Human Sister

grew to desire the connection, and until he learned that nothing terrible was happening to him when the connection was terminated, he would scream and cry when we disconnected. I was literally a part of Michael, confirming a little lecture that, in slightly varied form, Grandpa gave me many times during Michael’s early years. He told me he’d given Michael the physical basis for intelligence and consciousness, but the way Michael’s brain became wired up—which connections would be created or reinforced, which would atrophy and die—would be a function of how that physical basis and the rest of the world interacted. “Through their interactions, the physical brain and the world it experiences will, in effect, create each other,” Grandpa said. “And for Michael, you will be most of that outside world. What you do and say and feel around him will greatly influence how he develops, who he becomes.”

Sara

    I just received a very disturbing encrypted message from First Brother. I don’t know how he knew to transmit by AUAS, or how he knew we possessed a supply of fishoids. Perhaps years ago, Grandpa told Dad about this secret place far under the sea, and Dad told First Brother. Michael and I have been here now for 41 days.

    Sara:
    We monitor many channels of human communication. Here is an excerpt from President Jairison’s news conference held the day after you and Michael escaped:
    “Before I begin taking your questions on this beautiful winter morning God has given us here in Washington, I would like to clarify certain rumors circulating wildly and irresponsibly both here and abroad.
    “Early yesterday morning, our intelligence community discovered that one—I repeat, one—android was trying to escape from its hiding place at the home of Professor Severn Jensen. Two of the android’s human companions were pursued in heavy fog off the California coast. After a long chase, during which these fugitives repeatedly refused orders to stop, their boat was fired on. One of the humans, Elio Briand—the son of one of the terrorists that helped the androids escape to the moon and then to Mars—was struck by several bullets and died before we could question him. The android and the other human, Sara Jensen, the seventeen-year-old granddaughter of Professor Jensen, escaped in two submersibles. A massive search is currently underway to find and apprehend the android and the Jensen girl.
    “After extensive searches of the home and offices of Professor Jensen—who committed suicide before he could be questioned—and after interrogations of his wife and his employees and acquaintances, we are confident that there was only one android involved. It is absolutely untrue that an offshore mining facility or a Navy ship was attacked by a group of androids. As God is my witness, except for this one android that escaped with the Jensen girl, we are not aware of the existence of any androids other than those remaining on Mars.
    “I can assure you that the android that escaped with the Jensen girl will be captured, and when it is, a team of military officers, including two Chinese officers who have joined us in the search, will destroy it utterly and completely, so that no nation will acquire information or technology from this hideous creation of Professor Jensen’s criminal mind.
    “I will take your questions now.”
    “Mr. President!”
    “Ms. Coffman.”
    “Good morning, Mr. President. There are statements circulating attributed to anonymous sources that the Jensen girl was forcibly kidnapped by the android and that the android was somehow attached to the girl’s head. Would you please address these allegations?”
    “It was the opinion of a couple of the officers aboard the ship that pursued the android that the android forced the Jensen girl to leave with it. It is also their opinion, based on visual sightings, that the android attached itself through some kind of cable to the girl’s head. Our subsequent investigation confirms that the android was intentionally designed by Professor Jensen to enter the girl’s mind and take control of her. This is almost too terrible to imagine, I know, but it appears to be true. And to think that this girl was his very own granddaughter. It just goes to show you the degree of sick criminal fanaticism these android lovers are capable of.”
    “Mr. President!”
    “Mr. Diaz.”
    “Mr. President, the Reverend Ernest Kleber stated earlier this morning that this confirms