Why does a robot take care of me? Why not another person?

Eva also wondered why she had not been taught exercises on dealing with bird-eating trees, giant water bears, and burrowing sand monsters. Or evil huntsmen.

She confessed, “You know, I had hoped that there were people like me living in these Sanctuaries. A lot of people like me. But I don’t see any. Where are they?”

Rovender leaned in close to her. “Eva Nine, I have traveled to many lands and seen many wondrous things. A creature such as you, I have never seen.”

Eva closed her eyes. She wished for all the world that she had not heard this.

CHAPTER 13: SANCTUARY

We are close, Rovender said, eyes closed as he stood on top of Otto’s large plated back. Eva watched as he summoned the night air, fanning it around his face. “I can detect a smoldering scent that is neither a burned animal nor a burned plant. We should continue from here by foot.” He grabbed his rucksack and dismounted.

Muthr is neither an animal nor a plant. . . . I hope she’s okay, Eva thought as she slid down Otto’s side to join Rovender. She felt some regret on how she had described Muthr to Rovender earlier. She flicked on her Omnipod. “This is Eva Nine. Please check for messages.”

“Greetings, Eva Nine. You have no new messages—voice or otherwise,” the device chirped.

I stay. Otto spoke. I wait.

Thanks, Otto. Eva patted him on the head.

“Come, come, come.” Rovender ushered Eva into the mysterious woods. “We don’t want to risk Besteel seeing us. He will likely be returning to this area.”

“Returning? Why?” Eva clipped her satchel to her jackvest.

“Because he is clever.” Rovender put on his heavy pack. He gazed up, scanning the cloudy midnight sky. “We may be doing the very thing he is expecting us to do—I don’t know. But I would suggest you retrieve your robot mother and depart as soon as possible.”

Eva followed him into the woods, using the soft radiance of the Omnipod to light her way. “She’s not my mother. She just takes care of me.”

Rovender chuckled. “Well, she must have her hands full. You are much to take care of, Eva Nine.”

Eva fumed, saying nothing.

“So tell me, Eva,” Rovender said as he wound his way through the thick trunks of moss-laden trees. “If this robot is not your mother, what became of your mother? Of your family?”

“You tell me first,” Eva said, a hint of insolence in her voice.

Rovender was silent as they trekked deeper into the woods. From unseen forest-dwellers Eva could hear chortles burbling in rhythm over her footsteps.

Finally, Rovender spoke. “My life mate, my partner, became very ill when a sickness crept into our village, infecting many.” Eva heard him clear his throat. “She left this world, taking our unhatched offspring with her.”