The Tides That Bind Us [AfroFuturism]

Coincidences

Zaharah pushed her vegetable curry around in the bowl, the potatoes carrots and cauliflower mixing with the rice. The pit in her stomach was both full and empty – full of worry but devoid of food. Her mind kept going back to the video, back to that night, back to the accident.

Her phone sat at the centre of the table, purple casing glinting under the lights. Jade's and Markus' flanked it, plain silver and black because they had no taste. Skorpi stood guard over them, with orders from Markus to pinch anyone who tried to grab theirs. And he took his job seriously.

She tore her gaze away from the phone and let it drift around the kitchen instead. The yellow walls were Jade's idea, along with the floral curtains hiding the sliding glass door. The doilies on the round dining table and vase of fake flowers at its center completed the grandma chic look.

The only contribution Zaharah had made was a chip on her side of the table from when she'd slammed her metal arm into it. She'd often toy with it when she got lost in her thoughts, digging the chip deeper.

"Zaharah." Markus' voice cut into her thoughts. Both he and Jade stared at her as though she had sprouted horns.

"Yeah?" She stuffed a mouthful of food in her mouth and chewed even though the taste didn't register. She could have been munching on a forkful of spiders for all she knew.

Markus frowned at her. "What's going on with you?" Nothing ever got by Markus. He could tell when something was wrong with her or Jade, which made him uncannily more human than the other androids.

"I've just been in my head a lot, sorry."

She's fine, Markus, Jade signed. You know how dramatic Zaharah is sometimes.

Zaharah feigned offense, but under the guise she was grateful. Markus could get doting when he thought something was wrong with them. He'd hover around with offerings of cookies and ice-cream until they talked. And her thighs were thicc enough as is.

He put his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine. How was the beta testing today?"

"It was fun." Zaharah snatched her phone and stood, ignoring Skorpi's beeping. "But that reminds me, I have to make a call. The Director pulled me from the lab early so I didn't have time to give feedback."

"What did she want?" Markus asked, before she could escape to the balcony.

"Something about a new arm. Said she'd have a cybernetics team on the mainland come up with something. It's still in the early stages, and I haven't decided." She backed towards the sliding doors until the curtains brushed against her hands. "I'll tell you about it later. It was an... interesting meeting."

Zaharah slipped outside and dumped herself into a chair, the wicker squeaking beneath her weight. Beyond the metal rail the community gardens glistened, sheened by the rain. The HID lamps shined down on rows of vegetables. Tomato vines, hung heavy from lattices and planters filled with herbs weighed down the long tables and benches edging the pathways. At the center of the garden was a hog plum tree, bare this time of year. Its spindly branches stretched high enough for her to lean over and touch them.

She popped the screen on her phone, and swore at the sight of the email, still open. Want the rest? Ask Dwight. Her leg shook, an unconscious habit she'd developed after all the surgery and physical therapy. She switched to the phone's dialler and punched in half of Jodi's number. Then erased it and dialled Dwight instead.

"What?" he answered after a single ring. Charming as always.

"Why are you sending me creepy emails?" A long pause followed, and she could imagine him scowling at the phone.