A person of deliberately indeterminate gender was waiting beside the Venn Machine.  A laconic “Hello” greeted the brightly-dressed and sweaty stranger.

“Expecting m... an arrival?”

“Newcomers are rare this far into the desert, and easily spotted.”

“Guess th... that’s true enough.”

The silvery-grey-skinned native smiled broadly.  “We won’t be offended if you slip and use a pronoun.”

The stranger smiled in return.  “Understood.  But when in Rome, and all that.”

“Fitting in already.  Good to see.”  A stack of paper slips marked with equality signs sat in a basket next to the Venn Machine.  Dropping one into the slot activated the display, and soon the doors yawned open.

“A year?”

“The Machine is always here for any who wish to leave.”

A sigh followed by a nod.  Then entry, waiting, and suddenly a new body, identical in every way to the one in the other half of the Machine.

“Welcome to Equality.”

Grey eyes blinked in confusion, sought out a mirror.  “Thank you.  This will take some getting used to.”

The walk to the larger cluster of buildings that made up the heart of Equality took a few minutes.  The buildings were all painted an identical silvery-grey, similar in tone to the skin of the inhabitants.

“Identical architecture?”

“To an extent.  An ongoing project, but not a priority.  The colour of the doors matters.”

“M...  Hm.  Read about that, but ... would like to know more.”

A soft chuckle.  “Keep trying.  Think before speaking.  Good practice anywhere.”

“How does sex even work when everyo... all are the same?”  

“All bodies are identical, yes.  There are voluntary and involuntary reactions that make such encounters quite pleasant indeed.  The design is as perfect as can be.”

“What about protection?”

“Egalitarian bodies are immune to disease.  And infertile.”

“No children?  Doesn’t that doom Equality to eventual decline?”

“Possibly.  People come and go.  The population has held stable for some time, once the novelty wore off.  There were a lot of curious folks in the early days.”

“All of the visitors had to change, even then?”

“Of course.  That kept some at bay.  Others only stayed long enough to realize this place was not suitable.”

“The lack of pronouns would have stymied some, too.”

That comment drew another soft chuckle.  “That lack is a newer development.  Found pronouns didn’t contribute anything, quirk became habit, habit became custom.  This is a place to think more than speak.”

The rest of the walk was taken in silence.  The two Egalitarians, new and old, could be told apart by the way the new one gawked at the sights.  Equality was a small community, with only a dozen buildings in use.  The houses had been built to distinct styles at some point in the past, but distinguishing flourishes had all been removed.  The only notable distinction remaining was that two of the houses were larger than the rest, one significantly so.

With little to see, and a discouraging nudge to the ribs, the gawking stopped.  A schooled expression emerged instead.

“Sorry.”

“Fun is allowed.  Just go with the flow.  And be mindful of the red doors.”

“Red doors?”  Confusion clouded the newcomer’s face for a moment, followed by a blush.  “Sleeping rooms that aren’t for sleeping, right.”

“Given that reaction, stick to blue.”

“But how does...”  A glance down at androgynous curves and a complete lack of sexual characteristics.  “There’s nothing there!”

“Appearances can be deceiving.”  A wink, a smile, and the newcomer stood alone in the middle of town.

There wasn’t much to explore.  The small cluster of buildings centered on an open square.  A single statue of a now-familiar form graced the center, standing on a low pedestal.

The sunset over the distant hills was glorious.  Once dusk had fallen, a sense of lethargy replaced the boundless energy of the day.

The newcomer sought out one of the blue doors, and found an alarming sight.  No mattress, just a padded floor... and a half-dozen silver-skinned bodies entangled.  “This... this is the blue room, right?”

“Yes.  Come cuddle!”  Many voices echoed assent.

The cuddle-pile proved a surprisingly cozy way to sleep.

* * *

Morning light woke the sleepers.  Stretching and yawning, silvery figures emerged from the room.  The straggler found one such waiting.

“Is every night like that?”

A soft chuckle.  “New here?”  A touch on the hip.  “Well padded, no need for bedding.  Good temperature regulation, too, hence no clothes in summer or winter.  Communal sleeping is cozy, promotes togetherness.”

“Equality seems big on togetherness.”

“Very much so, yes.”  The reply was pitched in the same even tones as the rest of the town used, but there was a hint of reluctance to the admission.

Before the newcomer could even begin to formulate the questions suggested by that reluctance, the other turned.

“Wait.  What about food?”

A turn, a snort.  “Are you hungry?”

“Well... no.  How odd.”

“Face the sun.”

Looking around showed that all the Egalitarians were facing the sunrise, arms spread wide.  Mimicking them produced a sense of energy and wellbeing as the sun warmed silvery-grey skin.   “Photosynthesis?”

“A very efficient version.  Sun nourishes us.  A few sips of water now and then fulfills the balance of our needs.”

“No food.  No clothes.  No possessions.  No economy?”

“Exactly.  No greed.  No jealousy.  Nothing to fight over.”

“Really?”

A wry chuckle was the only reply.

About an hour after sunrise, a bell began to ring from the largest of the buildings.   All the inhabitants shook themselves out of sunrise-induced euphoria and headed toward the building.  Even the statue from the center of the square got off of its pedestal and started walking.

The newcomer’s gawk returned, briefly.  “But...  Statue?”

“Try standing very still and relaxing,” said a nearby figure.  “Takes a little practice, but feels natural.  Meditation in stillness, with no distractions of any sort.”

A crowd gathered in the large hall, progressing in an orderly fashion past an opaque urn.  Each dipped a hand inside, emerging with a golden bracelet.

“Repairs?” read the newcomer off the bracelet, curious.

“Over here,” waved a figure.  “The job is easy this time of year.”

Figures dispersed from the room.  Some set to sweeping the square, others to scrubbing or painting the buildings.  Repairs consisted of finding a few shingles that had blown down in a recent storm and tapping them back in place.

“And done.  Maintenance is finished for the day.”

“Maintenance every day?”

“For an hour.  Not onerous, and nothing else is asked of denizens.”

The Egalitarians dispersed after returning the bracelets to the urn, eventually leaving only the newcomer and the statue, back on its pedestal in the same pose as before.  

Egalitarian bodies proved as well suited to walking as to standing meditation.  The newcomer rambled far and wide over the next few days, exploring the desert around the town.  What had appeared desolate and barren during the taxi ride to Equality proved anything but when seen up close.  There were many scrubby plants hiding in the lee of the low and winding arroyos, and numerous sandy-coloured animals to send scurrying for shelter.

The ability to sit or stand perfectly still for hours proved especially handy in coaxing skittish animals back out again.  The sight of desert mice gamboling at statue-still feet drew a broad grin.

Wearing that grin into town that evening drew interest.  Better yet was the answering smile, and an inviting gesture leading to a red door.

The room beyond was as spare as those with a blue door, and had a similarly padded floor.  Crepuscular light lit the room from the top third of the window, the rest was boarded up for privacy.

“Small.”

“Cozy.”

“No cuddle-pile?”

A warm chuckle.  “There are rooms for that.  New?”

“Yes.”

“Oooh, lovely.  Lie down.”

A kiss between the legs caused an unexpected blossoming, the void there spreading open and welcoming the probing tongue.

Gasps and eager moans soon filled the room.

“Oh sweetness, such a reaction.”  Lounging beside the flowering body, grazing fingertips drew fresh shudders.  “Ready for the next step?”

“There’s... more?”

“Suckle gently, and see.”

They reversed positions and kisses led to another blooming.  Suckling instead of tongue-diving led to a rising growth.  Teasing and pleasing caused mouth-filling expansion as well as delightful moans and whimpers.

Once panting gave way to steady breath, a giggle.  “Goodness, so eager.  So big!  This will be something else…”

“Ah?  Too much?”

“Never.  These bodies are very flexible.  Ready?”

A long stare at the phallic protuberance.  Then a growing smile.  “Impressive indeed.  Ready and surprisingly eager.”

“Surprisingly?”

“This... arrangement is new.”

Eyes widened in surprise.  “Truly?  No experiments with the Machines?”

“First time.  Ever.”

“Remarkable.”

Leaning closer, lips met in a kiss.  There was much said then, but none in words.

* * *

Morning saw the two emerge, hand in hand.  When others saw, disapproval followed swiftly.  Despite a desperate clutch, the two became separated, leaving despondence and hopelessness.  How to find one, among the identical many?

Maintenance was performed mechanically.  Sweeping required minimal thought.  A walk in the desert afterward offered little solace.

Days passed listlessly.  Offers of red door time were ignored, for anonymous sex had abruptly become repugnant instead of titillating.

One day while watching the antics of desert creatures hiding in an unmoving shadow, another shadow appeared.  The animals vanished, though the fond smile they’d inspired lingered.

“Not many wander this far out anymore.”

“That’s surprising.  The desert is pretty out here.”

“All the old hands care more about enforcing conformity than beauty.  Only the new and the odd venture out of sight of the town.”

“Odd how?”

A soft chuckle.  “Many ways.  Conformity sucks.”

“Then why stay?”

A broad gesture at the sere beauty around them.  “This.  A simple life has appeals, too.”

“Tempted to stay out here.  Sleeping in the sand would be no hardship.”

“Sounds good.  Mind company?”  A smile then.  Familiar, and causing a huge grin in return.

“That would be…”

“Sweetness?” asked with a innocent grin.

“Such a reaction,” laughed the other, hugging tightly.  “Identity can be effaced, but not erased.”

“That truth is despised.  Threatens the sexy fun times.”

“Pair bonding is scandalous?”  Incredulity warred with humor.

“Yes.”

“Sneakily maintaining a pair bond under watchful eyes…”

“No watchful eyes out here.”

The two sunk to the warm sand, still embraced.  The sand proved less comfortable than the padded rooms, but the limitless solar energy more than made up for it.

The setting sun gilded their bodies and ended their lovemaking.  Cuddled together, they burrowed a nest in the sand and slept.

The next day after dusting each other off, the Maintenance bell could be heard in the distance.  A breathless dash led to a late and giggly arrival.  The clasping of hands met with glares as before, but this time letting go did not feel like bereavement.

As the groups gathered for their allotted tasks, a whisper of “sweetness” caused a grin.

“Luck?” whispered so as not to carry.

“Trading.”

“That’s allowed?”

A soft giggle.  “Nope.  Still happens.”

Following a subtle gesture revealed a small cluster of figures furtively swapping wristbands.

“Are any of the town’s principles maintained?”

“Come on, there’s work to do.”

After Maintenance followed further explorations of the desert, sharing secret spots each had found.  Lovemaking in the sand the previous day had left grit in uncomfortable places.  Standing up with legs locked worked poorly as well.  With nowhere else to turn, a red door was sought that night.

And the next.

And the next.

Keeping the town’s default expression in public maintained the approved facade of conformity.  Forays to the red doors were expected to be random encounters, but the uniformity of appearance meant meeting again and again was hard to notice.

Still, there were disapproving looks most mornings if the couple stood too close together.  Worse, some of the others were watching closely enough to learn the identifying cues, and managed to draw the couple off separately.

The realization of the truth came too late to both of them, and only in the privacy of the desert could the embarrassment be shared.

“That was no simple case of mistaken identity.  That was deliberate.”

“Jealousy is an ugly thing.”

A hug.  “Not jealous, just annoyed.”  A kiss made it clear where the anger was directed.

After the kiss, a chuckle.  “Confusion to the jealous fuddy-duddies.”

“Sounds good.  What’s the plan?”

A new system of gestures and tics was devised.  Over the succeeding weeks, the gestures evolved, becoming more and more subtle until the harridans stopped trying to intercede.

Some days later, during an “accidental” meeting in the desert, there were shared giggles over compared notes.  Each had noticed similarly subtle signals marking other couples.  Between the lists there were enough couples to form a majority.

“This is insane.  Act in public as if free anonymous sex is the ideal.  But in private...”

“Few.  Perhaps none.”

“Want to be bad?”

A broad grin, and twinkling eyes.  “Yes.”

The next morning, the couple emerged holding hands.  And when harried about it, did not separate.  Standing proudly at the edge of the square, another couple hesitantly approached, and also held hands.  Then another, and another.

Before long, the square was full of couples, staring at each other in wonder and amazement.  Opposite them were five individuals, yelling about tradition and the need for conformity.

“What does conformity mean, when the majority are pairs?”

Silence fell over the square as all turned toward the pedestal, and the “statue” there which had just spoken.

“To pair requires individuals that recognize each other,” protested one of the singles.  “How can that reconcile with the core principle of Equality.”

“Are any here truly the same?” asked the statue.

There was a shuffling of feet, and a shaking of heads, but no answer.

“Equality is not perfection.  Perfection is not Equality.”

“Then what is the point of all this?” cried the leader of the singles.

The statue smiled beatifically at the couples.  “Love.  Love has triumphed over every obstacle, and found joy.”

The couples cheered, but the spokesman of the singles stormed forward.  “No.  Joy is not the purpose of Equality.”

“Then what is?” asked the statue serenely.

“Freedom.  From constraint, from gender, from jealousy, from everything.”

One of the couples spoke up.  “The freedom to bang anything moving, more like.  Has that brought joy?”

The smile in response to the question was wicked.  “Screwing at will?  Sure was fun.”

“Good luck with that now.”

“Eh, there’s still the five.  Right?”

The four behind the spokesman shuffled feet and did not speak.  Two shuffled closer together and clasped hands.  Shortly after, the last couple followed suit.

“Perhaps Reinforcement should come early.  Equinox is only a few days off.”

Murmured assents all round led to an immediate procession toward the Venn Machine.  The mood turned convivial, almost celebratory.

Once there, pair by pair entered the Venn Machine, set for a year.  Pair by pair they emerged, identical.  The one who stood alone stepped in alone, and emerged human.

The last were the two who had caused all the trouble.

“Equality, or the world?”

Licked lips and hesitation were the answer.  “Knowing true forms... doesn’t really matter.  Yes?”

“Could change back for a bit, but...”

A headshake.  “Nothing to gain.  This feels right.”

The two entered together, and emerged to cheers.

“Welcome home.”