Moxyland - Lauren Beukes [10]
'Okay, okay.' She laughs, openly, warmly, very hot. 'I'm just… improved. It's like, everything's running better, like I've had a tune-up, you know? The world seems sharper. Or fiercer. As if someone's pulled the focus. Like in photography, hyper-realism?' She catches my blank look. 'Where everything is intensely real. It's super-defined.'
'Sounds hectic.'
'Yeah. Although, you know, I'm not entirely convinced I'm not imagining it.'
'What?'
'Everything. All of it. That it's some dumb psychology trip they've got us on, to get us to drink the stuff. And all the rest of you.'
'Hey, don't knock the product. It's not bad, although they could tone down the lime. You should speak to them about adding some flavour variants, if you're gonna be drinking it forever.'
'Yeah.'
'And you seemed to handle Tendeka pretty well.' I wave away her concerns, cut her off before she can launch into an apology, as if she was the one in the wrong. 'No, don't worry about it, he had it coming. He can be a right sanctimonious dick. And besides, that game was fucking tight.'
And besides, it's apparent to sundry all that she's rushing off her face. It's definitely physical.
'But that's the thing. I'm pretty sharp at pool. Maybe not that sharp, and it's been a while, but I reckon I could have taken him on a good day. And maybe this just happened to be… Oh, don't look so sceptical. I used to play league in Durban.'
'Chill, sweet K. I believe you.' And to prove it, I lean forward and pull into her.
Initially, she kisses me back. But then she flinches away from me, total panic stations. 'I'm sorry…'
'Don't be sorry.'
'No, I have a boyfriend. I, uh, I can't. Okay? I'm flattered and…'
'It's okay. I was trying my luck. Look, I've backed off. We'll just reset the timer to zero. Sorry if I freaked you out.'
'It's fine. Thanks for the chat. It's nice getting to talk, to connect, you know?' She's talking too fast, already up, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
'Yeah, yeah. Okay. I know.' I'm grinning at her fluster, which only makes her more so.
'And tell your friend, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… He was an asshole, but he didn't deserve that. The cops and–'
'I'll do that. But don't stress it. Like I said, he had it coming.'
'And forget what I said about it being psychological. I talk too much sometimes. It's not… I mean, of course it's genuine makoya.'
'Sure. No worries. And come to Replica next Saturday. That's a free entrance on your phone.'
'Thanks. And Toby?' She pauses in the doorway, but the camera catches me unawares. It's an oldschool design, clunky and cumbersome, but I'm too preoccupied, caught in the flash, to catch the make.
'If you wanted me to model, you only had to ask,' I snip, but she's completely composed now, as if it's the camera rather than the nanotech inside that smoothes out her edges.
'Thanks. I'll see you around.' She winks, which is so cute, it physically hurts. And then she vanishes down the staircase.
**** INCIDENT REPORT ****
South African Police Services FILE SAPS-CITI 430/77
LOG – CTC Public Disruption
Occurrence No: 94-1678
ACCUSED_____________________
(surname, first name) Mataboge, Tendeka
(alias) N/A
(sex) M
(DOB) 05.06.86
(Age) 32
(Place of Birth) HARARE
(ID number) 8606050112291
(cell SIM ID) 062-699-1359
(prior record?) Y
(criminal registration) #2291-1359-470
(residential address)
Last known: 43 subC, Berlin, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, 7948
(height) 1.94m
(weight) 94kg
(hair) dreadlocks
(eyes) brown
(complexion) dark
(ID status) Civilian.
LSM (Living Standards Measure): 6
(marital status) Married
– Emmie Chinyaka. Malawi national. 3/8/2018
(identifying marks)
Tattoo on left shoulder, thick black rings or ‘bull’s-eye’pattern. Black band tattooed on right bicep and wrist
(occupation) NGOs, charitable fund-raising/events
(employer) self-employed
(biological verification) N
(date) N/A (time) N/A
(priors)
> 23/2/2018 - CC 279 (a) Public disruption.