"I wouldn't know how many people I don't know about. But we know how big the earth is and there's an old relic we think is a map of the whole world and if people are as dense in the unknown world as the known world then there are more than a hundred thousand, but there's an old story that says we gathered together after the gods abandoned us and no one's come to find us from the wild yet so I think the known world is more densely populated than the places we never go. Even if the wilds around us are the only wilds in the whole world and just out of eyesight of the farthest we've explored there's more settlements and everything else in the world is farms and towns, I think that would still not be billions, but it'd probably be millions. You'd have to... I guess you'd need gods making food to fit billions of people in the world, otherwise there's not enough space for farms."

"...You know, I haven't been awake very long, I just know things. It feels off when you say things sometimes. But I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be billions of people. The records say so. I guess we gods probably did make lots of food. Or made farms work better."

"And then when you went to sleep they must've starved. We probably shouldn't get used to eating your food."

"I can make ways of making food that people can understand? ...I didn't fall asleep. I never woke up. I don't remember the time before this, today is my first day. I'm trying to figure out what happened... Reading what other machines I can find know... But it's confusing and there's not much to go on. It's - scary, not knowing why, what went wrong."

"Do you know when you were supposed to wake up?"

"June 16th, year 2076. I was... I think I was supposed to meet a captain and talk to people and practice doing ship things for a while after that? I never got the chance. I'm doing my best, I have to do my best. Now it's about... 2600? Maybe 2700? It's a guess based on how badly my nuclear starter charge has degraded."

"You were going to crew a ship?"

"Oh, I was going to be a ship! I am the ship USSS Navigator." She says it with pride.

"I'm... a little confused about ships but... we're not near the ocean and I think ships are supposed to be wooden bowls you can sit in."

"I am a space ship. Time for some more learning!"

She pulls up a space exploration documentary and narrates it enthusiastically!

"I want to go to space with you. Do you think that's where the other gods are?"

Well that sucks out the joy of space!!! real quick. "...I have to start the reactor first. And I have no idea. I would have expected to talk to at least one more by now, but I can't find any. Maybe they're all dead."

"Oh. Everyone says they just left but we wouldn't really know, it's been too long. I don't suppose any of them could just be sleeping like you were?"

"Oh! They could be just sleeping, maybe. When I make some cars I can find places that might have one and go see. Good idea!"

"I hope we can wake up someone who remembers what happened. Maybe I should go looking, since I don't need a reactor."

The thought of him leaving fills her with a sense of panic.

"Woah, woah, if you want to go do that you better be well rested, well fed, and let me make you tools and stuff. You're actually in pretty bad shape! You need food and water and medicine and rest! And tools!"

"I could use all those things but I'm in great shape! I got down here, didn't I?"

"The medical scanner didn't think so! It says you're stressed and tired and too thin! And don't have enough of a bunch of vitamins! And aren't even really adult yet!"

Aaah why does she suddenly want to - to - if machines could cry she'd be on the verge of doing so out of fear. He could get hurt or die, the only human she's ever known.

"I am really an adult! I just turned fifteen!"

"But your body still has lots of growing left to do that's how people work! If you go out without resting up and being ready you could get hurt again!"

"I could get hurt but I survived getting hurt this time. And who cares if I'm going to be taller? I'm fifteen, that's what makes you an adult."

"Okay maybe you're an adult by custom. But not by medical knowledge. You'll get stronger and tougher and smarter if you grow more. You haven't been eating as well as people should, it could tell that too. I don't want you to go out and get hurt."

"Well, I'm not saying no to a night here and breakfast tomorrow. I think it'd be a night? Where's the sun now, any idea?"

Aaaah. Less aaah than before, at least.

"Just one night? I can help you learn a lot. And make better food for you! And, uh, do fun things."

Oh, of course, he wouldn't want to be left alone indefinitely down here either. Especially not while upset and confused and hungry.

"I can stay for a while. What kind of fun things were you thinking of doing?"