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First Day of School

"Hey, new kid. Rise and shine"

The voice was that of a boy, attempting to affect a posh and cultured Imperial accent despite the high pitch. I raised my head up, the corner of the blanket dangling down over my snout and looked left and right for the source of the sound. A sniff revealed he was a Fox like myself. There was the strong scent of bear, and some slightly odd kind of ..cat?

"Over here" a hand "gloved" in black fur waved to me. "Note or no note you don't want to be late for your first day. " Rolling off the bed and onto the floor was about all I was capable of, but it worked. I sat on my haunches, blushing at the sodden padding squishing under my rump and looking around and ughed at the soft pastel pink walls.

"What the heck I thought they were gonna let me be a boy..."

"They are. The girls rooms are bigger though, and have a better view and their own bathroom. They kinda let us sort things out on our own in the Kin wing." He wasn't kidding. There was a big window with far too much morning light pouring through a forest canopy and a small stream trickling away outside. It was big enough to make me wonder why it hadn't been split in two. My apparent roommate had some sort of large metal canister opened on his half of the room, and tools across his desk

"Hey, that looks like a stasis pod they found the Popsickles in. They let you build a replica for class? Cool." I ignored the fact that my padding was drooping and stuck my nose into the open compartment. "Wow. this is detailed. Are those lug-nuts actually cast? WIRES.. You really went all out."

The other Fox chuckled. "Nope. Real thing. They're here. Sort of. "

"Really? No way. Can we meet them? I love the 23rd century. The movies, the frontier, the start of the Kin...

"I heard they'll be joining the general population soon." the other Fox stuck out his paw. "I'm James"

"Rona..n. " I hoped he didn't notice the pause. I was on all fours looking over his restoration project and just used a dogs shake motion.

"Yeah I know. Fair warning, everyone knows everything around here. " he wrinkled his nose. "Speaking of which, you want to hit the bathroom before class and you're out of time." he picked up an engineer's shoulder bag and headed out.

I looked down and blushed, ears flattening as they warmed. Mental note, really start trying to hide that, at least till I knew how bad the teasing about it would be. A lot of us were in the same boat right? We weren't actual cubs we could be mature about this.

With some trepidation I approached the only other door to the room. Inside was a surprisingly nice bathtub, a toilet that was almost short enough to be perfect for me and was far enough away from the wall to accommodate even my bushy tail. A pair of small doors to a cabinet seemed to be made of real wicker

"Hello theere" an oddly accented voice called from inside. It seemed to be a mix of imperial and hindi. "I'm your personal assissstant. I'll be out in a moment. Don't let my appearance sstartle you."

Why did I need a persona... I was reminded exactly why I needed one as the head of an enormous snake floated out of the doors of the basket and a rush of warmth trickled between my legs, leaking out and running down my fur. I mean, it was a talking snake. I knew it had to be an animatronic AI, but my brain just froze as if it were a real snake.

"That's very good" a long sinuous body with red and white scale patterns followed the head and curled up in front of me. "I understand you want to get to class on time so we will have to move quickly. Please walk into the tub"

A little push from his tail got me walking. The door to the rub opened and I stepped in, keeping my gaze on the faucet.

"Armss up" he said, sticking to the shirt and pulling it up and off, then wrapping around my hips and pulling off both sides of the diaper with a small rip. I heard the nozzle detach and felt a spray of warm water and couldn't stop from squirming.

"S..sorry. Uhmm...

"Kaash. Or Mister Snake if you prefer. And it's okay. You just woke up. You're still a little sleepy. You had a long night. Just relax" I felt his coils wrapping around my waist and legs, the very bottom of the tail supporting the small of my back as he lifted my dripping form up onto the changing table. His voice was very calm and soothing though , and once he had me seated he started petting my ears my eyes started drooping. His head swung down into my vision, eyes shifting from their normal yellow to red to blow as his head swayed back and forth, up and down. I giggled a bit at the game and followed him, then he reared up so high I fell into my back when I tried to follow him.

"Very good kit." his mid section coiled around my ankles and lifted my legs high in the air until I was almost vertical, then somehow stuck to the padding, slid it under my rump, easily guided my tail through the hole while another coil picked up some powder and sprinkled just a little bit on me.

"Heey.. the kin are going to smell that!" I wriggled a bit, or tried to, but the snake's coils were as solid as an oak branch.

"Unavoidable I'm afraid" he lightly put his tail down over my chest and pulled the padding up against me, one loop went to each hip and taped it in. I poked his scales a bit on impulse and he grinned. "Gecko Grip. Turns on and off as needed"

A loop around and under my arms was enough to set me on the warm limestone tiles of the floor. My assistant held a bright blue shirt that went onto my head easily enough, and the slit in the back fit my tail perfectly. The grey tight sweatpant things were another matter, and required considerable time and wriggling to get on.

"Can't I wear shorts?"

"I'll see if you can get an exception. Tomorrow." I grumbled and headed for the door, tugging on the badly tailored garments. Figured the AIs around here didn't know how to tailor for digigrades. I was shifting the waistband about as I went out the automatically opening door, letting out a little OMF as I walked nose first into the slightly padded stomach of a security guard waiting for me

"Oh hey Ronan right? I'm Octak." If was was perturbed by the snout poke to the gut, he didn't show it at all.

"So much for not still being a convict..." I grumbled at him.

"Huh? Wha..oh no. It's not that. You don't have a tracker yet, so you can't go wandering off alone. Door won't open for you otherwise. Less there's a fire or something."

I crossed my arms and looked at him skeptically, which he ignored and started walking.

"Eh look I got one too" he held up a wrist band. "Don't want the Rats to dismember my body and leave it in a ditch without someone eventually finding me" he joked. I hoped.

"Oh cool is that Star Command?" I ran around him to take a closer look at the hematite colored band with a diamond patterned star made with what looked like real diamonds.

My escort blushed a little. "Yeah. I liked it when I was a kid. "

"When you saw them the first time was it with or without the screwups in them?"

" "There's no screw ups, only opportunities"..." he said with the mantra of a true fan.

I turned just in time to see a pair of Wolves running past us on two legs, panting, one knocked into me hard enough to knock me over, if I hadn't been knocked into the other one and then grabbed by the scruff by Octak.

"Hey no running in the halls! Or at least pretend to watch where you're going..." He shouted, mostly to a pair of fluffy tails going around the corner and out the doors.

"So you liked that episode where they accidentally crashed through the wall and then ad libbed that it was a foul mind control plot by Doctor Mesmero?"

"Eyup! And a photon blast to the a..rump of anyone that says that was planned ahead of time. And it wasn't an accident it was..."

"An opportunity I know. "

The doors opened, slamming us with the chill morning air. The kind of damp cold you knew would become hot as the day went on that practically screamed first day of school. I got my hands and feet soaked with dew running onto the lawn before looking looking back to see if it was okay. A wave of his hand and a smile from Octak said it was

"Just stay within about sixtyish feet of me, don't head for the gates, and stay off the slides till recess." he yelled. Not like I couldn't hear him even over my pounding paws, beating heart, and whoosh of the grass against my claws. The ground felt like it was shaking under me as I trotted across the field , stopping to look up the stairs to a slide before circling back to my guard slash guide. I hopped in place for a few steps, then ran off again as fast as I could and rolling into the ground at full speed watching the world spin around one two three four and a half times to wind up staring at a slightly spinning sun and clouds.

"Oh hell...." came from right behind me with a barely suppressed laugh

It wasn't till I stood up that I realized the grass was damp to the point of being soaked, and now so was I. "Well no time to get you dry. If you leave a puddle you're in trouble, if you're late I'm in trouble. Better you than me kid"

I glared at him for a moment and tensed.

"Oh no. You wouldn't dare...."

Shakeshakeshakehakeshake....

The classroom was your usual white ceramic flooring with the same light blue walls they seem to have in every government building in the sector. I walked up to the door just as the belly rang, earning a glare from the large grizzled Wolf with dark over light gray fur, bright yellow eyes and a scar running from chin to ear.

"You are late.

"But I just..."

"Are you in your seat? Are you ready to learn? Then you are late. And a mess. Somehow" He glared out the door and it didn't take a pair of keen Fox ears to hear Mister Ocktak gulp as he left, even over a snickering classroom. "Well MOVE. No one's going to hold your hand" he barked and pointed, the classrooms snickers rising dangerously close to a full on laugh as I scurried to the only available seat, up front.

"For those of you who couldn't be bothered to read your own schedules this is Imperial language and culture. For those of you who don't know who I am, this will not be the soft, mushy, touchy feely any answer you feel is right is right pap you may have gotten elsewhere. This will be cold, hard, objective facts. I don't care how well you can defend a bad answer. We'll start with Blue Sun Black Hole , and why everything you know about it is wrong...

I looked around for some paper and a writing implement. The blond human boulder of a kid to my right was using a datapad, there was a knot of Rats in the back but they were too far away to ask. The rustle of paper behind me gave me hope. The wait for the professor to dramatically turn to the viewscreen wasn't long. Wheeling around brought me face to face with the grey white and tan wolf from the center, who was already looking at me and smiling. I blushed self consciously at the smile and being unprepared as I mimed writing something. He huhed for a second, snapped out of whatever daydream he was having and starting scribbling a note. I had to feign interest in the teacher again

"And what do you think was the symbolism behind Bosen Doughboy Replacing his carbon graphite hand with one of brass Miss...ter Vulpes?" 1 of the rooms other three Foxes started up but slumped back down in relief when the teacher turned to me, just as the Wolf was handing me the paper.

I ermmed... "That he was...rejecting modern technology for something older and simpler?"

"No. There is nothing that is in the text that is not in the text. That is not in the text so. It. Is. not. There. Pay more attention to the lecture and less to passing love notes to your boyfriend"

"He'snot! " my voice squeeked and cut out as he took the note from my hand

" "You're welcome" " he read, smirking. For what I wonder..."

I stuck my tongue out at him "That wasn't in the text you can't assume it"

Having to stand snout to the corner was especially painful for a digitigrade kin, but bending over to clean up the mud and dew from the chair and floor was pretty easy. Which was a good thing because I had to do twice before he let me go with a sigh. "I suppose that's as good as you'll manage"

Hah. I could see myself in the floor.

I stalked out tail bristling, right passed the Wolf until he barked a laugh. "Damn that took ba.." and clamped his hand over his mouth, pausing for a very long awkward moment.

"You've got engineering with me next class " he said without removing his hand or opening his muzzle. It was slightly muffled but still easy for a Fox like myself to hear. "I'm going to go now. Your next class is this way. I got the orientation" he still sneaked a glance at a map in his pocket and traced the route. Looked at me funny, then looked straight ahead. He went to turn left when I could smell sawdust and powdered plastic on the right we split.

"I think it's this way..." he turned his map a little "huh. Yeah. I think you're right. Right" he giggled and harumped to stop himself.

I was once again late, walking in just as the bell rang. This time smack into a bare digitigrade Wolf leg. "Whoa there little guy. No running in here.

"Bu bu" I looked up. And UP at an enormous Wolf in loose shorts and a tight shirt, with a blue braided collar about his neck of all things.

"Yeah you're late, don't worry" he waved a paw the size of my Torso."First day and this place is a bit of a maze. Relax have a seat" he sniff sniffed me, making my face flush furiously and my tail tuck. "Did it rain this morning did it? I was dry for my run." he picked me up about the chest in one enormous paw and sat me down on a desk with a squish that I prayed the rest of the class didn't notice. He pointed a strange, obviously makeshift device at me and hot air came rushing out without any of the ear flattening sound I was expecting.

"Oh cool " I said, looking straight into the barrel, ears and gums flapping in the wind. "Hows thaawt whorrrrrrk?"

"Pretty cool huh?" it was quiet enough that he kept talking to the class while running it over my still damp fur. " Welcome to Engineering. The art and science of applying knowledge to solve problems. Step one, figure out what the problem is. In this case your standard hair dryer while mostly out of the range of human hearing, is going to send a Kin diving for a pair of ear muffs.

"Isn't that what the computers for?" The large kid from english class asked asked from the back, drawing a few laughs.

"Yes. And no. Computers might help you solve a problem you posit to them, but rarely offer their own suggestions. Furthermore computers are limited in their thinking in no small part because of anyone...?

"The Circuit Uprising?" I blurted out without thinking.

"Correct." I got swatted in the face with an enormous bushy tail as he turned back to see me, then once again as he turned back to the class. " We don't know how creative AIs COULD be, but we know how creative they can be within their given parameters, especially this far out in the rim. It's' pretty good, but hardly perfect and sometimes just plain weird. Understanding the fundamentals of materials, design, and composition will let you work with a design interface, and go past what they can. Cough, and maybe let you build something off grid. Cough. I'm mister Niklaas, welcome to engineering.."

He remembered to sit me down off the desk after a five minute lecture and let us try to build model catapults out of a box of spare parts. Mine shot the furthest, but with no accuracy and I broke it after three shots, but still had a lot of fun. The Rats were shooed into individual projects, but kept sneaking each other parts and complicated hand signals when the teachers back was turned. Their nearly identical catapults hit the targets with a fair bit of accuracy, spinning the center about one time in four. A short, black haired human grumbled some nasty words that his project broke, while the otter got about halfway through his and "Assisted" it into taking a shot with the flick of his finger. The big kid had his shoot straight up and straight down, but it made an impressive clunk off the ceiling and his skull, earning a good natured laugh from him and the rest of the class, including the teacher.

"Alright, homework, find something around here that doesn't work as well as it could for you. Bring it in if it's not nailed down , bigger than your head, someone else's property, and not your roommate. " the class groaned a bit. "Ronan, see me after class for a bit."

I stayed after, tail tucked, which did not go unnoticed.

"Relax, you're not in trouble. Just need to get you set with your transponder. You want a collar, wrist, pendant, or ankle version?"

I ermed a little "what's the difference?"

"For the hardware? Not much. It's the same core anyway" he held up a small black stone with fine whispy tendrils coming out of it. "Huh. Never seen this model before. The neck one holds the most charge but doesn't charge up as fast as a leg or wrist. I don't like anything on my ankle, throws me off, and wrist gets in the way when I put my hands inside the machinery. I think I technically HAVE to mention the ring version but that's rarely an option for us"

"And if it bothers me like when I was a... older?"

"You'll have to wait for an escort to and from school, won't be able to go on the playground early, won't be able to access some of the school equipment, and running back to your room for certain... things can be difficult"

"And you don't get dog jokes for wearing a collar?" pulling my shirt down a little as he alluded to my padding.

"Just the once" he said, showing off a set of steak knife sized teeth as he smiled.

"I guess I'll go with the collar then"

He nodded, set the stone inside a printer and let me look at a catalog of options. I picked one of the blue colors and an old style physical clip on the back. Even if it SAID it would let go with a certain amount of force I wanted a physical mechanism I could see. Nanosilk sounded a little girly , but I was hoping he didn't notice me picking it. Judging from the texture of his he'd picked an option that could double as sandpaper.

"If you want a different color just tell it which one and set it in the sun for a few hours. If you want something really weird like a UV reflection pattern or switch to a wrist band you'll have to bring it back here. If you want to reset the personality you're out of luck, that one came straight from the capitol and I'm not sure I could hack it if... I had any idea how to adjust an A.I. Which I don't..."

We sat in awkward silence with the soft whirring of the cord printer. He took it out and waved it about a bit to cool it off and held it out to me. I closed my eyes, felt him buckle it on and...

Nothing. Or well almost nothing. The miniscule weight felt soft and vaguely reassuring. I slid it left and right and it glided over my fur with almost no resistance, and gave it a thumbs up.

"Great.. For your first mission, Ronan and his escort are late with my permission. Signed Mister Niklaas" He gave my entire head a soft re assuring pat and shooed me out the door "Off you go"

The awkward wolf waited out front looking at his wrist band.

"Oh hey, cool collar" he reached out and slid a finger along it, then pulled his paw back. "Oh, sorry. Impulses, you know how it is with a new brain and everything." I shrugged, and held my chin up so he could do it again"

"What do we have next?"

"The ultimate terror of school.. Dun dun dun... gym class.

I took a deep breath "So it begins..." and prepared to sniff out polyurethane and sweat when my guide got us lost.