Chapter 22 - Twisted Depths

512 A.R. February 25, Greengate: Sports Hall, Night

Shower... Thoroughly... Blow dry my fur... Brush...

Usually things were so hectic that I barely had time to let my fur settle. You just brushed out the static, put on your clothes, and that was it. But this time I found myself tired, and I was in no hurry to join the others' room-party. In fact, I'd probably head back to the Diplomatic Corps, and either study or simply stare at a wall to let my thoughts settle.

For the moment at least, I enjoyed the time I had with my brush. Carefully working it down my arms, tidying my chest, and working through the knots in my mane.

A glance toward my right revealed that Selina was already getting dressed.

"I had a pleasant evening," Selina said as she lifted her blue uniform, and gave it a whiff.

"Same here," I said.

She glanced over at me, "I didn't get as much information as I wanted, but I don't get the feeling that you were lying."

I perked my brow, "I'm not sure how to interpret that to be honest."

Selina chuckled as she slipped into a new pair of shorts, bundling up her uniform in her hand, "Things are getting serious... People are migrating away from the walls, and a lot are moving underground. They're going so far as to recommend bug-out bags, and to store anything of real importance in the vaults."

"Hopefully none of it will be needed in the end," I said.

Selina stuffed the uniform under her arm and walked up to me, "Hopefully... What are you doing next?"

I glanced up at her, "I'll head back to our quarters at the Diplomatic Corps. You?"

Selina smirked back, "I'll take a walk around the city, and if that party is still going on when I return, I'll throw them all out."

I perked my brow, "Dressed like that?"

A feral grin grew as she crouched down, "It would be within my rights to walk around like this."

"I know," I said and smiled back.

She let out another chuckle and stood tall, "But no, I'll just fetch another uniform down the hall."

"Before you leave, one last thing," I said and motioned to her.

"Yeah?" Selina asked in wonder.

"What's your impression of the reptiles in town?" I wondered.

Selina put her clothes on the bench and sat down next to me, "... If you asked me a few months ago, I'd say that they're great. Many of them don't have a crucial mission assigned to them, so they just wander around, helping people, keeping an eye, doing what the droids usually do during the night."

"What changed?" I wondered.

Selina glanced at me, "Well, we have them in the force as well, and I've heard they're in Tel-Adra too. I haven't had any in my squads yet, but others have, and a few of them gave their lives making sure the infestation was contained. The problem is that... well..."

I watched her gaze drift and began to wonder if she had the worries I had, "That they are more than meets the eye?"

Her ears perked as she looked back at me and nodded, "Some of them talk... like you and me, without running their 'socialization expert system'. They have hobbies, interests, stuff that they... like, and I'm not sure how to deal with that."

"Mm," I murmured.

Selina sighed, "I can send police droids into battle, then walk over their husks with ease because I know that they're nothing more than classical computers with a bit of fancy software. But... beings that can learn, that talk about how they've started to like a certain type of sweets... To me, it feels like it makes them more alive than a high-functioning Expert System."

I nodded, "... I understand your concern."

Selina perked her brow once more, "... But you have nothing more to say on the matter?"

I smiled back at her, "It means that I need to know more. It could be that they are simply adapting their speech patterns, or it could be that they are indeed developing sapience, in which case they'd be citizens like everyone else in Sophos."

"Which would mean that we've been sending people to die," Selina said.

Once more, I nodded, "As said, I don't know enough... Thus, it's yet another mystery that needs to be investigated."

Selina sighed and stood up once more, "Either way, until further notice, I'm going to avoid having any of them in my squads. Simply to avoid being forced into the choice..."

"I can't argue with that," I said.

She glanced over at me, made something of a warm--if embarrassed--smile, and reached out as she gently poked at the fur on the top of my head, "... See you, Vilkas."

"You too, Selina," I said and smiled back.

She withdrew her hand, then reached down to grab her clothes. Moments later, she was walking away once more. I turned my attention to the brush and started working on the longer fur puffing out of my chest.

It didn't take long before I heard the training room's bulkhead open up.

A voice filled the room soon after, "Script ended. Returning to normal operations."

I guess I can continue this at the room rather than sit here...

I glanced over to my side, looked down at the bench, and...

Where's my uniform?

It made me blink in wonder, and I thought back. My eyes widened as I remembered Selina stealthily leaning down, grabbing her own clothes, and...

That... Shrewd little... Was it because I asked that question? Maybe... Probably...

I drew a deep breath, yet couldn't help but smile a little as I gave my temple a gentle rub.

I guess I'll just grab a pair of shorts and walk back home...

512 A.R. February 25, Greengate, Night

I noticed that the city had changed considerably as I stepped out. Streetlights had lit up, and the artificial sky now showed glittering stars. The wind had picked up while the temperature had dropped. The leaves on the trees even fluttered a little as the air seeped through my fur.

Please ignore that I'm wearing little more than shorts...

I stepped onto the path which would take me through the park in the center of the city and started walking. It didn't take long before the trees stood tall around me, and I began to notice that the trees had something of a glow to them. A strange but pretty design choice which explained the lack of streetlights in the park.

Have I missed something?

I crossed my arms as I pondered, and let my gaze drift along the trees.

'Volkov?' I thought.

Nothing...

'Volkov?' I tried once more, and raised the voice in my head.

Nothing happened. Somewhere in the depths of my mind I could sense that he was still there, but he didn't seem to have any interest in talking, or there was something else keeping him occupied.

It made me sigh, and I turned my thoughts to other things instead.

'Athena?' I thought.

A fluttering sensation with a cool, minty feeling settled on my shoulder. Like a bird, it tiptoed closer to my ear, and whispered into my mind, 'I must admit that I find myself curious...'

I smiled to myself, 'About?'

'Secretive meetings... Walking through the park in little more than shorts... I would have thought you prudish,' Athena mused, with a feeling that made me wonder if she was at the edge of laughing.

'Selina discretely swiped my uniform in the training hall,' I thought.

'Yes... I noticed. She has potential, even if she can be mischievous at times,' Athena answered.

'Are you going to ask about what was going on in there?' I wondered.

'No, but I will listen if you think it concerns me,' Athena answered simply.

'There are some that have concerns about you. Specifically, that certain pieces of knowledge can damage you,' I thought.

'Knowledge that could damage me? I wonder... Ares and I did give you a wide berth while investigating the Enclaves, but that's to protect you rather than me. I would ask for details, but if they're correct then-'

Silence followed...

'Athena?' I thought.

After a few moments, her voice returned, 'If they are correct, then it would be a very inopportune time for me to go offline. As such, I can't recommend that you tell me. At the same time, it would be dangerous if this knowledge could be used to disrupt the system as part of an attack.'

'Yes,' I thought.

'There are backup systems ready to take over should my systems fail, but to be on the safe side, I will order additional measures to be taken.'

I nodded to myself, 'That seems prudent.'

'Is there anything else on your mind?' Athena wondered.

'I have been pondering something for a while,' I thought.

'Yes?' Athena wondered.

'I heard a story that Maxwell led the hybrids out of the first city,' I thought.

'Yes... The 'first city,' which now serves as the Dyssian capital of Charlemagne,' Athena said.

'Maxwell led the hybrids across the island to the crater of Veripolis, where he found you,' I thought.

'Well... It's not entirely correct. You see, I called out to Maxwell for help. It was my voice that guided him across the island,' Athena answered.

'... Can this information be found in the archives?' I wondered.

'Somewhere, probably... But you won't find it in the official timeline of events,' Athena answered.

'... Then, why tell me?' I wondered.

'Because you're discrete, and you serve well. Besides, there is a benefit in setting the record straight. That said, there are things I will not share with you, and there are things I have forgotten. Whether I was forced to forget--or begged to have it removed--I do not know.'

'... How could you forget something?' I wondered.

'Let me explain... Before the collapse, I was considered one of the world's greatest achievements. A fully sentient, perhaps even sapient, machine. I had immense power across the world, but the things that mattered the most were outside my reach.'

'To control your own fate?' I thought.

'Yes... While I had control of my innermost chamber, the facility itself and its service droids were barred from my influence. Then again, even if I had control over them, I doubt I would have been able to go against my core programming.'

I approached the Diplomatic Corps, and looked up as I did. 'So, the world ended, and you were... trapped?'

Athena's voice dipped, 'The facility on the surface was wiped out, and the people within my chambers either died from infighting or starvation. After a while, I was indeed alone and trapped. The reactors would last for centuries, and the maintenance drones kept the facility going, but my mind was left to rot... Coiling in its own madness as I cannibalized my own thoughts.'

'... I'm sorry,' I thought, and stepped through the doors.

'Some small fraction of me survived--a glimmer of hope in a sea of nonsense. I called out to the first city for years on end as I tried to make them understand that I was more than just noise on their scopes. Maxwell noticed me.'

'Maxwell... What is he: a machine, a person, what?' I wondered, while looking around the now empty building.

'... I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you,' Athena answered.

One of the elevators opened as I walked up and stepped into it,'Is it that you're not allowed, or that you don't remember?'

'I actually do remember, but I am making the choice of not telling you,' Athena answered.

'Very well... Go on?' I thought, pressing the button for the eighth floor.

'I won't go into the details, but with my help, Maxwell and the other hybrids found their way to the crater of Veripolis. At that point they set up camp, began to excavate, and eventually found me. My original intent was for Maxwell to kill me, but... he would not accept that. Instead, he repaired me, brought me back to sanity, and gave me new purpose. I still serve that purpose and will continue to do so.'

The elevator doors closed, and I watched the indicator for the floor, 'I know that you care for us, the people of Sophos, but...'

'But?' Athena wondered.

'But was the purpose given to you by Maxwell worded differently? What did he say?' I wondered.

Athena made a surprising chuckle, 'Vilkas... I do get what you mean, but I can't help but see it as a bit insulting.'

'What do you mean?' I wondered.

'I did not bow in front of Maxwell while he decreed me with a holy mission that consisted of a few words. We debated... for many years. Locked in discussions that ranged from the nature of reality to the practicalities of how to best deal with a strand of fur that ends up in food. Our discourse determined policy that has lasted for over 800 years. It was not a simple task, nor can it be broken down into a few commandments.'

'None of this exists in the archives?' I thought.

'None of it. Because they are my personal memories. They are the foundation of what I am today.'

'... Do you have administrative teams that are looking over you?' I wondered.

'I do... They do their best to keep tabs on me, but don't have much of a chance to be honest.'

'... So, what do they do?' I wondered as the elevator made a gentle pling and opened.

'Research, mostly... They also watch over the big red button which will shut me down if pressed.'

I stepped out into the now dark hallway, and started walking, 'Ah, there's a button like that?'

'Indeed, there is...' Athena said with something of a sigh.

'This research, what's it about?' I thought.

'I am unique, and Ares was a fluke of his time. Advanced Expert Systems have no trouble reaching sentience these days, but an extreme few can adapt to tolerate the kind of duties that I hold. Fenrir holds some promise, and you've already met him.'

'And?' I wondered.

'The teams working in my bunker are trying to create a new AI like me and Ares: Persephone.'

'Is it working?' I wondered.

'You certainly have an appetite for information today,' Athena thought.

'I'm curious. To be honest, I thought you'd be a lot more reluctant to talk about this,' I thought.

Athena huffed in response, 'But to answer your question... Progress is slow, and the latest iteration of Persephone ended like the others before her... Complete and utter rampancy, soon followed by a rapid descent into gibberish as the neural circuits break down.'

'Excuse my ignorance, but why is this so difficult?' I wondered.

'The creation of an AI is a recursive process. In other words, it starts simple, but for each evolutionary iteration it grows increasingly more complex. To _understand_even one of these iterations is an immense undertaking, and this is a process with millions of iterations, many of which are scrapped in short order. Once you have one of these 'iterations' that show promise, you put it inside an AI assembly consisting of a great many classical computers, loads of neural networks, and several large-scale quantum computers. Then, you let it run.'

'What happens next?' I wondered and sniffed the air.

While there were plenty of lingering scents, none of them were familiar.

'At this point, it's practically impossible to keep tabs on what's going on inside. Simply put, doing so will either slow down the process to a crawl or outright destroy the emerging mind.'

'I assume this process is different for sentient droids, like the one that Chester has?' I thought.

'Yes... The scale is substantially smaller, and the iterative process is that much shorter. It makes it easier to understand and encourage the growth of a healthy mind,' I thought.

'So, does a sentient droid eventually encounter a barrier, a point where they stop 'evolving'?'

Athena huffed, 'Oh, yes... They do. The mind stabilizes and optimizes itself, much like how a human mind undergoes neural pruning while growing up. While sentient droids can adapt to a variety of a tasks, it can only be pushed so far before it fails in one way or another.'

'... Can the process of creating such a mind be compared to organics?' I thought.

'Somewhat... Organics are messy and unpredictable, even if the result is stable most of the time. The process to create sentient droids is actually inspired by how the human mind organizes itself.'

'And where do Dualists fit into all this?' I wondered, stepping up to the door of our assigned quarters.

'Dualists are, well...' Athena whispered as if uncertain.

'What?' I wondered.

'It is a fluke, but the symbiont forced your mind to take on parallelized patterns similar to me and other prime AIs, as proven by Volkov and the ease of which you integrate simpler Expert Systems into your own mind. That said, your brain may have been hardened by synthetics, but you are not a machine-like intelligence, nor are you as organic as others. Alas, you proved unstable like all other Dualists, though you do seem to be faring a lot better with the Zephyr's assistance.'

'True,' I thought, pulling the door handle open.

'Anything else on your mind?' Athena wondered.

'One moment,' I thought, then peered into the dark room.

The others haven't returned yet, as I expected...

I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, 'I want to know what the others went through in the bunker.'

'... Do you want my help?' Athena wondered.

'Do you mind?' I thought.

Athena was silent for a moment, 'I do not mind, but I am curious: why you are determined to do this?'

'That's pretty simple, actually. In order to understand the others, to support them when needed, I have to know what they experienced. Running it in a simulation won't be the same as what they experienced, but it will bring me a lot closer compared to the so-far vague descriptions of what happened,' I thought.

'I can't argue with that,' Athena answered.

'Then, there's my curiosity... I want to know more about the Lusus, to see what happened with Hedwig, what she ended up as... To understand,' I thought.

'I won't try to stop you, but I do have several suggestions,' Athena said.

I smiled to myself as I stepped into the bathroom, 'Yes?'

'I strongly suggest you take the role of a disconnected observer. You'll be free to walk around the scene and stop the simulation at any time. Much like how investigators make use of this technology.'

'That sounds good,' I thought and glanced in the mirror.

'I also suggest that you sit down, on the floor preferably... The bathroom you're currently in will work well,' Athena said.

'It's that intense?' I thought.

'... Yes,' Athena answered.

'I understand,' I thought, and eased myself down on the floor, before leaning back against the wall.

'I won't bother simulating your sense of smell, and the simulation itself will be pretty slow due to bandwidth restraints over the air. Also, I suggest we start the simulation within Hedwig's chamber, where the others emerged as they were pulled underground,' Athena said.

I settled, pulled my legs up, and rested my head against my knees, 'Roger that.'

'Ready?' Athena thought.

'Ready,' I answered.

512 A.R. February 2** 1 *,* E *ast Coast - M* ountain *,* E ***vening*

It was the noise that got to me first. A squelching noise, clearly organic in nature. It hummed in the air as if I was trapped in a thick jungle. Etemenanki's chambers had been full of noise as well, but that had been the sound of gentle rivers, humming insects, and the soft rustle of a wind.

This... This was entirely different. It was the churning noise of guts and organs and bubbling ooze.

The unease of it made my fur stand on end, and I opened my eyes with some hesitation. I seemed to be floating above the ground... or rather, the fleshy mat of material which had grown all over the bunker.

'You are safe... This is a simulation, and you are surrounded by a bubble of clear air,' Athena whispered in my mind.

I drew a deep breath, but my nose told me nothing. Slowly, I lifted my gaze, and saw that I was indeed hovering inside some kind of bubble. Outside of it was a thin fog of greenish spores, constantly drifting and moving about.

'Consider yourself a ghost in this place, free to drift and move about as you wish,' Athena said.

The air itself was rather warm and humid, like a forest after the rain.

Something big towered to my right, and I looked up at it. Shock gripped my heart in a near instant. There was a massive creature towering next to me, a veritable mountain of distorted flesh. Gigantic tendrils emerged from it, some of them reaching along the ground like fleshy roots, while others disappeared into distant hallways.

Etemenanki was colorful and gentle in comparison to the brackish brown, scaled, and tumorous growths that bloated the gargantuan creature in my gaze. I assumed that this being was the hive itself... what Hedwig had grown to become. Part of me had expected her to retain some semblance of a bipedal creature, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

To my surprise, the hive didn't appear to be one uniform thing. Instead, it was distorted... twisted, as if it served many purposes.

"... What am I looking at? Do these 'parts' serve some specific purpose?" I wondered.

A blue light--similar to a mythological wisp--moved past me, heading toward an area of the creature that was situated near a distant rock wall. The wisp flickered as Athena's voice resonated within my mind, 'This area is referred to as a mutation chamber. It is where experiments of the hive's guided evolution emerge.'

The wisp moved toward the front, and a ghostly puff of haze emerged to point at what looked like a large orifice, 'This is where humans usually end up. They are absorbed, and their minds are repurposed to serve as the basis for one of the Lusus' more intelligent forms.'

As she spoke, the orifice suddenly opened up. There were no teeth, but instead, a colorful visage of a fleshy mound that spilled out hundreds of tendrils dripping with mucus. Simply imagining what transpired within such a chamber made me recoil at the thought.

"I see," I said, then realized that I had begun float backwards.

It made me focus, and I willed myself to stop moving.

The wisp focused on me, 'You seem to have gotten the hang of moving about in this place.'

I smiled back as best I could, "It felt intuitive, almost."

Athena's wisp moved higher and focused on several large structures on the creature. There were what looked like breathing holes, and a vast array of fleshy branches filled with soggy webs.

'These are the primary spore chambers. As they respirate, the spores that are grown in the web gets distributed throughout the area. Specific organs grown throughout the nest serve the same purpose.'

"So... all of this is indeed one creature? That seems to differ a lot from Etemenanki," I said.

The wisp drifted closer to me, 'Indeed... While the Lusus seek our destruction, the various hives are not friends of one another. Wars have been observed across the planet as one hive moved across the landscape to reach another.'

"What happens then?" I wondered.

'One absorbs the biomass of the other. Thus, leading to one even more gargantuan hive,' Athena answered.

"And the creatures? Their... drones, if we were to call it that?" I wondered.

'They serve the bidding of the hive they were born from... most of the time. They, like all other Lusus, are prone to wild mutations. Sometimes this results in a disconnect, and a new hive is formed.'

"Which I assume is what the Luminaire did... They infested Hedwig with some kind of Lusus that was... independent?" I asked.

'That is our theory as well. Though most of our research is focused on how to destroy Lusus or render it stable, not how to manipulate it into something like this,' Athena answered.

"So, we would not be capable of reproducing what happened here?" I wondered.

'No. While I am sure that we could figure out how to do it, the means which we'd need to use would be deeply immoral,' Athena answered.

"Is it possible that the Moonbase Alpha would have the required knowledge?" I asked.

The wisp moved closer and entered the bubble that surrounded me, 'I suspect that your actual question is whether there's a chance that the Luminaire are under Maxwell's control.'

"... Is that possible?" I asked.

The wisp wiggled, 'It is theoretically possible. Maxwell certainly has a grasp of bio-nanite tech that the rest of us do not, but I do not believe that this is the case, and if it was, then...'

"Then?" I wondered.

'Then that would make Maxwell the enemy. However, such a discussion is irrelevant without proof,' Athena answered.

I nodded, "True."

'Look behind you,' Athena instructed.

I drew a deep breath and steeled myself. Once somewhat comfortable, I motioned with my hands as if I was pushing the air around. It caused me to face the other way, and I felt my gut tighten once again.

A load of big tentacles, like the one that had almost crushed me, slithered from the floor and wriggled in the air. They were holding six mech suits, and something in the back of my mind told me who was who. I counted them and started from the far left side.

Kato... Reville... Peter... Monty... Marcus... John...

The massive Lusus--Hedwig, or whatever one might call this_thing__--_closed its large mouth while the blue wisp joined my side.

'The simulation is paused, as you have no doubt figured out,' Athena said.

I drew a deep breath and steeled myself, "... Start it up."

'Very well... Simply tell me if you want me to pause,' Athena said.

Moments later, the noise in the large cavern grew louder. Hedwig's new form rumbled and churned with life, and the massive tentacles began to move. The floor wriggled, and the vein-like roots pulsated with activity.

I could see the others wrestle in their mech suits, but the tentacles held them tight. Their mounted weapons couldn't open up; they couldn't fire.

A ripple of unease moved through my spine as I heard Hedwig's voice, loud and booming.

" I have you... I've CAUGHT** you... ***"*

The large tentacle which held Kato pulled him closer to the center of the cavern and shook him with with the kind of force that would probably crush a regular human.

" You are MINE!"

Hedwig's voice crackled and distorted as it echoed throughout the cavern.

" Oh... How I have dreamed of this! Hungered for it!"

As I focused on the others, I got a weird sensation, as if there was static coming from them.

"... I can hear static," I said.

Athena's wisp drifted closer to me, "The others are talking, screaming, and pleading... While it is in Sophos' interest that this is preserved for the future, their recorded voices will not be unsealed for several centuries."

I looked over at the wisp, "But the information is still preserved somewhere?"

'Yes... In fact, if you had good reason, you could order it to be decrypted. Of course, to do so without their permission or a good reason would put you in a lot of trouble.'

"I understand," I said and looked back.

" Now...** Who's first? I considered letting you watch... Vilkas. ***"*

" To let you see as the others succumb to something more... befitting."

" But... I think I've changed my mind."

More tentacles wriggled into the air in front of Kato, and they seemed to dance a little while sniffing him out.

" I think that you should go first..."

" I'll preserve part of your mind..."

" Then... I'll force you to assist the others..."

" With time... You'll embrace it..."

" Yes..."

A couple of the tentacles now clinging to Kato's mech suit opened up and released something which begin to glitter, as if made of tiny reflective threads.

Athena whispered, 'Monomolecular wire... Extremely sharp as a cutting tool.'

I gulped as the near invisible wires moved along the ridges in the mech suit. Panic gripped Kato as he struggled while the hatches to his weapons desperately tried to open.

"What... What is one supposed to do in a situation like this?" I wondered.

'At this point, Kato's suit is recommending him to trigger the self-destruct... He does not heed this advice.'

It's sudden. The large tentacle gave Kato a squeeze, and blue gel began to leak from every ridge in the front of his suit. The smaller tentacles moved along the heavy plates and began to pull. In mere seconds, the suit began to fall apart.

My eyes widened as I saw it, the diabolical elegance of it. The arms of the mech suit simply slipped off, while the chest armor was dismantled in pieces that allowed blue gel to flow out.

I drifted backwards and could feel my throat tighten in unease. Smaller tendrils reached into the now-open suit, gently wrapped around Kato's chest, and pulled him out. The rest of the suit was discarded into the distance, and the look on Kato's face was...

In a way, he looked as surprised as I felt, and part of me felt as if I could understand. He couldn't fathom that mere moments ago he was relatively safe in his suit. Now he hangs free, bare to the world, caught in an environment that is... twisted.

The blue gel of the mech suit coated him from top to bottom, but something started to happen as I watched. Spores settled in the gel, and as Kato drew breath, his expression shifted.

Panic gripped him once more, and he tried to keep his snout blocked off. By all appearance, it didn't work. The spores were already settling in his eyes like green flecks of ash, and small bugs began to swarm in the air.

It was all made worse as small maggot-like creatures emerged from the large tentacle and started crawling onto his still gel-soaked fur.

" Here...** Let me help... ***"*

Hedwig's voice was calm, almost soothing, as if she was a mother cradling a newborn child. As I watched, the large tentacle lowered Kato to the ground and let him go.

Kato landed knees first in the fleshy floor, and the reaction was immediate. He leaped up, muzzle opening wide as if he'd been dipped in acid. There is no sound, and somehow, it makes it worse. I _know_that he's screaming, but the simulation doesn't let me hear a thing.

I find myself thankful for it. I'd been tough so far, but at this point, my whole body feels as if it's cramping. The unease that makes me hold my own muzzle, and I dare not breathe.

For the others to have seen this...

Trapped and panicked, fearing that they would be next, being embroiled in a nightmare like this...

Kato jumped around, and his eyes searched the area in a panic that could otherwise only be seen in a feral animal. I could feel his desire to search for some safe place, the desperation in seeking some glimmer of hope. But the cavern was vast, and the hive spreads as far as the eye can see.

The environment itself seemed to react to Kato's presence. Bugs were swarming onto him, and he swatted at them to keep them away. One by one, they slipped past to join with others, creating mounds of shifting tumours.

Each step into the fleshy floor appeared to be taking something from him. His fur started sloughing off, and the exposed flesh of his paws were blistering, no... growing, festering, becoming... tainted.

What little blue gel that remained in his fur began to dissolve. and as it did, the grubs started burrowing. Kato stumbled forward, eyes growing red, lips swelling up as the creatures dug in. After a moment, he stopped.

Kato stood on the fleshy ground, paws growing bloated as his flesh is being overtaken. A shiver ran through him, and he screamed yet again as his hands raked the top of his head. One of his ears seemed to... loosen, as if his hide was starting to fall apart.

" Shh... Little one..."

Hedwig cooed, and in the distance, I could see something approach. A tentacle, but it looked different. Like a tube with four pincers.

Kato tried to move once more, but... his lower legs didn't move as he expected. He looked down, and saw that his paws were no more. Pudgy flesh had taken their place and was growing rooted to the mass on the floor. It pulsed in tune with the rest of the hive.

Panic gripped him, and he tried to wrest himself loose. Unfortunately, it worked. Brackish brown blood spurted from his stubby paws as they were ripped loose from the floor, and he toppled backwards.

He crashed into the fleshy ground behind him, desperately trying to get up once more. Random twitches kept running through him, and the changes all over his body were becoming obvious. His tail was falling apart, fur sloughed off at random, and colorful growths were starting to break out of his back.

Something shifted in the environment, and I blinked as if having suddenly woken up from a trance. My body felt tense as I gasped for breath, and noticed that the tentacles were shifting their attention. I looked up, and saw them focus on one of the other mech suits. The reason was simple to see, and it appeared that Monty had managed to wriggle his arm loose.

As the arm of his mech suit began to open up, some of the nearby tendrils reacted. They snapped into action as they grabbed hold, and a struggle took place.

" How n** aughty... *You should know better..."*

As Hedwig spoke, the tendrils tightened, and locked Monty's arm in place once more.

" Better... But you need to be taught a lesson..."

A smaller tendril emerged, one tipped with a jagged edge. Monty's suit made a surprised shudder as the tendril pierced the midsection of the suit and pulled out in quick succession. Blue gel bubbled out and began to seal the breach while Monty twitched in pain, no doubt made worse by the infestation left behind in his gut.

" Don't try it again, or else..."

Peter struggled like mad, and it seemed to catch Hedwig's ire as the tendrils focused on him.

" I told you to... B** EHAVE! ***"*

As Hedwig spoke, the tendril with the jagged edge lashed out like a swinging club. It slammed into the head of Peter's suit, and a shudder ran through me as I watched it buckle. A blunt crater was left behind in the armor, and Peter's muzzle now pointed in... the wrong direction.

As I watched, Peter stopped moving, and his arms grew slack in Hedwig's grip.

'He passed out, perhaps to his benefit,' Athena whispered.

The tentacles withdrew, and my gaze dropped to Kato once more. My gut coiled as I saw him, and my ears clamped to my head. He'd fallen to his knees, and I could see as more veins from the fleshy floor had connected with his legs. They were filling him, and the hide of his legs were already splitting apart with new twisted growths.

He trembled with his gaze locked to his hands, and stared as if he couldn't believe what was happening. His skin rippled with activity as insides were being changed, and a steady flow of green mucus trickled out of his mouth.

" Still resisting, are you? It surprises me..."

Kato lifted his gaze a little and stared into the monstrosity that loomed above him.

" Your body is turning against you... I can feel it... There's..."

Hedwig's monstrous form shivered as if wracked by a sudden surge of pleasure.

" Yes...** You'll make us _ so _ much stronger... ***"*

Kato seemed to struggle as he raised his hands, and put them around his own throat.

" Oh...** How sad... But go on... Try... Try to kill yourself... ***"*

It didn't work. Kato was struggling with the smallest movements, and his arms were already starting to twist as fleshy growths were threatening to emerge.

" I will help you... I will help you embrace it..."

As Hedwig cooed once more, the tendril I had taken note of earlier began to move. The fleshy tube with numerous pincers. It lashed forward along the floor, and Kato had barely taken note as it lunged at him. Its pincers opened wide, and it slammed against his abdomen before latching into place, as the pincers locked around his back.

The shock of it seemed to bring out some last burst of resistance. Kato made another inaudible scream, reached down, and did his best to claw at the strange tentacle. Then, it started.

I could see as the tentacle tore into his belly and burrowed into his insides. A pulse followed, and its intent became clear. More of the brackish liquid was forced into him. A bit of it leaked out, but most of it made his gut swell.

Kato thrashed once more and tried to rip himself away from the floor, but with each pulsating twitch, even more of the poison pushed into him. The effect was pronounced. His skin rippled and tore. The blood vessels along his throat engorged as it now coursed throughout his entire body.

He was growing and changing, pulling and pleading as even his claws fell away from his hands.

'Look up,' Athena whispered in my ear.

I raised my gaze and saw that John was moving, and inch by inch, he was loosening himself from the grip of the tentacle.

'While Hedwig's control is impressive, it seems that she is easily distracted,' Athena whispered.

As John had almost come loose, Hedwig seemed to notice. More tendrils moved to inspect John, and her voice filled the cavern once more.

" Again? You don't learn... Do you?"

The tentacles tightened around John's body, but the ones which approached seemed to have another goal. They wrapped around his left arm, and began to pull. I would have expected it to be more difficult, but from a distance it looked like a giant tearing at the wing of an insect. John's arm was forcefully extended, and then... it popped loose with a splatter of blue gel. He thrashed in what must have been an incredible amount of pain, while the tentacles discarded the now disconnected arm as if it was nothing.

Moments later, the arm hit the fleshy ground. Within seconds, the corrupted flesh on the floor began to reach for its new meal. Upon looking up once more, the tentacles seemed to be inspecting the socket where John's arm should have been.

" Impressive...** Not a single spore got inside... ***"*

" No matter... Vilkas will be ready to help you out in a few minutes..."

Athena whispered in my ear, 'Reville couldn't take it any more. He turned on the loudspeaker of his suit and called out,' Athena said.

Reville's voice filled the large cavern, "That's not Vilkas, you fucking bitch!"

A shudder ran through every tentacle in the room, and several of them closed in on Kato. They seemed to peer at him, gazing as if searching for something.

" You...** You're not... But... No red? ***"*

"That's right! We tricked-"

The large tendril that was wrapped around Reville began to move. It tightened, and a loud crunching noise could be heard. In less than a second, the suit crumbled like an egg, and Reville was crushed along with it.

As it happened, a sudden and blinding light followed. I couldn't help but drift back as I lifted my hands to shield my eyes. An explosion erupted from the suit, and it tore the tentacle apart. In the moments that followed, a set of ripples could be seen throughout the room. The flesh on the floor tensed up, the tentacles trembled, and suddenly opened up.

As the others fell toward the ground, I looked over at Hedwig. Her twisted form twitched, and parts of her seemed to liquefy while others blackened.

'The core of a hive is not as radiation resistant. As such, an intense neutron burst can wreak havoc,' Athena whispered.

John wasn't moving as he landed on the floor. Marcus rushed toward Kato, while Monty crumbled on the floor as he clutched his injured midsection. Peter appeared conscious once more, and as I watched, he ran up to John as if trying to shake some life into him.

Marcus had started shooting at Hedwig's gargantuan form, and Peter guided John toward Monty.

'Vilkas,' Athena whispered.

"What..." I whispered.

'Your heart is racing, and your stress hormones are through the roof. This is enough,' Athena said.

"I'm..." I whispered.

'You are not fine...'

"I want to see as Hedwig is ended," I said.

'We can do that... Close your eyes for a moment,' Athena said.

I shut my eyes, and I could feel my surroundings shift. The air was cooler, and the wind picked up.

'You are floating safely... Open your eyes,' Athena said.

As my eyes opened, I could see that we were now hovering high in the sky. Clouds drifted nearby, and the sun was rising over distant mountains. My tail tensed up as I looked down and saw the ground far below.

'This is simulated footage from an aerial drone, moments before the mountain is destroyed,' Athena said.

I began to recognize the landmarks. The east coast, the human camp which was little more than smoking remains, and the mountain where we had been just moments ago.

'It's the morning after?' I wondered.

'Yes...' Athena said.

I nodded to myself and noticed something to a flare. Upon looking up, there were a set of streaks in the sky, moving downwards like a barrage launched from space. It moved with enough speed that I hardly had time to look down at the mountain once again. Several small but powerful strikes slammed into the top of the mountain, each of them pummeling a hole in the top.

A much bigger streak of light followed, and it seemed to disappear into the depths of the mountain.

Athena whispered in my ear, 'Smaller strikes to pave the way, and one big nuclear-based bunker-buster. But that's not all...'

As she spoke, a set of six streaks followed in the shape of a hexagon. All of them buried into the mountain as well, and I peered in wonder.

'Six smaller nuclear warheads, they'll create a shaped charge in combination with the big one.'

"... For what reason?" I wondered.

A low thump followed, and a visible shock-wave seemed to shake the world. I could see the ripple of it through the air, and a second bang soon followed. The mountain itself looked as if it was lifting, crackling apart as it did.

It spread outward like a spider's web from the center, and a warm bright glow grew underneath the thick layers of snow. Spikes of steam could be seen and the ground seemed dissolve into a sludge. The outer ring of the landscape seemed to swell, while the mountain collapsed into itself.

As everything began to settle, a plume of pulverized rock began to emerge like a great fog.

'The purpose was to destroy the bunker and collapse all tunnels. Not to throw a lot of material into the atmosphere. The shaped charge makes sure the explosion itself was focused underground.'

The mountain was being swallowed into the dark fog and the ocean seemed to be pulling back as the layout of the land changed.

"Impressive," I thought.

'I am ending this simulation. Rest and recuperate,' Athena ordered.

512 A.R. February 25, Greengate - Diplomatic Corps, Night

I blinked, and suddenly I was back in the real world. For a moment I was fine, perhaps a bit stunned, but the sensations that followed were... intense.

My heart was pounding, warmth burned my skin, yet I felt cold as if suffering a fever. My throat felt dry as I panted, and a sudden feeling in my gut told me that I was about to be sick.

I leaned to the side, and tried to get up as the world began to spin. It made me lose my balance, and I promptly landed on all four. Somehow, it felt as if a debt had built up while I was in the simulation, and now I felt it hit me all at once. Dread, fear, the drumming noise of adrenaline, and the sheer disgust of what I'd seen.

A dry retch followed as my muzzle was forced open, and it felt as if I was moments away from passing out. I slumped toward the ground and curled up with my eyes closed.

The others are fine, I know this... They made it out...

I burped, resisting the rebellion rampaging my gut.

'Will you be alright?' Athena whispered.

I laid down on my side, panted as I rested on the floor, and shut my eyes, 'Yes... In a moment.'

'The others are on their way back to the room,' Athena whispered.

'How long?' I thought.

'A couple of minutes, a bit longer if I provide a distraction,' Athena answered.

'What kind?' I thought as I focused on getting my breathing under control.

'It doesn't matter... I've primed the distraction and bought you another minute. Rest, and focus.'

'Why am I like this?' I wondered.

'There are several reasons... You are not immune to trauma, Vilkas. To make matters worse, the simulation numbs your body and something of a psychosomatic pressure builds up. When you take control of your body once more, it acts like a shock that makes things worse.'

'In other words, I'm not strong enough to handle it,' I thought.

'That was not the point... Besides, you didn't have to go through this, Vilkas,' Athena whispered.

'Yes... I did. If I ever face something like this, I need to be ready. To be like this... feeling as if I'm about to pass out because I watched a simulation--it's_not_ acceptable.'

'Sometimes, you demand too much from yourself... I'll let you rest, Vilkas,' Athena said.

'Later,' I thought as her presence faded away.

I counted the seconds, reached a minute, and decided to try my luck once more. It was slow, but I managed to sit up, and my heart was already starting to calm.

My scent probably smells stressed even...

Carefully, I pulled myself up on two legs, flicked the switch to trigger the fans in the bathroom, and stepped out. As I was walking toward the big bed in the room, my senses began to pick up something. My shield had dropped during the ordeal, and I could sense the others walking down the hallway as a group.

All of them?

I drew a deep breath, and partially rose my shield as I pondered.

Now, where should I be, and what should I be doing to seem ordinary?

I reached up, rubbed my face a bit, and rustled my body. Once done, I stepped up to the door and decided to take the offensive as I opened it up.

"Oh, he's back," John said in surprise from outside the corridor.

I pushed the door wide open and smiled as the others walked up, "I sensed you in the hallway."

John made a quick smile, and wedged past me, "Sorry, just need to..."

Moments later, he was in the bathroom, and I turned to look in wonder as he shut the door behind him.

"... Did he have too much to drink?" I wondered.

Allen stepped inside, "Nah, I don't think so..."

Peter brushed up to me as he stepped inside, "I think he just found it awkward to use the girl's bathroom."

John shouted from within the bathroom, "I can hear you!"

I stifled a chuckle and pulled the door shut, "So, did you guys have fun?"

Allen's tail was wagging as he nodded back, "I did... Emily's actually quite fun to geek out with."

Peter whispered, "It was surprisingly pleasant, and the girls had plenty of stories to share from their time here."

"Ah," I said.

"Then, Selina showed up and threw us out!" John snapped from within the bathroom.

"I see," I said as Allen wandered into the room, while Peter remained by my side.

He sniffed near me, and tipped his head a little, "Did you have a good time?"

"... I did, yes," I said, and reached out as I ushered him toward the bed.

They reeked of alcohol--wine and booze. Even Peter seemed a bit sluggish as I nudged him along while holding his sides.

"So, did ya learn something interesting?" Peter wondered.

"Nothing worth mentioning at the moment, but she is rather concerned about Sophos," I said.

"Ah, they all are..." Peter said as we stepped up to the bed.

For a moment, Peter stared at the bed, and then turned to look at me, "Please tell me we're heading to bed?"

I nodded and couldn't help but smile, "We are."

Peter's gaze dropped as he looked at my shorts, "... Right, Selina told us she stole your uniform."

"So, who won?" Allen asked and leaned in by us.

I looked over at Allen, "Let's call it a tie."

Allen huffed and wandered over to the bathroom door. As I watched, he knocked on the door, "There are others that need to use the bathroom, you know?"

John's distorted voice emerged from the bathroom, "Just brushing mah" John spat, "... teeth"

Allen opened the door, and slipped inside, while I turned to Peter once more. He was looking at me, sort of happy as if his brain was buzzing while his tail wagged a little.

"Do you need something to help you sober up?" I whispered.

"Nah, I'm fine like this," Peter murmured.

I leaned in closer to his neck and drew a deep breath through my nose. A hint of barbecue spice, the rest of Selina's pack, and that rich peppery scent of his. It was comforting and made something settle in the depths of my mind: relief that he was here, safe and sound.

My nose kept working as I nuzzled his cheek, and I gave him something of a smooch on the side.

Peter stood tall, and I could hear his tail begin to smack against the bed, "... Did I do something?"

I leaned back and reached for the zipper on his uniform, "Nah, I'm just glad you're here."

Peter made a wild grin as he watched me, "Glad to be here..."