Elias stared at the word. It tasted like a demotion wrapped in politeness. He was to become a spare part. A backup. A "just in case."
"No," she said. "You're the memory. The main system forgets. You remember which rocks the seals prefer. You know when the gulls are about to swarm. You're not the main light anymore—but you're the reason the main light knows where to shine." auxiliarily
Elias laughed. "I'm just the auxiliary." Elias stared at the word
Then he started noticing the small things. The gulls that nested in the east crack—he began leaving fish scraps auxiliarily, to feed the fledglings. The weather station on the south cliff needed daily calibration; he did it auxiliarily, as a favor. The young biologist who visited once a month to count seals forgot her spare batteries—Elias had a drawer full, offered auxiliarily. A backup