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"The Secret of Biosyn"

by MrNelg

Act: V

Theila

She couldn't believe it. Earn had changed considerably in the fifteen years since she'd last seen him, but his scent was still the same. As Theila focused on him, she had to fight the urge to reach into the cage and snatch him up in her hand. He was taller now, and his body filled out with muscle. He would be twenty years old. Not much by Rodent standards, but in Yoman terms, that would make him an adult. Yet, he was still as cute as that day she locked him away in his dorm before leaving for home.

He'd waved goodbye to her and hoped she'd come back to see him first thing tomorrow morning. Now, he cowered before her, his fear stench blocking out his pleasant odour. He moved as she rotated the cage to move him closer to her, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible. It hurt her somewhat.

"Earn," she said softly, lifting the cage to be at eye level with him. "Why are you running from me? Don't you remember the last thing you said to me? You hoped I would come back to see you?" He was silent. "I know it's been fifteen years, but I'm here to fulfil my promise to you." He said nothing. "How have you been? I see you're all grown up now." Silence. She gave a sad sigh. "Earn, why won't you talk to me? It's been fifteen years. Can you at least say hello?"

Beside her, the youngest of the Ylimaf family's children twitched her whiskers. "Why is he so scared of you?" If her memory served her right, this girl was Theesa. From the moment Theila was handed the cage, the little Mou'nae girl had followed her around like an excited Cane'adi, never once taking her wide eyes off Earn.

"Well, my dear, how would you react if you left your house in the middle of the night when you shouldn't have, and your parents caught you?" The little Mou'nae girl's silence answered that question.

"You're not gonna hurt him, are you?" Theila chuckled.

"By the Rings, no," she replied before returning to the tiny Yoman in the cage. "We don't want to harm them. We just want them to return so we can pick up where we left off." She caught a slight movement within the cage. Earn looked as if he was going to say something but stopped himself. He glanced at the Mou'nae in the room and sighed in defeat. "I know you don't believe me, Earn, but it's true. We do want you, all of you, to come back."

He didn't respond.

"So, is Th'lak going to be here soon?" She turned to the older Mou'nae girl, who brought Earn to the front door to give to her.

"Oh, he will, and he will bring you your reward for finding this little guy." That brightened her mode somewhat. However, she still looked annoyed that she, not the Grey Suit, arrived here instead.

"We can assume that they know we're on to them." She turned as Throp looked around the room at the walls. He stared at Earn briefly before asking, "I know you said otherwise, but I would like assurance that we aren't in any danger."

To everyone's surprise, Earn suddenly cried, "We're not going to hurt you, and we never planned on hurting anyone!" There was a moment of silence at the sound of the Yoman's voice. Throp was taken aback by the sudden outburst and the fact that he could speak. Beside her, Theesa giggled with glee.

Throp regained his composure and, frowning, said, "That doesn't excuse the fact you've been stealing from me all these years." Despite the bravado he displayed, there was some nervousness in his words as he spoke.

"We only took what we needed and nothing more, Mr Ylimaf," Earn said. There was a slight jolt from Throp as Earn addressed him by name. "I know I can't justify our thievery, but we could've taken more in all our years here. We never did because we knew it would destroy you. And in all that time, we never considered doing anything to your family." Before anyone could respond, Theesa pipped up.

"What were you doing in Cousin Therisa's room?" Earn just turned away.

Theila tilted her head. Before she could ask anything, Thrisica answered that question. "I caught him in Therisa's room. He was hiding in the same spot where she saw him. From that night, I told you about it down at the cafe." She turned back to the older Mou'nae girl, but she shrugged, indicating that it was the limit of what she knew.

Turning to Throp, Theila asked, "May I talk with your niece?"

"She's upset at the moment," Throp said. He cast a worrying glance at Earn. "I don't think it would be wise for him to be in the same room as her." Theila nodded and turned to Theesa.

"Excuse me, little one, but could I trust you with a vital task?" She held out the cage. "Can I trust you to guard Earn until I get back?" Theesa squealed with glee as she clapped her hands. She saluted as she proudly proclaimed that Theila could count on her. With a smile, Theila handed the little Mou'nae girl the cage. Theesa carefully took it, lowering the cage so she could be at eye-level with Earn. Throp looked concerned but said nothing.

Theila watched Theesa skip into the kitchen with Earn before following Throp up the stairs to the third floor. The third floor was small. The stairs opened up to a corridor roughly twice the size of a closet with two doors: one at the end of the corridor and one directly to her right. Throp took her over to the one at the end of the corridor. He gestured for her to stop before he lightly rapped on the door.

"Therisa?" Theila heard a muffled 'Please, leave me alone.' Throp sighed. "There's someone here who wants to talk to you." Therisa just repeated her previous response. Before Throp could respond, Theila stilled him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me try." Throp stood back, and Theila knocked on the door. "Hello, Therisa? My name is Dr Theila Yad. I'm from the Biosyn Corporation. May I talk to you about Earn?" She received no answer. "You don't have to answer me. I just wish to tell you about the Yomans. Are you comfortable with that?" Still no answer. "Therisa. I'm coming in." She waited ten seconds for any objections before opening the door.

Therisa was sitting up in bed. Theila saw her shove her hand into her right pocket and turn away so she was staring out the window. The room was huge, and there was no doubt in Theila's mind that, once upon a time, this was an attic. The wall to her right left her with no doubt that this and the other room had been part of the numerous renovations the house had undergone since its construction. Picking up a spare chair, she brought it close to the bed. Sitting down, she eyed the bedside table and the toy soldiers before turning to the Mou'nae girl.

"Hello, Therisa, I'm Dr. Theila Yad." She repeated her introduction as she extended her hand, but the Mou'nae girl didn't accept it. "I'm Earn's teacher." That got a response. Therisa turned to grace her with a suspicious stare. "As I said, I understand you've been talking to Earn these past few days." Again, she eyed the bedside table. "I believe that's where you saw Earn. Would you like to talk about your time with him?"

"Why?" she didn't snap so much as mutter. "So you can find out where the rest of the Yomans are and kill them?" Theila shook her head.

"We're not going to kill them, Therisa. We only want them-" Therisa spun on her.

"That's not what Earn told me!" Her words were full of venom. "You hate them and want them all dead. That's why they escaped."

"No," Theila said calmly. "As I said before, I'm Earn's teacher. I am being honest when I say I don't want to see him die." Therisa turned back to the window. Theila quickly glanced at Throp and asked, "If I may, what exactly did Earn say about us?"

"Certain aspects about the Yomans made you uncomfortable with them. There was an incident, and you used that as an excuse to eliminate them all." Theila mulled over Therisa's response. So, Earn didn't trust her enough to tell the whole truth.

"Can I tell you something in confidence?" There was no response. "I can tell you that those who wanted the Yomans dead are gone. They are no longer employed at the Biosyn Corporation." There was still no response. "We are bringing Trioxin Sleeping Gas and cages. Does that sound like the actions of someone who wants the Yomans dead? They will be here shortly, and if you don't believe me, I can show you."

Throp put a hand on her shoulder. "What did she mean that certain aspects about the Yomans made you uncomfortable?" She nodded.

"Mr Ylimaf, as you are no doubt aware, thanks to your niece's condition, the Biosyn Corporation is heavily invested in cloning organs," Theila answered. "To this day, there is quite a lot of opposition to our work. Do you think there wouldn't be fierce opposition to creating genetically modified beings designed to be assistants and comforting pets?"

She could see Throp's mind working over that response. It was the cover story Agent Yps worked out for them should anyone discover any potentially embarrassing information. He didn't reply but instead nodded.

"You're lying," Therisa said. "Earn never told me the full truth because he would get into trouble with his people if he did. So what's your excuse?"

"Therisa, please! Listen to me-"

"Are you going to tell me the truth or another lie?"

"I'm positive I could tell you the whole truth, and you'll still believe I'm lying."

"Then we're going to have to agree to disagree." And with that, she turned back to the window with finality.

"We should give her some space," Throp said, and Theila nodded.

"Earn's scent is still clouding her judgement." She could see Therisa tense with rage, but the Mou'nae girl didn't respond. Throp remained silent, and the two left the room. When he closed the door, he turned to her.

"How long will that effect last, and will she suffer any permanent side effects from withdrawal?" Theila shook her head.

"I was hoping to learn what they talked about," she said. "I am curious to know how my old student is doing after all these years. As for your niece, we haven't seen any side effects from our staff over the past fifteen years, but I can't give you an exact time frame for when the effects of Earn's scent will wear off." Nothing more was said as they headed back down to the kitchen.

Theesa wasn't in the kitchen; she was in the living room watching the television with Earn. She sat before the glowing black and white screen, cradling Earn's cage within her crossed legs. Earn was seated right up against the bars as he watched the television. It was 'The Yllas Show,' a children's variety show on RBTV-Seven. On the screen, the show's host, Threia Yllas, a female Rod'tia ventriloquist dressed in an old-fashioned teacher's outfit, sang songs to her audience alongside her dummy named Ypp'als. Theesa and even Earn sang along with the audience. Theesa's siblings watched from the doorway, captivated by Earn's voice.

Her ears wiggled at the sound of his singing. When he was younger, he sang for her, and she often spent her breaks relaxing to his singing voice. It had matured since she last heard it, and she found it pleasant and almost soothing. She would've stayed there, listening to the whole song, had Throp interrupted them from behind. "You look like you're having fun."

The two stopped singing and turned. Theesa waved to her father. "Oh, yes, Daddy!" she cried, hugging Earn's cage. "Earn doesn't mind watching The Yllas Show with me. And he has such an adorable singing voice." She paused to look at him before shooting a pleading look at Theila. There was no doubt in her mind that the little Mou'nae girl wanted to ask if she could keep the little Yoman as a pet.

With an apologetic smile, Theila said, "I don't know if the Biosyn Corporation will let you keep him, my dear." Theesa's ears and whiskers drooped. "I will ask, but I can't give you a guarantee." That caused her happy mode to return.

A sudden knock at the front door drew everyone's attention. "Looks like your friends are here," Throp said as he made a beeline for the front door. Opening it revealed none other than Director Ydoom.

"Director," Theila said.

"Dr. Yad," he crossed the room to shake her hand. "I heard from your partner that you found one of them?" Theila motioned for the Director to follow, and she led him into the living room. Yllas was conversing with Ypp'als when Earn spied him entering the room. The Director sniffed, then asked, "By the Rings, is that little Earn?" Turning at the sound of his name, he scrambled back against the bars at the sight of the Director. "Now, now, there's no need to be alarmed." The Director carefully walked up to him and squatted before the cage. "We're not going to harm you or your friends. We just want you to come home."

Earn didn't respond; he just cowered against the bars, his fear stench quite pungent. The Director made a gesture, and Theesa reluctantly handed the cage over. He rose and smiled down at the little Yoman. "After all this time," he muttered triumphantly. "Tell me, Earn, how are your other friends? Let's see… If my memory serves me right, that was Bah'd, Maak, Yenny… Oh, how could I forget about your best friend, Lesha-"

"Lisa's dead!" Earn suddenly snapped with anger, catching everyone in the room off guard. "She was eaten by a Red Tail a week ago." Both she and the Director shot each other a knowing glance.

"Then stay here with me, Earn," Theesa piped up, a worried expression on her cute little face. "As my pet, you won't have to worry about anyone eating you. I'll protect you and make sure no… Wait, Red Tail? Do you mean a Vul'ion?" Before anyone could answer, Thrisica stepped forward and introduced herself.

"Hello, Director Ydoom, my name's Thrisica-" The Director smiled warmly at her.

"Ahh, yes, you're the one who caught little Earn." He pulled out his wallet. "I was also informed that you've been very helpful in our endeavours to find our little Yomans." He handed over a thick wad of yellow bills, and judging from the excited look in Thrisica's eyes, she was more than happy with her reward. She hurriedly flipped through the bills, and Theila heard her gasp. It was more than all her previous rewards combined. Shoving the money into her breast pocket, she fumbled over her gratitude before bolting up the stairs, probably to her room.

Turning back to Earn, the Director opened his mouth to say something when a call from the front door caused everyone to turn.

Three Rod'tia stood there wearing white-coloured jumpsuits. "Director, we're ready to begin the search," the tallest of the three said. He turned to Throp. "We would like a tour of the farm to get the layout and begin searching for hidden tunnels." Throp stepped forward.

"Will you want to search my house first?" he turned to look at Earn. "That one was captured in my niece's room upstairs." The Rod'tia stared at Earn before answering.

"Yes, that would be wise." He turned back to Throp. "Is it okay if we evacuate your family? We aren't expecting trouble, but we want to be prepared for anything."

"Should we move to the motel-" the Rod'tia cut him off.

"Not like that," he answered. "We were thinking of your Barn. Besides, we would like all of you to be present if we need help with something we don't understand." He nodded before turning to his children.

"Okay, kids, grab your rain gear and head out to the Barn." Th'lick asked if he needed a hand with Therisa, but he dismissed it. As his son left to help his mother, he headed upstairs. Theila watched him go before turning back to the Director, still gleefully smiling at Earn.

"There's no reason to be afraid, Earn," he said in a low voice. "I know what you're thinking. I can assure you, those factions who hate you are gone. They won't dare threaten any of you ever again." Theila walked up and peered into the cage. Earn bounced his fearful gaze between the two of them but said nothing.

"It's going to take some time, Director," Theila said. "He was like this when I showed up: Too terrified to speak." The Director turned to face her. "We should do something to help calm his nerves. To assure him our words are sincere." She gave a half smile. "It might convince him to help us."

"I don't think it's possible." They both turned back to the cage as Earn spoke. The Director peered over the rim of his glasses.

"And why's that?"

"We've been independent for too long," Earn said. His words were slow. "I don't think we can simply give that up." One of the Directors' eyebrows rose.

"Independent? By stealing what you need?" Earn had no reply. He raised his muzzle and sniffed. "Earn, have you been maintaining proper hygiene? Are those clothes washed daily? Do the scraps you eat have your body's proper nutritious intake?" Earn still said nothing. "Is dying slowly in a trash heap worth independence?"

They were interrupted as Throp appeared at the stairs, carrying Therisa. She was silent, only glaring their way as her Uncle hurried her outside. Just then, a different Rod'tia appeared. "Sorry to bother you, Dr. Yad, but could you show us where the Yoman was captured?" Theila nodded, and everyone headed upstairs with four other men in tow.

She took them into the playroom and pointed to the desk containing the toy soldiers, and the men all made a beeline for it. Carefully taking all four ends, they eased it aside. They hadn't even finished moving it when one cried out in triumph. They all gathered around a spot in the wall. Both she and the Director approached. There was a small hole level with the desk. One of the men had a penlight and was aiming the beam inside.

"Look at that," one with the penlight said. "You can see the tunnel they've hollowed out, going in both directions."

"Do you think they lead back to their nest?"

"Eventually, yes. But most likely, these tunnels lead to other tunnels." Switching off the beam, he stood back and indicated the hole. "I'm willing to bet at least one of these is in every room. If we can find all of them, that should allow us to follow the tunnels back to their nest. We can then use those entrances to pump in the Trioxin Sleeping Gas."

"How long will it take to find all of them?" Director Ydoom asked. The man smiled.

"It shouldn't take us too long, Director," he said. "With the equipment we brought, we'll have no problems locating hollowed sections in the walls. Once we have all the tunnels located, it's simply a matter of connecting the dots, and we'll have the location of all the entrances to their nest." He turned to look out the door as if towards his equipment. "With your permission, I'd like to start immediately, but…" He trailed off.

"I'm sure Mr Ylimaf will permit you to explore all their bedrooms and move their things." He handed the cage back to Theila. "I'll go ask him right away." He turned to face her. "Doctor, could you take our little friend to truck number five? I'll join you as soon as I can."

Theila walked down the stairs to the front parlour. Teams of Rod'tia were already familiarising themselves with the house. Mrs Ylimaf explained everything while subtly warning them against breaking her precious paraphernalia. Before she could reach the front door, a tall Rod'tia with short blue hair who identified himself as Mr Ydnah handed her a white hood raincoat.

"I've been assigned to help you during your mission here, Dr." As he took her outside towards the truck that would be her lab during their stay on the farm, she couldn't help but wonder what happened to Agent Yps? Outside, the farm was swarming with Rod'tia. Small clusters of men in white jumpsuits and raincoats. They were gathered around the Barn and the house, and the many trucks were now parked in a circle around the farmhouse. Over by the Barn, she could see the Ylimaf family children watching curiously from the open double doors. Therisa was nowhere in sight.

Not too far away, she finally spotted Agent Yps. The Grey Suit was sitting on a folding stool by a converted jeep with the back half filled with electronics. He was sheltering under a tarp erected over the back and supported with ten poles as he talked into a telephone. Considering that fancy equipment would have its signal heavily protected, he was doubtless updating his superiors on the situation.

Her attention was drawn to a most peculiar sight. Among the gathered Biosyn Employees was a small Mou'nae, small even by Mou'nae standards, with grey fur and short brown hair. A Mou'nae working at Biosyn was rare, but one with brown hair was rarer. It reminded her of the Yoman's own hair colour. He was feverishly working away with his own box of arcane supplies while everyone appeared to be actively avoiding him.

"Pay no attention to that little dude," Mr Ydnah said with embarrassment once he noticed where her gaze was focused. "He's a duct tape fanatic." The Mou'nae must have heard him, for his ears wiggled, and he glared the Rod'tia's way with an unimpressed frown.

"Mock me all you like, but the world will be saved by duct tape!" he cried defiantly, waving a roll in the air. Mr Ydnah quickly moved her on.

Like all the vehicles that showed up, the truck was hover powered. Unlike cars, Hover trucks came equipped with retractable wheels. This was so the truck could be multi-terrain, as Hover mode tended to struggle outside roads and uneven ground. The truck's wheels were deployed, sitting comfortably between the Barn and the nearby treeline. She was led to the left side of the trailer where a door, guarded by two big and burly-looking Rod'tia, greeted her. They quickly glanced at Earn before showing her the button combination that opened the door for her.

The inside was white and clean, with cool air provided by the truck's portable air conditioning unit. All sorts of bottles and test tubes lined the walls, along with some relatively high-tech and expensive medical equipment. Along the right side of the truck was a bench holding medical tools. After putting Earn's cage on the table, she removed her raincoat and hung it on the hook by the door before dismissing Mr Ydnah. The man gave her a radio, informing her of which groups were on which channel. Then, pulling his own hood back up, he left.

As the door shut behind him, Theila turned towards Earn's cage. She watched Earn's eyes widen as she opened the door and reached in to grab him. He tried to dodge her, but her fingers were faster. She forced him up against the back of the cage and simply closed her fingers around his small frame. She was gentle as she gripped his little furless body, a task she had not done in fifteen years. Even with all his clothes on, she could still feel the warmth of his body radiating against her pads.

Gently, she lifted him out of the cage and held him before her face. He stared up with worry in his tiny eyes. "Even though you're now a grown adult, you're still as cute as the last time I saw you, little Earn." She couldn't help but stroke his hair with a finger from her free hand. That flustered him somewhat. He protested his treatment, telling her he was too old to be treated like a child. She dismissed his concerns. The truth was that she was having too much fun.

"Dr. Yad, Please! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"Oh, hush," Theila silenced him. "You'll always be my cute little Earn, no matter how old you are." As she played with him, she grew more waggish. She pressed his skin to enjoy the texture against her rough pads and rubbed him against her cheek to let his soft skin tickle her fur. She ignored his protests and held him before her nose, inhaling his scent deeply. A relaxed sigh escaped her pink, rubbery lips as she muttered, "I've missed your scent." She inhaled his scent, deeply this time and paused. Lowering her nose to his head, or more precisely, his hair, she sniffed him thoroughly. "I think I'd better get you cleaned up."

"I had a shower this morning!" Earn protested. She hummed a merry tune as she prepared a bowl of warm water before adding a high-quality soap mixture. *! *****! Bubbles filled the bowl as she fetched a blue washcloth. She paused, staring at the little Yoman in her fist. Earn must have seen the twinkle in her eyes because his face frowned. *! ***?

Opening a drawer, she pulled out a set of tweezers and a scalpel. "Now, let's get these rags off you."

"I can undress myself!" he shouted before the tweezers took hold of his jacket. Theila's grip loosened so that she could roll him around her palm as she removed his jacket. She examined it, marvelling at the tiny stitchwork before depositing it on the bench. She eyed his shirt, and her eyes blazed with excitement.

*? *! Earn tried to scramble away, but she was faster. Closing her fingertips around his legs, she pinned him to her palm as the tweezers pulled open his shirt, tearing off the buttons. She moved the materiel aside to expose his chest to her gaze, but he quickly covered it up.

"Now, now," she cooed in delight as the tweezers pinched his left arm. Her thumb pinned his right arm as she pulled his shirt off, then, freeing the other arm, finished the job. She barely registered his protests as she examined his shirt before adding it alongside his jacket. She turned back to him with a sly smile, and his protests died in his throat. He looked down to realise that all that was left was his pants.

**! he muttered and, grabbing the waistline, held on for dear life.

"That won't work." Theila wasn't even aware she'd said that as she replaced the tweezers for the scalpel. Earn's eyes widened, and he asked a question she was oblivious to. "Now, hold still," she warned as she lowered the tip between his legs. He shouted something as, with one quick and precise stroke, she sliced open his belt and fly. He tried to scramble away, but her fingers held him. Retrieving the tweezers, she secured his right trouser leg and pulled his pants off in one swift motion.

Now, all that remained was his footwear, and glancing at it, she looked him in the eyes and asked, "The easy way or the hard way?" Earn glowered back but, bending over her fingers, removed his shoes and socks before throwing them at her. They bounced harmlessly off her pink nose, causing her to giggle. Now he was naked, and as she drank in the image of his body, she realised this was the first time she'd seen a Yoman naked. There had been pictures during her training on the Yoman biology, but this was the first time she'd seen one. Her fingers closed around his body, and she purred as her pads drank in the full warmth of his skin. The sensation was hard to describe. When you brushed your pads over fur, it was soft, but the skin was smooth, and your pads glided across it.

Finally, she lowered him into the bowl of soapy, warm water, and as she submerged him, she kept her firm grip on his body. He struggled as she made sure his body was thoroughly soaked before lifting him out. He spat water from his mouth and cried, "I can wash myself!"

"True, but it wouldn't be as fun if I did it." Picking up the washcloth, she lowered Earn until his legs were in the water, then scooped up some soap suds and began washing him. He struggled and protested at first, but the fight left him once he understood she wasn't going to listen to him. "Good boy," she cooed, "Now, let Aunty Yad wash you all nice and proper." As she washed his body, she had no idea what had come over her. Was this the Yoman's scent, subtlety spurring her on? Granted, she enjoyed this, but Earn was right; he could wash himself. Only she wanted to do it herself.

She debated whether she should put this down in a report. Then again, she knew that many things weren't reported between the female staff of Biosyn and their male Yoman charges. It was the worst-kept secret at Biosyn that the male Yoman scent had a more significant effect on female Rodents. She hadn't noticed it herself, as most of her time had been spent interacting with prepubescent Yoman children. Earn was twenty years old now, an adult in Yoman years. Was it his scent or the joy of finally seeing her favourite student again after all these years? Maybe both.

She smiled as she scrubbed his little arms and legs. His protests increased when she slipped in between his thighs. "But why should I stop?" she asked, staring between his legs. "You seem to be enjoying it." He turned red with anger and embarrassment. Without realising it, she dabbed between his legs and watched his face contort with mixed emotions, causing a wide variety of expressions to cross his face. She watched as he clearly enjoyed what she was doing but frowned.

This was wrong. Fun, but wrong. Reluctantly, Theila removed the washcloth and saw Earn sigh with relief and disappointment. She kept cleaning, but Earn had given up protesting. Finally, she lifted him from the bowl and grabbed a hand towel to clean him off. She stared at him in her fist once she was done. His scent was more intense now, easily overriding the fragrances of the soap. His skin was smoother against her pads, and the warmth of the bath radiated against them.

"Well, now, that was fun," she chittered as she walked to another section of the bench. "Right, let's examine you for any blemishes or foreign parasites." He looked confused until she brought out the plastic examination slide. He struggled as she pinned him down using medical sticky tape. She reached into a drawer, pulled out a medical probe, and retrieved the scalpel from earlier. "Hold still now," she warned.

She was methodical in her inspection. She used the medical probe to move him this way and that while scraping away anything unsavoury with the scalpel. To her relief, there wasn't much to remove. She forced his mouth open and examined his teeth using a head magnifier. "You've been looking after yourself, Earn," she said. "I'm glad, considering you've lived in the wild all these years."

"We have a medical department, Dr. Yad," Earn said when she removed the probe from his mouth. "My job requires monthly check-ups to ensure I'm in perfect health- Hey! Watch it with that thing!" Theila was examining between his thighs now. Earn's gaze was locked on the scalpel, hovering just above. Theila gave her reassurance as she studied the area with the medical probe. It wasn't long before her playfulness returned, and Earn's worried whimpers morphed into grunts. The more she poked and prodded, the more he struggled. Not in an attempt to escape, but instead, reacting to where she touched.

She lingered longer than was necessary. Watching with rye amusement as Earn's body reacted to her touch. She paused, and he gave a disappointed gasp. She tilted her head. "You tell me no, but your body tells a different story." He didn't respond. "Do you want me to stop?" Again, he didn't respond but turned away in embarrassment. She never registered as she put her tools down, and her fingertip reached between his legs and pressed. He groaned, but not in protest. Then she was stroking, small movements by any standard, but they caused Earn to writhe at her touch. He vocalised his pleasure with muffled grunts as he struggled to keep his mouth shut. He writhed at the gentle pressure she applied to him.

Some part of her enjoyed this. She was almost childlike in her actions. She leaned in closer, the head magnifier improving her precision as she worked. It was a struggle to keep her claw retracted, but she was disciplined. His musk was beginning to tickle her nose, creating an intoxicating mix with his unique Yoman scent. Her body was trembling now, and she struggled against snatching him off the examination slide. Still, she kept at it.

It all ended when Earn cried out and jerked violently against the medical tape. Theila realised she was panting slightly. She blinked her eyes and rose, then fetched the washcloth to clean Earn and dried him again with the hand towel. As she cleaned him, she wasn't oblivious to the irony of what she'd done when compared with the actions of Dr. Yhtak the day they were first introduced to the Yomans. She sighed in deep shame.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," she apologised. "That was very unprofessional of me." Carefully, she removed the medical tape, allowing Earn to stand. He hobbled from their recent play session, and she inwardly smirked. Reaching out, Earn didn't attempt to fight her as she closed her fingers around him and lifted him to her muzzle. She stared down at him for a brief moment, fighting the urge to do more, before returning him to his cage. Reaching into a cardboard box, she pulled out a plastic packet the size of her palm and gave it to him before closing the door.

She watched as Earn tore open the packet and pulled out the contents. Human-sized clothes. She watched as he shook his head at the memory of the white-coloured Biosyn-issued clothes all humans were given before he dressed himself. She allowed herself a nostalgic moment before turning back to her work. All that time, she never once recorded her findings on Earn's medical examination. Her ears flagging with embarrassment, she set about writing down the information. She stopped as she eyed the radio, and her tail drooped. Should the Director call for her, she was supposed to have that thing on.

Theila tested the radio, listening to conversations between the various teams. One group was scouring the ground surrounding the farmhouse for any hidden tunnels. Another group was exploring the Barn. They found a secret entrance, like the children's playroom on the third floor. There were no tunnels leading to the Barn, so they suspected they simply crossed the distance between the farmhouse on the surface. The teams searching the house were turning up more secret entrances. This resulted in most of the equipment they brought to find tunnels being redirected to the house so that they could trace the tunnels within the walls. She then flipped it to the Director's channel and put it aside.

Turning back to Earn, she could see his worried expression. He was undoubtedly alarmed at the discovery of all the secret entrances the Yomans had made. "There's no need to be afraid, Earn," Theila reassured him. "I'm not lying when I say we want you back."

"It's all my fault," he muttered.

"No," she cooed, lowering her face to the bars. "You did nothing wrong."

"I broke the law," Earn mumbled. That caused Theila's ears to wiggle.

"What law?"

"After our escape, we promised never to interfere in the lives of the Gods." When she asked what the punishment would be, he answered, "Exile." Her whiskers twitched with interest. What other laws did the Yomans have? How had their society evolved free from the benevolence of Rodent Kind? What was the structure of their hierarchy? How did they select leaders? How did their economy work: Barter or coin-based?

"It wouldn't have mattered if we caught you or not, Earn," Theila said. "Haven't you wondered how we knew you were in Thorn Valley?" He looked up at her. With a deep sigh, she explained everything. She saw the look of horror on his face when she mentioned how they found Lesha's remains. When she finished, Earn looked miserable. "I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but I don't want you feeling like all this is your fault when the truth is there was nothing you could've done to prevent it in the first place. If not Lesha, we would've found someone else's remains." Reaching out, she rotated the cage so he was closer to her. "Earn, please, come back to us, to me. We can protect you from everything and everyone who wishes you harm."

"It's still no good, Dr. Yad. As I told the Director, we've been independent for far too long to simply give it up." Now, anger flared up in her. Why wasn't he listening to her?

"Earn, listen to me," she hissed in a low whisper. "We know you're in the abandoned basement." He jolted slightly. "I am telling the truth. The Grey Suits want to simply pick up where we left off." She cast a quick glance at the door before speaking even lower. "If you don't accept their offer, they will recycle your DNA and start the project from scratch." Now, he was terrified. Her fingers relaxed, and her voice softened. "If I didn't care about your safety, would I be telling you this?" Her fingers tightened on the cage again. "Earn, I finally found you after all these years, and I don't want to lose you again!"

"Then let me go," Earn pleaded. "Dr. Yad, I'm not lying when I say there were times I wished we'd never left, but I can't return to that life at Biosyn."

"Then they'll kill you, Earn!" Theila almost shouted. "Come back to me! We can all go to the Dig Site together." Earn crossed his arms.

"Would you want to, knowing what we are?" She paused. "You still don't know." Her silence answered the question for her. With a sigh, Earn sat down and began talking. He told her everything. What was at the Dig Site, why the Biosyn Corporation created the Yomans, and more importantly, why they were hated. She listened with wide eyes as he casually revealed some of the most highly classified information on the planet. When he finished, she was silent for a full minute.

Everything made sense now. The Dig Site, his scent, the hatred directed against his kind. "Wow," she muttered. "I mean... That's a lot to take in."

"Now, do you understand?" Earn asked. She nodded. He stared hard at her before asking, "Do you hate me?" She stared at him, his physical shape and structure similar to a Rodent's and wonderful scent.

"No," she answered truthfully. For the first time since she could remember, Earn smiled at her. It warmed her, and she reached out, pulling the cage closer. Earn reached out and placed his palm against the wire mesh, reaching his fingers to touch her pads. "Knowing the truth makes me want to protect you from the Grey Suits." Her fingers tightened their grip on the cage. "Please come back to me, Earn. I don't want to lose you again." His fingers disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Yad, but I can't. My heart belongs to someone else." Her eyes widened.

"Therisa?" He nodded. "Do you... want to go back to her?" He nodded again. Theila was silent a lot longer this time. She wasn't sure for how long. She'd talked with the Mou'nae girl. She'd seen the determination in her. "Does she know?" Earn shook his head.

"I..." Theila was conflicted. She didn't want to give Earn away to someone else, but she knew she couldn't have him. He'd said as much. "I don't know, Earn," she muttered. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want you to spend the rest of your life hating me."

"It would be easy," Earn said, pointing at the scalpel. "Just cut a little hole in the bottom of the mesh, walk away, and you can say my people freed me. No one would be wiser." She asked him how he'd get off the bench. "You can put me on the ground." She asked him how he'd get out of the truck. "You can create a diversion. Or just walk out with me in your pocket and let me go."

"I-" Theila stammered. "I need to think," she murmured. She went back to filling out her report. She could see Earn watching her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't want to let him go. Not because she was loyal to Biosyn but because she loved him. Knowing the secret of his scent and why she loved it did nothing to sway her opinion. Nor his mysterious origin that resulted in his kind being hated and fleeing Biosyn for their lives. She hypothesised that his friendliness towards her when he was younger and his scent and maturity had awakened a deep love for him.

But it was one-sided love, and keeping him for her own selfish purposes was wrong. Especially since someone else loved him just as much as she did. She understood that if the situation were reversed, she would be equally furious if someone kept Earn from her for selfish purposes. Earn was right. It would be so easy to set up an escape and walk out with him in her pocket.

But she didn't want to.

She nearly snapped the pen in her hands. It was so unfair.

Therisa

The Ylimaf Barn was packed to the brim with all sorts of items. Tools, electrical equipment, batteries, fuel canisters and other general-purpose items lined the left side of the Barn, while fertiliser, seeds, pesticides and storage containers occupied the right. Uncle Throp's tractor was parked near the front entrance while his trailer and tractor plough rested at the back. A steep set of stairs in the middle allowed one to access a loft stuffed to the brim with old crates and boxes.

Therisa sat at the very back of the Barn. The structure had two main exits, at the front and rear. With the Biosyn Staff swarming all over the place, the double doors of both exits were wide open, but her cousins were all gathered at the front entrance. Aunt Thrace had set her up in the middle, away from the chill of the air, but she wanted to be far away from them, particularly Thrisica. Theesa had tried cheering her up, but Th'lick had taken her away, no doubt sensing her hostility. Her youngest cousin had turned in her direction a few times, ensuring she was okay, but the activities of the Biosyn Corporation on the farm quickly drew her attention.

Her hand went to her right pocket, where she'd hidden Earn's stuff. He brought all these cute little items and tools with him but had put them aside to talk to her. When Thrisica captured him, she hadn't even bothered taking his things. So she carefully hid them from everyone else, although Dr. Yad nearly caught her playing with them when she visited her upstairs earlier. He'd want these things back when she found a way to save him. But that was the problem; how? She couldn't trust anyone.

Her cousins believed the lies the Rod'tia of the Biosyn Corporation told them. She didn't know what had happened, but she believed Earn when he told her they'd kill them all if they found them. They told her she was being hysterical, blinded to Earn's lies by his scent. When it was clear they weren't going to listen to her, she made it clear she wasn't listening to them. They left her alone after that, hoping she'd calm down by giving her space.

She turned away to look out the rear exit. She could see a few small groups of Rod'tia, decked out in raingear, shuffling about in the tall grass near the tree line. They poked at the ground with these long rods while checking the box-shaped devices in their hands. No doubt checking for tunnels. She whispered a silent prey to the Rings above that they wouldn't find them. Earn told her the other Yomans were leaving soon. Hopefully, they were aware of the Biosyn Corporation and were already doing so.

The sting of tears forced her to screw her eyes shut. Earn. Those murderous bastards had her little Earn. Even if they didn't find the Yomans, they would kill him when they were done. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She wiped away her tears with a snarl of frustration. She hated being so helpless. She wanted to free Earn and take him back to Rosebush City, away from this wretched place. But how? Every time she tried to think of a plan, her mind drew a blank.

"You shouldn't be so attached to him. It's dangerous." Therisa turned to see the last person she wanted to talk to.

"Go away, Thrisica." To her surprise, her voice came out tired, revealing that her anger had run out of steam. "Please." Her cousin was silent for a moment.

"You know where they are, don't you?" Therisa turned on Thrisica, her anger flaring up.

"Why should I tell you?" she snapped. "So that Biosyn can go and kill them?"

"They're not going to kill them, Therisa," Thrisica said, indicating the numerous trucks scattered around the farm. "They've brought sleeping gas and cages. Why would they do that if they planned to kill them?"

"I don't know, but I believe what Earn told me. They hate them. They had to escape because the Biosyn Corporation was going to kill them."

"Did he tell you why?" Therisa turned away, and Thrisica moved into her field of vision. "See? If he can't trust you with the truth, what makes you think he was telling it to you in the first place?"

"A gut feeling." She looked her cousin in the eyes and asked, "Even if they did capture all of them alive, do you think it will work out for the Yomans? Would you want to return if you were kept in a cage all your life and suddenly given freedom? I can see the end of that path clearly."

Thrisica was silent before calmly saying, "It's the scent, Therisa. It's warping your judgement. That's reason enough to be alarmed."

Therisa had finally had enough. She levelled a finger at her cousin and snapped, "No, it's so you can get another reward." Her cousin fell silent. "I know how much you got from that Director guy for capturing Earn. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what you'll get if you find the entrance to their Colony." Her cousin didn't respond. "Are you so greedy that you'll condemn so many innocent lives to death?" That struck a nerve.

"They're not Rodents; they're experiments. Freaks of nature that have no souls."

"Even so, they're living creatures with thoughts and feelings. How can you ignore all that for money? Are you that heartless?" That pushed Thrisica over the edge. Her face twisted with a rage she'd never thought her cousin capable of displaying.

"What do you know, Cuz?" Thrisica snapped back through clenched teeth. "You've had such a cushy life living in Rosebush City. The luxury of modern technology with better schools and far more opportunities than I could ever have living in Thorn Valley. You have everything I want." She levelled a finger directly at her. "You have no idea what my life has been like growing up in this backwater town. I've been to Rosebush City. I've seen everything it has to offer. I want it, and I can't have it living here!" She calmed down somewhat, but Therisa could hear her anger seething underneath. "The only way to realise that dream is money. Lots of it. So don't you dare criticise me for the path I choose to walk without knowing what the one behind me was like!" And with that, she turned on her tail and stormed back to her siblings.

She watched them for a while before turning back to the scene outside. Somewhere out there was Earn. She grunted in frustration. She couldn't stand being cooped up in this place a minute longer. She had to get out of there and clear her head. Carefully, she rose on both feet. The cane helped, and she practised shuffling around in a circle. When she didn't fall over, she sat back down for a quick rest before getting back up again.

Checking on her cousins revealed that only Theesa was still inside the Barn. Th'lick was outside asking the Rod'tia about the finer details of their fancier equipment. They seemed more than happy to enlighten him. Thrisica had vanished completely. She didn't want them fussing over her or telling her she shouldn't walk around in the pouring rain. Her Uncle and Aunt were inside the house helping Biosyn so they wouldn't bother her.

Making sure she wasn't being watched, she headed for the exit. Walking through the open double doors of the rear exit, Therisa felt the raindrops spatter on her head. It wasn't raining too hard, and she raised the hood of her raincoat without getting too wet.

She could still walk in a somewhat straight line, but even with the cane, she could only manage a slow pace. Wandering around outside in the rain, she watched the many Rod'tia crisscross the farm in groups of three. Circling the farmhouse were the many trucks that brought the small army to her cousin's farm. They were holding Earn somewhere in one of those trucks.

As she observed all the Rod'tia, she spied Thrisica. Her cousin was watching her from the woods. Therisa's muzzle wrinkled in disgust. Why are you watching me? Are you concerned about my health rather than your reward? She didn't bother glaring at her cousin; she didn't want to acknowledge she existed. How dare Thrisica use her to catch Earn. And for what? Money.

She turned her back to Thrisica, blocking her cousin out of her mind. Right now, Therisa's main concern was locating Earn. If she could find him, it would go at least part way towards working out a plan to rescue him. If I had a highly valuable little Yoman, where would I keep him? Her gaze settled on a truck guarded by two big, burly-looking Rod'tia decked out in those white raincoats all the Biosyn employees wore. It was the only vehicle under guard. No doubt about it. They've got Earn inside that one. Just then, a Rod'tia approached the truck, and the two guards stood aside to let him in. Therisa recognised that one. Director someone-or-other. He was the head honcho of the whole expedition.

She observed as he pushed four buttons in a specific order before opening the door. A coded lock. Having memorised it, she turned away, looking back at the rest of the farm. How would she get him out of that truck, let alone get past those guards? The answer would be a distraction. She needed something to get those guards away from the truck. But what?

As she searched for a distraction, she again saw Thrisica, half-hidden and still watching her from the woods. Her eyes narrowed in anger. She watched as her cousin kept her under observation, but as she did, she noticed Thrisica also kept sneaking furtive glances towards the truck. The one holding Earn. She turned away in disgust, gritting her teeth. Why was she still watching her? She had a sound mind to storm over to her and demand that she leave her alone. She doubted she was making sure she was okay, walking about in the rain, or else she would've confronted her and told her to return to the Barn. Putting her hands in her pockets, her fingers found Earn's stuff and she closed them around the items.

Her gaze returned to the guarded truck. When she rescued Earn, she could return his belongings to him. She wasn't sure if they were essential to him, but the other Yomans might need them. Then she frowned. Her cousin had been looking towards the truck that held Earn. It also held that Director. He had given her the biggest reward. Was her cousin following her to see if she could lead her to more Yomans? Then she'd go running to him so she could sell them out? She snorted audibly as her fingers tightened around Earn's belongings. That greedy bitch. That's something she would do-! Therisa's mind halted in mid-rant. Yes. That IS something she would do. Her mind started turning over as a plan formulated within.

One corner of her mouth rose as she started slowly towards the rear of the Barn. She paused to look around as if making sure no one was looking in her direction. Okay then, Cuz. I'll gladly return the favour if you want to use me for personal gain. Making sure her cousin's eyes were still on her, Therisa leaned heavily on the cane as she crouched near the back wall. She bobbed her head and made gestures as she chatted with imaginary friends. She kept this up until a quick glance over her shoulder revealed that Thrisica was gone.

Smiling, Therisa dumped Earn's belongings onto the ground, then scattered them about with the toe of her shoe. Satisfied, she carefully made her way back to the Barn. No sooner than she made it back inside, the Director and those two guards from the truck came barreling around the corner, Thrisica leading the way. She listened as they approached the area where she'd dumped Earn's belongings.

"Right there," she heard Thrisica tell them. "I saw one of them right over there." One eyebrow rose. Was Thrisica leaving her involvement out of her story? Why? Her thoughts were interrupted by excited cries from the Rod'tia, and she smiled. So, they found the bait. Carefully, she edged her head out to see the three Rod'tia and her cousin crouched around the spot, and her smile became a grin. As they all rose, the two guards began scanning the ground while the Director spoke into a radio. Thrisica was still beside him, her tail swishing excitedly.

Perfect. Therisa carefully exited the other end of the Barn and watched. Sure enough, small groups of Rod'tia were hurrying towards the Director's location, including that Rod'tia woman, Dr. Yad. She waited a while before no more came. Then she ambled out into the rain towards the now unguarded truck. Although slow, she moved purposefully, as if naturally going to the truck. She kept a casual eye open anyway. No one spotted her as she approached. No one cried out as she reached the door and opened it, remembering the combination the Director had used.

The inside was white, clean and very cool. All sorts of bottles and test tubes lined the walls, along with what looked like medical equipment. Along the truck's right side was a bench holding even more obscure-looking medical tools and a cage. Therisa almost tripped over herself as she rushed to grab it. "Earn?" She whispered as loud as she dared.

The tiny figure was huddled in one corner, back to her. As she called out his name, his head shot up. Upon recognising her, Earn scrambled to his feet and rushed to the wire mesh. "Therisa?" he whispered back. *! *? ***-? "…! How did you get in here?"

"Let's just say karma is a bitch," she said as she fumbled with the lock on the cage while she explained her plan.

"Wait!" She paused as she looked at Earn. "If they don't know you're here, it's best not to leave any evidence proving you were." He then pointed to her left, where a medical tray contained numerous instruments. "Use that scalpel to cut open the wire mesh. Right here at the base. That way, they'll think my people helped me."

Therisa nodded as she picked up the scalpel, carefully cutting a line across and down at a ninety-degree angle. She pulled down the wire as Earn scrambled out. He was wearing miniature white-coloured clothing that resembled hospital uniforms. He even had tiny socks and sneakers, capping the adorableness. Carefully, she lowered her hand to the table, palm up, and he scrambled onto it. Therisa gently lifted him up to her breast pocket, depositing him inside. She could feel him shifting around inside before his head poked out, making her smile at how cute he looked.

"Therisa," Earn said as she exited the truck. "Can you walk as far as the river?" As she pulled up the hood of her raincoat, she nodded without thinking about it. "I need you to help me get back to my people. I have to warn them about Biosyn." Looking about, she confirmed that there was nobody anywhere near the truck. Carefully peering around the edge confirmed everyone was still preoccupied with her red herring at the Barn. In fact, there appeared to be even more Rodents over there now.

Edging back out of view, she carefully approached the opposite end of the truck before making a beeline for the woods. As she pushed her way into the foliage, Earn gave her directions, and she followed. The forest was dense on all sides, and she struggled to push the wet leaves out of her face with one hand and move the cane through the thick foliage with the other. The further she travelled, she could make out a distinct gurgling sound. It grew louder until she suddenly emerged from the foliage and felt her shoes sink into the soft earth.

"Stop!" In time, she barely heard Earn's soft voice and looked down. The toes of her shoes were poking over the edge of a sharp embankment. Just below were the raging dark blue currents of the river. It flowed past at incredible speeds, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as the cane steadied her on the river bank. To her right stood a thick, tall tree whose roots were exposed by the crumbling embankment. "Careful, "she could just make out Earn's voice over the gurgling of the river. "This is where I need to be. I can't risk you going any further because it would put your life in danger."

Having come so close to tumbling head-first into the river, Therisa wasn't about to argue with him. Instead, she carefully sat down, allowing the tiny Yoman to scramble out of her pocket and climb down the front of her shirt. She had to fight the urge to giggle as he used her buttons, pulling and tugging her shirt until dropping onto her lap. He slid down her dress to land on the wet grass before her.

He turned to look up at her one last time. She smiled down at him as she realised this could be their last moment together. "Thank you, Therisa," he said. "For freeing me, being my friend, and helping my people."

"You're welcome, Earn," she replied. Then the little Yoman turned about, scurried among the tree's exposed roots, and vanished from sight. Carefully, she eased herself up, leveraging the cane until she could stand. Then, she turned around and headed back the way she'd come.

Theila

As she approached it, there were lots of Rod'tia around the Barn, but she could spot the large group gathered around Director Ydoom. She'd been in the truck with Earn and Director Ydoom when Thrisica appeared, telling him she spotted some Yomans by the rear of the Barn. The Director told her to stay here before taking the two guards at the door and hightailing it over there as fast as he could. He hadn't been gone for a minute when he called for her, so she, fetching her raincoat, headed out to the Barn.

As she drew closer, she could hear a different Rod'tia talking. She even spied Agent Yps among the crowd wearing - not surprisingly - a grey raincoat. Leaning over the shoulders of those in front, she saw someone holding a medical tray with multiple items. Someone else had an umbrella, shielding those items from the rain. Observing them, she realised they were tiny improvised tools crafted from everyday items. Her eyes widened as she realised they were made by the Yomans. A grappling hook was attached to a rope, a belt of tools - which had been carefully opened and their contents artfully arranged across the medical tray. And a bulky backpack.

The Rod'tia, doing all the talking, held the backpack between finger and thumb under the umbrella. A thin wire protruded from it, and looking closely, she could make out some electronics within. The Rod'tia holding the device pointed to it as he spoke.

"Although the signal is weak, it can transmit far enough for a receiver of similar size to pick it up. Nothing like the long-distance communications a two-way radio can do, but it should have no trouble reaching the town from here."

"Fascinating," Director Ydoom commented while the crowd murmured in amazement. "And can we triangulate the Yoman's position if they use these devices?"

"With what equipment we did bring? Yes, but it will take some time." He pointed at the staple atop the device. "It's only capable of sending dots and dashes. Morse code signals are easy to detect but difficult if there is noise or the signal is geometrically deformed." He started pointing to three locations on the farm. The top of the Ylimaf farmhouse, the Barn and the tree that grew next to the house. "If we place our transponders atop those three locations, and if the signal is strong enough, we can triangulate their exact position in forty-five seconds."

Director Ydoom frowned. "Why so long?"

"As I explained before," the technician reminded him, "we didn't bring the proper equipment for this type of operation. The equipment we did bring can do the job, but barely. If I had the right hardware, I could find it in ten seconds." The Director sighed and nodded to the assembled group, which left to perform the required tasks.

"Ahh, Doctor Yad, thank you for coming." The Director waved her over. "Come, take a look at this." Handing it over, he said, "What do you think?"

"A homemade radio transmitter," she marvelled, not daring to pull the device from the backpack. "Ingenious." She eyed the staple and resisted the urge to touch it. Lest she damage the device.

"Not surprising, considering we trained them to overcome problems." He waved it away as he moved on. "I asked you out here because the good Agent Yps believes that the Yomans could be listening in on our radio transmissions." She nodded in understanding.

Agent Yps spoke up. "I recommend spreading any discoveries by word of mouth to avoid spreading vital information over the radio. It will mean that our movements will be slower, but it's better than allowing the Yomans to find out and giving them time to react first."

"If that's the case, then chances are they are already evacuating as we speak." She looked down at the tray. "These look like tools a Yoman would take to navigate the outside world."

"A scout?" Agent Yps asked. She nodded.

"Most likely exploring for any chinks in our armour. Have any of the teams located an underground tunnel?" The Director looked at the radio in his hands.

"I haven't had any confirmation yet." He said.

She pointed from the house to the forest. "Working with the hypothesis that there are no tunnels, the Yomans will have no alternative but to cross the open space between the farmhouse and the treeline in the open. How? I don't know. They could be waiting until nightfall. But I do know that once they reach the forest, it will be impossible to catch them." Both men looked first at their wristwatches. It was mid-afternoon. They then observed their surroundings, eyeing off the numerous gaps between the teams as if looking for a possible escape route from the farmhouse. "If that is the case, they will most likely use their radios to coordinate the escape."

Agent Yps turned to the Director as the two men began discussing possible countermeasures to Theila's proposed scenario. Finally, the Director announced, "The only thing we can do is hurry up our search of the house for entrances to their nest. That way, we can pump in the gas and dig them out before dusk."

"I'll call Th'ack out now," Agent Yps said. "It's better to have him out now rather than waste time waiting for him to bring his compact excavator out once we've found the Yomans." He left to use Throp's telephone.

"How's our little guest doing?" The Director asked.

"Still not talking," Theila replied. "I'm trying little tricks to get him to loosen up, but he's absolutely terrified." She thought it best not to let the Director know she told Earn what would happen if they couldn't get the Yomans to cooperate and return. Nor that he told her everything about their origin. As Agent Yps told her, she wasn't supposed to know herself.

The Director looked nervous at the numerous teams searching the open ground around the farmhouse for underground tunnels. "I may have to call a halt to this so I can divert more to searching the house for the entrances."

"Sir, how is the search under the house going? The space behind the trellis?"

"It's all bricked up," Director Ydoom said. "The numerous renovations over the years haven't left much space beyond, as no one can find hollow sections where we can break through. We can't find gaps, let alone holes to attach hoses to." He turned back to the house. "With the discovery of those tunnels in the walls, the only option left to us is to find them all and follow them back down to the source. We can attach our hoses and pump in the gas that way."

With that, he walked away to coordinate his strategy, face to face, with the numerous teams. He organised half the teams into the house while the other half simply rotated a patrol of the property, keeping their eyes out for any possible escape route the Yomans could use.

When he returned, Agent Yps was waiting for him. "Th'ack is on his way. He'll be here in the next half hour." He pointed to the section by the front of the house next to the large tree. "According to the blueprints, that's the side where the cellar is. If we get him to dig straight down, we can break through the wall." Director Ydoom informed him of his decision to halt the search for underground tunnels. He glanced at his wristwatch, nodded, and walked off to find Throp.

"Sir, if there's nothing more I can do, I'd like to return to Earn." The Director nodded, and, turning about, she headed back to the truck. The two men who guarded the truck still hadn't returned from whatever the Director had them doing, so she keyed in the code and walked inside.

The first thing she saw was the empty cage. The second thing she spied was the neat little cut in the bottom of the wire, with the scalpel lying next to it. She rushed over to the cage and examined it. Theila ran an ebony claw around the edge of the hole. The size of the cut, the height. This can only have been done by another Yoman.

Or was it? Her mind replayed Earn's proposed scenario to fake his escape. But who? The first possibility was Therisa, but how? She could barely walk, and even then, how would she know the code to get into the truck? She was likely the culprit but was highly unlikely to pull it off. How would she pull off a distraction to gain access to the truck?

As she stared at the hole, the realisation hit her. It had been a distraction, just not by her. The scouts had allowed themselves to be seen. They had allowed their tools to be found. While everyone was here, there was no one guarding Earn. She slowly pulled out her radio and calmly asked the Director to join her in the truck. He didn't take too long, and once he arrived, he saw the cut in the empty cage before she could explain it.

"Well, this confirms it," the Director said once she'd finished explaining. "They know we're here."

Theila picked up the scalpel before putting it back down. "Do you think Earn will tell them that we want them alive? To just pick up from where we left off fifteen years ago?"

"We can only hope," the Director answered. "In the meantime, we will continue with our operation." He looked down at the hole in the cage. "They will want to know what he knows from his time in our care." He was silent before adding, "I hope they listen and accept our offer. In the meantime, I'll inform Agent Yps of this development." Theila's tail stiffened.

"You won't get in trouble over this?" Director Ydoom didn't respond right away.

"It will depend on the outcome of this operation," He finally answered slowly. "We will continue with our plans unless they come to us. If they don't, well, nothing changes." He then hastily left the truck, leaving Theila alone.

With nothing more that could be done inside the truck, Theila headed back outside into the rain. There were more Rod'tia inside the house now. The entire Ylimaf family was gathered on the veranda, watching as more staff was funnelled into their home to search for hidden Yoman holes. With more staff dedicated to the search, they quickly found one secret entrance hole after another. The equipment required to monitor the Yoman's radio traffic had been installed, and one of the trucks had been converted into an impromptu radio detector.

During that time, a wheeled truck pulled up, towing a trailer holding a red compact excavator. Agent Yps and Throp went to greet Th'ack. Since she was too far away, she never heard the cover story the Grey Suit told Th'ack, but he seemed okay with what they wanted him to do. In fact, he seemed more interested in all the fancy equipment that now cluttered Throp's farm. Agent Yps took him to the veranda, where he rolled out the blueprints and showed him where he was to dig.

Finally, the staff inside the house announced they were done. There were five main entrances on the first floor. One was in the kitchen, one in the living room, one in the dining room, one in the front parlour, and the last was in the garage. With the two trucks, the technicians chose to go for the rear one in the kitchen and the front one in the parlour. They had trouble sealing the other entrances scattered around the house, but an unexpected solution to their problem came from that little brown-haired Mou'nae.

He managed to seal all the other holes with his duct tape. Once done, they tested his work, and when they gave him the thumbs up, he twirled the roll around on one finger. With a triumphant smile, he said, "See, once again, duct tape saves the day!"

"Right, we're ready," the head technician said. His men quickly moved into action. Reversing their two trucks up to the front and rear of the house, they opened the rear doors and long, flexible pipes were unrolled. They reminded Theila of fire hoses, except at the ends, instead of a nozzle, there was a round plunger, like a big rubber ball cut in half. One of the men from each truck donned gas masks with a glass visor and a long hose that ran to a tank on his back.

The masked men dragged their hoses into the house, careful of the furniture, and attached one to each of the entrances. They pressed the plunger over each hole, covering it completely. Two more technicians began flipping switches and pressing buttons from the back of each truck.

"All set?" the Director called to the men in the trucks. One after the other, they radioed back an affirmative response. "Keep back now," Director Ydoom said to everyone. The entire Ylimaf family watched through the windows from the veranda as a loud humming sound built up from the trucks. With a shuddering jolt, they all heard the soft throb of the pump.

Theila turned to the heavens and whispered a silent prayer to the Rings. Almost a minute passed, and everyone watched as the tubes expanded and the translucent green Trioxin sleeping gas flowed through them. Another minute ticked by.

Excited cries from the truck monitoring for radio traffic filled the air, and for a brief moment, the gas and the house were forgotten. Theila couldn't help but drift towards it as Director Ydoom and even Agent Yps rushed over.

"What have you got?" The Director asked.

"Traffic. And lots of it," the technician said. He stared at three sets of green radio waves on the black screen. He slowly twisted some dials matching the radio waves until all three merged. "We've got 'em!" he cried. He scribbled down some numbers before checking a map. Theila leaned over everyone's shoulders to watch as he drew three lines on a map.

All three of them intersected over the section of the house where the blueprints said the cellar would be.

"That's where they are," the technician said. Director Ydoom turned to the head technician who was organising the gas.

"How long will it take?" The Director asked. The head technician pointed to the blueprints.

"Since we know these plans are accurate, the basement will take roughly five minutes to fill. Then we can start to dig." Agent Yps nodded and hurried over to Th'ack. Theila watched the two men talk before Th'ack nodded and, pulling up the hood of his raincoat, headed over to start the engine of his compact excavator.

More time passed, and Theila looked at her watch. A third minute passed. The technician in the truck informed the Director that the radio traffic was increasing. And then a fourth minute ticked by.

Suddenly, there was a muffled explosion, and everyone froze as a mild tremor vibrated the veranda. For a moment, no one spoke or moved.

"What was that?" Mrs Ylimaf cried. It broke the trance. Director Ydoom was shouting orders, and everyone was rushing about within seconds. Mrs Ylimaf wanted to go inside to check on everything and see if anything was broken, but her husband kept her at bay, telling her to wait until all was clear. Everyone was speaking over the top of everyone else, causing such a racket that she didn't realise that Director Ydoom had called her name. She apologised, and he repeated the question. Did she have any idea what might have happened?

She understood what the Director was asking. Just like the scouts, was this another distraction? Her mind drew a blank. "I… I don't know," she confessed. "Just to be safe, I suggest we move all available staff to the tree line, just in case. Only qualified people should be kept to dig out the cellar."

The Director shouted out orders, and everyone ran about. She heard Agent Yps talking with the Ylimafs, only to be drowned out by the roar of the compact excavator as Th'ack began digging up the ground beside the house. All conversation ceased as they gravitated along the veranda towards the section where Th'ack was digging. Theesa watched excitedly, forcing her father to warn all his kids to avoid the railing.

As he dug up the section of Mrs Ylimaf's flower garden, she covered her eyes with her hands. Her husband patted her shoulder while Agent Yps reassured them that Biosyn would buy her new plants. It amazed her how, mere moments before, they were worried about their house, only to be mortified by losing plants. The two youngest children seemed to have forgotten the explosion entirely as they watched the ground being dug up.

Five men gathered around the hole as Th'ack dug, all decked out in gas masks. Two carried drills while the others stacked cages behind them. They waited until Th'ack shut off the engine. By now, everyone but the children had moved around to see what the compact excavator had exposed. A red brick wall was caked with mud directly below the veranda. The men with the drills jumped into the hole and began scraping away dirt before the whine of their drills filled the air.

Everyone watched with bated breath as they drilled a neat line up and across. Finally, they jammed crowbars into the top and bottom, and with a pull, the wall came crashing down. The first thing that emerged from the hole in the wall was a thick black smoke cloud, not the green sleeping gas. It wafted out and vanished into the rainy air.

Within seconds, the other men rushed through the hole, flashlights swinging this way and that. Everyone waited as they watched the beams of light flashing all over the place. Eventually, Theila noticed the only sounds audible were the pattering of the rain.

Suddenly, one of the technicians appeared and pulled off his gas mask. Everyone leaned forward, eager to hear what he had to say. "Director," he said. "They're all dead."

For a second, no one spoke. "What happened?" he finally asked.

"We've found close to eighty bodies, all charred and burnt. They're piled up around various exits. They must have been evacuating when the explosion happened."

"What caused the explosion?" He held out a gloved hand. In it were two charred wires. Their plastic coating also contained traces of rot.

"We found that they've tapped into the house's electrical grid. But it seems that the dampness of the cellar, caused by all this rain, has rotted some of their wiring. It must have been in use when the gas was pumped into the cellar and…" He trailed off, making an explosion effect with his hands.

"Roughly eighty bodies?" Agent Yps asked. "That's almost the same number that escaped fifteen years ago." To Theila's surprise, it was Theesa who spoke up.

"Does that mean they're all dead?" No one answered straight away.

"Is it safe to go back inside our house?" Mrs Ylimaf asked. When her question was affirmed, she quickly said, "Theesa, honey, why don't you go see if there's any damage done to your toys?" That drew her attention, and she quickly rushed inside, followed by Th'lick. Everyone else just stood there, not sure what to say. No doubt they were all thinking the same thing as her.

The Yomans were all dead.

Theila turned away, trying to stop and hide the tears threatening to erupt. She bit her tongue to stop herself, but to her surprise, her grief was stilled as she spied something that aroused her curiosity.

Ian

Two Hours Ago…

Ian hurried through the roots. He swore as he stumbled over the ones he missed and smacked his face against others. He was upset and scared. He hated abandoning Therisa like this, especially out here, but time was of the essence. He did his best to ignore the rain as he climbed down the shrub-covered embankment to the hidden secret entrance. He paused to look down at the churning river below, only one foot from the opening. He shivered as he pushed past the leaves, only to find himself staring into Ted's face.

The redhead stared back with an unreadable expression on his face. "By the Rings, Ted," Ian gasped. "You scared me." It was then that he realised he wasn't alone. Three other men, wearing Scouting camouflage, surrounded him. Two of them sported spears twice as long as they were tall, with razor blades arranged in a cross pattern at the tip. The other carried a flamethrower converted from an old airbrush.

"Well, considering how you arrived here, I say it was well deserved." Ian looked at him in confusion before sighing with realisation. He must have seen him arrive with Therisa.

"Oh, that's Therisa," he said nonchalantly. One eyebrow rose on Ted's face.

"You're on a first-name basis with a Goddess?" Ian waved it away with irritation.

"Look, I've got more important things to do. I need you to take me straight to the Council." Ted merely folded his arms, and Ian snorted in frustration. "By the Rings, look at me!" He waved a hand up and down, showing off his attire. For the first time, everyone else appeared to notice his clothes. "Look at what I'm wearing! I need to tell the Council that the Biosyn Corporation is here!"

Those two words were like a bolt of lightning among the scouts, and their attitude changed dramatically. Without another word, he was rushed down the tunnel. The secret tunnel they used to travel to the Colony was roughly five feet high and wide. Stones lined the floor, and wooden support frames lined the walls. Every foot along the ceiling, a tiny light bulb hung from one of the wooden support beams. Nestled among support beams were small bombs rigged to blow the tunnel and bury it completely. This was in case something nasty got inside and couldn't be killed. No doubt, once the Colony escaped, those bombs would be detonated to destroy the tunnel, thus covering their tracks.

The secret tunnel was smaller when they first settled under the Ylimaf farmhouse. Over the fifteen years since, human engineers have widened it so larger items can be brought into the old abandoned cellar. It wound down, then up and down again, as they made their way back to the Colony.

"So Biosyn is actually here," Ted said. Ian grunted with annoyance.

"There's a whole contingent of them swarming all over the farm. Trucks and everything. They've been here for over an hour. How come no one has noticed?" Ted didn't look happy.

"With our low numbers, we've had other things to look out for, Ian," Ted answered.

"Are the Foraging teams still not back yet?" Ian asked.

"They recently returned," Ted said. "They've been out all night and cannot pick up the slack." He hesitated. "Plus, there's been a development." Ian almost came to a halt. A development. That didn't sound good." There's a big meeting at the main square right now," Ted explained as they reached the exit. "While the Council used it to announce the plan to emigrate today, Thrap also used the opportunity to make his own announcement. With the Colony evacuating, he won't have the resources to block the tunnel entrance to stop the flooding, so he's given his usual speech about why the Colony will fail out in the wilderness and wishes to split off from that faction and move to another city." Ian nearly tripped.

"Another city?" Ted nodded. "How does he plan on getting there?"

"A lorry. Thrap plans to lead his followers to the Motel in Thorn Valley. Then, once darkness falls, hop on the first one heading south." Ian nodded. The Motel had been initially constructed for truck drivers journeying to and from Rosebush City. Although visitors stayed there, its primary customers were still truckies. Finding a big rig heading south shouldn't be too difficult for those following Thrap.

Walking through the Colony reminded Ian of those Ghost Towns he'd seen on the television. Houses lay open and abandoned, their belongings either ditched or gone. The further they travelled, the more Ian could make out the muted sounds of a crowd. The volume increased until he finally reached the town centre. The big open plaza was packed with every human in the Colony. The Council had gathered on the steps of the grandfather clock, addressing the gathering.

The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Camouflaged raincoats had been handed out, and many wore them. Everyone carried hiking backpacks with the essentials required for the long journey to Stone Lee Gulch. Mothers held babies or clutched small children by their sides. All looked anxious, and there was an air of tension but not panic. Ted led him through a clear path towards the steps where the Council had gathered. The Council, who had been talking moments earlier, went silent as all eyes turned to Ian and stayed locked onto him. He could hear murmurings of Biosyin as he approached the steps of the Grandfather clock.

"Ian?" Tholop said as he reached the steps. "By the Rings, what are you wearing?"

"Listen to me," Ian cried out. "I have urgent news to report." He looked around at the gathered crowd. "I don't know what you were arguing about, but we've run out of time." He indicated his clothes as he said, "The Biosyn Corporation is here!"

There were cries of fear and alarm, but the crowd didn't degenerate into a panicked mob.

"Here? On the farm?" Ian turned to the chairman and nodded.

"They arrived over an hour ago with trucks and teams from Rosebush City," Ian said. He took a deep breath and launched into everything Dr. Yad and Director Ydoom told him, including how they were able to track them down to Thorn Valley and what their plans were for the humans. When he finished, everyone's faces remained still. The crowd was silent, no doubt conflicted by the revelation of Biosyn wishing to capture them alive to continue their work rather than exterminate them all.

"Ian," Tholop said, breaking the silence. "How were you captured?"

Ian knew what he was about to say would put him in a world of trouble, but now, there was no time to lie. The truth needed to be told, so Ian turned to face the Council without fear as he explained everything. Many eyes glared down at him as he told them what happened. Ian didn't hold back, telling them how Therisa caught him trying to steal her medication and the times he went back to talk to her. He carefully omitted the part where he and Therisa consummated their love. As far as everyone listening to him knew, they were just good friends, and Ian wanted to keep it that way. He was already in enough trouble, and the Rings only knew what they - not to mention the crowd - would think of him for having sex with a Goddess. When Ian finally wrapped up, silence filled the air.

"Ian!" Ian turned to see Tholop glaring at him. "You've disappointed me. Have you forgotten your vow? There is a reason why we promise never to interfere in the lives of the Gods." The chairman quickly silenced him before turning to the assembled councilmen.

"This is indeed disturbing news," Thrap said. "Biosyn is here."

Someone said, "We can't trust them to keep their word if we agree to return to them."

"Even if they are truthful, there's no way we can go back to that life. We've experienced too much freedom to just give it away."

The chairman silenced everyone before turning to Ian. "Despite your crimes, Ian, you have saved the Colony with this news."

"They don't know about the tunnel?" Thrap asked. Ian confirmed they didn't but told them they had teams searching for one. He also told them how Therisa had distracted the guards with his radio and was using it to locate human-made transmissions. That revelation excited Thrap as if it gave him inspiration. Thrap instantly took command as he turned to the rest. "That's good. For it gives us an advantage. They know where we are but don't know we can escape. The problem is that they'll keep looking for us once we escape."

"So, we're going to initiate Operation Grand Slam?" the Head of the Engineering Department asked.

"Yes, but we'll put a slight twist on it." He turned to the head of the Engineering Department. "Thorop, do we still have those old electrical cables from the blackout? The ones that rotted from the dampness?" Thorop nodded. "Good. I want your team to reinstall them, but rig them to bypass an emergency shut-down." He turned to face the Council as he explained his plan. "Trioxin is highly flammable. When Biosyn starts pumping sleeping gas into the Colony, we'll activate every electrical device in the city. With the emergency shut-down disabled, the power surge will cause those rotted cables to start sparking like crazy, cause a few fires and-" he trailed off as he brought his hands together with an echoing clap.

The Council unanimously agreed, and even Ian nodded. Despite Thrap's mulish attitude, he didn't rise to his position or achieve the level of following he had by being incompetent or dumb. The man had four o'clock in the morning courage, and for a brief moment, Ian wondered if maybe Thrap was right in his decision to head for another city rather than risk isolation in the wilderness.

"That raises one question," the chairman asked. "When we first proposed Operation Grand Slam, we never finalised it because of what the result would lead to. By leaving bodies for them to find, we are all aware of what will happen. Are we all willing to accept the outcome?" Silence fell over the gathered councilmen.

Finally, Thrap spoke up. "Biosyn knows where we are, which will make escaping in the rain difficult, if not impossible. It is better to let them believe that we're all dead. If they don't, they will search for us as we escape and keep searching for us afterwards. It is a price we must pay if we wish to remain independent." The councillors unanimously agreed.

"Just one question," Thorop asked. "Who is going to dig up the cemetery? In order to pull this off, I won't have any staff to spare."

"We'll have to ask for volunteers," the chairman answered. "And I do believe that we have our first volunteer right here." All eyes turned to Ian. He didn't make a fuss. He had no right to object to it. After all, he had broken the most sacred human law. Interacting with the Gods. If this was his only punishment, then digging up dead bodies would be a slap on the tail tip.

"I'll get started," Ian said. Thorop told him he'd organise the shovels, and the Head of the Security Department told him he'd meet with the volunteers at the cemetery to explain where the corpses would be piled up. Then, he was escorted to the cemetery to begin exhuming the bodies for Operation Grand Slam.

Ian was the first to arrive, but it wasn't long before others joined him. They not only had to dig up graves but fill them back in once the corpse was out. It was hard work, made uncomfortable by the fact some of those they were digging up, Ian knew. Friends who'd lost their lives to diseases, accidents or predators. Despite the brave faces of many, Ian could see discomfort in quite a few as they saw their loved ones added to the growing pile. He silently thanked the Rings above that Lisa's grave wouldn't be touched.

There were carts - converted from radio-controlled toy cars, collecting piles of bodies and taking them away to their designated spots. Everyone knew about the details of Operation Grand Slam. The emergency plan in case of discovery. It was hypothesised that if the Colony were discovered, Biosyn would be close behind. Over the fifteen years since they settled here, many humans have perished. Enough bodies to leave behind to make it appear the Colony had failed and all the humans were dead.

The original plan had been to wreck the Colony, making it look like it had been deserted for a long time, while the bodies had decayed enough to prevent identification as to what had killed them. Everyone knew Biosyn was still looking for them after the Great Escape. That way, Biosyn would believe that all the humans were dead and give up trying to look for them. Changing the plan to destroy the Colony with an explosion was risky, but it would achieve their goal of convincing Biosyn that they were all dead.

It wasn't long before the entire cemetery had been emptied. During that time, someone had bought Ian some new clothes, as his clean, white garments from Biosyn were now filthy and made everyone uncomfortable. Ian accepted them, not wishing to stick out like a sore thumb. He had a new pair of blue jeans, a dark green long-sleeve button-up shirt, a light brown jacket, and a dark grey flat cap. He kept the Biosyn shoes and socks because no one could spare him any new footwear.

He was informed that he could return to work with the Foragers Department. Sighing, he shuffled off to find Tholop. He found the man at the secret tunnel's entrance, organising the scouts' rear guard. The entire Colony had formed a massive line, ready to leave. Small groups were already leaving, accompanied by a few scouts and members of the Security Department, armed with spears and flamethrowers.

Ian saw one group separated from those who were leaving. When he asked about it, he was informed that the group was composed of those who chose to follow Thrap. Since the journey to Stone Lee Gulch was the most dangerous, that group had priority to leave first. He discovered that while he was held captive by Biosyn, the Council revealed to the Colony the danger they faced and their need to evacuate. Thrap used that opportunity to unveil his plans and convinced as many people as possible to join him. The Council understood that Thrap had too much of a following and, not wishing to use force to stop him, allowed those who wanted to leave with him.

So, this was it. Ian's eyes drifted over the amount of people who'd chosen to throw their lot in with Thrap's plan. Almost a third, not to mention the entirety of the Intelligence Department. The Colony was splitting in two. Based on what little history he knew of the Gods, it reminded Ian of an event in the far past.

Nine hundred years ago, when the War of the Five Republics erupted, the many mining and farming colonies of the Great Southern Continent had been left isolated as their ports in the north were blockaded and their shipping lanes swarming with merchant raiders. When their masters back north offered no help, they cast off their shackles and banded together to form the Southern Alliance. At the time, the Great Powers of the North could not do anything except grumble about it as they were frantically fighting for their continued existence.

When the War came to an end, none of the major powers were in any condition to attempt a reconquest of their colonies, as the Southern Alliance had used their time well, establishing a government, army and, while they had no navy to speak off, any attempt at a land invasion would've proved disastrous. Now, they were a major power, capable of rivalling the Northern Powers, and they had spent the last nine hundred years trying to one-up their former friends. Ian shuddered at the memory of that night three of their agents had attempted to kidnap some of them for their own purposes.

He shook his head, clearing the bad memory as he returned his mind to the point at hand. Now, a section of the Colony was breaking away to form a new Colony. One that would be dependent on the Gods instead of focusing on being self-sufficient. He eyed those who chose to leave with Thrap. Many families and friends were being broken up because of this split. Children were waving goodbye to friends they'd never see again. There were well wishes, embracing and even some crying. At least their split wasn't as bad as the Southern Alliance. While communication between the two Colonies would be nigh impossible, he could only hope that whatever the future had installed for both Colonies wouldn't lead to bad blood between them.

Ian rubbed his chin as he wondered what both Colonies would look like after much time had passed. One would be a primitive, self-sufficient Colony whose life would be hard but safe, and one would be a technologically advanced Colony whose existence would be easy but living in constant fear of discovery.

Turning away, Ian approached Tholop. As he drew closer, someone whispered into Tholop's ear, and he turned. The instant he saw Ian, his expression soured. Ian opened his mouth to speak, but Tholop preempted him. "I don't want to hear any apologies, Ian." Ian froze, his mouth hanging open. "I understand if you hadn't broken our greatest rule, you wouldn't have been able to save the Colony, but I am in no mood to listen to you right now."

Ian closed his mouth. Then he asked, "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Your job, for once," Tholop said, anger evident in his voice. He added, "I've treated you with favour all these years, and you don't think that hasn't gone unnoticed by the other's?" He waited for a response that never came. "I've lost a lot of respect because of it, and how do you repay me? By abusing my trust to break the greatest rule we've established!" Ian flinched at the anger in Tholop's voice. Tholop appeared to realise this and calmed down. "What are your plans? Do you wish to journey south or migrate to Stone Lee Gulch?" Ian affirmed he wished to travel to Stone Lee Gulch. "Then proceed to the Tunnel entrance and assist the scouts." And with that, Tholop turned his back on Ian. Ian deflated. With a sigh, he turned about and headed down the tunnel. He passed groups of humans with their guides as they waited for their turn to leave. They watched him with curiosity. Some whispered to friends and family, though he heard nothing of what they said. Everyone knew what he'd done.

He couldn't blame Tholop for being furious with him. How many nights did he stand before the head of the Foraging Department and make the vow that he would never interfere in the lives of the Gods. As he thought back to the anger in Tholop's eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if the man was mad at himself. Although he stated he'd favoured Ian over the others, Tholop side-lined Ian from Foraging for mental reasons, and he'd sent Ian topside only because of Therisa's medicine, albeit reluctantly. The trip that got him discovered. Was Tholop partly blaming himself for Ian breaking their most sacred vow?

He reached the tunnel entrance before he could find an answer, and he presented himself to Ted. Thankfully, the redhead didn't give him a hard time and even appeared grateful to have another set of hands. He was put to work managing the various groups that arrived. Relaying instructions while the Scouts checked to see if the escape route was clear. With the knowledge that Biosyn had Ian's radio, the process was slow. They had to run back and forth rather than risk even a low-powered transmission lest Biosyn tracks them down.

His interactions with his colleagues were mixed. Some were weary of him because of his crime, while others were grateful that they had the heads-up on Biosyn because of him. Conversations were limited to instructions and updates. When the all-clear was given, Ian organised the various groups. As they pulled up the hoods of their camouflage raincoats, they formed a line and filed out one by one into the pouring rain with their guides. One after another, the groups left until a new group arrived.

These people came equipped with grey raincoats. Ian frowned. Those would stick out in the wilderness until he realised this group would head into town. Ted confirmed his theory when he relayed to Ian the instructions the groups would follow once the bridge over the river was clear. This group waited awhile before a scout returned to confirm that the bridge was safe to cross, and they quickly hurried out and into the pouring rain.

By now, the water level was dangerously close to the entrance. Holding onto one of the roots by the tunnel entrance, Ian could lean down and skim his fingertips through the churning water. As the group filled out into the pouring rain, he could hear many worried murmurings as they saw how high the river had risen.

Another group arrived and left, followed by another. Suddenly, the trickle of people morphed into a continuous line. Ted looked bewildered until a runner appeared from back down the tunnel. He paused to catch his breath before he told them the news.

"It's Biosyn. The scouts by the Colony entrance have reported they're pumping in the gas!" Ted swore.

"We'll have to send everyone out at once."

"Won't that make them an easy target to spot?" Ian asked.

"We don't have a choice," the runner said. "All electrical devices in the Colony have been activated. As I was leaving, the damaged cables were already sparking, and it wouldn't be long before they set off some fires. Then once the gas makes contact with those…" He trailed off, as there was no need to finish that sentence.

Ted swore as the word was given for everyone to form a single line. They organised the evacuation as fast as they could. As the line moved along, they narrowed it down to a single file as they exited the tunnel into the open. By now, a rope guide rail had been set up to assist people climbing the embankment, and they planned to dismantle it once everyone was evacuated. Still, that wasn't speeding up the exodus.

The evacuation moved painfully slow but, thankfully, never stopped. The Security Department stationed themselves at strategic points along the route from the tunnel entrance to the bridge to provide as much support as possible.

An echoing bang erupted from the tunnel, blasting everyone off their feet. Ian was sent flying into a tree root. Climbing to his feet, he checked himself for any broken bones. Thankfully, there were none. When his vision returned, he gaped in horror. The tunnel entrance had collapsed. From behind the wall of dirt, he could hear the muffled cries of distress from those trapped on the other side.

Cries of horror were heard as those on his side of the cave-in scrambled to help dig out their family and friends. Ted grabbed his arm. "Come on, Ian. We have to hurry." Ian raced over and began digging. "By the Rings," Ted muttered as he scooped dirt out of the way with his bare hands. "Without proper equipment, this will take forever."

Ian paused. "Maybe it won't," he cried, and before anyone could ask what he meant, he spun on his heels and raced away as fast as he could. Ian ignored the pelting rain as he ran. He pushed aside grass and plants, heedless of any dangers in his path as he ran. He kept running, ignoring everything around him. It was dangerous and stupid, but time was of the essence. Finally, he came to a stop.

He stood just within the treeline. From his position, he could see the farmhouse swarming with Gods. Thankfully, all their attention was focused on the compact excavator digging up the farmhouse's front right side. Perfect. A quick survey revealed nothing between him and the Barn, and he sprinted out into the open. The few Gods hanging around the treeline focused their gaze towards the farmhouse, not behind, so he could skirt around them in a semi-circle arc towards the Barn.

He sprinted the final gap between them and the Barn and raced inside, looking around. Just as he had believed, the Barn was empty except for one God. Therisa sat in a rocking chair, angling her head towards the other entrance, which gave her a partial view of the farmhouse. He raced towards her.

<Therisa!> The Goddess's huge, furry ears twitched, and she spun towards him. Her midnight blue eyes widened at the sight of him. Before she could voice her surprise, Ian put a finger to his lips. <Therisa!> he shouted in a whisper. <I need your help! Can you come back to the river again?>

The Goddess was on her feet and hobbled over to him with the help of her cane. Crouching, she placed her hand down, palm up, and he scrambled onto it. Her fingers curled protectively around him, and as Therisa lifted him to her breast pocket, he explained everything to her. She was pulling up the hood of her raincoat when he finally finished.

<Earn, say no more,> she said as the rain pelted her hood. <I'll gladly help dig out your friends.> She hurried along as fast as she could.

<Are you sure you can help in your condition?>

<Even if I can't dig fast, I can still dig, which will help speed up your friends' rescue and escape.>

Nobody spotted them as they entered the treeline and headed into the forest. Ian watched as she effortlessly pushed away plants and leaves, covering far more ground in her slow condition than he had running. Finally, they reached the river, and just like the last time, he had to warn her to stop. Standing there at the edge of the river, Ian could feel her heart pounding, and he could feel a sinking dread.

Was this the right decision? Would he be in more trouble for getting a God to help in the rescue? Ian shook his fears aside and told Therisa where to go. It was slow going as Therisa struggled to climb down the embankment. One foot slipped out, and Therisa crashed to the ground with a cry. Ian sucked in a breath as her feet slipped into the river, but the Goddess held on. Gritting her teeth and grunting, she slid along the river's side, caking her dress in mud.

Finally, she reached the entrance. Ian could see those helping clear the debris turn and freeze in fright at the sight of Therisa's charcoal furry face blinking back at them. Ian could see the excitement in Therisa's midnight blue eyes as she saw the humans before her.

"Everyone!" Ian cried out, grabbing their attention. "I want you all to meet Therisa!" The Goddess wiggled her ears as she recognised her name being spoken in the human tongue. "She has volunteered to help dig out the tunnel." Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Ian turned to look at the Goddess. <Therisa, can you pull yourself inside?>

Her eyes narrowed as she examined the tunnel entrance, and then her head nodded. Reaching out with both hands, she found a solid grip and pulled. Ian watched her arms shake from the strain, and her face contorted with the effort. Now, he feared for her safety. Had he pushed her too far? Below, humans moved aside, their faces looking up in awe as she heaved herself into the tunnel and rested on her chest.

Ian scrambled out of her breast pocket to avoid being squished between her breasts and the dirt. He turned to face her huge charcoal furry face, panting heavily from the effort. <Therisa! Are you okay?> An agonising half minute passed before she settled her midnight blue eyes on him and nodded.

Without another word, she crawled forward on her elbows until she was within reach of the cave-in. Then, she reached out with one hand and gouged out a huge chunk of dirt before throwing it out behind her. Her other hand reached out and repeated the same move. Left, right, left and right. Her hands scooped away debris faster than the humans had. The other humans didn't try to interfere; they watched in fascination and hope as she dug deeper. As more and more earth was removed, Ian began to worry. Therisa was showing signs of strain. Her hands shook visibly as they reached out to dig away at the cave-in. She grunted heavily each time she brought her arms up, vocalising her pain.

And yet, she ignored it all. Ian could see the determination on her mud-splattered charcoal furry face. Each scrape brought renewed vigour to her efforts, spurring her onwards. Reach out, dig and drag. The movements were almost robotic at this stage. Her left arm gave out, and without missing a beat, she reached out with her right arm and continued digging. Ian called out to her, but she ignored him.

Finally, with one last thrust of her fingers, her hand broke through and revealed a gap. Voices flooded out from the other side; Ian shouted out a warning for them to wait while Therisa cleared away more dirt, expanding the hole. Finally, he told her she could stop, and immediately, she collapsed on the tunnel floor, breathing heavily. A few figures from the newly made gap emerged and stared in surprise at Therisa, filling the tunnel. Among them were Thrap and Tholop.

Ian cried out in triumph as he rushed over to them.

"Ian?" Tholop said. "What? Who-?"

"I would like you to meet Therisa," Ian said. The Goddess was panting heavily but she managed a weak smile. "After the tunnel collapsed, I rushed to bring her here and help." They looked back at Therisa, who watched with a frail but excited smile.

"Is she going to be okay?" Tholop asked. Ian turned back to her, and she gave a simple nod.

<I just… need to… rest…> She laid her head on the cool earth and allowed her breath to catch up.

Ted was beside them all of a sudden. "Can we get the others through?" Thrap and Tholop scuttled back inside the hole, and mere moments later, humans began to emerge from the other side. One by one, they scrambled down the dirt and gaped at Therisa, taking up most of the tunnel. She smiled warmly back at them, all the while still breathing heavily.

As Ian watched, the first of the humans suddenly bowed to her and hurried past. As more and more people were released from the tunnel, they, too, balked at the sight of Therisa in the tunnel but nonetheless thanked her for saving them. A few even made the sign of the Gods to her. They had to skirt around her right side as she filled up at least ninety per cent of the tunnel. The children stared in awe when they saw her. Not that Ian couldn't blame them. For the third generation, this was their first ever face-to-face encounter with a God. Therisa gazed lovingly at all of them, mumbling <...so cute,> or <how adorable…> as their parents quickly hurried them along.

Eventually, the last stragglers were brought out, and with one final bow and thank-you to Therisa, they left. Ian walked over to the Goddess and placed a hand on her pink nose. It was damp, and her hard breathing ruffled his clothes with every exhale she made. <How are you feeling?>

<Did they… all escape…?> Ian nodded.

<Thanks to you.> A hand appeared on his shoulder, and Ian turned to see Tholop.

"So, this is her?" Ian nodded, and Tholop looked up at her. "If it wasn't for her, we'd still be trapped in that tunnel."

"What happened?"

"When the gas exploded, the shockwave was far more powerful than we thought it would be," Tholop said. "It caused some of the tunnel to collapse."

"How many people did we lose?" Tholop smiled.

"None, and it's all thanks to you and your friend." He looked over his shoulder at the hole. "The blast only collapsed the front and rear sections of the tunnel. The Engineering Department should have no trouble collapsing the rest to hide it from Biosyn." He turned back to Therisa. "Speaking of which, can your friend climb back out? We'll need her to so we can destroy what's left of the tunnel."

<Give me… a moment…> Therisa said. After a few more deep breaths, she began to slide herself backwards. Suddenly, she paused. <Oh… dear…>

Before either man could ask, Ted suddenly appeared from around Therisa. "Guys, we need to get out of here now! The river is starting to flood the tunnel."

<Therisa! You have to hurry!> Ian cried.

<I can… feel it. My legs… are in… the water…> Ian began to panic. Suddenly, Therisa started easing herself backwards. When Ian called out to her, she replied, <The roots… I can… grab hold… of the roots…>

<That will be dangerous,> Ian warned.

<No choice…> she said. <The longer I… stay in here…, the more dangerous… it will become…> Ian could only watch with bated breath as she eased herself out of the tunnel. First, her feet, then her legs entered the water. The current took her then. It dragged her out, but at the last moment, she reached out and snagged a big tree root. <Exactly… where I… remembered it…> she muttered.

<Can you pull yourself up?> Ian asked. She was up to her waist in the raging river. Therisa nodded and, reaching out, grabbed another big tree root and began easing herself along. As her stomach scraped along the muddy embankment, Ian used the opportunity to climb up to her shoulder. Perching by her large, rounded, charcoal furry ear, Ian whispered encouragement to her.

She reached out and grabbed another root, easing herself along. <You can do it,> Ian said. She reached out and grabbed another. The instant she pulled on it, the root ripped free of the muddy embankment. For a horrifying moment, time slowed down. Ian could see the world moving in slow motion. His world tilted towards the sky as Therisa fell backwards into the raging river.

Therisa plunged beneath the water with a tremendous splash and was quickly swept downstream. Ian could only cling to Therisa's ear as he was submerged beneath the river. He was terrified. He didn't know how to swim. Around him, the world had a dark blue tint to it. He could only see bubbles and Therisa's raincoat as her arms flailed beneath the water.

With an explosion of sound, Ian was thrust above the water and took in a long drag of air. It didn't last long as he vanished beneath the water again. Again, he held on tight, holding his breath until he broke the surface again. This time, Therisa managed to keep her head above water.

<Therisa!> he screamed into her ear. <Swim! Swim for the shore!> He could see her arms splashing about.

<I… can't…!> she gasped. Her words cut off as she spat water from her mouth.

<You must!> Ian cried. <I don't want you to die!> Her head bobbed beneath the waves. When it resurfaced again, Ian coughed out water and turned to Therisa, only to pause.

The bridge was ahead, but that wasn't what Ian was staring at. The bottom edge was lined with humans—Tholop's followers. They were waving to him, and he managed to wave back with one arm. Suddenly, ropes were thrown over the edge, and in the glint of the sunlight, Ian saw the shiny metal hooks on their ends. He smiled.

<Therisa, swim to the right!> She managed a gurgle, but her body moved. Those on the bridge were moving, too, angling the ropes. They were fast approaching, and Ian watched as the bridge sped up to meet them before they passed under it.

Therisa came to a sudden stop, and Ian was almost thrown into the water. Looking around, he spied at least four ropes straining to hold Therisa. Those above must have tied the ropes to the bridge; otherwise, they would've been pulled into the water. Above the river's roar, he could hear the cries of his people as they did whatever they were doing up there. Then, Therisa began to move. Ian could see the ropes sliding along the edge of the bridge, moving Therisa closer to the shore.

Therisa appeared to understand what was happening, for she reached out to grip the piles for support as she eased herself closer to the shore. However, her movements slowed as she neared her destination and became sluggish. The ropes strained to pull her up onto the muddy ground. The ropes slackened when she was out of the water, and she was released. High above, he could see countless human faces staring down at them.

He turned back to the Goddess. <Therisa? Are you okay?> She only murmured in response. <Therisa?> he asked again. This time, she didn't respond at all. His face went white as a sheet. "Oh no!"

"Hey!" Ian spun to see a man wearing a Security Department uniform climbing down a rope attached to the bridge high above. "We spotted you guys as we were crossing the bridge." He jumped to the ground and looked at Therisa. "How's your friend? Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Ian confessed. "She has a weak heart. She told me too much exercise would be dangerous for her." He called up the rope, and this time, a man from the Medical Department slid down. He examined her thoroughly and turned with sorrow in his eyes.

"She's dying," he said. "Her pulse is growing weaker." When Ian asked if they had any of her medicine, the man told him it was with the group heading for Stone Lee Gulch. Ian almost tore out his hair.

"Ian?" He turned and blinked in surprise as Tholop appeared from the brush, gasping. The man had obviously been running. There was more shaking, and Thrap appeared behind Tholop. He, too, looked shocked at Therisa's appearance. "What's wrong?"

"She's dying, Tholop," Ian said. He looked off towards the farm and took a deep breath. "I'm going back to the farm to get her help." Everyone's eyes widened. "I'm going to find Theesa, her youngest cousin, and tell her," Ian interrupted before anyone could ask. "I can trust her. I know she'll keep me hidden from Biosyn." Nobody spoke.

"Ian," Tholop said. "We have to leave now. If you do this, you understand we can't wait for you."

"My followers need to get off the bridge and into town as soon as possible," Thrap added. "If you choose to come with us, you'll be alone. Even then, we are leaving tonight on the first truck heading south, so we won't be able to wait for you either."

Ian didn't hesitate, giving a simple nod. "This is the path I choose," he said. "I understand I can't follow either of you, so I chose to stay with Therisa." Both men didn't reply right away.

Thrap stuck out his hand. "Then may the Rings watch over you, my boy." Ian shook it. "Your actions saved not just my followers but the entire Colony. If you believe that Theesa can be trusted, then I trust your judgement. Good luck!" He then turned and, together with the others, used the ropes to return to the bridge.

Tholop watched him go before turning to Ian. "I can't stay long. The engineers who destroyed the rest of the tunnel are travelling with the last scouts to a rendezvous point to meet up with the others, travelling to Stone Lee Gulch. If I want to catch up with them, I must leave now." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well then, I guess this is goodbye, Ian. I'm still disappointed you broke your vow, but I'm proud of your actions today." Ian smiled as Tholop pulled him into a hug. "I'll miss you, boy."

When they pulled apart, Ian stared at the man before him. All these years, he'd treated him with favour. Assisting in raising him as a kid back at Biosyn. Looking after him while at the Foragers Department. His reluctance to promote him to the rank of full Forager. He asked, "Tholop, are you my father?" The question didn't surprise the head of the Foraging Department. Instead, he smiled and shook his head.

"No, but I wanted to be," he confessed. "Back in the day, I was madly in love with your mother and wanted to be bred with her. But I was never selected." Ian nodded. Tholop had been there for him nearly his whole life. Looking after him while his mother was away at the Dig Site and when he joined the Foraging Department, he had always treated him with favour. "When I heard your mother died during the Great Escape, I assumed you perished with her. So, I moved on with my life, getting married and having my own kids. So, you can imagine my surprise the day you showed up at the Foragers Department looking for a job. I still loved your mother, so I figured I could do her a favour by looking after you."

"Is that why you kept me as a scout for so long?" Tholop nodded.

"I lost your mother, and you were all that's left of her. I didn't want to lose you too." Ian wasn't surprised. He felt no anger towards the man. "I understand what I did was wrong, and you can't be a child forever. That's why I was mad back there. I believed I failed your mother. But I've got to stop protecting you. I've got to let you grow up and make your own decisions." He turned to look at Therisa. "Right now, you've got someone to protect." Ian gave him one last hug.

"Thanks for looking after me, Tholop. This time, I won't disappoint you."

"I know." Then he turned and bolted away into the tall grass. Just like before, Ian ran with haste, though he kept an eye out for dangers. Thankfully, the rain kept all the Titan predators away; the only obstacle he encountered was mud. Ian ran and ran, even as his legs started to feel like lead weights. He couldn't slow down. Therisa's life depended on him.

Finally, he burst free of the forest and found himself on the edge of the treeline. Before him, he could see everyone was still gathered around the front section of the house; the compact excavator had dug up the abandoned cellar, and all the Biosyn staff were climbing in and out of the newly dug hole. He scanned the veranda for the Ylimaf family, but they could not be seen. He turned towards the Barn. He was sprinting across the grass as fast as he could.

When he got there, he carefully edged around the door and looked. No one was there. He cursed silently and looked back towards the house. That was the only place they could be, but it swarmed with Biosyn staff. How was he-

A dark shadow fell across him, and before he could react, furry fingers closed around his torso, and the air squeezed from his lungs. He was yanked upwards, and when his vision returned, he found himself looking into a pair of angry midnight-blue eyes.

<You?> Thrisica hissed. <How did you get out of your cage?> Ian struggled against her grip, but his arms were trapped within her grasp. <Well, it doesn't matter. You're going straight back to it. And who knows, maybe they'll reward me for finding you again.>

<Thrisica, please!> Ian shouted. <You must help Therisa.> The Goddess hesitated. <By the Rings, haven't you noticed she's missing?> The eyes narrowed.

<What have you done to her, you little freak?> Ian could feel her grip becoming painfully tight.

<Listen to me. She's down by the river's edge, near the bridge. She's dying, Thrisica! She needs her medicine!>

<You're trying to trick me.>

<Fine!> Ian snapped. <Hand me over to Biosyn, but please, I beg of you, save your cousin!> He could see the eyes narrow in uncertainty. <Please!> Ian begged. <I promise, I'll let you hand me over to them, but save Therisa!> The eyes didn't change, and the longer they glared down at him, the more Ian began to panic. Then, she shoved him into her pocket and started jogging toward the house. As the sound of voices grew louder, Ian could only hope Thrisica had listened to him.

Therisa

As her eyes opened, Therisa saw the lime-green ceiling above her. She frowned before looking around. She was on a bed inside a small rectangular room. A window at the far end showed daylight outside, with the rain splashing against it.

"Therisa." She turned her head to see her cousin, Theesa, gripping the side of the bed with glee. Th'lick stood beside her with a relieved smile on his face. Behind the two, she could make out Thrisica, arms folded with a neutral expression. "You're awake." Cousin Theesa gently wrapped her arms around her and hugged her.

"We were all worried," Th'lick said, "Especially Mom and Dad."

"Where…" Therisa started, but Th'lick cut her off.

"You're at Dr. Yksuh's house," he answered. "After we found you by the river bank, we rushed you straight over. The doc says you'll be okay, but he has called the hospital, and they are sending out an ambulance to pick you up and take you back to Rosebush City."

"Wait," Therisa said. "How did you guys find me? I didn't tell anyone-"

"Thrisica found you," Theesa said. "She called everyone out to the river, and we were able to rescue you in time." Therisa turned to her cousin, who replied with a curt nod.

"But… how did you know?" Thrisica sighed, walked over to the door, and knocked on it. The door opened, and Therisa's eyes widened. "Dr. Yad?" The woman came in and nodded to her cousins. Th'lick took Theesa and led her out of the room, leaving just Thrisica and the Doctor.

"Hello again, Therisa," she said, sitting beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Weak," she said, eyeing the woman with suspicion and curiosity. "Why are you here?" The woman placed her handbag on the bed beside her and, reaching inside, pulled out a sight that made her eyes bulge. "Earn!" Dr. Yad placed the little Yoman down on her stomach, and he immediately climbed over to her hand to pat it reassuringly.

"Therisa," he cried happily. "I was so worried about you." Therisa bounced her gaze between the little Yoman, the Rod'tia woman and her cousin. Finally, she settled on Earn, desperate for answers. "As I ran to get help, your cousin caught me. And I was able to convince her to listen," Earn said. Therisa turned to Thrisica, who just shrugged.

"Why?" she asked. "I thought you want-"

"You're my cousin, okay," Thrisica cut her off. She gave an irritated sigh as she massaged her temples with her fingers. "Yes, I wanted the money, but when it came down to saving your life, that took precedence." She turned away in embarrassment. She was silent before suddenly saying, "I'm sorry for everything." Therisa smiled warmly at her cousin.

"I can't forgive you for your actions, but I no longer hate you."

"That's good to hear," Dr. Yad said. "Family is very important. I would hate to see this entire episode permanently tear you apart." Therisa turned back to the woman.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I saw your cousin talking to Earn at the Barn." She shrugged. "I didn't know what she was doing then, but I moved to intercept her as she came over. Before I could ask her anything, she told me about your condition. I alerted everyone else, and we all rushed to save you." She looked down at Earn. "As the others were organising help, I pulled Thrisica aside for a private talk." She smiled. "You see when Earn was in my care, he tried to convince me to allow him to escape. And one of the methods he suggested matched up with the evidence left behind." Dr. Yad looked down at the little Yoman who looked up at her. "Earn told me his heart belongs to you, so it didn't take me long to figure out why you were down by the river." Therisa held her breath. "Helping the Yomans escape." She froze before looking at Earn. He smiled back and turning to face the Doctor, Therisa slowly nodded. "As I kept asking Thrisica questions that she struggled to answer, you-know-who interrupted."

"I told her everything," Earn said. "What you were doing down there and why you ended up in the river. I convinced her to make up a cover story for you. Once the panic had subsided and questions were asked, she and your cousin covered for you." Therisa only stared up at the Doctor from Biosyn with confusion.

"But… why?"

"Do you remember what I told you the first time we met? I raised and taught Earn?" She nodded. "When I believed the Yomans were killed, it deeply affected me. I loved my class dearly. To me, they weren't experiments; they were children who needed love and guidance. And like any teacher, I grew attached to them." She reached down to stroke Earn. "You could say I grew too attached." She looked back to Therisa. "Are you aware of how quickly they mature?" She nodded again. "When I was exposed to his mature scent, I understood that he was no longer a cute, adorable child but a handsome young man. My attraction had blossomed into love." Therisa tensed.

"You're not going to take Earn away?" The Doctor shook her head.

"No. Do you remember what I said earlier? His heart belongs to you, so Earn wishes to stay with you." She cast a quick glance down at him. "I won't lie and pretend I'm not jealous, but I want him to be happy. I want what he wants, and what he wants is to stay with you."

"Why the change?" Dr. Yad sighed.

"Although I'm jealous, I have enough willpower not to let it control me." She sighed. "As for why I kept the survival of the Yomans a secret... well, back when I believed they were all dead, it deeply affected me. I'm an expert at my job, and my interactions with the Yomans allowed me to form a bond with and understand them. I knew perfectly well they wouldn't turn on us. They only want to live in peace." She looked back down to Earn. "What Earn told me was true. They have experienced far too much freedom to surrender it, returning to a life in cages. They are sentient beings, after all, not pets. You can't force someone to do something against their will." She paused, and Therisa saw the Rod'tia woman thinking about something. "I'll spare you the details, but back in the truck, I did something to Earn he didn't want, and afterwards, I regretted it. I don't want the Yomans to die, so this is my way of apologising."

For the first time since she'd met her, Therisa smiled warmly at the Doctor. "Thank you, Dr. Yad." The Rod'tia woman smiled before pulling a business card from her handbag.

"Should you require any medical assistance for Earn in the future, here's my phone number." She gratefully accepted it.

"What will you do now?" Therisa asked. Dr. Yad shrugged.

"I don't know. But what I do know is I can't return to Biosyn. Tomorrow, I'll hand in my letter of resignation." She looked at Earn. "I can't go back there anymore. Knowing what I know, I could never work there with a clean conscience." The Rod'tia woman rose and headed for the door.

"You're not going to ask me to treat Earn well?" Dr. Yad smiled.

"There's no need," she said, "Goodbye, my dear. Goodbye, Earn."

"Goodbye, Aunty Yad!" Earn said. Pure joy spread across the Rod'tia woman's face, and for a moment, Therisa feared she'd burst into tears. Instead, she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, told Earn to stay out of trouble, and then closed the door behind her.

"I'll leave you two alone," Thrisica said as she left the room.

"Thrisica?" Her cousin turned, the door half closed. "Thank you for not turning Earn over to Biosyn." Thrisica gave a sigh.

"I couldn't care less about what that tailless furless midget wants," she said. "As I told you before, I did it for you." Therisa smiled.

"Thank you for saving my life." Without another word, her cousin returned the smile and closed the door behind her.

"You stayed?" Therisa asked the moment the door closed. Earn nodded. "That means your friends had to…" She trailed off, unable to finish.

"Leave me behind," Earn said. She nodded. "It was my choice. You risked your life and safety to not only rescue me but those trapped in the tunnel. I couldn't let you die."

"But you won't be able to live with the other Yomans now." Earn didn't appear phased.

"It was a price I was willing to pay."

She blinked back at him. Then, she slowly asked, "What Dr. Yad said earlier. Does your heart truly belong to me?" Earn smiled warmly at her, and it melted her heart.

"It does, and I want to stay with you." She smiled weakly as she tilted her hand, allowing Earn to climb onto it. She gently closed her fingers around him and petted his face while he leaned into the fingertip, stroking her fingers and brushing the fur. As he did, Earn opened up about everything. The truth behind the Yomans and the Biosyn Corporation. He didn't hold back any details, answering all her questions. It was a lot to take in, especially why she found his scent so pleasant, but when he finished, she found she didn't care.

"It doesn't matter," she said when he asked if she found his origin disturbing. "It's all in the past. Besides, I'm more worried about the future. Mainly, I can't keep you hidden forever, Earn," she explained. "Sooner or later, I will have to let my family know, and I'm not sure how they will react to you."

"We'll be careful about what we tell them," Earn replied, still stroking the fur on her fingers. "We don't have to tell them everything. We can use the cover story that Biosyn gave your cousins. Besides, it shouldn't be too difficult to convince them. You Gods always find our scent wonderful, and you all think we are the cutest things ever." Therisa waggled a finger at him.

"Now, now, don't you be abusing your scent powers on my family, okay?" Earn held up his hands in self-defence.

"If I'm going to abuse my scent powers, it will be to get gourmet food, top-notch alcohol and my choice in what programs we watch on the television."

"Hey, you might be adorable, but that won't prevent me from punishing you."

"Oh, and I can abuse my scent powers to get out of punishment."

"Don't push your luck." He climbed out of her hand and up her chest. Scaling her right breast, he grinned as he pushed down on her nipple, eliciting a surprised and pleased gasp from her.

"I'm pushing my luck," he teased.

"You evil little Yoman," she gasped. "In my condition, you shouldn't overstimulate me like that." The sly smile vanished from his lips, replaced with genuine worry. She grinned and quickly snatched him up in her fist. "You tease with me, and I'll tease you." She tightened one fingertip over his crotch, and he squirmed in her grasp.

Earn reminded her, "In your condition, you shouldn't overstimulate yourself. " Therisa chuckled and lowered him to her muzzle, kissing him. He kissed her back; however, he just kissed her incisors. Still, he kept kissing her, scoring a few pecks on her upper lip.

She could've stayed like that forever, but her strength failed her. Thankfully, she put Earn down between her breasts before she could drop him. "I need some rest," she said as she placed a hand protectively over him. "I'm still feeling dizzy." She embraced the sensation of the little Yoman sliding his hands through her chest fur.

Earn chuckled all of a sudden. When Therisa asked what was so funny, he explained, "There was a question my people asked themselves. What would happen if humans became too numerous to remain hidden from the Gods? From my interactions with you and your devotion to me, I believe that's a future we won't have to worry about."

She tightened her fingers around him, and he asked her what worried her. "All the times you've visited me, you've had to leave. I'm just worried when I wake up, you'll be gone."

"There's no place for me to go to," Earn said. "Except wherever you're going."

"I love you," she said as her mind slipped into unconsciousness. Before she did, she heard Earn one last time.

"I know."

Epilogue

Director Ydoom took his seat at the table while his personal secretary took up a position behind him, fingers posed over her typewriter, ready to transcribe the meeting. As the rest took their seats, the Director stared at the ten men opposite him. Just like him, they were Rod'tia. Once, the Biosyn Corporation Board of Directors Conference room held five times this many. Ever since the escape, many had either left or were forced out. Now, all those present were men who could be trusted.

Having too many tails in the cheese wheel had resulted in a leak. Somehow, the Southern Alliance learned of the project, and calling the result catastrophic would have been a gross understatement. He voiced an exhausted sigh at the memories that played out because of it, and releasing a deep breath, he brushed it all aside.

There were more important things to focus on right now.

To his right sat the head representative of the Grey Suits, his fingers drumming idly on a black telephone. All eyes in the room were on the device. When it rang, everyone stiffened as the Grey Suit picked it up. "Ynohp," the man answered. He was silent, then nodded. "Yes, sir, they're all here." He then pushed a button on the device, placed the handset on the hook and turned to the others. "The speaker is activated, gentlemen. Let's begin."

"Right," Director Ydoom began the meeting by facing the room. "You have all been briefed on the outcome of the recent excursion to Thorn Valley to recapture the Yomans?" Every head nodded.

"Yes," the voice from the telephone said. "All killed in an explosion. Are there any chances that a few stragglers survived and escaped into the wilderness?"

"It is possible, sir; however, if they did, they would be too few in numbers to reestablish a new colony, let alone continue the species. Those who escaped must contend with wild animals, and those who aren't eaten will be dead in roughly ninety years."

"That's reassuring. Now, what about the rest?"

"Many of the bodies we recovered were chard, but we can extract the necessary DNA samples from the bone marrow. Our teams are already working on this as we speak. From there, we can simply restart the entire Yoman project again."

"Excellent. When can you begin?"

"We did let quite a lot of talented people go over the past fifteen years, and getting them all back will take some time." Director Ydoom answered. "Provided they're happy to stay at their other jobs or don't want anything more to do with us." He didn't need to say that, considering the Grey Suits knew how gutted the Biosyn Corporation was. However, he hoped that by adding that, they would help with the rehiring or at least convince the old staff to return. "But, moving forward with what we have right now? Two weeks."

"Fine, there's really nothing that can be done in that regard." There was a pause. "There is one pressing matter I would like some clarification on. The way the Yomans were all killed has me worried. There were no problems with the locals?" Director Ydoom turned to Agent Yps.

"Those who know were paid handsomely to keep their muzzles clamped," The agent said. "The Ylimaf family have been well compensated for our actions on their farm. There was no damage done to their house or their things, but-" he quickly checked a sheet of paper. "One of the family, a cousin staying with them, did experience a medical emergency."

There was another pause. "Yes, it was in your report. The poor girl almost had heart failure and nearly drowned. Apparently, she survived thanks to the quick actions of her cousin and your team, Director." The Director smiled.

"We paid for all her medical expenses," he added. "It would seem that she was equipped with a cloned heart from our company. It pleases me to report that it held out despite the strain she put on it." Again, there was no need to mention that, but the Director wanted to reassure the man on the phone that Biosyn made top-quality products.

"We weren't responsible for her condition then?"

"Oh no, sir," Agent Yps quickly replied. "It turns out she was talking with one of the Yomans living under the house. She got quite attached to the little one, resulting in a fight with her cousins. According to her cousin, who notified us of her predicament, she was angry because they wouldn't listen to her and wanted to get away from everyone." The voice on the phone mused over that.

"Mmm, the Yoman's scent can be problematic. How is she now? In regards to her exposure to their scent?" Director Ydoom stepped in.

"Well, from what I've been told, one of my former staff, Dr. Theila Yad, visited her before she was taken to the hospital here in Rosebush City." He flipped through the pages before him before finding what he sought. "She's managed to calm down, and Dr. Yad believes that her near-death experience due to her rage brought her back to her senses. She's made up with her cousins and is concentrating on recuperating."

"That's good. One less problem to worry about. Now, Director, I was told you wanted to bring up something else? Something a bit more controversial?"

"Sir," Director Ydoom folded his hands. "I would like to bring up the necessity of establishing a contingency site." Typically, all laboratories have a contingency site in case of emergencies or disasters. There hadn't been one for the Yoman project because the Grey Suits wanted the Yoman DNA samples kept in one location. Their logic had been it would make it harder for anyone to steal. And they had been right. Because of the lack of a contingency site, the Southern Alliance were forced to infiltrate and raid the Biosyn Corporation HQ. The Yomans had also known this, which is why they destroyed all their DNA samples before escaping.

"Considering what happened last time, I see your point. But I also understand why we never established one in the first place. Therefore, we will solve the matter with a vote. All those in favour of establishing a contingency site, raise your hand." Two-thirds of those present raised their hands. The secretary who was recording the minutes gave the number to the man on the phone. "All those against the plan, raise your hand." Only half of the other third did so. They knew they were defeated. The secretary continued her job and relayed the number anyway. "You win, Director. I'll leave the necessary details in your hands."

"Sir," the Grey Suit representative, Agent Ynohp, said to the phone. "Regarding that matter, I believe that only a select few are aware of this plan and its location." He turned to the Director. "No offence, Director, but my people will oversee that. I would feel more at ease knowing that everyone at Biosyn is oblivious to its location." The Director made a small gesture that showed that he didn't mind. After all, the Grey Suits never discovered how the Southern Alliance learned of the project in the first place.

After the Yomans escaped, they launched an investigation. However, so many parties had worked on the project that nailing any suspects proved impossible. It was hypothesised that with so many large organisations involved, the leak could've resulted from a series of convenient events, a spy planted within one of the parties, or even a disgruntled worker who knew who to talk to.

"I agree, Agent Ynohp," the man on the phone said. "Regarding matters involving secrecy, I want your advice on moving forward with the project. When we encounter new problems we'll need help with, how shall we involve third parties?"

"I recommend a thorough examination process," Agent Ynohp said. "Examining the backgrounds of all those who will be privy to the truth. Psychological evaluations and even their political opinions. It will mean our progress will slow down and stop for some time, but I believe it's a price we must pay to avoid the problems we encountered with the others."

"As they say, slow and steady wins the race," the man on the phone said. "Agent Ynohp, I know you have a lot on your plate, but are your people willing to take on that task as well?"

"I would insist on it, sir," the Grey Suit replied. "We've learned having the Yomans trust made the project viable in the first place. The instant they believe they can't trust us... well, we might as well start the whole thing over again." The man on the phone was silent.

"Very well," he finally said. "Gentlemen, are there any other issues to be raised?" No one spoke. "Then I believe this meeting is adjourned. Thank you for your time." Agent Ynohp pressed a button, ending the call. Everyone stood and filed out of the Conference room. At the same time, the secretary was delayed in leaving as one of the Grey Suits examined what she'd written down. He didn't understand why because they always confiscated the minutes at the end of every meeting.

With the meeting over, Director Ydoom returned to his office. Sitting down in his chair, he glanced around the half-packed room. Now that he had been reinstated, he would have to unpack everything. He hadn't had the opportunity when they found Lesha's remains in the belly of that Red Tail. He'd been flat out trying to reorganise the whole project again, and then when Agent Yps called in with the Yoman's location… With a sigh, he rose and set about unboxing and unwrapping all his personal effects, organising them to be placed back in their original location.

He paused as he reflected on the situation. The project will restart.

After fifteen years of trying to get it back off the ground, they finally could pick up where they left off. With an annoyed sigh, the Director continued unpacking. It would take another fifteen years before this new batch of Yomans matured enough to continue the project. He was already one-hundred and six years old. Hopefully, he would learn what the original Yomans had been trying to accomplish in the first place. The first generation of Yomans that Biosyn had cloned were close to finding out, but then that whole incident involving the Southern Alliance happened and well…

He dismissed it with a shake of his head as he returned his awards to their spot on the wall behind his office chair. Those working at the Dig site would be ecstatic to learn they would have some new Yomans to work with. One corner of his mouth rose. It was hard to believe that buried beneath the sands of the Trebor Neirbo Desert lay an ancient city. Perfectly preserved after two million years. A survey team, mistaking it for an oil deposit, had stumbled across it and called in the government, unsure what they were dealing with. The scientist who examined it concluded that it had survived the ravages of time thanks to a protective dome that covered it.

In the beginning, the city's size surprised everyone. It was miniature, like a model. They had to tear down walls and rip up the roads to get to the insides of many small rooms. One engineer commented that it made them all look like giant monsters in those sci-fi movies, smashing up buildings as they rampaged through cities. More organisations were brought in to research this place and its treasures.

At first, they believed the Yomans were the original inhabitants of this world, but they were not. There were no other such cities found anywhere on the planet. The city beneath the Trebor Neirbo Desert was the only one. Judging from its age, the city had been constructed when the planet's atmosphere had been deadly, and the dome had preserved the city as the sands of time buried it.

Since they weren't native to this world, one would've suspected the Yomans were aliens. Technically, yes, but the twist was you couldn't call the Yomans aliens without applying that label to all life on this planet. Everything, including plants, animals, and even Rodents, had been brought here from the Yomans' home world. Wherever that was. As they investigated, they discovered that the Yoman homeworld, where they all originated from, had a heavier gravitational field. Thus, as life evolved, it grew in size due to the lesser gravity of this planet.

What the Yomans had been doing here was still up for debate. Oh, the Yomans they cloned had been trying to find the answer. Still, after two million years, some of the data had been corrupted despite the advanced technology of the original Yomans.

One corner of Director Ydoom's mouth rose. And what advanced technology it was. Light years beyond their own, it had allowed Rodent kind to advance to technologies within their reach. Obsolete by the standard of the original Yomans but groundbreaking for Rodents. However, in the beginning, it hadn't been that easy. It took some trial and error and inviting others into the loop, but they realised that the technology could only be operated through touch and vocal commands. But most importantly, it was genetically locked to Yoman DNA, meaning only Yoman's could operate it.

That was where Biosyn stepped in.

Scientists had found traces of Yoman DNA scattered throughout the various miniature buildings. Using these small samples, the Grey Suits approached the Biosyn Corporation to help. Already famous for their advancements in the field of cloning organs, they poured vast amounts of money into building new research facilities and equipment, all to clone Yomans. The Biosyn Corporation benefited greatly from the resources the Grey Suits provided, moving from a two-story converted warehouse to a nine-story skyscraper as they set about creating clones of the Yomans.

Director Ydoom's mouth twisted at this memory. The first batch of clones had been a disaster. Referred to by the scientists in the Genetic Engineering Labs as Generation Zero, these clones came out as twisted, morbid mockeries of a Yoman. It was discovered that despite the environment of the city preserving those Yoman DNA samples, two million years had degraded them to the point that they were incomplete—full of holes. As the Biosyn geneticists worked around the clock to solve the problem, they made a fantastic discovery.

They plugged those holes in the Yoman's DNA samples with Rodent DNA.

There had been shock all around, but the more they investigated it, the more it soon became apparent as to why. Whatever the original Yomans had been doing, it was obvious that they intended to terraform this planet and were supposed to evolve alongside the plant and animal life from their home world. But things hadn't panned out that way. What happened had been lost to history, but somehow, their DNA had mixed with Rodent DNA, allowing Rodents to stand on two legs and to evolve hands with fingers and thumbs. The bipedal and physical appearance of Rodent kind was not due to some quirk of evolution but based on an already pre-existing DNA pattern.

From what the first generation of Yomans had discovered, the original Yomans brought large numbers of primitive four-legged Rodents to this world. The Rings only knew for what purpose. However, the closest that could be deciphered was that the primitive Rodents assisted the original Yomans somehow.

Whatever the answer, the result was that Rodents, not the Yomans, evolved into the planet's dominant life form. And there was something else. The Yoman's scent. All Rodents love it. It relaxed them, drew them to Yomans, and made Rodents adore them. Why? Because of the shared DNA, some primitive part of the Rodent brain found that Yomans - as one geneticist put it - 'made them feel complete.' To the Rodent psyche, the Yomans were perfect. They were what Rodent kind was supposed to be. In other words, Rodents found Yomans to be the superior beings.

It had been this revelation that angered many parties involved. The existence of Rodent kind was not due to logical evolution or divine providence but a mistake. They hated how their own psyche believed Yomans were perfect, not Rodents. They despised the idea that Rodents were incomplete. They saw their scent as nothing more than subtle manipulation. At first, they ignored the Yomans, refusing to talk to them or even acknowledge they existed. But over time, it morphed into abhorrence and then outright antagonism. They argued that the project was too dangerous. The original Yomans had died off for a reason, and bringing them back into existence was inviting disaster. They argued that the Yomans scent was too dangerous and could be used to sway opinions and influence others. Others could even train the Yomans to orchestrate coups; worse, they could turn on Rodent kind. How would the rest of the world react if they found this out? It would lead to a societal catastrophe or collapse.

Those in charge, along with most parties involved, ignored them as their profit from unlocking new Yoman technologies was too great to abandon. Biosyn had raised and trained the Yomans to solve puzzles and think outside the box. This was so that they could work their way around Yoman technology. Bypass security and piece together the Yoman language so that they could read it. The ethnologists who raised and trained them worked with their teams. In small groups of five to six Yomans and one Rodent, they worked to uncover the mystery of Yoman technology.

Around this time, Biosyn decided to breed a second generation of Yomans rather than clone another batch to ensure a genetically stable future. As they passed down their old language to their young, the first generation of Yomans—who had Rodent names—insisted that they give the second generation Yoman names. No one thought anything of it because they were building trust between Rodents and Yomans.

Thus, the second generation underwent the same training their parents had undergone. They would've eventually matured and joined their parents at the Dig Site, learning and unlocking advanced Yoman technology. But then, the Southern Alliance came snooping around. No one knows how, but their intelligence department picked up the scent of the whole project. It was hypothesised that if the Southern Alliance wanted to breed and raise Yomans, they had somehow acquired Yoman technology. No one knew what they had, but considering they still hadn't fully uncovered all the secrets the Yoman City had to offer, the chances were they'd never know. Though without any Yomans to operate it, they'd be stumbling around in the dark, just like the Grey Suits had before they cloned the Yomans.

Again, Director Ydoom dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. That was all in the past now. The Grey Suits assured him that no such leak would happen again. They had a new batch of DNA, and tomorrow morning, they would begin the task of gearing up the Genetic Engineering Labs.

As he placed the last of his belongings back, he put his hands on his hips to admire the office, now his again. As his eyes drifted across his desk, he spied the notepad, with several points hastily scribbled on it. The one at the top was a holiday he had planned with his wife. She wanted to go to the Green Isles for a scuba diving holiday. He'd drawn a thick 'X' through it after he'd been fired. There was no way they'd be able to go on such an expensive trip until he secured a new job.

Grabbing a pencil and using the eraser end, he rubbed it out and re-wrote it again. Only to grunt in annoyance as he realised, he'd erased the phone number he needed to organise the trip. With a sigh, he picked up the phone to call his wife. She'd have the number. He hadn't explained anything about what had happened over the past few days, only that he was tied up with work. She had no idea he'd been fired and then rehired. As she answered his call and they started up a merry conversation about their trip, the whole messy affair slipped from his mind as he focused on the future.

"** THE END ***"*