A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Author:Becky Chambers
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

5

REMNANTS

The thing about crumbling roads was that some of the crumbled spots had edges, and some of those edges were sharp. The wagon had been built for plenty of wear and tear, but there was only so much it could do against four days’ worth of jagged concrete. This was how Dex found themself digging through the wagon’s storage cubbies in a panic, trying to find the roll of patch tape that might—might—stop the freshwater tank from purging itself through the hole torn by the uncaring road.

“You might want to hurry,” called Mosscap from outside.

“I’m fucking hurrying,” Dex yelled, throwing their stuff this way and that. Gods around, where was the damn tape?

“I mean, it could be worse,” Mosscap replied in a chipper tone. “It could’ve been the greywater tank.”

Dex ignored the robot in favor of their rising hackles. They found scissors (no), soap (no), worn socks they thought they’d recycled (no), plant food (no no no), and then, blessedly—yes!—the tape.

Dex darted back to the puddle in the road, which had grown distressingly larger in a mere minute or two. Mosscap was kneeling on the ground beside the ruptured tank, metal hands pressed against the hole, stemming the tide with middling success. Dex ripped off a length of the heavy cellulose strip and slid themself into the puddle. A gush of water drenched them both as Mosscap removed its hands from the tank, but Dex quickly got to patching.

Mosscap watched Dex work. “Might it go faster if I tear while you stick?”

Dex bristled at the idea of Mosscap’s help, but as the water poured steadily over their arms, they saw little choice. “Fine,” they said, tossing Mosscap the roll.

Mosscap pulled out a length of tape and, with immense concentration, tore the strip free. “Ha!” it said, remembering after a second to actually hand the strip over. “Oh, that’s quite satisfying, isn’t it?” It tore another strip, and another, and another, hastening with enthusiasm.

“I’m so glad you’re enjoying this,” Dex grumbled. The puddle had soaked through their pants, and they could feel their underwear begin to cling to their skin. But with Mosscap’s assistance, the patching went swiftly, and soon, the water held fast behind the bandage. What little remained of the water, anyway. Dex looked in despair at the precious liquid creeping ever farther out on the road, impossible to re-collect.

“It’s all right, Sibling Dex,” Mosscap said.

“How is this all right?” Dex asked. “I need— Wait, are you okay?” They looked with concern at the robot—the metal, circuit-filled robot dripping wet beside them.

“Oh, yes, I’m completely waterproof,” Mosscap said. “Couldn’t visit lake rays if I wasn’t, could I?”

Dex could only guess at what that meant, but they were too preoccupied to chase that particular thread. They looked back at the water gauge on the side of the tank. Only about a third of their supply was left, and everything in the greywater tank had already been filtered back. Dex moaned in frustration. They could keep themselves hydrated with that amount, but not much else.

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