After a lot of hugging, talking, and crying all around, they all dried their faces, checked their makeup (and made the necessary repairs), and got ready to return to the dance. They all agreed that it would be better for her to show up there than to have him think he had succeeded in driving her away for the whole evening.
Marie
Outside the door, Marie and Clay were not idle. He told her what he had started to tell John - that he was confused, that he did sort of find boys (even John) attractive, but it had become clear that the attraction was not the real problem. But he really didn't know what was.
Marie asked him what he was feeling when he looked at various people (carefully avoiding herself). At first, he would just say that it made him uncomfortable. And that it seemed complicated. Marie recognized that from their earlier talks, and tried something that had worked before. She picked a person, then asked whether he felt a particular emotion when thinking about him or her, or when seeing them that evening.
They were interrupted by the appearance of a couple of girls who were looking to freshen their makeup (and maybe something more, that they didn't want to discuss in front of Clay). Marie told them it was full, and directed them to another restroom.
Marie used them as examples, once they were out of earshot. Again, she prompted him with various possible reactions, and got his responses.
It came out that he was jealous of most of the girls, of their dresses, and makeup, and the way they were treated at things like the dance, and things like that. And that he didn't feel right as he was.
Marie asked him point blank whether he wanted to be a girl. He was startled by the question, and hadn't gotten an answer out before the door opened and the girls came back out. The girls declared that it was time to get back to the dance, so the question was left hanging.
Knowing that Chad was afraid of her, Marie volunteered to carry a message to him from Stephanie. She made it entirely clear that Stephanie wanted nothing more to do with him that night, and he would be well advised to honor her wishes. Others in the area commented on the wisdom of that idea.
Alex looked like he was about to offer a different opinion, when his date put her hand on his shoulder, turned him to face her, and shook her head. For some reason, he didn't seem to question or even mind that directive.
John
When they got back to the dance, John was happy to note that Clay was not interested in dancing just then. He violated protocol by offering to get Clay a drink. Clay gratefully accepted.
As they sat at their little table, relaxing and enjoying their drinks, John watched Clay. He could see that he was disturbed about something, and that it didn't seem to be the thing with Stephanie.
After a few minutes of rest and refreshment, Clay seemed to come to some conclusion. But he still didn't say anything. Seeing that waiting didn't seem to be doing much good, John tried to start the conversation.
"So... what'd you guys talk about while you were guarding the door?"
The way Clay winced told John he was on the right track. Clay drew a couple of slow breaths, then hesitantly began.
"Before, when I was talking with Marie and Penny a lot, we thought that I was feeling all wrong because I was bisexual or something. I knew that I was kinda attracted to boys, so it made sense. And when we were getting ready for this, I really liked the idea of being here with another boy. Especially with you."
"Uh... thanks." John wasn't quite sure where this was going, but he had his suspicions.
"But when I saw you and the other girls in those dresses," John winced a little at the 'other girls' part. "I knew that wasn't it. I realized that my fantasies about being here and dancing with another boy involved that boy being dressed like a boy." He paused, and drew a breath.
"I realized something else. What I finally realized was that I was jealous of you. Of them. I wanted to be the one wearing the beautiful dress. The one being waited on. The one being... I don't know." He stopped, looking at John with a sort of fearful near-hope.
"I guess the real question is... do you just want to dress and act that way..." John paused briefly to pull at his outfit. "This way? Or do you really want to be a girl?"
Clay got quiet for a few minutes, with his head bowed. Finally, he looked up at John. "I... I'm not sure. I don't know. Maybe." He got a bitter look on his face. "What does it matter? The high and mighty Machine won't let me anyhow." His hands were clenched into fists in his lap.
"Not necessarily. With all that happened, I learned some things. When we got classified, the Machine measured something we really don't have a word for. But part of it amounts to how masculine or feminine that whatever is. In some cases, where there's an extreme mismatch like it claims is the case with Marie and me, it forces a change, a little at a time. With others, who are mismatched but not quite so much so, it will let them voluntarily change sex."
Clay was both excited and frightened. "What? How?"
"If you qualify, you just tell the Machine you want to change. It might ask you some questions, to make sure you really want it, but it has no reason to say no. But there is one catch."
"Let me guess..." Clay said, warily. "I have to trade places with you." He looked a little disgusted.
John was surprised by that reaction. And a little offended. But he could understand where it was coming from. "Right idea, but wrong person. Nothing you, or anyone else here, could do would be likely to change my status. Or Marie's." He let out a sigh.
"But you do have to swap with someone. We have to maintain the current mix of B's and G's. So not only do you have to be qualified, but you have to find a qualified girl to swap with."
"With my luck, I'm probably not even qualified."
"Actually, you are. I found out who the qualified people were the first day, as part of trying to find a way out of it."
"So now I just need a qualified girl, who's willing to swap sexes." His mouth quirked upward in a slight grin. "Too bad Stephanie isn't qualified. After all of that, she probably would do it just to spite Chad!"
"Well... she is qualified. That's probably why she is so pissed at him."
"Other than Chad just being Chad."
"Right, other than that. Would you like me to talk with her, and see if she would be willing to do it?"
Suddenly, Clay was afraid. This was all very sudden and unexpected. His whole life could change on the spur of the moment.
"If... if I don't like it, can I go back?"
"No, it's pretty much a one way deal. And some of the others, especially Chad and Alex, will probably give you a lot of shit over it. At least, for a few days. I won't try to push you into doing this. It doesn't benefit me one way or the other. But if you want to do it, I'm willing to help."
"I'm not really sure yet. It's a big step, all at once. Could you talk to her, see if she's willing, without telling her it's me if she isn't?"
"I suppose I can do that." John knew that she would almost certainly be willing. And now that he thought about it, it seemed like the best thing for both of them.
Janie was taking turns with Marie and Penny, keeping Stephanie company. When she went off for a dance with Glen, they would be sure to be there. When Marie and Penny went to dance, she was.
Stephanie seemed to have cooled off, and was laughing at something Penny had said when he approached. He responded to their laughter.
"Was it something I said?" he asked. The others just laughed, and assured him that it was. Since he hadn't said anything to them recently, he knew they were kidding.
He asked to speak with Stephanie privately, for a moment. She said that she had no secrets from the three girls, and would rather they stayed. He shrugged, and got to it.
"Are you still looking to change?"
Her look got briefly hard. "You bet your ass. And the sooner the better." Her expression softened. "Why? Do you have a boy for me to swap with?"
John nodded. "But he asked me not to say who he was, unless you were really wanting to do it."
It was an sign of the seriousness of the conversation that no one so much as quirked a smile at the inadvertent double entandre.
"It's pretty obvious, since Clay's the only one you've been talking to. And I was sort of wondering about him. But yes, I really want to."
Marie and Penny had been exchanging looks while this was going on. It seemed that Marie had her answer now. In their earlier attempts to help Clay, they had apparently misread the situation.
"Do you think we can do it tonight?" Stephanie asked.
That startled John. He took a moment to think, then shook his head. "I don't think that would be a good idea. Too much happening all at once. Besides. I have an idea. I'll go tell him the good news, then we can discuss it. Ok?"
They all agreed, so he went and retrieved a somewhat nervous Clay.
"Ok, this is a big step for both of you. Let's go somewhere we can talk without the others seeing us."
"I'll go tell Glen," Janey offered. "I'm afraid I haven't been that good of a date for him, tonight."
"I wouldn't say that," Glen chimed in. He had been approaching the group to ask her for another dance, when he heard her statement. "What's up?"
"A big mishmash, that we need to sort out. I kinda need to help with it." She looked down, then up at him. "Do you hate me too much?"
"Not at all. It's part of what I like about you. I'll save a dance, if you get back in time. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
She returned the kiss, full on the lips. "Count on it." She smiled.
As he left, she remarked "I really think I could get to like that guy. A whole lot!" Her eyes went soft.
Penny and Marie just smiled at each other.
"Well, that was... interesting." John couldn't help feeling a little jealous. He knew they couldn't have that kind of relationship, but a part of him resented anyone who might get in the way of what they did have. "What were we...? Oh, yes. Somewhere private."
"How about the observation lounge?" Penny suggested. "I doubt there would be anyone there yet. And anyone seeing us in there would just think we were there to make out or something. And since that is what they'd be looking to do, they'd go find another spot.
Once they got there, and checked for hidden couples, then settled in on the comfortable furniture. Outside the clear, domed window the black backdrop of space made the jewels of stars and other features seem all the brighter.
After they settled in, John reminded both of them that it was a big step. And that once they did this, they probably could not change back. The others took turns talking with the two, mostly giving them a chance to talk it out without pressure.
In the end, they were determined.
John suggested that, if they decided to go through with it, they ask the Machine to leave the rooms exactly as they are, so they can swap personal possessions later. Either that, or go back to their rooms first and pack, like they had a week earlier.
John had one last suggestion. Not only should they sleep on it, but they should do so together. Then he made it clear that he meant they should have sex with each other, talk some, then really sleep.
That got a shocked reaction from the others. But he went on to explain his reasoning. If they did change, they would probably always wonder what it would have been like to have sex their old way, and regret not having tried it. And if the sex, the talking, and the sleeping together didn't convince them not to go through with it, they were probably as ready as they would ever be.
But they would have to promise him, and the others, solemnly that if either of them changed hir mind, the other would not hold it against hir. John and the others would help find a new candidate for the swap.
That only left the question of where. They still couldn't get into the dorm of the opposite sex. Penny came up with the idea of using a classroom. But not just any classroom.
"I know the perfect place. And it is even set up for all kinds of fun," she said with a twinkle. She led the way past several classrooms, to a familiar door. Marie and Clay looked confused, but the others were grinning. The Pregnancy and Child Birth (PACB) classroom. It would be perfect.
It took John a couple of minutes to convince the Machine to let them use it, but in the end he succeeded. Once inside, they got out the demonstration bed and made sure the interface was active. He used it to make an appointment for the two of them late the next morning. While he was at it, he arranged for the Machine to report their location as "unavailable" until they left. He suggested that they arrange for someone to meet them after the conversion, to help them to their new rooms. He also told them that he and Marie would be having a different meeting with the Machine at about the same time, so would not be available.
Janey volunteered to meet Clay. Clay promised to send her a message one way or the other.
Stephanie said she would make her own arrangements.
They made sure the attached full bathroom - toilet and shower - was available, then left the two of them to work it out.
They got back to the dance in plenty of time for Janey to take Glen up on that promised dance. Marie and Penny joined them on the floor.
John wandered around a little, munching on some of the available snack foods and sipping a drink. But soon he was off to his own room, and his own forms of recreation.
Marie
Marie couldn't really blame John for missing it. While he was at the dance, he pretty much spent the whole time dealing with Stephanie and Clay. And when they were gone he was pretty much odd man out, with his cousin wrapped up in Glen, and Marie herself focusing on Penny. It was no wonder that he left early, and alone.
To the untrained eye - in other words, the boys - it just looked like the court and John's neighbors made a traditional bathroom run. And Chad just seemed to be looking for his date, Stephanie. But to someone used to reading body language, there was trouble brewing.
Marie made a quick decision. She sent Penny to get Megan and look into the situation with the girls. And she followed Chad.
Even with the training her father had given her, stealth was challenging in the ship. Long, straight, well lit corridors, mostly uncarpeted, and very few open doorways to duck into, made it close to impossible for the untrained, no matter how much they had tried as children.
But there were cross corridors, and her training covered ways to move quickly without much noise. She didn't need to see Chad, as he quick walked behind John, slowly closing the gap. She could hear both sets of footsteps. And she had her secret weapon - the compact she had brought in her pocket "just in case" she changed her mind about makeup. With it, she could duck around corners and look at what was ahead without much chance of exposure.
Not that there was far to go. And when she heard Chad break into a run, she didn't have far to catch up. She rounded the last corner to see Chad grab John, just outside of the archway to the girls' dorm. He had turned her, and was shouting "Where is she, you little fag?" He raised his fist in preparation. "What did you do to turn her against me like...OOF!"
Marie had come up from behind, grabbed his upraised hand, and punched him in the side hard enough to knock the wind out of him. She used her grip on his arm and his lack of balance to send Chad to the floor and hold him there. With the danger under control, she turned to John. "You ok?"
"Probably bruised where he grabbed me, but otherwise yeah. I'm ok."
"It would be a good idea for you to step through the archway, before we sort this out."
John looked startled, but collected himself and then stepped through the invisible barrier.
Keeping control of Chad, she stood him up and looked him in the eye. "Just what did you think you were doing?"
"Keep out of this, you... OW!" His expression went from fury to pain, as she applied some pressure to the leverage points - forcing him to his knees.
"Let's try this again. What did you think you were doing?" She said, using the authority voice her father had taught her.
"You abominations did something to my date, and turned her against me. Then you took her away from the dance and hid her somewhere."
"So you think that makes it ok to grab her and hit her?" she asked, indicating John.
"'It' was involved in her disappearance. So were you. You freaks took her away and did something to her. OW! I want her back! Now, Dammit!" His tirade ended with a shriek as she added some torque to the already painful pressure.
"Listen to me, you pathetic little bigot. Stephanie left of her own free will, because you couldn't keep your filthy mouth shut. She asked you to stop what you were saying, repeatedly, but you ignored that. You and your cousin seem to be the only ones too stupid to understand what is going on here. But be very clear about one thing. If you ever raise your fist to someone smaller than you, or try to ambush someone like that, you will spend a very long time in the clinic while the Machine tries to put you back together again."
With that, she jerked the arm, dislocating his shoulder. He screamed and fainted from the pain. She looked at John.
"Tell the Machine I'm bringing him to the clinic. He tried attacking you, but fell when he ran into the force field." With that, she picked him up and pushed him toward John. As his body tried to cross the arch, there was the familiar sound followed by the all too familiar announcement.
Marie turned him face down, took hold of his ankles, and dragged him away to the clinic.
After depositing him there, and answering the expected questions, she returned to the dance. A lot of people were still there, and Penny had returned from her mission.
Marie learned that the court had taken the girls into the restroom and confronted them about their dresses. They called them a disgrace to all the girls on the ship, but the girls understood that they were really angry because they had outshone the court. And worse, that John had stolen their thunder... again.
Aside from some verbal abuse and a subtle threat of consequences should the affront be repeated, the girls were unharmed. They were concerned about John, though. Especially since he wasn't there when they got back.
Marie reassured them that John was back in her room, and safe. She didn't say anything about the attack - no point in worrying them. Chad would be in no position to cause them harm for the rest of the night. With that, they returned to their escorts and seemed to enjoy the rest of the dance.
Marie enjoyed some time with Penny and her other friends. Janey briefly spoke to her on the dance floor, expressing confidence that Marie would have told her if anything too bad happened to John. Penny and Marie danced and talked, savoring their time together. They would see each other every day, but not like this.
Like all good things, the dance ended. Some couples had drifted to the viewport lounge, or other secluded places, but most just called it a night.
Marie walked Penny to the archway and, in her best imitation boy manner, thanked her for a wonderful evening. They both laughed, then Penny darted a quick kiss on Marie's lips and dashed through the archway, to her room.
Marie was startled by the kiss, and puzzled by her reaction. Penny was her friend, and another girl, but she was reacting to her kiss like she had reacted to similar kisses from boys in such situations.
She went to bed, still uncertain what it all meant.
Janey
Janey had been having another set of odd dreams. They seemed to revolve around a handheld, like John's but somehow clearly hers, trying to trick her into thinking or doing some things. For some reason, it was ineffective, and she laughed about it.
She had other dreams, as well. Much more pleasant ones. Dreams in which she was together with Glen. And it wasn't an awkward time for her in any sense. The kissing wasn't the simple brotherly kisses she had gotten from John. They were deep and meaningful, and full of passion. His hands did magical things with her body, while she basked in the glow of their love.
Somehow, they were naked together, and he was just about to enter when...
The sound was coming from her interface, indicating an important, time limited message. Groggy, and annoyed about the timing, she stumbled to the interface to see what was up.
There were two priority messages waiting for her - one from Clay and one from the Machine. Somehow, the idea of a message from the Machine was funny. She just couldn't figure out why.
The message from Clay thanked her for her help the night before, and her offer to help him with his transition. He had promised to let her know, and they had decided to go through with it. The Machine would let her know when he was expected to leave the clinic - as a she. It ended with more thanks and the like.
The message from the Machine was less flowery but more informative. It told her that their request was approved, and that the new and improved Clay would be ready to leave the clinic at a particular time.
It also asked her to help him cope with the changes, and to bring him up to date in the Pregnancy and Child Birth class. Despite the lost week, he would be taking Stephanie's place in that class.
She recalled the shocks of the first day, and the uncomfortable perspectives of some of the later classes.
She acknowledged both messages, suspecting that Clay would not get the acknowledgement until well after she met him at the clinic.
She looked at the time, and decided to shower before going to breakfast. Make that brunch.
John
This time, John didn't remember dreaming anything with his internal voice saying anything. Not even suggesting that his dreams weren't worth remembering. Instead, he remembered a far more disturbing dream.
He was somewhere else, somewhere that was not like anything he had ever seen or heard of. He had no sense of his body being there, or of anyone else being there, but there were incomprehensible things happening all around him.
Some sort of packets of stuff were being moved from place to place. Some places they were being stored. Other places, they were being changed. It was somehow very important for him to understand the whole thing... and he didn't.
It was kind of like the dream of being in a class, facing the final exam, and suddenly realizing that he had never studied, didn't even know what the class was about... and was in his underwear. His new, female underwear. And everyone was looking at him.
Somehow, this dream was even worse than that. And he remembered it.
He got up, and checked the time. He had enough time to shower, dress, eat, and review his notes before meeting with the Machine.
As had become traditional the day after a major dance, breakfast had become brunch, and was available outside of the usual hours. Knowing that he had plenty of time to get there, he used the interface to check on Clay and Stephanie. He learned that they were in the clinic, and had started the process of swapping genders.
While he was in his shower, he reflected on what he should wear. One part seemed to have been decided for him. His penis seemed to have shrunk some more. Even if he modified another pair of panties, he wasn't sure he would be able to get it out through the opening any more. He found that more depressing than alarming.
He was also less than thrilled to be reminded how sensitive his nipples had become, and what that indicated.
As he dried himself off, he decided his best bet would be to wear his uniform. It would strike just the right note of formality and respect, and if he succeeded this time, he wouldn't be wearing it all that long.
When he sat at the interface to order his clothes, he had to deal with another issue from his campaign. The Machine asked whether he would be wearing the breast forms, and he realized that they would not do any more good. He indicated that he wouldn't. For good measure, he took them over to the recycle chute and dropped them in.
He ordered plain underwear - as plain as he could get, anyway, and his usual socks, and the standard uniform for the rest. When they arrived, he faced another decision. With a sigh, he gave in and put on the bra. Either way, that was coming off after the meeting.
When he went in for brunch, he saw that Janey and Marie had beaten him there. They were sitting at the table, swapping stories of some sort. He joined them and checked the food choices. For some reason, none of his usual choices appealed to him. He figured it was some combination of letdown from the dance finally being over and nerves from the upcoming meeting.
Marie asked him how he was doing after last night. John hoped that for once, Janey would jump to the convenient conclusion: that she was referring to the dance and the other things Janey already knew about.
No such luck. Janey asked Marie, and while she was describing the attack, John slipped away to get some cereal. He hoped that would help settle his stomach.
When he got back to the table, Janey was alternating between concern for his well being, and anger that he had not told her. He tried to point out that she was still at the dance, presumably enjoying herself, when he went to bed. He noted the interesting look she got when he made the comment about enjoying herself, and the previous night's jealousy flared briefly. He let it pass.
John and Marie got up to go to their appointment with the Machine. Janey wished them well, but remained at the table. They drew a few curious looks as they left together. Once through the door, they made good time to the conference room.
At first, things went pretty much as he expected. When they reached the door, the Machine acknowledged them. "Welcome B8 and G15." The door opened and they stepped inside. "Have you come to have your genital anomalies corrected?"
"No."
"How may we be of assistance?"
"We want you to readdress our request to be reclassified, based on new information. The current classifications are causing a lot of unhappiness for us and for our shipmates."
"What is this new information?"
John had the Machine access the files he had found. Historical medical and legal records concerning people forced to live as the sex opposite to the one they believed themselves to be. The files covered rates of clinical depression, suicide and unsuccessful suicide attempts, and other indications of severely negative emotional reactions on the part of the victims of such force. They also covered acts of violence against such people, when the conflict became known.
Then he had the Machine review the records of their earlier reactions and requests for reassignment, as well as the records of the attacks on them - with particular emphasis on the statements leading up to the attacks and made during the attacks.
After he made his request, the Machine once again asked them to be seated. This time, they did so without protest.
As expected, the Machine took a while to examine the data. When it finally responded, the answer was not unexpected, but was disappointing.
"Review completed. Request denied."
John noticed that Marie was starting to stiffen, but they had discussed this possibility, and after a moment she relaxed again. He spoke to the Machine. "Explain."
"Our analysis confirms that B8 cannot be happy in the long run as a female, and that G15 cannot be happy in the long run as a male. Per your data, B8 is male inside, and G15 is female inside. We calculate a high probability that the unhappiness you cite is a short term result of your unexpected classifications, and your attempts to resist those classifications. Once you and your shipmates have acclimated to your new classifications, your happiness will increase."
It was worse than he thought, but this time he was prepared.
He pointed out that the sudden, involuntary change would remain a barrier to his happiness, no matter how comfortable he might otherwise become. And no matter what the Machine had detected inside of him, his identity - the way he knew himself inside - was as a boy. Over time, he might become more used to being a boy with female body parts, but the involuntary and unexpected nature of the transition would not be at all likely to lead to that change in self image.
The Machine repeated that he would not be happy as a male, and Marie would not be happy as a female.
Something about that weak response seemed off to him. He had an intuitive feeling that there was something more going on here - something the Machine would not admit and would not give up. He had experienced such feelings before, and they had always been pretty much right. He didn't know whether it was his subconscious reading clues from the Machine and remembering all he had learned, or something else. But he was quite certain that the Machine would not let him go back to being a boy just then. No matter what he said or showed it.
Or was it him? It could just as easily be Marie that it had some secret, "special" plans for. Either way, they were stuck.
But what was left? If things remained the way they were, they would only get worse.
Knowing what the Machine had changed, he had a fallback position. He didn't really want to use it, but it would at least buy him some time.
"Is my physical state that of a human female?" he demanded.
"Your physiology is not completely consistent with that of a human female," came the flat answer.
John shifted his wording. "Is my physiology completely consistent with that of a human male?"
"Your physiology is not completely consistent with that of a human male," came the flat answer.
John moved on. "Is Marie's physiology completely consistent with that of a human male?"
"B8's physiology is not completely consistent with that of a human male," came the flat answer.
John shifted his wording. "Is B8's physiology completely consistent with that of a human female?"
"B8's physiology is not completely consistent with that of a human female," came the flat answer.
"If our physiologies are neither male nor female, then we must be intersexed. I request that you reclassify us to reflect that status."
The Machine made its thinking noises for several minutes. John and Marie alternated between confidence, hope, and despair. Finally, the answer came.
"Request denied."
"Explain."
"Our analysis shows that you would not be happy as intersexed individuals. In addition, such a status would make your shipmates unhappy."
John was prepared for that one, as well. He pointed out that the same was true of their current designations, and that their peers already considered them some mixture of sexes.
The confrontation went on for what seemed like hours. Marie's participation was largely limited to agreeing with John's points and disagreeing with the Machine's. But she occasionally added a point or an observation.
John started paying attention to his hunches, and was eventually able to negotiate a better compromise than he had thought possible.
The good news was that they would get their new designations, with expanded privileges. During their free time, their clothes restrictions would be lifted without penalty to the others. And even during duty and formal occasions, Marie would be able to wear a bra until her breasts had shrunk to negligible size, and would be able to wear special undershirts to protect her still-sensitive nipples.
John would be allowed to wear underwear with a fly, for as long as it would do him any good.
Over the longer term, future generations would grow up learning about the possibility of such reclassifications and associated body modifications. With his experience in moviemaking, John would have a hand in creating the relevant educational materials.
In addition, he would have a hand in changing the protocols for such forced transitions.
But those benefits had their costs. And limits.
They would only have the new designations until Marie's fifteenth birthday, about six months away. They could choose to be redesignated to their new sexes before that time, but they could not make any attempts to regain their birth sexes until then. At that time, they would either prove conclusively that they could not be happy in their designated sex - John as a girl, Marie as a boy - or would permanently become that sex.
Until then, they would behave in ways consistent with those designated sexes.
During their time on duty, such as class time, they would wear the primary uniform of their designated sex. During formal occasions, such as the formal dances, they would wear unambiguous, formal clothes of their designated sexes. The new restrictions would hit John harder than Marie. He would be required to wear an appropriate bra at all such occasions - even if it's only a training bra. He would be required to wear appropriate makeup on duty and at formal occasions.
On or before the day three months from today, they would accept surgical correction of their external genitals, becoming completely their designated sex physically (except for their genetic structure). They would spend the remaining part of their interim period living that much more fully as their designated sex.
Between that time and the decision date, they each would be required to have heterosexual (by the standards of their designated sex) sexual intercourse at least once. But not necessarily with each other.
That surprised both of them. To John's chagrin, the Machine explained that since he had engaged in the sex with Janey, it was required to balance that experience. When a somewhat shocked Marie asked why she was required to do so, it merely said that she needed to have the full masculine experience.
It was almost enough to make John call the whole thing off. His first reaction to the idea of some other guy penetrating him like that was to be repulsed. What frightened him more was his second reaction: anticipation. The idea that some part of him actually wanted such a thing was horrifying. But he couldn't do that to Marie. This was the best deal they could get. He was certain of it.
In the end, they agreed. The Machine would send an announcement of their new designations - and the relaxed restrictions - to the rest of their peers.
When the Machine asked whether it could help them with anything else, John had the feeling that the best answer would be "No." They thanked the Machine, and faced the opening door.
The newly designated IG15 and IB8 stepped out into the corridor.
Marie
Marie could see that John was very pleased with the results of their negotiations. Too pleased. One thing she had learned while growing up was the difference between strategy and tactics. John had gone in with a very thin strategy, but a solid tactical plan. Predictably, they were walking away with short term gains, but long term trouble.
"Uh, John? You do realize what we've done, don't you?" She asked.
John grinned. "Sure. We got a lot of concessions from the Machine. It didn't change us back, but it changed our status in a good way. We didn't win completely, but we made good progress."
Marie shook her head, a little sadly. "No, John. We gave the Machine everything it wanted in the long term, and most of what it wanted for the short term, in return for some short term comforts and assurances."
John lost his grin, as he realized she was right. "Why didn't you say something?" he breathed.
"You did better than I expected, and I couldn't have done nearly as well. We could have come away with no gains, or even with tighter restrictions. We didn't. We got the ability to handle parts of our changes in our own way, even though we gave away our ability to fight those changes."
"Shit!" John slumped. "Anyone ever tell you that you have a real talent for buzzkill?" He managed a weak smile.
"Yeah, well... better here and from me in private than later and in public, after you've been bragging."
John
John realized she was right. He would have been bragging about his victory, and would have been a perfect target for the court. Or worse, Chad and Alex.
Still, there was time - and a lot of room - for spin. They walked silently for a while, as he considered various approaches. When they reached the auditorium, they nodded to each other and then headed toward their respective dorms.
Janey
Janey got a message asking her to meet Stephanie at one of the medical rooms. Or was it Stephanie? Now that she looked at it, she was being asked to meet "G7" there. If they went through with it, that would be Clay.
Either way, she would be escorting someone back to the dorm. John and Marie could be in their negotiations for a long time. Even longer if they win and get all the surgery reversed.
Janey doubted that last part. She remembered that the Machine had cautioned them against surgery for a while. While she was being honest about it, she believed something more was going on. After all she had seen and learned, she just didn't trust her mom and aunt. Something about all this had their fingerprints all over it.
When she got to the door to the medical room, she was surprised to meet Sean there. He explained that Ed was supposed to come, but couldn't make it. And Marie was tied up with his own problems. So he was elected.
They stood there for a while, talking about events at the dance and speculating about what was happening inside the clinic. When the door opened, they instantly knew the answer.
Clay was standing there, dressed in the same uniform the G numbers had been issued the previous week. His chest showed the slight roundness of what Janey suspected was a padded bra. He looked somewhat stunned, and a little afraid, as he watched her for her reaction.
After a brief pause to get over her surprise, Janey stepped forward and hugged him. Or rather, hugged the new her. While they were pressed together, she quietly but cheerfully said "Welcome to the club."
They stepped aside, making room for the new, masculine Stephanie. Her breasts were gone, and she seemed stronger than she had been. Janey noticed that Stephanie filled the B number uniform quite nicely.
Sean stepped up to... him, and shook his hand. "Congratulations on the promotion!" he wisecracked. Stephanie looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled. He playfully punched Sean in the shoulder.