AmnesiacBJD

A few days have gone by for us to sort our thoughts and feelings about the danger in the fields outside of town. Most of the robots we encounter seem perfectly content to avoid the area, since it appears that it’s only really dangerous at nighttime. The notion of conflict, especially the violent kind seems to be so alien that a nightly detour is well within reason for the mechanical population of the area. But the robots that tend to hang out with us organics, especially Cle-O have started to think in terms of ethics and justice and we find ourselves discussing how rude it is to basically block of a significant part of the west side of this town’s outskirts. 

While Aeila and I are at work, Bee-A and Cle-O do their best to repair the battle damage that A-Va has sustained. Practically her whole body is pitted and scraped with the impacts of hundreds, maybe thousands of blows from Do-D over the last couple of weeks. I don’t know if she sees it the same way, but I get a little emotional thinking about how she basically acted as a shield to protect the rights of other robots in the area. Anyway, the scariest bit of damage was sustained by her head lobes. While A-Va does not have eyes or even cameras to see with, there is a complex sensorium embedded within elongated strips laid on top of her cranium, giving her an intricate “view” of the spectra around her. Visible and beyond. Apart from “sight”, there are also other functions like her equilibrium, sense of motion and dozens of other little features embedded in those thick, resin-like arcs. She explained this to me once while we were cycling around the island where we first met.

One of the lobes is now just split in two places. Where it had sustained some damage before, it is now clearly in half. Further back, there is a second split, almost just as bad. Another lobe, symmetrically opposed to the first one has been scraped so badly, that circuitry is exposed to the air. When I asked her if it hurts, she responded: “It does feel very disorientating. I really need to get this repaired. But I can get back to town OK.” The damage from the other day made A-Va walk more deliberately but it was almost not noticeable. After this battle, her walking was so belabored, that I couldn’t help but let out an involuntary sob when I saw it. Bee-A knew better than to try to support A-Va, but I’m not sure if this was pride or something else. 

The nature of how A-Va’s sensorium is manufactured makes it hard to repair or get replacement parts. There seems to be a shared knowledge among robots how all of the internals work, but the manufacturing process seems to have fallen victim to the “amnesia” that has hit all of us in different ways. The solution A-Va and Cle-O have come up with is to re-connect the traces within the lobes as best as they can, and then rebuild the devices that are beyond repair and place them somewhere else within A-Va. 

This takes place on another day when I’m at work. In the evening, when I come back to Cle-O’s place to check on A-Va, I already see her doing cartwheels along the back side of the building. I pass the lab in order to get to the back and smell some of the residual resin vapors. Outside, my heart soars when I see A-Va being her old self again, even though it’s only been a couple of days. “I must have done a good job.” Says Cle-O. “She’s still doing a couple of calibration runs, but she might even be better than before!” Cle-O and A-Va are constantly in a cycle of self-improvement, both hardware and software-wise and are already used to modifying each other. “You gotta slow down, or else A-Va is going to take off into space one day”, I say. Cle-O looks intrigued, like I gave her a new idea. I add: “But I would like to keep her here!” We look on as A-Va tests how long she can run on a wall for. 

Bee-A doesn’t speak (at least not audibly) but when we sit down on the night of day 78 for a discussion, A-Va reports that for a brief moment, when Do-D was pinned down by the both of them, there was a flash of recognition between the three, as if they must have known each other before the recent wave of collective amnesia. I think it was known but unspoken that it was very likely for Bee-A and A-Va to have hung out before, but having another robot trigger such an intense familiarity was indeed new to the robots I know. 

Day 72: Confronting the Duelist.

Over the course of the day I play through A-Va’s plan over and over. She wants to let Do-D know how peacefully robots and humans are integrating and how everyone gets to be an individual. I assume that’s gonna happen telepathically. She also wants us (humans) to be there to drive that point home and give testimony, if necessary. She has calculated a safe distance for us where the likelihood of shrapnel becomes low enough. She told us to wear long and thick clothing and helmets if possible. It’s August. But I figure, at night that might be tolerable. There’s also a wrinkle to the plan which A-Va won’t tell us because “what if Do-D can read human minds or at least body language”. 

We meet at the basketball court again at 10 PM. Zara and Sarah have volunteered their spots to Enzo and Eddo. Zara wears a thick ankle brace but walks almost normally, still she doesn’t want to risk anything. The safety gear that I have put in my little cart was not meant for these gentlemen, but in the shop we didn’t have anything that small anyway. A-Va’s head-lobe is re-attached and I see only the faintest line, where it broke off. She, Aeila, Cle-O and me, along with the two boys are now making our way to the bus stop with the cart in tow, but we go the long way around the trees this time.

The tips of the trees are barely distinguishable from the sky as we arrive. I start handing out welding clothes. I’m almost done putting on mine when I hear: “Well, look who decided to step back into my arena. And you brought an audience as well. Before facing off with A-Va, Do-D struts over to us by the cart and says: “Kind of a shame I don’t fight humans. I bet you pack a mean punch.” she flirts with Enzo but also gives Eddo a look. They absolutely have no clue how to take that. I step back a little since I saw how she fights. She takes a few strides over to me. I dare not move. I see her face in detail: differentiating her from most robots I know, Do-D has a silicone instead of a rigid one. Her articulated jaw has an uncanny effect that makes her soft face move in an eerie way when she talks. Her eyes sit a bit too deeply in her face and they too distort the face as they look around. Her unkempt, chin length hair framing her face for an extra wild look. I also see her pauldrons: They look like hollow doll heads with the back cut off. About the size of robot heads. Are those… actual robot heads?

Day 70: It’s two new robots!

It was too late to do much analysis last night so we all plan to get together after work at Cle-O’s to talk things over. During my lunch break, A-Va comes by to let me know when and where. The broken off head lobe looks nasty and I feel like A-Va is moving maybe 5 percent slower than usually. In the daylight I can also see two nasty scrapes on her lower arms that weren’t there before. Also new: she is wearing what appears to be a one piece bathing suit. “It’s helping me regulate my temperature. Mainly to help the longevity of my battery.” she explains when she sees me wondering about it. When she turns to leave I say: “A-Va, I’m glad you’re OK. I was worried about you.” - “Thank you. Even though I don’t talk to you every day, please know that I consider you, specifically, often.” That is probably one of the nicer things she has ever said and I consider it as I watch her walk away.

Eddo and Enzo aren’t here tonight, but they are dialled in on their phone, visible on a monitor. Of course, Cle-O is providing them with a high-quality image and sound feed of the meeting. Zara, Sarah, Aeila, A-Va and Cle-O are sitting next to me on couches and seats in a circle. Cle-O has provided snacks and drinks. Zara opens with “So you shook the phantom’s hand? What was it like?” at A-Va, who dutifully responds: “She briefly shared her signature with me. I believe she also comes from the island but suffers from memory loss, like most of us do. It’s not like a video file, but she has shared with me her impressions of all of the things she is interested in. She studies human activities, especially the ones that you do for fun. There are also other places where she watches tennis or soccer, but the basketball court is her favorite, because there’s also ‘the most informative banter’. In summary, the impression that I get is that she is not harmful to either humans or robots, she is just reclusive. I certainly don’t condone her hiding her signature, but that’s up to her.” 

Man, I miss hearing A-Va talk like this. Recently, as life has become more routine, I guess A-Va has less of a need to share information, but the story times I had with her on the island are a fond memory for me. Zara shakes me out of my memories: “That brings us to the other robot. It was Do-D, right?” - “Yes, she, too keeps her signature hidden, but revealed it to me when she engaged. It seems her intent is to confront robots in a one on one fight to determine the strongest.” - “Kind of like the Predator.” Says Cle-O, holding her chin and nodding. A faint memory comes into view for me but I only remember this title as a movie franchise, without further details. A-Va looks up for a moment as she quickly absorbs copies of several Predator movies on Cle-O’s network attached storage. “Yes, this seems like a suitable analogy. Though it doesn’t seem like she wanted to fully kill me or take pieces of my body as trophies. I even got to keep this.” A-Va holds up the broken off piece of her head lobe. “I have since gathered reports of two similar events, further north along the coast from a few nights ago. The robots in question were damaged, but not destroyed. She has not been reported fighting, let alone harming humans. She herself has also stated as much.” Even though we assumed as much, this is a relief to hear from A-Va who was a little deeper in Do-D’s head.

A-Va continues: “To get back on track: While Do-D’s behavior can be anticipated and avoided, in principle it diminishes one’s freedom to have the ability to walk around alone at night.” A knowing frown on Zara’s and Sarah’s faces. “Ideally, we can persuade Do-D to stop this behavior. In the event we can not, we would have to attempt to subdue, perhaps even disable or incarcerate her. Laying out the entire Ethos for you would take too long, but a forced reprogramming is out of the question.” But we are all on the same page. Aeila asks: “So what do we do? Do you think you could take her? Maybe together with Bee-A and Cle-O?” - “One of her main motivations is what she deems a ‘fair fight’. Should we confront her with multiple robots on site, she would certainly run or at least refuse to cooperate. In any event, I would like to attempt a persuasion first. Once more, offering her a one-on-one encounter. Should that fail, we might have to ambush her.” - “And your head?” I ask. She turns the broken off piece in her hand. “Yes, this might prove an issue. This contained an array of balancing sensors. I have redundancies, of course, but it’s like seeing with one eye. There’s a few things in here that I can salvage, but sourcing the parts and rebuilding the array might take days. Cle-O has an idea: “If you confront Do-D like this, she might have pity on you. If her words can be trusted, she won’t fight you (much) if you're not on your A-game.” - “I don’t know if I would take that chance.” Says Sarah, worried. “Yeah, she might mess you UP, man!” Says Enzo through the phone.

“Allright. Here’s the plan:...” Says A-Va and briefs us for the next confrontation with Do-D.

Cle-O and I are wandering the nightly alleys back to her warehouse. I won’t lie and say that there’s no crime in this town, but I don’t really hear from people getting attacked in the streets. While we are walking, Cle-O catches me up on her updated theory around this phantom.

As soon as she turns on the lights in her place, the mood changes, or rather, it’s supposed to change and It takes me a second. “Nice of you to follow me here. I’ve been waiting to show you something.” Just before, we were all in an analytical mood and now the switch to tenderness catches me off guard. I don’t know why, but I don’t feel as loose as I usually feel when I’m here. Maybe I’m considering the lonely soul that is stalking the woods out there. But then Cle-O does her magic trick again. When I’m done putting my bag down she squarely turns towards me and lowers her face again, staring right at me. It’s something about her eyes that makes a connection between us happen. My heart beats harder and faster and I feel a warmth flow through me. It turns into desire. “There he is.” Growls Cle-O in a deep voice.

Day 69: Encounter in the dark

Another day goes by where nothing happens at the courts. Aeila and I are doing something else that night so I only hear it from Sarah and Zara during my lunch break. I am starting to think that we have scared that mysterious robot off permanently. But then A-Va passes by mentioning that on an errand at 3 AM in that general area she caught a faint whiff (for all intents and purposes) of the pattern that Cle-O had described to her. This is enough motivation for us to at least stay interested in the matter. 

With that information we post up again that night. Enzo and Eddo who would be at the courts, no matter what. Sarah and Zara who spend a lot of time, just not that late, Aeila and me along with A-Va. Cle-O is at Lily’s and not with us this night. As usual, we hang out until the last “regular” players go home, then Enzo and Eddo continue playing with whichever one of us wants to humor them for a minute. A-Va is attempting to sit amongst us as casually as possible while her sensorium is dialed up as much as possible in order to chatch the faintest trail of the phantom’s tell-tale pattern. She is not attempting to hide her own signature because she thinks that’s bad form.

This goes on past 11:00. Aeila has made remarkable progress over the course of the last 15 minutes. She has decided that she wants to learn how to dunk and it appears that she might be able to with a bit of training. Now, the tips of her foot tentacles hurt because both the jumping and the landing have strained them today. All of a sudden A-Va informs the two sitters next to her verbally, without moving an inch: “I think it’s here.” she attempts to apply a whisper modifier to her voice to talk to Sarah. “Don’t look too abruptly. At my five o’clock.” Zara and Sarah attempt the most unforced turn towards the indicated direction. They don’t see anything. “I can detect next to nothing when it’s not moving. It should be stationary now. Or it figured out a better cloak.” 

Us four on the court catch that the sitters are behaving awkwardly. “Keep playing. Wink.” - “She said ‘wink’ out loud.” I remark. “What else is she gonna do? She doesn’t have eyelids.” Says Eddo. “But I guess that means that it bit.” A-Va whispers once more. “It’s coming closer! Should be entering my four o’clock now.” This time, Zara and Sarah are already looking in that general direction. Now it’s Sarah’s turn to speak without moving. “I think I see something. I won’t point.” - “You gonna take the shot?” Asks Zara, also unmoving but audibly excited.” - “Not yet. Too hard to get in the frame like that.” But in her lap she has already turned on the the camera and has it in the ready position. A few tense seconds go by. Nobody dares move. Enzo dutifully dribbles the ball to still keep up appearances. The tension grows as everyone focuses on the reverberating dribbling sound. Pang! Pang! Pang! Pang!

“There!” Sarah yanks up the camera and fires off as many shots as she can into the trees. Of course, this startles the figure, but A-Va has readied herself for this. She uses the bleachers to propel herself forward. The old wood creaks as if A-Va has applied just enough restraint not to break it. She takes two steps and vaults over the fence in a place where it’s low enough that I could see an olympian doing a similar move. Another three steps and she’s gone into the darkness where the figure just was. Silence. Everyone has the same perplexed look on their faces. I remember the map application A-Va has modified for me so I can find her in an emergency and indeed it is showing her dot moving through the dark blotch that indicates “woodland area”.

Zara is so full of adrenalin that she now takes off running after A-Va. Sarah can’t let her go alone and gets up, too. It takes me a second but I wave my phone after them “Wait! You’ll get lost without this.” And now that I’m running, Aeila grumbles “Oh no, you won’t” and now tries to catch me. Enzo and Eddo consider following us for a second but later, I definitively find out that those guys are real ones, because they decide to watch out for our bags, instead.

I catch up to Zara and Sarah and the three of us attempt to follow A-Va’s dot through the unkempt brush. The vegetation is not too dense, but not suitable for a full-on sprint. A-Va is usually very considerate when moving about, but here and there we encounter a particularly entangled bush that must have been barreled through with tremendous force. A-Va’s dot is still a ways ahead of us, but even with heavy shaking of the screen, I see that she must have stopped moving. Suddenly the trees disappear. We have entered a wide clearing and I can see a road up ahead. A few steps more and I see a bus stop with sparse lighting. Glancing at the tracker I see that A-Va must be somewhere close to that bus stop, maybe behind it. Fearing for the worst, I accelerate my step. “Ah fuck! My ankle. Grrr.” I hear Zara next to me. She limps a few steps and sits down, now barely touched by the light of the bus stop. Sarah immediately tends to her. “Go on, find her!” Zara shoos me on. That small delay was enough for Aeila to catch up to me. She pants: “I’m very close to getting pissed off at you.” - “A-Va has stopped. Right over there.” I say, pointing at the bus stop. 

In that moment we hear a dampened clang, like two hammers smashing into each other. And another similar sound. “Is that…” I think out loud and move towards it. Aeila now grabs my hand, ready to pull me back. As we step into the shadow on the other side of the bus stop my eyes adjust enough so I can make out what looks like A-Va. But she moves like I’ve never seen her before. Then another shape. Close to A-Va’s but tattered and what looks like fluttering hair, moving in a similar way. I take a few more steps and yes, about two hundred feet behind the bus stop there is A-Va in what appears to be a fist fight with another robot. While color is hard to make out, the other figure looks red-ish compared to A-Va’s grey. The light occasionally catches in orange-yellow hair as it weaves about. This looks different from the phantom we’ve been chasing.

“Oh, humans! Now it’s a show!” Booms the figure in a feminine voice, but as if the speaker might have taken a little damage. “Stay back!” Commands A-Va, using the brief pause to ensure our safety and tighten her stance. “I don’t know what this one is capable of or how to make them stop.” - “You guys can relax. No fun in hurting humans. Too easy. What’ll make me stop? Me winning! Now get ready…” The other robot slowing down was enough to see a little more detail. Its ankles and wrists look puffy, as if padded and it also appears to have large pouldrons. It is not uniformly colored but has red limbs and a black and white splotched body. There is also a face that is pretty lifelike, but the texture is a bit unreal. It stances up like a kickboxer or one of those MMA guys. Now it lunges forward in another attack almost to quick to see. 

“My pronouns are SHE…” one devastating punch “...HER!” and another. In that moment Zara approaches, limping, carried by Sarah. “What the hell?” She asks. A-Va looks like she is doing her best to dodge the fierce punches and kicks. The clangs we heard earlier must have been grazes. A-Va has agility over the attacker and only occasionally does it look like the red one comes close to hitting her. No matter where she moves though, the attacker relentlessly pivots and uses fists, shins, knees and elbows to get to her. Bone chilling moves and combinations that would turn any human into mush instantly. “And my name is DO-...” a knee strike launches her into the air, just past A-Va’s head. “...D!” With that she extends her leg mid-air into A-Va’s back which sends her tilting into the dirt, face first. We all gasp. 

A-Va whirls around faster than we can track, but that short instant off balance is enough for Do-D to come back, ready with a fierce uppercut. It connects right where A-Va’s eyes would be and A-Va flies backwards in a half circle, getting about three or four feet of air. We see light glinting, as if something has fallen off of her. When she hits the ground, Do-D is already there, stepping on A-Va’s chest and gloating. “Looks like you still have some fight in you. I’ll need a round two to make sure you’re down for good.” But in that moment, out of the dark comes what appears to be an angry dark cloud, enveloping Do-D and making her fall on the ground backwards. “Ey, that’s not fair!” yells Do-D, upset. 

We have a moment to look closer and the cloud appears to be a humanoid in a dark cloak, now sitting on Do-D’s chest and wailing on her face. “Is that the phantom?” Aeila and Sarah say, almost simultaneously. A-Va lifts her upper body and looks on, perhaps shaken by the punch? Do-D appears to worm her way out of the mess of loose fabric and untrained, but still forceful punches. Less elegantly she gets up and runs away. “That sucks. I’ll get my one-on-one another time.” she pouts as she sprints into the darkness. In the tussle, the phantom’s hood has come off and we see voluminous, purple hair and just a sliver of a kind, dark face underneath it. The figure gets up and we see its full size and a little more definition underneath the flowing cloak. It then extends a hand to A-Va who had just made it to her knees. A-Va lets herself be pulled up. Now we can see that the tip of one of her headlobes has broken off and there are about three inches of skull chassis visible. The two robots stand face to face for a moment, holding hands, then the phantom takes off running in another direction than Do-D and we lose sight of her again, for this night. 

Aeila and I leave for work at about the same time and I get the chance to catch her up on the whole ghost hunt. She is a little bit intrigued, but as I go on, she becomes more worried that I might get attacked. “Cle-O was there.” Is my attempt to calm her. “If it’s robot on robot, I don’t know if Cle-O can defend you. You know she doesn’t prioritize durability. Also, what if she gets hurt?” Aeila makes me consider the situation. Fortunately, I have never seen robots fight. Maybe getting into fisticuffs is an entirely human concept and that’s why. But then I think about how seriously bummed I would be if Cle-O wasn’t her cheerful self anymore.

A-Va returns. It appears that she has taken a liking to constructing solar farms. Bee-A and her have spent the last few days helping out with one to the north. I catch her up during lunch break and by the time I’m done talking she looks like she already has a plan. She’s off to see Cle-O before I can take my last bite.

The crowd at the basketball courts has increased. In the afternoon, there are only a few more people there, hanging on Enzo’s and Eddo’s lips as they recount the events from last night. Zara’s band and their clique is drawing their own crowd. As the sun gets closer to the horizon, even more people show up. I also see A-Va and Aeila come around the corner. A-Va is holding Cle-O’s camera bag. “Cle-O is busy tonight, but she wanted you to have this.” She says as she hands me the worn case. “I figured the situation would draw a crowd. I have to talk to some people. Which ones are Enzo and Eddo?” I point them out to A-Va and she walks over, perfectly parallel to the court where there’s a game going on. The group turns when they see the robot approaching. I can’t hear the exact words, but I see Enzo and Eddo nodding as she addresses them. Then she walks over to Zara and delivers the same spiel. 

There’s a few more groups centered around people I don’t know as well and A-Va talks to all of them. Some individuals look a bit apprehensive and there’s a few who leave right away. When she returns, I ask: “What did you tell them?” - “ I told them the nature of this situation and made very clear to them the dangers that could present themselves. I gave them some suggestions for behavior to dissuade them from frivolously interfering with our investigation.” - “And you think they will listen?” I ask. “They must trust me to tell the truth. I also illustrated for them the injuries that they might sustain.” - “Oh. I understand”.

It gets a bit darker and a few more people are intimidated enough to go home. There’s still a considerable crowd. According to the theory that the game itself attracts the phantom, both courts have full sized matches going on. This gives me the time to familiarize myself with Cle-O’s camera. “I hope, Cle-O has erased our little tape.” My eyes go wide until I realize that Aeila is joking. “JK. JK. No, but for real: I came to keep you from doing something stupid.” - “I think I need that. I might have been lucky last night. They ran away, but I could have accidentally cornered them like a scared animal.” I answer, not realizing that this scares her a little more. “You will let A-Va handle it.” She states and adds: “Only filming!” I agree. 

But this night stays uneventful. At around 10:30 the bulk of people leave. At 11:00 we also decide to call it a night and at that point only a few eager ghost hunters stay there. “Tell me about your tape.” I ask Aeila as we walk home, hand in hand.

I suppose a lot of people were disappointed that night, because the next night, the crowd size is almost back down to the regulars. Only the few of us who have actually experienced the presence plus a few close friends are here, now that it's getting dark again. Aeila is also here, again to keep me from doing anything risky. Both Cle-O and A-Va are representing the robots. Together they theorize that they are better at pinpointing the pattern that Cle-O recorded, should it appear again. But we are having no luck tonight either. 

Cle-O whispers something in my ear that makes me blush, but since it’s dark and we are all looking at the trees, I don’t think anyone catches it. Cle-O says goodnight at 11:00 sharp. Aeila can read body language better than I can and knows what’s up. She tells me “Go on, go with her!” and I catch up with Cle-O.

Day 62: Thrifting with Cle-O

Aeila and I are at the flea market trying to refresh our memories with stuff that other people held dear once. The people of this town are now used to the sight of Aeila walking about, but of course not everyone had the chance to get to know her. Children are particularly interested in her. They keep their distance, but it’s not far enough away that we can’t hear their giggles. A particularly brave little boy even touches Aeila’s foot tentacles from his hiding spot underneath one of the wallpapering tables. She jumps in surprise, but when she sees the kid scramble away she says “At least buy me dinner first!” leaving him with a face so red that it makes his friends laugh out loud.

There’s a spot on the fairgrounds where the clothing vendors concentrate. I spot one unmarked van from out of town trying to offload dodgy, low quality wear and potentially knock-off purses, belts and wallets. But it’s mostly older citizens with actual taste letting go of some prized possessions that they now feel too old to wear. Cle-O has told me about this spot and it doesn’t take long to find her, but today she’s there with someone I haven’t met yet. She has pastel pink hair that somehow doesn’t look intrusive and a pretty, white, flowy summer dress with stylized leaves as a pattern. She wears a pink sash as a belt that perfectly matches her hair. After hugging Aeila and me, Cle-O introduces us. “Aeila, ___, this is Lily. She has impeccable taste! She must have inherited it from her grandma.” Lily is flattered, but takes it in stride. “So nice to meet you!” Says Lily. She shakes my hand with both of hers. After she does the same to Aeila’s tentacle hand she goes: “I’m sorry but I have to say: I would love to shop for your complexion.” Aeila grins wide. Lily continues: “You are regulars at her movie night, right?” 

“Right! I hope our rowdyness hasn’t kept you from coming.” I say. Lily explains: “No, no. I’m kind of new in town. Cle-O helped me offload my Nanna’s old stuff and got me interested in the place. This flea market is a goldmine!” then she adds “Proverbially. I’m not here to get rich. I’m also looking forward to seeing all of the other sights around here.” While we are talking, I spot Bee-A making her way through the crowd, on a path towards Cle-O as directly as possible. She is holding an empty, large tote bag. When she arrives next to us, Cle-O hands her a similarly large tote bag, almost bursting with her bounty from this trip and takes the empty tote bag. Wordlessly, Bee-A turns and walks the other way with the large bag over her shoulder. Playfully, Lily accuses Cle-O with her fists on her hips: “Oh, that’s cheating!” - “The perks of telepathy.” retorts Cle-O. “Lily lives in the next town over. When her grandma passed, she let me have her possessions for free!” Explains Cle-O as we make our way through the aisles. “Now she is planning to open a boutique there, right?” - “Don’t blow up my spot here, haha! It’s still in early stages. I’m still working on a catchy concept. A mix of second hand and tailor, is what I’m thinking. Maybe with a cafe? I also have to find out how to go into business by myself.” Lily seems to know a lot of the vendors posted up here. As we walk the grid, she shares a bit more of her story with us. She, too has suffered from the amnesia, but because she was a little further from the island at the time, memories come back to her more easily.

Lily spots clothes and accessories that barely stick out from under large piles, holds them up to Cle-O, Aeila or me and they all would look splendid on us. I am hesitant at some of the more extravagant pieces since I’m not eager to stick out and prefer casual wear, but the others encourage me to take some home. Aeila and I fall in love with Lily’s quirky personality and unique, artistic world view. “Our pixie dream girl” as Aeila describes her later when we are alone again “but with her mania under control.” The millions of tchotchkes on display have triggered as many memories and by the time we get home, we are mentally exhausted.

Day 65: Night shift at the B-Ball court

I can’t find A-Va all day. I give Cle-O a call. It’s curious: Of course she doesn’t have to pick up a phone. She answers calls in her head without making a sound on the outside. She could even be mid conversation with somebody else and no-one would know. Anyway, she says that A-Va has moved north and will probably not return until tomorrow. If it’s about the ghost hunt, she volunteers to come along. She even has a camcorder with infrared night vision! Word must go around fast because I don’t remember telling her about our plan. Cle-O has told me before: “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” but I bet she could still kick anyone’s ass so I say it’s OK for her to come along. Plus, she has a sense for drama and I think she wouldn’t spoil the cozy spookyness for the others who might be into that.

“Oh hello, who’s this?” Says Zara when we meet up and she sees Cle-O for the first time. “That’s Cle-O…” I don’t know how I should introduce her “one of my new mainland friends.” I say, regretting this nothing-answer. Cle-O picks up immediately with an appropriate retaliation for me and amusement for the others: “With benefits.” She adds. I’ve never been more embarrassed because there's a few chuckles and “Oooh”s. Though, quickly I realize that there’s no ill will because Enzo, one of the more intimidating, jock-adjacent guys pats me on the back and quietly goes “Good for you, dawg.” in a genuine tone. Cle-O holds up her camera: “This doesn’t have the best resolution, but it’s got night vision. Like, the green looking infrared one.” - “Sick!” Zara is excited, getting into the ghost hunting mood. “Yeah, but the batteries are old now and don’t hold much of a charge anymore.”

Sarah is also here and politely introduces herself to Cle-O. She decided to come because she knows how to work her camera. She understates the capabilities of her camera because she doesn’t want to be braggy: “This goes up to like, ISO 64.000 so… should be pretty good at night!” It’s a modern looking digital camera with a smooth, black plastic body. Not one of those gigantic pro ones, but the lens looks fairly expensive. I give an exaggerated nod with an approving face. The other homie Eddo asks Cle-O: “I heard you can detect the presence of other robots.” - “Yes. Not as well as A-Va who seems to have a longer range than I do, but basically I can find all robots who want to get found.” Cle-O’s answer makes Enzo and Eddo look puzzled. Cle-O explains robot signatures and that hiding one’s signature is considered impolite or even nefarious. 

We are sitting on the far side of the courts, backwards on the bench, looking out at the trees, where the photos were taken, but we don’t see anything. It is now fully dark. At about quarter past ten, the group of players that was there decides to go home and we start considering our chances. “It’s probably there to watch people play.” Thinks Eddo out loud. “We could play three on three, but then we couldn’t watch for the shadow.” Eddo produces a ball from his duffle bag. “How about two on two and Cle-O and me keep watch.” Suggests Sarah. It’s late and Zara and me look at each other like we don’t really want to play basketball right now, but for the bit, we get up and walk towards the hoop. “Streetball. So we don’t have to run so much.” I say. “OK.” Answers Enzo. We briefly freshen up on the rules and team up. Enzo and Zara against Eddo and me. 

As we pass the time and get winded, we see Sarah and Cle-O with their cameras on their laps, chatting it up, starting with camera stuff and eventually more general topics. Thankfully, the E’s do all the work on the court but occasionally, they pass to us less experienced players to have a go. Zara even lands a shot on me because my blocking game is not the best to begin with and I’m especially hesitant to bother what to me is a teenage girl, even though she’s probably in her twenties. It’s now almost eleven and we’re all tired. We have almost forgotten about our little ghost hunt. “Hey Cle-O!” Enzo yells, “Can we see you hoop?” She gets up, hands me the camera and answers “I wanna try some free throws.”

Sarah turns around on the bench, halfway facing us and halfway the trees. Cle-O posts up on the free throw line and Eddo hands her the rock. Her heels look a bit out of place on the basketball court. She grabs the ball, shifts it between her hands a couple of times and assumes the throwing position. The first throw hits the backboard perfectly center, but a little bit too high, bouncing the ball directly back into her hands. The second ball goes in with a bit of bouncing on the rim. “Okay, okay.” Says Eddo, realizing her capabilities. “How many tries until you get a swish?” Two more tries. Cle-O lets out a little giggle, having fun perfectly calibrating her throws for this court and ball. She takes three steps back. Swish. Another three steps. Swish. We look on in amazement. Now she is standing on the half court line. She winds up, but the same moment the ball leaves her hands, her head whips around. The ball goes wide of the backboard, hitting the fence just below the top, preventing us from having to go around to find the ball in the darkness.

“Gimme the camera.” She moves towards the far side fence and almost rips the camera out of my hands. Sarah turns on her DSLR, points it at the trees and, facing away from us, asks “What is it?” Cle-O positions herself next to her, camera up to one eye. “I thought I felt something. Someone.” Zara, Eddo, Enzo and me approach slowly, trying to focus on the treeline. We are still standing in the circle of the closest lantern which makes it hard to focus on the dark trees. “Even if you really want to, it can be hard to suppress all of your traces.” Says Cle-O, still scanning the horizon. “I think they slipped for a second.” - “So we’re looking for a robot.” Enzo mutters. “It could still be someone else, but all of the other robot signatures have not been moving around much in the last couple minutes.” clarifies Cle-O.

Looking the same direction, Zara and I quietly shuffle through the little door in the fence in order to get out of the light for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. Here, there are a few scattered bushes and low trees that have withstood decades of abuse by teenagers. Towards the north, where we are now focused, the trees grow taller and denser, lining the multi-purpose-field next to the court. My eyes are now adjusted to the dark a bit better and the residual light allows us to see the edge of the field in better detail. It has become quiet. So quiet that I hear a sound like two thick branches rubbing on each other from my left. I turn to look at one of the trees about fifty feet to my left. It takes a second for my eyes to focus on a shape that I find unusual for this tree. It looks like there’s a tarp hanging from one of the branches. But only when I see a glistening, black shape protruding from under the tarp I realize what I’m looking at: There’s a humanoid figure standing in the tree, wearing a dark cloak where only the lower legs and feet are visible. I breathe in sharply and Zarah follows my gaze. She lets out a surprised yelp and that sets the figure running. They must have hoped that we wouldn’t notice them, standing there absolutely still, practically invisible.

Almost inaudibly, the figure slips backwards, landing on the ground with a soft thump that I feel more than I hear it and ninja-runs away with the softest thump thump thump thump. Gone. “Did you see that?!” Zara squeaks with more enthusiasm than fright. The others come running over, asking almost the same question: “Did you see it?” Zara and I describe what little we have seen and heard. Somehow, Sarah has taken 40 pictures in the span of about two seconds. As we look through them, we find one that sort of resembles the shape we have seen. You can see the trees in sharp definition, and a human-sized blur with the rough color we have seen. There’s even a little specular streak where the legs would be, but without our testimony, this image could depict anything. Zara hugs Sarah, trying to lift her in celebration. “We’ve seen it! It’s real!” 

Cle-O only has ten seconds of unusable footage that starts after Zara’s yelp. Mostly green streaks and the fence messing with the exposure. What she does have is secondary sensory data. The moment of discovery must have caused the robot a bit of stress that could be measured as a subtle change in the magnetic field which Cle-O could perceive because she was close enough. It’s not as good as a signature, but now we have a pattern that might help identify this specific robot, were we to encounter it again. The boys are a little bummed out that they neither saw anything nor contributed to the documentation, but we all let them know that we were honestly glad they were there.

On the way back to town we share our theories and as we split up, each of us is thinking about the next steps.

Day 64: Rumors of a shadow

After breakfast and before I go to work, I go up to Aeila’s door and give it a knock. When she doesn’t answer I figure that she has either gone to work already or that she has stayed the night at Cle-O's which I figure was just a matter of time.

My workday is relatively uneventful, but during lunch break I hear some people that I know from the basketball court talking about a strange figure that has been rumored to show up there at night. I don’t hear the whole conversation so at that point it might as well be an urban legend or a movie they were discussing. When I’m just about to go back, Aeila shows up with her lunch and I spend another ten minutes with her. She teases a saucy story about what happened at Cle-O’s and this notion stays with me for the afternoon.

In the last two weeks I have become confident enough to jump in and hoop a few minutes here and there after work. In the workshop, nobody’s upset if I wear sporty clothes so I don’t have to change. I’m not the one to pick first for your team and it’s hot enough that it doesn’t take long for me to be done, so I spend more time sitting at the sidelines of the local court shooting the shit with the locals (or rather listening to the locals shooting the shit and chiming in occasionally). Here, too, the legend of the phantom basketball spectator is making the rounds. Zara can hear ghost stories from miles away, comes over from the other court where the younger crowd is and is fascinated by the tales. Later, a guy shows up with claims of having photographed the shadowy figure. 

Indeed, the grainy images depict the same court that we are currently sitting at, only at night with the charming, yellow lighting that turns this place into an island in the darkness, because only one side of this area is close to buildings and a lot of them are not inhabited. The noise of this cell phone camera is particularly pronounced, and this guy must have stepped out of the lights in order to be able to shoot this photo, but it appears that there’s a humanoid, cloaked figure sitting in a tree nearby. You can only tell if you compare the photos, because one alone would only show you a mess of grey artifacts that resemble the sparse foliage of the vegetation around the basketball court. He says that nobody was brave enough to move closer and even when one of them looked like he might go investigate, the figure quickly and quietly disappeared.

“Sarah has a camera that works pretty well at night. I can bring it tomorrow.” Suggests Zara, enthusiastic about a ghost hunt. “What if they are dangerous?” I think out loud. The others are a little upset at me shooting down the idea, but also realize that possibility. Zara turns to me “Well you could come and bring your robot friend. She can take anyone, right?” She must mean A-Va because I don’t think she’s seen me with Cle-O. “Good idea. A-Va might even be able to tell if that’s a robot or not.” I respond. “Deal. Then we meet here tomorrow at… 9:30? It should be getting dark at that time. I’ll bring my gear.” States Zara.

What does Cle-O do for a living?

At night, Cle-O can usually be found at her compound. She likes to entertain guests and it’s important to her to be able to receive people, even unannounced. Occasionally, she goes clubbing at night, leaving her pad unattended. I don’t think anyone would try to break into her place because A) She has more friends than enemies, B) Nobody wants to incur the wrath of a robot of unknown strength and capability to find your ass and C) Even though it’s lushly decorated, there are few conventional valuables there, apart from maybe rare machinery and science supplies in her workshop.

But how does she get all that stuff? Well, Cle-O has an uncanny talent for knowing whenever people need to unload stuff. Like when they move, when a family member dies or when they just want to re-decorate. Think about it: don’t you have stuff you want to get rid off? Imagine somebody reading your mind and showing up exactly when you do. She can get a lot of stuff for free that way. Sometimes people even pay her to get rid of stuff. With the extra cash she can pay for some more rare or specialized things. 

She also knows where people are that need things. Refugees from the island find themselves without connections and without supplies for daily life. Cle-O has made so many people’s days by showing up with lightly used clothing, children’s books, a crate of day old bread rolls or a washing machine, more often than not free of charge. If she takes money, she takes care to not take more than she feels is justified but she also knows better than to refuse a tip. Enthusiasts for specialized items like cameras, vintage toys or art tend to be more lucrative, but even then she keeps her margins reasonable. 

Cle-O moves to sit on Aeila’s lap, but balances her weight on her thighs so that Aeila doesn’t have to bear it. Cle-O thinks about the logistics of giving herself a tongue while Aeila explores her disappointingly smooth and empty mouth cavity with her own. Cle-O’s hands get more explorative and follow the undulating skin ridges to places underneath Aeila’s tank top and shorts. Now, Aeila’s mouth occasionally pulls away from Cle-O’s to let out a passionate gasp or groan. Cle-O’s recent modifications make it so she can now intensely feel Aeila’s tentacles feeling up her own skin. But the sensation makes her think of something. Hating to interrupt this moment, she asks: “Do you want to help me with an experiment?” - “Anything.” responds Aeila, just opening her eyes, half in a trance. 

Cle-O moves to get up, but Aeila grabs her hand, wanting this moment to continue and follows her. From a closet, filled to the brim with materials that Aeila can’t even begin to enumerate, Cle-O pulls out a number of sticky electrodes with thin cables attached. From another shelf, she pulls a small control unit. She closes the closet again. Aeila is standing right behind her, a hand on Cle-O’s hip. Cle-O turns and grabs that hand. “I don’t really know how to put this into words that don’t sound creepy, but… do you want to help me calibrate my new… parts?” - “Ooh, kinky. Let’s do it!” responds Aeila. Still holding Aeila’s hand in one and the equipment in the other hand, Cle-O leads on towards the bedroom.

I am just thinking about the Saccoria show planned for friday when Sarah and the band’s bassist show up the exact moment I’m about to go on a lunch break. “You gotta help us! Something's wrong with my amp and I think the Lavoro’s PA system, too. I think they’ll bill us if we can’t figure this out.” - “That smells like another set of free tickets.” I reply. “Whatever. Just please have a look when you’re done here, alright?” And there goes my night. What happens at Cle-O’s later that day I piece together from independent retellings from both Aeila and Cle-O.

We sometimes spend our days and nights apart, but Aeila has never been at Cle-O’s without me. There’s the usual, small clique that has formed around my coworkers, Aeila’s coworkers, and some of Skipper’s friends. Sometimes some of the band members show up, but I feel like they get bored of our takes since the usual crowd skews a little older. It’s rarely more than 9 people in Cle-O’s “compound” as we have come to call it. So it’s not awkward for Aeila to show up alone. She has a good time watching the next installation of a music documentary series that Cle-O has going on. The others have something else planned for the night, but Aeila and Cle-O spontaneously use the opportunity for a one-on-one that they'd never had before.

“I confess I’m a little high,” says Aeila “but I’m at the right level to talk for hours and hours. And you…” she points “...you don’t get tired, so you know I’ll make you dish, skank.” Cle-O projects annoyance at that last comment. “Okay, okay, I’ll dial it back. But I appreciate your realness about everything.” - “Same! I feel like given our dispositions,” Cle-O makes a general gesture with one hand waving at herself and the other at Aeila “we should want to keep more secrets, but you also have always been honest with me, and that feels refreshing.” - “Maybe it’s the amnesia that puts us all at the same level. You can’t keep secrets if you don’t remember any.” Theorizes Aeila. “Yes, combined with the fact that we’re trying to remember the world before. Talking to people has become so important!” responds Cle-O.

They talk a little bit about life in the city, their favorite places, shops and denizens. “I feel like we should play Truth or Dare or something.” Suggests Aeila but Cle-O replies: “I don’t remember ever playing it, but somehow the thought makes me nervous. How about you just ask me… you know, in the spirit of honesty.” - “Please stop me if this goes to far… but: you always put on that ultra seductive vibe and I’m not quite sure how to deal with that. It’s clearly working on him.” Her eyes dart to the general direction of our apartment. “Part of me wonders ‘why?’ and another part is happy for your sense of self expression and…” Cle-O is not put off, but rather turns to Aeila, prepared for even more real talk. Aeila is encouraged to finish her thought “and another part of me wonders what it’s like to… be with you.” - “To answer the first part briefly” responds Cle-O “It’s like an… experiment to me? I want to push some boundaries, but… by no means do I want to hurt anyone. It sounds cheesy, but ‘I wanna know what love is…’” she softly sings that last line. Aeila’s eyebrows furrow and her eyes go up and left as she ponders that for a second. Cle-O continues. “To answer the second part: I dare you to kiss me.”

Aeila had considered this moment, even anticipated it but now that it’s  here, it still makes her blush hard. Not only that, but the pigments in her octopus complexion start dancing around as well. In turn, this surprises Cle-O. “Oh wow! C… can I touch?” She says, leaning close. This only accelerates the spectacle. “Yah, sure.” Responds Aeila, trying to be cool, but you can hear her heartbeat in her voice. Cle-O moves from her chair to the couch right next to where Aeila is sitting. First, she runs the outside of her middle and ring finger in a half-closed fist along Aeila’s jawbone where there’s a visible pigment deposit. Aeila does not move except for her eyes focusing on the robot hand. Cle-O’s fingers are sensitive enough to feel the subtle variations in skin density that are happening there, along with a visible color shift. Then Cle-O sees an interesting spot on Aeila’s Shoulder where a more pronounced pattern is appearing and runs her full palm down her upper arm. “Wooow.” mutters Cle-O. Aeila shudders and in the moment that Cle-O turns to face her, Aeila plants her mouth on Cle-O’s. For a moment the both of them seem frozen, as Aeila tries to find purchase on Cle-O’s porcelain lips, but then all four of their arms wrap around each other and they pull each other closer.

Day 61: Assembly

CW: Disassembled humanoid anatomy

On the final day of this sprint, the both of them remove their new parts from their molds and  apply their modifications. At around 10 AM, A-Va and Cle-O go behind a curtain that looks almost like something you might find at a hospital. Cle-O still doesn’t want me to see her modifications, but I see the old parts hitting the floor. It looks quite eerie, seeing the hollow shape of her butt and a bisected chest shape slump together on the floor of this workshop. I can make out the outline of A-Va going to work on Cle-O’s chassis and at times I see the outline of limbs distended in ways that make me shudder. Eventually, I see (and hear) new parts being applied, but I wait patiently, not spoiling any surprise that is intended for later. Ever the performer, in an unexpected moment, Cle-O wipes the curtain away with a grandiose movement. Of course she is wearing a hospital gown so I don’t really see much. “Just you waiiiit!” She teases. “I’ll have to break this in a little bit. Then I’ll show you.” and I hear a conspirative smile on her voice. As she walks around I believe I see shapes move underneath that fabric in a way they have not moved before.

After Cle-O is done with her little test walk, she returns with sturdy overalls and her hair contained by a bandana, ready to work on A-Va, who is now getting strapped into a complicated and uncomfortable looking harness that hangs from the ceiling. Since the scene setting with the curtain was only for Cle-O, I now get to witness A-Va’s procedure in all of its gritty detail. Cle-O begins by carefully removing the shell. She does so with such dexterity that it’s hard to follow. I don’t see her removing any screws, but instead the shell parts seem to be interlocked by clever mechanisms that are easily slid apart if you undo some subtle but sturdy latches and know the right points to apply pressure to. Her head, arms and lower legs remain as they were, but everything else is stripped. She is suspended by her shoulders and can still move her limbs and head. She looks around at me and Cle-O as if nothing is happening and I can see bowden tubes and artificial muscles pulling taut as she does it. 

Days 56 - 60: Mod Workshop

It’s not that the robot ladies need anyone’s approval or even more time to think things over. Over the course of the next few days A-Va and Cle-O get going in the workshop section of Cle-O’s compound. Naturally they have already laid out the decision tree inside the portion of their minds that they are sharing for this project, practically invisible to anyone else (at least us organics). During my free time I stop by to watch them and the both of them patiently explain their progress to me, depending on who is free to chat.

They start out with material science, meaning a batch of small tests of whatever materials they can source. The workshop is at times so filled with vapors from compound fiberglass and carbon lattices in various resins, epoxies and silicones that it is hard to breathe. While these materials cure, A-Va exposes her shell to Cle-O for careful experiments concerning her power supply and her reactor. The difficulty seems to be a core power bus that needs to be kept at an exact voltage along with a self contained reactor unit that appears to have a mind of its own. There seems to be some buffer between A-Va’s memories and the main cycle (making it less likely for her to lose her personality in this procedure) but the issue is that there’s no precedent (that we know of) for how to replace the main power source or if that’s even possible. In other words: Anything could happen.

On the second day, some of the material tests have finished curing and mechanical tests can be conducted. A-Va asks me for some tools from my workshop to hit these wild looking parts with. Cle-O gives it everything she’s got and it looks as terrifying as it is hot. Eventually, particles go flying but she looks at me as if the test is successful. 

Cle-O’s experiments involve a variety of organically shaped silicone pieces infused with sensors and actuators and she has prepared a little separée as if she doesn’t want me to see what she’s working on. The work continues past the next movie night. Cle-O spends the afternoon airing out the place but when we get together for dinner, there are still workpieces standing outside and the workshop smells of resin, albeit not as extreme as the days before.

Day 54

A-Va meets Cle-O

We now have a way to announce ourselves before showing up at Cle-O’s, though I get the feeling that she doesn’t even mind unannounced visits. Aeila and I bring along my co-worker Esther, her significant other and A-Va. We learn that her and Cle-O have been exchanging their signatures and their general interests remotely (as robots do) but have never met face to face.

Both of them being curious types, they seem to enjoy conversing the human way for a change. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I find it quaint to give ideas the time to formulate them into speech and then to appreciate others’ ideas enough to wait for them to finish talking.” Says Cle-O and A-Va nods along. “Of course, we can still simultaneously talk behind your guys’ backs.” she says, turning theatrically to face A-Va, putting index and middle finger of each hand to her temples like a cartoon psychic. A-Va lets out an equally theatrical guffaw after a dramatic pause. Us organics look at each other, amused but wondering what it was that they just exchanged. 

The fixed program point of the night is the movie “Metropolis”, which rings a bell for all of us but only Ester’s boyfriend had seen it in full, as far as he remembers. Cle-O proudly holds up a copy with footage that had only semi-recently been added. We watch it digitally because even if she had it on reels, the sound of the projector would indeed make it hard to talk over the movie, which we do respectfully. Esther has brought pot brownies but we decide to save them for after the movie. She cracks the container about 20 minutes before the movie ends, planning for them to kick in after, and us other organics join her. We joke that Cle-O should make another knob for THC and she agrees to the principle a bit too quickly (she saves this experiment for another day).

After the movie we have a good buzz going and we get philosophical. At length we listen to each other’s amnesia story and then try to figure out the similarities. We philosophize about how robots went through the amnesia and why. We muse about how Cle-O might have always been this fashionable and how she dominated the robot dating pool. We witness that A-Va and Cle-O humor each other talking in the human language even when they don’t need to. The two of them hit it off big time.

They discuss modifications that they would like to do. At first, it starts a bit humorous and Aeila and Esther pitch in their ideas, but after a few moments the robots discuss their plans in great detail: A-Va wants to be more streamlined and have access to better mobility. The speaker system she has tastefully attached to herself she wants to exchange for an internal voice like Cle-O has. Finally, she wants a reactor that can be recharged. Now almost all of us are silent. 

We hang on A-Va’s words as she describes the way she wants to change. For humans, those would be major cosmetic procedures akin to top surgery. On top of that, A-Va had explained to me a while ago that her reactor can’t be easily removed without endangering her continued existence, let alone her personality. Even Cle-O looks a bit worried. She diffuses the situation a bit, framing A-Va with her hands in L-Shapes “I can imagine it already. You would be a sleek flash of silver.” Then she takes over, looking down at herself “Moving the reactor would indeed free up some space for, ahem… a more human anatomy. There’s a few things I haven’t got to experience yet.” Her gaze goes to me just long enough for my cheeks to flush. But as I glance around, it seems that everyone here needs a second to chew on that thought. To put a point to it, she does the psychic fingers again and A-Va assumes a shocked pose with her hand on her mouth. “And there’s a few more corners that could be rounded off. Yeah, I guess that’s my goal. A bit selfish and vain, maybe, but I want to push the boundaries. I like looking like a robot, but I like the idea of being the hottest one there is.”

Day 53: Aeila meets Cle-O

I realize that I never asked for a way to contact Cle-O. One night, after work Aeila and I decide to go over there to introduce ourselves. We are about to put together a basket of treats before we realize: “She doesn’t eat!” So instead we pass by an antiques store and each pick out something nice but cheap for Cle-O.

She must have sensed us coming, because when we are still about two hundred feet down the path she steps out into a square of warm lighting in the cool evening ambience, waving at us. “Oh. I get it.” Aeila says quietly to me without moving her lips. 

Cle-O is wearing something more formal: a dark blue dress with a rough but pleasant texture. She greets us with a hug, which is both charming and weird at the same time, then she accepts our gifts with joy. She freezes for a second, turns her head towards the living room and within seconds has found the perfect place for each of our souvenirs. “Let me give you a tour!” spouts Cle-O. When we get to the beautiful bedroom and Cle-O has her back turned on us, Aeila wordlessly mouths “I. Get. It.” with a theatrical exaggeration.

“I haven’t expected you, but I can whip you up some pasta if you want.” - “Oh we don’t want to be a burden…” I regret it instantly, but I try to stop Aeila with my elbow and get a dirty look in response. Cle-O disarms the situation: “No, I’d love to. Don’t worry about it. I’ve been wanting to crack some wine for you, too.” Fusilli with pesto doesn’t sound like much, but you should try it like Cle-O makes it. “My face tingles.” Says Aeila. Is that normal? “Yeah, I think it’s the parmesan. It’s not tart, it’s not spicy, what is it? Man, that was good.” 

Bless Aeila for her initiative, but after nearly one generous glass of wine she just comes right out with it: “So on the first date huh? I mean I GET it, but… that’s weird right?” She directs the last part at me. I open my mouth, trying to find the words. “For what it’s worth, he cherishes you.” interrupts Cle-O. “I don’t know if he told you, but it’s like I’m made for body language: he does.” I’m thankful for her eloquence but I also wish I could have said that myself. My face is red and hot. “I din’t want to jinx it.” I sheepishly confess to Aeila. I now feel the wine doing its thing on me. She looks back, touched. Cle-O continues “And I wanted to meet the person he was thinking about.” A moment until Aeila shakes her head as if trying to shake off the onset of tears, finishes her glass, takes a breath, then “No, you know what. It’s cool. Honestly I’m just happy to have someone to hang out with who’s so…worldl… is ‘worldly’ the right word?” She gesticulates with her glass and we all let out a relieved chuckle.