Q185

"Wake up, you stoopid android man!"

A small girl, eight years old, stood bent over two metal feet. She wore a flower pastel dress and her hair was pulled back in a pony tail. The little girl was shouting at the robotic figure sitting against a tree which itself sat on a large hill, overlooking large grassy plains.

In the distance, an enclosure built of domes lay beside a large corral. Within the corral many feathered creatures ran around endlessly in a group, stirring up pollen as they ran.

Besides the dome abode, there was only grassy pasture as far as the eye could see. A dirt road stretched out into the horizon, the only visible means by which to travel.

"I said get up idiot man! You’re supposed to be tending the Peobles and looking after me. But all you do is sit and goof off. I’ll knock the smarm right out of ya’ and you got a lot of smarm, you stoopid tin crap can!"

The little girl picked up a clump of dirt and threw it at the metal man’s head. It hit the android on the side of the head between where the temple and the cheek would be and stuck there. Then the little girl ran off toward her home.

The android looked on, seeming to daydream while looking blankly over the prairie with his round, lit eyes. Then, he slowly dropped his head as if it were a gesture of sadness and despair. The clump of dirt fell to the ground, leaving a muddy circle imprinted on his shiny, round cheek.

"Alice? Allll-iccce! Mercy, where is that child?"

Gregor entered the kitchen where his wife Mary was cutting up some vegetables.

"Probably outside playing, dear."

"Well, if she's out down by that creek again, I'll loosen my strap on her."

"Gregor...."

"Now I’ve told her twice to stay out of that creek. I’m not cleaning up any more mud around here!"

The sound of the front air-lock drew both of their attentions. Gregor quickly proceeded down the hall towards the living room.

"Allie!"

Alice paused, halfway up the stairs, and turned to look at her father.

"Girl, come here."

Alice slowly took a few steps. Gregor turned his head slightly, his eyes fixed on Alice’s bare, muddy feet. Blood began to rush into his forehead.

"Alice," he said through clenched teeth, "is that mud on your feet?"

Alice stood quietly, unspoken.

"Girl, where are those new shoes I bought you?"

She shrugged.

"I dunno."

Gregor grabbed Alice by the arm and scolded her.

"You were down by that creek again, weren’t you?"

"No."

"What? What’s this mud then? Where are those new shoes?"

"Who cares?"

Alice tore away and ran up the stairs.

"Alice, get back here right now! You smarmy little brat! I’ll take the smarm right out of you!"

Gregor began to unfasten his belt.

"Gregor, let her be," called Mary.

"Let me be woman! That child needs a lesson and she’s gonna learn it well."

Mary and Gregor went on shouting. Within the domes they argued and argued. Outside, the grassy plains spread out as far as the eye could see.

Behind the living domes, underground, were a stable and some pens. Large glass panels in the floor of the earth allowed sunlight to penetrate the large room and give the appearance of being outside.