Kiara approached at nightfall. "Hey, you and Alícia are the only humans here. You must be hungry. Alícia eats whatever Liana makes. Takashi and Liana are finishing up whatever that is. We could go somewhere."
I agreed and went with her.
Kiara guided me through Santos, the port city.
Known for its maritime trade. The smell of fish, water, and metal. Stalls and houses choked the filthy, narrow streets. Mechashops and roboshops offered secondhand prosthetics. Some, already outdated, still found owners. Sparks leaped from rusted joints—embers of a worn-out time. The city lit up with chaotic joy. I felt strange for wanting to be part of it.
I smiled. Life was so much more than I knew.
"What? See something you like? Just say so." Kiara watched me.
We passed several stalls overflowing with food. I stopped in front of a dirty place. It sold fish skewers and fries.
"Hmm, this could work. Looks…" I looked more closely. "Appetizing."
The owner, a large man, wore tight clothes. His rusted robotic arms creaked. Shed soot as he moved. He seemed friendly, but his large, unkempt beard brushed against the food.
"Good evening, comrades. What'll you have?"
To avoid giving offense, I swallowed my pride, embarrassed as I was. "I'll have one of those vegetable skewers."
I turned to Kiara, waiting for her order. She stared at me, and the man glanced between us. That was when I remembered—she was an android.
"I wasn't thinking." I smiled awkwardly.
"It's fine. Maia always did that." She smiled.
A brief unease stirred in my heart. Maia's name floated in the air like a dissonant note. She always did that? What else did she do? Kiara spoke about her so naturally…
I concealed it by watching the passersby.
A few minutes later, the cook handed me my order.
"If you want, we can eat looking out at the sea. Over there." Kiara pointed toward several freighters. "It's a beautiful view."
"Of course. Let's go."
We crossed the crowd. An elevator took us to the top of the freighter.
I shifted restlessly, excitement seething inside me. Drizzle fell, imperceptible.
From up there, the city lit up in miniature. Everyone looked like ants. Market lights vibrated like artificial constellations. Uneven ground speckled with puddles. Cargo carts pushed by merchants.
A mixture of fascination and reverence swept through me. The world was so vast, and I, a sentient knot between sky and sea.
Kiara held my shoulders. "Stay alert. We're far from Zenith." Her watchful eyes scanned the surroundings.
A group of young people leaned against the rusted railing. Inspected everyone who passed. Ready to pick a few unsuspecting pockets.
I shrank into her warm embrace. We reached the far end of the freighter.
The view dazzled me. I almost dropped the skewer.
Giant aerolamps cut across the docks. Cast daylight over the night. Sky and sea merged on the horizon. The brown water gleamed, rippling gently.
I closed my eyes to the sound of the water. Inhaled the salty smell mixed with marine chemicals.
"Eat before it gets cold." Kiara watched the surroundings, calculating risks invisible to me. Every second, she seemed to map possible threats; a natural tension, as though she were programmed to anticipate the worst.
"It's incredible," I murmured. The vegetable was delicious. Maybe rust was the house seasoning.
"Yeah. If you could finish up soon." The tension in Kiara's voice sounded like a warning. "I don't like the activity around here. We'd better head back."