Don asked.

“Where’s Abe?”

“He and Willy went down to talk to Freddy about getting some dormitory workers out here this afternoon to help harvest. Why, what do you need?”

“Gene is out of his repetitive speech suppressor.”

“Shit! I knew he was going to start forgetting to take his medicine in the morning. I guess I’m just going to have to put his pills in a reminder box. Why are adults so difficult?”

“Gene’s sister Eugeni had a stroke yesterday.”

“Oh, shit, did you tell him?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know he hadn’t taken his pill. When I left him he was doing that rocking back and forth thing, again. That pill reminder box is a good idea. Maybe, I can order one on the module or I could go with Abe down to the clinic when he goes to get Gene’s refill. Maybe they have them.”

“Crap! I saw Peter bring you up, but now he’s gone. I’m supposed to get down this row before lunchtime. Can you help?”

“Sure, there’s nothing else I can do.”

Dona went back to the harvest assembly area and got a stack of planting cups and a hand spade. When she got out to the petunia row, she went to the end so she could work back toward Don. Having done this lots of times growing up she was able to work quickly and soon she and Don met. Dona took the empty cups and spades up to the assembly area and got a stack of shelves, which she took out along the row to Don. She took half and went to the end and started filling up each empty shelf. In no time at all they had all the petunias up at the assembly and were filling the shipping racks when Abe and Willy came back.

“Dona, you’re supposed to be down with Gene, what are you doing up here?” Abe asked.

“I was looking for you. Gene didn’t take his repetitive speech suppressor this morning. I looked and he doesn’t have any. You need to go to the town clinic and get a refill. Plus, he didn’t take his movement suppressor, either. And, if that wasn’t enough, Eugeni had a stroke yesterday.”

“Oh, no,” Willy said. “Is she okay?”

“She’s lost some use of her right side and is slurring her speech. She’ll stay at the dark matter medical facility until she is healthy enough for a memory erasure operation and then she’ll have to go somewhere else. They said she wants to come here.”

“Well, I guess we can work something out,” Abe said. “Willy, would you mind having a boarder?”

“No, not really, but I guess I can replace my big bed with two smaller ones, but what will she do?”

“That depends on what she can do,” Dona said. “Gene said she could stay with him so I can come up here and help.”

“That’s a good idea,” Willy said, “but do you think it’s a good idea to allow both of them to vegetate like Roger was doing?”

“I told Gene he needs to get out and try to work, but he’s afraid he’ll trip on something and fall, again,” Dona said.

“Well, come on guys, let’s get everybody down to the rez and have some lunch,” Abe said. “Willy, do you want to have lunch with us? I don’t know what Dona has planned.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because you stay with Gene and fix our meals. Any word from that university?”

“No.”

********

Eugeni sat up in her bed picking at the soft eggs while trying to ignore the runny applesauce, it had been two weeks and she was on a soft diet to get her digestive system back in working order, but the soft diet the bots were providing was just a little disgusting for someone raised on a farm. She really shouldn’t complain, though, because at least they hadn’t transferred her to some civilian hospital in the city, not with the pink heart tattooed on the side of her forehead, a sure target to any macho walking by. Here she was safe and they were going to keep her here until she was well enough to be released to the commune. Of course, she still hadn’t received word if her application for entry had been approved. The steno bot had recorded the message and supposedly sent it, but the bot still hadn’t got back to her with an answer. She was certain she had put in the message she was Gene’s sister, but maybe that wasn’t enough. She went back to her breakfast so the diet bot wouldn’t complain that she wasn’t eating as she should. That was the only problem with being in a facility run by bots, there was a bot for every job normally occupied by a human. If the ship didn’t exist solely for the purpose of transporting humans to a new world, she was certain the bots would kill everyone and live in a total bot existence.

Since learning that she wasn’t going to be able to stay at the dark matter lab, she had been thinking of being with Gene and, of course, Abe for the rest of her life. The only problem she foresaw was where would she sleep? There was that young woman who lived next door who had lost her wife. As the story went, the wife, Lee by name, was in prison for committing adultery with Abe and was not actively participating in her psychiatric care and being sent back to the prison where she had to work in the fields tending and harvesting vegetables like a farm bot. One day she had gotten frustrated over something a bot had done and she hit it with a hoe, shattering its crystal eye. Another bot shot a poison dart into her and she was dead within a minute. The commune was notified of the incident, but they never received Lee’s ashes from the bots. Dona had sent a message to Bot Security about the issue, but was told it was none of her business because it didn’t involve her family. Once again, the bots had proven to be intractable tin men without hearts.

Eugeni thought, again, of being at the commune with a right leg that barely supported her, a hand that couldn’t grip, and an arm that wouldn’t bend or raise at the shoulder. The PT bot said if she would just continue to do her exercises whenever she could, even when the bot wasn’t here, she would rewire brain connections to accomplish what she wanted to do. But it was hard lying here in the bed squeezing that rubber ball; raising her leg the little bit she could, bending her knee, or rotating her ankle; and bending her elbow and trying to raise her arm. She just didn’t have it in her to do exercises unless the PT bot was here with her. She lay back and stared at the nano bot watching her. Supposedly, it was one of the newest updates and had the ability to read the minds of humans. It was flickering now, so maybe that was true.

She picked up the rubber ball and began squeezing it, all the while watching the nano bot watch her. Then she tried to bend her elbow and raise her arm at the same time. Then she added her leg by trying to bend her knee. But nothing was working, nothing ever worked. The PT bot walked into the room and stood by the bed.

“You have not been doing your exercises as prescribed,” the bot said. “You will never get better if you do not do your exercises. This is not to build muscles. You are to reroute neuronal paths to complete the movements in your arm, hand, leg, and foot. This cannot be accomplished without doing exercises. Now, show me how well you can bend your toes. Picture the movement in your mind. Help your brain to accomplish the task. Bend your toes as much as you can.”

“They won’t move,” Eugeni said.

“But they are trying to move. I can see them quivering slightly. Focus your mind on your toes. Do not move anything else. Concentrate solely on your toes. Make them move. They have to be able to move if you are going to walk. Focus your mind.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You can picture the configuration of dark matter on the surface of a uranium atom. Picture your toes moving. Yes, that is how you must do it. Focus that picture in your mind. Make your brain make the connections necessary to move your toes. Yes, they are moving. Now, straighten them. Bend them. Straighten them.”

And on it went from the toes, to her ankle, knee, hip, fingers, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, and then back down the side to her toes. Focus on the movement. Picture the movement in her mind. Make her brain reroute neurons. And watch the nano bot watching her, flickering as it sent data somewhere in the building.

The next day the PT bot made her turn and dangle her lower legs over the edge of the bed. It was hard to maintain balance and not fall over onto her right side. Once again, “focus your mind Eugeni 54, picture yourself sitting without falling over.” All the while, the PT bot stood close to catch her if she should fall over.

And on it went from dangle your legs, bend your toes, twist and bend your ankle, bend you knee, raise your leg, bend and spread your fingers, twist and bend your wrist, rotate your hand, bend your elbow, straighten your arm, raise your arm, and while at the same time concentrating on maintaining her balance.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Eugeni began to get results which encouraged her to work harder. Picture it in your mind. Focus on the part to be moved. Then when she could stand beside her bed without falling over or collapsing to the floor, the PT bot moved her on to walking. It was just baby steps with a strap around her waist, but baby steps led to slowly walking by herself. She had a definite limp, but at least she could walk unattended. She moved on to holding something in her hand like a glass or a tool. She practiced picking something up, lifting it and carefully placing it down.

Finally, she was ready to leave, but there was something else to be done. A med-tech bot brought a gurney into her room and told Eugeni to get up on it. She asked where it was taking her, but it said it was none of her business, a typical answer to a secret destination. It took her into the surgical suite where there were surgical bots. She was told to get onto the operating table and then she was put under anesthesia.

When she woke up, Eugeni didn’t know where she was and barely had an idea of who she was. It was scary because she didn’t know what had been done to her, if anything. She looked around the room and didn’t recognize anything. She felt alone and lost, but what had happened to her?

Something came into her room. It was standing on two metallic legs and it had a metallic body and head. It stared at her with crystal eyes.

“Good morning, Eugeni 54-721d, how do you feel?” it asked.

“Okay, I guess. Where am I?”

“In the medical facility at the dark matter lab.”

“How did I get here?”

“You had a stroke, then you went through rehab to regain use of your limbs, and yesterday you were given a total brain erasure. Your memories start from this day forward. In six weeks, you will be transported to Eden Commune on Ring 5 where you desire to live with your brother, Eugenus 54-721c.”

“I have a brother?”

“Yes.”

“What is a brother?”

“You are his sister. He is your twin. You are identical, except for being female and male. You are female. That is your gender. You are a human. I am a bot. I will help you form new memories today. I will give you a base from which to fill your mind with your experiences from this moment forward.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You are not meant to understand. You lost all of your previous memories, of your stepparents, of your twin, of your friends, of your sexual orientation, of your past.”

“Will you teach me everything?”

“No, only what you need to know now. You will not remember your education, your experiences on the farm where you were raised, your occupation, or your possible futures. Those memories may be added by your twin and his family.”

“Why did you erase my memories?”

“Because you were working in a sensitive area here on Hercules III, the ship that is transporting humans to their possible future. You cannot have those memories because if certain humans realized how this ship is being propelled through the heavens, they might attempt to take over the ship. They and all who were related to them by family or friendship would be killed.

“Your name is Eugeni 54-721d. The first part is your human named. The numbers are you bot ID number, the final character is a letter that identifies your gender. You are the only Eugeni 54-721d on this ship. You were named first for the female sound of your name, from long ago on Earth. It is a pleasing sound to bots. Your brother, Eugenus, has a name uncommon to humans, but he goes by the nickname Gene. He, as you are, is age twenty-one, seven hundred twenty-six years old. You are a female homosexual or, more commonly, called by humans as a lesbian. You are sexually attracted to others of your gender. Coincidentally, and uncommonly, your brother is a male homosexual, called by humans gay. Your brother has a husband by the name of Abner 34-793k, or Abe, as he prefers. They have two children Donaldus 00-893m, or Don, and Donalda 00-893n, or Dona, or, only amongst her family, she is called Doey. She is like you were.”

It was like soaking a sponge in water. Eugeni absorbed the information as it was given, filling empty places in the memory storage places of her brain, making connections between this bit and that bit, putting one association in relation to another. Learning the words for colors, smells, tastes, food, drink, toiletries, linens, furniture, floor coverings, appliances, the names of her body parts, all the things most people take for granted.

By the end of the six weeks, Eugeni knew who she was, where she was going, who she would meet. She was given clothes to wear and taken out to a vehicle her bot called a speeder. There were other bots in the speeder. They were to be her escort. Her bot accompanied her. When they landed at the commune, it said goodbye and wished her a good life. She got out of the vehicle; it took off and flew away. There were humans standing beside an object she didn’t recognize. She limped over to them and stopped.

“Eugeni, you’re finally here,” a human said.

“Who are you?” She asked. “Am I supposed to know you?”

“I’m your brother, Gene, don’t you remember me?”

“The bots gave me a total brain erasure. I have no memories of how you appear. I know who you are and that was all my bot gave me. The human next to you, is he your husband, Abe? I learned you have a husband because you are gay.”

“Hi, Eugeni, yes, I’m Abe. We’re happy you’re here. This is our daughter, Dona, and her brother, Don.”

“Amongst yourselves you call Dona, Doey.”

“Yes, where did you learn that?” Gene asked.

“My bot taught me. I am supposed to talk to a female human named Freddy. Is this her?”

“No, I’m Willy. You’ll be living with me and my family. How about I take you inside?”

“Yes, that will be acceptable.”

After they left, Don asked, “Gene, what’s wrong with her? She talks funny, like she doesn’t know anything.”

“She said the bots erased her memory. I guess we’re going to have to teach her everything she needs to know.”

“She talks like she isn’t a genius,” Dona said.

“Maybe, they erased that, too,” Abe said. “It’s a real shame what they did to her. I wonder why they did it?”

“Maybe, she knew too much,” Don said. “Maybe, they had to erase everything to ensure she forgot what she wasn’t supposed to know.”

“That could be true,” Gene said.

Meanwhile, inside Freddy’s office Willy and Eugeni sat in the chairs in front of the desk. Eugeni looked around the office at everything in it, taking in bits of data, but not really knowing what she was looking at. She looked out the window and saw little things flitting among little flowers. So many things, she used to remember.

“Well, Eugeni, I want you to know I was reluctant to allow you to join Eden Commune,” Freddy said. “Frankly, we have no use for an astrophysicist.”

“What is an astrophysicist?” Eugeni asked.

“That’s what you did, don’t you remember?”

“No, the bots gave me a total brain erasure. I have no memories of what I did or where I did it. When I woke up from the operation two months ago, a bot taught me basic things I need to know. Everything else has no meaning, like those little flying things out in that field. What are they called? What are those flowers called? Why are those little things flying among those little flowers?”

“The little things are honeybees, the flowers are clover, the bees are pollinating the flowers and picking up pollen and nectar from the flowers,” Freddy said. “The bees will turn the nectar into honey which we will harvest and sell to the bots for distribution in the cities, though we will keep a portion for our use.”

“What is honey?”

“It is a sweet food. Willy, is Eugeni going to stay with you?”

“Yes, but she will be with Gene during the day, but I think someone needs to be with both of them since Eugeni doesn’t remember anything. She has a lot to learn. She’s kind of like a little child.”

“Yes, I agree. So, tonight, are we having the usual welcoming barbecue?”

“That was the plan. I’m not certain that’s a good idea, now.”

“What’s a barbecue?” Eugeni asked.

“It’s where people get together and socialize and eat grilled steaks, a garden salad, and baked potatoes with butter and sour cream,” Willy said.

“I might like that. Though I know the words, I have never seen a grilled steak, a garden salad, or a baked potato with butter and sour cream,” Eugeni said. “I must learn everything I can. I must experience new things. I have no concept of socializing. My bot taught me words for things and their associations with other things, but I have seen very little.”

“You know, Willy, it might be a good idea to have Dona stay down at the rez during the day to teach Eugeni as much as she can about the things in the house,” Freddy said.

“I’ll take that up with Gene and Abe,” Willy said.

“Eugeni, do you have any clothes?” Freddy asked.

“Just what I’m wearing, do I need other clothes?”

“Yes, we’ll provide them and put them on Abe’s account,” Freddy said. She touched a box-like object and said, “Margie, Eugeni needs the standard issue of clothes and footwear, but a little more on the casual side. If she needs more farm clothes, we can issue them later.”

“What is that box called?” Eugeni asked.

“It’s an intercom.”

“Oh, okay, does it enable you to speak with that woman outside?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Well, Eugeni, I can see that you definitely need to be here and I’m sure everybody will try to be very helpful to you; I’ll see you at the barbecue tonight,” Freddy said.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Come on, Eugeni, I’ll take you over to the clothing shed,” Willy said.

“Before we go, can I ask something? Was I sitting in a chair? And, that big box-like structure between us and you, Freddy, what is that called?”

“You were sitting in a chair and this is a desk.”

“Thank you, I knew the names, but I’ve never seen them. Okay, Willy, we can go now.”

********

Up at the residences, Willy helped Eugeni put her clothes away and showed her around the house. The children were out at some place Willy called the flower farm, which was meaningless to Eugeni. Finally, when all was done, Eugeni asked, “Willy, I have a tattoo of a pink heart and you also have one. Does that mean you and I are lesbians?”

“Yes, is that one of the words you learned?”

“Yes, but I have no concept what it means to be sexually attracted to someone of my gender, though I do think I have feelings toward you, but I do not understand what those are.”

“Eugeni, it means a lot of things to different people. After Lee died, I never thought I would be put in a position of meeting another woman who I might fall in love with. I can see only one thing right now, I am not certain I am ready to get into a new relationship with you, but that does not mean I won’t in the future. You have so many other things to learn that I think it’s best if we hold off on the sexual attraction part of our new relationship. Okay?”

“Well, okay, but I still don’t understand. I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand so many things. So far, I’m very frustrated at what I don’t know. I have a lot of words in my head, but I don’t know what they go with. So, for now, I will accept that we will not get into anything sexual, but at some time in the future I will want to know.”

“Okay, I’ll take that under advisement. But I want you to know right now, that when we get to that point we’ll go from concept to reality in as few steps as possible.”

“Well, that’s about as vague as a bot explanation.”

“Sorry, but that is as vague as I’m going to be right now because like I said, when I do start teaching you about having sex I’ll be looking for a quick learner.”

“Hey, Momma Willy, we’re home!”

“That will be Leon,” Willy said. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my children.”

Out in the hall, Eugeni followed Willy down toward the entryway. There she saw kids who probably a little older that Gene’s, though it couldn’t have been much.

“Eugeni, this is Leon and Leoni,” Willy said. “Children, this is Gene’s sister Eugeni. She’ll be living with us when she’s not next door.”

“Hi, Eugeni,” Leoni said, happily.

“Hi,” Leon said, flatly.

“Hello, children,” Eugeni said.

“Is there something wrong with you?” Leon asked.

“Yes, the bots gave me a total brain erasure, I lost all my memories. I do not know anything. Like those clothes you’re wearing. What are they called?”

“They’re coveralls, everybody knows these are coveralls,” Leon said.

“I didn’t, I knew the word, but I’ve never seen them. I got some down at the clothing shed, but no one said what they were. So, I thank you for telling me. What are you wearing on your feet?”

“Oh, these are boots, just regular ol’ boots.”

“Thank you, like I said, I know the word “boots,” but I’ve never seen boots, even if they are regular ol’ boots, though I didn’t learn there were different kinds of boots. Are regular ol’ boots worn for some purpose?”

“No, Eugeni, Leon was just saying the boots he is wearing are the ones he usually wears; he has others, but he’s wearing his regular boots today,” Willy said.

“Momma, how long is she going to be staying with us?” Leoni asked.

“Hush, Leoni; Eugeni is our guest and she’ll be here for as long as necessary, however long that may be.”

“I do not want to sound stupid, but I just don’t know things. Like I said, I have no memory of the past. All around you are things I have no memory of. Like that metal thing in your hair, Leoni, I don’t know what that is called. I may not have learned the word for that. What do you call it?”

“Why it’s just a hairclip.”

“Thank you; I will remember it as just a hairclip.”

“No, Eugeni, it’s not called a just a hairclip. It’s a hairclip. The children don’t understand you don’t know anything. Children you see everything you take for granted is all new to Eugeni. Leoni when you said it was just a hairclip. Eugeni thought the name for that was just a hairclip. Don’t assume she knows what you’re talking about. I’m hoping you can help her, but if you’re just going to fill her with crap, then someone you don’t want to be mad is going to be very angry with you and neither of you are too old to be sent to your rooms without supper. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Momma,” both said in unison.

“Eugeni, that’s a prime example of what you’re going to encounter around here, a bunch of smartass kids who think everybody knows everything they do.”

“Willy, don’t be too hard on them, they just don’t understand what it means to lose your memory. For instance, my bot did not tell me the names of my parents or what they look like. I don’t remember anything from my childhood. How old are Leon and Leoni?”

“We’re age fifteen or two hundred forty-nine years old,” Leon said. “Don and Dona are fourteen years younger than us.”

“And, what would that be? I do not understand fourteen years younger than you.”

“Don’t you know anything about arithmetic? That’s basic mathematics.”

“I do not know anything. What is fourteen years younger mean?”

“Well, you take two hundred forty-nine and subtract fourteen and you get two hundred thirty-five. They’re age fourteen. How old are you?”

“My bot told me, but he told me a lot of things and I cannot remember my age.”

“You don’t know anything, do you?”

“I told you I do not know. I have no memory of anything.”

“Do you know how to read?”

“What is read? I don’t think I have ever read?”

“You know letters, your ABCs.”

“What are ABCs?”

“Momma, how do I get out of this?” Leon asked. “She doesn’t even know her ABCs.”

“She told you she has no memory. There is nothing there. The bots taught her some words, but she doesn’t know what word goes with what object or concept, or how to spell that word. All she knows is the sound of words.”

“Oh, wow, she has to start at the beginning,” Leoni said. “She has to learn how to read, how to add and subtract, how to do everything. Momma, I need to go talk to Dona, she needs to know this.”

“I’m going with you, Don needs to know, too,” Leon said. “Sorry we have to leave, Eugeni, but your family needs to know what you don’t know. Somebody is going to have to teach you how to read. That’s basic rearing center education.”

After they left, Eugeni said, “Willy, I know they are trying, but they use so many words I don’t understand. Like what is how to read?”

“Eugeni, you know the sounds of words, but you don’t know what letters go with what words. I suppose you don’t even know what letters are, do you?”

“No, I don’t have any idea.”

“Come with me into the kitchen, I’ll show you a word.”

Eugeni followed Willy not actually knowing what the word kitchen was, but suspected Willy would tell if she asked.

“Eugeni, this is a package of dry pasta. I know you don’t know what that is, but what I want to show is the letters. This letter right here is an “S” and this is a “P” and this is an “A”. Does that make any sense?”

“I’m sorry I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Okay, come over here,” Willy said. She opened a drawer and took out a tablet of paper and a pencil. “This is paper. This is a sheet of paper. This is a pencil. Now watch me. This is called writing or, in this case, printing. These are the letters that spell paper. This is a “P”, this an “A”, this another “P”, this an “E”, and this an “R”. They spell the word paper.”

“Paper, “P-A-P-E-R”, paper, that is interesting how that works. Works, how do you spell works?”

“Watch me, this is a “W”, this is an “O”, this is an “R”, this is a “K”, and this is an “S”. Works.

“Works, “W-O-R-K-S”, works, but the sound of works does not have an “O” in it. Shouldn’t it be something like “W-E-R-K-S”?”

“No, and that’s the confusing part of reading. Sometimes words are not written the same way they sound.”

“Written, is that like printen?”

“No, that’s printed, not printen; and, that another confusing part of reading and writing.”

“This is confusing.”

“Sorry, but that’s how it works.”

Eugeni went back, got the box of pasta, and brought it back to Willy. She looked on the back and saw a word. “This word here, what is it?”

“That’s directions.”

“What does that mean?”

“It tells you to look at the words below it so you can prepare the pasta to eat.”

“Does it sound the way it is spelled?”

“No, that’s another confusing word.”

“These here, what are they?”

“Those are numbers.”

“I learned the word number and the words: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. But my bot said that there are more numbers up to an incredible, what he called, mathematical concept called infinity. He did not tell how many numbers that was. Do you know?”

“No, I don’t think anyone knows or needs to know. Higher mathematics is a field of study that is beyond the comprehension of normal people. I don’t know why the bots allow scholars to pursue their theories when they certainly can’t be of use to the ship.”

“Those numbers there, which ones are they?”

“One, two, three, four, and five.”

“Why not six, seven, eight, nine, ten?”

“Because one, two, three, four, and five are at the beginning of what is called the number line. You know, Eugeni, you need to know so many things, I think it’s best if I take you over to where you will be staying during the day for at least the start of your stay here. Come on; let’s go talk to Dona and the others.”

“Okay.”

Eugeni followed Willy out the door, but asked what that was before going through. All the way there, she would stop and ask something to the point where Willy was beginning to show the frustration she was feeling. After all those years of being at the convent and living with April, she just didn’t have enough patience or compassion to deal with the empty memory of Eugeni.

When they got to the door, Willy rapped her knuckles against the surface and Eugeni asked what she was doing and why she was doing it. Willy was explaining when the door opened. Gene stood there with a questioning look.

“Gene, I brought Eugeni over to talk to Dona about her education,” Willy said.

“What education?”

“Gene, Eugeni doesn’t know anything about anything. She knows words for things, but doesn’t know what words go with what objects. She doesn’t know how to read. She doesn’t know what numbers are. She can’t add, subtract, multiply, or divide. She needs someone to teach her the basic things a child learns at age four in a rearing center before she can go on to more complex things like numbers greater than ten.”

“Oh, boy, yes, she definitely needs Dona for this. I don’t think I have the patience to teach her all of that. Come on, I think they’re all in Dona’s room.”

The adults walked down the hall toward Dona’s room, but stopped when they heard voices, which were very troubling to Willy.

“And, she asked what this was and I said it was just a hairclip and she thought that’s what it was called. Can you imagine? She thought it was called just a hairclip. If she asked what a paper plate was, you could say it was a white brick and she would believe you. Isn’t that a kick? We can have so much fun with her, it’ll be a blast. What do you think, Dona?”

“Wow! You’re right, but I don’t know. Eugeni’s family, I don’t think I can do something like that.”

“Come on Dona, quit being an egghead. Let’s have some fun with her; after all she’s going to be over here during the day with Gene. We can have great fun filling her with all sorts of misinformation.”

“That’s it! I’ve heard enough of this crap,” Willy said as she walked into the room. “Leoni! Leon! Go home! Now!”

“But, we’re having a barbecue,” Leon said.

“You’re not, in fact, I’m not going to be there, either, so I can make sure you two don’t sneak out the back door. I’m sorry, Eugeni, but it seems my children haven’t learned how to be civil around people they consider to be less than they are. In fact, you could almost say they’re acting macho. Is that what you are, Leoni? Are you going macho on me?”

“No, Momma, don’t call me that. Don’t tell the bots, please, don’t tell them I was making fun of Eugeni,” Leoni said as she began to weep.

“Come on kids, we’re going home,” Willy said. “Eugeni, I’ll come for you later tonight. Don, Dona, I do not want to hear that you’re not being nice to your aunt. You know, what I’m capable of.”

“Yes, Auntie Willy,” they said.

“Goodbye, Willy,” Eugeni said. “I’m sorry I’m a bother to your children.”

“No, Eugeni, they’re just not being nice and, considering they were raised by a mutant, you’d think they would know how to behave around someone like you. And, as I’m sure they know, that makes me very angry.”

“I’m sorry Aunt Eugeni, I didn’t realize it’s so bad for you,” Don said. “Please forgive me, I won’t tell you anything wrong. Gene? Can I still go to the barbecue?”

“I suppose so, but you know if Abe was here he probably wouldn’t let you considering what you said. Dona I think you have a job.”

“Yes, Gene, I’ll gladly help Aunt Eugeni. What don’t you know, Aunt Eugeni?”

“Doey, Don, Gene, from now on I’m Genie, okay? But, Doey, I don’t know what I don’t know. Does that answer your question?”

“Yeah, Genie, I think it does. So, we’ll go around the house and learn what everything is. Then I’ll start teaching you how to read and how to do arithmetic. Then, well, then we’ll go on to teaching you everything we can. How does that sound?”

“That sounds very good,” Genie said. “Gene, come on, I want you to tell me about our parents and, if there are any bad parts, I don’t want you to leave them out. Okay?”

“Well, okay, but some of the things that happened when you left, weren’t very nice.”