快猫短视频

The low November light swept in under the clouds and flooded the wall of windows with golden light. Inez Townsend tilted her head away from the glittering sea water outside the Harpa concert hall and hoped that the reporters thought she looked interested, not squinty. She had agonized over what to wear to her first press conference and finally settled on standard concert attire, a simple black tunic, but had given a nod to her new home in Iceland by swapping a pair of knee-high black boots and leggings for her usual pumps.

The audience was a mix of high-level donors and journalists. It was easy to tell them apart, and not just because the journalists had lens augments glinting from their foreheads like third eyes, but the donors sipped champagne and wore natural fibers that made all the printed fabrics seem stiff and flat. Thank God her dress was cotton.

Next to her, S贸ld铆s Vilhj谩lmsdottir was effortlessly glamorous, with her silver curls tumbling around her face as if she鈥檇 just woken up from a tryst with Odin. The Chief Conductor and Artistic Director for the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra was tall and slender and had lines that made her face seem more interesting with every one of her seventy-six years. Just sitting next to her made Inez feel like her life was finally taking off.

All she had to do now was not remind anyone that she was all of twenty-two and the least experienced person in the room.

鈥淗ere, yes, we are happy to introduce to you the results of our competition for emerging voices.鈥� Her voice had the breathy Icelandic aspiration at the ends of each word as if the wind were snatching extra sound from between her teeth. 鈥淔irst, please meet our new composer in residence, Ragnhildur Leifsdottir. Ragnhildur is an Icelandic composer, of course, who had studied at the Royal College of Music in London before returning here. She has already had success in Europe with her work, Autumn Concerto. Tell them what you have written for us.'鈥�

鈥淚t is structured in three movements, and it is for orchestra and solo piano with twelve fingers鈥�

On her far side, Ragnhildur blushed and studied her hands, twiddling her thumb augments with obvious nerves. Her blond hair was pulled back in a bun so severe that the little tendril in the front looked like a comma. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an orchestral piece with solo piano 鈥撯��

S贸ld铆s moved the microphone closer to Ragnhildur and Inez made a note to speak up when it was her turn.

Clearing her throat, Ragnhildur started again. 鈥淚t is called Einhverfj枚ll, which for those of you without augments, translates to 鈥楽ome Mountains.鈥� It is structured in three movements, Svartur or 鈥楤lack,鈥� Bl谩r or 鈥楤lue鈥� and Lj贸s or 鈥楲ight,鈥� and it is for orchestra and solo piano with twelve fingers.鈥�

Inez twitched, almost bodily turning to stare at Ragnhildur. Twelve fingers. That meant augments. Inez didn鈥檛 have augments. Augments were the unholy in the sight of God- No. No, she knew lots of good people with augments and-

S贸ld铆s turned to look at her. With effort Inez kept her smile fixed and was grateful that the conductor had been turned away when Ragnhildur had said twelve fingers. But seriously. To just announce that without asking her?

鈥淣ow, please allow me to introduce our pianist, Inez Townsend, an American pianist here on scholarship to the Iceland Academy of the Arts. Inez has been a finalist in the Van Cliburn competition, and she鈥檚 been playing professionally since the age of thirteen. We especially picked her from a field of many other pianists because her approach to the piano seemed to pair naturally with Ragnhildur鈥檚 vision.鈥�

Except for the part about twelve fingers. Inez鈥檚 smile felt frozen to rigidity as S贸ld铆s turned the microphone to her. 鈥淭hank you so much. I鈥檓 excited to be here.鈥� They could talk about it later. Questioning her conductor in front of donors and the journalists wouldn鈥檛 win her any friends. 鈥淩agnhildur鈥檚 other work is stunning and I鈥檓 honored to be invited to play this debut.鈥�

The rest of the news conference passed in a blur of smiles and questions. The clouds scudded past Mt Esja, dimming the sun on the water to a bearable level, but an ache started to form between her eyes. Twelve fingers.

鈥淭hank you all for your questions. We look forward to showing you our work in the spring.鈥� S贸ld铆s pushed back from the table, standing with a smile. She lowered her voice and beckoned Ragnhildur and Inez to follow her. 鈥淣ow, we have champagne and I introduce you to people.鈥�

Inez鈥檚 phone buzzed on her wrist. She looked down, keenly aware in this moment that if she were a normal person, she鈥檇 have a jewelphone in her ear. A jewelphone wasn鈥檛 a real augment and yet she鈥檇 never been able to bring herself to have that fight with her parents.

Which was who was calling. She tapped it off, knowing what they were going to say.

鈥淪omething?鈥� S贸ld铆s stood next to her, with her head tilted to the side as she peered through her grey curls.

鈥淗m? No. No.鈥� But maybe she could get them to make a change. 鈥淎ctually鈥� well. Yes. The twelve fingers. That鈥� that was a surprise.鈥�

鈥淔or me as well. But it is exciting, yes?鈥�

鈥淲ell. But鈥� I mean, is it really necessary? To have twelve fingers, I mean.鈥�

S贸ld铆s steered her a little away from the table where they鈥檇 been for the press conference, leading her to face the windows so that their backs were to the room. 鈥淚s it a problem?鈥�

Yes, of course it was a problem. Inez didn鈥檛 even have pierced ears, much less any sort of augmentation. But her heart started to push against her ribs and the large room seemed to tighten around her.

Leaning down, S贸ld铆s鈥檚 lips were pursed as she studied Inez. 鈥淵ou ask if it is necessary. Surely you are not suggesting that we suppress Ragnhildur鈥檚 vision.鈥�

鈥淣o. No, of course not.鈥� She swallowed and sweat beaded at the back of her neck under her hair. 鈥淚 was just surprised. It鈥檚鈥� it鈥檚 not something that I鈥檓 entirely comfortable with.鈥�

鈥淚 can see this troubles you.鈥� Straightening, S贸ld铆s faced the water, fingers steepled in front of her as if she were contemplating a score. 鈥淗ere is my thinking鈥� If you feel strongly that this is something you do not wish to do, we will not, of course, force you. You can return the money and we can award it to one of the runners-up.鈥�

鈥淥h. I didn鈥檛 mean鈥� I just wish that someone had asked.鈥�

鈥淵es. Of course鈥� Of course, I also wish that you had mentioned in your interviews that you had some parameters under which you would not work.鈥�

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 say that.鈥� The pain between her eyes crept around to her temple. She couldn鈥檛 afford to return the money. And even if she could, the grant came with a visa and she needed that. She needed this whole thing as a stepping stone to get citizenship in Iceland. She swallowed and tried again. 鈥淭he fact is that I don鈥檛 have robotic thumbs and I鈥� I can鈥檛 afford them. Not anything that you could play a concert with.鈥�

Beaming, S贸ld铆s spread her hands. 鈥淚s that the only obstacle? But of course, we will provide them. We have a sponsor and you will have the very best quality thumbs.鈥�

鈥淕reat.鈥� Inez鈥檚 smile probably looked as ill as the sweat slicking her back. 鈥淭hat solves everything.鈥�

Except her family.

#

Inez was crouching in front of her apartment鈥檚 tiny refrigerator with a bag of groceries on the floor when her phone rang. Her parents. Sighing, she tucked the skyr into an empty spot next to the ab-mj贸lk. There was only so long she could avoid her folks.

She transferred the call to the kitchen鈥檚 wall screen. 鈥淗i, Mom and Dad.鈥�

鈥淗i pumpkin!鈥� Her father鈥檚 cheery voice made her shoulders relax. 鈥淲hat are you doing down there?鈥�

鈥淧utting away groceries.鈥� She slid the frozen plokkfiskur into the even tinier freezer cubby.

鈥淪how me your hands.鈥� Her mother鈥檚 voice sounded crisp and monied and was complete artifice. It was the 鈥淚鈥檓 very angry voice.鈥�

鈥淵es, of course it was a problem. Inez didn鈥檛 even have pierced ears, much less any sort of augmentation鈥�

鈥淪eriously?鈥� Inez swiveled on her heels, peering up at the screen her parents were on. She lifted her hands and waved at them. Ten fingers total and only two of them were thumbs. 鈥淗appy?鈥�

鈥淣o. I am not happy.鈥� Her mother shook her head. 鈥淚 told your grandmother to watch that news conference. The only thing saving us is that she was at bingo this morning. Twelve fingers! Do you have any idea what that would have done to her?鈥�

鈥淪arah鈥︹�� Her dad put his hand on her mom鈥檚 and leaned toward the camera. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just confused. Twelve fingers鈥� Is that like four hands. A second pianist plays with you or鈥� What does that mean, exactly?鈥�

She stood up, dragging the bag of groceries with her. She wasn鈥檛 going to look up like a child to have this conversation with them. 鈥淪olo piano. The piece requires thumb augments.鈥�

He sighed. 鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed to hear that.鈥�

Inez winced and put the bag on the counter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like it鈥檚 a permanent augment. It鈥檚 just temporary.鈥�

True and also, to really hit professional performance levels, she was going to have to wear them 24/7. They would have to become completely natural to her. She pulled the granola out of the bag and set it on the counter.

Next to the thumbs. The box was out of the line of sight of the wall unit, but she still pushed it farther back so her parents couldn鈥檛 see it.

鈥淪weetheart, you know that isn鈥檛 the problem.鈥�

Inez shook her head and opened the cabinet to put away the small jar of peanut butter she鈥檇 found at the health food store. No one in this country willingly ate the stuff and it was outrageously expensive, but it reminded her of home. 鈥淗ow different is this, really, from wearing glasses?鈥�

Not that she鈥檇 put the thumbs on yet. She鈥檇 had them for two days and they just hung out on her counter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not the same at all.鈥� Her mother leaned forward. 鈥淎ugments rewrite your brain.鈥�

鈥淩eally?鈥� She paused with a box of pasta in one hand and stared at the camera. 鈥淣ow you鈥檙e using science to make your arguments.鈥�

Her father was an engineer so that wasn鈥檛 entirely fair and his sigh said as much. 鈥淓verything rewrites the brain. That plasticity is what makes it good at learning. You鈥檝e spent your entire life learning to play the piano and neither your mother nor I could do more than Chopsticks. And that鈥檚 because your brain has been rewired to pla-鈥� His image froze with his mouth half open as the internet blipped.鈥� -can鈥檛 play without them.鈥�

鈥淵ou froze for a moment.鈥�

He grimaced. 鈥淪orry. We鈥檝e been having brownouts all day.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 the electric cars.鈥� Her mother shook her head. 鈥淭hey keep promising to upgrade the infrastructure in our neighborhood, but鈥︹��

鈥淏ut everyone gets home from work and they all plug their cars in at the same time.鈥� Her dad shrugged. 鈥淧rogress.鈥�

鈥淚 get it. But I鈥檝e also read that your brain flips back to normal after about two weeks of not using an augment.鈥�

鈥淩eally.鈥� Her mother looked dubious. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what I鈥檝e seen.鈥�

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 aware of your vast experience with augmented people.鈥�

鈥淲hen people join the church, they stop using augments. So yes, I do have experience with augmented people and their transition back to their natural gifts.鈥� Her voice had gone icy, which meant that they were one sentence away from 鈥渄on鈥檛 get snippy with me, young lady.鈥� 鈥淭here is nothing that-鈥�

She froze mid-sentence, mouth twisted to the side and one eye half closed. Inez kept putting groceries away, waiting for her parents to start moving again.

The brownouts reminded her that this fellowship wasn鈥檛 just about the music. Iceland, with its geothermal power, never had brownouts. It had beautiful clean air and a universal living wage and socialized medicine and all the things that her home might have had but chose not to. Well, maybe not the geothermal. But windfarms could have been a thing. This wasn鈥檛 just about her career. If she could get citizenship in Iceland then she could serve as an anchor to bring her parents over.

The screen went dark. Call lost.

鈥淚nside lay two robotic thumbs chased in silver and deep blue-green like the sun glinting on the Atlantic鈥�

She sighed and tucked the shopping bag back into its elastic pocket to make a tidy ball for the next shopping trip. Sighing again, she grabbed the box from the counter and went into her living room where the piano was. Two pages of Einhverfj枚ll were sitting on the piano. Ragnhildur was still writing the rest, but S脫ld铆s had slipped her these two pages as a sort of temptation or promise.

Even on the page, even as a sketch, it was already beautiful. It should be something that filled her with delight, but she felt trapped into playing it. They should have asked her. Biting her lower lip, Inez pushed the piano bench back with her foot and sat down. The first notes dropped down like scattered rain on stone, clear and beautiful and not quite random. Then from the left hand a gust of wind pushed up into-

She didn鈥檛 have enough fingers.

The missing notes left aching holes in the music. Fine. Fine. She grabbed the box and broke the seal on the edges. Inside, in beautiful pristine white board, lay two robotic thumbs chased in silver and deep blue-green like the sun glinting on the Atlantic. A pair of transmitters lay next to them in a flat, discreet black with a geckoskin adhesive on the surface. Those would go on her ankles.

She knew that much from having seen colleagues use them in college to extend their reach. Wetting her lips, she pulled out the instruction manual and started skimming it. There were details and there was the quick start.

For now, that would do.

Inez tugged her woolen socks down and grabbed the left ankle sensor. She placed the flat sensor on the inside of her ankle, over the bone, where it would get signals sent to her big toe. The geckoskin adjusted and hugged against her ankle like the second skin it was designed to be. The other sensor went to the matching spot on her right ankle. Both felt like manacles and she had to resist the urge to kick them off. She鈥檇 get used to the sensation.

The thumbs went on with a similar patch, but also included a structural band that went around her wrist as a safety. The deep blue was a shocking contrast to her hand. Would it be better if it matched her skin tone?

Did the obvious artifice make it more offensive or less.

She wasn鈥檛 sure and she wasn鈥檛 sure that it actually mattered. She had to learn to use them, regardless of how she felt. She touched the tips of the thumbs together and activated them.

They twitched and then waited, inert, next to the rest of her fingers. According to the quick start, she just had to move her big toe and they would respond accordingly. Concentrating, Inez tried to flex her toe. The right thumb moved.

The gorge rose in the back of her throat. Her chest tightened.

This was fine. She let out her breath. This wasn鈥檛 any different from eyeglasses or a pacemaker, all of which were totally normal things. This was just a small, temporary augment.

Carefully, she touched the thumb to each fingertip on her right hand and then tried the same on her left. It was slow and awkward, but she managed it. Theoretically, the AI on board would calibrate as she went about her day, learning what ordinary movements were from her.

She looked back at the sheet music and set her hands on the piano. The geckoskin squeezed as she rested the thumbs against the specific keys giving her haptic feedback of the contact. Wetting her lips, she tried to play a scale with this new extra spread.

Her notes were slow and clumsy as if she were four again. Under her twelve fingers, the piano had become a strange landscape. The notes on the page of Einhverfj枚ll seemed even farther out of reach. Before she鈥檇 just been missing a few notes. Now she couldn鈥檛 play at all.

The phone rang. Her parents again.

Inez ground her teeth together and ignored the phone. She started playing a scale. Twelve fingers. One at a time.

#

The cafe in Harpa was bright and cozy, even on dark days. As the calendar tipped into December, only about five hours of daylight remained and Inez tried to make certain she got daylight for at least some of them. The Christmas tree was up on the plaza outside Harpa and the lights reflected on the angled panes of the large windows. She stared past it toward the city, holding her cup of cocoa with her augmented thumb and palm while she stirred it idly with her natural thumb and index finger.

鈥淗allo!鈥� Ragnhildur stopped on the broad stairs by the cafe table and held up a steaming cup. 鈥淚 see we have the same idea.鈥�

鈥淲indowless studios are good for concentration but鈥� I was getting a little fuzzy-headed.鈥� Inez pushed back from the table and accidentally flexed her toe.

The mug dropped from her grasp, hitting the edge of the table and shattering. Cocoa went everywhere. She gasped as the hot liquid soaked her skirt. Her hands were clumsy as she tried to pull the cloth away from her skin.

Ragnhildur had danced back to avoid getting splashed and now darted forward, grabbing a napkin from the table. 鈥淗ere! Can I help? Are you hurt?鈥�

鈥淔ine.鈥� She held the fabric away from her legs and dabbed at it with the napkin, which soaked through immediately. 鈥淔ine. It wasn鈥檛 that hot.鈥�

Her cheeks were probably hotter than the coffee at this point.

鈥淲e all drop things.鈥� But Ragnhildur鈥檚 gaze had drifted to the thumbs.

鈥淵es, but this was so stupid.鈥� Inez wanted to reassure her that this was an aberration. 鈥淎ll I had to do was keep my toe curled when I stood. It didn鈥檛 even need to be tightly curled, just not flexed.鈥�

鈥淚 know.鈥� She held up her hand, which had thumb augments that moved as naturally as if they were a part of her body. 鈥淚f鈥� I might be able to rework the piece. I know you weren鈥檛 comfor-鈥�

鈥淣o.鈥� She let the sodden cloth drop and straightened. 鈥淒on鈥檛. I鈥檒l be ready when you finish writing it.鈥�

#

The main concert hall in Harpa was vast and lined with blood-red panels. The windows at the top of the seaward wall were dark oblongs of night. Inez shifted from one foot to the other while the orchestra tuned on stage. It was a familiar space. The murmur of the audience could have been in any language and still woven the same spell of anticipation.

鈥淗er notes were slow and clumsy. Under her twelve fingers, the piano had become a strange landscape鈥�

S贸ld铆s stopped beside her, resplendent in her white tie and tails. Her mop of silver curls was brushed back from her face in a smooth coif that would shake free with her energy over the course of the evening. 鈥淵ou must introduce me to your parents after. I did not see them during the pre-show reception.鈥�

鈥淭hey aren鈥檛 here.鈥� She stared straight ahead at the bright stage.

Beside her, she could feel S贸ld铆s turn to regard her, probably with an eyebrow raised. 鈥淧lease tell me that we did not neglect to tell you of our arrangement with Icelandair.鈥�

鈥淣o. We鈥檙e鈥� No, they just decided not to come.鈥� It was just as well. She would have felt them judging her all night and the week beforehand. And on all the phone calls that she had stopped taking.

鈥淗m.鈥� She faced front again. 鈥淎re you ready?鈥�

鈥渊别蝉.鈥�

With a nod, S贸ld铆s Vilhj谩lmsdottir strode onto the stage and her orchestra rose. The audience applauded their respects as she walked to center stage and bowed. Then she turned and held out her hand to the wings.

To Inez.

Head high, Inez walked the distance to her piano. The audience clapped, but not with the warmth of the welcome they gave to S贸ld铆s. It was generous and appropriate and nothing more than that. They didn鈥檛 know her.

Nodding to S贸ld铆s, Inez sat at her piano and looked past the ebony wood into the darkness of the concert hall. The glow from the stage just picked out the front row. Ragnhildur sat, with her elbows on her knees, leaning toward the light of the stage. It was her music they played tonight, but she wasn鈥檛 up here. She had to trust S贸ld铆s and the orchestra and Inez.

That鈥� that was who she was playing for tonight.

Inez poised her hands over the keyboard, thumbs of her left hand spread to play that first gust of wind. She looked up to meet her conductor鈥檚 eyes and nodded that she was ready. The tempo counted in and her right hand let rain fall.

#

Flushed, trembling after an encore 鈥� an encore! 鈥� Inez closed the door of her dressing room and leaned against it. The music was still filling her bloodstream and pounding through the small bones in her wrists. They hadn鈥檛 planned for an encore, but the audience had kept applauding Ragnhildur鈥檚 work. That last movement, played again, with Ragnhildur on stage, surrounded by the music and carried into the light of the Lj贸s movement, which went from sunrise to the shifting eddies of the Northern Lights.

She wanted to play it again.

Right now. Exhausted and exhilarated, she wanted to play it again.

On the dressing table, her wrist phone rang. Even from here, she could see her parents鈥� photo on the screen. She closed her eyes. They called after every performance. Letting out a breath, she opened her eyes and crossed the room. Swiping the phone, she sent the call onto the dressing room鈥檚 wall screen.

鈥淗i Mom and Dad. Sorry that I haven鈥檛鈥� Sorry.鈥�

They were beaming at the camera. Her mother leaned in close. 鈥淣o, I鈥檓 sorry. We should have been there for you but, well鈥� we weren鈥檛 sure you wanted us.鈥�

鈥淏ut we watched the stream!鈥� Her dad pointed at the camera but probably meant their wall screen. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so, so proud of you.鈥�

鈥淪ix curtain calls! And an encore!鈥� Her mother clapped her hands together and held them in front of her face in an almost prayer. 鈥淵ou were just鈥� just splendid tonight.鈥�

Her chest filled as the last remnants of distress ebbed away. 鈥淭hanks!鈥� They should have been here. 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry that I kept missing your calls. The time zones and rehearsal schedules鈥︹��

Her dad waved away her lies. 鈥淵ou needed to concentrate. I get it.鈥� He tilted his head to the side and cleared his throat. 鈥淪o鈥� do you have to keep wearing them?鈥�

The warmth in her chest went cold. She opened her mouth to say that they had performances on the next three weekends. And also鈥� she鈥檇 had the thumbs off to take showers. The five minutes it would take to have this call with her parents would be less time that that.

鈥淭he music was still filling her bloodstream and pounding through the small bones in her wrists鈥�

鈥淪ure. I can take them off.鈥� She used her right thumbs to undo the strap on the left but getting the other one off was weird and clumsy. 鈥淪o. There鈥檚 apparently a deal with Icelandair. Do you want to come out for one of the other weekends?鈥�

鈥淥h, that would be lovely. If we won鈥檛 be in the way.鈥�

She shook her head, rubbing the bare spot where the thumb should be. 鈥淲e can do the Golden Circle.鈥� But she would have the thumbs on. 鈥淥r maybe when we鈥檙e done with this run? Then I won鈥檛 have anything to pull me away.鈥�

鈥淔antastic!鈥� Her dad seemed to understand what she wasn鈥檛 saying. That she would have the thumbs on for most of their visit. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 even better.鈥�

鈥淲ell, you go on now. I鈥檓 sure there are people who want to talk to you. We just wanted you to know that we were proud. Even if-鈥� Her mother checked herself. 鈥淲e were proud of you.鈥�

Her heart was full and heavy with a sort of yearning to be with her parents and a relief that they were not, in fact, here. Not yet. But when she applied for citizenship, this performance tonight would help.

When she got off the call, Inez rested her hands on the piano in her dressing room. The keys felt unfamiliar and her hand placement was weird and off. She rolled up an arpeggio and it was okay not having the left thumb, but the right鈥� it felt like a note was missing. As if she had to stretch in ways that she should not.

Which was exactly what her parents had warned her about.

They were right. She had rewired her brain. Playing the piano now without the thumbs would feel like a loss.

Someone rapped on her door. She wiped her eyes 鈥� not because she was actually crying but just that she was over-emotional after the performance. 鈥淐ome in?鈥�

Ragnhildur stuck her head around the door. 鈥淗ello favorite person! S贸ld铆s is taking us out to celebrate. With the benefactors.鈥� A tendril of her blonde hair had escaped its bun. 鈥淵ou are coming. Yes? There is talk of The Future which, I am not certain what it means, exactly, but I am certain that the immediate future involves very good cocktails at a very good club.鈥�

鈥淎bsolutely. Just give me a minute to grab my things.鈥� She grinned at the other woman. 鈥淰ery good cocktails sounds like exactly the thing.鈥�

鈥淛ust don鈥檛 spill it!鈥�

鈥淗a!鈥� She turned to the dressing table and picked up one of the thumbs. 鈥淚 won鈥檛.鈥�

Inez put her thumbs back where they should be and went to find out what the future held in its twelve-fingered hands.