The G. M. Os. - 10. Chapter 10 - The Mutant

Chapter 10
Ship Clock 262143
Willamina (Willy) 91-561b
The Mutant

“I was talking to Sister today,” Willy said. As usual, they were sitting on Lee’s bed, naked; and, as usual, Willy’s arm was across Lee’s shoulders. They were sixteen and a hundred forty years away from leaving the orphanage when they were eighteen.

“What about? Are you having trouble with your lessons, again? You seem to be doing good in class or is it the lessons on the module that are giving you problems, again.”

“No, I’m doing okay in school, in fact, Sister complimented me on improving in my module grades,” Willy said. She would have to tell the only person in the world that she loved and the person she hoped to spend the rest of her life with, but that was now impossible and Lee had to know. “She said that because I’m a mutant I probably won’t be able to leave Saint Piddle’s.”

“But, you said you loved me.”

“Lee, that’s the other thing that Sister told me,” Willy said. It was coming and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. “You see, she knows we love each other, even though we haven’t told her and we haven’t done anything outside of this room, but that isn’t the problem. Lee, we’re going to have to stop being with each other. I’m going to have to stay here at Saint Piddle’s. I have a trade, but there’s nowhere on the ship I’ll be able to live and do that job. I’m sorry, Lee, but we’re going to have to move into separate rooms.”

“No! Sister can’t do that to us. We’ve been together since we were eleven. I’m going to go back to the clinic next month to get my new breasts. I’ll need you when I come back. I know what! I’m going to talk to Sister tomorrow. She can’t do this to us. I love you Willy.”

“Lee, I don’t like this either, but Sister said it would be easier if we break up now, while we’re still young.”

“No! I can’t live with another girl. I’m going to tell that to Sister. I’ll make her understand. She has to understand how I feel. I’m going to a commune when I’m eighteen and you’ll come with me. That’s how it’s going to be, Willy. That’s what I’m going to tell Sister.”

“Lee, please, this isn’t easy on me either,” Willy said. She cried for the longest time and Sister didn’t try to stop her. It was only after she realized the truth of the matter that she was a mutant and would not be welcome on the outside. Yes, she would have to become a sister in the convent and continue to live here; and, Lee couldn’t stay with her. That was what Sister said. Mother wouldn’t let the two of them live together in the convent. Willy didn’t like it, but she accepted that now was the best time to break up with Lee.

“No, Willy, I’m going to talk to Sister and make her understand.”

And that was what happened the following day at the lunch hour. Instead of eating she went to Sister Angelina’s office in the convent. She stood outside the door for a moment before knocking.

“Yes?” Lee heard from inside. She opened the door and asked, “Sister, can I speak to you?”

“Come in, Lee, I was expecting you. Have a seat. Do you want me to call Willy? It might make this easier.”

“No, I want to talk to you, first, if I can. You know that Willy and I are in love. We’ve been this way since we were twelve and I don’t want to give her up just because she might not be able to go out into the ship and find a place to live and work. But, you see Sister, she might be able to come with me when I leave at eighteen and go to a commune to raise flowers, roses, and shrubs. She can help me weeding the rows and getting the plants ready for shipment to the cities. We won’t have to breakup; we’ll be able to stay together. I know we can.”

“And, how do you know that, Lee? The two of you might not be able to live together there. They might have restrictions on two women living together, just as they might not let two men live together.”

“Men? You mean men can feel for each other like Willy and I do?”

“Of course, Lee, but that doesn’t change the fact that you might not be able to go there. And, Willy certainly doesn’t know anything about raising plants like you do. Plus, they might not be interested in having someone who wants to raise those kinds of plants. Maybe, you’ll have to either stay here; or, maybe you’ll find a place where you can raise plants.”

“Sister?”

“Yes.”

“What if I sent them a message through the modules? Maybe I’ll find a commune that wants someone who can raise plants. Maybe they will let Willy and I live together. Maybe Willy won’t have to stay here. Maybe they won’t care that Willy is a mutant.”

“That’s an awful lot of maybes, Lee. Do you know which ring has a commune that raises flowers? Do you know which commune on that particular ring is the one you want, one that will allow you and Willy to live together?”

“Sister, I can research this. I know I can find out where it is. Sister, I don’t want to have to leave Willy. We mean too much to each other to have to live apart, now. Sister, I promise if they won’t accept me because I want to raise plants or won’t accept Willy because she’s a mutant, I will let you break us up. Sister, can I contact the bots, maybe they’ll know.”

“Lee, I’d rather you didn’t send any messages their way, but I will let you do all the research you can to find a commune that will accept you and Willy to raise plants. Okay? In the meantime, I’ll let you stay together. But, if you find out they have any restrictions, you’ll have to decide if you will stay here or go out into the ship on your own. If you stay here, you’ll have to breakup. Mother won’t let you be together as lovers. Do you agree to those terms?”

“Okay, Sister, but I’ll find out and I’ll set it up so we can go there.”

“Okay, Lee do your research and, now, you’d best get along to class. When you get there tell the instructor that I want to see Willy. Will you do that?”

“Oh, yes, Sister, and thank you for being so understanding,” Lee said and stood up to go. “And, Sister, I promise to breakup with Willy if this doesn’t work out.”

Willy stood outside Sister Angelina’s door and opened it without knocking. She asked, “You wanted to see men, Sister?”

“Come in, Willy, and have a seat. You know, Willy, you’re supposed to knock first and get my permission to come into my room, don’t you remember?”

“Yes, Sister Angelina, I’m sorry, I was just thinking you might have changed your mind about Lee and me breaking up,” Willy said, fully expecting to be told to bend over and take a swat. It had been over five years since she’d received her last swat, but you never knew what Sister was thinking.

“Willy, I should make you take a swat or two, but I won’t, not this time. Next time you do it, well, I’m sure you know what will happen.”

“Yes, Sister, I won’t do it again.”

“Now, I’ve just spoken with Lee and she’s going to find out if there is a place where she can go to raise flowers, roses, and shrubs, and take you with her. She promised if she can’t find such a place, she’ll willingly breakup with you. Willy, you’ll have to live with that possibility. I would prefer that you two breakup now, but I’ll let you stay together until Lee finds her answer. I told her she can’t take any shortcuts like contacting the bots, so this might take a while; plus, we’ll have to set up her surgeries after the High Holidays. That will take some time, too. Now, go on back to class and remember to knock next time.”

“Oh, thank you Sister for being so understanding; and, I promise to knock, next time,” Willy said and stood up to leave. “Thank you, again, Sister Angelina.”

“That’s my good little girl, now get to class,” Sister said.

********

“What are you doing, taking your clothes off now?” Lee asked.

“I want to lay down with you for a short while before you go take your shower,” Willy said. She didn’t know exactly why she wanted to do this, but it seemed appropriate since Sister gave them permission to continue living together.

“Well, okay, but I don’t want to do anything.”

“Anything, what?” Willy asked. What would they do? They weren’t old enough to do whatever it was that Lee was afraid of doing.

“My mother told me things when I was little, before I came here. I asked her what sex was. I’d read about it in that book I was reading, but I wanted to know what it was all about. Didn’t your stepmother tell you, things?”

“Lee, I didn’t have a mother, I came right here after being released from the child rearing service,” Willy said. Maybe, all of this with Lee would have been different if she had a mother who would tell her things, things that Lee was afraid of.

“Oh, I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t know.”

“I’m sorry because I thought you knew. I’ll tell you about it when we’re older.”

“We’ll have to love each other a lot before we do what my mother told me.”

“Lee, now I want to know. You can’t leave it at that, not now that Sister is letting us live together until you find us a place to go,” Willy said. But, maybe she didn’t want to know. She knew enough about all of this love stuff might lead to something else, but what? She lay down on her side and scooted over to the wall. Lee was looking at her; strange like, but she just patted the bed in front of her. Lee hesitantly lay down and turned on her side. She put her hand in front of Willy’s face and touched her lips with a finger. Willy had no idea what was happening, but she felt something inside, a weird tingling sensation that was more of a thought than a feeling. It was as if her mind tickled. She put her hand over and touched Lee’s lips with a finger. There was that tingling sensation, again.

Later, Lee sat up and said, “I have to go take my shower, then you can have it.”

Willy watched her girlfriend walk into the bathroom and shut her eyes. She thought about what had happened over the past hour and realized that nothing strange or uncomfortable occurred. It was if they had done something natural, but they hadn’t done anything, except, for the first time, kiss a little and touch. It was the touching that gave Willy the tingling sensation. She hoped Lee was having that experience, too, because it felt so good. One thing she was certain of, though, was this really, really meant they were in love. Their bodies belonged to the other, now. That was certain; and, she hoped Lee would find someplace where they could live together.

“Willy, you can have the shower, now,” Lee said as she walked out the door. “I’ll wait for you.”

Willy went in, turned on the shower, and got in. She scrubbed her hair, ran the loofah across her back, and soaped up her front and down there, front and back. Then turned around and rinsed all over. She looked down at her legs and realized they needed to be cleaned, too. No shortcuts, even though she was in a hurry. She wanted to get back out there and be with Lee. After getting out and drying off, she went to the sink and hurriedly cleaned her teeth. She was done, except for that small pimple on her nose. She grabbed the brush, soaped it, and lightly scrubbed around the pimple. She bent over and rinsed her face, dried it, gave herself one last look over, and walked out the door. Lee was sitting on her bed, naked, and Willy went over and sat beside her.

“You certainly finished quicker than usual,” Lee said. “Did you clean everything?”

“Yes, I wanted to be out here with you, at least a little bit, before we go to bed,” Willy said. She put her arm across Lee’s shoulders and her girlfriend leaned over against Willy. “I liked what we did.”

“I liked it, too.”

“Do you think we’ll do that, again, sometime?”

“Yes, every night, if you want to.”

“If it’s something we like, we should do it more. Can I kiss you?”

Lee turned her head and their lips softly met. This was still tentative and each girl wanted it to stay this way. Willy knew there had to be something else to this thing that Lee called sex, but wasn’t certain she wanted to go that far, right now. What they had done and were doing now, was enough to keep that tingling going. Though, now, they were going to have to be extra careful not to do anything that might make the other girls suspicious something was going on between her and Lee.

Lee broke the kiss and seemed to look at her knees. Not really knowing what she was doing, Willy put her hand on the back of Lee’s head and turned it toward her. They lightly kissed, again, and Willy felt Lee’s hand on her leg, sending that tingling sensation direct into her mind like a flash of lightening. She broke the kiss and turned away. “No, not now, not like this,” she said.

“I know what to do. My mother told me.”

“No, I don’t want to spoil it, not now that it’s special,” Willy said. She stood up, went to her bed, pulled back the covers, and sat down. She looked at Lee and immediately knew that Lee felt hurt by her action. So, she went back and sat beside Lee. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what to do, and don’t know if I want to do that. Lee, we have something special right now and I don’t want to do anything else. Maybe, later, when we’re older. Kiss goodnight?”

Lee turned to Willy who saw the tears on her face. She kissed Lee and, then, went back to her bed and said, “I’m sorry Lee. I know you want more, but I don’t, not yet. Can we wait?”

“Okay, we’ll wait. But, don’t worry; I know what to do to make it special for you.”

********

Lee entered “RINGS; COMMUNES;” into the module and waited for a list to appear. She was shocked to see a list of all eight rings and all the communes on those rings. She couldn’t really tell anything about the communes listed, except one commune on Ring 5 had an asterisk beside it. None of the other had that notation. She clicked on it and she started to read:

EDEN COMMUNE ON RING 5 IS THE ONLY INCLUSIVE COMMUNE ON HERCULES III. ALL MACHOS WERE REMOVED IN 262080 AND 262081; NONE WERE PERMITTED ENTRY TO THE COMMUNE SINCE THEN. THE COMMUNE MANAGER, FREDERICA 72-893B, IS A FEMALE HOMOSEXUAL, AS IS THE WOMAN SHE LIVES WITH; THERE ARE 8 OTHER FEMALE HOMOSEXUALS LIVING IN VARIOUS COMBINATIONS AND SITUATIONS. THERE ARE 12 MALE HOMOSEXUALS LIVING IN VARIOUS COMBINATION AND SITUATIONS. THERE ARE 3 MUTANTS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF MUTATION LEVELS.

CURRENTLY (A/O 262120), THERE ARE 24 260 HECTARE FARMS, 28 16 HECTARE FARMS, TOTALING 6,688 HECTARES; RAISING FRUIT, VEGETABLES, GRAINS, NITROGEN FIXING CROPS, BEEFALOS, HOGS, AND CHICKENS.

PER HECTARE PRODUCTION EXCEEDS ALL OTHER COMMUNES ON HERCULES III.

CONTACT EDEN COMMUNE AT ECOM 99X-6445C-4. . . .

Lee read it over and over until she finally calmed down. Sister assumed it was going to take years to find a place for her and Willy, but all she had to do was contact this commune and see if they would accept them. She entered:

LI 32-413F; SPMCOS 32D-8983C-3

ECOM 99X-6445C-4

GREETINGS . . .

I AM AN AGE 16 (289 YRS) RESIDENT AND STUDENT AT SAINT PIDDLE OF THE MOORS ORPHANAGE AND SCHOOL ON RING 3. I AM LOOKING FOR A COMMUNE WHERE I CAN LIVE WITH MY “CLOSE” FRIEND (MUTANT LEVEL 1). I HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH GROWING AND TENDING FLOWERS, ROSES, AND VARIOUS TYPES OF SHRUBS AND TREES. I AM QUALIFIED AS A LEVEL 3 HYBRIDIZER OF ROSES AND FLOWERING SHRUBS.

WE WILL BE 18 IN 140 YEARS AND ELIGIBLE TO LEAVE THE ORPHANAGE. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR A LIVING SITUATION WHERE WE CAN LIVE TOGETHER AS WIFE/WIFE. I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE MARKET. WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT ANY SIZE OF FARM TO RAISE OUR CROPS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

LEE . . .

She hit send, turned off the module and stood up. With an audible sigh, she turned around and silly with excitement that maybe she had found the commune where she and Willy could go to live and work, walked out of the convent message room. She wanted to tell Sister, but knew it would be better if she received word from the commune first.

********

“Frederica, we just received a message from a resident at an orphanage that I think you should read,” Theodora, Freddy’s latest receptionist, said into the intercom.

Freddy opened the file and began to read; four things stuck out: sixteen-year-old girls, a mutant, desiring to live as wives, and a possible new market. Was it desirable for the commune to get into the ornamental horticulture market, to whatever monetary future lay there? That would be her primary concern. The other thing would be whether she could get the girls out here sooner than when they reached eighteen. First, she needed to contact the bot marketing agent and see what the ornamental horticulture market looked like and if it was advantageous for the commune to set up a new farm of unknown size. It might be nice to have some flowers around the commune; they certainly would brighten the place. She turned to her module and entered:

FREDERICA 72-893B; ECOM 99X-6445C-4

BMA5 05C-0005M-7

HAVE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM A POSSIBLE NEW RESIDENT LOOKING TO RAISE ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. WHAT IS THE MARKET FOR FLOWERS, ROSES, SHRUBS AND TREES? WOULD IT BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR EDEN COMMUNE TO GET INTO THAT LINE OF BUSINESS? HOW MANY HECTARES WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A MARKETABLE PRODUCT? THERE WILL BE TWO NEW RESIDENTS. ALTHOUGH THEY ARE CURRENTLY UNDER THE AGE OF MAJORITY, THERE MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY TO BRING THEM ON IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

PLEASE ADVISE

FREDERICA 72-893B

Well, that was that. There was nothing she could do until the bots responded; but, unexpectedly a message came in:

BMA5 05C-0005M-7

ECOM 99X-6445C-4; FREDERICA 72-893B

ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE MARKET HAS ROOM FOR ANY COMMUNE DESIROUS OF ENTERING THAT MARKET. CURRENTLY NO COMMUNE IS IN THAT LINE OF BUSINESS.

IF EDEN COMMUNE WANTS TO GET INTO MARKET A FARM SIZE OF 16 HECTARES OR GREATER WILL BE PROFITABLE. LARGER THE SIZE GREATER THE PROFIT. AS COMMUNES HAVE LOW COST AND OVER 95% OF PRODUCTION GOES TO MARKET THAT WILL INCREASE PROFIT; THEREBY MAKING AVAILABLE MORE CREDITS TO THE COMMUNE AS A WHOLE.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO ACQUIRE NEW RESIDENTS AT EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME. IF AT LEAST ONE NEW RESIDENT IS AT LEAST A LEVEL 3 HYBRIDIZER, THAT WILL INCREASE POSSIBILITY OF GREATER PROFIT.

IF YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE IN ACQUIRING NEW RESIDENTS, PLEASE ADVISE.

BMA5 05C-0005M-7. . . .

Well, that certainly answered that question. Now, all she had to do was get in contact with that orphanage. She entered:

FREDERICA 72-893B; ECOM 99X-6445C-4

SPMCOS 32D-8983C-3

GREETINGS

I RECEIVED A MESSAGE TODAY FROM A RESIDENT AND STUDENT (LI 32-413F) AT YOUR FACILITY WHO IS LOOKING FOR A PLACEMENT AT EDEN COMMUNE AS A GROWER AND HYBRIDIZER OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS.

WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT IN THAT LINE OF BUSINESS; HOWEVER, HAVING CONTACTED BOT MARKETING, WE ARE DESIROUS OF ENTERING THAT MARKET DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGH PROFITS AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNE AS A WHOLE.

THE MESSAGE WE RECEIVED INDICATES SHE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR DEPARTURE FROM YOUR FACILITY FOR 140 YEARS. PLUS, THERE WAS AN INDICATION THIS PLACEMENT WILL ALSO NEED TO ACCOMMODATE ANOTHER RESIDENT (MUTANT). SINCE WE ARE DESIROUS OF GETTING INTO THIS MARKET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN AFFECT AN EARLY RELEASE FROM YOUR FACILITY? WE ARE AN INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATION WE WELCOME ALL HUMANS (EXCEPT FOR MACHOS).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

FREDERICA 72-893B

She hit send and went out to the reception area. “Theodora, I might be receiving a message from that orphanage, please forward it to my portable. You know, you’ve been with us for two years now; do you happen to have a nickname? Theodora sounds so formal.”

“Frederica, you can call me Theo. That’s what my parents called me after my brother died when we were ten from an accident with one of the farm bots, or at least that’s what it said. Dadi wanted it replaced with a new one because he didn’t believe it was an accident. Theo was a rather obnoxious boy and did everything he could do to bother the bots, which is why Dadi thought it killed Theo. Bot security came out and replaced the whole contingent with newer versions.”

“Oh, Theo, I’m sorry to hear that,” Frederica said.

“Oh, that’s alright, like I said he was obnoxious and not only to the bots. Frederica, I’ll be on the lookout for that message. Are you going out to the orchard and ranch to talk to the girls about these two?”

“You know, that’s a good idea. If we can get those two girls out here early, they’ll have to live apart until they’re at least seventeen. But, at least they’ll be close. That’s all we’ll be able to offer.”

********

“Sister Angelina, did you know Lee was looking for a commune to live on after she leaves us and wishes to take Willy with her?” Mother Superior asked. She didn’t sound mad, which was lucky for Sister Angelina.

“Yes, Mother, but did you receive a message from a commune, today?” Sister asked. She was certain it would’ve taken Lee at least a couple years to find a place for her, but a placement for her and Willy? That was incredible.

“Yes, Sister, we did receive a message and I checked on this Eden Commune, as they call themselves, and they’ll willingly take both girls,” Mother said. “The rub is they want them out there on Ring 5 as soon as we can release them. How soon do you think that would be possible?”

“Well, Lee has her surgery coming up next month after the High Holidays, then there is time for recuperation, and then, well, I guess we could let them go,” Sister said. To imagine, in two months both girls could be out of here and both of them mutants. Of course, Lee would have to continue taking her medicine, so that would be an expense that would need to be considered. They’d have to let that commune know about that.

“I tell you what, why don’t we send Lee down to the clinic right now, before the holidays and then they can depart by the end of Janus. I’d rather not keep them around until the end of Stefaneti. Yes, let’s expedite this move. I’ll contact the commune; you set things up with the clinic. I’m sure they will feel a lot better being out of here and being together for the rest of their lives. Oh, I think it might be best if you let the girls know what we’re doing. Think so?”

“Oh, yes, Mother, they’ll be very, very happy about this,” Sister Angelina said. So, out of here by the end of Janus, that would definitely be good news for the girls, but first she would have to contact the clinic. One thing about this, though, was Lee was only going to need only one surgery for new breasts, since she and Willy were going to be together, Lee wouldn’t require a vagina.

Mother Superior sat at her module, thinking what she was going to say; then started typing:

MS ELIZABETH 89-112D; SPMCOS 32D-8983C-3

ECOM 99X-6445C-4; FREDERICA 72-893B

GREETINGS . . . IN GOD WE TRUST

THE GIRLS WILL BE AVAILABLE NO LATER THAN THE END OF STEFANETI AT THE LATEST; POSSIBLY AT THE END OF JANUS. THIS IS DUE TO LEE (LI 32-413F) REQUIRING SURGERY TO REPAIR HER MUTATION. AS WILLY IS A LEVEL 1 MUTANT, SHE WILL NOT REQUIRE SURGERY. ALSO, LEE IS ON MEDICATION TO ALLEVIATE THE MINIMAL PROCESSES OF HER OVARIES FROM HER MUTATION.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING BOTH GIRLS TO A LIVING SITUATION THAT WILL BE MORE TO THEIR LIKING. THEY ARE VERY MUCH IN LOVE AND WE HOPE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO THE END OF THEIR LIVES.

THANK YOU FOR ADVISING ME OF THIS SITUATION.

YOURS IN GOD

MS ELIZABETH

She hit send and sat back in her chair. Finally, the orphanage would be rid of those two perverts.

Theodora looked at the screen and sent the message to Frederica’s mobile module. She looked at the message, again. MS ELIZABETH, Mother Superior at Saint Piddle of the Moors Orphanage and School; how she had hated that place, especially having to stay there until she was eighteen. Now, two girls were getting out of there early. She was looking forward to meeting them, even though they were obviously lesbians. They were a little young, but she had had sex with a boy when she was barely seventeen. It was during a school visit to Central City and he was a bellhop at their hotel. It was a hurried affair and not at all enjoyable; and, now, she wished she had waited. At least, here at the commune she had met a young man, named Beau, who lived in one of the dormitories. He was nice and they planned to get married when he moved up to a sixteen hectare farm of his own. She would continue working here at the office, but help out at the farm on her days off. It was definitely love and they hadn’t done anything to prove that.

Her module dinged; it was a message from Frederica telling her to send a message back to that MS person saying that she, Theodora, would handle the arrangements for the transfer from their location to the commune. She thought about doing that; could she be civil with Mother Superior Elizabeth? Maybe, just maybe, she would message Frederica back, saying as a former resident of that place she couldn’t possibly deal with helping the girls move here. No, she was an adult and let bygones be bygones, it was high time to leave that past behind, including the memory of what those new farm bots had done to her parents. Luckily, she was visiting a friend and didn’t discover the tragedy until the girl’s father brought her back home. They saw all the farm bots slicing up her parents. It was a horrible memory that still invaded her thoughts whenever she ran into a bot.

********

The omnibus landed in the parking area in front of the commune office and by the time the girls stepped down from their seats, the driver had already placed their luggage onto the pavement. They looked around as the omnibus slowly rose into the air and turned down-ring toward Central City. It had taken a lot of work, but Theodora finally convinced the bots that Willy needed a direct flight from the orphanage to the commune because the degree of her mutation.

An older woman, around the age of Sister Angelina, came out of the office and walked down to where the girls were standing. She said, “Hi, I’m Frederica, I manage the commune. And, you are?”

“I’m Willy,” she said. “This is Lee. We’re happy to be here.”

“I expected the women who will be providing the two of you rooms to be here by now, but they seem to have been delayed.”

“Rooms? I said we wanted to live together,” Lee said.

“I’m sorry, but the bots will not provide a separate residence for two girls under the age of seventeen; and, there aren’t rooms available for you to live together, but the residences are next to each other, so you’ll be close. I realize this is probably a burden, but we can’t go against bot rules.”

“Yes, I understand,” Willy said. “I’ve lived my whole life under bot rules. Lee, you, too, have had your own trouble with the bots.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to think about that. Okay, we’ll accept the living conditions. We might not like it, but like you said, uh, Frederica, bot rules are bot rules.”

“Oh, where are they? I guess I’d better send them a message and find out what’s keeping them. Move your luggage over by the office in case a farmer comes in here and wants to land there. Probably won’t happen, but one never knows here at the commune. Come on inside, I’ll introduce you to Theodora, she arranged your flight.”

Willy looked around, but didn’t see anyone else. It was just Frederica, Lee, and her. She wondered what living here was going to be like, at least until they were seventeen and would be able to get their own residence. They followed Frederica into the office and saw a young woman sitting behind a desk. She smiled.

“You must be Willy,” Theodora said.

“Why, because I’m a mutant?” Willy asked. She was sure she wasn’t going to like this woman and looked forward to never having to come down to this place ever again.

“No, I didn’t mean that, I just, well, you know you’re so strikingly different from everyone else,” Theodora said, blushing.

“Yes, I’m different and that’s why Lee went to the trouble to find a place where I could live without humans staring at me, like you’re doing. Lee, maybe I should’ve stayed back at Saint Piddles.”

“I’m sorry for upsetting you, but speaking of Saint Piddle, I’m a graduate, but I had to stay until I was eighteen.”

Willy didn’t say anything more. It was the same as growing up at Saint Piddles and having to deal with a new girl who couldn’t stop staring. She wanted to leave, but obviously that wasn’t possible right now. She would have to stay here and let that woman get used to looking at a Level 1 mutant. How could she think that saying she was at Saint Piddles might make a difference? Willy wished she could open her abdomen and show that women she didn’t have a womb because the bots took it out because she was a mutant.

The sound of a cruiser landing in the parking lot filled the air and soon a young boy came in followed by an older boy who limped.

“Hi, Freddy, they sent me and Roger down because everyone was setting up the grill for the barbecue,” the boy said. “Hi, I’m Abe, me and Roger live across the road from where you’ll be living. Is that your luggage outside?”

“Yes,” Lee said.

Willy looked at them thinking they must be homosexuals, another societal defect. She wondered what they called themselves. Certainly not homosexuals, she and Lee were lesbians, but what did they prefer being called. Maybe she would ask that Roger guy, who seemed quieter than Abe, but there was something wrong with his eye and that hand and arm looked strange in the way they just seemed to hang from his body. At least, neither of them was staring at her. Lee was lucky, her mutation was all inside.

“Willy, they’re ready to go,” Lee said.

Willy looked at Lee and turned toward the door. She walked out slowly still upset about this Theodora woman staring at her. Yes, she was different, but did that mean everyone had to stare so much. She remembered back when Lee first arrived, she stared, too.

She went down the steps and climbed up into the cruiser. Lee was sitting up front with Abe, so Willy had to sit next to Roger. She smiled and sat down.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare, but your mutation is so dramatic,” Roger said.

“Your disabilities are dramatic, too.”

“I was beaten by a macho and received brain damage, my whole left side doesn’t work too well.”

“I was born this way,” Willy said. She smiled and thought, so there mister broken body.

“I said I was sorry,” Roger said. He looked sad and Willy knew she’d gone too far.

“I’m sorry, too, but I’ve had to live with my mutation for all my life.”

“I’m going to have to live with this the rest of my life and I’m only eighteen.”

“I’m sorry,” Willy said. Well, she was. She couldn’t imagine having to live that way. What would she do with her life? “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what?”

“Lee and I are lesbians, do you refer to yourselves by a different word than, well, homosexuals?”

“And, what makes you think we’re homosexuals?”

“Well, Abe said you and he live across the road from where we’re going to be living, I just assumed you lived together,” Willy said. They weren’t getting off to a good start and she wasn’t certain they’d ever come close to being friends.

“We could be living with stepparents. We could be living with a couple who are married, but took us in because we needed a safe place to live. Never assume someone is a homosexual. By the way, we prefer being called gay; it’s from long ago on Earth, before bots and space travel.”

“Why gay? Are you happy?”

“We used to be called that, but we were always called queer, until the bots took over the spaceships. They didn’t allow derogatory language toward another set of humans. And, now, hardly anyone knows about those things. I studied them when I found out I was this way.”

“When was that?”

“Oh, I think I was in my elevens. There was a boy in the neighborhood that had the cutest ass; I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I was kind of disturbed by my thoughts, but when I asked my Dadi, he said that some boys had those thoughts and it was okay; but, that I shouldn’t let anyone know unless I knew they were like me because I might tell the wrong person, like a macho, and get beat up or worse.”

“Wow, Sister sort of told us that, too. We could do whatever we wanted inside our room, but nothing outside so we wouldn’t upset the other girls at the orphanage. I don’t think anyone ever knew.”

“Yeah, no one ever knew until I went to university when I was first year fifteen. I met a boy and he came on to me. I was kind of shocked because he wasn’t what one might call cute. He was rather plain, like the rest of us, and I never really liked him in that way.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have known, except Lee started things and I sort of followed along,” Willy said. She thought back to that day when Lee first came out of the shower and didn’t put her pajamas on. “Though I was the first one to do anything that one might say was acting like a homosexual; and, that was when Sister talked to us about girls having feelings toward each other.”

“Who was this sister you keep talking about?”

“Oh, she was our advisor at the orphanage and school. Sometimes, she could actually be nice.”

“Oh, look, we’re here.”

Willy looked out of the cruiser and saw four buildings she assumed were the residences where she and Lee would be living. There were four women in the parking area and two men. She sort of thought one plus one woman and one plus one man. In a way, it made sense. She wondered which two women she was going to live with. She followed Lee out of the cruiser and they went over to where the women were standing.

“Hello, girls, I’m April, this is my wife, Megan,” an older woman said. “This is Dorcas and Charity. Each of us will be providing a room for one of you. We don’t know who you’ll prefer, but we can settle that later. Both of your rooms have been set up and we look forward to having you live with us until you can have your own residence.”

“Thank you,” Lee said.

Willy looked at the four women and wondered which one she was going to live with. This April woman seemed kind of pushy, more domineering than the other women, so maybe she wasn’t going to like living with her. Of course, she and Lee would have to talk about which ones they preferred. Maybe Lee would want to live with the other two.

“You’re taller than other sixteen-year-olds I’ve known,” one of the men said.

“I’m a mutant,” Willy said. Here it was, again. ‘Oh, you’re different than other humans; don’t you feel uncomfortable being around normal humans?’ No, she didn’t feel uncomfortable with living around normal humans. She felt uncomfortable living around humans who kept staring at her and bring up that she was different from other humans.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that,” the man said.

“Yes you did; all normal humans say that I’m different from them and wonder how I feel about it. Well, I don’t like it. I know I’m different, so all of you can stop staring. I’m going to be living around here for a long time and so you’re just going to have to get used to me being different.”

“Willy, dear, I know you’re upset about this and you have every right to be, but you have to realize you’re unique and the rest of us all look basically the same, we’re bound to look at you,” April said.

Well, just maybe living with April and Megan wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe, they would truly appreciate having her being around. Maybe, she should pick them to live with them. She would have to ask Lee.

“Okay, everyone, we were told that both girls were mutants and that Willy’s was on the outside where we would see it,” one of the men said. “There are other mutants at Eden and we’ve come to accept all of them, so I think this should be the last time any of us make a big deal about Willy’s mutation. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Ben,” all said in close unison.

“I’m sorry about being so abrupt about this, but being a mutant is very difficult. I had to stay in the raising center an extra age and had an operation so I can never contribute eggs to the birthing centers, so I’ve known I was different and have to accept that other humans will stare at me. That’s why Lee worked so hard to find this place where I would be welcome so I wouldn’t have to stay at the convent.”

“Willy, you can be my friend,” Roger said.

“Thank you, Roger.”

Later at the barbecue, Willy cornered Lee so they could talk about who they were going to live with. “So, Lee, who do you think you’ll be comfortable with?” She asked.

“Dorcas and Charity because they talked to me about how you might get along better with Megan and April,” Lee said. “Charity is nice, tomorrow she’s going to take me over to the beefalo ranch and show me around. And, guess what, that’s where Abe works most of the time, too. He’s nice, kind of like the way Roger is nice to you. You like him, don’t you?”

“Yes, we’re going to be good friends. Okay, we’ll do it your way. Megan and April did talk to me. They invited me to live with them. Megan said she was going to teach me how to cook. Who’s going to teach you?”

“They didn’t say anything about that. I suppose I’d better tell them I don’t know how. I wonder why they don’t have food preps.”

“Probably because they come from the bots,” Willy said.

“Do you think we’ll ever get together, like before?” Lee asked.

“April said that whenever we’re free and want to be close you can come over and we can go into my room. They said they would talk to the others about us. I think they understand us more. Lee, I think I’m going to like living here.”

“Me, too.”