What’s wrong with you this morning?’ Megan asked Eliza.

She was drinking her third morning coffee and saw the irritation on her face when her friend entered the room later that morning.

‘Me? Nothing. Not enough sleep I guess. I had to help with the communication with that Hévan aeroplane after midnight. And then it was very late. And then there was Loverboy and Miss Perfect Romance book too, still hanging around after their date, so we slept over in the guest room together. Can you believe that she actually studied romance books and took him out for slow dancing and romantic walks, and he said he really had fun. She freaking looked like a page from a 6 centuries old beauty magazine in her stupid red dress.’

Megan looked up when Eliza’s rant became more intense.

‘Sam? Yes, she said she’d do that. She had only one chance and she didn’t want to spoil it and she was preparing something she called a clean romance fiction date to not scare him away or something like that. And I can see him loving that, he’s probably the most romantic of us all after all. It’s good that he’s happier now and less depressed. And experimenting with dating in a safe way is good for all of us to learn from, plus Sam is right that we’ve forgotten how to have fun in this country.’

‘Oh shut up…’

‘What’s wrong, Eliza?’

‘They were even talking about a second date. What if he’s going to fall for her.’

Megan looked up from her coffee.

‘And? They’re both Free Persons. He can choose any partner if he wants, I don’t think it’s gonna be her though.’

‘Aren’t you worried then?’

‘About what? What are they going to do? Dance a bit and talk about how their outlook on relationships is incompatible? It’s Michael we’re talking about. Sure, he will love to try out more of those romance tropes, I think he even missed that a bit when he was with me at times, but all that will happen with Sam is that he’s going to stop at a kiss and then freeze if she tries more.’

Eliza poured a giant mug of Nation-coffee for herself.

‘So you think he would want all that romance stuff to be perfect if he gets a girl for real? That he wants a girl looking like she was materialised from an ancient beauty magazine that can dance slow dances and knows what to do on a romantic date?’

Megan looked at her.

‘What are you even talking about? He doesn’t want anything yet. He’s just experimenting a bit to see what he wants, and with his personality that can only be very innocent. Plus she pushed the whole date thing, not he.’

‘But what if they repeat the whole thing and stay over again in that guest room, and I’m not there as an accidental chaperone? He’s too naive. She’ll…’

‘Eliza. Calm down. You’re babbling nonsense again. And it’s none of your business what they do anyway. What did I say consenting adults? Our Loverboy is an adult man, remember? Do I have to repeat everything again. Why does it bother you so much? Unless… Are you jealous? Do you want him for yourself?’

Eliza almost choked in her coffee.

‘No. That would be impossible. It’s not for me. Especially not now, after her whole perfect romance act. I just can’t compete with that. You didn’t see how perfect she was.’ She almost stuttered. ‘Hmm. Some people actually think otherwise. And you were incredibly pretty with that dress on the Love Ceremony dress too. What’s wrong with you, Eliza? I’m not used to seeing you without your self-confidence. You are Eliza, you can do anything you put your mind to. So I don’t see how you couldn’t make a project of being super romantic for him, if you really wanted that, which is new for me. I don’t think he’d really need that though, he already found you cute with that courtship sabotage look, remember. You wouldn’t need to do anything special to make him like you. Some would speculate that that whole girl friendships and oxytocin plan of yours might have been too effective already even.’

Eliza backed off.

‘I didn’t say I want him. It’s just that he might get hurt. And then maybe he’ll get depressed again. Write off women completely if she uses him and stuff like that. Maybe he’ll join the sisterhood of the Angel and become the first male nun in Nation history. He’s been meditating a lot there lately, remember?’

Megan noted that Eliza really looked a bit shaken.

‘And that would be a problem why? Unless you want him that is. Staying single is a normal thing for outlaws and nonwives, and he’s like a male version of that.’

‘I never said…’

‘You just said you didn’t, I know… Hey, I’m not offended if you want him. It would be wonderful. I totally see it work between you and him. I’ve said from the beginning that he should have chosen you and not me. You still have my blessing as a couple.’

‘Nah, It was better like that. You two were the cutest couple ever, and probably the most innocent too. No Wife School engagements for me. I was only needed to teach him the finer points of our girl friendships… And now my role seems to be over… And, he’ll be dating Samantha.’

‘Why do you lose your usual self-confidence over this? I still feel you need to think a bit more of what you want with him then.’

‘I don’t want anything special. I just want us all to be friends and I’d hate for him to be in pieces again.’

‘Two dates aren't a relationship. And if anything, he’s too careful with relationships. I, as an expert, can affirm that. And if they are drinking beer there’s also rule seven…’

‘Things are good as they are now, without complications like that. Romance is not a project I could pull off like Sam did anyway. So I better bow out of the whole relationship idea, that was the original plan.’

‘Eliza! Girl, do you even hear yourself? You’re contradicting yourself all the time. I’m really not used to that. So you don’t want to fall in love and settle down with the only known boy in The Nation that could give you a mixed love ceremony relationship, something is like an endless sleepover with, eh, a friend with benefits? The friendship being the first benefit even?’

‘How could I? I can’t picture those things like that in this world. It doesn’t exist. And I’m not that kind of woman to get tied down like that. I’m a Free Person, a woman of independence.’

‘You’re a woman of interdependence, and an incredible networker with the greatest net of contacts in the whole Nation…’

‘That’s not the same. Men are different. He can be a friend, but beyond that? You of all people should shut up now about that. You could have been with him like that by now, and you didn’t want it either.’

‘That’s different. You know, in theory I could have fallen for girls too while still in school as much as for boys and I never even bothered either. And then there was, by all standards, the perfect Loverboy, and while it was fun, and there still is love and a certain attraction, I didn’t want it. It’s not what I want in my life, at least not now. It would be wrong, to him too. He certainly isn’t aromantic and he needs a complete relationship. And you are not like me. I’m quite sure that you just have to add a few things to your relationship with him that’s already there, and you are a Love Ceremonied couple, as Chicken boy says. And you’ll like it.’

‘Eric doesn’t count. And I can’t even think of things like that.’

‘Eric doesn’t count? Why not? I’d think that if anyone has thought about relationships it’s him. I mean, being a Ghost Town asexual as a boy and all. He’s got it much worse than your silly ancient curse of heterosexuality that actually plagues majorities. Chances of him finding a partner are a lot lower than for you or Sam… Plus he is sensitive to picking up certain vibes. I wouldn’t discount his intuition personally.’

‘Fine. I didn’t mean anything against our boy Eric. But I just don’t see it working for myself.’

‘Come on, you always say that you’re cursed with heterosexuality, and don’t forget you already kissed him. And not to close off a story, or to experiment with electricity or whatever.’

‘Eh, he kissed me actually. And he said it was the end of his slutty times and babbled something about closure. That was before dating Sam though. And they kissed too, I’m sure of that.’

Megan seemed to fall silent. ‘Ah, well… He’s quite hopeless too, and quite dramatic with his word choice. So he’s ready to be serious next time. And that won’t be with Sam, as they both know. That’s not a long-term option.’

‘You’re reading too much in it. Who says he’s not just giving up on love altogether? Or maybe he’s asexual like you. He always sounded like that, but now I’m not sure anymore. Maybe he wants to experiment himself, like Sam and her stupid chemistry stuff. And she is more than willing to play that game.’

‘They speak another language. I know him. If she goes all-out with her temptation tropes he’ll be hurt indeed and we might have to detraumatise him, but I don’t believe that will happen. She cares about him too. Their friendship is also important to her. You can’t be a man-eater in a world with just one interesting man that’s also a valuable friend. She acts tough, but she’s not stupid. She can’t win anything either if she goes that road…’

‘Okay, then let Sam toy with him if he wants. And see what the future brings. They’re consenting adults anyway.’

‘They are, but don’t forget yourself. Things can’t stay like they are, we’re all changing and growing, and I don’t want you to miss the boat. Or him…’

‘You’re seeing things that aren’t there, Megan,’ she said.

‘Well, I love you anyway, both of you. And you make me worry in this state…’

She gave her friend a hug.

*

After the departure of Jibrilla life went its way, without much special things happening for the next weeks. Somewhere at the end of September a girl knocked on a dorm door in St Manfred’ Wife School.

‘I’m looking for a B-girl here in St-Manfred’s who has an outlaw name. And a very weird one at that.’ Helen said to the two girls present.

She was a small sixteen-year old C-girl with very white hair who everyone knew as a black market trader. Anne and her friend Melinda were sitting on a bed reading a rather boring magazine.

‘Outlaw name? What do you mean?’ Melinda looked up.

‘Here, Anne Michaels, also known as Anne Adams, an express black market package from Eliza herself.’

‘Anne Adams is me, you must know that. But what is an outlaw name?’

Anne looked suspiciously at the package.

‘Stuff nice B-girls aren’t taught here, illegal stuff for the unmarriable. Nothing for a girl who gets prepared to become the perfect B-Wife like you… Ghost Town traditions for the female outlaws. People who reject their last name, or fathername as they call it, get a new name when they join them. Usually they’re selfnames or partner-names, and so they’re supposed to be women's names by definition, so yours is quite exceptional. You don’t have a secret outlaw boyfriend, do you?’

Anne heavily gestured negatively but she went on.

‘No, that would be impossible too. Male outlaws don’t even use that system and have a taboo on females. So who is Michael even supposed to be?’

‘My deleted brother… He recently visited and said he’d send me something.’ Anne said.

Helen took a step back. ‘Michael Michaels, the great reformer? That would explain everything. You’re his sister? Wow!’

‘He’s actually just Michael Adams,’ Anne said.

‘Yes, but you said he was deleted. And Michael Michaels is one of the few men ever who got a selfname and were accepted by the female outlaws as a friend of women. He’s a legend, girl. As much as Eliza herself. So you have been given you a brothername, and that’s a first. Like in, first ever in history. Really, a female outlaw name…’

‘But I still have my name. What difference does it make?’

‘It means a lot, my dear Miss Michaels. Firstly it means that he claims you as his family, if he lets Eliza address you with that name. Which is, eh, more than most brothers would do. He named you because he wants to stay in his life.’

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Anne nodded. ‘That one was clear already. He said so much when he was here.’

‘And it might mean that you’re in their extended network. Of the outlaws I mean, Ghost Towners. So…’ Here she started whispering. ‘If you, or any of your friends even, needs an escape because you’ve been taken by a bad man when you’re 18 for example, you have the best connections possible now, girl. Eliza is connected to Lady Martha herself, and it’s whispered they help girls escape sometimes. When things go wrong with their future husbands I mean.’

‘Let’s see what they sent me then.’ Anne said shyly, ignoring the subject.

She opened the package and took out some books.

‘Wow… Boy school books, these are quite valuable! Plus a forbidden Women Are Human zine. And eh, what’s this?’

‘Is that what I think it is?’ Helen said, staring at the little weathered book in awe.

‘Basic and advanced techniques courtship sabotage’, Anne read the title out loud, ‘never heard of it’.

‘I heard of it, but I’ve never seen it before. It’s another legend. And a boy sent you that? They shouldn’t even know it exists.’ Melinda said, clearly in awe of the book.

‘No, Eliza sent it, I think. You said the package came from her. Wait, there’s a letter. Oh, it’s from him, my brother.’

She took a paper with a few hand-written lines on it.

Dear Anne,

I’m sorry for being an absent Nation brother,

I’m going to do better from now on,

Here’s a collection of boy school books and other interesting lecture

(they will actually teach you something,

Unlike the rubbish my friends had to study in Wife School)

until next time

& you can always write me through the Pen Pal system

Your brother

Michael Michaels’

The girls read the letter together in astonishment.

‘Sorry for being an absent Nation brother? Ever heard anything like that? How many girls do ever see a brother again except at a wedding or a funeral? Just being friendly to us is seen as not manly.’ Melinda asked.

‘You don’t know half how weird this whole thing is yet, even coming from Eliza. These school books are worth a lot, and the little book is the secret book to escape bad takers. Few B-girls ever hear about it.’ Helen said.

‘So this Eliza isn’t married?’ Melinda asked.

‘She was kicked out of the SCWF last year, but she’s been a legend in the black market for as long as I know. She used to be called ‘the man-hater’ because they said she was the most unmarriable girl ever, but then she suddenly brought together the male and female black market and invented the whole Pen Pal system. And she was sort of deleted for defending herself, a friend and her friend’s fiancé against a group of Alphas. Now that I come to think of it, that friend is Michael Michaels, who is your brother.’

‘Who was deleted for fighting an Alpha to defend a girl that wasn’t his fiancée… That’s what mum said.’ Anne said.

‘It fits nicely together, if they both fought those Alphas together.’ Melinda added.

‘Woman, what a mess… Men and their hierarchy. Such a weird world with mad rules.’ Anne said.

‘But this is exciting! Secrets books, secret information.’ Melinda said.

‘I have to go on with my tour, but could I lend some of those if you don’t need them? And please don’t let others see them. It’s a weird thing to have lying around here, especially in a B-dorm. Teachers might confiscate it and look at you differently from then on. It’s not like you’re on the E-floor here, you’re both future elite Wives. Don’t expect anyone to share your excitement. And please, act like Alphas are important. It’s what everyone wants to hear around here,’ Helen said, pointing at the advanced schoolbooks for boys.

‘Eh, sure…’ Anne said, still trying to process everything. This was much more than just the return of a brother in her life, this was like waking up in a different universe, and she was only beginning to realise the extent of everything.

*

A few more weeks later in the other Wife School in Seventh City it was during the break between two afternoon classes when Iris stared at an unexpected apparition that appeared as out of nothing in the hall, next to the administration archives of the E-floor.

‘Eliza! What are you doing here?’ She asked, and Eliza looked around, clearly a bit irritated that she was caught.

‘No-one should have been here at this hour… But hi, Iris. Espionage mainly, and forging some documents, anything in your admin you want changed by chance, Iris?’ She said casually, as if her appearing out of nothing was an everyday occurrence in Seventh City Wife Factory these days.

‘Eh, can you keep the boys from choosing me for the next year or so until I have the right guy pick me up?’

‘I can’t do magic I’m afraid. Hairstyles from chapter five of courtship sabotage? But does that imply that you have someone that you’re waiting on to choose you?’

‘Maybe, I think. But we’re going to be pen pals first, he’s not ready to come here to pick up a fiancée. Eighteen is much too young for a schoolboy to marry, you know that. But if it doesn’t work he’ll help me get out, without getting me deleted.’ ‘

That’s wonderful! A healthy relationship in here would really be a game changer.’ Eliza hugged her friend and then looked in her bag.

‘Here, I have a small new Free Person badge, put it next to your E-badge. More people know the meaning now, and any man who wants a servile obedient Wife will see that you’re not the type for that. Oh, Iris, I’m so happy for you! Wait, do you pledge your allegiance to all friendly people, regardless of sex, rating or identity status?’

‘Yes I do. You know that.’ She said, taking the small badge in her hand.

‘And you, Eliza, still the man-hater? Last time you seemed to have a whole supply of boys around you?’

‘Me? Oh, you mean Michael and Robert? Robert seems to be an item with Leya somehow even if they say it’s impossible to be a couple as an outlaw and a rated man, and Michael has been quite hopeless ever since his engagement with Megan was annulled and since he was deleted. His robot said he might be ready for a real woman if he interacts more with her, but he treats the poor thing quite coldly to be honest.’

‘You mean fake Shirley? He still lives with the robot as his wife?’

‘She does his household chores and he locks his bedroom door at night. But who could be happy with a robot if Megan is your standard?’

‘If you want your chores done well I’d take the robot. And not any E-Wife on our floor. Maybe Babbette.’ Iris said and giggled.

‘I wouldn’t marry her if I liked women for other reasons, but nevermind. I’ll never have to choose a Wife like those boys, thank the Angel for that. but I never realised that it can be a moment of horror for them too at the ceremony.’

‘I only realised that when Mark wrote about it. The fear of having to stand there and choose a partner for the rest of your life just based on how they look in a cheap bikini is just horrible. But hey, a Delta-2 isn’t bad for an E-girl, is it?’

‘A level two Delta? That’s even rarer than a Gamma-1 I think. Poor boy, he’ll have his own problems in the male hierarchy then. But he could probably get a Gammatown row-house. And a C-Wife.’

‘Don’t say that. It’s my biggest fear that he still backs off and chooses a higher-rated girl on a whim. I think he was inspired by the Michael-story. It seems to be commonly known by the type of boys who use the Pen Pal system.’

‘Yeah, he sounds a bit like Michael, who has no concept of ratings and hierarchy either. I think it’ll be fine. You know, less than two years ago a friendship between a boy and a girl was unthinkable, let alone one between a Delta-boy and an E-girl. There’s so much that can happen, and as I always say, the friendship itself is the biggest benefit. I haven’t seen a happy Marriage yet in my lifetime, only happy Ghost Town Love Ceremonied couples, but I know it should be possible. Well, for you and Mark then, not really for me.’

‘But everybody is gossipping about you and…’ Eliza sighed.

‘Are they? Well, that’s quite optimistic about either of us being relationship material. The dude didn’t even fall for Samantha dolled up in cocktail dress when she took him out to dance slows and walk under the stars in a twenty-century style date in the Ghost Town.’

‘I’ve never met her, but from what I’ve heard I don’t think she’s his type. Ah well, it’s not my business… Twenty-century style dates in a Ghost Town sound like fun though. Do you think they’d let a Wife School couple in if I ask nicely?’

‘Eh… Your optimism is going quite far, Iris. But who knows what’ll be possible by then. Theirs was the first casual mixed couple freewill date since ol’ Manfred, and if everything goes well, you might be writing another new chapter with your Mark dude. Or without him like Megan and Loverboy.’

‘Oh, wait. Someone’s there.’ Iris suddenly said.

They disappeared into the closest room, which was full of cleaning materials.

‘That was Greystone. He shouldn’t see me here.’

‘No, you’d scare him.’ Iris giggled.

‘I’d what?’

‘Well, after the disappearance of Shir he was very nervous for a while, and later I heard that he was mocked by official Sanders and even Miss Hunter because he had warned them that you wouldn’t be happy if anything had happened to her. They said he’d never see you again, and he warned them about Rogers.’

‘Ah, at least one of them is getting brains. But I have to go. Greet the rest for me. We’ll meet again.’ Eliza said.

She gave her friend a hug and disappeared into the room with dossiers and piles of administrative papers.

*

Weeks went by, and then months, and life went on. Autumn came and went, and the days became shorter and the nights became longer while the weather became colder. Michael did his work in the bar, and from time to time he visited the Ghost Town. Apart from his colleagues the only friends from his former life that he still saw were Robert and sometimes Rafael and William, who had become a friend of Angela somehow. For a while they didn’t hear much from Jibrilla, even with the sms-machine that Eliza had given her, and then only sporadic news about her personally, and about how her story had been in the news not just in Héva but also in the outside world, including the picture with him, Eliza and Sam. Was that the beginning of the end of the isolation of The Nation? Michael didn’t even know.

After a while Michael adapted to his new life, even if he felt split over two worlds that could never be joined. Even if he spent less time in the female world than in the male world with both his job and his house, he felt less and less at home in that world, even if his colleagues seemed to have more or less accepted him in his new status. His family still acted like he had never existed at all, except for her sister with whom he sporadically wrote over the Pen Pal network, and with whom he had planned another visit.

It wasn’t the best life possible, but he managed. Sometimes he still missed his schooldays, and his former male friends, and sometimes his old Alphaville house, but it was clear that this was a new phase for him, his first stage of adulthood as a working man, and he probably could have had it much worse. With everything he lost he still felt more loved than ever, which was rather ironic for a man who was legally unmarriable, shunned by most of his family, and deleted by almost all of his male friends. And still he had better friends than ever now, who were closer than his family and his old friends had ever been. The subject of romance was closed off for now, but neither his depression nor his clumsy romantic endeavours that ended in a kiss, no relationship and a lot of talk about feelings had really brought any damage to his friendships with Megan, Eliza, Angela, and probably even Samantha by now. He was loved deeply in a Platonic way, which meant that he was loved more than any spouse in any Nation Marriage he had ever heard of. It really was another universe that he lived in now.

For now there was no revolution happening. The slow reform of society had reached some people, but was still opposed by a lot of others, and while Eliza still had her plans to hack the Central Computer one day, there was no way to hack the minds of all the men in The Nation, who all knew the doctrines of old Manfred by heart and would notice and correct every change, every innovation, every aberration in the plans. The only way forward would probably be much slower than that, and might take longer than his life. He probably would never have children, but maybe there would be children of some of the people that he knew that would one day live in a much better world where men and women could be both friends and lovers without the toxic oppression of Manfred and the traditional isolation of the Ghost Towns.

So he lived his life under the radar, being an invisible worker in the bar, and a tolerated guest among the Ghost Town outlaws. He was slowly learning how to avoid any unknown ranked men as if he himself was a non-Wife, and while he usually avoided other unranked men he still picked up on some of their habits too somehow. He wasn’t the naive schoolboy anymore, but he knew that any run-in with an unreasonable ranked man could cost him everything again, which would mean his name and his existence, as well as his house and his robot. There wasn’t much leniency for the unrated in the system, everyone knew that. So he kept as low-profile as possible, which went rather well until two weeks before new year’s day, when another incident happened.