“It is inferior.” He expelled a ragged breath.
“Is it inferior to Mini Zella?” Arlicia linked her fingers with his. “My friend loves her doll.”
“Your friend didn’t have a choice of sixty-three dolls.” He grumbled that fact under his breath.
She heard the unease in his voice. He doubted his doll was worthy of love.
As she suspected he doubted he was worthy of love. “I love you, Hoarse.”
His gaze dropped downward to meet hers. “You feel the human love emotion for me?”
Was it too soon to say those words? They had communicated for many planet rotations but had only met face-to-face a couple of shifts ago. “I—”
“Sit down, children.” Her friend, Zella, saved her from having to respond.
The children plopped their tiny asses on the floor, gazed up at the expert.
“I’ll draw names.” Zella jiggled a small container filled with leaves. Names were written in sparkle on those pieces of vegetation. “When you hear your name, come forward and choose one doll. How many is one?”
Most of her little listeners held up one finger.
A few of the older children held up multiple fingers.
Arlicia grinned. There were rebels in every group.
Zella drew a name. “Kelvin, you’re first.” The expert gestured to the child.
Arlicia hurriedly placed the boy’s doll on the horizontal support.
The child dashed to the front. His eyes shone. His little body vibrated with excitement.
He reached for a doll based on a Palavian warrior. Then he stopped, looked at the doll she’d crafted specifically for him.
“Kelvin.” The little boy grabbed that doll, gave him a big kiss and hugged it to his small form. “Mine.” He ran back to his seat.
His friends leaned toward him, chattering, admiring his choice.
Hoarse squeezed Arlicia’s hand. “He loves your doll.”
“He seems happy.” Her chest expanded with pride.
“Chiyo.” Zella chose the next name. “You’re up.”
Arlicia set the girl’s doll on the horizontal support.
Chiyo was more cautious. She walked slowly, primly, to the front, carefully examined the offering on each horizontal support.
Her little forehead furrowed with thought lines. Her expression was adorably serious.
“Faster, Yo.” Mins wiggled in her spot.
“I want the best one.” Chiyo scowled at the other girl.
She would not be hurried, gazing intently at each doll. Her lips moved as though she was debating with herself.
Many of the families in the area were agri-lot tenders, had barely enough credits to survive. They sent their children to the free academy, seeking to give them a better lifespan. The families didn’t have resources for anything extra.
For some of the children, the doll they chose this planet rotation might be the only plaything they received this solar cycle. It was an important decision for them.
Chiyo paused for a moment in front of Hoarse’s doll, and Arlicia’s heart pounded against her chest.
Pick that one. Pick that one. She tried to influence the girl with that repeated thought.
She was unsuccessful.
The girl continued along the row of horizontal supports, looking at each one. When she completed the circuit, she returned to the doll crafted for her.
“That’s her choice.” Hoarse made that quiet prediction.
The girl’s head then turned toward Hoarse’s doll. She hurried to that horizontal support. “You are the best one.” She scooped the doll into her arms. “You’re my baby.” She carried it proudly against her chest as she strutted back to her spot on the floor.
“She picked my doll.” Hoarse sounded dazed. “She believes my doll is the best one.”
“Your doll is the best one…for her.” Arlicia leaned against her big warrior, relieved, happy for him, approving wholeheartedly of the girl’s choice. “Look at how much she already loves her.”
The girl cradled the doll in her arms, rocking her gently, back and forth, back and forth, chattering sweet nonsense to her.
“I fabricated love. I—” Hoarse didn’t say more.
Additional words weren’t necessary. Arlicia knew what he was feeling.
Her warrior had changed a life with his gift. He had given a being someone to care for, to care about. The joy in the little girl’s face was his creation.
“This is why I do this.” There were easier, more reliable ways to obtain credits. She fabricated dolls to give beings happiness.
“I have more ulus, I mean, dolls, stored in the shuttle craft.” Hoarse gazed down at Arlicia. His brilliant blue eyes shone with energy, with excitement. “I could retrieve them.”
“Then retrieve them.” She pushed him in the direction of the exit. “Many of the children here have brothers and sisters. I’m sure they would love to have dolls to care for.”
“I’m retrieving them.” There was a bounce in her warrior’s stride as he rushed toward the door.
Arlicia laughed. She loved her male.
It might be too soon for that emotion, but that didn’t make it any less true.
Mercy. How could she not love him? Hoarse was generous and giving and perfect.
When her warrior returned to the chamber with two huge packs of dolls slung over his shoulders, the children cheered, and Arlicia’s love for him expanded.
Chapter Five
A shift later, Hoarse and his female were huddled in a corner of the chamber. They quickly crafted a doll. His female focused on the fine details. He fabricated the form, the garments, the boots.
They worked well together. That pleased Hoarse. Very much.
The rest of the chamber was devoted to the festivities. Most of the children played games and sang songs. Relay and his newly found expert female led those groups.
Some of the children, however, preferred to watch the doll fabrication.
“Whatcha doing, Ho?” Mins leaned against his legs. She had set her doll on his knees.
“Ho. Ho. Ho.” A little boy hopped by them.
Mins’ parents stood nearby. They talked with an expert, seemed content to allow Hoarse to entertain their child.
“I’m crafting a flight suit for Weilai’s doll.” He explained his actions for the sixth time.
Humanoid offspring didn’t have fully functional databases, not like the ones cyborg offspring were fabricated with. They forgot things, required statements to be repeated.
“Do her lips seem right?” His female showed him the doll’s face. A private viewscreen with Weilai’s image on it was set beside her. “I want this to be perfect.”
Surge, his female, and their offspring would be arriving in mere moments. Zella had extended them an invitation to the harvest celebrations, much to their excitement.
There were no other offspring on the battle station. Weilai would have a rare opportunity to play with others. She would be treated like the rest of the children, would be presented with a doll fabricated by Hoarse and his female.
“Those resemble her lips.” He applied fasteners to the tiny flight suit.
“Naked.” Mins pointed at Weilai’s doll. “She’s naked, Ho.”
“She won’t be naked for a long duration.” He handed the completed flight suit to his female. His fingers brushed over hers. His circuits surged.