Escape Pod The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine . Each week Escape Pod delivers science fiction short stories from today 's best authors . Listen today , and hear the new sound of science fiction ! All of my stories and novels have a hint of the strange . Some have been called science fiction , some fantasy , and some neither one . Most of my work falls between categories . I think that the most interesting events happen at the edges , in the borderlands where the lines are fuzzy . I 'm an Special Education English teacher in Texas who also works with various audio production companies . I have worked with at least 6 different companies in the past , but I am head of production at Darker Projects and an actor in DP 's Quantum Retribution , Gypsy Audio 's Tamlynn PI , and Giant Gnome Productions ' Star Trek : Outpost . I 'm a parent of three and after this year empty nest will set in ( I think ) . I am currently working with Jerry Robbins at Colonial Radio Productions - at present producing Powder River , season 8 . I thoroughly enjoy what I do and I 'm glad that I can share it with everyone who is interested in any type of audio production ! He should not be here . It was my island . I had just returned to my mechano and it was time for me to go to work . He should not be here . I studied the man through the eyes of my mechano . They were good eyes . They worked very well beneath the water , at depths down to fifteen hundred meters . I had adjusted them for maximum acuity at distances ranging from two inches to five feet . Beyond that , the world was a blur of tropical sunshine and brilliant color . I liked it that way . The man didn 't look good . He had a bloody scrape on his cheek , other scrapes on his arms and legs , a smear of blood in his short brown hair . His right leg was marked with bruises colored deep purple and green . He wore an orange life vest , a t - shirt , a pair of shorts , and canvas boat shoes . Evan Collins could feel the tropical sun beating down on his face , the warm beach sand beneath his hands . His head ached and his mouth was dry . His right leg throbbed with a dull , persistent pain . Wiping away the tears that blurred his vision , he lifted his head and blinked down at his leg . His calf was marked with bloody coral scrapes . Beneath the scrapes were vivid bruises : dark purple telling of injuries beneath the surface of the skin . When he tried to move his leg again , he gasped as the stabbing pain returned . He heard the sound again : a mechanical rasping like a radio tuned to static . He turned in the direction of the sound , head aching , eyes dazzled by the sun . A gigantic cockroach was examining him with multifaceted eyes . He looked past the monster , struggling to make sense of his situation . The beach sand was the pure white of pulverized coral . On one side of the beach was a tangle of mangroves . On the inland side , palm trees rose from scrubby undergrowth . The water of the lagoon was pure tropical blue - paler where the coral reef was near the water 's surface ; darker where the water was deep . Some hundred yards offshore , he could see the mast of a boat sticking up out of the water . His boat . He remembered : he had been heading west toward the Cook Islands when the storm came up . He ran before the wind toward an island that was an unnamed speck on the nautical chart . He had made it over the reef into the lagoon before the surge smashed the boat against a coral head , cracking the hull , swamping the boat , sending him flying overboard to smash into the reef . He didn 't remember breaking his leg and struggling through the surf to the beach . A few minutes later , he heard the sound of the roach returning . He opened his eyes . The cockroach stood beside him , holding a coconut in its mandibles . As he watched , the roach squeezed , and the point of each mandible pierced the outer husk , neatly puncturing the nut in two places . He picked up the coconut , pressed his lips to the hole in the shaggy husk , and tipped it back . The coconut milk was warm and sweet and wet . He drank greedily . He closed his eyes against the glare of the sun . Many years before , as an undergraduate , he had taken a psychology course on the psychosocial aspects of emergencies and disasters . A guest speaker , a member of a search - and - rescue team , had talked about how people had managed to stay alive in terrible situations - and had described the mental attitude that helped those people survive . The search - and - rescue expert had said that survivors just kept on trying , doing whatever they could . " Step by step , " he had said . " That 's the approach to take . Don 't try to find the answer to everything at once . Remember , life by the yard is hard , but by the inch , it 's a cinch . " Evan thought about what he could do right away to help increase his chances of survival . " I need to get out of the sun , " he muttered . " I need food , water , medical supplies . " There were so many things he needed to do . He had to find something that he could use to splint his leg . He had to figure out a way to signal for help . He needed to find water . So many things he had to do . It was restful under the ocean . The light that filtered down from above was dim and blue . The world around me was all shades of blue - dark and light . I liked it on the ocean floor . He had said he had to get out of the sun . So I had gathered palm fronds from the beach and stuck them in the sand where they would shade him . He had said he needed food and water and medical supplies . So I went to his sailboat and found some cans of food and a can opener and bottles of water and a first - aid kit . I carried all that stuff up from the sunken boat and left it on the beach beside him . I lifted my legs high as I walked , moving slowly to avoid stirring up the loose silt that covered the ocean bottom . My temperature sensors tested the currents - warm where they welled up from volcanic cracks below . My chemical sensors tested the water ; it tasted of sulfides , a familiar musty flavor . I picked my way through the silt to reach my favorite spot . There was no silt here : a rocky portion of the ocean bottom had pushed up . There was a great tall chimney , where a hydrothermal vent brought up hot water from deep in the earth . Over the centuries , the hot water had deposited sulfides of copper , zinc , lead , gold , silver , and other metals , forming the chimney . The mining company had mined for gold not far from here . They had followed a rich vein of ore until it gave out . Then they gave up . I had sniffed around their tailings , but then I had found a spot near the chimney that was much more promising . I had spent my last few visits to this spot gnawing on the chimney and breaking loose big chunks of rock . Now I could do what I liked best - sort through those rocks . I tasted each one with my chemical sensors to find the rocks that were richest in gold and silver . Those I stacked up in a neat pile . It was wonderful work . I liked to sort things . I was very good at it . At home , I liked to sort all my books by color : putting the red ones on one shelf , the blue ones on another , the black ones on another . I worked until the light began growing dimmer , a sign that the sun was sinking low in the sky . I choose the best of the rocks and picked it up in the mechano 's mandibles . Then I headed back to the island . I made my way up a long slope to reach the shallow waters where the coral reef grew . There , the bottom was sandy and I could walk quickly without stirring up silt . Schools of brightly colored fish swam above me . The fish darted here and there , fleeing from me . They moved too quickly , I thought . I liked it better in the deep blue waters . I passed the man 's sailboat , wedged between two coral heads . I placed the rock beside one of the burrows . On my first day on the island , I had noticed that the crabs all seemed to want the burrow that one crab had dug beside a rock . So I started bringing rocks for the other crabs . There were now rocks beside thirty - two crab burrows . I had been on the island for thirty - two days and I had brought the crabs one rock each day . I was very helpful . I thought it was appropriate to bring rocks for the crabs . If the man hadn 't been on the island , I would have stayed and watched until the crabs came out again . I liked to watch the crabs . But I wanted to find out what the man was doing , so I didn 't wait for the crabs . I headed up the beach to where I had left the man . He was no longer in his spot on the sand . I could see a track in the sand where he dragged his leg . I followed the track and trudged through the sand . The man was asleep in the shade of a palm tree . He was using his life jacket as a pillow . He had wrapped the water bottles and the cans of food and the first - aid kit in his t - shirt and dragged them along with him . When Evan Collins woke up , he found four plastic bottles of water , six cans of tuna fish , a can opener , and the first - aid kit from his boat on the sand beside him . He had splinted his leg with the velcro splint from the first aid kit . He had eaten a can of tuna fish and drunk a one - quart bottle of water . Then he had dragged himself into the shade and taken two of the painkillers , which helped with the pain but left him groggy and disoriented . Evan drank from one of the bottles of water and blinked at the creature . It was a machine , he realized now . Its carapace was burnished steel . He could see the neat mechanical joints of its legs . On its burnished steel carapace , he could see the stenciled words : " Atlantis Mining and Salvage . " Of course : It made sense now . It was a robot designed for work underwater . A human being was operating the mechanical roach by remote control . He 'd seen descriptions of such systems at the engineering department 's annual open house . The roach didn 't say anything . Evan pictured the man operating the mechano : a gruff , no - nonsense , working - class guy , like the kind of guy who works on oilrigs . Matter of fact . Evan studied the roach , wishing he could see the face of the man behind the mechanism . This man was his only link to the outside world . He still hadn 't said anything about Atlantis Mining and their reaction to Evan 's predicament . " What did your supervisor say when you told him I was here ? " Evan asked . " Okay , " Evan said slowly . He felt dizzy and a little feverish , and the conversation wasn 't helping . " But you did tell someone that I 'm here , didn 't you ? " " No , " said the roach . Then , after a pause . " I 'm going to talk to Dr . Rhodes . Do you want me to tell him ? " The flat , mechanical voice provided no clue about the feelings of the person behind it . " Yes . " Evan struggled not to raise his voice . " When will you talk with him ? " " That 's good , " Evan said . " Will you tell him that my leg is broken and that I need medical help ? " He looked at the bottles of water and cans of food . One and a half bottles of water and five cans of tuna remained . They wouldn 't last long . Evan stared at the expressionless metal face , the multifaceted eyes . Evan Collins was an anthropologist on sabbatical , studying ritual welcoming orations of Oceania and determining how they varied among the various island groups - a fine excuse to spend a year sailing across the South Pacific . As an anthropologist , he prided himself on his ability to read people . But there was no way to read this person . Another coconut ? No , what he needed was a rescue party . To get this person to provide that , he needed more information . " You know , " he said slowly , " I never introduced myself . My name is Evan . Evan Collins . What 's your name ? " Again , Evan Collins revised his assessment of the person behind the roach . A new employee , a woman - someone in a position of powerlessness . " So tell me , " Evan said . " Who is Dr . Rhodes ? " " Then I won 't ask questions , " Evan said quickly . Annie was his only contact with the world . He didn 't want to drive her away . " You can ask me questions if you want . " My mother used to tell me bedtime stories . Whenever my mother bothered me with too many questions or requests , I 'd ask her to tell me a story . I collect stories , just like I collect rocks . Once upon a time … Yes , that was how fairy tales began . Once upon a time , Cinderella 's mother died and her father married again . Cinderella had a wicked stepmother and two stepsisters . In my mind , I pictured a chart that showed me all the people in the story as the man mentioned them . The father and mother and Cinderella formed a triangle , all connected by solid lines . The stepmother and her two daughters formed another triangle . The stepmother was connected to the father by a solid line . Mental pictures like this helped me sort out relationships that otherwise didn 't make sense . I thought about Cinderella on her cot in the kitchen , and I wasn 't so sure he was right . During the day , the house would be noisy and confusing with all those people talking and laughing . At night , it would be dark and lonely in the kitchen - very nice . If being called Cinderella was the price of being left alone , it seemed like a small one . Then the prince decided to have a party and invite all noblewomen of the kingdom . The people in fairy tales were always having parties . The people in fairy tales were neurotypical , that was for sure . NTs were so social - always getting together and talking . NTs seemed to spend most of their time worrying about and establishing their social hierarchy . I didn 't care who was boss , and I didn 't want to play those games . So I sat by myself and looked at the rocks that made up the wall at the edge of the playground . It was an old wall filled with interesting rocks of many different colors . Some had flecks of mica in them . I had started a rock collection , and I liked thinking about how the rocks in the wall would fit in my collection . I didn 't see why she couldn 't go to the party because of her clothes . It was one of those NT rules that didn 't make any sense . NTs wanted everyone to look and act the same . In school , the teacher kept trying to make me go play with the others , even when I explained that I wanted to examine the rocks . She wanted me to act like the rest of the kids and play their games . NTs thought that everyone should act the same way , everyone should fit in . I was relieved when a doctor finally figured out that I was not neurotypical . All the doctors put their own names on my condition . High - functioning autism , one doctor called it . Asperger 's syndrome , said another . Another one said I was PDD , which stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorders . The first doctor said that wasn 't really a diagnosis , it was just a label . Whatever the doctors called it , they agreed I was not normal ; I was not NT . They explained to my mother and father that my brain was different from the brains of most people . My behavior was not the result of a mental condition . It was a neurological difference . NTs thought paying close attention to rocks was perseverative . But paying close attention to other people all the time , the way they did , was just fine . That didn 't make sense to me . I didn 't see what was wrong with paying attention to rocks . But I was glad that the doctors recognized what I had known for a long time . I was different . My mother cried when the doctors told her about all this . I don 't know why . So Cinderella 's stepmother and stepsisters went to the party , leaving her at home . Then Cinderella 's fairy godmother showed up . I put her on my mental chart with a line that connected her to Cinderella . The fairy godmother was definitely NT . She waved a magic wand , and Cinderella was dressed in a golden gown with glass slippers . The fairy godmother wanted to make sure Cinderella fit in - and at the same time that she was better than everyone else . The fairy godmother was concerned about Cinderella 's position in the social hierarchy , and that 's very NT . The fairy godmother told Cinderella that she had to leave the party before midnight - a simple enough rule . So much more direct than most of the rules that NTs followed . It was good that the fairy godmother told Cinderella the rule . NTs usually didn 't talk about the rules they all followed . They just did certain things and then told me I was wrong when I did something else . So Cinderella went to the party , then ran away at midnight and lost one of her glass slippers . Then the prince found Cinderella and put the glass slipper on her foot and said he would marry her . And the man said that Cinderella was happy . I remembered my mother had said the same thing when she told me the story of Cinderella . But I thought about the quiet kitchen , about Cinderella 's cot where she could be alone , and I didn 't think Evan Collins was right about that . Those were NT answers . She was happy because of a relationship with another person and a new position in a hierarchy . If Cinderella were NT , she would be happy . But I didn 't think she was NT . And if she weren 't NT , she wouldn 't be happy there . The prince would want her to go to parties and wear fancy clothes . She would rather stay in the quiet kitchen . That was what I thought . I hurried away , crossing the sand to the recharging hut , a low - lying metal structure just large enough to shelter the mechano . Solar cells on the roof of the hut converted sunlight to electrical energy , which is stored in batteries inside the hut . Each night , I returned to my meat body and let the mechano recharge . I did not like my meat body . When I was in the mechano , I could filter my sensory inputs . When the light was too bright , I could decrease the sensitivity of my visual receptors and decrease its intensity . When a sound was too loud , I could temporarily disable the audio receptors . My meat body was so much more limited . As I let my consciousness return to the meat , I heard the steady hum of the pump that circulated the fluid in my tank . Dr . Rhodes told me that it was the quietest pump on the market , but it sounded so loud , so very loud I could feel its vibrations in my bones . I floated in a tiny sea . The water that supported my body was saturated with magnesium sulfate - it was five times denser than seawater , and its temperature was exactly the same as my body . An intravenous drip provided my body with the nutrition it needed ; a catheter drained away the urine . I thought about the man on the beach . I remembered that Evan Collins wanted me to tell Dr . Rhodes that he was on the beach . I sometimes had problems remembering things . Dr . Rhodes said I had a poor short - term working memory . But I remembered that I should tell Dr . Rhodes about Evan Collins and his broken leg . I moved my hand to push the button that summoned an attendant . The water swirled against my skin , an unwelcome sensation . I heard a rattle and clank as the hatch in the side of the tank opened , letting in the light . I blinked against the glare as the attendant removed the electrodes from my head . The attendant was a round - faced woman with dark hair . She talked to me as she removed the electrodes . " Do you remember me , Annie ? My name is Kiri , " she said . She smiled at me , and I nodded , but I didn 't smile back . Already I was feeling overwhelmed . I didn 't say anything as she helped me out of the tank and gave me a towel and a robe . I knew that she wanted me to wrap my meat body in the robe , but I did so reluctantly . The touch of the cloth against my skin was irritating . The cement floor was cold against my bare feet . I came back to my meat body to talk to Dr . Rhodes , and it always felt strange . My body was heavy and awkward ; my hands were clumsy as I pulled on the robe . Kiri gave me a glass of water . I was always thirsty when I came out of the tank . In my meat body , I was a little girl - twelve years old and skinny . My mother was a librarian ; my father was a computer programmer . He called me " the Little Professor . " I was part of an experimental program that Dr . Rhodes called a " therapeutic intervention . " I could hear voices from the corridor : people laughing and talking , the sound of sneakered feet walking down the hall . People were going to the cafeteria , to the exercise room , to dorms where they would sleep in beds . The other people here worked for Atlantis Mining . They were not part of the experimental program . They were NT . In the different room , the fluorescent lights were humming overhead . I could see them flickering . My father once told me that fluorescent lights flickered sixty times every second because the electric current changed directions sixty times a second . He said most people didn 't notice it . He could see the flicker , but it didn 't really bother him . I heard the sound of the doorknob turning and I opened my eyes to see Dr . Rhodes . He was a tall man with brown hair , and he always wears a white lab coat . " Hello , Annie , " he said . " It 's good to see you . " " It 's good to see you , Dr . Rhodes , " I said . Dr . Rhodes had told me that it was appropriate to greet someone in the way that they greeted you . He smiled . I nodded . I began to rock , a comforting activity that absorbed some of the energy from the sound of the lights . My right hand gripped my left arm . I squeezed my arm in time with my rocking , and that helped , too . " Do you want me to turn off the lights , Annie ? " he asked . And suddenly the horrible buzzing sound was gone . The room was quiet except for the persistent whispering of the air conditioner . It sounded like tiny claws scratching against stone . " Open your eyes , Annie , " Dr . Rhodes said . I opened my eyes . The only light in the room was light from the hall , spilling in through the open door and the window . That light flickered too , but it was dimmer , so it wasn 't as bad . The whisper of the air - conditioner shifted , getting louder . More claws , skittering over stone . It sounded the way the terrycloth robe felt against my skin . Scratching , scratching , scratching . For a moment , I forgot about what I had to tell him , distracted by the robe against my skin , by the noise of the air - conditioner . But I knew it was important to remember . As I rocked , I sorted through the details that I could tell Dr . Rhodes . It was difficult to choose the right one - they all seemed so important , and the air - conditioner 's whispering made it hard to think . I pictured the man 's boat and the crack in its hull . I pictured the man on the beach , telling me about Cinderella . " Do you know the story of Cinderella ? " I asked Dr . Rhodes . I was looking at my hands , concentrating on what I had to say . " I wanted to tell you that on my island … " I raised my voice to be sure he 'd hear me over the noise . I did not look at him . I was concentrating on remembering . " You 're doing fine , Annie , " he said , his lips flapping . His own eyes did not remain steadily on mine - they kept moving , shifting , looking at me and then looking away and then looking down and then looking back at me . His eyebrows were moving too , and it was confusing to watch , but I knew that he wanted me to watch . So I did , even though I couldn 't think and watch at the same time . I wished I were in my mechano so that I could turn down my visual acuity . I tried to let my eyes go out of focus , but I kept seeing his eyes move . That was how it was when NTs talked with each other . They looked at each other and they looked away . If I looked too much , Dr . Rhodes would tell me I was staring . NTs didn 't stare , but they looked . It was all very complicated , like an intricate dance . Look up , look away , smile , blink , and it all meant something if you were NT . I didn 't understand that dance . I asked my mother what all that looking at each other and looking away meant exactly , and she couldn 't tell me . She couldn 't tell me how to perform the intricate eye dance that NTs did . But Dr . Rhodes wanted me to make eye contact . The overhead lights were a distraction . He had forgotten about that . Usually , he met with Annie in his office , where his assistant had replaced the overhead fluorescent lights with incandescent floor lamps to give the place a warmer feel . But a technician had been working on the air - conditioning in his office , so he had moved his meeting with Annie to one of Atlantis Mining 's regular conference rooms . The project was going very well , he thought . Over the next month , he would be evaluating how Annie 's time alone in the mechano affected her ability to interact in her own body . He was pleased that Eric Westerman , the president of Atlantis Mining , had allowed him this opportunity to evaluate the potential of the telepresence experience as a therapeutic tool . It was a pity that the storm had knocked out the cameras that ordinarily provided him with the opportunity to monitor Annie 's daily activity on the island . He had put in two requests for repair to the supervisor of operations responsible for equipment on Annie 's island and had received no word back . But the gap in the data was a minor matter . Tracking changes in Annie 's behavior during therapy sessions was much more significant . All in all , he felt that the day 's session had been quite successful . I was back in my mechano , happy to be there . I opened my eyes to the first light of the tropical dawn and left the charging hut . It wasn 't until I saw Evan Collins on the beach that I realized I had not told Dr . Rhodes about him . I had tried to tell Dr . Rhodes , but I had not succeeded . The man was sleeping , his head pillowed on his orange life jacket . He didn 't look good . The scrape on his cheek looked puffy and red . His skin was marked with red spots - bites of sand fleas . He had scratched some of them until they bled . He had wrapped his arms around himself , as if for warmth , but he was shivering a little in his sleep . The bottles of water that I had carried from the boat were all empty . They lay beside him in the sand . I brought him a coconut , piercing it with the mechano 's mandibles so that he could drink . Then I went to work and sorted rocks . But I kept thinking about the man . I thought so much about him that I forgot to bring a rock for the crabs when I returned to the island . I had to search for a while to find a coconut . I had already brought him the ones that were nearby . But I found one , brought it back , and pierced it for him . He drank thirstily . " No , " I said . Dr . Rhodes has worked with me on learning to read expressions . Evan Collins ' mouth was turned down . His eyes were squeezed half closed . He did not look happy . " Do you want another coconut ? " I asked . The painkillers left him groggy . He felt nauseous and thirsty , very thirsty . He knew he had to keep drinking . He had not had to urinate since he woke up on the beach the day before , an indication that he was not taking in enough fluid . Dehydration would kill him quicker than anything . Life by the yard is hard , he told himself , but by the inch , it 's a cinch . To stay alive , he had to keep drinking , and he had to get help . And to get help , he needed to understand Annie the roach and Dr . Rhodes . " Thank you , " Evan said carefully . The drink of coconut milk was helping , but he was still very thirsty . " It is good of you to bring me coconuts . " The roach 's voice was mechanical and flat , as always . Without nuances of tone , he could not tell how she felt about this perception of abnormality . He had to plunge ahead blindly . He risked a question . " How is it that you are different ? " Too many questions , he thought . He had gotten carried away . She didn 't like questions . " All right , " he said . " Could I have another coconut first ? " The roach trudged off through the sand to get a coconut . It was a long time before it returned . He sipped the milk . He couldn 't drink it all right away . He needed to save some . " Once upon a time … " The story was a fairy tale . A boy named Jack had traded a cow for a handful of beans , and his mother wasn 't happy , even though the old man had said that the beans were magic . Jack 's mother didn 't listen to Jack - she threw the beans out the window . Jack 's mother was NT , I think - but Jack wasn 't . There must be some NT rule that Jack didn 't know about that said you shouldn 't trade a cow for beans . I filed that thought away - if I ever had a cow , it would be inappropriate to trade it for beans . The next day , when a giant beanstalk grew up from the magic beans , Jack climbed it right away , without asking his mother if he could . That was inappropriate behavior . Dr . Rhodes says I should always ask my mother 's permission . I didn 't understand why the old woman hid Jack , but there 's so much about NT stories that I don 't understand . Maybe the old woman just wanted to be helpful . Anyway , the giant came home and got out a big bag of gold . The giant fell asleep , and Jack stole the gold . That was inappropriate . Dr . Rhodes says that it is appropriate to share , but it is inappropriate to take all of something even when someone offers to share . And the giant hadn 't even offered to share . Jack climbed down the beanstalk and got home with the gold . Then he climbed the beanstalk again and stole the giant 's goose that laid golden eggs . Then he went back for a third time and stole the giant 's harp . The harp shouted when Jack was running away with it . When the giant chased Jack down the beanstalk , Jack chopped down the beanstalk and the giant fell to his death . I don 't know if that was appropriate behavior or not . The giant was trying to kill Jack , but I don 't know if Jack should have cut down the beanstalk . Then the story was over . The man said he was thirsty , so I found him another coconut . It took a long time to find one , but I did . I brought it to him . Then I said , " Jack 's behavior was not appropriate . He shouldn 't have done those things . " I knew Dr . Rhodes would not like the things Jack did . I thought about it . I liked this story better than Cinderella . Cinderella was very good and very helpful , but the fairy godmother made her go to the party and then she had to marry the prince , rather than staying in the quiet kitchen alone . She was punished for following the NT rules . Well , if she was NT , maybe it wasn 't a punishment , but if she was like me , it sure was . Jack broke lots of NT rules . He traded a cow for beans ; he didn 't ask his mother if he could climb the beanstalk ; he stole stuff from the giant . But he got to go home to his little room in the cottage . He didn 't have to go to a party or marry anyone . " A man , " Dr . Rhodes said . " That 's great . " He smiled . He had sent three emails to the man in charge of the Cook Islands mining operation , asking that he repair the cameras on Annie 's island . He had yet to receive a reply , but Annie 's mention of a man on the island meant that someone had been dispatched to repair the cameras at last . " He 's going to fix the cameras , " Dr . Rhodes said . He knew that Annie did not respond well to change . Having a stranger on her island would be disruptive , and he needed to reassure her . " He will only be there for a short time , " he said . " That 's all right , " Dr . Rhodes said in a reassuring tone . " He 'll fix the cameras and be on his way . You don 't need to help . " " He says he needs help , " Annie said . " His name is Evan Collins and he needs help . " She was blinking rapidly . Clearly , the presence of this repairman on her island had upset her . Dr . Rhodes was annoyed that the workman had engaged Annie in conversation , had told her that he needed help . Dr . Rhodes imagined the man - a semi - skilled laborer , struggling with the cameras . Lazy , Dr . Rhodes suspected . " Remember the deal we made when you signed up for this project ? You will listen to me and do as I say . If you can 't do as I say , you won 't be able to continue with the project . Do you remember that ? " " The man is not your concern . He 'll fix the cameras , and he 'll be on his way . We have our own work to do . Today , we 're going to work on recognizing facial expressions . " I returned to my tank . I slept through the night . I returned to my island and my mechano just before dawn on the island . I went to the beach , where the man named Evan Collins slept . The water bottles were empty . There were no more coconuts - I knew that . I had looked for an hour the day before to find the last coconut . The man 's breathing was shallow and uneven . Dark circles surrounded his eyes . He was covered with sand flea bites . Some of them were red and infected . The black scabs that covered the scrape on his legs were cracked , and flies had settled on them , feeding on the liquid that oozed from the cracks . I went back to the recharging hut . I entered the hut . I shut down the mechano and I opened my eyes in my tank . I pushed the button to call the attendant , and I waited . Eventually , I heard the rattle and clank of the hatch . The hatch opened and I blinked in the glare . " There is a problem , " I said , speaking loudly to be heard over the hum of the pumps . " There is a man on my beach . It is not good . His face is red and his face is black and the fleas are biting him . It is not good . He is on my beach and his leg is broken . He needs a doctor . It is not good . " " A man on the beach , " Kiri repeated . She was frowning . According to Dr . Rhodes ' facial expression cards , that meant she was not happy . That was okay . I was not happy either . " A man on my beach , " I said again . " It is not good . I try to be helpful . I help the crabs . But I can 't find any more coconuts . The man says he needs help . He says he needs medical help . He says he needs water . " I closed my eyes against the lights and begin to rock . I was thinking about the man . I pictured a chart that listed all the people involved in this . There was Evan Collins , Dr . Rhodes , and me . There were lines drawn between the three of us , making a triangle . Then I added Kiri 's name to the chart and redrew the lines . There was a triangle with the man , Kiri , and me . Dr . Rhodes was off to one side . " He has a boat that is underwater , " I said . " The fish swim past it . " I remember the boat , wedged between the coral heads . " It is cracked . It is not good . " " No , " I said . " Dr . Rhodes does not … " I stopped , not knowing what to say . " You need to tell someone else , " I said . I was talking louder than I needed to . I did not care . I was twelve years old and I cracked coconuts in my mandibles . I crawled on the ocean bottom and found gold in the rocks . Dr . Rhodes would tell me that it was not appropriate to shout . I thought it was appropriate . There was a man named Evan Collins on my beach and it was appropriate to shout . " There is a man , " I shouted . " His name is Evan Collins . He is on my beach . I have no more coconuts for Evan Collins . He needs water . He needs help . " " He told me the story of Cinderella . He told me the story of Jack and the beanstalk . His name is Evan Collins and he has sixteen flea bites on his left cheek . He has a broken leg . His boat is underwater . " I didn 't like the touch of Kiri 's hand on my shoulder . I didn 't like the glare of the lights . I lay back down in my tank . " You will tell Uncle Mars , " I said . " I will go back to my mechano . " Back on the island , the sun was up . I left the charging hut and headed for the beach . The only tactile sensation was the pressure of the ground against the feet of the mechano . Just enough pressure to let me know that I was standing on solid ground . Just enough to be comfortable , no more . Kiri would tell Uncle Mars now about Evan Collins . I pictured the chart of relationships , where Kiri and Evan Collins and I were connected by lines , making a triangle . I put Uncle Mars ' name on the chart and drew lines connecting him to Kiri and Evan Collins . It made another triangle . Together , the first triangle and the second triangle made a diamond . That was a good pattern , I thought . A diamond was a rock and I liked rocks . I left Evan Collins on the beach . I walked into the water , happy when it closed over my head . I spent all day collecting rocks by the hydrothermal vent . Kiri 's uncle was Matareka Waradi , but everyone called him Mars . Supervisor of remote mining operations for the Cook Islands division of Atlantis Mining and Salvage , he was a man with influence - a large man with a large personality . He knew everyone , and everyone knew him . He had arranged for Kiri to work in the California headquarters of Atlantis mining . Kiri was a good girl . She had worked hard to get a degree in nursing , and she had wanted very much to go to the United States for a time . At about the time that Kiri had mentioned this desire to Mars , the California office requested that he leave one of the mechanos at an exhausted mining site as part of an experimental program . The office wanted to put an unqualified operator in charge of this mechano . It was crazy what they wanted - Mars had asked around and found out that it was a pet project of Eric Westerman , the company president . Westerman was the son of the man who founded Atlantis Mining , and old hands in the company generally regarded him as a bit of a fool . So Mars made a deal . If Human Resources would hire Kiri to be the nurse , Mars would allow the unqualified operator to use the mechano . Mars insisted , of course , that he would not take responsibility for any damage to the mechano or other Atlantis Mining equipment resulting from operator error . And all had been well - until Mars received an email from Kiri . Kiri was , Mars knew , a levelheaded girl , a smart girl . And so he paid attention when he received an urgent email from her . Kiri said that the unqualified operator - Annie , Kiri called her - had told Kiri that there was a man on the remote island , that the man 's name was Evan Collins , and that he needed medical attention . Kiri was quite concerned . It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies . Mars needed to check on operations on an unnamed atoll not far from the island where Kiri 's operator was working . Besides , he needed to fix the cameras on that island - he 'd received three emails from central headquarters about that . The man in charge of the experimental program , a fellow named Dr . Rhodes , had complained several times that he could no longer monitor the island . Mars had been ignoring the maintenance request on basic principles . He didn 't know Dr . Rhodes . Kiri had mentioned in an earlier email that the man was unfriendly . So Mars saw no need to extend himself on behalf of Dr . Rhodes . But Kiri was worried . And it was a nice day for a flight in the company 's Bush Hawk - XP floatplane . Piloting that was one of the benefits of Mars ' position with Atlantis Mining . From the air above the island , Mars spotted the sunken sailboat in the water . He swore beneath his breath and landed in the lee of the island . His assistants inflated the Zodiac , and they took the rubber dinghy in . They found Evan Collins in the shade of the palms , surrounded by empty water bottles and broken coconuts . He was delirious with thirst , but when they shook him , he returned to consciousness enough to drink . By the look of him , he 'd been there for a few days . The two other men were dragging the Zodiac into the water while Uncle Mars stood studying me . He leaned down and picked up the rock that I had dropped . " What 's this ? " he said . " A man is dying of thirst , and you bring him a rock ? " " It 's for the crabs , " I said . " I brought coconuts for Evan Collins , but I ran out of coconuts . I brought him all the water bottles from the boat . I was very helpful . " The other men were shouting for Mars to come and join them . He looked at me , looked at the rock , then said , " I 'll be back to talk to you about this . " Then he turned away and joined the men at the boat . I watched the plane take off , then I tidied up the area where the man had been , placing all the coconut shells in a pile , all the water bottles in another pile . It looked better when I was done . I felt better when I was done . Mars landed on the lee side of Annie 's island and took the Zodiac in . He had received an email from Kiri that morning , saying that Dr . Rhodes ' experimental program was being canceled . Evan Collins had survived . But after his rescue , the researcher had had to explain exactly why he had failed to let anyone know that a man was stranded on the island . Upper management had reviewed the videotapes of Dr . Rhodes ' sessions with Annie , and Annie 's attempts to tell Dr . Rhodes about the stranded man had been noted . " I feel bad for Annie , " Kiri had written . " She 's a strange little girl , but she has a good heart . Dr . Rhodes will be telling her today that he 's wrapping up the program by the end of the week . I don 't think she 'll take it well . " Mars pulled the Zodiac up on the beach , out of reach of the waves . He spotted the mechano over by the mangroves . As he approached , Mars noted the rocks that had been placed on the sand by many of the crab burrows . All of them were similar to the rock that he had taken with him when he rescued Evan Collins . Mars sat in the sand beside the mechano . " You know , I analyzed that rock you brought back , " he said . " Very high concentration of gold ore . " " We thought the mining was tapped out around this island , " Mars said . " My best operators had followed a rich vein of ore . They 'd explored the nearby seabed , searching for other possibilities , and they 'd come up empty . But you 've found what looks like a promising source . How do you explain that ? " It took some doing , of course . Kiri spoke with Annie 's parents , explaining at length what had happened , explaining what Mars saw as Annie 's potential . Kiri had to find a therapist who was willing to continue meeting with Annie every other day . Mars had to make many arrangements - with child welfare authorities , with labor organizers , with company officials . But Mars was a man with many resources . He had many friends , a cousin in the Human Resources department , and a niece Annie trusted , as much as she trusted anyone she met in her meat body . Eventually , he worked it all out . A big crab sidled out of his burrow , eyes goggling in my direction . He had shiny black legs and a bright red carapace . He had a small black claw and a very big red claw , which he held up in front of his face and waved in my direction . When I didn 't move , the crab turned to look seaward . Other crabs were coming out of their burrows . Each one stared at me , then checked out the other crabs , waving his oversized red claw at the other male crabs around him . One crab sidled toward another crab 's burrow , and they both waved their claws until the first retreated . As I watched , a female crab approached , and the activity among the males increased . They were all waving their claws , while the female watched . She stared at one male and he ran toward her and then ran back to his burrow , toward her and back to his burrow , always waving his claw . The female followed him , hesitated at the entrance to the burrow for a moment , then went into the burrow . The male crab rushed in after her . I watched as the mouth of the burrow filled with mud , pushed up from below . The male crab was closing the door . I thought about Uncle Mars and Kiri and my mother and my father and Dr . Rhodes . Kiri had explained to me what was happening - and when she explained , I had drawn a chart in my mind . Kiri talked to my parents ( that was a triangle with Kiri and my mother and my father - I was off to one side , connected to Kiri by a line ) . Uncle Mars talked to me and talked to Kiri . Another triangle . Dr . Rhodes was off by himself , connected to no one . The crabs were connected to me . And Evan Collins was connected to me by a line . I thought about the story of Cinderella . I thought I might be like the fairy godmother . I sent Evan Collins to the party with the other NTs . Now he would live happily ever after . I liked fairy tales . I liked rocks . I would collect rocks for Atlantis Mining and Uncle Mars . I would bring rocks to the crabs , who would communicate with each other using gestures I could not understand . And I would live happily ever after , alone on my island . Bert says : January 28 , 2014 at 9 : 58 pm This is by far one of my favorite stories of recent memory . My son has Asperger 's so I saw a lot of my son 's thought processes in Annie 's approach to her situation . Very well done . This really moved me .