And the creature Smith had gone silent. She scanned for the electron current, but found none. The surge must have caused a safety cutoff within the pu...ping station. She moved about her chamber, changing the configuration of her sphere.Direct contact is not forbidden. Direct contact is discouraged. Use your tools. Remain hidden, distant. You are the only thing that cannot be replaced. Those words the makers had bestowed upon her during training before she pierced the veil of space. What she was. Thereare 10 in the school already, they are looked after. Any teasing ispunished severely. Besides who's going to look after us when we get old?" OK! Let's let the boys draw bloody straws then, I'm not choosing. ,"with that he walked out of the room."Fine," mum said, then went to the kitchen to cut a straw into lengths."Boys, come here."The three brothers walked into the kitchen. John is the oldest 12, Andrewis 11 and Paul is 9."Right you three pick a staw from my hand." Why mum," said. Then, she spins to face the camera walking backward, maybe ten feet away. Both hands demurely holding the large Michael Kors handbag I bought her last Christmas.Julie’s voice speaks out, “Say hi to Dennis!”“Hi, babe,” Linda says looking directly into the lens. “Look who met me for drinks.” She stops, hands falling by her side. Her hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her face is fiercely made up, smoky eyes and dark red lipstick. Fuck, she looks gorgeous.The camera keeps moving toward her. So I start playing with my phone because at this point it’s getting weird. Super uncomfortable!Finally, she says “I want to apologise for staring at you, but you look just like my son who passed away”. I thought to myself ‘Oh it makes sense now’. I felt kind of bad for thinking she was a weirdo and said “Sorry for your loss”. She says “Thank you ... but I have a favour to ask. I know it’s weird and I’ll understand if you don’t want to, but can you give me a hug and say ‘Bye Mama’?”Inside I was.