kanyenya-Fried snack consisting of fish and flour.

Ipyana

Atuweni called me into the kitchen at the station. I told him I was busy but he insisted. He said it was important. I reluctantly left my desk and followed him into the kitchen.

“I thought about what you said and I know you meant it. I hoped that I could show you that I am worthy of your love. I didn’t mean to irritate you with my pursuit of your affections.” Atuweni said. “I just want the best for you,” a sad smile crept over his face. “I just wish that the best for you was me.”

I did not want to say anything to dilute my last speech so I kept quiet and nodded. He walked to his desk. I hang around in the kitchen for a minute so that people would not think we had been kissing in the kitchen.

“I told him I liked him but I was not ready,” Naledi said as she sprawled herself on the couch.

“What did he say?” I asked.

“He told me he would wait till I was. I wish it was easy to let him in. I wish that I didn’t have so many barricades.”

“You’ve seen the worst of humanity. It necessitated those barricades.”

“I wish they would fall off because they are no longer relevant.”

In front of us, on the TV, I saw warbots on the news. They looked like they were in Utawaleza. I turned the volume up. War-bots had invaded Utawaleza.

“Oh no.” Naledi gasped.

“The technic Xo is talking about could change the dynamics of this war.” Naledi said placing her gear into her back. “I did robotics as a minor. I could help.”

“You are very brave,” I said. “Be safe out there.”

“Always.” She drew her breath in. “I haven’t told Kuleza. I will tell him tomorrow just before leaving.”

At the Aka-Rebel assembly point I was surprised to see Ntawale. I avoided him and it seemed like he too avoided me.

“I want you to do me a favour.” Xo said. “I want you to move in with Salifya till I return. She won’t admit it but she needs company.”

“Of course.” I told him. I cast a quick glance at Sali. Her face was a mirror of sadness and helplessness. Orehla was in school for the next few months so it meant I would lock up my apartment.

I walked up to Akuzike. He had told me that most of Aka-Rebel soldiers were going. Most of the Q soldiers had synthetic limbs that were more advanced than the current EMP. The same was true of Xo and his eyes.

“Be safe out there,” I said hugging Akuzike. “I will miss you.”

“I will miss you too.” He held me close for what felt like a second but I knew it was longer because I saw in the background many people entering the bus pods taking them to Utawaleza. He pulled away.

“Stay in touch.”

“How? My electronics will be dead.”

“Write a letter on paper.”

A small spread over his beautiful features, “I will try.”

“Let’s go Soldiers. Wrap up the goodbyes.” A man uniform announced on the microphone. I watched Akuzike climb into a bus pod. I had not realised how close we had grown in the last few months. I wiped some tears. I was entangled with this man deeply. If this is how I felt about a man who was my friend how did Salifya feel watching her husband and father to her child go to what could be his death.

I held her hand. “God protects his own.”

She smiled at me, the sort of smile you smile at someone trying to cheer you up when it doesn’t work.

Ama arrived around ten. She took us both to brunch to cheer us up.

“I know why Salifya is sad. Her husband is off to war but what about you?” Ama said after we had placed our orders.

Her question surprised me. “My friends have gone also.”

“And her future boyfriend.” Sali said.

“What?” Ama shot a glance at me.

“Akuzike remember him?” Sali continued. “He has gone as well.”

“Ah yes I remember him.”

I finger tips danced on the edges of the marble table that we had encircled. “What makes you think he is my future boyfriend?”

“You speak of him with such warmth. The way you two said goodbye to each other. You’ve let him into space and he has let you into his.” Sali pointed out. “I like him.”

“Yes I am sad about Akuzike going but I am also sad about Naledi and Xo.” I said. “Naledi is my best-friend.”

The waitress bot brought our drinks and food. She carefully placed the food and beverages next to the person who ordered them.

“I need you to find where Fantchika hid it Ama. This is key to stopping all this.” Sali concluded her briefing on the EMP. “I’ve got Kuleza continuing to search for the bombs. Ipy and I will try to find anyone who worked with Diminga; anyone and everybody involved in this.”

“What’s the army doing about the attack?” I asked.

“Assessing the threat.” Luntha replied.

“Will you intervene?” I probed.

“Of course.” He replied resting his intertwined hands on his desk.

“When?”

“After the assessments.”

I leaned forward. “The army is involved isn’t it?” I whispered.

“No but some generals feel this is a long time coming and that Ulalo offers them a means to an end. They will do everything to slow their response time.”

“Can you speed it along?”

“I cannot. The situation with the Ebola outbreak is not helping Utawaleza’s case. Ebola is a disease we left in the last century nobody wants it making a comeback.”

“Luntha said the Ebola situation makes the army reluctant to intervene.” My elbows resting on my knees felt like they were drilling holes into my knees. I sat up and leaned back on the chair. “It got me thinking, what if this outbreak was Diminga’s design?”

Sali turned from her monitor to face me.

“Utawaleza harbours archaic diseases, yes, but for the last century they have had no outbreak this serious. What if Diminga got someone on the inside to spark this outbreak.”

“It’s a good theory.”

“Another thing that bothers me about the outbreak is this. How did Kazako, the journalist who published it, get the story?” I continued.

“Those are good questions. I want you to ask Tumpale to write an article about the slow response time of the army. And to find out who Kazako’s source is?”

I nodded my head.

Tumpale was surprised but pleased to see me at his office.

“I brought kanyenya .” I said holding out a brown paper bag.

“How did you know I like this?” He asked receiving the bag.

“I am a hacker,” I smirked.

He chuckled and led me into his cubicle through the maze of other cubicles. I looked around trying to decide whether to ask him to talk outside or not.

“It’s soundproof.” He said as though he had read my mind.

I told him my first request.

“But the attack was just two days ago.”

“Which means you will be the first journalist to write about the army slow response time.” I pointed out. “I know you think that Utawaleza should be abolished but surely this isn’t how you…”

“I don’t think that anymore.”

“What changed?”

“You and Salifya. I realised my notions were tainted with bias because of my parents.”

I smiled. “Then you will write it?”

He nodded his head.

“Thank you Tumpa. I appreciate this.”

“You said you had two requests? What’s the second one?”

I told him the second request.

“Ipy, giving up a source in this career, unlike in law enforcement, is unethical?”

“Are you sure these walls are sound proof?”

He nodded.

I lowered my voice into a whisper. I told him that I thought Kazako’s source was behind the attack on Utawaleza. And that they had something to do with the outbreak.

Tumpale’s thumb and index finger were firmly planted beneath his chin. “The timing is strange. That article came out a day before the warbot attack.”

“Exactly.”

“I will look into it.”

“Thanks again cuz,” I said getting up.

“These models have to charge and to do so they use high amounts of electricity.” Naledi said. “They need to charge once in 72 hours. This means that their charging point is probably near like in Chitipa. If you could find those, we should be able to attack them and level the playing field somewhat.”

“I will get on it.” Kuleza said.

“No, focus on finding the bombs. Ipyana add this to your tasks.” Sali said.

I nodded my head. “How are you all?”

“War-bots they are past the river!” Someone in the background screamed. Naledi and Xo turned to face where the noise came from.

“They are attacking in the night too!” Another voice shouted from outside the lab Xo and Nale used for work.

“Grab your arsenal and let’s make it to the gates before they hit the camps.” Another man said.

“What’s going on?” Sali asked.

“We have to go.” Xo said hanging up. His and Naledi’s image disappeared from Sali’s workroom.

We all kept waiting for their call. After fifteen minutes of silent waiting. Kuleza vibed out. I left Sali’s study. She had started making blade throwers that could paralyse the War-Bot long enough for the soldiers drag it back to the base to be reprogrammed. Ama was searching for the EMP and I was looking for the charging points. It was 3 am when I went to sleep having given up on them calling us back.

Creator's Note

PLease like and comment.

What do you think happened to Xo and Naledi?