

### TRIGG

## ipam

Smashwords Edition Copyright 2018 Pamela Joan Barlow Smashwords Edition, License Notes This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

A teen love angle...

Gloriette is a seventeen years old female living in the city of Playtus inside Building Two with her mom, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother, which represents four generations of Faywood underneath one rooftop.

She studies her homework e-pone equations, obeys her mom, and feels a burning sensation on her right naked forearm with mystery.

Trig is a computer linking her to her soul mate using an implant which is deeply embedded underneath the foreskin on her teenly forearm.

**In the city of Starrtus, Gloriette is abo** ut to meet her soul mate for the very first time.
Present day and place and time

Day 21

City of Playtus

Graveyard

I viewed the mound of fresh red dirt, feeling depressed, smelling the fresh soil.

A dead body on Playtus was directly dumped in a deep hole and covered with a mound of fresh red dirt, allowing the maggots to feed off the flesh and bone while fertilizing the dry soil. There was not a presentation or funeral event.

And the body was covered.

Three days later, you were invited to the viewing platform, seeing the rise of the dull mound in peacefully respect.

I held an umbrella over three heads, fighting off the rain while the moisture brightened the old mounds of dirt like a fresh dig. The little girl, on my right, played on her cell as I bumped into her arm.

"Okay, Gloriette," the little girl whispered with a frowned, whipping the arm with her wrist cell behind her back, giggling and viewing the dirt.

The mama of Gloriette swung with a sour frown to her daughter, who was holding the umbrella over the three heads, and signaled the end of giving respect to the dead.

I back stepped, holding the umbrella, turning and moving to the DOB horse-and-carriage.

Inside Building Five, 30th floor sitting room, I allowed my kin to exit the horse-and-carriage first and enter the homey residence also stomping up the stairs behind them. I moved ahead and then scooted down into a chair inside the corner wall, viewing the family photographs on the wall in the hallway, smelling the baked goods.

The sitting room overflowed with a group of elderly women, who pampered both the new mama and the newborn babe.

I feel humorous-happiness.

The family of Valmy had selected blue baby for their identification social mark in the dull city of Playtus. The baby blue clothing, jewelry, and streaks of colored painted on top of the skulls which greatly complimented their natural coloring of peach skin tinted tone and a head of black hair.

The Faywood family dressed in emerald green complimenting the light brown colored hair roots on each one of my family members. I was Gloriette, wearing a white shirt, a pair of faded ripped jeans, and my favorite pair of cowgirl boots and not an emerald green party dress yet as I was seventeen years and twenty one days old. After I had married and birthed a baby, I would be required to honor the dress code as a belle of Playtus.

I viewed Valmy on the sofa, wearing her theme colored bathrobe after delivering her child three days ago. Her hair was matted. Her smile was real. Her tears stained the mood.

There was a Playtus tradition visit the grave of the dead, before the birth of life.

I along with my biological family had come from the grave of the dead as the fresh red dirt mound was the young husband of Valmy, who had died three days ago.

"The baby makes five generations of Wendovers," the mama of Valmy held the baby in the air, saying with a smile.

The elderly women meekly clapped like society belles and quietly chattered, drinking sweet tea.

I lived in the city of Playtus which was flat and hot, gleaming with rows of tall and colored steel buildings, as far as, the eye could see. The buildings were ugly, housing both the residents and the businesses. Playtusians created, designed, and produced electronic components for equipment, buildings, and cells. The metallic residual of the electronic components killed both the flowers and the trees.

The only pleasure of Playtus here was a new life.

I viewed the elderly women, taking turns to cuddle the baby blue blanket, smiling down at the new baby and I scanned the rest of crowded room, noting all widowers shared the same sadness too.

The mama of Gloriette waddled in her stiff emerald colored dress around both the furniture and the belles, extending a hand to her daughter.

I handed my tea cup to Madam DOB and stood next to my mama.

The mama of Gloriette wrapped an arm around her daughter, whispering with a smile. "Gloriette, time to leave, child. Such a joyous time, Valmy looked radiant as a new mother. The baby will be loved and cherished for years and years."

We turned and entered the elevator, gliding out and across the pavement and into our transport, a hovering mechanic horse and carriage in shiny emerald green tinted colors too which identified the Faywood family in Playtus.

Inside the DOB horse-and-carriage machine, her mother sat opposite of Gloriette on the bench seat, saying with a smile and a nod. "The baby was beautiful. Do you agree, Gloriette?"

I viewed my boots, touching the new interior of the new carriage leather with my hands. "Who cares about other babes?"

I felt frustration-unhappiness.

The grandmother of Gloriette sat next to her granddaughter, saying with a nod and a smile to her daughter. "Valmy's baby is adorable. Her building is buzzing with new life. Babies spit up and poopy a lot and with sleep a lot too. That's all the little pumpkins do until they are about three months old."

Her great grandmother sat next to her granddaughter, turning with a smile and a nod to the nose profile of Gloriette. "I will be blessed when you have a baby, Gloriette. Five generations..."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration with a puff of annoyance, kicking the air, sitting on one of two hovering benches, "And what about love or chemistry or plain old luck, mama dearest?"

Her mama said with a sour tone to the brown hair roots of Gloriette. "Gloriette, this is precisely why I do not bother to discuss teen issues with you. Now..." She smoothed the satin of her dress with a smile and a nod, talking to the brown hair roots of Gloriette. "When you arrive within a more pleasant and mature adult mood, I will be happy to explain love, men, marriage, and babies?"

Her great grandmother turned with a smile and a nod to her granddaughter. "Remember, when Valmy's grandmother held the baby in the air and she said five generations..."

I exhaled with a puff of annoyance, viewing the floor. "O joy." I felt isolation-sadness.

The grandmother of Gloriette said with a smile to her daughter. "Did ya see all the boxes of gifts for Valmy's baby? The boxes reached the top of the ceiling in the wall corner and near the window. I enjoyed viewing the city street below. Their building contains three less levels of flooring than ours. Did you know that, dear? However, the grass landscape is lacking a tree house like ours." She turned with a giggle and a smile to see the nose profile of Gloriette.

The mama of Glorietta said to her mother with a smile and a nod. "Remember, we are all scheduled to visit the other two new mommies in Building Three and Building Eight this afternoon. We have sewn a set of bonnet and cape as birthday gifts for the baby girls in both pink and purple colors, their family IDs. Babies grow fast. When you, Gloriette..."

"Mama," I looked up with a sour tone to see the window which showed a flat layer of solid pavement and cement and not seeing a pretty flower or a tall tree.

The mama of Gloriette smiled at the nose profile of Gloriette. "We re-dyed Gloriette's baby clothes into Valmy's theme color of baby blue for the newborn. And when Gloriette has her own child, Valmy will re-dye the baby clothes back into emerald green, our family ID."

The great grandmother of Gloriette turned with a smile and a nod to see the nose profile of Gloriette. "Five generations of Faywood will live on Playtus too."

I exhaled with a puff of annoyance, saying with a raised brow to my mama. "Is that it for me, a baby? Is that my entire life, a mother? What about my independence of my life with exploration? What about my happiness in my life with a husband? What about romance for me in my life with a boy? I'm only seventeen years old and twenty..."

The carriage stopped with the conversation.

Inside Building Two, my home structure, I moved ahead and slid out the carriage last, walking underneath the outside veranda into the entrance hall of the building which was my home, number two. Playtus was limited on real estate, so a family unit lived in one apartment floor of a tall building.

The Faywood family owned and occupied one entire building with thirty plus floors.

I stomped pass two Madam DOBs that guarded the outer space of the entrance hall.

DOB, dummy operational body was like a robot.

Playtus created and programmed each DOB for assistance work around the businesses and the houses.

The mama, grandmother, and great grandmother of Gloriette sat on the hovered chairs inside the single elevator.

I sat and smelled the fresh metal of new inlays inside each new hovered chair.

The mama of Gloriette pointed to the elevator panel control box, looking to each face of her blood kin. "Does anyone want to stop by the kitchen floor for a snack?"

I shook my curls.

"How about a quick jog around the track inside the fitness floor?"

I shook my curls.

"Do you need for the elevator to stop at the library floor, Gloriette? Have you finished the electrical assignment for the day?"

"Yes ma'am." I nodded.

There was no school structure on Playtus, so I learned with independent study under the guidance of my mama and her vast business knowledge. I was learning to program the newly built electronic components which were provided by the other Playtus family units too.

The components were sold and shipped to the city of Starrtus. The Starrtus engineers assembled the individual parts from Playtus into working electrical products. Starrtus sold and shipped their products to other cities throughout the world.

I felt isolation-loneliness with having a limited set of friends around my teen age.

Playtus was a brute environment, since the metal remnants of toxic metal residual polluted both the air and the soil, killing the flowers, the grass, the animals, and the unhealthy people.

The mama of Glorietta pressed the button with a smile and a nod. "We shall lounge in the sitting room, this afternoon."

On the 33rd floor sitting room, I allowed my elderly kin to exit from the elevator first, moving ahead and sitting around the furniture in a solo oversized chair, reaching and flipping through the pages of the thick photograph album, seeing my great grandmother at age of seventeen with her young husband plus a newborn babe. And I flipped more pages, seeing a photograph of my grandmother and her young husband with their newborn babe. I flipped more pages, seeing my mama, my daddy, and me.

There were hundreds of snapped pictures with the three different happy and smiling young couple in the books. The interior walls only contained the birth to teen years of each baby for viewing.

I smelled the new fabric of the curtain drapes, clinking to the window frames.

The mama of Gloriette turned with a smile and a nod to see the hair roots of Gloriette. "The family collection of old photographs is a permanent exhibition here in our home, displaying many, many generations of our kin. The collection of photographs is both very important and very required."

I flipped through more pages. "Very important and very required? You make a baby sound like a requirement of worldly existence, Mama." I looked up with a smile to see her face. "A baby is the perfect union of love between a man and a woman." I felt anticipated-affection.

The great grandmother of Gloriette said with a smile to the nose profile of Gloriette. "She got it right..."

I looked down with a sad face to see the photo. "When did my daddy die, Mama?"

"A little after your birth," the mama of Gloriette said and sipped her beverage.

I looked up with a sad face to see my grandmother. "And when did my grandfather die?"

The grandmother of Gloriette said with a nod to her granddaughter. "Your mama was a very young thing when he passed."

I frowned. "What ailment did Valmy's husband die of?"

The grandmother of Gloriette said with a stern face to her granddaughter. "He was sick on Starrtus. The transport ride from Starrtus to Playtus weakened his healthy condition. He couldn't be saved, here."

I frowned. "He couldn't be saved, here. We don't have a medical physician or a medical center. Why didn't we have a proper medical care for the sick, here, Mama?"

The mama of Gloriette said with a nod and smile to her daughter. "Playtusians didn't become sick, darling."

I frowned. "Valmy's husband did and died because of the lack of medical attention."

The mama of Gloriette said with a sour tone to her daughter. "Vacant property doesn't exist within Playtus. Every square feet of pavement surrounded every single building, where a family unit lives and works making electronic components for Starrtus. This is our city money for existence, Gloriette. A medical center needs a home, dear. Do you want me to give up our home for a medical building? Since you want to stretch your independent knowledge at the tender age of seventeen years old?"

I exhaled with a puff of annoyance at my mama. "How do I pick my man, Mama? There are no young guys in my building. I haven't seen any boys along the row of buildings either, where we live for the past seventeen years and twenty..."

"TRIG selects your mate based on your paired biological and chemical attributes." The mama of Gloriette said with a nod and a smile to her daughter. "I met your daddy in TRIG and fell in love instantly at first sight. That love ritual was repeated with your grandmother and great grandmother also. You see how happy we all are in the still photos, sweetheart."

I felt confusion-collision, exhaling with a puff of frustration. "Okay. In this TRIG thing, I meet the selected boy and get married and have a baby. I'm only seventeen years and twenty..."

The mama of Gloriette said with a sour tone to her daughter. "The issue is very extremely rare for a loving family to have five individuals from the same blood-line, making five generations, and marking our dynasty on Playtus forever. I was married and birthed you at seventeen too. I am currently thirty-five years old. Your grandmother married and birthed me at seventeen years old too. She is currently fifty-two years old. And bless her heart. Your great grandmother is sixty-nine years old." She turned with a smile and a nod to see her grandmother, the great grandmother of Gloriette.

I looked around with a sour frown to see each faces around the furniture.

The great grandmother of Gloriette said with a nod and a smile. "Heard tell and to share some the hot gossip. The Havitto family, who wear that tacky mint green like sour grapes, is expecting a newborn. Her daughter awaits the baby delivery in the city of Starrtus. Her great grandmother is only sixty-six years old. And we hearty Playtusians live to be over ninety years old."

I exhaled with a puff of shock and disgust.

The mama of Gloriette parted her lips, turning with a worried brow to see her daughter. "My word, that would be the first ever sixth generation of Playtus family unit, Gloriette, wouldn't it?"

I exhaled with a puff of more disgust. "No, Mama. And if I don't desire him in TRIG? Or I don't like him in TRIG? Or he cannot stand my brown hair in TRIG?" I felt confusion-puzzlement.

The mama of Gloriette said with a sour tone to her daughter. "Gloriette, you're nervous, since you're approaching womanhood. I was both nervous and anxious. TRIG has existed for two centuries. You're the product of two centuries. Darling, the palace at Starrtus is a lovely atmosphere, creating a beautifully special occasion for love, romantic, marriage, and birthing a newborn. Please try to enjoy your future."

The building door chimed.

I stood, saying with a nod and a grin to my mama. "My friends, Yeillie and Luqx..."

"These little girls are little girls, being twelve years old. You should make new friends around your teen age, darling," the mama of Gloriette frowned at her daughter.

I said with a sour tone. "And where? How? Who? What? Why?" I felt isolation-rebellious.

"Gloriette has a fighting spirit like her daddy." The great grandmother said with a smile and a giggle to her great granddaughter.

The mama of Gloriette said with sour frown and a matching tone. "They could stay and play for an hour, no more. I need to review your homework and assign you, a new mathematics theorem."

I said with a grin. "Yes ma'am. We're going into my tree house for some academic studying. I'm actually assisting them with some trigonometric. Ya know it is a real mathematical sign of a circle inside a triangle." I felt excellent-greatness, moving to the elevator.

Inside the true tree house which belonged to teen Gloriette, the door opened.

I stepped off the elevator, moving to the entrance door as my young friends both giggled and followed behind to the back of the yard and climbed up into the tree house.

They moved ahead and sat in the worn sofas, eating the package sweet food from the cabinets, viewing a black colored plasma screen.

I slipped off my cell, standing in the archway, fiddling with the electronics. "I'm going to show ya'll some really good stuff."

"How many cells have you busted this year, Gloriette?" Yeillie laughed, "That's a new one since last week. If I busted my cell, my mama would sell it or fix it or bust me."

"What are your doing, Gloriette?" Luqx stood, moving back to the kitchen for a beverage.

I said. "I destroy a cell when I tap into the electronics, but I order a new one from Building 99."

Yeillie said with a sour face. "You're not supposed to do that, Gloriette."

I grinned. "Know that."

Luqx returned, walking around the room, looking inside the cabinets and closets with her new beverage. "How come your mama doesn't notice the new cell?"

I frowned and fiddled with the cell. "I wear the old broken one around the house and on my wrist, pretending to talk to you, Luqx. And then she doesn't get suspicious of my evil doings." I laughed, feeling awesomeness-surprise.

Luqx gasped. "That's breaking the rule, Gloriette."

I smiled. "Know that," I felt superior now, moving and sitting on the sofa, fiddling with my cell. "Luqx, quit snooping around the place. Come and sat down."

Yeillie grinned with food particles between her teeth, sitting on the other side of Gloriette, staring at the plasma.

The plasma showed a row of silver and white static lines.

Luqx yelled. "I love your tree house, Gloriette. There are two separate rooms for sleeping, a bathroom, and a balcony for targeting the birds with flying pellets. Could I live here, tonight?"

Yeillie smiled. "She don't wanna do her e-pone equations."

Luqx returned into the room, saying with a nod and a grin. "Yeah, and I wanna be alone too. My mama follows me around, poking on my arm." She viewed and poked on her arm too.

I smiled. "I got an image."

Luqx moved ahead and sat on the other side of Gloriette, staring with a smile at the cell of Gloriette. "O. What's that yellow stuff showing on your cell, Gloriette?"

Yeillie said with a puzzle brow to the cell too. "How'da ya do that, Gloriette?"

I smiled. "All cells produce invisible waved, talking to other cells. I tapped into a new invisible wave. Done." I raised the cell at the static on the plasma.

A beam from my cell touched the plasma and a picture appeared.

Yeillie pointed to the plasma. "I know that. A wave frequency allows all electronic components to talk to each other. That's how the air ships fly. The air carriages hovered. And I get DOB to clean my room while my mama thinks it be me." She giggled.

Luqx smiled, touching the object. "I got a necklace cell. The newest invention by the Starrtus engineers is made of copper. Copper is anti-magnetic element with high thermal and electrical conductivity functions."

I frowned at the plasma. "And based on my research, the yellow stuff is called sand, making up a beach landscape. The sand texture is hard, rough, but ya could fell on top of it, not get harmed."

Yeillie pointed to the plasma. "Is the blue water flowing back and forth on the screen for drinking too?"

I read the cell with the new information from my genius fiddling. "A beach contains both sand ocean water which is salty like Luqx's crackers. And the crackers are making a messy on my floor, Luqx."

Luqx chewed, viewing the plasma. "Call the DOB to clean up your tree house. My mama does it all the time when I make a messy with my stuff."

Yeillie asked. "I wanna visit a beach. Where is that at?"

I frowned, studying the hologram map. "In the middle of the world, it's hotter than here on Playtus."

The plasma blinked into blackness.

Yeillie frowned. "Why happened?"

"I could not hold the pretty image for long without another wave signal, diffracting the frequent." I fiddled with the cell, using the screwdriver. "Got it back." I frowned at the image. "That ain't the beach."

Yeillie said. "The pavement is white."

I smiled. "That's not rough cement pavement like here on Playtus either. It is called snow." I read the cell while it projected the image without sound. "Snow is soft, cold, and small flakes of frozen ice."

"So pretty, the white shines like one of the electronic parts in my mama's storage room." Luqx nodded.

The plasma blinked black again.

Luqx pointed to the plasma. "Why does the picture, go away?"

I fiddled with the cell. "I'm not allowed to access wave frequents between the world cities, since my mama says 'no' too."

Yeillie giggled. "You say, yes. And ya break your mama's rules. I do that too when I want some bad dessert, after bedtime."

I nodded. "And my mama doesn't offer any explanation with her sour puss face. So I come in here and tap into the electronics and see the pictures of the other cities. I could not get any type of sound." I fiddled with the cell.

The plasma showed a high room with a boy and a girl, kissing each other.

I stared at the plasma. "Wow." I felt excited-nervousness.

"What's that?" Luqx chewed the food.

I shook my curls. "I think it's a wedding. I remembered seeing some pictures in our family photo album like that. There's a big tall room with viewing windows. And a man and a woman stood side by side, and they hugged. And they get married." I feel sweaty-nervousness.

"And the plasma goes black," giggled Yeillie.

My cell sounded with a dink.

I turned with a smile to see the young girls. "My mama's calling me. Okay, girls. That's your trigonometry lesson for the afternoon. And do not tell your mama about the pretty neat images on the plasma. Or we don't sneak around my tree house again. Okay?"

"Shore." Yeillie nodded, moving and scooting off the sofa, and climbed down the ladder out of the tree house to go home to her building.

Luqx nodded, moving and following Yeillie down, exiting the tree house too.

Later inside my private bedroom, I halted at the archway of my room, seeing a small box, since I just destroyed my cell a few minutes ago inside the tree house, feeling confusion. I parted my lips. "I got a new cell already. Madam DOB loves me." I jerked the broken cell from my wrist.

I opened the box, staring at new shiny one in copper, lifting and gliding it over my arm, feeling the smooth metal, and held the tiny screwdriver near my eyeball. I purposefully liked to continue my fiddling inside the internal electronics of each new cell, accessing the limited vocal radio frequents from Gambo, Starrtus, or Tidie with my illegal intentions. I could not make out the faint voices of words but enjoyed hearing the different sounds that bombarded the Playtus air waves.

I held the fine short tiny screwdriver, standing, and kicked the chair. "Hot." I dropped the screwdriver and touched my face, wobbling out my room. "Mama, I'm hot. Heated. I feel hot."

The mama of Gloriette moved ahead and appeared in the archway of her daughter's bedroom, saying with a worried brow. "Are you feeling well, honey? You're very flush, showing a pinky-pink tone on your smooth pearly skin, girl." She touched Gloriette on the forehead, frowning with concern. "You're sweating. Are ya carrying a fever? A sore throat? Your eyes looked very clear."

I folded down to the waist, dropping to the floor with dizziness. "Hot."

The mama of Gloriette dropped to the floor, holding her daughter between her legs, saying with a smile and a nod. "Gloriette, the time has come. I'm calling the medical unit. You're going to be fine. Close your eyes and relax, child."

I touched my arm, burning with fire and slumped to the floor into an unconscious state of mind.
Day 22

City of Starrtus

Bedroom suite number twenty-five

"Good morning."

I blinked my eyelashes opened from the mechanic sound, turning with a sour frown, seeing an emerald green colored robot. "What are you?"

"I am Madam DOB. You are Gloriette Faywood."

I tumbled from the bed, still wearing my faded pair of blue jeans and my pair of dirty cowgirl boots from yesterday, standing and moving to the small kitchette which held a few cooking food appliances like a stove and a sink with a set of eating counters. "Know that. Coco." I ordered to the small oven to prepare a hot beverage and looked down to examine the burn mark on my arm.

The coco steamed and whistled on the hot oven eye.

"You come from the city of Playtus. I, too, come from the city of Playtus from my home, Building 87. I am a dummy operational body. You are a young female..."

I grabbed the steaming coco, saying with a sour frown. "Tell me something that I don't know! Why am I here on Starrtus?" I turned and narrowed my eyelashes at the room with an array of viewing windows without curtains that covered three walls, and whispered. "Beautiful." I stood in front of the kitchen appliance and Madam DOB.

The city of Starrtus was located on the north polar caps of the world with cold, snow, ice, and water.

"TRIG."

I stiffen, holding the coco and looked down and viewed my arm. "I don't believe it. The rumors are true."

"Your mama requested the implant at your birth. And you have been selected to participate in TRIG. Of course, that is your choice, alone."

I finished the coca, saying with a smile and a nod. "I'm ready to fight for a man."

"I am your DOB from your family identification mark and will serve you throughout your participation of TRIG, if you choose to endure the process. The first stepped is a short introduction with our hostess, Princess Phillipina. She will summarize TRIG. And then the competition will begin." The robot flashed a beam at Gloriette.

I side stepped and tossed the empty cup at Madam DOB.

Madam DOB caught it with one of its mechanic hands.

I said with a sour tone to DOB. "Do not test me, metal girl. I destroy surprises."

The facial metal flexed upright like a grin on the DOB. "You possess quick reflexes for a seventeen-year-old female. I am impressed with your glowing healthy and fighting spirit. You will do well, being measured against the younger more agile females."

"I plan on winning a man."

Madam DOB lifted, soared, hovering near a wardrobe closet. "The selected event usually requires a perfumed bath, before the selected perfumed fluffy wardrobe, compliments of Starrtus."

I viewed the closed front door of my new room. "You're annoying my girly panties. Where's the meeting with the princess?" I moved ahead and turned to the exit of my room.

Green colored Madam DOB soared and glided ahead of her charge. "Please follow me."

Inside Starrtus auditorium one, I halted in the archway, smelling the sweat from my dirty clothes and my body, feeling excitement-anxious.

There were rows of teen females in various colored hair roots, skin tones, and clothing, where each one would participate in TRIG for a groom of love, a father of child, and a companion for life.

The teen males sat across an empty aisle from the teen females.

I scoot and sat in an empty chair in the fourth row.

The female teen was tall and sexy with a head of blonde colored hair and a tone of pale tinted skin, wearing a burnt orange long gown and a pair of long matching gloves. She turned with a smile and a nod to the nose profile of Gloriette. "Hey girl. I'm Jacidee."

I said. "I'm not." My eyeball caught the roaming older female, who was coming from the rear of the room.

The female woman was petite with a head of blonde colored hair and a tone of pale tinted skin and fifty something years old. She strolled forward from the rear wall in an ankle-length black princess gown, wearing a key pendant around her neck, climbing the steps, and sat in a throne-like chair on the elevated platform, alone. She stared at the audience of teen girls and boys with a stern face.

Jacidee smiled. "You are Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta...ta...ta."

The pre-teen female was petite and skinny with a head of long red colored hair, a tone of dark tinted skin, wearing a pink long gown and a pair of pink short hand gloves. She turned with a smile and a nod to see the rear skull of Jacidee. "Hey. You toot like the DOB with a French accent." She giggled, covering her mouth with her gloved hand.

Jacidee turned with a smile and a nod to see the petite young girl. "Good morning, I'm Jacidee."

The petite red haired young girl smiled, "You have a twang to your speech."

Jacidee slammed Gloriette on the bicep, saying with a smile and a nod. "This is Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta."

The petite red haired young girl nodded and smiled to Jacidee. "Neekim, without the twang or toot," she giggled again.

Jacidee smiled. "Neekim...m. I like your name, Neekim...m."

Neekim said with a puzzled brow. "How old are ya, Jacidee?"

"Sixteen," Jacidee smiled.

"I'm twelve." Neekim nodded.

The teen female was plump and average height with a head of black hair, a tone of dark tinted skin, wearing a royal blue gown and a pair of royal blue elbow gloves. She stared at the rear skull of Neekim, saying with a confused brow. "I'm fifteen. Why would TRIG assign someone as young as a pre-teen to compete with mature teens here on Starrtus?"

Jacidee said with a wink and a giggle to Neekim. "She is the luckier babe of us all. I wished that I had known my soul mate at twelve years old. She could visit her love in the city of Gambo, starting now and until they marry at eighteen years old?"

Neekim said with a nod and a smile. "That's good idea, Jacidee. I'm mentioning that one to my mama also."

"I'm Custar," the plump, black haired female said with a sour frown to the rear skull of Neekim, "A soul mate at the age of twelve? That sounds ridicule to me..."

Neekim frowned. "Actually, I didn't remember seeing any of the actually male soul mates for my family either my grandmother or my great grandmother inside my home. I'm from Building Six."

Jacidee nodded. "My daddy died when I was very young, leaving my mama and me alone too. My building is number seven which houses only female residents too. I treasure the thoughts of a male figure living with us, even if the male figure is my husband from the backward identification city of Gambo."

The teen female was petite and slender with a head of auburn colored hair and a tone of pink tinted skin, wearing a purple long gown and a pair of elbow gloves. She sat beside Custar, saying with a puzzled brow to the hair roots of Custar. "Hi, I'm Sechar. And I don't know anything about Gambo, but I do believe us to be the more backward identification society on Playtus. We're very proficient in destroying the landscape with both toxic metals and heated steam, making them dang cells for everyone to communicate about nothing. O. I'm from Building Nine. My family ID color is royal purple, since we're all from Playtus also."

Jacidee looked down and pulled her glove, exposing her skin, asking. "Where's Gambo? I left my cell at home. My arm was burning it off."

I tapped the dirt from my cowgirl boot on the nice and clean floor in the auditorium, sitting next to Jacidee and the aisle of air. "Gambo is located near the southern tip of the world. Playtus is in the middle to mining the rare metals used in the electronics. Starrtus is on top of the world."

Jacidee touched her burnt arm with a sour frown. "What's on Gambo?"

"Farms. Foods. Animals. Flowers. Trees. Grass," I said.

"Uoo. I like farms with animals." Neekim giggled, kicking her naked legs underneath the long dress forward and back in her chair.

Jacidee turned with a wink and a smile to see the spying beau behind her shoulder, "I like farmers."

A silver tinted Madam DOB hovered beside Gloriette, saying without emotion. "Good morning, belles. Please practice your society taught social graces from your mamas on Playtus with a quiet tongue plus a pair of rising cheekbones."

I turned with a puzzle brow to the robot. "What does that mean?"

Jacidee giggled. "Smile."

I fake a smile, turning and staring the stage platform, feeling lost-confusion.

The older petite woman smiled and did not stand but sat in her throne chair. "Good delights. I am Phillipina. I run the Dominion here on Starrtus. All of you are not part of the Dominion. However, you are here for a very different reason..."

I stood, holding my arm, turning with a wicked grin to see the section of males. "I just wanna know which handsome dude matches my pink spot and which ugly girl is ready to rumble for my love, my marriage, and my baby, to boot," chuckling.

Phillipina frowned with annoyance. "Gloriette Faywood..."

I swung around with a stern face to see the princess, narrowing my eyelashes. "How do ya know my name, princess?"

She exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Please sit, Mademoiselle Gloriette. I will explain all. I am Princess Phillipina, but please call me, Phillipina. I run the Dominion here on Starrtus. All of you are from either one of the cities of Playtus and Gambo which is not part of the Dominion. However, you are here for a very different reason, your arm. Please look down and closely at your anterior fold-skin. You will see a slightly swollen pink identification indentation. This is your sub-dermal implant."

I sat and looked down to see my arm, gently rubbing the pink spot with the white triangle both sore and tender.

She smiled. "Welcome to TRIG."

I shook my curls, whispering. "TRIG is a mathematical term for trigonometric. And trigonometric is the many observable functional relationships within a triangle."

She nodded. "Centuries ago, there was a war between the sexes, man versus woman. No one won. The men decided to establish a colony on Gambo; the women lived separately on Playtus. Before the populations dwindled down into a zero population, the leaders from both cities had asked the Dominion if they could intermediate, come between the two sexes. Therefore, TRIG was created. A child is born on Starrtus due to the availability of a sterile medical center, and each child born receives an implant due to the technological advancement of the proper clinical procedures. The implant is controlled by TRIG. TRIG is also a combination of the implant, the computer, and you. When you and your soul mate are paired and you will be married on Starrtus due to our beautiful facility. There are three functions of TRIG: Sine, Tangent, and Cosine."

I shook my curls, whispering. "The three mathematical trigonometric functions are sine, cosine, and tangent and they are very important in modeling any and all phenomena with is associated with the performance parameters within the triangle."

She smiled. "Sine is the shortest relationship between point A and point B. Point A to point B is the most direct direction without interruption within the science of mathematics. I have slightly modified the Sine definition for you who come from Gambo and Playtus. It is the shortest relationship between point A, a belle and point B, beau. TRIG is set up to make you think in romantic love, not mathematical logic. Tonight, you will find your local sine, not a distance star. Tomorrow afternoon, you will learn of the second function, tangent. The implant monitors all your vital biological and chemical levels, providing the real time and space between you and your soul mate."

I said with a sour tone, whispering for my eardrums only. "Beautiful. My one-time soul mate has been selected and then freeze-dried like a piece of meat. And we could meet and lunch, be married, and be merry. Ta-da."

Jacidee leaned over with a grin to the cheekbone of Gloriette. "This is my only opportunity to claim my soul mate too. There are no young males in my home Building Seven or the next buildings down the row for love."

I frowned. "I always wondered about..."

Phillipina nodded. "This is the place where you meet your mate, who touches your heart for the rest of your life. The implant is a simple common radio frequent between both of your signals. TRIG has paired each one of you based on both mental personalities and social traits."

The tall male stood from his chair, turning with a wicked grin to the section of females. "I agree with the cutie pie teen girl over there. How do I know which filly is mine?" He sat with a nod and a smile, elbowing his male friends.

I said with a sour tone. "TRIG is a mating ritual."

Phillipina said. "When your mate has been selected by TRIG through some complex binary code created by your ancestors, the implant signals you, most painfully. First, you feel hot, and develop a fever, and finally become unconscious. Every child experiences the sensation of TRIG from both Playtus and Gambo. The choice is yours. However, if you decide to bypass this choice today and go home, there will be no mate. No marriage. No baby. No new generations of Playtusians and Gambians. I strongly encourage you to make your own decision, but I strongly suggest that you make the right one."

I said with a sour tone, whispering for my eardrums only. "I want a mate."

Jacidee leaned over to the cheekbone of Gloriette, "Me, too, darling."

The tall male stood, raising his arms. "Yeehaw. Let's start now, princess." He sat with a nod and a grin, slapping his buddy too.

Phillipina smiled. "That is the fun part of pleasure. You will carry out an exploration study which has used for eons by bright and gifted teens that enjoyed a mysterious puzzle." She pointed to the object. The object was a short piece of circular wall of wood with a matching circular roof top, where the upper portion was hollow with air to see the other side of the wall. "That is a wishing well. Legend said that if you toss a penny into the well, then your wish will come true. Therefore, we continue the fun tradition. Ladies, I would like for the first girl in the first row near the wall to raise and come up the stairs. There are numerous pennies around the circular wooden railing. Please retrieve a single penny from the wooden railing for your single thought and toss your penny down into the wishing well. And I would like for the first girl to stand against the wall until all the pretty girls have finished tossing in their pennies. And I would like the handsome boys to form a line against the wall and please mentally think of your wish also."

The first girl stood and tripped over her gown and did not fall on her face as she recovered beautifully and continued up the stairs.

The Starrtus guard removed her chair from the row and away from the other occupied chairs of belles.

She stopped in front of the circular wooden structure, and grabbed and dumped a penny into the well, looking down the dark hole, closing her eyelashes and moved her lips in silence. She opened her eyelashes and smiled with a giggle, turning and moving to stand as the first belle against the wall panel, staring and waving at the males.

I turned with a smirk to see the teen boys.

They were housed in a separate section on the opposite side of the female and appeared in varied shapes and sizes from tall, short, bulky, and thin. They wore a fancy colorful bowtie, a sports jacket, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a pair of polished cowboy boots as each belle looked with a smile and a wink at each belle rather than viewing the silly Wishing Well structure on top of the wooden platform stage next to the princess.

It was my turn.

I moved ahead and stood from my chair, stomping up the stairs and stopped, grabbing and dumping a single penny down the dark well of real water without the lip movement and eyelash closure, turning and standing beside Jacidee. I stared without the silly wave motion at the teen males, wondering which one was my beau.

All the other belles had finished dumping in a penny in the well and stood in a row against the wall panel, staring and flirting with numerous males on the opposite wall.

Phillipina stood and elegantly glided down the stairs in her long gown, moving between the air space of the two walls and the lines of girls and boys, and said with a smile and a nod to each belle and beau. "Please both rows of teens come forward from the wall, forming two vertical lines but still apart. It is with the most rude of manners to leave any social gathering, without a proper introduction. Therefore, as I pass by your person, please state your first name to me. I will start with the lady always first and the gentleman on the opposite side of the lady always second for the proper greeting."

The lines of boys and girls moved forward and stopped. Phillipina nodded to the first lady near her shoulder, moving down the empty aisle.

"Neekim."

"Aroho."

"Custar."

"Wickliffe."

"Martella."

"Taris."

"Elbunt."

"Bittman."

"Docia."

"Zoar."

"Okana."

"Enon."

"Dola."

"Tohatci."

"Sechar."

"Dugway."

The young lady smiled and curtsey to the princess. "Mademoiselle Jacidee."

The princess stopped and viewed with a smile and a nod to Jacidee, turning and moving forward down the aisle of teen females and males.

"Vrain."

"Gloriette."

"Bushton."

"Kitts."

"Prewitt."

"Lalina."

"Unakite."

"Frazley."

The young gentleman smiled and bowed his skull at the princess. "Pox."

The princess stopped and viewed with a smile and a nod to Pox, turning and moving forward down the aisles of teen females and males.

"Natoma."

"Bushton."

The young lady smirked and curtseyed to the princess. "Mademoiselle Ametheta."

The princess stopped and viewed with a smirk and a nod to Ametheta, moving forward down the twin columns of teens.

"Liebalm."

Phillipina stepped away from the twin rows of teens without looking over her collar bone, saying with a nod and a stern face. "Have a good time, kids."

I stood, watching her dress tail disappear into a set of sliding doors built in the rear wall, feeling nervousness-excitement.

The teen male was both tall and muscular, wearing a ratty and faded blue sports jacket, a pair of faded and shredded blue jeans, a pair of polished red and orange cowboy boots with a head of blonde colored hair, a jaw line of blonde facial whiskers, and a tone of dark tinted skin. He stomped forward from the row, saying with a smile and a nod to a couple of girls. "I'm Prewitt, girls. Who's my soul mate?"

The teen male was very tall with shoulder length red colored hair, a tone of dark tinted skin, and very muscular. His long curls bounced along his board shoulders as he ripped his old faded blue sports jacket and the suffocating red bowtie. He tossed the clothing items against the wall, saying with a smile and a nod to the females. "I be Unakite. I'm not waiting. I'm finding my soul mate by my own exploration method among the rows of pretty maidens." He grabbed the tall girl nearest to him and kisses her lips, pulling back with a sour frown of disgust. "Ugh. You taste like vinegar, honey."

She slapped his face, turning and walking away from Unakite.

I giggled, quick stepping from a swarm of boys, feeling giddiness-excitement too.

The boys and girls ran around each other, kissing and moaning with disgust.

Unakite yanked and grabbed the short girl near to him, kissing her lips. "You taste bitter, baby." He performed a mouth spat his salvia down on the floor, frowning with a distorted face.

The male was short with a head of cropped black colored hair, and a tone of dark tinted skin. Ahrojo grabbed and kissed the short girl, saying with a sour frown of disgust, too. "Ya taste very acidic, cutie." She slapped his face and turned, moving from him. He touched his lips, wiping off the yucky flavor.

Neekim stood, leaning forward with her pouted lips, kissing his face, and pulled back with a distorted face of disgust to the tall boy. "Sour taste..."

"Tart." Jacidee pulled back with a distorted face, after kissing the cute boy.

"Ugly," Prewitt chuckled and snorted in the face of the girl. "Ya be one ugly girl. I hope you ain't my soul mate, babe." She slapped his face, turning and prissing away. He laughed, grabbing the next girl next to his elbow, kissing her lips, and pulled back with a sour frown of disgust. "Dang. You taste salty like an ocean fish to my taste buddies too."

Unakite jerked the next girl next to his shoulder, twirling her around and kissing her pretty face, and pulled back with a distorted face. "Ya taste like sour apple cider, girl."

Custar kissed and pulled back from the cute boy, saying with a sour frown. "Sorry. You are funny-tasting to my taste buddies, sir."

Prewitt moved ahead and climbed up the stairs, standing on top of the stage, raising his arms, and yelled with a smile and a nod. "Stop, ya'll."

The boys and girls turned and faced him on the elevated stage.

Prewitt said with a nod and a smile. "The mystery is solved," he pointed to his arm. "Phillipina said that our individual implant monitors our individual clinical levels. We're also chemically paired, as well as, electronically paired." He pointed with a nod to Unakite. "She is sour tasting to your lips, Unakite, 'cause she ain't your soul mate, bro. So, everyone keep on kissing another girl, or maybe, try the lips of a guy, Unakite," he chuckled with the other male teens.

Unakite growled and galloped to the stage platform, rotating his two fists.

Bigger and taller brown haired Vrain blocked the attack of Unakite, saying with a nod and a grin, shoving Unakite from Prewitt. "Calm, dude. Go kiss the ugly girl. She be your soul mate next..."

Prewitt jumped down from the platform, stomping to the girl with a smile. "Hi, doll. Could I kiss your pretty face?" He kissed her and pulled back with a sour frown, shaking his skull. "Naw." He moved ahead to the next girl, kissing her face, pulling back with another sour frown of disgust, also.

She gagged and coughed, wiping off her lips. "Gross." She back stepped and moved to another male.

I back stepped from the forming and un-forming couples, slamming into the wall panel, smiling at the slick entertaining sight, and felt thrilled-excitement. Then I saw his handsome face on the opposite side of the room, who chuckled at the silly teens too.

He was tall with a set of long black curls that bounced around his board shoulders. His black whiskers turned and smiled to Gloriette.

I slowly moved forward toward a tall, pale, and handsome male, when a strange hand grabbed my naked arm. I swung around, seeing a tall with tone of dark tinted skin handsome teen male too.

Prewitt said with a smile and a nod to Gloriette. "Hi, babe! Gimme a kiss."

"I..." covered my mouth from the unknown male, thumbing back over my collar bone to first male.

Prewitt darted his eyelids with a sour frown to see the male and Gloriette. "He's ugly, sugar. I'm cute like a bug. And you be cuter like a babe. I bet our salvia tastes sweet like two pears. Did you kiss him, yet?"

The black haired male moved ahead and stood between the nose profiles of Gloriette and Prewitt, saying with a smile and a nod, slapping his chest. "I am the chosen one for her, sir."

Prewitt smirked with the challenge. "Wait your turn, buddy. I be the one for her." He drew Gloriette closer to his heated body, pouting his lips for a kiss.

I pucker my lips, closing my eyelashes, and my lips touched on his soft pink flesh. I jerked back with a gag and a cough, back stepping from Prewitt, wiping the nasty salvia from my mouth. "Ugh. Ya taste like sour grapes."

"Vinegar breath," he shook his skull, "Too bad, I really liked you and your feisty spirit." He bowed at his waist and turned to a new girl, yanking and kissing her nose instead of her lips. She pulled back with a grin and a giggle from his kiss. He pulled back with a smile, leaning forward and gently touched her closed lips. She pulled back with a grin and a giggle again. Prewitt smiled with delightfulness. "Hmm, you are warmth."

Jacidee smiled. "I feel heated."

He turned and viewed the rear skull of Gloriette. "Hmm, she felt cold." He turned and kissed her closed lips again.

Jacidee pulled back, saying with a nod and a smile. "You feel soft."

He said with a nod and a smile to Jacidee. "You feel fine."

"You are mine," Jacidee smiled.

He chuckled and cuddled her, moving to one of the room on the side of the wall for more kisses.

Inside a hidden control room behind the rear wall from each couple of kissing teens, Phillipina moved ahead and then stopped at monitoring table, looking down to glass, saying with a frown to her assistant. "Newbind, link Pox to that girl's implant."

Newbind stared down with a frown at the glass monitor. "Which girl I am transferring Pox's link signal, princess?"

She exhaled with a puff of frustration and said with a puzzle brow. "Your guess is as good as mine." She stared at the glass which reflected the activity in the auditorium of the kissing teens, pointing to Gloriette. "The brown haired girl near Pox, he seems to have a fancy eyeball on her."

Newbind typed on the computer the instructions of Pox's signal. "Why is that?"

She smiled. "Teens? I cannot understand the teenly race or socialize with the same teenly race including my own son. And why is Ametheta in the teen pod, this afternoon?"

"You must ask Ametheta that particular question for a specific answer, but I suspect she follows, where Pox leads."

"She enjoys annoying Pox, while he enjoys annoying me. The cycle continues."

"I should not adjust Gloriette's implant for Pox's taste," Newbind chuckled. "You should let him learn his lesson."

"I should. And I shall not. When you have children, you will understand."

"I enjoy the one-sex beings. I will never have children."

She smiled. "And you're smarter than I."

"I should also adjust the pairing of both the uncoupled Pox and Ametheta, and that would really annoy your son, princess."

She nodded. "That would be amusing to witness in the short term, but Pox likes to reciprocate the revenge with his nasty subtle touch."

Newbind grinned, lifting his palms with a nod and a smile to Phillipina. "Done. And I have added a bonus, princess. There are an even number of teen boys and girls, making an even number of loving couples within TRIG. Ametheta will be receiving a very nice pleasure."

Within the auditorium one setting, teen male Unakite frowned with confusion and back stepped from another sour tasting belle, spinning around to the sour face of the pretty tall sexy girl with a head of long red hair, wearing a tight fitting long dress. "Grrr!" He swung her to his arms, kissing her lips, pulling back with a wicked grin of delight. "You taste like cinnamon. Ya be my soul mate, darling. And you be a beauty too." He swung her to one of the opened doors on the wall, dragging her over the floor. "Come on, doll. Let's figure out what other flavors me and you could make together. I'm Unakite. What's your name, cutie?"

Ametheta pointed with a stunned face to see Pox. "I'm not cinnamon. I am with..."

"Me." Unakite moved ahead and entered the private room and slapped the door shut with his boot.

I entertainingly turned and viewed Prewitt and Jacidee as they continued to kiss and hug with my emerald green colored jealousy. Two hands grabbed my waist when I gasped and spun around, seeing his tallness, paleness, and handsomeness.

He slowly leaned forward with his pouted lips and kissed her face, and pulled back with a grin of delightfulness too. "Yum. You taste like mint candy."

I smiled. "You taste like apple sauce." I felt heated-excitement.

He cuddled Gloriette and swung around, moving to one of the private room against the wall, and stopped. "Two-step in front of me, love." He reached and grabbed her arm, shifting her in front of the closed door.

I scooted in front of the door and jerked back my sore limb from his rough touched. "Ouch."

He said with a puzzle brow to her rear skull, rubbing her biceps. "I am so sorry, love. Please I would like for you to lift your implant to my face."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, pointed to the pink square spot, where the implant burnt my skin.

He slowly dipped his lips to her arm, saying. "Open."

The door opened.

I smiled and stared at the open archway. "How'da ya do that?"

Inside one of the private auditorium room, he shoved her into the empty room, saying with a smile. "You did that, love. TRIG has paired us. Therefore, the implants are connected...bonded, if you like. The doors are triggered by voice. The implants recognize both our voices. Therefore, you or I could open the door." He swung her around, facing the open archway, saying. "Try it, love."

I held the implant to my face. "Close, please."

The door closed.

"This is so cool." I felt nervousness-heated.

He cuddled her, moving forward to the viewing window. "There're lots more cool stuff on Starrtus."

I leaned to the window, seeing the pretty landscape. "Poor pun, sir. Everything is freezing cool on Starrtus."-

He chuckled, leaning into her hair. "TRIG has paired us good. Everything is indeed cool on Starrtus."

I swung around with a smile to his grin, feeling coolness-excitement.

He wiggled his finger underneath her soft chin, moving it down to her shirt and her soft belt, looking down with a grin to her feet. "I like your cowgirl boots."

I back stepped from his gently touched, blushing with both coolness and hotness of sexy lust. "I'm never been a soul mate before. What do we do, now?" I felt awkward-thrill-ness while smelling his nice cologne.

He looked up to see window and her, saying with a grin. "I'm Pox, seventeen years old."

I smiled at my soul mate of TRIG, "Gloriette, seventeen years old."

Pox leaned forward and touched her lips, and pulled back with a grin. "You're a feisty hottie, Gloriette. I admire that."

I smiled with happiness. "You're a smart dude, Pox. I like."

His eyeballs darted to the snow in the window and back to her as he exhaled with a huff of confusion. "I am sorry that we are paired by TRIG."

I said with a puzzled brow, shaking my curls. "I don't understand."

His eyeballs darted to the snow in the window and back to her as he exhaled with a huff of worry. "I don't approve of TRIG."

I shook my curls, frowning with confusion. "I don't either, but this is the only way for me to get married and have a child and live happily ever after on Playtus."

He shook his skull. "That's the reason right there why I do not approve of TRIG. I cannot live on Playtus ever. It is a flat, hot ugly city."

I nodded. "I agree with the environmental state of my home city. We both could live on Playtus. Or we could both live on Gambo. I'm never been to Gambo. Is it pretty, there?"

"Green plants and red soil," he jerked the cell from his bowtie, pressing the buttons.

I gasped and pointed to the new cell. "That's a necktie, Pox."

He said with a nod and a smile. "Naw. This cell is in the shape of a necktie. I don't like it on my wrist."

"Where'da ya get that?"

He looked up with a grin and a chuckle. "All cells come from Playtus. I thought you know that tidbit of datum." He offered her the new cell for viewing.

I accepted the new necktie cell. "Where did the new cell necktie come from? I've never seem that particular model. It has a green screen."

He pointed to his new necktie cell. "The green colored is called turquoise. The neckties are made here on Starrtus. The engineers receive the electronic components from Playtus and create all kinds of cool stuff."

I looked up with a grin, holding his bowtie cell. "Okay pun. Since I'm your soul mate and you're my soul mate. I see lots of beautiful lush green plants and red bright soil in the pic on your new necktie cell. What does your farm plant?"

He pulled the necktie cell from her hands, saying. "Food."

I hissed with pain, cupping my arm. "My wound burns again."

He looked down to see her burnt wound. "The burn should heal by tomorrow for the start of TRIG."

I looked up with a puzzled brow to see him. "What's TRIG like? I don't possess any knowledge of the event."

He said with a puzzled brow to her. "Your mama didn't explain TRIG."

"No."

Pox replaced the bowtie and shuffled to the window.

I moved ahead and stood next to him, touching the glass, feeling the cold, and smelled the crispness of the new snow outside the glass pane with a smile.

He exhaled with a puff of frustration, viewing the snow and ice outside glass window of the private room. "I am really sorry. I do not want to be your soul mate, Gloriette. You are a pretty girl, thou."

I smiled with a nod. "And I am a likable person too. This TRIG-thing is awkward. I find it both stupid and silly, but I think we can make it work, Pox."

He stared at the snow, saying. "Naw, I cannot make it work."

I turned with a confused brow to see his nose profile. "But we're paired in TRIG."

He stared at the snow through the window, saying with a stern face. "Actually we only engaged at this stage. Once you run through TRIG, we can become un-engaged."

I parted my lips. "And I would not have a soul mate ever."

He shook his skull, viewing the snow outside the window. "Naw, every teen has to perform TRIG to prove their undying love and other horse pookie..."

"But we're compatible and other cow dookie piles." I giggled at the farm reference but felt totally confused.

He chuckled with a smile, staring at the snow. "Naw, the machine compared and patted us, together."

I looked down and viewed the pink spot on my arm, gently rubbing the mark. "Is there any type of new technology for the removal of the implants, since ya don't like me?" I felt isolation-frustration.

Pox said. "It's called death."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, parting my lips. "Death. I'm trying really hard to avoid that until my later years, since I'm selected for you..."

"By a dumb machine, and a dumber guardian like my mama. This entire arrangement was set up seventeen years ago, wearing dirty baby diapers." He turned with a sour frown to see her. "I am sorry. Your mama should have explained the solo purpose of TRIG before coming here to Starrtus."

I looked down and viewed my boots. "Am I to return home, now?" I felt aloneness- bitterness.

"You should stay here on Starrtus." He smirked, "At the end of TRIG, we will become un-engaged." He turned with a smile to see window, pointing to the snow out the window. "See that tall mountain, Mount Starrtus. That's where all the weddings are performed, a beautiful sight." He turned with a smile to see her. "We'll be un-engaged there too. Lots of teens don't make the pairing either. I promise. You'll be able to find another soul mate in TRIG." He slowly leaned to her face and gently kissed her lips, pulling back with a smile. "You taste really good like apple sauce." He back stepped and turned, leaving the room.

I turned with a sour frown to see outside the window the ice and snow, accepting this strange boy, as my future, a few heartbeats ago. I felt angry-numbness. A flat line lingered inside my heart. I would not disappoint my family. I will have a baby for producing the fifth generation of Faywood. I will participate in TRIG to find another new soul mate, feeling triumphant-ambition.
Day 23

City of Starrtus

Auditorium one

Facee

I viewed my arm with an upright triangle with a set of colored emerald green letters A and B, representing my Playtus family ID theme. I was the Sine of Pox, sitting in the front row in the center of the elevated stage platform, since no one liked being the center of attention in any social event. I arrived late, trying to cut out the encrusted dried teardrops from eyeballs accumulated, last night.

Ametheta was tall and slender girl with a head of brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a one-piece jumpsuit, sitting next to Gloriette, and leaned over with the nose profile, smelling with a smirk. "Sniff. Sniff. You do not smell like freshly picked wild flowers or wild freshly picked berries from the forest wild landed, Mademoiselle Gloriette."

"Know that." I looked and viewed my dirty boots, smelling Ametheta's flora perfume.

Ametheta smiled. "All the girls are getting their nails painted, the skin pores cleaned, and the hair prettied for the men this afternoon at the Starrtus salon."

"Our soul mates," Neekim sat in cross-legged in a chair behind Gloriette and Ametheta, ease dropping on their conversation, and leaned over their hair roots, saying with a nod and a giggle as a preteen female.

Sechar sat on the other side of Gloriette on the edge of the stage, leaning over and touching Gloriette on the arm, said with a smile. "Gloriette needs some prettying too. Do you ever comb your hair, darling?"

I scratched my itchy scalp, messing up my messy hair, some more. "What happens next in TRIG, Jacidee?" I felt depressed-nervousness.

Neekim giggled behind the older teens. "Go with the flow, girlfriend."

The door opened.

Phillipina entered and glided over the floor in her long gown from the rear of the room as her key necklace rattled with a ting. She stopped and stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up with a stern face to see each teen girl. "Good delights, belles. Please note there are only the females present in today's lecture and you are seated on the stage, since the empty dance will be occupied in a few more moments. Thus, the beaus are busy also performing their respective assignments, paralleling your work also. Each one of you had successfully completed the first function of TRIG which was appropriately labeled Sine. Based on the head nods and smiles, you are very happy with the TRIG selection process of your soul mate. Throughout history, a man gave the woman he desired a bouquet of flowers or a bottle of perfume or a book of love poems to exhibit his love. A woman gave the man she desired a cooked meal or a back rub or a baby to show her affection. Your ancestors have crafted a specific component to exhibit your new affection for your soul mate. There is an old axiom on Starrtus which states 'a woman would do anything for her man.' Thus, this is the basis of Tangent. The second function of TRIG. Tangent means 'to touch.' I require two volunteers for my lecture presentation."

The plump teen girl stood from her chair, waving her arms with a smile.

Phillipina pointed with a stern face to the teen. "Excellent, Custar. Please come and stood on my right," she turned and pointed with a smirk to the second teen girl on the first row. "And you, Ametheta please come and stood on my left."

Custar smiled, running down the stairs, standing over the princess as she was taller.

Ametheta stood and wore an annoy brow, slowing plopping down off the stairs, and moving more slowly to the princess as her boots echoed off the hard flooring.

Both teen girls posed between Phillipina.

Phillipina said with a smile to the other teens on the stage, lifting her arm as the key necklace rattled with a tiny ting. "Please illuminate for me, two. "Please illuminate the wishing well."

The dance floor transformed into a pile of flat tan sand with a blue ocean waves on the right side of the floor. A line of green tall palm trees was positioned on the left side of the large auditorium. At the rear wall, there stood a circular wooden wall without a roof top.

Phillipina patted Custar on the arm, turning and saying with a smile to her nose profile. "Please go and press your implant to the hologram behind us and whisper the name of your soul mate name to the colored yellow sand. This is an electronic simulation of a beach motif. An actually landscape will appear exactly like this one in Tangent, the second leg of TRIG."

Custar swirled around and squatted down to the tan sand, touching the hologram. "Dugway.

A dozen figures of Dugway appeared on top of the tan sands, scattered around in an upright form from the front to the rear of beach motif.

"Dugway!?" Custar gasped with a smile, standing and staring at the multiple images of her soul mate.

Phillipina shook her curls, saying to the other teens on the stage. "No dear. This is a facee." She patted Ametheta on the arm, turning and saying with a smile to her nose profile. "Please also touch the hologram, Ametheta."

Ametheta swirled around and squatted, slamming the hologram with her hand as a dozen figures of Unakite appeared on top of the tan sands too, scattered in an upright form from the front to rear, also.

Phillipina smiled to the teens on the stage without looking at the facees of Dugway and Unakite. "If you have not guessed, by now, the implants are linked which allow for communicate of a vocal and a visual image, when necessary," she lifted her as the key necklace rattled with a tiny ting. "Please illuminate for me, two pergolas."

In front of the stage and behind the buttonholes of Ametheta and Custar, two curved archways appeared like a hollow door frame without lights or door knobs.

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod. "Your goal is to reach the wishing well within the time limit of one hour. You will enter through a pergola or a hollow passageway. There will be fifteen separate pergolas for fifteen different belles that will form a perfect line but will go into fifteen different directions. All the pergolas are the equal and go to the same direction, the wishing well. And the pergolas are the same exactly distance from the wishing well, too. You are competing with the timed clock and not with each belle. In-between the wishing well, there will be exactly images of your soul mate or Sine, including the other male soul mates that will scattered around the sands like here inside the Starrtus auditorium one which appears like a true beach motif. For example, in the journey for Ametheta, she must touch only the image of her soul mate or Sine. This is called a facee or a fake face. The facee does not house your flesh and blood of your real soul mate in any form, or matter, fashion, format, or array. Your soul mate or Sine is located inside the wishing well, where you have figuratively tossed the penny for your individual wish, yesterday."

The teen girls said with a nod and a giggle.

Phillipina raised the penny. "When you reach the wishing well, you slam the penny into a vertical slot on the wood of the wishing will and then he will climb up the ladder and into your arms, once again. The facee is also directly linked to your implant. When you encounter another facee, you can easily glide around heading to the wishing well. However, the facee that represents your soul mate or Sine must be touched, before you can advance to the wishing well."

Phillipina swung around with a smile to see the fake beach motif. "You can see both the facees of Dugway and Unakite are crisscrossing in a perfect horizontal invisible lines, going side to side. You will not be able to run away or jump over the facee of your soul mate or Sine. The image houses a force field that must be deactivated by your touch." She turned with a smile to the nose profile of Ametheta. "Ametheta, be a good dear and please illustrate my instruction."

Ametheta moved ahead with an annoyed brow to the pergola on her side of the wall, standing in front of the archway.

Phillipina said to the wall, watching Ametheta. "I will narrate each step. Ametheta will cross through the pergola, over the sand, and marches to the first facee or her Sine of Unakite. She slaps it, a little too abruptly, but the facee totally disappears into thin air. Please stop, Ametheta. The facee is linked to her touch and only her personal touch. Now, Ametheta, please travel over to the facee of Dugway, your non-soul mate or non-Sine. And, please lovingly slapped it silly, too. Ametheta marches forward and draws back her hand, whacking the facee. You can see that the facee of Dugway does not waiver or vanish. The touch of Ametheta is not connected to the facee Dugway, the flesh and blood Dugway, or the implant link of his belle Custar. Please move forward, Ametheta. Ametheta scoots around the facee of Dugway with ease and advance to the second facee of Unakite, whacking and providing a stuff punch, again. The facee of Unakite disappears and vanishes totally from the tan sands of the beach motif. Thank you very much, Ametheta for your kind cooperation. Please return to your seat on the stage along with Custar. Thank you, too, Custar."

The teen girls swing around, moving to sit back on the stage.

Phillipina turned and looked with a smile and a nod to each teen. "You will perform, only, for your solo self. There will not be any judges or referees to observe your personal facee workout. This is a tryout to give you some sand time. Please stroll back into your personal numbered and colored suites and change into your racing apparel which has been provided by your appropriately colored Madam DOB."

Inside auditorium number twenty-five, I sat on top of the elevated wooden stage, wearing a robe, staring at the multiple facees that shift side to side in the tan sands of the fake beach motif inside my personal auditorium for my tryout.

The wishing well without a rooftop was located at the rear wall of the hologram.

The six facees were the exactly appearance of Pox, who was tall with a head of black curls, a jaw line of black colored whiskers, two board shoulders, and pretty smile of good teeth smiled.

I looked down and viewed my bare feet, frowning at the future loss of love of my paired soul mate, feeling isolation-confusion.

Phillipina entered and moved forward through the archway, dragging her gown, rattling the tiny key with a tiny ting, and stopped at the nose profile of Gloriette on the stage. "Don't be shy, Mademoiselle Gloriette. Please stood and remove your robe. I'm here to offer a few choice sentences and then leave as you practice with the facees. The real timed event is one hour with twelve facees. This tryout holds half or six facees with a timing of thirty minutes. This is a test run for you of Tangent, meaning 'to touch.'"

I said with a sour tone, walking to the pergola, wearing a two-piece bikini, and exhaled with a puff of frustration, saying with a sour frown. "I run, touch the facee, and run, touch the second facee, and repeat and rinse," giggling at my silly thought process and more silly language skills.

"Thirty minutes on the time element, please. Go, Gloriette."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, slowly moving over the soft sand which feels real to the nearest facee, and touch Pox.

The first facee morphed.

"I see a little cute gray mouse on the tan sand," I pointed with a grin and a giggle down to the object.

She said. "Each facee must be conquered with its own particular facee weapon."

I turned with a sour frown and a matching tone to see Phillipina. "It's a little helpless gray mouse."

She nodded. "The mouse is a facee or a force field. You cannot move pass it to continue your TRIG run."

I swung around with a nod to the mouse on the tan sands. "Gotcha," I squatted and lifted the mouse to my face as it scratched its tiny claws in my palms. I moved forward to the second facee of Pox, holding the cute mouse, and hit something, back pedaling with a sour frown. "What the heck?"

Phillipina smiled. "The first facee of Pox exists in the form of the mouse and it has created a force field which is invisible to your naked eyes. The force field extends all every geographical direction. So you must conquer the facee. The force field blocks you to advance to the second facee of Pox, the other ten facees, and the wishing well. Therefore, you must conquer the facee."

I stroked the mouse, narrowing my naked eyes at an invisible force field. However, I cannot see but feel the heat temperature from the invisible force field. I turned with an annoyed brow to see Phillipina, saying with a sour tone. "I must conquer the facee. What's that supposed mean?"

"You must destroy the facee. There is a facee weapon on the sand pebbles near the mouse."

I swung and search the sands, saying with a puzzled brow. "I see a small construction hammer which used to nail a painting on a wall."

"Bash the brains in."

I turned with an annoyed brow to see her again. "Dang, really?"

She did not talk or move.

I spun and squatted, resting the mouse on the sands, reaching lifting the small hammer. "Okay." I dropped the hammer and smash the skull as red blood leeched onto my leg. "Ugh. It's a real mouse. How's that possible, girl?" I stood and swing around with a sour frown to see Phillipina.

She said with a nod and a smile. "Excellent job, Gloriette. You have conquered the facee. During TRIG, within the leg of Tangent, you must keep moving to the wishing well, since TRIG is timed. Or you will lose your soul mate forever, and you will leave Starrtus to return home to your mama, alone."

I looked down and viewed my naked feet, exhaling with a puff of irritation. "Yeah, I do this for love or return to my mama alone and forever."

Phillipina spun around and moved forward toward the archway without looking at Gloriette, saying with a smile and a nod. "Each tryout is timed at thirty minutes, and the clock and facees will reset for another attempt. However, you are allowed to stay inside the hologram for three hours, improving your touch. Then you return to your suite for both supper and sleeping. We leave at six in the morning for Tangent, the second leg of TRIG."

"Got it. I must slap the rest of the facees silly," I giggled with fun of hitting the teen body that did not want to marry me.

Phillipina stopped and turned with a smirk to see the butthole of Gloriette. "Another important item, a facee will run to the ocean water and then will run back, therefore it will not plunge into any real landscape. However, a morphed facee will run into water like in the air, and on the land. Good luck, Gloriette."

"Yes ma'am," I stared at the wall and wishing well and defaulted to my social graces, wiggling my naked toes in the warm sand.

The door closed.

I viewed the wall, seeing the time element: 20:21:53 minutes.

I strolled to the second facee, slapping the face of smiling Pox.

The second facee morphed.

I looked down with a smile to the sand. "An eating plate."

I squatted and used the hammer for a second time, smashing the plate in numerous large chunks, feeling the heaviness of the hammer.

Then the hammer disappeared from my hand along with broken pieces scattered over the sand.

I stood and moved to my left, viewing a third facee that was zig zagging across the sand.

I stood and waited for the facee to draw near my raised hand, and slapped it, missing with a grin and a giggle. I stepped into the pathway and slapped it again.

The third facee morphed.

"A reading book."

I saw a box of matches, squatting and grabbing the box of matches, and lighted the match and dropped and burned the pages of the book as the invisible force field dropped. I can feel fiery flames of heat from the invisible force field.

Then the box of matches and burning pages of the book disappeared from the sands.

I stood and strolled to my left to the fourth facee, seeing the time element showed: 16:42:38 minutes.

The fourth facee dashed to my right to the water and turned and ran to the trees.

I stood in pathway and slapped the face of smiling Pox.

The fourth facee morphed.

A tall blonde male smirked in his blonde cat whiskers, and grabbed her biceps.

I quickly slapped both my hands up, breaking the arm connection, and back pedal in a defense mod.

He laughed.

I gasped and said with a sour tone with shock. "Where's Pox?"

He smiled. "Who cares, doll?"

"Where's Jacidee?"

"Doing her tryout..."

"You should be there with her, Prewitt."

He said with a wind and a grin. "But here's more fun, babe." He leaped forward, grabbing her arms.

I twirl away from him, shaking my curls, and view him with a sour frown. "You are not real."

He said with a nod and a smile, "I be real, babe."

"You're a facee, a fake."

He pointed with a smirk down to her leg. "I see dried red blood on your leg from the poor little dead mouse. Nice legs, too. Nice bikini, also. Nice smile, too. Nice to meet ya again, Mademoiselle Gloriette." He advances, grabbing her arms again.

I parted my lips, struggling from his gripe. "Dang, you really are Prewitt."

"In the flesh and blood," he leaped, catching her entire body.

We rolled around the sand.

I landed on my back spine in the soft sand with a sour frown.

Prewitt penned both her wrists and her legs with his hands and his legs, blowing a mint breath of warm air into her sour puss face, tickling her wrist, and smiled with a wicked grinned.

I giggled from the gently assault of his gentleman-ness. "Where's Pox?" I wiggled side to side and not moving from his gentleman-strength, seeing his white triangle with the burnt orange colored letters A and B for the identification society house of Jacidee on Playtus.

He leaned down to her face. "Don't care."

I kneed his stomach and stood, crouching at bend kneecaps in my defense stance, saying with a puzzle brow. "Why didn't Pox pop out of the facee, instead of you?"

He held his stomach and stood with heavy pant of their fun activity, saying with a wink and a grin. "Pox ain't here. I'm here. Use me, doll. Abuse me, babe." He stepped forward with a chuckle and a smile to her.

I turned and viewed the wishing well, standing and back stepping and pointed to the wishing well on the wall with a giggle and a grin. "Ah, Pox is inside the wishing well, waiting for me to drop my penny inside like in the real TRIG run of Tangent, tomorrow." I pulled the coin from my special hiding place and display it with a wink and a wicked grin.

Prewitt smiled and stood, clapping and nodding with her brilliant response, turned and saw the wishing well on the wall, swinging with a grin to her. "You're smart, doll making me desire you more."

I shook my skull, lifting the penny. "You cannot. You are not my soul mate or Sine," I pointed to my arm. "Pox and I are linked by the implant. This is my tryout. And I passed, brilliantly," giggling.

Prewitt nodded, crossing his arms, flexing his muscles and said with a smile. "Yeah, sweetheart. You have successfully solved the mystery of Tangent. The poem of the wishing well held your true wish or Sine Pox. Your solo run through each facee will lead down a crooked pathway to your wish, when you reach the wishing well within the time limit. Or your princess bride wish doesn't come true."

I said with a nod and smile. "I understand. The facees cannot be passed like you, but they can be easily conquered like you. Each facee is touched and conquered with the facee weapon." I shook my curls. "This is a juvenile activity for love, using a penny and a wishing well."

He shook his skull with a sour frown. "Naw, girl. Haven't ya heard the axiom, a penny for good luck?"

I extended the penny with a smile to him. "A penny for your good thought, slick."

He looked up body in the bikini up and down with a wicked grin. "I'll not need the penny, babe, but I'll gladly replace it back into your soft bouncy hiding spot. And you're going to need the good luck, Gloriette." He pointed to her leg. "Facees are real with blood, guts, slaps..."

I slapped his extended arm with a smile.

He grabbed and held both her arms, pulling Gloriette to his chest and whispered into her face. "And kisses."

I parted my lips, shaking my curls. "Don't ya dare kiss me, Prewitt? You tasted like sour grapes, yesterday."

Prewitt chuckled. "Ah. Ya remembered our first ever golly kiss. This is tryout. Let's try out for a second kiss."

I gently smashed his face with my hand. "No." I shook my curls, back pedaling away.

He chuckled, extending both his arms, dashing side to side, and blocked her advance to the wishing well over the sand.

I back stepped into the ocean water foam, feeling the warm water and the crushing waves hit my ankles.

"Come on, Gloriette. One tea tiny little birdie peck on my lips. Let's see if I taste like sour grapes again. If so, I'll leave you and you can finish the Tangent run, pulling out a sour puss Pox from the wishing well."

I frowned. "Is he really in there?"

He winked. "This is tryout. You should try it out."

I shook my curls. "I am doing a tryout of the wishing well by finishing the Tangent run." I turned and viewed the wall, seeing the time element: 1:01:59 minutes. I turned with a smile to see Prewitt, crouching with my bent kneecaps, running away from the wall for my fun.

Prewitt dashed with a chuckle and captured her.

We collided and fell down into the shallow warm water as we both chuckled with fun.

He said. "I sorry. I lied. Pox ain't inside the water well. But I do have you inside me." He curved his arms around her and the water with a chuckle and smile, leaning into her lips.

I smashed both my hands in his chest, "Get off, Prewitt. I'm done for the day. I need my beauty rest for Tangent, tomorrow."

He chuckled. "I think you're beautiful enough, Gloriette."

"You're betraying your betrothed, Jacidee."

"Naw. We're only engaged. Engagement lasts for years, sometimes, decades."

"I'm not betraying Pox. I'm engaged too. He gave me an implant that burns all the dang time."

He frowned. "Naw. We healed in a nice perfect shade of pink. Right now, ya be burning for me, doll." He winked. "Too much talk, too little action. Gimme a kiss, doll."

I tossed my head side to side from his advancing lips, "No, Prewitt."

He said. "A little baby kiss right on my lips, I promised to keep them closed, doll, in case of a sour taste grapes."

I turned with a smile to see wall, looking at the time element: 00:11 seconds. I turned with a grin to see him. "Ten. Nine..."

Prewitt frowned and swung his face to the time element.

I said. "Seven. Six."

He struggled to stand from the water and Glorietta, running to the rear wall with the wishing well. "Dang it. Naw. Naw. Naw." I stood, splashing in the water to the wall. He slapped his implant on his arm to the wall, and said. "Halted."

I frowned, padding to him, parking both hands on my hips. "You cannot command the hologram."

He smiled. "Yeah, I can. Both it and you are under my control, doll." He pressed the button on an exposed panel.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, crossing my arms. "Pox told me that my implant opened the doors. Therefore, I could terminate the sand, ocean, and you, Prewitt."

He smiled at the wall panel. "Reset beach motif with sand, ocean, trees, one beach umbrella, and one beach lounge chair."

I showed two fingers, leaning into the speaker panel. "Two beach lounge chairs." I swung around to see one beach umbrella and one beach lounge chair in the sand.

He chuckled, sliding the panel close.

I spun and saw the time element: 2:59:59:58 hours.

I shook my curls, back stepping. "No. No. No. I'm cheating on Pox with you."

He turned with a smile to see her. "Looked, if you had met another guy, wearing your implant, would you have kissed him? Be honest?"

I crossed my arms, frowning, "Maybe."

He raised his arms with a smile. "This is the same exact situation. I'm another guy. You wear your implant. So you could kiss."

I swung around with a smile and moved to the beach lounge chair, spinning and sitting on the edge with a grin. "Explain to me how you got into the hologram?"

He turned to face the wall and moved ahead with a nod and a grin to her. "If you kiss me, then I'll explain my hologram surprise plus the mystery of the entire universe? But that might take me a couple of hundred years."

I wiggled my naked foot with a smile. "I held the ace, here, slick."

He kneeled down at her feet with a smile. "And you can hold my ace anytime you feel like it, precious."

"Prewitt!"

He exhaled with a puff of annoyance. "I created the hologram. I was standing in the fourth facee, when I activated it. Ta-da! The mystery is solved, doll. Now, it's your turn! Kiss me!"

I turned with a sour frown to see the wall. "You created the hologram for my tryout. I can develop holograms, too." I turned with a smile to see him. "Does that mean that I must create a hologram for your tryout or Pox's tryout?"

Prewitt frowned. "I didn't think we get a separate tryout. Both sets of belles and beaus are participating, in this one."

I felt jealous that Pox was with another belle which was not me. I stood, turning and moving to the ocean water. "O. Whose tryout is Pox's hiding in as a facee?"

Prewitt stood with a sour frown and pulled up beside her, looking to the ocean water. "Pox, he doesn't know how to create a hologram as a farmer." He exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Honestly, I don't think he'll make it to the end of TRIG being a really slow farmer."

I worried that Pox would fall out of TRIG, and then I would never find my true love. I turned with sour frown to see his nose profile. "Why not? TRIG is three parts. The third leg's easy, touch a face, and run to the wishing well, and finally pull out your wish, a mate for marriage," smiling.

He looked down and reached, grabbing and touching her hand, and lifted to his face with a smile. "Your hands are beautiful, small and petite. You don't work with your hands, darling."

I smiled. "I use my mind."

He chuckled. "TRIG paired us, right. I use my hands for farming. What's Playtus like?"

I smiled. "My city is flat as far as you could see. The eyeball can see three miles until the planet curves. But Playtus is filled with ugly tall buildings to the sky. We live in apartment units with no grass or pretty flowers. The metal oil kills the plants and the rodents. I'm from Building Two. Playtus is hot, sizzling heat, and boiling sun, all year long."

"TRIG paired us, right. I live on ranch landed." He gently touched her implant.

"Ouch." I pulled back my arm, looking down and viewing the pink spot.

"I sorry, doll," he gently lifted her arm to see the pink. "Your square is healing, slowly."

"Just sore."

"Your skin's pink and swollen like hot sizzling. Does it hurt, darling?"

I grin. "Naw, I'm a tough cowgirl."

He chuckled. "There's an ancient teen ritual called munching, movies, and making out."

"Makeuping? I don't wear makeup. I didn't like the face powder, sticking to my lips."

He said. "I did notice your naked lips."

I frowned. "That's your TRIG leg. Making out? Do all the males do that too? Who told you that?"

He chuckled. "My daddy on Gambo told me about TRIG, including the making out."

I looked down to view my white triangle with emerald green letters A and B. "You're a lucky pup. My mama told me nothing about TRIG, including the burning implant, the fever, the kidnapping, the sour grapes, the tryout, or the bikini." I exhaled with a puff of frustration.

Prewitt scooted in closer, draping his arm around her waist, and surveyed her body with a smirk. "And your mama's going to tell you not to ever wear that bikini around me, doll? And I like the thoughts of kidnapping you, so you're my hostage for another two hours and forty-five minutes."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, looking up with a sour frown in his smile. "You know what I'm saying."

He frowned. "Actually, in fairness to biological parents all over the world, I do not comprehend what difference it all makes if mama or daddy told their implanted babies about TRIG. The decision to participate in TRIG is mine, not my parents. The creation of TRIG was done a long time ago by a caveman, since was illegally painting on their cave wall, when the wife left him babysitting with the kiddies," chuckling.

I parted my lips. "You'd dare surrender your only chance at love?"

He released her waist and waved both his arms, pulling away from her. "Naw, doll, I am not surrendering my only chance at love, a bride, a baby, or a three family unit on my farm on Gambo."

I looked down to see the sand. "Me, either, I wanna get married with my fellow and have a child." I looked up with a sour frown to see him. "But, wonder if your sour mate is unhappy with you?"

He chuckled. "Ya mean soul mate? Naw, doll, I am here. She is here. We are getting hitched at the legal age of eighteen on Gambo. I'm waiting, dating, and showcasing her around Gambo too, meeting my daddy and all my farm friends."

I turned and viewed the rolling waves of the ocean water that crashed against the sand dunes. "That's so nice."

"All the beaus are doing the same thing, after the TRIG legs end, including Pox, doll."

"What crop is planted on his farm on Gambo?"

He smiled. "Food."

I turned with a grin to see him. "He told me that too."

"I don't know the location of Pox's farm. Gambo is a big landscape full of farms, crop lands, and animals."

I smiled. "Could you show me your farm?"

He frowned, "I didn't wear the cell. It clashes with the taunt muscles," he flexed both his biceps with a big grin.

I said with a smile and a nod. "Yeah, my mama kept my cell too on Playtus. I destroyed the last one, looking for life forms other than the old ones on Playtus at my own risk."

He said with a smile and a nod. "Hey, my daddy told me to explore other life forms at my own risk too. Back eons ago, teens used to date different people to select a mate for both love and life. My daddy likes that idea also. I share it too. That's why I created your hologram to talk with you and your bikini. Or maybe to talk to you out of your bikini, maybe the latter works bestest for me, doll."

I smiled. "My bikini doesn't like ya, Prewitt." His smile switched to pout. I giggled. "But you said that's parted of your TRIG, so you must create a hologram."

He smiled. "I sorry, I lied. I suggested that the beaus create a hologram for another belle, since I know that Pox couldn't do one. So I saved his fanny to look at your fanny in that bikini," chuckling.

I frowned. "You knew about the beach and the bikini."

He spun around and moved ahead toward the beach chair. "Actually, that was my idea, too."

"Who approves all your ideas?"

"Actually, no one does. We get an idea and give it to Phillipina and then she implements immediately." He sat on the beach chair, looking at her.

I sat next to him, looking down at sand. "Strange, TRIG could be altered from the previous years."

"Naw. She's the hostess with the mostest being the middle royalty of nothingness in TRIG."

I turned and poked his chest with my fingernail with a smile. "Ah. Your daddy told you to kiss on the other belles. And what did your mama said about that creative endeavor, young sir?"

He looked down to see his naked toes. "My mama died."

I looked down to see my naked toes too. "I am so sorry. My daddy died too when I was very young." I kicked at the water, seeing the waves flung backward into the ocean.

He turned with a smile to see her nose profile. "Kissing for fifteen minutes burns thirty calories, but passionate kissing of thirty minutes burns about forty minutes from our extra well-spent time while we are both trapped here inside a beach hologram with a solo beach lounge chair."

I shook my curls with a smile. "Naw." I felt loved-attractiveness.

He said. "Kissing tones up facial muscles, fights wrinkles, and circulates blood around the eyes and lips like a face exercise. A simple peck engages two muscles with a rush of adrenaline and the released of neurotransmitters to burn calories. My grandfather says a guy loses one pound actively when getting three kisses per day for five seconds. Kissing stimulates cardiovascular activity, lowers cholesterol, and decreases high blood pressure. See, a boy needs his daily requirement of kissing action."

I giggled. "Terminate the hologram and go and kiss on Jacidee."

He smiled. "I am assigned your tryout partner, today."

I shook my curls. "No, Prewitt."

He chuckled. "The exchange of saliva fights all bacterial organisms like a vaccine too."

"And I got all my yearly shots, before I came to TRIG." I laughed.

Prewitt leaned to her hair with a smirk. "I'm attracted to your brave fighting spirit, Gloriette. I wished our shared kiss had been sweet, but alas it was not. TRIG has selected the right soul mate for me. Jacidee's sweet, beautiful, elegant, and fragile. Those social traits were described perfectly to me by my daddy about my mama too." He looked down and pointed to his pink square implant with a white triangle and burnt orange letters A and B. "Therefore, TRIG has also selected the correct soul mate for you. Pox is a strong, willful, fighting son of a gun, who needs an equal lady. That's you, Gloriette."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I..."

He scooted over with a grin and hugged her. "It's okay to be a little frightened and nervous and anxious and eager. I feel the same way with Jacidee and the other belles and beaus. This is our moment to shine, conquer our fear, and receive the ultimate reward, doll. I don't want our hologram exercise to bruise your heart or pump my ego. I'm just exhausting some nervous energy impatiently, waiting for Tangent, tomorrow." He reached and lifted her, saying with a smile and a nod. "I'm going to prove that TRIG is true." He leaned over and kissed Gloriette, pulling back and gagged.

And I pulled back with a gag too.

We both stood, looking down and mouth spat in the water, turning and looking at each other with a chuckle and a smile in unison, "Sour grapes."
Day 24

Tangent

Tidie Beach

The weather was hot and sunny without any clouds. The winds blew at three miles-per-hour with a humidity factor of 99 percent. The air temperature was 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

I stood outside the pergola in the heated sun being blocked by an object.

The Starrtus guard did not carry a gun and pointed to the belle, saying with a stern face. "You're supposed to wear your swimming suit and your bared feet, not your jeans and unpolished boots, belle."

I moved ahead and shoved him backward, leaning into his face with my deadly tone. "Shove that thing someplace else. Or I'll shove it up the dark side of your moon." I stepped into the curved cool passageway, turning and viewing illuminated sign.

The word read: STOP.

It changed: GO.

I continued to stand inside the cool covered pergola, since the temperature outside was a blistering sunburn of hotness paired with sizzling wind of sands without the pretty white clouds too.

First facee of Pox

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking my sweaty hair, strolling out in the heat to the first facee, an excellent likeness of Pox in his tallness and shoulder length black curls, and a jaw line of black colored whiskers.

The facee smiled back at her, running to her right, and suddenly stopped, faced her, displaying its upright palm.

I moved ahead and slapped his smile for my fun.

The first facee morphed.

I looked down to the sand with a smile to the object. "A mouse. So the facee was following the same tryout motif inside the auditorium on the northern cold city of Starrtus like yesterday." I turned with a smile to see the activity on my left side.

Jacidee stood in the far distant, standing and cuddling mouse in her palms with a silly smile.

I looked up to see the sky ship which was way above my hair roots and the time element showed: 58:59:04 minutes.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, looking down and squatting, and retrieved the hammer from the sand. Each facee must be conquered with its own particular facee weapon. I stood and viewed my mouse, a fake facee of Pox, and stomped it with my boot sole, dead.

Red blood covered my jeans.

Second facee

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking more sweat from my hair and my face, moving to the second facee.

It ran to her left, pumping both its arms in flight.

I run in a sideways pose with my face parallel to its nose profile, and slapped the closest waving arm.

The second facee morphed.

I stopped and said. "An eating plate." I reached down and lifted the plate to my face, feeling the smooth ceramic, and tossed it up in the air and missed with the dang hammer.

The eating plate fell down to the soft sand, not breaking.

I reached down and lifted the plate for a second time, and whacked it with the hammer.

The hammer and the eating plate both disappeared in my hands, floating down to the sand.

The invisible force field fell within my naked eyeballs as I felt the heat evaporate in the hot sunshine.

Third facee

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and trotted to a third facee.

It ran to the water in a jogging speed.

I skip sideways, running with the facee, slamming at air instead of the pumping arm, so I punched with my fist the face of Pox.

The third facee morphed.

"A book." I kicked it opened with a boot toe, squatted, reaching and the box of matches. I ignited the match stick and tossed it on top of the pages of the book standing upright, looking down at a tiny fire flame of blue, red, and yellow. Then I heard the loud scream. I turned with a worried brow to my left, scanning the sand.

Neekim stood and pointed down to the lizard, giggling with silliness, and stomped it with a rock.

I turned and looked down to see only sand again. The burning book and the box of matched had disappeared from the sand along with the invisible force field.

Fourth facee

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and walked to the fourth facee of Pox, and stood in the sand, turning with as sour frown to see the activity on my left.

A facee of Prewitt dashed back and forth in a fast pace as Jacidee bounced back and forth in her tiny bikini after it.

I stared at the facee and Jacidee, narrowing my eyelashes.

She hit the facee of Prewitt. She stopped and squatted, reaching and holding a puppy in her arms and not her flesh and blood soul mate either.

I smiled and realized that my fourth facee was a mystery and not a Prewitt, turning with a puzzled brow to see the facee of Pox, exhaling with a puff of frustration, and slapped his face.

The fourth facee morphed.

"A plain ole yellow weaved basket. Uh. Kick it good." I slammed the side of the basket with my boot, tearing a small hole with my pointy boot toe.

I saw a snake and a second snake, and a third second snake that slithered from the slashed hole in the basket weaving and I smelled the odor of fresh cucumbers from both the rat snakes and copperheads body scales.

Snakes were cold-blooded reptiles which took heat from its environment. The beach sand was hot, so they were moving and seeking a shady spot from the sun which was behind the fanny of the human. Numerous forked tongues smelled its new surroundings, constantly flicking the air.

"I am not food, ya'll. O no! I see baby snakes too." I viewed too many pregnancy cottonmouth snake breeds that slowly slithered sideways over the sand and gave birth with numerous tiny and live wiggling little babies.

A king snake ate a coral snake.

I saw that a cobra snake dropped down from the basket onto the sand next a wooden flute, moving and stomping over sand to the flute which was the facee weapon to end this scary image.

The snaked react to the human or her boots or both, hissing with opened mouths, and coil up their bodies ready to strike it at her.

I two stepped around the nest and slowly back stepped.

A black racer targeted the human, defending its sandy spot, and then it charged.

I screamed, back stepping and side steeping from the snake.

The snake passed under her lifted boot heel.

I stomped down on its backbone, feeling the crash of bones "Ugh." I danced over the other snakes in my cowgirl boots, hearing a series of loud hisses, feeling more crashed bones, and kicked the other snakes far, far away from the magical flute. I ran and reached down, grabbing the flute, lifting it, and blew out some awful off-key music.

All the snakes plus the weave basket disappeared from the sand.

I dropped down to my kneecaps in the sand with a sour frown and heavy pants of fear. "Not fun, ya'll. I do all this for love. Or go home to my mama alone and forever." I stood, cussing at my mama.

Fifth facee

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, stomping to the fifth facee.

Pox smiled with a set of curved arms like for a hug and did not shift side to side in the sand. It was stationary in place.

I stopped and narrowed my eyelashes at the suspicious non-moving facee, turning and seeing the activity of moving dots on my left.

Both Neekim and Jacidee were ahead on Gloriette, making good time on the clock.

I looked up to see the sky ship which displayed the time element: 45:17:18 minutes.

I looked down and frowned at the fifth facee, exhaling with a puff of annoyance, and lifted and stomped my right boot sole on the top of Pox's cowboy boot, ensuring I did not break another basket of critters.

The fifth facee morphed.

"Green ivy." I jerked my right boot from the green colored ivy without success. "Dang, I'm stuck." I waved both of my arms in the air and balance upright my body, stomping down with my left boot sole in the growing patch of ivy with three leaves. "Double dang! I'm twice stuck." I looked around and search the sand for the facee weapon as the vine continued to grow and spread over my boots and my jeans. I struggled and fought with the webbed roots without success.

The plant touched my arm skin as the sap juice stung my flesh. I gasped, looking down and staring down a big red swelling ugly rash on my hand. "Poison ivy." The green ivy continued to climb up and over to the left side of my body.

My eyeballs finally spotted a dish of white lotion, an anti-itching agent. I jerked and pulled the ivy with me to the dish as the brown sap attacked and stung plus marked a series of red rash poxes over my left naked arm, still crawling up to my naked neck.

I stumbled in the vines and fell on my hands in the sand. "Dang, I should've worn the one-piece suit."

The green ivy crawled up and stung my both of my delicate cheekbones.

I reached and stretched my itchy and stinging arm to the stationary bowl. My middle finger touched the soft lotion, swirling it all over my naked hand as I felt the softness and thickness of the medicated substance.

The ivy immediately disappeared and relieved the stinging pain on my body parts. However, the red rashes lingered like a set of pink pox bumps over some of my exposed skin.

The green ivy plant and the bowl both disappeared from the sand.

I rested my entire body on the sand, exhaling with a puff of exhaustion and itch-ness, and stood to continue on, wobbling side to side to the facee of Pox which was on my left near to a grove of palm trees.

Sixth facee

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking the wet sweat from my body parts of face, hair, and arms, running to the sixth facee.

It zigzagged around the other beau facees, and then it halted.

I stopped and exhaled with a puff of worry, staring at the facee and the sands, turning and seeing the movement on my right side.

The facee of Bushton, who was the soul mate Sine of Natoma, had morphed.

I presented a confused brow, looking down to see a trail of red blood in the sand, and gasped, back stepping from my facee. I swung and followed the trail of red blood, finding the reason.

The cuddled body of the teen was down and eating the sand.

I ran and squatted, cuddling and touching her body with a worried brow. "Natoma?" I flipped her over and on the back spine, gasping with shock. "Natoma? You're hurt?"

Natoma bubbled and spat up her red blood from her split lips. "The lion." She had claw marks on her face and her naked body which exposed from her bare skin in the bikini.

I gasped, looking up and scanning the sand for the dangerous lion and remembered that a different facee could not harm me. I looked down and touched her naked arm without any blood. "Dang, Natoma. I'll get help, running back to the sky ship for you. You're too heavy for me to carry."

Natoma bubbled and spat up her red blood from her lips. "I'm numb in my body. I'm blind. Who are you?"

"Gloriette..."

Natoma smiled, spreading her red blood over the lips like a lipstick. "You're the fighter on our first day. I know that you'd come to win your man. Go and get your soul mate."

"No. I could not leave you, here, to die."

Natoma bubbled and spat up more of her blood from her lips. "Too late, I'm weak. I failed my soul mate. I wanna die and be alone..."

"No, you didn't fail. This ain't supposed to happen. The facees..."

"...harm ya. Go to your man, Gloriette. Be happy," she exhaled with her last breath and expired. Dead.

I stared at a dead body, since I had never seen a dead body, up close. I shut her eyelashes closed over her staring eyeballs, releasing her dead body from my arms.

I stood, exhaling with a puff of nervousness and worry, looking up to see the sky ship, where the time element displayed: 42:11:56 minutes.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and trotted forward to the sixth facee, occasionally looking over my collar bone at the dead body.

It slowly disappeared from my eye sight.

I swung around, seeing the sixth facee.

It ran to the water and stopped, turning and running to the trees.

I turned, chasing and sidestepping with the facee, and slapped the elbow.

The sixth facee morphed.

I gasped. "Ah. Bulls with horns." I back stepped, looking down for the facee weapon when my eyeball saw the activity on my left, looking up and turning to see Neekim.

Neekim jogged forward to her facee inside the wishing well and she was on a direct collision course with the herd of running bulls from my sixth facee.

I turned and ran, waving my arms at her, screaming. "Neekim. Bulls. Neekim. Run away. Bulls."

Neekim stepped over the same sand spot as my parade of facee bulls hit her body.

I gasped and halted. "Neekim."

She jogged forward out of my facee bulls, running to her next facee of Ahrojo.

I slumped forward my body in both exhaustion and annoyance. "No other facee image could affect a belle, DOB or dummy operational body of Gloriette. Yeah right."

The bulls turned and ran to the water.

"Dang, I gotta catch the bull. Geez. Can a bull swim in water?"

A small red flag rested over the sands directly in the hoof pathway of the running bulls.

I turned and ran to it as the first bull moved too close my butthole, leaping sideways to my right out of the hoof pathway and landed on my face, shaking my curls, and stood up on my hands and my knees.

I stood, swinging around to the roaming herd of facee bulls, seeing that the red flag was being tromped down into the sands.

A bull only reacted with movement like a matador's cape, since the beasts were red-green color blind.

I waited for a break in the roaming herd and ran forward to the red flag, reaching down in a run with my hand, and missed, of course.

The heard of bulls turned and ran forward to the grove of tall trees again which was too close to Gloriette. The horn of the second bull caught my shirt, tearing the fabric, cutting my arm.

I slammed my bloody arm with a cupped hand to cover the wound, back running out of the hoof pathway, waiting for another break in the herd.

All the bulls cleared the pathway.

I ran forward to the flag and stopped too late as the tip of bull horn sliced the neck of my shirt and passed, giving up a short break in the roaming herd of bulls. I ran and reached down to the flag, picking it up, and leaped forward in the force field, heating my face into the invisible wall.

More bulls passed behind my fanny.

I leaned into the heated wall and felt the three bull horn tips slash my back spine skin and my shirt with some skull hair, tossing the red flag over my shoulder.

The next passing bull horn tip touched the flag and as, all the bulls disappeared first, the flag second, and finally the force field last.

I fell forward on my face in the soft sand. "Ugh." I inhaled my sour breath air and some sand particles up my nose, and coughed, exhaling my sour breath and the sand from my nose.

I stood up on my hands and her knees, crawling over the sand, and stood upright, looking up to see the sky ship.

The time element displayed: 31:32:05 minutes.

Seventh facee

I slowly wobbled side to side and worked up jogging speed, running even with the seventh facee.

It ran to her right.

I punched my elbow into the rib cage of the facee of Pox.

The seventh facee morphed.

I stopped and gasped in shock. "A kangaroo."

The kangaroo bounced backward from her, swinging and punching its two paws, and collided with her left eye socket.

I gasped and stumbled backwards, folding at the waist, and dropped down on my kneecaps in dizziness, touching the injured bone around my eye socket, and exhaled with a puff of frustration.

The kangaroo moved forward and hopped around Gloriette, punching with its two paws in the air.

I wobbled up on my knees, and dropped down and ate the sand, avoiding the next punch of the kangaroo, missing my face, and stood up on my knees and my feet. My blinking eyelashes saw a moving object that dashed away from me in a steady hopping pace.

I grunted and stood, stumbling over the shotgun, bending and stretching for it, and kneel on one knee, lifting and wrapping my hands around gun, and pumped the handle. I aimed and fired as the skull blew up into pieces with a boom.

The kangaroo disappeared but not the gun.

When the facee weapon did not disappear, it was to be used for the next facee in the Tangent run.

And I still could not figure out the elegant sophisticated physics calculation on each facee here.

I stood and wobbled with a side to side motion, and heard a scream, turning and scanning the sands to my left side.

Neekim was fighting with a big brown bear.

I gasped and whispered. "Dang. Bears don't live on the beach and neither, do kangaroos." I exhaled with a puff of frustration, slowly moving to assist.

Neekim was twelve years old, the youngest belle with the smallest body frame in TRIG.

I stopped and stood to the side, since I could not affect her facee of Ahrojo like killing it with my shotgun from the facee of Pox.

Neekim back stepped from the bear, swinging her club, and missed as the bear swung its paws and claws at her body.

I moved ahead and then stood perpendicular to the bear, tossing my arms plus my pink tongue at the beast.

And then the bear saw Gloriette.

I gasped with shock, waving and yelling her. "Kill the kneecap, Neekim."

She reared back and slammed forward her club at the leg. The bear and her club disappeared from her hands and the sands. Neekim smiled and dropped her petite body to the sand.

I dashed to her.

She cuddled her body over the sand, sobbing with tears from the frightful event.

I slid to sand, hugging her, saying with a worried brow. "Ya did good, honey."

Neekim sobbed with tears, looking down to see her bruised hands. "This is so hard. Love shouldn't be so hard, to conquer."

I hugged her with a nod and a worried brow too, exhaling with a puff of frustration. "Love is the hardest emotion of all to conquer. Get moving to your man now."

"Yeah." She nodded. I assisted her to stand. Neekim slowly wobbled forward to her next facee.

Eighth facee

I turned around and jogged to my eighth facee, moving back and forth in a vertical line and not horizontal one to the parameter of the invisible force field, and parked my hands on my belt, frowning with puzzlement.

It turned and moved to Gloriette.

I reached and tapped the facee on the shoulder.

The eighth facee morphed.

The eagle landed on the sand with a squaw, spreading its wings full, and leaped up from the sand into the air in flight.

"Dang, the eagle's escaping. I cannot fly either to catch it." I followed my airborne facee, since I must catch or kill it so I could stay in TRIG. I ran after the dark shadow moving over the sand, jogging through a couple of other facee Sines and not getting hurt, but feeling a slight heat to my sensitive angry face of red.

I stopped and jerked the shotgun under my armpit, lifting the heated barrel, following the outer wing tips of the eagle, and targeted the back spine. "One shot, Gloriette. Make it count, baby." I held my breath and squeeze the trigger.

A loud boom echoed in the sky. The eagle dropped down and disappeared from sight, before hitting the soft sand.

I coughed and inhaled air. "Too close!" I swung around to the sand and nod seeing any more birds or snakes or bears. "Nothing!" I laughed, feeling relieve plus anxiety for the Tangent run to end, looking up to see the sky ship.

The time element showed: 33:21:10 minutes.

Ninth facee

I swiftly ran to the ninth facee, working against the clock and the heat and the sweat and everything.

The ninth facee stood stationary, not shifting or moving or talking.

I did not bother to analyze the silly thing and slapped the smiling face of Pox.

The sand particles cracked open

I dropped and submerged completely into water, cold. I surfaced the water, breathing air, seeing ice, and felt a touch on my boot sole.

I held my breath, dunking underneath the water, seeing the big object.

The shark was swimming away from Gloriette, wiggling its big tail back and forth and not seeing her with its big black cold eyes.

I rapidly surfaced and climbed top of the snow and ice, exhaling with a puff of freaking fear, and shivers of coldness. "I must conquer the facee. Dang, a big ugly shark..."

I kneeled, blowing in and out the air molecules, expanding my lungs, and held my breath and dove back into the cold water, swimming around with my arms and my boots, looking for the facee weapon, a spear gun.

I swam to the gun.

The shark passed, cutting its body against her wiggling which did not injury Gloriette.

I flung both my arms into my chest, back pedaled with my boots, and lifted my torso, swimming to the top of hole opening again, and climbed and rested over the top of snow and ice landscape again. "Freezing, mama." I wrapped my arms around my breasts, squatted and perched over water hole, looking down to see icy water with some ice cubes. The shark passed by the hole in the water also. I felt hot from my panic rather than cold from the snow, looking up to see the frozen terrain of ice and snow for miles and miles.

No trees. No buildings.

I looked down to see the icy water, cold and dark for miles and miles.

No choice. No option.

"Dang, I wrestle a shark for love. My mama will never believe this one." I blew in and out, expanding my lungs, and held my breath, diving to the water for a second time, kicking my boots, paddling my arms. I raced to the spear gun, moving forward merrily in my waking waves.

The shark swam happily in the opposite direction of Gloriette.

I reached and stretched, touching the gun metal.

The shark slowly turned around, seeing Gloriette, veering fast in her direction.

I pulled the spear gun under my armpit, waiting and waiting for the shark.

It wiggled side to side, coming closer and closer.

I did not want to miss the dang shark or something else bad might happen.

I waited.

It came closer.

I waited.

I saw one the black eyeball and fired the spear gun. The arrow penetrates parted of the nose and some of the eyeball.

The shark disappeared from the water and the spear gun vanished from my hands.

I turned and swam up to the surface opening and emerged into the cold air, coughing and spit out water, and cough again. I climbed from the cold water on my hands and my knees, slowly standing like a teen girl, shaking and tossing off the water droplets down to the sand.

I slowly moved forward, exhaling with a puff of annoyance, cursing my mama.

Tenth facee

I zigzagged to a clump of palm trees and around the other facees, slowly moving to the tenth facee.

It very slowly moved to the water.

I stopped and stared at the slow moving facee, exhaling with a puff of nervousness and not wanting another wild beast surprise.

It very slowly moved to the water as it was about twenty feet from the crashing waves of the shoreline.

I slowly chased the facee from behind, staying out of its pathway, and leaped forward, tapping my hand on the ankle of Pox, falling completely down over the sand.

The tenth facee morphed.

I smiled at the object. "Awe, a litter of six week old gray and white kittens." The kittens stood, walked, and crawled over each other. I smiled, standing on my hands and my kneecaps, crawling to the babies, and sat crossed-legged. The kittens crawled over my torn jeans and my itchy arms, tickling me. I giggled, lifting a kitten to my dirty face, hearing the purring, seeing within my arm span the nasty facee weapon, a hatch. I gasped, whispering. "No. No. No. They're tiny babies." I looked up to see sky ship.

The time element showed: 20:39:09 minutes.

I growled, hugging the kitten. "They are a facee, fake, Gloriette." I sobbed with tears, dropping the kitten to the sand, re-arranging all the kittens in a tall and tight pile, and reached and grabbed the hatch.

I looked down to the cute kittens, exhaled with a puff of frustration, sobbing with tears, and looked up to see sky ship.

The time element showed: 18:24:56 minutes.

I raised the hatch over my collar bone and sneered. "I do this for love. Or I go home to my mama alone and forever." I turned my face to the side and chopped, chopped, chopped.

I heard the mews and felt the warm blood on my hands as I chopped. I heard the crunch of tiny bones as I chopped. I sobbed with tears, turning and viewing the bloody and broken skin and guts and slammed the hatch for the last time on the last moving kitten.

The kittens and the hatch disappeared from my hands and the sands.

I wiped out their precious blood from my cheekbone, neck, and arms with my tears from my eyes, standing and moving to the next facee.

Eleventh facee

I ran to the eleventh facee.

It moved very fast to the right of Gloriette and stopped, turning and moving very fast to the left of Gloriette for a few feet, and stopped, turning and moving very fast to the right again.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, running at an angle, trying to touch the facee during its mid-way stride, and leaped at the facee, missing a body part. "Dang, this facee is too fast." I exhaled with a puff of frustration, "Fine." I stood in the footpath of the facee with my opened arms like a hug.

It ran a forward motion and without stopping, and hit Gloriette.

The eleventh facee morphed.

I grabbed the flowing mane of the horse, crawling over its back spine for a safer body hug, seeing the crushing waves of ocean water ahead.

A facee could move in water like air and land as Phillipina quoted during the facee tryout.

I looked over my collar bone, seeing that a herd of running horses was following the pack leader. I looked ahead, seeing that the upright sword blade twinkled in the sand in the far distance. "Dang."

The lead horse ran to the ocean, taking the entire herd with her.

"Dang." I pulled on the horse's mane hair strands and kicked my boot at its right leg, but we did not veer from the water ahead.

I jumped onto the second horse in a parallel lead with the pack lead horse, kicking at its left leg too, pulling on its mane to the left and away from the ocean.

The second horse followed the pack leader to the ocean water.

I wrapped my body completely around the neck of the running horse, placing my hand over its two eyeballs, and pulled and yanked its skull to the left.

The lead horse and herd ran to the ocean water ahead.

I grunted and crawled over to the outer horse inside the running herd, yanking and pulling its mane to me, hoping to slow or stop the herd of horse behind we all hit the water.

The two lead horses hit the ocean water, exploding in pink and red horse meat parts.

My horse touched the water and wildly reared up, pawing in the air.

I felt intense heat between my legs, releasing my hands from its mane, sliding down from its back spine, and hit the ocean water, submerging my face down below the salt waves. I emerged to the surface of air, coughing and vomiting salt water, and stood, racing and coughing to the sword.

I reached and stretched to the sword, lifting it from the sand, turning and running to the last horse before it exploded in the ocean water too, and leaped forward, gently tapping the tip of the sword on the swishing horse tail.

The horse disappeared from the sand.

My body fell over the sand as my face ate my particles, and heard a scream, looking up and turning in the direction of the sound.

Jacidee stood in the sand on the right of Gloriette.

I narrowed my eyelashes, staring her.

Jacidee was surrounded by brown dirt, and pointed down to her naked feet, screaming and crying with tears.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, and stood, turning and wobbling on my shaky legs to her distress, and carried my facee sword for the next facee. I moved ahead and then halted at the edge of the briar patch which was steadily growing around her bare feet.

She was stranded in the middle of the thick and sharp thorns.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, stomping through sand in my cowgirl boots, and raised and whacked with the sword on the thick briar patch as my facee sword did not bruise a thorn.

The sword was the weapon for the facee of Pox and not the facee of Prewitt.

I stomped over the briars without injury to Jacidee.

She sobbed with tears and pointed down to her bloody ankles.

I exhaled with a puff of annoyance, squatting and lifting her body into my side, since I was a tall and strong teen.

I toted her through the thorns as she dropped and sprinkled a type of power dust over the thorns which killed the briars.

Then the briar patch and the dust ball disappeared, destroying the facee of Prewitt.

I stopped and gently dropped her over the sand.

She cringed in pain, falling and sitting down on her fanny, and held both bloody ankles in the air, pointing at her bloody feet, sobbing with tears. "I cannot make it now. My feet and ankles are bleeding." She turned to see wishing well on the opposite side of the pergola. "So close, that was my eleventh Facee," she turned and sobbed with tears in her palms of unhappiness.

I looked up to see the wishing well which held both Pox and Prewitt down inside the dark hole, looking down to see Jacidee.

If she did not complete TRIG, then she returned home without her soul mate or Sine. The implant between Prewitt and Jacidee would be severed permanently. And Prewitt would be available and single for any other belle.

Pox did not want to marry me. And I wanted to get married with a husband and eventually birth a baby.

Prewitt said that I had spirit, and I thought that he was correct. And I could be happy with Prewitt instead.

I looked up to see the sky ship.

The time element displayed: 4:48:33 minutes.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, and looked down with a sour frown to see the hair roots of Jacidee, squatting down to see to her crying face, and said a nod and a fake smile. "Everything's fine, Jacidee. I'll be right back. I have one more facee to slap too, and I be coming back and carrying ya to your last facee. We both can finish TRIG together like the first winning couple of pairs," I smile, feeling isolation-sadness.

Jacidee looked down with a sour frown to see her bloody feet, shaking her curls without looking at Gloriette. "Go on, Gloriette. Finish TRIG," she turned to see the wishing well. "Go and get your soul mate." She turned and viewed her bloody ankles with a sad pout, tenderly touching the cut flesh. "Be happy."

Twelfth facee of Pox

I stood and ran to my twelfth and final facee with a grin. "I wish for a dozen roses from my man." I felt excellence-greatness.

The twelfth facee stood, alone with a smile.

I slapped the smile on Pox.

The twelfth facee morphed.

Pox held a single rose and a handful of red colored balloons. The rounded balloons soared and bounced side to side in the air.

I lifted and stabbed the sword tip at each balloon.

The balloons disappeared in the air along with the fake Pox figure, dropping the rose for his Sine.

I picked up the single rose with a grin, spinning around, moving to back to Jacidee, since the force field prevented a forward motion step and not a backward stomp. I quickly plucked off each rose petal with a smile and a whisper. "He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me, not. He loves me..."

The rose disappeared from my hands.

Facee of Prewitt

I stopped, sliding on my kneecaps in my jeans over the sand, looking and smiling at the red swallow face of Jacidee. I stood, reaching and lifting her beside into my right side, since I am her same height and weight.

And she was too heavy to tote like a baby or a basket.

I dragged her a few inches from the sand, avoiding any weight on her bloody feet to her final and last facee.

The facee of Prewitt was slow moving to the right of Gloriette and Jacidee.

I moved her to the image, saying with a smile. "The morphed image is a rose."

"How'da ya know?"

I grinned. "A long time ago, a male would give his woman a dozen roses for love, before they married. The number of dozen is twelve. We have twelve different facees and a wish in the wishing well to find our loving soul mate." I stopped in front of the facee.

Jacidee leaned and touched a stationary and smiling facee of Prewitt on the arm.

The twelfth facee of Prewitt morphed.

Prewitt stood, holding a single rose and a handful of balloons like the facee of Pox.

She grabbed the rose, plucking it clean, and reached and busted each balloon with her hands.

The rose, the pieces of balloons, and the facee of Prewitt disappeared.

I viewed the sky ship.

The time element displayed: 2:34:57 minutes.

I had completed TRIG and refused to be un-engaged, so I would ask Pox to marry me or at least, provide a child for my elderly days like my mama.

At the Wishing Well structure of natural wood, I moved ahead and dragged Jacidee over the sand, and stopped at the wooden railing of the wishing well, narrowing my eyelashes, looking down into a depth of the darkness, and frowned with confusion.

Jacidee whipped out her penny, lifting and shoving it into the vertical slot.

An illumination of light plus a climbing ladder appears inside the depth of the darkness.

I back stepped from the wooden railing with a grin.

Prewitt raced up the ladder with a smile to her, climbing and jumping out the well and over the railing, and held his arms for her. "Gloriette? Dang, doll. You looked bad, bleeding and pink rashes. Do ya want me to carry back to the ship, sweetheart?" he curved his arms, moving with a grin and a nod to her. "Hey. How'da ya release me from the wishing well? I thought our implants couldn't communicate with each other."

I whipped out and shoved my penny into the vertical slot on the wooden post on the wishing well with a rooftop, pointing with my fingers to her. "Jacidee did it. She couldn't walk. The briar patch cut up her naked feet. Ya gotta carry her back to the transport, Prewitt."

He turned with a sour frown to see Jacidee, dashing and sliding on his knees, curving his arms underneath her legs as she sobbed with tears of pain. He smiled, cuddling her. "Ah, doll. I'm here. Let's get ya back to the medical center on Starrtus. And then we get married, darling. I'll take ya to Gambo. You'll love my farm. I grow fruits and flowers. Ya like roses. I got vines of pretty roses like you, darling." He stood, hugging her to chest, moving back to the line of pergolas.

Pox appeared, climbing over the wooden railing with a smile and a nod. "You..."

"...completed TRIG. Thanks." I back stepped with a nod and a grin, feeling funny that I had finished a dangerous run for a male that did not care about marrying me for love.

Pox approached and cuddled her, not allowing Gloriette to break free from hug, kissing her lips, tasting like sweet apple sauce, and pulled back with a smile. "You completed TRIG for me, love." Pox swung them and moved to the pergola at a pacing speed. "However, you do appear pretty beaten up and bleeding, for me. I knew that Tangent was rough, but you had received cuts, slashes for me." He turned to see her face. "Is that pink poxes?"

"Poison ivy pox."

He cuddled Gloriette, almost lifting her from the sand being both taller and stronger, saying with a smile and a nod to her nose profile. "Ah, love, I'll take ya to the refresher tub on the third floor. The heat heals a body in twelve hours like a bath but warm loving waves of solar lights, compliments of the North Pole."

"Sounds, lovely."

He leaned over and kissed her dirty cheekbone, pulling back with a grin. "I am sorry, love. I was really nervous at our first introduction of TRIG. I'm never been selected as a soul mate before. Big responsible there? Groom. Bride. Wedding. Marriage. Baby. Family. Whoa. I feel old at seventeen years old."

"I..."

"Could you please forgive me, love? I'm not the only beau that screwed up. Unakite thought this entire thing was a dating club. He showed up in tryout, trying to steal sexy Jacidee from Prewitt," he chuckles. "Prewitt found out. We had to gag and tie Prewitt in his chamber suite, until this morning. He was going to kill Unakite for the silly incident."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, turning to see Prewitt in the distance. "Prewitt dearly loves his soul mate."

Pox stopped and hugged her. "And, I love my soul mate, too. We will be getting married, after TRIG is done on top of Mount Starrtus. Is that alright with you, Gloriette?"

"I..." am shocked and stunned.

Pox nudged and cuddled her, moving faster to the pergola. "Tomorrow, we'll take the traditional sleigh ride around Starrtus. This world is so beautiful like my future bride."

"I..." heard the roar, turning to the ocean, seeing an approaching tidal wave.

Pox raced ahead, yanking her arm, moving Gloriette with his pace.

We zigged and zagged through the moving facees to the grounded sky ships on the sand.

Pox stopped.

I released his hand, sliding in the sand, seeing Jacidee on top of the sand, and scanned for Prewitt.

Jacidee turned and pointed to the trees, saying with panic. "Prewitt is rescuing Neekim."

Pox squatted, sliding both his arms underneath the legs of Jacidee. "And I'm rescuing you then. Go, Gloriette. Get to the transport. I'll carry her. You try to collect any belles along the way. Drag them to the transport, before the wall of water hits the beach."

We raced around the tree stumps and sand dunes.

The water surged underneath my boots, eating away the sand particles.

I stumbled forward and recovered with flinging arms and feet. The closet pergola to the beach collapsed down and into the raising water as on the closets sky ship launched and safely hovered in the air from the advancing flood of waves.

I pointed to the ship. "My transport's leaving us. That was my pergola."

Pox panted and toted Jacidee, running next to Gloriette. "The time limit has expired. The ship's moving away from the tidal wave."

"We'll miss the transport." I heard the roar of water.

Pox ordered. "Go through the second passageway to the next transport."

I stop, turning with a sour frown to see Pox and Jacidee. "I'll not leave you."

He leaned over and kissed Gloriette on the cheekbone, pulling back with a frown and a nod. "I'm grabbing the third pergola. The ramps are too narrow for two people. I want you safe. Go, love." He turned and moved to the other sky ship.

I ran and moved to the lowered ramp, dashing to the hatch, and shuffled to one of the viewing window with a few other belles.

The hatch closed as the engine roared.

"Pox," I whispered, leaning into the window, seeing that he toted Jacidee over his shoulder.

He disappeared into a different pergola.

I slumped forward into the window, crying.
Day 25

Starrtus auditorium one

Cosine

I moved down the hallway to the auditorium one, seeing a two wall of numerous DOB that were colored in solid black for the deaths of the teens, and felt guiltiness-relief.

I stopped and stood in the archway of the auditorium, seeing the nineteen belles and the nine beaus, who had survived the tidal wave.

The water flooded the wishing well, trapping the beaus dead. And the wall of moving water drowned the rest of the running belles, who couldn't reach a transport in time.

I moved through the auditorium, seeing and hearing them on top of the stage platform.

Sechar hugged her soul mate Vrain, saying with a sad frown. "I'm so glad this is over. I wanna go home to Playtus. We could marry there and live happily ever after on Gambo."

Vrain cuddled her, saying with a nod and a smile. "Me, you, and baby makes three, sweetheart."

I moved to the wall and turned to see the preteen.

Twelve-year-old Neekim sat in a chair alone with a red swollen face full of tears. Neekim didn't complete the TRIG and did not save her soul mate Ahrojo either, but she survived the tidal wave when Prewitt rescued her.

I turned to see a smiling Jacidee inside the folded arms of a happy Prewitt also.

Prewitt looked up to see Gloriette, presenting a nod and a sour face.

No one was truly blissful today.

I moved ahead and passed the rows of teen girls.

Their soul mates died inside the wishing well as they stared down at the floor or the wall. The nine live beaus out of thirty had been retrieved by their soul mate within the time limit of Tangent, before the tidal wave hit Tidie Beach.

The other surviving soul mate couples huddled together away from the newly single mourning belles. The couples included Custar and Dugway; Ametheta and Unakite; Zoar and Dorcia; Taris and Kitts; Tohatci and Okana; and Enon and Lalina.

I moved to the wall, staring at him. Pox stood against the wall alone. I ran into his open arms, feeling his hot-ness coupled my cold-ness of loss, saying with a sad frown. "I feel both sadness and happiness. I'm getting married, while others are attending funerals." I pulled back with a nod.

Pox said. "Tidie Beach has tidal waves all the time."

I said with a nod and a frown. "I wished that my mama could be at our wedding. We could visit her for a short period afterwards and then go and explore your farm on Gambo."

Pox said. "We aren't getting married, today, Gloriette."

I frowned. "Why not?" I turned to see the rows of single belles in their sad mourning, saying with a nod and a sad face. "The tragedy, of course! I'm sorry for being selfish and eager to end TRIG." I turned to see his sour puss face. "Is there a formal memorial service? I saw the black colored DOBs along the walls."

Pox frowned. "I don't wanna marry you, Gloriette."

I separated from his hug, dropping my lips. "I don't..." understand.

Pox frowned. "I got catch up in the emotion and the excitement and the exodus, yesterday. You run through Tangent for the both of us. I am sorry. I don't mean to hurt you, love."

I nodded. "Yes, I finished TRIG for the both of us. I understand that you can call 'un-engaged' on Mount Starrtus, today. That's okay with me. We can become 'un-engaged' and move on with our separate ways. I don't want you to feel obligated about a marriage relationship, because of a two hundred century old tradition, such like, TRIG. You were reserve at our first introduction."

Pox hugged her and pulled back with a nod and a smile. "You're both a fighter and a forgiver. You will be a good wife and a wonderful mother, one day, Gloriette."

I smirked. "I'm glad that you find me both feisty and fragile. I want you to provide me a child before our un-engagement. I understood that this is acceptable. As a matter of fact, my daddy did this to my mama too. I believe. And then we call it even, slick." I winked with a smile

The door opened.

Phillipina glided from the rear wall to the stage platform in her long gown as the tiny key necklace around her throat rattled with a tiny ting. She said with a sad face. "Condolences today. Please everyone sat in your appropriate section for the lecture."

Pox frowned. "This is acceptable but rare. I feel..."

I nodded. "I am from Playtus. I will return to Playtus. Playtusians never leave the city for anything. I left Playtus to find love. However, I have found a computer pairing for a happy future with my own blood-line child. That's all. There's no obligation or commitment or visitation from you, Pox. On my world, females raise children alone, all the time, except our family infrastructure houses the mother, the grandmother, the great grandmother, and the great-great grandmother for support. My mama raised me alone without my daddy. And she's there to assist me with a child, her blood-line grandchild named Faywood."

Pox said with a smile. "Wow. That's five generations of blood-line children on Playtus. I didn't know. After hearing that well-spoken argument, I'd be honored to provide you a child based on the TRIG laws."

I slapped his bicep with a grin and a nod. "Thanks, cowboy."

Pox nodded.

We moved ahead and scooted away to our appropriate section.

Phillipina stopped and stood at the foot of the stairs, talking to both Sechar and Vrain.

Sechar and Vrain moved ahead and then stopped sitting down in the chairs on the front row with the single belles. Sechar turned with a sad frown and a nod to see Vrain.

Vrain stood and held the hand of Sechar as they turned and viewed the other belles and beaus in the audience. Vrain said with a nod and a sad frown. "Good morning. We offer our sadness feeling like the other folks today among the moment of joy. I understood that we could be married on Mount Starrtus today. I, we have enjoyed meeting each nice teen here. I invite each one of you to visit us on our farm on Gambo, if you happen to land there. Thank you."

Prewitt stood, turning to see the mourning belles, saying with a nod and a sad face, and pointed to his Sine Jacidee. Jacidee stood with a nod and a sad pout. Prewitt said. "Yeah, me and Jacidee feel the same way too. Ya'll drop by and visit us also. Well, thanks." He and Jacidee sat back in their chairs.

Sechar and Vrain turned and sat down in two chairs on the front row.

Phillipina turned and moved up the stairs, standing on top of the stage, swung around and said with a nod and a stern face to the belles and the beaus in the auditorium. "In TRIG, the three functions are Sine, Tangent, and Cosine. You were assigned your Sine on the first day of TRIG which was indicated by the implant. Each one of you possess a triangle with the letters A for a belle and B for beau. Sine is the shortest relationship between a belle and a beau. Some of you have successfully completed Tangent which was the touch of your Sine through the facee in the second leg of TRIG. Within the law of TRIG, you are left with one function in order to complete the ritual, Cosine. Cosine is sharing the beau with another belle through a second Tangent or touch. And the Sine couple will form a perfect marriage union, thus ending TRIG."

I turned with a sour frown to see my soul mate or Sine. Pox sat in his chair, staring with a stern face at Phillipina.

Phillipina said a nod and a stern face. "I call, Cosine."

Jacidee stood in her cat suit and a pair of matching boots of orange color, her family identification mark. She ran up the stage, turning around with a smile and a nod to see the audience of teens, and raised both her arms with ten wiggling fingers. "Cosine." She turned and accepted a new cell from Phillipina, strapping the metal over her forearm, lifting and waving both her hands with a giggle.

Phillipina stared at the teens with a stern face. "Your Cosine is who?"

Jacidee looked over with a smile and a wink to see him. "Pox."

I gasped and viewed my soul mate or Sine. Pox grinned and nodded with delightfulness back to Jacidee.

I looked over my collar bone to see Prewitt. He parted his lips with shock, staring at Jacidee.

Phillipina motioned with her hand with a stern face and a nod. "Please come forward, Pox."

Pox stood and moved over the floor and up the stair, standing on the other side of Phillipina, turning with a smile to see the other teens.

Phillipina said. "Please both of you extend and hold your hands over the computer."

I slammed the burn on my arm, looking down to see that my triangle was etched with three colored emerald green letters A, B, and C at the tip of the geometric figure, and looked up with a sour frown to the stage.

Phillipina said with a nod and a stern face. "Now, you may kiss your Cosine."

Pox grinned, leaning over the flat computer screen with a set of his puckered lips, holding her hands, and kissed her lips.

I gasped, scooting to the edge of my chair but not standing.

They emerged from the kiss with silly grins. Jacidee turned with a giggle and a grin to see Gloriette and Prewitt.

Phillipina said with a nod and a stern face to the audience of teens. "The Cosine event is not timed by a clock but by a challenger during the second Tangent run. There are only six facees to touch, this time. The first belle to reach the sixth facee will cross the official finishing line. Gloriette is the Sine of Pox. If she is the first belle to the finish line, then she remains the Sine of Pox. However, if the Cosine reaches the finish line first, then she will become the Cosine. The Cosine will win TRIG and marry Pox, today."

"No." I parted my lips, staring at Pox.

Pox chuckled, leaning over to tickle her hands with a smile.

I frowned with sadness and unhappiness, looking over my collar bone to see Prewitt. He sat in awe, staring at both Pox and Jacidee with his lips parted and a pinched face, turning with a sad frown to see Gloriette, and shook his skull in confusion.

Phillipina said with a nod and a stern face to the teens. "Please return to your seats."

Jacidee turned and moved down the steps, swinging and scooting to her seat. Pox turned and moved down the stairs, spinning and sitting on the front row.

Phillipina said with a nod and a stern face to the teens. "I call, Cosine."

Neekim stood and ran up the stairs in her cat suit and a pair of matching boots in pink, her family identification mark, turning with a giggle and a grin to see the teens, and lifted her arms, "Cosine."

Phillipina handed her a new cell. "Your Cosine is who?"

She strapped the cell onto her forearm, looking up with a giggle and a wink to see him. "Pox."

"No." I gasped.

Pox stood and moved up the stage for a second time, turning and facing Neekim, and extended his hands to her.

Phillipina said with a nod and a stern face to the audience of teens. "Please place your hands over the computer."

They held hands as they smiled and winked at each other.

I felt the sting of the Cosine, burning into my arm for a second time, looking down to my triangle. The triangle did not change its configuration, since a triangle had only three sides. However, the TRIG computer was letting me know that there was a second contender for my Sine or soul mate.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a nod to the audience of teens. "You may kiss your Cosine."

Pox reached over the computer and kissed Neekim, pulling back as she giggled.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a nod to the audience. "Do not bother to return to your assigned sleeping suites. Tangent for all the Cosines begins, now. Please follow the DOB to your individual transport Gloriette, Jacidee, and Neekim."

I stood and moved to the archway, shaking my curls, patting my stomach to keep from vomiting. I must beat both Jacidee and Neekim to the finish line at the sixth and final facee to win the second Tangent and keep Pox as my Sine. Or I will never provide a fifth generation babe of Faywood on Playtus.

I felt nervousness-torment.

At the location of Skbee Mountain during the Tangent session, the sky ship landed down on top of a cool weather and green colored tree filled mountain peak.

I stepped off the transport, wearing a pair of clean blue jeans and a pair of dirty cowgirl boots, my attire from this morning for my wedding and not another ran at TRIG.

Jacidee and Neekim moved off a different sky ship and stopped, standing in front of an individual pergola on the left side of Gloriette.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and moved to the first pergola, looking up to see a bright cloudless sky, smelling the fresh air, and felt the cool winds of the mountain. I entered and stood inside the pergola, seeing the illuminated sign.

The word showed: STOP.

The word changed: GO.

I ran out the pergola and dashed over hard smooth rock, narrowing eyelashes in the far distance, seeing a mountain peak of rock, short trees, low bushes, fluttering leaves, and the roar of water. I could hear the river in the far distance.

I moved ahead and reached a first facee of Pox that looked the same as the flesh and blood Pox. The facee wore a pair of blue jeans, a shirt, and a sports coat with a smile, holding an upright palm. I scanned the area and did not see Neekim and Jacidee, so I was the first belle to arrive at the first facee of my soul mate Pox.

First facee of Pox

I stopped and stared at the first facee.

The facee was moving in a side to side or a zig zag pattern.

I slapped the palm of the facee.

The first facee morphed.

My body fell and landed on top of a hard sloped rock, tumbling forward on my knees and my elbows and did not stop moving. I slid down to the cold water, diving in nose first, and emerged to the surface for air with a cough and a growl, dog paddling to a muddy bank. I slammed my palms over the muddy bank, kicking with my boots and slid back down into the water. "Dang, the river bank's slick." I dug my fingernails into the soft mud and kicked my boot heels, leaping on my knees.

I crawled over the mud with my hands and my kneecaps, landing and resting on my chest with heavy breathes of air. I stood and wobbled side to side, seeing a set of numerous hill sides of woods before my face. I swung around, seeing the calm lake water with a solo canoe, empty.

No paddle. No person.

I rubbed my wet face with my wet hands, "Dang, Mama, I wished that ya have told me about TRIG. You did this and won your TRIG event. What do I do here next?" I looked around and searched for the weapon of the facee and did not snakes or sharks, this time, but the canoe was lonely and alone in the calm water.

I stood on the river bank lonely and alone too.

"A perfect couple," I giggled with acknowledgement.

I turned and scooted down the muddy bank and in the water, dog paddling with my hands and my boot toes to the canoe without the snakes or sharks. I moved ahead and climbed inside the boat, sitting on top of the single wooden seat lonely and alone.

The canoe started gliding down the calm river with my extra weight.

I magically landed my butthole back on top of the smooth rock surface of the mountain, where I had started.

So I had completed the first facee.

I stood and scanned the landscape for either Jacidee or Neekim, and they were not here.

Second facee

I raced forward over the rock surface, locating the second facee, and stopped in front the facee, guarding my treasure, scanning the landscape for either Jacidee or Neekim.

Missing.

I turned with a smile and slapped the palm of the facee.

The second facee morphed.

I dropped on my knees and fell down on top of water again, standing up and wobbling my body side to side on top of a slick and wet hard rock wall. The wall was about four feet high which held a pond of shallow water, where the water overflowed onto the wall.

On the opposite side of the rock wall, the water flowed over the sides and crushed down to the river, acting like a waterfall.

The waterfall mist sprayed my face, blinding my eyelashes too but the object was relatively clear within my eyeballs.

Jacidee balanced well in her flat boots on the opposite end of the flat wall ledge, moving forward to Gloriette.

I moved backward, extending and balancing with my arms and hands, parting my lips, and yelled to her. "Jacidee, where did ya get that knife, honey?"

She twirled it in the air as her boots slipped sideways from the harsh activity. She tilted to the side and stopped her fall before landing in the water, lifting up her torso, and faced Gloriette, cuddling the knife to her chest, said with an evil smirk. "One of Prewitt's weapons."

I said with a confused brow, back stepping from her and her knife. "Prewitt has real weapons like a hunting knife."

"For his Tangent run in TRIG..."

"The male Tangent run uses real weapons, but each facee comes with its own weapon."

"The facee has a fake weapon, sugar. The males are lucky. They get to use a real sharp pointy instrument of destruction."

"Jacidee, I ain't dumb, here."

"You are the dumbest belle, here. You didn't even realize that when I called Cosine that me and you would duel it to the death thing, sugar," she laughed.

I frowned. "I saw you enter the pergola."

"And I was beamed up to the sky ship," she pointed up to the ship.

I looked up to see the star ship that hovered over the mountain.

She said with a smile. "I drew the number two of the six facees for my visitation into your nightmare, Gloriette. Therefore, I'm here. I want Pox. He's a prince."

I gasped and looked down to see her smile. "What?"

She smirked with a nod to Gloriette. "Ya proved my theorem. You are a dumb belle. I want to be the princess of Starrtus."

"Jacidee, please you could be princess of Starrtus. I'll surrender Pox at the end of TRIG. You could marry him, today."

She stopped and smirked. "Good trick. But you lie."

I said with a nod and a frown. "Pox doesn't love me. Now, I understand. He loves you. You could marry him. At the end of TRIG, when I win I become un-engaged to Pox, you can become un-engaged to Prewitt. And, you and Pox could get engaged and get married and merry and live happily, wherever, babe."

She stops, looking down to the water and back up to see Gloriette. "Who told ya that?"

"Prince Pox told me. He's going to un-engage me, after I finish my run on TRIG."

She frowned. "Pox is partial right, of course. The beaus have a Tangent run, so TRIG is only half way completed."

I lifted my palms with a nod and a smile. "Fine, I will stick around and view the other half of TRIG. And you can have the un-engaged Pox."

She smiled. "You plan would've worked out beautifully, if Pox had told me that he loved me and wanted to un-engaged with you. The flaw in your plan, you are still engaged to Pox. I'm still engaged to Prewitt."

I frowned. "Prewitt loves you."

She stopped and exhaled with a puff of frustration. "He's so cute and adorable. I really hate to break his heart, but I want to be an elegant princess, not a tough cowgirl."

"Please, you don't have to do this. I saved your life and your soul mate, yesterday."

"Please, Gloriette. You should've read the rules on TRIG. My mama taught me good. And thanks. You made my personal plans fell nicely into place, yesterday. I didn't fake that, honey. It was real and really painful. I thought for a moment I would lose everything love, Pox, and princess."

"I cannot drop out of Tangent. I don't wanna lose love, too."

She shook her curls. "You can and shall before, since now there's nothing for you here, dear."

"Yes. There's love for me, here. Once I complete the run of TRIG, I will un-engage from Pox. If you un-engage from Prewitt, then Pox and you are free to marry for becoming the prince and princess of Starrtus."

She giggled. "Ah. I'm truly the blind girl here. For someone deficient in TRIG rules, you got that one absolutely correct. Prewitt was tutoring another belle during the tryout for three hours, but I didn't know who. Now, I do. You. You're a naughty belle, Gloriette."

"I'm just stating cause and effect here, Jacidee, because I was the belle. And the effect was that we didn't do nothing sweetness with the implants, silly girl. Prewitt talked all about you. He loves you."

She smiled. "I love him too. He's very precious, but he'll find another belle. He's the forgiving and forgetting type. I wish him well."

"Excellent choice. Brave attitude. We agree. So you can toss that knife in the water or over the mountain cliff. And we depart from the facee. We finish the run, alive."

She shook her curls. "Naw, sugar, you got the parted of the engagement right, but you didn't get the Cosine right. Cosine means one belle wins the prince."

I nodded. "You can be that belle, as soon as, TRIG has ended."

She shook her curls. "Naw, darling, Cosine means that one belle finishes the run by slapping the sixth Facee."

I frowned. "I understand, Jacidee. I have to slap the sixth facee being that one belle. Or I get disqualified from TRIG. If I don't complete the Tangent run, then I cannot be un-engaged from Pox. And I go home without my love P..."

"Prewitt," she chuckled. "You keep repeating the wrong beau, Gloriette. Good thing. The tangent runs aren't televised, so the entire world would know about your betraying heart."

I frowned. "Too bad, the entire world would see you threatening me, including Pox."

Jacidee stopped and said with a sour frown. "You are so dull, girl. Why do you think I fell into facee number two?"

I frowned. "You drew that number."

"Let me give ya a bigger hint. Why do you think that I'm holding a hunting knife used to kill annoying pests?"

"You're threatening me to give up Pox, since you called Cosine on Starrtus. And I'm going to do just that, right after the end of TRIG."

She exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Cosine is a battle of the two original Sines, Gloriette. It's labeled with a prefix, 'co' meaning 'to share' one beau. However, two belles could not share one beau. Therefore, one belle has to die and that would be you, my new non-friend."

I parted my lips. "Cosine is a duel of foes, my new non-friend. And I'll beat your butthole and morph off the waterfall first. I'll rush to the rest of facees and win the belle of the ball."

"Naw, sweetie, Cosine in the second Tangent run will only allow one belle to exit out the sixth facee."

I gasped. "I have to kill you."

She winked. "Naw, babe, I have to kill you. And I win both Tangent and Pox."

I leaped sideways into the water, having a better chance with the knife than on top of the slippery ledge.

Jacidee parted her lips with shock, jumping down in the pool as the water touched her edge of her butthole.

I swan around the water, diving to the bottom, viewing her boots with my eyelashes opened.

She stood in the shallow pool of water and sloshed around, looking down through the water for Gloriette.

I surfaced for air and dove again, circling underneath the water side to side, swimming with both my arms and my boots, passing beside and behind her. I swam across the water and hit a rock wall which was parallel to the pool ledge.

The rock wall had submerged down underneath the surface, where the exceed water drained over it and down, creating a six hundred feet waterfall.

I surfaced for air, seeing Jacidee on the opposite of the pool, and dove, swimming underneath the water and along the hidden wall, using my hand to push-off for more speed and rammed the back of her legs with my hands.

Jacidee fell forward in the water, losing the knife, and stood, spinning around to see Gloriette.

I stood.

She charged forward, slapping her hands against my hands.

We slapped our faces and our shoulders side to side, kicking with feet underneath the water.

I slapped her to my right into the hidden rock wall.

She landed on her hips, flying across the slick water and over the slimy wall ledge, hanging down on by her boot ankles.

"No." I moved ahead and sloshed to the underwater wall.

Jacidee screamed.

I saw her falling off the slick water wall and closed my eyelashes, stumbling backward in the water, gliding to the position of the hunting knife, before the second facee ended.

I stopped and reached down skimming the rough bottom of rocks, and felt it, lifting the knife in the air.

The facee ended.

I landed on my knees in the soft muddy water stream back on top of the rock mountain.

The knife metal gleamed in bright sunlight.

I rolled to my side and rested in the in the mud, exhaling with a puff of worry.

Tangent was not timed.

Therefore, I could stay and play all day long here on top of the rock mountain.

I smelled the fresh strawberries which grew wild over the cracks of the rock, seeing the bright clouds which moved across the blue sky. I tasted the cool wind, breathing deeply for my life. I touched the smooth warm rock, wiping the water off my hand. I felt numb, alone, scared, and shocked.

Based on my learned information, Neekim waited inside one of the remaining four facees.

I felt the smooth steel of the hunting knife in my other hand, after acquiring a weapon. And I must kill Neekim. I had to murder to win Tangent, un-engage from Pox, marry Prewitt, and have a baby, all in that order.

I whispered with sneer. "I do this for a baby or I go home to my mama alone and forever."

I stood and moved to the green low bush plants, slicing off a handful of the green healthy leaves and kneeled, measuring the knife against my cowgirl boot, my favorite pair.

My cowgirl boots were twelve inches tall. The knife was eight inches of blade, a nice pairing.

I sliced deep between the thick leather seams of the boots, creating a hidden pouch, carrying the sharp hunting knife into the next facee environment. I found that I quickly drop down into an odd physical place without both warning and balance. So, I wanted to retain the weapon for future usage.

Jacidee was prepared for my arrival, so Neekim had been prepped for me, too.

I packed my small slit with the handful of tree leaves, decorating the outer parted of my boot and repeated the process on the other boot.

Surprise was a formable ally over death.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, and stood, stomping my leg and my boot on the hard rock, ensuring that the knife was packed tightly in its new hidden pouch. The knife did not shift. I sneered. "I do this for a baby or I go home to my mama alone and forever."

Third facee

I slowly strolled to the third stationary facee without fear of a rear attack while providing some rest to my aching muscles, controlling my breathing for the next heart-thumping shock.

I stopped and stood in front of the facee of Pox, exhaling with a puff of fear, reaching and touching his upright palm.

The third facee morphed.

I landed on my boots and slid down on top of the smooth solid rock, running and balancing my upright body with a heavy object on my back.

Then the sloped rock edge ended.

I screamed, hurling in the air, free falling down from the rock in the air, and going further down to the ground.

The small parachute on my back opened up, whipping my body side to side through the air from the top of a five hundred feet cliff edge, going down to the ground. I traveled in a horizontal pose in forward motion with both my arms extended and my legs apart.

I soared left over the tree tops.

The birds flew with me and over the pond lake, seeing the frogs leap off from the lily flowers. I glided in a downward motion over the patch of wildflowers, scaring the rabbits too.

I giggled with fun.

I flew over a meadow ahead of the running horses. I sailed down to a painted red painted circle in the soft grass. The wind caught the wings of my parachute and lifted up my body into a vertical pose.

I dropped to the ground, slamming a foot in the soft flat grass, slamming another boot in the wild flowers on top of the rock mountain, and stumbled forward on my knees.

I exhaled and inhaled with thrill-adventure with a grin and a giggle.

I slowly stood, wiping off flower petals.

The parachute disappeared from my back spine and the grass.

Fourth facee

I moved to the fourth stationary facee, stopping and slapping the upright hand of Pox.

The fourth facee morphed.

I landed in a valley of flowers, hearing behind my skull.

"Mademoiselle Gloriette..."

"Dang, the nightmare comes true." I swung around to the open meadow.

Neekim ran and wore her pink jumpsuit, a matching pair of boots, and a hip hostler with a pearl handle hand gun.

Ugly people killed but not the pretty guns.

I spun around, running across the tall weeds and the pretty wildflowers, and slowed at a wall of solid rock about seven feet high, looking with a worried brow over my collar bone.

Neekim moved her small body size fast to Gloriette.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and turned, climbing up the short wall, since I was tall. I stood, looking ahead to see a flat clearing of rock with another rock ledge. I climbed down the ledge, walking over the clearing of flat rock, and stopped, climbing up the new ledge.

I slowly walked with both my arm extended over the narrow ledge in my big cowgirl boots, turning to the side.

Neekim stood and moved over the first narrow rock ledge on her smaller feet, being twelve years old.

I climbed down with my hands and my boot toes from the second narrow rock ledge, stood on the top of the rock surface, turning and running to the cliff which went straight down to a flowing river. I stopped and looked over my collar bone.

Neekim walked over the second rock ledge and climbed down, standing on the flat surface, turning around. She whipped out her hand gun, aiming at Gloriette.

I froze in pose with a worried brow of death.

She squeezed the trigger of the gun. Nothing happened to Gloriette.

I whispered. "One."

Neekim frowned and viewed the barrel of the gun.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and turned to the side of the mountain, climbing an extreme vertical ascend of staircase steps, reaching the top and stopped. I crawled over the top of another stone wall, looking over my collar bone.

Neekim tucked the gun inside her hip hostler, running and climbing over the third wall too and very quickly being of small body frame.

I walked backward, looking over my collar bone, seeing three separate cliffs of varied height, and turned, running to the lowest one. The walkway consisted of a series of horizontal planks of wood with cracks and holes that was suspended between the two rock tips with twin ropes.

I looked over my fanny.

Neekim ran up the stairs showing only her hair roots.

I swung around, stepping a right foot on the first plank. The bridge swung wildly side to side along with my stomach. I closed my eyelashes, exhaling with a puff of fear.

I opened my eyelashes, concentrating on the far away solid big tan colored boulder in the shape of a sitting person, and stepped forward on my boot toe to the second plank, gliding both hands over the rough ropes without seeing a drop of over two hundred feet straight down to a roaring river, but I could not hear the roaring part. I slowly dashed across the hundred foot suspended bridge, reaching the other side, and turned.

Neekim stopped in the middle of the bridge swung and jerked out her gun, aiming at Gloriette and shot. Nothing happened.

I whispered. "Two." I spun around, viewing three different pathways to a thicket of tall trees, selecting the middle one, running in the trees as the low branches cut into my arms and my shirt from the sharp protruded needles of the prickly leaves. I slammed into the tree limb, making it break in two pieces, falling down, sliding over the smooth rock, and stopped. I sat back on my fanny, rubbing the red burns on my biceps.

Neekim stored her gun in her hip pouch, running and moving over the swing bridge to where Gloriette had disappeared into the middle thicket of trees, scanning for her.

I kneeled and tried to stand, cussing and falling over on my other knee. My injured knee buckled from aching pain.

Neekim slid through the loose pebbles and protruding tree branches too, and stopped on top of the rock plateau, landing on her knees also. Being young, she stood with a sour frown and jerked the hand gun from the hostler, lifting and aiming it at Gloriette.

I turned around to see Neekim, slowly standing and bending on my injured knee with pain, wobbling to side of another dropout of the plateau which led down to a smaller piece of rock edge. I held my arms in the air, saying with a worried brow. "Neekim, please don't do this?" I wobbled backward to the rock edge.

"I have the gun." Neekim moved sideways and stood underneath the overhang to block out the blinding sun spots for a clear bullet shot at Gloriette.

I waved my arms with a worried brow. "You can have Pox. I give up. Okay. You can go ahead of me and run out the facee now."

She shook her curls with a sour frown. "I cannot leave this facee, until one of us is dead that was made very clear to me. You think me a dumb preteen, girlfriend."

"Naw, darling." I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I am the dumb one, here."

Neekim stood underneath rock overhang, aiming the gun at Gloriette, and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.

I whispered. "Three." I yelled with a sour tone. "No bullets. The hand gun has no more bullets. You have been deceived, Neekim."

"I saw her load the gun." Neekim turned and viewed the cold barrel of the gun, blowing a quick breath down the dark barrel hole, and aimed it at Gloriette again.

I pointed to the sky. "You were beamed from the sky ship..."

She lowered the gun down to her legs with a confused brow. "How'da ya know that?"

I nodded. "I study my e-pone equations. The Starrtus sky ship beamed you down into this facee. You can have Pox. I give him up truly with my heart and my soul. We both could leave this facee, alive and breathing."

"No." She lifted and aimed the gun at Gloriette, squeezing the trigger.

Nothing happened.

I whispered. "Four." I exhaled with a puff of frustration, saying with a stern face. "Stop. Look. Listen to me. The gun must have gotten defective coming from the beam-in. You're twelve years old, studying quantum leaps too. The weapon's damaged. So we both win. Just call the ship. The ship can do a beam-out on me. I surrender to you, Neekim. I will beam-out of this facee. You can complete the other two remaining facees and win TRIG and Pox."

"No." She aimed the gun and squeezed the trigger at Gloriette.

Nothing happened.

I whispered. "Five."

Neekim turned and viewed the cold barrel with a confused brow.

I rushed forward, pulling out the knife from my boot. My knee buckled with pain. I fell over the rock and dropped my knife, moving and sitting on my fanny, and scooted back to feel the cold stone on my back spine.

Neekim looked up with a lady sneer and a sour frown, moving and kicking the knife away her and Gloriette.

I saw the knife tumble over the rock surface and off the rock edge, disappearing, turning with a worried brow to see Neekim.

She turned in place and aimed the cold barrel of the gun at Gloriette, saying with a sneer and a sour frown. "You tried to trick me. I cannot handle a gun. I have never handled a gun. I'm an electronics programmer on Playtus. Now, I'm going to be a princess on Starrtus. Pox is a prince of Starrtus."

"Ya don't say, Neekim?" I frowned, leaning into the cold rock wall in pain and fear.

She aimed and fired the gun at Gloriette.

I crouched in a kitten-ball as a single bullet hit above my hair roots. Rock pebbles from the wall fell over my hair roots.

Neekim tumbled backwards, falling off the rock edge from the kick of the hand gun. She didn't know that would happen when she fired it being only twelve years old.

I unfolded from my kitten-ball, shaking and shivering in both fear and fright, crouched and scooted along the smooth rock wall to the edge of the rock plateau.

Neekim was down there on her back spine, staring with her eyeballs to the sky. The gun was still in her tiny hand.

I landed on my stomach on top of the smooth warm rock, exhaling with a puff of nervousness, moving and sitting up on my fanny, and stretched out my throbbing kneecap, rubbing the ache. I pulled out all the green leaves from my boot, poking around my kneecap, feeling no sprain or cut just a bruise.

I could not remove my jeans to see the injury either, but the refresher tub would heal my wounds, tonight.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and rolled to the side, gingerly standing on the good knee, pulling upright and tall, bending my bad knee with pain. "Deal with it."

I limped and walked very slow, stretching out the tendon, moving to finish the job, the facee of Pox.

Fifth facee

A set of dry dead leaves stirred after my limp, and stopped in front of the facee, and slapped the face of the Pox.

The fifth facee morphed.

My entire body landed on top of the horizontal wing of a flying airplane as I bit my tongue. "No." I spat out blood from my lips as a shoulder harness from the cockpit slapped against my arm. I used my free hand to grab the shoulder harness, and tethered it to my body, slowly pushing with my boot toes and pulling with my hands to the cockpit.

I felt dangerment-frightened.

I stood on my hands and my boot toes as the cold wind drifted around my body. My long hair blew in my face.

I saw the cockpit, empty.

So I must sit in the pilot's seat to terminate the fifth facee, "Dang." I crawled three feet and slammed my face down to the metal, avoiding a real flying bird. I turned with a sneer to see lucky bird and looked to the other side seeing clear air space.

I stood and crawl faster, slamming down on the metal wing again.

The pilotless plane performed a looping roll.

I bleed my fingernails into the metal, holding my breath from the gravity pull of the loop as the winds hit my distorted face.

The plane straightened back into a horizontal flight.

I stood and crawled to the cockpit without a door, landing in the pilot's chair, viewing the lighted instrumentation. The steering column shifts slightly right to left. I grabbed it.

The plane went straight up to the clouds very fast,

My stomach went straight down to my toes inside my boots.

The plane slowed down and lost power.

"Naw. Start." I punched on numerous buttons with a worried brow. The plane fell forward. My stomach rose up and in my dry throat. The plane performed a nose dive straight down to a grove of tree forest. I screamed and landed on my butthole on top of a pile of soft leaves on the original mountain peak, moving and resting on my back spine, and exhaled with a puff of life. I closed my eyelashes for two seconds.

I rolled over and stood, wobbling forward to the sixth and final facee, feeling excellence-greatness.

Sixth facee

I wiped blood from my lips and stopped before the sixth and last facee, feeling both numb with pain and happy with thrillment. And I survived two attacks. "I do this for a baby and not returning home to my mama alone and forever."

I slapped the palm of the Pox.

The sixth facee morphed.

I slid down the playground slid and stomped both boot heels on the sand, running and catching a rotating merry-go-round.

I stood and spun around two times and slid off, running with a smile to a single swing seat. I landed in the seat, swinging back and forth, and leaped in the air with a giggle.

I ran and landed on top of the see-saw seat with a grin. The seat rose up as I flew in the air, soaring to a trampoline. I stepped over the rubber, bouncing up and down in crazy poses for fun with a giggle and a grin.

The last air bounce landed my boot heels on a second level platform in front of a closed door.

I looked over my collar bone as the playground equipment slowly rotated into nothingness from my inertia cool moves. However, I was still inside the sixth facee.

I frowned and touched the door knob, feeling warmth from the door knob.

This was the force field parameter.

I twisted the knob, entering the new room, staring at the new sitting room.

My nostrils smelled kindle from the burning wood.

The room was well-lighted and held occupied loveseats that contained numerous beaten and bloody belles paired with their emotional beaus.

I heard classical music and saw Pox. He sat in a loveseat alone, staring at Gloriette. I exhaled with a puff of frustration and tumbled down to the floor onto my bad knee.

Pox dashed to catch Gloriette, cuddling her to his chest with a smile in her face. "Ah, love. You have made it through all six facees. I knew that you would. You're a strong fighter, Gloriette. You have completed Tangent for the both of us. You came in last, thou. But that's okay. The run isn't timed only terminated when the last belle shows. So you are going back to your suite, but I think that you need another dip in the refresher tub."

"Yeah." I exhaled with a puff of frustration, moving and limping to one of the empty loveseats, and stared at each belle.

Custar displayed a pair of busted lips, a bandaged hand, and two slashes across her cheekbone.

Pox moved ahead and sat on the loveseat with Gloriette, saying into her eardrum. "Custar had fought against belle Frazley, winning the battle and her soul mate Dugway for a second time, too."

Sechar showed a knee braced a bandaged arm, and a big bruise on her forehead.

Pox said. "Sechar beat on up belle Ney to keep her man Vrain. She's another good fighter like you, love."

Ametheta possessed a black eye, a bandaged shoulder, and numerous rips in her cloth jumpsuit. Unakite sewed up her torn clothing with tape and with his tender love and care.

Pox said with a sour tone. "Ametheta had to fight with belle Kitts. Belle Kitts declared Cosine with Unakite, even thou she was paired with her soul mate Taris, who was alive and breathing."

Prewitt sat in a loveseat alone, staring at Gloriette.

I killed his soul mate or Sine Jacidee, so I could...a) live...b) keep my soul mate...c) have a baby.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, rubbing my injuries, scanning the small room. "Belle Zoar's soul mate?"

"Belle Dorcia died inside one of the facees."

"I almost did too."

Young thirteen-year-old beau Taris sat alone and without his soul mate. His Sine belle Kitts had fought and lost to belle Ametheta.

Sixteen-year-old male beau Tohatci stared down at the floor, too.

Pox said. "Beau Tohatci's soul mate belle Okana couldn't finish the second Tangent. She became injured and decided to go home to Playtus to live with her mama, alone and childless."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, rubbing my knee. "Dang, that's brute."

Pox said. "Beau Enon lost his soul mate belle Lalina, during her battle with belle Martella. Both belles got wounded and died in the facee."

"Double dang. That's more brutal living without your Sine." I exhaled with a puff of frustration, viewing the sad beaus.

The second Tangent run survived with four coupled belles and beaus plus five single beaus.
Day 26

Starrtus auditorium one

Cosine

I stood in the archway, smelling the fresh flowers, and finally retired my ripped and faded pair of blue jeans and my pair of ripped cowgirl boots for a pretty formal gown of emerald green with a set of matching silk elbow length gloves, my family ID theme color.

I felt prettiness-gorgeous.

I had successfully completed TRIG, surviving two Tangent runs and lived, feeling awesomeness-greatness.

And I healed in the refresher tub, possessing a glow of pale skin and a personality of brightly happy today.

"Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta," Madam DOB handed a pretty arm bouquet of pink roses.

I accepted the pretty pink roses, complimenting my green gown, elegantly strolling to Prewitt, presenting him with a giggle and a wink.

Prewitt smiled with a wink to Gloriette also.

Pox moved from the wall, reaching and grabbing Gloriette by the gloved arm, turning with a grin to see Prewitt. "May I have the last word, Gloriette?"

"Shore." I nodded to Prewitt and waddled away with Prewitt.

Pox turned and moved to the wall, standing in front of her, saying with a smile. "You're really pretty in a dress, too, Gloriette."

I curtseyed with a smile to him. "Thank you. However, I do find both the jeans and boots much more durable under the distress and stress of the nasty competition in TRIG."

Pox nodded with a stern face. "I have learned and will remember that trick, too." He looked over his collar bone to the rear wall and back to her. "This is the ceremony to respect the life of the living and the honor the dead teens."

I exhaled with a puff of sympathy. "A re-occurring theme on my home city also."

Pox said with a stern face. "I don't want to marry you, Gloriette."

I looked down with a frown to the floor and up with a smile at him. "I remember our bargain. I don't want to marry you, either, Pox."

He looked over with a stern face to see Prewitt and back to see her. "We finally concur with our agreed on final solution. I don't want to marry you, either. So I promise that I will announce un-engaged, today. You'll be free of TRIG and leave Starrtus for your home."

I said with a smile and a nod. "You have been wonderful to me in TRIG."

"I want to convey the same feelings. We really are a good paired of fighters."

I giggled. "Jacidee told me that you really are a prince of Starrtus here."

He smiled. "And you are still not impressed."

"I'm impressed. I love the beauty of Starrtus, but I also love..."

He nodded. "Jacidee was both cute and clever, but I believed that the best belle won TRIG."

I said with a nod and a grin. "Thank you."

Pox back stepped and turned, leaving Gloriette at the wall.

I turned and waddled in my long dress with a grin and a giggle to Prewitt, and stopped, whispering with a smile. "We will be married today. I'm so happy."

The rear door opened.

Phillipina glided from the rear wall to the front of the room, walking up the stage, standing on the platform, and turned with a stern face and a serious tone to see the audience of teens. "Good delights, belles and beaus. Please sit back in your appropriate sections for the next lecture of TRIG."

I spun around with a sour frown and then moved ahead, sitting in the left section with the three other surviving belles, who were Sechar, Custar, and Ametheta, patting on my fresh bouquet of pretty flowers, stealing quick glances over my collar bone to see Prewitt.

I felt awesome-happiness.

We both smiled at each other.

I felt truly loved.

Phillipina stood in front of the computer again.

I gasped with shock, viewing my sine Pox. He stood at the wall and stared with a stern face at Phillipina on top of the platform.

I feel nervousness-anticipation, looking over my collar bone to my love Prewitt.

Prewitt stared with a worried brow at the princess too.

I turned to see the princess, feeling sickening-worriment.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone to the beaus and belles. "In TRIG, the three functions are Sine, Tangent, and Cosine for the belles. Each belle was assigned her Sine, on the first day of TRIG which was indicated by her implant. On that day, the implant was designated with a triangle with two letters which represented an A for 'a belle' and the letter B for 'beau.' On the second day, only a handful of belles successfully completed Tangent, the touch of your Sine through the facee of your soul mate. Therefore, the belle saved her beau, her designated Sine before the disaster. A tidal wave took away the remaining beaus that were trapped inside the wishing well when the electronic warning signal did not operate as it was shorted out by the falling water. And a handful of belles could not reach the sky transport in time, drowning in the massive wall of ocean water." She bowed her head in silence.

I bowed my head, praying about the lost belles, feeling sadness too.

Phillipina lifted a stern face with a serious tone to the audience of teens. "Within the law of TRIG, the Cosine function..."

Nineteen-year-old Enon stood, lifting his arms, yelling with a smile and a nod "Cosine."

I gasped with shock.

Phillipina turned with a stern face to see Enon. "You are a most eager, young beau. Please sit down for the moment. I will get to that part very soon. On the third day of TRIG, the function of Cosine was called here inside this auditorium room. Then each remaining engaged, but newly widowed belle had also participated within the second Tangent run, when I had called out Cosine against each Sine belle. Thus far, after the completion of the second Tangent for Cosine, there are four Sine belles left. Please stand." The sounds of claps invaded the quiet auditorium.

I slowly stood with the three other belles, looking with worried brow over my collar bone to my love Prewitt. He sat and stared, clapping with a smile to his love.

I viewed Pox. He stood against the wall, and did not clap for his Sine.

Phillipina said with a nod and a stern face. "Please sit, belles." She turned to see the section of beaus. "Within the law of TRIG, the beaus must compete and complete in their own version of Tangent. However, the beau Tangent is slightly modified, since your version is paired with Cosine. Therefore, each beau must run a Tangent also, facing a facee of your Sine belle or your newly assigned Cosine belle. This step is very important for the beau. You must run Tangent. Or you will be ineligible for any lovely belle in the city of Playtus. I call, Cosine."

Enon stood, running up the stairs in his ripped and faded pair of blue jeans and his pair of polished cowboy boots, and turned to see audience of teens, raising his arms, and said with a smile and a nod. "Cosine."

Phillipina turned and hand a cell to Enon.

Enon dropped his arms, accepted, and strapped the cell to his forearm, waving both his hands with a grin.

She said with a stern face and a serious tone to the audience of teens. "Your cosine is who?"

Enon turned with a smile and a nod to the belle. "Gloriette."

I gasped and viewed Pox, who stared and frowned at Enon. And I viewed my love Prewitt, who turned with a nod and a grin to her.

I felt frightful-nervousness, turning to see the princess on the stage.

Phillipina motioned with her hand. "Please come forward, Gloriette."

I stood, wearing a stern face, looking down to see my arm. My colored triangle was etched with the emerald green letters of A and B only. The letter C had disappeared, because I had killed both Jacidee and Neekim in my Cosine run. I looked up to see stage, strolling up the stairs, feeling coldness-anxiousness.

Phillipina said to Enon and Gloriette. "Please hold your hands over the computer."

I extended and held his large rough hands with my small hands, feeling sorta weirdness-funny.

Enon chuckled with a nod to Gloriette.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "Now, you may kiss your Cosine."

Enon leaned over the computer monitor with his wet pout as I leaned over and presented a pair of closed lips.

We slightly touched our lip soft flesh.

Enon tasted like maple syrup to my closed lips and not sour grapes. I pulled back and did not smile with the good taste on my mouth, releasing his hand gripe, feeling weirdness-confusion.

When I touched Prewitt on his lips, I tasted sour grapes, feeling curiousness-puzzlement.

Enon lifted his arms, yelling with a grin to her. "Yeehaw."

I turned and viewed Pox, who stared and frowned to Enon. And I looked to Prewitt, who stared and sneered to Enon also. I felt frightened-befuddlement.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a nod. "Cosine is not timed by a clock but by a challenger. Pox is the Sine of Gloriette. If he is the first beau to the finish line, then he remains the Sine of Gloriette. However, if the Cosine reaches the finish line first, then he becomes the Cosine of Gloriette. The Cosine will win TRIG and marry Gloriette."

I stared with a stern face to the older male teen across the computer monitor, and I did not want to marry Enon. I loved Prewitt, turning with a smirk to see Prewitt.

Prewitt smirked with a nod to Gloriette.

I felt wicked-victorious.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "Please return to your seats."

I spun around and moved down the steps to a new seat on the front row, since we all will be leaving for a second Tangent run shortly like the last time.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "I call, Cosine."

Zoar stood without fanfare, moving up the stairs, turning and facing the audience on top of the stage. "Cosine."

Phillipina handed him a cell as he strapped it to his naked arm. She said with a stern face and a serious tone. "Your Cosine is who?"

"Gloriette," he smiled at Pox.

I swung around to see my love Prewitt, who both sneered and stared at Zoar. I strolled down from the stage for a second time, eyeballing my Sine Pox, who stood against the wall and sneered at Zoar too. I leaned over the flat horizontal computer screen and held both of his hands.

He chuckled, leaning over the computer with a set of pouted lips for his kiss.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "You do not need me, anymore. Your hands are placed over the computer. You may kiss your Cosine."

I felt a pair of raw hands from his farming chores, and closed my eyelashes, gently touching his rough flesh of lips, tasting strawberry bubble gum, and pulled away both my hands and my face in gently shock.

He opened his eyelids and winked at her.

I felt weird-fearfulness.

I looked down with a sour frown to see my triangle. There was no change in the letters A and B, and looked over to see my Sine Pox.

Pox paced back and forth at the wall in battle anticipation, probably feeling his triangle sting his arm underneath his sporting jacket too.

All the other beaus had shed their sports jacket down to a shirt and a pair of faded and ripped blue jeans. However, Pox was a prince, and always wore his formal attire of a sporting jacket, a dress shirt, a new cell necktie, and his pair of polished cowboy boots.

I only possessed this knowledge from the other belles and beaus at TRIG.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "Do not bother returning to your suites. Tangent for the beau Cosines begins, now. Please follow the DOB to your individual transport Pox, Enon, and Zoar."

I viewed Prewitt, who grinned with a nod to me.

And then I turned and left the auditorium.

On top of Mount Starrtus inside the log cabin, the sky transport landed down on the ground. The door opened.

I stepped down the ramp from the sky transport, wearing a fur coat that went down to my ankles and over my formal gown, seeing a series of tall and white snow banks, lines of sharp and pointy ice icicles, and a log cabin.

Ametheta grinned and led the belles, pointing to the building. "This is our wishing well, today."

"I wish it was warmer than sixteen degrees below zero." Custar stomped through the snow over the hard pavement with a sour frown.

Ametheta chuckled. "The air temperature is only twenty-three below zero. You got a fur coat. Don't complain. The fishies don't."

Sechar followed behind the butthole of Ametheta through the log cabin archway, saying with a sour frown. "The fishes live in freezing water. I live in a hot sizzling city."

I squatted, touching the delicate and pretty snow as the delicate flakes melted in my warm glove, smiling and feeling delightful-happiness, and stood, moving to the building.

Inside the log cabin, I stepped into a bright room with a set of roof solar panels which illuminated the large room with natural light and prettiness.

The room held three walls of glass windows which showed a breathtaking picture of the tall tan colored mountains, hard shiny ice packs, and the white snowy caps.

Sechar stood in the middle of room, parking both her hands on her hips, scanning the small space with a sour frown. "Why are we not at a luxurious suite with flowers, candies, cookies, and a roaring fireplace instead of a cold bright ugly room?"

Ametheta moved to the television screen, stopping. "Princess Phillipina selects the environment menu for TRIG. She has chosen Mount Starrtus today."

Custar walked around the room. "Whatever."

Ametheta touched the wall as a plasma screen appeared before the naked eyeballs.

I turned with a frown to see the plasma screen. "You seem to know your way about this log cabin, Ameaniethere."

Custar turned with a chuckle and a smile to see Ametheta. "Ameaniethere?"

Ametheta sneered and swung with a grin to see Gloriette. "Pox told me the secret of Cosine."

I ripped off the fur coat, tossing it to an empty sofa, turning with a sneer to her. "You seem to know your way around Pox, too."

Ametheta smiled and ripped off her fur coat, tossing it into another empty sofa also. "Pox tells me lots of secrets of TRIG."

I scooted around the structure and stared out the window, feeling frightful-worriment.

Sechar tossed her fur coat on the sofa, saying with a smile. "Is there food?"

Ametheta turned and pointed to the open archway. "The right door holds a kitchen with both tables of food and beverages. The left door is the girl's power room for girly bodily functions. The other doors are part of the log cabin and not accessible."

Custar stood and stared at the plasma. "I'm too nervous to eat. I don't see the four the pergolas, instead I see that there are four colorful dots. There's a red, green, blue, and purple."

I moved ahead and lounged in one of the sofa without my fur coat, viewing the plasma, studying the colored dots of the beaus.

Sechar said with a smile and a nod. "That's our boys on the plasma." She had returned with a plate of food, sitting on the sofa with Custar. "Vrain is royal blue one. My family identification society color is royal blue."

Custar said with a nod and a smile. "O! That's clever. I see Dugway in the color purple. Gloriette is emerald green. Everyone knows your family identification society color."

I turned with a sour frown to see Custar. "Really?"

Custar stared with a nod to the plasma. "So the red color is Ametheta. What building number are you located in on Playtus, honey?"

Ametheta smirked, "A really tall one. You will see the beaus on the screen. When a facee is touched, the colored dot will disappear. So don't have a heart attack, Custar. The fighting is inside the facee, since we all know what occurs in there too. And one beau will emerge so be alerted it may or may not be your Sine either."

Custar nodded. "Dugway will emerge successfully. I guarantee it."

Ametheta smirked. "Pox will be triumphant, too."

Sechar giggled. "Yeah, he will. And you get to marry Unakite or be alone for the rest of your non-beauty days and nights."

Ametheta sneered. "I will not be alone or face sadness, either."

Sechar frowned. "What does that mean?"

Ametheta said. "Pox will win also, but I don't know about Prewitt."

"Prewitt?" I swung with a worried brow to see Ametheta. She turned and smirked at Gloriette.

Custar sat on her own sofa and viewed the plasma. "Yeah, the flaw in the TRIG concept, the Sines never get to see the completed photos of their beaus. That's what's my mama told me."

I turned with a frown to see Custar. "I left. What happened after I left the auditorium?"

Sechar said. "A challenge on Prewitt."

Custar said. "Prewitt is facing Cosine."

Sechar viewed the screen, eating her plate of food. "I don't understand why Prewitt had to run Tangent. He doesn't have a Sine belle or a Cosine belle or a plain ole belle. No one is viewing or waiting for him when he emerges from the Tangent run. Why isn't Mount Starrtus on the plasma, too?

Custar frowned. "Yeah. Why did beau Taris yell Cosine on beau Prewitt?"

"Prewitt?" I stare with a worried brow at Custar.

Custar watched the plasma. "After you, Pox, and the gang of Cosines for Pox left the auditorium, beau Taris jumps up, yelling Cosine. He's challenging a dead girl. That makes no freaking sense."

Sechar said, sitting and eating, and watched the plasma too. "This is TRIG. Nothing makes no freaking sense here on Starrtus. My mama didn't tell me hoot about implants, dead, and the fights."

Ametheta giggled. "This is called an elimination event for the beaus. When one beau is dead, another beau can grab a belle. It's a compliment to the belles of Playtus. Beau Taris wants to marry one of you, belles. When the Tangent run is done, and the un-engaged beaus get to select the left over Sines, if any."

Custar said. "There're nine beaus left..."

"...alive," Sechar said. "By the end of Tangent, there might be five beaus for five belles, us."

Ametheta nodded. "That's the point of TRIG. You marry your Sine or you call un-engage. Then you can marry any un-engaged beau, if he desires your family theme. If not, then you can actually do a second run of TRIG."

Sechar raised her palm, shaking her curls. "Forget it. I am done with the run. I'm marrying Vrain, tomorrow. Is the wedding televised for my mama on Playtus?"

"To the world, while your mama viewed, cries, and prays." Custar chewed her food.

Sechar viewed the plasma. "Why isn't all Tangent runs televised?"

Ametheta turned with a smirk to see the nose profile of Gloriette. "Some folks faint from sliced limbs and dripping blood. Right, Gloriette?"

I turned with a lady sneer to see Ametheta. "I don't faint from your dripping blood, Ametheta which might be later, maybe." I stood. "But I do feel faint, pondering that my Pox is fighting for his life with three other Cosines. I need to pray. Is there a chapel in the log cabin?"

Ametheta smirked. "Mount Starrtus is the beautiful sight of all the upcoming weddings in a church," she pointed to the archway. "Go out the left door, and down the hallway. There's a big chapel room for the marriages. You cannot miss it."

I exited the room and slowly moved ahead dashing with speed down an empty hallway, passing a set of closed doors, and stopped.

The sign read: CHAPEL.

I entered with a grin and swung around, closing the double doors, spinning to a wall of glass windows. There were numerous sky ships over the city. I moved ahead and ran to the electronic box underneath the plasma stand, sliding on my knees in the silk dress, reaching and lifting a screwdriver from the bottom shelf.

I fiddled with the wires using a small screwdriver.

The Starrtus star ships possessed the ability to beam matter from the ground to up the air one thing at a time. However, the ability of beaming a human was both fragile and dangerous.

Inside my first Tangent run, the bulls were beamed one bull at a time down to that specific facee, including the precious tiny litter of kittens. They were beamed one kitten at a time, since the size did not matter.

The matter did the mattering.

If you beam two things at the same time, and the guts, blood, and bone will fuse together, creating a single entity that was usually barely alive and quietly dies. Plus, the human brain patterns were more complex than a mammal, thus an accident will cause permanent damage or death to the human, too.

Jacidee took a big chance, beaming down from the ship into the second facee of Pox to kill Gloriette.

Each ship carried a colored flag of the original Sine, since a Playtus family unit was identified by a theme color.

My triangle showed the emerald green on the letters.

Ametheta was red.

Sechar was royal blue.

Jacidee was orange.

Neekim was pink.

I tapped on the electronics, picking out the orange flagged ship where Prewitt was transported down to the frozen snow, but his challenger was there waiting also.

I was offered to lounge in my sky ship during my voyage but opted to stay inside the cabin.

Currently, the belle Sines were more precious than royal princesses.

The surviving five beau Sines will marry and live happily ever after. Therefore, each Starrtus star ship was on stand-by to beam us away, if something happened. Unlike the first Tangent run, where both belles and beaus were enduring both the stress and test of TRIG, thus many belles both failed and died.

I slammed the control panel, creating a beam cylinder as it materialized in the middle of the empty chapel. I stood and pranced with a smile into the light and closed my eyelashes, hugging my body.

The beam out also made a body sick with nausea.

Inside the orange colored sky ship for Prewitt within the beam room, I blinked my eyelashes, standing in the beam room all alone and lonely.

The DOBs also piloted the star ship, monitored the facees, and guarded no persons.

I was not familiar with the exact layout of the sky ship, but I knew every functioning electronic part of the ship. The electronic components were built on Playtus, sold, and shipped to Starrtus for construction.

The mama of Gloriette required her daughter to understand the electronic world of Playtus.

The beam room components stayed heated and had to be housed in the middle of the ship. The cockpit was located on the right side of the beam room. The engine room was located on the left side of the beam room.

The engine room components were housed in the rear of the ship as the components were extremely hot and volatile with drifts of burning steam. The middle section of the star held a few sleep rooms and one eating room for guests, since a DOB did not eat or sleep.

I moved out the beam room, turning and moving down an empty hallway, passing the open archway of the cockpit, where three DOBs were working.

The robots monitored the plasmas too. A DOB had to be specifically programmed for guard duty. The Madam DOB-32 dummy operational bodies were the pilots and the navigators and not a guard or a servant robot.

I turned the wall corner, moving down another empty hallway, passing the eating room, a sleep room which was empty, and a second sleep room, empty.

And I heard a sound and stopped, slamming my body against the wall, slowly pee-a-booing around an open archway.

Beau Taris was there.

His Sine was killed by belle Ametheta during the belle Cosine run, since she wanted to marry Unakite instead of Taris.

Unakite was a cute, big, bossy red headed cowboy. He and tall bossy Ametheta fit so well together in a dual of matching personalities.

But Ametheta loved Pox, so she had sent little pre-teen Neekim to kill Gloriette, thus Pox would have become engaged and widowed too. Then Ametheta could become un-engaged to Unakite, and marry Pox.

However, I killed Neekim and survived Cosine.

Vrain will win Tangent, marrying his soul mate Sechar.

Dugway loved his Sine Custar, winning Tangent and marrying her, eventually.

Taris was engaged and widowed, thus he could marry any un-engaged belle in TRIG. If beau Taris killed both beau Prewitt and beau Pox, then he would marry me.

However, I did not desire to marry Taris. I loved Prewitt and desired to marry him and not Pox, either.

I moved ahead and slid back down to the eating room, entering and shuffling to the eating counter. I stood in front of the water fountain, grabbing two small drinking cups, punching the button with my elbow.

The cold water flowed down into the two drinking cups.

I smirked, feeling mischievous-deathness.

The water stopped.

I turned and moved out the eating room, carrying two drinking cups of water in each hand, moving down an empty hallway to the engine room, and stopped, entering through the open archway of the engine room.

I stood in front of the roaring engines, hearing the sound, moving the cup in my right hand to the metal component.

The man-made chemical polonium slowly drops and leaks down to the floor from the roaring engines by a series of very tiny droplets. A single gram could be absorbed into the outer surface of human skin, entering through the body and killed you dead with a set of intense alpha particle radiation, since polonium was both odorless and colorless.

The single drop of polonium blended very well in my second cup of cold drinking water in my right palm.

A sheet of paper or even your skin could stop the deadly molecular outside the outer body but not inside a delicate biological organ. The chemical quickly absorbed and ate away the stomach lining first, then the liver second, and finally the heart valves last.

I swung around from the engines, moving out the archway of the engine room, slowly moving down an empty hallway to the sleeping room. I carried two cups of the cold water in each hand, stopping at the open archway with a grin.

Taris stopped swinging his hunting knife, turning with a smile to see Gloriette.

I entered with a grin and a wink, extending my right hand with the drinking cup of polonium. "Hey there, honey. I bet you're really thirsty from your exercise activity."

Taris looked down with a sour frown to see the water in the cup and back up with the sour frown to see her. "Didn't know that belles were allowed on the sky ships?"

I nodded with a smile. "Only in the company of a winning beau of Tangent."

He grinned with a wink, reaching and touching the drinking cup. "I will kill Prewitt and we get be married, today."

I reached and touched his shiny knife with a grin and a nod. "I believe ya. You're young and strong. Prewitt's old and weak, kinda outta of his prime. But you're fresh and new like a spring blossom." I looked up with a smile to see the bottom of the drinking cup.

Taris tilted his skull backward and drained the cup with a great sigh, looked down with a wink and a smile to Gloriette. "The water's refreshing. Thanks." He handed the cup back to her.

I smiled. "Well I'll let ya finish your workout, before your time comes to depose of Prewitt."

Taris back stepped, twirling his knife with both hands, nodding with a wink to Gloriette.

I back stepped with a wicked grin out of his sleep room, sliding near the wall, waiting in the hallway.

Madam DOB hovered, flying above the floor, moving and blocking his archway, ignoring the roaming belle, and droned to him. "Cosine Taris, you are required in the beam room now."

He nodded, moving and strutting out the door, following behind the DOB to the beam room

I slowly swung around, dragging behind DOB too.

Madam DOB turned to the opposite side, returning to its monitoring duty of all the facees and the air orbit of the sky ship.

I stopped and stood in archway of the beam room with a smile.

Taris had collapsed down and rested on top of the beam pad with a series of shallow breathing.

I strolled to his position, squatting and stealing his cell, stood and turned, moving to the beam-in room console, and stopped.

I pressed the button, seeing that Taris disappeared from the beam pad.

I back stepped and strolled to the one of the empty beam pads, and pressed his cell which had traced his location inside the facee.

And then I disappeared down inside the facee of Jacidee too.

Facee of Jacidee

I performed a beam-in and landed on top of the manicured grass, standing next to a fallen Taris, and squatted. I touched his neck with a smirk, standing and scanning with a smile for Prewitt. He was running in the far distance with his arms opened after seeing Gloriette.

I giggled and ran to him with my arms bowed also.

He slowed his pace, turning and scanning the woodlands, the manicured grass, the house, and finally to see Gloriette, saying with a smile and a nod. "Hey, Scarlette. I like your ole Bama plantation home. Is supper ready? I'm staring like a stray puppy." He wore a blood stained shirt, a pair of faded and more ripped jeans, and a pair of mud covered cowboy boots.

I parked both my hands on my hips, saying with a sour frown and a serious tone. "Why didn't you call Cosine for me, Prewitt? We could be together..."

He moved ahead and hugged her without a kiss, since they both tasted like sour grapes, saying with a smile and a nod. "I love you. I'd have had to kill Pox..."

"I..." frowned at him, thinking that I had to kill Jacidee to stay in TRIG to marry either Pox or Prewitt. I felt numbness-betrayed.

"The Cosines will eliminate Pox for me. I could get hurt or bloody or..."

"I..." frowned at him, thinking that I had to kill Neekim in Cosine to stay the Sine of Pox. So Pox could call un-engage, and then I could marry Prewitt.

"One of three cosines will get Pox. And you'll be just like me engaged but widowed."

I tilted my skull with a frown. "Are you really widowed?"

Prewitt swung and led her to the porch of the antebellum house, saying with a grin and a nod. "After you, four left the auditorium, beau Tohatci called Cosine on Unakite. Unakite started a fist fight in front of the princess. Me and Vrain had to shove his fanny to the sky ship. He wanted to finish Tangent right there rather quickly." He laughed, walking up the steps and sitting on the front porch swing.

I sat in the porch swing with Prewitt, holding his hands, shaking my curls. "I don't understand any of this TRIG-thing. I thought that Pox would call un-engage today at the morning ceremony in the auditorium. I thought that's why we all were wearing these itchy dresses and the pretty arm flowers. And I thought that we would have been getting married on Mount Starrtus like Princess Phillipina said. Isn't that all true?"

Prewitt turned with a sour frown. "Naw, darling, your mama should have updated your brain, sweetheart. Each belle runs through Tangent and Cosine first. And then each surviving belle is presented pretty, like you, with both flowers and fluff. You look really beautiful and smell sweet like flowers, Gloriette." He released her hands.

"Thanks!" I looked down and played with the ruffles on the dress.

He lifted his arm, pointing to his triangle. "I have only the letter B for 'beau.' You have both letters A and B for a belle and a beau. When Pox is gone, you will only have the letter A. And babe, the points of A and B lead to..."

"...marriage," I giggled with a smile.

He winked. "Me and you, babe."

"If Pox survives, I survive."

"You're a fighter like Pox. Pox is a fighter like you. If Pox survives, then he calls un-engage. You win this TRIG-thing either way, honey."

I smiled, "I like," and I frowned, "Actually I don't like any of this TRIG-death-thing. I hope Pox survives then he could call un-engage. We all three can be happy."

Prewitt shook his skull, saying with a sour frown. "And you would let Pox live the rest of his life without a bride, a baby, or a family. Man. That's harsh, doll. I would really die and face a life without a cute companion like you or an ugly witch like Ametheta..."

"Ameaniethere," I smiled. Prewitt chuckled. I looked down and viewed my gloves. "Natoma." I looked up to see him. "A few of the belles felt the same way, when Phillipina called Cosine. They had lost their soul mates in the tidal wave at the beach, and tried to grab another one for love, baby, and family. Are you upset about losing your soul mate and TRIG fiancé Jacidee?"

He exhaled with a puff of frustration, looking over to see porch. "She was perfectly paired by TRIG to me." He turned with as sour frown to see Gloriette. "But you can't stop a human flaw. I didn't know Pox was a wealthy farmer..."

"He is a..."

He nodded. "I understand Playtus. The entire family unit lives in a tiny apartment and not on a landscaped home ranch."

I nodded. "Our home is a building that's big, ugly steel with lots of glass windows. The grass and flowers are dead, because the toxic runoff of the metal remnants from the electronics. No one lives outside but the maggots."

"I live in sunshine, air, and opened space. I couldn't survive like that in a crowded city."

I turned and looked down at the pretty wildflowers in the ground. "I don't think about it. I just live there." I turned and viewed the historical antebellum house, the manicured lawn, the pretty flower gardens, and the miles of white cotton plants, exhaling with a puff of frustration, and turned with a smile to see him. "But I can learn to love in the openness of farm land or the prettiness of snow and ice along with fresh air and sunshine."

"Will you miss Playtus? Since, I don't really plan to visit there unless my bride wants too for a short trip."

I shook my curls with a smile. "Never. I'm sick of Playtus. My mama bosses me around. She actually had nerve to suggest that my child get married and produce a child at seventeen years old, exhibiting a sixth generation of Faywood."

He frowned. "Sixth?"

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "The Playtus females marry very, very, very young."

He smiled. "Well, sweetheart, we're the right age for planning our family on Gambo."

I touched him. "What happened to your shirt?"

He rubbed at some of the pink bloody slashes on both his arms and stood, releasing the hip hostler with two hands guns, three knives, and four darts, dropping it in the chair. "I robbed a moving train on horseback, stealing the gold. And I fought with a sword against a batch of sorry villagers and burned the huts," he turned and viewed the house. "Now, I guess that I'm a soldier stealing the cotton bales, plus the mistress of the house. You popped into the right facee, babe."

"I somehow did." I stood with an evil grin, moving down the steps to beau Taris. "Teens die by teens. I don't want my future un-born child to endure this TRIG-death-thing."

Prewitt rushed and moved down the stairs with a nod and a frown, pulling up beside her. "I feel the same way. There's a bloc of farmers, who are working hard to figure out how to eliminate TRIG and the implant process."

I stomped across the grass, holding up my dress hem. "Ya don't eliminate it. Ya destroy TRIG. TRIG is a computer linked to our embedded implants. First. No newborn baby will receive any new computerized implant. That takes care of that. Done. And..."

He frowned, "And, how will my son meet his future soul mate?"

I frowned. "Your son? I might birth a daughter."

He hugged her. "A son or daughter is fine with me."

I said. "If I birth a daughter, and I'm obligated to live on Playtus."

"Buck the TRIG laws. We got married. We live on Gambo. We raise our son in sunshine, openness, and fairness. I don't want my child involved in TRIG, either. But how will he or she meet a mate?"

I stopped and stared down with a grin to Taris. "The old fashion way by dating and kissing by which we could not do due to our implants."

He frowned at Taris. "What's wrong with him?"

I smirked. "I give him a cup of polonium water."

He turned to see the nose profile of Gloriette. "Polonium, the 'ium' represents a man-made chemical of some type. We don't use man-made chemicals on our natural crops for food or plants."

"A chemical run-off, that's a by-product of any sky ship's engine."

Prewitt looked up to see the sky and the sky ships, looking down to see her. "You? You didn't?"

I smirked. "I did it for you, Prewitt. Could you have handled beau Taris plus the other three facees alone without some aid? Taris is young and fresh for the deadly fight. You're worn and tired. I could smell your blood and sweat."

He looked down with a sour frown to see Taris, shaking his skull, looking up to see. "I...think."

I frowned, "You think?"

Prewitt back stepped with a sour frown from her. "I mean..."

I back stepped with a puzzled brow from him. "You mean? You could've murdered him, like I had to murder Jacidee and Neekim. Neekim was twelve years old. She had to die, Prewitt. Or I'd be alone for the rest of my days without a baby or a beau. I wanna get married. I wanna leave here today. I wanna start my new life of marriage with you on Gambo or on Playtus or even on Starrtus, if we must live here. I think there's more to TRIG than..."

"...death." Pox squatted, touching his neck, exhaling with a huff of worry. "He's almost dead."

"Barely breathes," I looked down with a smirk and a nod at beau Taris.

He said with a sour tone. "Why's he barely breathing?"

"Polonium attacks the heart and lungs."

"I gotta finish him."

I frowned. "Naw, the polonium will finish him in a few more minutes. He's suffocating to death. He's brain dead already. The body will expire in a few more minutes."

"Brain dead?" Prewitt stood, looking down with a sour frown to see Taris and back to her. "Why did ya do this?"

"I..."

He shook his skull. "I don't understand you, Gloriette. This is my facee. This is my Tangent run. I am the one..."

"I..."

He exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Well it is done, now. I'll leave him and exit the facee. You should beam-out, before you're discovered."

I shook my curls. "Cosine does not..."

"How were you able to beam-in with Taris? I thought the beam room only allowed one being at a time." He looked down to see Taris.

I smirked. "I drugged Taris first, and performed a beam-in down here next. We both could not beam-in inside the facee without sounding the alarms." I looked up to see the sky. "You could not see the outside world from a facee. You will come directly into the log cabin on Mount Starrtus, after completing your Tangent run."

Prewitt stared at Taris. "You should beam-out, before Taris dies."

I back stepped with a sour frown. "Is that it?" I felt sad-anxiousness.

He stared at Taris. "You should leave the facee, Gloriette."

"Is that it, Prewitt?" I felt angry-worriment.

He stared at Taris. "You should leave, now."

"Is that all from you, Prewitt?" I felt furious-bitterness.

He stared at Taris. "You should beam-out."

I frowned. "Is that it?" I felt furious-sadness.

Prewitt viewed Taris. "Now."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, and pressed the cell of Taris as a beam of light appeared. I moved ahead and entered the light, landing in an empty beam room on the sky ship.

The DOBs were busy with flying the sky ship in a circle around Mount Starrtus.

Inside the orange colored sky ship for Prewitt within the beam room, I exhaled with a puff of frustration and moved off the beam pad to the beam room console, scanning the activity visual monitor.

Pox was fighting with Zoar in one of the facees. He wore blood on his face, his arms, and his chest, displaying a torn T-shirt, missing his sports jacket. He leaped away from the sword in the hands of Zoar.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and turned to the wall. I did not want Pox to die, feeling guiltiness-sadness.

Pox was fighting for me as his Sine. He could have refused the Cosine and walked away.

I had learned that tidbit of datum from Custar yesterday as she was similar to me and decided to fight for a mate and a marriage. I felt stupid-dumbness.

And Pox fought for his own life inside the six facees, facing three other males.

I opined for Prewitt.

Prewitt fought only with the rest of pretend facees, receiving victory, most assuredly.

I felt furious-bitterness.

I moved around the monitor for a second time.

Pox was fighting inside the fourth facee with Zoar. There were two more facees left which included the death dance with big and tough Enon.

I feel brutal-angriness.

Prewitt didn't appreciate my inventive method of disposing of Taris, but the method was both humane and quick instead of using a gun or a knife or one's blood.

Pox seemed comfortable with the weapon, but he currently was competing with a tall stronger male. Enon was another tall stronger male. Pox would not survive the second fight inside the next facee. He would die like Prewitt predicted.

I would be engaged and widowed like Prewitt said. And Prewitt and I would marry at Mount Starrtus, living happily ever after.

I feel happiness-selfishness.

I moved ahead and then stood in front of the beam room controls, pressing a button, and walked to the beam pad, performing a beam-out of the sky ship of Prewitt.

I felt joyous-victorious.

Inside the green colored sky ship for Pox within the beam room, I landed inside another beam room, finding space empty, moving off the beam pad, and stopped in the archway. I looked to the left and then the right, seeing Madam DOB.

Madam DOB hovered over the floor, landing and blinking its metal parts, and stopping, droning to the belle. "Sine Gloriette, welcome aboard. May I escort you to the lounge room?"

I smiled, shaking my curls and my dress. I was the Sine of Pox. The DOB recognized my TRIG status, desiring to accommodate my guest wants. "No thanks. I remember the way. Carry on."

Madam DOB lifted and hovered, moving away from the belle.

I turned and moved down an empty hallway, walking passed eating room to the sleep room, and stopped, peek-a-booing into an open archway.

He lunged on one knee with a nasty looking double-sided hatchet, twirling it around with a growling laugh.

I back stepped, sliding to the wall, viewing an empty hallway, and heard.

DOB and her motors purred coming around the wall corner.

I moved down to the other end of the hallway around the wall corner, hearing.

DOB hovered and moved ahead, stopping, standing at the opened door and then droned. "Cosine Enon, you are to beam-out from the sky ship in ten point four seconds. Please start your strut to the beam-room now."

Enon yelled. "Shore, Madam DOB. Thanks for the info."

I leaned against the cool metal, feeling an indentation in my fluffy dress, looking down to see a large feline cat, and squatted, lifting up with the cat in my gloves, hearing its happy purr.

Since the ancient times of 9500 BC, cats had ridden on ships of both sea and sky. They were carried on board the deck for good luck.

If a cat approached you, you were truly blessed. However, if a cat strolled half-way down the hallway to you, then turned back, running the other way, you were totally doomed.

I posed against the wall, patting the cat, hearing its purr.

Enon moved out his sleep room, walking down an empty hallway, and turned the wall corner, stopping, looking down with a smirk of his tallness, darkness, and ugliness to see Gloriette.

I looked up with a smile to see his smirk.

He reached and patted the cat as the cat sounded with a meow from his sensitive touch with animals, leaning to her face. "I don't like ya, Gloriette."

I frowned. "I don't like you, either, Enon."

He smirked. "That's why I challenged Pox in Cosine. I be strong. He be weak. He will lose. I will win. And me and you get married. I have a big cotton farm on Gambo. I need pickers to harvest the cotton. You're a tall strong girl. You like my other big girls."

I gasped. "What other girls?" I felt frightened-confusion.

The cat sounded with a meow from my hands squeezing it too tightly.

Enon laughed, patting the cat. "You shall see soonest." He tried to kiss her cheekbone.

I jerked back, hitting the metal wall.

He chuckled and swung around, moving to the beam room.

I stomped my foot with annoyance, moving, and followed behind him with the cat purrs in my arms. I felt genius-innovative.

Enon moved ahead and entered the beam room, standing and twisted to face Gloriette on top of the bean-pad. I entered the beam room, moving and standing at the edge of the bean-pad, smiling at him.

He grunted with a wicked grin to her.

The beam controls were automatically set by DOB for a beam-out into one of the assigned facees of Pox. Or Enon would miss his chance at killing Pox.

I felt furious-bitterness with Enon and Pox fighting inside my facee.

The beam-machine droned. "Four. Three. Two..."

I launched the cat in the air from my gloves as Enon automatically extended both his arms to the retrieval the flying and hissing animal.

The beam-machine droned. "One. Beam-out."

I felt wickedness-victorious.

I turned and raced to the beam room counter, looking down at the beam room monitor.

Enon landed down and stood on his two boot soles, gingerly touching the lump of blood, fur, and guts, covering his bloody chest.

The cat and he had fused their DNA cells together during the beam-in inside the facee.

Only one entity could beam-in inside a facee, unless the entity willingly took the risk of a fusion between two life forms.

Enon looked up with a sour frown to see Pox.

Pox stepped forward with his mouth open in silence.

Enon fell sideways over the sandy beach, kicking his legs, wheezing his last breath, and stilled. Dead.

Pox reached down and jerked the double-axe weapon from the hand of Enon, lifting it up and twirling it in the air, and raised the double-axe over his hair roots, dropping it and chopping off the skull of Enon to ensure a real death.

Inside the green colored sky ship for Pox, within the beam room, I reached and pressed the button for my beam-out, feeling joyous-happiness.

On top of Mount Starrtus inside the chapel interior, I landed down on top of the smooth tile, hearing a pair of faint voices from the outer hallway of the log cabin. I moved ahead and glided to the tall podium, ducking out of sight from the visitors to the chapel now.

Unakite said. "Found it, darling. Come on in here, Ametheta. I found the chapel. We got married here today after all other the wussies come back from their facee fist fights." He moved ahead and stood in the archway, grabbing and kissing her face, and pulled with a goofy grin. "Hmm. You always taste like sweet cinnamon to me. Do you bake, darling? I like cinnamon rolls with gooey heated icing for breakfast."

"No." Ametheta frowned and stood next to Unakite, scanning the room for Gloriette.

"Do you mend clothing, darling? I tear my shirts from fixing the plows."

"No."

He cuddled her, sweet breathing into her cheekbone. "Hmm, I like kissing ya, darling. No matter. I do them things, good. You're so pretty and proper, baby. I be a lucky man in TRIG. My daddy got a pretty girl, too. My mama was both pretty and proper like you, babe. So's, I be getting some tough maids to help ya around the ranch. I got a big cow ranch."

I giggled, covering my mouth with my glove.

Unakite and Ametheta were the most oppositely paired couple by TRIG. Unakite was big, bossy, and fun while Ametheta was tall, beauty, and non-fun.

I felt excitement-humorous.

"No." Ametheta jerked from his tender hugged, entering and moving around the room with a smirk. "Where, o' where is Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta hiding? Gloriet...ta, come out and play or pray, or party?" She giggled.

I fiddled with the electronics and the plasma blinked into life, standing and moving in front of the large plasma, and pointed with a smirk to the screen. "I get it working. See, Tangent run in progress."

Unakite moved ahead and stood beside Gloriette, pointing with a grin and a nod to the dot. "There's Pox's color dot in green. He bested with both Zoar and Enon. I am impressed. Enon's a mean rattlesnake. Actually, I think the rattler stays away from Enon's farm, livestock, and pond," chuckling.

I turned with a frown to see the nose profile of Unakite. "How do you know that he got the best of both Zoar and Enon? He runs to fight with another facee." I felt joyous-releasement.

He moved ahead and grabbed Ametheta, hugging and kissing her cheekbone, and pulled back with a goofy grin. "I creamed Tohatci good too. He wanted you, baby. But you be my girl now and forever."

"Joy." Ametheta frowned, struggling to get free from Unakite's biceps.

Unakite smiled at his Sine. "Inside the last facee, you don't fight with the sixth facee, because the exit door leads to the mountain's log cabin." He cuddled Ametheta as she frowned. "You might harm my girl here. And I might have to harm ya back," he smiled to Ametheta, turning around, dragging her across the tile, and said with a nod and a grin. "We go back to the cabin, waiting for Pox. The others are there too. Come on, Gloriette. Pox'll be there, wanting to greet ya."

Ametheta turned and smirked to Gloriette. "Yes. I do not want to miss Pox's or Prewitt's grand entrance from Tangent. Right, Gloriette?"

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, moving and following behind them, feeling mixed confusion.

Inside the cabin room, I entered the room, standing in the archway.

Prewitt stood in the wall corner with his crossed arms, wearing a sour puss face minus his real weapons, and saw Gloriette, turning to see the outside snow through the glass window.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking my curls, walking to an empty sofa.

Unakite led Ametheta to an empty sofa, sitting and cuddling her.

Pox smashed through an invisible door and landed on the flooring, wheezing and bleeding, and tried to stand, falling back down on his kneecaps.

I dashed to Pox, squatting and patting on the torn jacket and a bloody arm.

Pox flipped around and sat cross legged, showing off his red bloody slashes and his black bruises which covered his face and upper torso, and said with a grin to her. "Ah, love. You're here to greet me. Gloriette, you're so beautiful to witness, now. That wasn't fun. I have a new respect for ya, love."

I smiled. "Thank you." Pox hugged her, trying to stand again. I stood and assisted him upright.

We turned and moved to an empty sofa.

I turned with a sour frown to see the rear skull of Prewitt.

Phillipina moved ahead and entered through archway with a stern face and a serious tone, looking to each teen. "Congratulations, Sines."

"You should consider dropping the Cosine-thing. They don't survive the run." Unakite chuckled and kissed on Ametheta as she frowned and struggled in his biceps.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "I will pass that valuable piece of information along to TRIG. Within the law of TRIG, each Sine couple takes a traditional sledge ride around my city of Starrtus. Actually, the ride allows us to decorate the chapel for the weddings, tonight. There will four individual ceremonies. After the weddings, each couple will..."

Unakite stood, dragging Ametheta up even with his shoulder, and cuddled her with a stern face and a nod. "Go back home to Gambo. I ain't staying here anymore. Right, Prewitt?"

Prewitt turned with a stern face to see Dugway. "Right, Dugway?"

Dugway turned with a stern face to Vrain. "Right, Vrain. We all wanna go back to Gambo. So let's get this marriage done right now."

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "The food is being served down the hallway."

Unakite moved ahead with a smile and a nod, grabbing and dragging the hand of Ametheta to the archway. "First, let's eat. Second, let's get married. Third, we go back home to Gambo." They left the room.

Sechar and Vrain, and Custar and Dugway followed behind Unakite and Ametheta. Prewitt stood in the wall corner, viewing Gloriette and twisted around to the window again, avoiding her eye contact.

I frowned, viewing Prewitt, and turned to see Pox.

Pox touched and probed his bruises, saying with a grin. "I'm so appreciative of you, Gloriette. You did the same run and the same thing. That run's brutal and deadly."

I smiled, feeling numbness too, after my run. "Yeah."

"We are really made for each other." He looked up with a smile to see her face.

Phillipina stared with a worried brow at Pox. "Are you able to function from your injuries, Pox?" He looked up with a nod and a grin to his mother. She said with a stern face and a serious tone. "The food will be there throughout the night. Take your time, Sines."

I looked up and nodded to her. "Yes, princess."

Phillipina turned and left the room.

Pox exhaled with a puff of frustration, touching his wounds. "Man, I'm beat." He looked up with a smile to her. "I'm so glad that I don't have run that every year to prove my eternal love to ya, Gloriette," chuckling.

I smiled. "It would be rather amusing to become physically demanding at the age of ninety-two..."

"Ninety-two?"

"Playtusians live to be over ninety years old."

Pox shook his curls. "I didn't know that particular information about the city of Playtus. Thanks for the update. Poor, Enon. He wouldn't live to be nineteen. I cannot believe that boy to be that stupid. Everyone knows that two beings cannot beam-in to anywhere without a malfunction of numerous DNA cells. Well I've been very blessed. Believe me. I was tired, sore, bloody, and hunger."

I leaned over with a giggle and a grin to him. "I don't believe that Enon was all that stupid. Unakite says he was meaner than a rattler. Enon was both mean and rude from a standard of cowboy material."

Pox turned and frowned to her. "I concur. He wasn't good marrying material, either."

"No marrying material at all. He lacked both country charm and city slick sophistication."

"How did you come to understood Enon's weaknesses?"

"...and his bad breath."

"How did you come to smell his breathe?" Pox turned with a puzzled brow to see her smile. "How did Enon come to wear a cat on his chest?"

"Cats are common on sky ships for luck. I do believe."

"How do you know that two entities could not beam-in at one time?"

"I'm an electronic programmer on Playtus. I know all kinds of stuff, good, and evil."

Pox leaned over and kissed her lips, pulling back with a smile. "A warrior's reward. You taste like peppermint candy to me."

"You taste like apple sauce."

"I cannot believe you're here for me."

"Yeah, baby."

"I cannot believe you stayed here for me."

"Yeah, babe."

"I feel so many emotions including happiness, relief, sadness, satisfaction, unbelievable and joyous."

I grinned. "Yo, boy!"

"Me and you understood each other." He looked down and viewed his blood-stained hands. "I have never met someone like you, Gloriette."

"TRIG paired us good." I bumped his shoulder with a grin and a giggle.

"We are paired excellent. We are so similar strong, stubborn..."

"A son of a gun needs an equal lady," I smiled to his nose profile.

"Yo, babe." He looked up and kissed her again.

I felt awesome-happiness. "Yo, too." I smiled.

He struggled to stand with his wounds and his torn clothing, so I stood, offering my hands, my arms, and my shoulder for assistance. He leaned to her shoulder.

We turned and moved out the room and down an empty hallway.

He said. "Let's get us some food and eat outside under the covered balcony. The scenery is beautiful like you. And we take our sleigh ride through the snow." He leaned over and kissed her cheekbone. "And we'll end back here for the wedding inside the chapel."

I stopped and gasped, turning with a confused brow to see his face. "Do you really and honestly want to marry me, Pox?"

He smiled and hugged her. "Yo, babe, I wanna marry a person like me."

"Yo, baby." I moved ahead with a bright smile and a nod with him to the eating-room.

Inside the mechanical reindeer-and-carriage transport, we had finished our meal, leaving the eating room, moving outside to the side veranda which held a row of mechanical reindeer-and-carriage vehicles to explore the frozen landscape of Starrtus.

Pox cuddled and escorted Gloriette to the carriage, assisting her inside the single bench. He fuzzed with the blanket over her body, and climbed inside, scooting next to her.

He pressed the button.

The carriage with the four mechanical reindeer lifted and hovered over the packed snow.

He pressed a second button.

The heat blasted our faces from the heated vent, since the carriage was topless to feel the frozen landscape of Starrtus.

He pressed a third button.

The transport launched and sped over the top of the pack snow, leaving a trail of melting snow flakes in the air from the log cabin.

I smiled, scanning the mountain snow caps in the far distance. "Phillipina told us about the traditional sledge ride over the snow and ice before the wedding on our first day of TRIG. Why is this so important? It's cold." I pulled the blanket up to my chin, wearing a fur coat and a pair of gloves over my entire body but my face and my ears.

He wrapped an arm and cuddled her, pointed to the mountains with a free hand. "It is so cold here that the ice splits, shooting up from the ocean water and refreezes within 3.8 seconds." He released her, reaching and grabbing a pair of binoculars, and lifted, covering his naked eyeballs, viewing the snowy scenery.

The mechanic reindeer and carriage automatically guided over the packed snow and shiny ice to a specific spot that had been pre-selected by Pox.

Pox said, wearing the binoculars. "I never understood why girl babies live on Playtus and the male babies live on Gambo."

I said with a smile and a nod at the far distance snow caps of mountains. "TRIG created the process. And the process selected where a baby lives, grows up, and dies all in that order."

He wore the binoculars. "What do all the daddies said living on Playtus? I heard it's rather hot and ugly city on the world."

I frowned. "Daddies don't say about it. They come and live on Playtus."

"What's your daddy like?"

I looked down to see my gloves. "My daddy died when I was a child."

He dropped the binoculars and turned with a sad face to see her hair roots. "I am sorry. What's your granddaddy like? Jolly? Holly? Mean? Old?"

"My granddaddy died too."

He frowned. "I am sorry too. You mentioned there exists four generations of women. Are there any generations of men?"

"Not in my family..."

"Is there another predominant family on Playtus with daddies, grandfathers, great grandfathers or males? What's their theme color?"

I frowned. "I don't recall any fathers or grandfathers or great grandfathers along my city street. I live in Building Two with my family."

"I have noted that too. The buildings were numbered. Some of the belles were citing their particular digit also. This seems to very important for you, belles."

I frowned. "It's just a number. I live in Building Two. There's a slightly higher structure in front of my pavement."

"Pavement?"

I frowned. "There isn't a lot of grass, flowers, or trees on Playtus. Since the chemicals kill the ground cover."

"Who's the family in Building One, if you live in Building Two?"

I frowned. "I don't know."

He dropped his mouth. "You didn't know your neighbor in Building One. How about your neighbor in Building Three which is behind your block? Is that correct?"

I shook my curls. "The buildings are very high and wide. Building One takes up four city blocks. My building is very high and wide too. I don't know my neighbors in the buildings before or after my block, but upon returning home I'll go and knock on their entrance doorway. How's that, dear?" I turned with a smile to see him.

He frowned. "I learned at a very young age that the number one is the highest designation in the math system. In reality, the number one is also assigned for the highest designation of something. Don't you believe that the family in Building One is more important on Playtus than the folks in Building Two?"

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Well if you use that logic, since I use lots of logic in my electronic homework, then Building One would be first-ness of importance. However, I do believe that the unknown but probably friendly folks inside Building One are one of the first family units of Playtus. My family has been there for four generations and counting forward. When I have a baby there will be five generations of Faywood."

He frowned. "You express the citizenship in terms of generations. So I would believe that all the citizens of Playtus would house a daughter, her mama, her grandmother, and her great grandmother in each building."

I shook my curls. "Naw, I am special, slick. Not all family units have a great grandmother. That's a rare blood-kin within the family unit..."

"Which has a specific theme color too? Your theme color is emerald green. Neekim's family had the theme color of magnetic pink. Custar's family theme color is a royal blue."

"Your quick, slick."

"And each theme color is assigned to a building number too. Neekim lived in Building Seven. Custar lives in Building Four. You live in Building Two."

"Yeah, I have lived in Building Two my entire existence. So I guess that's significant of me and my family and my color in my city."

He smiled. "You are like some type of royal on Playtus, right, love?"

I smiled. "I guess I'm sorta like a royal family. I do live in Building Two, the closest structure to the number one. But I do wonder who lives in Building One. I bet my mama would know them."

He frowned. "Not very social, are the Playtusians?"

"We're very, very social when we attend social functions like..."

"A dance? A picnic? A party? A wedding?"

"A birth, I attended the birthday of a newborn girl. The new mama wore the color of baby blue." I smiled. "The theme color is only a social status for the elderly belles. Once a girl is married she dresses the theme color to distinguish her from..."

"Prestige? Privilege? Prejudice?"

"No. It's a fun way to exhibit your family. Every family participates for fun and enjoyment. Didn't you notice each one of the belles?"

"Yes, I noted the different range of colors from blue to pink to yellow even the DOB was colored in the similar family theme for each girl from Playtus."

"Family ID society maker," I smiled.

He said with a sour tone. "The theme has its own label."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't think about our color theme and such."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm busy with my homework assignments. Where's your farm on Gambo?"

He turned and placed the binoculars to his face, viewing the snowy scenery again. "How you ever traveled to Gambo?"

"Naw, no reason."

"Northwest portion. Do you have family members there?"

"Naw. What do you grow there?"

"Food."

"All farmers grow food or raise animals. If we have a boy he'll love the trees and horses. We could build him a tree house for make believe playtime. Prewitt has horses. Do you have horses too, Pox?"

He wore the binoculars. "When we marry and have a child, the child will live here on Starrtus. I like the openness and beauty. Didn't you, Gloriette?"

"Naw. A girl lives in the city of Playtus. A boy lives on Gambo."

I nodded with a smile. "All the beaus talk about taking their belles back to Gambo after marrying at the chapel tonight. They don't care about TRIG. Talk is talk. Walk is walk. A child lives on a specific city dictated by TRIG. That's it."

Pox wore the binoculars, "Not for me, love. I don't care about TRIG either. We get married. We live here. We have a baby here in the modern medical center. So we will be happy here, too."

"Naw."

Pox said. "Yay."

I shook my curls. "My mama expects me to produce a child for five generations of Faywood. Therefore, we will live in Building Two with five generations for both honor and color. My theme color is emerald green, like the gem stone."

He wore the binoculars. "My name doesn't have Faywood in it, love."

I said with a sour tone. "My name will always have Faywood in it along with my child, too."

He dropped the binoculars, turning with a smile, and kissed her. "We agree. We live here. I love the whiteness, openness, coldness, and crispness of fresh air. The mountain peak gleams like diamonds in the bright sun. The snow flicks like gems on the ground. The ice glitters with rainbow colors." He bumped her fur coat.

I was covered from my skull down to my toes in fur from the freezing temperatures.

He said. "We can make a couple of snow cones with flavored sauces." He leaned over and kissed her pouted lips. "I like tasting your flavor, bestest."

I frowned. "Starrtus is pretty and all. But I like the warm weather."

"Playtus is sizzling hot, not warm."

"I like the red soft soil."

He frowned. "Playtus is white concrete. Is there any red soft soil?"

I cringed with the mental picture. The graveyard held the red soil. I said. "Some of the buildings have a little spot of grass, soil, and a tree or two. I have a tree house in my back yard of Building Two. My grandmother had it built for me when I was three years old. I couldn't enjoy it until I was seven years old. But the lovely thought was deeply appreciated. I use it all the time..."

"...escaping from the sizzling heat and rough pavement. I understood you desire to vacate a world of hotness." He inhaled the fresh air. "I don't escape from Starrtus."

I smirked. "We're escaping in a roaming carriage and reindeer."

He smiled. "This is a mechanic ride to tour the pretty snow and ice. You can walk for miles if properly fitted with the correct hiking gear. But I like feeling the blistering sun and harsh wind on my face."

I ducked my face deeper in the carriage shield, avoiding the biting winds on my exposed cheekbones. "I don't."

"What, love?" He lifted and replaced the binoculars.

I smiled, scanning the faraway snowy mountains. "What are you looking for?"

Pox dropped the binoculars and viewed the southeastern spot with naked eyeballs. "The top point of the world, the center of the North Pole is called the polar ice cap. The polar ice cap is thick, raising a foot from the ice, stays icy all year long forever. It is the smallest and shallowest piece of landed that connects the world's oceans."

"That should be easy to fun," I smiled with a nod.

"In the whiteness of snow?"

"That should be hard to find," I smiled and enjoyed my private time with Pox, my future husband.

"Legend says that it is an underground bubbling stream of pure fresh water for drinking. One can actually drink from the polar cap..."

"...and live forever. Naw."

"...and love forever. Yeah."

"Wow. That's us."

"Yeah. That's us." Pox pressed the button. The mechanical carriage slowed and dropped down to the ice, and halted. He leaned over and cuddled her with both his arms and fur coat, whispering. "Shh, listen."

I narrowed my eyeballs and viewed the packed snow and the frozen landscape of white, hearing.

"Grrrr..."

I opened my eyelashes, scanning side to side the snow. "What's that sound? Is that bear?" I did not see any moving objects or animals in the white snow.

He leaned over to her eardrums. "Growlers. When the ice parts from the land, the ice growls as it moves across the open sea water, because the salt has the heaviest portion here on Starrtus. The salt actually rubs against the smooth ice, making that growling sound." He kissed her exposed cheekbone between her fur coat and her fur hat.

I closed eyelashes, hearing.

"Grrrr...," the ice moved ahead and sounded in the distance.

I smiled. "Cool."

He chuckled. "Naw, cold."

"Cold." I giggled.

He pressed a button.

The mechanic reindeer-and-carriage lifted and soared over the snow, creating heat from the hot metal engines, bombarding the thick ice. When the ice pack cracked open from the heat underneath the metal carriage, the ice broke apart and exposed numerous colorful fish that would jump in the air and of the water for fun.

I laughed at the wonderful event of nature.

He pressed a button.

The carriage slowed again, dropping down over the ice pack, and halted. The engines died.

I scanned with a puzzled brow the snow and the cockpit of the carriage. "Why are we stopping?"

He shuffled around inside the cockpit, pointing to the guidance monitor on the panel. "I found something on the tiny radar screen on the dashboard that I want to explore here now."

I turned with confused brow to see the screen. "Do it later, darling." I looked up to see the sinking sun in the snow. "Are we going to be late for our wedding ceremony?" I smiled with a nod.

"Naw. I want to check out the dot on the radar." He moved ahead and climbed out of the cockpit, slipping on the ice in his boot soles. "Hmm, I feel that the Arctic ice pack is thin here."

"So." I exhaled with a puff of annoyance, sliding into his seat, watching Pox dance over the ice in his boots.

He looked down to the ice with a grin. "That means something is here. The sea ice is affected by both the wind and ocean currents, rotating the ice packs up and down within the ocean stream. We have found the treasure, love." He leaned over and assisted her out of the cockpit carriage, standing with him on top of the ice.

I held onto the metal railing of the carriage with a worried brow. "Or the trap..."

He turned and led over the crunchy ice, stomping his boot on top of the ice. "The ice pack's solid. We can walk to the treasure, love." Pox moved forward with Gloriette slipping and sliding behind him in her boots and her fur coat, and he stopped, squatting and tapping on top of the packed ice with the hammer, examining the tiny opening.

And then the ice cap exploded.

I jumped backward with a scream, running and sliding from Pox, wiping the tiny bugs off the coat. They clung and crawled over my fur coat and to my neck and then on my naked face. I could feel the tiny fangs bite into my gloves that did not break my warm leather. I back stepped with a scream. "Bugs." I felt frightened-anxiousness.

Pox chuckled, looking down into the bubbling ocean water of the small hole. "No, love."

"Bugs. I'm covered in bugs." I felt angry-panic.

He smiled, touching the water with the hammer. Several of the creatures crawled on the metal. "Naw, gunnels. They're harmless unless you're fishies. The eel is twelve inches long with an elongated body. The dorsal fin has small spikes. Its skin is covered in bright greenish-yellow scales with dark red bands around its belly. An olive-green and black stripe extends down from the top of the head down through the eyes and down the cheeks. The pectoral fin is fan-shaped."

I hit at the bugs with both my gloves. "I got bugs on my fur. Ugh. The bugs are attacking the fur. They crawl like ants. They cling like fleas to the fur hairs." I felt fearfulness-scared.

Pox stood and chuckled, tapping his foot on the opening in the air. I slapped at the bugs trying to remove them off the fur and off my face. He said. "No. They think the coldness of the fur hairs is their home. They are called gunnels. They live here among the polar caps. They are really innocent little things. They don't mean ya any hurt, love. I promise."

I slapped the bugs on my fur coat. "Off. Off. Gone. Gone. Help me, Pox." I looked up to see the rear skull of Pox. He laughed and poked down on the polar cap with his boot toe. The gunnels crawled, clung, and clawed over my fur and my face. "Help me, Pox." I felt fearful-worriment.

Pox laughed. "Shake your body side to side. If they don't come off, then roll over the snow. That's their real home, this ice pack of the Starrtus."

I shook my body, side to side, watching them advance to my exposed face. "Help me. I can't get them off of me. Ouch." I touched my face with my glove and pulled my hand, seeing the red stain. "Blood. I'm stinging and itchy." I felt panic-frightened.

Pox frowned, looking down to the polar cap opening, tapping his boot toe around the edge. "A gunnel bite. Very little is known about its life cycle or reproduction of the gunnel, either."

I shook my body, seeing the blood on my gloves, feeling the hot liquid over my cheekbones and my nose. "It stings. Ouch. I feel a bite. Ouch. They're biting me." I felt the aching pain.

Pox poked at the ice. "I have instructed the solution, love. Roll on the snow. Return the gunnels to their home, Gloriette."

I touched my face, drawing back more red stains of blood. "Ugh, I'm bleeding." I scratched the bugs off my cheekbone. "It hurts. It bit me. They're biting me all over my body." I hit the bugs from my face and my fur coat as they leaped out from the opening of the polar cap of water and onto me. I felt frightful-upset.

Pox laughed. "The gunnels have spikes. They don't bite. They sting."

"Ugh. I could not get them off of me." I removed my gloves and unbuttoned the fur coat, tossing the coat on the snow. I exposed my shirt, since I had dumped the dress in favor of closeness with Pox inside the carriage ride. I felt frightful-panic.

Pox turned with a gasp and a worried brow, yelling and running to her. "No. Your skin's exposed to the ice elements. You'll die, Gloriette."

He stopped and pulled her into his fur coat, lifting her to his chest, toting her to the carriage, and slid Gloriette into her seat. He entered the cockpit, pulling off his fur coat, landing it on top of her, and pressed the button.

The top of the carriage moved ahead and closed the roof top.

The bug bites continued to sting my body. I felt panic-afraid, sobbing with my tears and my fear, cuddling into my seat with his fur coat, closing my eyelashes with pain.

He pressed the button.

Pox said. "I increased the heating element. The hotness inside the carriage will attack and kill the rest of the gunnels. Why didn't you wear the puffy gown? I didn't notice that you were missing the puffy gown. The gown would've protected ya from the gunnels."

I could feel the intense heat in the air and around my face, arms, and chest.

Pox pulled off his sports jacket, sweating from the extra heated air molecules, resting the jacket over his fur coat and Gloriette.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, blinking my eyelashes open and closed from the heated air and the bug bites. I feel angry-bitterness.

He pulled off his gloves and leaned over, touching her face and her neck with his naked hand. "You don't have a fever or the sweats. That's a good sign after receiving a batch of multiple gunnel stings. You're a healthy girl, Gloriette. You're recovery fine and dandy inside the refresher tub. I am sorry." He smiled down at her.

I felt more pain, grabbing his arms, feeling his sweat.

He pulled back from her, saying with a stern face. "I zapped you with a mild sedative for the gunnel stinging. I'm getting you to the medical ward. Just relax and breathe. Close your eyes. Rest. You'll be back at Starrtus in thirty minutes."

He pressed the button.

The reindeer-and-carriage ignited the engines and lifted from the snow, gliding over the frozen terrain.

I closed my eyelashes, feeling curious-puzzlement.

At night inside the Starrtus medical ward refresher tub, I rested on my back spine with both my arms at the side of my body underneath a set of blinking lights, totally warm.

He touched her arm in the darkness of the room, saying with a serious tone. "I'm here, Gloriette. I sorry."

I swallowed and grunted from the gently touch of the male.

He rubbed her arm with worry. "The ice cap contained gunnels. They invaded your clothing, stinging your skin. The eels bite and rip around the flesh. You have tiny slashes in your skin."

I swallowed and grunted from the gently touch of his fingers, blinking my eyelashes open and shut, seeing both brightness and darkness as the refresher tub solar healed my skin with lighted waved.

And then the refresher tub lights shut down.

He leaned over the tub with a smile. "Are ya feeling better, doll?"

I moved ahead and sat back on my kneecaps, and smashed into his naked chest, knocking off his protective sunglasses. I hugged him, sobbing with my tears and my whisper. "Prewitt, I'm so happy you're here with me." I looked up to see the mirror.

A refresher station consisted of four walls of reflective mirrors that captured the northern lights which beamed down from outer space. The northern lights provided a set of healing rays from the solar sun also. An injured person wore a pair of black tinted sunglasses or closed their naturally protective eyelids to avoid the blinding bright lights.

The dark sunglasses were used to keep from bumping into the mirror or the tub. The lights showed only an outline of a dark shadowy object, glowing underneath the bright light of rays. The healing rays were applied directly to a human body like a bathing shower of water. Inside the human body, the rays mended the opened wounds, slashed cuts, and tender bruises within minutes or hours or days, depending on the medical condition of the injured body.

"I'm very happy to be here with ya too, doll." He wrapped both his naked arms around Gloriette, chuckling.

I felt happiness-safe.

Inside the mirror, my face was covered in tiny zigzag mended stitches that were being healed by the rays. I received all the wounds from the bug bites. I was totally naked for the treatment process, coming from the healing ray inside the refresher tub. And I hugged on Prewitt as he grunted with pleasure-lust. I closed my eyelashes, whispering to his eardrum. "He tried to kill me."

Prewitt pulled back as she hugged him tighter. He exhaled with a puff of frustration, pulled her closer to his naked chest, too.

I felt lust-hotness.

He whispered to her eardrum. "Pox. What happened, doll?" He leaned around her, grabbing a towel. "I'm closing my eyes from your beautifulness. Take the towel. And tell me what happened, doll? Before, I gentlemanly beat the heck out of Pox, because he won't be eating packed snow cones for some time."

I pulled away from Prewitt, looking at his face. His eyelids were closed, but his smile glowed with happiness. I accepted and wrapped the towel around my nakedness and hugged his stillness with smirk.

I felt lusty-love-ness too.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, whispering to his eardrum. "We were riding inside the carriage, being pulled by the mechanic reindeer. And we stopped. We got out and the polar cap exploded. And the bugs attacked me. They crawled all over my fur coat. Pox did nothing to remove the bugs."

"Why not, doll?"

I sobbed with my tears as they stung my healing facial wounds, exhaling with a puff of frustration. "I had to ditch my fur coat from my body..."

"...in the coldness of Starrtus."

"Yes. The bugs were biting me underneath the fur. I couldn't get all of them off the fur coat. And they crawled between my clothing. Pox did nothing. He laughed and watched the bugs attack me. I was so scared, Prewitt. I thought I'd die out in the snowness, in the coldness and alone without you."

He tenderly rubbed her naked back spine. "The bugs are called gunnels."

I hugged him tighter. "Yeah, Pox told me while I was being eaten alive by the snow creatures. I'm so happy with you here with me," I sobbed with relief.

He pulled away with a sour frown, wiping away her tears. "Don't worry. Pox will become dead, soonest, with my naked hands. Why would he want to harm you? That doesn't make any sense, Gloriette. You are his Sine. He fought in Tangent for you and he won."

I shook my curls, pulling back from his hug. Prewitt wore a pair of swimming trunks and a pair of sandals. I whispered. "I don't know. I don't understand either. Why are you here with me inside the refresher station? And why are you wearing only swimming trunks? Where's your shirt?"

Prewitt smiled with amusement. "I was going to attend your wedding tonight."

"Why?"

He smirked. "I wanted to be shore to whisper some selected choice words into Pox's face about your marriage and vows."

I smiled. "Pox seemed to be loyal to me..."

"Not as loyal as I..."

"I love you, Prewitt." I hugged him.

He said with a grin. "I love you, Gloriette." He pulled back and slapped his chest with a nod and a smile "I was swimming at the beach inside our shared hologram on our second day of TRIG. I overheard the emergency signal coming from Pox inside the carriage. He communicated your medical condition. I waited and followed you into the refresher station, after the medical staff left."

I scanned the room with a confused brow. "Where's Pox?"

"Don't care."

"I don't care either." I laughed and hugged him.

"And what else, doll?"

I pulled back from his hug, dropping my mouth. "I'm royalty on Playtus."

He said with a smile and a nod. "I believe ya, my princess. Are you really a princess on Playtus? I didn't realize that the family units were assigned queen-ships. Does that mean that I will be a prince-ship when we marry, doll?" He chuckled.

I parted my lips. "I live in Building Two since a child. There is only one building bigger than mine, Building One."

"Who lives in Building One, doll?"

I looked down to the floor and up to see Prewitt, parting my lips. "Pox doesn't have an implant."

Prewitt said with a puzzle brow. "Yeah."

I shook my curls. "Naw."

He smiled. "We all have implants, doll. That's the only entrance into TRIG for participation in Tangent, winning a soul mate for life."

I nodded. "Pox removed his jacket in the carriage."

Prewitt chuckled, shaking his skull. "Pox removed his jacket. He never removes his jacket. He walks around the hallway, wearing that dull blue wool hot jacket. I don't need a jacket. I am all man." He slapped his chest with a nod and a smile.

I said with a puzzled brow. "I saw both the exposed pale colored foreskins underneath his forearms. There is no implant on either side of his anterior skin folds like you," I looked down to see Prewitt's triangle, then my triangle, and finally him.

Prewitt looked down to see his triangle. "That is impossible, Gloriette," he viewed her. "You were bit by the gunnels. You were delusional, doll. That's all. You could clearly see my implant and your implant. His implant is there too."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I saw no implant on his arm. Does the implant appear on another body parts, Prewitt?"

He hugged her. "I wished we could kiss. And you could see my implant and my other body parts," chuckling.

I pulled back from his hug with a sour frown, moving and climbing down off the refresher tub. Prewitt assisted her down to the tile. I said with a nod and a stern face. "I could prove it too." I scanned the room and moved to the control panel built on the mirrored wall with Prewitt, and halted, pressing the button.

The panel dropped.

I turned to see his nose profile. "I could access the computer from here like you did inside the hologram."

"What for?"

I turned and slammed my implant against the panel. "Show me, Pox." I swung around to the floor.

A hologram of Pox appeared in the wall corner of the room.

Prewitt turned and moved around the hologram, saying with a nod and a grin. "Same ole Pox, tall, black hair, nasty looking cat whiskers, pressed jeans, nice cowboy boots, dull blue jacket, and that silly cell necktie."

I said with a puzzle brow. "Don't you have a cell necktie too?"

He lifted his arm without the cell and looked up with a smile to her. "Naw, doll. I wear my cell on the arm like a guy and not around my neck like a girl," chuckling.

I exhaled with a nod and a puff of frustration. "That's intriguing also."

Prewitt halted and parked both his hands on his hips, staring at the hologram of Pox. "What's here that I haven't seen before, Gloriette?"

"Show me Pox without the jacket."

The hologram flickered.

Pox was wearing his jacket.

Prewitt shook his skull. "This is a recording of an actual event which Pox had attended. You could not see him without the jacket unless the computer had recorded him doing a pookie on the potty inside his private toilet," chuckling.

I giggled. "He wouldn't need to remove a jacket for that special event."

Prewitt chuckled. "Alright, unless Pox was caught pissing in the shower without his jacket."

I looked up with a sour frown to see his smile. "You do that too?"

Prewitt grinned. "Pox might not have an implant on his arm. Without proof, I don't believe ya, because you were sedated when you arrived here at Starrtus. Pox gave ya a sedative for the pain from the gunnel critters. I believe that you might have been experiencing some baddie dreams. But ya picked Pox over me, so you are not dreaming, sweetheart. I can't tell for shore, but you and I have been here for about two hours or so."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I have proof." I turned and slammed my implant into the panel again. "Show me the gunnel emergency signal from the reindeer carriage, specify direct link on Pox." I swung around to the see the floor.

The hologram changed.

Pox sits inside the carriage seat, steering the mechanic reindeer-and-carriage back to the log cabin on Mount Starrtus.

I looked down to see my implant, saying to the computer. "Show me the right anterior fold-skin of Pox."

The hologram enlarged to the right naked and exposed anterior arm of Pox.

I pointed to the hologram with a nod and a puzzled brow. "There is no implant."

Prewitt said. "Show me the left anterior fold-skin of Pox. Not everyone is right-handed, doll."

The hologram enlarged to the left naked and exposed anterior arm of Pox.

Prewitt yelled. "Dang."

I said with a smile and a nod. "Pox does not have an implant on both anterior fold-skins of either arm."

Prewitt moved around the hologram, staring with a confused brow at the hologram of Pox. "Why?"

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Pox is a prince. He's the prince of Starrtus. He lives here and not on Gambo. Why does he lie about living in the farm town of Gambo?"

Prewitt exhaled with a puff of frustration, looking up with a confused brow to see her. "Gambo is composed of many, many farms. I do not know but suspected that Pox might actually own one of the food farms. Land is land. Food is eaten by all citizens throughout the world. We for shore need more workers and more owners to farm all the land."

"Pox didn't really lie about the food farm ownership."

"He only lied about being a prince of nothingness." He looked down to see the hologram and back up with a puzzled brow to see her. "I sorry. I don't believe you, Gloriette."

I flipped my hand and produced a smile. "Don't sweat ant hills. I've been tricked. You've been tricked too. All the teens have been..."

"TRIG," sneered Prewitt.

I said with a worried brow and a nod, moving and hugging Prewitt, pulling back with a sad face. "I'm so sorry for my mistreatment of you. Pox has been playing with my mind. On the first day of TRIG, he told me that he didn't want to marry me. And on the second day of TRIG, Pox told me that he loved me. And on the...I have been a fool here at TRIG."

Prewitt hugged her, saying with a nod and a furious brow. "Naw. We are all the fools here at TRIG for allowing a stupid implant to control our teen lives. We are all young and brave and foolish and dangerous. We are all done with TRIG, now and forever." He pulled back, releasing her, shuffling to the exposed panel, and slapped his implant to the panel. "Show me, Princess Phillipina."

The hologram changed

A petite red haired woman wore a black ankle-length gown with a golden old fashioned door key hanging around her neck.

Prewitt turned with an angry brow and pointed to the hologram. "Phillipina is his mama. She's the princess of nothingness and is in charge of TRIG."

I shook my curls. "TRIG is TRIG. No one is in charge of TRIG. Actually, TRIG is a complicated and complex computer here on Starrtus." I looked up to see the mirror.

He looked up with a confused brow to see her nose profile. "How do you know that?"

I turned to see his face. "My mama told me during one of my many electronic homework assignments. And Phillipina told us again right before the event started. TRIG is a computer. The computer is linked to the implant. The implant is connected to me. I am selected and linked to my soul mate."

He scanned the room of mirrors with a confused brow. "A computer? Where would the computer be located?"

I scanned the mirrors for another panel. "Somewhere here on Starrtus, I guess."

Prewitt looked up to see her nose profile. "I'm only a farmer working the soil. Would the computer console and unit be underground, underneath the pretty white snow on Starrtus?"

I shook my curls. "Naw. The wave frequent from TRIG that links our implants must travel by air, by atmospheric current. So the computer has to be high, almost reaching up to the skyline and clouds. Starrtus is the perfect city for TRIG. A super computer connects us coming from Gambo and to Playtus."

He said with a puzzle brow. "High enough to reach the skyline and clouds? I noted that the sky ships are fugly ugly with many short and tall antennas. The antennas almost completely cover the outer haul like a patch of chopped dead tree stumps. Is that because the wave frequent has to communicate with the engines?"

"Yeah, it is. Or the ship will fell back and crash onto the ground. Your farm equipment contains both short and tall antennas too. My mama's horse and carriage has lots of short and tall antennas for prancing down the city street without crashing too. And the reindeer and carriage held many types of short and tall antennas for our journey around the frozen ice pack." I turned to see the wall panel with a smile. "Could it be so easy?" I moved ahead and then stopped at the mirror, slapping my implant to the panel. "Show me, TRIG."

The hologram flickered.

Phillipina disappeared and the floor was empty of any colored hologram.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Show me, Starrtus."

The hologram flickered.

A tiny city of Starrtus displays an assortment of tall and short buildings and structures on the floor.

Prewitt looked down with a smile and a nod to the floor. "The city's really beautiful among the white snow."

I viewed the hologram, pointed to with the object. "And the structures have outer signage for visitors like us. I see the hospitals, the ship yards, the palace, the factories, and..."

"...no signage for TRIG."

"Yeah. No sign for TRIG. I'm very intrigued with the layout of the snow city of Starrtus, because my city of Playtus doesn't display signage identifying one street corner or one building."

He looked up with a puzzled brow to see her hair roots. "How do ya know your home?"

I looked up with a grin and a giggle to his face. "The first building is number one. The second building is number two. All the buildings are visually colored and marked with an array of different shapes and sizes. A child doesn't forget their home building or color. And you can count down the numbers, if you need to go to that particular mathematical building, which I have never had to do."

"On Gambo, all the ranches are owned by farmer families. There really isn't any need for signage either only property rights."

I looked and pointed down to the hologram with a nod and a smile. "Let's use the process of elimination. Okay. The TRIG computer would not be located in a hospital of sick folks or around a ship yard of flying craft or near any type of heated elements of a hot manufacturing factory. The TRIG computer must be inside a chilled cold refrigerated room."

He pointed to the structure. "TRIG could be inside the palace throne room."

I shook my curls, viewing the hologram. "I don't believe so. Phillipina told us on our first day. TRIG or the creators of TRIG asked her play host to the event and not the guardian or guard of the computer. Therefore, the computer is housed here on Starrtus for usage..."

"...inside the most beautiful city of the world."

"And Starrtus is located on top of the world." I clapped with a nod and a grin. "That's it. The highest structure would hold TRIG. TRIG is a super duper computer. Computer and electronic components run very, very hot. The base of the floor and each outer wall on the structure must stage cool-ness or cold-ness. The reason, the North Pole was the selected point location of TRIG. Yes."

Prewitt said with a confused brow to the hologram. "But the highest structure is a mountain."

I turned and slapped my implant to the panel again. "Show me, Mount Starrtus."

The hologram flickered.

A snow-capped mountain appears and stands on the floor.

Prewitt shook his skull. "Naw, doll. We have stayed on Mount Starrtus all day, today. We all started inside the log cabin. And we all toured the chapel, the eating room, the wedding suites. There ain't no chilled computer room inside a hollow cold mountain."

I turned with a smile and slapped my implant to the panel again. "Show me, e-pones." I swung around to see the floor.

The hologram flickered.

The floor was empty.

I turned with a puzzle brow and slapped my implant on the panel. "Show me, Mount Starrtus." I spun around to see the floor again.

The hologram flickered.

The same snow-capped mountain appeared again.

I turned with a smile and a nod and slapped my implant on the panel. "Got it now. Show me, the cool electronic components." I swung around to see the floor.

The hologram flickered.

Tiny beams of light glow up from the mountain peak of Mount Starrtus.

I pointed to the light tiny beams with a nod and a smile. "That's TRIG. We found TRIG on top of Mount Starrtus. That would make the most perfect sense to me. Pox and I were miles from the city during my gunnel attack and emergency call. Only a super duper computer on top of the highest peak of the world would have linked my implant back here for communication. This is the same super-duper computer that links all the implants between the two cities of Gambo and Playtus, also." I looked up with a smile to see the hair roots of Prewitt.

"The ice cold city of Starrtus brands each child with an implant," Prewitt lifted his face and his arm to see her, pointing to his implant with a growl.

I shook my curls with a sneer. "Our parents branded their child with an implant which was done here at the medical center on Starrtus." I raised my arm and pointed to my implant. "I wanna have a real long talk with my mama when I return home for a very short visitation, before I permanently live on Gambo foreverly," I smiled at him.

Prewitt said with a sour tone. "And I wanna have a real long beating with Pox. And we could live in happiness after ever on Gambo. Pox knows and held more information among the lies and secrets."

I nodded. "Right. Pox does know lots of things, including the lies, the secrets, and the TRIG. He possesses the knowledge. He voluntarily participated in TRIG, while his mama hosted the event."

He said with a nod and a smile. "So I can beat it out of him gladly. But what are you thinking, Gloriette?"

I rubbed my itchy face. "We end TRIG here and now on Starrtus. I don't want my child to endure this barbaric ritual like us." I moved ahead and hugged him, whispering with a smile to his eardrum. "I love you, Prewitt. I wanna marry you, today."

He pulled back with a smile, since he could not kiss her due to their implant incompatibility. A kiss tasted like sour vinegar on his lips. He said with a sneer and a nod. "Yeah. Right after I beat the stuffing out of Pox, then we get married."

I nodded. "We inform our fellow Playtusians and Gambians about our sneaky little plot too."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "And what precisely is the sneaky little plot?"

"I'm an electronic programmer with Sechar, Custar, and..."

Prewitt nodded. "Ametheta?"

I shook my curls. "I don't know Ametheta, her color, her family, or her building." I frowned with concern. "Playtusians really are anti-social people."

He shook his skull with a nod and a smile. "That's okay, doll. Gambians ain't. We love barbeques, dances, races, and our families."

I said. "The belles will infect the computer with a virus, causing the software to implode. The beaus will destroy all the hardware equipment, causing no repairs of the computer. And we will torch the ice cold computer room with hot fire, before we all steal a sky ship to fly home to Gambo." I kissed his lips and gagged out of love and happiness.

We both mouth spat on the tile, tasting sour grapes.

I frowned with fury. "We destroy TRIG."

He smiled. "And we could kiss."

I smiled. "And we could marry."

Prewitt hugged her, saying with a smile. "And we could leave Starrtus forever."

We swung around, holding hands, moving to the closed archway then separated out hands.

I turned and entered the small dressing station to change back into my jeans and my boots.

Prewitt left the refresher station to find the other belles and beaus.

Inside the tower room of Mount Starrtus, I squatted and smiled, holding the knife of Prewitt next to his cheekbone, saying with a lady sneer. "Now, prince, tell us how to deactivate the implants, darling! I love Prewitt. I wanna marry Prewitt. Bestest of all, I wanna kiss Prewitt and not taste sour grapes."

Pox smiled. "Don't know, love." He rested his arms inside one of the iron chains that were attached to the circle wall around the tower room, sitting on the floor. The reason for the chains was not apparent.

I moved the sharp hunting knife near his smooth skin and said with a lady growl. "A red necktie will look gorgeous paired with your black eye and blue cheekbone, Pox."

Pox smirked. "Don't know, love."

I exhaled with a puff of impatience, saying with a calm tone. "Pox, tell me the correct door holding the TRIG computer?"

Prewitt stood at the boot toes of Pox, saying with a grin and a nod. "And could you ask your mama to remove that key around her neck, please? So we could enter without sharing and shedding more of my blood," he touched his bandaged hand from knocking Pox unconscious.

I had moved out the refresher station to meet a huddle of belles and beaus inside the empty hallway of the log cabin that did not contain any units of Starrtus guards, but only falling shower of white tinted snowflakes and rows of hard pointy ice icicles. I had dashed ahead and collided into the open arms on Prewitt, hugging, not kissing his face.

We held hands, leading and moving the huddle of teens down an empty hallway.

Prewitt had informed the other TRIG Sines of our information and our plan.

Pox had seen and followed Prewitt, coming out from the refresher station with most caution, learning of the new teen information. And Pox had not alerted the palace guards, since had been both suspicious and curiosity of the TRIG Sines.

Prewitt had been a good hunter and a tracker on Gambo and turned the corner as the other belles and beaus moved forward down the hallway. Prewitt had been hidden inside the dark corner and then attacked Pox, tossing the body to the floor, dragging his beaten body down the hallway and into the tower room.

The tower room was located at the end of the hallway, after climbing a set of numerous stairs, the tallest room in the log cabin for holding the TRIG computer.

The other belles and beaus had followed behind Prewitt and Pox up the stairs and scattered around an empty tower without windows, art paintings, family photographs and furnishings but only rounded solid walls.

Pox turned and smirked to Prewitt. "You can ask me, love."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, reaching and jerking off the necktie cell of Pox, and cuddled it in my hands the knife, pressing the buttons, hunting for electronic information. "Yeah. Let's ask the cell necktie the same question. You're connected to TRIG like us by via multiple set of electronic signals. Since our cells got confiscated by the DOBs on our unconscious arrival."

Sechar shook her curls, saying with a sour frown. "The cell ain't going to give up the secret location of the TRIG computer, Gloriette."

I said. "I got some super-duper special program coding to make the cell talk, compliments of my electronic education class by my mama on Playtus."

Prewitt moved ahead and stood behind the hair roots of Gloriette. "So that's how you appeared within the Tangent run? You programmed yourself into the computer like a hologram."

I said. "Naw. I programmed an empty space for the facee inside the hologram. And I physically run between the empty facees to kill off the male competition."

Unakite released Ametheta moved to Gloriette, saying with a sour frown and a sneer. "You...you murdered Taris, Enon, and Zoar."

Prewitt spun around with a growl, blocking Unakite with his body from attacking and harming Gloriette. "Yeah. And one of them cowboys tried to murder me in cold blood for winning the right of Gloriette as her soul mate too."

Vrain moved ahead and jerked the collar bone of Unakite from Prewitt, saying with a nod and a smile. "The best man won, dude. Stood down, cowboy."

Sechar moved ahead and stood between Unakite and Prewitt, saying with a sour frown and a sneer. "Break it up, dogs. This is why were captured Pox. We don't wanna participate in TRIG anymore. We don't want our future children to endure a death for a chance of love either. We wanna live our own lives without interference coming from any other person or party or parent."

Ametheta grinned. "Sechar's right. What have ya found so far, Gloriette?"

I shook my arm, feeling the burn of the implant. "I'm jamming an incoming frequent."

Pox smirked. "That's my mama, love. She is calling me for suppertime. We are having fried fish freshly drawn from the mountain lake this evening. And I am hungry too even with the sissy beating."

Vrain moved ahead and then squatted down, sneering and punching Pox in the rib cage with a fist as Pox moaned in pain, wiping off princely smirk.

I exhaled with a puff of success, saying with a nod and a grin to the necktie cell. "I have successfully jammed the incoming frequent. I do believe that we might be getting some royal company in a few minutes. We capture them too, finding out the location of the TRIG computer as well."

Sechar touched her burning implant on her arm, saying with a sour frown. "And we plug the cables and burn them."

Prewitt swung around and looked to each belle and beau, pointing the wall. "Everyone grab a position around the door and near the wall. When they enter, grab and held 'em. We want all the parties unharmed and alive. We only question them about Phillipina's key, learning of the location of the door. And then we tie 'em up and let them be."

Sechar turned and viewed Prewitt. "How are we going to attack the computer?"

I said. "A virus will destroy any software or scramble its brains into shutting down. My mama's got a box load of viruses on her computer shelf. I've already acquired three good ones with Pox's cell. Once we reach and control the room that houses the TRIG computer, I'll use the more efficient computer keyboard. And I will grab some more viruses to implant them into the mainframe as well. And TRIG be gone, ya'll." I shook my burning implant, looking up with a smile to see Pox, resting his cell necktie on his naked chest. "Thanks for the loan. I am sorry, too. Prewitt wasn't supposed to beat your face, un-pretty." I stood with a grin and a giggle.

Prewitt turned and moved beside Gloriette, looking down with a sneer and a sour frown to see Pox. "You be lucky that I didn't beat my fists down to your butthole for trying to harm my girl."

"Thanks for the visual fantasy, Prewitt." Vrain smiled and slapped Prewitt on the collar bone.

I said with a sour frown. "Once we find the TRIG computer and destroy it, it will release our implants inside our skin. Then we are leaving Starrtus. You will never see me again, Pox."

Pox smirked to Gloriette. "I wish that for you, love."

I shook my burning implant, looking down to see a glowing pink color of the burn, viewing his cell bowtie on top of his naked chest, and squatted, reaching and lifting his bowtie cell, dropping back down his cell on his chest. And I lifted the bowtie cell, studying the metal. "Is this is gold?"

Prewitt shook his skull. "Naw. It's copper. Gold is slightly heavier with a bright yellow tint. Copper is a lighter metal with a brash reddish tone. See, the red streaks glow, coming from the dull overhead lights."

Vrain laughed. "My daddy's got a gold cell too. All the children got a cheap copper component in their cells, while the adults receive all pure gold cells. I tried to con Daddy out of his, but he beat my bee-hind instead."

I held the necktie cell. "That's weird. When I held the cell, my arm burns. When I released the cell, my arm feels better." I frowned and viewed Pox. "Why, Pox?"

Pox smirked. "Don't know, love."

"The prince of nothingness," chuckled Prewitt.

Pox smirked at the insult.

Sechar said with a puzzle brow to the hair roots of Gloriette. "He tells the truth, Gloriette. Pox doesn't possess an implant, since he lives in Starrtus. The cell wouldn't affect his biological body composition, unlike us, coming from the twin cities of Gambo and Playtus. We received the implant at birth. He's only a prince."

I said with a puzzle brow. "A prince?" I looked up with a puzzled brow to see Prewitt. "A farmer?" And I turned and looked down with a smile to see Pox, resting his bowtie cell on his chest. "I understand." I leaned over and kissed the lips of Pox.

"Gloriette?" Prewitt said with a sour frown, squatting and touching her arm.

I bumped Prewitt from my shoulder, pulling back from the kiss of Pox. "Experimentation. I taste apple sauce. Do you taste like apple sauce to me, Pox?" He nodded. I lifted and removed his necktie cell from his chest, resting it on the floor, leaning over, smiling and kissing Pox again. I pulled back with a smile. "I taste apple sauce. Did you also?" Pox nodded in silence. I grabbed his necktie cell and stood, turning with a grin and a giggle to see Prewitt. "I fixed it."

Prewitt sneered. "Ya kissed it."

I shook my curls, fiddling with his necktie cell. "Naw. His cell is the link to the TRIG computer. I fixed it."

Sechar said with a confused brow to see Pox. "Pox doesn't have an implant like me or you, Gloriette."

I smiled. "His cell is sending a signal of sweetness to my implant. When I first kissed Pox on our introduction day of TRIG, he tasted like apple sauce. He was wearing his personal princely cell. We didn't have a cell, remember?"

Vrain nodded. "Gloriette's right. My cell was missing when I awoke with a burning arm."

I smiled. "I tinkered with his cell, cutting off the signal that was being transmitted by the TRIG computer. Now, he tastes like apple sauce. Remember? We saw Jacidee slam on the cell and she kissed Pox with her implant. His golden tinted cell is the key here to unlock the TRIG computer signals."

Unakite laughed. "She did that move to kiss the prince one more time, before we all left Starrtus forever."

Prewitt turned and shoved Unakite from him to the wall, sneering. "Shut it, boy. Before, I make ya into a man."

Unakite chuckled. "Ya could try, baby girl?"

Prewitt sneered. "I only do, sweetheart."

Sechar moved ahead and then stood between Unakite and Prewitt again, sneering to each face. "I will do it to both you, yahoos. Stood down, rednecks."

Vrain frowned. "Uh, babe. That makes no perfect sense to me. If you tinkered with his princely cell, you would not taste the opposite of sweet like said sour grapes."

I smiled to Prewitt. "Not anymore. Ya wanna real kiss from a real belle, cowboy?"

Prewitt grabbed and dipped Gloriette to the floor, slowly lowering his lips. I puckered my lips.

We touched our soft flesh as one.

I gagged. "Sour grapes." I stood, mouth spitting on the floor.

"Yuck-o." Prewitt mouth spat his salvia on the floor and gagged and coughed.

Unakite moved ahead and then stood with a grin over Pox. "I believe that Pox is the key to finding the TRIG computer."

I back stepped from Prewitt, looking down and touching my implant. "I feel hot." I looked up with a frown to see the hair roots of Prewitt, covering my sizzling burn from the implant with my hand.

Prewitt touched his implant with a hiss. "My implant's burning too. I gotta a hot fever too."

"Me, too." Custar looked down and slapped her arm with a hiss.

"Mine's burning." Vrain waved his burning arm in the air with sneer.

"Make it stop, Gloriette." Sechar screamed and fell down to the floor, sobbing with tears from the burn on her arm.

I wobbled side to side to Prewitt, whispering. "I'm hot and feverish like...like when the implant was activated, the first time." Prewitt fell to the floor. I fell and fainted on top of Prewitt.

Ten minutes later, I blinked my eyelashes open, seeing the floor, sitting on the cold floor, and felt the cool chains around both my wrists, jerking the chains, yelling. "Dang."

Phillipina stood in the middle of the tower room, wearing her ankle-length black gown as the golden key rattled against her chest, and turned with a sour frown and a serious tone to see Gloriette. "I can forgive the other belles and beaus for kidnapping my son. And I forgive the other belles and beaus for following a strong leader. But I cannot forgive a punishment against their leader."

Prewitt jerked the chains, sitting next to Gloriette on the floor too, yelling at Phillipina. "Punish me, not her."

I mouth spat and said with a sour tone. "You control my implant. I demand freedom to control my own destiny, princess."

Phillipina said with a smile. "Mademoiselle Gloriette, I am the Dominion. I live on Starrtus, the palace capitol at the North Pole with miles of beautiful blue sky, white snow, and green water."

I said with a sour tone. "Know that."

"Hey, the princess of nothingness! Your big sissy boys can come and fight with me. I like to bleed by use of other princes and princesses' blood," chuckled Prewitt.

Phillipina exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Gag and bound the misfits of both Gambo and Playtus, while their leader is being punished."

The DOBs lifted and hovered around the tower room, landing next to the assigned teen, gagging and bounding each belle or beau.

Phillipina said with a smile. "I will repeat for all of your eardrums. Your home cities are not part of the Dominion. Both leaders asked the Dominion, if we would intermediate and come between the..."

"...love. The love a man and a woman. The love of a mother and a child. The love of a family." I grinned and gritted my teeth and said with a sour tone. "You created TRIG."

She smiled. "TRIG is a mathematical sign of a circle inside a triangle."

"Every child born here gets an implant. The implant is controlled by TRIG. TRIG is a sophisticated mating ritual for your evil purposes of breeding more little baby princes and princesses. Pox doesn't have a pink spot from his implant. Since Pox didn't get an implant at birth as a prince of nothingness too."

She smiled. "TRIG plays a parted in the selection process of mates on Starrtus. I was granted permission to participate, as well."

"Granted permission by whom?" I frowned.

She smiled. "You will serve your punishment and leave Starrtus. Ametheta, you have requested the honor of beating the belle?"

Ametheta stood next to Phillipina, saying with a nod and a smirk to Gloriette. "Yes, princess, I indeed have requested that honor."

Phillipina back stepped to the wall out of the way between two DOBs, saying with a smile and a nod. "This is Countess Ametheta from Starrtus. She and Pox will be married, after you bleed on the clean floor and are whisked away on the transport from Starrtus." She shook her curls with a grin. "You're a fine girl, Gloriette. TRIG has properly selected you and Pox. Alas. You were too much for any one man to handle. Finish this, Ametheta."

My emerald green DOB lifted and moved from the archway, landing and reaching down to pull out my chains from the wall, and tossed them to the floor with a rattle. I stood. DOB lifted and landed in my place on the wall.

Ametheta strolled to the middle of the floor, cracking her knuckles with a grin.

I moved ahead and wiggled the flowing blood back into my numb limbs, walking to the middle of the floor to greet and beat Ametheta, turning with a smirk to see Phillipina. "After I beat her silly, I wanna see what's behind that door."

Phillipina turned to stare at the closed door and returned her eyeballs back with a nod and a smile to Gloriette. "That is an acceptable request, if you should win. I am the judge of this solo event."

I moved ahead and hit her legs first.

Ametheta fell backwards on the tile, bursting her lips from biting her tongue.

I crawled over the floor, lifting my arm and punched her cheekbone with my fist.

She kicked her leg into the stomach of Gloriette.

I flew backward and hit to the wall with my back spine, landing on my fanny, shaking off the dizziness, and felt the developing painful bruises. I stood and ran, leaping in the air with my boot soles, knocking her down to the floor.

She rested on her belly button and her stomach.

I moved ahead and sat on top of her back spine, grabbing and lifting her arm above her hair roots, and pointed to her inner fold for my rebel friends. "See, mama? I got no pink stain here. I'm too clean and pure," giggling.

Ametheta sneered and kicked her boot toe into the rear skull of Gloriette.

I screamed and rolled to the side in dizzy pain, crawling over the floor from her.

She moved ahead and then stood in a crouch in slight pain, leaping and landing on the back spine of Gloriette, grabbing and twisting the arm.

I screamed, kicking her back spine with my boot heel.

Ametheta rolled to the side in pain on her back spine, holding her face.

I stood on my hands and kneecaps, wobbling side to side in dizziness too.

Pox entered and rushed through the archway, moving and grabbing Gloriette from the floor. He shuffled forward, cuddling Gloriette, hitting the wall with his back spine as he fell on the floor, holding Gloriette. "Mama, stop this violence, please. We are Starrtus."

Ametheta sat on the floor cross legged, saying with a sour frown to Pox. "Pox, I'm defending your honor. They attacked you."

Pox hugged Gloriette, saying with a sour frown to her. "I can defend my own honor, Ametheta." He viewed Phillipina with a sour frown. "They are love-sick teens, looking for the wrong answer, Mama. And I believe that you should show them, the right answer." He released Gloriette from the hug.

Phillipina gasped, shaking her curls. "I do not think that a wise choice, Pox. We do not know of the upcoming consequences."

I slowly stood with a dizzy headache, saying with a soft voice. "Wise choice? I have no choice but to participate in TRIG. I have no choice, but to participate in the pairing of TRIG. I have no choice for love." I turned with a smile to see Prewitt, who was still chained to the wall.

Phillipina exhaled with a puff of frustration. "DOBs, release each Sine from an individual set of iron chains that are located and attached to each wall." Each assigned DOB lifted and hovered, landing and jerking out the chains from the wall. Each belle and beau stood, rubbing a wrist and looking at Phillipina. She removed ahead and lifted the skeleton key on the chain in the air, saying with a nod and a smile. "This is my choice that I make at the expense of my children." She swung and moved to the closed door, stopping and inserting the key.

The door opened.

She stood on the side of the wide archway without moving or talking.

I wobbled forward and stomped into the room first, scanning the room with a shock brow. "O my!" I halted a few more steps into the room.

Prewitt tossed both his mouth gag and his wrists chains that made a loud clank to the floor, standing and dashing after Gloriette, and halted in the archway, parting his lips. "What the heck is this in here?"

Sechar tossed off her mouth gag and her chains to the floor. She stood and scooted through the archway, standing next to Gloriette, saying with a puzzle brow. "This is very large warehouse."

Vrain tossed off his mouth gag and his chains to the floor, moving passed Sechar and Gloriette, and stopped, touching the wooden shelf. "There are only pieces and parts of electronic components."

The other belles and beaus removed their mouth gags and wrist chains, leaving on the floor. Each one stood and moved into the room, looking around to see the contents.

I moved to the closest wooden shelf and touched a cold feeling electronic silver tinted part, saying with a puzzled brow. "This is a component for the mechanic reindeer on the sleigh ride from Mount Starrtus."

Phillipina moved ahead and then stood behind the belles and the belles, saying with a smile and a nod to the rear skulls. "This is our warehouse that contains all the electronic components which come from the city of Playtus."

"It could've been the largest refrigerator of food from Gambo too," smiled Vrain as Sechar moved ahead and slammed his chest. He chuckled.

I back stepped and turned with a confused brow to see the archway and Phillipina. "I am more confused."

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to each belle and beau. "You possess the single answer to your solo question, Gloriette. Open your eyes and ears. You all will leave Starrtus, now."

I looked down to the tile and back up with a sad frown to see her. "I am sorry for the misunderstanding, princess."

She turned and moved out of the storage room, stopping and standing in the middle of the empty tower room with the broken chains over the walls, and looked with a smile and a nod to see her son, who stood against the wall. "I am sorry, too. Let us conduct the TRIG business quickly and get this over and done."

Prewitt moved ahead and cuddled Gloriette, saying with a smile to her eardrum. "Let us leave and get to our life. You're going to be a great farm wife, Gloriette."

I smiled. "Yeah."

Each belle and beau moved out of the storage room, stopping and standing in a semi-circle to see Phillipina.

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to each face. "The only surviving TRIG couples are allowed to marry and mate here on Starrtus. Sechar and Vrain, do you wish to marry?"

Sechar turned with a smile and a nod her Sine Vrain. "Yes, we do here now on Starrtus." Vrain hugged his soul mate with a smile and a nod too.

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to the young Sine couple. "They will marry now. Madam DOB, please record and proceed with the marriage of Sechar and Vrain."

I bounced side to side between the arm of Prewitt, feeling joyous-excitement of their wedding and my upcoming wedding too.

The assigned Madam DOB of royal blue, which was the family identification society mark of Sechar in the city of Playtus, lifted from the floor and moved in front of Sechar and Vrain, hovering with blinking lights.

Sechar and Vrain cuddled each other as she did not wear a long wedding gown or hold an arm bouquet of pretty flowers. He held her arms and her hands with a smile.

Madam DOB grabbed and exhibited a ring of copper to the young couple, droning. "Sechar and Vrain are the newest married assets by the law of TRIG in the city of Starrtus on top of Mount Starrtus. Congratulations. You may kiss your new bride, Vrain."

Vrain wiggled his eyebrows, turning and pulling Sechar into his lips.

They kissed.

The audience of teen clapped.

They pulled back with goofy grins.

Phillipina turned and motioned to the archway. "The young married couple may exit from Mount Starrtus and the city of Starrtus. Good delights to both of you."

Sechar and Vrain turned with a smile and followed the royal blue colored Madam DOB, leaving the tower room.

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to the young Sine couple. "Custar and Dugway, do you want to marry here today on Starrtus?"

Dugway smiled, kissing her cheekbone, and pulled back with a smile. "Yeehaw. We shore do." He leaned over and hugged Custar as she smiled with a giggle of love-happiness.

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to them. "They will marry now. Madam DOB, please record and proceed with the marriage of Custar and Dugway."

The assigned Madam DOB of purple which was the family identification society mark of Sechar in the city of Playtus lifted from the floor and moved in front of Custar and Dugway, hovering with blinking lights.

Custar and Dugway cuddled each other as she did not wear a long wedding gown or hold an arm bouquet of pretty flowers. He held her arms and her hands with a smile.

Madam DOB grabbed and exhibited a ring of copper to the young couple, droning. "Custar and Dugway are the newest married assets by the law of TRIG in the city of Starrtus on top of Mount Starrtus. Congratulations. You may kiss your new bride, Vrain."

Dugway kissed Custar.

The other teens clapped for their wedding happiness.

They emerged with joyful smiles.

Phillipina motioned to the archway. "The young married couple may exit from Mount Starrtus and the city of Starrtus. Good delights to both of you also."

They turned and followed the purple tinted Madam DOB, leaving the tower room also.

Phillipina turned with a smile and a nod to see the nose profile of the countess. "Ametheta was purposefully paired with Unakite in TRIG and had been found to be very compatible. I find both of you a dynamic attractive couple, countess," she frowned and viewed Unakite. "Alas, dear boy. It is her royal decision."

Ametheta shook her curls, crossing her arms, saying with a furious brow to Unakite. "Never."

Madam DOB said. "Recorded."

Unakite mouth spat his salvia on the floor, pointing and saying with a sneer to her. "I would rather kiss my favorite dairy cow named Betsy then that ole ugly heifer over yonder."

Madam DOBs said. "Recorded."

Ametheta turned with a sour frown and a sour tone and moved to the archway. "And you will be doing that a lot from now on, plow-boy." She stopped and turned with a grin and a giggle to see Unakite. "You and Betsy have a nice life, ya'll." She left the tower room.

Phillipina turned with a smile and a nod to see Prewitt. "Prewitt has lost his Sine and two Cosines while surviving the beau Tangent. He has completed TRIG, thus becoming un-engaged and available for another round of TRIG."

Prewitt waved both his hands with a smile and a chuckle to Phillipina. "No thank you ma'am. This is the last time that you see my pretty bruised face."

Phillipina motioned to the archway. "You are un-engaged and may exit from Mount Starrtus and the city of Starrtus. Good delights to you also." She turned with a smile and a nod to see Gloriette. "Pox and Gloriette are the late surviving TRIG couple who were originated paired. Is this your last chance for love, Gloriette? Do you want to marry, Pox?"

I shook my curls, "No, princess."

Madam DOB said, "Recorded."

Pox moved from the wall and stopped in front of his mama, turning with a sour frown to see the nose profile of Gloriette. "Why ya answer first, Gloriette?"

Phillipina exhaled with a puff of frustration to see Gloriette. "I had hoped that you and Pox would marry. Alas, the loss is great for Starrtus. You would have been a very good princess, Gloriette."

I looked down to see my boot toes. "Thank you."

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod. "TRIG has ended. Thank you for participating. The sky ships are being prepped as we speak. Good delights to all of you."

I raised my hand with a smile to her. "Princess Phillipina, I know that I've been tons of trouble here on Starrtus. But I have one more request, before I leave TRIG."

Phillipina nodded. "Speak it."

I held Prewitt by the arm with a nod and a grin. "Could Madam DOB marry Prewitt and me here legally? Since TRIG is done. And I am done with TRIG too. Prewitt is done with TRIG also as he is un-engaged and without any Sine."

Phillipina frowned to Gloriette. "Incorrect. His Sine is dead by your hand through the Cosine, making him both engaged and widowed. Then he became un-engaged by the beau Tangent run to win back his bachelor-ship."

Prewitt said with a grin. "What's up with the ship-name thing? Queen-ship. Bachelor-ship. Prince-ship. Me-ship. Or is it me shit?" He chuckled.

I giggled and stomped his boot as he chuckled again. I said with a smile and a nod to Phillipina. "I know that very well, ma'am. We both are un-engaged here. So, would you marry us here on beautiful Starrtus, like now, Princess Phillipina?"

Phillipina shook her curls. "I cannot marry you and him."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I was only a suggestion."

Prewitt cuddled Gloriette with a smile, saying to her eardrum. "We marry on Gambo, doll."

Phillipina shook her curls at Prewitt. "You cannot marry her, Prewitt."

He smiled. "I love Gloriette," he turned and viewed him. "Sorry, Pox."

Pox raises both his palms. "No offense taken."

Phillipina exhaled with a puff of frustration. "He is un-engaged."

Pox moved ahead and stood behind Gloriette. "Look at your implant."

I looked down to see my arm. "I see a triangle with the letter 'A' in green."

Prewitt looked down to see his arm. "I see a triangle, no letters."

Phillipina nodded. "Prewitt's symbol represents no mate, no marriage, no engagement, technically a widower. Thus, he can marry any maiden of the land that he pleases by coming back to TRIG. TRIG will allow the marriage here on Mount Starrtus."

Prewitt chuckled. "Yeehaw, I can marry and mate with anyone."

I smiled. "Excellent. And TRIG can marry us today, now on Starrtus. We both approve of it now, today."

Pox turned with a sour frown to see the rear skull of Gloriette. "TRIG controls your biological and chemical levels, the sour grapes taste on your lips."

I turned with a confused brow to see Pox. "So?"

Prewitt said with a smile and a nod. "We both are single and un-engaged. Can we trick TRIG into pairing up and marrying us?"

"You are single but..." Pox exhaled with a puff of frustrations, leaning to her cheekbone. "Gloriette, you called out, un-engage before me. Why did you do that, love?"

I smirked. "I wanted it quick and clear for both of us."

Pox exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I promised to you that I would do that, today."

I frowned. "I don't understand."

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to the nose profile of Gloriette. "The term un-engagement means that the person chooses not to mate, marry, and produce a child from the TRIG."

I frowned to Pox. "Why would you sacrifice that for me? You kept telling me that you loved me and you didn't love me. And you did and you didn't. I got dizzy from the spinning love wheel."

"Gloriette, I promise to call, un-engage, because I'm not implanted. I'm not tied to TRIG. I'm a prince of Starrtus and not a resident of Gambo or Playtus. I could date, mate, marry and produce a child with any belle."

Prewitt leaned over with a smile to her cheekbone. "Ya gave up a prince or me."

I turned with a grin and a giggle to see Prewitt. "Yeah, I did."

Prewitt chuckled. "We're even. Pox will marry his royal sweetie Ameaniethere and I will marry my princess Gloriette."

Pox exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I was supposed to call, un-engage."

Prewitt chuckled, hugging his love. "Gloriette beat ya to it, buddy. You gotta be fast around her, pal."

I smiled, "Yo, boy!"

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to the nose profile of Gloriette. "Mademoiselle Gloriette spoke it out loud as Madam DOB recorded the final verbal statement for all televised communication."

"Yo, babe." I smiled.

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod to the nose profile of Gloriette. "The computer is tied into TRIG. TRIG is tied into your implant. The implant is tied into the final ending of TRIG. You selected your choice by both a verbal acknowledgement and a visual conformation. Your triangle shows with one single colored green letter, A. The single letter represents you, alone, by yourself."

I gasped, looking with a puzzled brow to see Prewitt, Pox and Phillipina. "So if I am not unengaged, married, or widowed, what am I?"

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod. "Rejected."

I frowned. "Rejected? What does that mean?"

Phillipina said with a smile and a nod. "Your implant will not allow you to re-enter TRIG for a second time. You will spend the rest of your days without a baby, a man, and a marriage." She turned with a smile and a nod to see DOBs, ordering. "Escort these teen belles and beaus off my home world of Starrtus. The teen couples, who have just gotten married, are invited back to deliver a child here on Starrtus, when the time comes. Good delights to all."

The remaining DOBs lifted from the floor and moved to Prewitt and Gloriette.

Four silver tinted DOB surrounded Prewitt, slowly soaring in the air, leaving the tower room as Prewitt moved ahead and tossed his arms and his voice with yells.

"No." I sobbed, wiping the tears from my face. I was surrounded by six emerald green DOBs as we slowly moved to the archway and a Starrtus sky ship. Since I was going back home to Playtus without a beau and a baby to live alone with my mama forever.

At 11:04 p.m. on the Starrtus sky ship during the nighttime hours of cold winter air temperatures, I sat, feeling the smooth and cool metal bench in the passenger lounge of the sky ship underneath my jeans. I was numb and did not feel the developing bruise on my cheekbone which showed in my facial reflection on the mirrored walls.

The mirrored walls allowed Madam DOB to watch any passenger for any sign of trouble.

I felt feel-deathness.

I had lost a mate, a marriage, and a baby. Now, I was going back home alone, worrying about my person, feeling concern about my mama's reaction. I cared about my family's future too, since I was supposed to produce the fifth generation of Faywood.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, feeling the heated engine rumble underneath my worn cowgirl boots, hearing.

"Mademoiselle Gloriette."

I looked down to see my bruised bloody hands. The caked blood and small cuts were opened and exposed from my hand to hand fighting with tough-girl Ametheta in the tower room of the Starrtus log cabin.

Madam DOB was one of six robots guarding me, standing in the archway as the engines warmed.

"Gloriette..."

I bent my aching fingers, feeling the coldness and warmth on my collar bone, hearing the faint voice.

"Gloriette..."

I looked up to the sound, seeing an image of handsome and smiling Prewitt, a lovely day dream in my wickedly depressed state of mental mind, hearing the faint voice.

"Gloriette..."

I softly said. "Prewitt..." I smile at my vivid imagination of my full depression in my mentally unstable mind.

"Gloriette, I'm here with you."

I said with confused brow and a soft voice. "Prewitt..."

"Prewitt," he nodded and man-pulled Gloriette up from the bench and to his chest, tenderly kissing her forehead with his soft lips and pulled back with a grin.

I smiled with surprise. "How? Why?"

Sechar moved ahead and stood in front of Gloriette, raising her screwdriver with a grin and a giggle. "The ultimate tool controls all Dummy Operational Bodies. Didn't ya learn that at age of twelve, Gloriette?"

Dugway chuckled, releasing his wife, and raised his arms, wiggling his fingers in the air with a chuckle. "Do not get near me with that thing." He dropped his arms and cuddled his new wife Custar, kissing her cheekbone with married happiness.

Vrain cuddled Sechar, saying with a smile and a nod. "You can come near me with anything, my new handsome married mate," he kissed her lips and pulled back with a smile and a chuckle of happiness.

"I learned at the age of eleven how to handle a screwdriver," Custar smiled, moving hand-in-hand with Dugway, sitting on the bench for the launch of the star ship. They cuddled and kissed again with their new marriage joy.

Unakite entered and strutted through the archway with a big trunk over his back spine, looking over the lounge space with a smile and a nod. "I like this ship. Big. It could hold lots of my beef cattle. Can I keep it after our escape from Starrtus?"

Vrain sat and cuddled with Sechar on the bench, saying with a sour frown to the big trunk. "Unakite. I said to bring along a small traveling bag for the rescue and recovery of Gloriette, not your stallion's saddle suitcase. Ah naw. We ain't stealing the ship. We got our own fleet of nice and beaten up functional flying machines," he exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking his skull, leaning over to kiss her wife with marriage joy.

Unakite turned and moved down the hallway with the sleep rooms, bumping and banging the hard metal against the narrow walls of metal, making small indentations. He lifted his free arm, showing two fingers, shouting. "Peace out. I can't leave my favorite weapon behind."

Dugway turned and frowned at the closed cockpit door, cuddling Custar. "Who's driving this dang sky ship to Playtus?"

Sechar held the screwdriver again with a smile. "Me. The DOB is under my evil vile control, ya'll. And the pilot console is pre-set for our journey back home to Playtus."

I looked with a confused brow to see my new friends. "How? Why? What?"

Custar smiled. "Gloriette lost her brain cells plus the girly fight with Ameaniethere."

Dugway turned and frowned to Sechar. "Ameaniethere?"

Sechar smiled. "Ametheta's newly creative nickname, permanently."

I pointed with a sour frown to Sechar. "I won that fight, darling."

Prewitt said. "Get up off this snowball permanently! Now, somebody, please!"

Custar stood and moved ahead slamming her implant to the exposed panel for activation of the pilot DOB. "Everyone sit. We're off to Playtus, the location of TRIG. It's not hidden in-between the secret doors within the cold town of Starrtus, so the computer is housed somewhere in the heated city of Playtus, since the beginning of time. And don't ask me why, how, whatever questions either, since my mama didn't tattle to me either. So go and ask your mama? Show Playtus."

A visual colorful picture hologram disappeared in the middle of the floor, showing numerous vertical rows of tall ugly shiny metal colored buildings.

I stared at the hologram. "I am smart. Look at Building-278, slap dab in the middle of the city. The height is the highest structure on Playtus. I've never seem Playtus from outer space either, my second time on a star ship." I exhaled with a puff of frustration, nodding at the hologram.

Prewitt cuddled Gloriette, stroking her arms.

Sechar narrowed her eyelashes at the hologram. "Me either. Gloriette guessed wrong about the location of TRIG computer, the first time on Starrtus."

I frowned and viewed Sechar. "I beg your pardon. At least, I proposed an idea for locating and sabotaging TRIG."

Prewitt leaned over and kissed Gloriette on the forehead, since he could not kiss her lips without a pungent sour taste. He said. "Gloriette is the heroine for day. She saved all of us by winning the fight and getting us kicked off of Starrtus foreverly. I ain't ever coming back here. Period. And if I see Pox's handsome face ever again, then he'll look really good with an additional broken nose," he chuckled with the beaus.

Custar turned and frowned to Gloriette. "How certain are we that this is the correct location, Gloriette, this time? I'm not interested or intrigued with another fist fight with any other Ameaniethere or mean belle."

I pointed to the hologram of Playtus. "TRIG uses a set of atmospheric wave frequents, communicating back and forth between our cities all over the planet. If anyone has fiddled with their cells, you know that you could not access an image of any other city, like Starrtus without some major visual imagery interference. I live in Building Two, one of the tallest in Playtus, right next store to Building One. Building 278 is twenty feet higher than my home building."

Sechar nodded. "That's right. And Gloriette's right also."

Custar frowned, studying the hologram. "But Building One is the tallest structure on Playtus. It's more logical to assume TRIG is located in the highest building."

I shook my curls. "There are no communication antennas. Even in our technological society, we need the antennas to communicate with the orbiting satellites. Look at the tall and short antennas on Building 278. From this far out distance of outer space, we have received a clear picture, a good overview of the different size antennas for the atmospheric wave frequencies. We don't have one single antenna on one residential building, because the antenna wires are built into the windows. But this one right here on Building 278, this is it. I'm shore."

Sechar smiled. "That's right. I like that logic. It makes perfect sense to me."

Custar exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I guess I can believe Gloriette again."

I said with a smile and a nod. "TRIG is located inside Building 278. We destroy Building 278. No more TRIG. That's good. Now, how are we going to explain all of ya'll coming back to Playtus? I'm expected back home. Sechar and Vrain, you're supposed to stay and play on Starrtus being your honeymoon night and month, trying to produce a baby." I giggled, patting Prewitt on the arm. I really prayed, wished, and hoped that we all could destroy TRIG. Then Prewitt and I will get married, starting a family in the city of Gambo.

Sechar nodded. "We know that too. And we've all talked about this also. We want to implement your idea, destroying TRIG. Me and Vrain will have a child but not under TRIG and..."

"This is final outcome for all current and future belles and beaus of Playtus and Gambo," Custar nodded.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I feel my confidence overflowing with all my new friends from both Playtus and Gambo, coming back with me home to Playtus for our important mission..."

"...and marriage," smiled Prewitt.

"Okay." I said. "Sechar cannot return to her home either. Your mama would faint. She saw you married on Starrtus."

"Your mama did?" Vrain frowned at Sechar.

"And your daddy did," Sechar nodded at Vrain. "Madam DOB recorded our weddings and transmitted it back to our home cities."

Custar nodded. "Madam DOB is a multi-functional robot with many uses, good and bad."

I nodded. "Custar and Dugway cannot go back to her family on Playtus either. Unakite..."

"Unakite..." frowned Prewitt.

"Unakite..." frowned Dugway.

"Unakite..." frowned Vrain.

"Unakite..." frowned Ametheta, standing in the archway. She wore her cat suit, without shoes.

I turned and frowned at her, "Ameaniethere? Why are you here on board the ship to Playtus? You don't belong here either, so open up that hatch and jump," giggling.

Unakite stood and moved ahead with a grin and a chuckle to Ametheta. "I invited her to participate in our mission on Playtus." He stopped and kissed her lips, pulling back with a smile and cuddled her to his chest.

Ametheta struggled from his hugged, saying with a sour frown. "He kidnapped me."

Unakite nodded with a grin.

Prewitt frowned, "Ya drugged her?"

Unakite grinned. "I used my chemistry."

Vrain pointed to the bench seat. "Sat down both of you, before we hit an air space pocket."

Unakite dragged her to the end of the bench seat and in his lap with a chuckle. Ametheta slid down to the metal, frowning and struggling in Unakite's biceps, arms and hands.

Custar frowned at the hologram. "The TRIG computer is located in Building 278 which is slightly taller and slightly heavier with satellite antennas," she frowned and viewed Gloriette. "How did you figure that out, Gloriette?"

I smiled, pointing to the hologram. "The images from outer space coupled with my curiosity. That's why each belle was kidnapped from their home during the burn on their naked arm. So, we didn't see the configurations of that specific building. We're all logical and schooled in electronics. As an electronic wizard, I would've been more curiosity about that particular building, if I had been given the opportunity to see its roof top from outer space."

Vrain frowned at the hologram. "How much security will be inside Building 278, Sechar?"

Sechar nodded, pointed to the hologram. "Megatons. Since electronics are indeed valuable..."

"We don't have thieves," I frowned at Sechar.

Sechar nodded and viewed Gloriette. "Yes. There is thievery and thieves among the buildings."

"Why?" Custar frowned and viewed Sechar.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, looking to see Unakite and Ametheta in play as I was jealous, yelling. "Stop stinging on Unakite, Ametheta."

"She doesn't bite but stings," laughed Unakite, tickling on Ametheta again.

She giggled and frowned, struggling with him again. "Think about this, cowboy. I don't wear an implant. I taste like candy to every male," she smirked, pulling away Unakite.

Prewitt chuckled and viewed Ametheta. "Ya smell like vomit to me, doll."

Sechar frowned, tossing an arm. "Okay, children. The goal is co-operation, not co-destruction." Vrain huddled and kissed his wife.

I watched and felt jealous-numbness at the married and non-married couples who played and kissed on each other's body parts.

Prewitt patted Gloriette on the arm, since TRIG had rigged it that he could not kiss her lips.

"Go to one of the sleep rooms, Unakite." Vrain frowned and viewed Unakite and Ametheta in play too, pointing with perturbment to the empty hallway.

Custar said. "Where do we hide and sleep on Playtus, ya'll?"

I laughed. "I'm hiding all of you inside my tree house."

Dugway turned with a grin and a chuckle to see Gloriette. "Tree house?"

Vrain turned with a smile to see Gloriette too. "Ya got a tree house?"

Prewitt chuckled. "Do you possess a real live tall tree with a real wooden house between each tree limb?" He tickled Gloriette as she giggled.

Sechar smiled to Gloriette. "Gloriette's home building possesses a landscape of land where almost all the other home buildings only hold pavement and stone, no grass. I have a landscape of flowers, not trees. My mama doesn't like cooing birds in the tree branches, but we are wealthy compared to the other home buildings."

The engines roared and silenced.

The star ship landed on top of the smooth pavement at Building 300, slightly off center of the city, where the numerous parked DOB horse-and-carriages would transport a Playtusian to their particular home building.
Day 27

6:07 a.m.

Building Two

30th room dining room

Hot steamy and sunny

My friends and I swiftly moved off the sky ship in quickness and silence as the Starrtus star ship was reprogrammed by Sechar to return back home to the North Pole, lifting off and flying back into skyline.

We entered one of the horse-and-carriage DOBs, moving and stopping at Building Two.

I motioned and moved ahead with my TRIG friends safely inside the tree house with food, blankets, and cellies, a few minutes ago. I ran through the manicured lawn to the front of the building, slapping the button of the elevator carriage.

The door opened.

I entered the carriage to confront the family with huge reservation and some worry.

The doors opened.

I stepped off the elevator.

The mama, the grandmother, and the great grandmother of Gloriette sat around the dining room table in the chairs, wearing a sour frown and black clothing, instead of the family theme color of emerald green.

I moved ahead and then stood by the table, staring down at the brown hair roots of my mama. "Mama, you couldn't tell me about TRIG, the burning implant, the hot fever, and being kidnapped to Starrtus. I was really upset being carted away in the middle of the night and slept the day away. And why are all of you in dull black clothing?"

The building door bell chimed.

The mama of Gloriette looked down with a sour frown to see the table surface. "The family ID of Playtus requires a child. You will never have a child. You were rejected from TRIG. You will never attend TRIG for a second time. You have been rejected from the Faywood dynasty, daughter."

I said with a sour tone to her brown hair roots. "What the heck? How does a family reject a blood-kin daughter?"

The mama of Gloriette sobbed with her tears into the handkerchief. "The implant determined your future and our futures. We all must move into Building 249."

I looked up with a puzzled brow to see the window, narrowing my eyelashes at the tall buildings on the row. "That's somewhere in the middle of the city."

The mama of Gloriette sobbed with her tears. "You have lost for us our building, our business, our baby. We will go on without you and your unborn child. We will continue our lives, making electronic components for Starrtus."

I turned and smirked down to her brown hair roots. "I could have a baby. I'm a healthy specimen of the female raced," I felt hope and happiness with my future wedding with Prewitt.

The mama of Gloriette shook her curls. "You will never have a child without a mate. You were rejected from TRIG. You will never attend TRIG for a second time. You have been rejected from the Faywood dynasty."

I said with a sour tone to her brown hair roots. "You're repeating your nasty sentences. Is there some type of new information to tattle here, Mama?" I felt angry-confusion.

The grandmother of Gloriette sobbed with her tears into the handkerchief, too. "The tree house, the building, and the pavement all belong to the Havitto family ID now. Her daughter delivered a little baby girl yesterday, making for their blood-kin the first ever six generations here on Playtus," she blew her runny snot into the handkerchief with a loud disgusting sound.

I gagged and coughed, clearing my throat. "So?" I turned and viewed the empty hallway. "What about my stuff, my room, me?"

The mama of Gloriette looked up with a sour frown and a sneer to see her daughter. "You are being sent to Building 555 to live and to survive for your remaining days and nights, away from the Faywood family ID unit."

I frowned. "Dang. I just survived TRIG and barely. What's happening here, Mama? I do not get it, understood it, or appreciate it."

The mama of Gloriette looked down with a sob to see her hands. "Gloriette, you have truly failed. You were to produce a child to update our dynasty and without the child..."

"We own it," I looked down with a sour frown to see her brown hair roots again.

The mama of Gloriette shook their curls. "We do not own, anything. We own status, a family ID."

I said with a sour tone. "O. A theme color. Gotcha." I felt victorious-avenged.

"The highest generation number attains the highest luxury offered by the city of Playtus," the mama of Gloriette looked with a sour frown at her hands.

I said with a sour tone. "That's some big pile of country cow patties, Mama. Don't we have money or currency or riches or wealth in terms of landed, property, equipment, and other touchable stuffies," giggling.

"We did."

I turned and viewed my boots. "I sorry."

The mama of Gloriette looked up with her tears to see her daughter. "You are rejected from TRIG and rejected from the Faywood family. You must leave here, immediately."

I nodded. "Gotcha. Can I say goodbye to my lovely tree house? I guess Building 555 doesn't have grass much less a tree or two."

She nodded in silence.

I turned and moved into the open carriage, leaving the Faywood family and Building Two, foreverly.

The door closed.

At 06:37 a.m. in the morning inside the tree house, the door opened.

I ran out the front door, moving and climbing into my tree house, and stood in the archway with a sour frown.

The belles and beaus were spread over the floor, enjoying the food, the chat, and the new images from the plasma.

I shook my curls. "Trouble, ya'll. I've been rejected from TRIG and Faywood."

Unakite turned and chewed his food to see Gloriette. "What's a Faywood?"

Sechar looked up with a sour tone to see Gloriette. "Her name dynasty."

I nodded, "My name is de-nasty, now," giggling. I clapped with a grin and a nod. "We don't have much time to waste. I'm a prisoner of Building 555 for the rest of my life until Prewitt rescues me." I turned and smiled at him.

He smiled to Gloriette, showing food between his teeth.

I smiled. "I'm allowed to borrow my mama's DOB shaped horse-and-carriage, moving my personal gear and stuff. I don't know the physical or environmental condition of Building 555. So I want everyone to grab all the stuff here inside the tree house, including food stuff, blankets, not the plasma. I'll take all my linens, towels, toys, and some food. Ya'll get ready. I'll open the middle section in the carriage, creating an empty holding space, so ya'll all sneak inside. I'll cover you with the blankets and pillows. Our DOBs are servants, not guards. Does everyone understand the plan?"

At 01:31 p.m. inside Building 555 during the hot steamy and sunny day, the mechanical horse and carriage hovered and landed on the ground as a ladder plowed down in the fresh red dirt.

I sat inside the horse and carriage for the very last time as a Faywood daughter, taking my sweet tea time, gathering my personal stuff from my bedroom and my tree house for five hot daylight hours.

I felt happiness-vengeance.

I stood, exhaling with a puff of annoyance and some worry, stomping down in the dirt of Building 555.

The land was colored in red clay dirt, where the single paved road ended at the last building in the city of Playtus.

I looked up with a sour frown to see a two-story squat building without any numbers. Since every female knew that single road of Playtus ended with the last building, number 555, and started with the tallest building, number one.

I felt nervousness-thrilled.

I strolled to a single door of glass which was surrounded by jet black smooth metals, entering the open hallway.

An elderly woman wore a lavender faded party dress down to her ankles with a pair of matching lavender colored low heels. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a big lavender-colored hair bow. She did not smile to new teenager arrival.

I raised my hand in a friendly gesture, "I am..."

"Rejected," she grabbed the teenager by the arm, looking down to see the triangle with the letter A. She extended her arm to Gloriette too. Her arm was badly wrinkled and glowingly pale.

I barely could make out the formation of a triangle but clearly saw the letter A in the color of lavender burnt in her ghostly skin. I whipped back my arm, cuddling it to my breasts. "I hate that word," whispering for my eardrums, only.

She smiled with missing front teeth, leaning on a walking cane. "I am called, Grandmother. You are called, Rejected."

"I am..."

"Rejected." Grandmother smirked, turning to see the Madam DOB. "You don't have a family ID, here. Ya got a DOB, thou?"

"The DOB's helping me move my personal items from my mama's carriage. Both the carriage and the DOB are required to return to..."

"...the family ID, ya don't got." She swung around from the teen and moved down a dark hallway, ordering. "Follow me for the tour. I'll show your sleep room."

The walls were slick black metal from the ceiling down to the floor like the outside exterior of the matching metal building.

Grandmother stopped at the intersection of open space cross-road, pointing to the right. "Hallway. It leads to your personal sleep room, take the stairs on the right. You can have the entire second floor space, since you will be the only resident up there."

I narrowed my eyelashes, seeing a dark narrow corridor without activity or light.

Grandmother pointed to the left, "Hallway. It leads outside."

I swung my face to the left, narrowing my eyelashes.

A bright hallway of natural sunlight led to an assortment of natural trees, grasses, and dirt.

I gasped and recognized the mounds.

Building 555 was also called the death building or D-building, where all bodies came for processing to a single grave along the bumpy red clay landscape.

Grandmother said. "Get your stuff, Rejected."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, swinging around to DOB, ordering, "DOB, go to the right and down the hallway and take the upstairs on the right. Please setup my bedroom sleep room suite."

DOB lifted and hovered, soaring across the floor and down the hallway with both metal limbs full of my boxes and my bags. DOB would secretly assist Gloriette's TRIG friends out of the mechanic horse and carriage and safely settled on the second level of living space.

I would occupy Grandmother with her nonsense business, carefully planning to destroy TRIG which was located inside Building 278.

Grandmother still pointed to the left, "That's the food room too."

I felt sickness-nausea. The fresh eating food was inside a cold room which was kept near the fresh dead bodies. I felt nausea-vomit now, slapping my hand over my mouth and belched.

Grandmother slowly moved down to the opposite end of the long hallway, hobbling on her cane, and stopped inside a semi-round room.

I followed behind her buttonhole and stopped, standing in the archway.

A room of long and wide windows showed the rounded mounds that represented all the dead bodies in Playtus from the different family IDs, who didn't need a family ID today. Some of the mounds held grass. Some of the mounds grew tall pretty wildflowers. Some of the mounds were fresh diggings of red clay.

Grandmother turned and viewed the desk. "Folks die, every day and night..."

I stared at the red mounds of the dead. "I have..."

"...to attend this office desk in the control room. Your new word for the day is control room. The room controls the activity in the cavern. You will monitor the plasma screen for activity. Sit." Grandmother banged her cane on the metal chair.

I moved ahead and parked my butthole in the cold metal chair, leaning my elbows over the colder metal desk.

The plasma showed a single brown colored cylinder. Spinning sideways in the cylinder, there were a group of tiny red round circles.

The console desk held one big round circle, green colored.

Grandmother hit the desk with her cane, smiling with her missing teeth. "Green for go. Red for stop. See the tunnel, the brown thing on the plasma that's the earth soil there. A tunnel goes from here Building 555 to there in the tunnel," she banged the floor her cane and pointed to the window which was the end road of Playtus.

"Why?" I frowned and stared at the cylinder with wonderment-intrigue.

"Copper, an element of earth and not man-made like a DOB. Didn't your mama teach ya that in metals class, honey?"

I nodded. "Yes ma'am. My mama taught me. Copper is a reddish-orange mineral used for thousands of years by many cultures. The element is both soft and malleable and is used, as a conductor of heat and electricity, a building material, and the making of e-pones."

Grandmother mouth spat her salvia over her lips and on the metal surface as I quickly slid to the right away from her wetness. She said. "The metal is blue and green colors too and closely related to gold but not. Copper is essential to all living organisms for respiratory. That means breathing. We got the earth element in our liver, blood, and bones. The fish, birds, lizards, and snakes held copper in their blood too."

"Whatever." I whispered and stared at the plasma, sliding back to the middle of my chair.

Grandmother pointed to the plasma. "The DOBs move the earth dirt and find the tiny orange copper minerals. When the screen is not moving, you press the big button. Green for go. Red for stop. The cylinder has stopped moving. Press the button."

I reached and tapped the big green circle.

The screen spun.

She said with a smile and a nod. "Green for go. Just remember that, honey. And you will be doing a fine job here in Building 555. So I don't have to send ya'll someplace else."

I turned and frowned to her. "Someplace else? What someplace else? How long do I do this job?" I turned and viewed the empty metal desk, holding a long plasma screen and a big green button. "Where's the red button for stop? Why does the equipment stop? What reason would the equipment halted? You said red for stopped and green for go."

Grandmother said with a nod and a grin. "Good. Ya got it. The someplace else is forever, since ya don't have a family ID. You were rejected like me from TRIG, since the boy didn't want ya," she laughed.

I felt dead-numbness.

She nodded. "You can take a break for peeing and eating at any time. You're required to wo-man the desk from sunup to sundown in the control tower. The DOBs are programmed to stop working at night. Green for go. Red for stop," she swung around, hobbling on her cane out the room.

I viewed the plasma.

The tiny circles were spinning.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and stood from the desk, moving to the glass windows.

The bigger mounds of dirt or flowers or grass went on for miles and miles. The eyeballs could see for three miles straight from my upright stance, dead people on my right, my left, and straight ahead.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and shook my curls, swinging around to see an empty with blackness of walls and lightness of sunlight.

I turned and viewed the plasma.

The tiny circles were spinning.

I strolled out the door, spying for more information to destroy TRIG.

Grandmother slowly hobbled on her cane a good distance ahead of the control room and Gloriette.

I paused in the archway of the control room, seeing that Grandmother had disappeared around the wall corner of the dark hallway and it was not the food and dead person rooms.

I followed in silence.

At 02:14 p.m. on the dark side of the common hallway, I stood in plain view at the single intersection of the hallway.

The other hallway was fresh meat both consumable food and non-consumable bodies.

I felt nausea-vomit again, covering my mouth, and belched again.

This hallway led to my sleep space, a mystery and a secret too. My TRIG friends were there, since I reprogrammed Madam DOB not to tattle to my mama, my grandmother, and my great grandmother about my new friends in Building 555.

I turned and viewed Grandmother.

She slowly hobbled down the darkness of the corridor and slowly crept to the end of an unlighted tunnel of more darkness. She turned to the side of an open door that emitted dull beams of light.

I turned and crouched, moving down the same hallway and stopped at the stairwell, leading to the second floor.

I felt impatience-frustrated.

The DOB horse-and-carriage was gone without looking out a window or a door, since the mama of Gloriette had hand programmed both machines for its return.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, viewing the steep stairs and swung my face to see the end of the hallway.

The long corridor was both dull and quiet.

And then I heard.

Grandmother was softly talking inside the room to someone.

I crouched and moved down the hallway in sheath and silence, and halted before the open archway, looking over my collar bone for any walking dead or walking ghosts of the dead.

Clear.

I turned and looked to see a solid wall of blackness and exhaled with a puff of frustration to calm my overly excited heart organ, shuffling to the semi-dark room. I stood beside the door frame, hiding my tallness without looking inside.

I exhaled with a puff of fear, peek-a-booing around the door frame.

The square room was very dark with bites of artificial lamplight over each slumped skull.

I narrowed my eyelashes in the dark room for better eye viewing.

A tall wheelchair hugged the tray. Each tray was posed in front of a slumped over body, an elderly withering gray headed female. The chairs rested on each wall, going around the corner from my poor spying.

Grandmother sat in a chair, feeding one of the many females in the wheelchair with a spoon of soft food, cleaning the mouth spit of the female with a cloth.

I swung back to darkness, slumping down to the floor, looking down to my hands.

I felt depression-sadness.

Every mama told their daughter the demon tale as a little child in the bed at night about Building 555. A young girl would not marry her soul mate from stubbornness and became an old and frail woman. Her family ID would remove the young girl from her family home. Then young girl would live to be an old woman who lived out beyond the city street.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, viewing the floor with a nod and a sad face.

The demon tale was true. The old and frail woman did not marry her soul mate for a different reason.

I had seen the real wheelchairs of real elderly ladies, who were really the rejected young females from TRIG too like me. They all were exiled to Building 555 too like me.

So the primary job of Grandmother was to care for the old women until their deaths. And it would be my job as the new Grandmother to care for the aging grandmother until her death too.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking my curls, whispering. "No." I stood and moved down the middle of the empty hallway with the dull lights. I nod with a whisper. "I'm marrying Prewitt. I'm destroying TRIG. And I'm living with him on the farm of Gambo, not here on Playtus with my family non-ID. The happy ending for the both of us."

I turned the corner, moving back to the control room.

I felt determination-excitement.

At 09:01 p.m. on the second floor sleep room during the late night evening with cool and steamy temperatures, Grandmother finally excused me from my work duties at nine at night.

The door opened.

I dashed down the empty hallway, running up the stairs, through another empty hallway and stepped into beautiful silliness from the overhead artificial lamplights.

The door closed.

There were four different types of fabric colorful curtains hanging down from the ceiling to the floor that covered up the black smooth metal at each wall corner, detailing the pretty fabrics of paisley, linen, velveteen, and wool.

Custar moved ahead and then stood in the front of the curtain, touching the wool fabric, saying with a nod and a smile to Gloriette. "Hi, Gloriette. Like our new abode."

I said with a smile and a nod to Custar. "It's really clever and cute. Which one's mine?" I walked from the archway to the middle of the big empty sleep room.

Sechar appeared and stood in front of her curtain of linen, saying with a smile and a nod to Gloriette. "What is the new work job that you will be performing here in Building 555? I didn't know that there were any jobs or peopled here in the D-building."

I smiled. "Green for go. Red for stop."

Custar frowned. "What?"

I moved to Prewitt. He was resting liked a sleep on top of a blanket in the middle section of the flooring. I said. "I monitor the underground mining of copper."

Sechar nodded. "Mama told me that copper was mined from the earth rock. I never inquired where. Now, I know too much." Vrain appeared at the edge of the curtain, wiping sweat off his face. Sechar turned with a smile and a wink to him. "Kiss me. Make it go all away," she giggled. He cuddled and kissed Sechar.

Custar turned and pointed with a frown to the velveteen curtain. "Your royal pain in the fanny got the velveteen one. Sechar wanted the pretty beige linen for her and Vrain. I got the paisley, since I love the color royal blue and yellow. You got the dull brown wool one. But it's really thick. The non-married boys get the middle of the room without a set of girly drape curtains."

I squatted and observed Prewitt. He was sound asleep with a red face. I reached and touched the forehead of Prewitt, feeling warmth, slightly shaking his vertical body with my dirty hands, and said with a smile to his sweaty face. "Hey, babe. You're sleeping on the job. I'm home from work, honey. We could do the town tonight." I looked up to see the sun set in the west.

Prewitt moaned, flinging his hand over his wet face. "Hot. Tired. Rest."

I frowned with confusion, feeling his sweat molecules over my fingers.

Custar moved ahead and then squatted beside Gloriette and Prewitt, softly saying. "We want scouting, this afternoon."

"What?" I turned and sneered into her face.

Sechar grabbed and jerked the arm of Gloriette away from Prewitt, moving and standing in front of the wool curtains of Gloriette's sleep. She scooted around and hid behind the new wool curtain, sitting cross-legged on the floor.

I exhaled with a puff of confusion, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of my small cot with a set of white folded bed linens and a head pillow.

Custar moved ahead and joined the huddle too.

Sechar leaned over and whisper with a nod. "We trolled Building 278, the tallest one in Playtus. We used one of the three funeral sleighs. Since, this is the Death-building."

"A funeral sleigh holds a dead body." I gasped.

Sechar shook her curls. "We didn't retrieve any dead or alive body. Building 278 is both unsecured and unlocked. We dressed in the floppy hats and long ankle-length dresses like little old women, after finding the old clothes in one of the rooms near the food section. So I opened the door and barged up the stairs onto the fifth level in Building 278 without any DOB guards."

"There are no DOB guards on Playtus." Custar frowned to Sechar.

"And there are no males on Playtus either." Sechar frowned to Custar. "I landed on the fifth floor. No problem. There are no DOBs up there either."

I frowned. "That's very strange for my neurons and my eardrums. Why are there no DOBs inside the TRIG building? TRIG is a machine that needs has to be exchanged out with a set of new working machine parts from the group of wore machine parts and any broken repairs, like any other operating machine."

Custar shook her curls. "That's normal, Gloriette. DOBs do not stand as a batch of protection guards. We don't have thievery here. There is no crime..."

"...only no men. Has anyone ever solved that mystery too?" I said with a sour tone, viewing my dirty hands from Prewitt's wet sweat.

Sechar nodded. "My daddy died."

Custar nodded. "My father died too when I was a little girl."

I looked up with a sour frown to see them. "All the men-folk in my family ID are dead also. I found that all, very strange."

Custar nodded. "I have a working theory. My mama ran my daddy away from our home building. I do believe he lives free and happy in Gambo and too afraid to come back here. My mama is not a nice lady."

I shook my curls. "Why are there no DOBs at Building 278 again? All machines need replacement parts. And maybe my real father is on Gambo too. I hope so. That would be nice to learn instead of the opposite." I turned and viewed the mounds of the dead bodies outside the second story window.

The red mounds surrounded the death building, thus the nickname.

Sechar waved her hand. "We implement our destruction plan tomorrow night, as soon as possible. And Vrain and I will have a baby and live happily ever after like in the fairy tale books that I read all the time, as a child. I'm tired of this hiding from my mama, who is a great lady, ya'll."

I turned and viewed the curtain as it wiggled with the face Ametheta.

She scooted on her knees from behind the drapes.

I said with a sour tone at her pretty face. "Go away, Ameaniethere. This is a private work meeting for Playtusians only. You're leaving or escaping or getting out of here anyways. Leave us be. We ain't sharing our secrets either."

Sechar turned and frowned to Ametheta. "How did you escape your dog chains?"

I turned and laughed to Sechar. "Ya chained the new family pet to the bed." I fist bumped with Sechar.

Sechar nodded. "There're iron chains on the walls for some strange reason. And yes, I chained her to the wall."

Ametheta raised the pretty red hairpin that matched her hair with a smirk and a nod. "I'm a smart girl, not a stupid Playtusian. Unakite is different..."

"It is called rejection, girlfriend. Unakite has finally come to his good senses about you, countless Countess. Take my good wise advice. Go and sat in your wall fabric corner until the rescue of your kin or kind or kindle. And stay out of our other glossy colored hair roots, non-girlfriend."

Ametheta said with a sour frown and a matching tone to Gloriette. "Your hair roots are dirty. Sniff. Sniff. You need a bath, all. But Unakite's sick. He's both extremely wet sweaty and sizzling heated."

Sechar frowned. "That's Gambo poison for countesses. Let him alone."

Ametheta shook her curls. "No. He's really presenting a true medical sickness. His body temperature has risen..."

Custar frowned with a nod. "You're sweating, too, Ameaniethere. You and the Gambo boys aren't acclimated to the heated weather conditions here on Playtus. We were outside for almost five hours, scouting Building 278 in both hot heatness and hideous hats. I'm sweaty and tired too. Our soul mates will be fine tomorrow after a good night's rest." She turned to Sechar. "Please leave."

Ametheta exhaled with a puff of frustration and scooted into the curtain but viewed Gloriette, saying with a sour frown. "I'm leaving to attend to Unakite, since I'm leaving here permanently too." She scooted from the curtain, leaving the belles.

I frowned. "How's she leaving here permanently?"

Sechar sneered. "Who cares? As long as, she's gone from here, permanently. To update you with our surroundings, there is a food room..."

"...for the dead bodies too," Custar giggled.

Sechar frowned. "There are no more bodies, here. No music. No smells. No sounds."

Custar smiled, "No ghosts."

Sechar frowned. "This place is dead."

Custar said. "The D-building, my mama told me demon tales about the elderly females living here too."

Sechar frowned. "Stop it, Custar." She tapped her implant on the wall console.

A tiny colored hologram of Building 278 appeared on the floor between the three belles.

Sechar pointed to the hologram. "The structure is composed of 445 floors in height, 5,810 steps to the rooftop, since there is not an elevator for lifting up our boot heels."

"That's strange." I frowned at the hologram, shaking my curls.

"That's normal." Custar said with a nod and a smile to the hologram.

Sechar pointed to the hologram. "There are not a set of outside steps with for escaping a fire either."

"That's strange." I frowned at the hologram, shaking my curls.

"That's normal. There are no guarding DOBs here in Playtus." Custar exhaled with a puff of frustration, viewing the hologram.

Sechar tapped her implant on the wall console.

The hologram disappeared.

I rudely yawned and covered my mouth. "Night, girlfriends." I stood.

Custar and Sechar stood and yawned too, because when a person yawned, the person followed suit.

They twisted and moved to their individual curtains and away from Gloriette.

I whispered for my eardrums only. "I have work tomorrow morning whether we destroy TRIG or not." I slid and dropped down into my homemade cot of softness, closing my eyelashes.
Day 28

8:01 p.m.

2nd floor sleep room

I stomped up the second floor, stretching my arching neck and shoulders, after my working shift at the control tower. Grandmother didn't bother me too much, since she was busy with feeding and watering the wheelchair children.

The door opened.

I entered the archway and stopped.

The door closed.

The bright moonlight beams bounced through the opened curtains and glass windows, feeling the cool light breeze of the night air.

I looked down to see Prewitt on his cot. His eyelids were closed with both his arms at his side, lacking any blanket or bed linen. I slowly strolled closer to Prewitt. He wore a red and flush tint on his face and his naked chest on top of his cot.

The room was quiet.

I stopped and scanned each set of wiggling and open curtains, saying with a confused brow. "What's wrong in here?"

Sechar stood from the cot, moving and marching to Gloriette, saying with a worried brow. "Vrain is sweaty in bucketful of water. I cannot keep his temperature down below a raging fever. He's both hot and heated and colored in bright red," her wet cloth dripped water over her naked feet and the floor.

Custar moved ahead and stood beside Gloriette, saying with a nod and a worried brow. "Dugway's unconscious too. He looks brightly red colored like Vrain and Prewitt also."

I looked and moved to Prewitt, squatting, touching his face, arm, and chest. He breathed in a steady pace during his sleep mode coupled with his wet sweat. I leaned down and sweet breathed on his heated face. "Prewitt, please wake up. We're going to raid the Building 278 tonight. And then we can be together. Prewitt, darling..."

Ametheta moved ahead and leaned over the hair roots of Gloriette, saying with a worried brow too. "Unakite is in the exact same condition." She lifted her chest and looking with a worried brow to see each face. "Ladies, I mentioned before that the males are both hot and heated like they have some type of medical virus."

I held Prewitt's hand, feeling his heat, and dunked my hands into the cold pail of water, lifting out the wet cloth and over his face.

The door opened.

Grandmother entered and moved into the room as two males surrounded her plumpness. She stopped and pointed to each girl teen. "Who are they? What they are doing here inside Building 555 and inside your room, Rejected? You ain't allowed company here inside this building, Rejected, not ever." She stared at the rear skull of Gloriette with both her hands on her hips.

Sechar turned and gasped to see Grandmother and the males. "Who are the males? There're no males on Playtus, ever. I've never seen a live male on Playtus, ever."

Grandmother turned and moved to Sechar first. "Show me your implant, belle?"

Ametheta sobbed with fake tears, folding her arms around her breasts, shaking her curls. "They kidnapped me. Help me. I...I am a Faywood belle from Building Two."

I parted my lips, standing and turning with a sour frown to see Ametheta.

Ametheta unfolded her arms and waved both her arms and her hands, bouncing bounces up and down, pointed with a nod and sour frown to Gloriette. "They're trying to ransom me for millions."

Grandmother turned with puzzled a brow to see Ametheta, tilting her skull. "A million e-pones?"

Ametheta stopped bouncing and said with a puzzle brow. "E-pones?"

I squatted and attended to Prewitt, saying with a grin and a giggle. "Electronic components. An e-pone is one single electronic component. Yeah. Our ransom money demand is actually only about a few dozens." I wiped the wet cloth over Prewitt's heated body.

Grandmother turned and viewed the rear skull of Gloriette. "A dozen e-pones..."

"...used on sky ships engines," I said with a grin at Ametheta's silly banter and Grandmother's serious demeanor.

Grandmother said with a nod and a smile to Ametheta. "Them be the great big e-pones worth millions and millions and millions..."

I wiped the cold wet cloth over the red face of Prewitt. His eyes were closed. His palms were sweating. I said with a grin at the silly countess. "Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta from Building Two. Right, sugar? She is very famous here in Playtus. Right, darling?"

Grandmother pointed with a nod and a smile of missing her front teeth to Ametheta. "Keep her. We can ransom her back to the Faywood family ID for millions," she turned and narrowed her eyelashes at Sechar.

Sechar turned and moved from Grandmother, squatting beside Vrain for love and protection.

Grandmother moved ahead and sneered at the rear skull of Sechar. "Who are you?"

I wiped off the sweat from Prewitt. "They're married, coming from Starrtus."

Grandmother sneered at the rear skull of Sechar. "Why are you here inside Building 555, hiding out like rebel outlaws?"

I wiped the sweat from his naked chest. "She lost the baby."

Grandmother raised her arms, saying with a nod and a grin of missing front teeth. "Ah. Your mama tossed ya out of your home building for that one, honey. These Playtus mamas do that all the time without mama pity feelings," she extended her palm to Sechar.

Sechar stood and turned, extending her arm, showing her implant, and sobbed with tears. She did not mind lying but was worried about her new husband, who was really red and sick. "I lost my baby, too. This is my husband. He is not feeling really well."

Grandmother frowned at her implant and the skin condition of Vrain. "Usually, when the baby dies, your triangle fades underneath your skin tone. When was the baby miscarried a few days ago?"

Sechar turned and stares with a worried brow at Vrain. "Yesterday, I was very sick with vomiting and bleeding and extreme pain. And my mama tossed us into the street like stray dogs."

Grandmother viewed the implant and Vrain, shaking her ponytail. "No dogs. No pets on Playtus. The toxics kill 'em. Dead."

One of the males said with a nod and a smile, holding the shotgun to his chest. His gun and face both scanned the room of strange teens. "My farm has dogs. I love dogs."

Ametheta stood in front of an unconscious and red faced Unakite, saying with a smile and a nod to the male. "A true Gambo man."

Grandmother dropped the arm of Sechar, swinging with a grin to Ametheta. "You, teens made a good choice among the Playtus belles. Her family ID is big, big status. So we have an equal exchange. We keep her. And ya could live here in Building 555 with me, once we get the millions and millions and millions." She moved to the cot, staring down at Prewitt, shaking her ponytail, saying with a sour frown. "He's a grayie."

I wiped his heated face with a worried brow. "What does that word imply? What? What's a grayie?"

Grandmother leaned down and touched the head of Prewitt. "What are his symptoms?"

Ametheta turned and squatted, touching the head of Unakite with the wet cloth. "Dehydration. Fever. Vomiting with headaches. Dizziness and disorientation."

Grandmother reached and poked her hands hard on his naked stomach. "His stomach's raw." She whipped out a tiny instrument from her dress pocket and stabbed his arm with a needle device. She withdrew the needle devise, checking the number measurement. "He's got lots of low white blood cell count too. He has radiation poisoning."

I turned and frowned to Grandmother. "Did he acquire the illness inside the sky ship on Starrtus?"

Grandmother stared at the needle device. "Did he arrive, today?" I parted my lips without answering the question. Grandmother turned with a sour frown to see Gloriette. "Tell girl? His life's in critical danger as a grayie."

I turned with a worried brow to see Prewitt and her, softly saying. "We've all been on Playtus for two solar days and nights."

Grandmother thumbed over her collar bone to the tall male, ordering. "Monead and you, belles, get going now. Your beaus need medical treatment immediately."

"Wait. I don't understand." I stood, huddling around Grandmother with Ametheta, and Sechar. I said with a sour frown, pointing down to Prewitt. "How long does the radiation poisoning take to surface on his naked body? I understood that a single ounce dosage of radiation poison can and does change a person's precious DNA strand inside their healthy cells into deadly cells."

Grandmother jabbed a finger at Gloriette. "You are a smart, Rejected. The symptoms really depend on how healthy the male is from the get-go. The radiation poison attacks the lining of the stomach. An infected male will vomit, getting both dehydration and dizziness. Disorientation is the last stepped right before death."

The belles gasped.

I turned with a sob and a worried brow to see him. "Prewitt?"

"I see worse, Rejected." Grandmother said.

Custar continued to wipe the wet cloth over the face of her husband Dugway. "I heard tell that you could raise the dead from the mounds of dirt graves. Is that fairy tale really true?"

Grandmother chuckled, "Sometimes."

I turned and frowned to Grandmother. "How's that possible? It's nice to know Prewitt has two chances at life."

Grandmother chuckled, staring at Prewitt. "You're a quick wit, Rejected. We dunk him into the decon-tub. The warm water distributes the soft elements throughout his body, allowing his natural immune to fight off the poison. It is the eeriest thing, feeling a dead corpse, and then seeing it spit water while growling like a bear," she laughed with the males.

I cringed with that mental thought of death.

Ametheta said with a worried brow to Grandmother. "What soft element is flowing throughout Unakite's body? He cannot consume any food or water much less any additional vitamins."

Grandmother turned and viewed Ametheta. "Iodine. I inject the element into his..."

"Iodine comes from fish. Fish live in the oceans. There are no bodies of water within the Playtus city limits." Ametheta said with a puzzled brow to Grandmother.

Grandmother narrowed her eyelashes at Ametheta. "Yes, Faywood. You're very correct and very smart. Iodine comes from fish and humans. Iodine is essential for proper thyroid function, the thyroid gland. You have to raid the grave mounds for stored iodine within their thyroid gland in the neck," she touched her neck, winking at Ametheta.

"They're dead," I gasped with shock.

Grandmother pulled a set of tiny devices from her dress pockets, shaking her curls. "Naw, child. They're stored there for purposes of the living like me and you. We don't embalm the dead body just let the maggots eat it while rotting away. So the iodine is still there, fresh and stored. I inject the iodine into his big vein in the neck. It nicely binds the radioactive particles inside his body, and is nasty excreted through his pee and his feces. Don't worry. It's very effective, a fast treatment of radioactive poison elimination. All the males receive it even the dead ones. He revives, if I got 'em, in time." She handed out the objects.

I accepted it, studying the object.

A sharp long needle was attached to a slender container of smooth plastic.

Grandmother pointed to the object. "Take this syringe and violently stab it into the neck muscle. The instrument will seek and pulled out the cadaver's stored iodine. Each beau needs about two dead bodies," she turned and viewed the male. "Go with them, Monead." He nodded in silence. She said. "He has a gun. He shoots a gun for our protection, not your protection. Understood me, Rejected?"

Monead nodded, back stepping into the cool hallway, tossing the gun over his shoulder, and moved down the hallway.

I turned and followed behind Ametheta, Custar, and Sechar.

Grandmother leaned down and wiped the sweat from Prewitt's forehead.

At 09:04 p.m. inside the grave mound location among the row of glowing colorful buildings within the beams of yellow tinted moonlight and a black night of white stars during the cool, steamy air temperatures, Monead quietly led down the stairs and out the building into the moonlight, moving to side wall, pointing to a row of digging shovels, and grabbed one. He moved to dirt.

I reached and grabbed a shove too, following behind Ametheta, tripping over the wet grass on the edge of the red dirt mounds that held a real dead body. I shivered and squeezed the syringe between my sweaty fingers, toting the heavy shovel with my other hand.

Sechar scanned the mounds that looked like a pile of smooth bumps underneath the moonlight. "No grave markers."

"Yeah." Custar following behind Sechar, scanning the mounds too.

"No grave stones." Sechar moved behind Monead.

"Yeah." Custar said.

"No grave diggers." Sechar said.

"Yeah," Custar said.

Sechar narrowed her eyelashes to the dim moonlight over the dirt. "We live by the Playtus way..."

"...and die by the Playtus way," Monead chuckled and stopped at the red mound, digging the shovel down in the red dirt, scooping up the hard soil, and flung the load to the side, repeating.

I bounced into the fanny of Ametheta on purpose, saying to her hair stands. "Ya stole my ID."

"I saved your fat fanny, Ametheta," the real Ametheta swung around with a grin to Gloriette, sweet breathing into a sour tone puss face.

I said with a sour breath to her pretty face. "My fanny's skinny compared to your heifer rump, darling."

Ametheta smiled. "You saved my man."

I frowned. "I thought you didn't want Unakite."

Ametheta spun around and moved ahead, stopping at the next mound beside Monead, digging the shovel into the dirt. "Unakite grew on me, literally. And he's my exit door out of here from Building 555 on dull Playtus."

Sechar panted with shallow breathes, digging into the grave mound on the other side of Monead. "She's right. Get to work, Gloriette."

I stopped at the individual mound beside Ametheta, stabbing the dirt with a grunt. "Shut it, Sechar!"

Ametheta dug out the dirt from the mound. "He doesn't belong here on the city or on a female of Playtus either. He'll get bored and leave, after he has fully recovered from his aliment."

"The implant was modified for you by..." I shook my curls, turning to see the nose profile of Ametheta. "Wait! You don't possess an implant like me and Sechar and Custar. Unakite doesn't have to pair with you, Ameaniethere." I smiled and started digging again with the heavy shovel. I tossed the dirt to the side and stabbed something soft. I gagged, turning my head to the nicely manicured grass under my feet and highlighted by the moonlight.

"He desires, wants, needs," Ametheta dig and tossed the dirt, stabbing the soft object, exhaling of a puff of dread.

I grunted and gagged, spreading the dirt with the shovel. "He could pair with any other girl on Playtus, as long as, the implant is compatible. Remember, we're still under TRIG control." I gagged, seeing the dead body of an elderly grandmother.

Custar grunted, hauling half-full shovel loads of dirt. "Because, the cowboy didn't know any better. When he's fully conscious, I'm educating him personal," she stabbed the soft object, parting her lips with dread.

Ametheta squatted and scattered the dirt with her hand, starting at the blue face of the elderly dead grandmother. "You can have him."

I stared at the dead body. "He was made compatible for you. Why did he bring her along?"

Custar scattered the dirt with the shove, staring at the dead body full of maggots. "He likes her. She likes him."

Sechar squatted and stared at the maggots, gagging and coughing up her bile. "This dead body is too maggie for me. Dig up another one."

I stood and pointed with a smile and a nod to another mound. "Wait. I know where the fresher ones are located."

Custar stood and moved away from the exposed dead grandmother. "A fresher dead body, that's an oxymoron, Gloriette."

I smiled, dragging my shovel, moving down the tree line, and pointed to a naked mound that was not covered in either grass or flowers. "Like Ameaniethere, a fresher dead moron. I've been gone from Playtus for a week. This one has been dead for eight days."

Each belle selected a new naked mound of red color, stabbing the shovel in the soft dirt, digging both quickly and quietly.

Ametheta stopped the shovel dig and spread the dirt, seeing more dirt, and shook her curls. "Fresh and empty! You need eyeglasses, Rejected," she giggled.

"Naw." I shook my curls and walked to Ametheta, standing over the hole, closing my eyelashes. I remembered and opened them, pointing down to the mound grave. "Naw. I'm right. This is a recent grave site of Valmy's poor deceased husband."

Monead laughed, moving to the grave site, leaning over the dirt grave. "Hmm! That was my personal dirt mound."

I parted my lips, viewing the mound and then him. "What?"

Monead scattered and kicked the dirt with a boot toe and a smile. "I'm Valmy's dead husband."

"Naw." I stared at him. The other girls gasped with shock.

"Yep." He turned with a nod and a smile to see Gloriette.

"No."

"Yes."

I frowned. "Prove it."

He looked up to see the moon and looked down with a smile to see Gloriette. "Valmy's family theme color is baby blue. Her building number is sixteen. We delivered a baby girl on Starrtus. My daughter has blonde hair." He showed his arm.

I looked down to see a triangle with baby blue letters A and B, saying with a puzzle brow. "Why's the triangle showing on your flesh?"

Monead viewed the dirt, holding no dead cadaver. "I understand the triangle fades after five days. I guess when I was newly iodized with the human chemical, the triangle reappeared."

"Are you angry-mad?" I stared at him.

He turned and viewed Gloriette, shaking his skull. "Why should I be angry-mad? I got sick from the city, not Valmy."

I frowned. "The city?"

He turned and pointed to the tall glowing buildings in the distance. "The city's contaminated with toxins in the soil, air, water. That's the reason why males die and women live out their healthy lives until death," he turned and scanned the mounds of dead.

"How?" I stared at his hair roots.

Monead turned with a stern face to see Gloriette. "Think of it like a bubble bath that you don't rinse off. You stood and walk around with the wet bubbles that you created. And you bath again using more bubbles. The male bath in pure water and bath in the bubble bath when the bubbles stick, they absorb into the skin. The male cannot discharge the bubbles or absorb the bubbles, so they get sick from the bubbles and die."

"Dang." I whispered, shaking my curls.

Custar turned and viewed Monead. "Are you okay now?"

Monead looked up to see the shiny moon and Custar. "Only for a certain amount of time thou, I must leave Playtus immediately. Or I'll contact some more of the bubbles and get sick again."

"Leave, when?" I frowned.

"Leave, how?" Sechar frowned at him.

He pointed to the stars. "A sky ship arrives every month, carting off the cold e-pone parts plus the hot males, who had been revived by Grandmother in Building 555. Both objects leave Playtus for my home back on Gambo."

I shook my curls, turning with a sour frown and slapping the shovel down into the dirt. "And you are to never marry again?"

Monead said with a nod and a grin. "I'll remarry. I'm official dead on Playtus. I'll file a divorce from Valmy on Gambo."

I said with a sour tone, shaking my curls. "Your implant won't allow you to remarry."

Monead nodded. "The implant is deactivated after five days of marriage. TRIG doesn't control my life anymore. I could marry any girl on the planet now," he smiled.

I turned and viewed him. "You'll carry on without your blood-child."

He looked down to the grave and the moon. "I have been given a forced choice, dying or living." He viewed Gloriette. "What do you think, belle? I made my own choice to live and living," he squatted down to the dug mound, stabbing the devise in the neck of the blue faced freshly dead elderly grandmother.

I view the dirt. "Do you feel guilty, robbing iodine from your friends of Gambo, the other dead husbands?"

Monead jerked the devise from the neck, filling the syringe, and stood. "My understanding, the iodine is collected mostly from dead grandmothers, whose turn it was to pass from here making them the freshly deceased."

I held the devise, staring down at the dead body, gagged and sucked back in my mouth spat.

Ametheta moved ahead and snatched the devise from Gloriette, squatting and stabbed the neck of the blue faced freshly dead elderly woman without gagging. "I do this for Unakite and not you, Rejected."

I turned and viewed Monead, who was digging in a second mound, pitching the dirt.

Ametheta pulled out the devise and collected the iodine without gagging again.

I turned and viewed both Custar and Sechar, who were gathering the needle devises of iodine for their loving husbands.

At 10:01 p.m., my friends and I had collected enough iodine enzymes from the dead grandmothers in each device for the sick males.

I followed last in line to the building, replacing my shovel and carrying my device.

Monead led down the hallway and to the control room, entering and stopped in front of the cave door.

The door opened, revealing darkness.

I stopped in the archway and smelled the moist fresh dirt, seeing numerous lanterns of artificial lighting. Five metal beds were lined against the dirt wall, holding three naked bodies.

Sechar and Custar both moved ahead and entered through the metal archway, totting the device of iodine.

Monead moved to the other belles, collecting the devise in a basket, swinging around to enter through the archway.

Ametheta turned and left the control room.

I smiled and moved forward to enter through the metal archway.

Monead spun around and blocked Gloriette from entering, thumbing over his collar bone to the beds, saying with a sour frown. "You are not married with any of these sick men, Rejected. You cannot come and stay in there. Please, wait in the control room. Grandmother will be available in about an hour."

I parted my lips, back stepping from his tallness into the control room.

Monead swung around, entering the cavern.

The door closed.

I stood, frowning with worry too for the sick men.

At 11:01 p.m. inside the control room, I sat at the metal office desk with worry, punching the green button to restart the robots in the working tunnel for gathering the earth mineral copper.

The door opened.

I stood.

Each rolling table shifted from the dark cavern that contained a sleeping and blanket covered body of Dugway, Unakite, and Prewitt, moving out the control room and down the hallway.

I dashed from the rolling chair as it hit the wall, moving and pulling up beside Prewitt, and held his hand. He was unconscious but looked pink and sweaty, a healthy boy.

The unknown male, another saved ex-dead husband, turned at the hallway intersection and stopped the rolling table at the foot of the staircase, moved ahead and lifted Prewitt over his shoulders. He stomped up the stairs to the second floor shared bedroom suite, entering and resting Prewitt on top of his make-shift bed.

At 11:59 p.m. on the second floor sleep room, I followed behind the unknown male and up the stairs and into our sleep room, moving and kneeling at his side. I drew the blanket to his waist, exposing his naked chest, holding his hand with my worry.

Grandmother invaded the second floor room, stopping and standing over the hair roots of Gloriette. "Get back to work, Rejected. The DOBs gotta keep going during the day before a bad shortage of copper element for the construction of the Playtus raw e-pone components. The males are fine, going to leave here tomorrow with the return of the sky star."

I dropped my mouth with shock of my continued job.

Grandmother thumbed over her collar bone to the hallway, ordering with a sneer. "Work, Rejected. That fellow ain't your husband. Now, girl."

I touched his face with a sob of worry and tears. Prewitt was sleeping soundly from the injected iodine. I slowly stood and turned to see all the closed curtains, where the real married couples were staying, turning with a sour frown to see Grandmother, thumbing over my collar bone to the curtain of Unakite. "Am...I mean Faywood isn't married to Unakite either. She should be put to work here..."

"She was kidnapped. "Grandmother said with a nod and a grin. "Her triangle ain't surfaced yet. But you are rejected from TRIG, Rejected. You belong here. Get to work, Rejected," she spun around, exiting the sleep room.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, turning and resting the hand of Prewitt over his naked chest, and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

And I turned and left the room for my work.
Day 29

8:01 p.m.

2nd floor sleep room

I had worked the early morning hours and then entered into my room. All the males were still resting and sleeping, when I had crawled out of my warm cozy bed blankets at seven am this morning. I entered into my sleep room after working all day with my annoying supervisor.

All the sleep curtains were closed, except my love Prewitt was missing out from his personal cot.

I moved ahead and dashed towards the sleeping cot, sliding down onto my kneecaps, scattering the bed linens and blankets. No hand written note. No bloody bandages. No red blood stains. No clothing items.

Sechar stood in the archway. "Everyone is gone, Gloriette. We've loaded into two funeral sleighs for Building 278, now, tonight. We're going to hit and blow TRIG now tonight, stopping this nonsense on Playtus."

I stood and turned with a nod and a stern face. "I..."

"I...." Sechar moved forward from the archway, streaming a set of wet tears down a face and waving both hands in the air while stopping and stood in front of Gloriette. "I am scared for all of us with this vital life-saving purpose to destroy TRIG, but I...I am ready to do my part too.

"I..."

"You're a natural leader Gloriette, possessing some much confidence and bravery."

"I...

"I...I will follow you anywhere.

"I..."

"I want to end TRIG. I want all the future girls to have freedom of love, a choice of love, not a machine." She tapped the collar bone of Gloriette.

"I..."

"So, please lead the city of Playtus to a happier place. I am not letting you lose your chance of happiness either, Gloriette."

"I...."

Sechar lifted up a hand and rammed the syringe down into the collar bone of Gloriette.

I gasped and back stepped, tumbling into the low sleeping cot of Prewitt, falling over the tile, staring at her boot toes. And then I heard.

Sechar shouted out loud with sobs of tears. "Wish us great luck, Gloriette!" Her boot toes back stepped, moving to the archway.

I closed my eyelashes into darkness.
Day 30

8:02 a.m.

2nd floor sleep room

I sat upright on both of my elbows inside the sleep cot for Prewitt, staring at the dull colored curtain, and heard.

"We were disguised like a set of funeral bots, standing among the dark shadows. The darkness hid our human features from any naked eyes. The plot was planned very well except..."

I struggled to stand, making grunting noises, and swung off the cot as the cot creaked. I stood and tumbled into the curtain, holding my head, feeling dizzy.

Prewitt shifted the curtain, grabbing Gloriette before she fell, saying with a worried brow. "Gloriette, honey, are you okay? You looked pale and sick. You should lie down for the rest of the morning, until Grandmother could heal ya later."

"I..." was confused, cuddling into Prewitt's chest. He wore that hot wool jacket over his body, making me sweat from the coldness of the room.

Custar moved with a sour frown to Gloriette, shaking her curls. "TRIG wasn't located in Building 278, only DOBs. Lots of DOBs..."

"...in parts," Dugway said, moving and standing in front of Gloriette.

"...in pieces," Unakite said, moving and standing beside Dugway.

"...in full fighting form," Custar said with a sour frown.

I narrowed my eyelashes and stared at an assortment of red and bloody bandages.

The red and bloody cloth bandages were entwined around the different body parts on Unakite, Prewitt, Dugway, and Custar but not Ametheta. She had been chained to the wall for fear of escaping or tattling on the party raid of Building 278.

Custar said. "Building 278 is a testing center for DOBs, not TRIG. We were attacked right after stepping off the top level step. We scurried through a set of different exit doors and slid down a set of different exit stepped, almost all safely into the dark night. That place doesn't hold the machine," sneering.

"Where's TRIG?" I gasped, looking to each face, seeing the sad blinking pairs of eyelashes and eyelids with red blood shot eyeballs. I scanned the room with a confused brow. "Where's Sechar?"

Grandmother stood in the archway, shaking her curls with a sad frown. "She died in childbirth."

I looked down with a puzzled brow to the floor and back up to see Grandmother. "She died in childbirth. Ah, naw."

Custar said. "Sechar was attacked, first. She died in my arms, last night. Grandmother personally told her family ID that white lie fabrication for Sechar's belle honor. Her funeral is within the hour."

I turned and sobbed with tears into that old jacket of Prewitt.

At 09:03 a.m. inside the graveyard location during a hot, steamy sunny day, my friends and I stood along the darkness of the interior hallway, wearing a silly metal hat over our head and a steel apron around chest, so from a distance, we appeared like a row of metallic and robotic to the human eye.

The funeral-bots had dug a fresh hole down in the soil and dumped the dead body of Sechar and re-covered the hole, quietly and quietly.

The family of Sechar sobbed with lowered skulls. The mama of Sechar touched the fresh mound of dirt, squatting in her pretty royal purple dress, the family theme color.

I felt eternal-sadness.

I was still alive with the hope for a happy future.

Sechar and her truly matched and married soul mate Vrain were both dead in heaven now, enjoying their new life together.

I learned too that Vrain did not survive the poisonous toxins or the injection treatment of the iodine. Grandmother said sometimes it did not work on every male, who had become affected.

Sechar had left her family members to suffer and troll down to a lower status of moaning and mourning like my biological family for not producing an heir for their family ID on Playtus.

Custar held the hand of Dugway unlike a robot but like a married couple.

Prewitt squeezed my hand.

Monead stood beside Gloriette, viewing the women.

Valmy hugged her infant baby to her chest, sobbing with tears too.

I turned with a stern face to the pinched face on Monead, reaching and grabbing hand.

I felt happiness-thrilled.

He held the hand of Gloriette, staring at his legally married wife and his cute biological baby daughter as he and Valmy had both survived TRIG about twelve months ago.

The other family member of Valmy had left in another DOB horse-and-carriage.

Valmy stood alone over Sechar's grave, sobbing with her tears.

I released the hand of Prewitt and moved forward in my metal outfit from the archway, dragging Monead for the brief scary solo encounter with his wife.

Monead did not hesitate in his boot step but in his voice. "What? What are you, we doing, Gloriette?"

I sneered-soured. "You must say good bye to your baby daughter, before you board that ship for the last time. It returns tonight, for your escape from Playtus. And please do take Ameaniethere there with you too."

My metal armor sounded with clinks in my shoes, my hands, chest, and my skull as I stopped and stood behind Valmy. She wore a pretty party dress of blue baby.

Monead sounded with a moan of sadness, looking at his pretty wife and baby girl.

Valmy slowly turned around, staring at the shadow, and recognized the robot-like funeral thingy, cuddling her baby, moving around the two robots. She stumbled in her heeled sandals with her blurry eyeballs through the manicured grass to her DOB horse-and-carriage.

I moved ahead and jerked the hand of Monead as he hesitated. I slowly moved forward, extending his arm, pulling Monead to the side of the step ladder.

Valmy stopped and handed him the baby, thinking that Monead was a functioning funeral DOB, raising her ankle-length formal dress to her kneecaps, entering the high carriage.

Monead held the child, who giggled and wiggled at him. I moved beside Monead and gently grabbed the baby, shoving him to the step ladder. He climbed up and stood in the archway of the carriage, moving and sitting on the long bench opposite of Valmy.

I climbed the step ladder and sat on the opposite bench inside her fine horse-and-carriage, kicking his leg with my boot toe.

He reached and closed the carriage door, wiggling side to side in both anxiousness and fear.

Valmy was very sad, looking down to see the floor, wiping off her tears of sorrow.

I stared with a smile at her hair roots. "Valmy, I don't really know you that well, but I'm Gloriette."

Valmy looked up with a sour frown to Gloriette, shaking her curls. "You're a rejected. I'm not supposed to communicate with you, ever. I'm not to use your proper name, either. You must leave my carriage, Rejected," she pointed to the closed door.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking my metal hat. "I am Rejected, but I'm here for you to communicate with him, not me."

Monead removed the silly metal hat, looking with a grin at her nose profile.

Valmy turned with a sob and blinked her eyelashes, parting her lips in fright. "You...dead. You...sick. You...carried...funeral sleigh and you..."

Monead said with a nod and a smile. "I was dead, but I was revived by the mineral iodine. The elderly lady in Building 555 saved me," he extended his hands in affection and love to his wife.

I bounced the baby in my arms, saying with a soft voice. "There isn't much time here, Valmy. The men-folk pass out from the chemicals in our dirty atmosphere from building e-pones, not a virus or a disease. And the old lady in Building 555 revives them from the dead graves here in the graveyard and she sends them back home to Gambo, their home of open land and crop farms. This is very simple determination, Valmy. Do you want to go live with your wedded husband Monead? Or live here on Playtus with your witchy mama, your wicked grandmother, and bed wetting great grandmother for the rest of your healthy days? Yeah. My great grandmother pees in her bed too." I smiled at the cute sleeping baby.

Valmy looked down with a sob to see the floor. "I..."

I said with authority, bouncing the baby. "The choice is too cotton-picking easy. Pick Monead. Leave Mama. Be happy as a married couple with your baby girl foreverly on Gambo, Valmy."

Valmy looked up with a smile and a sob, leaning to Monead. He kissed her wet nose and her wet lips. She pulled back with a frown, "How do?"

I grinned at the baby. "There's a sky ship, coming from Starrtus tonight. You, the baby and Monead will all be on that ship, tonight. The ship leaves Playtus. The end for happy ya'll." I smiled-sneered with jealousy, wishing that my own personal life force, so easy and clear.

Valmy hugged with a smile and a nod on Monead.

I said. "You and the baby hang out inside the lobby of your building. Tell your mama that the baby's fussy and crying. The night air will calm her crying fit. Then you and the baby will be collected from the lobby tonight around midnight. The funeral..."

"Funeral," she gasped.

I grinned with mischief. "The funeral sleigh will pick you and baby from your home and whisk you away to Building 555. You and Monead will leave and never return to Playtus. The happier ending." I smiled and rocked the baby.

Valmy said with a nod and a smile to him. "Yes. I wanna be with you, Monead. I wanna live on Gambo with you, Monead. Look our little girl, Monead. She's so beautiful like..."

"...you," smiled Monead, kissing her face again.

I turned with a sneer to see bright sun out the window and the closed door. "Monead, we gotta go, boy." I nodded to her. "You will see Monead later, Valmy. Be ready. Good luck to all of us, tonight."

Valmy took the baby from Gloriette, saying with a nod and a smile. "Thank you so much, Gloriette." She viewed at her baby and Gloriette. "I'm so sorry."

I viewed the sunlight. "Don't be. I have happiness plans, too." I stood and moved ahead, opening the door, jumping down to the dirt with a rattle of the armor.

The door closed.

The DOB horse-and-carriage lifted from the pavement and soared down the road to her home apartment building.

Monead and I turned and moved back through the funeral entrance opening.

Prewitt met and hugged Gloriette, whispering into her face. "You're a great girl and are going to be a great wife to me." I hugged him with a smile and a nod.

Grandmother moved ahead and stood in front of Gloriette and Prewitt, saying with a sneer. "Someone needs to monitor the control room."

Prewitt cuddled Gloriette, saying with a nod and a smile. "We'll do it this morning together."

I frowned to Grandmother. "I still have that unpleasant task to do."

Grandmother turned and moved away from the sunny entrance doors down to the dark cold hallway, saying with a sour frown and a sneer. "We all still have unpleasant tasked to do."

At 11:23 a.m. inside the control room, Prewitt and I moved down the cold hallway too and entered the bright room of sunshine. He occupied the metal chair, rolling and swirling it around the room.

I chased after him, catching the chair, sitting in his lap with a giggle.

We tickled each other's body parts with a smile and a laugh.

When the movement inside the cavern stopped, we took turns slapping the green button for go.

Prewitt tried to tickle Gloriette underneath her armpit.

I laughed and duck-flapped my arms out and in for fun.

And then we heard a scream.

Prewitt stood and hugged Gloriette to his chest.

We turned and ran from the control room, down the hallway, and to the front door of the building.

A line of young females marched behind Grandmother that came from the entrance glass door, and turned down the corridor near the food room.

We stopped and looked at each other and then looked at the line of girls.

Prewitt held Gloriette by the hand, turning and moving down to the hallway corridor to investigate.

I thumbed over my collar bone, saying. "We're supposed to monitor the control room."

Prewitt frowned. "And Grandmother said that she still has some unpleasant tasks to do. Why are those girls here? What are those girls doing here in the D-building?"

"How do we know that it is called the D-building? And I do not know."

"Custar told me." He viewed an empty hallway, saying with a worried brow. "And you and I both need to know. I don't like the way your leaders of Playtus treat young children. Who are your leaders located? Do they have a meeting room or a nasty dungeon somewhere in Playtus?"

I viewed the floor, walking with Prewitt, shrugging my shoulder. "I really don't know if we have any type of leaders here in Playtus. Each building is responsible for preparing the raw copper components into framed e-pones for both machines and equipment. We all do our jobs and enjoy our family..."

"Family ID units," he snorted. "You don't even us the warm word, family. Why are those girls here? Who are those girls?"

I looked up and stared at the plain clean walls, pondering too.

Inside the Image Generator (IG) room, Prewitt turned and advanced into the open archway, stopping and standing in the archway.

I hugged his jacket.

The young females sat cross legged on the floor against the wall.

Grandmother squatted and whispered a set of secret words into one of the frightened face of the young girls, turning with a frown to see Gloriette and Prewitt.

I frowned at Grandmother, scanning the wall of females, whispering. "Yeillie!?" I released the hand of Prewitt, scooting to her and squatted.

Yeillie was the first young girl in the line, sitting cross legged, staring down at the floor. She leaned against the wall beside another younger child of pre-teen years ago. The line of females appeared to be nine to twelve years old of age.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, leaning over with a sour frown and a whisper. "Yeillie, what are you doing here?"

Yeillie looked up with a sour frown, turning to see the wall, and looked down to the cloth pouch between her hands, said with a sour tone. "I'm not supposed to talk with you, Rejected."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I know that. You know that. But why are you here inside the D-building?"

Yeillie viewed her hands, playing with the cloth bag. "I'm not supposed to talk about this either to no one. Please leave me alone, Rejected."

I gasped and heard.

"Gloriette..."

I turned with a puzzled brow to see Luqx.

Luqx sat cross legged down the wall too, waving her hand, saying with a smile and a nod. "Gloriette, come over here."

I slid down from Yeillie and scooted across the floor to Luqx.

Luqx waved her hands in excitement, saying with a smile and a nod. "I'm not supposed to talk to you either per my mama. But my family ID ain't here either," she giggled.

I cringed, hearing that non-descript and non-loving name.

She nodded. "Gloriette, I mean Rejected. I'm not supposed to use or said with a nodded and a smiled your name. Whatever. My mama has gone plum crazy. You failed at TRIG. She's afraid that I'll fail at TRIG too. She gave me some e-pones inside this bag and dropped me off at the entrance of Building 555. I'm supposed to pay and compete in something for my freedom from something on Playtus."

I looked down to see my boot toes, shaking my curls, back up to see her, whispering to her grinned face. "I don't understand. What are you doing here inside Building 555, Luqx? It is not safe here..."

"I'm here to see my soul mate," she said with a grin and a giggle for a pre-teen, nervously playing with the cloth bag.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking my curls. "Your soul mate isn't here in the D-building, Luqx. Who brought you here to leave you with the other young girls?"

"My great grandmother did. My mama gave me a bag of e-pones for me to see my soul mate. I hope to see and spend the rest of my life with my soul mate and away from my mama, my building, and Playtus. I feel both sad and happy," she looked down and fuddled her hands and the bag.

I nodded. "I know the feeling."

Grandmother clapped for attention and stood beside a machine, staring the girls with a grin of her missing teeth. "The chemistry of love. The spark of passion. The fire of lust. The machine is your soul mate."

Silence invaded the room.

The machine was sleek rich black color like a horizontal shaped cylinder with two hatch entrances on each end, showing a parted seam of dull light, standing in front of the girls.

Custar and Dugway entered the room, staring at the girls, moved ahead and squatted against the opposite wall of the machine.

Unakite and Ametheta entered and moved ahead, squatting beside Custar and Dugway.

I slid away from Luqx and stood, moving and sitting cross legged between Ametheta and Prewitt on the same wall.

We all watched the girls and Grandmother.

Grandmother gently patted the machine, viewing the girls. "This is the image generator or IG in black satin metal. The IG is a communication devise sorta like a mini-TRIG without the implant fire," she giggled. "The IG uses the same technology as TRIG, which comes from the city of Starrtus," she turns with a grin of missing teeth to see Ametheta.

I leaned over and frowned to Ametheta too.

Ametheta looked down to see the floor, staring at her dirty hands.

Grandmother turned to see the girls and touched her clean crispy new blouse like it had come from the merchandise store in Building 302 in a bright color of violet spring flowers.

I suspected that grandmother had slipped it off from one of the other dead grandmother's breasts.

Grandmother said with a grin of missing teeth and a nod to the young girls. "The body holds parts of water and chemicals of zinc, lead, potassium, and others which are made up from the earth's chemicals of sulfur, iron ore, limestone, and others." She pointed down to her wrist with the faded triangle. "Your implant measures and stores your chemical makeup of your life form and compares it to the chemical makeup of a male's life form on Gambo. Pronto. A soul match."

Ametheta whispered with a sour frown to the machine. "IG is a match-maker machine."

I leaned over and sneered at her. "Shut up, Ameaniethere."

Grandmother said with a grin of missing teeth and a nod to the girls. "For eons, scientists have known a human's chemical makeup is necessary to conceive a baby between two soul mates. TRIG reads the chemical composite chart between a female and male and they're matched, perfectly."

"...by a machine again." Ametheta exhaled with a puff of frustration, shaking her curls. "When will all of you learn?"

I leaned over and sneered at her. "Shut up, Ameaniethere."

Grandmother said. "All the matched soul mates are hundred percent happy and married on Gambo and are not here on Playtus." The girls nodded and smiled to each other.

I stood with a sour frown and a shout of angry. "That's all about to change girls. You all should go back home to your buildings and mamas and viewed and wait..."

Yeillie turned with a sour frown and pointed to Gloriette, yelling. "My mama said that you cannot stop TRIG. You're rejected. You cannot change your status in TRIG either just like you cannot stop me, Rejected. This is the point of TRIG. Grandmother's right. TRIG selects your perfect soul mate." The young girls nodded and clapped.

"I..." was fighting to defeat TRIG.

Grandmother turned with a scowl and jabbed a finger at Gloriette. "Rejected. You're Rejected. Sat down or leave, Rejected?"

I sat and cuddled to Prewitt.

Grandmother turned with a smile and a grin of missing teeth to see the young girls. "Your sweaty wet minerals from your body gives off tiny bites of lighted energy inside the machine and the blasted energy molecules reach your embedded implant. Your implant activates a silent signal to your truly selected soul mate on Gambo without the pain of triangle and death of TRIG." The girls gasped, nodding and smiling to each other.

Yeillie stood, waving her arm with a smile and a nod. "I'm ready, Grandmother. I wanna go first. I have e-pones from my mama here inside this cloth bag," she raised the bag.

Grandmother frowned. "In a moment child, I've to finish my speech," she cleared her throat. "I must careful caution each one of you..."

Custar stood and jabbed a finger at Grandmother, viewing the young girls. "And all the girls pay you, e-pones for this..."

Grandmother turned and moved to Custar, grabbing the wiggling arm, and twisted the limb, scooting Custar out of the IG-room.

I stood and turned, following Custar with Prewitt, Dugway, Unakite, and Ametheta out of the room.

Grandmother released Custar, standing at the archway with a lady sneer. "Hush to all you nosy and interfering, belles and beaus. This is the only way a sweet innocent belle could leave off out of Playtus without dying in TRIG. However, sometimes, the girl doesn't wake up inside the IG."

Prewitt cuddled Gloriette, turning with a grin and a chuckle to see Dugway. "Ugh, dead. If ya don't die, if you do..."

I slammed his chest with my fist and a sour frown. "Hush, Prewitt."

Prewitt said with a grin and a chuckle to Dugway again. "Think about it. Ya fight in TRIG. Or ya fight in Image."

Custar shook her curls, pointing to the IG room. "What is that black machine, Grandmother? I might be a young teen, but I'm never heard of finding your soul mate, before every entering TRIG."

Grandmother smiled. "The machine really is an image generator and could really reveal your true soul mate. I only use it on the children..."

"How do you only use it on the children?" Custar frowned, "These girls are children and pre-teens. They shouldn't even know about a potential soul mate on Gambo."

Grandmother thumbed over her collar bone to the machine, saying with a grin of missing teeth and a nod. "The image generator does. We locate the soul mate before the implant is triggered by the computer. And the young precious child-girls don't have to endure TRIG ever."

I slapped my forehead with a sour frown "Before. Before. Before, the implant is triggered. Of course, so simply a procedure that the child has been paired with her soul mate and lives happily after ever." I sobbed without the tears in both happiness and disappointment. I wished that I had known about this event, this machine, this grandmother, and this Building 555, too.

Grandmother smiled. "And the child is whisked off Playtus to Starrtus or Gambo. The child lives with her betrothed soul mate and his biological family, until they are old and merry happily. The end."

I raised my implanted arm with a sour frown. "Held up. I didn't know about this machine ever."

Custar exhaled with a puff of frustration. "And this is a great mystery to me, too, Gloriette."

Grandmother turned and grinned with her missing teeth to Gloriette. "Well one day, ya should talk to your mama about that particular deadly subject and sending your buttholes to TRIG. There now. I'm done."

I turned and viewed the object in the IG room. "Could anyone use that contraption in there?"

Grandmother said with a grin of missing teeth. "For a price, since it is only for kids from the ages of twelve years and down. TRIG is searched and tagged biologically pairing the couple directly inside the machine. You dream about your soul mate inside the IG machine from your implant and see a real face with eyeballs, nose, and mouth. The contraption triggers the beau's implant too, and then Gambo sends a sky ship for the pre-engaged beautiful belle."

I bounced on my toes with a smile and a clap of happiness. "I wanna use the image generator too."

Prewitt pulled away from Gloriette with a sour frown and a sneer to see her nose profile. "What? What does that mean, belle?"

I turned with a smile and slapped his chest, hitting his old worn sports jacket. "Why do you wear that torn and smelly old jacket? It's hot inside this room. And I wanna do it inside the IG for some fun. It's boring around here waiting for..."

"Gloriette!" Custar gasped.

I bounced on my toes with a nod and a smile to Prewitt. "It'll be fun and adventurous..."

"Pay me..." Grandmother said with a sour frown and a nod to Gloriette. "Pay me in e-pones."

I gasped, turning with a sour frown to see Grandmother. "I...I have to pay you for use of the image generator to find out that Prewitt is my true soul mate."

Grandmother said with a nod and a sour frown. "The belle with the highest e-pones gets to go first."

"What?" I parted my lips with shock

Ametheta turned with a grin and a giggle and pointed to Prewitt. "And Prewitt gets to uses it for free without payment of an e-pone."

I turned with a sour frown to see Ametheta. "What? Why?"

Unakite hugged Ametheta with a chuckle and a nod. "She's quick. That's why I love her so much. Right, Mademoiselle Gloriette?" He kissed her cheekbone as she struggled between his biceps with a sour frown.

I gasped "Hush, Unakite."

Grandmother said with a nod and a smile to Unakite. "A true Gambo man, the image generator is free for all males."

Ametheta turned with a smile and pointed to Gloriette. "Pox was her true soul mate, once on a time, during TRIG. Right, Rejected?"

Unakite shook his curls with a grin, cuddling Ametheta. "Naw. She lies. That's why I love her, a lot. She lies so much that I only know the truth," he tickled and hugged her as she giggled and slapped his chest with a smile.

I turned with a sour frown and a matching tone to see Unakite. "You and she do not belong together, Unakite. She's mean. You're nice. She's salt. You're sugar. And she is Starrtus. And you are Gambo. She's a royal. You are a redneck. Give her up, Unakite! Before, you get really hurt foreverly..."

Unakite back stepped from Ametheta, dropping his chin, turning and moved down the hallway.

Custar turned with a lady sneer to Gloriette. "Why do you hurt his feelings, Gloriette? She saved his life. She helped us. She..."

"...is Starrtus. She leaves on the new sky ship, tonight," I turned with a smile and a nod to see Grandmother. "I wanna do the IG now." I turned with a grin to see Custar. "Gimme some of the e-pones from your backpack. I know that you carry them around for some dang reason like luck or loss."

Custar frowned, dumping her hand down into her backpack and withdrew one single golden shiny e-pone, and handed to Gloriette.

I accepted, turning with a grin and a giggle, raising the single e-pone to Grandmother. She extended her palm. I placed the single e-pone in her palm.

Grandmother closed her palm, grinning with her missing teeth and nodding in silence.

Dugway pointed with a nod to Grandmother. "I understand completely. The old bag of bones exhorts the numerous e-pones from the kids and gives them to Starrtus in exchange for transportation to Gambo. What a freaking scam?"

Ametheta said with a nod and a smile to the rear skull of Grandmother. "What good commerce? How else would young girls get off the pious Ploytus?"

"Playtus." I grinned.

"For free," said Grandmother.

"For flight," Ametheta nodded.

I turned with a lady sneer to see Ametheta. "You are the one who is being ransomed for e-pones. Remember, Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta?"

Custar looked with a sour frown to see the girls, and the machine, and finally Ametheta. "Don't cause us trouble, here, Ameaniethere."

Ametheta crossed her arms, flipping her hair, said with a sour frown. "Sorry. Everyone cons everyone here on Ploytus."

"Playtus," I said with a smile, leading and moving back into the IG-room, and scooted, standing against the wall with Prewitt, Custar, Dugway, and Ametheta.

Grandmother entered and stopped in front of the girls, jabbing a finger to Gloriette, saying with a grin of missing teeth and a nod to the young pre-teen girls. "She has paid me her e-pones. You are required to pay me for your soul mate image in e-pones," she pointed to Yeillie. "You, how much inside your bag?"

Yeillie stood with a smile and a nod, extending her cloth bag. "Told ya, I possess one hundred e-pones."

"Fifty e-pones," the next girl said and sat on the wall.

"Twenty e-pones," the other girl on the floor said.

"Forty e-pones," the next girl on the floor nodded.

"Ninety e-pones," the next girl on the floor said.

"Ten e-pones," Luqx said with a smile and a nod to Grandmother.

Grandmother jabbed her fingers at both Gloriette and Yeillie. "You and her fight, the winning winner uses the image maker inside the IG."

I gasped, raising my arms, shaking my curls. "I decline."

Grandmother turned and aimed her cell at Gloriette, saying with a sour frown. "I am sorry, child. It is armed for killing. No one breaks the standing rule. The rule applies to every belle. You wanted to use the IG, Rejected. You paid me with one e-pone, Rejected. You're the lowest bidder, Rejected. She's the highest bidder. You, two will duel in the IG. The remaining alive winner gets to use the image generator to seek and see her soul mate. The end."

I swung with a sob of tears and a sad pout to see Prewitt. "I didn't mean to start a fight. I didn't know this would happen to me and you."

Prewitt back stepped with a sour frown from Gloriette, shaking his skull with as a sour tone. "Why? Why, Gloriette? Why do you feel the need to...to question us? Our relationship? You...you didn't have anything else to prove. You made it out of TRIG without dying. I have, so far, made it and stayed here without dying. We have faced so many madman malicious obstacles. Now, you've to face another madman malicious obstacle. When are you going to do, learn or love?" He raised his arms with a sour frown and a nod. "I have had it with you, Gloriette. I am done with your silly banter and sorry self. You enjoy your new fight inside the image-thingy with no odds of living. I hope you see your supposed soul mate, which ain't me ever," he swung around and left the IG room.

I sobbed with my tears, extending my arms. "Prewitt. I am sorry. Prewitt, please come back to me. I didn't mean to start another fight."

Grandmother pointed to the machine with a sneer and a yell at the young pre-teen. "Yeillie, get into the right side of the machine. Rejected, you climb into the left side of the image generator."

I hugged my body with my arms, seeing the sports jacket tails disappear from my eyesight, sobbing with my tears.

Grandmother yelled at the rear skull of Gloriette. "Now, Rejected. Get moving. I don't have all day. Each girl gets a chance for love and happiness. You're holding the line up."

I slowly back stepped from the archway and swung around, seeing the image generator with blurry eyeballs and exhaled with a puff of frustration, slowly moving to the left side of the machine.

The machine was rich black in color which appeared seamless, but on closer examination, a thin segmented line ran horizontal along the center, where the lid uplifted and separated from the body frame.

I grabbed the dented space and ripped open the lid, gasping in fear.

Silver sparkling fabric outlined the entire bottom of the machine like a pretty coffin drape.

I struggled up and over the short lip of the machine, resting on my back spine, stretching out my legs, and exhaled with puffs of worry and fear and fright.

Yeillie rested her back spine, stretching her legs on the other side of the IG machine with the lid up also

Grandmother stood between the two open hatches, saying with a sour frown to the girls. "Do not touch the lid. You can grab to the sides with your hands and stomped your shoes on the soft fabric. But there ain't no type of hand handles or feet pedals to operate the image generator. All the pictures looked like a film movie that comes from your mind. You perform the flips and the flops inside your mind and the brain signal transmits it to the silver fabric. The silver fabric is composed of earth elements that mesh with your earth bio-force. Close your eyes. Concentrate on the image from the machine. Good luck, belles."

The silver-ness of the lid became brighter as the lid slowly closed over my frightened face. I felt fear, dread, and anxiousness, accepting another bloody deadly fight with my good friend Yeillie from Building Twelve.

I closed my eyelashes. I felt strange like my body was trying to float and soar like flying a bird but could not. And I felt heavy like my body wanted to sink down into a soft mattress, sleeping for hours.

A blue sky.

I rested on top of a blanket of coldness like a bed and sat upright on my elbows. "Oops." I fell down on my elbows, scanning the skyline again, turning my face to the side.

A flat surface of solid white sparked and glittered in shiny ice like a frozen pond. The ice pond was surrounded on four sides in the shape of a square with a rich black dark pointy barbed wire. Beyond the ice pond, there were solid walls of white ice, making the innocent white nastily contrast with the black for death and destruction.

"Not much of to photograph, I wonder if the vision is the same for every girl," I struggled upright on my elbows.

Yeillie yelled in the far distance. "Rejected," she leaped up from the icy pond from a resting position, slipping and sliding on both her naked hands and her booted to Gloriette.

I struggled to stand being both taller and heavier.

Yeillie ran and dove at Gloriette on the ice, yelling with an evil grin. "Rejected dies. I live to find my soul mate." Yeillie landed on top of Gloriette.

We both fell backwards to the ice, gliding in a steady pace backward from her speeding tiger-leap to the pointy barbed wire fencing.

I kicked and pitched both my hands and my boot toes at Yeillie without any good results. She was too small, clawing and crawling over my body like a tick. I wiggled my hips, shooting my body to the right and away from the deadly barbed wire.

She straddled on top of Gloriette on the chest, pounding her tiny fists into the face of Gloriette with pain.

I grabbed both her arms, keeping them from my bloody face, and jerked her body over my skull with all my mighty strength.

She flew over Gloriette into the barbed wire fencing, yelling in pain.

I sweep my hands side to side and pedaled my boot heels forward and away from her to gain the both advantage and distance, pedaling to the open ice pond and flipped over on my stomach.

Her blouse was entangled in the wire as she ripped off the fabric and stood with a lady sneer, sliding to the left.

I stood on my hands and my kneecaps, sliding to the left and to the right, realizing that I did not feel the coldness of a wintertime breeze or the frost on my fingers or naked arms. Since, I was not wearing a winter coat only my shirt and my jeans.

Yeillie moved ahead and gained both speed and momentum under her small sized shoes and short height, skating side to side like an ice dancer over the ice pond.

I pose on my finger tips and boot toes without movement which prevented too much slipping and sliding side to side, watching her.

Yeillie moved closer and closer, folding her small body frame in half for a direct impact into Gloriette, using her nose bridge and her two fists.

Yeillie was two feet, one foot, eleven inches, ten inches, nine inches, eight inches from Gloriette.

I quickly jerked my body, sliding to the left far away from her face and her body impact.

Yeillie could not stop skating and plowed her face, skull, and collar bone into the barbed wire. The sharp barbs cut her clothes and the skin on her face, arms, hands, knees, and stomach.

I slid without stopping into the barbed wire too, touching the barbed wire, cutting deep slashes in my outer skin of my fingers and arms, and struggled to stand. My shirt was caught and twisted into the sharp barbs too.

I turned with a worried brow to see Yeillie.

She equally had become entangled with her body and her clothing into the wires also, trying to stand, jerking her jeans with a tug. Her jeans ripped into shreds, propelling her backward from the barbed wire fence.

I stood.

My shirt kissed three more barbed wires points without leaving as I shoved my body from the ice wall. My shirt ripped at the bottom, exposing my red cuts and my black bruises from the collision with the wall of solid ice and the rows of black pointy barbs.

Yeillie swung around, yelling with a sneer. "Rejected dies. I live to see my soul mate." Her torso low skated down to the ice for more speed to Gloriette.

I slid to the left and to the right at the ice wall, falling on my hands again. The exposed skin of my kneecaps were ripped and shredded with bloody cuts, but my tough blue jean denim was three times wrapped around two sharp black barbs. I bent my kneecap and fell into the wire, cutting both my naked palms, feeling the hot blood liquid over my skin.

I struggled to stand and folded at my waist, falling to the wires again, slicing my left cheekbone, and smelled the rich blood. I jerked my arm back and forth from the cloth-wrapped barb and fell back into the barbs, cutting my neck, rib cage, and both arms, feeling the hot sensation of boiled blood.

I turned with a worried brow to see Yeillie.

She skated to Gloriette.

I kicked my right boot toe at the ice wall but the twisted barb of cloth stood still.

She skated and hit the back spine of Gloriette.

I smashed my nostrils into the ice wall, feeling more hot blood pour down my lips, licking up the blood with my tongue, and tasted the salt.

Yeillie grunted from the collision and back pedaled from Gloriette, slamming her tiny frame in the tall back spine of Gloriette again.

And again, I hit the ice wall, hearing my nose crack, feeling my lips burst and open into slimy silkiness of blood. I groaned and moaned, leaning into the wire, cutting more slashes into both my bloody hands and my arms.

She back pedaled from Gloriette and charged again, hitting the back spine of Gloriette.

I leaned my torso to the left away from another impact of Yeillie as my kneecaps were stuck and stationary in the barbed wire.

Yeillie hit the barbs with her short torso being only four feet and nine inches tall, sticking to the wire like glue.

I reached over and grabbed her skull, slamming it down to the sharp semi-circular barded points and not sticking but dripping a series of red blood droplets from the barbs, on the ice, and in my hands.

Yeillie yelled in pain and panic. "Ugh. Stop. Get away."

I lifted and dropped her skull down into the barbed pointy wires again and not sticking but hearing.

The swishing sounds tore off her facial skin and tings of her loose teeth come from the screaming mouth of Yeillie.

Yeillie struggled to get freed slapping her hands on the arms of Gloriette, kicking her boot toes into the ice wall without escaping from the clutches of barbs, yelling in pain and panic. "Ugh. Stop." Droplets of red blood drained from her skull, landing on the ice and the boot toes of Gloriette. Yeillie fell down into the sharp barbs again and again, trying to break free of the pounding of the hands of Gloriette.

I lifted and hit her skull deeper down into the bards which were overlaid with the sharp thumb-sized semi-round points.

Yeillie screamed, spraying more of her red droplets of blood on the hands of Glorietta and the ice wall, and ice floor. Her skull lifted and hit the ice wall.

I heard.

She yelped softly.

Silence.

I released and lifted my hands from Yeillie.

Her skull tilted forward and slid to the right in an unnatural pose, exposing her neck wound. Her throat was sliced opened, draining her blood drops down her cheekbone, her lips, her collar bone, her shirt, her jeans and on the ice floor.

I gagged, turning my face, closing my eyelashes, and opened my eyelashes.

Small stars of silver streaks and pin prick dots of yellow illuminated inside my side of the image generator machine. The silver fabric had captured my wet thrusting sweat which gleamed and twinkled inside my personal coffin.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, opening my aching palms. I could not see but felt the deep cuts from my ugly untrimmed long pointy fingernails. My palms itched from caked and fresh blood, mapping indentations inside both my palms.

I closed my eyelashes, exhaling with a puff of exhaustion, seeing an image.

Prince Pox.

His blonde hair gleamed in the bright light with his happy smile. He winked to Gloriette, saying in a tiny voice. "Hi, love. I am your soul mate. I am..."

I opened my eyelashes, thrashing and thrusting my hands, arms, boot toes, and kneecaps against the closed metal lid and the sides of soft fabric.

And then the IG lid opened with bright light.

I shaded my eyelashes, exhaling with puffs of fury and fear.

Custar moved ahead and stood over the open lid, staring down with a worried brow to her. "Gloriette, are you alive?"

I opened my eyelashes as two hands grabbed my shoulders.

Dugway lifted and pulled Gloriette out from the machine, cuddling and saying with a worried brow. "Help ya out. Are you okay? The IG machine didn't shake, rattle, or burp with any outer world activity. Did you see your soul mate?" He stood her upright on the tile.

I wobbled side to side, blinking my eyelashes, scanning the room.

The girls sat against the wall and waited for their turned at death or date.

I did not see Yeillie.

I looked down with a confused brow to see my palms, whispering for my eardrums only. "No blood." I raised my hands to the light, examining them, my naked arms, and my blue jeans, whispering for my eardrums only. "Not injured." I slammed my body, wrapping my undamaged hands around my dirty but intact shirt, and touched my blue jeans dirty but not torn.

Custar, Dugway, Unakite, and Ametheta surrounded the side of the machine with Yeillie.

The lid opened.

Custar said with a sad frown to Yeillie. "She looked so peaceful like asleep."

I moved ahead and stood between Unakite and Ametheta.

Yeillie rested on her back spine with her arms by her side. Her hands were a pair of folded fists.

I did not see any red blood or bruising from the barbed wire either, whispering for my eardrums only. "No blood either."

Ametheta exhaled with a puff of frustrations, leaning to the nose profile of Gloriette, said for all eardrums. "Image is one of the two words, describing the image generator machine. Image means pictures. Pictures mean visions. Visions mean no touching of body parts, Rejected. No blood. No torn hair. No ripped clothes."

I stared at Yeillie in silence.

Custar gasped, staring at Yeillie. "What do you mean no touching, no blood."

I stared at her dead body, saying with a confused brow. "I was bleeding from our vicious catfight on the ice pond. The machine created..."

"...an image like a playground park with swinging swung and a downward slid. You participated inside the IG machine against the highest e-pone bidder. And you won, Rejected." Grandmother moved from the wall with a nod and a grin of missing teeth.

Custar gasped, staring at Yeillie. "If you and she fought together, then you produced and felt the blood and bruises, but it was all pretend. So if Yeillie was not covered in blood or bruises either, then she had died from a heart attack of both fright and fear from your imaginary catfight."

I gasped, staring at Yeillie without a blue bruise or a cut of red blood.

Grandmother reached and grabbed Gloriette by the collar bone, jerking her from the lid. "Out of way, unwelcomed guests. The funeral DOBs need through to retrieve the dead body. The body's supposed to dump into the hole immediately, before the maggot eggs hatch and swell with tiny babies. The sight makes me stomach churn."

I back stepped from the IG machine and slammed the wall, staring at the death procedure.

Two DOBs emitted a bright yellow beam between the metal seams of their moving parts like a set of metal angels as each DOB grabbed two limbs of hands and feet, gently lifting the dead body.

The dead body of Yeillie smoothly sags in the middle of her spine.

The DOBs gently rested her on top of the naked wooden table, moving and rolling the table to the archway.

Grandmother turned with a stern face and followed the dead body and the DOBs.

I turned and moved behind Grandmother as Custar, Dugway, Unakite, and Ametheta swung around and walked in the opposite direction to the sleep room on the second floor.

At 10:04 a.m. inside the funeral preparation room, I stopped and stood in the archway of a bright lighted room with dozens of overhead lamps in the ceiling.

The funeral DOBs rolled the table to the center of an empty room without happy art work or glass windows.

Grandmother patted Yeillie on the dead arm with a sad frown.

The DOBs turned and left the funeral preparation room, soaring down the hallway back to the outdoors dirt.

Grandmother gently undressed Yeillie's dead life form, carefully folding each clothing item from the dead girl, shifting the folded clothes into a short container, and said with a stern face. "The clothes go to Gambo for the families. Her mama don't want the pretty dead clothes back from her naked and dead body, Rejected. Tomorrow, after her mama visits her, I'll get the girl's entire wardrobe of dresses and shoes. I pack and send the load to Gambo too by the many sky ships from Starrtus. These Gambo kids didn't care about colors, only clothes."

I frowned and viewed her dead face. "Gambo kids, is that word plural?"

She looked up with a grin of missing teeth to see Gloriette. "Gambo families are big and huge with dozens of kids. The kids like our clothes and don't need shoes. They walked around bare feet on the farm land."

I frowned. "Gambo kids?"

"A Gambo family is mama, daddy, sister, brother, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, and three, or four cousins..."

"You're fibbing."

"Naw. I see it on the plasma during TRIG. They show that the families that view the broadcast too for their children. But ya gotta know what to look for like me."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm been here since seventeen like you. I got rejected too. I challenged my TRIG-beau, desiring another one's TRIG-beau like you."

I narrowed my eyelashes, shaking my curls to Grandmother. "You don't know my circumstances."

She shook her ponytail, undressing the dead body. "No matter. You're here in the D-building with me and rejected like me. I got rejected too when my desired beau didn't want me either."

"You lie."

"He wanted a tall tough female, not a small skinny sissy thing. I was too pretty and meek. He wanted a hardy girl for his corn patch for picking, harvesting, and plowing. I couldn't do those tasks being petite, so he rejected me after the Tangent run," she placed more of the folded clothes inside the container.

I turned and viewed Yeillie, who was naked on the table being only twelve years old. She was not showing any pre-teen features of breasts or hips for birthing babes. "Where does she go next?"

"Into the ground, I'm waiting on the funeral DOBs to finish digging the grave and dump the body, naked. The maggots, mice, worms, and spiders eat the flesh and blood, conditioning their bodies and the soil. The cycle of life, I guess on Playtus," she giggled.

I folded my arms with a nod. "Can I ask you a question?"

She nodded, folding the clothes. "Naw. I hadn't seen your clothes from your mama yet. Ya didn't die. When a child dies, it hurts. To heal, sometimes, the mama just trashes the whole lot of the child's possessions here in the D-building. I send the possessions to Gambo. I should see something tomorrow coming from your mama. You didn't die just rejected." She closed the container with Yeillie's clothing.

"Inside the image generator, I saw my soul mate."

She turned and looked with a stern face and a nod to see Gloriette. "TRIG-beau, the one that rejected ya, I'm not surprised. The IG is faster and better then the TRIG machine."

"Inside the image generator, when you see the face of our soul mate, he is the only soul mate for you? Could he be shared by someone else as a potential soul mate?"

She frowned. "I have never been asked that particular love question. The cosmos can be seen by many eyeballs, but there's only one star that everyone looks for. I guess if you wanna see that one star, you study it over and over again. But, basically, the IG is hundred percent accurate. If you see a face, then the face talks that's your soul mate."

I frowned. "Maybe, I just imaged that face talking. I was under a lot of stress and distress during the cat fight with Yeillie. It could've been my vivid wild imagination inside the coffin-like machine."

She shook her ponytail. "Naw. The IG and TRIG are both machines based on the bio-life form chemicals inside their body, the chemicals mix and match perfectly each soul mate. I'm been here a long time match-making. No one is unhappy. All the surviving females of Playtus live happily on Gambo."

I whispered. "No."

"Yeah. You are rejected. There's no way to change your destiny from TRIG or the IG. I was rejected too and been running the D-building for seventy years. My time's getting on. Then you start your new task of feeding and watering the wall flowers, the wheelchairs that line the walls of the dark room," she giggled. "I call it the dark room, since the elderly women can't see much less breathe."

I looked down to see my boot toes, thinking that I saw Pox in the image generator.

He rejected me during TRIG.

I was selected to Pox at TRIG.

He rejected me after the Tangent run too.

I whispered for my eardrums only. "No. I messed this all up." I looked up with sobs and my tears to see her, shaking my curls.

She laughed. "Yeah. The old grandmother, before me, was rejected too like me and you. She worked in the D-building too, burying naked bodies like me and you. The wheelchairs are childless like me and you, living their last days in both loneliness and pity like me and you.

I looked down with my sobs and my tears to my boot toes. "No. I will not be rejected. I will fight again and win this time."

Grandmother laughed, sliding Yeillie's body over to a rolling table with her brute old woman strength. "Yeah. Ya survived to fight with the dirt dookie beetles. They live in the red soil and crawl on your boots, when not looking. Yeah. Ya survive along with me, until I pass. And you will be the new grandmother here inside Building 555."

I looked up with my sobs and my tears to see her, back stepping to the hallway, shaking my curls, and turned from Grandmother, the dead body of Yeillie, and my new life.

At 11:01 a.m. inside the side hallway, I ran from the funeral room down the dark hallway, feeling confused, afraid, and lonely, but I love Prewitt.

Prewitt loved me.

This was so simple and easy.

But the image generator showed the face of Prince Pox like TRIG again. TRIG selected Pox for me too. And Pox had rejected me too.

I shook my curls, running down the hallway and stopped at the end of the dark wall. There was not an exit archway. I performed set of pants and heavy breathes, folding at the waist, feeling like vomiting, but could not.

I pounded my fists on my kneecaps with pain, whispering for my eardrums only. "I cannot vomit, fly, or love here on Playtus, on Gambo, on Starrtus, on the entire planet, and the entire universe."

My eyeball caught the dull light.

I stood and back stepped from the wall end to see the open doorway, moving and standing in the archway.

The walls of wheelchairs held the old women, who had been rejected at TRIG too. All the women possessed a head of gray colored hair, a face of old deep wrinkles, a fragile weak, and sickly folded body. Some women coughed. Some women slept. Some women stared with blinking eyelashes at the solid blank wall.

I back stepped from the archway, sliding down the wall, sobbing with tears. "No. No. No." I am not them. I am me."

Prewitt loved me, but he could not touch me due to TRIG.

I loved Prewitt, but I could not touch him due to TRIG too.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, thinking that I wanted to die, end it, and be gone from here now inside Building 555.

I jerked my tiny screwdriver from my jeans pocket, since a Playtusian did not leave her building without it and held it up near my eyeballs, seeing through my red and blurry eyeballs a dull pointy steel flat tip.

I whispered for my eardrums only with a nod and a stern face. "Yes. Yes. Yes. I am not TRIG. I am me and not Rejected."

I slammed my body against the wall, sliding onto the flooring. I lowered my left arm, facing the soft tender skin to me. I only needed to stab the tip of the screwdriver into a thick vein and bleed out with lots of pain. I was so numb that I could not feel pain only sorrowness and sadness.

I dropped the tip of the screwdriver with force as it hit the wall.

He squatted and grabbed Gloriette by her shoulders, lifting and hugging her to his chest, whispering to her eardrum. "No. No. No." He looked up to see the walls of wheelchairs inside the dark room, back stepping and dragging Gloriette from the dull light.

We halted in the bright hallway with happy beaming rays from the afternoon sun.

Grandmother approached from the hallway, pointing down the dark hallway with a sad frown to Prewitt. "They're the Rejected teens from TRIG too. And they too selected death over loneliness. You can't cut the implant out from your arm, girl. The implant is too deeply embedded between your bones, tissues, and blood. If you ever reached it, you will die, very quickly. They did not reach it either, so both rejected and defeated permanently. I feed, water, and treat them like a set of house plants. Take her outta of the building, Prewitt. Take her outside for a long walked among the flowers, around the mounds."

He cuddled Gloriette, back stepping from the darkness of the hallway, and swung around to the lightness of hallway.

I sobbed with my tears of sadness in his jacket.

At 02:02 p.m. inside the graveyard location during a hot steamy and cloudy light rain shower, Prewitt and I slowly moved out the building, strolling over the manicured grass and pretty wildflowers.

I stared down at each individual happy flower that swayed in the light wind of the drizzling rain.

Prewitt stared ahead, guiding them around the old dry red mounds of long time dead citizens of Playtus.

I whispered to the next happy flower. "Sechar died because of me."

He shook his skull to the next tree. "What did Sechar say that night before she stabbed you with the needle? We all missed her absence and didn't immediately notice that you were missing, until after we had reached the rear door of Building 278. And Sechar took charge, yelling and screaming commands, entering first, and dying first."

"To live my life with both peace and happiness."

"Sechar sacrificed herself for you and me, Gloriette. She was tough and talented. She destroyed more of the DOBs than me. And I'm really great with a gun, including the other country beaus. Sechar wanted to live and to fight for both you and me to enjoy our future days together, Gloriette."

I sobbed. "How will that be possible? We can't be together ever because of the implants and TRIG."

He stopped with his parted lips and turned to see her hair roots. "You...you saw another soul mate inside the IG."

I parted my lips, looking up with a fake smile and a fake sweet tone. "I saw you. I saw your face inside the image generator also. The fight was all worth it for you."

He said with a smile and a nod to her. "I'm glad that you saw me. I know that I'm your soul mate, because we're going to be together soon." He turned and moved ahead with her to the tree. "I do believe that we can destroy the real TRIG and be together on Gambo," he stopped and slid down over the dry grass underneath wide over story limbs of the tall tree out of the light rain.

I moved ahead and sat in his lap. He kissed her hair roots. I sobbed with my tears of unhappiness. "Held me."

"Forever," he cuddled and hugged Gloriette, closing his eyelids.

I sobbed with my tears of sadness into his jacket.

At 08:04 p.m. on the second floor level inside the shared sleep room during the cold temperatures and night sky, Prewitt and I strolled both damp and depressed to the food room. My other TRIG friends plus Monead and his wife Valmy sat around the dining table both talking and eating.

The side table held platters of steaming food.

Prewitt pulled out the chair and assisted Gloriette to sit, turning and moving to the food table, and loaded two plates of the good smelling food for the both of them. He turned and moved back to the eating table, presenting her with a platter of food.

He sat, eating and chewing.

I felt numbness-isolation, listening to the table conversation.

Custar pointed and looked down with a nod and a stern face to a map of Playtus in the center of the wooden table surface. "I know. But where's the real TRIG located? Which building? You cannot keep opening every rear door of every building and find every single fighting DOB. Then every one of us will die without..."

"I sorry." Grandmother stood in the archway, holding the dessert tray. "I didn't actually believe that you, young folks would attack Building 278. TRIG is located inside Building One. There are no DOBs that I have ever seen before..."

"Hmm," Custar said with a puzzle brow to Grandmother. "That's strange."

Valmy pointed with a nod to the map. "Hmm, this is more interesting if I am reading the diagram correctly. I don't see any moving elevators either like going up," he shook his curls, frowning with confusion. "This building is a dangerous hazard with 545 steps straight up to the roof top, the tallest building in the city of Playtus."

Unakite chewed, aiming his fork at the hologram. "No problem. I could rig one of them DOB to plow us straight through the roof top, if Prewitt captured me a live one first," he smiled with food particles in his teeth.

Prewitt chewed, shaking his skull.

Monead looked down with a stern face and pointed to the map. "Is the rear door opened or locked? Do we know?"

A sound of a loud boom from a single explosion echoed through the building and into all eardrums.

Grandmother blew up into numerous tiny bits of pink tissue, white bone fragments, and red blood over her tray of cookies.

Unakite stood and yelled, cuddling Ametheta. "Leave. Run. Now."

I stood, hearing a second boom from another explosion that echoed and shook the building, making my eardrums deaf again.

Pox and his body guards from Starrtus appeared inside the half blown away archway and exposed hallway, motioning to the teens, yelling with panic. "Now, get out. The building's burning with fire. Hurry. Get out..."

I turned and frowned in surprise to him. "Pox?"

Custar stood and stared down at Grandmother's bloody body. "They found out. They found us."

Monead grabbed both Valmy and Custar, yelling. "Get out. Get out. We gotta get out, before the fire balls hit the gas tanks beside the kitchen ovens. We ride to Building One and take out TRIG now, tonight."

I grabbed a dirty steak knife from the dining room table, nodding with a grin. "This is our only chance to destroy TRIG." I raced out the smelly building with my TRIG friends.

Prewitt stood on the grass and lifted Gloriette up to the hovering funeral sleigh, sliding her into Pox's chest, jumping onto the sleigh too.

Unakite stood at the steering wheel, flying the funeral sleigh to Building One in the late evening.

At 09:01p.m. inside Building One at the front door entrance, the two funeral sleighs stopped and hovered in the air.

Unakite back stepped from the front railing to the rear, watching Monead, Valmy, Custar, Dugway, Prewitt, Unakite, and Ametheta as they all leaped down from the funeral sleigh platform to the grass.

I huddled into Pox's chest, whispering. "I want you and your band of merry girls and boys to climb the stairs in the rear and meet us on the top level flooring at TRIG. We work together and take out TRIG once and for all."

Pox turned and viewed the side of the tallest building on Playtus. "The back stairs are located on the other side of this building in the rear, making me more time, love. Do you remember? This building is fifty-five floors high, making me, some more time. I might be late, love."

I winked. "And I do remember that there are about eighteen steps per floor, darling. That's exactly 810 steps and not counting your dirt boot heel prints. I want you to go up the rear end as I and my team will approach the front with a frontal attack. You'll successfully reach TRIG and come through the back door without observation, since I'm making lots of party noise from the ground up to the skyline." I said with giggle and a grin underneath the bright moon light.

Pox turned and viewed Valmy and Monead as they trotted to the front door of Building One, returning back with a nod and a stern face to see Gloriette. "We can defend your fanny. I hope that you remember this when I'm old and gray, love."

I winked with a smile again. "I don't forget a favor, darling," I lifted on my tippy toes and lightly kissed his cheekbone, pulling back with a smile. "You'll paid. And thank you." I turned and leaped down from the sleigh to the soft grass, bending my kneecaps from the impact and the pain.

Valmy tapped her implant to the door.

The door opened.

Inside the lobby area, Monead pushed Valmy behind him for protection, moving inside the open door of the room, feeling the hot steam of vapors over his face and his arms.

The floor exhibited a set of tall trees, low bushes, and knee-high flowers, all in white color.

Dugway moved inside the room and cuddled Custar, staring at the vapors of forest as they both carefully walked over the slick stone floor.

Prewitt squatted, grabbing and tossing the pebble on the floor, and stood, cuddling Gloriette, chuckling. "Ah. Rock me, really."

Unakite moved inside and cuddled Ametheta, viewing the room. "A concrete jungle..."

"Naw." Monead led through the room, touching the leaves. "The tree's real, really real, and really moist with real water," he tasted his finger tip. "This is real water for drinking and not salty. I don't get it."

Unakite said. "This room is heated like a volcano. We must be close to the TRIG engines."

"No. Water and machines doesn't mix. They cause electricity which causes death." Custar said with a confused brow, walking through the white forest of trees, touching each wet leaf.

I cuddled into Prewitt's chest, spanking the leaves as the wetness flung down on my hand, the wall, and the floor of puddles, and climbed a stair case up to the sixth floor, and stood, staring at the new room.

On the second level, the floor was a solid sheet of white ice as Custar and Dugway slid from the archway, dancing and smashing into a wall of solid ice and not for fun.

Unakite skated with both his arms around Ametheta, cuddling and chuckling to her cheekbone like a little boy, and soared around the ice with ease as they tapped on the solid walls of ice for fun and entertainment.

Valmy and Monead stood in the middle of the ice floor, holding and whispering into each other's face.

Prewitt and I stepped onto the ice floor, accidentally sailing into Valmy as she turned and smiled at them.

Unakite and Ametheta came around, plowing into the huddle of Monead, Valmy, Prewitt, and Gloriette as we all fell down over the hard ice together into a pile of limbs and legs.

Prewitt yelled with a sour frown. "Not fun, Unakite."

Unakite stood and chuckled, assisting Ametheta to stand, and cuddled her. "All's fun."

I stood with the assistance of Prewitt and cuddle into his chest.

Custar and Dugway danced over the ice floor near us without falling.

We huddled together, viewing an open window which was located near the top of the ceiling.

Custar said, staring up at the open window. "Who likes to climb?"

"Not me."

"Not I."

"No way."

"No ladder."

"No doors."

"No exits."

"We're trapped here." Monead shook his skull, looking around at four ice walls too.

I pointed to the window. "The window glass is the only exit point out from this room. So, we climb up the ice wall and over the opening. Prewitt kneel on the ice..."

"Naw!" Prewitt shook his skull. "The ice wall is too slick. I agree the only option's crawling up the walls into the opening but on ice."

Dugway pulled out his object, showing it with a grin. "Okay boys. Show me your weapons. I got a pocket knife." Prewitt raised his knife. Dugway nodded to Prewitt. "Another knife."

Custar showed her screwdriver.

Monead smirked and raised his butcher knife from the kitchen.

And I showed my dirty steak knife from the eating table.

Dugway nodded with a grin. "Okay. We do this together like a team. Monead, you, and Custar start breaking up the ice floor for some hand and kneecap imprints for both Unakite and Dugway, since they are the biggest studs here. We are the base and brace with our sturdy back muscles. And Gloriette and Custar stood on our back muscles, slapping and breaking the ice out for some ten fingers and toes hand holds. Prewitt and Ametheta will act as spotters, in case, a girl falls backwards. We will crawl up the ice wall like a bug and over the wall hole into the next level..."

"This wall is four stories tall." Ametheta looked up with a worried brow to the hole near the ceiling.

Unakite chuckled and cuddled Ametheta with love. "Don't worry. I'll tossed ya over my shoulder and carry up the ice, darling."

Dugway turned and frowned to Ametheta. "Get to work, ya'll."

Monead and Custar dropped and dug out holes for the hands and the kneecaps, moving over the indentations to stick to the ice instead of slipping and sliding over the ice.

Unakite and Dugway kneeled on the ice.

Prewitt lifted Gloriette and Custar onto each beau.

I took my butcher knife handle, hammering into the screwdriver, chopping up the hard ice a set of climbing hand holds. The ice chips blistered my skin, chapping my face and my lips while working.

We worked in grunts and huffs without any vocal words.

I reached up, as high as I could, and tapped each sharp ice icicle from the slick ice wall as some of the ice landed down on my face, in my hair, and on top of my collar bone, sliding down my arms, but I continued working and stretching, until I could not reach more of the innocent ice.

The beaus grunted louder from the heavy weight of two females on their back spines.

Prewitt moved ahead and climbed on top of the back spines of Dugway and Unakite, standing in his naked feet between them, lifting Gloriette up by her waist.

I reached the next smooth ice as I chipped and grunted, whacking away numerous hand holds, turning and twisting to the side for another set of hand holds. However, I could not reach any higher in the hands of Prewitt's lift. He lowered Gloriette down to a human back spine with a loud grunt, shuffling and slipping over the ice floor.

I climbed off of the human back spine, slipping over the ice floor, landing on my kneecaps.

Prewitt moved ahead and replaced his hands and his kneecaps with Unakite on the bottom ice floor.

Monead moved ahead and climbed up on top of both Prewitt and Dugway, who both braced the heavy weight on the ice floor. He reached and slammed the screwdriver and the butcher knife into the ice, chopping out the crystal for more hand holds, until he could not reach the ice anymore.

Monead moved ahead and kneeled on top of the two back spines of Prewitt and Dugway as the teens moaned with the extra male weight.

Unakite climbed on top, chopping out another set of ice hand holds, reaching the wall opening, and scooted up and over, falling down in a new room. He stood and leaned over the railing, yelling. "Ametheta is first, and then Monead is next, because I need his muscle to lift both Prewitt and Dugway from the freaking ice floor with my dwindling strength."

I stepped back and stood in place from the human ladder, watching.

Monead climbed the ice with the set of pretty sorry hand holds that was built with the limited muscle strength of the female, and he slipped a few of times, but he eventually reached Unakite and with the support of the arms of Ametheta. He slid over the edge of the opening to upper level.

Monead and Unakite moved ahead and stood side to side at the window opening, holding out their arms for the next teen.

I moved climbed over the back spines of both Prewitt and Dugway, grabbing at the slick ice, losing my gripe and landed on top of the beaus. "Sorry."

The teen males sounded with a set of painful groans.

I stood and grabbed the icy cold hand hold again, gritting my teeth, drawing blood on my lips, and pulled my body up with a grunt, feeling the finger pads on Unakite. But he could not reach and lift Gloriette into the opening.

Prewitt stood on top of Dugway as he pushed her fanny up to the wall opening.

Monead reached down, grabbing her arm, man pulling Gloriette up and in the opening window.

I sailed through the opening and landed on top of Unakite with a giggle and a grin.

He grunted from the heavy falling weight of Gloriette, saying with a grin and a chuckle. "You're lighter than a rearing pony, girl."

I moved ahead and climbed off of Unakite, standing and shuffling away from the wall opening.

Monead lifted and sailed Custar in the air to Unakite as Unakite caught her body, falling on the floor too in a puddle of limbs and legs. Monead yelled, holding the arms of the teen male, leaning over the open window. "Get over here, Unakite. I need help."

Unakite rolled Custar off his body, standing and stomping to the window, and extended his arms, lifting and hauling Dugway to the window.

Dugway climbed and fell down over both Unakite and Monead as they landed on the floor with a series of chuckles and grunts.

And then they stood.

Both Unakite and Monead moved ahead and stood in the window, lowering and extending their arms back down to the ice floor.

Prewitt lifted up and appeared in the window with a smile and a snigger, struggling and sliding over the opening as they all landed on the floor again with a series of chuckles and grunts.

Monead slowly stood, turning and staring at the new room.

On the third level floor, a falling waterfall showered down the floor, the ceiling and each side of the walls.

I stepped and slipped over a moist floor of a thin layer of water, landing on my fanny, viewing the pretty ugly water that fell down from a set of ugly metal vents and down into another set of uglier metal vents.

Dugway stood and slipped to the waterfall for investigation.

Custar did not move, frowning and staring at the wall of water. "This is the strangest interior design of a social room ever."

Dugway slid and stood, slipping sideways over the water, approaching the waterfall, and stood in front of the water, guiding his hand underneath the downpour. "The feeling temperature of the waterfall is almost bath water temperature too. Naw. TRIG is a generator unit. A generator is a devise that converts the solar energy into electrical energy which is done by rolling and rotating machine motors. This is really an ingenious creation. You can't see it, but the solar roof top is a set of hot panels which collects both heat and light. The heat and light convert into streams of steam which turns the motors, operating TRIG's mechanic circuits on the top level. The waterfall acts a turbine producing stream which is mixed with the invisible solar waves to feed TRIG. The downward direction of the waterfall falls down the wall and lands on the next level, where it freezes into solid blocks of ice. The ice creates the cooling effect for both the computer and the heated mechanisms. And the ice melts down into water to feed the white colored albino tree forest on the first level. This is an awesome process. I'm very impressed with these mechanics."

The door opened.

Custar swung around with a puzzled brow and pointed to the open door. "I'm not impressed with them."

Prewitt swung around with a stern face, narrowing his eyelids. "Who are they?"

The female was tall and slender, moving in front of a group of other familiar females, stopping and smiling to Gloriette. "I am Gloriette."

I stood and stomped a baby step without sliding over the water to the female, tossing my hands, and waved my fingers in fighting fury at her. "No. I am Gloriette. You do look like me, thou. Why? Who are you, evil twin Gloriette?"

The evil twin of Gloriette tilted her face like the real Gloriette with a grin and a giggle. "I am your twin sister. Why do you think a married couple lives for nine months on Starrtus and births a baby only on Starrtus? I am you..."

"...in pasty ghostly white," chuckled Unakite, hugging on Ametheta for his love and her protection.

The evil twin of Gloriette turned and viewed Unakite, saying with a giggle like the real Gloriette. "I don't get out much, doll."

The other evil twin of belles fanned out around my evil twin Gloriette.

Custar stared in shock and pointed to her. "Jacidee."

Valmy frowned. "What are you?"

The evil twin of Jacidee slammed my evil twin Gloriette on the white colored bicep. "This is Mademoiselle Gloriet...ta," she giggled with an accent like the real and dead Jacidee from TRIG.

I parted my lips, staring at the group of evil twins of belles with fear and caution.

Unakite frowned, shoving Ametheta back behind his back. "This is really weird, ya'll."

Prewitt snorted, standing behind Gloriette, shaking his skull. "This is really white like the tree forest on ground level and the skating ice ring below us."

The evil twin possessed was petite with a head of red colored haired and a set of ghostly pale white skin, bounced up and down with a smile and a giggle. "I am Neekim without the twang or toot like Gloriet...ta's name." She said like the real and dead Neekim from TRIG too.

The evil twin of Jacidee turned and winked to the evil twin of Neekim.

I sneered. "Who are you?"

The evil twin of Gloriette said with a nod and a grin. "I am your sister, Gloriette. I never existed in your world, because I am the one behind the TRIG. I operate the computer. This is your first visitation here to Building One. You want to meet the machine. Am I correct, Gloriette?"

I raised my steak knife, aiming it at her pale skull. "I wanna meet you and the TRIG. Am I correct, honey?"

The evil twin of Gloriette advanced to meet the real Gloriette, and aimed a tiny glass bottle at the face, spraying a light mist, hitting the real Gloriette in the real eyeballs.

I back stepped, wiping the invisible mist from my face and my surrounding air currents, sniffing a strong pleasant smell of ripe bananas, and yelled. "Don't breathe the mist. Fall back. Get out. Get away from them..." I dropped my steak knife and back stepped, swishing both my hands around the air, feeling weirdness-strange.

Prewitt sniffed his surrounding air molecules, saying with a goofy grin. "It smells so good. It smells like bananas."

Unakite turned with a laugh and a grin to see Ametheta. "I like bananas. I'm hungry. Can we eat after this, doll?"

I back stepped, seeing a blur of white, hearing the splashes of the waterfall.

The evil twin of Gloriette smiled, reaching and grabbing the real Gloriette, before she fell down into the water puddles, leading her to the wall which held an elevator carriage.

The door opened.

I moved ahead and entered the elevator carriage, standing and leaning into her shoulder, and stared at the rear of colored skulls of my TRIG friends.

The door closed.

I felt the elevator soaring up and away from the waterfall and Prewitt.

Inside the lounge level, the set of elevator doors opened.

The evil twin of Jacidee stepped off first without cuddling a teen.

The evil twin of Gloriette moved ahead and walked the real Gloriette from the carriage to a set of sofas, pushing her down to the sofa fabric.

I stumbled forward to the edge of the armrest and missed the fabric, fumbling and falling down on both my finger pads and my kneecaps. I landed hard on the tile, grunting in both pain and dizziness, closing my eyelashes.

I felt funny-sleepy.

The voice of the evil twin of Gloriette said. "Prewitt, walk this way, love. Lie down here with me on the sofa, darling. Is this much more comfortable for you, honey-poo?"

Resting on the floor and behind the sofa, my eardrums heard the footsteps move away from my face.

"Unakite, do you like my dress? I like your eyes." The voice of the evil twin of Nimkee said.

My eardrums heard the sounds of giggles and grunts, coming from both the gals and guys as I grabbed the sofa leg pulling my body up and over the arm rest.

The evil twin of Gloriette kissed Prewitt, touching his face with her ghostly pale fingers.

I grunted and fell down over the floor, hearing more giggle sounds from the girls and grunts from the guys, climbing up and over the sofa again.

The evil twin of Gloriette rested over Prewitt's body on top of the individual sofa.

I sneered, shaking my curls, blinking my eyelashes for better vision, whispering for my eardrums only. "Drugs, a sedation drug." I felt lousy and floatie like I was stationary in the air and not on the ground. I stood on my kneecaps and my palms, climbing and touching with the sofa and peek-a-booed over the fabric.

Our evil twins were seducing our sweet beaus.

I growled and struggled to stand but kneeled, crawling around the furniture like a bug, seeing my evil twin Gloriette crawl like a tick over Prewitt, my sweet beau.

She kissed Prewitt.

I tossed my deadly array of invisible fireballs at her back spine.

The evil twin of Gloriette did not explode into fiery ashes either but surfaced from the lip kiss as Prewitt showed a goofy face of love-lust. She giggled, sounding like my laugh too. She leaned over and rubbed his nose bridge with her nose bridge, whispering silent words that I could not hear. She stood and back stepped, wiggling her hips at Prewitt.

He acted like a really goofy idiot, chuckling and swaying his torso, his skull, and his arms even her body movements as a slow musical song played from a set of hidden speakers.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, balling my hands into two fists.

The evil twin of Gloriette back stepped, swaying her hips, waving her hands silly at Prewitt and moved out of the room, into the outer hallway.

I swung around, dog-crawling over the tile, using the furniture as a hidden wall, and left the room too, kneeling at the archway. I peek-a-booed around the wall corner, seeing a corridor between my two blurred eyeballs.

And the evil twin of Gloriette was dashing away from the room and me also.

I followed on my kneecaps and my hands plus my dizzy eyeballs, keeping my distance, pacing behind her rhythm of musical steps, while trying not to draw attention to my person.

Inside the common hallway of solid wood, the evil twin of Gloriette moved over black metal floor to an open archway on the side of the hallway.

I crawled and ducked into a side hallway, crushing against the wall, hearing a sound of tings of fragile glass, leaning over the wall corner.

An empty hallway of space with rich black metal walls kissed the matching metal floor and ceiling. The entire building was constructed of metal, since the entire building was TRIG, a metal machine.

This new concept was making my cool concept of blowing the machine TRIG off the planet, a little more impossible. But, I would think of something which is more coolly or definitely more colder.

I grinded my teeth, leaning back into the cold wall, closing my eyelashes, hearing.

The evil twin of Gloriette imitated in the real soprano of Gloriette perfectly saying. "Where are the concoctions? Beau Prewitt is happy now, but his eyes are returning to a state of thinking normally about her, not me."

The voice of evil twin Custar echoed in the kitchen like the real Custar, saying. "You are not the boss, Gloriette."

The evil twin of Gloriette sneered. "You saw the live television reels. Gloriette is the leader of their belles. So I am the leader of our belles and that makes me the leader of you, Custar. Or do you want to test my belle reign?"

The evil twin of Jacidee echoed like the real and dead Jacidee, saying with a sneer. "I will. I am pretty, smart, strong, quicker, and better than you, Gloriette. And I am implanted to Prewitt and not you, sugar."

The evil twin of Sechar yelled like the real Sechar. "Enough, belles! We have our primary duty to defend and protect TRIG at all costs. I have finished the formula. The concoctions for the beaus need to breathe like a bottle of fine wine for ten minutes and then ready. Let us get back to the slumber party before one of the beaus becomes too alert and knowledgeable about our deceptive ploy."

The evil twin of Custar whirled and walked out kitchen into the hallway, saying. "Why is Gloriette matched to Prewitt?"

The evil twin of Sechar followed behind Custar, walking with her down the hallway too. "She is not. She is in love with Prewitt."

The evil twin of Jacidee moved ahead and left the kitchen, walking behind Sechar and Custar. "Prewitt is implanted to me. He loves me too. I am keeping him."

The evil twin of Sechar walked down the hallway, saying with a sneer. "Love? It is a flaw of the ego."

The evil twin of Jacidee smiled. "Love is a flaw of the belle and beau life."

The evil twin of Neekim giggled. "Love is a beauty of life. I want to possess Unakite, since my beau is really dead from the TRIG runs."

The evil twin of Gloriette frowned. "Love and possession is both not our destiny but our determination by..."

The evil twin of Custar frowned. "What about Countess Ametheta from Starrtus?"

The evil twin of Sechar led the belles down the hallway. "She returns today on the next sky ship. She is not to be harmed ever."

I gasped and slapped a hand to my mouth, in case, my escaped oxygen molecules were heard by the set of evil duplicate twin belles. They possessed the secret knowledge of the Starrtus sky ships. And they seemed to be cooperating with the Starrtus citizens.

Not good.

The evil set of twin belles moved ahead and marched away from the kitchen, Gloriette, and turned into the room with the beaus.

I moved ahead and slid over the floor, standing with a wobble, holding the wall for balance, moving to the kitchen.

The kitchen layout consisted of cooking and food appliances, pots, pans, and dishes, except a row of red colored beverages on top of the counter, four for each TRIG beau.

I stumbled to the pantry of food items, sliding opened a door, searching and finding not too quickly. I grabbed the bottle of red hot pepper flakes, back stepping into the counter, shaking my bones and the bottle.

I back stepped down the counter and stopped beside the row of red colored beverages, opening and sprinkling bits of dry red hot pepper flakes in each drink. I moved forward and replaced the bottle of red hot pepper flakes.

I reached and grabbed a bottle of green colored basil flakes, smelling the strong odor from the open lid, back stepping and stopped.

I sprinkled the green basil into the red mixture too, blending the ingredients with my finger, admiring the pretty bright red color. I back stepped, back stepped, and squatted in the front of the wooden cabinet, opening the door, and snatched a small bottle of sour vinegar. I stood and moved back to the four beverages, opening the bottle, almost vomiting my breakfast entrée from yesterday.

I gently poured a tea tiny half of a half of a teaspoonful in each beverage, ya'll. I leaned against the counter, smelling the nasty odor from the four red colored beverages, smiling at my vicious revenge of the evil twin of Gloriette. I placed the bottle at the edge of the sink, walking backward out the kitchen.

I stopped at the archway, seeing metal walls and floors.

Back inside the lounge level, I turned and dropped on my hands and my kneecaps, dog crawling over the floor, turning into the room, and moved behind the sofa, viewing the walking naked feet over the tile.

The evil twins turned and moved out the room, walking down the hallway with whispers.

I stood on my kneecaps, peek-a-booing over the fabric of the sofa. The beaus were out stretched, resting over a sofa with their shirts off and naked above their waistlines. I slid back down to the edge of the sofa for a good view of the upcoming show.

Each evil twin belle entered the room, holding a red colored beverage.

I eased around the sofa with a smile.

The evil twin of Gloriette stopped at the edge of the sofa with a smile.

The evil twin of Jacidee shoved the evil twin of Gloriette to the side, kneeling on top of the sofa. "I am his girl. Get away, Gloriette."

The evil twin of Gloriette gasped and back stepped with a sour frown from the sofa with Prewitt.

I gasped, slapping a hand over my released oxygen molecules.

The evil twin of Gloriette held the red colored beverage and turned with a lady sneer to see Unakite on top of a different sofa.

The evil twin of Neekim smiled and rested in his arm as he held with a silly smile the red colored beverage from her.

Then the evil twin of Gloriette moved with a smirk to Unakite, stopping and saying. "Her drink is drugged. You will be her slave or worse vomit on her hand."

Unakite slowly distorted his face, looking down to see the red drink, smelling the red drink with his nostrils, and gagged. He tossed the drink down on the floor and the evil twin of Neekim to the side of sofa.

The evil twin of Neekim sobbed with her tears and stood, running out of the room.

The evil twin of Gloriette laughed and sat next to the Unakite, leaning down, kissing his lips. She pulled back with a smirk.

He said with a goofy grin. "Ya taste like sweet ripe strawberries from my meadow, girl."

I gasped, slapping a hand over my parted lips.

The evil twin of Gloriette said with a smirk and a nod. "I am fruit for you. Share my drink with me..."

Unakite grabbed the red colored beverage, gulping down the liquid.

The evil twin of Jacidee slowly drew Prewitt upright from his back spine, and leaned him against the soft fabric of the ugly sofa.

He showed a silly smirk.

She gently lifted the beverage and tenderly placed it on his parted lips.

He gulped and swallowed the liquid, emerging with a goofy grin to her.

She leaned down and whispered with a smile and a giggle something that I could not hear, but I could figure out.

Prewitt chuckled and sipped more of the red colored beverage.

The evil twin of Jacidee wiped off the red juice mustache from his mouth, and kissed his forehead.

Prewitt sipped more of the red liquid.

I giggled, slapping a hand over my parted lips, watching.

He frowned with cough.

She lifted the glass back to his lips.

He turned an ashen pale in his face with a sneer, slamming the beverage from her hands.

She caressed his cheekbone with a smile.

Prewitt gagged and coughed and gagged, vomiting in her lap.

I giggled, slapping a hand over my parted lips, watching.

The evil twin of Jacidee stood, gagging with disgust at his mouth vomit.

I stood and fell. I stood again, slowly moving to the back spine of the evil twin of Jacidee.

She sounded with a moan and did not touch Prewitt's vomit on her dress.

I grabbed my steak knife from the low table in front of the sofas, where the twins had stowed the deadly weapons, reaching and stabbing inside her eardrum with my knife.

She pulled back from Gloriette, holding her ear, back stepping from the sofa too. The evil twin of Jacidee swung around, running out the room and down the hallway, trailing her green blood.

Each beau leaned over and vomited into a lap of each evil twin belle, at different moments.

And then each belle back stepped from the beau, running out the room and down the hallway also.

Prewitt coughed, reaching and splashing the water pitch over his head and his naked chest, cleaning off his vomit, their sweat, and her perfume.

I moved ahead and stumbled to him. Prewitt poured the rest of cold water over Gloriette to help clean off and clear out the mist of the drugged spray.

Prewitt stood and moved around the room, reaching and lifting additional water pitchers, slapping the cold water over his beau friends.

I turned and dashed around the room too, splashing water from the other water pitches over the curls of each belle, who were not happy but were awake, alert, and angry.

I rammed into Prewitt with a giggle, splashing the rest of the water from pitcher on his shirt as we smiled and chuckled at our wetness. I wiped the draining wet drops from Prewitt's face, and kissed his cheekbone, since I could not kiss his lips, yet.

I whispered. "Time to kill."

Dugway stood with a wobble from the sofa, wiping off the water droplets too, viewing the archway. "Where did they go?"

I turned and lifted my steak knife with a lady sneer. "I stabbed their belle leader. They're hibernating or healing or heading south to the next city, if they are a smart bouquet of belles."

Prewitt replaced his shirt on his chest with the other beaus. He turned and cuddled Gloriette.

We swung to a new elevator door.

I pointed to the open doors. "We're almost there. And TRIG has kindly provided us the way, an elevator."

Each belle and beau entered the elevator carriage.

The door closed.

On the 30th floor, the location of the TRIG computer, the doors opened. Monead and Valmy exited first.

The computer room occupied an entire wall in a black square space of metal, featuring tiny lights of color. The perfect square touched the ceiling and fell down to the wall all alone without any protection guards plus their loaded guns.

I exited last and parted my lips, standing in front of the closed elevator doors. "TRIG."

"Big." Custar moved from the elevator carriage, standing and staring up at TRIG.

"Roomy." Unakite stood with Ametheta, staring up at TRIG too.

"Rats?" Ametheta pointed down to the creature on the floor with a frown.

"I thought you said there were no cute pets on Playtus." Dugway slammed the racing tiny gray mouse with his boot heel with a chuckle.

"Guns?" Prewitt stood and stared up at TRIG.

"Nope." Unakite said, staring up at TRIG.

"Weapons?" Custar said and stared up at TRIG.

"None." I said and stared up at TRIG.

"Explosives?" Dugway said and stared up at TRIG.

"Naw." Monead said and stared up at TRIG.

Unakite exhaled with a huff of frustration. "How we are going to blow this sucker into the clouds? Any thoughts? Any ideas? Any TNT sticks?"

"No." Prewitt said and stared up at TRIG.

"Stole the butcher knife," Monead raised the object with a smile to his wife Valmy. They moved ahead and slid to the other side of the black metal tower, looking for a way to destroy TRIG.

Custar stood beside Gloriette, looking up to the ceiling. "The computer metal is really a tower of thirteen levels. How are we going to destroy this metal monster?"

I moved ahead with a stern face towards the computer console which was built from wall to wall, staring at numerous square and round shaped silver tinted buttons. And then I heard.

"Gloriette..."

I turned with a puzzled brow to see the sound.

The door opened.

A group of elderly women of Playtus moved out the door and over the floor, who occupied the first ten buildings, the powerful clan leaders of Playtus.

The mama of Gloriette led, wearing her black dress without a smile.

I swung to the computer console, searching for the solution, seeing a big red circular button, and whispered for my eardrums only. "Green for go. Red for stop." Grandmother from Building 555 had taught me to be brave, smart, fight, and survive until destroyed and dead. I moved ahead and stood sideways to my mama, holding my hand over the red button, wearing a wicked smile.

The mama of Gloriette halted, dropping her mouth, lifting her palm. The elderly women of Playtus stopped and formed a semi-huddle around her, the leader on the side wall.

And then I heard.

"Gloriette..."

I swung around to see the sound.

The door opened.

Prince Pox and his Starrtus warriors of handsomeness and prettiness stepped out from a side door in the TRIG room which was across from the computer counter with a set of hand-held cellies, cleverly and conveniently a Starrtus weapon for war.

I frowned to him. "Pox? What's this, Pox? You work with us as allies, while we waste our strength to destroy our evil twin sisters and block our final finale. Ah, naw. Boy, stay out of my dang way. Nothing's stopping me here, not you or her," I jabbed a finger to my mama, lifting my steak knife near my sneer which I had stolen during the explosion at Building 555 for another round of fighting fury.

I felt betrayal-thrillment.

I was the closest to kissing my love mate Prewitt, finding my happiness forever.

Pox had rejected me too many dang times.

I yelled with a sneer to him. "Move away from TRIG, Pox. Or you can go down with it too. I don't wanna harm you, but I will, boy." I did not swing my face to her but yelled for all eardrums. "That same verbal command applies to you, too, Mama."

The mama of Gloriette smiled at her daughter. "Gloriette, I am so disappointed in you and your performance. You failed at TRIG and did not produce a fifth generation baby of Faywood for your family and your city of Playtus. Now, you have also failed at destroying TRIG. There is nothing you could do that could destroy TRIG, daughter," she turned with an evil smirk and a nod to see the prince. "Therefore, Prince Pox will leave with his soldiers. Gloriette will be exiled for a second time to Building 555 as my failed biological daughter with no family ID. The beaus of Gambo will be leaving, before the iodine treatment breaks down their artificial immune system or die here on Playtus. Since, all the females are immune to the nasty chemicals in the air waves here."

I turned with a lady sneer to see my mama. "We know all that, Mama. Grandmother stumbled on the iodine cure, a long ago. The treatment is only temporary along with the cowboy boot prints of the Gambo beaus. They're leaving tonight, after we destroy TRIG right now," I grinned with confidence.

The mama of Gloriette sneered. "No one is going to die."

Custar pointed to the floor at the lower level, holding the twin sisters, saying with a lady sneer. "Why? Why do I have a twin sister? Why are you hiding them in here Building One? Why, Mama? What is going on here, my mother?"

I held my hand over the top of the big red button. "This button can destroy TRIG. I may have been a disappointment in the Faywood family, but I learn quickly, Mama. All machines have an off button which is painted in a non-red color. Green for go. Red for stop. I press this button and TRIG is destroyed. I will die for love." I turned and smiled to Prewitt.

Prewitt moved ahead and shuffled closer to Gloriette, and stopped.

Valmy held her baby, struggling between the numerous pairs of hands from the elderly Playtus women, and stood in the middle of the huddle like she was being protected. Her husband Monead was tossed out from the elderly huddle, sliding over the slick floor on his side, semi-unconscious with a blacken eye and a pair of busted lips.

The mama of Gloriette pointed with a sour frown to Monead. "No one is going to die. TRIG will select its playmates each minute, hour, midnight, tomorrow, and the other tomorrows for the females of Playtus. And the widowed mothers will raise their daughters here. And no one escapes from Playtus without our verbal permission. Valmy will remain and raise her baby. Monead is being granted permission to leave, since he has somewhat survived the first round of bacteria. Stop this nonsense, girl. You are a quick steady, darling. But TRIG is not the machine that is going to be destroyed here, now," she lifted her wrist, pointed to her faded triangle of emerald green. "We are TRIG. The implant is TRIG. If you press that red button, the implant will destroy us all, Gloriette. We will die every single one of us."

Custar gasped. "I don't wanna die. I'm married to Dugway." She hugged him, shaking her curls.

I gasped "You lie."

And then I heard.

"Gloriette..."

The elevator doors opened.

The white army of Starrtus formed two lines as Princess Phillipina marched forward from the rear of the elevator to Gloriette, wearing her long black dress and her golden skeleton key necklace around her throat. The key chain did not show the room of TRIG. She halted a few feet from Gloriette.

I swung my knife with a lady sneer to see Phillipina for another fury of fighting.

Prewitt moved ahead and stood beside Gloriette.

Custar and Dugway moved ahead and then huddled in place on the right of Gloriette. Unakite moved ahead and hugged on Ametheta on the left of Gloriette.

We stood and guarded the TRIG machine for its ultimate devastation, maybe our own destruction too.

Phillipina shook her curls, saying with a sour frown. "Gloriette, please lower your useless little tiny weapon. I come here only for instruction..."

"Naw!" I shook my knife with a lady sneer at her. "You're not a Playtusian. You may leave my city, like now, princess." I held my hand over the red button. "Princess, why are you here?"

Unakite moved ahead and shoved on Pox, tossing him toward the wall, moving back to Ametheta.

Pox was catch by one of his bodyguards, becoming disarmed with his cell. He stood without angry or yelling at Unakite.

Unakite turned and sneered at Phillipina. "It's obvious. Pox and his mama are here to retrieve Ametheta."

Ametheta scooted closer to Unakite, touching his bicep, looking with a worried bro to see Pox. "Pox, is this true?"

Phillipina looked down with a stern face to the floor and Gloriette. "I am sorry. We could not interfere here on your home world," she turned to see Ametheta. "Countess, you do not belong here. You are from Starrtus. We are here to take you back home." She viewed Gloriette. "And you are a brave one, Gloriette. I was correct all along. You would have indeed made a fine princess for both Starrtus and Playtus."

The mama of Gloriette sneered. "Go home, Phillipina. This is our home world. These are our baby girls."

I frowned at Phillipina. "I would have made. Those words are in a past tensed phase like my life form is going to die."

Phillipina pointed with a sour frown to the red button. "You are very close to death, Gloriette by touching that red button to execute the shutdown of TRIG."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, turning with my sobs and my tears to see the nose profile of Prewitt.

The mama of Gloriette viewed her daughter, softening her voice with a smile. "Please, Gloriette. Do not touch the button. You will disarm TRIG. We, all of us, will die. Our implants are linked to TRIG."

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, sniffing back up the snot and rubbing off the tears, turned to see Phillipina. "Who are the twins? We had to eliminate them before reaching TRIG." I turned with a sour frown to see my mama. "No one seems to wanna tattle anything."

Phillipina said with a stern face. "They are cyborgs. They come from Starrtus."

Custar frowned. "They are clones of us."

Phillipina shook her curls. "They are not. A clone is exact duplicate of your specific gene. The cyborg is a machine in the middle which is surrounded by any type of living tissue. They could walk and talk like a tree if a pile of green leaves had been used the mixing pot."

Custar exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Machines, everything is a dang machine. Cellie. TRIG. Cyborg." She turned with a sour frown to see her mama. "Are you even really real, Mama?" Her mama nodded in silence.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "I am here at the bequest of the Playtus. I am here to represent your mama, your grandmother, and your great grandmother, Gloriette."

I stomped my boot toe with a sour frown. "They rejected me."

She said with a stern face and a nod. "You are correct. I could not debate the truth fact. The other truth fact is that TRIG must exist. TRIG must compute. Your implant is literally tied into the TRIG machine. If the machine is destroyed, you will die, Gloriette, Prewitt, Custar, Dugway, Unakite, Monead, and Valmy."

I shouted. "No. You lie. Mama lies. They all lie to me and to us. We're the next generation of leaders of Playtus. We're sick of the lies and deceit. We'll lead our city in both honor and truth, not anymore lies."

Phillipina turned with a stern face and a nod to see the young belle. "Valmy, you have a child."

Valmy rocked her baby, sobbing with tears of worry and unhappiness.

I said with a puzzled brow to Phillipina. "How's it possible for you to access to Building One? How is it possible for you to access to the Playtus baby nursery? How is all this access to you to be here? This is not Starrtus."

She said with a stern face and a nod. "I have access, because there is no leadership on Playtus, only TRIG."

"A freaking machine," I turned with a lady sneer to see the tall wall of black metal.

She said with a stern face and a serious stone to Gloriette. "Playtus needs a leader to rule the city with both honor and courage. TRIG should not be allowed to form a soul mate, but it does so. TRIG should not be used to select your mate, but it does so too."

"TRIG does so, but I'm stopping it now," I turned and stared the complicated console, holding my flat palm over the button.

"Do not, child." Phillipina exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Gloriette, you have been lied, entrapped, betrayed, and deceived by your family, not by me."

I held my hand over the big red button, turning with a stern face and a nod to see Phillipina. "You tell me the truth. I accept that fact."

Valmy stomped a cowgirl boot forward, nodding for attention in the circle of elderly women, saying with a stern face. "And I accept the fact that ya'll old farts have limited our population too like an old-fashioned dictatorship, where the wealthy class rules and decides each daughter's tragic or more tragic fate. If every coupled was matched and mated, then every couple would be happy. Yet, my husband cannot live with me and our child on Playtus, because he will die. Thus, your little girl is unhappy. This way, your little girl mourns while you raise the babe with your love and happiness, Mama."

The mama of Valmy moved ahead and hugged her daughter and her granddaughter.

I laughed, raising my arms with the knife. "For babes, DOBs and not boys, you're so dense, Mama."

Valmy shouted, rocking her baby, "The law of nature there. The law of matrons, them. They are the judge, jury, and executor of my life. Well, not any more, Mama, there are both happy men-folk and women-folk on Gambo. I'm going to live and die with my legal husband, Mama," she stomped forward with her baby as the elderly women blocked her advancement out of the tight huddle.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone to Gloriette. "If you start a sequence to destroy TRIG, then you will die. The babies will die. Your mama will die, Gloriette."

"My mama's triangle is gone." I said.

"No. It has faded into her skin. The triangle is there. It exists. The triangle is an outline of the implant which is directly tied into the computer," she turned and viewed the ceiling. "TRIG is the beast that controls all the children on both the cities of Playtus and Gambo. I promise today, right now that the newborns will not receive any more implants from this day forward, Gloriette." She looked down with a stern face and a nod to see Gloriette.

I nodded. "That's a good start. And what about the old babies that have grown and matured into teens or young adults?"

She looked down with a stern face to the floor and Gloriette, shaking her curls. "I am so sorry. The implant can never be removed or certain biological functions do not exist anymore like breathing air."

I looked down with a worried brow to see the floor, thinking of the elderly ladies in the wheelchairs. They were rejected like me and attempted to remove the implant by force. The result was permanent brain damage. They would live their last days in Building 555 and await death which mercifully came when my mama and her friends bombed the D-building. I exhaled with a puff of frustration. "I only seek happiness."

Ametheta said with a smile and a nod to Phillipina. "I have an idea, princess. Can we tweak TRIG into bypassing the implanted triangle? And then every female will only have a tattoo and not a reminder of..."

"...rejection." I looked up with a lady sneer to see Ametheta, feeling jealousy of her freedom without TRIG. "Shut up, Ameaniethere."

Ametheta cuddled with a sad frown into Unakite's arms. He kissed her cheekbone and whispered into her face.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone to Ametheta. "Countess, my second purpose in coming to Playtus is to retrieve both you and Pox. I am sorry, Ametheta. We are leaving from Playtus in a few moments."

Pox moved from the wall and stood beside his mother as his warriors moved ahead and surrounded the royal family. He smiled with a nod to the countess. "Ametheta has stumbled on happiness, Mother. She is going to marry Unakite, since his implant doesn't affect Ametheta's taste buddies," chuckling.

"Hush, Pox." Ametheta said with a smirk.

I turned with a sad frown to see Prewitt and his body wounds which were for my love. He and I hugged. I sobbed with tears into his torn shirt and ratty jacket. "I want happiness."

Prewitt leaned over and kissed Gloriette on her hair roots only, since he could not touch her lips or her tongue or her taste buds as she tasted like sour vinegar.

I felt vengeful with desire to destroy TRIG. Then everyone would die plus me. If I could not have my happiness, then no one could anyone else.

Prewitt released Gloriette, grabbing her knife, charging to the console for destruction.

Unakite moved ahead and slammed sideways into Prewitt. The males tumbled over and over, punching with fists, drawing more blood. Unakite yelled. "I love her. I wanna be happy."

Prewitt shouted. "I love her too. I cannot be happy."

Unakite rolled and penned Prewitt down to the floor underneath his big body, exhaling with a huff of exhaustion and worry.

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "I am so sorry, Prewitt. You may marry any maiden in the land of cotton but not Gloriette. She cannot marry ever. But she is a natural leader. I asked you to be a princess on Starrtus. But here on Playtus, you could be leader of your city. You could end the death and destruction of the young lives. You could not conquer TRIG but control it. Please accept this responsibility instead."

I looked down with my sobs and my tears of unhappiness to see Prewitt.

Prewitt exhaled with a puff of frustration on the floor, struggling to stand between with the kneecaps of tall Unakite.

Unakite looked down with a puzzled brow to Prewitt. "Held tight, Prewitt." He looked up to the ceiling and pointed to down the lower level. "Something ain't right. Or something ain't wrong. The twin of Gloriette kissed me too. And she tasted like strawberries, not sweet, not tart. If she was the exact duplicate of her twin Gloriette, then she could not have tasted me. And I couldn't have tasted her without a sour sting. So what's up with that?"

Pox said with a smile and a nod to Unakite. "Very easily explained, love. I am sorry. Gloriette and Unakite are truly the paired soul mates from TRIG. I interfered trying to deflect Ametheta's lusty advances. Ametheta and I are the mixed variables in the fixed field of TRIG. Gloriette and Unakite are the true soul mates from TRIG."

Unakite shook his curls. "Ah, naw. I tasted candy from Ametheta."

"I'm a girl, not a machine." Ametheta crossed her arms with a sour frown, back stepping from him.

Prewitt touched his lips. "When Jacidee kissed me, it was the same flavor of sugar too."

The mama of Gloriette said with a nod and a smile. "There are truly the twin females from Playtus with no duplicate males from Gambo. The Playtusians have set up this love arrangement from eons ago. The second twin is born to TRIG to ensure its survival, while the first twin goes to the family ID to ensure its survival, as well." She turned with a lady sneer to see Phillipina. "And the city of Starrtus is nothing more than stolen sons of Playtus."

Pox said with a smile and a nod. "The middle-man, I had learned about that ancient arrangement and kindly interfered."

Phillipina turned with a smirk to see the nose profile of her son. "A royal thorn in my royal dress, son."

Pox chuckled, nodding at his princess-mama.

I cleared my throat for attention. "And here we all are together inside the TRIG machine room. This has ended now, people. I am the new leader of Playtus, the ruler of justice, and the peacemaker." I lowered my hand down closer to the red button.

"Wait." Dugway touched his lips, "Something ain't wrong. I kissed Neekim. She tasted like a cherry. A cherry is both sweet and tart," he turned with a puzzled brow to see Pox. "Explain that one, dude."

Pox shook his skull, saying with a confused brow. "Hmm, that's a little intriguing to me. When did she kiss ya?"

Dugway smile, "During their sexy dance..."

Unakite moved ahead and stood over Prewitt, helping him to stand and shook his curls, "Naw. Their sexy dance was both fast and quick and we...I had some fun," chuckling.

Ametheta moved ahead and popped Unakite on the bicep, saying with a sour frown. "What some sexy fun?"

Prewitt moved with a sour frown and cuddled with Gloriette. "Shut it, Unakite."

Dugway frowned. "The point, I'm able to kiss Neekim too. I, somehow, should not have been able to enjoy that kiss."

Custar punched his arms with as sour frown. "Enjoyed that kiss?"

Dugway said with a smirk. "I mean do that thing, Pox. Said something to Custar, Pox?"

Pox said with a smile and a nod. "This sexy dance? What exactly happened?"

Unakite chuckled, wiggling his hands. "Sexy. The twin girls danced in their..."

Custar turned with a stern frown and pointed to the elderly women of Playtus. "They destroyed it, stopping our love. Young girls only wanted to escape from Playtus to seek both love and happiness." She turned with a stern face to see Gloriette. "Press the red button for destruction, Gloriette. This will stop all broken hearts, including yours."

Prewitt turned with a stern face and a nod to see Gloriette too. "Love and happiness, I want that too. Press the red button for destroying TRIG, Gloriette. I cannot live without you. But I want the other young girls on Playtus to have a chance of both love and happiness in their marriage without TRIG and without them nasty old hags," he pointed to the Playtus elderly women.

I held my cupped hand over the red button, saying with a confused brow. "Pox, I saw your face inside the image generator. You are really my soul mate," I turned with a sad brow to see Prewitt. His face showed disappointment and sadness. I said. "I thought that you should know the truth before I die now."

Pox said with a smile and a nod to Gloriette. "No. I am not your soul mate, Gloriette. I am a prince of Starrtus. You saw my visual warning. The image generator is a machine like TRIG. The machine transits picture visions instead of words to and from our minds through the air's atmosphere."

Custar cuddled Dugway, saying with a lady sneer to Pox. "It's a dang machine. Our lives are not linked to TRIG. My life is linked to Dugway. I'm his wife. He's my husband." She turned and viewed her mama. "And I am pregnancy, Mama. I am going to have a baby. Grandmother, the elderly lady in Building 555, confirmed the growing fetus, this morning. I've been sick and vomiting with stomach acid pains. Mama, you were right to mate and match me with Dugway. But you and my kin were wrong to enroll me into TRIG. I. I had to murder young girls to keep Dugway. This is not right. This is wrong." She looked up to see her husband. "I love you, Dugway with my heart and soul. But no teen should go this ever." She viewed Gloriette. "Press the dang button, Gloriette. I will not allow my child to play the facees or die in TRIG. Do it, to it, now."

The mama of Gloriette exhaled with a puff of frustration saying with a worried brow. "You, four are smart. All four of you have survived TRIG plus outwitted the twin belle cyborgs. You, four most of all deserve to live and thrive on Playtus and continue the roles of leaders here."

Custar frowned. "Our husbands. Our men-folks. Our sons cannot live and thrive on Playtus. Why is that?"

The mama of Gloriette exhaled with a puff of frustration. "Yes. You are correct. The chemicals used for the formation of sky ships, cellies, and most machine equipment enter through our opened passages, such-like, nose holes, ear holes, eye sockets. As an infant, we literally breathe in the deadly man-made chemicals and the chemicals bond to our atoms. Our atoms are bonded to our genes. Our genes make up a boy or a girl. The girl baby possesses an antibody resistant to the deadly chemical. Therefore, a female baby could live here. A boy baby could not live here ever. You saw the solo effect, radiation poisoning. The man will die within three days without exiting from Playtus.

"Yes. I can read your minds. We experimented extensively with young male babies, injecting the mutated antibody into their gene pool, but we and they both encountered failure. The antibody only exists in the female. The boy baby must leave our city and live on Starrtus or Gambo, healthy and happy. This was discovered, of course, thousands of years ago."

Custar frowned. "And I cannot ever live Playtus either. This was set thousands of years ago."

I stomped my boot, shaking my curls. "Naw. My mama didn't proclaim that statement within her storytelling. I'm getting sick and tired of the half-truths mixed in with the missing information. My mama has never lied to me. She just doesn't paint the entire portrait while never completing her art piece for me to see the art work. We can leave Playtus and live on Starrtus or Gambo. We are here from Starrtus proves that working theory. And we can birth healthy sons. Prewitt and the other beaus are here with us proves that working theory too."

The mama of Gloriette said with a furious brow. "You destroy TRIG. TRIG destroys the implant. The implants destroy us. It is that simple." She pointed to her faded triangle. "You touched that button, and we all die, Gloriette. Our life form is tied to TRIG. The implant color faints and wrinkles over time, but the implant lives under our skin."

I looked down with a stern face to see my implant, a triangle with the lonely letter A for a belle.

The mama of Gloriette stood taller, looking pious and honorable, saying with a lady sneer. "You dare to kill TRIG for your lonely lousy selfishness, Gloriette."

Prewitt said with a furious brow to the mama of Gloriette. "Heck yeah. For the both us to be together, even if, it is inside the pearly gates of heaven. Press the button, Gloriette."

Unakite raced and shoved Gloriette into Prewitt, saying with a furious brow. "I can't live without Ametheta. I'd rather die too."

Prewitt and Gloriette tumbled down over the floor.

Unakite reached and smashed the red button.

Everyone gasped and screamed in both panic and fear.

TRIG sparkled in bright white light and turned midnight black.

"No," The mama of Gloriette yelled, stomping forward, and fell down over the floor.

I rolled and cuddled my face into Prewitt's arms.

Prewitt lifted her chin, saying with a smile and his tears into her face. "I love you, Gloriette. I'll meet and greet you in heaven."

I sobbed with tears. "I love you, Prewitt. We did the right thing."

He turned with a stern face to see the smoking machine. "We did."

I felt both love and happiness like a true loving married couple, resting on the floor of TRIG.

The elderly women leaders of Playtus screamed and fell on the floor, one at a time.

Valmy crawled over her mama to reach Monead, resting over his unconscious body.

Custar and Dugway hugged each other, standing and sobbing with tears of death and sadness.

Unakite dashed to Ametheta, kissing her face, hugging her with his love and happiness, since he was about to die as his implant was rigged to TRIG.

Ametheta was free of an implant living on Starrtus.

But they both loved each other.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration, sniffing up the snot, wiping of my tears, and lived. I breathe in air molecules and breathe out the used carbon dioxide, wearing a confused brow.

Phillipina stood with a silly smile, standing next to her son. Pox stared down with a silly grin at Gloriette on the floor.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and did not feel any pain like a heart attack or a dizzy headache. I pulled back from the cuddle of Prewitt, standing and turning to see Phillipina and Pox with my hands on my hips.

Phillipina nodded with a silly smile in silence.

I back stepped to the console panel of TRIG, and halted, looking with a sour frown to see Phillipina.

She nodded with a silly smile in silence.

I reached and held my hand near the black machine, and hesitated, staring with confused brow to Phillipina.

She nodded with a silly smile in silence.

I exhaled with a puff of frustration and gently touched TRIG, feeling the coolness of the machine. I did not see any type of visual flames or fire or ashes. I frowned and lifted up my hand from the metal, looking down at my hand, seeing the normal skin tone of pale and not burned in red. I turned with a puzzled brow to see Phillipina.

She nodded with a silly smile in silence.

I reached and touched the machine again, feeling the coolness of the machine, looking with a puzzled brow to see Phillipina.

She nodded with a silly smile in silence to Gloriette.

I left my hand on top of the metal of TRIG, looking with a smirk to see Phillipina.

She nodded with a silly smile in silence to Gloriette.

I nodded and laughed, dancing side to side, touching different metal section of the machine, and felt coolness of TRIG.

Prewitt stood upright from the floor, watching with a confused brow at Gloriette dance around TRIG.

The mama of Gloriette and the other elderly leaders of Playtus stood upright from the floor, turning and watching Gloriette dance around TRIG also.

I laughed and sobbed and giggled and smiled to Phillipina.

She nodded with a silly smile in silence to Gloriette.

I turned with a smile and a nod to see Prewitt.

Prewitt slapped his heart with both hands with a smile and a nod of happiness. "I am alive. I am not dead. Why am I alive?"

I laughed with a nod and a grin, pointing to the machine. "TRIG is nothing but a toaster. Hot for on. Cool for off. The red button turned all the wires, circuits, cables, nuts, bolts, and metal off for a cooling down period."

Unakite stood with a grin and a laugh, assisting Ametheta to stand. "Golly! A preventive maintenance mode to exchange any broken wires or burned circuits. I feel like a..."

"Yes." Prewitt laughed. "You are one, Unakite..."

"No," The mama of Gloriette moved ahead with sour frown and sour tone to her daughter.

I turned with a smirk to see the black wall of cold metal and my mama. "Fire. Use your cells. Fire at TRIG," I moved ahead and shoved Prewitt with one hand and Custar with the other out of target range.

The soldiers of Starrtus kneeled and fire their armed cells and cellies at the black wall of metal which was known as TRIG.

We rolled and hit the wall, cuddling in a pile of limbs and legs.

The mama of Gloriette and the elderly women of Playtus lunged to the wall also, landing in a pile of twisted limbs and legs too.

TRIG, this time, sparkled in red and yellow fire of vertical plumes of heat up to the ceiling and streams of white smoke of steam danced sideways to the black walls.

Pox turned with a stern face and pointed to the wall. "Open the wall for our escape from the TRIG fire before we suffocate from the smoke and heat. The stairway is too danger with the elevators."

The soldiers turned to see the wall, firing the cells, creating a lovely ugly semi-round hole.

A funeral sleigh flew and hovered near the burnt hole as the Starrtus soldiers dumped hoses of water over the heated metal for the escape from TRIG.

Pox pointed with a stern face to the wall, ordering. "Everyone, load onto the sleighs for safety." He turned with a smile and an arm to see Phillipina. "Mother, may I have this dance?" He held her arm and led her to the melted hole in the wall and onto the funeral sleigh.

I jumped up from the floor and turned, racing to help Valmy from the floor with the baby. Prewitt stood and moved ahead, running to get Monead from the floor.

And they all ran to the sleigh.

Custar and Dugway ran to the sleigh.

Unakite and Ametheta finally leap unto the funeral sleigh with an honor guard unit.

The sleigh landed on the ground away from Building One.

At 06:01 a.m. during a sunrise with cool temperatures inside Building Two, I stepped off the platform, moving away from my mama, and cuddled Prewitt, turning and viewing the elderly leaders of Playtus and my friends from TRIG.

Everyone was saved from the burning tower of TRIG.

I stood with Prewitt and the others on the green lawn of my former house Building Two near my tree house as Building One smoked and burnt with yellow and red flames, since we destroyed the TRIG computer.

The DOB fire trucks had arrived and parked beside the burning building watering down each explosive plume of fire flame.

I gasped with shock, viewing the rear skull of Phillipina. She viewed the burnt building too. I said to her rear skull. "Grandmother of Building 555 used the preventive maintenance schedule to get the young girls off out Playtus, didn't she, princess?"

The mama of Gloriette turned and moved ahead with a cough and a sour frown to her daughter. "You are correct, Gloriette. The old bat hacked into the mainframe and coordinated the escape of hundreds of young females from their biological mothers, right before the Starrtus sky ships left our fair city."

I turned with a smirk to see the nose profile of Pox. "That's the reason for your visit to Playtus for a short period of time. Starrtus is responsible for the machine's mechanic parts and repairs." I slapped my jeans. "Of course, you send in the females, since Ametheta knew about everything here, because the males can't breathe in our polluted air molecules. That's how you knew where we were. That's how you knew where to park your sky ships. And that's how you got the young girls off of Playtus." I turned with a smile to see my mama. "That's how you didn't know," giggling.

Pox turned with a smile and a nod to see Gloriette. "You would have been a wonderful princess of Starrtus, Gloriette."

The mama of Gloriette coughed and frowned. "We just learned of the escaping belles, two days ago. The mothers never tattled about the fate of their leaving daughters."

"The happy fate of their beloved daughters, Mother! Each mother sacrificed her love for her only child. While, you and your clan of old farts encouraged nothing but more slavery of children. You make me sick, Mama. You have killed your own citizens, your own children, and your own civilization. I'm leaving from Playtus with Prewitt. We're getting married and being happy forever."

The mama of Gloriette coughed and said with a wicked grin, pointing to her wrist. "You still cannot touch his soft pink honey sweetened lips, darling. The iron ore mineral from the metal implant lives and breathes inside your body which is used to trigger the machine, even if you had managed to kill TRIG. Ha. Ha. You have sweated and sacrificed all for naught," she laughed.

I turned with a sad brow and a sad heart to see Phillipina. "Is that true, princess?"

Phillipina said with a stern face and a serious tone. "I am afraid so. The implant is a mineral from the planet. TRIG is a machine of steel from the same earth soil. And both metal compositions are linked together to create the mind visions plus the image generator does at a very low level. However, you should test your mama's working theory for yourself, Gloriette and Prewitt."

I said with a worried brow to Phillipina, my mama, and finally Prewitt. "I wanna try to kiss you, my love."

Prewitt cuddled Gloriette, saying with a nod and a smile. "I wanna a big wet kiss, doll."

I closed my eyelashes, puckering my lips. He pouted his lips, moving closer to her closed lips.

And they kissed on the lips.

I tasted peaches.

They surfaced and smiled goofy at each other.

I shouted, tossing my arms in happiness-love. "I tasted peaches. I love you, Prewitt." I hugged him with a smile.

"I taste peaches too. We're the same. I'm marrying you, Gloriette. Let's go back to Gambo for our wedding ceremony," He turned with a sneer and sour frown to see the mama of Gloriette. "I don't like it here on Playtus anymore."

I turned with a sour frown and a sneer to see my mama too. "Good bye, my biological mother. Enjoy your sorry childless life here on Playtus."

Unakite looked down to see the ground with sadness, releasing Ametheta, back stepping from her body. "You should go back home to Starrtus, Countess. I'm glad to be rid of TRIG too." He stared down at his arm, seeing the triangle with the letters A and B.

Ametheta turned with a sad face to see Pox. "I don't wanna marry you, Pox."

Pox said with a nod and a smile to her, raising his hand, showing off a wedding band. "I don't wanna marry you, either, Ametheta. I am sorry for avoiding your love advances all these long years. I didn't have the black heart to tell you, Countess. I am recently married after you stole away on the sky ship." He reached over and slapped a tall young adult male on his back muscles with a smile. "Meet my husband."

I dashed ahead and hugged Pox, pulling back with a smile. "Congratulations, Prince Pox and his new mate!"

Pox nodded with a smile. "Thank you! Go and enjoy your new life away from TRIG, the city of Playtus, and your mother."

Phillipina waved both her arms in the air with a smile and a nod. "Starrtus citizens and any new guests wanting off Playtus, it is time for us to leave here forever. Please load onto the sleighs for transportation." She turned with a stern face and a sour tone to see the mama of Gloriette. "I am not sorry. All of you have lived and learned a tragic life lesson which is to always love and care for your own biological children, first and foremost."

Prewitt and I raced to an empty sleigh, sitting and scooting together on the edge as we wrapped around each the other's arms, kissing on our lips in both love and happiness.

Prewitt pulled back from her, standing, and squatted down on the floor of the racing sleigh, slapping his hands over the clothing without smiling. Gloriette frowned. He placed his hands over the left pocket of his torn and dirty blue jacket, looking up with a smile to see her. "I forgot to ask you a question."

I parted my lips. "What kind of question?"

He smiled, drawing the diamond on top of a golden round ring from his left pocket, staring at the ring and looked up with a smile to see her. He raises the ring to her face. "Beautiful Gloriette, will you marry me and live with my family on Gambo for all our cherished days of life?"

I smiled, extending my hand. Prewitt placed his diamond ring on my ring finger. I stared at my new engagement ring. "Where did the ring come from? Have you been toting it around all this time?"

He held her engaged ring hand, patting the jacket pocket, saying with a nod and a smile. "I came to TRIG for a marriage. You can't get married without the right ring or the right girl."

I smiled, hugging his body, kissing his lips. "After all the stuff that we have been through both the death and life of living, I wanna be the right girl for you too. I love you, Prewitt. I wanna marry you on Gambo at your farm."

He said with a smile and a nod. "And meeting all my kinfolks, I got lots of family, a big family..."

"...a dozen siblings."

He said with a nod and a grin, "Yeah. How did you know? I'm the first born child with six brothers and three sisters."

I smiled. "I want a big family too."

Unakite laughed at Gloriette and Prewitt, hugging on Ametheta. Ametheta smiled and nodded to Gloriette. Unakite squatted in front of Ametheta, dipping a hand down into the deep bottom of the pocket, withdrawing out a diamond ring, raising it to her face with a smile. "I'm not a prince of peace, but a redneck of happiness. This was my grandma's diamond. She left it for me to give to my girl, who wants to see my sunrise and my sunset, and my shiny moon hover over my large corn farm on Gambo with me. Do you wanna become my girl, Ametheta? Because, I want you to become my girl, too, since I really love you with my soul and my heart," he said with a nod and a goofy grin.

Ametheta looked down to see the ring, up to see Gloriette, and over to Unakite, saying with a smile and a nod. "I wanna be your girl, too, Unakite, since I love you with my soul and my heart, as well." He shoved the ring on her finger and stood upright from the base of sleigh, leaning over, kissing her lips.

The two funeral sleighs hovered and landed in front of the three Starrtus sky ships.

Prewitt and I stood upright from the floor and moved off the sleigh, running up the ramp of the Starrtus sky ship, holding each other's hand, singing and smiling with our new love and forever happiness in the farm life of Gambo.

THE END

