Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Seven: Homecoming #4

Sophia woke on a sleeping mat at the edge of their main room, having surrendered her room to Shaelynn. Craig and Tamela had woken and left without disturbing her, but Sherry's morning toiletry ritual was more involved and noisy.

She rolled over and found Shaelynn regarding her from the door to her room. Her hair was down. She knelt, staring at Sophia's face. The resemblance, especially with Shaelynn's hair down and Sophia's long, was unmistakable. "It's hard to believe," she said. "Sisters. God, Zach, is it really you? You look so . . . feminine."

Sophia smiled despite herself.

"Hormones," Sherry commented sleepily as she went past with her breakfast. "Little chemical miracles."

"It's amazing. It almost makes a person—"

"Believe in science?" Sophia finished.

Shaelynn gave a nervous giggle. "If the elders knew . . ."

"I've gone so far past anything the elders would approve of. I know that," Sophia said, rising. She showed her sister where the shower facility was and went to make them both a quick breakfast. When Sherry had finished her breakfast and was getting ready to leave, she told Shaelynn that if she stopped by her flower cart, she'd give her a little something as a gift.

As they sat down to eat, Sophia asked, "How did you sleep?"

"A new place," Shaelynn said with a shrug. "The bed was comfortable, just a new place."

"Yeah, I know that. I kept having nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"The elders, Dad jeering at me."

Shaelynn frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Then there's Mom. Dying."

"Sorry."

"No. You were right. I needed to know. And now that I know, I have to go back."

"But . . . how?"

Sophia looked down and swallowed hard. "I'll get some boy clothes." She shuddered. "It's the only way. I hate the thought, but I have to. I have to try. And if I can't do something," she bit back a sob, "then I at least have to say goodbye, don't I? Tell her how I feel and all that."

Shaelynn brushed Sophia's cheek. "I'm so sorry to put you in this position. If I had known the reason you'd left, all of it, I wouldn't have come."

"You would have."

Her sister looked away. "Yeah, I suppose I would have. I just . . . well, it's like you said; I had to try. Anything. She's our mother. That might not mean anything to the elders, or to Dad. But I had to try too."

Sophia took her hand. "We'll try together."

Once she had made the decision, it was easier than Sophia had feared. At least, emotionally. They visited the market and tried to find Sophia some boy clothes for the trip home.

"Really?" Shaelynn said in exasperation. "You are a girl, aren't you?" She took the long tunic from Sophia's hand with a roll of her eyes and an exaggerated sigh. She shoved it back on the rack.

Sophia protested, caught between humor at the situation and heartache at pretending to be a boy again, even for a short time. "What's wrong with that one?"

"It's . . . girlish. Maybe it's boyish up here, but would definitely not be down there. God, you really have been gone too long. Don't you remember? How much money do you have?"