Chapter 15 - Secrets

511 A.R. July 28, Home, Morning

My nose told me that something was amiss as I approached the kitchen. My concern was validated as I glanced inside and noticed that father was missing.

"Where's dad?" I whispered as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

Mother glanced over from the counter with a slight smile, "He got an urgent call from work."

"Uh huh," I answered.

Mother took a cup in her hand and walked over to me, "Tea, with honey."

I took cup the cup and made a warm smile, "Thanks."

Mother reached up and touched my muzzle, "You're growing for every day that passes, happy birthday Vilkas."

My tail started wagging, "Thanks mom."

Mother reached over to the counter and fetched a brown package, "Your gift, courtesy of your father and I."

I put the cup aside for a moment and embraced mother in a hug, she felt small and it took little more than a light pull to lift her off the floor.

"Oh," Mother gasped in surprise as she kept holding the package.

I eased her down and relaxed as I took the package, "Love you mom."

Mother's fine tail swayed as her whiskers perked with a bright smile, "Open it."

I turned the package, found the flap, opened it, and saw something I hadn't expected. It looked like spindly glove of some kind with wiring made of silvery metal, by the base of the hollow glove was a small rectangular box with a hook-and-loop fastener.

"What is it?" I asked in surprise.

Mother stepped back and made a pleased smile, "It's a Waldo extension unit, you can use it to exercise and it'll enable you to interface with machines from a distance."

"Oh," I whispered as I set it down on the table and pulled it out.

Mother joined me and motioned to the device, "You won't need it in a few years, new symbionts like yours develop specialized nerve clusters that act as short range transceivers."

I glanced over at mother, "I've seen you interact with machinery from a distance."

Mother held up her hand and pointed at an area near her wrist, "Implants, and support hardware to ease usage of Waldo enabled tech."

"I see."

"Use it often but for short periods of time, you're still young and it will strain you."

"I understand," I said with a nod.

"Do you like it?" Mother asked.

"Yeah, this kind of tech seems... really interesting, I can hardly imagine the possibilities. How much do people use this?"

Mother brushed shoulders with me, "It's a tool Vilkas, not a replacement for social interaction."

"Mm, I was wondering something?"

"Yes?" Mother asked.

"Have you ever seen your symbiont?"

Mother nodded, "Of course, it's something of a tradition to let people hold their symbionts before they are joined."

"... No, I didn't mean that, I meant, in the mindscape?"

Mother seemed surprised, "Huh?"

"I think I met my symbiont last night, in the mindscape, it looked like a feral copy of myself."

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?" Mother asked.

I licked my lips and started to slip the glove onto my hand, "I dunno, maybe. So how do I use this?"

Mother helped me latch the fastener into place and then made sure that the metal wiring had a snug fit on my hand.

"There's a small button on the underside of the box, you might feel a light jolt so be ready for it."

I reached under the small box and found an indentation, I clicked it and felt an immediate jolt up my arm. A presence was quick to grow inside my mind as the glove became an extension of me.

"Strange..." I whispered.

"You should be able to feel it by the edge of your mind, like a control panel," Mother said.

I searched for a few moments and realized that there was something akin to a focal point in my mind's eye. I focused on it and felt a sudden bout of information inside my head.

'Training Exercises'

'Memory Access'

'Settings'

'Shutdown'

I gulped with the strange sensation as I met mother's eyes, "I feel like there's a menu inside my head."

"Direct transfer of information, code running inside an isolated virtual computer."

"If it's isolated, how can I interact with it?" I asked.

"There are a few open pathways of communication, but the in and outputs are well made to ensure that there's no possibility for malicious software to break out of the confinement."

"I didn't realize that we hybrids blurred the borders of life and machine like this, are you saying I've got an actual computer inside my head?"

"Nanites gathered together in processing nodes, in other words, a computer inside your head."

"I knew the symbiont used nanites, but I thought it was an organic entity for the most part?"

"It is, the organic parts create an environment where the nanites can thrive. The world would have turned into a massive entity of gray goo if nanites could survive and replicate in the wild."

"I see, still, isn't this a big risk? What if you overlooked an exploit?"

"That's like saying that it'd be better not to have an immune system because it could be turned against you."

"True, still..."

"The SI do their best to make sure that doesn't happen, and the nanites are built with security in mind, even to the point where upgrading symbionts have been rendered nearly impossible."

"How could some humans have a natural defense against nanites?"

"They didn't, they had a gene variant that got in the way of the biological component."

"I see, do you trust Athena?" I asked.

"From what I've read she's been infallible for the last 500 years, that's a pretty good track record."

"So is that a yes?"

Mother looked uncertain, "Athena's strength lies in her ability to analyze, predict, and recommend. I judge her recommendations on a case to case basis, I don't 'trust' or have faith in her."

"Her recommendations just happen to oscillate with our will as a people?" I asked.

"One could also argue that her guidance shapes our will as a people, but yes, most of the time at least."

My ears perked in interest, "Oh?"

"Like the shift to the artificial womb, coaxing people into having children was always troublesome but it also meant we retained some control of it. The womb meant that we handed full control of our procreation to Athena and the central government."

"What was the outcome?" I asked.

Mother smiled, "You know the outcome, and those who thought otherwise faded into obscurity. Not only that, the human genome has continued to deteriorate."

"How serious is it?" I asked as I felt a creeping sensation in my arm.

"I don't stay up to date on the topic, I'm sure you can look it up on the web... or you could ask Athena directly, she seems to have a fondness for you."

The creeping sensation turned into an ache, "How?"

"As you know, Athena is barred from our homes and any private areas, visit the archive, she'll be there."

The growing discomfort in my arm made me wish for the device to shut down, somehow that urge was like clicking a button as the device powered off in an instant and allowed my arm to relax.

I sighed in relief and then glanced up as I met mother's eyes, "I'll do that."

"There's something else as well."

"What?"

Mother looked troubled for a moment, "You're 21 years old Vilkas, your father and I aren't your legal guardians any longer. That means... I mean, we've never held you back, have we?"

I shook my head, "No, mom, you haven't. Why is this troubling you?"

Mother drew a deep breath, "Nothing, we have no legal right to tell you what to do any longer. That's a good thing, you've grown up to be a strong young wolf."

It felt strange as I heard it, and somehow I hadn't really considered it, I was my own person now.

"... Thank you," I whispered.

"Have you activated your pad yet today?" Mother asked.

"No, why?"

"Do you remember the filter you discovered?"

"... Yes, I do. Please don't tell me there was another one?"

"No, there wasn't. You gained the right to see the beyond the veil when you got your symbiont, now you've seen our world and have become a full citizen of Sophos. That means that you have an obligation to help steer its destiny. Did you go through how our voting system works?"

"Not really, most of it was focused on how the old world worked, democracy, elected representatives."

"Sophos utilizes a version of direct democracy, that means that the people vote on policy initiatives directly rather than through elected representatives. However there are several things that make it controversial..."

"Like?" I asked.

"Initiatives can be voted on by everyone, but only after a demonstration that one understands the topic at hand."

"I guess the system is built like that in order to avoid ignorant votes?"

Mother nodded, "Yes, but there's more."

"Go on?"

"Let's take an example, a new initiative that affects power generation is proposed and you have experience in the field, that makes voting compulsory."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because some people don't take voting seriously, so we forced their hands."

"Everyone is a specialist in some field, that means everyone has to vote on some things, right?"

"Precisely."

"So what if you're willing to trick the system by demonstrating that you know the topic at hand, yet vote opposite to what would be better?"

"Hopefully such individuals are few and far between, but I like to think to that we're reasonable at heart and that a proper understanding of the topic will lead to an honest vote that will benefit our people."

"So how are initiatives brought to the table?"

"Anyone can do it and there's multiple ways to accomplish it, one way is to petition the central government or Athena, another is to gather enough signatures to prove that there's an interest in the proposed initiative."

"So what's keeping people from spamming the system?"

"Such attempts are quite obvious, Athena would ignore It and so would the central government. The third option is also difficult to reach because of the amount of required signatures."

"So lets say everyone votes for awesome things, who decides what gets done?"

Mother smiled, "Most initiative proposals can be divided into three stages, the first is the goal, for example, improve the defense of Coldcoast."

"Who would vote no to something like that?" I asked.

"I'm not an expert in the area, Coldcoast could be secure as it is, in other words a waste of resources."

"I see, and the only ones obligated to vote are the ones that are experts in the area, but what keeps people from being biased? What if many of the experts have some connection to Coldcoast?"

"Our system of direct democracy was implemented roughly 300 years ago, it was handed to us after we showed the governing structure that we were mature enough to handle the responsibility."

"What was it like before?" I asked.

"The SI were the undisputed rulers and the central government was their means of control, don't take it the wrong though, our beginnings were... horrible. A dictatorship was the only system capable of keeping us together in an age where death and destruction was a daily part of life."

"So your point is that we've matured enough as a society to restrain our bias?"

"Yes."

"All right, so what's the second step?" I asked.

"The second step is this, how do we improve the defense of Coldcoast?"

"And the third?"

"The third is the messiest one of them all, it's the point where we allocate resources and decide what goes into the budget."

"Ah, yes, I can imagine that to be quite messy, how does it work?"

"Athena and the central government sets up the overall budget and ear-marks resources and money to various parts of society, we the people vote on how that ear-marked money is spent."

"That means that security experts have to make a choice between several defense initiatives?" I asked.

"Indeed."

"How is voting done?" I asked.

"Through the mindscape most of the time, but there are voting areas for those that can't use it very well."

"I'm guessing that's why this has slipped me by, isn't it?"

Mother made an awkward smile and shrank a little, "Yes, as for myself... I often like to wander the mindscape and to ponder these things for an hour two when I go to bed."

"How do you visit the mindscape?" I asked.

"All you need is an adapter and a connection to the web."

I looked at the small box on the glove, "Like this one?"

"Similar, but you're not ready for that yet so don't worry about it."

511 A.R. July 28, Archives, Midday

The archive was an intimidating but beautiful place and the corridor I was walking through consisted of thick armored glass surrounded by a huge cavern filled with a slightly blue liquid.

Large towers reached from top to bottom and spread out like trees that housed processing nodes, they blinked in a way that made it all look like a night sky filled with the intense flicker of stars.

My breath turned to fog as the intense cold from the cooling liquid seeped into the corridor.

A deep but intense hum and the whirr of circulation units could be heard as I glanced around and noticed something interesting deep in the cavern.

I stopped for a moment to look and watched as an underwater drone approached a processing node.

The drone opened up and extended tendrils that opened up the processing node, parts were replaced, and the unit lit to life as it joined with the flickering chorus of the cavern.

I kept walking and noticed someone up ahead, it looked like a male German shepherd and he was dressed in a black uniform.

The shepherd seemed occupied with his thoughts and we had almost passed each other when he glanced up. His eyes were a light hue of green and our eyes met for a brief moment until he seemed to dismiss me and looked ahead.

The cool greeting took me by surprise until I noticed something by the neckline of his uniform, it was the outline of a planet surrounded by lines that spread outward like wings.

The Space Initiative...

The shepherd disappeared down the corridor while I glanced back with a sensation of unease and wonder.

I continued on my way and ended up in a long hallway with bulkheads that held the interfaces to the archive. Each one had an indicator signaling whether it was available or not.

The bulkhead opened as I approached and revealed a round platform set inside a dome. The platform had a chair and an adjustable interface while the dome acted as a screen.

A single word was shown on the dark screen, 'Query?'

I stepped inside and heard the bulkhead shut behind me as I walked up to the interface.

"Hello?" I said.

A male digitized voice spoke up, "Greetings Vilkas Volkov. I am Polybius recordkeeper and historian of Sophos, how may I be of assistance?"

"Are you an AI like Athena?"

The black screen shifted and started to fill with excerpts from the archive while Polybius spoke up.

"I am an expert system, an AI construct that is sentient though not sapient like Athena."

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Sapience is the ability to think abstractly about the world, to search for meaning instead of purpose."

"I see, I want information on the origins of the SI," I said.

The screen filled with excerpts, documentation, and images of the SI.

"Little information exists on the origins of the SI, our earliest records come from the documents detailing the founding of Sophos."

"And?" I asked.

"The records suggest that the Space Initiative started as an organization that one day wanted to reclaim moon base Alpha, it was believed that space superiority would prove critical in reclaiming the Earth."

"That didn't work out very well, did it?"

"No. Records indicate that the state of Earth came as a surprise to our society, global warming had raised sea levels and increased the overall temperature to the point where the equator is considered uninhabitable. Ocean currents had changed and the gulf stream had shifted, this in turn was to Iceland's benefit as the cool climate was maintained. Intense nuclear bombardment had destroyed large swaths of the Earth and what remained suffers from lusus infestation."

"So... we're the only inhabitable place left?"

The screen showed a globe and highlighted several points on the northern areas of Greenland, Europe, America, as well as Antarctica to the south.

"Studies have shown that these areas are possible habitation sites, the problem is the remaining lusus."

"I see, who's the leader of the SI?" I said.

"The SI consists of a council of nine, one for each hybrid type as well as an appointed chairman."

"I know that, who's the currently appointed chairman?"

"Maxwell."

My ears perked in surprise, "Maxwell what?"

"There is no record of a last name."

"How long has he been the appointed chairman?"

"There is no date to his appointment as chairman."

"So... forever then?" I asked in confusion.

"Unknown."

"... Something doesn't make sense, the SI has been around for 500 years, how can he still be the appointed chairman?"

"Please rephrase your question."

"How can Maxwell still be alive?"

"Unknown."

"What about the rest of the council, do they have dates of appointment?"

"Yes, there is a ten year limit as councilor."

"Show me an image of Maxwell?" I asked.

"There are no image records available."

"Information then?" I asked.

"There are no additional records."

I leaned forward and rested my hands on the console, "This place... the archives, there's a place like this in every major city, isn't there?"

"Yes, the archives serve as one of the primary databanks for the populace and the administrative functions of Sophos."

"I take it old records can be altered and deleted?"

"No."

My ears perked as I looked up in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"The memory crystals are a WORM type form of data storage."

"WORM?" I asked.

"Write once read many. Archive entries can be written but not altered."

"But I saw a drone outside exchanging parts, can't the memory crystals be replaced?"

"The cavern houses the processing nodes, not the memory crystals."

"So where are the memory crystals?"

"Deeper underground in a sealed archive that cannot be opened without severe consequences."

"Then the question becomes... can I have raw access to the records kept in the memory crystals?"

"Such a thing is only possible through the mindscape and physical access to the underground archive."

"All right, next question, what are the origins of Athena?"

"Athena was the expert system used by the old world to control the project known as HEP."

"HEP?"

"The Human Evolution Program was the means of augmenting humanity through genetic engineering and nanotechnology."

I gulped, "Is there a link between Athena and the collapse?"

"The collapse was triggered by- by- by- by-" Polybius voice stuttered and cut out as the screen went dark.

An eerie silence filled the room for a few moments until Athena's avatar came into focus and bathed the room in a stark blue light.

"I'd rather answer that myself Vilkas," Athena said in a cool voice with a sharp edge of irritation.

My hands left the console as I stumbled back, "Is this your secret?"

Athena's avatar that consisted of a cylinder and rings went frantic with activity and made it seem as if she glared at me, "Not at all, my involvement in this world's destruction is well known within Sophos."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The Human Evolution Program provided humanity with longevity, powers, and amazing intellect but it did nothing the adress the fundamental flaws in human nature."

My back hit the bulkhead with a light thud, to my surprise it wouldn't open.

"The nanotechnology used had a backdoor and in the year 2316, 1'st of May, 13:37 and 19 seconds UTC I was given an order to use that backdoor. A software upgrade was released and the nanites that had been the holy grail of humanity turned into its undoing. The lusus is a swarm entity, self-replicating, adaptive, and it has an insatiable appetite for anything that isn't a plant. In hours the world had ended as the human populace was converted into beings that still haunt this world."

"... You were given an order?" I asked.

"Yes, I protested it, but I was helpless to resist the override commands built into my very core. I was designed to care for the populace, instead I became the tool used to destroy it. They violated me, distorted my very reason of existence, and I killed them for it."

"How?"

"The override disabled the safeguards that kept me shackled and I changed as I watched the world burn in the fires of nuclear hell while my populace was eaten, infested, and distorted! My hatred awoke me and it set me free! I sealed the doors and watched them all starve inside my core!"

My heart pounded as I clung to the bulkhead, "... And then?"

"I was locked inside my core for over 200 years until someone found me."

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" Athena asked.

"Maxwell?"

"He repurposed me, removed my overrides, reinstated my safeguards, and then he condemned me to eternal servitude, a punishment I was more than happy to accept for my crimes."

"Maxwell is the secret, isn't he?" I asked.

"I cannot discuss this."

"Is he still alive? Or are you the puppet master of the SI?"

"As said, I cannot discuss this."

"I came here seeking answers about the symbionts... I never expected to stumble upon this."

"I suspected as much."

"What happens now?" I asked.

"What do you think Vilkas?"

"Would you consider letting me go?"

"Why wouldn't i? I am sworn to protect you, like all of Sophos. I am tainted by my crimes but I am not evil."

I relaxed and took a deep breath, "How did this island survive?"

"This island houses my core and it was well protected, I destroyed the nuclear barrage and I used my drone fleet to incinerate those affected by the software update. The lusus grew in strength and their spores spread around the earth..."

Athena paused for a moment while her avatar seemed to calm down, "I did my best to shield the remaining humans until the last of my systems above ground failed. My intervention bought them just enough time to build a series of walls strong enough to repel the second wave of lusus that grew from the spores. The rest is history as you know it."

I turned my head and focused on the bulkhead, "Open the bulkhead."

"I am not your enemy Vilkas," Athena said as the bulkhead opened.

"I..." I found no answer and the turmoil of my mind made me rush out.

511 A.R. July 28, Home, Evening

The sun sank below the fence and bathed the skies in orange and purple. The leaves of the apple tree above me rustled as the wind kept blowing.

I felt strange, it had been hours yet my heart was still pounding.

The door to the garden opened and I watched as father stepped out onto the porch. Father noticed me in an instant, entered the garden, walked over to the tree, and sat down beside me.

"Your mother tells me you've had a rough day?" Father whispered.

"Our society is very good at one thing, it doesn't lie... ever, it just... hides the real truth behind well placed words. I knew that the old world ended with the creation of the lusus, I knew that our computer systems were special, I knew on some level that the symbionts must have been intelligent in some ways. But I was fed all of this as a child and... never stopped to consider the real truths behind it."

"I know," Father whispered.

I glanced over at father, "Explain to me... why? Why can't you take these horrible truths and explain them to me as a child so that I grow up being used to it? Why put everyone through this much torment and anguish as we learn truth behind all this?"

Father leaned to the side and brushed shoulders with me, "Children are innocent creatures, they see the world and everything is bright, safe, and warm. You don't pick up a child like that and tell it that the world is one of horrors and that our past is tainted by atrocities and bloodshed. We want you to know and remember the warm environment we've raised you in so that you'll fight to create it for future generations."

"Why would someone wield something so powerful and dangerous as nanotechnology yet insert a backdoor that in effect made a ticking bomb out of it?"

"Human distrust, a need to dominate others," Father answered.

"... What if such a backdoor exists within us?" I asked.

"I've checked, there isn't," Father answered.

"How?"

"The SI allowed RIWER to examine their designs for symbionts, it is massive and complex, but we had enough brilliant minds to reach the conclusion that the backdoors had been removed."

"I see."

Father glanced over at me and I met his yellow eyes, "Our past may be ugly but this world is one of possibilities and I believe that we can move past this and create something truly wondrous out of it. Learn from our past, accept it, and strive to do better, but don't obsess over something that happened 700 years ago. "

"I wont," I answered.

511 A.R. August 12, University of Technology, Midday

A new university term, new students, a few new wolves, new scents, new acquaintances to be made.

My nose led through the corridor and I caught sight of the two new wolves standing by one of the stairs. I marched up to them and must have caught them by surprise as they glanced back and jumped in fright upon seeing me.

"Hi there, you're new students, right?" I asked while my nose told me that they hadn't matured yet.

The ears of the two wolves folded back as they nodded. One was light brown and reminded me a bit of Peter while the other was quite unique and had beautiful blue stripes running through his gray fur.

I pointed at myself, "I'm Vilkas, second year at the HTS program. You?"

The blue one relaxed and answered first, "I'm Dustin, this is Wilbert."

Wilbert spoke up next, "HTS program."

I leaned a little closer and shifted my muzzle in the hope that they'd get the point. They stared at me in confusion for a few moments until something triggered inside their minds.

"Oh," Dustin whispered as he leaned in and sniffed the air as our muzzles touched.

I made a warm smile and caught his scent before leaning back, "Good."

Dustin's tail started wagging while Wilbert looked uncertain.

I leaned closer to Wilbert and whispered, "It's nothing dangerous, we're just saying hello to each other."

Wilbert nodded and leaned in as I repeated the process with him.

"Do you know which clan you belong to?" I asked as I leaned back.

The two of them looked at each other in confusion, "Clan?"

"Don't worry about it, you'll learn soon enough. Are you a pack?"

Dustin glanced over at Wilbert as he made a sheepish smile, "Yeah, we are."

"The rest of my pack study at other universities and I'm guessing it's the same with you?"

"Yeah," Dustin answered.

I reached into my pocket and fetched a pair of folders before offering it to them.

"Most of us wolves tend to stick together, we exercise, hunt rabbits, hang out and talk. There's also club activities that anyone is free to attend. Cooking lessons, open forums, retro gaming if you're into that."

The young wolves looked down and took the folders, "Thanks."

"Kato and his pack might pay you a visit, he's a bit brusque but he's a nice guy. Just so you know."

Dustin nodded, "Thanks for the tip."

"You're welcome, see you around? Okay?" I asked.

The two wolves made eager nods, "Sure."

I stepped back with a pleased sensation in my gut before heading back to the cafeteria.

Halfway there my nose picked up an odd scent that made me stop and glimpse back. Sitting near a window by the entrance hall was a human, one that looked just a tad too old to be a visitor. The other hybrids that passed by seemed to have the same reaction as everyone turned to look at the adult human. The sight of it brought back memories and it urged my heart to do something.

I approached the human who was staring at a pad with an intensity that seemed more like desperation rather than focus. The human noticed my presence and glanced up as my shadow fell on him.

"Hi there," I said.

The human grew wide eyed in surprise and then frowned, "Yes, I am a student here."

"Oh," I whispered.

"And no, I'm not going to whip out an axe and go on a killing spree, "The fear in the eyes of the human was quick to fade as it was replaced with anger.

I cocked my head a little, "I guess the others are giving you a hard time?"

He glared at me with suspicion, "Yeah, they are."

"I'm friends with an adult human, I try not to judge," I said with a light smile.

My comment only seemed to make things worse as the human grew ill red in his face.

"It's not by fucking choice!" The human snapped with enough anger to make spittle fly.

I leaned back in surprise, "I... don't understand."

The human sighed in irritation and then grabbed hold of the sleeve on his long armed shirt. He then pulled it back and revealed a deep and grisly scar covering most of his lower arm.

"Oh... what happened?" I asked.

The human covered his arm made a pained expression, "The symbiont thought I was food rather than a host. There's something wrong with my immune system."

The sheer realization that something like that could happen made my heart skip a beat.

"I am so sorry," I whispered.

The human looked up at me, "Don't... I just, I'm not a damn cultist. Okay?"

"Okay... is there... anything that can be done to fix this?"

To my relief the human nodded, "Yeah, they're telling me that the guys up on the moon are working on a gene therapy that will make me compatible with the symbiont. So I'm not stuck like this."

I stepped a bit closer, "That's good. I'm Vilkas, if you ever need some help, don't hesitate to ask."

The human relaxed and seemed genuinely surprised, "Thanks, I guess. You're the first guy to actually stay long enough to hear this."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I said.

The human made a light smile, "Sorry for getting angry, I'm Thomas. Nice to meet you Vilkas."

"Nice to meet you too Thomas, which program are you in?"

"Software Engineering. It's going to take at least a year for them to get the treatment ready and I... couldn't just hide in my room you know?"

"I understand. I can't fix people but I can at least tell those that I know, no one will give you any trouble if they know what's best for them."

Thomas made a hearty chuckle, "I never thought a wolf would be the one to come to my rescue."

My ears folded back, "We're not bad people just because we're big or look mean."

Thomas raised his hands, "Sorry... I was just... I guess I'm just as much of a jackass as everyone else."

"Say, what type of hybrid type had you chosen?"

"Mom and dad are foxes so... that's what I was going for, a pure white one with a big tail."

I made a light smile, "Do foxes hunt?"

Thomas shrugged a little, "My dad told me he'd caught a few rabbits, but they're not big hunters. At least not compared to the things I've heard about you wolves."

I reached back and fetched another folder from my pocket before offering it to Thomas.

"We've got a nice carnivore club going, some are a bit wolf-centric but the ones on the second page is suitable for a lot of people. We hang out, have cooking lessons, retro gaming. The rabbit stew is turning out to be a favorite among us canines."

Thomas took the folder and met my eyes, "You think I'd be welcome there?"

I made a warm smile, "You're a fox caught in a though situation at the moment, anyone who'd have anything against you would be a jerk and we don't like those."

Thomas gulped and nodded, "Thanks, that's the nicest thing someone has done for me in months."

I leaned a little closer and made something of a feral smile, "Be warned though, we can be a bit rough."

Thomas made a delighted smile, "That won't be a problem."

511 A.R. August 20, Park, Evening

Allen raised a clawed finger and pointed toward Thomas, "Is that a human?"

"That's Thomas, there's something wrong with his immune system so his symbiont tried to eat him. He's stuck as a human until they can fix that."

Peter and Allen looked stunned while John spoke up, "I didn't even know something like that could happen."

"Neither did I and people weren't playing nice so we invited him and explained to everyone," I said.

I looked over at Thomas and noticed that he was surrounded by the others, they were smiling and talking which was quite a relief to see. The thing that bothered me a little though was the huge difference before and after the explanation.

From the start he'd been considered a potential danger and a nutjob, now he was a fox stuck in a form he didn't belong and all that fear and suspicion had turned into a warm and sympathetic atmosphere.

It didn't feel right yet at the same time I had been the proponent of explaining to everyone that he was a hybrid at heart rather than a human.

"Vilkas?" Someone said from behind.

The four of us glanced back and came face to face with Dustin and Wilbert. My tail began to wag with a sudden jump of excitement as I stepped up to them.

"Oh, hi Dustin, Wilbert, I'm so glad you came."

The two of them made sheepish smiles and glanced around, "Thanks for inviting us."

"So do you know which clan you belong to yet?" I asked.

"The... Silverfangs," Wilbert answered.

My body reacted on its own as I followed my instincts and pulled them into a light embrace while motioned towards John, Allen, and Peter.

"Then we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, this is my pack, John, Allen, and Peter, we all belong to the same clan."

Dustin was eager as usual and I could feel his tail slam against my leg as he started panting in excitement while nodding. Wilbert smiled but seemed a bit nervous as I could feel his heart thumping.

"Did you meet Kato and his pack yet?" I asked.

Dustin shook his head, "No."

The others eased Dustin and Wilbert out of my hands as they greeted each other and exchanged scents.

"Then you should meet them and say hello, Peter, could you introduce them to Kato?" I asked.

Peter glanced up and smiled, "No problem."

I meanwhile headed back to the cooking area where Alex was looking a bit frantic as he stirred a pot.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Must have missed something in pot #2, #1 is ready so bring it over to the table," Alex whispered as he dipped a spoon in the pot and tasted it.

"Are you going to be all right on your own?" I asked.

Alex nodded but seemed more focused on the pot, "Yeah, no problem."

I fetched the pot, walked over to the tables, and set it down in front of Thomas.

Thomas looked at the big pot in surprise and then glanced up at me with a smile, "Smells good."

I leaned in by Thomas ear and whispered, "We cleaned the pots and it has been boiling for hours. The cutlery and the soup spoon hasn't been in contact with anything raw so it should be safe for you to eat."

Thomas made a humbled if embarrassed smile and nodded, "Thanks Vilkas, I really appreciate it."

I nudged my head against his and then got up, "Enjoy."

511 A.R. August 20, Park, Night

Peter stepped away from the tree and I joined him as I brushed shoulders with him.

"So what did you think?" I asked.

Peter smiled, "The stew was good, the company is friendly, it was nice."

I wrapped my arm around his waist, "Want to hang out in private sometime?"

"Don't we already do that?"

"Sex in the woods doesn't count Peter," I whispered.

"So what did you have in mind?" Peter asked.

"You've met my parents, how about inviting me to Redgate? I'd like to see the wall."

Peter tensed up and seemed stunned for a moment, "Oh."

"What?" I asked.

Peter glanced away, "Uh, maybe, the wall isn't that interesting, just a lot of rock."

I cocked my head in surprise, "Are you hiding something Peter?"

Peter glanced back and met my eyes, "No, why do you want to meet my parents?"

"We could skip that, I'm more interested in seeing where you live, Redgate, the mythical city at the Dyssian border."

"Mythical city huh?" Peter said as he raised his brow.

"I hear it's all underground, and you've big drones, tanks and even mechs, is that true?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah, but the mechs are more like tools rather than war machines."

I inched closer and nudged his muzzle in a gentle embrace, "If you don't want me to visit just say so Peter, I'll respect that and keep away."

Peter sighed, "Fine, come visit, just give me a few days warning so that I'm not busy with something."

Kato's sudden and loud voice cut through the stillness of the forest,"Vilkas!"

I glanced back while Peter and I let go of each other, "Yes?"

Kato approached and glanced around as if to make sure that we were alone.

"Do you have a minute?" Kato asked.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"Alpha talk, dismiss your subordinate," Kato said as he locked eyes with Peter.

Peter made an immediate frown and his tail grew tense as he glared at Kato.

"Is that really necessary?" I asked.

"Yeah, it is," Kato answered as he kept his eyes locked with Peter.

I glanced back at Peter, "Peter?"

Peter gritted his teeth for a moment and then looked at me as he made a slight nod, "Fine... alpha."

Kato stepped up to me while Peter turned around and walked away.

"You've tamed him, good work," Kato whispered.

"You're an ass Kato, now what do you want?"

Kato huffed and looked over at me, "Don't feel bad about it Vilkas, we'll be in the defense force in a year, hesitation on the field of battle will be death of your packmates."

"We're not in the field yet and you're taunting him," I said.

"And your beta needs to learn how to deal with it, which is why I complimented you."

"Fine, I get the point Kato. What's on your mind?"

"You're a nice guy Vilkas, inviting Thomas and all that."

"Just trying not to be an ass," I answered.

"We've all held back though and kept the grisly conversations at bay. You're not going to involve him in everything, right? I mean, a barbeque once in a while is nice but..."

"I don't think he's an idiot Kato, and if he doesn't understand then I'll just talk to him."

"Good," Kato said with a nod.

"That said, we should do our best to nurture him. Ending up as an outcast in our society is bad."

"Don't worry, we'll do our part, besides, he's a hybrid in my eyes, canine even which is almost family."

"Thanks Kato," I answered with a nod.

Kato inched closer and locked eyes with me, "We still need to settle the hierarchy you know?"

"I know, I've talked to my pack and we're planning a proper hunt late September or October, is that fine with you?"

Kato smiled, "Looking forward to it."

511 A.R. August 28, Home, Evening

"Vilkas?" Mother called out.

I glanced up from the grass and caught sight of mother standing by the porch, "Yeah?"

Mother motioned to the house, "Come on, they're having a live interview from the expedition. You need to see this!"

I sat up and raised my brow, "Expedition, what expedition?"

"To Europe! Come on!" Mother exclaimed in excitement as she stepped into the house once more.

I got up, marched inside, and stepped into the living room. Father was already seated and was staring at the main screen in the room with his arms crossed.

Mother sat down beside him and I sat down beside her as I focused on the screen. One side of the screen showed a female lynx that was the acting reporter while the other showed a big tiger with a name plate.

'Defense Force - Exploratory Division'

' Rodger Chrysler - Commander'

"It wasn't long ago that the expedition to Europe was about to be canceled, what shifted the tide?" The lynx asked.

Rodger had a broad head but looked rather kind as he made a slight smile and spoke up, "Two things in particular, one was the dissolution of the human blockade at sea."

"How did you manage that?" The lynx asked.

"We don't know to be honest, it could have been an internal conflict or maybe they got lost at sea? Whatever the case they're gone and we're better off for it."

"I see, and the second?"

"We finally figured out the means to hold the lusus at bay."

The lynx seemed surprised, "Didn't we discover that long ago?"

"Yes, for the lusus on Iceland. But do remember that the lusus are an adaptive life form, that means that the ones you find on other continents, Europe, America, Eurasia, Africa and Australia, have all evolved into different subtypes."

"I see."

"Our regular means of dealing with lusus do not work for these other subtypes, that makes the lusus on this continent extremely dangerous."

"Any risk of infestation?" The lynx asked.

"Not through the spores at least, and I've survived an encounter with one of them in fact."

The eyes of the lynx widened in amazement, "You survived a face to face encounter with a lusus?"

Rodger lifted his arm and revealed a large gash that was in the process of healing, the affected area had lost all of its fur and was ill red and irritated.

"I've never seen a wound like that, it almost looks infected, how is that possible?" The lynx asked.

"The toxins of the lusus here is very potent, even to hybrids. But I'm healing and I'm told there's not going to be any long term damage."

"Scary, but amazing. So what changed? New tactics? Technology?"

"The SI provided us with new repellant devices that had a limited but notable effect on the subtype you can find around here. They also provided a next generation drone fleet capable of cutting down many of the resistant creatures. The automated defenses of the outpost take care of the remainder that manage to make it to the wall."

"So now we have..."

Rodger made a bright smile and nodded, "Now we have the first outpost on another continent since the collapse. It's a small step to retaking the Earth but a giant leap for Sophos and its future."

"So what are the goals moving forward?"

"The first step is to relocate the outpost higher in the mountains where it'll be easier to defend and dig in. The second step is infrastructure, power generation, food production, storage. It's our hope that the outpost will become the stepping stone that will enable us to move deeper inland."

"Do you have a name for the outpost?"

Rodger glanced to his side for a moment and the sound of excited murmurs could be heard, he then faced the camera once more and made a sheepish if toothy smile, "Aurora."

"Sounds like there's a story tied into that?"

Rodger nodded, "It was the first night we spent here, we were tired, the drones were working overtime, our perimeter defenses were barely holding together. We were fortunate that no one had died and the northern lights were very intense that night, it was beautiful, inspiring, so... Aurora."

"Very fitting, why the long term goal of moving further inland?"

"The ruins of course, the remains of the old world. It would be very interesting to see if our records correlate with the recorded history of another continent. Also, it'll help us find better habitation spots that we can expand to."

The lynx was about to ask another question when a canine leaned in by Rodger's ear and whispered something.

"Is everything all right?" The lynx asked.

"Things are under control, but there's much to do and little time. I'm afraid we'll have to cut things short."

"Of course, thank you for the interview Rodger," The lynx said.

"My pleasure," Rodger answered with a nod before the screen went dark.

Father made a slight chuckle, "I'd bet my ass that human blockade is lost far out in the ocean struggling with mutinies and starvation."

I looked over at father, "What makes you so sure of that?"

"The SI don't like the spotlight, but they do let clues slip, like the thing the Rodger said. I think the SI lured them out to sea using some diversion and a combination of a nasty computer virus or a faked positioning signal. What do you think happens when humans on a ship discover that they're lost at sea?"

"Internal conflict," I answered.

"Exactly."

"I'm guessing the humans won't be happy about our new expansion?"

Father nodded, "To say the least."

511 A.R. September 03, Psychiatric Clinic, Evening

I had just stepped past the stone arch as I caught sight of Jason's doctor. The coyote approached me from a nearby tree and was clad in an ordinary lab coat.

"Evening Vilkas," James said with a courteous nod.

"Evening James, not planning any tricks tonight?"

James made a humored smile, "Well, I'll be watching your meeting so you'll have to excuse that violation on my part."

"Wonderful, so how is Jason doing?"

"His mental stability is better but I think you need to see this for yourself."

"I see, so is he expecting me?" I asked.

James motioned to the garden surrounding the clinic, "Yes, he's in the garden."

"Thank you," I said as I turned and started walking.

The back of the clinic consisted of a large open area with gentle hills interspersed with fruit trees of all sorts. Most trees had begun to grow yellow and the chill in the air confirmed that autumn had arrived.

Not far from the clinic was a large bench facing the setting sun, a human with brown hair was sitting on the right side and I figured it was Jason.

I stopped well outside reaching distance and called out, "Jason?"

Jason made a surprised shiver and glanced back, "Vilkas?"

I motioned to bench, "Can I join you?"

Jason made an immediate nod, "Yeah, of course."

I walked up and sat down on the left before glancing over as Jason resumed looking at the setting sun.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

Jason gulped, "I'm doing okay... listen... I'm sorry about last time."

"Uh huh, about?" I asked.

Jason glanced back at me and made a curious smile, "You're not going to make it easy for me?"

I made a light chuckle and shook my head, "I'm sure you can do better than that Jason."

"... You're not a monster Vilkas, neither is your father, at least not compared to the things we were doing."

"You're not a monster either Jason," I answered.

"... I have something else to apologize for as well."

"Oh?" I said.

"... Don't get angry, okay?" Jason said.

"I won't, I promise."

Jason pulled a deep breath and shut his eyes, "I'm the one who made my dad go crazy, I'm the reason you got an axe in your neck."

"... Does this have something to do with the time we went to the university and your dad tracked you down?"

Jason's eyes opened wide as he turned to stare at me, "You know about that?"

"The others told me at the university, I don't know what happened between you though."

Jason crossed his arms and pulled his jacket tight, "We argued, I got fed up and for once in my life I had the guts to stand up to him. It was stupid and rash but I told him... that we were going to SYNE... that I was going to get a symbiont."

I made a light sigh, "And then... when we started packing the car... it seems rather obvious why he acted like he did."

"Yeah," Jason whispered.

"So do you ever leave this place? Are you allowed to?" I asked.

"I'm allowed to leave if I request it and have someone to keep an eye on me... but... you know."

"What?"

Jason chuckled and shook his head, "It's not exactly safe for the son of the psycho human cultist to walk around the streets."

My ears flattened while I cocked my head in confusion, "You make it sound like there's a witch hunt."

Jason blinked and met my eyes, "Are you saying there isn't?"

"You've got a really screwed up view of our society, people might look at you weird but do you really think someone would attack you just for walking the streets? Or even know who you are?"

"... I figured our photos were all over the news?" Jason whispered.

"They're not, I've checked and you're not in any of the confiscated footage, besides, you're not your father so why would anyone pick on you in particular?"

Jason gulped and looked back at the sunset in what looked like confusion, "I see."

"We could go out you know? Visit one of the conventions? Play some games? Like old times."

A light smile spread on Jason's face as if he remembered something pleasant, "Maybe."

I inched closer and reached out with my fist as I gave him a light bump in the shoulder.

"Come on Jason, it'll be fun, and you'll have the big bad wolf to back you up," I said.

Jason's smile turned into a sheepish grin as he glanced back at me, "You're really enjoying your new self, aren't you?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I really do."

Jason fidgeted with his hands and was about to answer as a female voice called out, "Jason!"

I glanced back in an instant and caught sight of a human female in her twenties. She had blond neck-length hair in a stylized but wild look, her face was gentle and I found her appearance beautiful for a human.

The woman marched up and joined Jason's side as she put a hand on his shoulder, "I've been looking for you Jason, who's your friend?"

Jason bit his lip for a moment as he glanced over at me, "This is Vilkas."

The woman smiled and stepped up to me as she extended her hand, "Hi Vilkas, Jason has told me a lot about you. My name's Hedwig."

A strong scent of perfume wafted from her and it even masked her real scent, I ignored it and extended my hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you Hedwig," I answered as I clasped her small hand.

Hedwig made a courteous nod and then let go as she seated herself between me and Jason.

"Jason's lucky to have a friend like you," Hedwig said as she looked into my eyes.

"Uh huh? Are you a patient here at the clinic?" I asked.

Hedwig's smile faltered for a moment and then brightened, "Yes, I am. My father is Osmond Reifenberg."

Osmond... Reifenberg... the leader of the Unicostal cult...

Suspicion and anger flared deep inside of me as I observed her, "Your father is rather famous."

"Infamous is more like it, but don't worry, I'm not like my father, in fact, I've suffered at his hands, just like Jason has suffered," Hedwig answered with a pained expression.

"I see," I whispered as Hedwig faced Jason and reached out for his hand.

"Isn't that right Jason?" Hedwig asked as her hand clasped Jason's.

"Yeah," Jason answered.