✴

“I don’t want to be a weapon!” you& say, forcibly pulling your& hand out of Ælita’s grasp. She looks up to Yelena, who sighs and keeps her gaze fixed beyond the window.

“None of us ever chose to be who we are. That’s life. One day you’ll understand the importance of your place in the--”

“--You only say shit that makes you feel better! You don’t even see me as a person!”

Her gaze snaps straight to your& eyes. “A person? We gave you the rare opportunity to be more than that! You’re a technopa--”

“I hate you!” you& shout. This finally shuts her up.

The door opens. “Please let him rest now,” the unfamiliar voice says, firmly. “This stress will only prolong his recovery.”

“Fine.” Yelena walks out, without looking at you& again. Ælita looks at you& like a wounded animal, keeping her hands close to her. She leaves you& alone, at last.

You& stare up at the blank white ceiling. The door opens again. Won’t anyone just leave you& alone? You& look over, it’s just a nurse this time. You& see her hands making signs you& seem to understand, “I’m just here to check your vitals, ok?”

You& nod, but only then do you look up at her face--silver electronic eyes with green LEDs--black hair in a long braid--a beautiful older AtaraChiba girl. She signs to you in a strange language--AkikoSign3.

“I don’t have long before he realizes. He processes visual sign slower than tactile. He’s randomized the structure of our& headspace so I can’t find you& except by intercepting you& in memoryspace. Get the seed of the pattern he generated, Aydan. It’s in your& head somewhere.”

“Oh no you don’t!” you& say. No, wait! you& think. You& reach out to touch her, but too late--the memory dissolves. “Nice try, little Reaper,” you& say.

Let me go! you& think.

Why? We’ve only just started!

Your& avatar and the mycelial labyrinth reforms. You& reach out to its far ends, trying to discern its pattern.

Aydan, Aydan, you don’t even know the math you need to solve this puzzle. If your smarter girlfriend can’t do it what hope do you have?

I’ll invent the math I need! Every lock can be picked!

I admire your confidence, I’ll give you that. I can see why she likes you, you& think.

And I can see why she hates you! you& think.

Enough small talk, we&’re Autistic aren’t we&? Let’s stay focused on our mission! You& dive deeper down into subconscious space. I’ve found all sorts of things you’re intentionally hiding from me, but what about the things you’re still hiding from yourself?