"Well, there's really one major doctor catering to trans individuals here. I can see when the next appointment is available? It can't be more than a day or two."

"I think you'd want a phone, it's really how you're supposed to pay for things these days." He hands over a card. It uses a special film making it impossible to see what's written on it, unless you're looking at it from a perfect angle. "This is a card with your account number and private key. Find a phone seller, and buy a phone with this card. Then you should have super-easy access to your basic income money for anything else you'd want."

"I officially exist! Yay!" She bounces a little. "Last questions: should I come back here after acquiring a phone, and do you have any tips for an outworlder on location a phone retailer?"

"There really is no purpose for you to come back here after getting a phone. You can ask for some extra foot patrols outside your building, if it'd help you feel safer? I don't see why you'd need that. When it comes to retailers, they're really all the same. And the closest one is a few blocks down that direction", the officer points away from the beach, in the same direction Sable went to get to the station. "So that's my recommendation."

"Wonderful. Can you give me the contact details for the trans care doctor so I can call them once I have a phone?"

"Yes, yes." The officer fumbles around for a business card and writes some contact information and a phone number (that includes letters, to make it a bit shorter presumably) and hands it back to Sable.

She smiles a bit wider, her smiles having become more and more genuine — though it's hard for almost anyone to tell — over the course of the conversation.

"Thank you. Oh! Thought of one last question. Do you have any recommendations for finding housing for tonight, after I handle the other things?"

"The phone has the most up-to-date directory of available long-term and short-term housing options. The phone guy would be happy to help you get started with the software setup for that app and all your other necessities, I'm sure of it." The officer smiles back at Sable, trying to be equal parts reassuring and encouraging.

Her smile freezes for a second as she processes that. These people actually keep all their important contacts in one sensible place? That... is new.

Her shoulders slump just a bit, a bit more of her bone-deep fatigue showing. Her smile is a bit smaller still, but more genuine for it.

"Thank you. I think I'll head right over, unless you have any last advice for an outworlder before I do."

"No, getting a phone first, so you can get the right pockets in your clothing, would be my advice. So, yes. A phone is the first thing you'd want to get, that's my advice. See you later!"

"Thank you, truly. Off I go then."

And with a wave, off she heads to the phone store.

It's got a huge selection of phones, with all kinds of cameras and in a wide array of screen sizes. Interestingly enough, the sizes get smaller as you get further from the entrance. They're also in a huge array of colors and materials, and have plastic backs that produce pleasant, tactile sensory feelings when touched. There's a slik-touch, a wood-touch, and even something slightly squishy. They also use some kind of super-stiff material that makes them feel very, very solid in the hand. There aren't any real ads in the store, just folded spec sheets on densely packed tables under each phone.

.........A phone store designed by sane people? What?

She starts browsing the various options, looking into the durability first, but quickly realizing that these people apparently design their phones to a standard she'd only dreamed of back on Earth. At that point she starts exploring for features and comfort. She settles on a slightly larger phone, with something on the back (whether built-in or added accessory) to loop through her fingers and steady it in her hand. She picks a slightly squishy case material in a swirling inky pattern in dark violet. And then she makes sure it's crammed with plenty of storage.

She finds a phone that comes with its own case with a folding part that she can squeeze between her hands to hold it steady. It also has a somewhat above average camera, presumably so the camera can be held steady using that folding piece. The largest storage option barely costs any more than the smallest, and it's capacious indeed.

She sighs gently, smiling softly, and buys it. Having a local phone is quite the relief. She's not sure who this place shot to avoid becoming as insane about tech as her old world, but she's rather glad they did.

She heads off and finds a bench to start looking things up. Who should she talk to about trans care here in Leakey Resort? How does acquiring clothes work? What's the transition process like, how does it compare to Earth?

Leakey's Report best trans-specialist is named Sylvania, she sticks to the hormones and self-identity part, but she's actually friends with many of the surgeons who've done 1000+ operations.

Clothes are acquired at "tailors". They're call them tailors even if they sell off-the-rack clothes, they're basically sole proprietors of clothing stores who have a real passion and interest in them, and that can extent do things like lingerie, diving equipment, snowsuits, PPE and other things that can be considered clothing.

The transition process is hormones/electrolysis/clothing first, with doctors mostly assisting with the hormones step, because there's a huge selection of different protocols to choose from. Any kinds of operation tends to happen following a relatively long period of social transition, and a relatively high % of transpeople don't do bottom surgery because they sort of like being "a gender of their own" and don't really feel the kind of dysphoria that warrants surgery. There is 0 gatekeeping for either hormones or surgery, but very, very few people handle their own hormone protocols or feel comfortable tracking their bloodwork without a doctor in the loop.

She slumps in visceral relief. 

And spends a good few minutes like that. Maybe a tear falls. And then she puts herself back together and calls Sylvania.

The phone answers almost instantly. "Hello, you've reached the office of Doctor Sylvania, how can I be of assistance to you?"

"Hi! My name is Sable, and I was wondering if Doctor Sylvania has any openings for a new patient soon."

"Yes, yes I have an opening in about 2 hours at present, if you want a same-day consultation. Is that acceptable? Most people like getting more time in advance."

"Wonderful." She noticed a navigation app, so that should be easy. Is two hours enough time? "I'm rather new to Leakey Resort. Is two hours enough time to get there from the beach? I'm on..."

She looks around for a street sign and names it when she finds one.

The street sign says "Vaccines Boulevard". "Well, yes. There's a subway station that can get you here in 20-odd minutes, you just need to find the entrance. It's next to the bakery". And looking around reveals a bakery with all kinds of cupcakes and chocolate cakes and bread on the shelves, right next to a door that blends into the omnipresent skyscrapers, with a simple pictogram of a subway on it.

"Thank you so much. That time is perfect then. What info do you need from me?"

"Well, you can tell me your age, expectations, and any prior experience with transitioning, whether that's hormones, blockers, or even just wearing affirming clothes. While we're on the phone anyway."

"Thirty-one, expect hormones to produce gradual fat redistribution over months to years and breast growth determined by my genetics over a similar timespan, expect hormones won't do a thing about my voice or body hair, have some experience wearing a skirt around the house and self-identifying as female in text conversations with friends, no time on hormones or blockers yet."

"Well, those are very sensible expectations. We'll see about the breast growth, but I think we can offer some good surgeries for that. Voices tend to be tough, yes, even if we're getting better every day. But I can share some good news about how well we can deal with the body hair. So you haven't done anything social, or in person, while female presenting? And 0 hormones or blockers yet, do you feel comfortable telling me why?"