Little Manion became a bright spot in Serena’s captive life, like a candle flickering in a pit of darkness.

“Your infant is an extraordinarily time-intensive and distracting creature,” Erasmus said. “I do not understand why it requires so much attention.”

Serena had been gazing into Manion’s large, inquisitive eyes, but turned her head toward the robot’s polished mirror face. “He will be only three months old tomorrow. At this age, he can’t do anything for himself yet. He has to grow and learn. Human babies need to be nurtured.”

“Machines are fully functional from the day of their programming.” Erasmus sounded smug.

“That explains a lot. For us, life is a gradual developmental process. Without nurturing, we can’t survive,” she said. “You have never been nurtured. I think you should make improvements to the way you raise the slave children in your pens. Show them more kindness, encourage their curiosity.”

“Another one of your suggested improvements? How many disruptive changes do you expect me to make?”

“As many as I can think of. You must have seen a change in the people. They seem more alive now, after experiencing just a bit of compassion.”

“Your compassion, not mine. And the slaves know it.” The sentient robot flowed his pliable face into a now-familiar perplexed expression. “Your mind is such a mass of contradictions, it is amazing you manage to survive each day without undergoing a mental meltdown. Especially with that child.”

“The human mind is more resilient than you imagine, Erasmus.” Serena held the baby close. Each time the robot complained about how much disruption Manion caused, she feared he would take the infant away. She had seen the crowded, inhuman creches filled with wailing, low-caste youths. Although she had managed to improve the living conditions among these bestial slaves, she could not bear to have her own baby placed in their care.

Now Erasmus stood beside a gaudy swordfish statue, watching Serena play with the baby on a sunny afternoon. The two of them splashed in one of the villa’s shallow aquamarine pools on a high terrace that offered spectacular views of the frothing ocean. Serena heard the pounding of surf, and the honking of geese that approached overhead.

Naked in his mother’s arms, Manion splashed and squealed, patting his hands awkwardly on the water. The robot had suggested that Serena swim naked as well, but she insisted on wearing a simple white swimming garment.

As always, Erasmus stared at her and the baby. She tried to ignore the robot’s scrutiny, as long as she had a peaceful hour to spend with Manion. Already, she could see how much her son would resemble Xavier. But would the boy ever have the freedom, the forceful personality, and the dedication to fight the thinking machines?

Where once she had thought in terms of large-scale League political and military matters, Serena Butler now concerned herself only with the safety of her child. Her worries were personal now, specific instead of grandiose. With renewed energy, she worked hard on her household duties in order to earn time with Manion, giving Erasmus no excuse to punish her.

The robot must realize that he now had a stronger hold over her than ever. He seemed to enjoy it when she verbally sparred with him, but she also grudgingly showed her appreciation for the minor freedoms Erasmus granted. Though she had never stopped hating her captor, Serena knew that he held her fate— and Manion’s— in a delicate balance.

When she looked at her son’s jutting chin and the determined set of his little mouth, she thought of Xavier and his stubborn devotion to duty. Why didn’t I just stay with him? Why did I have to save Giedi Prime? Couldn’t I have been an ordinary woman for once?

The honking geese grew louder as they flew directly over the villa, not caring whether humans or machines ruled the Earth. Whitish gray splatters of excrement struck the patio, one hitting the swordfish statue near the robot. Erasmus did not seem disturbed. It was all part of the natural order, as far as he was concerned.

In the shallow pool, Manion made a cooing giggle as he looked in the direction of the flying geese. Even at three months, he showed a curiosity about everything. Sometimes he tried to tug at the golden barrette in Serena’s hair with his pudgy fingers, or at the sparkling jewelry Erasmus liked her to wear; the robot seemed to be grooming her as a hostess for his villa, an ornate decoration in his household.

Erasmus stepped closer to the pool and looked down at the baby who splashed happily in the water while his mother held him. “I never comprehended how much distraction and chaos an infant could cause in an orderly and calm household. I find it most . . . unsettling.”

“Humans thrive on distraction and chaos,” she said, trying to sound upbeat, though she felt a chill. “It is how we learn to innovate, to be flexible, and to survive.” She climbed out of the pool with the baby and wrapped him in a soft white towel. “Think of all the times human ingenuity has thwarted Omnius’s schemes.”

“And yet, the thinking machines have conquered you.”

“Are we really conquered, Erasmus, in any real sense?” She raised her eyebrows, one of her mannerisms that he found maddeningly enigmatic. “Many planets remain free of thinking machines. If you are superior, then why do you struggle so hard to emulate us?”

The inquisitive robot did not understand the emotional bonding between mother and son. Despite her firm tone, he was most surprised to see the mellow changes in this woman who had previously been so fierce and independent. She seemed a different person after becoming a mother. She had never served him with half the attention she gave to that messy, noisy, useless infant.

While this investigation into human relationships had provided interesting data, Erasmus could not permit such a disturbance to his household in the future. The baby was disrupting his efficient daily life, and he wanted Serena’s undivided attention. Together, they had important work to do; caring for the infant had made her lose focus.

As Erasmus stared at little Manion, the robot’s thin flowmetal mask shifted to a ferocious scowl— which he quickly changed to a benign smile before Serena looked in his direction.

Soon, this phase of the experiment must end. He considered how best to accomplish that.