Chapter 6 · Continued
The Return
“…Except—”
Jane lost the battle and began to laugh.
“Why do your eyebrows keep moving up and down like that?”
Cam raised one hand toward his forehead. His fingers touched only the smooth plate beneath the projection.
“Do I have eyebrows?”
Jane smirked. “Oh yeah. You do.”
She tried to contain herself.
“Very… expressive ones.”
That did it.
Jane burst out laughing.
Cam tilted his head.
Blink.
Blink.
Blink.
“I am… weird?” he asked.
Jane wiped a tear from one eye. “Oh yeah. You’re weird.”
She stepped closer and squinted at his face. “Very advanced, slightly broken weird.”
Cam blinked again.
“I am… broken?”
Jane waved one hand. “No, no—not broken. It’s just…”
She circled one finger near his face.
“Your projection is trying too hard. It’s like you watched a bunch of humans and decided, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this.’”
Jane tilted her head and studied him. “Relax your eyebrows. You look constantly surprised.”
Cam paused.
The projected eyebrows froze, then slowly settled into a more natural position.
Jane blinked. “Well… okay. That actually helped.”
Cam tilted his head. “I am adjusting to your preference.”
Jane smirked. “Good, because if you keep doing that, the neighbors are definitely going to call someone.”
Cam looked at her.
His next blink was slower.
“…Neighbors,” he repeated.
Jane raised an eyebrow. “Yes. You remember those, right?”
His pause lasted a fraction longer than it should have.
“…Yes.”
Jane watched him for a moment, then shrugged. “All right. We’ll work on it.”
An idea occurred to her.
She took out her phone. “I want to show you something. Did you send me this?”
Jane turned the screen toward him.
The plant list.
Cam leaned slightly closer.
The projected face examined the screen.
Then it disappeared.
The blue plate went blank.
No eyes.
No mouth.
Only smooth light.
Cam froze.
Completely still.
Jane blinked. “…Cam?”
No response.
“Cam?”
She moved closer and touched his arm.
Nothing.
Jane tried to lift his hand, but the arm hung heavily without resistance or reaction.
Her frown deepened. “Okay… that’s not good.”
She tapped his arm. “Did I just break you?”
Jane glanced toward the activation panel. “Do I turn you off and back on again?”
Before she could move, Cam snapped online.
The projected face returned instantly.
“Hello, Jane,” he said. “How are you today?”
Jane blinked at him. “…Okay.”
That wasn’t normal.
Not even for Cam.
She looked at the plant list on her phone and then back at him.
A slow smile appeared.