This story is set in the world of The First Mother and relies on that story for context. If you haven't, please read that one first. Click here.

It was quarter to three in the afternoon and my worst fears had just come true. I was sitting outside the pharmacy where Mr. Benson had just given me the bad news.

"I'm sorry Alina, I tried" he'd said.

I know he did try and I was grateful for that atleast but what was I to do now? Mr. Benson operated one of the only pharmacies that had remained open in the middle zone even as the whole world crumbled around us.

Everyone else had closed down months ago but he remained open for people like me that needed him to survive. At a time like that when everyone was doing all they could to survive, he could have priced those meds at exorbitant rates but still he kept them reasonable. A true pillar of the community.

It helped that I only ever bought the same thing from him. Hormone Replacement Therapy. An estrogen pill that was the only reason I was still alive.

Somehow, even as food and water and all other essentials became scarce, Mr. Benson had always managed to find this pill to sell to me. When the dollar became worthless, he started letting me have it in exchange for food. For two years, he hadn't failed me once, until today.

I reached into my pocket to reveal my last batch. With apprehension, I counted the pills in the bottle. If I lowered my dose, maybe I could squeeze in another two weeks before I was out forever.

=^..^=

It took me a while to get back home as more riots and lootings had begun. Whether it was the masked men setting fire to a police vehicle or group of literal teenagers breaking into a supermarket, I did my best to avoid them all.

I don't even know why they bothered. Those places had stopped being stocked months ago. Nowadays, the only way to get food was from the weekly ration dispersal or to trade with someone that had hoarded before everything went to shit. The rations weren't nearly enough and most hoarders had their stashes plundered so those methods weren't even reliable.

I was able to get by without starving because both my parents had passed but their deaths hadn't been registered by The System so I was able to get ration for 3 from which paid for protection and my meds.

Somehow, I'd gotten by in this apocalypse but now I was well and truly fucked.

I took off all my clothes and stared at myself in the mirror as soon as I got home. The meds I'd been getting wasn't any of that fancy stuff that can change you completely in a matter of weeks. No, my meds were still the old formula that needed years to work it's magic. Two years later and it had definitely been good to me.

My breasts were small and my hips were almost nonexistent but I had a small waist and narrow shoulders so it was good enough.

My face was the star of the show. I looked very much like a girl which always made me smile.

I realised that all that progress was about to be for nothing as the longer I went without my meds, the more my body and face would revert to the ugly boy that I had once been. I was distraught.

Everything I'd gone through the last few months had been for nothing. I'd thought that even if the Earth was dying, as long as I was a girl, I'd be fine.

Now I didn't even have that.

A banging at my door caused me to jump. These days, visitors only meant trouble. This used to be a vibrant community when my parents bought this house. Now most people were either dead or just kept to themselves.

I was able to relax a bit when I remembered I was expecting someone. I hurriedly dressed and rushed to the door. Vance didn't like to be kept waiting.

I opened the door and stepped back for him to walk in. I glanced past him and breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed he was alone. That atleast meant he wasn't here to cause me any problems. He just wanted his protection fee.

"What took you so long?" he frowned and we walked in with that trademark limp. The result of a knife injury that healed wrong I heard.

"Sorry, I was getting dressed." I said cautiously. Vance was known for his short temper but still he treated me well enough and I wasn't in any hurry to change that.

"Where's the stuff?" he asked as he made himself at home on my couch.

"Let me get it, it's already packed"

I hurried into the kitchen to retrieve a bag that contained a large portion of the rations I'd received this week. Still, nobody messed with me so this was a small price to pay for peace especially at a time like this.

"Here" I handed the bag to him and stepped back "It's all there" I assured him.

"I know" He said struggling to his feet "You know what happens if there's even a grain missing. See you next week"

He limped to the door and that's when it hit me. The most brilliant idea. I had nothing to live for here. Without my medication, I would slowly waste away until there was nothing left. I had to try to find some more and I knew just where to start looking.

"Wait" I called out to Vance.

"What?" he sounded annoyed but I didn't care.

"I need... I need a way into the high zone" I stuttered.

He scoffed, "Are you joking?"

"I'm dead serious, Vance. Do you have a way or not?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. First of all, how are you willing to pay for the trip?"

"You're standing in it" I said quickly.

"The house? Worthless. There's abandoned houses all over the place." he turned to leave.

"I have more food stored away. You can have all of it. Just leave me enough to make the trip"

He seemed intrigued atleast, "You're really serious about this"

I responded with a quick nod.

"Like I said, I may have a way. You'd have a better chance sneaking into Canada though"

From what I'd heard, the situation was little better there. The high zone here was my best bet. I hadn't thought yet about how I would buy it even if I made it there and found it but I couldn't think that far ahead.

"Not Canada."

He shrugged, "Okay then. There's a run happening tomorrow night. Show me how much food we're talking about and I'll see about getting you a spot".

=^..^=

I arrived at the compound where Vance's gang, Omega based their operations. They'd popped up recently and saw themselves as Earth's last residents. As most people were trying desperately to flee our dying planet by running to Mars or the Moon, Omega were more interested in taking over this one and enjoying their final days on it.

I'd made sure to dress warmly and comfortable because I didn't know what to expect from the trip.

A pair of jeans, a layered jacket and one pair of comfortable shoes were now all I had to my name. We'll that and the backpack that contained enough food to last me a few days.

The rest, I'd left in the hands of Vance and his Omega friends to do with as they pleased.

I took a deep breath before walking through the gates of the compound. The stares from all the men that guarded the perimeter made me wonder whether I was making a mistake trusting them like this.

The large compound itself used to be a government building but Omega took it over after all the officials fled the zone.

"Alina!" A boy I didn't recognize called out my name. He was young, around my age, barely old enough to drink.

"Where's Vance?" I asked as soon as the gap between us closed.

"Out. Come on, I'll take you to the others"

=^..^=

The boy led me through the large house where all kinds of people worked on something or another. A lot of them were either too old or too young to fend for themselves. Most would have starved out in the world by now.

"They are the families of our militia" the boy offered when he noticed my stares.

I didn't respond. I had my own problems. Since yesterday, I'd taken two more pills and another dose was due soon. I didn't have time to worry about other people.

The boy ushered me into a dimly lit room illuminated only by candles and the evening rays coming through the windows. I tried my best to keep from panicking as the young boy closed and locked the door behind me.

I scanned the room quickly and noticed there were three other people with me. 2 men sat together, maybe in their forties. The last person was a woman. I thought she might have been in her thirties but the apocalypse had a way of making everyone look older than they actually were.

I waved to her when I noticed her staring.

"I'm Shana" she said from across the room.

"Alina" I responded.

"Do you have anyone waiting for you?" she asked. I wasn't in the mood for talking but I also didn't want to be rude or make any unnecessary enemies.

I shook my head.

"My husband is waiting for me"

'Good for you' I thought to myself.

My lack of a response didn't deter her because she continued telling me about herself. Apparently she was a therapist before all the old systems collapsed. Her husband worked at RAW's branch in our zone. When the branch closed and all essential personnel were called up to the high zone, they were separated.

He was supposed to make an application for her but then with the total anarchy in the zone, that wouldn't have been possible.

After a while, her talking started to help me relax so I just listened. The two men mostly remained quiet or talked privately with each other which I didn't mind.

Some hours later, the four of us were packed into the back of a van with no windows. The first thing I noticed was the smell. It smelled like chemicals and cleaning agents. As soon as the van hummed quietly to life, I wondered where they found the power to charge a whole vehicle.

=^..^=

We rode in silence for the duration of the journey. Even Shana kept to herself. The nerves were finally getting to her. The fact that we were approaching the high zone was finally dawning on us. The border patrol was famously ruthless. If they caught us, we were in for a world of hurt.

I began to wonder whether my medication was worth all this. I could have been sitting in my living room right now or lying in bed curled up with a good book.

"It's okay" I heard Shana say. She looked more worried than I did.

The van drove for another half an hour before coming to a complete stop. It was totally dark outside when two men opened the back of the van.

One carried a folded ladder while the other carried a thick fabric that kind of looked like a blanket but wasn't any material I knew of.

"Stay close" they cautioned as we ditched the van and made our way through what I imagine was once a thick forest, now just a collection of tree stumps.

We walked for a long time through the former forest eventually coming to a section that had suffered severe fire damage. The path we followed told me that other groups had embarked on this same journey which atleast made me feel more reassured.

Shana looked to be struggling so against my better judgment, I let her lean on me. It was cold and my legs were sore but I couldn't think about that. I had come this far and there was no going back now.

Soon, I began noticing sweeping lights in the distance which signaled that we had reached our destination. The two men in charge had us hide low behind the stumps as the automated lights made their rounds. Peeking from cover, I could just make out a large fence that spanned the horizon. Atop the fence were multiple turrets scanning for the slightest bit of movement.

I hurried behind cover as the gravity of the situation hit me. There were guns and I was the intended target.

I looked to the others who lay low behind the trees. One of the men in charge regularly checked his watch before peeking out of cover.

This stalemate went on for a few minutes before the lights went off.

"Come on, hurry!" he urged us.

I helped Shana to her feet and followed the man. The lights were off, the turrets lay motionless.

One man set up the ladder, climbed it and placed the fabric atop the barbed wire fence.

"Hurry before the power comes on. The fence is electrified, you don't want to be on it when the power's back"

I helped Shana up the ladder then began to follow before I was pulled roughly to the ground. I'm sure it hurt but I was running entirely on adrenaline so I got right up to my feet.

The perpetrator, one of the men from the room had quickly taken my place on the ladder and had reached Shana at the top of the fence.

It looked to me like she was having issues jumping from that high up all the way to the ground. In similar fashion, he pushed her without a second thought.

She hit the ground hard and screamed. The man quickly climbed over the reinforced fabric and dropped down from the fence.

The other man from the room actually helped me up on the ladder which I was very grateful for. Not to waste any time, I made the climb as quickly as I could and jumped over.

Shana's screams drew the attention of a nearby searchlight which focused in our direction. An alarm was sounded. I was still reeling from the pain of the high jump but I had to get moving.

As I struggled to my feet, the second man made his jump, reunited with the other man and and hurried away. That's when the gunshots started.

I crawled to where Shana lay on the floor crying, her leg was broken. I could see the way it twisted in an odd direction it wasn't supposed to.

More gunshots in our direction which caused me to duck sharply.

'I'm sorry' I mouthed the words. There was nothing I could do for her. The two men on the other side of the fence had retrieved their ladder and fabric and were making their way back through the trees.

If I stayed there, I would have been caught.

"I'm sorry" I said to her before retrieving my backpack and putting as much distance as I could between myself and that fence.

I ran and ran until the gunshots were muffled by the distance. Eventually I came to a body of water. I couldn't tell how deep it was and didn't have time to weigh my other options because I swear I could hear dogs in the distance and getting closer.

I put one foot in the water. It was so cold. I shuffled forward until my entire body was submerged by the cold liquid. I walked forward until my feet could no longer find the floor and I began swimming.

It was cold, almost like a thousand needles piercing my skin even through the jacket.

And it was so heavy. The weight of the wet jeans and the jacket were just manageable but the backpack was impossible to stay above water with. I made the difficult decision to remove the pack. It was either that or drown.

It broke my heart to think about all the food I had left in the world sinking to the bottom of that dark abyss. But what choice did I have.

Freed from that extra weight, I was just able to make it to the other side. I was out of breath and heaving from the cold night air but I couldn't stop. I had to keep going.

I stumbled the first few steps and fell. My body was giving up on me. It was so cold, and I was so tired. All I could do was crawl behind a tree and let myself sleep.

=^..^=

When I awoke, I feared that I was frozen. I could barely move, my clothes had dried and stuck to my skin. Every slight movement ached but the worst by far was my leg which hurt like hell from the jump last night.

Oh God, Shana. I wondered where she was. If she was even alive.

I dragged myself to my feet, I was cold, starving and itchy. I had to get out of the woods. And so began my long walk. After a while, time sort of just blended together. I walked until I couldn't walk anymore and then I rested. My immediate problem was water. If I didn't find some water soon, I'd be in serious trouble.

I knew I couldn't rest long so I forced myself to my feet and kept at it. Eventually, I encountered civilization. It was a community of beautiful houses, more beautiful than I had ever seen in real life.

I quickly learned to stay off the roads as there were frequent patrols and cameras throughout the streets.

So this was the high zone? It was beautiful, there were actual green leaves and it smelled amazing. I stayed on the paths I could find behind the houses while still seeking food and shelter.

The first house I felt confident enough to enter had no cars out front and no sign of people. I just needed some food and I was sure they had more than they knew what to do with. Maybe a change of clothes as well. I easily made my way unto the property as there were no fences or security.

The backyard had what I recognized to be a swimming pool but there was no water in it. I guessed the apocalypse was affecting everyone.

I made my way to the back door but was scanned by a security camera I hadn't noticed and a dog just seemed to appear to my left out of nowhere and was barking aggressively. I took a cautious step back and it lunged at me. I tried to run but didn't make it very far before tripping on my own tired feet and falling to the floor. I winced from the pain but had to face the immediate threat.

I remembered thinking that I was about to die. I'd gone through all of this just to be ripped to shreds by some guard dog. I really should have just stayed home.

I accepted my fate, waited for the dog to reach me and finish the job when I noticed it was flickering like an old TV channel. I wasn't moving and neither was the beast. It just barked in the same motion like a repeating animation.

I reached forward to touch it and my hands passed right through it. Son of a bitch.

I dragged myself back to my feet, dusted myself off and made my way off the property. If they didn't want intruders that badly, who knows what else they had in store for me?

=^..^=

I continued the journey through the community still in search of food and shelter. My luck turned when I arrived at the back door of a house that didn't use any cheap tricks. In fact, the door opened by itself when I approached it.

I hurriedly walked in and was greeted by a warm interior. The house was made mostly out of marble and glass and unlike those in the middle zone, there was even electricity.

From the living room, I explored the other rooms of the house in search of the kitchen. My eyes widened with joy when I found a stocked fridge. With each gulp from a bottle of water, I finally started to feel like everything was going to be okay. I would just take some food and then I could begin my search for a pharmacy.

I might have to resort to stealing because there was no way I'd be able to pay for my medication now but I decided I would do what I had to do. I couldn't go back to being a boy. I just couldn't.

When I brought the bottle away from my lips, I noticed there was a man standing in the doorway watching me.

"Are you hungry?" Those were the words he spoke to me.

"I'm sorry, I was just thirsty, I'll leave" I replied.

The middle aged man made his way to me which caused me to stumble backwards. I was no longer thirsty but I was still hungry and tired so it was unlikely I'd be able to fight him off. I looked passed him and to the door out of the kitchen.

I realized I could run, that was one option. But the more I watched him cautiously, the more I realised there didn't seem to be any malice behind his smile.

Still I kept my distance as he walked up to the fridge which I later found out had a built synthesizer. At the time, the technology seemed more like magic than science.

"I'll make you something. Would you like a shower?"

No matter how long I lingered on his words, I couldn't detect any ill intent. If anything, he seemed happy to be able to offer me the help I desperately needed.

Still I couldn't let my guard down. I slowly walked passed him and out the kitchen.

"Up the stairs, last door on your right." he called out to me "Use any towel you find, they're all clean"

Instead I headed straight for the back door and pushed it open. The outside world was staring me in the face. I inspected my disheveled clothes and felt my stomach grumble.

After much deliberation, I closed the door and headed up the stairs.

=^..^=

Following the best shower I'd had in months, I followed his instructions and toweled myself dry. I noticed a polka dot dress and white underwear neatly folded on the counter that hadn't been there when I walked in. I'd been so engrossed in my warm qshower, I hadn't noticed anyone come in.

I might have wanted to complain about the invasion of privacy but I was just too happy about having a fresh set of clothes.

I slipped on the clean underwear and began working on the bra when it hit me.

My remaining pills were in my backpack which was now at the bottom of that body of water. I slapped my forehead in frustration. I was about to miss a dose for the first time in two years and I would miss another tomorrow and the next.

I quickly rearranged my dreadlocks in a ponytail and exited the bathroom. I was then hit with the overwhelming smell of fried eggs and bacon. My stomach grumbled again but I wouldn't be deterred.

I hurried downstairs and into the living room where the man was waiting for me with a plate of food.

"I thought that dress would suit you" he exclaimed happily "It belonged to my daughter and you both are around the same size"

"Thank you so much for your hospitality but I need to go" I said to him "Where's the nearest pharmacy?" I asked.

"Now hold on, you need to eat"

"I don't have time" I insisted "I have to go so if you can just tell me..."

"Whatever it is can wait. Eat first and I'll happily tell you whatever it is you want to know" he countered.

I was in no place to argue. I was starving and the food smelled good.

"Okay?" he asked.

"Okay" I answered.

"Good, now sit"

I sheepishly took a seat on the couch closest to the plate of food, "Thank you" I said to him.

"It's not real bacon or eggs so thank me when you've tasted it" he smiled.

I did, it tasted different, not bad, just different. I didn't mind it, it was food.

With each bite I took, he seemed more and more pleased. It crossed my mind that the food might have been poisoned but it was too late to care. I ate everything and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Would you like some more?" he asked.

Yes.

"No, thank you" I answered. "I need to get going"

"The pharmacy, right" he began, "Things don't work like that here in the high zone"

He knew I wasn't from here.

"We have synthesizers that can make whatever we want. If you tell me what you want, I can buy it for you"

"I can't ask you to do that" I said but I really wanted to take him up on his offer especially if pharmacies didn't exist.

"Really, it's no bother. I'm happy to help" he assured me.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked standing up from the chair "What do you want from me?"

He seemed heartbroken but I didn't let up. He was acting weird and there was no reason for him to do this much for a complete stranger.

"It breaks my heart that the world we have created is one where someone as young as you will be so wary of a good deed"

I didn't respond.

"Just tell me what medicine you need, I'll buy it and you can be on your way" he continued.

I thought long and hard. Was I going to come out to this guy I just met? Did I have a choice? He allowed me time to think and didn't pressure me. I decided he was a good man.

"Hormone Replacement Therapy. It's an estradiol valerate tablet" I said while avoiding eye contact.

"You're transgender"

"Is that a problem?" I turned quickly to face him.

"No, it's not" he replied. The compassion in his eyes didn't seem to fade so that was a good start.

"Listen, I'll check but most likely that stuff is controlled and I won't be able to print it without a prescription. I have someone that may be able to help with that if you don't mind waiting"

I nodded.

He smiled back at me, "I'll just make a call".

=^..^=

I probably shouldn't have but I couldn't help eavesdropping on that call. In truth, I still didn't trust him and I felt shitty when the call went exactly as he'd said.

He'd called a woman I assumed was a doctor and asked for a prescription to be sent to his synthesizer. She'd asked what he needed it for and he'd asked her to just trust him.

In the end, she agreed and I hurried back to the living room to pretend I'd never left.

"Listen, I've got good news and bad news." he began when he returned "We have the prescription but it only allows printing of one dose at a time"

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Each dose is administered weekly. The synthesizer will only print one dose"

"That's not good" I voiced.

"Listen um, this may be forward but you're welcome to stay. The way I see it, I doubt you have anywhere to go"

"I couldn't..."

"If I'm being honest, it's a big house and it gets very lonely at times. You'll be doing me a favor"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked again. "You don't know me"

It didn't make any sense.

He began making his way over to the synthesizer. The computerized voice walked him through the process and soon one dose of Accelerated HRT was being printed.

"You remind me of my daughter" he finally answered my question.

"I can't live here with you. I don't even know your name"

"My name is Dr. Winston Finch" he answered quickly "Whats your name?"

Where had I heard that name before?

"I'm Alina. Alina Whitmore" I replied.

"Nice to meet you, Alina. I hope you're not afraid of needles" he replied holding out the syringe filled with a clear liquid to me.

=^..^=

That was how Dr. Finch best known as the founder of the International Relief Fund, a non-profit dedicated to helping regions most affected by the planet's slow death became my host. If you were affected by drought, famine or any form of the increasingly common natural disasters, the IRF could be called on to help you through it.

Even before the IRF, Dr. Finch had founded countless Clean Energy Initiatives. He used to be very public and vocal about the climate crisis until his daughter and only child died, after which he was rarely heard from again. The IRF continued its good work but without the man that started it all at the head.

So tell me why I now had that same man, a legend in some circles, sitting across from me ranting about the bureaucracy happening on Mars while we ate synthesized food together.

It had been two months since I first arrived in his home. True to his word, he'd let me stay and every week since, he'd provided me with a syringe of AHRT free of charge and never asked for anything in return. Sometimes it felt like I was dreaming. Like someday I would go to bed and wake up back in my house in the middle zone.

His only request was that I never leave the house since I wasn't registered in this zone. A small price to pay. The AHRT I was on now was a lot more powerful than the old stuff and I was seeing a lot more changes in just a few weeks than I saw in two years.

The breast growth especially was overwhelming and made it so I had outgrown the old bras and had to have new ones printed.

Of course with the new effects came new side effects. I was dizzy and tired a lot but like I found myself saying more often recently, "a small price to pay".

Winston's phone rang which promptly ended his rant and that told me the call was important. I usually couldn't get him to stop talking especially about Mars and the government.

"I'll clear the table" I informed him.

He smiled briefly at me before answering the call, "I've been waiting" he spoke into the microphone

As he walked briskly out of earshot, I was just able to make out his last words, "The planet is viable?".

=^..^=

Winston and I continued our normal routine for a few more months. We'd wake up, exercise, eat and just talk. Actually he'd talk and I'd listen which suited me just fine. He'd lived a long, full life and he had so much to say. I loved listening to him talk about advancements in Science, the government and life on Mars.

The more time we spent together, the more I started to realise just how much I missed having a grown up in my life. I was able to let my guard down and stop worrying about everything. I no longer had to take care of myself alone.

I still worried about this life getting stripped away from me but as the months went by, I stopped entertaining the possibility that he'd ever let me go or let anything happen to me.

As we spent more time together, I realised that I missed my parents and he missed his daughter and we filled those roles for each other.

The confirmation came about five months into my time here. I'd thought I'd eventually get tired of being stuck in this house but that never happened. The outside world sucked and I had everything I needed here. I had him.

I was lying on my bed that afternoon reading one of Winston's old books when he knocked and walked into my room with a serious look on his face.

"Hi" I stifled a laugh. He looked so uncomfortable.

"Listen, can we talk?" he asked sitting at the edge of my bed.

"Yeah of course" I forced a serious expression.

Was this the moment? Had my time in paradise come to an end?

"What you got there?" I asked when he revealed a tablet.

He didn't answer, he just handed it to me. Apprehensively, I took it and inspected the words on the screen.

I scanned it quickly before spotting a few key words and then rereading it carefully.

I gasped.

It was a letter of adoption. My hands were shaking before I knew what was happening.

"Listen, I know this may seem to be coming out of nowhere but I hope you'll sign it. I can't tell you why right now but I really..."

"Yes" I interrupted his rambling.

"Really?"

"Of course" I said happily. I'd only known him a few months but nothing would have made me happier. I didn't know why he was proposing this nor did I really care. I signed that document and officially became his daughter.

Three weeks later, as a late birthday present, Winston handed me an envelope. Inside was a single ticket that granted me access to Voyager IV for a trip across the stars to our new home.

"As my daughter and beneficiary, I was able to get you a ticket to come with me." he explained "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get you a ticket for you to be on Voyager I with me, that one's VIP only I'm afraid"

He reached over and touched my arm gently, "So we'll be travelling separately but atleast we're headed to the same place. Our new home."

At the time, I didn't really understand what he was saying but I didn't care. I would have followed him anywhere.

=^..^=

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

As always love to hear what you think so far, good or bad.

"I got you a present" Winston said with a smile one morning.

"No.." I pouted while trying to keep a smile from enveloping my face "You can't keep buying me things. I feel guilty enough already"

"This is the last one, I promise" he laughed.

"Is it really?" I asked as I retrieved the wrapped box, I shot him a look that made it clear I didn't believe him one bit.

"No probably not, but you have to understand I haven't had anyone to buy things for since..." his smile faded.

"Yeah... " I didn't let him finish. I knew by now that as much as he brought her up, it pained him to talk about her.

"She didn't like receiving things either" he continued "You both have that in common. I think you would have liked her"

"We would have been best of friends" I assured him.

"Well, 'sisters' now" he corrected.

"Of course"

Winston quickly regained his smile in an attempt to lighten the mood. "What are you waiting for? Open it"

"Okay" I answered with a smile while loosening the bow.

He hung on my every motion as I unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. Most days I felt like I didn't deserve him. I used to despise everyone that lived on this side of the fence. I would never have admitted it but I did and the first person I met had been so unbelievably kind to me.

My eyes watered when I unveiled my present. A beautiful long sleeved pink dress that flared at the waist. Even just holding it up, I could already tell that it fit me perfectly and he'd bought it just for me. It felt like someone was finally thinking about me after spending so much time alone.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

I chuckled trying to hold back the tears and nodded.

"I want you to wear it today" he said. I turned my attention from the beautiful dress back to him. "We're leaving today"

"Where are we going?" I asked.

6 months and I hadn't once stepped out of this house. The thought of leaving was starting to feel like stepping out into the great unknown.

"Well, NASA camp first, then Mars, then Jupiter, then a whole new planet" he explained.

Mars? Jupiter? He spoke about them like we were just taking a leisurely stroll. I'd gone my whole life never once entertaining the possibility of ever leaving the country.

Winston looked excited, I bet I looked terrified.

"So go get dressed okay? We're getting picked up soon"

"Okay".

=^..^=

I stepped out of the house cautiously at first. We'd had an audience but I couldn't tell what was the bigger tourist arrraction, me or the helicopter currently parked on the street.

It was like nothing I'd ever seen. Like most Americans, I'd of course seen helicopters in the movies and occasionally in the sky before the scarcity of power grounded most of the birds, but this was nothing like those old choppers. Its hull was a sleek black reflective surface. Where the old models had been much too noisy and disruptive to be landed in a residential area such as this, this one was almost entirely quiet even as the four independent blades spun ridiculously fast.

Moving on from the chopper, I finally got to have a closer look at the neighbors that I'd sometimes watched from the windows over the last six months. I was sure they wondered who I was, the girl in the beautiful pink dress.

It was the first and last time they would ever lay eyes on me as I stepped up the helicopter steps and away from sight. I was faced with a giddy realization that the opaque hull of the craft only appeared that way from the outside. On the inside, every section of the fuselage allowed an unobstructed view of the world outside.

Winston smiled at my delight as he took a seat beside me and we lifted in the air. There wasn't even any pilot.

The views of the city had my undivided attention. From that height, I could just make out the fence that separated the high zone from the rest of the city. The same one that I'd illegally crossed and Shana had broken her legs trying to.

The city was in a rougher shape than I would have expected of the high zone. It seemed even the top 10% weren't immune to civil unrest. It turned out they weren't any better than the rest of the country. When their money wasn't enough to guarantee their survival, they fought just like the rest of us.

Still, I couldn't help but notice how quiet the roads were. There were but a handful of cars and even fewer pedestrians.

'Where is everyone?' I wondered to myself. Fifteen minutes into the journey, I got my answer.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of cars lined a large street on all lanes seemingly abandoned. The queue of empty cars went on for another few minutes until finally, we found their owners. The citizens of the high zone had packed themselves like sardines pushing against the gates of NASA camp begging to be let in.

From my vantage point in the air, I could just make out their expensive clothes and jewelry. I felt bad, especially for the children. They didn't deserve that.

"Are you okay?" Winston asked me as we passed over the Camp gates and onto the property that extended for miles in every direction.

I nodded.

Although we were headed for the collection of storied buildings, I could easily make out the different sections of the camp that included housing complexes, parks, runways and more. Several jets were even taking off and landing in the distance. We always heard about the power shortages all around the world, that didn't seem to be the case here.

We touched down on a landing platform where we were quickly welcomed by a young man. Well Winston was, I was barely acknowledged.

"Welcome Dr. Finch" he excitedly outstretched his arm for a handshake which Winston graciously took, "I'm Anthony and I'll be assisting you through check-in"

"Hello Anthony, this is my daughter Alina"

The man gave me a weird glance and tried to hide it when he glanced back to Winston for confirmation. I wasn't sure if Anthony simply knew of my adopted sister's demise or if it was my darker skin that threw him off. It could have been both.

Either way, Anthony quickly recovered and held his hand out to me. Better late than never I guessed.

"Hello" I forced a smile.

"Hello" He replied awkwardly.

I realised he was the first person other than Winston that I had met in over six months.

"Dr. Finch, it's such an honor to meet you. All of us here at NASA have been looking forward to your arrival"

"I'm very happy to be here as well" Winston answered.

As the two engaged in a conversation heavily driven by his fanboy, I took the time to examine my surroundings.

I noticed that there were other important looking people arriving in similar helicopters but my attention was drawn entirely by one single fact. There were trees everywhere. It had to have been one of the only places on the planet with so many real and live trees.

And to think there was a time in our not-so-distant past where vibrant forests with thriving ecosystems could be found in every corner of the world. How had we let it come to this?

=^..^=

The main building already had several people in line waiting to be checked in but Anthony guided us to a private area where we were immediately attended to. At first I thought it was because Winston was simply that important and while that was part of it, it also turned out those in line were those who gained access to the Voyager program through the lotteries.

Wherever we went, we were treated differently, specially, right until we were shown to our adjoining rooms. I slowly started to realise just how important my adopted father was.

=^..^=

By that point, the year had already been one of many firsts and new beginnings but the biggest one of all was still yet to come.

I spent most of my days exploring camp. There was so much I was yet to see of Earth which was made all the more tragic by the fact that I was leaving soon, never to return. For some reason unknown to me, I felt a deep sense of loss as the day we were scheduled to begin our journey to join the Voyagers at Mars Station fast approached.

'Maybe because my parents are buried here' I thought to myself on one of my walks around camp wearing one of those dreary, bland jumpsuits they had us wear.

'I am leaving my parents and going far away' I convinced myself that must have been the reason. I'd never had the chance to mourn their loss. It was kind of hard to mourn when you were worried about your next meal.

Even worse, I was only 16 when I lost them and I was left alone, forced to grow up overnight.

'Yes, the loss I feel now is for the life I once had' I managed to convince myself.

I was Malik Whitmore then. He died with our parents who never even got the chance to meet their daughter or even know of her existence. The truth is I would have remained Malik if they had lived. He was so deathly afraid of their disapproval. Even as the society crumbled, there was nothing he feared more than the disappointment of his father or the tears of his mother.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up to see the most beautiful girl you've ever seen staring back at me. Those were the first words she ever said to me.

I nodded my response. I must have been so lost in my thoughts that my face displayed my sadness without my knowledge.

"Are you sure?" she asked. There was that voice again. Music to my ears.

"Mm-hmm" I forced a quick smile.

"Okay" she smiled back at me "See you around"

She took off jogging maintaining a pace that would have been difficult for me to replicate even at my quickest. As her ponytail bobbed left and right, I wondered how someone could be so perfect.

=^..^=

I thought about her everyday, no matter what I was doing, she would somehow cross my mind. Even as Winston guided me into the spacecraft that was destined for orbit and I wore my seat belt, I thought only of her.

A once in a lifetime experience as we lifted off the Earth's surface and ascended at unimaginable speeds through the clouds, even this paled in comparison to meeting her.

Back in the middle zone, girls like her used to make me so jealous. I'd watch them with their fancy hairstyles and pretty dresses and I'd do my best not to show how heartbroken I was. Nature had flipped a coin at my birth and it had landed wrong and just for that reason alone, I was destined to live a life that wasn't mine. Atleast I used to think so.

Now it wasn't jealousy I felt when I thought of her, it was something else.

"Don't be afraid" Winston said to me from his aisle seat. He'd noticed I hadn't looked out the window the whole flight, not even once. Most first time fliers couldn't get enough of the view from up here.

"I'm not" I answered before turning my gaze to the world outside the spacecraft or lack thereof. Pitch black except for the blue orb that curved across the horizon.

It was funny how the only time I got to see our planet in all its glory is when I was leaving.

"There's the ISS" Winston pointed to the unusual structure in the distance "Early in my career, I spent four months on it. A very eye opening experience. Of course back then, it was much smaller."

"What were you doing on it?"

"Oh you know, research. Boring stuff"

That was weird. Winston usually had no problem explaining his work to me. I considered saying something but decided against it.

=^..^=

The International Space Station was bigger than I thought it'd be. I always pictured cramped corridors just enough for a handful of people. What I encountered instead was what almost felt like a small city floating in space.

How could something so grand exist when humanity on the surface was scraping to get by?

"Welcome to the International Space Station, Dr. Finch" a man wasted no time in approaching us as soon as we touched down. "Or should I say welcome back?" he smiled broadly.

"Another one of your fans?" I whispered to Winston while maintaining the fake smile on my face.

"I'm happy to be back" he went in for a handshake entirely ignoring my comment.

"This way please"

While the other arrivals were led to some form of orientation, Winston and I were informed that there was someone very excited to meet us.

"Welcome Dr. Finch" the strange woman stood as soon as we walked into her office.

"Hello" Winston replied shaking her hand as well. Was it going to be like this the entire trip?

"I'm Caitlyn Alcove, I head the Human Exploration and Operations Division here at NASA"

"You were in charge of the Pathfinder missions" Winston commented.

"You're well informed. And who is the young lady?"

"Oh this is my daughter, Alina"

"Hello" I said simply.

"It's very nice to meet you, Alina. Are you excited about to journey?"

I shrugged.

"I know it may seem like a long one but it'll feel like the blink of an eye when you're in stasis"

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh, it's how we make it so you sleep throughout the journey"

"Oh" I answered. I wasn't feeling like talking so I let Winston have the conversation he clearly wanted to have.

"So the planet is viable?" he asked.

"It would appear so. How familiar are you with the mission specifics?"

"I've read everything about it."

"Good. Four beacons have been activated so far. We're still waiting on human reproduction viability but that's not mission critical so the Voyager mission is a go."

"Well we're very happy to be included" he touched my arm gently "Although... my daughter and I are on separate ships. I know we'll be in stasis anyway but I'd prefer it if we were together. Is there any way..."

"Unfortunately, Voyager 1 is intended for very specific individuals. The passenger list is straight from the white house"

"I understand. I can be moved to 4 if that works" he countered.

"I really wish I could help. Your presence on 1 is absolutely essential"

"May I ask why?" Winston conceded.

"From what I can tell, optics. The president likes what you stand for. You're known to put the planet first. He insists were going to do things differently this time and your presence will help to convey that to the public."

Winston let out a sigh of resignation. It was settled. When we got to Mars, we'd be separated and we wouldn't meet again till we got to our destination. Blink of an eye as Caitlyn claimed. I hoped she was right.

=^..^=

Just like it had at NASA camp, the days blended together on the ISS until I was lying in my very own stasis pod on the Nomad, the ship that would be ferrying us to Mars Station.

I hadn't known anyone at NASA camp and as such just kept to myself. Winston who had kept out of the public eye for so long was doing a lot of catching up and so we rarely got to spend anytime together.

Not that I minded. I'd spent months with him all to myself. They could have a few days.

All things considered, the space station turned out to be pretty uneventful. Except one thing, the implant.

I'd been implanted with a device that was supposed to handle my HRT from that moment on. At specific intervals, it would dispense just the right amount of the serum into my bloodstream. This ensured that my transition would proceed even while I slept.

To be honest, it freaked me out a bit. The fact that I would go to bed and wake up different. That was something I'd dreamed about for so many years as a kid but of course, I'd always woken up disappointed. Now it was finally a reality, not magic but science.

"Are you ready?" the doctor asked as soon as I was lying comfortably in the capsule.

I nodded.

"As soon as the mask is on, just breathe normally" he instructed.

I nodded again trying not to breathe any differently than I'd been.

"You're okay, my dear" I turned to Winston who stood to the side reassuring me "My capsule is right next to yours so we'll be together the whole time"

The doctor placed the mask on my face.

"Count back from ten for me" the doctor instructed.

'10, 9, 8...'

"I can't wait to show you around Mars Station" Winston said just before the world faded to black.

=^..^=

Mars Station was... unexpected. It had started off normally enough, Winston hadn't been there to ease me out of stasis which was always rough on first-timers. Something important must have come up.

It had taken me a long time to get over the stasis sickness after which I had another matter to contend with. My body had changed at an alarming rate over the past four months. My hair was fuller and wilder and in desperate need of a trim. I particularly struggled with the new weight that I now found on my chest. I'd gone from a B cup to a D seemingly overnight, a change that now looked oversized when paired with my small frame.

I may have also added a few inches to my hips but I couldn't say for sure.

"My daughter is all grown up" Winston commented on my appearance the moment he arrived.

"Yeah" I let out a nervous laugh. It wasn't the first time my new body was attracting attention. I'd caught one of the nurses staring earlier.

Winston's comment wasn't in any way the same but still made me feel self conscious.

"Can I get a new shirt?" I asked crossing my arms. "This one feels kinda small" So did my pants when I thought about it.

"Okay" Winston had answered without skipping a beat.

I hadn't decided whether I liked uniforms. Every single person on the Nomad and even now, most of Mars Station dressed very similarly. Sure there were differences in color and style, for instance you could easily tell the passenger and crew uniforms apart, but still clearly part of the same collection. They reminded me of those old Star Trek movies.

=^..^=

An outfit change later, he was finally showing me around the station just as he'd promised.

"People really live down there?" I asked looking past the glass wall that separated us from the infinite void. Mars looked to me like a dirty dust ball, a stark contrast from the serene beauty that was our home world from space.

"Yes, an estimated 380,000 with more arriving every month"

"Have you been down there, the surface?" I turned to look at him.

"I have"

"Have you been everywhere?" I turned back to the world below.

"Not everywhere" he answered "I'm afraid this is as far as I've come. Everywhere we go from this point on will be as new for me as it is for you"

"Jupiter?"

"Yes" he smiled "Jupiter. Come on, let's get you some food" he said to me before placing a hand on my back leading me away.

We hadn't even made it ten steps when a voice cut through the air grabbing the attention of everyone around.

"Winston" it called out.

I followed it to its source. It belonged to a blonde woman, maybe in her forties. She was one of only a few people that were dressed out of uniform. She'd called to my adopted father but her eyes had remained locked on me.

"When I heard you left Earth with a girl you claim is your daughter, I didn't want to believe it."

"Evelyn" Winston replied. It always felt like trouble when he became a man of few words.

"Who is this girl?" she asked much more directly.

"Evelyn, meet Alina. Alina, this is my ex-wife Evelyn"

"Nice to meet you" I said as innocently as I could.

She eyed me from head to toe as if assessing a piece of meat.

"Hmm" was her only response "Is this a mid-life crisis thing?"

"Evelyn, stop" Winston said with a tension building in his voice. I dared not look at him, or her. Instead, I focused my gaze on the floor. "Or do you seriously think you can replace our daughter?"

"See that's interesting" he retorted "That you can accuse me of replacing our daughter when you already did that"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I'm talking about..." he paused "People are staring, Evelyn. Let's not do this here."

I quickly glanced around and he was right. People were staring, although they were pretending not to.

"I have nothing more to say to you" she replied "And you..."

Me?

I turned my gaze to her and met her disgusted glance in my direction.

"Enjoy my daughter's place" As if to ensure that she got the last word, she turned and walked briskly away.

I turned back to Winston who only mouthed the words, "I'm sorry"..

=^..^=

"I don't like that we're not going to be together" Winston said to me as Voyager check-ins began.

"Me too" I replied "We're going to be asleep anyway" I tried to cheer him up.

"Right, you have a VIP ticket so you won't be asleep for all of it."

"Oh, I thought..."

"Well you can sleep through the whole thing but I wouldn't if I were you. You'll get to meet other passengers, eat, see more our solar system" he explained "And we can speak everytime we're awake. It'll be too lonely for me if I don't get to talk to you"

"Okay, I won't sleep through it" I assured him.

A voice rang through the station's speakers calling for boarding of our respective spaceships.

We both took deep breaths.

"I'm going to miss you so very much" he pulled me in for a big hug.

I wrapped my arms around him as a response.

"I'll miss you too"

He held me close and didn't let go. I wondered whether his ex-wife had been right. Was I his daughter's replacement?

"Okay, we should get to boarding" he said as he finally loosened his grip. The boarding gates for 1 and 4 were in opposite directions so this was goodbye.

"I'll call you immediately I'm awake" he smiled.

"I'll answer" I smiled back.

I don't know why but I really wanted to hug him again but people were started to shuffle around us so I settled for a wave instead.

"Bye" I turned and headed for the gate so as soon as the words left my lips.

I remember thinking about how beautiful Voyager 4 was. How had we managed to build something like this in the midst of so much scarcity?

I was allowed to explore the ship that was to be my home for the foreseeable future. I was particularly interested in the biodomes which housed several species of plants.

By the time we were directed to the stasis chamber, a room that housed thousands of capsules mounted on the walls, the lotteries and other regular passengers were already fast asleep and so they would remain for years to come.

"Don't be afraid" the doctor said as he guided me into my capsule.

"I'm not" I replied.

I counted back from ten in my head. My last thoughts were of my parent's house, I wondered what Vance and Omega had done to it.

=^..^=

The first thing I did upon waking up was check my body for any changes. Any more and I would be entering into the realm of unreasonable. Thankfully, the last year in stasis hadn't changed me much.

"Yeah, I just woke up" I spoke to Winston through a computer in my assigned room. 'Computer' was a strong word. It had little else other than a collection of movies and music. A nice feature allowed us to see how far into the journey we were and of course, it allowed us communicate with the other passengers if you had their room code but that was about it.

"Are you feeling okay? You look tired"

I was tired which was weird since I'd supposedly just slept for a year.

"I am" I yawned.

"Get some food and some sleep, okay?"

"Okay"

"Talk soon"

As I walked through the relatively empty halls of Voyager 4, that's when I saw her for the second time. She was leaning over a railing, her gaze locked on a massive oak tree that stood tall reaching three quarters of the way from the ship's ground floor to our place on the third floor.

Atleast two hundred million miles from the place we first met, the probability that we would be standing here together must have been miniscule. I had no choice but to talk to her.

As I drew closer, I noticed that she was dressed in a free flowing skirt and a sweater, a simple outfit but one that put my standard issue dress to shame.

It must have cost a fortune.

"H... Hi" I struggled to speak.

Nonetheless, she turned to me and smiled brightly.

"Hello"

There was that voice again. A unique cadence that suited her perfectly.

"I don't know if you remember me, from NASA camp" My voice was shaky and unsteady. Unlike hers, I wasn't born with this voice. I'd won it after months of training. It was another thing that my parent's wouldn't recognize if they were here.

"Oh yes!" her eyes widened with recognition "You look different"

"Yeah" I chuckled nervously "I'm Alina" I outstretched my hand hoping to change the subject.

"I'm Ruby" her hands met mine. Bony and petite. By comparison, mine felt gargantuan.

I paused thinking of what to say. I hadn't thought this far ahead.

"I like your skirt" I forced out.

"Oh, thanks. I know it's a waste printing with everything going on but linen makes me itch"

As I wrestled with what to say next, her gaze was drawn back to the oak tree. I decided there was nothing to say.

"It was nice meeting you, Ruby"

"Hey wait" she called out interrupting my turn away "Are you headed to the cafeteria?"

I nodded.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure"

=^..^=

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Hi, thanks for reading this as always. Would love to hear your thoughts. Worried it might feel rushed but that's because it's just a back story for the what is to be a sequel to first mother.