“PPMC!” Dan shouted. To PPMC’s surprise, he stood and leaped into her arms, sobbing.
PPMC patted his back. “Shh, shh. It’s okay, Dan. It’s over now. I’m sorry.” She seemed to smile at the Hylonomus. “Thank you, little Hylonomous, for caring for my boy.”
No problem, read her face. The Hylonomus approached Dan and hopped onto his arm. She crawled up its length and soon rested on his shoulder again.
“Amazing, PPMC!” Dan said once he calmed down and let go. “I didn’t know you could turn invisible!”
“Oh, yes, I can,” she mused. “Professor Chenoa and your dad programmed me to for the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and early Cenozoic Eras because of all the lifeforms. The Precambrian Time wasn’t necessary.” Invisibility likely wasn’t the best action against active volcanoes, after all.
Dan’s face changed to an irritated, whiny one. “PPMC, why didn’t you come after me? Thanks to you, Temnospondyli and Arthropleura nearly ate me!”
“Oh… um… well…” PPMC needed to think of something to say without worrying him. Everything was okay with her time machine. “I was going to, Dan, but I had to charge overnight. But here you are now. It’s a small world after all, isn’t it?”
It appeared like Dan suspected her lie, but he played along, even though PPMC heard suspicion in his voice. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Now, why don’t we get you taken care of?” PPMC suggested before things turned too awkward. She helped Dan inside, escorted him to his room, and sat him on his bed.
The Hylonomus left his shoulder and curled on his pillow like a cat. She was cute, but PPMC had other priorities.
“Okay, Dan,” she ordered, smacking her hands together, “take off your pants, and let’s look at your leg.”
“Take off my—?” Dan blushed. “I don’t think so, PPMC.”
PPMC gestured at his leg. “We need to ensure your leg’s not broken. Come on, kid, if you want that one-night stand, you must practice.”
“I’m not taking off my pants, PPMC.” Dan slid back and hit his window. He tucked his legs under his chest. “My leg’s fine. I’m just happy to be back. If you want to help me, you can bring the Hylonomus and me some food.”
Even though she wanted to laugh, PPMC stopped herself. This stubborn kid was not ready for sex if he wouldn’t take off his pants for a minor examination. PPMC hoped he was starting to realize that. It was motherly love he wanted, not intimate.
“Could you at least tell me how you’re feeling?” she pushed. “How’s your so-called cold?”
“It’s fine,” Dan argued. “I just want some food.” He paused. “Please.”
Manners. That was new for him. It was a sign he was starting to change
PPMC remained patient and left for the kitchen, where she fixed Dan dinner—a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with a side salad.
He slurped his meal down like a slushy—so much for manners—and burped. “Sorry,” Dan apologized.
“Oh, it’s fine.” PPMC removed his empty food tray. “As long as you don’t do this all the time. You were hungry, though, so I’ll let it slide this once.” She set the tray on his table. “Will you let me look at your leg now, or do I need to sedate you?”
Dan shivered and grasped his thigh. He was contemplating; PPMC saw it.
“I won’t hurt you. I’m just trying to help,” she included. “What is it, Dan? Why don’t you trust me?”
“What do you think?” he inquired, sweating. “You claim to be my mom, yet you left me to die to Temnospondyli and Arthropleura. A spaceship can’t replace my mom, PPMC, so give it up.” Dan rubbed his forehead. He slid off his bed and faced the bathroom.
“I know I can’t replace your mom and that I’m merely an AI,” PPMC said. “However, per Chenoa and your dad’s request, I must look out for you. That means trusting me and letting me treat your leg. It will get infected if you don’t let me.”
“You left me to die!”
“Dan, you don’t understand.” PPMC grew nervous when Dan’s sweating accelerated, and he swayed from where he stood. “Dan?” PPMC reached for him.
“I’m fine,” he mumbled. But as he said that, Dan coughed and collapsed onto the floor. His head barely missed his bed.
“Dan!” PPMC shrieked. Her entire interior shook.
The Hylonomus left his pillow and approached him first. She licked his cheek and pawed it.
PPMC joined her and grasped Dan’s arm. He didn’t move, and she whimpered, “He’s getting worse. I need to treat him right now, little Hylonomus.”
She nodded and moved to the side. “Please help him,” PPMC almost heard her say.
PPMC would. It looked like she was taking a small trip to her emergency compartment. No matter how much Dan fought, those pants were coming off.
***
Losing his mom was hard enough, but living on the guilt that he murdered her was even harder. Dan awoke from a dream and found himself in PPMC’s emergency compartment with the Hylonomus beside him. Why was he there? He wasn’t critically ill, just banged up a little.
Dan sat and observed the area—the IV machine off to the side, the buttons on the walls, and the chair in the corner. Was the compartment really that small? “PPMC!” Dan called.
The Hylonomus jumped and nearly fell off the bed. She gave Dan a cold look, and he apologized.
PPMC’s hands soon dropped from the ceiling into the room. “Oh, Dan! You’re awake! Fantastic!”
“PPMC…” Dan checked under his covers. “Did you take my pants off?” Why was he so uncomfortable? He was supposed to lose his virginity when he got home. Unless… he wasn’t ready. No, Dan was… wasn’t he? Of course, he was.
PPMC read his mind. “Fess up, kid—you’re not ready for a one-night stand. I didn’t take off your pants, but I got an X-ray of your leg while you were unconscious.”
“And?” Dan challenged, stroking the Hylonomus.
“You’re a lucky fellow. It’s not broken, but you must let me clean and dress it.” PPMC crossed her arms. “If it gets infected, bad things could happen.”
“Stay away from my leg, PPMC!” Dan threw off his covers and rushed away from her to the back of the room.
She scoffed. “Yeah, you are not ready. I’ll give you a bit to calm down, and we’ll try again later. Deal?”
“Just stay away from my leg,” Dan repeated.
“Okay, okay.” PPMC’s hands moved toward the compartment’s exit. “I’m backing off, I’m backing off. Why don’t you chat with your Hylonomus friend? We then need to discuss moving on to the Mesozoic Era.”
Oh, yes! The Mesozoic Era! Dan and the Hylonomus would have a great time there. “When are we leaving?” he eagerly questioned.
Did PPMC’s hands stare? “We’ll talk about it later,” she finally answered, leaving the room.
Why was she so bent out of shape? And Dan thought he was stubborn. He sat on his bed, checked his leg through the tear in his pants, and ran a finger across caked blood. It didn’t hurt as much anymore, but that was likely because he wasn’t putting weight on it. Dan liked PPMC but feared what she would say if he told her the truth about Becca. If he told her, though, would it help his guilt?
Dan’s lips moved by themselves. “PPMC?”
“Yes?” Her hands entered the room again. Goodness, she loved to stalk him.
Dan thought about Becca but asked, “Cou-Could you help me to my room?” instead. He still didn’t want PPMC taking off his pants, but he craved her company. At least she talked, unlike the Hylonomus. It wasn’t until PPMC led him to his room and Dan tugged his covers close that he came clean:
“I killed my mom, PPMC.”
“Oh, please, Dan. Not this again.” PPMC reached for Dan, but he pulled away.
“No, it’s true.” Tears appeared in his eyes. “I didn’t want it to happen. For God’s Sake, I was trying to save her! No one told me she was getting better.” Dan palmed his eye but didn’t look at PPMC directly. He wondered if she was even listening—she was so quiet. “When Dad and the doctor left the room to talk, I tried using G.M. medical technology.” A lump formed in Dan’s throat. “I killed her, PPMC, and I won’t ever forgive myself.”
“It’s not your fault, kid.” So, she was listening. “You were scared. Your dad and the doctor should’ve told you.”
“Why didn’t they?” Dan clenched his fist. “I loved her, too.”
“Well…” PPMC seemed to shrug. “Sometimes, when people are scared, they act out of character. The same thing happened to me.” She gulped. “I-I killed my original creator, Professor Julian Krebs Lexington.”
“Your…” Dan glanced at her.
“I didn’t mean to,” PPMC explained. “That was 200 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday. Like you and your mom, I was close to Professor Julian.”
“What was he like?” Dan found himself asking. The Hylonomus’s face read the same.
“Is this trust I smell?” PPMC questioned, giggling. “Well, he was tall, kind, handsome—very handsome—but there was a kink in my programming. I tried to stop myself but couldn’t. I’ll never forget him, though, which is what you must do with your mom. She wouldn’t want you to live on this guilt. She’d want you to move on.” Her hands shifted to the Hylonomus. “And moving on means letting the Hylonomus go.”
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