‘His eyes were wild and it stirred in me a reaction. I had felt some obligation to protect him before, but it had never even been as close as a far cry to the care I supposed humans felt for each other. I distanced myself by saying that I was merely fulfilling my contract in the best way I knew how. But as soon as I saw his eyes wild and fearful of me… my heart cracked. Or at least what heart I have.’

    His sleep is tortured and I cannot help him.

    I feel responsible on some basic level for his pain. The faithful servant of the tormented master feels the blame of something she did not do. The choice now is relatively simple. I should leave to spare him pain. Tonight was to be my last evening in the Smith Mansion. But tonight… his words were so desperate, as though I was his only anchor to reality anymore. The thought shocks me so. How could a machine anchor Roger to anything?

    Certainly Big O has pull with his attachments and movements, but I am not the mega deuce. I am only the mechanical reincarnation of a cherished memory. He should not care for me, and I… should not care for him. It has been almost a month since the fight in the harbor, and the facts are still jumbled in my mind. Was there a reason he didn’t see me? I think there was.

    He rarely speaks of his emotions, or gives any semblance that he might be acting upon them, so… why do I think he is holding them back around me? It has never been so before.

    Perhaps it was the battle that changed him. Or whatever happened to his arm.

    He looked so… surprised and… happy to see me when the cockpit opened.

    And now he wishes me to remain with him. I hope he realizes just what I meant when I said that I would leave him alone. But still… if he continues in this shell then perhaps I shall have to leave him alone, even though I shall remain here, because I am not worth his pain.

    Nothing left to do but keep his demons from him, for now. I shall remain alert, however, in case he gives me any more clues… or signals.

***