"Two vegan hot dogs please," sighed Annette approaching the hot dog stand vendor.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I don't have any of that vegan stuff. It ain't as good for you as they say it is. I've got beef, pork and chicken," said the vendor.

"Fine, chicken then," said Annette in resignation.

"Here you go, best chicken hot dogs in Massachusetts. Thirty dollars," said the vendor, handing Annette and Mikaela their steaming hot dogs wrapped in thick food grade paper.

Mikaela carefully blew on her hot dog, and took a bite.

The succulent and juicy chicken coarse ground meat and spice blend sent an explosion of flavors into her mouth, making her moan in pleasure.

"This tastes so good!" she sighed.

"It's still thirty bucks for a dead animal," grumbled Annette, paying for the hot dogs.

"Hey Mister, what did you put in this? It tastes amazing!" Mikaela asked the vendor.

"The secret is farm fresh ingredients, and freshly baked bread that has fresh butter in it. That chicken sausage was made just this morning, and with proper ground meat. The sausage you get in the supermarket is half plastic these days," chuckled the vendor.

"So you're saying that the poor chicken was alive this morning, and now it's dead?" asked Annette trying to guilt-trip Mikaela into her point of view.

Mikaela however held her hot dog up as if praying to it.

"A noble sacrifice for my tummy. Thank you, Mr. Chicken," she said solemnly before taking another eager bite.

"That would be a Ms. Chicken. Rooster meat is too tough and gamy for sausage," chuckled the vendor.

"Thank you, Ms. Chicken," corrected Mikaela and took another bite, much to Annette's consternation.

"You can have mine if you want. I can't bring myself to eat it," said Annette, handing Mikaela her hot dog.

"Aren't you hungry?" asked Mikaela.

"I'll get some salad later," said Annette.

"Gotta warn you, lady. Nobody here makes full vegan stuff," said the vendor.

"Well thank you for telling me that. I draw the line at actual meat and murder," said Annette, as Mikaela devoured her hot dog.

"OK, we can ride the Ferris wheel now," said Mikaela, grabbing Annette's hand.

---

"So, Ms. Petra. How was the amusement park trip?" asked Natsumi.

"An ordeal I'd rather not repeat, but now I'm stuck with a brat that's got the amusement park craze. I managed to broker a deal to put the next visit off until the damn winter break," sighed Annette lying on the couch.

"How was it an ordeal?" asked Nasumi.

"The roller-coaster was this monstrosity that scared the living daylights out of me, the go-karts were loud, smelly gas guzzling things that handled like crap, and there every scrap of food was either sugar or slathered in animal product. About the only normal thing was the Ferris wheel," said Annette.

"Well since Mikaela wanted to go again I take it that she enjoyed it?" asked Natsumi.

"Enjoyed is an understatement. She had the damn nerve to suggest that she drive us back because she won the go-kart race," grumbled Annette.

"Did she now? Could it be that she sensed your fatigue and offered to drive you back because of that?" asked Natsumi.

"She's ten. She just wanted to rub her victory in my face!" snapped Annette.

"You know, not many ten-year-olds can beat a full adult at go-kart racing unless the adult lets them. But from your recalling of events, it sounds like Mikaela wasn't being given a victory," observed Natsumi.

"She just won because I crashed once into the damn wall!" snapped Annette.

"All right, so did you learn something new about either Mikaela or yourself?" asked Natsumi, trying to change gears.

"Yeah, my daughter is a thrill seeker and adrenaline junkie. She wanted to go twice on both the roller-coaster and the go-karts!" growled Annette.

"And?" prompted Natsumi.

"And considers meat a noble sacrifice for her stomach! She wasn't the least bothered that the vendor admitted to slaughtering a chicken just that morning to make the hot dog!" ranted Annette.

"Any experiences that you both enjoyed?" asked Natsumi trying hard not to let her irritation show.

"Well, I suppose we both liked the cotton candy. And she leaned against me in the Ferris wheel. That's something she doesn't normally do with me," said Annette.

"That's a good sign," said Natsumi with a sigh of relief.

"Why?" asked Annette, surprised at Natsumi's relief.

"Because her leaning on you like that is a sign that she is still able to be vulnerable around you, so for the love of God, don't take that for granted. It is a very precious thing, especially for a child," said Natsumi.

"Isn't there a better way to get that than being dragged to WonderWorld?" asked Annette.

"Well, you could have one or two days when you let Mikaela decide everything, what to eat, where to go and what to do. Within reason of course," said Natsumi.

"I suppose I can do that," sighed Annette.

---

"Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Zakhrov," said Natsumi, as she and Ivan sat opposite each other in a small café in the Sirius Zone.

"What would you like to ask?" asked Ivan.

"This is about Annette and Mikaela. I'm Annette's court appointed therapist. So I would like to know your feelings and the nature of your relationship," said Natsumi.

"Very well. Here's the gist of it. Annette was always opinionated. When we first met, it was intellectually stimulating to go back and forth with her. However, she became extremely rigid over the years, and while I tried my best to adapt, it unfortunately didn't work out," said Ivan with a sigh.

"What puzzles me is how you were able to have two children, given your differences," said Natsumi.

"Both Aaron and Mikaela were conceived through IVF with my sperm. Mikaela's conception was in fact through a sperm selection procedure to ensure a girl child," said Ivan with a sigh.

"I see. What made Annette decide to have children?" asked Natsumi.

"Aaron was conceived mostly because of parental pressure. Both our parents were fairly old, and their health had started to deteriorate. They expressed a wish to see grandchildren before they died, and so Aaron was born a year before they both passed away," said Ivan.

"What about Mikaela?" asked Natsumi.

"After Aaron had started to develop his more dominant and controlling personality, Annette herself decided to have a child, one that she wanted. She convinced me to go along with the procedure, and I did on the hope that Mikaela would be the one to save what was left of our marriage and family. In fact, I stayed in the marriage for Mikaela's sake after Annette disowned Aaron," said Ivan.

"What prompted the divorce?" asked Natsumi.

"That was pretty much inevitable. Mikaela started to become curious over things I did or didn't do, and that started to make Annette increasingly paranoid over my behavior. I simply couldn't take it anymore. As much as I love Mikaela, I could not stay in a household where every thought of mine was policed," said Ivan.

"But Aaron's company is pretty invasive as well, according to what I've heard," said Natsumi.

"That kind of control is different, Doctor. It is much more transactional, and in some cases, even beneficial as long as you are in alignment. I'm free to think and do as I please, even within the company. The control is entirely sartorial and external," said Ivan.

"I think I get it. I don't like the fact that intimacy never factored into the marriage, but that's academic for now. What are your feelings about Mikaela?" asked Natsumi.

"I love her, Doctor. It eats me up not being able to be more of a presence in her life, but I'm doing my best as an absent father," sighed Ivan.

"Actually, you're selling yourself short. Yes, you may not be physically present, but Mikaela has found the ideals you projected as a source of strength. In fact, she seems to be developing some of the same tastes as you, thanks to Annette's control issues," said Natsumi with a chuckle.

"I suppose I should be happy about that, but I'm still worried about her," said Ivan.

"That's perfectly understandable. Now, if I make a suggestion. The next time you see Mikaela, try to adopt more of a middle path for Annette? Showing up in a BMW and bringing your lawyer isn't really helping with things," said Natsumi.

"I suppose Annette hasn't told you about the last few times I tried that. No, Doctor. I'm done trying to compromise and meet Annette half way. The only thing that does is give her more latitude for ideological grandstanding," said Ivan, steel entering his voice.

"Could you please explain?" asked Natsumi.

"Two years ago, I had one of my supervised visitations. Stefan had managed to get the restraining order against me lifted, but Annette set the following rules I had to follow: One, it would be at the Pine Springs House. Two, an observer named Sky was to be present, and they were not neutral. Three, I could not call Mikaela any gendered terms of endearment, nor could I buy her anything without express approval, and even if I wanted to read her a story, it needed to be ideological claptrap. In the face of such restrictions. I lost control. I attacked Sky, and threatened them, which gave Annette exactly what she wanted. Me out of her life and barred from seeing my daughter," said Ivan.

"I see. Well, I've gotten a much better picture now. Thank you, Mr. Zakhrov," said Natsumi, rising.

"Anytime Doctor," said Ivan.

---

"Mr. Li Wei and Mr. Xi Ho to see you, Master Zakhrov," announced Natasha, as Li Wei and Xi Ho shuffled into his office.

"If you're thinking of licensing my lithography tech, you're wasting time. That isn't happening," said Aaron as both the Asian men prostrated themselves before him.

"We are here to call a truce, and to ask - no, beg you to sign a non-compete agreement with us," said Xi Ho.

"A truce? A bit late in the game for that now isn't it?" asked Aaron, coming around his desk to find them grovelling at his feet.

"Please, Master Zakhrov. We are risking our lives even coming here right now. TSMC and the Silicon alliance cannot replicate your process no matter how much R&D we can throw at it. We are hamstrung on an international ideological level," said Li Wei.

"Are you telling me that a company as large and as indispensable as TSMC cannot buy or build a few synchrotrons? I find that hard to believe," said Aaron.

Xi Ho looked up from his grovelling position and chuckled humorlessly.

"TSMC is a publically traded company. We don't have the luxury of thumbing our noses at the rules. Hell, we don't even make the rules, contrary to popular belief. We try to do what you're doing, and our stocks get shorted, our fabs get seized, and our patents are just given to whoever asks for them," he explained.

"Before we discuss this further, won't you two gentlemen sit? Grovelling at my feet isn't going to make me any less forgiving," said Aaron, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk.

Xi Ho and Li Wei sheepishly got up from the floor, and sat down in the chairs.

"TSMC and the Silicon Alliance might look like a cartel, but we are all just nodes in a much larger network of business and political interests. That network directly controls almost all of global trade and finance. They're the ones who pumped and then dumped the so-called Tiger economies of East and Southeast Asia. They keep most of Africa poor and dependent on Western aid, they start wars and end them just to gain control of, or to correct a market or economic zone. Bottom line, Master Zakhrov. We are not the ones pulling the strings," said Li Wei.

"If what you're saying is true, then there is nobody who will want to use my fabs anyway," pointed out Aaron.

"True, but you've already started to carve out a pretty big chunk of our market, namely Russia. Sanctions allowed us to sell stuff to them at a massive markup, now that they're just buying your stuff, we're stuck with a pricing bracket that has tanked our margins. That's why we need a truce and a non-compete agreement," said Xi Ho.

"And what exactly will that do? I'm not about to just fix pricing to satisfy your profit margins. I make enough of a margin on them without gouging," asked Aaron.

"Well, we can't stop you from selling to Russia and Libya, but we are begging you to not sell them anywhere else. That's the essence of this," said Xi Ho.

"Hmm, I suppose I could do that, but what's in it for me? And frankly, why should I even bother doing you a favor after you blacklisted me and tried to kill my company?" asked Aaron.

"Number one, it will be a breather for all of us. X-ray lithography isn't exactly cheap, and a price war is not something either of us wants," said Li Wei.

"That still sounds awfully like a threat, Mr. Li Wei. I don't respond very well to those," said Aaron, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I meant no disrespect, Master Zakhrov. I'm merely explaining that neither you nor the Silicon alliance is equipped for a protracted price war. Already hyperscalers like Amazon and Google are under severe political scrutiny over environmental concerns, they are not about to buy chips that were blasted into existence by a particle accelerator, nor are they exactly falling over us for volume deals anymore," said Li Wei.

"I see. And? What else?" asked Aaron.

"And, you get to use our fabs and our chips. While you have created an excellent ecosystem, you have to admit, our stuff is still good," said Xi Ho.

"Hmm, I suppose that would work," said Aaron.

Li Wei and Xi Ho both heaved huge sighs of relief.

"All right, I assume that this is an unofficial and verbal agreement, so that concludes our business," said Aaron, indicating that they had exhausted their welcome.

Li Wei and Xi Ho stood up, and filed out of the office.