Family Tails

A Story of a Mixed Family in the Genetic Age

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Names of actual businesses, their products, etc, are the property of their respective owners.

Story and characters © 2013 Ronald J. Lebeck

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Chapter 30

Rob and Helga quickly settled into married life together, and August brought a few more changes. Helga was accepted into the Master's program at UAF and began working towards becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Sierra, Cormac, Chrys Ann, and Violet celebrated their first birthday. Ron and Rob finished converting the bathroom in Rob and Helga's house, and the bathroom between the two other bedrooms in Ron's house to the walk-in style with the air-dry system that Ron had built into his master bathroom. Lupina completed both her A+ and Networking certifications for work, and received a raise in pay. Rosie had her hands full trying to watch all four kids, so her friend Holly offered to help. Holly, a Gen-1 skunk G.E.L.F. who had moved to Fairbanks in the spring, was given a place to stay in the house, up in the unused portion of the loft.

Towards the end of August, before college classes started up, Nunataq--through his granddaughter Miki--invited Ron, Rob, and their families, plus Holly and Willie, to their village. Miki and Willie rode with Rob and Helga in their SUV, taking the bulk of their traveling gear. The pass through the mountains of the Brooks Range was still open, and they had no difficulties along the way. It was quite a change in scenery as they came down the north side of the mountains, making the transition from forested, rugged mountains, to Alaska's North Slope and the Arctic Tundra. Miki's people, the Inupiat--one of the Inuit peoples who live along the west and north coasts of Alaska and parts of Canada and Russia--have lived here for thousands of years.

Life in the Arctic is harsh, often unforgiving, and life is precious. Miki's people believe that every living thing has a spirit that survives after the death of whatever form it lived in, and therefore all due care and respect must be given, least a spirit should feel wronged and seek vengeance. If taboos were broken, or the proper rituals not performed, bad things could happen--a knife breaks, a spear misses, animals driven away, an accident or illness--all could spell the difference between surviving or not. If something should happen, the angakkuq, or shaman, would be called upon to intercede. The angakkuq may go on a spirit journey in order to find out which spirit was offended, what it would take to appease it, and who was responsible. There are other things that angakkuq do, of course, though when not performing their special duties, they help with all of the other work that needs to be done, just as everyone else. A person is born an angakkuq, though one must learn under an elder angakkuq in order to make full use of their abilities. It is not always the domain of menfolk, for women have also been angakkuq. Nunataq has been one of the most powerful angakkuq in several generations, and Miki--his granddaughter--inherited his abilities, and has shown great promise in being as strong as her grandfather. In Inupiat culture, womenfolk generally deal with camp life and the family--food preparation, cleaning and preparing hides, raising children, and so forth. However, when there are not enough men for hunting or building, women have stepped up to help with these tasks as well. Likewise, the men may also help with family chores as well. Miki has gone on several hunts with the men of her village, and has always come back successful, seemingly able to know just where to be at just the right time. This did not escape the notice of the elders, and neither did the fact that Miki is also quite intelligent. When she received high grades in the local high school, it was decided that she should go to the "big school"--the University of Alaska. Miki was a sophomore in college majoring in Environmental Science when she and Lupina met, and this year she will be returning as a junior. Nunataq was pleased at his granddaughter's progress, both in her training to take his place, and in her school work. He felt that he would not have many seasons left in this lifetime, and he was happy that his tribe would not be without their angakkuq.

Long ago, when Nunataq was a young man, he had gone on a spirit journey, and on this particular journey, he felt again a general unhappiness among the spirits--subtle, but there, and it had apparently been there for a long time. Nunataq called to them and asked why they were unhappy. They showed him, through visions, what was wrong.

"All the people of the world need to be taught a great lesson. There are too many who hurt the world and all those who live on it," he was told.

Nunataq though on this, and asked what his people could do to help, for he had seen the unhappiness that had spread to his people when the strangers came and insisted that the Inupiat and other tribes follow different ways, as the strangers had done to other people in other lands.

"Gather the angakkuq and tell them this--there is a wolf who comes from a great grasslands, and who has been on a long journey. They must call to him, so that he will be with his brothers and sisters in the lands of your people. When the animals walk among the people of the world, a female wolf with no family will come. These two must find each other, for they are kindred spirits, and will begin to teach the great lesson. Others will come and continue the lesson, and in time, will begin to heal the hurts of the world."

Nunataq thought on this, too, and he felt as if all the spirits were watching him.

"I will do this," he told them, and then asked, "How will I know the two who must find each other?"

"We will help you..."

"Here we are!" Miki said cheerfully as they drove up to the village. For Helga and Willie, having been used to seeing large cities, Miki's village was something of a shock to them, as it also was with Lupina, Rosie, and Holly. Many of the buildings were small, prefabricated structures, a few others looked like they were cobbled together with whatever material could be found, and there were traditionally built structures. Few vehicles were to be seen, mostly snowmobiles, a few old pickup trucks, and a couple SUVs. There were plenty of dogs, all of the type favored by the Inuit peoples for pulling sleds and other work. The arrival of two large, nicely kept SUVs drew immediate attention and world passed quickly, with many believing government people had arrived. When Lupina, Rosie, Holly, the kids, Helga, and Willie stepped out, the village folk were stunned. Many knew Ron through his friendship with Nunataq and his nephew Tukkuttok, but as Miki had told Lupina almost two years ago, the G.E.L.F.s were seen as legends come-to-life.

"Momma, why they lookit us?" Violet asked, seeing how the villagers were staring at them.

"I dunno, honey...maybe they've never seen skunks before," Rosie answered her daughter quietly.

Nunataq and the rest of Miki's family came out of their house and greeted them, in the traditional Inupiat fashion. As soon as Ron and the others were settled in, Nunataq conferred briefly with the other elders. Word was quickly spread throughout the village about the special guests, and preparations began for a celebration. Miki explained to the G.E.L.F.s what was going on. Word was also spread to the other villages in the area, and arrangements made to have a large gathering the next day with traditional music, songs, food, dancing, and games. While they were being taken around the village, Ron pulled Nunataq aside for a moment to ask if he could speak with him in private later about something personal. Nunataq was somewhat surprised, but he knew Ron well enough to know that it must be something important that might require his special skills.

Later that "evening", for this time of the year, the sun does not dip below the horizon yet, but when the sun was low in the sky, and the little ones were beginning to get sleepy, Nunataq signaled to Ron to step outside.

"Where are you going, baby?" Lupina asked when Ron got up to leave.

"I'll be back in a bit, luv, just going to talk with Nunataq about something," he replied, giving her a quick kiss.

"Okay, don't be too long, because the kids will be going to bed soon, and you know how they always want to snuggle with you," Lupina said.

"Shouldn't be too long, luv," Ron said with a grin.

Nunataq and Ron walked together a ways in silence, finally stopping near the stream that came down out of the mountains and ran next to the village. They sat down on a clump of tundra grass and watched the stream for a bit.

When Nunataq sensed that it was time, he asked in his native Inupiatun, "What is it that weighs heavily on your thoughts?"

"It's about Kapik."

Nunataq briefly raised his eyebrows in surprise, but did not say anything. After a moment, Ron did his best to explain in Inupiatun about the ability Atka, Sesi, and their offspring have and how they came to have it. He also tried to explain the changes to his body that was done by the military years ago and more recently by the place Lupina and the other G.E.L.F.s come from.

"Kapik wants to pass this ability of speaking with the mind to not only the G.E.L.F.s, but to humans as well. In order to do that, she needs a mate who is special, like she is."

Nunataq thought on this awhile, absorbing what he had just learned.

"Lupina and Rosie learned of Kapik's idea from her mother, Sesi, and they think it is a good idea," Ron added.

"But you are uncertain about this," Nunataq stated.

"For more than one reason. Aside from the mating issue, can you imagine what could happen if people get this ability?" There will be those who have it, and those who do not. Maybe someday far into the future, everyone--G.E.L.F. and human alike--will have this ability to speak with their minds, but until then, those who don't have it may become afraid of those who do. Humans have killed each other over far less things. Right now, very few people know about this," Ron explained.

"I will think on this. It is indeed a unique gift that is offered, though as you say, what others may do with it or to those who have it, must be considered very carefully. When we were given fire, it was a precious gift--but if it is not respected, it can harm as well as do good things," Nunataq said thoughtfully.

"How well I know...," Ron said quietly.

Nunataq looked at Ron for a moment, thinking.

"Our people did not learn the mysteries of metal as your people have. I once saw it being shaped in fire, and I think in your long journey, you have been shaped by fire, too."

"'Forged in battle', as we say," Ron commented.

Nunataq glanced at Ron and then looked off into the distance for several seconds.

"Like fire, you have harmed, but you have also done much good. My granddaughter told me about the storm, and that the animal people trust and respect you. Kapik has a gentle spirit--she would not offer her gift if she thought it would be used to harm."

"I wouldn't think so," Ron agreed, "but she doesn't know humans as I do."

"She trusts the wolf in you."

It was Ron's turn to be quiet for a time, thinking.

"This is quite a tangled mess. The man in me says no...or does he? When I first met Lupina, was it the man or wolf in me that was attracted to her...or was it both? Lupina is now mate to the wolf in me, and wife to the human in me--and then there is Rosie. Rosie became my second mate only because Lupina asked me to help her best friend to have a family of her own. I ended up falling in love with Rosie, too, though it's a bit different than with Lupina. And now Kapik, who is closer to a true wolf in many ways than Lupina is, wants me to mate with her so that she can have a little one who will pass on her telepathic ability to both G.E.L.F.s and humans. I'm not sure if the law will allow that, though. Since Kapik can only communicate mentally with G.E.L.F.s and me, besides her own family members, the government officials will only view her as being a normal wolf, unless...unless there is some way to show that Kapik is a G.E.L.F. of some kind," Ron thought aloud.

Nunataq looked at his friend and said, "We must untangle the net and see what it holds."

"What were you and Miki's grandfather talking about, baby?" Lupina asked quietly after they settled down to rest for the "night".

"Kapik," Ron answered quietly, not wanting to disturb Sierra who was sprawled out across his chest. Her twin brother was between their parents, resting his head on his father's arm. Chrys Ann had wormed her way over to Ron's other side, resting her head on his shoulder before her mother could. Violet nestled herself against Rosie, and was dreaming.

"Oh. What did he say?"

"I tried to explain things as best as I could, which isn't easy in their language since they don't have words for some things, and I'm not a native speaker of it. Anyway, he said he'd think on it, and that it's something that must be considered very carefully," Ron replied quietly.

Sierra murmured something unintelligible, stretched, and repositioned herself, ending up with an arm across Chyrs Ann's neck.

"I still think it's a good idea," Lupina said after Sierra settled back down.

"Why is that?"

"Well, it'd be great right now--we could talk and not wake anyone up. If we were someplace noisy, it'd be a way to be heard without having to yell, and we could tell each other things we can't find the words for," Lupina explained.

Ron considered this and said, "Good points, luv. Nunataq said that like fire, it could do a lot of good things, but if it's not respected and misused, it could harm."

"How could it hurt anyone?" Lupina asked, not comprehending.

"Not so much the ability itself, but those who have it and those who don't. The people who don't have it might become afraid of those who do. Some who don't have it, but want it, might stop at nothing to take it for themselves, no matter if they have to hurt someone to get it or not. The more paranoid people who don't have the ability will be fearful of those who do, and might seek ways to get rid of it. And there will always be other Harvey Sumters out there who will try to exploit it, find ways to enhance it, make it able to hurt, and then try to profit from it," Ron explained.

Lupina felt a shiver go through her body at that thought. "I didn't think of that...," she whispered.

"I know, luv. G.E.L.F.s don't think exactly like humans, and that's one of the things I love about them--G.E.L.F.s have a certain innocence that humans have lost somewhere along the way. Ah, if only your kind could heal humanity's hurts...," Ron said with a sigh.

Lupina thought about that for a while, and then had a flash of inspiration.

"What if...what if we could?" she asked.

Ron opened his eyes, looked over at his wife/mate, and asked, "How do you mean?"

"Well...what if all the G.E.L.F.s had the ability? Maybe Dr. Nemeth could find a way to give it to all of us. Those of us who already are could be given it through an enhancement, and future gens could be born with it. Imagine someone like Helga having it--she's a healer. You know how humans have used animals for therapy in nursing homes, with people that have physical or other problems...if G.E.L.F.s with the ability could help in those areas, maybe we could in others, too," Lupina explained excitedly, though quietly.

Ron looked at his wife/mate deep in thought, imagining a group of G.E.L.F.s with the ability, helping someone like Reverend Barnabas Blackburn see how his misguided ways were doing harm instead of good.

"Lu...you're a genius. We gotta call Nemeth in the morning...I think this could be done," Ron said, catching on to Lupina's idea.

Sierra popped an eye open and put a hand on her father's mouth.

"Daddy, go sleep!"

Lupina snickered and whispered, "I guess you got told."

Sierra snorted and added, "Go sleep too, momma!"

Removing his daughter's hand from his mouth, Ron stuck the end of his tongue out at his wife/mate with an expression of "I guess you got told, too."

Early the next morning, Ron had Lupina call Dr. Nemeth at The Center. When she picked up her extension, Lupina explained that Ron had something he wanted to talk with her about, and then handed the phone to him.

[Ron]: "Good morning, Darcy, how are you today?"

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Hello Ron, and good morning to you, too. I'm fine, things are kind of quiet here today, and you?"

[Ron]: "We're all up in Miki's village for the weekend. There's going to be quite a celebration going on here today, so it's going to be interesting."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Sounds like it. Lupina said you had something you wanted to talk about..."

[Ron]: "Yeah. Do any records still exist from the lab back in Berkley about the two pairs of wolves and their offspring? I think you know which two in particular I'm interested in--one male and one female."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "The ones taken by that activist group...5F, or something like that?"

[Ron]: "Yeah, the ones I gave the names 'Atka' and 'Sesi' to. Oh, and there was a lynx, too...a female."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "You still think those two are from those that were taken?"

[Ron]: "I do. I'm curious to know what was done to them to boost their intellect and, specifically, what gave them the telepathic ability."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Any particular reason why?"

[Ron]: "Yeah, Kapik--one of Atka and Sesi's daughters, the one that seems to be the most sensitive--wants to share her ability with the G.E.L.F.s, and humans, too. The thing is, she thinks I'm the one who can help her do that. Lu's got some interesting ideas about it, and she thinks maybe you can isolate it, and then give it to all of the G.E.L.F.s. For the existing ones, it could be an add-on enhancement, and in the future ones, it could be made part of automatically. If Atka and Sesi were part of the G.E.L.F. program, and it could be proven, then they might be considered G.E.L.F.s themselves and so would their offspring."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Hmm, that's interesting. This ability of theirs you speak of...do you know much about it?"

[Ron]: "They only seem to be able to communicate with each other, the G.E.L.F.s, my kids, and with me, but only after I received those enhancements you folks gave me. There's got to be something related there. As for range, I'm not sure yet how far they can send, though if they press their heads against ours, they can hear our thoughts, too. I'm guessing that if we had the same ability, we could communicate with them over a distance, just like they do with each other."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "That's very interesting. I'll dig through the old records and see what I can find. I suppose we could compare the DNA to see what's common between the wolves, the G.E.L.F.s, and you."

[Ron]: I don't think any of the wolves will want to leave home to come down there. Maybe if you could send some of those swab things, I can get your samples that way, and send them back Next Day Air, or whatever. I guess while you're at it, you might check and see if there's any possibility that Kapik's DNA and mine are compatible...might be a longshot, but she seems to insist that there's something special about me now that wasn't there before."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Aside from 'animal magnetism'?"

Ron heard the slight chuckle in her voice.

[Ron]: "Heh, I hope it's more than that."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "You and your friends have made quite an impression on the ladies here."

Ron wondered why Dr. Nemeth chose to say "ladies" in the general form, and was not more specific.

[Ron]: "Oh? Anyone in particular?"

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Er...let's just say that you have some...'admirers'."

"Hmm, I wonder...," Ron started to think to himself, but decided to let it drop.

[Ron]: "Okay, well then...um, I guess that's it for now. It looks like it's time for breakfast, so I'll talk to you later. Let me know if you find out anything."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Okay, I will get on that, and I'll send some of those cheek swabs and some gloves out today. Have a good time at the celebration today."

[Ron]: "Thanks. I'm sure we will. Take care, Darcy."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "You, too, Ron. Bye."

"So, is she gonna look for stuff on Atka and Sesi?" Rosie asked when Ron ended the call.

"Yeah, she said that she'd try to find out what she could, and she's going to send a sampling kit so that she can try to find what gives the telepathic ability," Ron replied.

"That'd be cool, and then Lu and I can tell you all kinds of things with nobody hearin' us," Rosie said mischievously.

"That could make going out to dinner interesting," Lupina added, wrapping her arms around Ron's waist from behind him.

"You mean aside from the kids trying to start another food fight?" Ron asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I guess no more 'Martian salad' and straws," Rosie said with a grimace, remembering the time when the kids tried a lime green gelatin dessert with grapes, mandarin oranges, bananas, and maraschino cherries.

"But the green just went so well with your black fur...," Ron snickered.

"At least Cormac tried to clean it off," Lupina chuckled.

"Yeah...with his tongue! Did you see the look that old gal gave me?" Rosie asked with exasperation.

Ron started laughing and said, "Yep, I thought she was going to fall out of her chair!"

"Well, if Sierra's aim had been a little more to the right, she probably would have had a cow!" Lupina laughed.

Sierra was aiming for Chrys Ann, using her spoon like a catapult, but instead lobbed the green gelatin onto Rosie, ending up near the white fur on the right side of her chest. If it had landed more to the right, it may very well have ended up going down her front. Cormac, trying to be helpful, slid out of his booster seat, climbed onto Rosie's lap, and proceeded to lick the gelatin off, much to the disgust of an older human woman sitting nearby.

"If we'd been at home, I woulda made you lick it off!" Rosie said, jabbing a finger at Ron.

"That might have been interesting...," Ron said with a sly grin.

Rosie and Lupina both gave their mate a playful light smack with their hands.

"Ooo...you!" Rosie exclaimed.

They spent the rest of the day enjoying the celebrations, meeting people, and generally being the center of attention, which for the most part the kids enjoyed. Sierra, Cormac, Chrys Ann, and Violet played with the other Inupiat children, to the delight of their parents. When it came time for the "old man" stories--the myths and legends of the Inupiat that were listened to with reverence--Miki helped to interpret them into English for their guests. At length, Nunataq rose from where he was sitting and recounted in full the vision he had received as a young man, the making of the charms, meeting Ron and Lupina, and what Miki had told him about the events at the place where "the animal people"--the G.E.L.F.s--came into the world, and the raven's speech. Being the careful observer that his is, Ron watched with great interest the expressions and reactions of Nunataq's people, especially over the last two parts.

"Edgar, if only you knew what the effect of your speech is going to have on the world...or maybe you do," Ron thought to himself.

Edgar's speech, along with a recounting of events leading up to it, had already been circulated among the G.E.L.F.s around the world. Every G.E.L.F. who was old enough to understand it, chose Edgar's side, as did almost all of the humans who work at the other branches of The Center. This did not escape the notice of those who created The Center and oversaw its operation. A current began to shift among the corporate sponsors, and that in turn began to work on the government sponsors as well. Through various "power lunches", quiet meetings, and the usual "back channel" means that the "real" business is done among corporations and governments, they at first wondered if this was going to be a threat to human domination. However, another current, far more subtle and stronger than any corporate or government official, was already at work--and it had a head start.

Dr. Nemeth sat there for a few moments after hanging up the phone, thinking. It was Saturday morning, and all but the junior science staff who had the weekend duty, the janitorial and kitchen staff, and the security guards were off. Since she was the G.E.L.F. Project Lead, Dr. Nemeth had access to anything pertaining to the whole G.E.L.F. project--including the old records from the original lab at U.C.-Berkley. Finding them, however, was going to be a chore, and she could use some help.

"Who could I possibly get that wouldn't mind digging through a bunch of old boxes?" she thought to herself.

While she thought on that, Dr. Nemeth absentmindedly went through her e-mail. She stopped at one in particular that she had already read--it was one from Lupina Daugherty that had photos attached of the kids. There was one of her twins, Sierra and Cormac, playing with Rosie's two girls. Apparently, Chrys Ann and Violet were so interested in finding out what might be inside a hollow log that they didn't see the wolf children sneaking up behind them.

"That's it!" Darcy said excitedly after recalling that Lupina had mentioned once how the two kits got into everything, just to satisfy their intense curiosity.

Finishing off the last bit of coffee in her cup, Dr. Nemeth went down to the G.E.L.F. cafeteria to see if any of the skunk G.E.L.F.s were there.

Just outside of Sequim, WA, an old classmate of Darcy Nemeth back in their high school days in Colorado Springs, CO, was preparing to make a trip to a place she had been to in a long time. As Miriam Swiftcloud packed her things, she did not know that the paths she and her former high school alum were converging. They had very nearly crossed one night back in the early 1990's, in the basement of one of the older buildings on the campus of the University of California in Berkley. Miriam was one of the members of the extremist animal rights activist group commonly known as "5F", who participated in the raid that, among other things, resulted in some wolves being "rescued" and smuggled into Alaska. When Miriam had seen the information about the three hunters who trespassed upon private property and tried to kill a white wolf for her pelt, she couldn't shake the feeling that she recognized the two older wolves. She had no way of knowing that Atka and Sesi both had been accidentally given extraordinarily long lives. Indeed, the members of 5F really had no idea what type of research was being done in that lab. They assumed that if animals were involved in any kind of research, that it must be to further the corporate greed or either the cosmetics industry, "big pharma", or "big agri". They did not know then, and still do not know now, that the research lab they raided was the beginning stages of the G.E.L.F. program. While their actions that night did set the program back a little, it also set into motion certain other events--the two wolves who would later meet Ron Daugherty and be given the names Atka and Sesi by him, and who would become the inspiration for his best seller fantasy story that has been a huge favorite among the G.E.L.F.s. Their actions led directly to a certain genetically modified lynx eventually being introduced to a close friend of Ron Daugherty by the name of Rob Cloud. This in turn nudged the two men towards meeting and eventually becoming mates with, certain G.E.L.F. females. The strong relationships formed by these and two other men who were all part of another facet of genetic research, in turn influenced many other G.E.L.F.s--and humans, too. "Ripples in a pool," as Ron would write about in one of his books. Miriam's physical journey to Alaska would ultimately prove to be a part of her greater spiritual journey through life.

Late Saturday evening Alaska time, Lupina's phone rang with the distinctive ringtone for The Center. Lupina answered her phone and then handed it to her mate.

"It's for you, baby...it's Dr. Nemeth," Lupina said sleepily.

[Ron]: "This is Ron."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Good evening, Ron...this is Darcy, I hope I didn't wake you."

[Ron]: "Hi. Nope, we're just finally getting to settle in for what passes as night up here this time of year. Kinda tough to sleep when the sun doesn't set for six months this far north."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "I imagine so. I spend so much time down in the labs, if I don't look at the clock every once in a while, I'd never know if it was three in the afternoon, or three in the morning."

[Ron]: "I can understand that. You know the saying about all work and no play."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Unfortunately that's something I don't get to do much...play, that is."

[Ron]: "Hmm, guess we'll have to work on that." (chuckles)

Darcy felt a little flush of excitement--followed quickly by embarrassment at the thought.

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Er...um, yeah. I...oh, I found the data you asked about. It seems that those wolves of yours may not be entirely wolf."

[Ron]: " How's that?"

[Dr. Nemeth]: "They may be part human."

[Ron]: "That's...interesting. How much, do you know?"

[Dr. Nemeth]: "I'll know for certain when I can run their samples. From the records, it seems that they were modified to boost cognitive functions, to make them more intelligent. I'll have to dig through all of the records, though I did find a reference to an old method of using stem cells that we don't use in making the G.E.L.F.s. We directly manipulate the atoms and molecules that make up their DNA--that cuts down on the ethical issues."

[Ron]: "I remember the controversy surrounding the use of stem cells. I met some of the people who developed the means behind direct manipulation of atoms. From an engineer's viewpoint, it was pretty cool how they made it work."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Just like in chemistry class when you get to work with the models using colored wooden balls and springs to make a representation of, say, sodium chloride...only we get to do it for real."

[Ron]: "Ah, if only we can do that on the quantum level, directly manipulating quarks..."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Now you're getting over my head! I read your paper on Quantum Computing, or tried to--pretty arcane stuff. I never would have figured you for being such a physics geek."

[Ron]: "Heh, I never would have figured you for being a partier, either." (chuckles)

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Er...well...you know, even we *cough* older folks need to loosen up once in a while."

[Ron]: "Yeah, I get reminded of the every so often. And speaking of getting reminded about things, I've got some little fur balls trying to tell me it's bedtime...yeah, okay, Vi, just a sec. Alright, well thanks for looking into that, and as soon as I get that sampling kit, I'll get what you need and send it back to you."

[Dr. Nemeth]: "Okay, well, goodnight, and my regards to everyone."

[Ron]: "Thanks will do. Goodnight, Darcy, and thanks again."

"So, did she find out anything about Atka and Sesi?" Lupina asked when Ron handed the phone back to her.

"Yeah, she must have spent the day and half the night trying to find the old records, but she did find them. She's going to have to go through them in detail, but she thinks that Atka and Sesi might not be all wolf."

"You mean there might be something else mixed in them?" Rosie asked.

"Yeah...they might be part human."

Lupina and Rosie stared at their mate with their mouths open.

"Dr. Nemeth will know for sure, and if so, how much, when she gets their DNA samples," Ron added.

"If they're part human, then that would mean...," Lupina started to say.

"That Kapik might be part human, and...," Rosie added.

"You might be compatible with her, too," Lupina finished.

"And that ladies, opens up a whole new can of worms," Ron said rolling his eyes.