9 I practically dance down BeiShan to the train station, images of the E.C.’s metallic ass and John’s words pinging around my brain. All that and possibility—because the world now feels full of possibility—wonder, adventure and security mashing together as I take care of unfinished business and see the stars all at once. I am still dancing as I exit the train station at Dun Hwa and head toward Bao, the supermarket in our neighborhood , to buy steaks, beer and flowers. Outside the store a Terrax is gathering shopping carts in the parking lot. As he finishes I see a guy in a suit walk up to the Terrax and shove him in the chest. “You think you can just take our jobs you freak?” The guy screams, spittle flecking the Terrax’s preternaturally calm face. “Just go the fuck away.” “I have nowhere to go,” the Terrax says calmly. “The fuck you don’t,” the guy says jumping on him and knocking him to the ground, his hands on the Terrax’s throat, “you can go to hell.” I walk into the store and see a series of Terraxes lugging boxes and stocking shelves. They are overseen by a handful of the E.C.s, who both supervise their work and, as needed, maintain calm. As I pick through the flowers, a Terrax next to me stops and put his hands on his hips, before bending over, then falling to the ground, motionless. Somewhere overhead a speaker hiccups to life. “Clean-up flower aisle, Terrax down. Repeat, Terrax down.” O R P H A N S 30 An E.C. walks over with two Terraxes dragging a bag behind them. “Sorry for the inconvenience sir,” the E.C. says. “It’s no inconvenience, circle of life, right?” I respond laughing to myself. “Hakuna Matata,” the E.C. says before turning his attention to the Terraxes as they fold the downed Terrax into the bag I now see is marked “Parts” and shuffle off. I pay for my groceries and step into the alley behind the store, looking to buy a bag of SynthKhat from one of the neighborhood guys before going to pick up Joey at school. As I close the deal a black helicopter comes in from somewhere above. “Please disperse immediately…” But I’m already gone. ...