9

Tel walked along D Quadruple-A 16 (D.A.A. 16: Designated Activities Area Avenue 16) with pounding heart and empty mind. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he hurried along the street, not wanting to be seen by anyone who might recognize him. What he wanted to do was legal but it wasn't exactly everyone's thing.

He entered Reject Parade, a thin doorway deep at the foot of a set of stairs running in from the street. The doorway had red and green lights shining about its edges. Tel went inside and saw the cages, about thirty of them, around a third occupied. There was one other guy perusing the merchandise. He shot Tel a cool look with nervous blue eyes then turned his attention to the Cleopatra in front of him, sat staring at the wall, eyes half-alive, probably fucked up on Entropy.

Tel looked through the glass paneled cage at a Maryelle, clearly in her late forties, blue eyes staring straight out at Tel. Her face was expressionless. The eyes betrayed nothing human. She was still pretty - her face was only slightly cracked with wrinkles. Tel smiled at her. She suddenly smiled back, super-sweetly, then her face contorted into a scowl of pure hatred. She looked to be chewing the inside of her lip as she glared with soulless evil at Tel. Tel was going to enjoying this.