Activated

chapter 12

The morning sun warmed Beika’s toes as it entered through the window. As Marceau demanded, she had moved into the room with the young men. She was given the bed nearest the window. Lan took the other one. Soji spread out a sheet on the floor and slept there.

Beika mulled things over as she listened to gentle snoring. She was a heal programmer, so she was not quite sure how to be helpful to a fire programmer. Of course there was giving Basic Heal and Advanced Heal, but there should be more. She thought over possible weak points. His deactivating was still a bit too slow, for one thing. Maybe she could help in that. The activating was too quick, too spontaneous. That could use some help as well. Those were skills learned in basic programming classes. Maybe she could borrow a few books on those from the library. 



She also needed to get him eating properly. Lan ate even less than Marceau. Marceau, as it were, ate much less than Beika, who enjoyed her food. Those programs he did required power, which she was not sure he gained with the current diet. 



Why was she thinking like this? Why was she not back at the infirmary, being a normal average heal programmer? Why, indeed? 



“Why am I being like this, father?” she sighed and asked the ceiling. 



“Good day, Master Beika,” a voice came from the floor. It ended with a yawn.

“Hey, Soji.” She rubbed her eyes.

The Selati kneeled and closed his eyes. He brought his hands together palm open at the forehead, lowered them over his heart, then clasped them together. He chanted as he placed his hands in various positions: “La mia testa, il mio cuore, le mie mani. Controllato da chi, controlla tutte le.” He then opened his eyes and smiled at Beika.

“What did you just say?” she asked. She could tell it was some sort of morning ritual.

He repeated the words. He placed hands over his head, “mia testa,” over his heart, “mio cuore,” clasped his hands together, “mie mani”. He kept them clasped. “Controlled by He, who controls all.”

Beika understood. “It’s like dedicating your life to the One who controls all programs, right?”

He nodded. “In return for all programs He gives.” He got up and began folding the sheets.

She combed her hair with her fingers and felt at the bedside table for her spectacles. The poor sandy-haired fellow had been cooped up too long in the room, she realized. “Want to come with me to the library? I’d like to pick up a few books. Maybe I can get a few cookbooks you can look at, too, since you like that kind of thing.” 



“Master Lan?” Lan was still huddled in bed and hidden under a blanket. 



“We’ll wake him up when we get back,” Beika grinned. She put on her spectacles. “We’ll also get breakfast for him when we go out.” 



“Is good,” he said. 



Something suddenly made her pause. Probably that reply, in halting Pendika. Maybe it was how he smiled, how desperately he grinned. She remembered. Soji was not one of them. 



“Soji, be honest. Are you just trying to be nice to us?” 



Soji looked her eye to eye. “No spy.”



“What do you want from us, then? I can negotiate or ask for them.” 



He was silent for a while as he thought. “What I want? Be commoner.” 



“I don’t think I quite understand,” Beika said. 



“Commoner. Know what I do. Always. Maybe own shop. Soup…cake…coffee…hot chocolate! Maybe ice cream, cold yogurt, sherbet…”