One in Twelve Thousandth Percent

Chapter 13:

March? 31st? 2550? ISS Angel

06:00 comes around. That damn alarm again. I smack it and it stops. I go to roll over. Boink. I open my eyes to see Misaki lying next to me, still fully dressed. I smile. She was still going when I tagged out. She told me I needed the extra rest because of the bump on my head.

I touch my head. The bump is almost gone now. I slide out of the bed and head to the bathroom. "Computer, start the coffee maker." Beep. A few seconds later, it starts brewing. I leave the bathroom and the bedroom, going into the living room. I don't need the bedroom door open while I have coffee, let her sleep a little longer too. I turn and close the door. I pour my coffee and stand there staring out my window into space.

First day out and already it's a wild ride. Not only does Hikari try to kill me, but she causes the FTL drive to misjump on what was that... a 0.00012% chance of a time travel jump? Literally the misjump with the smallest chance out of all their tests. I shake my head and take a sip.

Hmm.. I wonder how Hikari is doing? I'm surprised she hasn't been shot out of an airlock yet. I turn and walk over to the TV, turn it on and play with a few of the settings. Moments later, on the screen is Hikari's cell. She is blindfolded and bound, hands and feet. I can tell that she is squirming around. I chuckle. "Now, that is funny to see. Blind and bound. Sigh. I don't understand why we can't just coexist like we did before. Why is it that now that you know my... 'secret', I'm suddenly public enemy number one?"

As I'm standing there watching the screen and talking to myself, suddenly the squirming and screaming Hikari stops. She sits there silent, as if she's listening to something. Wait, don't tell me I'm broadcasting directly to her cell. I look and realize that the volume was on 5 the entire time. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you. But I was hoping that your voice would be the literal last voice I ever heard in my life ever again." Hikari starts to squirm again.

"Well you know, I can fix that rather quickly. They're called airlocks for a reason." She stops moving again. "You wouldn't dare."

"You're right. I wouldn't dare. I'm not bent on killing someone just because they exist. I've got morals, unlike you."

"You don't have anything. You're just a freak piece of shit. A man trying to live a woman's life." I winced at that.

"You either really don't know anything or you just don't care. I know that there have always been people, like you, who still are openly against LGBT people and more specifically Transgender people. I understand that this will never change. It's my intention to ignore those people to the best of my ability and live my life. I'm much happier now. Whether you call it 'a man trying to live a woman's life' or I call it living my authentic life, either way, I'm happy where I am."

Hikari spits. "You'll never be a woman. You can't give birth."

I roll my eyes. "There are cis women who can't give birth. Do you see them in the same category as transwomen?"

"Stop lying to yourself. You're not a woman. You're a fake. You'll never be half the woman I am."

I chuckle. "Thank god. I wouldn't want to be half the woman you are. I'm not fond of the kind of woman you are. I prefer to be my own woman. Do my own thing. Be my own person. Live my own life, not try to run the lives of others."

"I should have taken care of you years ago. I had always known that something was different about you. The odd way you dressed and acted should have been a dead giveaway."

"You know, you're giving me a headache. I don't know why I'm still talking to you."

"Where are you? Come in here and let's do this, one on one."