Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 190 by Neil Clarke

Author:Neil Clarke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: magazine, science fiction, Science Fiction - Short Stories, science fiction magazine, short stories
Publisher: Wyrm Publishing
Published: 2022-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

About the Author

Suzanne Palmer is a writer, artist, and linux system administrator who lives in western Massachusetts with her kids, lots of chickens, and an Irish Wolfhound named Tolkien. She won the 2018 Hugo for Best Novelette for her Clarkesworld story “The Secret Life of Bots,” and its sequel, “Bots of the Lost Ark,” is a nominee for the 2022 Hugo. She has no idea what color her hair is anymore.

The Strange Girl

Xiu Xinyu, translated by Emily Jin

She closed her eyes and imagined holding the boy in her arms: smooth pink skin, lush and fuzzy lanugo, monolid eyes that took after Shengyuan. She lowered her head, planted a kiss on his cheek, and lightly patted him on the back. The boy, as stubborn as babies could be, wriggled and kicked. A vibration; and then the pungent smell of urine. When the liquid gushed down her hands, she dreamed up a waterfall. Clear, robust, flowing endlessly. Her skin felt numb from the impact.

In the darkness of the room, she washed her hands repeatedly, then fumbled her way back into bed. Shengyuan stirred. Sleepily, he turned over and buried his face in the curve of her neck, his soft hair rubbing against her chin.

“Everything’s fine. I was using the bathroom,” she said.

Something wasn’t fine. She listened quietly. It was an ordinary night in early spring, tranquil, utterly silent, so it couldn’t have been the chirps and squeaks. They’ve already stored away the household items that could potentially be allergens, including a blooming pot of tulips, a few stuffed toys, and a decorative carpet that they had bought on a trip to Turkey. The room felt emptier, for sure, but the issue wasn’t exactly the emptiness either.

A certain kind of uneasiness has been prickling at her since the day they went to the hospital to register. Shengyuan, dressed in his best tweed suit, paced up and down the hallway. He kept his gaze glued to the walls and the floor as if he were performing a construction quality inspection. Meanwhile, she sat alone by the door of the waiting room as the nurse called out the names of patients waiting in line.

“Is Lin Shengyuan here?” the nurse called out at last, her southern accent pronouncing Lin like Ling.

They were guided into the assessment room around the corner. Today’s visit was only for the sake of putting things down on paper, an official confirmation, devoid of surprises; they had discussed the logistics over family meetings. All she had to do was nod. Shengyuan, on the other hand, was in charge of answering questions from the doctor and the lawyer.

Do you want a child? Shengyuan responded with yes.

Boy or girl? Shengyuan chose the former.

Fertilization technology had undergone significant development over the past decade. General anesthesia was no longer required. It merely took five minutes for the doctor to implant the embryo and the other items in the package and fifteen minutes to educate them about the dos and don’ts. The second they stepped out of

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