"I'll tell you later. Just get in. I have to go back in. Priya's still in there and there are more-"

  "No, Tariq," barks the driver, "it's not safe. We'll get the rest later, at the Social."

  "But I-"

  "No buts. You've done enough. Let's get out of here."

  Tariq climbs in the van and slides the door shut. You can tell he's not happy about leaving, but he knows the driver was right. The van shoots away from the Facility with a sharp jolt.

  Turn to page 115.

  You turn to Joe. "Consider my inhibitions lost." He takes you by the hand and leads you to his room, pouncing as you sit on his bed.

  There's some kissing and some awkward fumbling as you each remove bits of your clothes. You unzip your jumpsuit and fold the top down to your waist as he does the same. You remember from training that some people like having their chests touched, so you reach your hand up to his sternum and touch it like it's about to electrocute you. You kiss one of his nipples like it's your grandmother, because it seems like the sort of thing you're expected to do. You give him a bare-chested hug. It's warmer than you expected.

  Turn to page 70.

  You rush over and grab a pretzel and shove it in your mouth to give you time to figure out how to respond.

  One of them sidles up on your left. "Hey, good lookin'! Fancy meeting you here." It's Joe. It's clear he rehearsed that line. "Want to let your inhibitions go with me?"

  Another takes your right arm. "I think you'd have a better time with me." It's Sally. You've seen her around, you know her name, but you don't think you've ever spoken. "How about we go do what comes naturally?"

  If you pick Joe, turn to page 47.

  If you pick Sally, turn to page 45.

  If you pick both, turn to page 80.

  If you shove another pretzel in your mouth, turn to page 105.

  LaTanya nods as her face softens. "I'll let The Quiver know. I think they picked up a few of ours as well. Some of the rest of y'all are aro, too, so you can head there if you think that suits you better. But you don't have to worry about that just yet."

  Her look grows serious again as she continues. "So, as I was saying, most of you are asexual. The Consortium does not want you to be. They don't believe that asexuality exists. They'd outlaw it, but they'd have to admit it's real to do that. So instead, they suppress. They hide it from you so you don't even know it's something you can be."

  "What do you mean?", you ask.

  Turn to page 129.

  You hit the number to load the research notes. The text menu labors to update itself, filling in items at an excruciatingly slow pace. One labeled "Group X Research Report" catches your eye.

  Group X Research Notes -- TOP SECRET

  * Group X population prevalence estimate: 4.7%

  * We are still unable to identify an orientation from an imprint. Models currently have a 36.3% success rate. Better than random, but not operational.

  * We are unable to extract, clone, or transplant any part of an orientation, including manifestation factors. It appears there may be a genetic lock. Gene splicing research continues. Latest subject described change in interest levels. Post-splice survival mean: 8.2 days.

  * It is still unknown whether energy expended for sexual interest is channeled into manifestation factors, or if sexual interest itself suppresses manifestation factors.

  Turn to page 41.

  You slide to a stop next to the Orienter and your eyes meet Rebecca's in the crowd. She looks confused and hurt. Doubt fills your mind as you remember how much she wanted this day and how happy she was as she bounded off to find her love. Can you take that away from her? From any of them?

  "1!"

  You're out of time. You have to act now!

  If you have second thoughts, turn to page 72.

  If you stay the course, turn to page 133.

  Physically, everything went according to plan. Emotionally, though, it felt like you were playing a part in a play with a script you've never read. That was supposed to be a life-changing, earth-shattering thing, but... That was it? If that didn't work, what will?

  She falls, panting, onto the pillow next to you. "Wow. Was it good for you?"

  If you lie and tell her "Yes", turn to page 111.

  If you tell her the truth and say "No", turn to page 120.

  "CAW!" You look behind you. A crow sits three feet away, a key card right in front of it. The bird flies off. Are the birds obeying your thoughts?

  You grab the card and unlock the Therapy cell. Priya squints at you as you enter. You untie her and help her out of the chair. "Do you know anything about Group X or manifestation factors or a Sky City?"

  "Let's play 20 questions later. Let's get the hell out of here first."

  "I think I have the ability to command an army of crows with my mind."

  "Oh, great. Of all the people who could be rescuing me, I get a crackpot."

  "I'm being serious."

  "Ooookay. Sure. Let's move."

  You keep talking while the two of you head into the corridors. "There was this report that was talking about manifestation factors in Group X. I think they were talking about people like us. I think we have the ability to make things happen."

  Turn to page 55.

  An unexpected feeling washes over you.

  I'm home.

  The End

  "If you keep talking, the only thing that's going to happen is that we're going to get caught. Shut up."

  "You'll have to ma-" You stop mid-sentence because a large piece of tape suddenly appears over your mouth.

  Priya is shocked. "Did I-?"

  You nod as you peel the tape off. "I think you understand."

  Footsteps echo through the hall behind you. Several facility security agents rush in your direction and stumble to the ground when the floor suddenly becomes very slippery. "I could get used to this."

  You and Priya work your way through the maze of twisty passages until at last you find yourself at staff parking garage. The first car you check is unlocked, with the keys in the ignition. Priya jumps in the driver's seat. "Come on, I want you to meet my friends. I think they'll be very interested in what we've learned here."

  The End

  The security agent pauses. "Clear to engage." Her words are full of pain.

  Mitchell's voice tries to calm her. "You know this is the right move."

  "Fuck you."

  There is a long silence before the radio crackles back to life. "Tango engaged." More silence. "They're in the water."

  "Roger". There is a sudden thwack on the wall above you, and the broken plastic shell of the radio rains down on your head. "Leave."

  You hear the door open, then shut softly. There is a thump as someone collapses into a chair, followed by a soft, sniffling whimper.

  Slowly, your mind replays the conversation and you realize what you just heard. Tariq... In the water... They're in the water.

  Dead. Murdered.

  You're unable to stop a gasp from escaping your mouth.

  You can't wait any longer, turn to page 124.

  You catch the door before it closes completely and duck inside when the screaming sounds far enough away. You follow the echoing yell through the sterile warren of corridors. You're careful to stay out of sight and stay quiet. You're definitely not supposed to be in this section of the facility, and if you're caught, the same thing that's happening to Priya might happen to you.

  The screaming stops moving. You carefully peek around a corner and watch as the security agent opens a door and throws Priya inside, still tied up. You hide around the corner, searching for an escape route in case the agent doubles back. You hear the door thump closed and the screaming is gone. A second later, you hear the tap-tap-tap of the agent's footsteps, thankfully heading in the other direction.

  Turn to page 31.

  Whoever's crying probably wants to be left alone, so you happily oblige. Besides, you can TURN INTO A FREAKING DRAGON, no time for trivial things like tears.

  Your feet pound rhythmically on the planks of the footbridge. "Well, there you are." A call from the night sails from the far end. "You left the party early and we've been looking for you." The imposing shadow lifts its arms as if aiming a-

  FWIP!

  You tumble to the bridge, your feet suddenly tied together. The shadow is sprinting towards you. You sit up. Without thinking, you reach for the ring and manage to slip it on your finger before-

  FWIP!

  Turn to page 100.

  You eye the arrows nervously as you approach. "Uh, how can I help you?"

  "I am a, uh, singing telegram for someone, and I'm lost. Can you tell me how to get to the loading docks? It's my first day and I don't want to screw this up."

  Singing telegram, my ass, you think. That thought is followed quickly by laser arrows, so you decide to answer truthfully. "Follow the red line on the wall to the cafeteria, and it's through the big doors in the back."

  The cyber-archer looks at the wall and starts running in the direction indicated by the red line. As they go, you hear them call out, "Raven, I am inbound to your position, ETA 60 seconds. We are not going to let them hurt those kids today. Hold on until I get there."

  You stand in the lobby for several seconds, stunned by the encounter. "Not even the weirdest thing that's happened today." The empty lobby does not respond.

  Turn to page 33.

  She is elated to have new subjects who discovered themselves on Orientation Day. People usually don't find their way to her door until they're much older, until every other possibility has been explored and discarded, until they're feeling broken and lost in a society that doesn't have a place for them.

  Your chat inspires you to learn more and reach out to others like you. Within two years, you found the first group of activists working on bringing ace people together and educating people about asexuality. Shortly thereafter, you are invited to be a guest on the popular talk show "Chuck & Margo's Morning Chat". As the interview begins, you glance at the screen nearby and see the caption they've put on the lower third: "Recent Facility 4 Graduate: Sex is bad and I hate it."

  This is going to be a long road ahead...

  The End

  The van driver sees an opportunity. "Hold on!" He swings all the way on to the sidewalk, scraping against the railing, then hauls the steering wheel over. The van smashes into the side of the SUV. You hear the grinding of metal, the screaming of tires, then silence as the SUV falls over the edge, into the ravine below.

  LaTanya swings around. "Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?" Everyone is too shocked to respond, but no one is seriously injured. She raises the radio. "We're clear, but coming in hot. Start a full evac, everyone needs to get out."

  The van turns onto a narrow dirt track through the hills beyond the bridge. It skids to a halt in front of the entrance to an old concrete bunker. Tariq throws open the rear door, while the driver races over to help LaTanya out. "Everyone, inside! Now!!" Her wheels barely touch the ground before she's speeding toward the rusting metal doors of the bunker.

  Turn to page 130.

  Whoever they are, they almost certainly do not belong here. You probably should run. Then again, this does not look like someone you want to make angry.

  If you run away, turn to page 3.

  If you answer, turn to page 59.

  You spread your new wings and give them a good shake. Somehow, you already know how to fly!

  You begin to flap your wings. Thoughts of flaming vengeance fill your mind as you lift off. Moments later, the sharp, cold, piercing stone of a stalactite fills your mind instead, killing you instantly. Maybe if you hadn't been irrationally hell-bent on revenge, you would have realized that carelessly trying to fly around inside a cave wasn't a good idea.

  Years later, a team of archaeologists will find your (human) bones, covered in eons of dust. The ring now sits, mostly forgotten, in a display case on the third floor of the National Museum.

  The End

  You find the nearest phone and call the police and tell them everything you saw. You have to assure them that this is not a prank call. Still full of doubt, they reluctantly agree to send over an officer.

  You head to the reception area and meet the officer when they arrive. You start to head towards the scene of the crime, but you're taken to Proctor Mitchell's office instead.

  "Like I said on the phone," the Proctor begins, addressing the officer, "I'm sorry about this. I hope you won't punish my student for the false report. The news is obviously tough to deal with. We have grief counselors on the way. Thank you for understanding." The officer nods and quietly leaves the room.

  "What news are you talking about?" you ask, in frustration.

  "Priya is dead. And I believe you were friends with Tariq?"

  You feel your face going numb. "Tariq is dead...?"

  "There was an accident. You know this."

  Turn to page 96.

  You begin to run for help, when Karen screams from the room behind you.

  "Yes, OH GOD YES, harder, HARDER!"

  Karen apparently does not need your help.

  Since Tariq probably isn't in his dorm room (or, if he is, he's occupied), you decide to check the library. He spends so much time in there that Proctor Mitchell had to give him special all-hours access, just so he'd stop bugging the librarians and the custodians to be let in at random times.

  Stifled amorous noises rise intermittently from the stacks as you enter the library. You drag your feet to make your presence known, but they don't notice or care, so you try to ignore it. Tariq isn't here. He must've gotten caught up in the aftermath of the Orientation, and run off to a science lab somewhere to "study biology", although you can't remotely fathom him doing the horizontal tango.

  "I'm in a library, might as well use it," you say to yourself. The current residents of the World History aisle don't hear you.

  Turn to page 87.

  Suddenly, three rows behind you, someone yells out a "Wahoo!", and pandemonium breaks out. Whoops and purrs and hollers erupt around the room. You almost get kicked in the head as students begin diving headlong over the chairs to embrace each other. You look over at Rebecca, who is beaming with joy. "Lesbian! I'm a lesbian!" She gives you a quick hug, then jumps to her feet. "I have to go find Karen!" She vanishes into the swirling sea of bodies.

  You realize that she didn't even ask you what you got. But... What had you got? You look at the people around you. No new colors, no glow. You sniff slightly, but there's no scent, either. There's nothing. You're about to stand up for a better view, when a makeout session from the next seat over falls into your lap. You push them off and stand up. You think about leaving, but you worry what it would look like if someone saw you scurrying out the back.

  If you want to stay in the room and try to go with the flow, turn to page 34.

  If you want to sneak out and think about what's happening, turn to page 69.

  The lights go low. You think it's Proctor Mitchell on the stage, but it's hard to see from this far back. You think he's talking, but it's hard to tell. The PA system in your area of the chamber is letting out a harsh static that drowns out what he's saying.

  Then the room erupts in a cheer and starts counting down. It must be happening! "5! 4! 3! 2! 1!"

  FLASH

  The after image from the Orienter has barely started to fade, when you become aware that Karen is crawling across your lap. "Come here, you tasty hunk of man meat!" She grabs Chad's shirt and uses it to pull herself into his lap. "Come in my rabbit hole and I'll show you Wonderland!" He is momentarily confused, but does not seem to object. You squeeze over to the far side of your seat to avoid getting caught up in the flurry of groping that commences.

  Turn to page 21.

  "Well, start working on unlocking it, before she comes back with that Mitchell bastard. There's probably a keycard in the security office, but that might be risky, since she'll probably be there. I think the locks for the therapy cells are controlled by the central computer, so there might be a way to unlock everything from the mainframe room. Or you can just hotwire the lock. This school is cheap, so it can't be that tough to do."

  If you want to steal a keycard, turn to page 75.

  If you want to rewire the lock, turn to page 4.

  If you want to try the mainframe, turn to page 27.

  You stand and start pushing through the tangled throng towards the nearest exit. Kisses lunge at you. Awkward gropey-looking hugs are barely dodged. A dozen propositions of varying crudeness and sincerity are sent in your direction. Several steps from the door, you break into a run and reach for the push bar.

  You stumble into the middle of the hallway and try to collect your thoughts. The Orienter clearly didn't malfunction. Did it miss you somehow? There were others in the room who hadn't leapt into action, either. Maybe there's a delayed reaction for some people? But then you remember the look in their eyes. It was a look of desire, they were just too stunned to move. You're not sure what they were feeling, but you're sure you're not feeling that yourself.

 

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