Sooner Dead (Gamma World) - Mel Odom [76]
At the table, she surveyed the bacon, eggs, and pancakes on the plate. She sat in the seat Twyla Wroth indicated. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since I had pancakes.” She looked at the older woman. “Have you slept?”
Twyla looked haggard. “Some.”
“You should rest.”
The older woman shook her head. “It’s easier staying busy right now. Martin and the older boys are out at the river, getting ready to put in new anchor poles.”
“You blew up the old ones.” Scatter volunteered the information happily.
Hella grimaced. “Sorry about that.”
Twyla waved the apology away. “This won’t be the first time that the ferry has been repaired. Or that the Wroths have died defending it.” She sipped on her coffee.
“Your mind is amazing, Hella.” Scatter sat in the corner and acted content. “If you had not been here, I might not have been able to learn what I needed to about this world. At least, not as quickly.”
“This world?” Hella bit into a strip of bacon.
“I am not from this world. I am from another. I am certain of that.”
“You came through one of the ripples the collider created when it exploded.”
Scatter nodded and the movement was very small, very precise. “So Stampede informed me, though I found no mention of that event in the literature that I was given.”
Stampede stood by the fire and took advantage of the warmth. “After the collider exploded and the world turned inside out, printing books wasn’t exactly at the top of the list for survival.”
“That is true. Still, the knowledge I have gleaned has been very useful.” Scatter looked at Hella. “If I had not been able to link with you, I would have remained lost for a long time. Finding you was like rolling a perfect twenty.”
“A perfect twenty?” Hella savored the salty taste of the bacon and dipped a finger into the molasses that covered the pancakes.
“On a twenty-sided die, yes.” Reaching into the pile of books, Scatter plucked out a volume that had elf warriors and knights on the cover. “I also learned what to do when we’re confronted by dragons, though Stampede tells me that will never happen.”
“I didn’t think robots fell out of other worlds into this one.” Hella tasted the molasses, and the sweet flavor exploded in her mouth.
“I am not a robot. I am my own person. I am—” Scatter whistle-screeched another long series of notes.
“A fractoid.” Stampede went back to the window.
“That is Stampede’s interpretation of what I am.” Scatter nodded. “Given the circumstances and your limited understanding of my nature, I will allow that assessment.”
Hella winced as she chewed. The effort seemed to dislodge the pain that had taken root inside her skull.
“Do you still have discomfort, Hella?”
“Yes.”
“Do you enjoy discomfort?”
“No.”
“Then why do you tolerate it?”
Hella frowned at the metal man. “It’s not like I can just turn it off.”
“Of course you can.” Scatters body broke apart, and he flowed to his feet. When he was once more a single creature, he was already in midstride. “Let me show you.” He reached for her head.
CHAPTER 20
Hella slapped away Scatter’s hand and dodged back. “Stay away from me. Last night was plenty of showing.”
Scatter cocked his head curiously and studied her. “Trust me.”
“No.”
“You would rather endure pain?” Somehow the fractoid managed to convey hurt feelings though his face didn’t really express that emotion.
“Let me finish my breakfast before I pass out again.” At least that would be a relief from the agony she was presently enduring, and she would have a full stomach, provided she kept the food down.
“You will not pass out. I promise. Once you are free of the pain, you can better enjoy your meal.”
Reluctantly Hella submitted herself to Scatter’s ministrations.
“From what Stampede has told me, you are different from most sentient beings in this world.” Scatter traced his fingertips across her forehead. Only the gentlest of shocks trailed across her skin. “You have tiny robots within you. Nanobots.”
“Yes. Other people have them.” Hella knew that from reading some of the materials she and Stampede had found in their