This episode is a quiet character-focused part. The action is coming, stay tuned, and thanks for reading
In a brightly lit operating room, Arden lay prone on a cold metal table, reminiscent of when she was a captive of the Organization. A swarm of cyberneticists and technology engineers circled the table. She felt a tugging at the destroyed remains of her cybernetic arm and shoulder. Another carefully removed her cyber-eye and is housing. She was awake but numb to what was happening to her. She was completely naked, but she wasn't cold, and felt no shame, even in a room full of people. She just wanted her body back.
Arden and her friends had high hopes that Persephone would help her get back to her previous state, unbeknownst to the woman, she would be... better, once she climbed off this table. She watched the technicians as much as she could with her one good eye, but their motion and activity made her dizzy. Closing her eye she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand on her shattered arm and opened her eye. Persephone stood above her smiling.
"Hello, Arden." She said softly.
"Hey." She tried to smile, but she felt as though she'd pass out at any moment.
"I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions before my techs start." She said as Ike stepped into view and stood silently over her. "We can do this through messaging, I'll just connect Ike to the messenger."
Liara, Carise, Darcy, B, Hirst, and Bolt stood watching the activity in an adjacent observation room.
"Look at all that gear!" Bolt said, leaning closer to Hirst. "I bet you're drooling!"
Hirst's gaze never left Arden. She was nervous for her and hoped she would be okay. Liara chewed her lip and shifted uncomfortably.
"Hey, " Darcy put a hand on her arm. "Arden is a badass, she's going to come out the other side even more ornery than before."
"Uh huh..." Liara said. Carise wrapped both her arms around Liara's arm and held her tightly.
"We're all here for Arden and you." She said looking up at her. Liara looked at the young woman and smiled. Persephone exited the operating room and stood before the group. Darcy stepped forward, but paused, unsure of herself. Persephone smiled and held out a hand to her. Darcy took and positioned herself next to the pink-skinned woman.
"Okay, we've gone down the list of all the repairs we need to make, all in line with what Arden wants. This is going to take several hours at least, so I invite everyone to relax." She looked at each of them and smiled. "If you follow me, I'll show you to the lounge."
Darcy looked at Liara, "Lounge?"
"Yes," Persephone motives for Darcy to take her hand. "I expect my employees to work hard, but I also want them to be able to relax."
She took Darcy's hand and led the group out of the observation room and down the hall towards the lift. They stepped out into another area that took the group aback.
"What the?!" Liara said. She looked around the area. Couches, TVs, pool tables, food synthesizers, etc.
"Welcome to the lounge," Persephone said and guided them further. She motioned to a door to the right, "Through those doors are sleeping quarters, and to the left is a sauna and a twenty-four-hour masseuse."
"This is crazy!" Hirst said.
"Please, get comfortable." She smiled. As the group dispersed into the area, Persephone put a gentle hand on Liara's arm. "Liara, can we talk?"
"Please." She replied. Carise looked at them.
"Carise, I promise, I won't keep her long," Persephone reassured her.
"Okay," Carise replied. Liara took her in her arms and kissed her.
"I'll be right back." She smiled.
"You better." Carise winked.
Carise watched them walk to a far corner of the area and sit in two large easy chairs. She shrugged and headed off to the food synthesizers and Darcy joined her.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Liara asked.
"I think you know." Persephone gave her a wry smile. Liara sighed.
"Yeah..."
"Any more thoughts about what you want to do?" Persephone asked.
"Yes," Liara said and looked at her feet.
"Liara?"
Her mind began to race about all the things she had been wrestling with for most of her life. Her struggles with her gender and gender expression. She thought back to a time in her youth when she had short hair and dressed in a masculine manner. Even to the point of overcompensation in her expression and mannerisms. After several years of that, she felt something wasn't right and she grew her hair out. She did a complete turnaround and started dressing extremely feminine, like dresses, high heels, flawless makeup, and hair styled to perfection. After some time, Liara realized that was not the real her either. Eventually, she cut her hair to be shoulder-length, typically light makeup, and a more masculine or gender-neutral clothing style. Something that showed a feminine form, but still had a more masculine style.
After years of changing her exterior, she realized her interior, her thoughts of herself and who she was, was not easy to comprehend. Understanding clothing does not make the person, she started to reflect on the deeper root of her internal conflict. She recalled standing in front of a full-length mirror one late evening, completely naked and staring at herself. She did like what she saw. Her breasts, her hips, her legs (which she would soon lose in a horrific car accident), but she was overall pretty pleased with the woman she had finally become. However, a lingering question plagued her thoughts. As she stood there, looking at every flaw, everything she felt wasn't right about her, she kept coming back to one thing. She held her hand in front of her womanhood and pictured it as... manhood. She began to feel as though she should have a penis. Not that it would make her complete, but she felt if she had one, she could feel a little closer at least.
She experimented with a strap-on, and later prosthetics, but quickly discovered not having any sensation just soured the experience. She found a company that was creating a more advanced prosthetic that could be wired to send signals to the wearer's brain to stimulate pleasure, but once again, the tech just wasn't there yet. It felt... artificial.
But now... here... Persephone seemed to be offering her the answer to the fight she'd been having with herself for over a decade. She took a deep breath and looked up at Persephone, a tear rolled down her cheek. Persephone reached out to her.
"What's the matter, dear?" Persephone asked. Her concern was obvious and heartfelt. "What-"
Liara suddenly smiled. Persephone tilted her head in concern and confusion. She understood the decision Liara was about to make would change her life forever, so she didn't want to push her in any way.
"I want to do it." She paused and shook her head. "No... I need to do it."
The Obelisk, the inner sanctuary of the Organization's Esoteric Operation Division. In a large chamber that seemed to be carved from stone, decorations of Organization banners as well as the banner with the sigil of the Esoteric Operation Division of the Organization. Eschewing electric lights and general illumination, the area had many burning torches, and in the center of the chamber were four large braziers with roaring fires. A dias was constructed on the far west wall with three large chairs and a pulpit. On the north wall was a makeshift library with large dusty tomes. In the southern area of the chamber were several chairs, more bookshelves, and three people, standing in a group talking quietly.
"I'm telling you, she's losing it." a woman with ginger hair said to the two of them.
"Stay calm Ardiara." An older, gray-haired man in long black and red robes said.
"Please Samael, if we let her continue down the path she's on, it could mean the downfall of the Organization," Ardiara said. She wore the typical red and black body glove of her 'order'.
"Let's not overreact, we're keeping an eye on her." The third person assured her.
"Oh? Do tell Kir."
"Yes, her receptionist, her assistant Samantha, her personal guard unit... they are all on our payroll," Kir explained. He wore a black body glove with a deep hood that would normally hide his face.
