The last time Sonja could remember eating a full meal she had wrestled it from a Fast Food delivery drone. In the cold Melbourne streets, those outcast by financial insolvency huddled for warmth and shuffled awkwardly in poor-fitting clothing. You could always pick the rich—they moved with a sense of entitlement and seemed in a hurry to be away from the metropolitan clutter.

But for many like Sonja there was nowhere much better to be. Her outstretched hand flailed, deep inside the metal casement of a roadside disposal unit. She could feel the cold blades on the back of her hand as she withdrew, recoiling when a bit of the composting enzyme smeared her skin. It stung a little, breaking down the outer layer into a slimy slick of fat.

Chunks of spoiled food fell through splayed fingers, sharp tired blue eyes inspecting a dissolved mess. She moved onto the next disposal unit, looking around, light auburn hair swaying as she checked for a law enforcement unit behind her.

"Hey... Sonja!"

"Go away, Brian."

The man paused, letting his outstretched arm fall halfway. "Wait, I've got food."

"Well then, give it to me. I'm not in the mood for this."

"No, there's something I want you to do for me first."

"I'm not entertaining tonight, Brian. I'm sick. Just give me some food or go away."

"How bad is it? I'll pay your medic bill if you give me half an hour."

"It's nothing like that, I'm just sick. And I'm not a prostitute. Just go to the red light district."

"But none of them have such bright blue eyes like you. Or such nice skin."

Sonja clenched her fists in exasperation.

Brian was a local university student with wealthy parents. On the weekends he slunk around the dark alleys of fitzroy, looking for casual arrangements of food and money, alcohol or drugs in exchange for sex. Substituting for the intimacy of dating within his social circles. He never gave her enough food or money—which was the first indication of antisocial behaviour—but there was also the nature of his sexual appetites, injecting her mind with scenarios of simulated domestic violence and abuse. Still... this little spoiled buttercup was harmless compared to what she encountered on a daily basis on the Melbourne streets. The term sociopath was hardly worth qualifying now after seeing so much cruelty.

She lifted her foot, aiming at his balls.

"Hey!" he shouted, shuffling backwards. "Okay! If you feel that way I'll go somewhere else." She watched him slide away and disappear behind plumes of steam blowing from beneath a laundromat, as she started to delve into a disposal unit. She pulled out a handful of cardboard clams containing warmish remains of hamburgers. Then she took out the hip flask beneath her jumper to wash away the bad taste in her mouth and took a big bite out of someone else's jumbo-burger.

She felt dejected. It hadn't always been like this. She used to be a respectable citizen, but this was the way of the world now. Society had slid into ethical squalor and people didn't want to be reminded of behavioural dysfunctions which were requisite to survival.

Grease and unknown substances stained her unwashed jumper, the new addition of sauce and enzyme mixing into the stained fabric. Ideally she would have washed her clothes last week. But money had been tight. There was a long list of things she needed from the store. And when she was able to she would like to have a shower at the women's shelter. On Tuesdays they opened their doors, and generally Sonja would sneak in trying not to be recognized. A rash was forming on her neck and down her rib cage, following the sensitive lines of her erogenous regions all the way down to her inner thighs. It was bad for business to look so unkept. Middle aged men tended to be more generous when they found you attractive.

"Wash your fucking clothes, Sonja," the voice of reason cautioned, barely audible above her severe tinnitus.

Yellow, gold, and orange, tinged the smog horizon, and Sonja started thinking about heading back to sleep. She had a place no one would ever think to find. Basically a home... if you were a homeless person. She had to wedge her feet into the cracked brick corner to climb the wall. But when she got through the unfastened roofing panel and inside the locked rear shop storage area, it was warm, safe and secluded. The owners didn't ever seem to come back here, certainly not where she had cleared a small space to keep her stuff. One day she would get busted and have to move out but it was worth the risk for the current security.

Heat radiated from a hot water system nearby. She checked her thermometer—fourteen degrees compared to the outside six. "Not bad at all, Sonja," she murmured, nestling into a fortification of old blankets and clothes.

The sounds of a waking city buffeted her strange dreams. Cars and hysterical yelling whirled into a kaleidoscope, morphing into nesting dolls that opened their cavernous depths to reveal the penetrating gaze of a fortune-telling gypsy. All of a sudden, she was falling backwards down a sewer pipe and onto her bed with a thump.

"Can I play with her?" The came a little girls voice.

"You, hey you!" barked a gruff voice. "What you doing here?"

Sonja opened her eyes. A pathway had been cleared to her. A man, around thirty years old, stood staring at her with all the expectation of someone completely taken unawares by her presence.

"Oh, hey, don't worry, I'm not dangerous," she mumbled dreamily. "I've just been staying here for a while to get off the street."

He peered at her, swaying a little as the little girl pulled at his pants leg. "We own a hou' on other side of town, if you want somewhere to stay, you ca' go there. We rent this building now and have to clean. Don't worry, am not dangerous." He grinned rather sarcastically.

Sonja decided there was something wholesome about him. The way he walked and seemed to mime the meaning of his words. There was an affection between him and his daughter, who looked pampered but not spoiled. Besides, she needed to get off the street for a while, having lost her place of safety. It would be some time before she found another suitable sleeping arrangement.

"Okay, that sounds... good," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Looks like I can't stay here anyway. A night's rest and a meal would be a nice change."

The man told the little girl to wait at the shop front while he helped Sonja pack her things up.

"My name is Chao. Do you have bag to carry everyfing?" he asked.

"Well, I brought a lot of things here after I moved in, so probably not."

He laughed when she said "moved in". "How long you been staying here?"

"Eight months, actually. You never seem to come back here."

He folded some clothes and packed them into a duffle bag. "Well we sublet the front of shop, there issun another access point so we just lef this here. It not much more than chair and things from ou' old restaurant. Senteemental value."

"You used to work here?"

"My wife and I migrate from China, after the war. When we arrive we have nothing. We spend a few year doing what you call squatting. Although was a lot safer back then."

"In houses?"

"Ye, sometimes we find whole house no one lives there. Power and everyfing. Owners just left town. We go to work every morning, keep everything in car. Save eighty grand that way in one yee-ah. We don' tell parents - so don' tell mother - you meet her tonight. But after that we buy this place, we sleep where you sleeping for years."

Sonja was a little taken aback. "Cars? It's been a while since they made cars, right?"

"More than 200 years ago, we not young. Grace"—he pointed to the shopfront—"That my grandaughter."

It never ceased to amaze Sonja that there were 250 year olds who looked her age. Generally, she never noticed because conversations with people rarely got to this level of depth. But retrograde hormonal implants, otherwise known as youth implants, or symbiotes, cost a fortune. Certainly no one she knew of had them.

"Yeh, we got implant, my son make them. I got plenty of bag out front. I go get some." She watched as he shuffled flat-footed through the door, square shoulders hunching.

From what she knew about implants, they were a Genetically Engineered Organism. She had heard some stories about them causing mental problems, but it had been years since she had sat down to read a medical document.

Sonja had cut herself off from the world while a part of her sat in the background, watching a tramp rummage through other people's garbage. In the years since she'd rarely strived for anything better, largely due to the fact that in every societal echelon there existed a soul-crushing reality of one variety or another. The few people she'd met who'd had jobs and apartments lived an isolated existence, fairly unaware of what was happening in the streets below their high castles. They styled their homes as was cannoned in media, as well as their opinions. At least on the streets she was separate from the cultural movements reserved for those with money in their pockets.

But meeting Chao was like a sobering memory, his wholesome nature seemingly rinsed away some of her scepticism. She smiled weakly as he made his way back through the path he had cleared with a few large sacks.

"Okay, I got bag, the removalist be here soon. I can take you to our place then. You can have shower, and wash clothes."

"Thank you. It's been a while since everything's been cleaned."

"Here, I show you where Air Van i' parked."

Shop fronts and people slid past her window, the low electric whine of Chao's Air Van motor synchronized with breaks and turns. She noticed places she had scavenged for food or begged. Some places held a much darker significance that her mind shied away from.

She saw the "Pay It Forward" soup kitchen displaying its internal gallery through paned windows. A memory arose vividly of her standing at their front door, reading the mission statement aloud while paying patrons were ushered in past and she was asked to leave.

"Pay It forward—providing wholesome food to those who seek it." The pre-recorded message sounded tinny from within the Air Van. "Our goal is to provide wholesome food to the community. Our pay it forward system allows customers to reserve food for anyone in need who asks..."

Yeah, right. No such organizations existed anymore.

The Air Van stopped in front of a restaurant in St. Lucia. Chao patted Grace on the head affectionately and turned around to speak to her.

"You wan' some food? What you eat?"

"Yes, I eat anything, thanks," she replied.

"I get you snack before dinner, you look too skinny. Wife no be happy I no fee' you. Gi' me everything that need washing except for cloth. I send them to laundromat fro' here. We ha' bedsheet at home."

She looked at the large ornamental sign adorning the shop front as Chao and Grace walked beneath, laden with bags of laundry. "Chao's Golden Stone" read both in English and what she assumed was Cantonese. She remembered the place. A lady out back had given her food one night when she'd caught Sonja rifling through a dumpster. She considered for a moment that perhaps she'd been looking in the wrong places for opportunity.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Pig-headed. Always trying to do things the hard way." Her mother's voice echoed between the barriers of Sonja's conscious and subconscious mind, until activity in the street caught her attention.

People seemed happier here, less desperate in their movements, even stopping to speak to one another. As her gaze fell on the other side of the road she noticed people exchanging gifts, trading, and conversing casually. Happy and unargumentative. The last time she had been on this street it had been after dark, and she'd guessed everyone was inside. She certainly hadn't noticed that they'd been happier. It was perplexing. She slipped into silent thought and barely noticed as Grace and Chao returned, the latter setting the Van's autopilot flying towards their home.

"We got you some spring rolls," said Grace from the front seat, shrill with delight. "Spring rolls and wonton soup."

"Thank you, my dear," Sonja murmured.

"Grandad says they are A1 today, that means good."

"I bet." She tore open a spring roll.

It was quality produce, fresh vegetables grated and ruffled, laying in every direction. She could almost smell the colour and texture as she took a bite. It had been a while since she'd eaten a meal of such complex structure. The soggy hamburgers she found discarded in paper bags were generally only garnished with a little hydroponic lettuce.

The spring rolls actually hurt her mouth as her glands struggled to release an overwhelming amount of saliva. She wolfed them down in record time and moved onto the soup. It was a sweet broth with tamarind and allspice, the wontons likely containing synthesized meat, but she wasn't picky. It all sat in her stomach, producing an almost unbearable state of bliss.

Grace was still watching her. "Sorry," Sonja mumbled.

"You were hungry, huh? Wait till you taste my mum's cooking. Grandad says she's the best Chinese cook in Melbourne."

"This was... the best food I've eaten in years, thank you."

Chao's family house was only slightly failing decadence, polished timber floors and ornate Chinese carvings lining its interior. Chao led her to the kitchen which smelled like a restaurant, almost tripping over Grace as she ran through their legs. "Mummy, Grandma, we brought a visitor. She needs a place to stay."

Both women were young-looking, around the age of thirty. Sonja recognized the woman who had given her dumplings, chow mein and an aloe vera tea at the back of Chao's Golden Stone years ago.

She stepped forward. "Hello. My name is Wan, Chao's my husband. Would you like to have a bath before dinner? It's a little crowded in here right now." Wan beamed at her as she brushed past, leading Sonja down a branching hallway and into the bathroom. She opened a linen press and removed a soft white towel, placing it on the edge of a gold-footed freestanding bathtub.

"There's shampoo on the shelf, shower gel and conditioner." She opened a cupboard below the sink and retrieved a long luffa, placing it on the wash stand as Sonja examined the contents. "Take as long as you like—dinner won't be for an hour or so." She smiled as she backed through the doorway, pulling the door shut behind her.

Immaculately clean, the white interior of the bathroom beckoned Sonja towards the shower faucet. She turned on the water, adjusting it to be as hot as she could take. Once she'd removed her clothes, she stood in front of the mirror and examined her body.

Her pale skin red from lack of hygiene. Ribs protruding beneath her breasts. She noted uncomfortably how skinny she was. Her shoulder-length auburn hair was splitting at the ends. She looked under the sink and managed to find a pair of scissors to trim it, cleaning the scattered clippings away before getting beneath the water. She stepped into the shower as plumes of steam engulfed her, emanating from the shower of water, bouncing heavily from the white porcelain bath. Dirt and grime cascaded off her body, mixing with the clear liquid swirling down the sink.

The feeling of being a new person settled in. She was actually beginning to feel at peace. Sonja remembered that there were good things in life, that she could have some of them despite the competition of society.

Water dripped onto the plush bath mat beneath her feet. She ran the towel over herself, down her legs, her movements jerky and clumsy. She dressed quickly and combed her hair in front of the mirror. Clean inside and out—relatively speaking—she decided to make her way into the living room to thank Chao and his family.

She hoped the feeling of relief would last.

The stifled clatter of pots, cutlery and flatware echoed down the hall as Sonja exited the bathroom. Sounds which reminded her of home. Her bare feet tread on the polished wood floorboards while a draft blew through a side door that had been left ajar, prickling her skin.

She peered through the gap, not really expecting anything in particular. An amused pair of eyes met hers and the door opened to reveal a young man who smiled at her. "Nosy, aren't we?" He laughed as she skittered backwards.

"Sorry," she stammered.

"That's okay. Dad said I should introduce myself." He poked a thumb at his chest. "Name's Lin. You shouldn't be self-conscious, by the way. Curiosity is an admirable trait."

His coal black hair was roughly textured, parting to reveal an oval face with a warm Chinese complexion. The ends of his hair brushed the top of fairly well-muscled shoulders. She was a little taken aback by his roguish good looks.

"Pleased to meet you. Your father brought me home like a stray cat so I guess you can expect some curiosity."

"Hopefully not death, though." He smiled eerily.

"Chao said his son engineered youth implants. Is that you?"

"Oh yeah, I'm a biomechanic. "

They paused - looking expectantly at one another for a moment. She considered that she should probably be getting out into the living room to speak with the rest of the family. But as Lin's penetrating gaze met hers he abruptly ushered her in "Come and see."

Lin's eyes glowed as he spun around. The walls were lined with racks of shelves, each holding vats, mesh baskets filled with coiled wires or packages, organic compounds, chemicals amid various pieces of technology. A computer terminal sat on a tiered desk with a holographic display, with some strange peripheries attached that Sonja had never seen before.

"So this is the lab," he said. "Living with mum and dad makes rent cheaper. Some this stuff is all very expensive. See in the tanks, the symbiotes?"

Sonja stalked forward like a stork, scrutinizing the contents of a tank before her. There was something squirming inside. Much like an elongated centipede, its translucent white skin caught the overhead light shining through teal liquid. It was creepy, the way its legs wriggled as it swam in loops, chewing small suspended particles with articulating mandibles.

"That's an implant?" she asked.

"Yes, they're a symbiotic life form. Every implant looks a little different but they're always an invertebrate." He gazed at her as though expecting revulsion.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1005938787454566440/1013439933521866792/mr-blackboard-face_UwU_small_white_mutant_lobster_shaped_symbio_16aab653-06ff-48cf-9b77-9dd0a5ab3461.png [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1005938787454566440/1013439933521866792/mr-blackboard-face_UwU_small_white_mutant_lobster_shaped_symbio_16aab653-06ff-48cf-9b77-9dd0a5ab3461.png]

"Can I have one?!" she said.

He blinked, mouth twisting from amusement, to reproach and back again. "Ha, soooo eager! First we'd need to take a blood test to see which one you're compatible with."

He took a pen-like device from the computer table and reached down to take her hand, holding it outstretched. When he removed the cap there was small needle that he flipped and held over her fingertips. "This will sting a bit."

She nodded, arching her index finger slightly.

"Ouch."

"Okay, there we go." He recapped the needle, inserting it into a socket in a bevelled casement attached to the computer.

"We should probably go for dinner," he said. "Mum and Dad will be waiting."

The table was set for six in a traditional Chinese manner, with ornate patterned plates and bowls, painted timber chopsticks and spoons at each setting. An array of vegetable dishes were placed around a central barbecued duck. Everyone stood at the table to greet them as they arrived in the dining room.

"Oh, you've met Lin. I hope he didn't have anything too interesting to say," Wan said, smiling as she exchanged a mischievous look with her son.

After everyone had settled in their chairs they helped themselves to the food and chatted merrily about how this or that tasted. Chao, who was sitting across the table from Sonja with Wan, leaned towards her and proceeded to name each dish. "This is Green beans and pok. Thi' is Steamed broccoli an oyster sauce. Thi' one stir fried mixed vegetables..."

Sonja nodded and thanked him, loading her plate with vegetables and some duck, drinking chilled filtered water and occasionally murmuring nothing in particular. Grace sat in her booster seat awkwardly using her chopsticks, but it was clear she was the master who steered the conversation as she poked bold questions and statements at everyone, causing the room to erupt in laughter.

Finally, everyone sat down at the coffee table in the living room and drank green tea. Lin sat with his daughter perched on his lap for some time before letting her run off to get some other toys. Chao's mother Yu sat next to Sonja on a white sofa, tilting her head to the side and asking Sonja what her profession was.

"I was a psychologist when I lived in Ukraine, but since migrating I had a lot of trouble finding work. For a while I worked at a free clinic until it closed down, and since then I haven't been able to find work."

"So you like to help people, dear?" Yu asked.

"I used to. Lately it's been out of reach for me, though."

"Lin also likes to help people, maybe he could use your talents. Has he showed you his lab?"

"Yes, it's amazing."

The older woman stood up. "Lin, it seems like you and Sonja have some things to discuss. You don't have to stay here talking to us—show her the guest room when you're done, we will tidy the kitchen."

Lin stood up. "Okay, mother." He bowed slightly. "Thank you. It should be ready by now, Sonja." He bowed to everyone. Sonja attempted to mimic the ceremony as Lin led her out of the room.

"So," Lin said as they entered the room. "This should be done."

"What's it doing exactly?" Sonja asked, her hand hovering over the bevelled casement attached to the computer. It felt slightly warm.

"It's been printing a symbiote compatible with your DNA." He opened the lid to reveal a petri dish with the coiled body of a symbiote inside.

"Disgusting. How do you implant it?"

"It's a fairly non-invasive surgery. I just make an incision behind your ear and implant it. Here, lay down on the table."

Sonja laid on the cool grey faux leather of the surgery table. Lin stood above her and applied anaesthetic gas to her face. A feeling of numbness swelled through her body, and try as she might she realized she couldn't sit up. Speaking didn't work—words came out as weak gurgles or not at all.

Lin leaned down and made the incision behind her ear, placing the symbiote at the base. She felt it grapple inside the opening and crawl in, then make its way to the base of her spine. She was only vaguely aware of it, but Lin watched as her skin bulged and it entwined itself between the vertebrae of her spinal cord. Her vision shifted to a myriad swirling colours, then pinpoints of light and blackness till everything faded and went away.

Hazily, she heard a voice from above. "I implanted her with prototype A, Mum." Lin's voice. She must be regaining consciousness.

"Is that wise, using a prototype?"

"Yes, it's perfectly safe. There was a symbiote already implanted. It was one of the old varieties which are associated with mental disorders"

Silence. Then. "Did she know that?"

"No, she seemed completely unaware of it. Prototype A killed the existing symbiote and so far there aren't any side effects to document."

"Well, that's good. Prototype A is..." The Chinese accent was indecipherable just then, but Sonja focused until she regained the flow of conversation.

"Yes, it can reproduce. The offspring then bond with subsequent hosts."

Sonja murmured into the room, "You could have told me that."

Lin laughed. "Wait till you see what it does."

Yu led her into the spare bedroom, gesturing hospitably at the bed side table, and the various fixtures. There was a bookshelf pushed against the white walls at the end of the room beneath a windowsill. She was surprised to notice real vintage books, printed before digital media had gained universality. Against the wall facing the doorway there was a queen size ensemble with white linen and a heavy duvet. To Sonja it was more inviting than gold or riches, and as Yu closed the door behind her gentle smile Sonja slipped beneath the sheets with a book to keep her company. Her skin prickled pleasantly with goosebumps, some of the reddening faded from the rash. She pointed her toes deep down beneath the heavy duvet letting her skin brush gently against the clean linen, and turned on her side with the book in an outstretched hand. The cool fabric of the pillow cradled her head, still cool and refreshing, as her clean red hair permeated the air with fragrance from the conditioner she had used earlier.

The book was an old copy of "General symbiote theory, a history and guide to laboratory practices." Which she assumed belonged to Lin. There were pages upon pages of dry writing, but the subheadings were fascinating. She flicked through the composite pages of old cellulose fibres, parsing the indentations of printed words with her soft finger tips. As she read a few pages about the initial trials of symbiotes she fell gently into a deep slumber. Awaking in the night only to turn off the bedside lamp.

Sonja, fell unconscious.

She sat up on the soft queen-sized bed, rubbing behind her ear. She was startled to realize it was already healed. The sun gently streamed into the room warming her where it fell on her legs. The cold air of the room contrasted the warmth beneath her bedsheets, and briskly tingled her face. As she looked around the room, blinking heavily she noticed that Yu was sitting on an ornate springed chair pushed against the wall, next to the door working on some embroidery.

Yu turned to her and smiled. "Good morning. You slept for a long time."

Sonja checked her phone to see what the time was. It was wednesday. She had been asleep for several days. The sun beat into the room creating more warmth as she snuggled into her bed clothes.

"I have to apologise for Lin. he did this all in a rush." Yu said"

"That's... Ok" she replied. "I've wanted an implant as long as I can remember, and i've never been able to afford one. I slept for 3 days"

"Yes" Yu replied. "But you already did have an implant, Lin tells me. He says it was a very old model and was malfunctioning. Have you been experiencing any mental distress lately?"

"I never had an implant. I never had it done. How could I already have an implant?"

Yu leaned back in her seat knowingly with her eyes widening slowly "It's the nature of these organisms. They can implant themselves while you are sleeping. Some of the symbiotes replicate and so you have them implanting themselves in people without them realizing."

Sonja was shocked, she felt violated. Although she wanted an implant it seemed like this one was not beneficial.

Yu steepled her fingers "Anyway it's gone now, the old implant has been assimilated by Lin's prototype. And you can expect this model to improve your mental state."

"Yes, I've been depressed for years. I have nightmares as well. basically I was having trouble functioning for several years."

Yu replied "well it looks like you have an all new beginning. The new implant will help you rather than hurt you."

Sonja could feel the difference. There was a rising feeling in her stomach, like a slight euphoria.

Things were going to be better from now on.

To be Continued.