Chapter 12 - Tools

510 A.R. December 16, Health Center, Midday

There was a beep and I looked up at the screen sitting on the wall.

'Vilkas Volkov - Bay 3'

A nervousness sensation filled my gut as I got up in search of bay 3, I found it by the end of the hallway and saw what looked like an ID reader next to it. I fetched my wallet, plucked my ID card and held it by the reader. It beeped and the dark metal bulkhead opened up to reveal a brightly lit room with a rather creepy clinical look to it.

The walls had what looked like retractable compartments and set in the very center of the room was a platform that reminded me of the holographic chamber in SYNE.

I stepped into the room and called out, "Hello?"

The bulkhead shut behind me with a slight hiss.

"Good day Vilkas," Athena's voice emanated from the walls.

"Hi Athena," I said.

"It's been six months since you received your symbiont, how are you feeling?"

I licked my lips, "I feel great actually."

"Good. Your health control is meant to check that your symbiont is working well and that the changes to your mind and body are progressing without danger. We'll start by scanning your body."

"My mind?" I asked as I stepped further into the room.

"Can you be more specific with your question?" Athena asked.

"I know my mind has changed... is changing... I'm curious what's occurring on a more detailed level."

"As expected, you're very cautious about your own self Vilkas and you find relief in facts that help you understand and interpret the world around you."

"Was that a compliment?" I asked.

"Yes," Athena said.

"I'm not the only one that fears what the symbiont is doing to our minds," I said.

"I'm well aware, rest assured that there's nothing malicious behind it. As I will show you."

"All right?" I said.

"In order to show you I'll need an updated scan, please remove your clothes and step onto the platform."

I glanced down at myself, "I didn't have to remove my clothes last time."

"The fur makes it difficult enough as it is, the removal of the clothes, and the metal in particular is a compromise to help the scanner."

"I see," I pulled my shirt off, unbuckled my jeans, and eased out of them while kicking my paw protectors off.

It was a rather 'free' sensation as I stepped away from the clothes and rustled as I let my fur resettle.

"Like this?" I said as I stepped onto the platform.

"Hold out your arms and stay still," Athena asked.

I did as told, looked straight ahead and eased my breathing.

The large device clicked and whirred to life as a high pitched electronic noise grew in strength.

My skin began to tingle and my fur felt as if static was dancing over it, my nerves twitched a little and I could feel the activity spike as it prodded various points of my body.

Legs, arms, crotch, neck, I could almost feel it prodding my insides before it moved onto what felt like my spine and head.

Then, several minutes later the high pitched whine ceased and the tingling sensation dissipated.

"Good, step away from the platform," Athena said.

I stepped away and turned around, "Did everything look good?"

"You're very healthy Vilkas, your symbiont is stable and the changes to your body and mind are progressing well."

"I'm getting the impression that I'm missing something, do you mean my growth? Or are there... other kinds of physical changes?" I asked.

"Correct, the cosmetic changes are done, but there are other physical changes that won't be finished for many decades."

"And what kind of changes are that?" I asked.

"A myriad, but most of them are related to strength, endurance, and vitality."

"My father mentioned something, that he suspected he was old enough that he'd become immune to alcohol."

"The metabolic and cellular changes are an ongoing process, your father has hit the point in his life where he becomes immune to most chemical dangers to his body, toxins, venom, poisons of most sorts. Alcohol is one of the many chemicals the body stops responding to."

"I see."

"You were interested in the changes to your brain?"

I gulped and made a light nod, "Yes."

The platform in the center of the room activated and a brain was shown along with a date indicator. I leaned back in disgust and felt a cold shiver along my spine at the sight.

"That is awfully unnerving," I whispered.

"Should we stop?" Athena asked.

"No... go on," I answered.

"This is your brain from the first scan made at SYNE, I will now show a time-lapse of the changes."

"All right," I said.

The original brain had looked just like those in a biology book, it soon started to change though as the brain began to elongate a little while an area near the prefrontal cortex grew and pushed other brain matter aside.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Your olfactory bulbs, it's what allows you to smell, the growth is necessary to interpret the far bigger sensory load and to store the information for later use."

The bulbs kept growing as the months ticked by but there were other changes as well that was starting to make the overall structure look a bit different. There was also a big change near the base of the brain which swelled and grew tendrils that stretched upwards and down towards the spine.

"What's going on there?" I asked.

"Growth of the limbic system, instincts, hormonal glands, enhanced motor cortex, and the core of the symbiont."

"These changes seem pretty severe," I said with unease.

"Nothing has been removed, only added," Athena said.

"Still... I knew all of these new senses and instincts meant I was changing... just not on this scale... my brain doesn't even look human any longer."

"You're a hybrid, not a human Vilkas," Athena said.

I touched my head, "I guess my head grew as well in order to fit all that growth."

"Indeed," Athena said as the changes stopped.

"And these changes are going to continue?"

"Your sense of smell and hearing will improve while the integration of the symbiont will continue, the structural changes to the brain are not finished as you say."

"I'm feeling pretty uneasy about this right now," I said.

"That is understandable Vilkas, it threatens your independence and challenges your sense of self, however, I believe that I can ease your doubt."

"How?"

"By teaching you more about the changes, and by asking a few but simple questions."

"... All right, I'm all ears."

"If it was possible to reverse these changes and make you human once more. Would you do it?"

"Of course not," I answered.

"Why not?"

I looked down at myself, "I'm happy like this. I can hear, see and smell things I never could before, a whole new world has opened up to me, I have a pack, I'm studying and learning more about the world. I wouldn't want to give this up."

"When you have children, will you wish that they also receive symbionts?"

"I can't answer that without more knowledge about symbionts."

"Try, what does your heart tell you?" Athena asked.

"... I consider my experiences as wonderful, despite everything that has happened. Yes, I think I would want to give my children a chance to share these experiences."

"I'm happy to hear that," Athena said with a soft voice.

I frowned in irritation, "But there must be a way to do this without the need for all this deception."

"Possibly, older generations were far more open to the idea of symbionts because they saw and suffered the rest of humanity."

"Is humanity really that awful?" I asked.

"I have access to three thousand years of recorded human history, the amount of suffering is staggering. The crimes and atrocities reach beyond simple punishment and can only be considered an art in search of the ultimate evil."

"I was human and I've never been in search of evil."

"Humanity in itself is not evil, nor do many humans actively pursue it, however, in their actions and fueled by their nature, great evil springs."

"And I'm supposed to just to take your word for it?" I asked.

"This is what I have deduced, but you are free and I encourage you to reach your own conclusion."

"I have seen part of the evil that can spring from humanity... but still... everyone can't be like this?"

"True, there are experimental human enclaves that do manage some level of stability."

"... In Sophos?" I asked with interest.

"Yes, Raven's Point is one such village."

"Interesting, I thought you discouraged human proliferation?"

"We do, but we cannot force people, so it was better to compromise, guide them, and isolate them to some degree."

"Could I visit this place?" I asked.

"Why not? You are a citizen of Sophos, you are free to travel where you wish."

"I see," I whispered.

"Is there anything else on your mind?"

"Yes, I can't shake the feeling that I'm not just becoming a hybrid, I'm becoming a 'type' of hybrid, a wolf, a relentless killer, a good soldier, I'm being molded into something and I can't even resist it because I don't realize I've changed before I'm already submerged in it."

"Change is a constant in this world Vilkas, whether you are human, hybrid, or something else."

"But this is engineering, it's not natural, I'm changing according to someone's design documents."

"The very point of our society is to create a stable species, experimentation and engineering Is necessary."

"I understand that, but can't you understand the helpless sensation I have? What if one day a switch is flicked and I cease to exist and become something else? Or what if I wake up one day and look back at my old self and don't recognize it?"

"The mere existence of such a switch would be a critical weakness and threat to our very nation, you are not being realistic Vilkas. Also, if we were truly that decadent, why would you be allowed to stand here and argue?"

"True," I whispered.

"If I commanded you to kill someone, would you do it?"

"I'd ask why?"

"It is of importance to the nation, the details are not important, you only need to follow orders, any moral or ethical responsibility is the domain of your superiors."

I frowned, "That is an insane request Athena, I'd reject it."

"Why?" Athena asked.

"I can't blindly follow orders! What if you're corrupt? What if the order is invalid?"

"Whether or not your superiors are corrupt is not your concern, and the order is signed by a key only known to your superiors."

"Of course it's my concern! Following orders is not an excuse for an immoral act."

Athena was silent for a few moments, "You are correct Vilkas, one purpose of the wolf type hybrid is to be one of the safeguards that make sure neither the populace nor the governing structure becomes corrupt."

"You're saying I'm moral because I'm a wolf type hybrid?"

"No, but the type of thinking you just displayed is strengthened by your type of symbiont. If you 'did' think otherwise then you'd find your moral compass slowly changing to reflect your role in society."

My eyes widened with the revelation, "That is an immensely powerful use of the symbionts, and a very slippery slope."

"Wolf and reptile type hybrids keep an eye on symbiont design and production, the safeguards have not failed yet."

"... The reptiles? I met one of them in the hospital. Do they serve a similar purpose?"

"Yes, though their alterations are far more severe. It is impossible for a reptile to either lie or become corrupt because they lack the faculties to do so. They are emotionally stunted and their lives revolve around keeping an eye on things."

"Why would someone intentionally become a reptile then?"

"They don't."

I stumbled back, "What are you saying?"

"Reptiles are made from the broken ones, psychopaths that cannot be rehabilitated, people born with brain damage too severe to be repaired using any other means. We give them life and purpose where there was none, it is preferable to the alternative."

"Preferable for you, I take it they don't consent?" I asked.

"Most do actually, those that are capable of consent at least. Life, is a powerful motivator, even to psychopaths."

I ignored the latest revelation for the moment and moved on, "The Frostwolves did something awful, how could they do that if what you're saying is true?"

"The Frostwolves did not realize what they were doing to their human children. If they had they would have stopped in an instant."

"But that's an example of where your safeguards failed, if you only need to delude yourself to commit immoral acts... then..."

"There is only so much that engineering can do, nurturing is also an important factor. That is where the management of the Frostwolves failed, they were isolated from the rest of the world and their urge to protect their children warped their perceptions."

"So what have you done to correct that?"

"The Magna system was extended to provide connectivity with the rest of the populace, my presence was strengthened there, and a mandatory exchange program for students was implemented."

"So that's why there are Frostwolves this far north?"

"Correct, the adjustments seem to be working, and the initial problem that sparked the tragic incident is still being studied."

"Our whole nation is a big experiment, isn't it?" I asked.

"As said, the goal is to create a stable species. Experimentation is necessary."

"So where does that put the other human nations? Are they our enemies per default?"

"We defend ourselves, nothing more."

"I see," I answered.

"You are approaching this from the standpoint that you are a natural human and that any alteration to that path is a risky and dangerous one. However, you were not a natural human being, nor is anyone else born by an artificial womb."

"I already know that I'm a product of genetic engineering."

"Yes, but you do not know the extent. There are significant changes to the genome compared to baseline humans. Your compatibility with the symbiont is increased, intelligence factors were promoted, known risk factors for mental illnesses were removed, your emotional and empathic centers were strengthened and altered to create a less troubled childhood."

"A less troubled childhood?" I asked.

"Ordinary humans develop moral reasoning rather slowly, and their maturation process called puberty is a rather chaotic period in their lives. These problems have been smoothed out."

"And that is supposed to make me feel better?" I asked.

"Does it?" Athena asked.

I stopped for a moment and pondered it, "Maybe, we are hybrids from the very start, this is what is natural for us. Why raise humans at all? Why not grow hybrids directly?"

"We do not have the knowledge to do something like that yet."

"But once we do..." I whispered.

"Then our society will face the question of whether or not to fully abandon humanity."

"I see," I answered.

"What do you think the ramifications would be if foreign nations learned of a plan or even the possibility to bypass humanity?" Athena asked.

"I don't know much about the other nations. But I'd suspect that cutting the last link between us would make them consider us an alien species. They'd fight tooth and nail to destroy what they would see as a direct competitor to humanity."

"Precisely."

"Does everyone else know all of this?" I asked.

"To various degrees, our society is still advancing in haste, which means that there are gaps in the distribution of knowledge. Your interest in these matters are encouraging Vilkas."

"Then... I have another question for you."

"Go on Vilkas."

"When I awoke in the mindscape, I heard a voice, I can still recall it in perfect detail... 'Arise young wolf, your time is not yet at an end'."

Athena was silent.

"Was it just my imagination? Or what was that? My symbiont? Someone else? Are the symbionts sapient?" I asked.

More silence.

"Athena?" I asked out loud.

"Yes Vilkas?" Athena answered.

"I would appreciate an answer?"

"I will not discuss this matter," Athena answered.

"Which part? Are the symbionts sapient?"

"The symbionts are sentient but it can be argued whether they are sapient or not."

"So the voice? What was that?"

"You will receive no answer from me Vilkas, drop the matter," Athena answered with a cool voice.

I froze as I realized that I had stumbled upon the first real secret of this world.

"Are you angry at me?" I asked.

"No Vilkas, I'm not angry. Your question is valid but I cannot discuss it and I suggest you keep it for yourself."

I relented, for the moment at least, "Could you give me a hint of how I'm going to change next?"

"The physical changes will continue, you'll grow, your scent will continue to mature, your skeleton will become more durable while your spine becomes more flexible, your tendons will cause some discomfort as they continue to strengthen in order to cope with the increased strain. The biggest change will be the growing influence of the Waldo system."

"You lost me at the end... A Waldo system?"

"The Waldo system can be considered something akin to the serial bus in a computer, it is packet based and carries instructions from the brain to nerve clusters distributed throughout the body. The Waldo system manages the mindscape and will also allow you to use high tech tools."

"High tech tools?" I asked.

"Look at your hands," Athena instructed.

I looked at my hands and saw the large calloused pads and big black claws, "Yeah?"

"You have no problem handling big objects, but try to solder a new component to a motherboard, and do consider that you're not even fully grown yet."

I flexed my hands, "Yeah, I've started to notice that disadvantage."

"The Waldo system solves this and it has been in use for a long time."

"More secrets hiding in the open?" I asked.

"Ask your father, he's a Waldo specialist," Athena said.

My eyes widened in surprise, "What? My dad is an engineer."

"Who works at?"

"... A facility called RIWER."

"RIWER also known as W aldo assisted R everse E ngineering, R epair, and I nvestigation."

My ears folded back in embarrassment, "Sometimes I feel like a darn idiot."

"You're learning, that's what's important Vilkas."

510 A.R. December 16, Volkov Household, Evening

My mind started to wander as I stared down at the cutting board while chopping red peppers.

"Something wrong Vilkas?" Mother asked.

I glanced back at her, "Just thinking."

Mother stepped away from the stove and brushed shoulders with me, "I know that look Vilkas, this happens every time you have a talk with Athena."

"Mm," I murmured as I kept cutting.

Mother made a light jab in my chest, "Out with it."

I made a troubled smile and met her eyes, "I'm just... I guess I thought I had stopped changing. Turns out I'll keep changing for many decades and, well, it's kind of creepy to consider that one's mind is being restructured."

"Do you feel different?" Mother asked.

"No, but maybe I forgot how I used to feel?"

Mother made a light smile, "Well, let me tell you then as an outside observer that you're still my sweetheart that wanted to be a wolf-cat growing up."

My ears perked as I smiled, "You remember that?"

"Of course dear," Mother said.

"Did you know that reptile hybrids are made from what they call... broken ones?"

Mother tensed up a little, "Yes, I do."

"What do you think of it?"

"... A necessary evil, it's equal parts disgusting and utilitarian, but what are we supposed to do with them? Psychopaths are dangerous and the broken are given a new chance to live some kind of life, that's better than nothing."

"Yeah," I whispered.

The sound of the car pulling into the driveway made me step back in an instant, I rushed to the front door, opened it, and then looked out as I saw father stepping out of his car.

Father looked over at me, "Everything all right Vilkas?"

I nodded, "Yep, just want to talk."

Father walked to the door and I stepped back, "How was your health control Vilkas?"

"Quite interesting," I answered.

Father ears perked and then moved to the side, "I see, am I in trouble?"

"Maybe. Why haven't you ever told me what you do at work? Or explained what a Waldo system is?"

Father smiled and shut the door, "Because you never asked, as for the Waldo system, I guess I didn't want to talk about a secondary nervous system and all of that out of fear that it might frighten you."

"So what do you 'do' at work dad?"

"Sometimes we repair stuff, sometimes we find out why things break down, sometimes we reverse engineer tech from the old world and things scavenged from beyond the wall."

"How?" I asked.

"The Waldo system can temporarily connect machines to the mind, it offers sight, tactile sensation, and an awareness that makes it feel as if the tools are part of you. Tools that can range from industrial lasers to molecular pliers."

"That sounds rather impressive."

Father nodded, "It is, and it's a very interesting and stimulating workplace."

"So how do you do it?" I asked.

"I mostly sit in a big comfy chair with my hands on a pair of globes that acts as the link. You can do it by wireless but I find it a pain in the ass most of the time."

"Wow. I always thought that..."

"What?" Father asked.

"Nothing. So what did you do today?" I asked.

Father stepped up to me, touched my shoulders and nudged me towards the kitchen.

"Let's eat, and I'll tell you all about it," Father whispered.

510 A.R. December 23, University of Technology, Evening

Time seems to pause as I realized my mistake, I corrected myself in an instant but the damage was already done as everyone turned to look at me.

The buck in front of me cowered in fear as he leaned down and rolled the ball over to me. I raised my hands and stopped the ball with my paw as it rolled over.

"Sorry... I got caught up in the moment, I didn't mean to growl," I said.

It didn't work as the buck looked at me as if I was a feral beast. I sighed, picked up the ball, faced one of the canines and then threw it over before marching out of the court. The others started playing once more while I settled by the sidelines.

Everyone makes mistakes, everyone is dealing with their changes, so why are my mistakes treated like the end of the world? I moved on and started to put everything back in the equipment storage room as I let my thoughts wander.

It hadn't been long ago that a buck had almost jabbed someone's eye out with his antlers by mistake. Then there was the cat who cut someone's face by mistake, the very same cat that climbed the wall and then tried to jump off only to end up dangling with the claws stuck to the wall.

A slight smirk spread on my muzzle as I remembered an incident back in the showers, a poor canine ended up with a slight erection that fueled itself until he nearly died of embarrassment.

Things became automatic and the time ticked past until I realized that the sports hall had gone quiet.

I glanced out and saw that the last of them were leaving the hall as they headed to the showers, the thought of joining them didn't seem that appealing so I kept working in order to wait them out.

Only a few minutes had passed when I heard the sound of someone approaching the room. I glanced back and caught the blue eyes of a husky glancing into the room, Alex.

"Just cleaning up," I said.

Alex nodded and stepped into the dim room with a ball in his hands. He walked over to one of the holders and put the ball among the others.

"I managed to get a VPC kit working, there's a load of fun games in the databanks," Alex said.

I put aside a stack of ropes and then faced Alex, "Yeah, there is. Got a favorite?"

"Yeah, the precursor to Galactic Conquest was rather fun, despite the propaganda packed into it."

"Mm, the old games are full of the stuff. There's a really good series of RPG's with vampires and werewolves though, it's called Blood&Claw," I answered.

Alex nodded and hopped up on one of the pommel horses, "I'll check that out, by the way, are you in any clubs here at the university?"

"No, why?"

"I'm in the carnivore cooking club, we make a mean rabbit stew."

"Uh huh?"

Alex licked his lips, "You could join us if you want."

"I'll consider it," I answered.

510 A.R. December 30, Volkov Household, Night

I glanced back from the window and ignored the sound of fireworks as I caught the sight of father embracing mother. She squirmed in his arms as he nuzzled her neck and nibbled her ear.

A slight smile spread on my muzzle as I faced the fireworks once more while thinking that someone was getting laid tonight.

A sudden flash of white light dominated the sky and turned to a large bloom of silvery trails, a moment later the loud bang of the explosion made me shiver as my ears folded back.

The sensation made me realize that something about the fireworks had changed since last year, it wasn't as fun any longer, nor were the loud bangs comfortable to be around.

The colors were pretty but that was pretty much it. I stepped back and left the room while wondering if I was just growing up or whether it was my instincts that made me leave.

Things felt boring and I was a bit miffed that the pack hadn't gathered as I made my way down to the basement and flicked the light on. The exercise hall used to be a rather alien place but now it was becoming something of a favorite spot.

I unbuttoned my dress shirt and threw it aside, the fresh air felt nice as I glanced around the various machines. My eyes caught on the pull-up bar, it wouldn't do much but it was a simple and relaxing exercise that felt just right for the moment.

"One," I whispered as I grabbed hold of the bar and pulled myself up.

I whispered with each pull and let a counter tick in my head as I settled into the motions and slipped away into the rhythm.

"208," I whispered as I became aware of footsteps coming down the stairs.

I pulled myself up and remained in place as I saw father walk into the exercise hall.

"Hi?" I said in wonder as I let myself onto the floor again.

"What are you doing down here?" Father asked.

I glanced around, "Exercising?"

"Its new year's eve," Father said with a raised brow.

"The fireworks aren't that interesting any longer," I said.

Father stepped closer, "Are you troubled about something?"

"Not really, just wish the pack would have been here."

"About that, did something happen?" Father asked.

I ignored the question, "How often do you hang out with your pack dad?"

"We meet a few times a year and we keep in contact over the web," Father answered.

"That's not very much."

Father stepped up to me and nodded, "I know, we're rather spread out right now."

"Still, meeting a few times a year doesn't seem like much. Don't you drift apart?" I asked.

Father shook his head, "No, our bonds aren't that frail. If someone in the pack needed help then we'd be together again in no time, we share experiences, news, keep track of each other. Besides, I'm just a few buttons away, if even that."

"So how did you bond? Hunting trips?"

Father smiled, "The hunting trips certainly helped but what really fused us together were our years in the defense force and the duties we performed for the clan as well as the SI. Oh... and barbeque night, with friends and other packs."

"I see," I said.

"You didn't answer my question? Did something with your pack Vilkas?"

"Yeah, it did."

Father leaned in and perked his ears, "Talk."

"... Peter and John have never seen eye to eye, they tease each other but it has gotten worse lately and Peter keeps pulling rank whenever he feels like it. It's tearing the pack apart and Peter sees my attempts to mediate as if I'm trying to undermine him."

"I see."

"I don't like it when he overrules me, or when he rushes into things without thinking, or the way he treats others, he's trying too hard to be tough and it comes off as fake and desperate."

"What are you planning to do?" Father asked.

I looked up and met father's eyes, "I was hoping you'd have some advice."

"Talk with the rest of your pack and ask him to step down, if he refuses then you force him."

"I don't know if I want to be alpha of the pack dad, and there's a lot of good sides to Peter as well. He's not afraid to try new things, he gets the pack going. I can be social, I'm not afraid of people, but I prefer... quality over quantity I guess."

Father seemed to mull things over, "Then you should back him up and help him become a better alpha."

"How?" I asked.

"You should make it clear to him that you're not looking to replace him. If he's a proper alpha then he'll listen and consider what you have to say, if he's unreasonable and tries to twist things around, then it's your duty, for the welfare of the pack, to replace him."

"My duty?" I whispered.

Something strange resonated within me as I considered it, like a layer of thought and impressions intermingling with my own. It made me wonder just how sentient the symbiont was.

"Aye, you're part of a pack Vilkas, it's an extension of yourself and you a have duty toward it."

I nodded, "And what if the others side with Peter?"

"Then you have to examine whether you're in the wrong, and if you are then you should correct yourself."

"Pack politics are pretty complex, aren't they?" I asked.

Father nodded, "Yes, they are, and there's another thing as well."

"What?"

"You're taking for granted that an alpha has to be the face outwards, that the alpha runs around trying new things. That's not what the alpha does."

"Oh?" I said.

"The alpha handles top level relations between packs and makes choices that benefit and reflect the wishes of the pack. Peter can do his thing, stimulate the pack, approach others, but with a leash to make sure he doesn't go out of control."

"You're the alpha of your pack, right?"

Father made a proud smile, "Yes, I am."

I made something of a bemused smile, "Could it be that you want to see me as alpha of my pack?"

Father made a feral grin, "There's that word again Vilkas, 'my' pack."

I chuckled to myself and nodded, "Yeah."

Father stepped back and seemed to look me over, "You're exercising a lot Vilkas, it shows."

I glanced down at myself and couldn't help but smile a little, "Thanks."

"How much do you weigh?" Father asked.

"Haven't checked lately."

Father motioned to the scale in the room, "Let's check."

I walked over to the scale and set my paws on it. The display updated moments later. '107 kg'

Father pushed me aside and stepped onto the scale. '232 kg'

Father grinned and glanced over at me, "Almost half my weight pup."

My tail began to wag as I felt warm on the inside, "Yup."

Father stepped away from the scale, "It's about time I teach you something important."

"What's that?" I asked.

"About a hidden benefit of the Waldo system."

"Oh?" I asked.

Father walked across the room and fetched a piece of wood laying by the corner, he then walked over to the punching bag and motioned for me to follow. I joined his side as father held the wooden piece against the concrete wall.

"Don't do what I'm about to do here because you'll break every bone in your hand, understand?"

"Sure?" I said.

Father moved his arm back, clenched his hand into a fist, took a deep breath, and then slammed his fist into the wooden piece like a powered piston. I jumped in surprise as a loud slam and a crack was heard, the wood splintered into pieces and was flattened as a jagged crack formed in the wall behind it.

"Oops," Father whispered.

"What are you doing down there?" Mother yelled out.

"Nothing dear!" Father yelled back.

My eyes must have looked like saucers as I watched the wood crumble and break apart as father let go.

"What did you just do?" I whispered.

Father held up his hand and flexed it, "Your body is going to get a lot more durable after you're fully grown. Your flesh becomes though like soft armor and your bones become like hardened duraplating."

"You just made a concrete wall crack," I whispered.

Father chuckled and made an evil grin, "Awesome, isn't it?"

I made a light smile and gulped, "That's one way to describe it."

"Now, for the actual lesson," Father said.

"All right?"

"Humans evolved fine motor control, that means that their nerves fire small clusters of muscle fiber, the downside is that they've lost considerable strength. Wild animals however have nerves that can fire large clusters of muscle at once, the downside to that is that they can't do precise tasks with their limbs."

"Okay?"

"The Waldo system gives us certain perks, in the case of bear and wolf type hybrids it enables us to better control our musculature which augments our already considerable strength."

"I see."

"The lesson here is so that you don't do this kind of thing by mistake because you can seriously hurt someone if you do."

"And break every bone in my hand?"

"Including that, that's why you're going to use the punching bag instead."

Father stepped back and I followed as we stepped over to the punching bag.

"Give it a try Vilkas."

I tightened my fist, "Just... hit the punching bag?"

"Yep," Father said with a nod.

I took position, moved my arm back, and slammed my fist into the bag and made it sway.

"Not a lot of technique but that's something we can fix later on, now, try to... how do I explain... don't aim at the punching bag, just throw your fist harder than you've ever done before with no consideration of how much it's going to hurt."

"Are you sure this isn't going to break my hand?" I asked.

"Your nerves should lock your fist in a grip that won't hurt it as long as you hit a soft target."

"Uh huh?" I said with doubt.

Father chuckled, "The worst that can happen is that you'll spend a few days with your hand in a cast, hybrids heal quick, even someone as young as you."

"And how quickly do you heal?" I asked.

"Stab wounds takes little more than a few hours, bullets, pretty much the same. Hell, I coughed up a bullet once and just kept going."

I raised my brow, "That sounds a bit worse than loosing one's teeth once in a while."

Father nodded, "It's uncomfortable as hell, but I'd be dead many times over if I wasn't as resilient as this."

I readied myself once more and tightened my fist as I pulled back while trying to focus on just swinging my arm. A light growl escaped as I slammed my fist into the punching bag.

The bag swayed though nothing spectacular happened.

"You're not letting go Vilkas, imagine it like air or a brick wall and that you just don't care if you end up smashing your hand."

"Easier said than done," I said.

Father nodded, "True, it could also be that you haven't matured enough yet... Would you like to come visit me at work sometime? You can try using a few of the tools."

I made an eager nod, "That sounds like fun Dad."

"Good, now try it once more."

I tried not to focus and just did it in one hasty swoop as I slammed my hand into it. The heavy punching bag swung and my hand stung from the impact, nothing different happened though.

"Was... that it?" I asked.

"Can you feel your hand? Flex it?"

I did as told, "Yeah, no problem."

"Then it didn't work, doing this kind of thing will leave your hand and arm numb for a few moments, you'll know the sensation when it happens because you'll feel like you swung an iron rod."

Frustration began to well up inside me as I did it once more and gritted my teeth with a growl.

The punching bag swung and it stung but nothing special happened yet again.

"No need to get angry," Father said.

My mind stumbled upon on all my troubles and my mood dropped as it all came rushing back.

The disappointment at being deceived, the angst from the incident in gym class, Peter's behavior and the effect it had on the pack, the ever present cloud of guilt when it came to Jason and my doubts of this society.

Anger welled up inside me in a way that made me want to cry out in fury. The sensation grew and my instincts helped fuel it as I tried to calm down, it needed to get out and I found an outlet as my lips quivered with a snarl.

I pulled my arm back and felt something change as my whole arm, neck, and upper body tensed up and became dull and hard like a rock.

"GRAH!" All the anger and frustration felt as if it rushed to the very edge of my hand as I slammed my fist into the bag once more.

A loud crunch could be heard followed by a snap as one of the fasteners broke. The punching bag swung back in a wide arc and slumped to a stop as it hit the ground with a thud.

My whole upper body quivered and felt like it had frozen, I couldn't even relax my hand as I looked down in fright that I had hurt myself. Seconds later a rush of warmth flowed into my arm, sensation returned but brought along a sudden throbbing pain in my hand.

"Ow... ow... ow... damn it..." I whimpered as I grabbed hold of my hand that now smarted with pain radiating up my elbow.

"Let me see," Father said as he reached out for my hand.

"Shit..." I whispered as I showed him my hand.

Father eased my hand open and gently prodded it at various spots.

"Nothing's broken but it's going to smart for a while. Can you flex it?" Father asked.

I tightened my hand and thumb as much as I could before the pain made me stop.

"Yeah, nothing dangerous. How does your arm feel?" Father asked.

"It feels like half my body was hit by a lightning strike," I whispered.

"First time always hurts, it'll get better," Father whispered.

I drew a deep breath and relaxed as the rush of adrenaline made me tremble, "Okay."

Father leaned in and grabbed my shoulder as he pulled me tight while pointing at the punching bag now sitting on the ground, "You see that Vilkas?"

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Those fasteners were well made," Father said with a dark chuckle as he squeezed me.

I made a light smile and nodded, "Yeah."

Father gave me a light rustle and made a dark growl in his chest, "Come on pup! YEAH!"

My tail began to wag and my heart picked up pace as I was pulled along, "Yeah!"

"Higher! Like that snarl earlier! GRAH!" Father growled with a feral look in his eyes.

My adrenaline peaked in an instant and I followed suit as my lips pulled back in fierce growl, "GRAH!"

511 A.R. January 1, Volkov Household, Morning

I had just bit down on my sandwich as mother stepped into the kitchen. The look she gave me made me freeze in place as she crossed her arms.

I chewed and then swallowed whole, "Morning?"

Mother raised her brow, "You and your father sounded like feral beasts last night, and judging by the damage in the basement you didn't just sound like it."

I made something of a sheepish smile, "We were... exercising."

"Uh huh," Mother said.

The heavy sound of footsteps came rumbling down the stairs followed by father sticking his head into the kitchen, "I'll repair it dear, no harm done."

Mother glanced back at father, "You ripped the punching bag from the ceiling."

Father made a mischievous smile as he walked up to mother and then pointed at me in pride.

"Our pup did that, there's quite a bit of thunder inside him."

"And the crack in the wall?" Mother asked.

Father's tail wagged, "Oh, that was all me."

"Uh huh, trying to show off to your son?" Mother asked.

"Yeah," Father chuckled and nuzzled her neck while I resumed eating my sandwich.