Synopsis:
In the near future the Great Social Transformation has created a society in which women hold all the authority and power. Men remain uneducated and are restricted to mindless labor. But the Feminist Republic does not waste science and math talent, and has provided an alternative for a few Special Boys.

In Part 1 Kaylie succeeded in proving her intellectual and social merits and was approved for gender reassignment. The summer will be time for discovery about her new identity and relationships. History reading reveals how the Feminists were able to gain power.

Ann Clark was tense as she entered the procedure room where Kaylie had already changed into a hospital gown. She was calmly placing the professional-looking clothes that she had worn to the clinic into the personal belongings locker. She turned and smiled when Mother entered.

"It looks like you and Dr. Taylor have something planned for the afternoon," Ann remarked, trying hard not to show her anxiety. "What have you decided? Are you just starting hormones for now?"

"I told Dr. Taylor that I am ready to be castrated, now, today. I know I am a girl. I want to grow up female. I do not want those boy parts anymore."

Ann sat down in the extra chair and let out a deep breath. For a moment she focused on what had been discussed during her extensive sessions with Madeline Lee and the other specialty counselors. Madeline was the career counselor at the Middle School, the mother of Kaylie's best friend, Hillary, and had organized a team of adult counselors who helped Ann work through her repressed issues. Madeline was so important to both Ann and Kaylie now.

"I knew surgery was a possibility once the Chief Psychologist handed me the maternal consent form, but..." She paused to collect her thoughts. Kaylie looked so happy and confident. "But, this is so fast. Are you sure?" She looked at Kaylie and reconsidered what she was going to say. "I ..., I accept you ... for who you really are, and ..."

"Mother." Kaylie reached out and started hugged and crying. "This is what I have been preparing for ever since ... ever since I learned I could still be reassigned as a girl. I was never happy as a boy." Kaylie remembered what she had resolved when discussing her past with Madeline. "And I forgive you for not having me assessed for gender reassignment back in elementary school."

After a few more minutes of emotional hugging and sobbing Kaylie and Ann knew they had finally broken through a barrier.

"Kaylie, you have been through a lot of stressful situations in the past months. You are an incredibly strong girl. You are doing better than I am. I still have not forgiven my father for the abuse he inflicted on me and your grandmother. I still have flashbacks to the terrible patriarchal pseudo-religious indoctrination I was subjected to when I was a child."

Kaylie looked at her mother confidently. "We are going to support each other as daughter and mother; two women in the Feminist Republic. OK?"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Kaylie, are you ready?"

The nurse could see that her patient was still a bit emotional. "Wash your face quickly. It will make you feel better. Then, I am going to give you the sedative pill that Dr. Taylor prescribed. What you are going to be having done today is stressful at any age.

"Now get up on the gurney and lie down. Relax and I will cover you with this blanket until Dr. Taylor comes in. Ms. Clark, you can go to the waiting room or cafeteria until the procedure is over."

Ann gave Kaylie a big motherly kiss as her daughter started to relax.

A few hours later Ann and the nurse maneuvered a still very groggy girl into the car to head home. Madeline and Hillary met them there to help get Kaylie to bed and cheer her up as needed. The after effects of the anesthesia meant an upset stomach but Kaylie was able to sip a little when Hillary offered a glass of sugary juice. Madeline demonstrated how to change the overnight absorbent pads and placed a towel-wrapped ice pack between Kaylie's legs to keep down the swelling.

Ann was amazed by the efficient care being offered. Madeline reassured her. "I knew what Kaylie was in for after Dr. Taylor did her procedure, and I read up on the post-operative guidelines. We want to help her heal quickly. Hillary will stay here tonight for companionship, and I will be back tomorrow."

Ann had a hard time relaxing before going to bed herself. She had not been ready for Kaylie to take that ultimate, decisive step immediately. Ann was suddenly bothered by thoughts dredged up from her fundamentalist, patriarchal upbringing. No, she though, that is not what I believe anymore. It is right for Kaylie to become a girl. She made her decision and I need to support her.

By the next afternoon Kaylie was beginning to feel normal again. Hillary had been keeping her entertained by reading aloud from teen romance magazines, telling jokes, and just being a good friend. Madeline visited several times during the day, and continued to be the champion and knowledgeable adult, which Kaylie greatly appreciated.

In the afternoon Madeline gave Kaylie a knowing look like she had something important to say. "Hillary, bring me some fresh gauze and the hand mirror from my supplies bag. Ann, you will want to be here for this, too."

Madeline carefully removed the bandages from between Kaylie's legs and expertly wiped the area with moistened gauze pads.

"OK, Kaylie, it's time for a look. Hold the mirror so you can see yourself. Don't be shocked, it will look bruised and swollen for a few more days."

Ann leaned in for a look as Kaylie gasped, "I look just like a girl!"

"You ARE a girl, mentally and legally, remember?" Hillary said with a smile. "Why shouldn't you look like the rest of us down there?"

"I think I have to go to the bathroom. Can you help me get out of bed."

"Taking your new equipment for a test drive?" Hillary joked.

"Hillary, help Kaylie stand up, this is serious. But, from now on, Kaylie, you will be able to sit and pee exactly like a girl. Isn't that exciting? Wipe carefully, the incisions are not fully healed yet.

"In a way you are fortunate in the way Dr. Taylor did your surgery. She chose the Stage 1 option where she only removed your testicles and then folded your scrotum over your short penis. You do not have to deal with all the complications of creating an artificial vagina until you are much older if ever. You already have what you need to be a functioning lesbian."

Madeline glanced at Ann. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I just guess I was momentarily shocked by what I saw. There is no going back now. Kaylie is my daughter forevermore."

"The public record section of today's news report has Kaylie's gender reassignment notice," Hillary announced excitedly.

Ann looked shocked. "Public record notice?"

"Yes, gender reassignments are now publicly published along with the traditional births, deaths, adoptions, commitment ceremonies, and other civil matters that the district recorders have always documented and certified."

"Let me read it to you 'June 1, Kyle Clark, age 13, male son of Ann Clark and undisclosed male partner, residing in Mountain View Township, Southern District, Feminist Republic, legally reassigned as Kaylie Clark, female; surgery performed by Dr. Rebecca Taylor MD at Southern Regional Gender Clinic.' Isn't that awesome?"

"What's wrong, Mom? This is something I am proud of. I am finally the girl I wish I had been born as."

"We'll talk later, Kaylie"

Madeline and Hillary had brought over a precooked light supper to share with Ann and Kaylie. The evening's conversation was casual and relaxed, in contrast to the intense, focused, feminization training discussions of the past months. After dinner Hillary went with Kaylie to her room to watch some dance and teen romance videos.

"Remember that novel you read when you were just starting your transition? The one about the two girls who were both afraid to initiate a first serious kiss?"

"Yes, it was a fun book at the time."

Hillary moved closer and put her arms around Kaylie's neck. "What do you think about that story plot now?"

Kaylie was trying to figure out how to answer when a voice came from the living room.

"Hillary, it's time to go. We need to let Kaylie rest.

Kaylie was exhausted and appreciated her mother's help getting ready of bed. She had been enthusiastic about being castrated when Dr. Taylor had offered that option immediately after her official, legal, approval from the Chief Psychologist. She knew she made the right decision, but for the moment she was still really sore down there.

Ann held out a clean pair of panties. "I put an extra thick sanitary pad in there. The doctor said that it will help cushion the area while your incisions heal. Do you want to use an ice pack for the swelling first?"

"I think I will be alright with just some ibuprofen and a sleeping pill tonight."

"OK. Good night, Kaylie, my dear daughter."

"Thanks mom, I really appreciate your support."

Kaylie swallowed her pills, sank down into the bed, and let out a sigh. She had succeeded in passing the aptitude and psychological assessments, there was a long journey ahead. She realized that she had been confused by what she suspected Hillary had been hinting when talking about a serious kiss. As she dosed off her hands moved slowly over her body. What would it be like to have a real girlfriend like in those stories...

Madeline and Hillary arrived after breakfast the next morning with a heavy book bag and a couple of notebooks. Madeline was clearly back in counselor and champion mode.

"There is over a month before you and Hillary go to Girl Scout Camp and it is important that you use the time to get ready for High School in the fall. You were denied all the educational enrichment that other girls received, and have a lot of catching up to do. This first notebook has a summer study plan all worked out for you. You should plan to spend at least four hours a day studying. That will still leave you plenty of time for fun.
"I also signed you up for the three-week summer math and science intensive at the High School you will be attending. Summer session will be lectures to give an introduction to advanced topics combined with working on small-group projects. You will be challenged a bit by the fast-paced academic content, but what you really need is the opportunity to work with other smart girls as a peer."

Kaylie enjoyed hearing the references to 'other girls' as a reminder of her new status. "Will you be there Hillary?"

"I'm not sure yet. There is a dance and music summer intensive at the same time."

"I really like being with you and I ... I appreciate all your support and ..."

"Kaylie, Hillary will be spending plenty of time with you this summer in any case. You need to start enlarging your social and academic circle of friends and supporters."

Ann was listening from the edge of the room and had stayed out of the conversation. "Well, why don't you girls go to Kaylie's room and chat for a while? You can start your summer homework later."

As Kaylie headed toward her room she realized that Hillary had grasped her hand. It was not like she was leading anywhere. It as just a different sort of hand holding. Kaylie turned and their eyes met for a long moment. Kaylie was about to say something but Hillary spoke first.

"We have only a few minutes before I have to go. My mind is really mixed up right now, but my mother keeps telling that is normal at the start of the teen years.

"I am going to continue to help you catch up with the rest of us girls. You, I, and Stacy can do things together between now and Scout camp. I promise. And we will be in scout camp together. That will be a lot of fun."

"You and Stacy are the only girls I have had a chance to spend time with. Remember that until late in this past school year someone named Kyle had to follow the social rules for a boy."

"I know. That is why my mother told you that your need to enlarge your circle of friends. You are nice, attractive; girls will like you."

They were standing close together. Kaylie hesitated. She wondered how to respond. Suddenly Madeline called for Hillary and the moment was over.

Each day Kaylie's recovery continued and she found that she could be more active and was even able to resume the dance stretching that Hillary had taught her. Doing the splits really hurt so soon after surgery, but Kaylie considered the pain a rite of passage. The summer study material, socializing with Hillary, and helping mother around the house filled each day. Ann and Kaylie were adapting to the new family reality. Kaylie was especially happy whenever her mother made a favorable comment about "my wonderful daughter."

Kaylie looked at her pile of summer study materials courtesy of Madeline. She had emphasized how important it was for Kaylie to use the summer wisely and learn as much as possible of the advanced science and math that she had been strictly excluded from as a boy.

A shiver went down Kaylie's spine as she recalled the events of the last year. The assertive classroom questioning by a boy named Kyle lead to discovering that a select few "special boys" could be feminized, reassigned as girls, and then be allowed to stay in school to train for a professional career instead of being sent to the male work camps. For both Kyle Clark and James Smith a life spent as a construction foreman would have been their assigned fate.

Instead, Ms. Lee had arranged for Kyle to take the eighth grade aptitude test which was normally for girls only. His outstanding scores were what belatedly identified Kyle as a "special boy" with valuable intellectual skills. Ms. Lee had told Kyle that she would be his champion and help him prepare for the comprehensive Gender and Identity psychological assessment. Months of emotional stress and effort had followed before all the official approvals were in place. Kaylie Clarke reminded herself that she was now legally a girl, she had been castrated, was now taking a feminizing dose of medically approved hormones, and was on her way to a future as a woman. Jimmy proved to be a testosterone-poisoned stereotypical male, started a fight, and had been kicked out of school after the assault incident. He threw away his chance to be a construction foreman and was likely to spend the rest of his life as a laborer.

Kaylie knew she had succeeded on the aptitude test by a combination of luck, cramming from the books that Madeline contrived to have Hillary loan her, the ability to guess the right answer without actually being able to solve the problem, and whatever native wit and cleverness she had developed. Ms. Lee kept telling Kaylie that she had incredible natural ability. Maybe that was true, but succeeding as a girl in an intensive science and math program would take hard work. Kaylie also knew that as someone who was not reassigned at the normal time she would also have to continue to prove her political reliability and commitment to feminist principles if she was ever to gain a position of responsibility.

Ms. Lee's support was continuing and Kaylie knew that she had used her professional role as Middle School counselor to get both Hillary and Kaylie admitted to the same specialty high school. The Marie Curie School for Science was considered the most selective and demanding high school in the city. Hillary had been a stellar student throughout elementary and middle school and, as expected, she had placed high on the entrance exam. The other girls who would be entering this high school class were also smart and had been taking advanced girls-only enrichment classes all along. They also had been provided extracurricular opportunities like science club, Girl Scouts, and educational field trips.

Being well aware of all the catching up she had to do, Kaylie had decided it was best to alternate between the math and other science study and literature and history reading. The social studies and humanities reading was a way to clear her mind before going back to the equations and formulas.

A key aspect of education in the Feminist Republic was to only give boys the minimum education needed for them to do low-skill manual labor or to be useful household companions for the more traditional-minded women who enjoyed having a well-controlled male around. As a boy she had not been allowed to read anything beyond carefully selected school books and mindless boy-oriented magazines. Online activity carefully monitored and was limited to homework and a highly restricted phone. Now the whole intellectual world was open to her.

She looked up at the highly political wall poster Ms. Lee had given her. Heroic women representing the Feminist Republic were arrayed in front of computer terminals doing cyberbattle with hostile forces from misogynistic foreign nations. "The Feminist Republic needs all the best science and math talent to survive in a hostile world" declared the poster banner.

The next time Hillary came for a visit Kaylie had left an book about historic and contemporary gender roles open on her desk as a conversation opener.

Hillary took the hint. "I see you have been working on all the reading my mother is sending you. What do you think about this?"

"I'm a bit confused at the moment. I know that there are good reasons, but I sometimes still question how our society treats males. Look at what happened to Jimmy. The same or worse could have happened to me too."

"Remember that everything the Feminist Republic legislates is intended to keep males from ever again regaining power. When men were in control they oppressed women, wasted soldiers lives in imperialistic wars, caused tremendous civilian hardship, and destroyed the environment with their greed. Those things are still going on beyond our borders. Just this month there was an attack on one of the Feminist governments in Europe. Look at all the desperate women and children refugees who risk everything to get across the border into our Feminist Republic every year."

"I know. I have been doing my studying. But, what is justice in all this? Is society being fair to males? "

"Look, the genius of the founders of our Feminist Republic was that they found ways to keep men contented and happy. Didn't you read in your philosophy survey about how happiness is a definition of a good life?

"Besides, our society treats men much better that misogynistic societies have treated women throughout history. The rules that are imposed are necessary, but not vengeance . Look in your history books about what life was like for women in Arabia and Afghanistan - covered head to toe, confined to the home, no formal education. Even in "modern" societies men passed laws to control women's bodies and limited their sexual and reproductive rights. Didn't you read about how the 'motherhood trap' and 'glass ceiling' that kept women from reaching top positions in their professions? And, don't get me started about date rape, revenge porn, and partner abuse. Read about what happened in North America as the religious fanatics and male supremacists became powerful and initiated the Era of Oppression.

"The Feminist Republic is just! Men are provided with socially meaningful duties and abundant pleasures for their free time. In the work camps they have access to alcohol, drugs, pornography, and stimulating toys. They are free to do what they want as long as they stay in their place. The only real restriction is that males have absolutely no access to the knowledge and technology that is the basis of real power in a contemporary society."

"Unless the male is a 'special boy' who has their balls cut off so they can stay in school," Kaylie snapped.

"You have a point there, girl. But, I think your motivation to become a girl involved more than just getting a STEM education."

"Yes, I always was jealous of you girls. The fun things you got to do with your friends, the relationships you have with your mothers, all that. You mentioned a Feminist government in Europe. Are there other Feminist Republics I haven't heard of?"

"The largest is a queen-governed feminist monarchy in what used to be the United Kingdom during the Times of Troubles. There are also a few other Feminist enclaves around the world. Our Republic tries to help them survive and prosper."

"It's all complicated. I need to do more history and sociology reading; it's on my list.

"What I am really curious about is how the women got control of this territory and created our Feminist Republic in the first place. Weren't there men living in this part of the continent during the Times of Trouble? Why did those men not cooperate with the enemy territories and fight to keep control. What happened to to all the men who were living here once the women were in charge? "

"I am sure we will study a lot about this in High School and College, Kaylie. Girls on the political and government track spend most of their time on this material. Girls like us on the science, technology, engineering, and math track spend less time on history, but still need to understand these issues to effectively support the feminist cause.

"I think there are several history books on your summer reading list. Spend some time with them, but don't try to study everything at once. "

Suddenly a voice was heard from the living room. "Let's let Kaylie do her summer school work tonight so we can all go shopping tomorrow."

The next morning Hillary was bubbling with excitement when she and Madeline arrived at Kaylie's house. "This will be exciting. My mother and I want to give you some advice on summer fashions and then help you celebrate at lunch. I think Stacy will be out shopping too and might decide to meet us. "

Mother seemed indecisive as she was getting ready to go. Madeline went back into her champion and professional counselor mode. "Ann, everything is official now. You need to be supportive and get used to doing the normal mother-daughter things that you and Kaylie have been missing."

"I know. I just need to get over my emotional guilt. I really hurt Kaylie by causing her to miss her opportunity for gender assessment back in elementary school. And I still have flashbacks about my own father and those misogynists that he associated with."

"Remember, our society has a lot of resources to support transgender girls and their families. Schedule as much counseling as you need, Ann.

"OK, girls, lets get going."

Other than all of Hillary's hand-me-downs, Kaylie had acquired only a few girl clothes of her own. The professional-looking outfit she wore for the psychological assessment had been her biggest purchase to date. Now she needed some stylish, casual summer clothes to wear when spending time with the other girls who would be in her high school class in the fall. Madeline was practical and suggested they start by making sure Kaylie had sufficient underwear.

"We need to get you fitted with a couple of bras and some more panties. I would not get too many bras today. At your stage in your transition you will soon be growing fast. I bet that by the end of summer you will be showing a nice figure without padding in the cups."

"And your current pants will be getting too tight in the butt," Hillary added.

"You will also need some sports bras. No more running around outside in just a tee shirt for you."

Kaylie smiled at the thought. Unlike previous shopping trips Ann actively helped select items and provided supportive comments and advice. It was a lot more fun to have mother finally suggest a really feminine bra with ample padding instead of the plain braletts she had gotten for Kaylie when first starting her transition.

After getting the 'foundations' they picked out some nice jeans and skirts with mix and match tops. By then it was lunch time and they headed to the food court. On the way Hillary reminded Kaylie that she also needed dancewear, sports wear, swim wear, and rugged outdoor clothes for summer camp.

"We can deal with that after lunch," Madeline advised. "Let's eat, but not to much. Girls need to watch their figures."

As the four were eating their healthful salads and diet soft drinks they noticed Stacy Miller striding toward them with her mother, Valerie, trying to keep up. Kaylie pulled back as she saw Stacy's expression.

"Well, if it isn't the Hillary and Kaylie couple!"

Hillary went on the defensive. "So what?"

"Hillary, you and I used to do everything together. You haven't been over to my house for months. I never see you anymore. You are spending all your time with Kyle, sorry, I mean Kaylie, now."

Kaylie suspected the dead naming was not accidental.

"Maybe, Hillary, you like Miss K. because you two were friends back when she was a boy not the thing he has become, and ..."

"Stacy, behave yourself!," Valerie nearly shouted. "That is not the way to treat anyone, especially one of your friends. And remember, Kaylie is not a 'thing' she is officially a girl, just like you."

Stacy took a deep breath. After a long pause she started to get misty eyed. "I am just so upset. I just have been incredibly lonely and feeling left out lately. I miss you Hillary."

"But I have been inviting you to join me and Hillary. It's summer now and we can all spend time together. OK?"

"Well, it is just that I never get any time alone with you. Just the two of us. Sometimes three is a crowd, and ..."

Kaylie looked around wondering how to defuse the situation when Madeline went back into counselor mode.

"I think it would be best if you three girls added a few more to your little clique. You are at an age when you all need to interact with as many friends as possible. And three is not a crowd unless you are getting intimate, which should wait until you are older."

Kaylie decided to try to help. "Hillary, I don't mind if you and Stacy spend some time together without me. But I think we should have fun as a group too. We did a lot of things together while I was a girl in training. Let's enjoy the summer as friends."

Hillary glanced toward Madeline. There was a long silence. It was clear that this was a growing-up situation that she would have to figure out without her mother's help.

"Stacy, if it is alright with Kaylie I will come over to your house this Wednesday. Just the two of us. But after that I really want you to start spending more time with me and Kaylie." Hillary, turned to Kaylie. "Are you OK with this?"

"I'll manage," she replied looking down at the table.

The three mothers looked at each other and decided that the girls had satisfactorily resolved their conflict. As Stacy headed off Kaylie nibbled at her food while wondering why she had made that offer. What would she do for a day without Hillary? She was a full-time girl now, but had almost no experience being outside the house without Hillary as her companion, guide, and protector. Staying inside all day did not seem like a good way to spend her first summer as a female.

That evening Kaylie slacked on her summer school textbooks and spent a couple of hours reading romance fiction. The stories of other girls struggling with relationships seemed particularly engaging at the moment. After a while her mind started to wander and she thought about Hillary. Hillary had been a childhood friend, and she had continued to be nice to Kyle when they reached the age where girls stopped openly associating with boys at school. Once Madeline had become Kyle's advocate for gender reassignment Hillary had assumed the role of a personal tutor. But there were times when it was clear that Hillary was not just doing this because it was what her mother had asked. It seemed like she was a real friend.

Kaylie took out her ID card and looked at the "Female" gender marker. It had been a long journey since she discovered that special boys could be reassigned as girls. It was only a few weeks since it became official and she was still adjusting. She got up and stood in front of her mirror and admired the reflection of a somewhat attractive almost teen girl. Her hair was still shorter than most of her friends. She was disappointed that had not started to develop a figure, but was confident that it was only a matter of time. At least the swelling and soreness 'down there' from the surgery was over she thought with relief.

Her thoughts went back to Hillary. Was it possible that they were becoming more than just casual friends? Did Hillary like her? Kaylie hesitated. She looked up at the list of resolutions she had neatly written in a pink pen and taped to her wall. Yes, it was time to quit daydreaming and get working on her summer goals.

Suddenly she plopped down in the chair in front of her desk and picked up one of her history books and turned to the section on the Era of Oppression. Kaylie already had a general idea of how social and technological trends during those times lead to the men's ultimate downfall, but tonight she decided to dig into some details. As she skimmed the introduction she was reminded of the reasons why women wanted to resist the patriarchy. It was disgusting to read about how women were treated back then by men who considered their privilege and social dominance to be the natural order of things.

The chapter on 'Technology and the Feminist Resistance' began by explaining that designing the hardware and software behind technological devices had always been hard work that required years of focused study in multiple fields. However, even before the Era of Oppression high school boys became more and more interested in mindless electronic entertainment and sports and they stopped making the effort needed to study demanding subjects. As time went on the college enrollment reflected these changes. Females first became the majority of college students overall, and then they became the vast majority of students in science and technology fields. The gender shift in academic paths increased female representation in engineering and computer science careers where smart women worked under the incompetent supervision of male managers.

It was easy for 'men in suits' with management titles to demand long lists of innovations in each new generation of mobile phones, home automation devices, 'smart' appliances, self-guiding vehicles for consumers, automated machinery for industry, and the surveillance drones and target-detecting weapons for the police and military. But, due to their lack of math and science background it became impossible for these managers to understand the details of the technology being used to implement their ideas. To them that was 'women's work' and below their dignity.

During the Era of Oppression a network of equality-focused Feminist organizations developed that encouraged women to address their oppression and envision ways to create a better society. The Feminists were fully aware of social trends as the family-level abuse of women expanded into institutionalized national policy. With time the Feminist secret societies moved from consciousness raising to outright opposition to the whole idea of patriarchy. The activities of these Feminist secret societies remained undercover by presenting the unthreatening public image of being frivolous social gatherings. The groups had names like 'Ladies Literary Club' or 'The Dance and Music Society' to conceal their real purpose.

As the secret societies began active opposition to the oppressive patriarchy women realized that they could weaponize their knowledge of modern computer-based technology. Activist women who were responsible for essential technology in their workplaces became dedicated guerilla fighters for the Feminist cause. At great personal risk they began planning for the day when the only answer would be to be to resist the patriarchy with an organized Feminist force.

The Feminist Secret societies knew that they could not to fight on male terms based on battlefield courage and strength. Instead, these women began clandestinely developing cyberweapons aimed at lists of targets, both human and technological. Computer networking had become a total black-box to nearly all males, and it was easy to develop back channels that allowed scanning of the streams of business and personal data. Female programmers devoted nights and weekends to developing algorithms to mine this data for strategic purposes while telling their fathers and husbands that they had been 'reading poetry' or 'playing music' with the other girls.

While the male 'marketing managers' had been sitting in conference rooms talking about how to monetize the steams of user personal data the Feminists had been developing software to militarize the same data. They were able to compile detailed dossiers on every misogynist ranked by vulnerability and importance.

For the lazy, incompetent, misogynistic men the 'Internet of Things' proved to be their ultimate vulnerability. Virtually every piece of modern equipment contained computer chips that communicated wirelessly with other devices. This ranged from automated factories and power plants to airplanes, mass transportation systems, self-driving cars, household appliances, phones, computer tablets, even the smart speakers in their homes. Men and boys were content to deal with the so-called user-friendly interface of their devices and never thought about what was happening inside. Meanwhile, the women who dominated both software and hardware engineering were becoming more and more familiar with the intricacies of every technology from imbedded software to global networking.

A few traditionalist-minded computer scientists had warned the male leadership that modern civilization was vulnerable to attacks in cyberspace, but because these warnings came from women, the patriarchy paid no attention. Over the decades female engineers and programmers honed their skills by defending against the Russian and Chinese international enemies who engaged in commercial spying and made ransomware hacks into vulnerable computer systems. In the process of developing defenses these brilliant women associated with the Feminist Secret Societies became world-class experts at cyberwarfare.

While the male marketing managers and financiers were dreaming about an Internet of Things as a business opportunity the feminist programmers and engineers were planting extra code in the software and extra logic circuits in the firmware chips that would someday enable them to take control of these myriad devices at will.

The Feminists gradually developed more and more innovative strategies and eventually were routinely hacking into even the most secure systems. As the years went on there were almost no males who were able to understand what was going on at the front lines of science and engineering, and it became easier and easier for women to conceal their accelerating efforts to weaponize high tech.

The history book continued with several more long chapters describing the activities of the Feminist secret societies once they became open centers of resistance during the Times of Trouble. Kaylie was really curious about the battles that happened when the misogynist regions attempted to control the feminist territories by force. But, going into that seemed too much for tonight. Stressed by what she had been reading Kaylie decided it was time to get some sleep.

Kaylie was feeling lonely and jealous as she got dressed for breakfast on Wednesday morning. As usual she checked her chest looking front and profile to see if she was starting to show breasts. Not much yet, but soon, she thought as she took her morning hormone pill.

"What are you going to do this morning, dear?"

Kaylie looked up from her weight-watching light breakfast. "I think I will read for a while then put on a nice outfit and take a walk down to the park and back. Ms. Lee says I need to get used to being outside alone. Might as well get started."

"Remember that girls look people in the eye, even strangers, and smile; no looking down or away like boys are taught to do when encountering women. Rules for girls are different, and this summer is the time to start experiencing your new social role and freedoms."

"I know. Thanks for supporting me."

Ann smiled. But Kaylie thought the reaction still looked forced. She had learned knew that her mother had a lot of emotional baggage about sex and gender from her childhood. Yes, grandfather had been a horrid misogynist, but what was still bothering Mother now?

Kaylie headed to her room and grabbed a math book and began her summer homework morning session. She was a fast learner, but still occasionally struggled because of the years when she had been restricted in what she could study solely because she had been born male. After a couple of hours she decided she was ready to go outside.

As a boy she never gave much thought to clothes, but now she carefully considered every choice of her appearance. For today she wanted to play it safe: a pair of casual jeans, a plain loose-fitting blouse, and a low ponytail. Something totally ordinary that any girl could wear without attracting attention. Jimmy had been sent to a work camp, but the neighborhood still had a lot of younger boys around who might remember her as Kyle from the middle school. Nervously she gave everything a last check and headed toward the front door.

"Mom, I am going to walk down to Riverside Park and then take the nature trail back."

"Be safe, dear."

Kaylie started down the street fully aware that this was her first time out in public alone and without the protection of either her mother, Madeline, or Hillary. She reminded herself that many of the male-restricting laws of the Feminist Republic were intended to make the streets and all other public places safe for females day and night. Still she was reassured by knowing that she had an emergency alarm and pepper spray in the outside compartment of her shoulder bag.

The route to Riverside Park was on a wide sidewalk along a fairly busy scenic parkway. The day was warm, and the street was noisy as the cars hurried past. A few women and small children walking the other direction passed Kaylie without taking any notice. Then she noticed a group of boys were loitering on the curb far ahead. She decided to use the crosswalk and go to the other side of the street. She did not recognize them, and they likely did not know her either, but avoiding proximity seemed the safest choice. After walking a few more blocks past them she crossed back and continued to the nature trail entrance.

The nature trail was a narrow gravel path that wandered through the trees along the river and eventually looped back to the street. The shimmering light of the sun filtering through the vegetation and the sound of the small rapids and whirlpools were relaxing. On the other hand the shrubs close to the trail blocked a full view of what was ahead. Kaylie jumped at a sound and then laughed that she had been startled by a squirrel. Reaching a large clearing Kaylie sat down on a log bench to rest and meditate. So much had happened in the past few months and she still needed to occasionally reassure herself that she was now a girl. She had successfully demonstrated her eligibility for gender reassignment, and Dr Taylor had performed the initial bottom surgery two days after the psychologists signed off on everything. Her official counselor and personal champion, Madeline Lee, had warned her that High School was an emotionally trying time for all girls, and that she needed to not get stressed out by academic, social, romantic, and body image issues. The upcoming summer program promised to be intense and demanding. And, once High School started she knew that she needed to continue to focus because academics were her pathway to a professional career. She thought for a moment about her past schooling as the male who no longer existed and quickly put that memory aside. She was now free to study topics that were forbidden to boys.

Kaylie sat back, enjoyed the peaceful setting and listened to the sounds of nature for a while longer. She knew that she needed to start maturing in her new female role. When her transition started she had often caught herself thinking or acting boyishly from force of habit, but rarely now. She remembered how Jimmy would often drag the boy Kyle off on a random exploration or mischievous prank that broke the rules. She knew now how stupid that was and resolved to never, never let herself act like a boy again. Still, as a boy she had never been afraid to go into the woods or a deserted building. Today, taking the nature trail alone as a girl seemed an intimidating experience. She knew that she needed to start maturing in her new female role.

The darkness among the trees make her recall her history reading about social conditions before the Great Cultural Transformation. It was a time when domestic violence, date rape, and harassment by random males was a constant concern for women. Rallies to "take back the night" were a feeble protest in face of the entrenched misogyny and the sense of male entitlement. She also remembered stories of how transgender girls were harassed, assaulted, and even murdered. Kaylie decided that the grim events during the Era of Oppression were not something to be thinking about on a solo walk on a lightly used trail. Maybe she it was time to head home.

She got up from the bench, looked around cautiously, and hurried along the rest of the trail. She breathed a sigh of relief as she emerged from the dark, forested streamside trail and started along the major street leading toward home.

She noticed a somewhat familiar car race by, then noticed that the car slowed and turned at the corner ahead. She had not seen who was in it due to the glare of the sun on the windows as it passed. Moments later she was aware that the car had gone around the block and was approaching again more slowly. This did not look good.