“If the robots can communicate, they made a firm choice not to.” Cana approaches the new arrival on the beach. She had half hoped for someone she recognized, but she knew the chances were slim. The man dripping from wings to toe reminded her of herself when she got here, ready to make some hunks of metal into scrap.

“They’re infuriating, but getting angry at them doesn’t help.” She took the towel from one of the little pests and shooed it away. “Get lost.” She handed the towel to him. “They only seem to be able to say exactly what they were programmed to.”

She looked at him with an empathetic sadness. “I’ll help you look for whoever you’re looking for, but I want to warn you it’s completely possible they only grabbed you.” She’d had a hard time getting straight answers when she landed here, and she refused to be anything less than helpful to anyone else.