Important: Chapter 4 beginning and ending scenes added. If you haven't read them, then please read them. Sorry. The chapter was a little too incomplete.

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Chapter 5 - Part I

I stared at Simon while holding his cell phone in one hand up to my ear.

“You slept with my sister?”

Simon looked confused. “What? No, of course not. I respect her far too much.”

“Then what’s this about her being drunk on a date with you?”

Simon frowned, and his expression grew distant as though he was searching for something on the horizon. Then his eyes widened.

“Oh, I see. It was that time she was inebriated and passed out. I brought her here to sleep off the alcohol.” He looked down at me. “She slept in my bedroom, and I slept in the guest room.”

“Why not put her in the guest room instead?”

“Because it would be easier to fool her into thinking something had happened.”

My eyebrows knitted. “So you played a prank on her?”

“Indeed.”

“Why?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Your sister—or should I say cousin—needs to learn to relax.”

“You said you respect her, but pulled this crap on her?”

“It was harmless.”

I sneered at him. “You really have no charm. And I can’t tell if you’re lying or not.”

“What is it they say in your world?” He placed his right hand over his chest and held up his left. “Scouts honor. Nothing undue happened between us.”

“So the recording is a lie?”

“There was no recording. Trust me. Even I know when I’m being spied upon. For example, in three of the neighboring buildings they have people with surveillance equipment spying on me twenty-four seven.”

I flinched. “Eh?”

He smiled down at me. “Are you surprised?”

“Well, of course. I mean”—I swallowed cautiously—“doesn’t it piss you off?”

“I’d be more concerned if they didn’t make the attempt to spy on me.” He cocked his head. “Given the surveillance, do you really believe I would make an untoward attempt on your sister?”

“But you still pranked her.”

“Yes. And she can review the surveillance recordings any time if she wants to know the truth.”

“So what that woman said was a lie?”

“Most assuredly.”

So who was that woman? And she called me Princess, too.

I noticed the phone was creaking in my right hand. Any more pressure upon it and I’d crush the casing.

After taking a deep breath, I released the air in my lungs with a loud whoosh. “Okay. That does make sense.”

“By the way, they’re still listening in on the phone. You forgot to put them on hold.”

“Yikes!” I held the phone away at arm’s length, which was a pointless act. Slowly, I brought it back to my ear. “Ah…hello? Erina, are you there?”

There was a long period of relative silence.

Then a new voice spoke through the phone.

“Ms. Reynier, this is Peripheral Division’s Chief Director Whirlander. I regret to inform you that your sister has fainted.”

Simon choked, and I grimaced. “She what?”

“It would appear that after hearing her dirty laundry aired, she was unable to cope and fainted. However, do not be concerned. I have my best people attending to her. She’ll be up on her feet in no time.”

I slowly turned away from facing Simon. “Are you the person running the show?”

“On this side of the border…indeed I am.”

I lowered the phone from my ear, and pressed on the display to enable the speaker functionality.

“Did you put me in that metal ball?”

“I gave the order to place you in containment.”

“So that’s what you call being stuck inside that marshmallow cube.” I paused for a heartbeat before asking, “Why?”

“Quite simply because you represented a risk to yourself and to others. You are a very important asset to us. We cannot have you harming others, or risk exposing your nature.”

“So what do you want?”

“We would like you to return to the Periphery.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Now you’re just being plain silly. You cannot refuse. We own you. We own your livelihood.”

“I’m not your property.”

“Well, in truth you are also owned by House Alus Novis. It’s more accurate to say we have joint custody over you.”

I noticed I was starting to pace while biting my lower lip. I stopped doing the latter. “I have no intention of going back into containment or whatever you call it.”

“Then do you promise to behave.”

I sighed. “If I’m in containment, how can I be of use to anyone?”

“That is true. In which case, if you refuse to behave and co-operate, your value to us and to House Alus Novis will drop. And an asset of no value is written off. Are you following me, little girl?”

I turned my head to look at Simon.

His expression grim, he gave me a slow nod.

Turning away, I bowed my head for a long moment as I fell into thought.

Then I walked to the wide window wall that looked out at the city. I touched the glass softly as I stared at the buildings around us.

I cleared my throat quietly. “In other words, I have no choice but to be good.”

“Correct.”

“Alright, I’ll play nice. But I want something in return.”

The woman sounded genuinely surprised. “Oh? What would that be?”

“I want to know who shot me back at the school.”

“Oh, why?”

“So I can thank her for stopping me from hurting my sister—I mean cousin.”

“Well…this is a surprise.”

“You’re not going to tell me?”

The woman laughed in delight. “I will do better than that. I will send her over to pick you up and fly you back to the ship. She’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, then my dear. When you get back, we can have a more meaningful conversation.”

I nodded faintly. “I look forward to it.”

I waited for her to end the call, then walked over to Simon and handed him his phone.

With my back to the living room’s floor to ceiling windows, I stood close to him and looked him in the eyes as I whispered, “Can they hear me?”

Simon turned the phone off completely, then pocketed it. “The glass is soundproof, but as you’ve discovered the walls are not.”

I crossed my arms under my breasts.

The clothes he’d given me to wear fit me well. I was somewhat embarrassed to admit the bra was rather nice and form fitting. It was actually better than the ones Erina had chosen for me.

Damn my sister for making me so big.

But it was also embarrassing to the know that he knew my dimensions so well.

As a guy I wouldn’t have been bothered by it, but as Cassidy, I couldn’t help being troubled.

Simon broke into my thoughts and discomfort. “Did you mean what you said to the Chief Director?”

I let my gaze wander over his face.

His grim expression was still there.

“Did I make trouble for you?” I asked.

A subtle tightening of the eyes was his response.

I lowered my gaze and muttered, “You picked the wrong person for this.”

“I disagree. Your sister’s assessment of your abilities was on the mark. Of the available candidates, you were the best choice.”

I raised my head and drew back a little. “Available candidates?”

“Yes. We had a total of six candidates on the list, and your profile was best suited for the project.”

“Why?”

“It was determined that you would adjust best to the Gun Princess’s body.”

Tension tightened my throat. “So I wasn’t the only one?”

“No. Your sister vouched for you, and House Alus Novis decided to trust in her judgment.”

I felt the room sway a little, and bit my lip hard to keep focus on Simon’s face.

She lied to me.

Erina had lied to me.

I couldn’t maintain my mental balance, and moaned, “I’m going to be sick.”

A heartbeat later, I ran for the bedroom’s en-suite bathroom, and emptied what little I had in my stomach into the toilet bowl.

I sensed Simon watching me from the bathroom doorway, uncertain as to whether he should approach me or not.

“Cassidy?”

I held up a hand and warded him back. “Don’t. Don’t come near me.”

Dry heaving a few more times, I wiped my mouth clean with toilet paper, flushed the toilet, then slumped back on the floor with my back against the shower stall’s glass wall.

Simon remained in the doorway. “Cassidy?”

I stared vacantly at the hole in the wall my fists and feet had made earlier in the afternoon.

He broke the silence guardedly. “You didn’t know?”

Weakly, I shook my head. “She told me she was blackmailed by House Alus Novis into using me. That way she would be forced to deliver results, or I would die….”

I heard his breath catch, and that surprised me so I slowly turned my head and faced him.

Simon had bowed his head, and his chin pressed down on his breastbone.

Biting my lower lip, I hesitated before asking, “Did she lie to me?”

He crossed his arms. “Your sister said she could make the Angel Fibers bond seamlessly with a Simulacrum. Despite having other candidates, she offered you as collateral, knowing that if she failed, you would die. As a result, she strongly recommended using you rather than the other five subjects. Her choice went beyond the numbers looking good. Her choice was a demonstration of her conviction and belief that she would not fail. House Alus Novis recognized and acknowledged her commitment. We threw our resources behind her, trusting in her success, because we also knew that she’d lied regarding your compatibility.”

“…I don’t understand….”

“According to her report, you were the best candidate just based on the analysis of your psychometric profile. There was also your unusually high hand-to-eye co-ordination and the fact you lacked a dominant eye. That made you suitable to using dual firearms. You also have a tendency to be ambidextrous. But we conducted our own analysis, and determined you would have significant issues adjusting to a girl’s body.”

“…you knew…?”

He nodded faintly. “Your sister was adamant she could make it all work. I don’t know why, but my superiors chose not to confront her with our analysis.”

“…why…?”

“I don’t know. I asked but was told not to be concerned.” He took a very deep, yet quiet breath. “My personal belief is that she knew something about you that we didn’t. Something that truly convinced her you were the best candidate. And truthfully, her willingness to offer up her flesh and blood kin for the sake of the project may have resonated strongly with the elders of House Alus Novis—”

The moment he looked at me, his voice caught.

I don’t know what expression I was making, but Simon looked pale in a hurry, and just as quickly stepped into the bathroom and knelt before me.

“Cassidy, I’m sorry. I thought you knew. I thought she had told why you were chosen, or at the very least some of the reasons why.”

It was becoming hard to see him, because I was crying now.

Yes, such a feminine thing to do, but I couldn’t help myself.

I tried to say something, but all that came out was a strangled sob.

And then I was crying in earnest.

When Simon gathered me in his arms, I didn’t have the strength to put up a fight.

I just did what any girl would do.

I let him hold me while I buried my face into his chest and cried my heart out.

#

(Part II)

When I eventually calmed down, perhaps after many, many minutes, Simon let me be as I washed my face in the bathroom’s vanity.

I listened to the sounds of the doorbell chiming, and Simon greeting someone at the door.

My assumption that it was home takeout being delivered was on the money, as my preternatural sense of smell picked up the unmistakable scent of pizza.

I heard the faint sound of the door closing, and stared at Cassidy’s reflection in the mirror.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

And Cassidy stared back, her eyes red rimmed and her cheeks flushed.

She looked terrible.

She looked heartbroken.

That was pretty much how I was feeling too.

Simon called out to me. “Food’s here….”

I gave Cassidy’s reflection another long look, then washed my face one more time, before patting it dry with a hand towel hanging from a nearby rack.

Walking out of the bathroom, through the bedroom, and into the living area, I saw Simon setting plates and utensils on the large oval shaped glass table.

I stopped beside the table, and looked at the three pizza boxes laid out on the middle of the table.

Simon flourished a hand over the table.

“Take your pick. I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I ordered a selection. We have Meat Lovers, El Supremo, and Total Vegetarian.”

I opened up the Meat Lovers box and pulled out a couple of pre-cut slices, depositing them onto a plate.

Sitting down by the table, I started munching on a pizza slice with small bites, but my restraint didn’t last long. Pretty soon, I was wolfing the food down.

I was hungry. The events of the day had worn me down but also burned through a lot energy. Within a couple of minutes I was helping myself to slices from the other pizza boxes.

I felt Simon’s gaze on me, but I ignored him, and focused on eating the pizza.

The truth was, I didn’t think I could look at him for a while.

I was ashamed of my behavior in the bathroom.

I was a guy in a girl’s body who many minutes ago had finished crying out her heart while in a man’s embrace.

I was little sickened yet by far I felt embarrassed.

Maybe Simon sensed this, picking up on my mood and state of being through my body language.

He moved out of my line of sight, though he did take a slice or two with him, and a plate.

I ate in silence, gathering my composure one bite at a time, until my stomach felt full.

Sitting back, I stared at a far wall.

I can’t run away from this. I have to do this.

Gathering my resolve, as weak as it was, I stood up and then turned away from the table and toward Simon who’d sat down to eat on the sofa.

“Simon…about my behavior in the bathroom…please don’t tell anyone.”

He turned his head and faced me. “Why?”

“Well…it’s not my proudest moment.”

“No, I’m asking why you’re so afraid of crying.”

“I’m a guy. Guy’s don’t cry.”

His expression hardened. “That’s nonsense.”

I clenched my hands but held them at my sides. “Why does everyone insist on making me believe I’m a girl?”

For a heartbeat, his expression wavered. “You misunderstood me.” Before I could retort, smooth asked, “What will you do now?”

I was somewhat expecting the question. “I have no choice but to be good. It’s not like I can oppose them. I really don’t want to be turned into Public Enemy Number One.”

“I think you misunderstand the situation.”

“Huh?” I failed to wipe the frown on brow. “What do you mean?”

“The number of people who are privy to the nature of your existence is a couple of dozen at the very, very best.”

My frown deepened, until I shot a worried look at the window wall with its spectacular view of Ar Telica's harbor and skyline. “Um…should we be having this conversation?”

From under a sofa seat, Simon pulled out a device that resembled a fat Frisbee. He placed it on the middle of the round glass coffee table, and tapped its small domed head.

A felt something rush out of the device and run through the air, sweeping by me like a sudden breeze. Yet nothing in the living area was rustled or disturbed.

Simon was studying me quietly.

I swallowed and asked, “What was that?”

“You felt it?”

I gave him a shallow nod. “I felt something spread throughout the room.”

His eyes widened for a moment, before he regained his prior composure. “It’s a stealth-field. Surveillance equipment cannot penetrate this room because there’s nothing radiating out of it. As a consequence the field can only be maintained for a few minutes.”

I gave the device one more fleeting glance before levelling me attention on Simon. “What were you trying to tell me?”

“Not many people know about you, and due to the nature of your existence, those that do know have an obligation to keep your origins a secret. In short, they cannot risk exposing you. Today was a prime example of that, and while it doesn’t demonstrate how far they’re willing to go, it does show they are committed to lying, cheating, and bending the rules, to keep your true nature a secret.”

"What about the Battle Commission?"

He gave me a relaxed smile. "The Battle Commission only knows of Mercedes. However, they have you registered as a mechanoid. They don't know you're a Simulacrum imbued with the Angel Fibers."

"What if they found out?"

"Then we'd be in a pinch."

That made me wonder about the injuries I'd sustained during the exhibition match. They were different to the damage the Gun Queen had  taken. Had the Battle Commission noticed?

I cautiously stated, "Aren't you taking a big risk keeping me a secret from the Battle Commission?"

“We are indeed. And not just the Battle Commission, but the other Houses as well. That said, if the general public, or the city-state authorities learn about you, your life will be over.  Literally. Heads may roll within the Telos Corporation, but the conglomerate would continue. But you would cease to exist. You’d become a prime specimen in a containment capsule in some unknown lab.”

“Wouldn’t that risk exposing your existence, and that of the multiverse? What of the Princess Royale? Wouldn’t people find out about it?”

“It certainly would change the playing field. It would undoubtedly cause trouble between the Houses of the Imperium. The Empress may choose to cut off ties with this reality altogether, or they could take drastic measures against your people.”

A cold worry began to bloom in the pit of my stomach. “Drastic measures? Like what…?”

Simon replied in a bleak tone, “Crossing over en masse.”

The cold in my gut spread to my chest. “An invasion?”

“It’s a possibility. Facing a war on two fronts, humanity would not be in a position to challenge us.”

“Then why haven’t you done so already?”

“Why bother? We have no need to invade this realm.”

“But things could change depending on what I do.”

He leaned forward on the sofa seat, while continuing to face me. “They could indeed.”

Involuntarily, I wrapped my arms around me against the chill creeping steadily throughout my body. “Am I really…that important?”

He nodded faintly. “Yes, you are.”

My eyes discerned an orange glow spreading within the Frisbee on the coffee table. I presumed it was overheating, thereby a sign that time for our candid discussion was running out.

Taking a quick, shuddering breath, I asked, “So I have no choice but to play nice.”

“Do you want to play nice?”

I exhaled loudly. “Everything you’ve told me says that I’d better co-operate or else”—I swiped a finger across my throat—“I bite the dust.”

“There are worse things than dying.”

I slumped my shoulders. “Okay, I get it. I could end up stuck in a lab floating in a container for the next century while geeks in lab coats try to figure out my secrets. Or I could end up starting a war between universes.”

“Two of myriad possibilities.”

“You’re not helping me, Simon. You started this conversation. What are you trying to tell me?”

He stood up smoothly. “That you have options. House Alus Novis will support you.”

“Why?”

“Because you are important to our plans. Beyond victory in the Princess Royale, beyond the standing our House would gain amongst the other Alus ranked houses, you represent our future.”

I tightened my arms around me. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

He released a long sigh. “Very well. Then how about this. House Alus Novis needs you. If need be, we would like to keep you a secret from the people on our side, as well as yours. However, if you need to gain some freedom from the Telos Corporation, then there is one clear way we can support you.”

I held back a frown. “How?”

“I can give you command of the Sarcophagus.”

This time my frown slipped through. “What good would that do me?”

He smiled wryly. “The Sarcophagus is an armory.”

I blinked sharply a number of times. “Oh….”

He dipped his head a little while holding my gaze. “Let’s just say, it would give you options.”

“You mean the threat of violence?”

“They would think twice about putting you in a box.”

I nodded slowly. “That would be nice.” Then I cocked my head at him. “Doesn’t that go against what you’ve been advocating over the last few minutes, such as the threat of invasion or me ending up in a jar if I misbehave or cause a commotion that reveals what I am and the multiverse?”

“Then you’ll just have to tread a fine line, won’t you.”

I grimaced a little. “You’re not making this easy.”

“I’ll give you authority over the Sarcophagus. Of course, my authority will supersede yours, so what I give I can take away. You’ll have to use it wisely.”

I shifted my arms such that they were folded under my breasts, and lowered my gaze.

The Frisbee on the glass coffee table was glowing a very warm orange.

Having the Sarcophagus under my control would ensure a degree of protection against the Telos Corporation, but initiating an all-out attack on the company was out of the question. For the moment I didn’t feel the need to, so how could I use the Sarcophagus to my advantage?

Could it really keep me out of confinement?

Even if I hadn’t figured out the pros, I did feel better about having the Sarcophagus supporting me.

I met Simon’s gaze. “Okay. I accept. What do I need to do?”

“Nothing. I’ve already given you control over it.”

My arms dropped away reflecting my shock. “Huh?”

“While you were unconscious inside the Sarcophagus, I had the wetware in your head altered. The Artificial Awareness encoded into it has been disabled, but I’ve re-encoded the wetware to meet the requirements to interface with the Sarcophagus. Your wetware is hardly as advanced as what my people and I possess, but it will suffice.” He paused before adding, “If you’d agree to it, I can have the wetware in your head upgraded with something more fitting.”

I considered the offer for a moment. “Would that take long?”

“Yes. So we’d need to have you inside the Sarcophagus for at least a day.”

Only a day? I was expecting him to say a few days at least.

Sparing the Frisbee another look, I gave Simon a solemn nod. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

Simon smiled thinly at me. “Just remember, this doesn’t change the original agreement.”

My mouth threatened to drop open, so I swallowed quickly and muttered, “Oh…right. The Princess Royale.”

“Correct. I still expect you to win.” He folded his arms while smiling sunnily. “Otherwise House Alus Novis will be very unhappy.”

“Geh….” It didn’t sound like a threat, but those words made left their mark on my composure. “Yeah. Sure. Win the Princess Royale, and be crowned Gun Queen.”

Simon shook his head and wagged a finger at me.

“No, my dear. Your ultimate goal is to be crowned Gun Empress.”

Using my experience of the exhibition match against the Gun Queen of Ar Telica, I pictured the nightmarish year that lay ahead of me.

A shudder broke out through my body.

To hide it, I planted my arms akimbo and struck a confident pose.

With my right hand, I tossed Simon a victory sign “Gun Queen, Gun Empress, Gun Goddess. By the end of the year, I’ll be standing at the top of the pyramid.”

Simon clapped silently. “That’s most reassuring.”

I lowered my hand. “Now, can I borrow your phone?”