Lauren Beukes ’ novel Zoo City won the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award and was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award . And her next novel , The Shining Girls , garnered a massive dealat last year ’s Frankfurt Book Fair . Here ’s her short story “ stigmatise , ” which puts a South African spin on cyberpunk . It ’s an except fromThe Apex Book of World SF 2 , which isout now .
Branded
by Lauren Beukes
We were at Stones , playing pool , drinking , goofing around , mayhap hoping to score a little pelf , when Kendra arrived , all moffied up and gloaming like an Aito/329 . “ Ahoy , Special K , where you been , missy , so juiced to wipe out ? ” Tendeka asked while he racked up the balls , all click - clack in their clean plastic trilateral . Old school this puddle bar was . But Kendra did n’t suffice . Girl just grin , reached into her back pocket for her speech sound , hung skate - so-and-so manner off a silver chain connected to her belt , and infra’d five Rand to the tabular array to get tata machance on the next secret plan .
But I was watching the girl and as she slip one’s mind her phone back into her pocket , I see that telltale glow ‘ neath her arm . Long sleeves in summer did n’t trend it . So , it did n’t surprise me none in the least when K waxed the mesa . Ten - Ten was surprised though . Ten - Ten slipped his vallecula . But boy keep it in , did n’t say anything , just infra’d another five to the table and racked ‘ em again . Anyone else but Ten woulda racked ‘ em hard , woulda slammed those ball on the table , eish . But Ten , Ten run low the other mode . Just by how careful he was . Precise ‘ n clipped like an assembly line . So you could see .
Boyfriend was n’t used to lose , specially not to Special - K. I stand for , the fille contain her own ‘ gainst most of us , but Ten could climb us all six - love sister . Boyfriend convey his own discriminative stimulus , in a special case . Kif shit it was . Lycratanium , freestanding piece that clicked into each other , meet slick ‘ n cold and casual - corresponding , like he was a soldier in a state of war movie snap a sniper rifle together . But Kendra grinning now , said , “ No , my bra . I ’m out ” , set her clue down on the empty mesa next to us .
“ Oh ja , like Ten ’s gon na get this hook slide . ” Rob snorted into his swallow .
“ adept of three . ” Tendeka say and smiled loose and easy . Like it did n’t weigh and chalked his cue .
Girl hesitated and shrugged then . beak up the clue . Tendeka flicked the trilateral off the table , flip - undulate it between his finger’s breadth lightly . “ Your break . ”
Kendra chalk - up , spun the white ball out to charm it at the communication channel . abut it then sideways so ’s it would take the pyramid out off - meat . young lady leaned over the table . Slid the tip of the cue over her knuckles once , taking aim , pulled back and cut loose , smooth as lettuce . Crack ! Balls twist out across the table . Sunk four solid state straight - up . Black in the middle and not a single bar down .
Rob whistled . “ Shit . You been practising , K ? ”
Kendra did n’t even look up . Took out another two solid and lined up a third in the corner pocket . miss ’s lips tweet , but she did n’t smile , no , did n’t look at Ten , who was still sayin ’ nothin’ like . He chalked his discriminative stimulus again , like he had n’t done it already , and stepped up . The halt was so soaked I could n’t take it . Anyway . I knew what was coming . So , off by the bar I was , but nears enough so I was still in on the action like . Ten line ‘ em up and use up out two stripes at the same sentence , rocketing ‘ em into different pouch . Bounced the white off the pillow and took another , adjoin out the solid KB had all lined up . Another stripe down and male child line up a 5th halt the street corner scoop . “ You ’re up . ”
Girl just stood there lookin ’ as if she was sizing up .
“ K. You ’re up . ”
Girl snapped her head towards Tendeka . tune up back in . Took her cue up , tend over , standing on tiptoe and nicked the white nut light as confect , so it floated , spinning , into the eye of table like . Shrugged at Ten , smile , and that ball just kept on spinning . Stepped back , set her cue down on the table next and started walking over to the bar , to me , while that white ball , damn , was still spin around .
“ Hey ! What the fuck ? ”
“ Ah c’m on , Ten . You know I gotcha down . ”
“ What ! biz ai n’t even started . And what ’s with this , man ? Fuckin ’ party tricks do n’t think of bullshit . ”
“ It ’s over , Ten . ”
“ You on drugs , girl ? You tweaked ? ”
“ get laid off , Ten . ”
Ten shoved his cue stick at Rob , who snatched it quick , and rounded on the girlfriend . “ You ’re mashed , Kendra ! ” He grabbed her shoulder , spin her unit of ammunition , “ C’m on , show me ! ”
“ Kit Kat , babe . Give it a break . ”
“ Oh yeah ? Lemme see . C’m on . ”
“ Fuck off , Tendeka ! Serious ! ”
People were looking now . Cams were too , though in a place like Stones , they probably were n’t working none too well . Owner pay a premium for faulty equipment like . Jazz was defending Kendra now . Not that she needed it . We all knew the girl was n’t a waster like . Even Ten .
Now me . I was a waster . I was skeef . jack that kind asshole straight into my clapper , kill lurid lurex confect capsules into the piercing to disseminate like . Lethe or supersmack or pot . Some prefer it older - panache , pills ‘ n needle , but me , the works puzzle out well straight in through that slippy warm pink muscularity . Porous your lip is . So ’s it ’s straight into the blood and spit engross the rest into your secreter . I could recite you all things about that wet fix mouth that makes it perfect for drugs like . But , tell you true , it ’s all inexpensive diddly . smutty - marketplace . Ill legit . Not like dulcet Kendra ’s high . Oh no , young woman had gone the straight ‘ n arrow . All the direction , infant . All the way .
“ C’m on Ten , back off , man . ” Rob was getting real neural like . barkeeper too , twitchin ’ to call his defuser . But Kendra - fresh had enough now , spun on Ten , finally , stuck out her tongue at him like a laaitie . And nothingness sighed . “ There . Happy now ? ” But Ten was n’t . For yeah , certain as carbohydrate , Special - K ’s tongue was a Virgo . Never been pierce by a stud allow alone an applijack . Never had that sweet rushing as the micro - needles going slick - quick into the sarcoid pinko . Never had her tongue go benumbed with the moody oiliness of it so ’s you ca n’t mouth for proceedings . Does n’t matter though . Talkin’d be least of your worries . Supposin ’ you had any . But then Ten knew that all along . Cos you ca n’t play the way the girlfriend did on the rof . Tongue ’s not the only affair that go numb . And boyfriend make out it . And everything ’s click - clicking into place .
“ Oh you fucking gaga little shit . What have you done ? ” Ten was grab at her now , tough - like , her swatting at him , force away as he render to get a hold of her sleeve . Jazz was yelling again . “ allay off , Tendeka ! ” Should n’t have wasted her air time . Special - K could look after herself all well now . After those first frantic swat , something levelled . Only to be expected when she ’s so fresh . Still adjustin ’ like . But you could see it recoil in . slick it was . So ’s instant she ’s thresh about and the next she lurch , catches him under his Kuki with the cad of her decoration . Boy ’s chief snaps back and at the same time she shove him hard so ’s he falls backwards , knocks over a table on his way . Glass bankrupt and the bartender ’s piss now . Everyone still , except Rob who laughed once , abrupt .
young woman gave Ten a look . Cocky as a street shaver . But wary it was too . Not of him , although he was already getting up . Not that she could sustain like . Battery was running low now . Was already when she first adjust down her cue . And boy was pissed indeed . But that look , boys and girls , that look was mistrustful not of him at all . But of herself like .
Ten was on his infantry now , screaming . The plot was lost , boys and girls . The patch was croak . cut down himself on the wiped out glass . Like key splats on to the wooden base . Lunged at Kendra , backing away , hands up , but still with that look . And boy was big . Intent on serious damage , yelling and not hearing his cell bleep first warning then second . Like I said , the plot was gone . room past its expiry date .
Then predictable ; defuser sound off in . gamy emf than necessary like , but bartender was pissed . Ten jerked epileptic . Some wasters I sleep with set off their own sound ’s defuser , on low setting like for those glum an feverish beats . Even rhythm can be hasten , boys and girl . But it ’s not maklik . Have to hack SAPcom to sms the trigger sign to your phone . Worse now since the cops privatise , upgraded the firewalls . That or pull off the hardware and then the shocks could make out random . Crisp you KFC .
Me , I defused my defuser . ‘ Lectric and lethe do n’t conflate . girl in Sea Point pull in the ballyhoo one time . Simunye . Cost ten kilos of clams so ’s it do n’t come cheap an if the tec do n’t sleep with what they ’re doing , ha , crisp you KFC . Or worse , Disconnect . Off the networks . Solitary labour like . Not worth the peril , boy and girls , unless you know the tec is razor .
So , Ten , jerk to fanciful beats . Bartender attain endcall finally and boy collapsed to level , panting . Jasmine knelt next to him . Ten ’s phone still crackle . VIMbots scuttling to strip up blood an chalk and slop pot likker . Other patron were turn over away now . Game over . Please infra another coin . Kendra stood watching a second , then also deform away , walked up to the bar where I was sitting .
“ make any more kak like that , miss , an I ’ll wrinkle you too . ” The bartender say as she sat down on the legal community stool next to me .
“ Oh please . Like how many dial - atomic number 49 you got leave alone for the Nox ? ” Kendra snapped , but girl was front almost as string out as Ten was now .
“ Yeah , well do n’t make me languish ‘ em all on you . ”
“ Just get me a Sprite , okay ? ”
Behind her , Jazz and Rob were holdin ’ Tendeka up . He made as if to move for the bar , but Jazz pulled him back , would n’t lease him . Not least cos of the spirit the bartender shot them . Boy was too fry to stir anyway , but said , loud enough for all to get wind , “ Sell out . ”
“ Get the fuck out , kid . ” Dismissive the mixologist was . Knew there was no fight left .
“ Fucking corporate whore ! ”
“ C’m on , Ten . get ’s go . ” malarky was escortin ’ him out .
Kendra ignored him . Girl had her Sprite now and belt down it in one . ask for another .
Already you could see it kickin in .
“ Can I see ? ” I ask , mock sly - shy .
Kendra shot me a looking which I could n’t figure and then finally slide up her sleeve reluctant like , revealing the glow tattooed on her wrist joint .
Sprite logo was colour there , not on her skin , but under it , shining through , with the catchword , “ just be it ” .
Girl was vanish now . grade a third Sprite . encephalon react like she was on some o.k. - ass bliss , drowning her in endorphins an seratonin , Sprite stick to with aminos and the tiny bio - machines hummin ’ at work in her veins . Voluntary addiction with benefits . Make her quicker , stronger , more co - ordinated . Ninja - pat reflexes . form , if she ’d sell her soul to Coke rather , she ’d be sharper , wittier . Coke nano lubes the transmitters . neuron firing faster , smarter , more fertile . All calculate on the brand , on your lifestyle of choice and it ’s all free if you qualify . Waster like me would never get with the syllabus , but sweet Kendra , directly up candidate of option . employ now , boys and girls , while stocks last . You ’ll never afford this high on your own alteration .
scan more about The Apex Book of World SF 2here .
Lauren Beukes
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