Techno Fever [ONC II Round 1 WINNER | Asian Scifi | Complete]

Chapter 4

The news played in the background, per Meiha's request, during her hour-long taxi journey, but all it spoke about was the same things on a loop: Fubao Inc.'s glitch patch that overrode the safety mechanisms of Bod Mods, the bank robbery in Zhongwan, the city island across the waters, and a small cluster of injuries due to Bod Mod malfunctions. Each announcement made Meiha more and more sick to the stomach. Bod Mods — or cybernetic body modifications as they were first known, before Tselong pioneered the current version of neural integration technology — had revolutionised civilisation. Folks with terrible injuries could recover daily function with these new limbs and body parts. People were closer than ever; built-in Bod Mods could record personal experiences and allow digital sharing, meaning those who couldn't swim could experience deep sea diving and the average person could explore space through the eyes of another.

But now, the news reporters heavily criticised Tselong's creations, speculating the lack of testing and greed meant people were now getting harmed, all the while ignoring the groundbreaking contributions. Each snide remark and offhand comment felt like a knife to Meiha's heart, for she knew just how hard he slaved away and how genuine his intentions were. But the media wasted no time in ripping him to shreds at the slightest opportunity.

The taxi hummed as it sped along the motorway, passing vibrant skyscrapers and elaborate holograms. Colourful pop-up adverts took up most of the sides of the building: glamorous models preened, wearing Bod Mod eyes of kaleidoscope colours and rippling skin turning from flesh to scales to fur; quirky projections featuring bouncing animals and dancing juice drinks celebrated the entertainment industry. Rows upon rows of shops blended in a brilliant clash of colours and dazzling light. The packed concrete jungle gave way to a dull blue sea as the road skimmed over the smooth steel bridges that stretched from the southern Hearnkon Island, where her university was situated, to the area of Kaolon, the middle part of the city, and then to Sankai, the most rural part of Wulan. Rows upon rows of monochrome, grey, concrete houses crammed together, the clean but clearly dated windows staring balefully at Meiha's taxi. Folks walked on foot or on scooters. The normally two-hour journey via bus only took Meiha one hour. The taxi stopped at the end of the street — Meiha didn't want to startle her mother by such extravagant transport — and she hopped out, the Bod Mod clutched to her chest, and bade the vehicle to wait.

"Meiha!" her mother exclaimed in surprise, almost dropping the bucket of water in her hands when Meiha slammed her hand on the print reader outside and burst through the door before it had fully slid open. "What—"

"I don't have time, Mum!" Flying past, Meiha brushed a kiss on her mother's cheek before darting up the stairs.

"You're staying for food, right? You've grown so thin—" Her mother paused, finally realising what was in Meiha's hand. "Meiha — is that a Bod Mod?!"

Knowing a week's apologies wouldn't make up for not phoning before dropping home without warning and not giving her mum a proper greeting, Meiha could only push the guilt to the back of her mind as she activated Tselong's safe, which sat in the corner where she used to occupy. She'd spent plenty of time in here as Tselong allowed her to borrow his Wenchang model, which allowed reconstruction of ideas and models in one's mind, for studying. She remembered how he'd sat for days and days at his desk, muttering to himself and swiping at the holograms, the images flickering with age and the system occasionally crashing due to the outdated program, working his way to his neural linking breakthrough. He'd never once vented at or been irritated by her persistence in using the Wenchang and sharing his cramped space.

She inputted his passwords. Her mother's birthday. Her mother's favourite flowers (peonies). The anniversary of Meiha's parents. Her heart tightened. Even though Tselong had been in her life for eight years, he had never thought to take the place of her dad, nor had he ever resented her father's existence. He'd deliberately gone out of his way to celebrate her parents' anniversaries as well as his and her mother's. He'd even joked about being the third wheel in family photos.