The Children

         The children followed their teacher across the compound.  "Here we are," the teacher said.  "This is where we will rest and wait for a while."

         The airlock went whoosh thunk and they found themselves inside a bubble like structure.  One of the boys said. "It's like a circus tent."

         "But you can see through it," a little girl chimed in.  She asked, "Now will the mommies and daddies come and get us. Miss Nona?"

         "In a little while."

         "What if they don't like us?"

         "They will love you,": Nona promised.  "They already know all about you and can't wait to take you home."

         There were eighteen of these children, nine boys and nine girls.  They looked to be about seven-years-old, give or take.  They had come a long way and were tired, but also excited and eager.  "What do we do now, just wait?"

         Nona said, "And maybe  sleep a little."

         "What if they don't ever come?" asked the little girl with the red braids. 

         "They will be here, Kayla.  They're on their way."

         Grady Michner approached the airlock sometime later.  It opened and let him in.  The children were sleeping, like string-cut marionettes.  Nona sat watching over them.  Grady introduced himself.  "I have to tell you," Grady said, "I don't like this.  I think it's just one more dirty trick being played on them."

         She shushed him with a finger on her lips.  "They're really tired out.  Don't wake them up," she cautioned.

         They moved some distance away.  "I just don't think this is right," he said.  "Sooner or later they'll catch wise that their new parents are machines."

         "Not  machines, androids.  Do you have a better idea?"

         "A better idea would have been not to mess with these kids in the first place."
         
         "But we don't have that option, I repeat.  Do you have a better idea?"

         "Putting living children into the care of programmed robots.  You're okay with that?"

         "I think it's  the best we can do.  There is no telling how long these children will live.  They've already bonded with care givers who have got old while the kids are still six and seven years old."

         "So you bring them here to Mars and turn them over to a lot of robots?"

         "In the first place, I had no more part in this decision than you, and they're not robots; they're androids, as human as you or I.  Each set of parents is programmed for their child's needs and personality.  And like the children, they will not age.  They will live forever."

         "That's just it, they don't  live.  They don't feel.  They're programmed to act like they love but they don't love."

         "And I repeat, do you have a better idea?"

         He said, "It was a stupid experiment."

         "Yes I guess it was.  They thought they could increase longevity for all humans but it never occurred to them that the children might never grow up."

         He looked across the room where the children were sleeping.  "They look six but they're already over sixty."

         "So I ask you again, if you and I had the job of deciding what to do with them, would you have a better idea?"

         He had to admit he didn't.  The carrier pulled up outside and the airlock gave its familiar whoosh-thunk as  a group of people entered. 

         It took a little while to sort out the children and their new parents so each child was with the ones who would be his or her caregivers from now on. The carrier departed taking the new families away to where a little village had been constructed for them.

         Nona said. "My work is done."

         Grady was looking at her more closely.  She had bright sparking brown eyes.  "Will you be staying on planet a while?"

         "Until the next shuttle back to Moon Base."

         "That's eight days.  That will give us some time to get acquainted."

         "Are you chatting me up?"

         He had to laugh at the archaic expression.  "Well maybe.  Do you blame me?  You're the prettiest sight I've seen on this tour of duty."

         "I'll only be here a week. I have to go back home because I have work to do there."

         "Well at least let me walk you to your quarters.  Where will you be staying?"

         "Here will be fine."

         "Here!  This is a warehouse, we just keep cargo here until it's loaded for shipment."

         "Here will be fine," she repeated.  She seated herself on one of the containers.  "Thanks for all your help."

         She touched a pressure point on the inside of her left wrist.  The sparkling brown eyes went dead, like the eyes of a doll, and then closed.

         Grady stood looking at her for a moment.  Speaking to no one in particular he said. "Well, I feel kind of stupid."  The airlock whooshed and thunked as he departed.

         

         

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