A Queer Turn of Events

  by Lisa Lees

"That's okay," said Lisa, "I have a sleeping bag."

Jami looked at Lisa's pack. "Where?"

"I had my duffle hidden outside. I tossed it on top your truck before your set. I saw you guys arrive, so I knew that the van and the truck were yours."

"You were waiting for us?"

"Yeah." Lisa looked at the floor, smiled, looked back at Jami. "I'm not Lain, but I'm good, really good, on the 'net."

"What if we hadn't invited you to come with us?" said Alyssa, cautiously.

Lisa's face went blank. Her eyes unfocused for a moment. She looked back into Alyssa's eyes, but didn't speak.

"Hey!" said Jami, stepping forward to take Lisa's arm. "That didn't happen. You're with us now. It's okay!"

"I am so tired."

Jami shivered, tightening her grip on Emiko. "How far were they going to take the body mods?"

"So far as I can tell, all the way. Everyone would be... the same; no internal sex organs, no secondary sexual characteristics. Probably no hair or nails, if they could manage that."

"Holy shit," said Kay, walking in to sit in the recliner. "What kind of people would do such a thing?"

Emiko looked at Kay. "Have you noticed a shortage of evil in the world? Encountered anyone lately who would like to change who you are and how you think and feel?"

"Right," Kay nodded. "But the original project failed? So who is it that Jami and Emiko...?"

"That would be people looking to make money from an untraceable supply of young sex toys, and people who have money and want to learn how to do things like fix the 'gay gene.'"

"Businessmen and religious whackos," said Kay. "You're right. Evil, pure and simple, but not from so far away as the eighth dimension."

"What kind of people would do such a thing?"

"Are you serious?"

"Do you know where they are?" asked Emiko.

"Emi..." began Jami.

"I'm not running, Jami. I want to find the bastards and end this," growled Emiko.

"Are you serious?" asked Lisa.

"Yes. What were you planning on doing?"

"I stopped making plans two weeks ago," said Lisa, quietly. "If I hadn't found Wizzy Wig and Jami on the 'net and put two and two together, I was planning on pulling the plug last week."

"Then it's a lucky coincidence we found each other!" said Kay.

"There are no coincidences," said Tam, from the doorway. "If you think something is a coincidence, it simply means you don't know enough to understand the big picture."

"Tam's a philosophy major," said Jami.

"Do you know where they are?" asked Tam.

"I think so," said Lisa. She thought to herself a moment and then smiled and giggled. "When amateurs try to hide something, they usually give it away because they try too hard."

"Amateurs?" asked Jami.

"I'm a theater person, too," said Lisa. She hesitated, looking back and forth from Tam to Jami. "And I have more in common with Tam than I do with you... in certain areas."

"Ah," said Tam. "Lying and misdirection are a trannie's stock in trade." Sie smiled at Lisa, who blushed.

Kay clapped. "This is so cool!"

Everyone looked at her.

"There are no coincidences."