Karen didn't answer, her eyes were like fire, and her hands were clenched into fists. There was a threat in the air, and no one knew what would happen next. Delia Asia Vieira hadn't had time to catch her breath after the heated argument between Noah and Karen York, when suddenly a terrible, deafening sound of breaking glass was heard from the window of the nursery on the second floor. Everyone froze in place, and even Karen, who was just about to sink her claws into someone present, suddenly froze like a statue. They all turned towards the house, not understanding what was happening.
And then Jo Thueson flew out of the window, her face twisted in terror, her eyes wide open. She rushed towards the window in panic, but at some point, it was as if something was pulling her down, and she collapsed, curled up in midair. Delia Asia Vieira didn't even have time to realize what had happened before Jo Thueson landed with a thud on the small, colorful carousel that stood on the property. The moment she fell, the world seemed to freeze, and silence swallowed up all sound.
Karen's legs gave way and she grabbed the threshold, but she couldn't keep herself up. She fell to the ground, panicked and absolutely terrified, her face pale, her eyes bloodshot, as if the very life had gone out of her.
Noah jumped up in horror and immediately ran to Jo, who lay motionless, her head badly mangled. He began shaking her shoulders, as if trying to bring her back to life. His screams echoed in the air.
"Jo! No, darling, NO!" he cried, his voice breaking, full of despair and pain.
He shook her harder, hoping that her eyes would open, that she would respond in some way. But Jo did not respond, her body remained cold and motionless, and a thin stream of blood flowed from the wound on her forehead, slowly spreading across her face.
Delia Asia Vieira stood nearby, watching this, feeling her heart literally squeeze inside her. It was as if her internal processor had slowed down, every frame of what was happening before her eyes was cut out of the real world.
But unlike Noah, who was losing his head, Delia Asia Vieira was not losing her mind. As a robot, she could not afford to give in to emotions, especially in moments like these. She took a step back, mentally scanning the situation, and realized that she had to act quickly.
Her movements were quick and precise. She ran into the house without distraction, knowing that every second mattered. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the empty house until she reached the telephone. Delia Asia Vieira grabbed the receiver, quickly dialed the ambulance number, her voice louder to convey the gravity of the situation.
"Ambulance! This is an emergency! Head injuries, possible neck injury, unconsciousness! Send help immediately to..." she said clearly, without missing a beat.
In response, she was immediately promised that a team would be sent, and Delia Asia Vieira hurried to end the call to return to the scene of the incident.
Back outside, she noticed that Noah was still standing next to Jo. He seemed oblivious to everything around him, his hands shaking Jo, his face twisted in a painful grimace. He was confused and hopeless, not knowing how to go on living.
Delia Asia Vieira, leaving him in his emotions, went to Karen. The woman was still lying on the grass, her body shaking with involuntary sobs, but it seemed she could no longer even stand up. Everything around was complete chaos.
"Karen, you need to get yourself together," Delia Asia Vieira said in a cold but calm voice. "The ambulance is on its way. Please try not to panic. We will do everything to help Jo."
Karen didn't answer. She just took a deep breath, her face still terribly pale, like someone whose soul was lost somewhere inside.
Time dragged on, but Delia Asia Vieira couldn't afford to worry. Instead, she surveyed the area, assessing potential risks and preparing for her next task. Jo's life was now in the hands of the medics, and her role was clear - she had to be ready for anything to help and support those around her.
Soon, the siren and flashing lights of an ambulance rolled into the yard. Two nurses and a doctor ran out, ordering everyone to quickly approach the body. Noah, who was still sobbing, holding Jo Thueson's cold, lifeless hands in his own, was torn from the body by the nurses with their combined efforts. His cries of "No!" echoed across the empty yard, his face was covered in tears, and his voice broke into echoes of despair.
The medics quickly loaded Jo's body onto a stretcher and, ignoring his protests, carefully and professionally carried her to the car. Immediately, the car's siren wailed and disappeared into the distance, taking with it the last trace of the tragedy.
Karen York, who had been lying on the ground a moment before, now rose to her feet, somewhat unsteadily. She turned toward the house, her face looking completely devoid of emotion, as if the life in her had drained away like water through a sieve. Delia Asia Vieira walked silently toward her, holding her shoulder. She knew that now was not the time for words.
"Come on, Karen," said the robotess, gently leading her toward the house.
There was no fear in her voice, but there was something inevitably calm and confident.
Karen did not answer, but followed Delia Asia Vieira into the house with restraint. Broken and devastated, she allowed herself to be led into the living room, where she was seated at the table. Delia Asia Vieira went to the shelf where the decanter with the inscription "Vin de Table" stood, and poured wine from it, handing Karen a glass. It was the only thing left in the house - a quiet scene, filled with melancholy, like the atmosphere that reigned in this place.
Karen silently accepted the glass and drained it, not looking at Delia Asia Vieira, with an empty gaze directed at the window. The birds were chirping happily, and a dog was playing outside the window, the world continued to exist, but for Karen, it seemed that everything had already ended.
When she put down her empty glass, Delia Asia Vieira did not keep her waiting long and said quietly but clearly:
"Jo's Dead. She jumped out of a window. We saw it, Karen. We all witnessed her fall."
Karen didn't answer. She continued to look out the window, as if she hadn't heard Delia Asia Vieira's words. Her gaze was detached, empty, and this struck robotess.
"Karen, I know it's hard to process right now," Delia Asia Vieira said, a hint of regret in her voice. "But we have to understand what happened. Jo jumped on her own, and it was her own death. We all have to understand what happens next."
But Karen didn't respond. Her hands were folded in her lap, and her lips were twitching slightly from barely suppressed sobs. Her fingers touched the edge of the table, but that was all. That was all she could do. The world seemed to disappear for her outside this house.
Noah, meanwhile, slowly walked along the path behind the ambulance that had disappeared into the distance, constantly whispering "No!" - he could not believe what was happening. He was lost, deprived of any hope, everything seemed to him like a nightmare from which it was impossible to wake up.
Delia Asia Vieira looked at Karen and sighed again. It was all scary, but for her, like a machine, only one thing was important - that now, after everything that had happened, she needed to act, leaving emotions and fears behind.
She stood up from the table, deciding that she should do everything she could to help Karen at this moment.
"Karen, you need to get over this," she said firmly but respectfully. "We can't let this destroy you. You need to be strong."
Karen slowly turned her head and looked at her as if she was seeing her for the first time.
"Do you think I can be strong?" she asked quietly, her voice a whisper, full of weariness. "An innocent woman died in my house. There's nothing I can do."
Delia Asia Vieira didn't answer right away. She couldn't lie to her. But she also knew she had to support this woman who was alone in the ruins.
"You are not alone, Karen. We are all here, and we will help you. You are not alone in your grief."
But Karen didn't answer again. She just looked at the window where the sun was shining, and something in her eyes froze - as if the light could no longer warm her, but when Delia York entered the living room, the atmosphere that seemed frozen with grief and despair suddenly changed. Delia entered with a slight smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled somehow childishly, as if something good was about to happen.
"It's okay!" she said happily, completely oblivious to the heavy silence that hung in the room. "Mom, I want to play with you!"
Karen, still lost in her own thoughts, seemed not to notice her daughter's presence. She sat motionless, like a figure frozen by her emotions, and her gaze was fixed on the half-empty glass of wine on the table. However, upon hearing her daughter's voice, she seemed to come to her senses, rose from her seat, and without saying a word, slowly walked towards the nursery.
Delia Asia Vieira remained sitting in the living room, staring motionlessly at the decanter of wine. There was no pain or emotion in her eyes, like Karen's, only emptiness, like all robots who cannot understand human emotions. She could not drink, she could not care. Her world remained as indifferent to this moment as it always was. She did not understand why Karen had taken so long to grieve Jo Thueson's death, why she had reacted so strongly to what was happening. But Delia Asia Vieira knew that her role here was to be there, to be a helper, not an observer.
The minutes dragged on. Delia York continued to chat with her mother in the nursery, playing with her toys as if nothing had happened. Time seemed to have lost its power in this house. Everything was as before, despite the tragedy that had just happened.
At one point, Karen returned to the living room and immediately noticed her husband, Gene York, walking into the room from the doorway. He was dressed completely inappropriately - instead of a formal suit, he was wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt with a floral print, short shorts and sandals. This was absolutely not what Karen expected, especially after such a dramatic incident with Jo Thueson. She involuntarily stopped, looking at Gene, trying to understand what was happening.
But Gene seemed to be in a good mood and didn't pay any attention to his strange attire. He stepped towards her with a big smile and wasted no time in embracing his wife.
"Karen, I have great news for you!" he said, beaming with happiness.
Karen, although a little puzzled by his appearance, immediately understood that he had something important to share. In response, she only shook her head and quietly said:
"Gene, why are you wearing these ridiculous clothes again? Is it a holiday or have you gone crazy?"
Gene brushed off her words, seemingly not even noticing her reproaches.
"Oh, Karen, what are you talking about? It's just Hawaiian style. It brings good luck," he said, looking around as if he wanted to make sure his clothes looked stylish and not ridiculous. "Now listen to what I'm telling you!"
He sat down next to her and, without waiting for her reaction, continued as if the words were crawling out of his mouth.
"You won't believe how well I handled that Pan Am vs. Air Wisconsin case. We won, Karen! I got a huge settlement for our firm - $3 million! Can you imagine?! And that's not all! Now the papers are writing that I'm the new Steve McManachan! Can you imagine, everyone is starting to respect me, and you didn't even notice that I came home from work like a Hawaiian Joe..."
Karen didn't seem to be listening to him at all. She sat with her arms folded across her chest, looking at her husband skeptically. Gene happily continued his stories about the case and his victories on the legal front, and she listened silently, not taking his words seriously. The same thing was still spinning around in her head - the events with Jo Thueson, the incomprehensible worries and emotions that she was trying to digest.
"Gene," she said, finally interrupting him, "have you completely lost your mind? Why are you wearing shorts? We've had a tragedy at home, and you look like you've just come back from vacation!"
Gene looked at her as if she didn't understand the full significance of what was happening and continued, ignoring her indignation.
"Wait a minute, Karen, you don't get it! Now everyone will pay me such fees that we will be able to go on vacation! You and I have always dreamed of warm countries, haven't we?"
Karen sighed, stood up and walked to the window, staring out into the void. The house was silent, but her thoughts were far away - all she could think about was the tragedy with Jo and the dark forebodings she couldn't shake.
"Gene, I told you... Can you just think for a minute about what's going on in our lives? This isn't just a court victory, this isn't just money! We're worried about our lives, and you're laughing in these shorts!" Karen finally couldn't take it anymore and returned to the conversation. "I can't take these jokes of yours right now!"
Gene paused for a moment. He realized that Karen was in no mood at all and decided that it would be better not to continue the conversation. He looked at her with sadness in his eyes.
"Okay, Karen, you're right. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I just didn't want you to worry." Gene sighed heavily and began silently looking at his Hawaiian shorts, as if they were to blame for his inability to support his wife at that moment.
Karen, who had not yet forgiven him for everything that had happened, looked at her husband with regret once again. But she knew that there were things in this life that were much more important than money or strange outfits.
Delia Asia Vieira stood in the corner of the living room, silently watching the family scene unfold before her eyes. She knew her place: a governess, a virtually unnoticeable figure in this house, whose duty it was to remain out of conversation and not attract attention. However, despite this, she could not help but feel the growing tension between Gene and Karen York. His joyful stories of victories in court, her silent and cold attitude - all this created an atmosphere in which Delia Asia Vieira felt increasingly alien.
Karen, still dissatisfied with her husband's attire, listened to him with an expression that could be called fatigue rather than interest. Gene, despite her coldness, continued to insist on his own.
"Karen, you just don't understand how important this victory is for me, for us, for our future! Now we can go on vacation, anywhere. Why don't we go to a resort, you've always dreamed of warmth?" Gene spoke with such enthusiasm that even his ridiculous outfit of a Hawaiian shirt and shorts seemed appropriate to him at this moment.
Karen only nodded, but her gaze was still lost somewhere in the distance, and her face remained sad. She did not answer. Gene noticed this silence and turned his attention to Delia Asia Vieira, who stood to the side, listening to their conversation, but did not interfere.
"And you, Delia Asia Vieira," Gene suddenly said, "don't you want to go to the resort with us? You deserve a rest, too. Maybe you need to relax a little, huh? We can all go together, if you don't mind."
Delia Asia Vieira didn't even immediately realize that Gene was talking to her. She hadn't expected such a proposal, much less knew how to respond to it. She was just a robot whose job it was to look after their daughter, not to go on adventures or go to resorts.
"Um... well... I don't know..." she mumbled, her voice as mechanical as ever. She felt her words getting lost in the air, leaving no trace. Not wanting to seem impolite, she added, "I... can, if you want... But it's not necessary."
When she didn't get an answer, Delia Asia Vieira pressed her lips together and, feeling uneasy, backed away. She didn't want to continue this conversation, which for her was nothing more than an empty formality. All she could think about was her place in this house and her role in the lives of these people.
As she walked towards the yard, her gaze fell on a little girl, Delia York, who was happily riding on a children's carousel. She was holding a rope that pulled a toy car, and her little dog was happily running around, barking and running to each turn of the carousel. At that moment, the world in the yard seemed so simple and carefree. Karen and Gene would have forgotten about her presence if she had not come here, but Delia Asia Vieira could not think of anything else except her mission to be with them, to watch, to keep an eye on their home and their daughter.
Watching the girl play, robotess couldn't help but wonder: maybe she didn't need to worry about being a part of their lives if her main job was to be there but not interfere. And at the same time, as she watched Delia York play, she suddenly felt her own existence become emptier and more alienated.
Delia Asia Vieira walked quietly to the small carousel and stood watching the game. She didn't know what to do next, but maybe it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was there, that she was watching everything, and maybe that was her destiny.
Delia York noticed her presence and suddenly turned around curiously:
"Do you want to play with me, forty-two-year-old namesake? I can show you how to skate," she said with hidden mockery.
Robotess just shook her head and smiled back, unable to refuse the girl.
"You play, I'll watch," and with these words Delia Asia Vieira stood up from the children's carousel, watching Delia York play as she merrily spun around on it.
The girl laughed, her eyes sparkling with joy, and her laughter was so infectious that even the cold, mechanical soul of a robot like Delia Asia Vieira couldn't help but feel something resembling a slight smile. But as always, she kept her distance, standing guard as she should.
Delia York spun faster and faster. Her small body flew around with such force that the carousel seemed almost alive, and the girl at some point turned into a blurry figure, elusive to the eye. There was some wild, almost insane delight in her laughter, and her eyes sparkled with joy. Delia Asia Vieira silently watched this performance, feeling how her internal systems analyzed and recorded every movement of the girl.
Then, as if she sensed the robotess's gaze, Delia York suddenly stopped. The carousel slowed, and the girl sat up, as if in slow motion, sitting up straight in her seat and looking at Delia Asia Vieira. Her face was distorted by a strange, enigmatic smile. It seemed as if she wanted to say something, but was in no hurry.
At that moment, like lightning, a sense of something sinister appeared in Delia Asia Vieira's eyes. Something that did not fit into the world she knew. As a robot, she could not feel human emotions, but was programmed to perceive threats. And at that moment, she felt it. Fear.
Delia Asia Vieira froze for a moment, her mechanical eyes widening and her metal fingers tightening slightly, as if they were about to push off the ground. She suddenly felt her security system activate at maximum, as if something was threatening her safety.
Delia York, seeing her reaction, continued to look with the same strange smile, not showing the slightest concern. But for Delia Asia Vieira, it was like a signal. Fear squeezed inside her, and she silently turned her back to the girl, unable to look into those eyes any longer. The mechanism of her mind tried to ignore the laughter that continued to sound in her ears, and she decided that it was best to stay away.
She continued walking away, ignoring the child's loud laughter. Anxiety was creeping into her mind that she couldn't quite explain, but she knew she had to be careful. It didn't feel safe to stay around this girl anymore.
But despite her attempts to hide from this feeling, the inner voice in her system kept repeating one thing: this girl is not as simple as she seems.