Some Trades Are Memories description: @YoungAdultFic prompt 

Memories For Sale, a teen discovers one that uncovers a secret about her past. 

3-5K short story

Sub by Aug 15th

I missed the deadline, but here's the short story.

"C'mere, Madison, I'll teach you to trade." One of Molly's sister clones. Most of us Earthans have 5 if we got married. I didn't, but I had to share memories to one of those purple cylinders anyway. Didn't want to have clones. 

Most people were going through the process just to have some. But, Molly's important. I'd seen at least 20 walking around! I don't have to rule 25 healer colonies. I just wanted to be a girl.

"Okay! Can we do it in my room? My head still hurts." I rubbed my throbbing temple.

"Let me try to heal that!" Five other white robes tried. But I smiled. This one's just as eager to help people as the Molly I know. She put her cold hands on my forehead and sang that Rainbow song we love. Warmth made it go away!"Thanks, Molly!"

She didn't smile. "It'll probably come back, so I can teach you lying down. It's an easy healing, so don't be shy about asking again."

We walked to my room. I'd only been on Adia's Ship a few hours, and already, there were so many Earthans like me here! I smiled. My 3 trans friends might come here, too. A diplomat helped me with my stuff and paid off my landlord, 14 months left on my lease! They have a fund for people. 

My room had rainbow everything! When I got my loft, I produced enough art to sell and support myself, I thought. Just dug myself a debt hole! Sold some at the Art Festival they have in Piedmont Park every year, but not enough. I'd just gotten an eviction notice.

"It's really easy. Just figure out what you want to trade. An item that you want to get rid of will sell faster if you describe it well. Your pocket terminal can record your memories about the item, how you used it, and you can add anything. Even stuff from websites about it."

"I can record memories? Do I have to go see Pirad again?" I looked across to the green lab where he changed my body from a boy into a girl. Such a miracle! No hormone treatments or surgeries! Like I was born with my curvy shape. So happy now! Even a prog for birth control. If I had a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. Everything feels so diff!

"No! Just think about it, and the more details you can remember, the better. Earth won't vote on the Alliance Treaty until Monday, so we can't trade anything except with other people on the ship. But they made an Earthan Net of sorts. Some people were nervous about trading things, so there's an option to be anonymous. You can't do that when they have the Earth Net up and running because it's Alliance rules. But on our Net, you can."

Memories? But with several hundred people on the ship, wouldn't it be easy to guess whose they were?

"Normally, you trade, and if you have a friend who might be interested in your item, you contact 'em to let 'em know it's there. The number of times the thing trades before local sunset determines the amount of your trade. So, if it traded 6 times, that would be 6trade added to your account." Molly sat on my bed and pulled me up there. Nodded, and a flat mattress with 7 sides appeared under me. It bent easily to hold me sitting up.

"Oh, this is soft!"

"It's a leiwege! We have a Leiwege Maker on the ship, and he's going around to everyone making custom ones. This is a fabbed one, but Uisan is the best! Just wait 'til he makes you one!"

"How much do they cost?"

"It's free! You work for me, now. Rest up for 5 weeks, then you can start making art. All your materials are in your menus, so whenever you want to get artsy, if it's in there, it's a common material, so it's free like your food and house. You might want to design your own!"

I smiled, thinking of diff designs for it. Kept staring at my reflection in the curved red-violet hull. Just can't believe I look like a girl now.

Molly stayed long enough to help me get started, and showed me some of her art that she's going to trade. I recorded a few memories of diff paintings I did, design decisions I made and why, and I did a tutorial of blending pastel sticks on colored construction paper. One of my teachers had an award for her technique, and she spent a lot of time with me compared with her other students. Got a lot of teasing about being a teacher's pet, but it was worth it. My pastel portrait booth in the Art Festival was my biggest money maker, better than my sculpture booth. Molly and Angel helped, and so did Brian. Never would've sold as much without them to man it for me.

Hours later, I had most of my artwork that sold well in neat categories with detailed memories.Then I tackled my garbage. Thank goodness I didn't have to smell it! With a thought, invisible hands lifted each item and even identified it. I had spoiled apple peels, so I thought about how I like to use a paring knife to cut designs in it. Made it as detailed as I possibly could.

Other things I hadn't seen in years, just packed in boxes, that I was going to use. Now I don't need pots and pans. I hate cooking! And, most of my clothes, now that I have a clothing former. I made holos until that headache came back. Gave up and thought about calling Molly.

One of her sisters came running! "I hope you didn't have to wait long! I'm Maddie. Waiting to decide which colony I'm going to until I can go where you decide!"

I laughed. "Okay, Maddie, I'll claim you as my sister! I guess I need to look at the worlds."

Her red ringlets bounced and I wondered if I could get my hair to do that. Didn't like spending a lot of time on my hair, especially since I could never afford a hairdresser. Now, the server makes it easy. Even with collar-length hair, I had a lot of choices.

Molly got rid of my headache again, but I'm tired. I'll look at clothes and hair later.

"Here's all 25 worlds. Molly's going to MarKu to the Earth MarKu there." It had a replica of the whole Beltline! All 13 parks, finished just like the plans!

I looked at MarKu. Green sky. But, our Earthan colony has 5 houses so far, all different kinds. No LGBTQ yet. Really?

"Do any of the Earthan Colonies have any people like me?"

"Madison, you're unique! But, I know we will have some. I sent holos to all the ones who ended up in Rainbow, in the other future. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I sure hope my friends come!" I sighed.

We looked at colony after colony. All of 'em have the Beltline. "I want to go to Escet Vu. It's got a blue sky, and blue Zheien! But, what if my friends go to a different one?"

"You can move, with a wave! Don't worry. All the worlds are a 4 minute port."

I rubbed my head. "What if I'm scared to do that?"

"There's always a diplomat or trader flying between the worlds. Don't be shy about asking for a ride! Now that travel doesn't give Zheien mind pains, I think they'll travel even more! None of them mind giving a ride."

I nodded and Maddie sang more healing for my headache. Escet Vu looks like Earth with the blue sky, but it has white sand like a beach. All the colors of sand in Alb have flowers growing in it. None of them will look or feel like Earth. Not sure how I'll feel about that. But, I can decide when we get there.

A Memory Traded

I couldn't decide on a world, and we're leaving tonight! So I decided to spend my remaining time on Earth trading so I'd have something to take with me.

People had all sorts of things up! I looked through, like a giant yard sale! Some were garbage.But, a painting of a pony caught my eye. I gave that to my sister before I moved out! She didn't keep it?

And, she wanted something in return. We traded clothes a lot. T-shirts, of course. She would never cross-dress! I waved up that Arts Festival shirt I designed from last year. It didn't win and I was really disappointed. This was the one I did to take the pic to submit it. Didn't want to part with that, but, okay. Made a copy to keep. Waved it to her.

We hadn't spoken in months! I wondered what she'd have to say? Dreaded to open it. But, here goes.

"Madison! I got an A in Algebra--oh, that's pretty!"

I was painting a pony with a rainbow tail. Had reasons for the pastel colors in it, the trans flag."I want that. You're a boy, so you can't possibly want to hang that in your room!"

Okay. She can be so irritating at times! But, it's her memory. Her point of view. I heard every thought. As I finished it, if I'd heard her thoughts, I wouldn't have given it to her!

Why can't he listen to everybody? He shouldn't be painting things like this. It's unnatural. It's rubbing off on me!

I finished up. "Okay, Sis, you can have it."

"Good. I'm going to tell everybody I painted it."

"What?"

"You know how Daddy is! He said if you didn't do a sport this year, you're out."

"Look, Sis. I'm trans."

Her brown eyes got this wide look. "You're joking, right? My brother's not a pervert!"

"Your brother feels like an alien because on the outside, he's a boy, and on the inside, he's really a girl! I'm tired of trying to fake it, okay?"

She grabbed the painting and ran.

The memory ended, but the holo went on. "Madison, you heard what I thought. I still can't accept that you want to be a girl. But, I didn't feel right about keeping your painting, because it has trans flag colors. I'll keep your T-shirt. Next year, I'll be old enough--well, I guess at 18 I could live anyplace in Alb. Don't tell them about our trade. Maybe when I'm 18 we should have a talk, since somebody named Suma said you're moving to Alb, too. I wish you'd change your mind and be my brother again. I miss you, you jerk!" The holo ended.

I waved the painting on my wall and had a good cry. Now that I'm a girl, I can cry all I want and nobody'll say anything. Knowing Karen, she'll try to talk me out of it. I hoped, maybe, she'd want to talk to me--she does, but not like I wanted. Not the understanding I want. Just another argument.

But, I looked at that painting. I expected it to be smeared or something. It's like the day I painted it.

I played the holo again and caught something I didn't notice the first time.

Sometimes I wish I was a boy. I'd better get a hold of myself before Mama starts about where I'm going when I die!

She's trans, too! I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but that's her own thoughts! How many years was I in utter denial, before I decided to admit it? And my sister wants to be a boy! I fell on the bed laughing. It's not a choice, idiot Karen! But, I felt bad for laughing. It's such a relief, to have this girl body that feels like me. She'll decide to listen to herself, someday. And when she does, I'll have a brother! When we get to Alb, I'll have a lot to talk to--why wait? I waved up Maddie.

She ported in. "Did that headache come back?"

I rubbed my head. "Yeah. And, I need to talk." So glad to have a sister I can talk with, on this crazy journey.

My sister just makes me mad. As if I can just do enough sports to make me like being born a boy. But, now, I'm a girl. Am I still even trans?

Maddie hugged me. "Want to talk to Suma?"

"She won't tell me I'm not trans any more, will she?"

"No! You're the only one who can decide that! She might recommend some books, and maybe a therapist on Earth who works with trans youth. But, Suma's willing to learn. She wants to help everyone."

"I'm happy to be leaving Earth. And, I'm glad I don't have to be something I'm not in Rainbow!"

"That's why it's Rainbow. A rainbow is a promise of hope. When people have hope, they can do amazing things. People interpret rainbows the way they need them to be. Some think about religion, and you think about the trans flag, and all of it's okay. With our abuse progs, everyone will stay safe."

"Will we? If my sister wants to harp about me changing back into a boy, I'll just stay upset." I pulled my rainbow blanket across my lap and traced the colors of the trans flag. Such beautiful pastel shades! I guess my artist self just loves color and reacts to it more strongly than most people.

"It's never easy. But, you can choose whether to see her or not, or have Suma sit in. You don't have to sit there and be fussed at for being you. If she wants contact, she'll have to agree not to try to change you."

I thought about that. "How does it work?"

"We've already had some people on the ship with difficult relatives. Most of my relatives didn't want to talk to my mom, but one did. She tried to fuss and it got muted! To her, she talked normally. My sister didn't hear it, and the prog told Mom if she didn't behave, she wouldn't be allowed to talk to Marjorie! Mom agreed not to fuss. That shocked all of us! She actually apologized to her. That's a start."

She showed me the memory. I might not mind trying to talk to them, if I didn't have to listen to preachy stuff.