SIX METAL PLATES

The contact opened with a short hiss, then brought Antônio's breathing, spaced out by the heat of the shelter. Ilva leaned in until the light of the panel reached her eyes. Five minutes and forty seconds were left. Did water get there, she asked. A collection order got here. Behind his voice, a transporter repeated destination, batch and temperature. Antônio turned the sensor. On the floor of the shelter there were six metal plates stacked, each crossed by fine channels. They had been released that morning to the datacenter consortium, with an incentive from the regional authority and priority over civilian cargo. They would replace imported parts in the cooling of the servers. The public discount had managed to make the thirst of the machines cheap. Antônio showed the sealed container by his foot. The inner mark remained below half. The road panel calculated insufficient water for the next stretch and, even so, kept the journey Ilva had confirmed. Come back, she said. The transporter interrupted the message. Domestic recipient located. Custody linked to the commercial address. Receipt mandatory in four minutes. In the bar, a luminous band took over the counter. The consortium had used the active thermal reading to classify the establishment as an auxiliary infrastructure point. The plates had to remain there for six hours, connected to the house's power for stabilisation. If Ilva refused, the kitchen would lose its provisional access and Antônio would answer for abandoning cargo. Célia set down the empty bowl. Nael moved away from the window. He's not even here, said Célia. He's in the thermal contract, answered Ilva. Outside, the delivery vehicle braked in front of the bar. Two articulated arms took a low box off the truck bed and left it by the door. The metal radiated heat even before it came in. Under the bank of units, three beetles lay with their wings open, caught in the mineral dust that covered the yard. The only grass still green bent toward the refrigerated duct, where inaccessible condensation darkened a strip of the plaster. Antônio heard the demand over the channel. If you accept, they cut your power, he said. If you refuse, they close your house. Don't confirm my return. The contact countdown dropped to two minutes. Ilva opened the door. Breno was accompanying the delivery because the utility company had assigned him to validate the cargo. He chewed the side of his mouth and held the terminal against his chest. Local stabilisation, he said. The datacenter takes over the consumption afterwards. How much does it use now. Four domestic units. The house had less than two. Breno read the discrepancy and lowered the terminal. The authority that had granted the incentive allowed the difference to be made up from the food reserve. If Ilva authenticated receipt with her face, the six units meant for restocking food would be converted into technical energy. On the panel, Antônio said something that the noise of the road cut off. Forty seconds were left. Ilva stared at the confirmation band. Then she ordered Breno to record absence of the holder and energy insufficiency. The cargo stays under block, he said. The family contact ends now. Antônio's voice vanished with seventeen seconds remaining. The arms left the box on the threshold. No one could move it until the review the next morning. The bar door stayed open only nine centimetres, not enough distance for Célia to pass and enough for the heat to come in. The kitchen kept its six units of food. Antônio kept the journey Ilva had ordered to go on. The new deadline appeared on the panel. By dawn, she would have to choose between receiving the plates or losing custody of the house.