The next day the boys of the Science and Technology class were sitting at the cafeteria for their noon-break. Robert had found a two-person table with Henry and was filling him in with the latest news about their lost friend, but the more he talked, the more Henry stared at him and became uncomfortable.

‘He has what?’ He finally asked, looking at Robert in horror.

‘A Wifebot. I’ve seen it. Vintage old thing, but still quite realistic, I have to say that.’

Henry shook his head.

‘So you tell me you’ve visited a deleted person in a Zeroville apartment to see his robowife? Man, that’s crazy. And where did you even get his address.’

‘I just visited our classmate and friend, who has endured horrible things unfairly. I thought you’d be happy to hear from him. As for the address, it was hard to find but in the end I got it from Eliza.’

The shock on Henry’s face became more apparent when he heard that name.

‘You talk to girls now, single Wife School students even? That’s really inappropriate and wrong!’

Robert shook his head. ‘She’s not a Wife School student anymore, they’ve been kicked out of school too after the incident, I think she’s technically a non-Wife now.’

‘That’s even worse. Loose and untrained women are dangerous. You shouldn’t talk to them at all. It’s really not right.’

‘Come on, girls are people too, once you get to know her she’s not that bad.’

‘You’re talking about Eliza the man-hater herself here! Do you even know what her reputation is? It’s been going around among the boys since the incident. She’s dangerous and mad! And you went to her of all people? It’s because of her that he got deleted, she was his downfall. I wouldn’t associate with a dangerous woman like her. Stay away from that harpy! Plus it’s unmanly too, being around girls too much.’

‘You’re sounding like Don now. And you’re exaggerating. She’s less cowardly herself than most boys would be, and more loyal to him as a friend to him. Did you know she visited him in a Zeroville apartment? Because of their friendship. You know I’m starting to think boys could really learn from girl friendships.’

Henry suddenly stood up. ‘I really don’t want to be part of a conversation anymore. Don’t let me be involved in this. Do these things in your own time if you really insist on this madness. But I never want to hear his name again, or that of Eliza. He was deleted for a reason, and I don’t want to be associated with him, it’s too dangerous, and it’s not healthy. And if you were smart you’d stay away from them too. It’s dangerous! I’ve said that before.’

He walked away and Robert stared at the space where his friend had been. It was as if he had never seen who he was before now.

‘If you insist then,’ was all he could say to the empty chair before him.

He had hoped that more news about Michael would have made Henry care for his old friend again, but that seemed beyond impossible now. Even Eliza, condescending and distant as she usually was to him, was more reasonable than boys who were stuck in the Real Man doctrines.

*

‘Michael, we’re going to need your wife,’ Eliza said casually.

She had turned up again at his apartment unannouncedly around noon and was now drinking a three herbs from his hyperisolation fridge. He looked at her, puzzled and a bit overwhelmed by her attitude.

‘Dorothy? What do you need that thing for? Need a maid to clean your apartment?’

Her expression changed from mischief to serious business.

‘You remember Shirley? The blond Wife School girl that chaperoned you and Megan once?’

He nodded.

‘She’s still in Seventh City Wife Factory and has been taken by a guy that has definitely no good intentions with her. Worse than we’re used to even for us E-girls. We have to get her out, but if she just disappears they go looking for her too fast, so we thought of replacing her with Dorothy just before their first date out of the SCWF, and then use her for what she was meant to do: give him a shock with every unwanted and inappropriate touch and stuff like that. She was originally a pre-Nation re-education bot for men who are bad with women after all…’

‘Wait, what?’ Michael looked at her sly smile. ‘Are your serious, Eliza?’

He listened in astonishment as she explained the whole situation and the details of her plan. When she was done he just sat down and looked at her.

‘Wow; You really think you can pull that off?’ ‘The make-over will be simple. I know the right people, with the right material, I’ve just arranged everything with Lady Martha. It’ll be the Ghost Town for her as a Wife School runaway too.’

‘So she’ll have to become an outlaw?’

‘It’s the only way if you exit Wife School like that. How do you think a Ghost Town gets populated anyway? It’s not like they have many babies and children in a world with no men…’

‘I hadn’t thought of it like that.’

‘But seriously, do you consent to me borrowing your wife? I’ll fix you a replacement bot and everything. And afterwards you’ll get her back, we’ll return her with the original appearance, I’ll reprogram her however you want, and re-upload her data about observing you.’

She read through his Wifebot documents.

‘Such a sloppy administration here in The Nation. Those idiots didn’t even specify what type she is, only ‘vintage wifebot’, so in the unlikely case anyone comes to inspect you any old Wifebot being present will do if I copy some files from Dorothy here into the replacement bot.’

‘You’re very thorough, Eliza, I must give you that.’ He said, still slightly overwhelmed.

‘For my friends I do everything. Plus this is an incredible project, not? Straight out of a spy adventure novel.’

‘I’ve never seen a book with a story like that, but I see what you mean…’ She gave him the papers back.

‘Oh, and by the way. We’re going to the Ghost Town bar with the girls tonight. You’re invited too. Megan asked specifically if you could come to talk some things through again, and it would be good t make more plans about Shirley’s escape. Lady Martha said it was no problem for you to join us. It’s a pity that I don’t have to blindfold you anymore to get you in, you were so cute without your sense of direction…’

‘The Ghost Town bar? Me?’

He suddenly was nervous again.

‘Yes, with the girls, they’d all be happy if you showed up. I know you don’t have the late shift today, only the afternoon. And seeing new places will do you good.’

‘I’m a boy, Eliza. I can’t just walk into the Ghost Town by myself, can I?’

‘Oh, you’re expected to do so even. Jenny knows that you’re coming already, she’ll take care of everything. Just wear your Free Person badge. And you’ll have something no man ever had, to find the way.’

She gave him a paper with a map of the whole Ghost Town. He could see that the actual entrance and the bar were encircled.

‘Eh, do you really think it’s okay that I…?’

‘Lady Martha gave me that map for you. Just make sure that other men don’t see it. Come on, big revolutionary leader, this’ll be good for you, I promise.’

He took the paper and was still staring at it while Eliza took her coat.

‘Okay, then I’ll let you know tonight when we’ll come to get the robot. I have to go on my way, more work to do, but thanks for the iced tea. And we’ll have something stronger tonight.’ She gave him a short hug and was gone again before he could protest. He hadn’t even had the time to say her that she should be more careful in this building full of creepy men. He really didn’t feel like she was very safe here.

He looked at the map, and realised what he had said yes to. Going to Seventh City Ghost Town alone, to meet the girls there… Taking the secret entrance all by himself. He hadn’t been blindfolded when leaving the place last time, but it had been dark, and the alley that led to it was easy to overlook. He sighed. Was he ready for this?

*

‘Everything went well today?’ Megan asked when she came home around six to find out Eliza had already prepared a simple meal of rice with vegetables.

‘Yes, I’ve seen lady Martha, and Annabelle of the robot workshop, and the husband of our fake Shirley too. He wasn’t in the bar, he only has a short afternoon shift today, so I’ve visited his apartment. I haven’t cracked the code of his depression yet but he seems to be a bit better now, so I asked him to join us in the bar tonight.’

‘You asked him to join the Ghost Town bar? To cure his depression? And you think the outlaws will like that.’

‘Lady Martha suggested it herself. I only hope he won’t run into elder Mildred or so. That might make it even worse.’

‘Let’s hope not. It’s bad enough already.’ Megan said darkly. She still wasn’t really happy with him as he was now. ‘And now for some food before we go out tonight?’

She gave a plate with food to her friend.

Megan looked at the vegetables, which looked very fresh.

‘You did that all by yourself, in between the other things, and then you still found the time to cook? Didn’t you have a meeting with black market leaders about the Pen Pal system?’

‘Oh, yes, and I’ve brought veggies from the Ghost Town farm.’

‘Wow, no wonder you don’t have a job yet. You have a fulltime job already.’

‘I’ll need some money for the rent though. Changing the world and rescue missions are fine and all, but they don’t pay the bills…’

‘Why don’t you move to the Ghost Town? You’re doing a lot of work there, and they’d love to have you there I’m sure.’

‘That would mean losing my identity completely if I leave my address behind. I know that the system sucks, but I’d actually like to officially exist, that’s handy for a lot of things actually… Plus I don’t want to leave you alone. I’d be a horrible friend.’

‘You’re sweet. By the way, what time did we meet the girls?’ ‘Eight I think. Hmm, I can’t remember. And I probably didn’t even say a time to Loverboy. Let’s hope he shows up nonetheless.’

*

A few hours later Michael looked at the green square in the middle of Seventh City Ghost Town. It had only been a 40 minutes walk from home and now he stood here in another world, as a man in the middle of this secret world for women. No-one had stopped him at all, but he still felt a bit uneasy. The guard had let him in without a problem when he had answered the pledge and showed his badge, as if letting him in was the normal procedure now. He’d met several women, but none of them had reacted to his presence with more than an interested look, and certainly there had been no hostility. He had easily found the square, but it seemed that he was early. The bar was rather empty and he saw his friends nowhere. He didn’t want to mix with the outlaws, so he went back to the square.

A woman came out of a small small building in which he saw a desk to greet him. He recognised her as the same person who had greeted him as some sort of guard, but now she seemed to be busy with more administrative activities.

‘Hey,’ He said shyly.

‘Hi Michael, welcome again.’ she said, but she didn’t repeat her name as he had hoped.

He was sure that he’d heard it several times from herself and Eliza, but he couldn’t remember it.

‘I was going to the bar with my friends, but I’m too early it seems. Eliza didn’t say any time. And now I’m looking around. What’s this place?’ He pointed at a building next to her small office that looked weirdly traditional with glass-in-lead windows, and a gigantic green candle was burning at each side of the entrance.

‘It's just the chapel.’ She said.

‘You have a church here? Isn’t the church extremely sexist and stuff like that?’

She laughed. ‘Silly man. Not The Church. That’s a male thing for idiots who think God is a man, and who worship that Manfred dude and probably their own manhood too. No, this is just a chapel. People come here to pray and meditate, and it is dedicated to the Angel of the Earth. Didn’t you know that Lady Ruth Marthas is a priestess? And a priestess needs a building sometimes, even though most rituals and meetings are held outside. There’s no better place to be with the Creator or the Angel of the Earth than in the middle of nature, but the second best place is a building of prayer. They say it creates a thin place where there’s a channel to the Divine or something like that. Lady Ruth can explain it better. But it’s a good place to calm down and rest in the Presence.’

‘Can I visit it too?’

‘Oh, why not.’ She said absentmindedly.

He didn’t know what else to say, so he nodded to thank her for the explanation and walked into the building.

The place was quiet and very calming indeed. There were old chairs like in a church, and leaded windows with motifs of plants, doves, and female angel figures. There were no statues, except for a very ancient religious mother-with-child and a very contemporary one of what couldn’t be anything else than the Angel of the Earth herself, in a green cloak, with eyes full of compassion. And next to her another green candle was lit.

He looked at the altar, which had nothing but a vase full of flowers and some candles, and sat himself down. He let his thoughts calm down, looking at the flowers in the vase, breathing in the quietness. For a while he looked at the angel statue, and then at the flame of the candle next to it, and then he closed his eyes. He felt at peace just sitting there, and he didn’t even notice any time pass while his body seemed to relax more than it had done in quite a while. This place was indeed nothing like a Church at all.

‘Hey altar boy, wanna have a drink with some worldly ladies?’

He came back to the world with Megan standing behind him in the chapel door.

‘I was just, eh, meditating I think?’

‘You? In the chapel of the Angel? And she didn’t, eh zap you or something?’

‘Who Didn’t do what?’

‘The Angel of the Earth. There’s a legend that says that any man who would enter one of her chapels would be instantly turned into ashes the moment he enters the door. No-one told you that?’

‘Eh, no. The desk lady said it was the chapel of the Angel of the Earth, where Lady Ruth is the priestess, that’s all.’

‘She didn’t tell you what they told me the first time I visited then. They also said that there’s another version that says that if you enter with an impure heart she will punish you, but I assume they’d traditionally say men are always supposed to be impure. Except for you it seems. Or maybe it’s just a legend after all…’

‘Probably. It seems like their green friend isn’t angry with me. This place just makes me calm, and that angel, whatever she is, looks friendly to me.’

Megan looked at him, and seemed amused with something.

‘You really have no idea, do you?’

‘What?’

‘Oh, Michael, you’re still too pure for this world. And I’m glad you look so much better now.’ She said, and gave him a hug. ‘But come, the others are waiting.’

They walked to the bar, where he was welcomed by not just Eliza, but by Angela and Samantha, and several of their Women are Human activist friends. And whether it had something to do with the blessing of the Angel or was just that he was getting better slowly, for the first time in a long time he felt alive again. Apart from making plans about the crazy escape of Shirley he also felt free again, as if everything that had happened somehow mattered less, and the here and now of his friendships, even with Megan, mattered more.

*

Rafael hadn’t been to church for a while, but he hadn’t even realised that until he saw Paul on Square Plaza that evening, whom everyone knew to be a very faithful church-goer and solid believer. He also knew Paul had been going to church with Michael ever since they were kids, so maybe Paul was someone who could help him.

‘Hi, Paul, long time no see.’ Paul looked as if someone had broken into his private universe.

‘Ah, Rafael. Haven’t seen you in church in a while.’

‘I’m not very churchy, you know. But I know that he always met you here so maybe you can help me find him.’

Paul’s body language became even more closed.

‘Which him are you talking about? Help you with what?’

‘Michael, who else. Don’t you miss him? You used to meet him here almost weekly.’

Paul looked at him, alarmed. ‘They said he was deleted,’ he said.

‘Yes, I know. Erased from the school files as if he never existed, kicked out of school and shunned by his family. I’d heard about such things, but I never knew I’d see it happen.’

Paul’s expression in his face hardened.

‘He’s a sinner, he deserved it. And he’s still doing indecent things.’

Rafael looked at him with astonishment.

‘Hanging around with girls you mean? I’ve heard that his Wife School friends are still in touch with him even if his male friends have dropped him.’

‘Yes, instead of keeping to his male friends. It’s not natural. And do you know what kind of heresies he was talking to me the last time we met? He just stopped going to church after that, because his ideas were weird and wrong. And now he’s mingling with the girls even more. It can only end badly. And he deserves that.’

‘What is he supposed to do? Everyone has shunned him. The girls were the only ones that didn’t abandon him, Robert said that. They seem to be better friends to him than the boys and his family.’

‘Robert should know better than to run after deleted heretics.’ Paul said with a weird twitch in his brow.

‘Dude, what are you even saying? Robert is an atheist, most brainies are; what would he care about Michael’s ideas about whatever The Church teaches? It means nothing to him.’

‘Atheists are closer to The Truth than heretics and unmanly men if they follow the basic doctrines of Manfred.’ Paul said, lifting his voice.

‘John Manfred? You’re angry at Michael for not following Manfred enough? And you don’t miss him at all?’

‘Me? Miss Michael? Why would I? Bad company is bad for your soul. Be smart and forget about him.’

Rafael heard hurt in the tone of his former friend, but he gave up on the conversation. Paul’s mentality had deeply shocked him, just as the things he’d heard from Michael’s mother had shocked him.