conversation with Mom

“Don’t come to me with nonsense, Karen. Where did you get this idea that Sara and I are the same age?”

“The difference is small, admit it,” Karen brushed a rebellious curl away from her face and massaged her scalp. “Sara’s hair… I mean, my hair now, is very beautiful and voluminous, but it’s so much work to style. Do you think it would look good if I dyed the curls blonde?”

“This is your new home, darling. Dye it, cut it, shave it… as long as you feel comfortable. It will be strange in the first few weeks, so transforming this body into what you are — or what you want to become from today onward — helps with the adaptation process.” Jenny touched the lobe of Karen’s ear, where there was a small piercing. She ran her hand down the side of her face to the jaw. She lifted her daughter’s chin without meeting any resistance. Sara was truly a beautiful woman. Her neck showed no trace of a double chin or those horrible lines that give the skin a wrinkled appearance.

“Sara has great genes.”

“Yes, melanin delays the effects of aging. By my forties, my chest had already taken on the look of tanned leather. And that reddish tone from the sun. But look at this—” Jenny palpated the flat area between her breasts and collarbone. “Your skin is like a black hole that swallows the marks of time.”

The two women laughed. They drew quite a bit of attention from the scientists and staff passing by. The displays of affection and constant touching made people think they were two lesbians exchanging caresses in public. Some scientists, especially young men, lingered in that section, discreetly observing the spectacle of two MILFs, hoping that at any moment they would exchange passionate kisses in the central hall of the North Dome.

“I really wanted to go home with you.”

“Impossible, my love. Maagael made your father swear to keep silent about the operations conducted here in the desert. Your presence at home would raise suspicions. It’s hard, but you need to learn to fend for yourself.”

“No friends, no relatives, living in an unknown part of the city. What an adventure, right?” Karen tried to sound strong. However, her voice trembled with fear. She dreaded the uncertain future and the prospect of having no one to turn to in difficult times.

“Your father will send you a monthly allowance, and we can always communicate through the panoptic system. Unfortunately, we must not speak through ordinary comms. Security reasons.”

“Any news about him?”

Jenny smiled. Despite everything, her daughter was once again taking a liking to life. For three months she had deliberately avoided mentioning his name so as not to hurt her.

“He took two weeks off. He’ll be in the city in a few days. Do you want to see him again?”

“Not before changing my wardrobe. I feel a bit ridiculous in these skinny teenager clothes.”

“Yeah, you’ve grown up, but you’re still my little girl.” Forehead to forehead, Jenny caressed Karen’s cheeks with circular movements of her thumbs, while Karen wrapped her arms around her mother’s slim waist. Jenny whispered some practical advice as their bodies pressed together in a long, tight embrace. The furtive spectators were not treated to any sensual scenes of kisses and groping, but they also couldn’t complain about the outcome: they had enough material to work with in the solitude of their individual dormitories after hours. As a rule, life for the scientists at the North Dome was a monk’s life, with the difference that no one in that place harbored any real aspirations to sainthood.

Peter and Jenny Goltz said goodbye to their daughter that day at the North Dome. The secrecy of the operations depended on the discretion of those involved. At Karen’s request, the secret was shared with only one other person in her intimate circle. Anoka hesitated but eventually gave in. Sorel’s presence would cushion the impact of the new reality. It would simultaneously be a link to the old Karen’s past and allow the young woman’s new self to emerge in all its splendor in Sara’s mature beauty. In addition to obeying pragmatic reasoning, Dr. Anoka’s permission responded to her desire to know how the boyfriend would react. Would he try to rekindle the romantic bond or, on the contrary, reject any such pretension? Would sexual intercourse resume? Would the coordinates of the relationship be radically reconfigured? Anoka’s favorable decision demanded only one thing from Karen: every interaction with Sorel — including any subsequent meetings — must be reported in minute detail.