Gods around, look at you! Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. Can I touch you? Is that okay? How was the trip? Oh, my goodness, you didn’t have to bring us anything! Aren’t you sweet. You don’t eat, right? What about power, do you need power? We can plug you in somewhere if you— Oh, oh, you can charge yourself, that’s neat. Would you like to see the goats tomorrow? What about the bees? We can open up a hive, if you want. Do you need to sit down? I don’t know what to offer. You’re so tall! Has Dex been eating well? They’re looking slim.
The cohesion of everyone focusing on the new arrivals did not take long to disintegrate, as Dex knew would be the case. A timer went off in the kitchen, one kid took another’s toy, the dropped argument was remembered, the dogs started biting one another’s faces, and so on, and so forth. One by one, folks splintered off to attend to whatever preparations had occupied them before, leaving only those who weren’t as concerned by things left undone: the kids.
There was a small pack of them, clustered around Mosscap with wide eyes and giddy laughter. Mosscap knelt down, as it had learned to do with children, and gave its best smile. “I’m happy to answer any questions you might have,” it said.
The kids were silent, at first, until one of them summoned some bravery. “Can you fly?” he asked.
“No,” Mosscap said.
“Can you fight a bear?” asked another.
“I haven’t tried,” Mosscap said. “Why would I want to?”
“Does anything eat robots?” said one.
“No,” Mosscap said.
“Could we eat a robot?” laughed one who thought herself hilarious.
Mosscap’s eyes shifted with mild concern. “… What?”
Dex watched the proceedings from the background, leaning against the railing of the deck. A hand came to rest fondly on their shoulder, and they knew who it was before looking.
“Hey, Mom,” Dex said, leaning their head into hers.
“Hey, bug,” their mother said, turning her face and kissing their scalp. “It’s so good to see you.” She hugged Dex with one arm. On her opposite hip, she carried Charlotte, the newest member of the bunch, who was happily gnawing the shoulder strap of her grandmother’s heavy-duty overalls. Charlotte cooed with curiosity at Dex, and Dex’s mom smiled at them both. “Wanna say hi to your niece?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Dex said, taking the baby into their arms. “Gods around, Charlotte, you got big!”
Charlotte flashed a toothless grin at her name, drooling on her shirt in the process.
The kids were still babbling their unpredictable questions at Mosscap, but the robot’s focus became captured by the tiny person in Dex’s arms. Dex noticed Mosscap’s interest, and suddenly realized they’d never seen Mosscap encounter a baby before. Could that be right? they thought. There had been babies in the villages they’d been to, surely. It wasn’t as though Charlotte was the only infant on Panga. But now that they were thinking about it, Dex couldn’t remember ever seeing Mosscap get close to a baby, and from the look on the robot’s face, there was nothing in the world it wanted to do more.
Dex took a few steps forward. “You want to hold her?” they asked.
“Oh, yes,” Mosscap said with an almost-urgent seriousness. “But I don’t know how.”
“Let me show you,” Dex said. Gently, they transferred the baby from their hands to Mosscap’s, instructing it on how to support her. Charlotte hadn’t figured out her head the last time Dex had been there, but she could hold it up easily now, and as soon as she turned to see what it was that was taking her, she fell dead silent.
Mosscap did as well, excepting the mechanical excitement within its head.
The two stared at each other, eyes wide and mouths open, gobsmacked with wonder. After a moment, Charlotte reached out and pawed at Mosscap’s face with her chubby fingers.
“Oh!” Mosscap said with surprise. “Hello!”
For reasons unknowable to anyone but her, Charlotte found the talking machine entertaining, and she giggled, batting her hand against the metal plating a little harder.
Dex’s mom laughed. “I think she likes you,” she said.
“How can you tell?” Mosscap asked.
Charlotte giggled again.
“Oh, I see,” Mosscap said in an excited whisper, taking note of this new behavior. “Yes, I like you, too.”
Dex’s mom caught their eye. “Do you mind if I leave her with you two for a bit? It’s all hands on deck in the kitchen.”