The Hero of Numbani

by Nicky Drayden

  “Problems like the Vishkar Corporation?” Efi asked.

  Lúcio nodded, then grabbed a set of wires from the pile of components. After inspecting them, he tossed them to the side and crimped off a fresh set from his wire spool. “When my father got mixed up with Vishkar, that’s when I really started to see the world for what it was. My father worked as engineer on some of their most lucrative projects. He gave them his best years, his best ideas. Ideas he wanted to share to help the world, but Vishkar turned them to bad ends. They stopped seeing communities and instead saw pawns in a game where they controlled every move and action.”

  Lúcio smiled, but Efi saw the pain hidden behind it. She’d heard about how Vishkar had treated the citizens of Rio—stark working conditions with low pay, senseless curfews, and questionable laws, all in the name of the so-called greater good. The citizens had revolted and driven Vishkar out of some neighborhoods, but it had taken many rallies and uprisings. And there had been many, many losses.

  The message hit Efi even harder when she realized the price she’d paid for Orisa. Orisa had harmed as much as she’d helped. She was learning and growing, but Efi would always be responsible for her robot’s actions, whether they be good … or not so much.

  “That must have been hard, seeing them use your dad’s technology like that.”

  “It was, but you know, my dad designed sonic tech to make the world a better place. When I took it back and used it to rally our people, I was fulfilling the promise my dad had made to them. In the end, I don’t think my dad would have regretted what he created.”

  Efi looked to the horizon, no longer fearful of what was to come. For the first time in a long time, she was hopeful. She’d put so much of herself into Orisa. Time. Money. Her whole heart, practically.

  “Wait …” Efi said. “Was that reactor you gave me stolen?”

  Lúcio shrugged, then shoved the supercharger components back into the case. There were still several parts left over, but he didn’t seem concerned. “I’ve been hanging with a new crowd lately, one looking to do something to help fix our world. I’m honestly not sure where they got it, but I know Katya Volskaya’s tech doesn’t usually come cheap or easy. And Orisa, if anyone asks—”

  “The reactor feels completely paid for to me,” the robot said.

  “You’ve got a wicked sense of humor, Orisa,” Lúcio said.

  “Error 404: Sarcasm module not found,” Orisa said flatly.

  Lúcio snapped the supercharger’s case back together, then set it on one end.

  “Thanks for everything you’re doing to help,” Efi said to Lúcio. “The development has been a little bumpy, but I’m feeling good about things again, like maybe Orisa will one day become the hero Numbani deserves.”

  Lúcio shook his head. “Numbani already has the hero it needs, and her name is Efi.” He gestured at the crowd starting to mill around, staking out the best seats to catch Lúcio’s performance in front of the plaza’s rhino statue. “Hundreds of thousands of naira have been raised for the victims of Talon’s attacks, and that’s just from ticket sales. There are more donations coming in by the second. And none of this would be happening if it weren’t for you.”

  Efi was knocked speechless by the idea that she was a hero, but it had to be true. Lúcio had said it.

  She opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

  “What do you say we get this party started a little early?” Lúcio asked.

  Efi nodded. “Orisa, would you like to do the honors?”

  Orisa activated the supercharger, and the beat pulsed through them. It was intense, and within seconds, Efi could feel it in her chest, like a new, stronger heartbeat. The heartbeat of a hero.

  “Woo, you feel that?” Lúcio started bobbing his head. “Orisa, amp it up!”

  Orisa complied and the beat grew louder. Adrenaline flowed through Efi, and she suddenly felt like she could scale the rhino statue in front of them in three seconds flat. She felt like she could punch a hole in the sky. She felt like she could dance forever.

  Lúcio’s wide shoulders started swaying, and then, all three of them were moving to the beat of the supercharger. He reached behind his back, then with a quick tug and a flash of green light, he released his virtual turntables. Music pumped through his backpack speaker as he scratched beats. Orisa danced, too, shuffling her four legs and pumping her fist in the air.

  The dance didn’t last forever, but Efi would remember this amazing moment for the rest of her life. Each and every hair on Efi’s neck stood on end, and her senses were heightened. She was ready for the concert, for sure.

  “Looks like it’s good to go,” Lúcio said, tossing the supercharger back to Orisa. “We’ll talk more after the concert. Hope you like your seats. I picked the menu myself.” He gestured at a private balcony, set up with a buffet table lined with treats and a dozen chairs. Yeah, like they’d be sitting down for a single second of the performance.

  Then Lúcio took his leave, skating away, leaving Efi’s mind spinning. This was all too perfect! She got out her tablet and texted Hassana and Naade.

  Efi looked down as the crowd filtered in. They did seem to be understaffed, and with the event scheduled on such short notice, it was understandable.

  “Looks like we’re on usher duty,” Efi said to Orisa. “Let’s get people to their spots so everyone has a great time.”

  “Priority objective: maximum concert fun,” Orisa said. And together, they rushed down to the festival grounds. The streets were all blocked off from traffic, creating a makeshift amphitheater, and with the stage perched up on a high balcony, there wouldn’t be a bad seat in the house. Efi flashed her VIP pass at the security team, a mix of humans and omnics. One of the omnics scanned it and allowed Naade and Hassana through. Efi handed them their passes.

  Naade huffed. “It’s about time. I can’t believe you met Lúcio without us!”

  “Relax, you’ll see him after the concert. He can’t wait to meet you both.”

  “Really? He said that?” Naade’s feet had practically left the ground from excitement.

  “Well, not those exact words, but he did say that any friend of mine is a friend of his.”

  “So me and Lúcio are BFFs, is what you’re saying,” Naade agreed. “We go back. Way back. To that call last week, to be exact.”

  “Where are our seats?” Hassana asked.

  “Up there.” Efi pointed to the balcony.

  Their jaws dropped. “We’ll practically be sitting on his amps!” said Hassana, pointing at the collection of speakers, each of them nearly as big as Orisa.

  “Say good-bye to my eardrums,” Naade said, his grin nearly rabid. “This is the best day of my life.”

  “There are earplugs up there,” Efi said. “And snacks, too. Don’t eat them all, Naade.”

  “Any chance of nose plugs?” Hassana asked. “Naade went heavy on the cologne.”

  “Well, I’m not meeting Lúcio smelling like my dad’s gym bag.”

  “We’re at an outdoor concert. Everyone’s going to smell like your dad’s gym bag by the end of it.”

  Naade and Hassana continued bickering, but Efi noticed the crowd starting to swell. “You two go get comfortable. Orisa and I are going to help out down here a bit.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Naade said, tugging Hassana by the elbow. Hassana gave a worried glance back at Efi but went anyway.

  Then Orisa got to work. With her compassion module back in place, she was perfectly welcoming to all the fans. She asked if people needed help finding their seats, and if they did, she escorted them and made small talk. Everyone was excited to meet her, and she even signed some autographs and took pictures with people as well. At first, Efi followed nervously behind Orisa as she reunited parents with their lost child and cleared a path through the crowds for people with mobility devices. The robot never missed a beat, bowing and smiling and saying please and thank you. Orisa was the most polite and gracious robot Efi had ever seen. It was like watching her cr
eation grow up, right before her eyes. As the morning progressed, Efi’s nervousness faded, and she was confident enough that she could watch her robot from a distance.

  Finally, a few minutes before the show started, Efi and Orisa rushed back to their seats. Naade and Hassana were there, filling little plates up with tastes of Afro-Brazilian food. There was akarajé, peeled beans smashed into balls, deep fried, then topped with bits of shrimp—basically the same akara that Efi would stuff in her mouth at festivals. And acaçá, a very special food made of jellied corn flour wrapped up in banana leaves, was the same eko Efi often had with breakfast.

  “They’ve got puff puffs!” Naade said with two of them stuffed in his mouth.

  “I think that’s pão de queijo,” Efi said, though the small round cheese breads did appear similar to puff puff.

  “I don’t care. Still delicious,” said Naade, crumbs tumbling out of his mouth as he spoke.

  Efi smiled at her friend, then sighed. Sharing so much culture with Lúcio was definitely bittersweet.

  Dayo and Sam and Joké joined them on the balcony. Sam had gotten rapid-X heliotherapy on his broken leg, but he still had to wear the boot for a few more days until everything was completely set.

  “There they are! Our heroes of the hour!” Dayo said. Everyone applauded. Instead of being embarrassed for standing out, Efi was proud of what they had accomplished. Dayo pointed up at the stage. A miniature version of the Numbani skyline sat dwarfed by the real thing. They both were absolutely beautiful. “How does the set look?”

  “You did an amazing job,” Efi said. “I can’t wait to see your play. Are you nervous?”

  “Not at all. Everything’s going to be great. I can’t tell you how excited we are to finally get a chance to perform!”

  Orisa stepped forward and stood before Sam. “I am sorry for hurting you,” she said. “Is there anything I can do to make amends?”

  Sam grinned. “I choose to believe that the reason you shot at me was because I was the most convincing Doomfist anyone has ever seen.”

  “Yes,” Orisa said. “Yes, that is exactly it.” Apparently, her sarcasm module was working just fine.

  “Anyway, we’d better get onstage,” Dayo said with a shrug. “We just wanted to say hi! And thanks.”

  “You’ll do great. Break a—” Efi stopped herself. “Have fun up there,” she said instead.

  The crowd cheered when the actors took their places, chanting “Unity! Unity!” as Joké stepped forward and spoke into the mic.

  She pointed to the electronic meter to the right of the stage. “If you like what you see up here, if you’re enjoying yourself, please show your appreciation by donating. We’re trying to raise two hundred million naira to help the victims of Talon’s attacks. Every donation counts. There’s no amount too small … or too large for that matter!” Joké laughed. “Now, I’m pleased to finally present to you, our Unity Day play.”

  The play went off without a hitch, the entire audience hanging on to Dayo’s words as he read the Declaration of Unity. When he finished, the only dry eyes in the house belonged to omnics, but if they could have cried, they would have. There was no way anyone could watch that and not feel proud of being a part of Numbani. And Orisa didn’t even flinch when Sam stepped forward, dressed up in his Doomfist outfit. Finally, the actors took their bows, and the audience cheered. Efi was so proud of her cousin and drama friends.

  Then, to Efi’s surprise, Tonal Abyss walked onto the stage, her favorite omnic pop band from when she was a kid. The opening act had been kept a secret, and she was glad to see them, even if she’d outgrown their music.

  Constantine stepped forward from the group, holding hands with Gaxx Gator, then they raised their locked fists into the air in a unified motion. The crowd roared.

  “We have been moved by recent events,” Constantine said, “and with so many forces trying to drive us apart, Tonal Abyss decided that we can no longer let divisions within our group keep us from making awesome music.”

  “So we’ve settled on a new time measure,” said Gaxx Gator. “Quantum clock Numbani, in honor of the young inventor and her friends who’ve so diligently stood up to the menace trying to divide their city.”

  Naade grabbed Efi’s and Hassana’s hands. “Please be talking about us! Please be talking about us!” he chanted.

  “Efi Oladele,” said both Constantine and Gaxx Gator in unison, “could you and your friends please give us a little wave?” The enormous spotlight swiveled in Efi’s direction, completely bathing her vision in a harsh white light. She pulled her friends close, and they all waved in their best guess of the direction of the stage. “This song is dedicated to you. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

  The song started off with a monotone beat, and one by one, each of the thirty-eight omnic voices folded into the song, singing in a harmony that was so intense, it resonated through Efi’s bones. The audience loved it as well, and below, she could see thousands of people swiping donations on their tablets. Holographic coins tumbled through the air, rising like bubbles as they made their way toward the fundraiser thermometer. By their third song, the meter was hurtling toward the two-hundred-million-naira mark, and as the final chords played and the voices faded, it blasted right past it. They’d reached their goal already, and Lúcio hadn’t even performed yet!

  Moments later, a smoke bomb exploded on the stage—blue, purple, and hot-pink laser light erupting from it. Then the beat dropped.

  When the fog cleared, Lúcio was standing there at his turntable, and the crowd roared. He started to sway with the music, completely absorbed by the sound. Like it was alive. Efi wondered if Lúcio felt the same way about his music as she did about building and programming bots.

  “He’s playing ‘We Move Together as One’!” Naade shouted after the first two notes of the song.

  Efi let her head sway, her body sway. The beat completely took over her mind. Next to her, Orisa was doing the same, and Naade and Hassana, too, and beyond that, the whole entire audience was caught up in the hypnotic rhythm.

  Here Efi was in her favorite city, surrounded by her favorite friends including her favorite robot, watching her favorite artist perform her favorite song … and in just a few seconds, Lúcio would get to her favorite part of the song, right where the tempo switched up on you—that part that made your toes curl up and your skin go to goose flesh and your body become a rag doll.

  This …

  Part …

  Right …

  But instead, a high-pitched whine whistled from above the stage, followed by a column of blue light. The crowd cheered below, thinking it was another pyrotechnic display. The music kept going, but Efi could tell something was wrong. Lúcio looked all around, suddenly on high alert, and then his eyes locked with Efi’s. The light spread, forming a concentric pool at Lúcio’s feet. He leaped out of the way as the thunder of a deep laugh competed against the boom of the bass.

  And though Efi couldn’t see where it was coming from, she knew who it belonged to. It was a voice she could never forget.

  Doomfist.

  The skies crackled, and the hairs on Efi’s arms rose.

  “Orisa!” Efi screamed, but the robot was already on it.

  “Enemy detected. Establishing defense point,” she said, slinging out a shield in front of the crowd below as a blur descended from nowhere, the a streak of blue lightning catching Efi’s attention right before the entire stage was pounded. Orange electrical flames shot up from cracks breaking through the concrete. Chunks of rocky debris and metal shrapnel hit Orisa’s barrier, but it held firmly.

  When the smoke cleared, Doomfist was standing onstage, his massive arms outstretched, bidding the crowd to cheer for his epic entrance. The deep brown of his skin was painted over in white markings that honored the spirits. He had written his intentions of victory upon his skin as well, declaring that he was already the winner in a battle that had not yet begun. The panicked audience scrambled to get away from him, but the
y were crammed in too tightly, and escape was impossible.

  “Now where is my hero’s welcome?” Doomfist yelled into the crowd.

  “You are not a hero!” Efi called out. “And you are not welcome here!”

  Doomfist’s eyes cut toward Efi. “You test my patience,” he said, then blasted Orisa’s barrier several times with his hand cannon. Efi fought everything within herself not to flinch.

  Lúcio snuck up behind Doomfist and shot him with his sonic amplifier. A flurry of sound pulses slammed into Doomfist’s back and he went flying off the edge of the stage. Doomfist looked back and gave Lúcio a dirty grin before raising his gauntlet. As he fell, the people below pushed and shoved, crawling all over one another to get out of his way. Right as Doomfist landed, he slammed the ground with his gauntlet, sending out a seismic disturbance. The Earth trembled, and the screams intensified. Several of Doomfist’s lieutenants descended from the surrounding buildings, like sleeping gargoyles waking up, ready for battle.

  “We’ve got to get the people to safety,” Lúcio shouted up to the balcony. “Orisa, I can protect them with my sound barrier if you can distract Doomfist.”

  “Affirmative. Executing pre-combat routines. Optimizing strategy,” said Orisa, leaping down onto the stage beside him.

  “The audience will be protected from Doomfist, but what about the Talon soldiers?” Hassana asked. “Can Orisa take them? She hasn’t really had any combat training yet, has she?”

  “I’ve got you covered,” Lúcio said as he jumped over the railing, skates leaving trails of green light as he rode down the wall like he’d forgotten how gravity was supposed to work. He pushed his way toward the most vulnerable part of the crowd, those nearest to Doomfist. “Oh, let’s break it down!” he shouted as he activated his sound barrier, providing the audience with protection as they fled to safety. Then he aimed his sonic amplifier at nearby Talon agents and started firing.