My most recent alias was Diane deSalvo, a woman of independent means. She was a businesswoman with access to the rich and powerful. It was a very useful identity and one that was easy for me to play. I left that identity behind in my shoulder bag. It was an expensive shoulder bag from an exclusive shop. It’s stolen by now. I’m sure. In fact, I’m counting on it.

You can call me Rio. It’s the special name my mother used and the closest thing I have to a real name. Everything I need is contained a well-worn backpack stored on the rack overhead and in a leather wrapped cylinder lying across my lap. Below, blue and white and green against the great darkness of space is the world I have searched for all these years.

This blue green world is a reservation is known as Archipelago. The natives simply call it Ocean. My mother called it home.

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