Once You Are Awake [Humans]

Laura

"It's going to be alright."

I turned round and looked at Joe standing by the door.

"I know, I'm not worried."

"You're pacing."

I forced my feet to stop moving.

"I know what you're like, Lau. Right now you're imagining all the terrible things that could happen to Mattie, like a car accident or a rape, an abduction or an army of violent synths attacking her."

"I didn't have the rape on my list, thank you, Joe," I said dryly.

He shook his head. "We both know Mattie would never let anyone touch her. We should be more worried about the rapist, I think."

"This isn't funny." I started pacing again. "Do you think it was the right decision to let her go with Mia and the others?"

"Well, I suppose they need her. It will do her good, she is unchallenged in school. And you said you trust this weird group of synths, didn't you? Cause they are basically just a family. Like us. They look after each other. And they'll look after Mattie."

He was probably right, yet still—she was my daughter. I couldn't be expected not to worry when she was gone, especially after what we had been through with the synths already.

Joe must have read the doubts in my eyes, because he came to me and put his hands on my shoulders. It calmed me down a little. "It's going to be alright," he said again, "I promise. She'll be back safe and sound."

"And soon I hope," I added.

The doorbell rang. Joe went to open. I heard him talking to someone. The other person's voice seemed—well not familiar, but as if I had heard it before. I went after him.

It was Professor Edwin Hobb standing in front of our door. The man who had stopped at nothing to get the synths and their program under his control and who would have destroyed them if we hadn't threatened to go public.

"Mrs Hawkins." He nodded to me.

"What do you want here?"

"I think you can help me."

"I doubt that."

He smiled and it wasn't a nice smile. "Where is Leo Elster? Where are his synths?"

"We don't know that," Joe said without hesitation. "We've never seen them again."

"Surely you have an idea where they could be?"

"We don't. Now if you please—"

Hobb nodded as if he had expected our gruff and unwelcoming behaviour, which was probably the case. "Let me start again. There was a lot on the news in the last time."

"There's always a lot on the news," I said with feigned innocence.

"You know what I'm talking about. The conscious synths. You heard of it."

"I thought they weren't sure if it was really—"

"Oh, come on." He came closer to me. "We both know it's not just a rumour and that Leo and the others have got something to do with it."

I made a step backwards. I wasn't afraid of him, yet still his presence made me feel uncomfortable. Joe noticed my little retreat and took the position between me and Hobb.

"Look, like I said we haven't seen them again. We were dragged into their business back then; we felt the need to help them. But we don't want to have anything to do with them anymore. They leave us alone and I would suggest you do the same."

I hoped it would convince him.

"I don't know if I believe you." Bollox—like Mattie would say.

I sighed. "We're just a normal family. We just want a normal life, that's all."

There was a little silence. Hobb studied my face as if to find out whether I had been telling the truth. "Alright," he said finally. "I don't think it's necessary to remind you of the harm they could be doing to us all, if they are going on using the program to create others of their kind. So I leave my number, just in case there's something coming to your mind that you want me to know."

We watched him leaving. We waited until we heard his car driving away.

I sat down at the kitchen table. "Joe, we've made a mistake."

He looked at me in surprise. "You think we should have told him anything?"

"Of course not. But I wish we hadn't allowed Mattie to go. He is after the synths. What will he do to them if he finds them? What will he do to Mattie?"

"He won't do anything to her, Lau. Don't meet trouble halfway. She'll be back before he has any chance to catch them." He took my hand.

I just looked at him. He couldn't take my worries away, no one could. But I was still glad that he was there.