Page 40 of Nearly Roadkill: Queer Love on the Run
TOOBE ENTRY
Winc uses “splatter” to describe playing two or three or more different identities all at the same time. Like when you’re in a bunch of Private Messages at once, in a bunch of different personas.
But right now splatter means all my worlds in collision. My dad’s mad at the advertising and the invasion of privacy. Orlio’s all excited about The Rally (still going on), and Gwynyth is making “incantations” over her altar. Who’m I supposed to be with all that going on at the same time?
Plus so much mail to me and S Scratch and Winc are chatting somewhere, Jabba has gone silent, Gwynyth’s hyper, bustling all over, muttering a lot.
“Sense of purpose.”
“Guides be with me.”
“Uranus well-timed.”
Stuff like that. More later.
END TOOBE ENTRY
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
The strike reminds me of ancient gatherings, where all responded to some unseen signal and met in the woods by the moon. Venus is so lovely this time of year.
The strike is to begin in under twenty hours. What will I do for a 24-hour absence of electronic activity?
Resolution to myself: clean house.
The tribes are gathering. Haven’t had this much fun since we all got naked in Central Park and passed out flowers to the cops! Speaking of cops, where are they?
END GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
SCRATCH JOURNAL ENTRY
To: Winc
From: Scratch
Subj: Update
The Coalition is excited about the Strike. They’re gonna put together a statement. What coalitions do best!
Have you seen the Gender Board? Abuzz. ::tearing up:: It’s happening:
Post: Gender Board
I read that 90% of intersexed infants are surgically altered at birth. I was furious but one thing relieved me: at least we’ve found each other instead of wondering if we’re alone.
“Intersexed” means hermaphrodites in this context. I didn’t even think of that possibility!
—S.
The dragnet was closing in. But guess what America’s most wanted were doing. Hee hee.
*** You are in room “The Shore” ***
Winc: ::sitting on the beach, watching the waves, turning to you and smiling::
Scratch: Hi.
Winc: ?
Scratch: It’s happening.
Winc: ::carefully:: It? ::folding arms around knees, watching the water::
Scratch: ::waving at news bulletins:: The rally. The buzz. The happening.
Winc: ::nodding:: Momentum’s building!
Scratch: I wanna hide. Have I mentioned I don’t do crowds well?
Private Message to Scratch
Toobe: Thousands and thousands of people at The Rally, you guys (I’m double PMing you).
Private Message to Winc
Toobe: Thousands and thousands of people at The Rally, you guys (I’m double PMing you).
Scratch: I have a question. Hope it won’t offend. Can’t censor anything right now.
Winc: It’s fine. What?
Private Message to Winc
Toobe: They’re all talking about you!
Private Message to Scratch
Toobe: They’re all talking about you!
Scratch: Acccccckkkkkkk!
Winc: Don’t worry, hon.
Private Message to Toobe
Winc: Great news, honey! But a little overwhelming just now. Can you hold off a bit?
Toobe: Sure thing! I’m sorry.
Winc: No, I really want to know, but Scratch is a little publicity-shy.
Toobe: ::smacking forehead:: I forgot about that.
Winc: ::continuing to stroke your hair, listening::
Scratch: How can you be so womanly, when you lived so long as man?
Winc: ::blinking::
Scratch: Offended? ::please hoping not::
Winc: ::smiling:: Offended? No, flattered. Let’s see… I think it has to do with my phone sex, believe it or not, and… ::shyly:: Zen. Gwynyth rekindled my practice.
Scratch: ::snuggling in:: Zen?
Winc: When they do a gender change, a lot of people layer a new gender over the one they had. Like putting on a mask, or a costume. You’re not really changing. I think the deal in a gender change is to destroy yourself utterly… to get to a point of zero, nothing… and then you can create from there.
Scratch: Like art.
Winc: Right. There’s an art to um… doing, or performing gender.
Excerpt: Online Rally
Luger7: No special rights for homosexuals.
Vina: This isn’t about homosexuals!
Scratch: I *guess* I’m happy we’re getting rally reports but jeezuz can’t they stop for a minute?
Winc: I think Gwynyth set them to share with us so we’d be inspired.
Scratch: Oh. Not that last one though. ::stroking beard:: Were you creating from zero before or after surgery?
Winc: Definitely after. Before, I was just like everyone else, racing for what we all thought was the finish line.
Scratch: Thinking your journey would end as you came out of anesthesia…
Winc: Yes, exactly.
Scratch: So did you say, fine, I’m a girl, now what? And then, uh oh, what’s a girl?
Winc: Sort of… It was less than a year after my surgery that I talked with some women and they asked me how could I be a woman like them? Other women said outright that I am simply and only a castrated male.
Scratch: No way! ::flatly:: I don’t believe your womanliness is created…
It *is* you.
Winc: You are the sweetest thing ever. But riddle me this, Batman: what’s womanliness?
Scratch: Touché.
Winc: ::grinning::
Excerpt: Online Rally
MikeM666: Newbies die!
RainBeau: Hackers suck!
Success: Oh, for chrissakes
Scratch: ::Putting my head on your lap:: Overwhelmed at the juggernaut.
Winc: ::stroking your hair:: People were ready to do *something*. If we hadn’t started a strike, someone else would have. But y’know what’s cool?
Scratch: No. What’s cool?
Winc: Whether they know it or not, this people’s strike started with you loving me, and me loving you.
Scratch: All I could think of was you, your cyber-lap.
Winc: ::shaking my head:: You always make me smile, always know how.
Scratch: I feel messed up: I can fuck you, I can put you on your knees, but lie in your lap? Biggest risk of all.
Winc: Then thank you for trusting me like this. So much.
Scratch: ::sigh:: Is this where we cue the music?
Winc: Yep, and the sun sets slowly in the West.
Excerpt: Online Rally
StLouis7: No NRA freaks!
StLouis7: Militia monsters!
Shooter: Fuck you!
Scratch: Quite exhausted kitten now. But feel more calm.
Winc: Glad to hear it. ::happy sigh:: We’d better get going, then, huh?
Scratch: ::nodding:: Thanks for putting me back together.
Winc: I just sat here… you did the hard part. You go first.
Scratch: Why do *I* leave? ::grumbling::
Winc: Because you leave first, and I stay here waiting and that’s how it works.
Scratch: ::sighing, burying my head in you::
Winc: ::holding you tight::
Scratch: O… K. Good night.
END SCRATCH JOURNAL ENTRY
NARRATIVE ENTRY, JABBATHEHUT
(Note: My brilliant friend has created a safe chat room for Scratch and Winc to meet the erstwhile Lieutenant Budge. But all he knows is that it was created by a mysterious “SysOp,” a term meaning “system operator” of any given Internet service.)
Wally Budge is putting one and three together. Find the evil SysOp, find Toobe. Find Toobe, nab Scratch and Winc. Find SysOp guy, pay dirt. Ten hours until the strike.
END JABBA NARRATIVE ENTRY
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
Evil, am I? Guy, am I?
END GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
NARRATIVE ENTRY, JABBATHEHUT
The following “communication” has appeared on every screen of every single online user.
A Public Safety Announcement
from
the U.S. Federal Bureau of Census and Statistics
in cooperation with your local service provider and Allied Consumer Industries
Subject: Net Strike Rumors
Reports verify that the source of the alleged “Scratch and Winc Strike Document” is in reality a teenaged drug dealer
“… trying to have some fun.”
The United States government strongly urges all citizens to IGNORE talk of a Net Strike. It is a bad practical joke.
Please LEAVE the RALLY Website NOW
and enjoy your time on the Net.
We are working to ensure this sort of mischief does not reoccur.
REPEAT: Talk of a “Strike” is all a practical joke.
One by one, hundreds of people have begun leaving The Rally.
At the same time, Budge’s virus, the infamous Typhoid Mary, zeros in on Scratch, Winc, and Toobe. Budge and Shelly are watching the virus and celebrating.
Around this time, the SysOp cryptically writes: “Time to enable the StickyBomb.”
“Uh-oh, handsome, we may have started celebrating too soon.”
“How’s that?” Budge looks up warily.
“That SysOp thingy is also taking out your hackers!”
“What? You mean, like zapping them off the Internet?!”
“Looks like it.”
“Okay okay, not worth it, we don’t need a war with this SysOp.”
He thinks for a minute.
“Can we tweak the Mary thing to just disable Scratch, Winc, and Toobe’s computers, and not fry them?”
“Sure thing, Walls,” Shelly says, and her red fingernails fly over the keyboard. “There.” She sits back, satisfied.
“Thanks, Shel.”
“No problem, Walls,” comes the reply.
END JABBA NARRATIVE ENTRY
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
I’m having a little fun with the brave lieutenant. Poor dear. As soon as the DISABLED button is selected, a message from that sly ol’ SysOp pops up:
To: Ms. Budge
From: SysOp (oooh, what an archaic word!)
Subj: Peek-a-boo, I see you!
Ten little hackers,
Working on a fix.
Four met a kitty-kat.
Now there are six.
Very kind of you to choose Disable over Destroy. But do mind your step, dearie. Remember, I see you when you’re sleeping, I know when you’re awake, etc. etc.
—SysOp—
The wolves are at bay for the moment.
Perhaps it was foolish, but I couldn’t resist flicking the nose of the chief wolf himself. Now he’s answered, and we are actually having a lively little interchange.
To: SysOp
From: Ms. Budge
Subj: Re: Peek-a-boo, I see you!
Dear Sir or Madam,