"Just great" James sighs. "So how do we get the nanobots? Ebay?"
Alex laughs. "Ebay wouldn't surprise me, but I think sci.nanotech would be a good start. I know a few people on there who actually run nanotech labs."
"Can you trust them, though?" Jeanette asks. "I don't need to remind you..."
"Yeah, yeah. These people are actually legitimate, though. Not just showoffs or crazy, mad scientists."
"I hope so," you say.
"Well, it won't be too long before we're back online here," Alex says. She clicks the button to begin reinstalling the OS from the manufacturer's restore discs. "Hopefully the main nanobot replicator isn't severely damaged. And the programmer - I know the programming machine has some backup firmware on the DVD, and that machine isn't as sensitive."
"Well, we'll take anything that works." You look at the computer again. "2 percent? Can't it go faster?"
Just as you finish saying that, Lily walks up. "Mommy, I'm sorry."
"For what, honey? Don't worry, you can tell me."
"I was playing with my toys, and I broke one."
"Your - what toys?"
You watch as she walks around one of the machines and brings back several small pieces of equipment. There's a PDA, the empty tranq gun, Dr. Anderson's old watch, and... You let out a gasp when you see the last item. The others hear it and turn to look.
Lily hangs her head. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"That's okay, honey," you say, trying desperately to keep your voice steady. Here, let me take that. Just remember to be careful. Now mommy's got to take care of some things, okay?"
"Okay, I'll play and I'll be real careful this time!"
As she runs away happily, you let what you had just said sink in. Mommy. Now that you think about it, it seemed so natural to say it when Lily was around. Were you really getting used to this?
Reality suddenly comes back to you with a crash. You turn around slowly to face the others. No words are necessary - everyone else already knows the implications of what you hold: a shiny DVD broken into several jagged pieces.