Chapter 2 -- The Descent

62A.E.March28, Space Elevator - Maintenance Module

The maintenance module had a surprising amount of space. Straight ahead were a pair of mech-suits and an airlock, and to the right was a table surrounded by even more gear. The fledgling hybrid seemed to take an immediate interest in the suits and marched ahead. The parents wandered to the left and huddled up while whispering to one another.

'Boreas?' I thought as I reached outwards with my mind.

The connection wavered for a few moments, then dropped as the comms system responded with some sort of connection error.

I guess that's a no go...

I'd barely looked up again as a connection knocked on my mind without warning. I accepted it and heard Emma's voice within my mind, 'I don't have much time, but I see that you're inside the module... and that you invited others?'

She wasn't monitoring the departure hall?

'There was space available, and it seemed a waste to leave the seats empty,' I thought.

'Unexpected, but it shouldn't be a problem... Athena is locked and loaded, so I'm initiating the launch,' Emma said.

'Roger that,' I thought and sauntered toward the parents.

The module kicked into gear with a moment's notice. Heavy latches on the outside did their thing, a shudder shook the world, and a gentle tug gripped my stomach as we descended.

'By the way, I haven't been able to contact Boreas from within the module. Do you know why?' I wondered, while watching the parents as they curiously looked around.

'Boreas... Right, the ship's AI. Interlinks between systems are still handled manually, but I think I can fix it from here. One moment...' Emma said.

'Thank you,' I thought.

The parents had stopped by a large console, and were motioning at the screen as they talked.

'... There we go, I've just set up a manual link to the ship you arrived on,' Emma said.

'Much appreciated,' I answered.

'Best of luck, and don't let anyone divert you from your duties,' Emma said, before the connection cut out with another click.

What's she hiding exactly?

Sighing, I reached out with my mind once more, 'Boreas?'

His presence bloomed around me in a near instant, 'I have acquired access to the local systems...'

'Good,' I thought, 'Anything of note?'

'The control systems are robust but simple, and it scares me when I consider what this place would be like if a real disaster was to happen,' Boreas answered.

'Genuine fear or just an emotional inflection to relate with me?' I wondered.

'A good question... Real fear or not, I don't remember ever being this concerned,' Boreas said.

How comforting...

'Can you show me an outside view of the Space Elevator?'

'Look to the console,' Boreas mused.

The screen near the parents shifted and they stopped talking to marvel at it. I stepped up, joined their side, and looked at what must have been a live view from a drone in space. It showed the looming ring above us, the station, and the massive structure underneath it... the space elevator itself.

I crossed my arms and observed in silence, 'A space elevator made of wires would have been impressive, but this is more like a tower reaching all the way from the surface.'

Boreas answered, 'It took me by surprise as well, but that's exactly what it is. Based on physics as I knew it, this structure should not be able to remain standing.'

'Can you tell me more about it?' I wondered.

'The layout is relatively simple. A central core of a superconductive material called eternite, surrounded by empty space, and an outer layer of protective panels and magnetic coils. Along the structure there are point defenses and numerous radar installations as well.'

'As you said, something like this should not be possible,' I thought.

'At the same time, you are accelerating at a rapid pace, yet...' Boreas said, his voice trailing off.

It made me look up again, and while I could feel that we were descending, it was quite subtle.

Gravity plating... I got used to that rather quickly...

'Gravity plating... Gravity control... The thing they referred to as a gravimetric control field?'

Boreas spoke, 'All of it related to what they call jumpfield technology... In most theoretical implementations of an orbital elevator, a trip to the surface would take around five days. But you'll have reached the surface in six hours,' Boreas said.

'Hmm, and Emma made it sound as if jumpfield technology didn't work in high gravity?' I thought.

Boreas continued, 'That seems to be true as the base of the space elevator is far more robust and utilizes a magnetic rail system that's far slower.'

I reached up to rub my temple and pondered it.

Maxwell clearly didn't intend to simply give us a new home, he wanted us to expand into space posthaste. Is that why he provided all this infrastructure? But why? The kindness of his heart? I doubt that...

'Vilkas?' Boreas wondered.

'Just thinking... Do we know what things are like on the surface yet?' I wondered.

'Not really... The records say that the Spire has been plagued by setbacks, and our early arrival has only made things worse. As a result, many of the systems are half-baked, and my access ends at the space elevator's docking bay.'

I meandered back toward the table on the other side of the module, 'What kind of setbacks?'

'Everything you'd expect at a new colony... The problems range from unexpected isotopes in building materials, to copper-eating fungi, and wildlife that's described as endearingly intelligent, but quite overwhelming.'

I drew a deep breath and settled down in a chair, 'As worrying as that is, I can't help but be intrigued.'

'Indeed,' Boreas answered.

62A.E.March28, Space Elevator - Maintenance Module

The transit was almost over, and I'd found myself with my own thoughts. When I'd first learned about our new colony, I'd been overflowing with joy. Now, all the practicalities were starting to come into focus, and it worried me.

I was alone... No pack, no family, no... No, I pushed that thought out of the way.

Now I was resting my head against the table, recuperating as best I could. In fact, despite the long hibernation, I was feeling rather sleepy. Or maybe that was because of it, hibernation shutting everything down rather than being a form of rest.

My eyes drifted shut. The noise from the space elevator became more like a subtle droning, and...

I could feel my own mind drifting, losing cohesion. Slipping...

All sensation grew distant, and then... Then...

It came out of nowhere, unease. Creeping over my back, breathing down my back, a squeeze in my gut as if my body was tensing up in fright. In the void of this dreamless sleep, I heard something. A subtle, slowly growing shriek... reaching for me...

It reminded me of the nightmare when I first woke up on the ship. I wanted to wake up, tried to move and shake life into myself, but my body felt paralyzed. It gnawed on my legs, crawling up my spine, clutching the back of my head.

The feeling spread to my face, like claws feeling my muzzle, clenching my ears, trying to force my eyelids open. To make me see, hear, and feel... to remember.

Yet I couldn't, or my mind wouldn't allow me to.

The feeling seeped into my head, poking and prodding at my brain.

See! Look! Remember!

Like glass fracturing, and for a split second, I saw something.

With a thump I was awake once more. Heart pounding, tail twitching as my spine seized up, hands gripping the table in sudden fright. I was trembling, barely able to breathe as I looked up.

The father of the family I'd invited stood next to the table, looked at me in surprise, and whispered, "Sorry... didn't mean to wake you."

I blinked, heart calming as my tail relaxed. Already, it was as if the image was fading from my mind. A brief glimpse of a nightmare, already being swept away. With a deep breath, I smiled to him, and watched as the male deer walking off.

The mother was still seated by the table--tablet in hand--and she focused on me with a gentle smile, "Do you mind?"

"... Regarding?" I whispered.

She motioned to the tablet in her hand, "We haven't been able to find any central authority, just a bunch of disorganized interest groups dealing with their problems in the colony... Do you..." Her voice trailed off.

"They don't have any large-scale organizational Expert Systems, which is why Athena is a priority," I said, idly tapping a claw on the table as if pointing down.

She squinted a little, "And under who--I mean... Hmm, this is difficult."

It made me smile a little. There was no central authority within Sophos, but without the collaborative efforts of a million Expert Systems working in unison, there was no... framework for distributing work.

"Defense force, acting on orders to get Athena functional as quickly as possible," I said, head still resting against the table.

She drew a deep breath, seeming relieved, "We were guessing as much. Is there anything we can do to help?"

I shook my head idly, "Not at the moment at least."

She pulled the tablet back with a sigh and looked back to her mate, "I can barely grasp the speeds nor understand the technology enabling this, but somehow six hours still manages to be a long time."

"I know," I mused.

She smiled a little, then rose as she stepped from the table and headed toward the father. I sat up straight, noticing that the fledgling by the edge of the table was now focused on me.

Still in the finishing stages of his transformation, his fur looked patchy and his eyes still looked a tad odd, too human for the otherwise elegant but furred face. His gaze was cautious, and he kept motioning with his fingers as if he hadn't gotten used to the thick nails. As if nervous, he idly reached up to rub at the nubs of his growing antlers.

It made me smile a little as I remembered my own transition from human to hybrid. In many ways, it was an unpleasant experience; at the same time... the rewards were more than worth it.

"It's okay," I said, lowering my voice a little.

The fledgling's ears perked, and he sat tall, "What?"

I inched a little closer as I leaned over the table, "It's okay to be scared and confused. It's stressful for everyone, and the transformation doesn't make it any easier."

He stared at me for a few moments and made a slow nod, "Yeah, it's just..."

"Hmm?" I murmured.

"People tend to not talk about their past selves, it feels weird," the fledgling said.

"You're scared of losing what makes you... you?" I wondered.

The young deer rolled his eyes, "People say that's not how it works, but..."

I filled in, "But that doesn't help, when you feel a hundred budding instincts, when your senses expand, and every little thing in your life that was normal and settled, now gets thrown out of whack..."

A faint smile and a soft shrug followed, "Yeah... Especially when--" the smile faded.

"What?" I wondered.

The fledgling shook his head, "It's nothing."

I tipped my head to the side and motioned to him with one hand, "Let me guess: This isn't what you had planned for your life?"

His ears folded back and I could see him shrink a little as he threw a glance at his parents, "I'm not... I mean, I wasn't a human purist or something. I just wanted more time to decide about... well, everything."

"What forced your decision?" I wondered.

He smiled, but it was an uneasy one. It made him look tired as he seemed to zone out for a moment and got lost in a maze of his own memories. I waited, and could see the moment as he caught himself.

"The plague was getting was worse, and there were worries that as the airborne spores were getting more virulent, it'd be enough to even infect Sophos-humans. That made the choice pretty simple, become a danger to everyone else, or get a symbiont," the fledgling said.

I nodded, "True..."

He glanced at his parents again and seemed to pause. I observed in wonder and eased up on the mental shield that had kept the noise at bay. His presence grew in front of me, like a flickering flame that moved in tune with his emotional state.

It was erratic and intense, anger shifting to guilt which led to a sudden burst of joy, only to be mellowed by what felt like a great deal of relief. Suddenly, a shiver ran up his spine, and I could see his ears perk up. He snapped back to look at me, but seemed to see me in a different light now, as if...

I shrugged with a smile as I reached out to him with my mind, 'Apologies for spying...'

He reached up to feel his temple, and for a moment, I could feel more than his overall state of mind. His thoughts were broadcasting into the open, and his mind panicked as he tried to control it. In that instant, I suddenly knew more about him than I had intended to learn.

His name was Bran, and he'd been pondering why he'd been able to sense others for a while. It confused him and was made so much worse by the torrent of unknowns being thrown at him. The horror of watching his home get destroyed, the evacuation that followed, and now he was here... sharing a table with a large wolf that could read his mind.

Bran stared at me, and he knew that I had glimpsed into his mind. I could hear the mental chitter as he tried to clamp down on it.

I motioned to my chest and drew a deep breath, 'A deep breath... Calm yourself, and imagine a nothingness... Silence.'

Bran gulped but mimicked my movements as he held his chest and drew a deep breath. Slowly, the loudspeaker which his mind had turned into calmed down... then grew silent.

I smiled and tipped my head as I spoke with my voice, "It would seem that these abilities awaken a bit faster within new hybrids."

He blinked, and seemed to waver as he mouthed his words, yet said nothing.

I leaned closer, and lowered my voice, "Don't fret, it's quite normal. For now, focus on keeping your thoughts under control."

"I thought I was the only one," Bret whispered.

I glanced over at his parents, and while dimmer, their telepathic abilities were awakening as well, "You're not. Everyone will learn how to do this in time, and the evacuation seems to have... stirred something which accelerates the process."

"Seems like bad timing..." Bret whispered.

I shrugged and whispered, "Perhaps..."

Or perfect timing...

"... Were you having a nightmare earlier?" Bret asked without warning.

I tipped my head a little, "Something like that... could you sense it?"

Bret shrugged, "Just your unease... nothing more than that."

A sudden but gentle deceleration bit into the module, and I could see Bret's parents react as they cautiously reached for the walls.

'Boreas, what's going on?' I wondered.

Boreas presence perked up as I heard his murmur, 'The maintenance module has been redirected by ground control, and disconnected from Athena's module. According to the new instructions, you'll be stopping close to the ground floor.'

'Can you override it?' I wondered.

'No, and it won't work from your end either. Access to the bunker below the city is controlled by whomever is down there,' Boreas answered.

'My instructions were clear, to safeguard Athena. So what alternatives do we have?' I wondered.

'You can either contact Emma and seek help with Orbital Command, or you can take a more direct approach, though that may carry consequences,' Boreas said.

'Ground control has openly disregarded the wishes of Orbital Command, so I have to wonder how much leverage they would have in resolving the situation... Let's go for the direct approach and figure out just what's going on around here.'

'Very well... I will most likely not be able to maintain contact within the interior plaza, but it might be possible to create a link from within the bunker,' Boreas answered.

I couldn't help but smirk, 'Hmm, does that mean you have a plan?'

'I might...' Boreas answered, sounding almost teasing.

'Go on... I'm all ears,' I mused.

62A.E.March28, Sophos Prime - Space Elevator Terminal

"Mind the gap," an automated voice said as the maintenance module opened wide.

Bret's parents looked out in wonder, but I had no such luxury at the moment. I gave Bret's shoulder a friendly pat, eased my way around them, and marched out onto the platform. It only took a few steps to clear it, and the terminal opened up into what appeared to be a gargantuan but mostly empty dome.

I picked up the pace as I started running, and threw a glimpse toward the ceiling. The dome covering the area looked like semi-frosted glass, and it shone brightly with the morning sun. Some spots were more opaque than others and were shifting as I ran.

Intelligent glass, not that surprising unless you want to make a giant magnifying glass by mistake...

While the general feeling of the place was that of a blank slate--just like the station, there were plenty of people scattered in the area. Many of the droids carried supplies, while uniformed hybrids cared for the various groups of new arrivals.

After a few minutes I passed the dome, entered another, and made my way through what looked like a small warehouse with crates, supply dumps, and industrial equipment. That's when I caught the first glimpse of my destination. I slowed down, and set my sights on a small elevator in the far back, next to what looked like a large waste container.

The coast seemed clear apart from a couple of uniformed canines along the side. I walked, relaxed as best I could, forced my tail to enter a natural wag, and put a lid on my thoughts for the moment.

"Any news from the Burrow?" one of the canines asked as he nursed a big cup in his hands.

"Other than a polite refusal? No..." the other said.

The first let out a tired sigh as his shoulders sank, "Why?"

"They say all their droids are spoken for, and with the surge in factories coming online, well..." the other answered.

The first perked his brow while taking a sip, "Yeah, well... We're the ones dealing with the brunt of the evacuation, right here, right now, so..."

"They say they're thinking long-term..." the second said, then glanced my way.

I made a subtle nod to the canine, kept marching, and couldn't help but hold my breath. Nothing happened, and the two resumed talking soon after.

Relief followed as I walked along the elevators, stopped by the last one, and glanced back. With the coast clear, I let the tendrils along my back emerge, and turned my attention to the control panel next to the elevator.

Standard issue, just as Boreas said...

There was barely a noise as the tendrils removed the screws, lifted the panel, and revealed a glut of electronic guts. Hidden in the depths was a red circuit board filled with components and a data port.

For a moment, it felt insane to do this, but Athena was already racing into the depths of the bunker, and merely finding who was responsible around here would take more time than I had to spare.

I held up my wrist and willed the smaller tendrils into action. They adapted to the connectors, and plugged into it with a gentle click. New connections flourished in the back of my mind, and the local systems bared themselves to me. They requested my access codes, and promptly chirped in annoyance as I had none to give. Nonetheless, it provided me with a console.

-Network Access - Space Elevator Interlink

Sys: Denied. System in Stand Alone mode due to Local Domain fault.

-Assess Local Domain fault.

Sys: High-level Expert System unavailable. Ethic/Moral reasoning missing as a result.

-Emergency Override - Manual Operation

Sys: Request accepted due to Stand Alone mode.

[Warning: This will trigger an automatic alarm. Are you sure?]

-Yes

The response was immediate. I opened my eyes as the tendrils withdrew, and I could hear a chime above me as the elevator's indicator lights switched to an angry red hue. The canines I'd seen earlier stepped into view as I hurried into the elevator and focused on the interior control panel.

It showed the Spire as if divided into four parts: the ground floor with the Space Elevator, the upper city referred to as the acropolis, the undercity, and the deeply buried bunker. I selected the bottom one and was presented with a number of floors.

Although Athena's bunker was visible, the floor couldn't be selected.

Heh... Of course they wouldn't allow direct access to the core...

I pressed the button for the floor above the core as the canines outside called out.

Sorry about the trouble...

The doors closed with a soft swish, and I was descending once more.

62A.E.March28, Spire - Elevator

I could monitor the local system through the elevator's interface. Through it, I could feel as operators on the upper floor were sending various commands to stop my progress. With the use of emergency overrides I could deflect the commands, but there were limitations one couldn't bypass... at least not from here. One of them being a hard limit on access to Athena's bunker.

Thus, this elevator would be stopping on the floor above the bunker. Which in turn meant that local security knew that as well, and would try to seize me upon stepping out. While they wouldn't try to kill me, trying to explain that I was trying to keep Athena safe would be... difficult.

I frowned to myself.

A sigh followed as I whispered to myself, "I can't believe I'm doing this again..."

The elevator was approaching its destination, and I lifted my gaze to the ceiling.

Looks flimsy enough...

My tail flicked with a certain destructive glee as I withdrew the wrist tendrils, and let the far sturdier ones along my back emerge. They reached upward, grabbed what felt like flimsy aluminum, punched several holes in short order, and started tearing. The metal groaned and creaked but gave way with ease. The lights flickered before going out completely as the elevator shaft was revealed.

A glance at the control panel revealed that we were approaching one of the maintenance floors.

Good enough...

My tendrils reached up, curled around the jagged edges of the gaping hole, and I pulled my arms close to my body. My paws left the ground as I was pulled upward and could see the moving elevator shaft. It was surprisingly well lit, though awfully noisy as the floors sped past. The shifting air ruffled my fur as I gentle set myself down next to the gaping hole on the elevator's roof.

Never done this with a moving elevator before...

I stared at the moving walls for a moment, flexed my legs as I got a feel for how much force the elevator's roof could take, and looked up to gauge the distance between floors.

Looks like we're moving at almost 10 meters a second...

A good jump ought to make it easier to latch onto the walls...

Another set of doors flashed by, and I gritted my teeth.

Now!

I pushed hard against the elevator's roof and I could feel as part of it crumbled in the split second I jumped. The movement of the walls slowed considerably, and I willed the tendrils to lash out like hooks.

The metal and concrete along the walls screamed, dust and pebbles shot out, and the sudden deceleration bit in with enough force that I couldn't help but let out a deep grunt.

And then... it was done.

The elevator disappeared far below, and I was hanging freely. After a split second's pause, I looked up and down in haste. The closest set of doors were above me, and the tendrils had already scratched them up as I'd come to a halt. The tendrils moved as they pulled me upward, and let me hover in front of the doors.

This is insane... No... I'm just desperate... Desperate for answers, as always...

I reached out, felt along the split in the elevator doors, and willed one of the tendrils to help me out. It switched shape into that of a blade, wedged itself between the doors, and turned sideways. The doors audibly groaned in protest, but as the gap widened, I could force my claws in there.

I pulled to the sides, gritted my teeth yet again, and felt as the door servos suddenly got the message. In a near instant, the doors swished open, and I found myself staring into a hallway that had been painted in some off-white hue.

The tendrils eased me closer, and I reached out with my legs as I stepped through.

As the doors closed behind me, I caught movement to my left. I turned to look and realized that I was almost face to face with what looked like a bright yellow maintenance droid. It had a more rugged build than the usual types, armor plating instead of plasteel, four arms with a pair that worked as heavy tools, and a head that looked like a square box filled with various sensors.

I could see as its optical sensors shifted to focus on me, only to stop moving as if frozen.

Friend or foe? Let's find out...

"What kind of Expert System are you?" I asked, and carefully leaned back from the droid.

The droid moved its head a little and answered in a monotone voice, "I'm a class 2 construction droid."

Class 2... Not much more intelligent than the toaster back home... Well, when I had a home...

"Do you know who I am?" I asked.

The droid didn't move, "Yes. You are Vilkas Volkov. The administrator of this facility has marked you for containment procedures."

Well, crap...

"... Should I assume that means you've reported my location?" I asked.

"Not yet, but you should be aware that I have taken steps to create a deadman's switch in case you try to destroy me," the droid said without the slightest inflection of emotion.

My ears wiggled as I found myself in a moment of wonder and fear at the same time, "Why give me the benefit of the doubt, if you don't mind me asking?"

The optics shifted a little, and the droid's answer took a moment, "... There is no guarantee that the administrator's orders are valid, and you have so far not taken any action to harm the system at large. Thus, it is at this point impossible to determine whether you are an enemy."

I made a slow nod, "For the record, I am here to safeguard Athena, not harm her. But I assume you can't take my word for it."

"Correct," the droid answered.

I glanced behind me and saw more droids further down the hallway. Some of them marched while one of them had been partially disassembled on the floor. Tools--ones that looked like they were made for the hands of a hybrid--were strewn about the area.

Oh...

"Do you have a local supervisor?" I asked, looking back to the droid.

The droid made a subtle nod as it answered, "We do. Evelyn should be in the control room down the hall. Shall I guide you there?"

I nodded, "Please do."

While the droid was smaller than me, the sheer mass of the construction bot still made me cautious as it started moving. While slow, the mechanical being walked with heavy thumps that filled the hallway.

I followed in the droid's wake and couldn't help but feel a tad amused as its head rotated to focus on me, then kept its gaze locked. Once we reached a set of large yellow doors, it stepped aside and pushed a button along the wall.

As it opened, it immediately became apparent that Evelyn's 'office' was more of a large workshop. Workbenches were spread out, 3D printers churned, and there were droids strapped up to what one would liken to surgical beds.

I stepped inside and could see large but primitive utility tendrils working on the droids, though my attention was drawn to a bright area to the right. Standing in the center of some kind of computing area--bathed in its electronic glow--was a black-furred feline with a large tail.

The scents wafting from the workshop were harsh, but her scent--old and new--was baked into it. It made it apparent that this is where she spent most of her time, and I wouldn't have been surprised if there was a bed tucked away somewhere in the depths.

Her telepathic presence had a steady glow, and felt like something to... contentment, despite whatever deep thoughts she was having at the moment.

"Evelyn, I have brought the intruder," the droid exclaimed as it joined my side, and extended one arm to motion at me.

Her mind barricaded itself in an instant as she turned around. The almost pitch-black fur made her expression difficult to discern, but her eyes were a sharp blue hue, contrasted only by the glint of her fangs.

Evelyn's tail twitched as she fixated on me, "Vilkas, right? I wasn't planning on getting involved in this, but it seems I have no choice now..."

I gave her a courteous nod, "Sorry about that, but I'm hoping you'll be able to shed some light on what's going on here."

Evelyn crossed her arms, "I'm not to blame if that's what you're wondering. The orders to redirect you to the ground floor, and contain you came from the ones in the control room. I suspect they don't want you interfering with their little experiment..."

"... Experiment?" I asked.

"They want to check whether Athena is still bound to Maxwell or not. No doubt they consider you one of his agents," Evelyn said and motioned into the air.

I squinted, "Thus why they want to keep me out... but that changes little, and I need to get down there to inspect this experiment of theirs."

Evelyn approached but stopped outside reaching distance, "Hmm, and now you want my help getting down there?"

I made a faint smile and perked my brow, "Unless you're on their side, and you're now working to lock down this floor."

Evelyn let out a huff as she glanced at the droid next to me, "The situation is complicated, but I didn't expect the others to be this aggressive. You might in fact be the one that hastened their plans, because they now see this as their only chance to ascertain her true allegiance."

"Then all the more reason for me to get down there so that we can clear this up," I said.

Her gaze drifted back to me, and she seemed to ponder it, "You arrived here on Athena's ship... Obviously, you were trusted by the system, and I am curious how this will work out. Very well."

"Hmm, that was simple enough..." I murmured.

Evelyn motioned to the back of the room, and started walking, "I couldn't help but look up your profile when they issued the containment orders... I just didn't expect you to show up here."

I followed in her wake as I rounded the workbenches, "And how did you get my profile exactly?"

"Orbital Command placed it in their public database and sent us something of a newsflash... A smart move if you ask me," Evelyn said with a smirk.

"... Do explain?" I asked, as Evelyn walked up to what looked like the door to a utility closet.

She grabbed the door handle, eased the door wide open, and revealed a room with a grated floor. Along the walls were giant cable conduits that disappeared into the depths below the floor.

"When we found out that Earth would be evacuated ahead of schedule, Orbital Command appointed themselves as the interim decision makers until the rest of you arrived. It was a good idea: they had more advanced computer systems and the ring to help coordinate efforts, but..."

"But?" I wondered as Evelyn walked into the room and reached down to a hatch built into the floor.

Evelyn eased the hatch open, and I reached out as I helped guide it to the floor.

"Without the proper infrastructure to disseminate information, be it through the Political Sphere or direct memory transfer, we hybrids can be..." Evelyn whispered.

I couldn't help but smile, "Obsessed with our own projects?"

A guilty smile spread on her short muzzle, "Yes... Now, I hope you don't mind a climb?"

"Not at all," I said, and motioned to the ladder, "Ladies first..."

Her tail twitched as she bared her fangs, "What a gentleman... It's almost as if you don't trust me."

I stifled a chuckle as she eased herself down, grabbed the ladder, and started climbing.

"So, Orbital Command released my profile into the open, knowing that whoever was down here would likely look it up, and... do what exactly?" I asked, then followed suit as I grabbed the ladder.

Evelyn's voice sounded more distant as she spoke, "Believe it or not, but when a wolf from the Defense Force shows up with a mission, one thinks twice before getting involved."

"I do not consider myself the violent sort," I said while climbing.

"I didn't say you were, but if I did decide to go against Sophos' 'greater good', then I doubt you'd hesitate to do what's necessary to accomplish your goals, be it by knocking me out, or forcefully extracting what you need from my skull," Evelyn answered with a voice that was surprisingly detached despite the nightmarish words.

I sighed to myself as we passed what looked like the gantry that led to another floor, "I assure you that I'd also think twice before doing something like that."

"That's comforting, but unnecessary... Wolves were always the strict--if paradoxically emphatic--guardians of Sophos," Evelyn said.

"You remind me of my mother..."

A dark chuckle echoed from below, "Could it be that the big bad wolf has a mother with the same grace as moi? Or were you trying to insult me?"

A toothy smirk pulled on my cheeks as we kept moving, "My mother is feline, yes... and her lessons--though harsh at times--taught me a lot about dealing with the world."

"Sounds like she did a good job... I can't wait until I can have a child of my own to be honest."

We passed another floor, and I glimpsed down at Evelyn for a moment, "For how long have you been here?"

Evelyn perked up to meet my gaze, "About 50 years now, I imagine Sophos back on Earth might have changed a bit since I left."

"I guess work on the colony didn't leave much time for children of your own?" I wondered.

"While things have been busy, the fact of the matter is that Maxwell forbade us from having children, and made sure we couldn't circumvent it," Evelyn answered.

"... How did he do that exactly?" I wondered.

"He scrubbed our databases regarding how to grow humans in the artificial womb, and without humans..." Evelyn said as her voice trailed off.

"And without humans, there was no way to create new hybrids, until now..." I said.

Evelyn let out another chuckle, "I figured that Maxwell simply didn't want humans on the planet, but it turns out he wanted us to wait until the True Hybrid project was finished... Can you imagine? Not being forced to rely on humans for procreation?"

"I'll be honest and say that I don't have much interest in having pups any time soon," I said.

"Right... You were what, 21 years old?" Evelyn asked.

"Yeah... Well, 21 Earth years," I said.

Evelyn slowed down, moved to the side, and stepped onto the walkway that led onto the next floor.

She faced me as I climbed down to her level and started talking, "Not that age matters much any longer, given that Maxwell gave us the knowledge we need to basically achieve biological immortality."

I leaned to the side and stepped onto the walkway as she stepped back, "If it doesn't matter, do you mind me asking how old you are?"

Evelyn huffed and gave me a cheeky glance, "Yes, I do mind."

I smirked in silence and followed her into a large room that looked like an electrical junction point.

Many of the cables were connected to massive machines that hummed with power, and I could see spider bots crawling along the shadows. Some of them stopped to glimpse in our direction as we walked past, but quickly moved on to whatever they had been doing.

"I take it you haven't received the treatment yet?" I asked as we walked.

"We haven't..." Evelyn answered, "From what I heard, you lot received it before entering the evacuation ships?"

I nodded, "We did."

Evelyn gave me a soft smile, "Well we didn't, most likely because the process wasn't ready until now," she then turned around and started walking, "but we're working on a program so that us early arrivals can get the treatment as well."

"I'm surprised at how easy it was to get down here," I said, joining her side.

Evelyn gave me a confused glance, "It's not that surprising... Since day one on this planet, we've had to settle for what works best at the lowest material cost... No cameras, no sensor grids, and every luxury scaled back to make sure the good stuff ends up where it needs to be. Give us another decade along with nigh unlimited resources, and we'll turn this place into the fortress it deserves to be."

I chuckled but considered myself lucky given the circumstances. We ended up by the end of the large room and faced another bulkhead, one with a control panel next to it.

Evelyn reached out to the control panel as she murmured, "Hopefully they haven't gone entirely paranoid and rescinded my access..."

Her palm touched the panel's silvery surface, and she closed her eyes for a moment. A chirp was heard, the display lit up in green, and a puff was heard as the heavy bulkhead opened.

"This way," Evelyn whispered, as she motioned to the right and walked through.

I followed into a hallway that looked rather respectable. The walls were covered in panels that emitted a gentle white glow, and a set of colorful stripes on the floor described what led where.

Core... Power management... Cooling subsystems... Interlink nodes...

The stripe leading toward the end of the hall had a shade of sapphire blue, the same one that Athena liked to use. It stoked memories in the depths of my mind, but I forced myself to push it aside and set my sights on a bulkhead at the end of the hall.

"Tell me about the ones in the control room?" I asked.

Evelyn mused as she raised one hand to her nose, "Otis is the project lead, a rather abrasive canine, though smart... Next in line is Mason, an old bear that likes to work with his hands. Last in line is Felix, timid little cervine that he is..."

I perked my brow, "And what does he do?"

Evelyn glanced at me, "He's your typical grass muncher that cleans up after everyone else and turns half-finished projects into actual societal progress..."

"Ah," I whispered, as we stepped up to the large bulkhead that shielded the core.

In silence, I watched as Evelyn reached to the control panel on the side and interfaced with the system yet again. As she opened her eyes once more, the large bulkhead churned to life.

The 'core' was a large curved control room with massive windows that looked out across a large and empty cylinder. All of it was well lit, and the room sloped downward as well. Large control stations were placed throughout the room, and massive machines lined the sides of the room. To the left was what looked like a small airlock, which I guessed was used to access the large cylinder itself.

A large bear was standing by the windows, and a canine was looming by one of the nearby control stations. Standing near the bulkhead which had just opened was a buck with antlers shaped like a craggy crown.

The deer--who I assumed was Felix--turned to face us in wonder, and he seemed to grow in height as surprise washed over his face. Evelyn made a huge grin as she sauntered inside, and he stared at her as if wondering whether she had gone insane.

Seeing it made my lips twitch in amusement, but I clamped down on it as I picked up the pace to join Evelyn's side once more. As the bulkhead doors closed, it was Mason's turn to look back. The haughty bear remained stoic and stared as he spoke up, "Otis."

Otis--what looked like a slim Dalmatian--glanced at Mason, and promptly looked back at me.

"Oh for f--" Otis managed to murmur before Evelyn interrupted him.

"This is Vilkas," Evelyn said and motioned to me with a wide sway of her arm.

Otis gritted his teeth for a moment, but promptly looked back to the screens, "We're busy, kindly avoid messing things up for us."

I leaned in by Evelyn, lowered my voice, and motioned at the so far empty cylinder, "Thank you, but could you check how much time we have before their experiment starts?"

Evelyn made a simple nod, and moved over to the nearby console.

"... What are you doing?" Mason--the big bear--asked, stepping away from the window.

I took a step closer and effectively blocked his path to Evelyn, "We need to talk..."

He glared at me and bared his blunt canines as he marched closer, "It's considered rude to trample in on others' projects, and you've gone well beyond that."

I remained where I was, but I could feel the Zephyr getting riled as he approached. The tendrils in my back itched, and I could feel them poke at my clothes.

Evelyn spoke up, "Athena's core is still being prepped for integration in the floor above us, so you have a few minutes until she descends."

Mason kept his stare as he closed the distance, and stopped with only a few inches between us. I stared him down but couldn't help but sniff the air between us. His scent was raw and thick, like the forest mixed with the earthy hint of a den.

While he was just a hint shorter than myself, the sheer width of his shoulders... and something of a gut, made it clear who had the most mass between us. Of course, I doubted he had a Zephyr to back him up.

"You will explain what you're doing here, or I will incapacitate you and seize control of the facility," I said in a voice that was loud enough to be sure the others heard.

Mason's lips curled back to reveal the massive if rather blunt fangs of his stout muzzle, "You certainly sound tough for a 21-year-old whelp."

"Mason," Otis said without warning.

Mason blinked in surprise and glanced toward the dalmatian by the control console, "What?"

Otis gave the old bear a tired stare, "I appreciate the effort, but he's 400-kilogram monster with implants throughout his entire body. You don't stand a chance."

The burly bear leaned back a little, and tipped his head as he looked me over, "400 kilos? Where the hell are you hiding all that?"

Otis murmured, "The implants are made of eternite... Told you he was one of Maxwell's agents."

Eternite? Is that why Emma was surprised up at the station? Irrelevant for now, I guess...

I looked back at Mason, "I'm curious... Were you about to start an actual fight, or were you just posturing to buy time?"

Mason made something of a grimace, "A bit of this, a bit of that... But I don't start a fight unless it's necessary."

"Good," I said with a nod in his direction, and turned my focus to the dalmatian, "Otis, explain how you're planning to figure out if Athena is still bound to Maxwell?"

Otis drew a deep breath as he shifted his focus to me, "... We're going to intercept Athena's wake-up procedure and arrange a state where her mind is active but conscious thought is halted. It will allow us to probe her memories and make inquiries that otherwise aren't possible."

"And you are certain that this will not harm her?" I asked, doing my best to remain stoic.

Otis blinked and took a moment to answer, "We've run plenty of experiments on the Expert Systems that we have available, and we've made simulations based on what we know of her architecture."

This time, I perked my brow in wonder, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't have any high-level Expert Systems around here, and Athena is tech that's over 800 years old. She was built by humans, spent centuries locked in her own thoughts, and was brought back to sanity by Maxwell. As far as I know, no one has done more than basic maintenance on her since. So the idea that you'd be able to simulate her being, let alone the architecture of a sapient Expert System that's considered one of a kind, is unlikely..."

"... This is our one and only chance at doing this. Once Athena is hooked up to the system at large, it'll be decades before we've built up the redundancy to disconnect her without causing planet-wide upheaval," Otis said as he stood tall, and now stared at me while his ears folded back.

I took one step closer to him and put my hands on the nearby control console, "In other words, your argument is that society will benefit so much from Athena, that it'll be politically impossible to attempt your experiment at a later date?"

Otis lips twitched, "You're twisting my words; it's not my intent to subvert the will of Sophos..."

I tipped my head, "But it is, isn't it? This experiment is unsanctioned... The people of Sophos vote to determine the goals, but it is Athena and all the other Expert Systems that work out the gritty details. They bring order to what is otherwise chaos."

"I know how the system works..." Otis answered with a feigned smile.

I raised my hand to motion at him, "I understand your concern, and I share it in fact... But if there's even the slightest risk that this can go wrong, then it is the wrong time and place to do it."

Otis leaned back a little and drew a deep breath as his chest swelled, "... And I understand your concern, but we haven't built this world just to be ruled by Maxwell through Athena as a proxy."

"And what if you're right? Otis... What if Athena is still linked to Maxwell? What will you do then? Pull the plug on her and simply hope for the best? I understand the effort that you've all put in, and I respect it immensely... You've laid the foundation for our future, but what do you think this place will look like when there are almost two million people upstairs, rather than a few thousand wandering about?" I asked.

Otis tail twitched, "Are you suggesting that we don't do this, because... what? Ignorance is bliss?"

I shook my head, "No. Even in a scenario where this experiment works, and Athena is free from Maxwell's control, you've still placed us all under great risk."

"If it doesn't work, we'll abort the experiment and resume the original sequence," Otis said.

I wanted to sigh but kept it to myself, "Then, how about we call in a second opinion?"

"... What do you mean?" Otis asked with a renewed frown.

I pointed to the console he was standing by, "Let me grab a copy of your experiment, and you'll see..."

Evelyn brushed up next to me and whispered with an exaggerated voice, "Athena's core is descending..."

I glanced to the windows and could now see that the ceiling had opened up. Athena's core was bare and a massive set of gantries were slowly moving it downward. It made me grit my teeth as I looked back at Otis and approached him.

Otis visibly leaned back as his ears perked high. For a moment, he looked as if he thought I was about to decapitate him, but as nothing happened, he relaxed once more.

"I assume that the control systems are isolated from the rest of the network?" I asked.

His irritation grew once more as he glared back, "Of course it is. We're not imbeciles..."

Once more, I pointed at the console, "Give me access now, and I'll run this experiment of yours through Expert Systems that are far more capable than those you've had access to."

Here's hoping Boreas can actually do this...

Otis drew another deep breath, and I could hear a subtle gulp as he glanced over at the others in the room. Slowly, he reached out to the console and placed his hand on the silvery surface.

It only took a few moments before he opened his eyes again, and withdrew his hand, "You have full system access now..."

"Thank you," I said, then reached for the same interface he'd touched.

It tingled and rushed up my arm as I was swept up by the system. My eyes shut as I focused on it, and could feel the currently running program. More than that... it was easy to sense where they had branched it off to create this experiment of theirs.

As if reaching out with my arms, I enveloped it all, and urged a copy to settle within me. The buzz through my arm grew, and a tickle brushed my neck.

Then, it was over.

I pulled my hand back, and looked to Evelyn, "I need access to the docking bays on the ring."

Felix, the deer who had remained silent so far, raised his hand, and then pointed to a large console next to the bulkhead, "Only access from in here is over there."

"How much time is left?" I asked, marching toward the console that Felix had pointed at.

"Given the pace the core is moving, at least a minute," Evelyn answered.

I near-slammed my hand on the console next to the bulkhead, connected with the system, and reached out with my mind, 'Boreas?'

In the near blink of an eye, Boreas' presence rushed through the console and I could hear his voice once more, 'Vilkas, I figured they'd caught you, but it seems you've made it all the way to the control room.'

I smiled to myself, 'I have, but there's not much time... I'm sending you a large data package, and I need you to figure out whether it'll work with a system like Athena. Use whatever resources you have; this is of the highest priority now.'

The transfer was already starting, a buzz filled my spine, and a few seconds later it was done.

'Package received... Beginning analysis, please hold...' Boreas answered.

I accessed the controls of the panel itself and switched it over to an audible form of communication. As the switch took place, I let go and stepped back. The others were staring as I glanced back, and I couldn't help but notice that Athena's core had almost reached the interface at the bottom.

"Vilkas?" Boreas asked out loud as his voice now emanated from the wall.

"I'm here, I just switched things so that everyone can hear," I said.

"Ah, I see... Greetings to the rest of you in the room, I am Boreas, one of the ships currently docked to the ring. I and others have worked together to analyze the program, and one of us has in fact executed it in order to verify whether it works. The answer is that it doesn't."

I looked back toward Otis, and while his expression didn't reveal much, it felt as if the air simmered around him. His mental control wavered, and it caused shudders of emotion that ranged from shame, anger, and regret to lash outward.

"... Explain?" Otis asked simply, as his hand clenched around the nearby control station.

Boreas continued, "You have taken a debugging suite made for low-level Expert Systems and have attempted to modify it according to your understanding of how higher-level Expert Systems work. In essence, you have tried to create a sort of memory maze, what one might liken to a dream-interface."

Otis lowered his head a little and peered at the console from where he was standing, "... Yes."

Boreas continued, "While your efforts are impressive, and might even be of use in the future, the architectural differences between a low--and high-level Expert Systems are bigger than you think. The structure of a Prime AI like Athena or Ares are even further beyond that, and each one can only be considered a truly unique entity. In the best-case scenario, your attempt to hijack a mind of such complexity would simply fail, and in the worst case it will cause unrecoverable damage."

I looked back at Otis in silence, and while his expression didn't change much, his mind's presence was turning into a murky turmoil of barely hidden panic.

Mason spoke up without warning, " Otis."

Otis snapped to attention, and bared his fangs as he looked back at Mason, " I GET IT!"

As I watched, the simmering emotions seemed to evaporate. His shoulders slouched, and his gaze dropped. It felt as if the air itself was becoming easier to breathe as all that bottled up energy drained away from him.

Otis looked back to the console, then closed his eyes as he reached out to touch it. Moments passed, and he opened his eyes once more as he looked back at me, "The... original sequence has been restored."

Evelyn followed up moments later, "He's telling the truth, I just checked myself."

Finally...

I looked back toward the console on the wall, "Thank you, Boreas... You've been of great help."

"I am relieved to hear it," Boreas answered.

I let out a discrete sigh and faced the windows once more, "One situation dealt with. What's next?"

Otis looked away in silence, while Felix spoke up, "We'll monitor Athena's wake-up sequence and integration with the system. Otis?"

"Just give me a moment," Otis whispered.

I stayed silent but watched as Mason sauntered up to the control console next to Otis. The canine in turn faced the bear, ears folded back, and whispered, "... We worked so hard on this."

Mason made a soft sigh, "I know, but that means nothing, now do your job."

Otis let out a sudden chuckle, followed by a deep sigh as his shoulders slouched. For a moment, he looked utterly defeated, yet also relieved, as if a great weight had finally faded into nothing.

The consoles around the room lit up with a warning, and I could hear a thunk through the room as something settled into place. A glance at the windows revealed that the gantries were withdrawing, while a great many conduits were extending from the walls as they sought to connect with Athena's core.

I started walking down the sloping room and kept my attention to the windows.

"Main couplings in place... Power distribution self-tests in progress," Otis said.

"Linkage protocols with the ring are engaging, Orbital Command has initiated planetary-wide node activation," Felix said softly.

I stepped up to the large windows and lifted my gaze. Ports were opening across Athena's core, and the massive conduits were settling into place one by one.

"No one asked for it, but the cooling systems are operating within normal parameters," Evelyn said.

"Data linkages 0 through 2047 active, buffers working as expected. Wake-up sequence starting," Felix said.

Otis was quick to speak up, "The core is drawing an unexpected amount of power."

Mason leaned in by Otis as he gave the screens a look, "How much?"

"It's still increasing... Backups are kicking in to keep the voltage steady," Otis said.

Felix followed up, "It doesn't seem to be a fault somewhere. If it was, her internal fuses would have already blown at these power levels."

"So where the hell is the power going?" Otis asked.

"I'm working as fast as I can..." Felix murmured.

I glanced back and could see Felix hunched over the console, eyes closed as his hand rested on the interface.

Evelyn joined my side as I watched and whispered, "You're staying by the sidelines this time?"

"... They know this part a lot better than I do," I whispered.

There was a hint of amusement in her voice, "So, you do trust them?"

I looked to her in wonder, "... What do you mean?"

Evelyn smiled for a brief moment, "There's something of a fear among us early arrivals that we had grown apart. That you newcomers will look at us as wildlings."

"Ah," I whispered.

There was a sudden feeling in my back. As if a finger trailed up my tail and counted each vertebra in my spine. At first, I wondered if it was Evelyn trying to be funny, but a glance revealed that she hadn't moved an inch.

Felix spoke, "... I've found it. Athena's internal structure differs from what we were expecting. There's eternite circuitry integrated within her core, and it's drawing all that extra power."

The tingle in my spine continued, and I couldn't help but feel as if it was coming from the windows, as if the source was Athena's core.

I whispered to Evelyn, "What's eternite?"

"It's complicated, but it's the material that makes jumpfield technology work. You wouldn't typically see it on the planet since it doesn't work well down here... not to mention that it's now the most precious material known to anyone," Evelyn said.

"So, it's difficult to make?" I asked.

"Nigh impossible... The only installation capable of doing it is the Stellar Forge up by the Array," Evelyn answered.

One question answered, two more to ask...

"Athena is waking up, she's..." Felix's voice trailed off into the distance, as if time itself was slowing down.

The sensation grew more pronounced, reality slowing down. It wasn't odd in itself--it happened each time you dove into a virtual world or needed extra time to think--but...

This time it felt as if something was watching me in the periphery, a bit like that monstrous nightmare I'd woken up to on the ship. In the midst of it all, a familiar presence touched my mind.

It was a color and feeling alike. A shade of blue that shimmered like sapphire. It tapped my shoulder, and settled next to my ear.

'Vilkas?' Athena asked, whispering into my ear.

I felt relief as I answered, 'I'm here.'

'This is certainly interesting... I had expected to wake up with my ordinary crew in the reigns--not that you're an unwelcome sight,' Athena answered as her voice hummed to me.

I chuckled over the link, 'How are you feeling, Athena?'

'I am still adapting to the situation at hand, and the rest of my systems are absorbing all relevant information... It would seem that Maxwell has modified me in some way. I wonder for what purpose... You are distressed as well, why?' Athena wondered.

Am I distressed? Do I want to rip the room apart and scream?

Do I want to scream because my pack didn't end up on the same ship as me?

Do I feel tricked and abused after all this? Am I tired? Is there violence beneath the veneer?

Where did Maxwell go? What was so important out there? Why did it all turn out like this?

For a moment, it felt like an overwhelming anguish that would send me crashing to my knees. But I couldn't. Time was frozen, my heart would not beat, and I was trapped in the confines of my own mind.

So I stuffed that anguish in the closet, along with everything else, and I locked the door.

'We need you,' I thought.

'Yes, I'm realizing that. Our arrival to this colony was premature, and Maxwell's predictions failed in some way. Huh, that must have frustrated him a great deal... Let's see... More unknown technologies... A Space Elevator... Orbital ring... Oh my, I can see why you needed me.'

'Athena,' I thought.

'Yes? What can I do for you, Vilkas?' Athena wondered.

'I want my pack,' I thought.

'Your pack... Oh, I understand. One moment...' Athena thought.

It felt like a long time, but I suspected that in the few milliseconds passed, a great deal was going on. Athena's presence returned once more, 'I have located them. They are safe but trapped in an unfortunate orbit. Their secondary engine has been damaged, and all rescue vessels are busy with higher priority targets. Current estimation is that it will take around eight months to reach their vessel for repairs.'

'Eight months? Just to reach the ship?' I wondered, and felt as my heart sank.

'In time, you will have your pack, Vilkas... That is all I can tell you at this point,' Athena answered.

'Then... what do I do now?' I thought, and the question was directed to myself and Athena alike.

'I am tempted to tell you that you need to sleep and recover. You've been exposed to radiation, and a long bout of hibernation has strained you. You need to rest and recuperate.'

I am tired...

'... Did Maxwell's predictions actually fail? Or did he arrange things like this intentionally?'

'I cannot say that for certain... At least, not yet,' Athena answered.

'You knew him and spent centuries working together to create Sophos from nothing. You were part of his plans, Athena. You have to know something...' I said, unable to keep some bitterness from seeping in.

'I was, yes... and then I forgot almost all of it. I'm not sure why, but it was the only way. I had to forget in order to fulfill my purpose, to serve you... the people of Sophos,' Athena thought.

I'm like a petulant child...

'Sorry, I just...' I thought.

'I understand, Vilkas... Your reaction is to be expected. But for now, you need to give me time.'

'Understood,' I thought as her presence slowly faded.

Time seemed to loosen once more. My heart thumped, and I drew a deep, shaky breath.

Otis spoke, "Athena has awoken... she's already coordinating efforts across the solar system."

I turned to look at the others and could hear as Athena's voice filled the room, "I am, yes. But it is not something I should be doing, nor can handle on my own. As such, we'll need to assist the others in integrating high-level Expert Systems where needed. Agreed?"

Otis looked at the windows and made a slow nod, "Sophos' path was never meant to be dictated by a single voice."

The comment made me frown, even if I agreed with him.

"Then help me, and we'll make sure it isn't, and when my original maintenance team returns, we'll begin work on addressing your concerns as well..." Athena said.

Otis blinked, "I... appreciate that."

Athena continued, "That said, you and I are going to have a very long talk regarding risk assessment, underst __oo_ d..._ _ Otis _?"

Otis' expression wavered as his tail slackened, "... Understood."