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Within a minute, Nanee-12 had changed his diaper and gotten him back into his clothing.
She scooped him off the table and cradled him in her shining arms, which were padded on the inside to be more comfortable for him.
Gus gazed at her, fascinated, and tapped her arm with a chubby hand, then began to chuckle.
“You are a light-hearted boy, Gus,” Nanee-12 said. “Sir and madam, if you have tasks to attend to, I would be happy to watch the boy. Just tap your bracelet to my ear and you’ll have a continuous feed of everything happening here. I will also be able to reach you in case of a question or concern.”
Jade glanced up at Rafe.
He nodded to her.
She tapped her bracelet to Nanee-12’s ear and instantly felt the buzz letting her know they were connected.
Rafe showed her how to begin the feed.
She could see the view of what Nanee-12 saw, including Gus smiling up at her.
“Wonderful,” Jade said.
To her surprise, Rafe touched his bracelet to the nanny-bot’s ear as well.
She watched him check the feed and nod to himself.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready for what?”
“No time like the present to sit down and make a list of suspects to interview first thing tomorrow,” he said. “Are you with me?”
She eyed the big blue alien for a moment, trying to read him.
Was he guilty?
But whether he was or not, something deep inside her, an instinct, or maybe just wishful thinking, told her he would never harm her.
“Let’s do it,” she said. “Nanee-12, do you need special instructions on how to feed and care for Gus.”
“No, Jade,” the bot said. “I have been programmed with detailed care information for all known biological babies. Imberian babies sleep for most of the day and night. They drink warm milk and enjoy music, stories, and being held while their caregiver walks. Their ideal climate range is scrolling on my chest feed now. Have I forgotten anything?”
Jade glanced at the feed, which was scrolling out temperatures, humidity, and even preferred elevations.
“You nailed it,” Jade told her. “But we’ll be here, so just let us know if he seems unhappy.”
“Of course,” Nanee-12 said.
If she had not been a machine, Jade would have sworn she was offended.
“Shall we?” Rafe asked.
“Yes, definitely,” Jade said.
He smiled his pirate smile, and they headed out to the living room.
“I’ll just start the fire for us,” he said. “Then we can make a plan of who to talk with first.”
“Do you think the kitchen is stocked?” she asked him, eyeing up the cupboards.
“I’m sure it is,” he said. “Go see what the adoption agency set up for us. If there’s anything good, we can whip up a snack while we go over our list.”
