Fated

This week, we return to the world of Mary Anne Mohanraj’s Jump Space universe, exploring multi-layered relationships, consequences, and the meaning of family (you can read Mary Anne’s previous Sunday Morning Transport story in that universe, “Expulsion” here) . ~ Julian and Fran, May 12, 2024

This month’s stories are by authors Jeffrey Ford, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Kat Howard, and Eugenia Triantafyllou. The first story of the month is free to read, but it’s our paying subscribers who allow us to keep publishing great stories week after week.

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Fated

by Mary Anne Mohanraj

Her ancestors had consulted fortune tellers who read the future in the stars. They could do better now; her aunties swore that the AIs just knew what was coming. They weren’t real AIs, of course—for all humanity’s advancement, true machine sentience was one barrier that hadn’t yet been cracked. None of the aliens they’d met had self-aware AI, either—or if they did, they didn’t broadcast that information. But what humans had created so far was close enough for many—feed enough information in, and the machine fortune tellers would generate a vision of what was to come.

Appa waited in a flyer outside the courthouse door, careful to avoid any chance of being recorded by passersby. It wouldn’t help the family business for him to be associated with his criminal daughter. The door irised open for her and Anju climbed inside.

He asked, “They’re recording?”

Anju raised her hand, displaying the golden bangle that fit over her wrist. Too tight to slide off. “Audio and video. The judge didn’t think I needed to have my chip monitored.” A fragment of privacy left to her.

Her father grunted. He’d be careful with his words. “I saw the sentence on the news. Expulsion off-planet in three days.”

“I can appeal.”

He frowned. “We’ll discuss it when we get home. Manish is waiting for you.”

That was unexpected, and Anju felt a little flutter of something in her chest. She’d been numb since the attack, all emotion drained out of her at the sight of Bedi’s body on the floor, blood seeping from her head.

Her errant husband had returned. Maybe Manish felt bad for abandoning them. Maybe if he’d stuck around, none of this would have happened.

“Can we go to the hospital?” Bedi was still unconscious three days later. “I haven’t seen her since . . .” The city guards took me away to isolated custody.

Her father hesitated, then said, “That’s not a good idea. We’ll sort this all out at home.”

Anju sighed. “Yes, Appa.” She had no heart to fight him—and Rohit, the light of her life, would be at home. Maybe when Anju saw her little boy, she’d remember how to breathe.

Fortune-telling was expensive, but worth the price. So Appa always said—he consulted the machines before any major business decision. He’d consulted them before arranging her marriage, too, which did make Anju wonder. But Appa said it was her fault that Manish had wandered off. Even the machines couldn’t control a difficult daughter.

Manish had lost weight. That was the first thing Anju thought when she walked into the kitchen. He looked scrawny, underfed. If he’d stuck around, she wouldn’t have let that happen. She would have cooked for him—the ripe jackfruit curry he liked so much, eggplant pickle, fried chilies stuffed with paneer, all on a bed of buttery white rice. When they were courting, Manish had told her he loved her cooking.

“Anju. I’ve missed you.” He was walking forward, reaching out to her, as if nothing had happened. Appa had disappeared, leaving them alone in the dark room. It was almost night; the sun was setting over the dome, and only faint light came in the windows. Appa preferred oil lamps to electric; the servants should have lit the lamps by now—where were they? Had he sent them home early so they wouldn’t witness the family’s shame?

Manish’s hand cupped Anju’s face, tilting it up. He bent down—oh, she’d forgotten how much taller he was. Old habits sent her rising to her toes, her lips opening for him. His lips met hers, and heat flushed through her. He could still do this to her, despite everything. And then she remembered what everything included now.