Now it was Teena’s turn. She moved forward to face the group and began by saying what had made her friend move to New Province. ‘She knew that staying where she was meant limited prospects. She tried to make something of herself. She was looking for reinvention.’

Sebastian blinked. He heard himself in this description, and for a brief, shameful moment he wondered if Teena was using her speech about her friend as a way to get through to him. He too had wanted to reinvent himself. This was why he had wanted to go to space, why he had moved, soon after university, to the growing settlement. But what was then a desire was now a necessity: he had to find some new way to reinvent himself, to remake himself so fully as to confound all expectations. This time it was urgent. It was a matter of life and death. He had to find a way to stay ahead of the disease, to inhabit a zone beyond the probable.

It was getting hard to hear what Teena was saying. There was a commotion in the street, some kind of noisy parade. Sebastian strained to hear over the racket. Then Teena stopped and started coughing, having inhaled some dust carried on the breeze. Recovering, she described meeting Zoe on their first deployment. She had been the captain of Zoe’s unit. ‘I was responsible for her,’ she said, her voice cracking.

The parade was getting louder as it approached. ‘That might have to do us,’ called Jamal.

He comforted Teena, patting her shoulder, and turned to tell the group, ‘Please have some coffee and cake.’ People lingered and tried to chat. But it was almost impossible.

Sebastian found Teena. ‘What is that noise?’ he asked.

‘The Day Zero parade.’

‘No. Today’s Day Zero?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘So?’

He had completely forgotten. Dino’s opening. He looked at his watch with a sinking feeling. It was almost six. The function had started an hour ago.

‘I’ve got to go,’ he told Teena. ‘It’s Dino’s thing. I’m sorry. Can you drive us?’

Teena looked pissed off. She had every right to be. He should have thought ahead and arranged some other way to get to the opening.

‘Really, Sebastian? On today of all days, really?’

But she dashed her coffee on the ground, made her goodbyes and started walking. He had to hurry to keep up with her. Once in the buggy, they took a route they thought would avoid the parade, but had to keep diverting because of road closures. The traffic was a nightmare and Teena was getting agitated. She drove aggressively, angrily, taking the turns at speed. He tried to navigate but this had never been his strong suit. ‘Was that Musk Avenue?’ he asked. ‘Why didn’t you take that turn?’