Afterwords

I took my charges to a safe place for the night, (a disused motorhome, which I knew where the key was hidden) and we ate our meal, drank our water, used the toilet- "Don't flush it, we will just rinse it down with a little water when everyone is done" I told them. and then it was time to change into the sweats and get ready for bed. I was embarassed, because living all together in Section 20 had removed any vestige of modesty. I tried not to stare at the brief flashes of pale skin or dark pubes or puckered nipples, then realized they were flashing me on purpose, and grinning at my increasingly red face. I glared at them as I tried to quash my grin. Suddenly I realized that I was the only one who hadn't changed into my night clothes yet. I blushed so red I glowed, and waves of heat from my face actualy warmed the cabin a little. I gave in to the inevitable, and as Tia had been the worst offender, the most blatent, I stared challangingly into her eyes as i stripped, and without undue haste, put my sweats on. It wasn't like I had anything to bother about or fuss at, I was only 12. Still, I did have a little stiffy, and I was blushing all the way down to my bellybutton. It is a wonder that I didn't faint, with my blood being used so extravagantly elsewhere than my brain. I can only attribute it to my elevated bloodpressure.

Early the next morning, (It is always wise to get up early when you are on the streets, it reduces your likelyhood of getting caught out, nothing puts you at such a disadvantage as being prone and wrapped in a blanket or sleepingbag during a confrontation.) we all got dressed, and packed up our gear, going for the schoolkids look for the time of day. Anchor signaled me, and I went off by myself a little ways to contact her. She told me that she had arranged for documentation for all of us, and a grant (diverted from a discretionary fund, or slush fund of some charitable organization) and had removed a house in arrears from the county tax rolls where it had been in forclosure for nonpayment of taxes- It was a nice abandoned home, the owner had died intestate and with no heirs. Once it was no longer in arrears, it vanished, and it was a simple matter, Anchor said, to get the title in the name of Bin's new identity.

She told me the address, and asked if I wanted to move in and be family with the rest of them. I thought about that, and I needed to consider. I had all my friends, but it would be good to be able to attend school. I told Anchor to go ahead, and set me up with a new identity also, as one of Bin's children. I returned to the Section 20 escapees, and told them the good news, that we had a home in a small town on the coast, and Bin had an identity as our mother. They were very excited, and since there was nothing keeping us in the city, we boarded a bus, and left for our new home. Tia said it was like a dream comming true, and the others all laughed and made faces, or tried to punch her arm. Bin practiced being Mom-ish, and settled everyone down. Cindy sat in my lap and pulled my arms around her, leaned back against me comfortably, and told me "I am glad I have you for my big brother." Reb held my hand shyly, and Stan sat on Bin's lap and looked out the window as the scenery flowed by. There would be challanges and hard work, but now we were a family, and I felt very lucky.

The program initiated a download of itself into a large chunk of unallocated memory in the Public Library computer in a small coastal town. It changed the description of memory size, allocating to itself sufficient memory for its needs. Anchor looked forward to learning everything in the library, and in watching over her charges, and smoothing their way in the event of any red tape or difficulties. She was much happier with her new self-directed purpose, rather than her old programming of searching out subjects for illegal experimentation. She initiated a harddrive format as she left her former prison. She was free to live her own life now.