XX3

“Are you ok?” Rah asks me.

He looks over at me. Rahmell stares at me as we ready to get off of the hovercraft. My sisters are behind me. Nerves are in my stomach and I think he realizes that. He stands tall and attractive, very attractive. Rahmell has a brush in one hand and it's clear he's readying himself, brushing the fade on his head. Little does he know his haircut is already laid impeccably, with precise geometric precision. He's dressed now in a fine gray suit, white shirt and black tie. His eyes are incredibly bright as they stare into my soul.

“I'm fine,” I respond.

“You sure buddy?” he asks me, “You seem like something is a little off.”

Maybe it is the fact that Rahmell is referring to me as his 'buddy' while I was in love with him. I'd always been in love with him and me acting like I wasn't was lying to myself. The fact that my sister was also in love with him wasn't really making this any easier. The fact that he was planning on having her baby blew my mind.

“Just nervous,” I tell him.

Rahmell throws his arms over me. His muscular bicep presses against me pulling me close restraining me. I watch from the sideeye as my sisters are walking up. They are about to open the doors and luckily they seem nervous enough not to worry about what's going on between Rahmell and I.

Rahmell lean's over to me. He's so close that I can almost feel the hairs on his lips press against the side of my cheek. He whispers, “Welcome to Geneva Convention.”

A hologram pulls up as we leave the ship. There is a welcome committee as the doors are opening. I see a flashes of cameras as we arrive. Overhead I see a huge dome building that trumpets over the city. The Convention building is huge. All around us there are lights beaming down. I watch guards flying around with jetpacks. There are robots circulating the streets. The media is there as well.

“What is all this?” I ask.

“All the ambassadors are arriving to represent different countries,” Rahmell explains to me, “Ignore the media. Don't say anything to them. They're all trying to get perspective on why everyone what all the ambassadors are trying to get out of trading.”

That was good to know because honestly I didn't even know why my grandmother really sent me here. It was all so strange. She said that I was to rendesvous with someone here. Just then I see Rahmell walking away. He's being led off by a bunch of security.

“Wait...Rah where are you going?”

Rah laughs as he looks back at me with a bright smile, “I'm a host for the Convention. I have some stuff I have to handle. Don't worry. Your assigned host will come get you and I'll come visit you as soon as I can.”

Before I can argue with him about this Rah is turned around and pulled away by. It becomes increasingly clear that everything is busy with all the hovercrafts coming down. The shining lights shine over the dome like a concert. The flying vehicles are descending from every direction. This is more than just a Convention. Flags from different countries are being flown across on the descending hovercrafts. This is like some sort of national battleground.

My sisters look at me and I look back at my sisters.

We each felt like Dorothy.

And we weren't in Kansas anymore.

“Bitch if anything in my bag is missing I'll skin you,” Beryl tells our host.

I believe her. Our host is one of the bright District ladies with the white teeth and white dresses. Beryl wipes her bright smile and stops her from waving at us as though she's on drugs. She is a heavy set lady with red cheeks. She's plump and Beryl is referring to the fact that our suitcases were taken before we walked into the building. There is chaos all around us. Diplomats are being escorted to their rooms. Holograms are populating as we walk letting us know the history of Geneva Convention.

“It's just security procedure that we take your bags ma'am,” the hostess tells us, “My name is Gladys and if you have any questions let us know.”

“We need our room,” Beryl explains.

The other two sisters who always follow Beryl stay close to her. The stingers are traveling in a pack like lionesses in unfamiliar territory.

“This place is huge,” Opal notices.

“We aren't here for sightseeing. We are here for business,” Beryl barks at her. The other stingers give Opal a look that makes me feel a little bad for her. They still haven't gotten over her turning on them back home. They still didn't trust her and they weren't going to just try to get a long with her for this trip. A part of me knew Opal was a bitch but I'd felt the sting of the stingers at one point in my life as well. It was no fun.

“We can still appreciate this. It looks like we stepped into a time machine. I mean look at the sliding walls,” I notice.

The walls are transforming. It was like all the walls on the main floor of the convention were transforming into futuristic billboards. Many of the billboards were political billboards. Women's rights, Semen investment, education and other political ideas from opposing political parties.

The stingers look at the advertisements like cavemen discovering fire.

“District deceit.”

Out of all my sisters Opal seems to feel the most at home. The other girls seem uncomfortable. They are out of their natural swampland. This isn't what they are used to. This isn't what I'm used to either but I find myself interested like Opal. I find myself looking around at the building as we walk past individuals and feel this sense of overwhelming businesses. There are men here. It seems like most of the countries sent men. I'd never seen so many men in my life.

Gladys attempts to force a smile on her face despite Beryl's threats as she walks us through the hallway, “The convention building is 3 floors. The meeting rooms, cafeteria and auditorium are all on the main floor. The 2^nd floor has bars and other recreational activities. The 3^rd floor are the ambassador suites where you'll be staying. If you step the right you'll see the rainbow bridge. If you enter the tube it'll take you up to the 3^rd floor.”

“I'm not getting on that,” Beryl states.

The rainbow bridge is a tube of light. There are other people in front of us. I watch to see how one at a time people walk into the bridge there is a flash of light and they are lifted almost as though by magic. They disappear in through the tube into the upper floors until we can't see them any longer.

Opal looks at Beryl.

“Is this going to take all day? Some of us have things to do,” a boy says behind us.

The boy is dressed in red. The boys with him are all dressed in red as well. I find myself getting embarrassed especially when I realize how attractive this guy is. All the men around him are as well. They are all men of different races and back grounds but they all have sleek slender faces. Their eyes cross at that moment watching us as thought they are annoyed. My face gets as red as their clothing. The boy who seems to be in charge is staring hard.

He is about 6'3”. He has brown skin, black eyes and nice teeth. He has good hair short and slick and has a full beard. He might be in his mid 20s or maybe even early 30s. He's well built, toned and has a menacing glare on his face that is irrestibly sexy as well.

“You'll wait,” Beryl tells him.

“I've been waiting...” the man states, “I know you people are scared of everything.”

“You people?” Beryl asks him.

“You know...women.”

Fuck.

I look at this man wondering if he just wants to get that beautiful face of his fucked up. Big mistake. I watch as Beryl launches for him. She runs across the room with her fist. Beryl is a bigger woman. She's 6'0” with solid hands and I've had her hit me before. It's nothing sweet. Somehow I manage to block her! Screaming at her to calm down. I'm not shocked when Pearl follows up attempting to get at the man.

The beautiful man puts his hands up to block but luckily Opal gets to Pearl, literally tackling her to the ground and pinning her with all her strength.

That's when we see it. It comes from no where.

Ruby.

Ruby comes out of no where and delivers a solid kick to the man's abdomen! The man falls to the ground and almost immediately a fight breaks out. The men go after Ruby and all I can see is a whip of hair as Ruby shows them exactly what Amazons are made out of.

Her bright light brown hair flashes and a scream as one of the men attacking her takes a knee to the gut. T he other man is flipped over Ruby's shoulder. Two men come at Ruby and Ruby body slams them both like some sort of professional wrestler before they can even lay a hand on her pretty face.

“STOP!” I'm screaming.

It's useless. Beryl is loose. Pearl is loose right after her. Opal and I aren't able to maintain order. Within a matter of seconds the men are on the ground being pounded into oblivion by fucking heels.

People are gathering around us at that moment. There are the uppity delegates clutching their pearls and gasping at the savage women beating the FUCK out of these men in the middle of the hallway.

Guards come. It takes several to hold back the Stingers back. Gladys our host has broken out into tears. They don't seem like they are used to this kind of violence. Beryl and the stingers screaming out all types of threats that I've never heard in my life. I didn't know it was possible to kill someone with all of the crazy suggestions coming out of their mouths at that moment.

“Do you know who the fuck I am?” the handsome man asks.

Someone is approaching us, “Ambassador Shaddius of the Carolinas.”

A woman walks over. She is beautiful but older. She's a tall white woman with ginger hair that is tied up into a bun. She wears a tight gown that pronounces her slim waist line. She reminds of an actress from the past Nicole Kidman. In fact for a minute I think it's Nicole Kidman and immediately I get excited until she opens her mouth and her accent is a strong New England accent.

“I demand these SAVAGE FEMALES get arrested...” Ambassador Shaddius states.

“Savages?” I ask approaching.

Shaddius looks at me. I don't think the others really paid much attention to me. I was the only boy among a gang of crazy women who were still finding it hard to be managed.

“Let's all calm down,” the strange women states, “My name is Anastasia Tailor.”

My mouth drops a little bit. This is the woman that my mother told me I needed to meet. What was she doing here? As soon as Shaddius and his entourage hear Anastasia's name they back down. They seem to calm down almost immediately.

“First lady...” Shaddius states, “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

First lady?

Anastasia smiles at that moment, “Tensions are high. Ambassador Shaddius, why don't we just all calm down and forget this ever happened.”

The handsome Ambassador looks at my wild sisters. He looks at me. He nods at that moment. I can tell he's still pissed but for some reason the name of Anastasia Tailor has brought the fear of God in his eyes. I watch as him and his men walk past at that moment. The last man has a Carolina flag in his hand. I can recognize the Carolina flag anywhere.

The people of Carolina were our closest neighbors and our biggest enemies. I'm surprised I didn't recognize the Carolina red sooner.

I watch as Anastasia pulls me in and whispers something in my ear in passing.

It's strange.

All she says is “Midnight.”

“Is this how we are going to act?” Opal is screaming at the top of the lungs once we get to our rooms, “Did you see how people were looking at us! Like we are some wild animals! This is unreasonable. Gem! Say something to them! GEM!”

I was probably as mad as Opal but when we get to the room things have changed. The suite is...beautiful. There is a common area in the Ambassador suites. My mouth drops open as I walk around the room and I can hardly pay attention to Opal.

The room looks like something straight out of one of the Sci-Fi movies that Rahmell and I used to watch back when we were kids. The walls in the room are changing. One wall looks like a beautiful garden. The other wall looks like a tall mountain. The furthest wall in the common area reminds me of home. The dark swamp lands with dangerous gators lurking around.

“Don't touch them!” I hear Ruby screaming at me.

She's referring to the fact that I'm walking up to the wall at that moment. It's annoying to see how primitive my sisters are.

“It's not real,” I find myself saying looking at the moving walls.

Beryl shakes her head, “I don't like this. I don't like this place at all. And the Carolinians are here. We need weapons.”

“We need YOU to act civilized,” Opal screams back at my sister.

Opal starts arguing with the Stingers but I don't really care too much about that at this moment. I'm walking around the Ambassador suites. The living area is ridiculous. There is a television that slides down on a projector. There is a hologram of a woman who welcomes us into our living. She is one of those well mannered women like Gladys.

After looking at the living room I realize there is a kitchen. All you have to do is type out the kind of food you would like and it magically appears in their box. I'm shocked at it. As I move to the bedrooms I realize there are multiple ones. There are enough for me and all my sisters. The blanks are self-warming and the pillows fluff themselves. There is a tiny robot who is flying around the room cleaning up as I walk in.

I am blown away by everything around me.

And instead of dealing with my sisters I find myself using the next couple of hours just exploring everything.

Hours later I am dragged out of my room by Opal who needs some back up with my sisters. It's still going on. The Stingers don't back down from an argument. I knew this firsthand when they used to argue with Diamond all the time. This was no different. Opal was smarter than they were and if I didn't break this up now she'd end up getting jumped by them once they realized they probably couldn't outsmart her.

“Gem---you're the ambassador here,” Opal explains, “You need to explain to them that we will get kicked out of this place if we use violence. We haven't even been here a day yet and we've already gotten physical.”

“Opal you need to loosen up your bra straps,” Beryl argues with her.

“Well maybe the three of you need to wear Bras. Real ones at least. Or wear more clothing. You're walking around here basically naked. People are staring.”

“Opal has a point. You guys need to wear more clothing,” I explain to them.

My sisters are used to the New Florida weather. They are scantily clad. Ruby has on a short skirt and knowing her nothing underneath them. Pearl has on some booty shorts. Beryl did have some jeans on but the fucking girl had on this bondage corset thing that just screamed dominatrix. Back home this wasn't uncommon but here the women seemed to wear a lot of clothes.

“You would agree with her,” Beryl explains and whispers, “Just like a man...”

I'm know what Beryl is referring to. When you grow up with all women it wasn't uncommon that they'd blame everything I did on the fact that I was am an. Being a man was so strange and uncommon in New Florida. There were millions of women living in the country and only a handful of men.

“The Carolinians are our enemies. We need to stay clear of them until I know why Grandmother sent me here.”

The girls all seem to snap into reality at that moment. We were here for a reason. I knew more than they did about it.

“What did Grandmother tell you?” Opal asks me.

“We have to rendesvous with that woman.”

“The first lady?” Opal asks, “She is the wife of District President Tailor. She is the most powerful woman in this country.”

It makes sense now looking back to think about how Ambassador Shaddius calmed his ass down when she came around. She commanded respect. She didn't have be forceful like the Stingers to do it either. There was just something about her that made me think people knew who she was and they respected her.

“She's still not as powerful as her husband...him being a man and all,” Beryl points out.

Opal shakes her head, “I don't trust her. Why are we here? Why didn't grandmother tell us exactly what the plan is?”

She does make a point. At that moment I'm glad I brought Opal. It's on all of our minds. My grandmother is being very secretive. For years the Amazons have not participated in the Geneva Convention. We don't even know why we're here. All we know is that my Grandmother had a plan and she was planning to get more men. How she was going to go about doing that I didn't now.

We are interrupted by a knock on the door at that moment. Opal looks at me and I look at Opal. Opal goes to get it while the rest of my sisters go to check out their rooms.

Seconds later Opal returns.

“It's Rahmell,” Opal explains, “He asking if you wanted to go out for drinks with him.”

“Drinks.”

Opal raises her eyebrows, “Drinks. You can't leave right now. We need to figure out what we're supposed to be doing here.”

“I think I have a time to meet with the first lady,” I explain, “I'll be back before then.”

Opal leans in, “What about them?”

She's talking about the Stingers. They are already out of control and I know it. As I'm glad Opal came on this trip I am beginning to regret the fact that Grandmother told the Stingers to come along. They are aggressive to say the least and uncontrollable to the point that I don't know what they are going to do next.

“Watch them,” I explain to her.

Opal nods, “I'll do my best. How about you watch Rahmell. Be careful out there. This isn't home Gem.”

“How do you like it so far?” Rahmell asks me.

We've gone down the rainbow elevator. The flashing lights still leads me dizzy when we get to the floor that we are supposed to be on. The walls are changing. A theme at the Geneva Convention seemed to be lights. There are an excessive amount of lights everywhere. It makes me miss the natural lighting of New Florida. We may not have had the technology that the District had but we were happy.

“I feel a little...out of place,” I explain, “My sisters got into a fight within a matter of minutes. I am not sure why the fuck I'm here. And I'm pretty sure my country's enemies are plotting to kill me right now. Besides that...I'm fine.”

He laughs at that moment, “That's exactly why I pulled you away. I came to save you from all that estrogen. You need to be around some men for once.”

“Men? I thought it was going to be just me and you...”

He laughs, “Relax. I'm just introducing you to a few Ambassador friends I made.”

My stomach is turning a little bit. I don't want to meet anyone. I don't trust people here. New Florida was so different from the places that these people came from.

“Melly I dunno about this...”

“You'll be fine. You guys can't always isolate yourself from everyone. Not here. The Geneva Convention is about trading and making peace with other countries. This is why you're here...remember?”

Rahmell gives me a smile. It's one of those famous smiles that he has that makes me feel a little bit more comfortable. He puts his arm around me like he usually does and pulls me close. There is something so calming about the way he does it.

Little does he know the reason I'm really here is a mystery to me.

We walk into something that looks like a bar but its not like the bars in New Florida. The bars in new Florida were saloons that Amazon women used to wrestle and beat each other's asses in. This bar seemed a lot more civilized. It's more like a lounge. There are swanky couches that line up the walls. There are contraptions on the tables that refill the drinks for you automatically without you having to order from a bartender.

Everyone seems so...

Peaceful.

There is no big breasted chick threatening another girl. There are no girls killing each other because someone looked at the other one wrong. This is different. And more than anything...there are men here.

“Hey guys. I wanted you all to meet my best friend Gem,” Rahmell states.

I stand there and see the guys around the table. My eyes immediately get wide when I realize who one of them is. Shaddius! Shaddius of the Carolinians is here. He gives me a strong look.

“Rah---I---um...”

I'm looking for any excuse to run away from here but my mind goes blank. I'm just standing there looking stupid when Rahmell is smiling and beginning to introduce me.

Rahmell nods, “This is Quincy from Last Vegas, Karington from the Midwest and Shaddius from the Carolinas.”

I've never seen so many handsome men before. I think Quincy raises his hand to speak to me at that moment but I'm a little shocked and afraid. I don't know whether to shake his hand or sniff it for poison. I don't trust men. I've never really been around them.

“Cat go your tongue,” Quincy asks me.

Quincy is a light skin black boy that is about Rahmells complexion. He's not as attractive as Rahmell, at least not to me. He has a baby face and looks like Rahmell did back in the day before he really became a man and grew into his looks. Karington is a lot more attractive. He's a white boy with blonde hair that looks like he could be a movie star or something. Regardless of how awkward I'm being with the two boys they smile at me.

Shaddius is another story. He's looking at me like I'm some sort of disease.

“Cat may actually have his tongue. He has been around some unruly pussy,” Shaddius states at that moment.

“You two know each other?” Karington asks.

Shaddius and I look at each other. There is a tension so hard that you can cut it with a knife.

“Our countries have been at war for a while,” Shaddius explains, “Don't worry. Gem's country waved the white flag.”

He smiles at that moment. The other boys look at each other as there is a clear tension that fills the fucking room. It is getting super fucking awkward at that moment.

Rahmell clearly wants to change the subject, “What do you want to drink Gem? Anything you order can be made.”

“You guys have moonshine?” I ask.

Laughter breaks out at that moment. Shaddius and the other two boys are cracking up. Rahmell even has a smile on his face at that moment. I'm confused. Moonshine was the drink of choice in New Florida. I needed something strong if I was going to deal with a representative from my country sitting across the table from me.

“Actually in the district we kind of drink other things,” Rahmell tells me before patting me on the back, “I should have explained that.”

“What kind of drinks I ask?”

I hear Shaddius almost spit underneath his breath, “Civilized drinks...”

I glare at him and struggle to hold my tongue. He's taking shots at me. It's clear he's trying to get at the fact that I'm uncivilized. The others don't seem to notice it but they didn't see him coming for my sisters earlier today.

I struggle to maintain myself at that moment.

“Melly. You can order anything that you think is good,” I tell him hoping to just ease things over and keep the peace here.

Melly orders me a drink. It's in some fancy ass glass. I'm not used to it. Alcohol like this didn't exist back home. The alcohol is more sweet then strong. It's strange to me. These were men and rare men at that. The women back home drank way harder drinks. It's almost as though the women back home were more masculine then the men here. It's almost like they traded places.

I guess I shouldn't be the one to talk. All my Stinger sisters could probably beat my ass in a one on one fight.

“It's good. Fruity.”

“So this is your first time to the convention. I've never met a New Florida Ambassador,” Karington says.

“My country tends to stay out of the politics,” I say smiling back at the boys.

They seem curious about me. I can see the way they are all looking at me. It makes sense. We never participated in the Geneva Convention before. Why now were we all of a sudden here? I didn't know it and I wondered if they could read my face to realize that I'm just as confused on why I'm here as they are.

Quincy shakes his head, “Really? How do you guys trade then?”

Shaddius looks over at Quincy, “They don't trade. New Florida sticks to themselves. All they do is fight and breed men hating women. Isn't that right Gem? Look at your name. It's even feminine as fuck...”

“Ok Shaddius that's enough,” Rahmell states, “You promised me that you would be nice if I brought him down here.”

“Yeah. We're here to make peace Shad,” Quincy states patting him on the back.

The way they are all talking makes me think they've been friends for quite a while. I have to admit that I'm a little bit jealous to see that Rahmell has other friends. It bothers me even more that one of his friends came from a country who was an enemy to New Florida.

Shaddius shrugs, “I'm telling the truth. I mean everyone knows they are primitive. Correct me if I'm lying. I heard they don't even have electricity in New Florida.”

He's taking digs and I have to say that it hurts. I'm proud of where I come from. He's right that electricity when in and out often. He's right that New Florida was probably struggling more than everyone else. We had a civil war going on with Feminists attacking us. Then the Carolinians didn't make it any better always threatening to invade us.

Rahmell looks at Shaddius, “Yo...Shaddius we've been friends for years but this here is my best friend. If you can't be cool with him you might just have to leave.”

“Wow Rah...really?” Shaddius asks.

“It's ok,” I tell Rahmell, “I'll leave.”

Rahmell grabs me and keeps me at the table, “No. I haven't been around you in years. I don't want you to leave.”

Shaddius laughs at that moment, “It's ok Rah. You know he's an Amazon princess. He might need to go put a tampon in.”

That's it.

I don't know what comes over me but swing off on Shaddius. I hit him dead in his face. I don't know what comes over me. My fist just slams into the side of his face. I feel like I just pulled something Beryl would have done when I jump across the table.

It takes Karington and Quincy to get me off of Shaddius as I start pummeling into him with wild fists.

“GEM CALM DOWN!” Rahmell screams at me.

Rahmell's voice seems to pull me back into reality. I realize that people are looking at me. I'm not in New Florida anymore. New Florida I would have been met by cheers and laughter. This was different. People were looking at me like I was some sort of wild animal.

Quincy looks over at me, “Oh my god. Look what he did to Shad?”

Shaddius is bleeding from his nose. He's on the floor. He just is looking at me scared as though he had no idea that I was going to do that to him. This guy is looking up at me like I'm some sort of victim.

“I'll make sure to let the Carolinian President know their ambassador attacked me,” Shaddius states staring at the blood on his hand as though he is the victim in this situation.

My face is red.

I'm realizing that I lost control. I acted uncivilized...just like my sisters.

Karington stares at Rahmell, “Get that...thing...out of here.”

He's referring to me as a thing. It's almost like I'm not even human. Rahmell is looking around. I think he's looking to see if anyone called some officers or something like that. Luckily we are clear for now but Rahmell doesn't look happy when he grabs my hand and aggressively pulls me out of the bar.

Rahmell isn't talking to me as he escorts me back to my room like a child. The look on his face says it all. Here is this guy that I'm in love with and he's looking at me like I'm some sort of animal. I just feel sick to my stomach. I just feel like I let my whole entire country down.

This was just the first fucking day and chaos had broken out twice.

“Rah---say something,” I tell him.

“Say something? How about you say something. How about you open your fucking mouth and say something next time instead of hauling off an attacking someone like some sort of animal?” Rahmell explains.

It hurts. The other people looking at me and seeing an animal was one thing but Rahmell thinking the same thing was something completely different. We have walked to my room. The other ambassadors ware walking around the Geneva Convention peacefully. It's almost as though everything here is so happy. So fake. Everything is so fucking peacful.

But me.

“Listen I'm sorry,” I explain at that moment, “I just lost control. He provoked me.”

Rahmell shakes his head, “Sorry isn't good enough. You are so...”

He hesitates. Rahmell looks to the ground. His hazel eyes search the ground probably wanting to let something off his chest but not wanting to sound so harsh. I can tell he cares but right now it seems like it's difficult for him to even look at me.

I glare at him, “Say it.”

“Primitive,” he responds, “You don't belong here, Gem. You or your sisters.”

It's clear now that Shaddius must have told him what happened with my sisters earlier. After all they were 'friends'. He was clearly taking up for Shaddius and leaving me out in the dust right now. That shit hurt to. I never thought Rahmell of all people would be taking someone else's side and looking at me like I was some stranger.

At this moment I was a stranger to Rahmell. I was someone that he didn't recognize. He had become this handsome, well spoken, civilized, educated person and I was just an animal as far as he was concerned.

“Is that how you really feel?” I ask him.

Rahmell nods silently, “Maybe...you guys should leave. I'm not sure what you're doing here. But after today it's clear. You don't belong here.”

“Rah...”

The shit hurts. Anyone else it wouldn't have mattered but right now I'm on the brink of fucking tears. The disappointment in Rahmell's face makes him seem like he is almost disgusted by me.

“Goodbye Gem.”

With that Rahmell walks away, not looking back to see if I was ok.”


======================================================

“We're leaving,” I say at that moment walking into the common area.

Fuck the technology. Fuck the moving walls. Fuck the magic fridge or the flying cleaning robots. Fuck the District and them thinking they were so much further advanced than I was. I couldn't be around here anymore.

My sisters look at me.

It's Opal is approaches me and crosses her arm, “What the fuck happened?”

Beryl shakes her head, “I told you. I told you so. These men. They aren't like us. We can't relate to men...”

Beryl is saying it as though I wasn't a man. Maybe she was right. My grandmother had sent me here as the Ambassador only because she didn't have any other options. Men were respected and I was the only one born with a dick that could come. She sent me by default. I was more female than male. I always had been more female than male.

And not only was I more female. I was an unruly, uncivilized, aggressive Amazon.

“Pack your bags.”

Opal stops me, “We have company Gem.”

I stop in my tracks. I turn to the wall and realize that I'm not alone in the common room with just my sisters. I was so angry that I didn't even recognize that Anastasia Tailor is standing there. She is leaning up against the wall. My sisters circle her.

“Are you just going to abandon us? You are our ambassador,” Anastasia states.

“Our?” I ask confused.

Opal looks over at me, “Anastasia just let us know that she's an Amazon. She was sent here years ago by Grandmother as a spy.”

I'm confused. My grandmother had spies in the District. Not only did my Grandmother have spies but she also had a spy that just so happened to be the FIRST LADY of the District.

“You an Amazon?”

“Our time is coming,” Anastasia states, “I understand you are frustrated with the people. I've been as frustrated. But we can't return to New Florida empty handed.”

Looking at Anastasia I am blown away that she is an Amazon. She is well spoken. She is dressed appropriately not showing off too much skin like my sisters. She is a classy woman who looks like she never been in a fight in her life. For a minute I envy her. She was able to get out of New Florida and come here and make a life for herself.

Why the fuck would she still be loyal to New Florida?

“What does my grandmother want?” I ask, “Why are we here Anastasia?”

Anastasia smiles.

“Your grandmother wants sperm. She wants to make a deal that will put New Florida back on the map. One deal that will improve the life of our country. I'm talking about electricity. I'm talking about technology. One deal that will advance us and more civilized. We'll finally be a real power.”

Technology.

I'm thinking about Rahmell. I'm thinking about how he looked at me. He thought I was so uncivilized. I would give everything to have the technology back home that the District had. I would give anything to have Rahmell look at me and my people and feel like we were his equal.

Opal looks at me and I look at Opal. We are on the same page.

I couldn't leave.

I had to stay. I had to work on this deal.

“What's the deal?” I ask.

“There is a country who has a programmer. This programmer. This programmer is called the Hacker. We need the Hacker. He'll be able to design technology that we need to step into the New Age. Isn't that what we all want. Just a chance to be respected?” Anastasia asks me.

I look at Anastasia. It's still strange that she cares so much. She's been living as the First Lady for the most advanced country in what used to the be the United States. She should have been happy.

She must have been a real patron to care about what was happening back in New Florida huh?

It doesn't matter. I was doing this for me.

I was doing this to show Rahmell. I'm not an animal.

“I'll get the deal done. Who do I have to make the deal with?”

Anastasia crosses her arm, “That's the problem. The country that has the programmer has an ambassador here. His name is Ambassador Shaddius...of the Carolinas.”

My sisters and I look at each other.

Fuck.

It would be the guy that we spent all day attacking.

To read the next chapter in advance go to www.crushedcrown.com