Thursday, August 28th, 2042, NEURASphere seventh floor, Virtual Reality.

  Priya had a hard time concentrating, feeling the dozen of eyes throwing furtive glances at her cubicle neighbour and indirectly at her.

  She had heard M-E pull the chair into position and get past the lock screen in the unmistakable, loud clatter and rhythm that she was intimately familiar with.

  Some might find it hard to reconcile the young-looking woman to the thirty-eight-year-old software engineer that normally sat in that cubicle.

  However, the diminutive newcomer, with her green hair and fairy-like features, was unmistakably M-E.

  Priya’s thoughts wandered back to that smile from just a minute ago.

  M-E was more than just okay.

  He—No, I should probably use ‘she’ now—She was glowing.

  The spark of life in her eyes she had today? It had first appeared, quite suddenly, maybe a year or two ago.

  In the aftermath of her divorce, the spark had almost vanished completely. But afterwards? It had returned. Slowly, but steadily. Not just in the eyes. And Priya knew something good had changed recently. The way she talked enthusiastically and took the lead during her lunch break chats with Jamal at the geek’s table.

  Between the occasional sound of key presses and mouse clicks, M-E mumbled something: “Simple enough…”

  Priya straightened her back, raising her head above the partition.

  Others had heard M-E too. Drawn by the sound, hundreds of eyes, wide with wonder and maybe a touch of disbelief, followed the green-haired marvel. As the clicking of keyboards slowed to a stop, a strange stillness settled over the entire floor.

  Priya rolled her eyes. She pushed her seat back and stood out.

  “Hey M-E, wanna head to the restroom?”

  With a blink, M-E’s face transformed. The intense frown melted away, replaced by a slack-jawed, puzzled expression as her gaze lifted to meet Priya’s.

  If subtlety won’t work…

  “Come on, let’s go.”

  Her second statement had the weight of an instruction, rather than suggestion. But just to make sure, Priya gave a quick, silent nod, her eyes urging M-E to stand and follow her out.

  With a practiced frown, Priya scanned the room, her eyes locking with the onlookers, holding their gaze until the discomfort became too much for them to bear, their eyes darting away.

  Come on, boys. Be adults for once and stop gawking.

  It took a moment, but Priya saw the spark of realisation flicker on M-E’s face.

  “Oh… sure.”

  It was odd seeing her this meek. M-E had never been overly masculine, but now she seemed almost fragile in this avatar.

  Priya locked her computer and walked around the cubicle to M-E’s side.

  “This way.”

  She nodded, and the two of them set off to the nearest public bathrooms.

  Why the building architects thought they needed those spaces, given the virtual nature of the place, was a puzzle that had remained unsolved in her head. But today? Priya was glad they had thought to include them. She occasionally used them as convenient places to AFK for a minute or two.

  But a much more important role awaited them this time: shielding M-E from the gaze of all the curious boys. Giving her a private space to deal with the emotional fallout of the corporate policy in quiet.

  As they got closer to the bathrooms, Priya could feel M-E drifting towards the men’s room, and gently placed an arm behind her, nudging her towards the ladies’ side.

  “I can’t go in there!”

  With a glint in her eye, Priya’s smile hinted at mischief.

  “Really? Shall we look up the company policy?”

  M-E shook her head in quiet resignation, gave in. With a weak smile, she stepped inside the room, ahead of Priya.

  The latter followed her inside, swiftly passing her by. With a decisive stride, Priya moved through the room, the faint scent of cleaning supplies filling her nostrils as she confirmed every stall was vacant. Then she went back to the door and turned the lock bolt with a satisfying click.

  The atmosphere in the bathroom was oddly calming, the sterile scent of soap and the soft hum of the vents filling the silence.

  “There. All to ourselves.”

  M-E still hesitated near the door, not daring to even stop in front of the sinks.

  Calmly, Priya stepped behind her small coworker and gently guided her in front of an obsequiously large mirror, staying right behind her for support. Although Priya was aware of her height advantage over M-E, confirming it in the mirror, the two of them side-by-side like this? It felt surreal.

  The reflection of M-E’s perfectly smooth skin mesmerised her. Free of any blemish, pores, or tiny imperfections. Priya spent twenty minutes every morning with her concealer and foundation, and she never looked anywhere this good.

  But M-E was all natural. Not a smidge of makeup on her face, yet she looked camera ready.

  As she admired her colleague, Priya lifted of one eyebrow, her lips curling into a smile that reeked of envy. “You know, some of us spend hours in the morning and will never get to looking half as good as you do.”

  M-E blinked at her, startled. “Wait, what?”

  Priya grinned, shaking her head. “You’re flawless. Look at you. Those lashes, how your eyes pop out. My VR avatar is based on my physical body, and it’s projecting that ‘perfect’ version of myself. But I don’t compare at all. And then there’s the cute elf angle.” She let out a small chuckle. “You’re lucky.”

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  M-E shifted slightly, biting her lip as her gaze returned to the mirror. “Lucky? I guess I hadn’t really thought about it that way.”

  Priya shrugged, still smiling, but with a hint of wistfulness. “VR’s like that, though. Perfect skin, no breakouts, no bad hair days.” She adjusted a strand of M-E’s boyish green hair. “Real life’s not so easy.”

  The pale-skinned elf’s cheeks turned bright red. Priya bit her lip.

  I’m flustering her—I should stop.

  “Go on—see for yourself.”

  Sandra had been right. This? This was a good look on her. It would be a shame not to record this moment for posterity.

  “You know, you probably take screenshot before you do anything.”

  Spinning quickly, M-E faced Priya, their eyes meeting with a silent, worried look.

  The fact Priya had to look down made M-E look so small and vulnerable right now.

  “Screenshot? Why?”

  “If nothing else, to remind you how well you pulled it off.”

  M-E laughed bitterly, waving her hand as if to dismiss the idea. Priya kept her gaze locked on her. That cute, boyish green hair really suited her.

  “I’m serious.”

  With a slow turn, M-E assessed her appearance in the mirror.

  “It’s not really... me, though.”

  Priya shrugged lightly. “Maybe not. But it’s still part of your story. Doesn’t hurt to keep a little piece of it.”

  That’s probably not enough to convince her. Just a little more...

  “Plus, come on—women in men’s business suits? That’s kinda hot. I wish I could pull it off that well, or that the company would let me dress like that.”

  She tried to sound like she was joking, but Priya was serious. M-E’s reflection in the mirror looked sharp in that suit. Tailored, crisp lines perfectly pressed.

  But her opinion did not matter, M-E’s did. And she looked miserable and uncomfortable wearing it, like she felt that everything about it was wrong. Priya could tell from the way M-E held herself, the way she held her shoulders. The painful facial expression on her adorable, freckled face ill-suited her.

  If only she had a little bit of swagger, she’d be killing it. But right now, she looks like she just got caught playing dress-up with her father’s clothes.

  With her eyes squeezed shut, M-E took a deep, calming breath and then opened her eyes.

  She forced a small smile.

  “There.”

  A message notification containing a screenshot showed up in the corner of Priya’s vision. It had the two of them in front of the bathroom’s mirror.

  Photo evidence? Classic M-E move.

  Priya could only smile at the show of trust.

  Once again, M-E turned to face her.

  “Happy?”

  “Very.”

  Priya took a few steps backward.

  “A transformation sequence like that should have some upbeat music, if you ask me.”

  She hoped her joke would defuse the tension a little.

  “Ready to see how it looks on you?”

  I should at least offer her some privacy.

  “Do you want me to look away?”

  But M-E simply shook her head.

  “Okay,” M-E breathed. She then focused on windows and interfaces only she could see, hovering her finger on one last invisible button.

  It gave Priya the impression M-E treated it with the same reverence one would give to a large red button with a “Do Not Press” sign next to it. Or two big red buttons, one saying “Do what you want to do” and the other one saying “Do what others ask you to do”.

  Priya laughed at the mental image. If corporate asked her, today, to find the difference between the two buttons, she would look at them like they have two heads. For M-E, they were the same buttons.

  “This... this is it.”

  In an instant, her avatar shimmered, and a familiar navy pencil skirt, cream blouse, and black blazer materialised over her form. The weight of the clothes shifted, settling around her body, adjusting to her specific measurements. Her skirt hugged her new hips snugly. The corporate-mandated blouse breathed softly. A sheer pantyhose encased her legs, hugging her muscular calves. The closed-toe black court shoes added just enough height to her stance.

  She stared at herself in the mirror, the reflection of the woman she had become. Her breath seemed to hitch in her throat.

  “Now that’s more your look. You’re really pulling it off.”

  M-E swallowed hard. Her hands ran over the blazer, smoothing it out over her body. She obviously tried to keep the rush of emotions in check, but Priya could see through the cracks. This was a very important moment for her.

  M-E let out a small, shaky breath, her lips curling into a smile. A real one, this time.

  “Thanks, Pri.”

  Priya grinned. “I told you earlier; you look badass.”

  But her colleague did not respond, and simply blushed.

  “We match now, don’t we?”

  M-E ran her fingers down her leg, starting at the hip, and past the rim of her skirt.

  “It feels… different from what I expected.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, I thought it’d be colder, for one.”

  She pointed at both her skirt and legs.

  Priya nodded.

  Makes sense she’d think that.

  “It looks like it should, but it’s not that bad, is it?”

  She shook her head in agreement, but looking up, spoke up. “It also feels so smooth and snug.”

  Priya’s memories of her first pantyhose came flooding to her. M-E might look like a woman now, and had to dress like one, but she had none of the experience of growing up as one.

  She stepped closer and put her hands on her shoulders, gently.

  “You’re going to have a lot of firsts today, beta.”

  But M-E recoiled at the touch and spun around, frowning.

  Oops, touched a nerve?

  “Beta? Really? You’re calling me unfinished now? Like a ‘beta version’ of myself?”

  Priya burst out laughing.

  Oh, good! M-E isn’t upset at the touch, she just misunderstood me.

  “Oh no, no! Sorry! Beta is a term of endearment in Hindi. It means something like ‘dear’ or ‘sweetheart’. I didn’t mean the software development ‘Beta’!”

  She took a step closer and reached for a shoulder again slowly.

  “You’re not a work in progress... or rather, we all are. But you’re not any worse off than any of us. Not at all.”

  The mix of panic and outrange she saw earlier in M-E faded away.

  “Oh, I didn’t know…”

  Priya grinned.

  “Well, now you do. And you’re definitely not in beta. You’re more like... version two point o, ready to take on the world.”

  M-E lingered in front of the mirror for a few more seconds, her hand tracing over the curve of her skirt as if still processing what she was seeing. Priya gave her a moment, then gently nudged her toward the door.

  “Come on, we can’t hide in here forever.”

  M-E glanced back one last time, her reflection offering a nervous but hopeful smile, and together, they stepped out of the restroom.

  As soon as they were back in the hallway, Priya could feel the shift in atmosphere. Conversations died down, the low clatter of keyboards grew faint, and all around them, people’s eyes flickered toward M-E. Subtle at first, but growing bolder with each passing second. Hushed whispers, letting the focused co-workers know what they were missing.

  Priya instinctively stepped closer to M-E, positioning herself just slightly ahead, as though shielding her from the weight of all those gazes. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder to see M-E walking with her head lowered, hands fidgeting with the hem of her blazer. It hurt to see her so unsure, especially after that moment of quiet joy in the bathroom.

  Priya’s gaze sharpened. She met the curious, and sometimes intrusive, eyes of their coworkers with an unapologetic stare of her own. It worked on most of them. People were quick to turn their attention back to their screens, or at least pretend they had not been gawking.

  The closer they got to their cubicles, the quieter it seemed. M-E’s heels clicked softly against the floor, each step tentative, as if she was afraid of being heard. Priya kept pace with her, deliberately slowing down her usual brisk walk.

  “You’re doing great,” she whispered under her breath. “Just a few more steps.”

  M-E nodded slightly, her eyes darting from side to side, clearly aware of the eyes still on her.

  As they neared their cubicles, Priya flashed a quick glare at Jamal, who had clearly been craning his neck to see the two of them coming down the hall. He immediately straightened and, although he had a suspiciously guilty expression, he smiled and welcomed them back.

  “Welcome back. Looking good, M-E.”

  When they reached M-E’s desk, Priya finally allowed herself to relax a bit. M-E gave her a small, grateful smile as she lowered herself into her chair, though the act itself was clumsy—her movements still awkward in the unfamiliar attire.

  Priya leaned in, lowering her voice so only M-E could hear. “Here’s a tip—when you’re sitting in a skirt, keep your knees together and to one side. It’ll feel more comfortable that way.”

  M-E blinked, then adjusted her posture, smoothing her skirt out as she followed Priya’s advice. A small look of surprise crossed her face as the movement became more natural.

  Priya grinned, watching her settle in. “See? You’ve got this.”

  M-E gave a quiet laugh, more relaxed than she had been a few minutes ago. “Thanks, Pri. I think I’m going to need a lot more of those tips.”

  “I’ve got you,” Priya replied with a wink. “Anything, anytime.”

  really matter.

  pushing M-E when she needs it, teasing her just enough to help her relax, but also standing guard when things get too overwhelming.

  this is me sink in. Also, yes, Priya’s got a point—VR is kinda unfair with how effortlessly pretty avatars can be!

  real—even in a virtual space. Let me know if anything felt off, or if you think I should tweak anything before I lock it in!