Another hiccup from Queen had them doing one more free fall. Lydia had gotten used to it. She landed in a crouch when they exited the ceiling, wherever they'd ended up.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Midge met her gaze and explained.

"He's drunk."

"But," Lydia looked right then left, "Isn't this the same tunnel? How come we didn't fall deeper?"

"We won't get far from this location. We can't go where we've never been. That's just the way it is with E's," Midge told her, walking past. "You gotta go down to go up. Let's just keep moving. We've gotta find Pan. I can't handle Queenie when he's like this. The last time he got this wasted Pan had to take care of him. I just can't do it right now. We're almost there."

The pitch-black tunnel was one of the coldest Lydia had ever traveled. Queen was untrustworthy, so they rushed through the Deadzone which bordered Impland.

"Don't worry. We're not going too far in. It's taking us longer because we're going around the imps. We shouldn't see any of them. One at the most," Midge assured her.

Her feet falling fast, Lydia hurried to catch up. "Why one?"

"Scouts. They usually track any possible prey which might wander in...drunk for example."

Another hiccup had them saying a unified, "Whoa!" as they sunk into a portal.

Midge grabbed Lydia under her right arm when they landed.

Lydia pulled away. It was an automatic response and one Lydia knew she should apologize for, explain, or counter. She didn't do anything. Midge didn't look safe and tender anymore. Now when Lydia thought of him, she didn't see the big gentle sweetie who'd wrestle her to the ground for a laugh. She saw that punch and the way it had cracked Joshua's face. The screams, still vivid and fresh, Lydia did all she could to fight down her unease.

They stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Midge was the first to start walking. Lydia followed.

Queen was nearly incapable of standing by the time they exited the Deadzone, Big Henry looming before them.

A short time later, they flopped down in a booth. Midge held Queen steady. When he sat across from him, however, that loosened hold sent Queen toppling over.

Midge groaned. "Fuck. It was just two glasses, you lightweight." He called for a waitress.

Hair looking barely combed, Pan lurched toward them, a long black apron guarding her waist.

Pan let out a gasp and put her menu diskettes down. "What in the...?" She sat in the booth beside her E. "Oh no...." As Queen fell forward, Pan turned her accusing glare on Midge. "He's drunk?"

"What gave you that idea?" Midge asked, folding his arms.

"Boa...."

"Hmm?" Queen smiled dreamily.

Pan studied him. "Holy shit, how much did he have? Half a container? Boa. Can you sit up?" Pan let out a yelp when her E buried his face in her neck. "None of that. Come on. Sit up."

Midge watched them, his face set in an expression that suggested he was dying inside at seeing Pan and Queen together.

"I'll get you something to eat," Pan announced as she stood from the booth.

Watching Queen was strange, Lydia decided. She had to keep her eyes on Queen so she wouldn't have to think about Midge. Queen didn't seem drunk at all. In fact, if he didn't move, he could play it off. Anyone who knew him would know something was wrong though, because the man was...quiet.

"I'm this quiet because I'm trying to think of a way to get rid of you," the E said.

At first stunned, Lydia calmed. E's could read minds, with how Midge read emotions, she shouldn't have been all that shocked. So Queen literally read them?

"And short of dropping you into a pit, I'm drawing a blank." Queen fell silent and then busted out laughing. "Thanks to you, I've got a shitload of worries piling up."

Lydia sat up, debating whether or not she should respond.

"Don't talk to him," Midge warned. "It does no good."

"I guess he's not a pleasant drunk."

"Nope."

They sat in eerie silence. Lydia kept her eyes on the table, well aware that Queen never stopped staring at her.

Finally, Queen asked, "Aren't you tired of getting fucked?"

Something went pop in Lydia's head, the force of the shock so strong she could barely breathe. "What?"

"But that's your thing, isn't it?" Queen said. "And you play into the roll well. And it works on big dummies like Midge here, the whole 'I'm so small and helpless, come save me' thing. You've perfected it. You take his hand like some lost infant. You even call him Mr. Osbourne because it adds to it. The whole 'I'm so powerless' lie that you live by. So I'm asking you again, aren't you tired of getting fucked?"

Mouth tasting stale, Lydia fought to say something. It slowly dawned on her that she'd actually waited. She'd waited for Midge to come to her rescue. Lydia risked glancing at Midge but didn't hold the man's gaze for long. Midge said nothing. Poor Joshua had taken a fist to the face and a lifetime of suffering. Queen seemed immune to Midge's temper.

"So as I thought about how to get rid of you, it suddenly occurred to me at that dinner: do nothing. Do absolutely nothing. Because if there is one thing Midge hates, it's taking care of people. I mean, you can understand that, can't you? You were stuck taking care of that nutcase, your so-called mother, and she doesn't even like you. And you know it, and you can see it, yet you keep going into the pain like it's something noble.

"I spent ten unimpressive hours reading through your pitiful records before coming down here. I went from wanting to take legal action to get my brother back, to throwing fifty years of credits at your sorry ass instead. So I ask you, why? Why are you fighting so hard for these people? And why are you dragging my brother into it?

"They're using you. Physically and figuratively, you're just getting fucked all over. Best yet, you protect the ones who do it. So I'm actually kind of impressed with your level of disillusionment."

Somewhere during that idiot's drivel, Lydia's breathing grew ragged. It took everything in her not to try and punch the fucker's head off.

Queen leaned in, his tone smug. "Why do you wanna hit me? Because I'm reminding you just how shitty you've made everything? You think it's your fault, don't you? That somehow, you being alive has caused this anguish and you need to pay for it with your body." He nodded forward, gesturing to Midge. "And how do you plan to pay him back? He's just injured a nobleman because of you. A nobleman in his own gaw-ro home. Do you have any idea what the fallout will look like? So how do you plan to pay Midge back? You can't lay down and stifle a few cries for him."

"That's enough, Queen," Midge said.

It was too late though, Lydia had one nerve left and it resembled a phantom.

"A phantom?" Queen sat back and said, "You're mad at me? You're honestly mad at me?" He held up three fingers. "Three ways you're getting fucked. Number one, you've just caused Joshua's injury in his own house and you'll have to pay." Lowering his ring finger, he continued counting down. "Number two, your parents are fuck-ups, and they've left you holding the bag. But number three—and this one is by far the best way you've gotten fucked—the same debt that's drowning your house...." Queen touched his index finger to his nose before pointing it in Lydia's direction. "Is a debt you caused."

All the blood rushed from Lydia's face. Her dry lips parted again and again but nothing came out.

"Let's cut the crap, you know she's not your mother, not by blood. She got stuck with the maid's kid and she couldn't stand it. The average citizen becomes eligible for physical enhancements at eighteen, when they can choose it on their own. What age did yours happen?"

Lydia's heart pounded in her ears, her eyes getting foggy.

"Thirteen. Right? The cost of enhancements is pricey, but the cost for starting the process without the individual's permission? Well, it's staggering. Hell, most sections won't allow it. So with lawyer at the ready, your so-called mother tore this place apart getting it accepted. Then the actual cost of that process. The debt was so great she had to pay it forward for a lifetime. During the conditioning it's three months without your eyesight. Three months before eighteen's when it starts. You were stuck like that for five years. Now that's the one thing, but now here's the other. 'Cause I couldn't figure out why someone would do that. And then it hit me...that woman seriously hates you. And when I saw you in action, the way you'd revert back to 'little girl' status, that said it all. And if you think I'm wrong, then ask yourself, how old were you when you lost your virginity, and more importantly, how old was the man who took it?"

The silence that followed was so sterile that Lydia had to remind herself she still had a pulse—she'd gone numb. Whether that E was boring into her mind or the truth was written on her own face, Lydia was uncertain, but she knew one thing for sure, she was transparent.

Something fell and broke, leading Pan to shout, "Dammit, that was the last sliver of hope I had for this meal. Damn." Leaving the mess, she rushed to them and put down dish after dish. "You'd have loved this, but it's nothing without the sauce...I just dropped the damn thing."

As she spoke, Queen sat back. There wasn't a smug expression on his face anymore. By the time Pan put the last of the food down, Queen's eyes closed.

He opened the right one, then the left and gave Lydia a bitter laugh. "At least four times your senior, that is a lot of years—"

"Shut up," Lydia said, finally.

Pan looked clueless, Midge wouldn't meet Lydia's gaze, but Queen seemed satisfied.

When the twins glanced at each other, their scowls were picture perfect matches.

The muscles in Midge's square jaw worked. Lydia felt ready to vomit.

Pan clenched her tray. She looked Queen in the eye. "Well, you're sobering up at least."

Queen pushed the food in Lydia's direction.

"Hey!" Pan protested, "I made that for you."

"Let her have it," Queen drawled. "She'll need the extra energy when her sorry ass goes hunting for another body to keep her warm and make her feel like somebody might want her. Better off if she was a whore. They have a price tag, at least they give themselves some value. Here, rich girl. No sense getting fucked on an empty stomach."

Gathering the last of her pride and patience, Lydia scooted from the booth. Midge stood to let her out but wouldn't look at her.

As Pan went to clean up the mess she'd made, Lydia walked to the door in time to see transports were once again active.

Lydia regretted nothing more than glancing back.

"So the getting rid of you thing," Queen called out as he waved a mock salute. "Nailed it."