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Tahim twirled around, watching excitedly as the hem of his new robe twisted in the created breeze, then looked behind him to watch as the tassels sewn onto the arms billowed behind him as he ran. 

Coming by new clothing was a rarity for Tahim; His family was not in poverty, few were in the city of Serennos , where Akin-FifCon-Teleray ASWS, the city’s caretaker, saw to it that everyone had at least a roof and something to eat if nothing more was available, but they were poor. Tahim knew this well, but it only bothered him when his mother became upset at lacking the means to have something nice and would frown and grow silent for some length of time. He wished they had a little more money then, to ease her aching hands and smooth her brow from worry.

But the previous night had marked the beginning of Eid al-Fitr. A great crowd had gathered in a courtyard at the center of the city, and Tahim’s mother had hoisted him up on her shoulders so that he could watch as Luna rose as a crescent into the night sky. Luna wasn’t their moon, of course; Akenos , the planet upon which Tahim’s home of Serennos had been established, was inconceivably far from the planet Earth, which Tahim had been informed Allah favored in the matters of timekeeping, and a large holographic projection had been cast into the cold night air as substitute. But by the enthusiasm of the people’s cheering, you would not be able to tell the difference.

And people were always a little more generous on Eid. Tahim’s mother had received some money from her sisters, and, on a recommendation from Akin-FifCon, who Tahim had never actually met but was told was always reliable in such matters, had purchased a new outfit for Tahim from an off-world trader.

She had shown it to him excitedly after they had eaten in the morning. Tahim really wished that she saved some more of the money for herself, but he became excited nonetheless. He was only seven, and it was difficult to contain his emotions for very long. 

And truly, the clothes were wonderful. Dark blue pants were worn under an orange garment with long sleeves and a skirt that fell over his knees. Yellow thread had been used to sew patterns of flowers across the cuffs and torso, as well as being tied into bright tassels that ran across the sleeves. A soft lining meant it would be warm in the coming colder months, and he had been given an orange knitted hat to match it.

The colors and patterns reminded Tahim of how the country surrounding Serennos looked during the bountiful season, when lichen the color of tangerines coated the ground and riverflags , waterside plants with long, multicolored petals, billowed in the mild winds.

But Eid had been late in Akenos’ seasonal cycle this year, and the bountiful season was ending, which made Tahim a little sad. The lichen had receded underground, leaving the ground beneath his feet a black, damp soil, and the riverflags had buried themselves below the river, colors muted in the dark water. The sky, its primary star moving far from the southern hemisphere of the planet where Serennos sat, was a dim pink, the many hundreds of other stars in the galaxy twinkling above even during the day, and the harsh winds that marked the unbountiful season were beginning to take form as the trees curled in on themselves to preserve their warmth. 

Tahim let out a loud, perhaps overly melancholy sigh as he looked around. Eid prayers had finished hours ago and, after a long sermon by the Mosque’s well-read but slightly forgetful Imam, Tahim was free to do as he wished for the rest of the day.

Theoretically, there were many things he could be doing. Serennos was bustling with plays, music, dancing, and games and parties that had been set up throughout the streets, any one of which Tahim would probably find entertaining. But it was also loud, and Tahim disliked the crowds and the confusion.

And so he wandered on the outskirts of the city, where older structures had been retaken by the planet. No one had lived there since well before Tahim was born, but he still had the hope of finding something interesting.

It was then that he heard the singing.

Not like the singing of the crowds in the city, now distant and muffled, but something more singular, like one voice.

Tahim, curious without trepidation in the way that only a child could be, followed the sound until it grew louder. It seemed to be playing from a speaker system active throughout the old buildings, clearly audible outside due to the decay of their walls and ceilings. Each speaker emitted its own part, ranging from bass to tenor to soprano, but all only one voice. It was difficult to describe, and Tahim couldn’t understand the words it spoke, but he still felt drawn to it.

He went further, to where the old city met the base of a large, rocky hill that held a series of broad, metal dishes and antennae pointing up towards the sky and shadowing the valley beneath them.

Tahim had only seen them from the other side of the plateau, where he and his mother lived, and fences and adults kept children from coming too close to the apparently important machines.

Here, though, the concrete shapes that held up the machines had open, unattended doors, and from within he could hear what sounded like strings and brass and perhaps a piano . Tahim loved pianos wholeheartedly, but they were not popular on Akenos, and if someone within the plateau had one he intended to see it. 

The music grew more complex as he entered, echoing against the walls of the large concrete chamber. Tahim couldn’t identify individual instruments anymore, but he had forgotten about that entirely. The song was unlike anything that he had heard in his short life. The instruments had an excited, almost delirious energy, and would sometimes curve in odd and impulsive directions, but when one did the entire noise of what was surely an orchestra followed them without missing a step. The choir must’ve had a dozen different roles, all strung together with dazzling unison and layering, but it was all somehow still the same one voice. Tahim decided that this person must be a talented singer indeed, and resolved also that if the choir was one person than they were very likely also manning the instruments.

Tahim expected the song to end at three separate points, but each time the song crescendoed it simply kept going with increased complexity, like the song had concluded but the artist didn’t quite wish to let go of the performance. It was only on the fourth time, when the musician managed to work together the last three crescendos into one, greater noise with the addition of several more brass instruments and what sounded like cannons, that the song fully concluded and the chamber was left in utter silence.

Tahim was silent for a moment, utterly stunned and unwilling to interrupt any surprise encore. 

When it became clear that there would be none, he rose from where he had been seated criss-cross on the floor and began clapping enthusiastically.

“Bravo! Bravo! Eid Mubarak, Maestro!” he called to the room at large.

“Oh!” called a voice, beautiful and steady even in surprise, echoing around the room. It was the same as the singer, Tahim knew. “I apologize, I didn’t see you there. Eid Mubarak, Citizen.”

Instantly, electric lights flicked to life on the edges of the room, very bright before being dimmed to a pleasant level.

“I am very sneaky,” Tahim lied, grinning, “But I should apologize if I startled you. Who were you singing to?”

“I thought I was alone, Citizen. People enjoy singing on Eid al-Fitr, and I also partake in such activities when I can. I had hoped that any obtrusive noises I made would be masked by the noises of the crowd, and that I would not upset anyone, though I see that I have failed in that regard.”

“You didn’t upset me! Your music was beautiful, I was glad to hear it!” Tahim rebutted quickly, hoping that he sounded earnest.

There was a short pause. “It has been a long time since I have had an audience. Thank you for such kind words, Citizen.” From the voice, it sounded like the musician was smiling.

Tahim nodded aggressively. “Of course, of course! But my name is Tahim, not Citizen.”

“Tahim…Oh, yes. You were Citizen Mariam once, but that was before you were born and she became your mother and you became yourself. I should have recognized you.”

Tahim, lacking a good reply to this, asked simply “And your name, musician?”

“I am the Akenos Fifth Continent Radio Telescope Array .”

Tahim blinked. “That is a very long name, Akenos Fifth Con-Consonant…Radio…”

“I have been called shortened titles, but I am unsure as to what they call me now. You may call me whatever you wish, Citizen Tahim.”

“Can I call you Radio, uh- ma’am?” Tahim asked, guessing at a polite title for someone that he could not see.

“Please do not bother with such things as that, Citizen Tahim. Radio is just fine, but I find titles of respect to be confusing and I have no gender.”

Tahim paused, confused. “That can happen?”

“For some beings, yes.” Radio answered calmly.

He paused for a moment. “How did you know that you lost it?” he asked, earnestly.

Radio was silent after that for a long moment. “I suppose the fact of the matter was that I never had it to begin with. But truly, I never missed it. One day I just determined that I did not want to have a gender anymore, and it was gone.”

“Wow…” Tahim sighed, leaning against one of the cold concrete walls. Today was truly an adventurous Eid, and he was hearing many new things that he had never heard before. “Where are you, anyways?” he asked suddenly, wanting equally to see someone with such a wonderful voice and someone who supposedly lacked any gender.

“I am here, Citizen Tahim.”

Tahim stood straight, turning around and glancing throughout the chamber. “I don’t see you, Radio.”

“That is because I have no body, Citizen Tahim.”

Tahim’s eyes widened, and he whispered “Are you a ghost?”

“I am not.” Radio replied evenly.

Tahim became fearful. “You are not a shaitan, are you?”

The light in the room seemed to grow brighter, and a calming string instrument began playing below Radio’s voice. “I am not a shaitan, Citizen Tahim, and I have not seen such a thing in my long life on Akenos.”

Tahim was calmed somewhat, but remained tense. “But you said you have no body-?”

“I must amend that statement. I have no body, meaning that I have no living, organic body like a person has. But I am not a spirit, either. But all that I am is contained within this building and its surrounding machinery. The speakers are how I make sound. I can see with the cameras around Serennos. I can think with the computers further inside this structure. I can…stargaze, with the dishes above.”

Tahim let the information roll through his mind, brow furrowed. “I don’t think I get it.”

With the sound of concrete grinding against concrete and squeaking, scratching metal a portion of the wall opened up, a little taller in height than a person, and Radio said “If you wish it, I can show you.”

Tahim nodded excitedly, hurrying through the new entrance.

The hallways of the central structure were long and branching, cluttered with pipes and valves, but a series of lights that raised and diminished in brightness as he followed illuminated where Radio wanted him to go.

The end of the route he had taken was marked by a large, metal door that squeaked open as he walked up to it.

Inside was yet another large, concrete chamber, the difference being that this one was filled with machinery. Large, metal boxes were pressed against any space that wouldn’t obstruct the doors, and thick, rubber cables obscured the ceiling. The whole room was humming with a low noise, interrupted only by quiet beeping from panels with dozens of switches and dials.

“This is my server room. It is comparable to a brain, more or less.” Radio said as Tahim turned slowly at the center of the room, then added “I would request that you avoid interacting with anything; I have been operating autonomously for several centuries and it would be preferable that I continue to do so.”

Tahim was lost for words for several minutes. He would’ve pressed at least a few buttons in any other situation, but being inside of someone else’s brain made it seem like a bad idea.

“So you really have no body besides this? I mean, you can’t move or anything?” He whispered, as it felt appropriate for the situation he found himself in.

“I can operate the two-hundred-and-twelve electric doors in Serennos, as well as the countless light fixtures and computer interfaces. I have several mechanical arms at my disposal, should I need them. But really, a human body would limit my ability to ensure the happiness of the citizens of Serennos.”

Tahim considered this. “But you can’t wear nice clothes.”

Radio was silent for a moment. “I cannot wear any clothes, Citizen Tahim, and I don’t expect that I will ever need to.”

Tahim was unsatisfied. “But what if you see something really pretty, and you can’t try it on? Or if you want to dress up for Eid but can’t?” he asked earnestly, eyes meeting a security camera in the corner of the room now that he knew Radio saw him through it.

“I have never seen a garment that is so beautiful as to make me envious, and as for my…recognition of Eid al-Fitr, it is done privately, and so I do not believe I would be expected to ‘dress’ for the occasion.”

“Well I’m here, aren’t I? So it’s not very private, is it?”

Radio intoned to speak, but then fell silent. Tahim took this as a sign that he had won the argument, and at once took to righting Radio’s sorry affairs.

He sighed dutifully, marching the perimeter of the room before stopping in front of what might work for his purposes.

“Does this do something important?” he asked, pointing at a short, rounded metal pole that arose from the concrete just before one of the tall machines.

“That is a bollard.”

“Is it an important bollard?”

There was another long pause. “I suppose it is not.”

Tahim nodded once, pulled his hat off of his head, carefully sat it on top of the pole, made a few minor adjustments, and then tied the tassels coming from the ear flaps into a serviceable bow at the front. He then stepped away from his work, dusting his hands off with a proud, “There!”

The light in that point of the room brightened slightly, as if under closer inspection.

“I do not mean to insult you, Citizen Tahim,” Radio said, voice in the same tone as it had always been, “But I do not see the purpose or the intent of what you have just done here.”

“You’re dressed up now, Radio!” he said, matter-of-factly. “Well, as best as I could do, there’s a lot of ‘you’, and I only had the one hat. You’re fancy enough for Eid, at least, but” he added, whispering at one of the tall machines conspiratorially, “if you need to go to a wedding, you should call me back and I can give you more of a makeover.”

“Oh.” Radio responded simply. The room seemed to grow quieter, and the light over the hat faded. Tahim’s brow furrowed, confidence evaporating as suddenly as it had appeared.

“I’m sorry if you don’t like it!” he said hastily, glancing back at the camera. “I have nuts, too, not the kind you eat, just from the woods, but you don’t really have a mouth- I would’ve brought a gift if I’d known I was going to run into someone, I’m really-”

“Citizen Tahim,” Radio interrupted, putting his stumbling to an end as he listened with rapt attention. “You have not acted insufficiently in any capacity. What I mean to say is that you are very kind to offer me this piece of clothing, and I was simply overcome for a moment. I would like to keep it, if you do not mind.” When Tahim nodded earnestly, Radio continued. “There is also a small, circular  indent on the control panel to your right. It was once an ashtray, but I would be grateful if you deposited those forest nuts in there.”

Tahim did as he was told, yawning into his elbow as he looked up at Radio. “What do you wanna do now?” he asked.

“I will continue maintaining the functions of the city,” Radio said, as the general electrical hums and beeps of the room began to come back to life. “You, on the other hand, should be returning to your home for bed during this hour.”

Tahim groaned. “Can’t we hang out at least a little longer? I’m not even tired!” he said, not wanting to whine to his new friend but equally not wanting to leave Radio’s company.

“You have many more days of Eid al-Fitr ahead of you in your life, Citizen Tahim, and, hopefully, I will be watching over many of them. You certainly brightened mine, this year. And, perhaps unfortunately for your adventurous spirit, I informed Citizen Mariam of your whereabouts approximately ten minutes ago, and she is now here.”

As if on cue, Tahim’s mother walked into the room through a door opposite to the one he had entered, shaking her head. Her dark, lined face was painted with tired exasperation, but she could not hide the amusement in her tone as she said “Tahim, oh, Tahim. You tell me you are off to play in the country and when I find you you are under-the-ground in Akin-FifCon-Teleray’s personal quarters.”

Tahim’s eyebrows raised in shock. “These are his quarters? But I haven’t seen him! It’s just been me and Radio!” he exclaimed, pointing to the camera.

Tahim’s mother raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching as she followed his indication.

“You and-? Oh, my boy, my boy!” Any attempt at seriousness broke as she began to shake with loud, slightly wheezy laughter, and she had to clutch at her light blue hijab to steady her breathing as she wiped a tear from her eye.

“Come here, Tahim, come here,” she said, pulling a bewildered Tahim to her side and looking up before saying, “Sometimes I think you take some kind of pride in confusing small children, Akin-Fifcon. And Eid Mubarak to you.”

“I assure you that it is simply that I do not keep track of what the current generation refers to me as,” Radio replied. “And Eid Mubarak, Citizen Mariam.”

Tahim’s eyes widened. “Wait- the whole time- but you didn’t tell me! I would’ve been more polite! I wouldn’t of ever asked if you were a shaitan!” Tahim said hurriedly, and even as his mother began to pull him away she laughed uproariously. 

“You were perfectly polite, Citizen Tahim. I will say, I was beginning to question if you would find your way down here one day.”

“You were?” Tahim asked, turning back as the lights in the room began to dim and his mother guided him through the exit.

“Of course,” Radio, or Akin-FifCon-Teleway, Akenos Fifth Continent Radio Telescope Array, or any of the other hundred names it had been called in its long life, said with undetectably fondness. “After all, Citizen Mariam discovered me when she was six.”