Gwen ran her a bath, and Tina made no effort to protest. Gwen didn’t even ask her, or offer really; she simply handed her a plush synthcotton robe and pointed down the hall. For over an hour, Tina enjoyed a pleasure she had not experienced in years—a hot bath in a tub where she didn’t have to hang her feet over the sides.

Once finished, she found Gwen had laid out some clothes for her to wear. Real clothes, large enough to actually fit and look good at the same time. Once she had dressed, she saw the balled up mess of blue material that was her jumpsuit lying on the bathroom floor. Tina picked it up and nearly gagged. She could now smell what she figured she’d probably smelled like half the time. She thought about asking Gwen if she could wash it.

 But then, why? The jumpsuit had served her well, that was true—a nanofabric able to self-mend and stretch to any size her body required—but did she really want a life that would require wearing such a thing day in and day out?

“Not anymore.”

Tina tossed the jumpsuit into the garbage. That life was behind her. She’d have to forge a new one to stay alive now. No matter what it took.