She looked every bit a man in drag, and Elaine had a brief moment of nostalgia about her own days pre-APS.As soon as they met, Ashley said, "The docto... tells me you have something to help me with my transition? I hope you can help. The endocrinologist says I'll probably need surgery to remove my testicles before I'll gain any significant effect from the hormones."Elaine smiled. "Trust me. Before you know it, even you won't recognize the woman in the mirror. Now before we start, I do have a. "I would have thought their telepathy and AIs would make them unnecessary. Many stories on Earth relate their interpersonal connections to a hive structure." The meetings are something they started a long time ago. They work, and everyone likes the interaction. You may not have realized it but everyone on the ship participated in the meeting. Those working were connected both telepathically and through a terminal in their work area." Virginia, your comment about them having a hive social. It was so dark that I could just barely make him out, it was the strange man standing up to take off his coat. He’d picked the back row in the darkest corner of the theater. He couldn’t have picked a more private seat if he’d tried. Nervously I moved down the row and sat down beside him. I expected him to say that the seat was saved, or to move over a seat or two, maybe even get up and move. Instead he just sat there. Now that I was there I didn’t know what to do. My heart was beating so loud. "Three's the price." He pulled the horse's head about. "She ain't much of a worker, but she's a devil in bed."I fished out another heavy coin, and he held out his hand with the folded contract in it. He smiled, bit the big coins, waved at his boys and galloped off. I handed the girl her indenture."What's this for?" she said, as I got us moving again."You are free," I told her, digging out some smaller coins and handing them to her without looking. "Here's your freedom dues." No," she sobbed..