(Content Warning: this chapter contains bigotry and violence!)

  Fnked by my two bodyguards, I send a text to Dana, filling her in with some of the details, as we board the grav-train to college. The sudden slew of religiously-motivated terror attacks has caused a noticeable drop in passengers, and we have almost the whole carriage to ourselves. The sounds of sirens are tearing the city apart, as the Enforcers are out in numbers, trying to restore order.

  Jared keeps his hands on his pockets, seemingly casual, but in easy reach for his weapon. Jeffrey keeps closer to me, and I get the distinct impression he’s acting like a human shield. My heart aches that these two guys are so willing to put their lives on the line for me, and without any hesitation, too.

  At college, I hand the data-files over to the principal, and, after getting confirmation, he reads them thoroughly several times. Looking up at me, he nods, trying to smile.

  “I see. So, you won’t be attending for some time. We’ll miss having you here, Miss Porter. I hope everything goes well and that you’ll be able to return safely. I’ll clear your absence with the faculty... Good luck with your medical procedures.”

  I thank him, the head to css. Jared and Jeffrey hover around me at all times, and I expin to my cssmates that I’ll be ‘taking a few months off’ for a vague and undisclosed reason, but that I should be back sooner or ter.

  The day passes steadily, and I start to forget that the Church of One is potentially pnning more atrocities. Then, on the grav-train… some guys, five of them, get on. They look kinda sketchy, and I get a bad feeling about them. There are so many empty seats they could take, but they instead choose to occupy the ones opposite us.

  They’re talking quietly, shooting looks at… at me. The leader, by sheer virtue of being the biggest and most tattoo-covered, leans forward, sneering.

  “You guys heard about the Church of One doing work out there today? They’ve already caused righteous chaos… and my boys and I think you guys might know where’s a good target for us to join in the fun. Whaddya say, ‘girly’? You wanna… tell us where your freaky mates are hiding? If ya do, we’ll make it quick…. Promise!”

  I can tell that, no matter what he says, he’s going to drag this out until he’s had enough entertainment. I shrink back in my seat, wishing that I had my spear or wings from Aegis Online. If I could fight like my in-game avatar… or fly away, I’d be okay…

  Jared steps between me and the biggest guy.

  “Whoa there, ‘friend’. I’d suggest you get off this train, right now, or I’m gonna have to make your face as messed-up as your attitude.”

  “Oh? And what’s a scrawny brat like you gonna do about it, huh?” the ringleader stands, looming a little over the slighter Jared. The Enforcer’s son smiles, then his fist flicks out, making full-contact with the big fel’s groin.

  “Sack-tap.” He comments calmly as the big guy doubles over a little in sudden pain. Before he can straighten, Jared’s knee comes up, smming into his nose and throwing him back in a welter of crimson. Spitting a gobbet of bloody phlegm, the ringleader hauls himself up and snarls, “Kill the two normal guys, grab the st one!”

  His cronies start crowding in, before Jeffrey’s fist crashes into one of them, as Jared starts going full-on kung-fu-movie-star. He’s quick, powerful, and devastatingly-precise, each blow nding with meaty thuds. Then, as he hops up onto the seat, he draws in a flicker of silver.

  Two guys rush him, and the gun in Jared’s hand snaps four times, the pair going down in tumbling heaps as two stun-rounds score direct hits on each. They’re not dead, but the powerful electroshock keeps them spasming and unable to get up as Jared nds on the floor, kicking them both unconscious with a single foot to the head.

  Jeffrey’s in a headlock, but his elbow’s smming repeatedly into the sor-plexus of the guy holding him as his buddy tries to close. Then, Jeffrey swings his entire body up and round, kicking the other guy in the chest and smming him back into the emergency window. The thug’s mass is more than enough to crack, shatter, and send the bastard through, as the grav-train passes over the hydroelectric pnt’s emission reservoirs. There’s a muffled spsh, and the guy headlocking my best friend lets go.

  “You fuckin’ asshole, you-!” Jeffrey’s fist cuts him off with a brutal uppercut, sending him to the floor of the train with a groan, before my best friend stomps on his head three times.

  The leader, who’d been nursing his broken nose and advancing on me, pauses, as if realising he’s miscalcuted the situation. He starts inching towards me, and Jared levels his gun at him. “Don’t even think about it, ‘friend’. You might think you’re quick, but I’m quicker, I can guaran-damn-tee it. Now, do you REALLY want a stun round to the crotch?”

  Jared’s gun aims a little lower, at a particurly-sensitive anatomical part, and the thug slowly raises his hands. Jeffrey, taking the initiative, picks up his college bag by the strap and swings it, HARD. The heavy bag sms into the back of the ringleader’s head, and he goes down like a felled tree. I let out a shuddering breath, and, as the grav-train pulls over at our station, Dana barges through the opening doors, a metal baseball bat in one hand.

  “What th’ feck happened here???”

  She asks, looking around at the several unconscious thugs. I shake my head. “They tried attacking me. They knew I’m trans, and wanted me to give up any information I had. Jared and Jeffrey beat them up. Can we get out of here? I want to go home…”

  Dana wraps her arm around me. “Yeah, yer mam filled me in on what’s happened. We’re gonna get you home and make sure you’re safe till yer pickup arrives. Guys, you’re with me, right?”

  Jared reloads, dropping the partially-spent magazine and sliding a fresh one home with a menacing click of metal-on-metal.

  He nods. “You know it. Jeffrey?”

  My childhood friend takes the bat from Dana. “Of course! Now, let’s move before these packages of blistering, sun-baked bitchmeat wake up and want to go for round two!”

  Dana snrrks at my friend’s colourful nguage choice, and we head back to my house as fast as we can. Houseworth’s ready by the door as we tumble in, and Jared fills my mum in, his calm, level tone keeping her from losing her mind. She nods when she sees I’m alright, and bustles around, making tea for everyone, more out of habit than necessity.

  Once everyone’s ensconced in a chair with a steaming mug, I head to my room to pack a couple of things. My game-chip for Aegis Online, as well as the data-stick containing my pod profile.

  Sitting on my bed, I fiddle with the Cddagh ring on my finger, turning it slowly round and round. Pocketing the game chip and data-stick, I get up and head back downstairs to rejoin my family and friends. I’m enveloped in hugs almost immediately, and then, just as I’m settling in, my phone rings. I struggle to extricate it and answer. Yaya’s voice fills my ear.

  “Kylie, I’ve just received confirmation that your transport is inbound, ETA 2 minutes. Does your home have rooftop access?”

  I blink, then nod. “Yeah, I can get to the rooftop, why?”

  Yaya stifles a giggle. “We’re sending an aircraft! Now, you’d better hurry! We want to make this quick. Your folks have a bug-out strategy in pce, right?”

  I turn to look at mum, who’s so close she can hear every word Yaya’s saying. She nods, and I pass the confirmation along. My therapist sighs. “Okay, great. Once you’re safely away, they should go to ground as soon as possible. I’ve got to go, but I’ll be in touch with you through VR as soon as I can. Stay safe!”

  Yaya hangs up, and I look around at everyone. Dana MacGregor, the girl who helped me realise the truth about myself, and the girl I fell in love with.

  Jeffrey Crosshead, the boy who’s been my best friend forever, the guy who’s supported and believed in me the whole way.

  Jared Walce, the boy who my best friend fell for and who’s been my protector today, along with the others.

  Houseworth, the Bound A.I who listened to me when I was trying to figure myself out, who kept my secret at risk of fracturing himself, and who’s been there almost my entire life.

  And my parents. The two people in this room who know me better than anyone else, the best parents I could ever ask for.

  They all stare back at me as I stand, brushing my skirt down. I clear my throat. “Well… it’s time for me to go. I’ll be back soon, but… I think you should all hide, if possible together. I don’t want to come back to find you’ve all been… all been hurt by those crazy religious assholes… I love all of you… so, SO damn much…”

  I choke up a little, then turn, trying not to cry, and head for the roof-access elevator, stepping in. As the doors swish closed, I pce a hand on the gss, watching the faces of the people I care about most disappear beneath me.

  I emerge onto the roof, the ft space dark as the lights flicker on around the city. The sound of a whining repulsor-lift engine draws near, and I step back as a small, tear-drop-shaped craft descends, the stubby muzzles of weapons jutting out from the cockpit. The pilot, visible through the bulletproof viewport, beckons frantically, as a round hatch slides open to let me in.

  I slip inside, and the hatch whispers closed, the repulsor-lift engine whining louder as the craft lifts off, and, in a blur of motion, we’re away, the roof of my home disappearing into the darkness, the Pilot bringing us up, up, out of range of anything the Church of One could bring to bear if they even knew what was happening. The speed we’re travelling at is startling, yet I can’t even feel the G-forces.

  The edge of Union City’s floating, man-made isnd drops away into deep ocean, and we’re cruising, our altitude rapidly dropping until we’re skimming over the waves, the inky water rippling around us as I try to figure out where in the heck we’re going. The pilot’s silent, leaving me alone with my thoughts. It’s hard to tell if they’re a male or female, since they haven’t spoken, and the flight-suit and full-helm conceals their features.

  A shape appears, far ahead, growing rger as we approach. It’s… another man-made isnd, far from anywhere else enough that getting here wouldn’t be easy. I can already see the tell-tale glint of weapons-empcements locking onto us. The pilot thumbs a switch and then taps out a code, slowing us down until it clears inspection. A muffled squawking comes from a speaker, and the pilot answers. I still can’t tell whether they’re a man or a woman.

  Apparently, whatever was said met with approval, because we pick up speed again, rising in order to clear the walls surrounding the isnd. Inside, there’s a wide expanse of grass, a rge-ish airfield with a quartet of aircraft identical to the one I’m riding in, all idling as they’re prepared for lift-off. There are armed guards everywhere, and they have dogs with them, too. Large dogs. As we come in to nd, two of the dogs trot closer, and I swallow.

  They’re not flesh-and-blood dogs like Feffer. They’re mechanical wolves, and, as I watch, a panel slides back on their bodies, between the shoulderbdes, and a short, powerful-looking machinegun emerges from each cyberwolf, swivelling as they take up guarding positions beside the craft.

  The pilot turns their head. “Here you are, miss. Welcome to Eden. Now, if you’ll disembark, I have more pickups to make tonight before everything gets worse out there.”

  I nod. “Good luck out there… and thanks for the ride.”

  I slip out of the craft, and the two cyberwolves fnk me as they lead me towards their handlers. Over by the wall, I spot something on top. A MUCH BIGGER cyberwolf, with two anti-air cannons mounted on its back. There are a dozen more of them that I can see, all prowling along the walls, intent on keeping intruders out.

  A woman in a doctor’s coat smiles at me as she hurries towards me.

  “Name, miss?”

  I swallow. “Kylie Porter, ma’am!”

  The doctor consults a tablet in her hand. “Porter, Porter… ah, Kylie Porter, attending Re-Spec! Yes, your paperwork’s all in order. Now, if you would please follow me inside, we can get you all sorted out and get your data-print and payment details!”

  Silently, I follow her, as I feel the first bubbling traces of excitement beginning to rise in my breast. I’m doing it, guys. I’m going to fast-track my transition!