"Hey, Homegirl." Jessica met Valerie with a rough embrace, squeezing leather before they casually strolled outside the game shop.

"How long have you been here?"

"Thirteen minutes and five seconds."

"Hehe. And how many steps have you taken since getting here, weirdo?"

Jessica glanced left then right. "Nobody cares."

"Something relevant. What have you been up to?" Both women started down the aisle, oblivious to every set of eyes and ads against the white polish.

"Besides delivering?"

"You still working at that Tacquera?" Like Jessica, Valerie uttered foreign and loan words with their original accent, Spanish words, at least.

"Tacquizza," Jessica corrected.

"Anything new?"

Her head bobbed to thoughts of her second life: David, Goliath, the cracked algorithm, then the info she received from Ghost Wire. "I did run into a weird guy before coming here," she said.

"Like you weird or get-away-from-me weird?"

"Don't know. He lives in my complex, and I ended up buying his coffee."

"Then you'd better find out what kind of weird."

"Well, I surmised that he's one of those Neo-zareans. You know, that clique that likes white and talk like they're in a Shakespeare play."

Valerie had a glossy smile. "So, he's get-away-from-me weird."

"Eh, labels only work for Scientific Law and the Order of Operations."

"Here's your order of operating, girl: scan 'em, bag 'em, dump 'em, then you've got the fourth operation: rinse and repeat... or is that five?"

Jessica's cheeks inflated. "I don't wanna know what kinda nasty shit you do on a Friday night."

"You know what it means!"

"Nope."

"I'll spell it out for you..."

Jessica covered her ears. "Shuffle, Babel!" A violin loop massaged her eardrums. "Lalalalala!" she recited, as Valerie lurched to grab her wireless earbuds.

"Get them to... and make the... then work it like... see how... on your knees..."

"Ich höre deine Teufelsrede nicht!" She removed her hands from her ears and caught Valerie staring at the red advertisement. It was the AEF ad from earlier. When the red light faded, Valerie turned around with a sober gaze and mouthed something.

Jessica removed an earbud. "What?"

"I said, what do you think they do once they're in space?"

"Who?"

"The humans who get recruited by those Azarean pieces—whatever, the Regime."

Jessica shrugged. "Explore? Build space stations, like on Saturn? I know some of them to go to the Mars colony." She recalled her own suspicions, some of which she confirmed at the tail end of high school. Of course, she wasn't going to tell her friend that a trillion-credit corporation puppeteered the government.

"But they don't all stay within our solar system," Valerie continued.

"And you know this how?"

"Meh, that's just how I imagine it. 'A galaxy awaits.' Nova cluster ain't exactly a galaxy."

"Why so curious all of a sudden?"

"I'm a curious cat, okay? Whatcha listening to?" Valerie swiped the bud from Jessica and listened:

They both listened to The Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony.

"Not bad," said Valerie.

Jessica's eye cocked. "Sorry, it's not Androgynous Vision."

"Don't even try and compare your old man shit to them!"

Valerie stomped towards the nearby Hotter Topic. On the other side of the window stood a mannequin. Valerie directed Jessica's attention to the modeled shirt. Four feminine figures in leather, bound in black and white.

"They certainly have a look that works," Jessica drawled.

"I know, right?" Valerie pointed to the far left, at a thin blonde with hair like knives, wearing a biker hat and sporting collared vest. "Jamie looks tough but is actually a sweetheart."

"Sure, he looks a bit intimidating."

"How do you know it's a he?"

"I just—"

"What do you think about Carol?" Valerie pointed to the next member, a short brunette in a hoodie, stream-like hair flowing beneath taped eyes

"She's got a shy cuteness to her."

"How do you know it's a she?"

Jessica glared. "Principal of association. Shut up!"

Valerie laughed and shrugged. "No one knows!"

"Well, alright then!" She sauntered off.

"Where you going?"

"New Ellipsiderme Skin Crème gets rid of rashes and all transmitted surface infections. Side-effects include mild melting..." Another advertisement accompanied Jessica and Valerie's down the spiral escalators.

"So, what have you been up to?" Jessica resumed.

"I've actually decided to do social work while I work on my... degree."

"Still a Nursing major?"

"Si. Although, I haven't worked like this and done school at the same time, so we'll see how it goes."

"That's cool. I think it's manageable."

"A bitch though, you know?"

"I do know."

Valerie poked her friend's arms. "You going to school now, Jessie?"

"I keep myself busy, Homegirl."

"Uhuh..."

"Ttstststs." A primal noise disabled their conversation on the first floor, as they turned their heads and noticed a pair of catcallers: slick jackets, torn jeans, and sunglasses to complement strange, velvet pompadours.

Valerie glared. "You think that's supposed to get you laid or somethin'?"

"It's Azarean for 'Damn girl, let me take you out'," he said sardonically.

"It's actually not," said Jessica.

"Well, it should be," cooed the second, "because I could experiment with those curves from dusk till dawn."

Jess was paralyzed by the sudden injection of cringe, so Valerie stepped forward.

"I heard men were caught up in Azarean experiments, but I didn't know they were making fuckboys! Tell your moms I'll see them again soon!"

"Whatever, brah." The two boys walked away, trying to be casual, one tripping over nothing.

Valerie turned around. "What?"

"Right in the balls," Jess giggled.

"'Vas con lo que sirve'. My mom taught me that."

"She must've been pretty cool."

"Yea—"

After two rings, Jessica checked her watch. "She wants to meet at Tokyo Town."

"I see that," said Valerie, checking her phone. "Guess that means we're having sushi."

"I'm okay with that."

"Of course, you are!"