Page 11 of The Cyborg Way
He frowned. “I was told it was Eleanor.”
“That’s the name on my birth certificate, but everyone calls me Ellie.”
“I see.”
They stared at each other for a moment longer, and although she was sure she had never seen him before, she suddenly had the feeling that there was something vaguely familiar about him. Curiosity finally penetrated her grief enough for her to ask the question she should have asked immediately.
“Who are you? And what are you doing in our apartment?”
He cleared his throat, but it didn’t seem to be a nervous gesture, more as if he were debating what to say.
“Technically, the apartment belongs to me. I arranged for you and your mother to live here.”
“I don’t understand.”
They had lived in the small unit since she was a baby. It was one of the things her mother used to rhapsodize about—the unlimited space that would be available to them on Mars. The memory brought tears to her eyes, and the man took a quick step back.
“There is no need for that. You are, of course, welcome to remain here. Unless… unless you still wish to settle on Mars?”
How would he possibly have known about that, she wondered dully, but she only shrugged.
“Our application was for two people. I will have to go through the entire application process again.”
“Is that what you wish to do?”
She tried to think past the grief. The one thing of which she was sure was that her mother would still want her to go.
“Yes,” she said, surprising herself with the firmness of her answer. “Yes, I would still like to go.”
Did he look relieved? It was hard to tell given his expressionless face, but she thought that he did.
“Then I will make it happen. I believe you should be able to leave on your originally scheduled voyage.”
“How?” The application process was long and complex, and the departure windows for the voyages were very narrow.
He raised an arrogant brow. “I have useful acquaintances.”
She should have let it go at that, but she couldn’t.
“Why? Why are you doing this for me?”
He hesitated, looking at her, and she had the distinct impression that he was deciding whether or not to tell her the truth, but in the end he did.
“Because you are my daughter.”
Her mouth dropped open, suddenly realizing why those blue eyes looked so familiar. They were the same ones that met hers in the mirror every morning.
“You can’t be,” she protested anyway. “My mother told me my father was dead.”
Why would her mother have lied to her? The sense of betrayal sweeping over her was almost as painful as the sense of loss.
“That was our agreement. We have been… acquainted for a long time. When she decided she wanted to have a child, I agreed. I even arranged for a childbearing license so you would have legal status. However, there was no room in my life for a child, nor was I willing to act as a father.”
The fact that he hadn’t wanted her stung, despite her already overwhelming grief, but she did her best to hide it.
“I see,” she said as calmly as possible.
“Your mother agreed to the terms.” He didn’t even sound defensive. “And of course I provided for both of you.”
