Chapter 3 -- The Missing Link

62 A.E. March 28, Spire - Elevator

A moment of calm. Eyes closed, mind empty. No existential doom looming around the corner.

Truth be told, it didn't feel very--

"Can't find your way out?" a voice asked.

I opened my eyes, and lifted my gaze as I looked to the left. Mason--the big bear from earlier--was walking through the hallway and stopped to peer at me in wonder.

It took me a moment to gather my thoughts, "I needed a moment."

"... You feeling okay?" Mason asked as he crossed his burly arms and faced me.

"Yeah, I just..." I waved and motioned to the nearby toilet sign, "spent the last three weeks hibernating, and..."

Mason let out a dark chuckle as he raised his hand to stop me, "I get it. You keep pushing yourself, but eventually it catches up with you. Nausea, neurotransmitter imbalances, and more..."

"Yeah," I whispered.

Mason inched closer, "You haven't seen much of your new home, have ya?"

I gave him a halfhearted smile, "Didn't have time for any sightseeing, I'm afraid."

"Well, fresh air and a warm meal will do you good... There's a place on the 14th floor--it's mostly for staff needing a break from new arrivals, but..."

Ah...

I met his gaze and made an understanding nod, "I'll keep it to myself."

Mason let out a huff and cracked a grin that showed off those massive chompers of his, "Good. As for me... I'll be repairing an elevator that someone decided to wreck on their way down here."

"Thank you," I whispered with a sheepish smile as he walked off.

62 A.E. March 28, Spire - Floor 14

The elevator dinged as it opened up and let in a bright white light. I squinted and held up my hand as I peered out in wonder. It looked like a large balcony that overlooked mountains, forests, and a strikingly powerful sky. Heat radiated against my fur in the sun's strong light, and a contrasting brush of cool air wafted over me.

I'd managed to step up to the elevator's edge, but felt forced to stop and take it all in.

The air was strangely empty. No sharp bitter tones in your nose nor odors that caught on your tongue as if you'd stepped into an oily garage. This was fresh air, with a hint of something sweet like the pines of a thriving forest.

And... there was food as well. My nose wiggled as I caught it on a stray draft--a heavy, brothy stew, filled with all manners of meat, herbs, and spices blending into a delightful scent.

How can an alien planet be so similar, yet so different to Earth all at once?

The elevator made another ding--as if annoyed--and I stepped out onto the floor. As the doors closed behind me, I looked up and about. This place was indeed a large balcony, albeit a messy one. In one corner was a workshop with hanging tools, in the other was a makeshift stockroom, and tables were strewn about along with plenty of seating.

Standing somewhat to the left, in the center of it all, was a large wooden hut with several open sitting areas, similar to a bar. In total there were 6-8 people, most of them wearing blue worker uniforms, along with a burly white bear tending to the bar.

None of them seemed to have noticed me as I approached the bar and glanced at the distant landscape. The city looked set in a wide valley, and the distant mountains were bright white with snow.

Based on the wind touching my nose, I'd guess it was about 10-12 degrees Celsius. A comfortable temperature, one where the sun was a pleasant addition rather than a discomfort.

The bear standing in the bar noticed me as I stepped up and met my gaze. He stared for a moment, cracked a sudden smile, and his nose wiggled as if struggling to avoid laughing. I glanced down at myself, saw nothing odd, and looked up to meet his still smirking face.

The big bear raised his hand to point a black claw at me, "Yer a new arrival, ain't ya?"

"Is it that obvious?" I wondered, and tipped my head a little.

"It is." The bear chuckled and gave the bar a heavy tap with his hand, "Sit."

I stepped up, eased my backpack off, and sat in one of the wider chairs as I looked around. The bottom shelves behind the bar were full of crates, vegetables, and bottles that lined the top. Sitting in the bar's center was a fireplace with a massive cauldron, filled with an orange, bubbly stew.

"Hungry?" The bear asked, and stepped back as he reached for a bowl.

I nodded and peered at the cauldron, "I am..."

He brought the bowl over to the cauldron, lifted a big ladle from its depths, knocked it twice on the edge, and almost filled it to the top. A moment later he set it onto the table, slipped a fresh spoon in, and presented it to me as trails of steam still wafted off its surface.

"Try it, let's see what you think," The bear said.

"Hmm," I murmured, grabbed the spoon, and lifted it before giving the bear another glance, "It smells good, but just to be sure... This won't make me sick because I'm new here, right?"

"You underestimate yourself... As for the food, this is some of the best around here, and the place is packed most evenings," the bear answered as something let out a chime behind the bar.

I caught my first sip of stew, and... it certainly had an interesting taste. It had a bit of everything--beef, chicken, an odd mingle of spices, perhaps even a hint of fish in the background. There was something akin to tomato, yet... not entirely unlike it.

Its warmth was soothing, as if part of me was finally waking up. A glance at the bear revealed that he had fished out a phone, and was staring at the screen with a perked brow.

Our gaze met once more as the bear whispered, "You're Vilkas, right?"

"... I am," I said.

The bear set the phone on the table and inched closer as he kept smirking, "Mason said to take care of you, but wanted me to keep it a secret as well... I'm guessing you made him feel guilty about something?"

I smiled back with a nod, "Something like that... You know him?"

The bear huffed, moved something behind the bar, and sat down so that we ended up on equal height, "Something like that... we've shared each other's lives for about 40 years now. The name's Harvey, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Harvey... Mason did intimidate me at first, but I can see he's a good guy."

"He has his good sides," Harvey said as he leaned onto his hand and smirked for a moment, "So, how can I help ya? Or has someone already given you the tour?"

"I do have a thousand questions, but..." I stirred the soup, "Let's start with this?"

Harvey glanced down, "Don't like it?"

I swallowed another spoonful, "It's good, if a rather... complicated taste."

Harvey stifled a chuckle as he motioned to the giant pot, "No wonder, you're eating from a perpetual stew... Pot hasn't been emptied for over twenty years."

"Oh... So what do you put in it?" I wondered.

"Everything edible," Harvey said with a shrug, "Used to be that if ya took a bowl, you had to put something back in it."

"Ah, well..." I opened my backpack, fetched the ration bag, and put it on the desk. One by one I dug out the packages and lined them up on the table.

Harvey pointed to one of the protein bars--the one with a red human skull on it and the words 'not for human consumption', "The stew goes well with the protein bars if you dip them..." He then grabbed a smaller satchel from the table and waved it at me, "Rodberries... Mind if I take them? They're rather bitter unless ya boil them."

I held out my hand, "Give me one to taste and you can take the rest."

"Righto," Harvey said as he fiddled with the satchel, tore it open, and shook out one onto my palm. The berry appeared dried, deep red, and as the name implied... it had the overall shape of a small rod.

"Hmm," I said and plucked it up with my claws, "Never seen one like this before, so I assume it's local?"

"It is," Harvey said as he leaned over and emptied the rest into the cauldron.

I slipped the berry into my mouth, chewed it, and felt as the flavor emerged. Barely a hint of sweetness, a bitter tone to it, but a somewhat deep flavor... like lingonberries.

"... Not very good on its own," I said.

Harvey got seated once more, "Yeah, but it grows like a damn weed and it clogs up the drain pipes."

I nodded and unwrapped the protein bar before dipping it in the stew as I took a bite, "So, have you been here since the colony got started?"

"Almost, got here 2-3 years after the first groups. Back when ya was still handed a toolkit, got told to repair the nearest droid you could find, or take its place in one of the mines," Harvey said.

I perked my brow, "A joke, I assume?"

Harvey chuckled, "Probably, but it was a good motivator. We had to cut a lot of corners back then to make anything work... well, we're still forced to do that most of the time."

I looked out toward the balcony's edge, and I hadn't considered it so far, but it was obvious that we were high up in the air, "This city, it's massive... You watched it grow?"

"Sure did! Tens of thousands of droids along with all manner of heavy machinery, it took a decade just to build the Spire's foundation. There are dozens of villages spread around the area, but ya can't even see them unless you walk to the edge. We had no clue why we had to build the Spire so tall or sturdy at the start, then... a few years..."

"When Maxwell's fleet arrived, built the ring, and dropped the space elevator?" I asked.

Harvey made a slow nod, "Yeah... It was equal parts humbling as it was scary, to know that despite all our progress, we're more like ants in someone's backyard."

"... So, Maxwell acted as a dictator here as well? Ordered you to build the... Spire?" I asked.

Harvey kept nodding, "The Spire, yes... The new capital of Sophos. But, no... Maxwell never ordered us outright, he's subtler than that. He provided datasets, models, guides, detailed schematics, and subtly implied that we either do this... or Sophos back on Earth would suffer consequences outside his control... So, after being brought here with technology we did not understand, being promised a new home for all of Sophos, we did as told... down to the letter... well, as best we could manage, anyway."

"... It must have been hard," I said.

Harvey drew a deep breath, "You can't imagine half of it, but I also can't imagine what you went through either. I've heard from others that things were messy back on Earth."

"It was... You've been kept out of the loop?" I wondered.

"We've had no contact with Earth since being brought here. Our only source of information was the new arrivals over the years... which did paint a partial image of what was going on. The nanite plague getting worse, the human nations stepping up their attacks, the war... Followed by total collapse and the subsequent evacuation. You played a part in it, at least that's what Mason hinted at?"

I smirked to myself, "Believe it or not, I was a diplomatic aide trying to broker peace. It didn't end as planned though, but we managed to do a lot of good anyway."

Harvey perked his brow, "A wolf? As a diplomatic aide... Really?"

"It did take a certain amount of patience," I said and chuckled.

"I'll take your word for it," Harvey said, and reached under the table. Moments later, he brought up a bottle, popped it open on the table's edge, and set it next to the bowl.

"And this is?" I wondered.

"Fizzy drink, I considered giving ya a beer, but after weeks of hibernation..." Harvey said.

"Told ya about that too, did he?" I said, and grabbed the bottle as I gave it a taste.

Hmm, sort of like ginger ale...

I gulped some down, exhaled as I let it settle, and eased the bottle down, "So, give me that tour of the planet that you mentioned."

"Heh," Harvey chuckled, "Alright, lay of the land to start with..."

As I watched, he raised his hand and pointed to the distant mountains and what looked like a road splitting the forest in two, "At the very end of the road, high in the mountains, you'll find the backup colony--in case something goes horribly wrong here in the Spire. It's called the Burrow--most of it is underground, and it's as much of an excavation site as it is a mining one."

"An excavation?" I wondered.

Harvey grew a wicked grin, reached under the table again, and brought up a large tablet. He then set it in front of me, and tapped the side to start it up.

"It's good that you're sitting down..." Harvey whispered, as the tablet showed what looked like a flattened map of the planet's surface. Oceans, two big continents, a smattering of islands, green along the equator, and plenty of white to the north and south.

"See anything odd?" Harvey asked.

I peered closer at the map and considered it for a moment, "... Not really."

Harvey tapped the screen, changed a setting, and the map switched to a white-red shaded mode. Something that looked like a topographical form where the mountains were the most colorful. What became immediately apparent was that there was a canyon wrapping across the entire planet.

"... Is this a joke?" I wondered.

There was something of a chuckle in his voice, "No, it's not."

"... It's not an illusion caused by the orbital ring?" I wondered.

"It's been like this since we arrived on the planet. It's not obvious at first, but if you look side to side... you can see the sides of the gorge," Harvey said.

I looked up, turned to focus at the distant mountains, and then I saw it. What had appeared as a valley at first, was the sloping edge of a disaster that had changed the whole planet. With a gulp, I looked back at Harvey, and saw a rather manic expression.

"Are you saying that... there used to be an orbital ring around this planet, one that came crashing down, created this impression on the planet, and now there's a new one in orbit?" I asked.

Harvey nodded, "It seems absolutely ludicrous at first, but we've settled on a planet with a past."

"And now we're repeating what happened?" I wondered.

Harvey shrugged, "I hope not. Besides, our orbital ring is a lot smaller--the one that used to exist must have had a lot more mass to create this kind of impact."

I drew a slow breath as the implications still unfolded in my brain, "... This civilization, how long ago? Have you found any trace?"

"Hundreds of thousands of years ago," Harvey said, "Alas, we've found nothing but molten slag. In fact, we've made good use of it when building this city..."

I looked toward the mountains, "So, the Burrow... It digs up chunks of this ancient disaster."

"Looking for clues, melting down the rest, and shipping it here for our use. The simpler materials--especially those who ended up on the surface--withered over time, but the chunks buried underground almost exist in stasis. Then there are the really exotic materials, some of which still jut out of the ground like obelisks," Harvey added.

I looked back at him, "Amazing... Have you looked elsewhere on the planet?"

Harvey tipped his head, "There have been a few minor expeditions, but this planet is dangerous, and we've had more than enough on our plate."

"And?" I asked.

"And... they didn't find a thing, but given that this happened so long ago..." Harvey said.

"Erosion, the passage of time... The sheer energy involved in an impact like that. That said, you'd expect to find some kind of traces outside of the disaster zone," I said.

Harvey shook his head, "For whatever reason, we've only found traces of the ring."

How odd... Perhaps this was a resort world? An experiment of some kind? A holy site?

"You said the planet is dangerous?"

Harvey nodded, "Aye... But it'd be far faster for you to dive into one of the databanks and learn everything about our new home that way."

"I thought the Archives weren't functional yet?" I asked.

"The Archives ain't, but that doesn't mean we live like troglodytes, ya know? Every floor has their own data processing cluster, and while the stored information can be a bit messy, it still works."

"I might take a look in order to learn the basics, but I can't say I'm keen on the idea of ruining my excitement for a new world through a method like that," I said.

Harvey huffed and smiled a little as he tipped his head to me, "I'm a tad surprised, but I like your attitude. People involved with Maxwell or Athena tend to be rather... square."

"I'll take that as a compliment..." I said and smiled back, "So, what do you suggest?"

"Travel," Harvey said simply, and smiled back as he motioned to the sky, "Find work that will take you along that distant road to the Burrow. Stop at every village and outpost to learn our past, and the dreams we couldn't help but have for it."

"Hmm," I murmured and tipped my head, "It almost feels like there's a somber tone to what you're saying."

Harvey drew a deep breath and made a halfhearted shrug, "People have lived here for so long that Earth seems like a distant memory to many of us. We built a society without advanced Expert Systems where we had to rely on each other. Our goal was to prep for your arrival, but a lot was also driven by our personal desires. Every factory and bit of land that we bent to our will ultimately made our lives easier. Many of us want children to raise a new generation, but Maxwell placed a ban on it until the evacuation of Earth was complete. Some wanted to ignore that particular rule, but none of our databanks had the tech for artificial wombs, and recreating it was out of the question."

"Why no children?" I wondered.

Harvey shrugged, "Don't know. Not that it's going to be a problem for much longer, but the bigger point is that..." Harvey sighed, "Our culture is one made up of 60 thousand people, all of whom are disconnected and lacking any telepathic ability. We have no chance to stand against the sheer dominance of two million hybrids that are interlinked with powerful AIs and a subconscious telepathic network."

I thought to lower my mental shield, only to realize that it was already scaled back. It caught me by surprise as I realized that Harvey didn't have a telepathic presence. He was like a void that was yet to awaken.

Well, this makes it clear that Maxwell definitely did something during the evacuation...

I leaned a little closer and lowered my voice, "... Is this why some people are tense? You're afraid of what's going to happen now that we're here?"

Harvey stared back as if surprised, "Don't misunderstand, the bond between hybrids is not in question. We're not scared of you, we just... It feels unfair that within a year we'll be nothing more than a footnote in the Archives."

I blinked, "That's..."

Harvey smiled back, "See? I'm not wrong. We will become part of Sophos greater whole once more, our accrued knowledge will serve everyone, and soon enough we won't think of ourselves as the first settlers of this world. We'll keep our memories of course, and will be able to treasure them, but..."

"But?" I asked.

Harvey lowered his head, "Everything will accelerate from this point on. With Athena and the other Prime AIs to follow--not counting millions of advanced Expert Systems--the progress we've made will seem like nothing in a few decades. On Earth we were held back by humanity and the plague, but out here..."

"... It won't be long before we're an interstellar civilization," I said.

Harvey nodded, "I don't consider it a bad thing, it's just that I can't help but feel a bit of melancholy for the culture that had formed here."

"People will be eager to expand," I said.

"Yes... But I'm afraid we've veered off topic," Harvey said.

I chuckled, "Yeah... One last thing though, you mentioned telepathy?"

Harvey chuckled, "Yes... We've been aware of it for quite a while, but it's only a small selection of us that have had it. Then the evacuation started, and every person stepping off the ships is in some stage of awakening... From what I've heard, it's almost infectious. The more time we spend around you, the stronger the likelihood that we'll change as well. For all I know, you could be affecting me, right now..."

I stirred my bowl, "Does that disturb you?"

Harvey let out a subtle sigh, "No, I'd just wish we had more time to adapt."

"Ah, I see..." I whispered.

Harvey motioned with one hand, "Then there's the whole immortality thing. As far as I understand it, everyone on the evacuation ships have already had the treatment?"

I nodded, "I assume as much, there was a 'processing stage' between entering hibernation and being loaded onto the ships."

Harvey made a slow nod, then glanced to the elevator as it dinged. A group walked out, heading to the bar as Harvey looked to me once more, "Shift's ending, so this place will be packed soon..."

"Ah, I guess I should relocate then," I whispered, and grabbed my backpack.

"If you want seconds, then..." Harvey said as he motioned to my bowl.

Hunger drove me as I lifted my bowl, tipped it by my muzzle, and literally gulped it down in one fell swoop. It didn't give me any time to enjoy it, but it did the job as I made a loud gulp, and held out the bowl, "Seconds, please."

Harvey smirked as he grabbed the bowl, then pointed to the looming edge, "You can't see if from here, but there's a bio-research facility not far from the Spire's base. Find Hazel if you can, and she'll talk your ear off about the local wildlife."

I tipped my head to him as he stepped back to the giant cauldron, "I'll do that."

62 A.E. March 28, Spire - Floor 14, Afternoon

What had been a quiet retreat now felt like a blustering mess hall. I had relocated to a relatively quiet corner, looking out at the world that filled my view, idly eating portions of my ration pack.

If one looked down, you could see the next layers of the Spire spreading out in the shape of honeycombs. While difficult to see the floors above, the space elevator had something of a subtle curve as it pierced the clouds and connected with the ring far above.

I swallowed the last piece of a protein bar, felt along the table, then looked down to discover that there was only a sole chocolate bar left.

I'll save that one for later...

I stuffed it in my backpack and leaned back. It felt as if my mind was finally starting to settle. The problem was that it also left me without distractions, and that allowed all those worries to creep back in.

My gaze wandered, and I couldn't help but think that this new world was beautiful. Not only that, but it seemed eerily similar to pictures of what Earth used to look like.

Most of the vegetation were varieties of green, and the trees seemed to have settled for three different ways to accomplish their photosynthesis. Leaves, pines, and drooping tendrils with fuzz that made them look feathery.

The ground appeared covered in something akin to grass and moss which were interspersed with colorful streaks of flowers. A tundra-esque visage.

Settlements spread far and wide. Large plumes of white smoke rose from the factories, and vibrant communities had risen around them in circles. A stream of large--seemingly automated--trucks moved along dedicated roads to the factories, and then hit the main roads leading to the Spire, or that distant road heading to the Burrow.

The forest had been cleared in a giant circle around the city, and the edges were dotted with lumber mills working overtime to supply the city with more resources.

I leaned onto one hand and felt my tail wag while reaching out with my mind, 'Athena?'

Her aura grew like a cloud settling over my head, then settled on my shoulder, 'I trust that you've recuperated?'

I nodded to myself, 'The nausea has settled, my belly is satiated.'

'And the state of your mind?' Athena whispered.

'That depends. Have you had time to integrate yourself yet?' I wondered.

'The process is ongoing. I've already redirected work teams to accelerate the process, and Expert Systems are being distributed across the city. The Archives are being restored, and Ares is being installed within the Ring's command center. As for the rest... there are a great many projects underway, all of which should have been working a long time ago,' Athena said.

I chuckled, 'Tell me of your troubles?'

'This world is pristine and untouched by nanotech. While it has slowed their progress considerably, their caution was understandable. But now that we're here, the usage of nanites and more advanced fabrication methods are unavoidable. Thus, we need to start working on a planetary scale immune system,' Athena said.

'You mean like Etemenanki back on Earth? Capable of spreading protective nanite spores across the entire planet?' I asked.

'Etemenanki was a desperate solution to combat the plague, and not without risks. Our current plans are more modest. We'll modify hundreds of the evacuation ships with spore generators and control beacons, they will in turn land in various places around the planet and start spreading nanites.'

'Aren't there risks involved in this?' I wondered.

'This is not a final solution, and the nanites we've opted for are simple but robust. They won't allow us to seize control of the biosphere, but it will effectively immunize the planet, or at least provide us with advance warning should the plague somehow end up on our planet,' Athena said.

I nodded, 'A prudent step in that case.'

'Then there is the lack of droids and sensor equipment in general. As it is, I can barely monitor 15% of the city, and it only gets worse the further you get from here,' Athena said.

'Is it bad enough that people will be encouraged to take on heavy labor?' I wondered.

'No, but there is no doubt that for now, the comfort of living will be lower than people were used to on Earth. Regarding that, would you like to see your assigned quarters?' Athena wondered.

'Sure,' I murmured, and rose up.

'Make your way to floor 30, outer ring, unit 52,' Athena said.

62 A.E. March 28, Spire - Floor 30 Room 52,Afternoon

Concrete, concrete, and more concrete...

The noise of heavy construction could be heard, and while the air was cool it was also tainted by the tang of chemicals. Heavy-duty droids toiled in the long hallway while my gaze moved along the wall as I counted the laser-etched numerals that identified each habitation unit.

#52...

Lacking doors, I simply peered into the unit's gaping hole. While mostly more concrete, the drawn piping indicated that there would eventually be a bathroom in the room to the left. To my right was what I'd imagine to be a bedroom, and in front was a large open room that seemed to double up as a kitchen and living room. A giant window stretched across one end of the room to the other, and a simple glass door led out onto what looked like a balcony without any railings. It made me huff for a moment, only to sigh as my shoulder's slouched.

'Athena?' I thought once more.

Her presence returned to me, 'What do you think?'

'One day I'm sure it'll make a lovely home for a couple with few to no hobbies, but right now it's outright depressing,' I thought.

'Indeed... That said, if you desired to live here, then there are materials available to make it more acceptable. Doors, simple furniture, and so on... Though, you'd have to install it yourself.'

'I imagine most people will be busy building their homes, which is charming in a way,' I thought.

'And what do you desire, Vilkas?' Athena wondered as if trying to sound oblivious.

It made me chuckle, 'I imagine that you can already predict what I want.'

'To explore, far and wide. While presumptuous, I do believe that I have found suitable work for you,' Athena said.

'A couple of questions first,' I thought.

'Go ahead?' Athena whispered.

'There has been no change with the evacuation ships? My pack won't be here for...'

Athena continued, 'At least eight months, and your parents will be here in about half that time.'

Well, I'll have a lot of time to myself...

'Is there anyone I know on this planet?' I wondered.

'... There is one person, actually.'

'Who?' I wondered.

'Your grandfather,' Athena answered, simply.

It made me pause, 'Father told me I met him once, when I was little... He didn't have much good to say about him. So, what's Grandfather doing here?'

'He's a researcher at the Burrow. He used to work in the orbital ring, trying to make Jumpfield based communications more stable, and he succeeded,' Athena said.

'Does he know that I'm here?' I wondered.

'I did detect a few surveillance traps that he had left behind in the orbital ring's management systems. They're gone now, but I'm sure they had plenty of time to inform your grandfather of your arrival,' Athena said.

'Would something like that be considered illegal?' I wondered.

'Given the circumstances of this world so far... No, not really. Would it be all right to deploy surveillance traps like that after we've taken control of the situation? No. That said, surveillance records within Sophos has always been available to the public, thus it would be easy to locate people through other means,' Athena answered.

'Of course, so... Next question, will anyone I know be arriving on the planet within the near future?' I wondered.

'Jason will be here in a few weeks,' Athena said.

The mere mention caused a flurry of emotion. Jason was my childhood friend, and a human until recently. As a child he was indoctrinated by religious cultists, all of whom were now dead...

'It'll be fun seeing him again, but I can't sit around here waiting for him... You are aware that this planet has a past, right?' I thought.

'I am well aware...' Athena whispered, _'_While I had always assumed that there was intelligent life in the universe, I didn't imagine we'd make our new home on a planet that used to house such a civilization.'

'Do we know anything more about them? Anything at all?' I wondered.

'The other planets in the solar system do show some sign of ancient activity, but so far the results are the same as on this planet. Nothing but molten slag. Whatever disaster that struck so long ago wiped them out entirely and left little trace...' Athena answered.

'While I was on the station, I noticed that the reactors were pumping a lot of energy into the ring, do we know why?' I wondered.

'Not at present--the energy does end up somewhere, but beyond that we're clueless, and no one dares to redirect said energy. At least not until we know more,' Athena answered.

'The reactors were low on fuel as well,' I thought.

'That is a problem, yes, but for now the evacuation ships take priority,' Athena answered.

Seems she's got things under control... It's to be expected, I guess...

I walked up to the window and peered out at the world once more, 'Do we know why the evacuation was messed up like this?'

'It'll take a while to explain, but I do have a pretty good answer for that,' Athena mused.

Answers, finally...

I took a deep breath, 'Go on, I'm eager to hear it.'

'You know what room temperature superconductors are, right?' Athena asked.

'They allow electrical energy to flow without resistance, and room temperature ones were the key to a massive industrial overhaul that occurred shortly before Earth's first collapse. Basically, all of our more advanced technology rely on it in order to function,' I thought.

'And do you know what a thermoconductor is?' Athena asked.

'I know I've heard of it... In simple terms it's a superconductor for heat. You apply something warm in one end, and the other side immediately heats up independent of the distance,' I said.

'Just like superconductors revolutionized electrical engineering, thermoconductors revolutionized everything from centralized heating in cities, to laser weaponry. But if I were to ask you how it works, what would you say?'

'For regular superconductivity I'd say that it's a quantum-induced phenomena where electrical resistance vanishes. But that's just an observation of what happens, not an explanation why the underlying physics work like that,' I said.

'Correct. While we know how to utilize it and replicate said phenomena, we don't fully understand the underlying layers. At least until now. It turns out that both of those technologies utilize aspects of jumpfield technology,' Athena said.

'Aspects that still work within a gravity field?' I wondered.

'Indeed... But for what few answers we have, there are now far bigger questions,' Athena answered.

'So, what is a jumpfield?' I wondered.

'A jumpfield arises under certain circumstances, just like a magnetic field... The problem so far is that we've lacked the right tools and materials to manipulate it directly. The holy grail to that problem is the rather unique material known as eternite, something you've already encountered.'

'Oh, how so?' I wondered.

'Do you remember what I told you when you first got the Zephyr?' Athena asked.

I nodded, 'You couldn't identify the material it was made of, hell you could barely take a sample since it was nigh indestructible. Otis already remarked that the Zephyr was made of it.'

'Oh, did he? Well, I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise, given your scan onboard the station.'

'But what is eternite exactly?' I wondered.

'Eternite is a so-called transuranium compound, which means that--'

I interrupted her, 'It means that the atomic number is higher than uranium. But such substances are extremely short-lived and awfully radioactive to boot.'

'They usually are, yes... But there are so-called islands of stability far beyond the ordinary periodic table. Eternite is one such substance, and as long as it remains charged, it also remains stable,' Athena answered.

I turned around and leaned back on the window. Once more, I felt myself becoming estranged from the world around me. A puppet that was toyed with by forces I barely understood.

'It gets worse, doesn't it?' I wondered.

'There are plenty of benefits to this, Vilkas,' Athena said.

I huffed, 'I'm sure, but what are the drawbacks?'

'Well, eternite stores an enormous amount of energy. In many ways, it acts like a superconductor, a thermoconductor, and a super-capacitor all at once. If allowed to grow unstable, then you'd detonate with enough force to blow up a small portion of the city.'

I gulped, '... And as far as I remember, the Zephyr can't be removed.'

'It is too deeply integrated with your brain, and it is infused throughout your skeleton.'

'Was it like this before, or...' I thought, and felt my heart thump.

'It would seem that between leaving Earth, and waking up on the evacuation ship, Maxwell updated the Zephyr and allowed it to integrate even further,' Athena answered.

'I see,' I wondered.

'It won't hurt you. Eternite is a phenomenally stable element when charged.'

'Will there be others like me?' I wondered.

'People equipped with Zephyrs? Certainly, it's entering mass production as we speak. That said, they will be of a variety made with less exotic materials, at least for the foreseeable future.'

'Oh,' I whispered.

'As it is, we're planning to integrate a grain of eternite in each Zephyr. It will enable the host to access the sensory and communications benefits offered by the material, while also keeping down manufacturing costs.'

'Was that Maxwell's plan, or yours?' I wondered.

'It is based on a suggestion left behind by Maxwell. There are ongoing debates whether we should follow said suggestion, or skip the eternite for now. As it is, there is a worrying parallel to be drawn between the apocalypse which destroyed the civilization that used to exist here, and our emerging usage of this technology.'

'And how easy is it to trigger an eternite explosion?' I wondered.

'If someone were to sever the radioisotopic generator in your spine, then it would take approximately 1300 years before the eternite discharged to a point where it would become unstable. If you were to connect yourself to a ship and powered up its jumpfield drive, then the process would be relatively quick.'

I raised my hand and rubbed my temple, 'Hold on. Are you saying I'm carrying enough energy to catapult a ship across space?'

'As said, eternite stores an enormous amount of energy. But, until we learn more about it, I'd suggest leaving it fully charged at all times,' Athena said.

I groaned to myself, 'Right... So, it's actually quite difficult for me to blow myself up?'

'Quite so. A nuclear detonation might vaporize most of you, but the Zephyr would be left unharmed,' Athena said.

'... Comforting, in a way. Unless there's some method where Maxwell or someone else can just flick a switch and blow up everything that uses eternite.'

'Thus the discussion whether we should leave it out of the Zephyrs for now.'

'But without the eternite, how well does a Zephyr perform?' I wondered.

'It will be weaker than yours, but we've made plenty of progress manufacturing it with less exotic materials,' Athena said.

'And you can't manufacture a Zephyr made entirely from eternite?' I wondered.

'We could, naturally. But you must understand that eternite is a phenomenally difficult material to produce. At present, there's only one foundry capable of producing it at a respectable rate, and that material is going to end up being used as jumpcores for ships, not Zephyrs,' Athena answered.

'So, does this change anything for me? Practically, I mean...' I wondered.

'Other than being able to supply vast amounts of energy at potential risk for yourself? Not that we know of so far. That said, the Zephyr in itself is a mighty tool,' Athena answered.

I tipped my head and nodded, 'You're certainly right about that part.'

'Shall we move on with the lesson?' Athena wondered.

'Actually, I think I need a pause to think things over... Do you have anything practical for me to do?' I wondered.

'Certainly, that is... If you want the job I've prepared for you?' Athena asked.

I chuckled, 'Right, we never got to that part...'

'I have reworked most transport and work schedules for better efficiency. While that solves our most pressing concerns, it has left a glut of low priority--but still important--tasks,' Athena said.

'I guess that caused something of a stir?' I thought.

'It did, and continues to cause a bit of discontent. The point is that the current transport network is now tied up, thus the need for alternative approaches.'

I couldn't help but smirk, 'Such as?'

'There are a large number of mining and production facilities on the road to the Burrow. They'd benefit from proper Expert Systems and a skilled technician. You could help in that regard.'

'I hope I'm not expected to walk?' I wondered.

'A droid working at a fix-it-all garage made a note of an old buggy meant to be recycled. It won't be a luxury ride, nor a very fast one, but it should last you long enough to do your work and reach the Burrow.'

'A slow burn trip giving me a chance to visit the locals? Sounds just fine... Can't say I was very keen on turning this concrete nest into a home,' I answered and eased off the window.

'Then that's settled, and I can offer this habitation unit to someone else,' Athena thought.

62 A.E. March 28, Spire - Floor 0,Afternoon

The elevator opened and I found myself in another section of the Spire's ground floor. While the Space Elevator's terminal had felt massive, this section was far larger. It looked like the inside of a domed city, and the support pillars doubled up as elevators.

I walked away from the elevator, letting my gaze wander as I took it all in. My attention was soon drawn to the dome's center. It looked like some kind of raised platform made of polished granite, but the middle of it had been left oddly empty. It beckoned me as I walked toward it, and within a few minutes I was ascending the large slabs leading up to the platform.

'Is this some kind of stage?' I wondered, and focused my thoughts on Athena.

Her voice entered my mind once more, 'It was part of Maxwell's design for the city, but he left the platform empty for some reason.'

The stone slabs were relatively high, and I had to almost climb my way to the very top. Once there, I found myself staring at a large circle that had been filled with... dirt.

'Is there a water supply connected to this thing?' I wondered.

'That, and a nutrient supply, no doubt to nourish whatever is planted here,' Athena said.

I looked up, saw the massive dome above, and felt a sudden twinge in the back of my mind. It was if I had seen it before, a distinct sensation of déjà vu. Within moments, it dawned on me.

'I have a sneaking suspicion of what we're supposed to plant here,' I thought.

'I was hoping you wouldn't,' Athena said as if mildly annoyed.

It made me huff, 'Etemenanki protected our island from the plague. Before dying she gave me a crystalline seed and asked me to take care of it.'

'I am well aware,' Athena said.

'This place certainly isn't built for spore production, Etemenanki never gave me the impression that her seed was some sort of clone, rather... It was something else that she hoped would help us,' I thought.

'You want us to plant the seed of an organic hivemind in the very center of our city?' Athena asked.

'Surely you could arrange the necessary precautions, and if Etemenanki's seed turns out to be a danger for us, then we simply destroy it,' I thought.

'Perhaps,' Athena murmured, 'but the discussion is irrelevant for now. After all, you gave the seed to your parents and asked them to safeguard it,' Athena thought.

I nodded, 'I assume the seed is on their ship, along with the rest of their personal belongings?'

'Of course,' Athena said simply.

'Then let us revisit this discussion when they return, and let's keep this place clear until then.'

'It almost sounds as if you're dictating orders,' Athena mused.

I chuckled, 'I'm just thinking that this is the best course of action given the circumstances, don't you agree?'

'... Reluctantly so,' Athena answered.

I began my descent, 'Are there plans to add stairs, or are we meant to climb like this?'

'It's all a matter of priorities... I'm surprised they spent the effort of building this thing... Then again, their records indicate that numerous parties have been held in this place,' Athena said.

'I see,' I thought, and hit the floor once more, 'Regarding decision-making... How do we decide things given that most people are still trapped in the evacuation ships?'

'For now we'll be operating with an interim government. All of our decisions will be reviewed when appropriate, and final decision-making will be made in the Political Sphere.'

'The Political Sphere, I've never used it so far...' I thought.

'I am working on bringing it back online. You should try it when you can--we're going to need as many rational voices as we can muster,' Athena thought.

'You're worried about the first settlers?' I wondered as I started walking.

'They will come around, of that I am sure. But after 60 years of self-governing, limited mobility and information sharing, they might require some help to regain trust in the system,' Athena said.

'And how are things going so far? Are they listening to your suggestions?' I wondered.

'They are, for the most part, but I am also trying to be subtle at the moment. I was never meant to be the sole administrative system, at least not to this degree of detail,' Athena answered.

A subtle but fresh wind washed over me as I walked and let my gaze wander. There were several gates within sight, most of them leading outside from the look of it, 'The air feels fresh.'

'It is, but the oxygen content is at around 23%, meaning that the forest fires can be intense.'

'How bad are we talking?' I wondered.

'According to the records, there are considerable wildfires across most of the continent every few years. Wildlife seems to have adapted to it by migrating, or seeking shelter where they can,' Athena answered.

'Hmm, that complicates matters,' I thought.

'It does, but in time we'll take control of this biosphere and adapt it to our own needs.'

'Is it that simple?' I wondered.

'We're not extremists in either direction, Vilkas. This planet can change to better suit us, while also retaining what defines it. We just need to find the right balance,' Athena answered.

'Mm,' I thought, and slowly came to realize that it'd be quite a walk to reach one of the exits.

'This space is mostly big and empty. What's the idea exactly?' I wondered.

'That remains to be seen, but I would suspect that people will consider this a place for leisure. Meetings, dining, lounging, and long walks in and out of the city on foot.'

'Interesting...' I thought, and made a slow spin to let my gaze wander.

'I'm curious... Where are you heading?' Athena wondered.

'Someone suggested that I visit the bio-research lab outside town. I figured I'd do that before leaving the city,' I thought.

'There's more than one such lab, which one were you looking for?' Athena wondered.

'The one managed by Hazel,' I thought.

'Perfect... You can explore and do your job at the same time,' Athena said.

'Oh?' I wondered.

'You'll see, and while you are walking in the right direction, it would have been much faster to take one of the transports in the floor below,' Athena thought.

I huffed to myself, 'Opting for this floor might have been in haste.'

'No matter. Look behind you, and you'll see a solution coming your way,' Athena mused.

I looked back, and could see what looked like a two-wheel scooter approaching at high speed. It slowed down as it approached, and I stopped walking. Moments later, it pulled up next to me and stopped, humming a little as it balanced.

'Huh, I haven't seen one of these in a long time,' I thought.

'Don't get used to it. While their use is permissible for now, they won't be welcome within the city once the population density increases,' Athena thought.

I stepped on, grabbed the handles, and pushed off. It was slow at first, and I could feel a moment's tingle in my hand. The scooter presented its interface to me, and I let my will flow through it. The speed increased at haste, and the wind became a wild flutter.

The exit slowly grew in size, and after only a couple of minutes, I could see the green expanse of the world outside. Something caught my attention though, a rather distinctive noise... angry shouting. On the right side, next to the exit, was an indented structure with a big green plus sign above it.

A medical ward?

Several droids were standing watch and a hybrid was arguing with what looked like a small group of humans.

I leaned to the side, steering the scooter toward them, 'Humans?'

'Yes, some of the troublesome ones,' Athena said.

'Meaning?' I wondered.

'Out of all the humans we brought from Earth, around 500 of them are either refugees from the human nations, or Sophos dissidents. Two groups of them were woken up before I was activated, and this is the third which is now being evaluated for integration,' Athena said.

'We've barely arrived, and humans are already being woken up? Why?' I wondered.

'Baseline humans were not made for long-term suspended animation, and the radiation damage made it that much worse. Advanced treatment requires their permission, though...' Athena whispered.

'Though?' I wondered.

'I suspect that there are other reasons for waking the humans as well,' Athena answered.

'Go on?'

'Here's an overview of the protocols established by the current settlers...' Athena said.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and felt that tingle in the back of my head. Information flooded my senses as I trawled it over, and opened my eyes with a new, if somewhat worrying understanding.

'While aggressive, I can see why they would reach these conclusions,' I thought.

'Investigate, and we shall revisit this topic,' Athena said.

'Roger that,' I thought.

I slowed down the scooter as I approached the medical ward, and stepped off moments later. The scooter left on its own, while I focused on what looked like a feline clad in a lab coat that was following two humans.

"You're not going to survive like this! The native vegetation is almost certain to cause anaphylaxis in humans!" the feline shouted with a feminine voice at the two humans.

They kept walking, seemingly unnerved.

"That means you're going to DIE!" the feline screamed as she stopped walking.

I approached from behind, and could see as her shoulders slumped while staring at the two humans.

"... You okay?" I asked.

The feline jumped a little, and looked back as she met my gaze. She had simple short black fur, yellow eyes, and a white dot along her chest, "Oh, hello... Um, I'm fine, it's just..."

"Was it true what you said?" I wondered.

She nodded, "If the allergens don't get them, the wildlife will... especially if they step out of the safe zone. They're not the first ones either, a few in every group march out of here before we can even give them an immunity modulator."

"You don't treat them before waking them up?" I wondered.

She glanced over at me, "We do, but treating life-threatening radiation is one thing. Altering their immune system requires their approval."

"Right," I said and motioned toward the humans, "Were they lucid as you informed them?"

She perked her brow, "They were... We're allowed to keep them locked up for a while after bringing them out of suspended animation."

I nodded, "Then there's very little anyone can do. They decide their own fates."

"True... You're right about that," she said, and faced the medical ward.

As she started walking, I followed, and soon joined her side.

"You're heading toward the ward?" she asked, and looked at me once more.

"This human business is of interest to me, I figured I'd take a look," I said.

She chuckled, "I don't mind. People tend to be on their best behavior with a wolf looming over them... I'm Nellie by the way."

I nodded back to her, "I'm Vilkas. Are you new here or..."

"Been here for a few years, but you strike me as new," Nellie said, and smiled a little.

"Oh?" I wondered.

She nodded as we walked up to the ward's glass doors, "I remember all my patients, and you don't show up in the ward records... Your profile from the Orbital Ring is certainly interesting though."

"Ah, took a gander at that, did you?" I mused as the doors opened.

"Athena's recent arrival did wonders for the--"

Nellie was interrupted as a human scream cut her off, "_ Enough! _"

It was an unpleasant reminder to hear Dyssian being spoken, but I turned my focus to look.

There was a burly male human standing in the center of the room. He wore a large operating gown, and from what could be seen, it appeared that the man was in bad health. His skin was leathery and blistering. Skin tumors bloomed and reached up his face to a degree that one eye had become lopsided. A human woman stood beside the man, head held low while wrapped in all manner of fabric, including what looked like a big bed sheet.

That kind of radiation damage certainly didn't come from their trip here...

Standing behind the couple was an armored black droid, and in front was a canine hybrid that reminded me of a German shepherd.

To the right side of the room was another human woman, one clad in proper clothing. She appeared healthy, had deep black hair, and was cautiously watching the room from her corner.

The German shepherd talked in Dyssian, "We have to treat you, or you'll be dead within months."

The burly Dyssian raised his arm and shook it at the shepherd in anger, "You're going to make me fertile, or I'm going to turn you into a fucking carpet, filth!"

Nellie patted my shoulder, and whispered, "Good luck..." before walking off toward the back.

"That should be the least of your concerns," the shepherd retorted.

The man held his arms wide as if to show off his bloated body, "I will create a new humanity on this world!"

Oh, I truly hope not...

The shepherd sighed, "No, you're not..."

"Then why did you allow us to come here, filth!?" the burly human roared.

The shepherd's muzzle opened, and faltered as if he was now asking himself the same question.

I spoke up in Dyssian, "Why did _ you _ come here?"

The man turned to look at me, and his reddened eyes widened as if he didn't expect a wolf three times his size to show up, "Only reason I came here was to take up a seat on your fucking spaceship!"

I motioned to him, "Mission accomplished, now accept the help that is offered, or leave."

As I watched, the man gritted his teeth and bit together to a point where the blood vessels on his forehead looked as if they were about to burst. The woman next to the man seemed to awaken suddenly. She reached up, put a hand to the man's arm, and took a step forward.

She lifted her gaze, and stared into the shepherd's eyes like a withered corpse. While she wasn't riddled in tumors, the leathery skin and great many marks made it seem as if she had suffered horribly.

"You're killing us, why?" she asked simply.

The shepherd drew a deep breath and spoke up, "We are doing nothing of the sort, if you want--"

The burly man suddenly grabbed the woman, and started tearing at the many layers of fabric on her body. Her eyes tensed up as she looked back, then promptly lowered her gaze as she clutched her own chest, and the fabric clinging to it.

"I will put the seed of the gods inside of you," The man blurted, and jerking her within enough force to make her legs buckle. "Trust in the gods, wench," The oaf ordered, grabbing her neck.

The droid standing behind the burly man came to life, and the plating on its arm opened up to reveal some kind of metallic claw.

The woman groaned, but didn't say a word, as the man's grabby hands tore away another layer.

"Don't resist, god will--" the oaf managed to utter as the droid stepped up from behind. The droid's claw unceremoniously clasped the man's neck and a high-pitched noise followed. As I watched, the man let out a distorted gurgle as he started twitching. The woman tore, or rather... jumped with enough force to loosen herself from his grip.

As the droid finally let go, the man slumped to the ground as hints of smoke trailed from burnt body hair along his neck. A loud sigh could be heard from the shepherd as he stepped closer and crouched down.

I leaned closer, "... Do you need help?"

The shepherd glanced over at me, "Deal with..." he then glanced at the healthy-looking woman in the corner, "her..."

I nodded to him, then turned to face the woman in the corner.

"Nellie! I need your help in here!" the shepherd called out.

The black-haired woman lifted her gaze as our eyes met.

"Do you speak Common?" I asked as I stepped closer, and put on a friendly--fang free--smile.

She drew a deep if annoyed breath, "You call it Common, we in the UCS call it Old English."

Might be an extremist, or not...

"The 'United Civilized States' of Earth, do you still consider yourself a part of it?" I asked.

Irritation flashed over her face, and promptly faltered as her mouth wavered.

My ears folded back, "Sorry, that was uncalled for. Is there anything I can do to help?"

She sighed, "I'm looking for answers, that's all... It's not as if I can access any of your systems."

I motioned to the exit, "Shall we give the others some space? You've had your immune modulator, right?"

Her eyes rolled to the side as she eased away and walked, "That, and a bunch of other things."

I joined her side but gave her something of a wide berth, "I'm Vilkas, and you are?"

She looked to me, and perked her brow, "Can't you people look that up automatically?"

I shrugged, "I can, but there is a certain benefit to starting a discussion with as little bias as possible, and you've already given me a good impression."

It was faint, but there was something akin to a careful smile on her lips, "What? Because I'm not a raving lunatic? Why the hell would you bring a Dyssian foot soldier and a breeding wench to your new home? They're brainwashed grunts with the combined IQ of a house plant."

A gentle sigh escaped my throat, "Leaving people to die when they express a desire to live is rather cruel. That guy only came here in order to harm us, but I suspect there wasn't a lot of time to evaluate his true intentions back on Earth. The same is probably true for you as well..."

Her smile faded as we walked out of the medical ward, and she idly brushed one arm from a bit of dust she seemed to have picked up. My gaze caught on her clothing, simple black khakis, and a button-up shirt in dark blue.

"Are you cold?" I wondered.

She nodded, "Yeah. This planet's freezing... I'm Mya by the way."

I reached out with my mind, and probed the systems that surrounded us. The digital landscape of the city was already changing since Athena entered the stage. It now hummed with the activity of Expert Systems and people in open collaboration with one another.

Time slowed to a near halt as I accessed the local map, and cross-referenced it with supply manifests. Not only was there a supply depot near here, but also a cafeteria... no doubt built with the medical ward in mind.

My perception of time returned to normal as I looked to Mya, "Pleasure to meet you Mya, would you like a coffee perhaps? There's a nearby cafeteria, and we can find you a supply depot afterwards."

This time she smiled openly, "Surprising, but yes... a coffee would be just fine."

I nodded, turned to face the area just a few sections from the ward, and started walking, "So, you had questions?"

Mya followed at my pace and glanced at me, "... She was right, you know? The Dyssian woman."

"What do you mean?" I asked in wonder.

"You might have saved us from Earth, but now you're killing us in other ways," Mya answered.

"I would guess that you're being pretty creative with a statement like that," I said.

"Alright, maybe you're not killing us directly. But you're selectively forbidding us from procreating," Mya said.

I glanced at her and perked my brow, "I read about how the radiation affected your fertility, but--"

Mya huffed as she interrupted me, "But you're only fixing the direct harm caused by the radiation, not the infertility. Or is that only something aimed at refugees from other nations? You need to breed humans after all, so you're probably keeping your homegrown stock in tip-top shape..."

I squinted as I gave her quite the stare, "If we were that eager to purge baseline humans, we'd have left you on Earth, Mya."

She squinted back, "... Touché, I guess."

We stepped up to the cafeteria, and walked inside. There were plenty of tables, a serving area where food could be picked up, and a long row with drink machines. A single hybrid walked along the serving area, then sauntered off into what I assumed was the kitchen.

The mere sight of it made my stomach grumble, and I motioned to Mya, "Take whatever you need, but I'm going with a meal, alright?"

She looked toward the drink machines, "Just like that? I can grab whatever I want?"

"Everyone needs food, Mya... As long as you don't waste it, it's free," I said.

She drew a deep breath as if it didn't make sense to her, but nonetheless started walking.

I made my way to the serving area, looked across the various trays, and saw a mixture of foods that looked as if they were made from 3D-printed nutrient paste. It did smell rather good though, which meant that they didn't cut back on the flavorings.

Rations for the masses, I guess...

A glance toward the drink machines revealed that Mya was still busy, so I grabbed a deep plate, and started heaving food on. Once done I marched back to Mya, and we met up as she pulled a large cup out of the machine.

She raised it to her nose as if amazed, "It smells like coffee... real coffee."

It most certainly isn't, but...

"How long has it been since you were brought out hibernation?" I wondered.

Mya looked up at me, "... Truth be told, I woke up a week ago, but you wouldn't have liked me back then. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that everyone and even the world itself is no more... I was angry, and barely left my bed until now."

"Ah, in other words... This is your first time out of the ward. What about the others who were woken up at the same time?" I wondered.

Mya shrugged while looking toward the tables.

I motioned to the closest table, and Mya started walking. Soon enough we were sitting down, and Mya was clutching her big cup while sipping its contents.

"What you said earlier, that we treated our 'homegrown' humans different," I said.

Mya tipped her head, and smirked at me a little, "What about it?"

"There's an important detail that you probably don't know about," I said.

"Oh?" Mya wondered, still smirking.

"Sophos no longer needs humans in order to procreate. Instead, we have something called 'True Hybrids', and they can be directly grown from artificial wombs. No humans, no symbionts needed."

She froze, mouth hanging open. After a few moments, she blinked as if something dawned on her.

"... You're not merely ending us, you're ending humanity itself," Mya said.

I grabbed my fork and dug into the food, "As I said earlier, it depends on your definition."

"How can there possibly be any other definition? You're no longer going to create humans, and those of us who are left were rendered infertile by the trip here. Even if we somehow managed to breed, and our offspring didn't end up dying from mutations, there wouldn't be enough genetic variation to sustain us... When the last of us dies, humanity is no more," She said, eyes wide open.

I chewed my first piece and swallowed, "I've only been a hybrid for 2-3 years. It feels a lot longer, and I don't consider myself human, but a part of humanity lives on within me."

The taste isn't that bad, but the texture is like a sponge...

Mya stared at me, "... I'd argue that it doesn't count, but that's not the kind of philosophical debate I want to dig into."

"The medical guidelines regarding humans did disturb me a little as I read them. You'll be given medical help and be assured a normal human lifespan, but beyond that you are expected to fade away. Of course, if you want to become a hybrid, and you pass the tests, then that option is open to you..."

Her face tensed up, "Over my dead body."

I grabbed another bite, "If you want children, and if you pass the parental tests, then you could have a hybrid child to raise as your own--even as a human."

Mya blinked once more as if my words were sheer insanity, "... You hate us enough to end humanity itself, yet you want to risk giving one of your children to us?"

"If you're a good parent and you wish us no harm, then why wouldn't we?" I asked.

"No... I get it," Mya whispered, "In your view, there's no risk, because... Even if we humans did our best, we wouldn't be able to 'corrupt' one of your children. We are diseased because of our evolutionary baggage, and your kind is beyond that."

I perked my brow at her, "You might have a small point, but you push it to an extreme."

She stared at me, "You could let humanity exist by the sidelines... Are we really so much of a threat to you? Or is it ideological? You can't stand what we remind you of? That we are your past?"

I drew a deep breath, "Mya... Humanity caused Earth's first collapse a millennia ago. Then you made us hybrids to reclaim the surface, and once we played out our role, you tried to destroy us. We fought back and escaped. Since then, the human nations have waged an 800-year war against us, and you grew so very desperate to annihilate us, that you'd rather destroy Earth a second time... It worked, but when you realized that we were preparing to leave the solar system, you went so far that you tried to shoot down our evacuation ships... Can you blame us for wanting this to end?"

Her lips wavered, and her fingers kept clutching the cup as if she didn't know what to do with the feelings brewing inside of her, "It doesn't have to be the same way, we could just--"

"Just do what?" I wondered, "The humans within Sophos who didn't want to be a part of us, asked for a chance to live on their own, just like you. We simply needed to tolerate one another, and peace would follow. I'm sure that worked for a generation or two, but when you raise new humans who don't remember the past, and whom you pass your hatred onto, things grow twisted. If we restore your fertility and let you create an independent colony on this planet, then that might not bother us for a century or two, but sooner or later, the past will repeat itself."

"Then... Force us to live with you, make the kind of demands where humans can't break away."

"So you want us to imprison you? To force you to exist as... what, short-lived examples of what we used to be like? To be 'kind' and 'gentle' as we tell humans that they are limited for their own good? That their destiny is to die as an example to others? It doesn't work, and you know that..."

Mya motioned to me with her hands, "Then... Then let those who want to become hybrids do so, but leave the rest of us alone."

I leaned closer to her, "That's the policy we used to have, and you ought to realize why that was bound to break down as well. Just ask yourself, what would you do if a child of your own decided to become a hybrid?"

Once more, she just stared at me.

I lowered my voice, "You'd rather kill your own child than allow something like that."

Her eyes widened and she made something of a twitch, as if shaking her head, "No..."

"You say no, but is that what you actually believe?" I asked.

Mya's mouth wavered again, and her gaze fell to the table.

"... Just a few minutes ago, you told me you'd rather die than become a hybrid," I said.

Seconds ticked by, and I resumed eating. After a minute or two, she sipped her cup, and glanced back as she looked out across the cafeteria.

I looked back to see what she was looking at, and saw a whole group of hybrids walking by. Felines, canines, cervine, even a lizard or two standing in the back. Some of them had children, and all of them had that wild look in their eyes, as if they couldn't believe they'd arrived on a new planet.

"... They look happy," Mya whispered.

"They can finally exist in a world where the air isn't poison, and where they don't have to worry about long-range artillery bombardments," I said.

Mya looked back to me, anger brewing in her face, "I get it. Humanity is vile and evil... I fucking get it! I've lived my entire life among humans, and I can count what I'd consider good people on one hand."

"You don't strike me as a particularly bad person, not that I know you very well," I said.

Her face twisted as if a wave of disgust washed over her, "Well, you're right about the last part. You don't know a damn thing about me!"

I lowered my head a little and couldn't help but smile, "But you think, and you feel. You look upon hybrids and you see people, families... You relate to them, you feel what they feel. That's a lot more than can be said for most humans. Even if you were a bad person, you could become a good one, and I don't mean that by turning into a hybrid. You could spend your life among us as you are, helping, working, offering a unique perspective that only you can offer. As long as you don't seek to harm us, you'll be welcome here, I can promise you that."

Mya gulped as she shook her head, "You haven't looked up my past yet, have you?"

"No?" I whispered.

"... I worked as a diplomat to undermine you, to gather fresh material within Sophos for our propaganda corps, and then the world ended. I demanded to be put on a shuttle so that I could go home, and you hybrids did just that. Then my own fucking people shot me down near the border, and your machines saved me yet again. I fucking hate you people... The world burned, and I watched the skies grow purple as the moon cracked... My only thought was that Earth might finally rest, that all of our sins would be put to rest. But your people had other plans, and I couldn't bring myself to stay behind when offered the chance to come along. I'm not a good person, yet here you are, just like the rest of you, telling me that my life has value."

"Because it's true. You don't need to carry the weight of humanity on your shoulders. You don't need to save it or condemn it. Just live the best life you can, and see where that brings you," I said.

Her lips twitched, and her brow clenched. She gulped once more, and sought solace in her cup as she raised it to her mouth.

62 A.E. March 28, Spire - Floor 0,Evening

"You'll find the supply depot down that hallway," I said, and motioned with my hand.

Mya looked at me as if exhausted, but she made a slow nod, "... I do appreciate your time."

"Mm," I murmured with a nod, "Good luck, and... do be careful if you venture outside the Spire. I'm not sure what's out there myself, but--"

Mya interrupted me, "I know. Nellie told me, so don't worry..."

With another nod, I stepped back and turned my attention to the city exit.

'Athena?' I thought as I started walking.

Her presence settled onto my shoulder once more, 'One human stabilized, for now...'

'Oh, do you think I made that much of an impact?' I mused with a perked brow.

'In the first week she spoke about 5 words, now she's moving about in society... It's progress.'

'Mm, but the bigger question is whether this is the right path?' I thought.

'For her, humanity, or us?' Athena wondered.

'We're probably more interlinked that we like to think, but I was mostly thinking of the human fertility problem,' I thought.

'For now, things will have to remain as they are... In the future, and if the bad actors among the human survivors are weeded out, then maybe... just maybe, some other option could open up to us. But baseline humanity no longer serves a purpose in our civilization, and you'd be hard-pressed to reach any kind of majority vote that would change that,' Athena said.

'Reluctantly, I am forced to agree,' I thought.

The city exit loomed in front of me, and the wind had grown cooler since before. The intense blue hue of the sky was dimming, and the horizon was slowly growing orange as the sun settled.

Athena whispered, 'Walk outside, follow the circling path to the right, and you'll find Hazel's bunker by the overgrown outskirts of the nearest settlement.'

'Thank you,' I thought.

'If possible, I'd like you to deliver a message as well,' Athena said.

'And what would that be?' I wondered.

'That my advice to link her systems with the greater whole wasn't some idle request to be ignored,' Athena said, with an almost sour tone.

'I shall deliver your message using my own words,' I thought with a smirk.

'Thank you... I've also arranged for a suitable Expert System to be delivered outside the bunker entrance. It ought to make her more agreeable when she realizes how much it'll help their work,' Athena said.

So that's what you meant earlier...

I nodded to myself, 'Good, I'm sure it'll help.'

'My surveillance capabilities are still limited, but communications should now be stable across the planet. Contact me if you have need,' Athena thought.

"Will do," I thought while her presence faded.

I'd reached the exit's edge as I found myself alone once more. A gentle serpentine slope led the way down to a nearby settlement. To my left, I could see an isolated road with one end that looked like a tunnel to an underground floor of the city, while the other reached into the distance as it joined a network of roads that intertwined a number of factories.

The wind gently rustled my work uniform, and I drew a deep breath as I lifted my gaze. It was as if part of me still couldn't believe it. A spire which pierced the skies and reality itself.

The sound of footsteps drew my attention to the paved path, and I saw a couple of hybrids approaching. Two wolves in fact, one black and the other gray. Both wore uniforms like me, but smiled a little as they threw me a glance.

"Evenin'," the gray one said as they walked past.

"Evening," I said.

Their tails swished a little, and one leaned over to the other as they whispered something.

I let my mental shield drop and opened my mind to the world around me. The two wolves had but a flicker to them, a subtle but awakening presence, like most of the old settlers.

Based on what little I could feel from them, none were angry, and it felt more as if they were amused by another newcomer taking his first steps. I drew a deep breath, ignored it, and marched down the sloping path.

As the path leveled out, the vegetation grew that much wilder. Grasses, small bushes--some of them carrying berries, and wildflowers that reminded me of Lupinus.

None of them looked exactly like the ones on Earth, but the fact that one could categorize their features using Earthly terms made for an amazing example of convergent evolution.

Create similar circumstances, and watch as similar outcomes develop...

I caught one of the taller grasses, pinched it off, and began to nibble it.

G __rassy, if subtly bitter... I'm assuming it's natural fauna, t_ hough it_ could be planted by us...

The nearby settlement was arranged in a circle with a giant factory as the centerpiece. A robust warehouse and road network dominated the left side, while the other had houses that ranged from simple concrete constructions to timber houses with grass-covered ceilings. Nestled by the outskirts on the settlement's right side, was a simple bunker jutting out from an overgrown area. Ten minutes later, I was walking up to the entrance, much of it swamped by tall grass and other plants.

Sitting next to the entrance--partially obscured by the plants--was a big metal cylinder, shielded by a rectangular frame with metal rods.

The mind of a more advanced Expert System... Probably a type-three or something...

I reached down, grabbed the cylinder by the rods, and found myself surprised by the weight.

At least a hundred kilograms from the feel of it... Must be pretty dense...

I held the casing underneath one arm, and stepped up to the bunker entrance. As I was about to reach for the nearby console, the bulkhead suddenly came to life. A click and a clunk followed, and the hefty metal doors opened wide.

My heart jumped a little as I saw a rather strange creature sitting inside the bunker's entrance.

Four legs, posture like a canine, paws that appeared covered in brown scales but no apparent claws. Fur covered most of its body, and it had a strong auburn tint. Its head looked like that of a fuzzy reptile with sharp facial features. Rather than a nose, it had two slits along the sides of its muzzle. Two surprisingly tall ears perked up from the creature's head, and they wiggled a little as it observed me with a pair of distinctly red eyes.

Its scent met my nose, and a shiver ran along my back as my fur tensed up. The scents I'd encountered so far on the planet felt natural, or relatable somehow. But this creature was something distinctly alien. It felt difficult to describe the scent... It was musky, with combinations you'd normally not find on a creature from Earth. Sweet and sour, mixed with chemical tinges that made little sense.

"... Hello there," I said.

I heard a shuffling sound, and could see as a thick, well-furred tail moved behind the creature. Without warning, the creature started smiling with bared teeth. The fangs looked rather canine, yet had the sharp nature belonging to a feline.

"Hello," the creature answered with a surprisingly smooth, if rather masculine voice.

I drew a deep breath, "... What might you be?"

The creature blinked and cocked its head, "I'm Red... One of Hazel's experiments. I assume you're here to see her?"

I nodded, "I am..."

"Come along," Red said and turned around while its tail distinctly jabbed at the air as if motioning for me to follow.

I stepped inside, and followed in its path. The bulkhead closed behind me, but my gaze was locked on Red. Most of its fur was dense but short, though it had a big and fluffy stripe of fur running from the top of its head, all the way down to the tail's tip.

"Are you a creature native to this planet?" I asked.

Red glanced back at me, "In a way... Hazel will explain."

We turned a corner, headed down a hallway to the left, and ended up in a big room filled with plenty of equipment--including a lot of clutter.

Reminds me of Evelyn's lab in Athena's bunker...

There was some order to be found though--to the left were machines I recognized as processing clusters, and to the right were medical pods in various sizes. A couple of them held creatures I'd never seen before, and the largest held several hybrids.

"Hazel, I've brought the visitor," Red announced, and sauntered between a couple of big workbenches.

I sniffed the air, recognized the scent of a female cervine, and guessed that it belonged to Hazel. There was a clutter nearby, and a dotted fallow deer rose from behind a workbench to the right.

"Ah... welcome," Hazel said, glanced at Red, and promptly shifted her gaze to me,

I stepped up to the big workbench while giving her a soft smile, "Thank you, Hazel... Was my visit expected?"

She made something dismissive wave in the air, "Red alerted me to the drone that dropped of the Expert System, and since there were no additional messages from Athena, well... One could only guess she'd send one of her agents to do what a simple message could not."

I lifted the Expert System's mind, then set it down on the table with a soft but distinct thump, "Well, I'm--"

She interrupted me, "You're Vilkas, yes... I looked you up the moment you stepped inside."

"Ah..." I whispered.

Hazel pointed to the Expert System, "I'll gladly integrate my systems with the rest of the city, and I appreciate the help, but I'm currently running a simulation that can't be interrupted."

"I see... and how long will this simulation take?" I asked.

Hazel tipped her head, "A few days, give or take..."

"And how long have you been running it?" I asked.

She froze, jaw moving a little, and her gaze wandered back to me, "... a few days, I think."

I drew a deep breath, and motioned to the Expert System with an open hand, "Shut down the simulation, integrate your systems, and get to know your new helper."

Hazel perked one brow and her nostrils flared as if displeased, "Or else?"

I let my smile grow, "Or I'll do it for you, and you get to watch as I rummage through all your systems."

Hazel's short muzzle dropped open in abject horror, "... I see. Well, I guess we'll--" she reached out to the Expert System, grabbed it by its rectangular cage, and let out a huff as she lifted it with both hands.

Her jaw tensed as she held the Expert System for a moment, then set it down again with a subtle sigh, "... I guess you can help with that part."

"As you wish..." I said, and lifted it with one hand, "Where's the integration port?"

Hazel pointed toward a spot in the corner where a big machine jutted out from the wall. The biggest problem was that there was a giant stack of medical boxes in its way, along with a pile of discarded packaging material.

It made me frown as I looked back at her.

A sheepish smile followed as she squinted, "Sorry about the mess... The processor works though, tested it myself when I assembled the system a decade ago."

I motioned to the corner, "I'll clear the debris and install this. What will you do?"

Hazel dipped her head and clasped her hands, "I shall shut down the simulation and prep the main system for integration... Is that agreeable?"

I nodded to her, "It is... and I should probably warn you that I'm going to have a great many questions when we're done with this."

"I can imagine," Hazel answered, and looked over at Red who observed us in silence--tail shifting ever so slightly.