Here in the Moon’s shadow, you see the stars like you haven’t seen them in months. Their pale light fills your little compartment, with the cabin lights off. The arm of your galaxy drifts by your little circular window as you...
“Both my moms are what just you’d expect from corpo-girlboss-types,” you say. “After all the work they put in building their little Femmepire of Redshift Security, they could hardly contain their disappointment at having produced a ‘male’ child against...
“...After my implant, so I can easily slip in and out of the æther as needed. There’s no hurry,” you say.
“Sensible. Wouldn’t want to be trip sitting you in the middle of that place,” Synth says. “I’ll be in touch next week, then. Have a good break,...
You approach Natali with a friendly wave. “Hey, I’m home.”
“Welcome back to the Moon,” she says. “Wow Aydan, you’re absolutely glowing. Those implants are putting work in!”
“Aw, thanks. I feel great,” you say.
“How’s space treating you?” she says.
“I...
“Good, my first semester of training went well and I aced my mid-term exam,” you say.
“Excellent. Just what I want to hear,” Yelena says.
“Great job, Aydan,” Ælita says.
They’re being a little too encouraging. You know better than to let your guard...
“And what’s in it for me if I cooperate peacefully?” you say.
Yelena halfway smiles at this. “A fair question. Though I don’t know what more we can give you than a home, tuition, and a good secure job for the rest of your life.”
“That all benefits...
2254-08-01 20:02:42 Aydan > hey, you out there?
2254-08-01 20:02:43 ÆON > I am always out here, Aydan.
2254-08-01 20:02:48 Aydan > right, right
2254-08-01 20:02:56 Aydan > I’m at my parents’ house. I guess that doesn’t really mean much to you.
2254-08-01...
2254-08-02
Elevator doors open at the top floor of the Красный Гигант Финансы™ building, tallest skyscraper in the central dome of Korolev City. The expo center here is in a wide circular loft stretching out beyond the edge of the tapering tower....
Approaching unknown girls in strange places has never yet failed you. You sit down across from her. She looks up at you for a second, then back down at nothing.
“Здрасьте,” you say.
A public key exchange request appears in your vision. She glances...
2254-08-02 18:10:36 Aydan > sure, maybe we can hack someone and cause some chaos
2254-08-02 18:10:42 Électricité > I like the way you think
You get up to make a circle through the hallway between the corporate displays. Across the room you find the main...
You decide to trust the Electrical System, a more experienced technopath than you who probably won’t destroy Korolev City as a joke. You signal your interface to suppress the fear response in your mind and stay calm
In a few second, the missile diverts...
“I was watching. This is what happened,” you say. “Whoever was flying the missile completely lost control. It was on a direct trajectory to this very building, they nearly killed us all! Luckily Trisha here noticed what was happening and quickly...
“Okay, sure, I’ll take the challenge,” you say.
“Of course,” Yelena says. “I’ll go tell Iruma-san.”
Your parents go up to the stage. You go the other way to the refreshments, away from them.
You pour yourself some water. They’d probably be mad if...
2254-08-02 18:32:30 Aydan > sure, anything to get me through this. is it anything like ketamine or dextromethorphan?
2254-08-02 18:32:39 Électricité > nah it’s nowhere near that fun, and won’t get you ætherside
They fill up the shot glass half way and...
2254-08-02 18:38:59 Aydan > they want something theatrical I guess, we could make it egregiously homoerotic and make the cissies real uncomfortable?
2254-08-02 18:39:07 Électricité > Aydan...
2254-08-02 18:39:10 Électricité > that’s a really good idea
Ælit...
If you don’t do something you’ll end up disarmed without resistance, a humiliating defeat. While she awaits your response, you kiss her instead. In that instant, you feel instability in her defenses. You take her hand and pull it away from your neck....
2254-08-02 18:47:49 Aydan > maybe...there’s a girl I like. but then also there's... well, it's complicated
2254-08-02 18:47:55 Électricité > aww that’s nice, I hope
Putting that to words for the first time makes you feel something unusual--a kind of...