Sirius Zero: Building A Corporate Kingdom After Being Expelled

"Ester, you got the stuff?" asked Anna, cautiously approaching the older girl in the school’s bathroom.

"Yeah, I got it. But are you sure about this? Periods are not as bad as they say they are," asked Ester.

"I’m sure. I don’t want to be a girl, and I don’t want that headache," said Anna, snatching the packet of hormone blocking pills out of Ester’s hands.

She popped one of the pills into her mouth and took a large swig of water from her water bottle to wash it down.

"How much are these?" she asked.

"They’re on the house. Save your allowance for proper gender affirmation treatments when you turn 16," said Ester.

"Got it," said Anna, and they both scurried out of the bathroom and back to their respective classes.

---

"Daddy, if you’re planning a surprise party, please don’t. I want to try and plan my eleventh birthday myself," said Mikaela over the phone, as she walked across to Annette’s house.

"Sure thing, Princess. And I’ll be there this time," said Ivan.

Mikaela hung up, and rang the doorbell.

Annette opened the door, and stared wide-eyed at Mikaela’s appearance.

Mikaela was wearing her sleek fitted dress with the flared skirt and white pantyhose, complete with black leather stiletto pumps.

"Mom, I’m going to organize my own birthday party this year," said Mikaela.

"OK," said Annette, trying to process Mikaela’s new appearance.

"Here is the guest list. Anybody who is not on that list, is not invited. I will not stand for gatecrashers," said Mikaela, thrusting a sheet of paper into Annette’s hands.

"Let’s see. At least I am on here," said Annette, trying to make light of the fact that she had barely seen or spoken to Mikaela for nearly a week.

"I suppose I should have been more forthcoming, but you passing out drunk and throwing that rose in the trash really infuriated me," said Mikaela.

"I understand," conceded Annette, scanning the rest of the guest list.

"Let’s see, there’s me, Ivan, Mr. Stanislaus, Ms. Washington, Adelaide, Yue, Yasmin, Dr. Alexandria, Dr. Kitagawa, Captain Hawkins, and Ms. Hirschfield. Why is Anna not on here? Did you forget to put them?" she asked.

"That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. Anna is only welcome if she behaves. I can tolerate veganism, but that pronoun nonsense is where I draw the hard line," said Mikaela.

"Pronoun preferences or not, it is very rude to invite Mr. Stanislaus and exclude Anna who is your best friend like this," said Annette, Mikaela’s new speech pattern and attitude trying her patience.

"Fine. I’ll correct that," said Mikaela, snatching the list back, and marching into the living room.

She sat at the coffee table, wrote down Anna’s name, and "only if she remembers that she is a girl" in brackets.

"There. The corrected guest list," said Mikaela.

"You can’t dictate conditions like that," pointed out Annette.

"My party, my rules. I can’t make this any clearer Mom. I still like Anna, but I want the sweet and kind Anna that used to wear pink dresses. Not this confused version who is in denial that she’s a girl," said Mikaela, getting up from the couch.

"OK, now I want to ask you something. What’s with the getup and the stilted speech?" asked Annette, as Mikaela walked to the door.

"Something I’m experimenting with," said Mikaela.

"I see. Well then. My house, my rules. You will not set foot in my house in those monstrosities you have on your feet. They are not healthy for you regardless of whatever fancy tech is in them. Do I make myself clear, Mikaela Zakhrov?" asked Annette, her capacity for politeness exhausted, and her hands trembling in fury.

"Crystal," said Mikaela, and walked out of the door.

---

"Well Doctor, it is peri-menopause," said the gynecologist as he examined Alexandria’s blood sample and vitals.

"I knew it would happen eventually, but it still hits pretty hard," sighed Alexandria, as she put her clothes back on.

"Yes, well, don’t sweat it. You’ll undergo mood swings and hot flushes, but those can be managed. I’ll prescribe some antidepressants for the mood swings, but I recommend that you don’t take on too much stress at work or in your personal life," said the gynecologist.

"OK, thanks Doc," said Alexandria, and left the clinic.

She got into her newly tuned up Toyota Corolla and drove back to the Sirius Software Hospital and Medical Research building.

Getting back into her lab, she slumped into a chair.

"This can’t be happening now," she sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Looking around listlessly, her eyes fell on the serum samples.

"Know what? I’m going to be my own lab rat. If it works, fine. If it doesn’t, Adelaide still has her father and Axel now," she said, getting up, and loading a vial into a syringe.

"Here I go," she said, and injected herself.

"Well, a little anticlimactic, even if I should know better," she chuckled, disappointed that the only thing she felt was the stinging from the injection, and no other effects.

Shaking her head, she disposed off the syringe, and resumed her work.

---

Alexandria awoke to find herself covered with a thin sheen of sweat.

"OK, this is normal for a serum based retroviral agent I suppose," she muttered, heaving herself out of her bed.

She took stock of her body in the mirror.

"OK, aside from me sweating out a fever, there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary," she said, carefully examining her lithe body, pale skin, blonde hair and azure eyes.

"No, wait. My skin is definitely looking smoother," she said, stripping out of her satin pajamas to get a better look.

Her breasts felt a little firmer, and her skin was indeed smooth. Too smooth for a woman of 47.

"Well, we’ll just have to wait and see," she said, before she noticed the time and gave a panicked yelp.

"Holy shit! I’m late!" she exclaimed, and dashed to the bathroom to get ready for work.

---

"What the hell did you do?" asked Kavitha, the moment Alexandria frantically entered the hospital complex.

"Sorry! Just woke up late. I’m starting peri-menopause," said Alexandria.

"Oh really? So it was because of a hot flush and not because you shot yourself up with the retroviral genome serum I specifically told you to keep under lock and key?" asked Kavitha, her eyes boring into Alexandria’s.

"Hey. I had just found out my clock is running out! How was I supposed to resist knowing that a veritable fountain of youth is right there at my lab station?" shot back Alexandria.

"Dammit Alexandria! We don’t know what kind of effects we’ll get with a retroviral serum!" snarled Kavitha.

"Then consider me the damn volunteer test subject! Excuse me for not wanting to spend the rest of my life wasting away!" shouted Alexandria.

"All right. There’s nothing that can be done now except to observe you. However, I’m banning you from the serum lab, and putting you under observation for the entire work day. Consider yourself demoted from researcher to lab rat, and don’t make me dock your pay by arguing," said Kavitha.

"Yes, ma’am," said Alexandria contritely, seeing the fierce look in Kavitha’s eyes.

---

"Can I go home now, ma’am?" asked Alexandria in a small voice.

"Look. I get why you did it. Heaven knows I’m tempted as well. So yeah, I’ll let you off the hook. But you’ll still need to record your vitals every morning," said Kavitha with a sigh.

"I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let my depression cloud my judgment," said Alexandria, relaxed by Kavitha’s more conciliatory demeanor.

"Well, there have been no side effects so far. Let’s hope and pray that we don’t get any," said Kavitha.

"Me too. However, if this actually works, then we’ve got a whole other problem," said Alexandria.

"I’m trying not to think about it. Now shoo. You’ve got a big day ahead of you tomorrow," said Kavitha, as Alexandria left.

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