All right, it’s demo time! I’m about to try out a custom-designed buff-juver combo, tailored to my workout style, and you get to watch. Last week, my best bench press was eight hundred ten pounds. Let’s see what I can do today. Remember, I always lift alone. Is it risky? Hell yes! That’s why it’s fun, right? Before I start, I want to thank Case Simons, who funded the design, and thank all of you for watching and tipping. I’m here every week, pushing my limits so you don’t have to.

—Manne of Steele, weight-lifting exfactor. Current tip jar ranking: 149/2,496,389

Nithya stirred a pot of kootu as her sister-in-law worked on chopping the last of the okra. The vegetable vendor, now a human pushing a manual cart down the street, said that without trucking it was taking longer to get the produce from the farms to the cities. He kept records in a worn paper notebook, a show of trust that Nithya couldn’t fathom but deeply appreciated. She hadn’t dared go beyond the hive to explore the shops. From Welga and Luis’s descriptions, she had made the right choice.

Her husband’s sudden appearance had stopped her heart for an instant. She didn’t know what to make of it, and they had no chance at a private conversation. He didn’t avoid eye contact, though, and he seemed, if not happy, then at least peaceable with her. What had changed his mind? Had he forgiven her? Or had the stress of the Machinehood and Welga’s plan to go to Eko-Yi overwhelmed all other considerations? He hadn’t told her yet whether he planned to stay after the launch. She wanted to ask but feared the answer.

Nithya turned to her sister-in law. “So Josephine Lee is on Eko-Yi?”

“That’s what her journal indicates. The whole family is on record as having migrated.”

“She might not be able to help us much, in that case. From there, what can she do about Synaxel?”

“She can testify. If she’s been helping the Machinehood, the US government will give her a damn good incentive to spill every bad thing she knows about funders or the caliph or anyone else.” The knife clattered against the counter. “Shit.”

“Here, you can stir this. I’ll cut.”

Welga gave Nithya’s shoulder a grateful squeeze as they changed positions. Her sister-in-law’s symptoms had considerably worsened since the last time Nithya had seen her. Not so surprising when she learned how constantly Welga had used zips in the interval.

“You have no idea who sent you that document?” Welga asked.

Nithya shook her head. “If I could access my logs, maybe Zeli could find something, but I suspect that man took extra precautions before calling me.”

Welga swayed and caught the counter’s edge.