Green Horizon (1-8) by Leo_Todrius

Green Horizon (1-8)

Leo_Todrius, Anal, Gay, Gay Relationships, Lynx, M/M, M/M/M, Masturbation, Military, Oral, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sex toy, Transformation, Virtual Reality, augmentation, danger, furry, mecha, mechanization, robotization, tentacle

Green Horizon

After the end of the world, mankind still clings to life. Some have fully embraced technology, others have embraced the forgotten power of nature... but none can are prepared for what the future holds. In the midst of it all, two young men from very different walks of life find love... and a good deal more.

Green Horizon Chapter 1 - Broken Silence

The silence was broken... The enduring quiet, the timeless stillness that had domain over such a vast expanse was punctuated by the gentle muffled rumble of thunder in the distance. Slowly a pair of rich brown eyes slipped open, gazing upwards to the glass dome high above. The eyes didn't move, merely blinking, watching the swirling brown and black in the heavens above. A flash of light rippled through the dark dense swirling mass of storm clouds as enduring as the quiet. Another day... Another day without direction. Elijah's eyes drifted to the underside of the catwalk that covered his resting place... Everything in the dome was made of glass and metal if not cement and as he gazed up at his reflection he felt for a moment as if he wasn't alone. Above him was a seventeen year old boy with shaggy brown hair, rich caramel eyes, a round face caught between youthful innocence and physical maturity. The dusty brown continued down along his cheeks to his jaw bone, following the edge around in a faint beard that merely outlined his face and nothing more, more sideburns than anything. Then the fleeting feeling faded, leaving Eli alone once more. He had changed so much. Again Eli's eyes moved, lowering to his immediate surroundings. The youth pulled the mass of blankets off of himself as he sat up, slipping on ragged treadles boots that had seen their fair share of walking. After another moment he slipped off of the support beam that ran between two buildings behind the stairs leading to the catwalk, a shelf out of the way that he had chosen for the view. Without ceremony he was on his way. Block after block Elijah passed through the empty city; past restaurants, apartment buildings, grocery stores, laundromats. So many signs of life and yet there was nothing but silence. Elijah came to a stop outside one of the grocery stores, reaching into a case that sat outside promising fresh fruit. Instead the contents were foil wrapped ration packs, placed for ease. Eli ripped the top off of one and tipped it back, drinking the contents down for energy. There was no sorrow, this was the routine. He tucked the foil away in his pocket and moved to the spiral stairs leading upwards to the elevated pathways that meandered around the city. Minutes passed, even hours... But Eli had passed months in this place by himself. Every day he walked to where it had started for him... Past the residential blocks, the entertainment district all of the way to the edge of the dome. He paused, leaning against the guardrail to gaze outside. The view never changed, bleak and lifeless. It was a barren wasteland of acid soaked mud and blanched rocks, pools of chemicals caught from the rain that fell from the Climate Cascade, the endless storm swirling high above... But it was life. Eli turned to his left and moved along the path out of the sight of the storm and the city, the street lights and the lightning flashes. The inner corridors of the dome seemed like a tomb, a memorial of the past. Like scales of a dragon the half circles stretched from floor to ceiling, following the curve of the halls and going on for miles. Elijah stopped; eyes falling to the floor for a minute, wondering what might have been if everything had gone to plan... if he had not awoken. After a moment he did what he always did and moved on. He found his place and rested his hand on the suspension chamber before he rested his hand on the chambers of his mother, his father, his brother... Eli whispered a silent prayer for them to keep sleeping and then he resumed his walk. Every day he took a different path, looked at the different people all asleep, all escaping the past. He wondered if he would have known them if the Climate Cascade had never been used, if his world had not come to an end. When he closed his eyes he could still remember it... Walking home from school when that terrible flash came, a shockwave following in its wake. The shockwave had activated the dome's safeties, it was perfectly automatic. If it hadn't been they all would have died, thousands of people. The city sealed itself off as the sky turned to obsidian and the hills burned, the water boiled... As civilization around the dome collapsed those inside watched the barriers rise, a field of energy trapping the storm in its place so it couldn't spread... and that was when everything disappeared. No video, no audio... That is when the city went to sleep. It was all automatic, it was all planned. The city would sleep until the storm wore itself out, until the land healed, until the barriers were lowered... Everything would wait and everyone would pick up right where they had left off. The food systems would resume, the dome would unlock. There was no resistance, it was all thought out. It went as planned for eighty years and then... Elijah woke up. He simply woke up. At first Eli had been excited, glad time had passed so quickly... But no one else had woken. He'd looked for days until he was too hungry. Then he found food and looked again. Over and over again, always a new section... Always the same result. It had been a simple fluke, the system deciding to save his life rather than let him die in his sleep... but Elijah didn't feel lucky. A life alone was no kind of life... and it wasn't the way he was going to keep on living. He'd already started growing up, growing older and leaving his family behind. There was no way to wake anyone else, he had tried. Elijah emerged from a bank of the suspension chambers, moving out along the walkway that met in a large ring over the center of the city. Cascades of water spayed into the air before falling into the center of the pool, a pool rimmed by stairs spiraling down into the under city. Eli had ventured down into the metal heart of the dome as often as he'd searched the stasis banks but what he found down there filled him with both terror and hope... Every day he knew he was coming closer to the point of no return. Elijah paused, turning to gaze out of the dome again, looking to the south. Across the acid barrens, beneath the brown clouds he could just barely see it, the faintest of lines... The pearl glow of the barriers and behind that open sky. Off in the corner of the horizon came a growing glow, the joy of Elijah's day... the green dawn of a new day. Elijah gave a gentle grin at the sight before he moved down the steps, heading into the under city to face the future.

A rare cool breeze moved across the plains, sweeping from horizon to horizon. Dusty stalks of grain waved back and forth, rustling ever so gently as if everything in the world was alright. The breeze continued its advance, blowing along paper lanterns that still glowed with the last vestiges of night although one by one they turned out, bobbing around in lines connecting poles to a circular cement gazebo guarding steps that led downwards. The breeze had no need for settlements and continued on even further, heading along until it began gliding over tanned flesh, whipping sun bleached hair around. Deagan let out a sigh of gentle relief, closing his eyes. Day or night, this was the best feeling... Standing on the ground, inhaling the cool air and letting it wash over him. The teenager stood in nothing but a pair of black jeans, his feet resting on the dry ground. His skin was tanned, darkened to a light brown like the dirt itself while his hair was bleached nearly as white as the grasses that covered the plains. The cooling caress of the breeze was like heaven, the silence bliss until it was broken. "Deagan, come inside. Its dawn, time for bed." The voice of an elder came. Deagan's eyes opened, crystal blue orbs surveying the landscape, devoid of the laughing children and chatting people of just a few minutes ago... No one stayed out for the dawn anymore. Deagan looked into the distance, watching the glimmering orb of the sun rising up through the green haze... The glow that stretched from one end of the world to the other. The breeze continued although it was starting to get a bit warmer. Deagan heaved a sigh and turned, walking under the guard of the cement dome and down the stairs.

The under city of the Thunder Bay dome was a completely different place from the surface, buzzing with artificial activity. Computer screens pulsated with readouts and schematics, pumps circulated water and air, generators buzzed away with power. There was always so much life and sound it practically put a spring in Elijah's step as he moved, boots treading across the metal grills that ran along the floor, light glowing from tracks in the wall to bottom light the halls. Elijah caught his reflection again but this time he ignored it, moving out into a cavernous room. The station was at the core of the dome, a regal place with marble tile floors, stone steps as wide as a house leading up to the street level, blocked by a smooth metal bulkhead that had slid shut at a forty five degree angle. Still, Elijah had bypassed the security door and gotten in the side ages ago. The station fascinated Eli to no end. Across from the stairs across the marble foyer was a wide wall with a map, a map of the world that had existed before the cascade; vast continents, territories, countries and oceans. Most of the map was offline, the lights dark... But there was one part that still worked; the most important part. As if in protest to the silent night a solitary blue dot glowed strong for the Thunder Bay sleeper dome. Radiating outwards from the dot red lines stretched out to Seattle, Vancouver and New York but there was also a single green line that jutted deep into the Midwest, the line to Eli's future. Eli moved over to the map, coming to a stop right beneath it. To his sides sat a backpack and a luggage case. They had been packed for almost two months with all the food and supplies he could find that would help him start a new life. It would be a gamble to leave behind his home, his family, to venture out into the unknown... But he couldn't stay on his own, he couldn't be alone anymore. If the barriers were still getting power then someone had to be keeping the power going, and if someone was out there he would find them. Eli looked at the map one more time, resting his hand on the yellow dot at the end of the green passage. It wouldn't be much longer.

Deagan settled back onto his hammock slowly, lifting his legs before sliding onto the mesh that cradled him. Fiber optic cables ran up the wall at one end of the hammock and circled around the ceiling above before dropping down the wall by Deagan's feet, giving off a warm cream colored glow. It wasn't much but it made Deagan feel like he was home. He smiled to himself as he always did at bed time, enjoying the rare luxury of having his spot just out of eye shot of anyone, enjoying the rare precious bit of privacy he had come across by accident. Deagan's hand slid down his abdomen, tracing the contours of his skin before moving over the groin of his jeans. He slowly started circling his hand over the fabric, the pressure and the friction feeling so good. The jeans started to feel more and more constrained, tightening as the teen aroused himself more and more. Deagan let his mind wander to distant and far off places. Deagan imagined boys of the past... All the advantages of technology and civilization... Wild hair, strange clothes, doing whatever they wanted with their bodies. Deagan grunted gently imagining, slowly popping the button of his pants open before sliding his zipper down. The bulge of his underwear pushed through the new gap. Deagan's hand attentively massaged the bulge before sliding beneath the waistband, feeling his hot hard flesh. He breathed deeply as he gave his length a long squeeze before sliding it out from under the fabric. He grinned in pleasure, watching himself stand tall and proud before he squeezed the shaft again, working his hand from the tip down to the base... and then again. Slowly the lights dimmed in all the hallways, signaling the start of the sleep cycle. It was a generous sleep cycle with the surface hot for so much of the day, Deagan was in no hurry. The boy's warm hand pressed against a wall panel, pushing it in just enough before sliding it to the right and then down. It retracted to reveal a small hidden compartment. Deagan grinned like a cat with all the cream, or at least that's what the elders said. Inside was a cache of treasures... Trinkets, bobbles... But most oddly was a long piece of silicone rubber in the shape of what appeared to be a tentacle. Deagan gently hoisted it out, caressing the two foot length. He examined the base of the rubber and the slit that was there. Then he looked at the tip and slowly slid it into his mouth, giving the rubber a few licks. As Deagan licked the tip of the tentacle the rubber inside shifted, mimicking his tongue. Slowly the rubber grew more and more moist. Deagan moved the base of the tentacle to his hard shaft. He inhaled gently and began sliding his cock into the rubber sheath. He hissed as the pressure increased for him until the flesh colored tentacle appeared to be his manhood. It nestled tightly to his groin. Deagan slowly wrapped his hand around the tentacle and inside it mimicked his movements, only to scale so it felt as if this huge behemoth was really his. Deagan stroked his monster for several minutes, writhing and gyrating, grunting ever so slightly until he began stuffing the tip into his mouth. He shuddered as he felt his hot tongue on 'his' shaft, the saliva running down it. If his moans hadn't been muffled by the toy he would have woken those bedding a few short meters from him. The risk of being caught only turned the boy on more, his hands stroking his cock faster and harder as he sucked himself off.

Steam jets erupted from the floor vent as Elijah redirected the hydraulics and associated systems. It had been harder work than most of the fixes he attempted but the inner door to the train system had been sealed for eighty years. Elijah stood up, wiping the grease on his hands onto his pants. Next to the door the terminal snapped on showing a rolling gear with the letters "GCS" hovering over them. "System Rebooted. Welcome to Grand Central Systems, your number one rapid transit option. Updating travel information." The computer announced. "Good luck." Elijah muttered. "Warning: Serious delays are to be expected, the magnetic levitation system is experiencing technical difficulties. Technicians are hard at work to rectify the situation." The computer announced. "They're a little late." Eli said, lifting his left hand, "I hope you still work." He whispered to himself. He placed the tip of his right index finger onto his upper left palm. He slowly moved the finger in a counter clockwise circle and as he did beneath the surface of the skin a circle of glowing blue line segments appeared. Elijah inhaled softly as the implant came back to life after so long. He moved over to the screen and placed his hand onto it. The display changed, showing more options. "Echo interface activated. Welcome Elijah Tennant. You last utilized GCS eighty two years ago. Do you wish to load your last travel plans?" The computer asked. "No. Please confirm that the route to relay point one is still active." Eli said. The same system map appeared from the foyer, showing the various tunnels leaving the station and heading in different directions, only one of which was green. The computer ran a system diagnostic, tracing the route to the yellow dot in the far distance. "Confirmed. A quarantine lockdown was unsuccessful at the Thunder Bay station due to improper placement of car twenty five. Atmospheric seals have not been breached. Do you wish to cancel lockdown?" The computer asked. Elijah considered for a long moment. "No, but I want to... check the integrity of the tunnel. Please unlock this door to allow me passage and prepare car twenty five for an inspection run to relay point one." Eli said hopefully. The computer processed for a moment. "Security clearance required." The computer replied. Eli sighed, lowering his hand. He concentrated for a long moment. The blue lights in his hand cycled before they turned red. He placed his hand back onto the screen. Random code fragments flashed over the glass for a few moments. "Security Clearance accepted." The computer stated. "Alright, process orders." Eli said. The door clicked and slowly lumbered open. Eli lowered his hand. Three of the segments had gone out but they would recharge. Eli ran to grab his bags from the foyer, listening to the long dormant train backing up to wait at the gate.

Deagan's hammock was swinging back and forth in the dim light, the boy lost to incredible pleasure. His eyes were squeezed tight as he entered hour two of his ministrations. It was almost hard to tell where the toy ended and he began in the dim light, his hands working the tentacle with love and care, his eyes squeezed shut, a thin slime coating the skin around his mouth and the upper half of the tentacle. He'd been sucking himself off for ages, slathering the juices all over himself. He would have prolonged the pleasure all day if he could have but it wasn't meant to be. Deagan gasped gently before inhaling more, his back arching as his orgasm raced through his body. He shuddered just before the tentacle let out a spray of his own juices, the spray landing mostly in his own mouth. He accepted it greedily, letting it splatter on his tongue before it died out. Deagan swallowed his own seed down and murmured, giving his tentacle one last stroke before he collapsed back into the hammock. He laid there for several moments feeling his racing heart pounding in his chest. As his mind started to clear and his body decided it was time for a rest Deagan slid the sex toy off his shaft with a gentle plop. He coiled it up and set it back in the compartment in the wall, sliding the cover shut silently. His long arm reached down, fumbling for a light cover. Deagan snatched a hold of the cover and pulled it up over him, rolling onto his side. After such long play it wasn't hard to give into sleep. His eyes drifted shut, his last thoughts drifting to his imaginary lover before Deagan entered the world of dreams.

Eli looked around the train, familiarizing himself as best he could. His backpack and bag sat on one row of chairs, the rest of the train oddly empty. Elijah had wedged the door to the operation room open for easy access and had used his Echo to activate the systems. Eli double checked everything before he took a deep breath, sliding the door shut. The train lights dimmed somewhat. "Thank you for riding GCS Twenty Five. We hope your trip is memorable." The system announced. "I'm sure it will be." Elijah whispered to himself. The train began moving forward seamlessly, not a bump or a jerk as it moved along. Elijah looked out of the window at the long tunnel and the ribbed lights that ran along the length, flashing by the windows as the train picked up speed. He knew he could be wandering to his death... but he could also be starting on the adventure of his life, finding out what happened to the rest of the world when his had ended. The possibilities were endless, all he had to do was get there... and he was on his way. A smile slowly crept across Eli's lips at that thought.

Green Horizon Chapter 2 - Convoy

Faint waves of heat radiated up from the ground in all directions, distorting the view across the plains. The late afternoon wind was starting to pick up causing the grasses to sway once more beneath the rich orange light coming from the sun that dominated the horizon. In the midst of the vast expanse came the sound of dirt and gravel being disturbed before a square portion of ground tilted up, a hatch being opened in the middle of nowhere. Slowly Elijah's head rose up over the edge of the hatch, peering at his surroundings. Nature... It had been so long since he had been in nature. The air wasn't processed, the moisture wasn't regulated... and the heat most certainly wasn't. Still, Elijah had come to explore. His head dropped down below the edge of the hatch again before his bag was hoisted up. Finally the teenager rose up, climbing the runs of the ladder onto the surface, his backpack synched up securely. Eli looked around before he shut the hatch again, kicking the dirt around the edges again to try and conceal it from view before he paused, taking in his surroundings once again. He really was in the middle of nowhere, flat land with only a slight hill to mark his place. Elijah started walking around the hatch, picking up some of the odd larger teal stones that rested around the place. When he had five he carried them back to the hatch, setting them down in a rough almost natural looking V shape. He smiled to himself before he picked up his bag again. "One week of food out, one week of food back... Conservative estimate." Eli commented to himself. He often thought aloud, it was either that or stop talking for good when he woke up alone. Hearing his own voice had made him feel a little less lonely and a bit more crazy. Still, emerging in a featureless plain wasn't a good sign for the state of humanity... Eli wiped the sweat from his brow before he pulled off his jacket, stuffing it into his bag. With that out of the way the only thing left to do was start walking. The sun was setting in the west... To maximize the light he had left his only course of action would be to follow it. It would also make returning to the hatch easier. "Geronimo." Elijah muttered as he set off on his way.

Deagan's ocean blue eyes slipped open at the sound of chatter and play earlier than usual. The lights were still dim but there was movement in the halls. The teen sat up slowly on his hammock, stretching softly. A boy of fourteen came around the corner, obviously intent on running to the main room. Deagan stuck his arm out to stop the boy. "What's going on?" Deagan asked. "The elders heard a radio broadcast, Militech is bringing an extra convoy through the area this weekend. They should be here before Night rise!" The boy said excitedly before he moved around Deagan's arm, heading back to the growing frivolity. The excitement was infectious. Deagan scrambled about, buttoning up his pants before he pulled a chain with worn dog-tags off a hook on his wall, sliding them around his neck. Deagan hopped off his hammock, sliding a black jacket that matched the tone of his jeans on. His arms filled out the sleeves until his palms rested against a strap starting between his thumb and index finger. An extra curve of fabric slid part way around his collar bone, obviously intended to clasp across the neck of the jacket if it had ever been closed or worn with something else. Deagan quickly dropped into his boots, securing them before he broke into a jog. As Deagan ran through the underground complex people were already buzzing around earlier than any other day. The store rooms were being reorganized to clear as much floor space as possible. The kitchens were working on a bigger than usual breakfast and the gathering hall was full of people. Deagan skidded to a stop at the base of the stairs leading to the surface, looking up at the orange light filtering down. To his right was the gathering hall full of countless long tables, orange light filtering down through thin strips of transparency in the ceiling. "Deagan, its good you're here... We want to talk to you about something." One of the Elders said, standing. "Sorry, can't stay. I'm going to go see if I can spot the convoy early. Wish me luck!" Deagan said, running up the stairs. "It's still too early! Don't get burned out there..." The Elder called after Deagan, sighing at his reckless behavior. Deagan strode out into the evening, glancing at the sun before turning east. The nearest Militech base may have been on the Pacific coast but the convoys always started in the center and moved westward so they wouldn't have to pass through encampments twice and get the hopes of people up too high. It was still a miracle that Militech provided as much as they did and Deagan didn't want to miss a minute of it. They were coming from the east and Deagan would meet them part way. A grin crossed the boy's face before he broke into a jog, leaving the cement complex behind as he treaded off across the plains.

Minutes had passed, fading easily into an hour. The sun stubbornly hugged the horizon, still radiating heat across the land. Deagan was glad his back was to the sun although he still wished he had other options for clothes. Cloth was at a premium and while his outfit matched it certainly didn't help keep things cool. Still, getting to ride back with Militech would be worth everything. Deagan's blue eyes searched the horizon, looking for any trace of the convoy... Any minute he'd see the big trucks escorted by the soldiers, their hazy images moving into sight. As Deagan looked and looked he was finally rewarded with a moving figure... a solitary moving figure. Deagan's brow furrowed in confusion, Militech never traveled on their own. Where were the trucks? The other soldiers? As Deagan continued to watch the figure advanced more and more. He was too short to be a soldier... and he was carrying a bag. Deagan stood dumbfounded, gazing into the distance. Maybe he was getting heatstroke... It sure was persistent for a hallucination. Deagan hesitated before deciding to advance further, closing the gap between the figure and himself. Deagan rubbed at his eyes to try and see further, picking up details easier as the sunlight fell across the traveler. He had shaggy brown hair, his skin was getting rather red in the sun... and his jaw was framed by a thin chinstrap beard. Deagan smiled a bit at that, liking what he was able to pick out so far. The figure continued advancing as if he hadn't noticed Deagan yet but Deagan had the sun to his back, a good form of cover. Deagan used the time to keep studying this stranger. The encampments rarely had contact with each other, they were too far apart. Radio broadcasts were the only lifelines in the region. Maybe someone was coming to update them in person. Deagan was able to make out a little more about the figure, eyes widening. The traveler was wearing a bright aqua t-shirt and khaki pants... No signs of fading, no signs of wear and tear. Deagan hadn't seen any outfits like that in years, and even then it was usually only in hoarded magazines with pictures of the past. Deagan was facing one of his fantasies... A unique stud from the past. Deagan stood in place, his blond hair looking almost white in the sunset, a sharp contrast to his dark skin. The figure continued advancing until he moved close enough that the sun didn't mask Deagan from view anymore.

Elijah skidded to a stop, his heart racing. There was someone ahead of him... Someone was staring right at him. It hadn't been until that moment that the stupidity of his plan hit him. He had wandered out after the end of the world into unknown territory with no idea of how things worked. There was every chance he could be murdered and robbed for the mere fact of having resources of any kind. Still, the other figure hadn't yet moved... How long had he been there? Elijah hesitated before speaking. "Hello!" He said, calling out to the person. There was a pause. "Hey." Deagan replied, "You're not a heat hallucination, right?" he asked. Eli smirked at that. "No, are you?" Elijah asked. "Not that I know of." Deagan replied with a lopsided grin, "Where are you from?" he asked. Elijah hesitated, it was a dangerous question if there was any sort of territorial dispute... But he couldn't go on without answering. "North east. I've never been this far south; I wanted to see what it was like." Eli said. Deagan was a little surprised by the answer. "Have you seen the barriers? I hear they're neat." Deagan said. "I've only seen them from a distance, but they are." Eli replied. "I'm Deagan, Deagan Grey. I'm from Providence." Deagan said. "Elijah Tennant." Eli replied, "Um, want some water or food?" he offered. Deagan's eyes widened sharply at that. "You're sharing?" Deagan asked in disbelief. "Sure... I've got extra, no reason to be stingy." Eli replied. "I need to move to the North east." Deagan chuckled. Eli smirked at that, moving forward again. Eli closed the distance between Deagan and himself, the two coming within a few feet of each other. Eli offered his hand. Deagan reached out and gave it a squeeze, realizing Eli was bigger than he had thought. His shoulders were wide, his jaw and his waist. He seemed better nourished in general. Deagan considered it only added to Eli's charm. Eli moved and sat down on one of the few boulders in the area, swinging his backpack around. He pulled out two foil packets and two bottles of water, offering one of each to Deagan. Deagan moved and sat down next to Eli, looking at the proffered sustenance for a moment before looking back to the traveler. "You're really from far away, aren't you? This isn't even Militech..." Deagan said. "What's Militech?" Eli asked. Deagan sat in stunned silence. Eli blushed a little, adding even more red to the faint sunburn he'd picked up. He opened one of the bottles and took a swig from it. "Yeah, really far away..." Deagan decided, "I guess the least I can do is catch you up on things if you're sharing free food." Deagan said opening the bottle. He tipped it back and then paused, murmuring, "Oh gods... It's so fresh." He whispered, taking another long drink before sighing. Eli grinned, glad to see he'd brought someone so much joy... Glad to see someone at all. The world had ended, the skies had burned... But two teenagers could still share food and talk. There was still plenty of hope. "So what's Militech?" Eli asked after a long moment of Deagan drinking. Deagan licked his lips to ensure he didn't miss any moisture before lowering the bottle. "Well that's probably the longest story there is... I mean if you don't know about Militech... you don't know about what happened in the end times." Deagan said, taking a breath, "When the Climate Cascade detonated the weather grid shunted all the power from the grid to keep the storm from spreading out and destroying even more. In twelve hours the Americas were suffering every ounce of wrath they had earned from nature. The temperature skyrocketed, captured pollution was released, it was the end of the world... So many people died, the government collapsed, everything... Except for the technical division of the military." Deagan explained. "So Militech..." Elijah said. Deagan nodded. "They had built their bases and vehicles with hostile environments in mind so when everything else collapsed they were protected. They tried to do the best they could to help but there were so many people, two continents of territory... They spent twenty years building encampments for survivors away from the cities that were full of death... Then another twenty sending their resource processors out to clear the towns and cities, all that wasted space full of decay... They turned all those resources into food, equipment, medicine... They kept the rest of us alive." Deagan said. "So... They cleared all the cities? Got rid of them?" Elijah asked in shock. "There are a few rural roads and highways that were forgotten, a few city ruins like San Diego that they left just in case... I guess you must come from a remote city that they didn't clear? Are there a lot of people there?" Deagan asked. "No... The city's pretty empty, felt like it was just me." Eli said softly. Deagan nodded gently. "Well... We may not have much here but we have each other. You can come to Providence, I'll show you around. I'll teach you about this place and you can tell me about yours." Deagan grinned. "Sounds like a deal." Eli smiled. "Good... Although it sounds like the rumors about the convoy were too good to be true, I doubt we'll be getting a ride back. We should get started." Deagan said, standing back up. Eli gave a nod, grabbing his backpack. As he did he noticed Deagan slide the ration pack into his back pocket for later. Resources were probably going to be pretty short. Eli would have to make sure he kept enough to get back to Thunder Bay. Still, it was all worth it... So worth it. He'd found someone to talk to. "I'm glad I met you." Eli said aloud. Deagan grinned at that. "I'm glad I met you too." He replied, patting Eli on the shoulder before he started walking back to the encampment, leading the way.

Laughter echoed across the plains as Eli and Deagan walked towards the sinking sun, swapping jokes from eighty years and half a continent apart. Eli was so excited to have someone to talk to after so long, but he had been surprised to be even more excited to listen. Deagan on the other hand was so elated to have someone listening to his every word. He gestured widely as they walked, more animated than he had been in some time. "And he actually fell into the filter tank... We were laughing so hard, we said he had a sloppy attitude, maybe the filters would help. We fished him out of course but he was orange for a week." Deagan smirked. Eli laughed at the idea. "It really sounds amazing... Like a whole new world." Eli replied. "I guess it must me, but amazing's a bit of a stretch, as you can see up ahead. Welcome to-" Deagan paused, looking confused. Eli looked up. With the setting sun as a backdrop the encampment of Providence shimmered, heat waves blurring and rippling the edges. The encampment was centered around a cement gazebo, a partial dome but lines of lanterns ran out to various other cement domes that stuck up above the ground level. Not a single one was big enough to be a house, they all seemed to serve as entrances or windows or access to utilities. What had caught Deagan by surprise mid-sentence was a very different kind of structure, a pair of vehicles. Huge silver and black vehicles hovered silently above the dirt at the edge of Providence, an amber logo of a T superimposed over the middle of an M. Dozens of figures were moving around, mostly children and teenagers although several adults were moving too... But there were also much larger figures clad in some sort of armor. "Militech never comes from the west on convoy duty... They must be doing something important. Come on, I'll race ya." Deagan smirked to Eli before breaking into a run. Eli was caught by surprise at the sudden challenge but he wasn't going to ruin his image by losing badly to his new friend. Eli broke into a run, his muscles serving him well and letting him close the distance created by the head start Deagan had. Still, Eli couldn't take his eyes off the figures. They had to be soldiers, clad in complicated armor. They looked to be human shaped but the armor was bulky... Over seven feet tall, huge chests emblazoned with the same logo. Small rectangular lights rested on their shoulders, the glass a light teal color. Their helmets seemed the most alien. Four amber eyes glowed in the evening light, a second pair below where they were normally. The face narrowed into a point at the front, breathing filters facing either side with a ribbed ring of metal keeping them together and in place. It reminded Elijah of the head of an ant without antennas. "Deagan, where have you been? They've been here for almost a half hour. Everyone's almost done putting the supplies into storage." An elder chastised as Deagan came running into town although as Eli skidded to a stop next to Deagan their eyebrows rose. "I was looking for the convoy but I found a friend instead." Deagan said. "Well, there are still some crates to be loaded. Show your friend where they go." She said with a curious stare at Eli. It was obvious she wanted to know more but the supplies and time were precious. Deagan gave a nod, tugging Eli's arm as they approached the trucks.

Silently crates slid out of the back of the truck onto a grate that lowered down where soldiers slid them off onto the handcarts the people of Providence had put in place. As Deagan and Eli approached the leader of the soldiers turned their way. He lifted a hand to his men before pointing at the crates. "Iala, Joanness, why don't you just take the last two boxes down yourself. We shouldn't make them do all the heavy lifting." He said. Eli watched in awe as the soldiers moved, effortlessly lifting the last crates. "Liam, it's good to see you again." Deagan smiled. There was a gentle hiss from the soldiers helmet as the central panel that ran from the soldier's 'nose' all the way up and around the center of his head rotated back and out of sight. The two sides of the helmet separated and slid further to the side before sinking down into the wide collar, revealing the soldier's face. Liam had fiery red hair and somewhat pale skin, green eyes sparkling in the light. There wasn't a blemish on him or a speck of dirt. "Deagan, you've grown quite a bit. Another few months and you'll be old enough to enlist, we could use a man with your energy." Liam smirked, "Who is your friend?" Liam asked, looking to Elijah. Eli wasn't sure of the politics of the world he'd stumbled into so he wasn't going to take any chances. "Elijah, I was exploring and came across Deagan, it's my first time to providence." Eli said. "Well it's nice to meet you Elijah. I'm Liam, you saw Iala and Joannes and this is Conner." The soldier said, indicating the last figure in an exo-suit. "It's a good thing I bumped into him, I was heading east to try and meet you guys, I would have wandered even further." Deagan commented. "This early in the day? I'll have to thank you properly Eli, I'd hate for Deagan to get heat stroke." Liam smirked, "And yes, it's a bit of a change from the routine. We're heading to weather tower forty-seven. We're on a mission to try isolating the COIN system and adjusting the weather for the surrounding area, try and drop the temperature a few degrees and maybe bring in a rain. It's a long shot but we want to try and make things easier." "Wow! That's some mission! Can I come? I wouldn't take up much space." Deagan said. Liam gave a knowing smile. "Sorry pal, you have to have a security clearance to access the vehicles but in a few months if you enlist I'd be glad to show you all over the American Union." Liam smiled, "What about you Eli? Are you old enough to enlist? Any interest?" "I think I might wait for Deagan." Eli said, rather uncertain about it all. "Good, teamwork is important. Anyhow... I figured since we were heading out here anyway I could try to convince headquarters to allow us to make an extra supply run and they agreed. We'll be coming back through in about two weeks. Maybe we'll make a pit stop. You can catch me up on all the stuff I've missed." Liam grinned. "Okay, but only if you bring me a story too." Deagan said. "It's a deal." Liam replied, offering an armored fist. Deagan lifted his flesh hand and knocked it to Liam's. "All done sir." Iala said as the suits moved back up out of the complex. "Well... We've still got to make a drop off at Saint Anges and Grant before the tower run... We better head out. It's good seeing you again Deag, and good meeting you Eli." Liam said. "Take care!" Deagan smiled. Liam gave a nod before his helmet rose back into place and sealed itself. The trucks hummed to life, lifting further off the ground before they started floating along through the village. The four soldiers fell into place with the trucks, each soldier covering a side of one of the trucks. Each stride took them a fair distance until they were heading into the wilderness. "Why don't they ride in the trucks?" Eli asked after a long moment. Deagan looked at Eli, easily forgetting for a moment that anyone could go without knowing about Militech. "Their exo-suits are permanent. They never get tired and they only get in the Air Skimmers when they need to go cross-country; Perfect immune systems, perfect air, enhanced senses. It's quite a sweet ride." Deagan explained. "So that's Militech?" Elijah asked. "Well there are a few scouts, they have simpler suits... And there are the mechanics, they don't have anything because they have to get their hands and stuff into tight joints to do repairs... But that's them; Saviors of us all." Deagan said. "Well, despite finding a way out of doing the heavy lifting you two should come inside and cool off, have something to eat and drink before dusk." The elder woman said, smiling to Eli and Deagan before shooing various others back into the tunnels. "Well, time for the rest of your tour." Deagan smiled, putting an arm around Eli's shoulders. Eli was glad to have physical contact again and the two moved down the steps, heading out of the sunlight.

Green Horizon Chapter 3 - Providence

Night time in Providence was unlike anything Eli had experienced in so long. Music echoed down hallways, children ran around, people were moving about the surface. It almost seemed like a festival but Deagan assured him that this was simply life; live in celebration of what you have, enjoy what you can and make life that much easier for others. The underground complex was both stark and impressive to Eli, so much made out of so little. The radios that the Elders listened to for broadcasts were playing music from the Militech database. Eli was surprised how many of the songs he knew, although to him... they weren't that old. The only place in Providence that wasn't full of music was the commissary and that was full of conversation, discourse, stories and tales. Deagan pulled Eli into line, handing him a deep metal tray with many compartments. Eli was too busy looking around at everyone. Young, old, man, woman... Although there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of men. Deagan slid his tray along the rack, moving along the windows that led to the kitchen. "The usual for me. Let's try Protein 1 and Composite 6, add a dash of nine for Eli." Deagan said. The server smiled and nodded. Eli's attention was snapped back to the task at hand when his tray jumped. He turned in time to see one of the slots filled with a blue goop, a ball of pistachio green added to another, and a large spoon full of white added to the far corner. They moved along the rack to the end and Deagan grabbed two spoons, handing Eli one before he moved for the cups. He set it into an insert in the wall and a faintly green hued stream of water began spilling into the cup until it was full. Eli hesitantly grabbed a cup, standing before the nozzle before he filled it as well. This world was so conflicted, so different... Such rich spirit and such poor resources. Eli didn't know how to adjust, he wanted to help... But he couldn't doom his entire city. Eli set his cup into the notch on his tray before following Deagan to take a seat in the middle row of tables furthest away from the door, getting a good view of most people and watching Eli settled. "So if you've been on those ration packs... I guess you've never had good ol' home grown bread basket food?" Deagan said, smirking. Eli shook his head. "Not like this anyway. What... is it all?" Eli asked. "The green is our staple, Manua. It's an algae paste grown in tanks mixed with a hydroponic bean for the highest levels of protein we can grow ourselves." Deagan explained. "Sort of like soy?" Elijah questioned. Deagan shrugged, unfamiliar with the term. "The blue is a biological culture infused with sugars and calcium, bits of carbohydrates, some omega 3." Deagan said. Eli smiled, it sounded almost like yoghurt. "And white?" Eli asked. "Desert." Deagan said simply. Eli's brows furrowed. Deagan shrugged again, "Just Desert. Dig in." Deagan smirked, taking a spoon full of the Manua from his own tray. Eli took a sampling and put it in his mouth. It didn't taste too bad... Sort of like spinach and synthetic chicken. "So were you born here?" Eli asked. "Born and raised. Same with everyone here. Pretty much the only time anyone leaves it's to join Militech." Deagan replied. "I guess that makes it pretty compelling." Eli considered. "Well, it's not just that... They have fresh food and water and air and air conditioning. Those suits never get hot, the mechanics get treated like gods... But no matter what happens, they're helping everyone to rebuild. Once the scrapers are done clearing everything and they figure out how to manage the weather again they'll be able to build brand new cities, only right this time. No wasted space, no slum housing, no shanty towns." Deagan said. Eli nodded gently. It certainly sounded ideal and even Thunder Bay had some questionable housing in a few out of the way spots. "So what do you guys do for fun?" Eli asked, changing the subject. "Well... Singing, dancing, games. Whatever we feel like really before and after we work on our crops and do various other chores." Deagan smiled. "What's your favorite past time?" Eli asked. Deagan smirked gently. "Maybe I'll show you that later, but for right now we should enjoy some time on the surface when we can without having to worry about sunburns." Deagan said, polishing off the yellow paste on his tray. Eli smirked, taking a bite of blue before he shuddered, his tongue sticking out, the blue goo rolling back off of it to drop onto the tray. Eli shook his head, leaving his tongue out, trying to excise the taste if at all possible. Deagan cracked up, nearly falling off the bench.

A cool evening wind swept across the open plains, grasses swaying in what moonlight there was. It was a quiet and peaceful night like any other, a few nocturnal animals starting to scurry about until they sensed the movement and felt the vibrations. Before long they had disappeared again back into their burrows. Shadows moved about in the darkness, heading to various positions. With a sudden and silent flash light spilled over a patch of the open plain... Then another... and another. Soon there was a ring of light pointing in on itself, flooding the area almost as if it was still day, glinting off of a tall metal column that stretched up high into the sky. The column was a singular oddity in the technologically barren landscape. It stretched at least twenty meters into the sky, anchored by six metal struts that disappeared as deeply into the ground as the tower itself. The casing was a rich silver color and seemed to be one piece but there were rounded rectangular gaps segmented up along the casing, showing an interior mechanism sealed in transparent polymer. "Alright gentlemen, let's get to work." Liam's voice came, the soldier moving into the light. He walked over, resting a hand on the structure with a sense of reverence to the technology. Iala and Joannes moved into the light, each pulling a sled of equipment. Liam watched as Iala brought the first sled into place, pressing a button. The sled sunk down into the ground almost as if it was fusing with it. The two soldiers began work taking components off of the sleds, assembling them on the foundation in the ground. In a few minutes they had constructed a fairly large machine. "Ready for the contacts sir." Joannes said. Liam nodded, moving to take the cables, running them over to the tower. He pulled caps off the end of the cable and slid it along a grove on the underside of one of the struts so it stuck in place, doing the same with the other cable on the opposite side. The second sled was soon empty and Iala pulled it apart into five interlocking layers, sliding three of them into place as half a casing around the machine they had built. "Let's power to eight percent, that should be enough for an interface." Liam said. "Understood sir." Iala replied. Soon a gentle pulsing white glow came from the machine as it was activated. There was silence for a long moment before the central mechanism in the column began to glow a faint green, the light stretching up into the night sky. Liam reached out again, placing his hand on the column. The display in his helmet flickered, filling with static for a few moments before a loading icon appeared, a green circle cycling in the center of his screen. "Is it working?" Joannes asked hopefully. Liam didn't respond, waiting. The circle cycled a few more times before it spread out to the edge of his vision. A map of North and South America appeared, hundreds of red dots appearing all over the map. Green flashing dots circled the north east, covering half of Canada and a good portion of the north eastern seaboard. Blinking yellow dots lined certain portions of the oceans. Liam grinned. "It's working... The weather grid is fully intact, fully optimal... It's just devoting all power to keeping the climate cascade and acid wastes in place." Liam said. "You can see it all? Any deterioration?" Iala murmured. Liam shook his head, taking his hand off the column. The image on his screen faded. "Comsys, call base two." Liam said. An antenna extended from the back of his unit and soon his screen filled with information, indicating he was calling the Militech headquarters in San Diego. After a moment he connected, the face of an older man greeting him. "Officer Cavanaugh, report." The man said, sounding somewhat eager. "Phase one is complete sir. The weather grid is completely intact and compatible with interface requests." Liam responded. "Excellent work... Outstanding work." The commander grinned. "I suspect that we should be able to begin tests with the weather system to isolate this tower from the grid within the hour." Liam replied. "I'm afraid... that the experiment will have to be put on hold for the time being." The commander replied, his excitement fading a bit. Liam's brow furrowed. "If I may ask sir, why?" Liam questioned. "The anarchists have become more bold. They attacked two separate supply shipments on the edge of the ruins... There has even been rumors of them crossing the wastes." The commander explained. "Was anyone hurt?" Liam asked. "No thankfully, but we did find this..." The commander said as his picture was replaced with a grainy static image from a security sensor. The image fizzled as it was augmented and zoomed in. The image eventually resolved to show a figure... Tall, six foot four with very large boots and beat up pants, an unusual shirt made of a silvery material. The figure was unlike anyone in any of the settlements... In fact the figure was unlike any citizen of the American Union that Liam had seen outside of security reports. Two mismatched eyes stared back at Liam from the picture, gold and blue... and instead of human ears the figure had the ears of some sort of canine, furry pointed ears emerging from his hair. A sneering grin exposed unusually long teeth and further examination showed that the figure's hands ended in claws rather than fingernails. "That must be Keel, their leader?" Liam asked gently. The commander's face returned. "Yes... And if they really have crossed the wastes then they are within two days' walk of getting out of the quarantine zone. From there... They could reach a half dozen settlements before they ran out of food and supplies. The damage they could do is unfathomable. Your orders are to return to the Quarantine perimeter and begin sweeps. Use the Gateway settlement as your base of operation." The commander ordered. "What if the citizens question our prolonged presence?" Liam asked. "As of eight hundred hours tomorrow morning... The American Union age to enlist will be sixteen years old... It will surely be based on some study that our population matures at a faster rate in these hard times... Your presence in Gateway will be the fist step in a new recruitment drive." The commander stated. Liam was silent for a moment before nodding. "And when we have isolated the anarchists?" Liam asked. "Then you will go along your supply route and see if anyone wishes to take advantage of the new recruitment age. What was that last settlement your team visited?" The commander asked. "Providence sir." Liam replied. "Ah yes, Providence. I had a lieutenant that was born there... Well, good luck Liam." The commander said. "Thank you sir." Liam replied before the communication went dark.

Eli panted as he jogged across the dirt, chasing after the ball that was eluding him. The shouting of the children and teenagers were quite inspiring aside from a few barbs that Eli expected out of competition, but honestly Eli wanted most to impress his new friend Deagan. Eli spun around as he caught up to the ball, hooking it with the side of his shoe to send it hurtling back across the dirt towards Deagan who intercepted to take it toward the goal and score a point. Eli stood where he was, reclaiming his breath. He had worked hard not to get out of shape in Thunder Bay but he had not been prepared to come outside to a land where virtually everyone was nocturnal. The long day was catching up with him and his eye lids were puffy. Still, the people of Providence had offered him a place to sleep and Eli would enjoy the day's sleep like he never had before. "Next round can we have Elijah?" The sixteen year old girl from the other team asked Deagan hopefully. Deagan chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry... I found him out there; I'm going to keep him." Deagan smiled. The other team sighed in disappointment, "One more round?" he asked hopefully. "Nah, we've been playing for a while." The nine year old boy from the other team said, "I'm gonna go see if anyone's tellin' stories." He said, wandering back toward the encampment. The girl shrugged before skipping off on her own. Deagan kicked the ball up into the air, catching it to put under his arm, moving back to Eli. "So, did you like that game?" Deagan asked. Eli grinned wide. "Yeah, lots! It's been a while since I had such a fun game; I just wish I had done better." Eli smiled. "Relax, we won after all." Deagan smirked. Eli nodded, taking that as a well earned consolation. Deagan gazed at Elijah, looking to his dark hair, his sun burned cheeks, his dark brown eyes. He was so different from anyone else. Deagan took a deep breath, soaking the moment in. "I know I'm probably going to sound wimpy but... with all that travel I'm a bit tired. Do you think we could go inside, figure out where I'm staying? Maybe... just find a place to lay down?" Eli asked. It was as if Eli had snatched the thoughts out of Deagan's mind, all be it without some of the more sordid mental images. Deagan's heart raced as he thought he'd have the chance to maneuver himself closer to Elijah. "Oh of course! The... fastest and quietest spot would probably be my hammock. Come on." Deagan said, squeezing Eli's hand before leading him along back toward the encampment. Deagan grinned from ear to ear, feeling his manhood firm in his pants from mere excitement at the chance he might have. He made sure to keep his hips positioned so Eli wouldn't notice, the two moving down the steps into the tunnels once more. Deagan weaved and bobbed his way around until the two moved into quieter area, eventually coming up to a hammock. Deagan grinned. "My bed is your bed." Deagan said. Eli smiled at the gesture. "I don't want to inconvenience you... Do you want to take turns or should I just nap until you need to sleep or..." Eli trailed off. Deagan shrugged a bit. "Whatever works... Uh, do... people ever share in your encampment?" Deagan asked. Eli was a little surprised but considered how short of resources everyone was. "Sometimes I think..." Eli lied, not wanting to seem too out of place. "Well, how about you rest here for as long as you need... and if I can't figure out an alternative by sun rise we make do?" Deagan said. Eli thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Alright, sounds good." Elijah replied. He moved to climb onto the hammock, easing back. Deagan pulled Eli's shoes off, then his socks. Eli considered the temperature before he slipped his shirt off as well, dropping it onto his shoes and socks to make a small pile. Deagan gazed at Eli's chest and stomach for a moment before he smilled. "Sleep well, see you in a couple hours if I don't bunk down somewhere else." Deagan said. "Thank you... for everything. You really have given me so much." Elijah whispered, already feeling sleep tugging at him. "It's what friends are for." Deagan murmured, watching Eli's eyes slip shut, the youth's breathing slow steadily. Deagan's heart raced as he hoped that time would go very quickly.

The constant and eternal sound of the ocean waves cascading over one another echoed across the marshes in the pale dawn light, unable to bring a sense of serenity as it had for so many ages. The waves from the pacific stopped well short of the beach, a glimmering line of golden and pearl light lingering off shore like a storm surge wall. Behind it the water was still, calm, warm... and fairly green. It wasn't the green of algae or mosses; it wasn't the green of any life at all. The beach had been reduced to nothing but sand, rock, and water... water tainted with harsh toxins and acids, bottled up and kept from the ocean at large for over a hundred years. Despite being a land in which no life could survive, a gentle sloshing sound came as two figures moved across the wasteland. Legs clad in what seemed to be boots made of interlocking metal dragon scales, the protective garments ended in sleeves of a rubber like material that looked as if it had been hacked off in haste. The figures were making fairly good time but made each step carefully, making sure not to splash the green water at all. "How much further Keel?" The figure in the back asked, a fourteen year old boy. His hair was blond for the most part but several streaks had faded to a dull white from illness, stress, and genetic damage. "We should make it to the sanctuary in about three hours, there's no way they'll be able to narrow in on us in that time Luke, don't worry." Keel replied, reaching up to brush his bangs out of his face. Keel's hair was nearly black but in the sunlight showed it was truly brown, matching the brown fuzzy wolf ears that emerged from his hairline better than it seemed in the dark. His mismatched eyes contracted in the light, looking animal with a slit of black in the center rather than color. Keel surveyed the horizon, looked to his left and searched for any sign. "No fliers today... That's good, right?" Luke asked. Keel took a breath before nodding. Honestly it made Keel wonder what they were doing if they weren't taking part in the search, but Militech often was arrogant and overlooked important steps. Keel reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace. The pendant was a mechanism of some sort, a pulsing blue light coming from a transparent ring on the metal surface. The scanners would still be scrambled for miles.

Slowly the air was getting warmer... Light was starting to come down the stairs... But Deagan didn't care... not one bit. He sat on a stool next to his hammock, watching Elijah sleep. Deagan almost smirked to himself, figuring the irony of it all. He'd planned it down to the letter... Coming back at sunrise, climbing into the hammock with Eli, accidentally rolling over onto him in an excuse to cuddle... But it didn't happen. Instead he'd sat for hours watching Elijah, in awe of how completely the brown haired boy was sleeping. Deagan wondered if it came from the life of a traveler, seeing so much... having so much to live for. Deagan continued to watch Elijah for some time, his own eyes growing heavy despite straining to watch Eli sleep. After a while Deagan had started to nod off, his head jerking up when he realized he was falling asleep. He tried to steady himself but it was no use. He started to topple forward before catching himself. Eli opened an eye at the motion, smirking gently. He stretched a bit, lying soundly in the hammock. "Do you want a turn?" Eli whispered sleepily. Deagan shook his head softly. He moved and began climbing into the hammock without restraint. Eli moved, trying to help Deagan. The hammock swung a bit as the two tried to maneuver, "Just, um, let me know how you want me to move." Eli murmured. Deagan gave a sleepy nod, putting his palm onto Eli's chest. Deagan pushed Elijah down onto the hammock before moving to put himself along Eli's side, draping a hand across the traveler's chest. Eli blushed a bit but... it still felt good. "Sleep well." Deagan said, moving to nuzzle his head against Eli's shoulder before closing his eyes. Eli gave a gentle smile, lingering a while in the new position before he too closed his eyes.

Branches crackled gently as they were pushed apart, making way for Keel and Luke. The bushes and shrubs were not at all pleasant, covered in a dusty pollen and thorns. They smelled bad, they stung anyone that ventured near... Keel realized what a good choice it was to prevent erosion and supply some minor oxygenation to an area with hidden treasures. Keel clambered up onto the plateau before he turned, offering his clawed hand to Luke. Luke reached up, taking Keel's. With a grunt Keel pulled the teenager up and the two collapsed onto the ground, panting more soundly. "We made it..." Luke panted gently, grinning. Keel nodded, catching his breath. "I knew you could do it." Keel said, getting up after a few moments. "I was worried when we had to go so much earlier than we planned... But you seemed sure." Luke said, a bit hesitant. "Someone activated the GCS system... and it wasn't Militech. Someone is out there, someone that could help us... We have to find them before Militech does." Keel said, "And... If I'm not in the ruins then they might give the others a bit of a break." "If they lay low enough." Luke replied. Keel gave another nod before he got up, offering his hand to Luke. Luke accepted it and soon was back on his feet. The two began moving forward, navigating through the shrubs. "It shouldn't be too much-" Keel paused, feeling a prick of pain in his shoulder. He reached back and pulled the source out. It was a Militech dart. Keel's brow furrowed. He looked around and his eyes settled on a small launcher. It was rather basic technology. "Are you okay?" Luke asked softly. "Fine... these must have been put here right after they cleared the rest of the area; it must be too old to do anything. Let's go." Keel said. Luke gave a nod before continuing. The two moved a few more feet before Luke let out a yelp. "Ow! One got me..." Luke replied. "You okay?" Keel asked. Luke went to nod but his eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head. The fourteen year old collapsed to the ground and started shaking. The same launcher shot another dart and hit Keel again. Keel pulled the dart out and moved to Luke. The boy was in some sort of seizure, foam starting to froth from his mouth. The boy's skin was turning pale. Keel picked Luke up and carried him out of the thicket, stumbling and falling over a metal hatch. The two landed with a thud. Keel didn't waste time, turning. He lifted Luke up in his arms, hesitating before he moved, biting into the boy's neck. The fangs pierced the skin, blood leaking out. Keel closed his mouth over the wound, holding it there. Slowly the seizure subsided, the boy's body growing still. Keel was still, motionless. He felt as if his heart had stopped, having no idea if it would work. A moment later Luke's eyes snapped open, a rich gold color now slit like that of a feline. Luke gasped, chest heaving. His muscles grew rigid and he writhed, his fingernails stretching longer and thicker, fingers shifting until Luke's fingers ended in wicked claws. Luke writhed more, his hair seeming to shift in the light. Before long it was pure silver. Keel watched as the tips of Luke's ears grew to points, fuzz covering them. Slowly the ears started to migrate up along his head a few inches. Silver fuzz started to emerge from the collar of Luke's shirt. "Just stay calm... You're going to be okay." Keel said. "What's... going on?" Luke asked, panting, writhing. His shirt seemed to grow tight as his muscles became more defined. "It was a poison for humans, not hybrids... I... converted you." Keel said softly. Luke was still struggling to regain control of his body. After a moment he seemed to relax against Keel finally. Then his face firmed up. He lifted his hips and wriggled a bit until a long, thick tail emerged, batting around a bit. "This is so weird..." Luke whispered. "Trust me, there are perks." Keel replied with a grin.

Green Horizon Chapter 4 - Liminality

A strong hum came, beating the air back as it traveled. The green water of the acid wastes rippled, casting small waves in every direction. Like a silver bird the air skimmer darted along the surface, the sleek silver hull glinting in the afternoon light. Liam gazed at the view from within his helmet. It was a deadly wasteland with no plant life, no civilization... but the colors were so rich. Liam's thoughts were interrupted by a chirp from communications. "Liam Cavanaugh." He replied out of habit. The face of a twenty five year old appeared; his pale skin almost translucent. "Liam, we found remains in the wastes, sector eleven. I thought you'd want to know so you can resume normal operations." The officer reported. "Remains sir? Was it them?" Liam asked in surprise. "Well... I admit it was hard to tell from what was left but we found two partial skeletons... Acid etched bones, somewhere in late adolescence. Why are you so dubious?" The colonel questioned. "We had two scouts on patrol... Have they reported back?" Liam questioned. "No, but I don't expect them to. They were on a field patrol when we called them in, low profile. I commend you for thinking of all possibilities but the odds of two civilians making it through the wastes while two of our scout units fall prey to any fate other than duty is... preposterous. You are to resume normal duties immediately. Understood?" The colonel questioned. "Understood sir." Liam replied. The Colonel disappeared from the screen. "We're done?" Joannes asked, "Isn't that a good thing?" "If they were a big enough security risk to pull us in... I don't think we should accept things so easily. It doesn't sit right." Liam muttered. "This isn't our department Liam... We're just public relations. Help the people; recruit the people, safe guard the future for everyone." Joannes replied. "Yes... But those scouts were recruited from one of the settlements. Almost all of us were." Liam said before sighing, "But maybe I'm over thinking it... That acid couldn't put a dent on Militech armor or implants... It was just organic they found." Liam said softly. The skimmer started turning, arching back to head out of the quarantine zone to where the trucks had been left. "That's the ticket... Now it's time to spread the good word about younger enlistment. That kid in Providence is going to be psyched." Joannes grinned. "Deagan, yeah. He'll be ecstatic." Liam smiled.

-- Slowly Elijah's chest rose as he took a larger breath, his conscious swimming back toward the surface. Gently he opened his eyes just a little. Light was spilling in from the end of the hallway, the sun was high. Elijah smiled a bit more at that, knowing it meant he could sleep for several more hours. When he was young he had always enjoyed looking at the clock if he woke up in the early morning, knowing he could go back to sleep. This was very much the same... except that someone was asleep against him. Elijah looked at Deagan, the teenager passed out along his side. For hours Deagan had slept, his head resting on Elijah's chest. Eli watched Deagan sleep, amazed at how peaceful the blond was. Deagan had seemed to be full of so much energy... To see him asleep was to see how young he really was, his face so relaxed. Elijah wondered if he looked that peaceful all the time or if he had any part in it. Elijah reached down and gently ran his hand across the blond hair of the boy asleep on his chest. Deagan smiled gently in his sleep, nuzzling against Elijah. Eli's heart skipped a beat at that. When Eli had been growing up it had been pretty universal that people of all walks of life were people no matter what... But Elijah had never spent much time thinking about what kind of person he was. He had lived for his family and for school... and then the world had ended. Everything had ended... But life continued. Now here he was in the bed of another teenager, eighty some years younger than himself. Eli had never felt so old or young as he did at that moment, but still... He had found life and people. As Eli lay in the hammock he got to thinking about things Deagan had said, how he had been acting. In retrospect it was rather clear that Deagan was interested in him. Eli gave a gentle smirk, looking at the sleeping boy. Eli realized how dense he had been. There was still every chance he could have been mistaken but he would certainly try to keep a better watch on what was going on. At least... he'd keep watch when they got up. Eli took another breath, looked to Deagan deep asleep and then let himself fall back asleep once more.

After decades of darkness the first light fell from the ceiling, landing in a crescent on the floor. Dirt fell down from the gap, scattering across the dust. The gap slid open wider until a circle of light broached the ceiling. Keel navigated over the edge before dropping down, the metal Militech boots he was wearing cushioning the fall completely. He shifted a bit, bracing his legs carefully. "Alright, it's safe. Come on down." Keel called up, eyes glinting in the light. "Are you sure?" Luke hesitated, legs appearing over the edge. "I already said I'd help catch you." Keel replied. "Okay..." Luke sighed, maneuvering to lift up the cover they had breached. He lifted it above his head before he leapt into the hole, pulling the cover tight above him. He fell a bit awkwardly but Keel grabbed onto the boy, steadying him so the weight went into the boots that shifted to take the g-forces. Luke panted gently, trying to adjust. "Wait... Why can I still see you?" he whispered to Keel. "Your feline eyes... Lynx I think, not sure yet." Keel replied, slipping the large backpack off his shoulders. He set it down and opened it up, pulling out a light. With a few shakes the light began to cast a pale blue glow around them. The light shone brightly off of the technology stuffed into the bag. Four metal gloves, a chest piece, random wiring and bits of metal. It was a treasure trove. "Are we here?" Luke asked, looking around. They had left the wilderness in favor of this forgotten sanctuary. In the pale light the walls were visible, dark grey with details of copper. A short distance away the wall was intersected by a door, a black rectangle indicating a screen. "We're just outside." Keel said, "Now we see if we came all this way for nothing." He commented, reaching up to his chest. Luke watched his wolf eared leader slip the pendant off of the chain, screwing the golden cover off. Inside was an incredibly thin wafer of technology resting on a gel surface inside the pendant. It seemed quite old even to his eyes, a circle of lines stretching out from the very center, the light a pale blue tainted with violet. Keel moved over to the door, looking at the pendant before he lifted it up, pressing it to the darkened screen. There was nothing for a long moment but then finally the screen flickered, static filling for a moment before computer code processed. Finally a logo appeared, a gear rolling in place behind the letters 'GCS'. "System Rebooted. Welcome to Grand Central Systems, your number one rapid transit option. Updating travel information." The computer announced. Keel was grinning ear to ear, Luke smiling as well as he advanced, "Warning: Serious delays are to be expected, the magnetic levitation system is experiencing technical difficulties. Technicians are hard at work to rectify the situation." The computer explained. "Inquiry... Passenger Manifest." Keel said, cutting to the point. The gear on the screen flashed red. "ECHO feedback error... Improper configuration." The computer chirped. "What does it mean?" Luke asked, eyes soft as he gazed to Keel. He didn't want to have come all this way for nothing. "It's ancient technology... It's supposed to be in someone's hand... Even if it was I don't think it'd like my D.N.A." Keel muttered, "Interface... Read only mode." He said. The gear turned blue again, "Inquiry, passenger manifest." He repeated. "Time frame?" The computer asked. "Two months." Keel replied. "One passenger, Technician Elijah Tennant routed from Thunder Bay station to relay point one-beta." The computer replied. "Where's that?" Luke questioned softly. "That... is where we are going." Keel replied with a fanged grin, putting the pendant back together. He twisted the golden casing about until the visible strip of the lights inside turned red. He opened the pendant back up and carefully withdrew the paper thin mechanism, resting it against his hand. He put it to the screen and the screen started flickering with code. Luke took a deep breath in anticipation. Keel meanwhile was focused on the screen, "Security subdirectory, San Diego station lockout code. Update security key with stored code." Keel ordered. The code on the screen started flickering faster, scrolling by. Keel flinched, one eye squeezing shut. "What's going on?" Luke asked, getting very worried. Keel bit his lip, his eyes looking much more canine as he tried to block the pain. Keel gasped sharply, arcs of electricity passing between his hand and the screen. He shuddered, the code going even faster. With an unceremonious pop the door next to them slid open and the screen went dark. Keel collapsed to the floor, Luke calling out in shock, "Keel!" Luke exclaimed, dropping to his knees. Keel was still for a long moment before his gold eye opened gently. "I'm okay..." he whispered softly, lifting his hand. The ECHO rested on the surface still but half the circle was dark, the remaining slivers of light having returned to a violet color, "But... we only get to open one more set of doors before this is dead for good... I hope it holds out... We have to find the traveler." Keel whispered softly. Luke nodded gently, leaning down. The now silver haired youth slid his right arm under Keel's armpit, helping hoist his leader to his feet. Keel looked at Luke with a look of admiration. "It looks like you're settling into your new role... Have you picked a new name yet?" Keel asked. Luke smirked. "I'm considering Lynx..." He replied, "Is it too cliché?" "Nope... It's suiting." Keel said, settling the Echo back into the protective gel inside the pendant, screwing it back together. They just had to make it to the relay point, "Alright, let's get going. Maybe we'll see one of those offending machines full of toys and treats they used to have everywhere." Keel smirked, walking through the doorway with his comrade.

Slowly Eli's mind began to stir, his body feeling better rested than he had felt in ages... His dreams had been vivid and interesting, incorporating all of his new memories so he would never have to forget them. As Eli moved towards consciousness he heard a strange sound, the sound of a heavy wind. Eli's eyes snapped open and he looked around. His body was telling him it was somewhere close to dinner time which meant that the settlers wouldn't be rising for breakfast for another two hours... All that sleep and still plenty of time. Eli moved to turn over when he paused, feeling a distinct obstacle against his groin. Eli blushed gently, taking a deep breath as he looked down. Deagan was still asleep but his body had apparently worked on the equivalent of morning wood. A prevalent bulge was pressing against Elijah's groin, the ramifications unmistakable. Eli blushed harder as his own shaft started getting hard in response. He tried to calm himself down but the jostling had started to stir Deagan. Deagan cooed, cuddling against Elijah, their cocks rubbing against one another. Eli let out a moan at that. Deagan stirred a bit before sleepily opening his eyes. "Hey, I-" Deagan paused, eyes going very wide when he felt his stiff cock pressed tightly against Elijah's. Eli paled in shock. Deagan looked into Eli's eyes with his cool blue ones, his lower lip glistening softly with moisture. Deagan may have been younger and smaller but he was assertive. He leaned and pressed his lips to Elijah, one hand moving to caress Eli's fuzzy cheek. Slowly Deagan started grinding against Elijah, slowly humping their groins together, grinding. "Deagan... What-" Elijah muttered, his words coming to a stop. Deagan's free hand moved and slid up Elijah's chest, starting to circle his nipples, rubbing them and giving them a pinch. Elijah groaned louder, caught completely by surprise. Deagan grinned at that, kissing Elijah again before sucking on the boy's lower lip. Elijah couldn't believe it... Someone was making him horny, going out of their way to express affection. Elijah shuddered once more as Deagan's tongue darted along Elijah's lips before Eli finally relaxed; tilting his head, opening his mouth to accept whatever Deagan had to offer. Their tongues crashed together and began fighting for dominance. The taste of Deagan's mouth only turned Eli on more and he began pushing his lips tighter to Deagan, returning the kiss with growing passion. Deagan murmured in delight at the kiss, his hands surging over Elijah's body, trying to remove all clothing between them. They had already partially stripped the night before so it was fast work. As Elijah's groin was revealed fully Deagan practically drooled. Deagan's hands roamed through Eli's bush, reaching to caress the impressive sack nestled beneath Eli's hard shaft. Slowly Deagan curled his fingers around Elijah's manhood and began pumping it up and down. Once more Eli moaned in bliss, lifting his hips up to thrust into Deagan's hands. Deagan seemed quite satisfied by this for several minutes before a wicked look crossed his face. "Do they have special toys where you're from?" Deagan asked softly. "Toys? What do you mean?" Eli replied in confusion. Deagan just grinned. He carefully let the hammock steady himself before he moved. With a practiced hand Deagan pushed against one of the wall panels, sliding it around in the right order so it would retract to reveal the compartment. Eli watched in awe and surprise, having never seen a hidden compartment. Deagan riffled through before pulling out the familiar two foot length of rubber, holding the base up to Eli, squeezing it open so he could see inside. As Eli watched, Deagan moved and began licking at the underside of the toy. Eli gasped softly as the inside of the toy grew moist, glistening with liquid. Eli could even see the indentation of Deagan's tongue... although it wasn't anywhere near where his tongue actually was. "Wanna try it?" Deagan whispered. "What is it?" Eli muttered. "It's a toy... It's designed to make you think your cock is this big... You can feel the whole length, flop it about wherever you want." Deagan whispered, "C'mon, I know you'll love it... I promise I'll make it fun." He said, eyes expectant. Elijah didn't want to let his new friend... After all it had been so wonderful so far. Elijah nodded softly. Deagan grinned wide. Deagan carefully moved the tentacle toy's base to Eli's cock and began sliding it over the head gently. Deagan got even more horny, knowing how many times he had cum into the toy he was putting onto Eli now. It was such a dirty idea that Deagan loved it. Eli grabbed onto the hammock, panting as he felt the odd sensation of penetrating anything. He began humping into it softly but Deagan just shook his head, pushing the tentacle down until it rested against Eli's groin "Now... we just start giving you the royal treatment." Deagan whispered, kissing the toy. Elijah moaned deeply, feeling the kiss... It really felt as if his cock had been kissed, but it was so much further away. Deagan started thrusting his hands up and down the length, grinning wide. "So good... Oh god, how did you find this?" Eli muttered. "Not important... But you think it feels good with two hands, I can't imagine what four is like..." Deagan said, grabbing Eli's right hand and putting it onto the toy, getting it going before he grabbed Eli's left hand, placing it onto the toy as well. As Elijah's left hand touched the tentacle his palm illuminated for a brief instant, flashing blue. The tentacle suddenly grew stiff, standing straight up. Deagan froze in shock, eyes wide. He'd never seen the toy do anything remotely like move on its own. Eli was too distracted from the pleasure to react. He squirmed and moaned, hands working up and down the two foot length. Eli's toes curled in pleasure and as they did the tentacle curved a bit. "Deagan!" Eli called out, moaning hard. Deagan's eyes moved to the base of the tentacle on Eli. He couldn't see the seam; it was as if the toy was fused to Eli. Eli moaned louder, gasping sharply. The length of the tentacle began to glisten as it leaked a thin substance, almost like precum. It began writhing and moving, Eli learning how to control it. Eli grinned wider and gazed at Deagan. The tentacle moved, the tip sliding along Deagan's cheek, smearing the clear goo along his skin before brushing his lips. While Deagan had been shocked by the unexpected reaction, the musky scent of the goo was quite intoxicating. He moaned and opened his mouth, promptly receiving the tip of the tentacle cock. Eli began pushing it deeper, swishing it around Deagan's mouth. Deagan let out a gentle grunt before he grabbed onto the tentacle with both hands, thrusting them up and down the length as he slurped on the tip like a starving man. Eli writhed shamelessly, working the tentacle back and forth inside Deagan's mouth. It was so good he couldn't believe it was actually happening. Between the sensation in the toy and the sight of such a monstrous member it really felt like it was a part of Eli. Deagan sucked Eli off for what felt like an eternity but neither of them had any grasp of time anymore. The goo leaked from the tentacle like mad, dripping down Deagan's chest, coating the boy's nipples, chest, stomach, pooling on his cock and balls. It clung to Deagan's length, almost feeling as if it was massaging him. Elijah's voice almost felt hoarse with the full range of moans, grunts, and sighs he had expressed but it was slowly building to a new crescendo. Deagan could feel the tentacle squirming and pulsing as Eli came to the edge. Deagan took one hand off of Eli's shaft, reaching out to caress Eli's cheek once more. The combination of lust and romance was too much for Eli and he tipped his head back, calling out in exquisite delight. Deagan heard the shout and knew his prize was coming. He clamped his lips down just before the incredibly potent, thick, hot, sticky wash of cum began spraying into his mouth and down his throat... But it was far more cum than a human could make, the tang particularly strong like the goo that the toy secreted. Still, Deagan was greedy and gulped it down... Soon it was apparent that he couldn't drink fast enough as the goo spilled out of his mouth, finding its way to Deagan's cock. Deagan shuddered and moaned, still greedily drinking although he whimpered as he felt odd sensations in his body... almost as if the cum was moving itself around. He gasped sharply in shock and pleasure as an unexpected orgasm hit him, rewarded with cum spraying all over his face. Deagan's own shaft began pulsing and spraying cum out although some of the liquid arched back, splattering onto Deagan's shaft, coating it steadily. Even cum on his stomach seemed to roll down the flesh, gathering with the rest. The strange phenomenon was lost on Eli and Deagan. Eli was too busy experiencing the longest and most intense orgasm of his life while Deagan was feeling pleasure throughout his body unlike anything he could comprehend. Between the two boys the goo continued to build on Deagan until it started to darken, taking on a vaguely flesh colored hue. Deagan was still cumming but to outside observation it merely seemed like the covering on his cock was rippling. Eli let out a deep moan before he leaned back, panting for breath as his orgasm subsided. The large tentacle was pulled from Deagan's mouth, laying down across Eli's leg. Deagan however didn't seem to be done. The goo continued shifting until it began hardening. Deagan looked down, eyes wide as his cum splattered mouth hung open. The substance on his cock was finally setting... into what seemed to be a foot long tentacle matching Elijah's, although the key difference was that the seam at the base of his shaft was still visible. Deagan rested on his knees, shocked out of his mind. He reached down to touch his own tentacle in disbelief, moaning as he felt the sensations. The pleasure was so intense... The orgasm had been so wild. Deagan wobbled gently before he collapsed onto Eli's chest, panting hard. Elijah grinned, concentrating. Eli's tentacle cock slowly started coiling around Deagan's, holding him close. Deagan gazed at Eli. "Who are you?" Deagan whispered softly. "Your boyfriend." Eli replied softly, giving Deagan a long kiss.

Green Horizon Chapter 5 - Dust

The howl of the wind echoed like a wild animal, cutting down every street, between every building. Scraps of plastic bags whipped about, rolling along like tumbleweed as the thick haze of dust ravaged the ruins. The silhouette of the skyscrapers seemed almost as they had before the climate cascade; tall, proud, monolithic structures and aspirations of the human race... But it was only an illusion... the same dust storm obscuring the very weathering and erosion that it had contributed to, the cement bleached and etched. On some buildings the morning sunlight, however diffused, shone right through the buildings without any obstruction, the interior walls long since gutted by some fire... But humans built things to last and the ruins were struggling against all odds to do just that. Two amber eyes gazed up at the ruins, wolf ears tucked low in the wind. The wind tugged at the yellow and brown coat and pants Keel was wrapped in to blend in, a bandanna tied over his mouth and nose to keep the dust from getting into his lungs. It was a dangerous time to venture outside during the storms but it seemed oddly peaceful, oddly alive. Keel moved across the empty street, stepping over the fallen traffic light, the metal long since stripped of any paint. It was then that Keel heard it. His ears perked up and he slowly turned his head. The howl of the wind was masking something. Keel slowly turned around, trying to hear in any direction when he started feeling it. The traffic light he had passed was starting to vibrate, the sign depicting 'Golden Hill' rattling on its bolts. Keel's eyes widened sharply before it felt as if the air itself was splitting. His head started ringing as he ran for cover, cement bursting behind him as if it had been hit by some kind of projectile. As Keel dove behind the rusted hulk of a car he heard the Crawler advancing. He slowly knelt down, peering under the remains of the sports utility vehicle. He couldn't see the entire tank but he knew exactly what it was. The air rippled beneath the Militech crawler, the craft advancing. It seemed inordinately gangly for a tank, four modular legs fit together into the shape of an H, the weapon turret rotating from the center. The tapered legs moved and shifted along with the terrain, keeping it floating just off the ground a sufficient height. The silver craft with blue highlights seemed entirely out of place in the eroded ruins of the city. It looked brand new, unscathed. Keel turned, trying to duck back down a side street, turning to run. The crawler's turret turned and one of the smaller weapons charged and released... No projectile emerged, no bolt of energy... merely focused sound. Keel felt the pulsing in his head, an incredible pain... but it had been another miss. The glass on another abandoned car shattered to the ground. Keel ran for his life, paws pounding onto the sidewalk. The crawler remained where it was but the Militech soldiers had apparently lost their patience. Keel heard the weapon firing just a second before the Earth beneath his feet fell out from under him... Or was he in the air? Keel tumbled through the air wildly, feeling as if time was in slow motion. As Keel tumbled he gazed up to the rooftops of the lower buildings. His eyes widened as they fell across a robbed figure, the hood pulled back to reveal the head of a black jackal, the smoky silver robes edged with a pure white that was no where inside the ruins. The figure stood with such solemnity, such calmness despite the situation... As still as a statue, eyes full of compassion. Keel reached out, trying to reach his hand to the figure. The figure extended their arm, a paw like hand emerging from the robes. They were so close... but then Keel began to fall faster, falling down toward the ground. "Master Anu!" Keel exclaimed, his eyes snapping open and his heart racing. Keel hesitated, the disorientation of sleep clouding his mind for a moment. Keel was right where he had been; the dim cabin of the GCS repair train. Rings of dim lights passed the outside of the cab every so often, the train running smoothly and evenly. Keel reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes. As he reflected on the dream he realized how impossible it was... His teacher would never come to any territory held by the Americas Union, it was too dangerous. Keel had been one of the only ones brave enough to leave the safety of the Eurasia... His hopes of seeing another of his kind were slim to none - apart from his new convert anyhow. Keel sat up in the chair, looking around. The seat Lynx had been occupying was empty... Well, empty of Lynx at least. Several of the products liberated from the vending machine had been torn open. The bags had then been sorted into two piles; edible despite the chemicals giving the food a shelf life of a hundred years... or inedible... remnants of food that no longer resembled anything. Keel reached down to rub at his paws. He hated using the Militech scout boots but they had been the only way to safely cross the wastes. Still, it was good to have them off. Keel slowly rose up to his feet, stretching. Despite his dream he still felt rested. Keel moved between the rows of seats to the rear compartment, easing the door open gently. Inside he found Lynx in front of the mirror. Lynx had changed quite a bit... It was a metamorphosis not lost on either of them. Lynx had left San Diego as a blond fourteen year old barely measuring over five feet in height. Now he was five foot eight and still growing, his blond hair had turned a healthy silver and it had grown to his shoulder blades. Lynx had tied it back into a ponytail with a piece of yarn he had found, lacking anything more suitable. Keel watched the boy for a few moments. Lynx ran his clawed hands along his shirt before lifting it up. A silver thatch of hair had reached up from the line of his pants to his naval. Lynx ran his fingers through the hair there, murmuring in surprise. Keel smiled at that, turning. The movement caught Lynx' eyes. "I, uh, I..." Lynx stuttered, embarrassed. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, looks like you're doing fine." Keel said with a smile, moving back the way he had come. Lynx rushed out after Keel. "I am, I mean... Thanks to you." Lynx said. He felt rather odd, being so much larger and yet still feeling like the meek boy he had been. Keel settled down into his seat once more. Lynx followed, lowering down into the seat next to Keel rather than across the aisle. Keel gave Lynx a gentle smile but he could tell the boy was formulating questions. "What's on your mind?" Keel asked, stretching a bit. Lynx smirked. "So... very much." he murmured, deciding to settle on one to start with, "Did you always have the power to change people?" he asked. Keel considered for a moment, the cabin flashing as they passed another ring of lights. "Yes... It's something everyone like me can do." Keel said softly. "Then... Why aren't there more like us in the resistance? This feels great... I'm so much more..." Lynx said with a gentle grin. "Militech doesn't like genetic deviations... They don't want their stock to be spoiled by tampering. I'm an affront to their repopulation movement. I don't want them to know for a second that I can pass it on." Keel replied. "Then... Why did you save me?" Lynx asked gently. Keel gave a weak smile, looking at the floor. He had walked into that one. "The resistance doesn't leave anyone behind... It is a fight for life, to regain lost freedom and to thrive. That's a struggle everyone in the world can respect." Keel explained. Lynx gave a nod and a gentle smile in turn. "Then I should thank you for bringing me on this mission... You trusted me enough to depend on me even though you knew I'd slow you down." Lynx said. "You have a lot of promise; you were one of the best foragers in the ruins. Plus... I didn't want to weaken the defense lines while we were gone. Militech spotted us leaving, if they didn't chase after us they might have gone right to the ruins. But it wasn't a gamble, you've done well on your missions and your mother is one of the strongest fighters we have against incursions." Keel said. Lynx gave a gentle nod. "Yeah, and Griffon is there... He'll look out after them. He did before you showed up." Lynx replied. Keel gave a nod. "They're in good hands and so am I. Nothing's changed." Keel said, patting Lynx on the shoulder. Lynx exhaled a bit, making a noise Keel remembered from his youth. It was called chuffing, the equivalent to purring in large cats. Looking at and hearing Lynx reminded Keel how many years since it had been since he had been at home... So very far away. For just a moment Keel started wishing that Lynx was older but he brushed that from his mind, "So, were any of those good?" Keel asked. "Some of them smelled awful but they had these things called Twinkie Deluxe... They seem completely fresh." Lynx replied, "Want some?" "Sure, let's live adventurously." Keel smirked.

The commissary of Providence was quiet, save for the howling wind. From what Elijah gathered these dust storms were fairly common. Most of the settlers were staying in their beds or playing card games around. Eli lifted his spoon to his mouth, sampling the orange paste they had served today. It wasn't too bad. It was almost like yams, although it was a bit grittier. Eli took a few moments before he realized Deagan was just stirring his food, pushing it around his tray. "What's wrong?" Elijah asked softly. Deagan looked up, meeting eyes with Eli. "What did you mean, boyfriend..." Deagan said gently. Eli took a breath. "I'm sorry, it was a cheesy thing to say." Eli apologized. Deagan looked confused, eyes squinting a bit. "What's... cheesy?" Deagan asked. "Corny?" Eli replied. Deagan's expression didn't change. Eli looked around at the pastes and soups that the settlers had to eat. How many words had gone extinct since they no longer referred to anything. Eli sighed gently, "I... It's been a long time since I felt any physical contact and I never felt anything like that before... I got caught up in the moment." Eli said. "I've never felt anything like that before either... And, I mean you're handsome and sexy and... amazing, but..." Deagan hesitated, "I don't know anything about you. You didn't even say the name of where you came from... And it took us three hours to figure out how to get that toy off of you..." Deagan whispered. Eli blushed but smiled a bit. "I guess I just had to want to take it off..." He whispered. Deagan's brow furrowed and he leaned back in his chair. "Are you avoiding the question? Eli, who are you really?" Deagan asked. Eli put his spoon down, leaning back as well. Silence reigned once more for a long moment. "I'm Elijah Tennant. I'm from an independent settlement very far away... Militech has never come across us. None of us have ever left that place so the whole world is very new. I don't know anything about the outside world. I came a very far way but you were the first one I found." Elijah explained. Deagan took it in, reaching up to brush his pale blond hair from his eyes. "If I'm the first person you came across and you slept with me... What does that mean?" Deagan asked. Eli's eyes went wide. "It isn't like that... You approached me, remember? You told me to sleep in your bed..." Elijah replied in defense. "I know, I know... I..." Deagan sighed softly. "I think we were both caught off guard..." Eli said softly, "We just have a lot of things to get used to... to learn." "Yeah, we do... but... You should tell Militech about your settlement; they can help you like they did the rest of us... Food, water, shelter, medicines..." Deagan smiled. Eli however didn't seem as pleased at the concept. "My people aren't very social right now... They wouldn't be receptive to visitors. I don't want to commit them to anything myself, they have their own plan to things. I just want them to be safe while I see the world." Eli said. Deagan's eyes widened. "So you're... going to go see the whole world? Like you came here?" Deagan asked. Eli considered for a moment. "I'm going to see as much as I can... I don't know how far I'll get." Eli said. "Can I come with you?" Deagan asked. Eli hesitated. "But what about our confusion?" Eli asked. "I don't know what will happen between us... I want to get to know you better... And the sex was great... Either way I need to stick by you." Deagan said. "What about the others? Don't they need you?" Elijah asked. Deagan shook his head. "I was going to join Militech when I was old enough... They get to go all over North and South America... See so much of the world, help people." Deagan explained. "That doesn't sound so bad." Eli considered. Deagan smirked. "Hey, something's coming through the storm!" A ten year old exclaimed, coming down the stairs. He was covered in dust, his hair a tan color instead of his usual shade of black. "What is it?" The cook questioned, leaning over the counter. "It looked like a convoy!" The kid said excitedly. "Already? And in this weather? It has to be a mirage..." The cook replied. Deagan jogged over to the far table, picking up a cloth to tie around his face before he left the commissary, moving up the stairs. They were covered in dust that had started collecting despite the doors being shut. Eli emerged behind Deagan, pulling his shirt up over his mouth. Deagan heaved the doors open and emerged. It was so dark with night having fallen, the dust whipping around almost like a fog. Deagan felt it rubbing against his skin. Eli moved out behind him, only one eye barely open. "I don't see anything!" Eli said. Deagan didn't reply for a long moment before he pointed. "There! Lights!" he said. Eli took a few steps forward. Sure enough he saw an intricate pattern of lights, a mechanical transport that could only have been Militech. After a few moments there was another... and another. Three transports. It was a much more proper convoy than the last one he had seen. "It'll be here in a bit, let's wait inside!" Deagan replied over the wind. Deagan nodded, the two moving back inside.

With a gentle hum the Militech transports came to a stop, the headlights sending shafts of white through the swirling darkness. All at once from the side of the crafts came a dozen blue lights, the shoulder mounted illumination of the Militech soldiers. With a click the frame holding Liam's power suit disengaged, the shoulder mounts lifting up. Liam stepped off the side of the truck, landing in the dirt. "Alright everyone, let's escort our guests inside." Liam called out. A shimmer of light came from the back of the transports as their rear bulkheads slid down and then angled out to form a ramp. The rest of the soldiers dropped from the side of the transports, moving around. From inside the craft figures moved out, holding onto their clothes to protect themselves from the wind and sand. As a particularly strong wind blast hit one of the people's hats blew off but a pale arm snapped up, grabbing it in mid air before bringing it back down again. Liam gave a gentle smile, noting the teenager's reflexes. "Right this way everyone, welcome to Providence." Liam said, heading toward the entrance. His hand pressed against the doors, easing them open. Inside he saw the tell tale signs they were expected; gathered children, a welcome mat, and more buzzing activity. Even in the midst of a storm they somehow knew. "Seal them up!" Joannes called out. The transport doors slid back up, hissing as the cabins were pressurized once more. In the hallway one of the elders moved up, her white hair put up into an elaborate bun. "Officer Cavanaugh, to what do we owe the pleasure?" She asked. "We would like to make a presentation to your young people and to let some of our new recruits stretch their legs a bit." Liam said. "Of course, we can go to the meeting hall. I'll make sure everyone is there in twenty minutes. I assume you know the way?" The elder questioned. "Of course. We'll set up. Thank you." Liam said, walking along. From the doorway of the commissary Deagan and Eli stood, watching three soldiers walk by, followed by numerous strangers. They all seemed to be in their teens and twenties from all over the place. The group was followed by two more soldiers. The children moved up the steps, easing the door shut. "Well... you heard them Deagan." The elder smirked, giving Eli and Deagan a glance. Deagan took Eli's hand and tugged him along, leading him after the soldiers. Eli watched the backs of the soldiers ahead of them, noticing how they didn't even seem to be dirty in the harsh weather buffeting everything outside. Was it some sort of static field repelling the particles? His mind continued to consider possibilities before they turned, moving down the first main hallway. At the end the large doors had been opened to reveal a spacious domed room. Two levels of seats ringed the outer edge and people were already filling in. "What's this space used for?" Eli asked, "Like a town hall?" "A what? It's... where we come to discuss important events and when we have to work hard for the harvest." Deagan said. Eli nodded; following the flow of people until soon they were seated in the first row across from the doorway. The strangers had all moved to the second row, sitting together. They were sipping from metal canteens emblazoned with the Militech logo. Deagan was fascinated by the spectacle although the many of the strangers seemed to be younger than him. After a few more moments the elders moved in, heading to take their own seats left of the door. Liam pulled a small round device from one of the compartments on his leg and set it down on the floor. The upper portion rotated open like an iris, the center glowing. "On behalf of Militech and the Americas Union I thank you all for coming." Liam said, his helmet sliding open to reveal his red hair, his green eyes particularly vibrant in the dimmed light. "It is our pleasure." One of the elders replied. Liam gave a smile. "While our ever driving goal is always the survival and restoration of our great nation, we remain an organization of science that always strives to expand our understanding of the universe and to enable innovations to improve our quality of life. Our work can be hard but rewarding... and is impossible without skilled individuals united toward a brighter future." Liam began, "As part of our ongoing research we have concluded a long term study... In the harsh environment forged after the detonation of the Climate Cascade it seems that individuals mature at a faster rate, hitting peak physical condition at a younger age. While they continue to grow beyond this point, Militech has discovered that physical requirements for enlistment are met as early as fifteen in many individuals. As such the age for enlistment has been adjusted to sixteen." Liam explained. Clamor burst out throughout the group. "You mean I could enlist right now?" Deagan asked. Eli looked at him gently, a little surprised. "We could sure use talented people like you Deagan... But anyone of age is welcome to apply. All candidates are screened for their most valuable positions and assigned to teams accordingly. We have two more settlements to visit and then gliders will be picking up recruits and taking them to our base in San Diego." Liam said. There were many more murmurs. "Deagan, are you really going to join?" Eli asked softly. "Before I met you there was no other alternative... And even after... What better way to see the world? To help out?" Deagan asked. "For some of you who haven't been to enlistment presentations before I should go through the benefits of joining. Militech officers receive safe, clean housing with processed air and water to remove contaminants as well as three balanced meals a day. Off duty time is unregulated and unmonitored with the exception of criminal activities. Families and guardians of recruits will receive an additional four crates of supplies per officer per convoy to help offset the loss of support to the settlements." Liam said. "Is that a lot?" Elijah whispered. "It's... enough to feed twelve people and... a month's worth of medical supplies." Deagan whispered. "What if you're disassociated from your settlement? Can you support someone else's?" Elijah called out. Eli turned, green eyes settling on Elijah. "Yes, you can have the supplies delivered to any settlement you wish." Liam replied. Eli gave a thankful nod, settling back in his seat. Life had been so active and so bleak in Providence... They needed every ounce of help they could get. "If you have any questions we'll be here for four more hours while our batteries recharge and anyone can enlist any time an envoy comes through. Thank you again for your time." Liam said. He pressed a button on his arm and the device sent out a projection, a holographic interface appearing. Data and statistics on Militech began appearing as well as pictures showing happy people who had joined. Deagan hopped over the wall at the front of his seat, moving over to look at the display. Eli stood up, moving around the edge to head over as well. "Militech is on the verge of hybridizing two extinct plants that will survive with virtually no water but provide a root system to stop the erosion that causes the storms..." Deagan said excitedly. "Is it a monoculture?" Eli asked. "What's a monoculture?" Deagan replied. Eli opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted. "Would you really give your benefits to some... stranger?" A voice came from behind. Elijah turned to see one of the people that had enlisted into Militech and come with the envoy. He looked to be about seventeen, standing at five foot ten. Black hair hung down to the nape of his neck, hanging smoothly over one eye. The other eye was a drab olive green. The glint of a simple home made nose ring shone below his exposed eye and the teen's chin showed the faint darkness of the first stubble. On his head a ratty black and blue hat sat, the brim tilted off to one side and raised a bit. It had been a while since Eli had been around a lot of people but he recognized the look of disbelief the youth held. "Yeah... Providence has been kind to me and I thought I'd repay the favor." Elijah said. The youth seemed to analyze this answer. "I guess... I should have traveled more, seen other settlements. I'm Gray." He said simply. "I'm Eli and this is Deagan." Eli replied. "So are you two joining up?" Gray asked. Deagan looked at Eli. Eli too a gentle breath before looking around. There was nothing back at Thunder Bay for him, there wasn't anything to do in Providence. He had his fill of being useless in a dome full of technology, there was even less here. If he was going to survive he'd need to work and helping people was a good job. Deagan had certainly been planning on it... and it wasn't as if Militech was battling anyone, who was left to battle? It seemed a clear plan. "Yes, yes we are." Eli said. Gray grinned a bit at that. "Good." Gray said, "It'll be good to have you two along for the ride." "Was that good news I heard?" Liam asked from the doorway. "Sure was!" Deagan replied. "You should go pack. You can bring three personal items. Food, clothing, accoutrements will all be provided so you only need to bring things that mean something to you." Liam said before moving off. Deagan looked at Eli. "Should we bring the toys?" Deagan asked hopefully. "Won't... um... It won't exactly be easy to play around; I doubt there's a lot of privacy... especially with nano-polymer toys that can reproduce themselves in the right situations." Eli blushed. "Well... What else did you bring? Just food and water, right?" Deagan asked, grinning before elbowing Eli, "You can say they are sentimental." Deagan grinned before he moved off, heading toward his room. Eli groaned gently, rolling his eyes.

Green Horizon Chapter 6 - Initiation

The slightest hints of dawn began to peak across the horizon, the sky almost looking yellow. The sun was so low that only a dull glow crossed the prairies, the dirt and dust having finally settled to leave silence in its wake. Eli's eyes slipped open gently as he laid on his side, watching the terrain drift by evenly. It was an incredibly odd sensation, laying on a bed and watching the world move around him... But once closed the interior walls of the transport formed a display that gave real-time footage from outside the craft. Liam and Joannes rested on either side of the craft, seemingly floating in mid-air as if they were guarding the sleeping recruits. Across the metal floor on another row of beds Gray and Deagan were fast asleep; having passed out a few hours early after touring two more settlements neither had been to. Eli had been struck by how similar the settlements were... Same layout, same colors, same food. They had all been crafted with military precision to make use of limited resources. Still, everything they did was for a good cause and his mere presence was helping many people in Providence... Elijah just wished he could get in sync with the sleep schedule the others had. His body was still used to dawn being morning but he knew he'd fall asleep again soon. Eli rolled over onto his stomach to go back to sleep when he realized the display that extended from the divider separated passengers from the cockpit of the transport was active, an updated path appearing on the navigation screen. Eli glanced around... The boys were asleep, the soldiers couldn't see in. Eli hesitated for a moment before he pressed his pointer and thumb together, the blue ring in his hand lighting up for a moment before flashing red. With a mock movement as if he was stretching to go back to sleep he extended his arm above his head, letting it raze the side of the console as he closed his eyes. The display flickered for a moment but then went back to normal. In Elijah's mind he could see the display, flowing text just beneath the surface. He concentrated, looking into the code, learning its language. It seemed familiar, not too different from some of the coding languages in school. In a few minuts he felt confident and in his mind the words started to shift, a program forming to keep the display steady despite his interface with the system. The minutes ticked by and Elijah's confidence grew. He slipped the program into place, taking a breath. He wasn't sure where to begin. 'Militech history...' Elijah thought. He began moving through the data, big blue blocks shifting by quickly but he soon came up to a red one, flashing that access was denied. He didn't have much clearance at all. Elijah thought for a moment, 'Navigation... Settlement locations.' Eli declared. A map opened up in front of his perception. It was clearly marked as a public map... Roughly one hundred and fifty points of light illuminated in North America, another fifty dotting the south. There was a distinct absence on the Eastern Seaboard above Florida, leaving the land all the way up to the barrier to the Climate Cascade empty. Then again the acid wastes were much bigger on the east coast from the look of things. Eli decided to play it safe, navigating himself to some of the northern settlements. The closest settlement to Thunder Bay was called Icarus and seemed rather remote. In a moment of tactical thinking Eli began working into a layer of deeper security, bypassing two firewalls. He opened a biography file for one of the citizens and duplicated the file, data disappearing and being replaced with his own. Before long he had a history, a birthplace... Every bit of information the others had. If anyone asked he had an alibi... He just couldn't let Deagan find out about the false identity. Elijah opened one eye, looking around. Everyone was right where he had left them... Asleep, on guard, whatever else it was that Militech did on patrol. Eli closed his eyes once more. In is mind he started roaming through the blocks of data. It was time to catch up on the state of the world and any information he could access was ripe for the picking. 'Civilian History...' Elijah tried. The digital world zoomed beneath his feet before he came up to a blue cube. The cube shone at the seams before it came apart, the inner edges moving around him. Videos appeared in a grid, paused as they buffered. Documents appeared in rows after rows. There were even charts showing population decline and then growth, disease rates, food supplies... It was everything Eli needed to know to become a convincing member of society. It would be a long day... but well worth it.

-- With a gentle chirp Liam was awoken, his display coming back on. The data initialized and the icons appeared around his field of vision, fading to near transparent unless his eyes focused on any one of them. As the sounds outside of his suit slowly became louder in his ears after sleep mode he could detect a hint of a familiar noise... There was a thumping in the air, a most unnatural and yet memorable noises. Liam focused, his suit cameras zooming out to maximum gaze. He looked from left to right before looking up, surprised when he saw them. Moving at a swift speed from the west were three aircrafts; each one equipped with four round extensions, each extension housing double rotating blades to hold the craft aloft. Just like the land transports these gliders were crafted of stainless silver alloys, the faintest hue of blue tempering the glistening sun. They always reminded Liam of when he had read about butterflies in the database... Although these were much more fearsome beasts if provoked. "Rise and shine everyone, get ready to transfer." Liam called out, the voice being patched in to the passenger cabins as well. On the other transport Iala woke up from sleep mode while the transports slowed to a stop. Joannes was already on guard, stepping off to move out. The Gliders started circling around, moving in closer to land ahead a safe distance. One by one the transport doors slid into ramps, exposing the internals. Liam moved around back to see Gray and Deagan groaning at the light, struggling to wake up. Eli meanwhile was sprawled out all the way to the console block but he too stretched and then sat up, yawning a bit. Liam's helmet piece opened. "Are we there yet?" Deagan asked, rubbing his eyes. "We are at the rendezvous point. The Gliders are landing now." Liam said. Eli grabbed his backpack carrying the personal items for himself and Deagan. Liam stepped out of the way as Eli moved down the ramp, his eyes moving to the gliders. His mood was contemplative, the awe tempered by new understanding. The people of the Americas had a much harder time than he had even imagined but Militech had been working hard to make it better. Eli reached up to keep his brown hair from whipping his face as the gliders landed, their engines powering down. The one thing Eli didn't understand though... was the state of the land itself. Massive machines had been created to strip away the cities, recycling all the metals and wood and plastics into usable resources... To keep the survivors from having to deal with the countless dead and the health hazard... But where were the resources? Nine transports, twenty gliders, one recycler... No other vehicle on the nav system... Maybe the resources were somewhere in South America, the distance had been limited. "Can you believe it Eli? FLYING machines! We're going to be in the sky, so high above it all..." Deagan grinned. "Do you fly often Liam?" Elijah asked. Liam looked at him and smiled. "Not that often. With few exceptions I've been working on convoy and envoy duties but with this last recruitment drive I'll be back on mission ops... We all will be unless any of you qualify to be in different departments." Liam said, starting to advance. Gray followed his lead and Eli and Deagan son did as well. "You three, Glider two. You four, glider three." Iala ordered, the others heading to their appointed gliders. Joannes was already stepping into one of the gliders. Liam was climbing into the first glider ahead of the three young men. "What are the odds of us being in different departments?" Elijah asked over the hum of the engines readying themselves. "Well it is all aptitude based... Your strengths and weaknesses are considered and then you're appointed a position. Most end up as soldiers and scouts. The rest are usually engineer technicians but we get a few stray medics and cooks and essential roles like that." Liam said. "Well I'm going to be a soldier." Gray said, following Liam in, taking a seat. He soon realized that the Gliders didn't seem to have doors... It was going to be a bit windy on the flight. "I guess Eli and I will see how we're sorted." Deagan grinned. "Did you tell them about the reward Liam?" Iala's voice came over the radio, chuckling. Liam rolled his eyes. "What reward?!" Deagan asked in excitement. "Once you're done being processed for day one the guys in the barracks want to show you the best ways to recreate." Joannes piped in. Liam said nothing, apparently reluctant to discuss it. "Sounds great, can't wait." Gray said, tipping his hat down so it covered his eyes. He leaned back in the seat, going back to sleep. Deagan's jaw dropped as he realized Gray planned to ignore their trip. Eli leaned over and buckled Deagan in before strapping himself in place. With all three passengers secured Liam tapped the roof of the cabin. "All ready here. Let's head out." Liam said. Eli felt his eye twitch gently and he looked around, trying to figure out why. It was then that he realized the humm of the engines was gone... But there was a gentle pressure on his ears, some strange phenomenon. Eli looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. "What is it?" Deagan asked Eli gently. "Most don't pick up on that... It's a sonic dampening field... Cancels out the sound of the engines but it only works in the cabin here." Liam said, eyeing Elijah. He was starting to get a gut feeling about how the sorting was going to work out. Deagan grabbed the seat as the Glider shifted and started lifting up, the ground disappearing below them. The glider moved up and then began circling around the ground transports as they picked up altitude, swooping around toward the west. As the other gliders followed the transports seemed to lumber back to life, heading off to the east on some mission. Deagan gazed out of the craft to the west, wondering what San Diego would be like. Eli however looked out towards the east, wondering where the transports were headed. So many questions...

Dirt and pebbles clattered as the ground seemed to open up once more, the hatch out of the GCS tunnel creaking. Clawed hands emerged, hoisting Keel up. He climbed out and turned, giving Lynx a quick yank up before the two shut the hatch again. Keel turned, looking to see the stones that had clattered to the hinges when the hatch had been opened. He contemplated for a moment before picking them up, setting them into an arrow before adjusting it slightly to align to the intersecting tunnel they had found. "There... There's been a dust storm. No tracks, no prints..." Lynx said, his ears lowering in despondency. Keel sniffed the air. "No scent either... But that doesn't matter." Keel replied. "Right, think logically... So let's go east." Lynx smiled. Keel shook his head. "This Elijah... He doesn't come from a place like yours. I know how he would think... He would have gone west." Keel said. Lynx looked dumbfounded. "But then he would be traveling with the sun..." Lynx said. Keel chuckled. "Yes... He would. The whole world used to rise and set with the sun, living their days in the light. There are still parts that do. He's come from a place where they didn't have to change schedules... He went west." Keel said, "Come on, let's go." Keel said, patting Lynx on the shoulder. Lynx set down his bag and opened it up, riffling through until he pulled out a satin thin sleeveless hooded shirt that seemed to me made of a silver material. He slipped it on and pulled the hood over his head to reflect some of the light and heat, his ears having to lay low. Keel pulled up his own hood that had been tucked away, pulling on gloves that hid his claws. Keel glanced to Lynx and gave him a simple nod before they started walking, heading out into the wilderness. Keel knew to ask around they would have to find more gloves or trim Lynx' claws... but they had to find Elijah... The future depended on it.

Eli, Deagan and Liam had never laughed as steadily as they had on the flight to San Diego. Even Gray had woken up, laughing despite his bravado. Liam had regaled the boys with tales of his adventures across North and even South America, the people he had met. In South America large pockets of trees had survived the collapse of the Weather grid. Deagan and Gray lacked interesting stories for the most part but contributed what they knew. Apparently Gray had grown up near a seasonal creek, a few grasses clinging to desperate life when the creek was in a water stage. Eli had carefully avoided answering in great detail about his home. "And he said 'you didn't steal my lunch, you stole my spackle'." Deagan offered, the other three chuckling. "Sir, we're on final approach, making one last flight correction." Joannes deep voice came over the intercom as the gliders began turning north a bit. Deagan, Eli and Gray each went silent in surprise and awe. Beneath the gliders the steady endless plains had come to an unceremonious end, mingling with white sand before it sunk down into green waters. Eli had read about the acid wastes from the Militech network but they were truly something to see in person. It was then that Eli caught something on the hull of one of the other Gliders, a reflection... He adjusted his posture to look, catching the fleeting image of a cityscape... There were no records of a surviving city but the blurry glossy reflection of skyscrapers had been unmistakable. When Eli looked around it was as if the others hadn't noticed. "And there it is, headquarters." Liam said. The bulkhead separating the cockpit from the passengers shimmered to reveal a forward view. An expansive metal complex was situated on the coastline, three amphitheater sized buildings interconnected by metal walkways and bridges, smaller buildings radiating out. A network of pier like structures moved far out to sea, passing over the green acid and the glimmering pearlescent barrier to where large blue waves were crashing and mixing naturally. Eli thought to himself how it almost looked like a university set on a campus made entirely of metal; metal statues, lawns, walkways. The Gliders came to a stop, hovering in mid air before they began descending, one of the three larger buildings humming to life as a portion of the ceiling opened. In a few moments they had landed in a small receiving area. The landing bay was spartan, devoid of any accoutrements and smaller than Eli would have expected. It must have been just for new arrivals. Three doors rested on the far wall, a young man standing in a grey and yellow jumpsuit standing at a computer terminal in front of the doors. Liam, Iala and Joannes moved out of the transports, heading out to the terminal. "New recruits... Your processing will be handled quickly. Leave your personal items with the officer that flew in with you. You will sign in at the terminal and proceed through these doors in groups and your strengths will be assessed. Once done we will show you your accommodations in the barracks. Good luck to you all." Liam said. Eli moved over to Liam, handing him the bag and Gray handed Liam his hat. They moved over to the terminal, standing in line. "Owen Jones, Harvest." The recruit in front said, his right hand on the scanner. His biography appeared. "Leandra Keeney, Harvest." The next recruit stated. Gray moved up, putting his hand onto the scanner. "Gray... Bastion." He said simply. Deagan was surprised at that but a biography file appeared, showing his picture. Gray headed over to the first door while the others headed to the doors matching their group number. Deagan put his hand down on the scanner. "Deagan Loe, Providence." Deagan said before heading off. Eli paused for a moment, reflecting on the names. So many, so random... The vestiges of an old system trying to hold on. It was obvious some family names hadn't survived, others had grown up alone... Eli rested his right hand on the scanner, waiting for Deagan to get into a conversation with Gray where he'd be distracted. "Elijah Tennant, Icarus." Eli stated. The computer accepted him and Eli moved over. Behind Eli the rest of the recruits were soon processed, moving to their respective doors. "Good luck." Liam said again and the doors slid open. The recruits filed in before the doors shut behind them.

Elijah, Gray and Deagan stood in a pristine all white room. Three hip high glass barriers ran from the door at one end to a larger door at the other. On the far wall there was a clock set at zero and three lights. The red light was lit, soon a yellow. "It's a race!" Eli said. Deagan and Gray's eyes went wide. The three moved to the starting positions and when the light flashed green they were off. Deagan's feet pounded like a race horse, carrying him well ahead of the other two. Eli and Gray struggled to keep up but only Gray was able to pull away from the proverbial pack. The distance seemed further than they had first expected but Deagan cheered as he reached the end. A few moments later Gray made it and then Eli. "Good job everyone." Deagan said. Gray said nothing, hating to lose. The large door opened to reveal a balcony on the other side of the door with three metal wheels. The balcony overlooked a steep drop and on the other side was another balcony. Instead of a door there seemed to be hand holds in the wall leading up to a higher platform. The three boys moved to the wheels and started turning them. Turn by turn footbridges extended from beneath the balcony, moving to bridge the gulf between the sides. Gray gave it everything he had, making surprising progress and soon his footbridge locked into place. Gray raced across, starting to climb the wall at once although his footing wasn't as sure. Deagan and Eli meanwhile seemed equally capable as one another, their footbridges locking into place. Deagan glanced at Eli and chuckled, the two moving across. Despite Gray's head start Eli and Deagan soon caught up to him, the three reaching the top at roughly the same time. One more door opened revealing a more simplistic room. Inside was a long table on which sat three cups of tools and three metallic cubes that were partially apart, revealing mechanical parts. Deagan and Gray advanced, standing at the table for a moment before they picked up their cubes, shifting them around. Eli looked at the device, realizing what it was after a moment. He had read about it... A flash memory storage processor used in regulating autonomous radio relay points. Eli moved up to the table, his right hand pulling the casing further apart to examine it closer before he rest his left hand on the case. His Echo flashed and Eli closed his mind. There was still power to the device... the processor syncing with the echo. Eli could see the circuitry and where the two breaks were. He opened his eyes once more. "I don't even know what this thing is..." Gray said, muttering. "Neither do I but it's our test..." Deagan said, picking up one of the tools to start poking around. Eli slid one of the circuit boards out and lifted up a power plug, popping it into place before sliding the board back. Deagan's jaw dropped as he watched Eli before Eli dug around some more. There was one more loose cable hidden in a side compartment and two possible ports it could go into. Eli knew one of the ports was a diagnostic terminal and the other was the correct choice... but he didn't want to appear to be cheating. "Who could do this?" Gray grunted. "Just look for what seems to be disconnected... We're not going to blindly poke at things in the field." Eli replied, leaning in to see if there was any distinction between his two options. There was none... So obviously there was an element of luck. Despite knowing the answer Eli moved the cable back and forth for a moment before he slid it in. Eli slid everything back in place before closing the cube. Patterns in the metal began pulsing gently. Gray had picked up speed with Eli's suggestion and he dug around looking for a second cable, assuming the two ports required two cables. At a loss he finally slid the cable in. A moment later sparks erupted from the cube. Gray grunted, tugging the cable back out. He tried plugging it into the other port. Deagan was last to finish, taking a breath as he guessed for the last one. He slid the cube together and it too was pulsing with light. Gray hesitantly snapped the cube back together and it flickered a bit but still pulsed. "Congratulations recruits. You have passed all tests." An automated voice came. The last door opened to a long metal corridor ribbed with bulkheads, tubes of pulsing hydraulics, circular lights in the ceiling and recessed lighting in knee high panels. It looked like an artificial life form that stretched for a mile. Soldiers were moving about back and forth as were several individuals in the grey and yellow jumpsuits. There were also others, armored as well like the soldiers but the armor seemed thin and light, form fitting. The scout armor was proportioned the same as the human body, drastically different than the bulky protected soldiers. A cool waft of air washed over the boys and Deagan and Gray gasped. Eli realized they had never felt air conditioning before... nor smelled air quite so clean, so pure, so filtered. In the midst of their shock Liam appeared from the side. "Good work... You picked up on everything much faster than most... Group three didn't even realize it was a race." Liam said, smirking, "Alright, this way. We're in Barracks A-60." Liam said, moving along. Eli turned to see Iala and Joannes waiting for their recruits... but for the first time he saw their helmets open. Joannes' skin was a deep creamy brown, his black hair bushy but shorn short. Iala meanwhile had sleek black hair and a faint mustache. Iala reminded Eli of the Mongolian exchange student that had stayed with his family in middle school. "Keep up Tennant." Liam called back. Eli jumped, moving to follow. Soon he was as mystified by the new sights and sounds as the others, taking in every detail, every experience of their new lives.

Green Horizon Chapter 7 - Impulse

With a gentle hiss the door to barracks A-60 slid up into the ceiling, revealing the room for Eli, Deagan and Gray. Elijah was surprised how mechanical it all looked, like something out of foundation of the Thunder Bay dome. The floor was composed of a mesh grating, pipes and conduits visible underneath. A central large rectangular panel in the ceiling filled the room with a lot of light but there were two metal strips running around the room that looked as though they would provide recessed lighting for the late hours. As the boys shuffled in Liam followed, moving over to one of four recessed alcoves in the walls on either side immediately upon coming through the door. They seemed to be roughly the shape of the soldier suit. Liam rested his hand on the closest alcove and the light inside turned on, a gentle blue. Deagan had wandered further in, noticing two doors near the back. Elijah however noticed something very familiar... a symbol indicating a recessed panel or surface. It was a symbol that was everywhere in Thunder Bay, indicating changing tables in bathrooms and hide away additional seating on public transportation. Eli moved over, pressing one of the symbols on the back wall of the room. It hissed and slid out, revealing that the panel hid a mattress and a pillow. "Ah, you saved me part of the tour." Liam smiled, turning, "As Eli has demonstrated there are four beds in here; Two twins on the side of the room and two doubles at the back there. "Blankets?" Eli asked. Liam shook his head. "The mattress and room adjust to your body temperature and preferences... Through the right door is the bathroom and through the left door is a maintenance and supply room. Below the beds there are drawers for your personal possessions." Liam said. "What about that reward the others were talking about?" Gray asked. Liam flushed a little. "That's... not too far off but before we get to that I need to try and brace you for some things." Liam replied. Eli sat down gently onto the bed and Deagan moved to sit next to him. Gray crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Brace us? For what?" Elijah asked. "A few years after the Climate cascade when Militech was reorganizing to see to the welfare of the world... A pre-collapse scientist named Julian Roads presented his research and findings on human behavior and psychology. It was completely unconventional but the utility couldn't be denied... and his suggestions were adopted." Liam explained. "What does any of that have to do with us?" Gray asked, "Militech is Militech." "It's important..." Elijah said, shushing Gray. He was very interested in the evolution of this strange organization. "Well... one of the things you may not be prepared for is how openly sexuality is addressed in this organization. With disease almost entirely eliminated with our medical programs... It's only a bad thing if it gets in the way of one's duty, but that can be said for any pastime. When used in the right ways it can boost morale, the immune system, teamwork... The benefits are wide and plentiful." Liam said. "Even the soldier suits? I thought they didn't come off?" Deagan asked, jaw dropping. Eli's eyes went wide as he picked up on that fact. The soldiers really were sealed in their armor suit? Permanently? The very idea was shocking. "Doctor Roads understood that concept as well and helped those who had created the armor suits to make adjustments so that we weren't deprived of anything... In Militech there is no repression of our instincts, only a guiding hand to make sure that it stays in its proper place... I just wanted to warn you because it can be a bit of a culture shock." Liam said. "Oh... I get it, 'reward' huh?" Gray said. Liam blushed again before nodding gently. Gray laughed at that. "You're a quick group... Why don't you get changed into your uniforms, they're below your beds with your personal possessions. I suggest the lighter grey ones for tonight." Liam said, "I'm just going to go report in and get our mechanic back." "Your mechanic? Just one?" Elijah asked, looking at the four alcoves and the four beds. "Each team is given one to two engineer class officers but with Lucas is almost feels as if we have three. I'll be back in time for the party with your assignments. Just stretch out, look around. You can talk to the others in the hall. Have fun." Liam said, moving back to the door. It opened as he approached allowing him to exit. Deagan and Eli looked at each other, trying to take it all in. They both heard a flop of cloth, turning to see Gray with his pants off, slipping his shirt over his head without a hint of modesty. Eli blushed faintly. What a world he had wandered into...

Liam walked along the hallways, taking in the familiar sights of San Diego once more. The fresh and cool air on his exposed face, the sheer mass of people. It felt like a well earned home coming, a place to relax... but there was still something missing. Liam turned and moved through the doorway into the mess hall. It was an expansive room, supposedly half the size of a field for an old sports game called football. Two rows of over sized tables with segmented seating ran on either side of the door to the far wall where doors and a pass through window gave access to kitchen. Countless smells wafted in the air; plates of burgers and potato salad and lasagna and garlic bread were being passed around. Liam's eyes scanned the large room, searching. He saw the soldiers having a general good time eating the food they didn't necessarily require but were entitled to. Soldiers and Scouts and Engineers all ate side by side although the amount of each was certainly skewed. Liam was starting to lose home when he finally spotted what he was looking for in the center of a ring of soldiers. A five foot, six inch engineer stood in the midst of many that were much taller than him. Liam started moving over. "I've had some problems with the cooling system but our mechanic says there isn't anything wrong... Lucas, could you give it a look?" One of the soldiers asked. The youth gave a gentle grin, although that was no surprise. He always seemed to have a smile on his face that complimented his honey colored eyes, contrasting his charcoal brown hair and eyebrows and the small black gauge earrings in his ears. "Reggie isn't bad, he's just not as experienced..." Lucas explained, reaching up to the chest panel of the soldier making the request. He pulled up the flap emblazoned with the Militech logo to reveal two metal panels before opening the right one. Inside the contents seemed to be sealed off by a rubber material but Lucas withdrew a specialized tool and split the rubber before sliding his hand between the gap. A thick blue liquid clung to his hand as it worked in and out in the compartment in front of the soldier's pectoral muscles. "Is it bad?" the soldier asked. Lucas gave a comforting grin. "Nope, one of the coolant tubes got pinched near the shoulder joint and even when it slipped back it was pinched off... It can happen with repetitive stress from unusual positions. Have Reggie get you a higher tension tube during your next exo-maintenance. In the mean time... I bent it back in place." Lucas said, pulling his hand back out, rubbing the excess blue goo on the hip of his pants. The rubber seamed to seal itself, pressing back together before the seam disappeared. "It feels better already..." The soldier sighed, "Thanks Lucas... and I think I see someone you've been missing." He added, pointing his armored hand. Lucas turned, uncertain for a moment before his eyes fell across Liam. "Commander!" Lucas exclaimed before he ducked down under the arms of the ring of soldiers, running across the mess hall. When he got within a few feet he leapt into the air exuberantly, landing in Liam's arms. Liam was about to greet Lucas before his lips were silenced by a kiss from the engineer. Lucas slipped his legs around Liam's metallic waist, bracing his arms against the chest plates as he leaned in, sucking with hunger and gusto on Liam's lip. Liam shuddered in delight for several long minutes before at last the kiss was broken. "I missed you so much..." Liam panted gently, "Have you been okay?" "Got a bit bruised up when I was with Beta team but Lambda was fine... I missed you too. Oh, and I have good news... Our team qualifies for Mark II suits now... Any new recruits this time?" Lucas asked. "Three... I think we might have gotten one of each oddly enough. Iala and Joannes are jonesing for a Halo party tonight... They've only been able to play with each other in the field." Liam smirked. Lucas shook his head. "I told you that you could indulge them... Monogamy isn't practical... You know the expectations of engineers..." Lucas said gently. "I know... but every soldier still has a right to do what they want and I want to be there for just you." Liam said, "Although tonight I may want to supervise. We'll need four halos." "I've been saving up my points, I'll requisition new ones so we don't have any glitches. I wonder what kind of stamina they have." Lucas considered. "We'll find out... See you after dinner?" Liam asked. "Stay with me until dinner... We can use the Theta rec room..." Lucas whispered. Liam gave a gentle smile before he nodded, carrying Lucas out of the mess hall.

The time had seemed to pass like lightning to Eli, Deagan and Gray. They had familiarized themselves with their suite, their neighbors... They had been tempted to go to the mess hall but Iala had said they had to wait until after the party because they'd have more of an appetite. All three of the new recruits had long since been dressed in their uniforms and at long last the hallways had seemed to thin out, the crowds dying down. Elijah remembered visiting a university dormitory so many decades before and how the halls had been an artery of life. This was much the same way although he suspected more than just Liam's team were planning a party. As if on cue the doors to the barracks suite slid open and Iala and Joannes returned accompanied by a Militech scout. He was tall, lithe, and clad in bluish silver armor from the neck down. His head was completely exposed to show his cinnamon brown skin and his black hair braided into what Eli remembered to be called corn rows, kept short to his skull and hanging over his shoulders a bit in thick strands in back. His style was complimented by a thin mustache and a strip of hair along his chin. "Gray, Deagan, Eli, this is Jose. He's from Gamma company as a fresh transfer to round out our unit so we're at maximum capacity... and he'll make the party a lot more fun." Joannes said. Jose moved over, offering his armored hand to Eli who gave it a good shake, then Deagan who was almost too exuberant before he got a reluctant shake from Gray. Joannes then lifted up a hand full of four devices. They looked almost like some kind of metallic technologic headband but were a bit stiffer. "What are those?" Deagan asked the question the other two were thinking. "Human Active Link Oscillators... Halo units. They allow those without implants to tap into the local area neural network and enter a world comprised of our imaginations, made tangible and shared by technology... What you feel with a Halo you really feel... and thus comes the nature of our party." Joannes explained. "This is going to be sweet..." Jose said, excited. He'd heard rumors about how lively Theta squad's dreamings could be. He reached down, patting the metal that covered his groin. "Liam and Lucas are going to be late so we're going to get started without them." Iala said, taking three halos from Joannes and handing them to the three recruits. Gray sat down on his bed and slipped the device on, adjusting its position to try and keep from looking dorky. Deagan slid it on as well, looking less care free. Eli was a bit more hesitant given his reaction with Deagan's sex toy. "Now I have to warn you..." Iala said after a moment, "The halos aren't as efficient as implants. After two to three hours you'll be developing a headache... But that should be plenty of time to have fun." Iala explained. Eli looked at the other two. Even one more reason to worry, but this was part of his new life. He slipped the halo onto his head. Jose moved across from Gray, pulling the spare bed out before lying down. Joannes set the spare halo onto the bed next to Deagan before he and Iala moved and stepped into their alcoves. Their masks closed and their bodies went still. Jose closed his eyes and started smiling. "So what do we-" Eli's questioned was interrupted as they felt themselves clumsily lay down, the world reshaping around them. Soon the artificial cold sterile walls of Militech seemed like they couldn't have been farther away... The boys were standing in a lush fertile garden with soft grass beneath their feet... Grass they could feel. Tall and broad trees surrounded them, the sound of bird song in the distance. Gray and Deagan's jaws hung open in sheer disbelief at the alien landscape while Eli felt the pangs of a great homesickness. It was then that they realized Jose was before them wearing nothing but a loin cloth with leather straps around his arms and one around his forehead, the tied ends dangling behind his head. "Isn't this great? It's more detailed than any dreaming I've seen before!" Jose grinned, running over to slide an arm around Eli and Deagan's shoulders. Gray moved over to one of the trees, running his hand across the bark, surprised at how rough it felt. From an adjoining clearing Iala emerged although he looked quite different. For one, he was garbed in silk clothing embroidered with sparring dragons and his hair was longer, tied into a pony tail. Eli paused, realizing that Iala's hands ended in claws rather than normal fingernails... and his ears were pointed. Eli looked closer, realizing Iala's irises were slit rather than round. "That's because it's been modified... We boosted the memory storage... adjusted the code... although..." Iala looked around at the environment, "It just got an upgrade... It's consolidated information and added more... Pulled in new objects..." Iala said. Eli tried not to give away his surprise. If the system had upgraded itself when they joined it wasn't hard to believe it had gained new information and possibly software from his Echo... Even the name was similar to the Halos, Electronic Computer Human Oscillator. "All that matters is what it can do for us..." Came a deep voice, surprisingly deep. It sounded like the voice of Joannes but... deeper. Deagan gasped as a hulking figure emerged from the trees, certainly not human... At least, not at first glance. Joannes voice had come from a creature eight feet tall, covered in dark black and silver fur... Huge fists hung close to the ground beneath the knees, the back hunched over somewhat. The nose was flared wide, the eyes set beneath a thick brow, mouth pushed out... Most shockingly was the huge dark veined shaft hanging from the beast's groin above a gigantic sack. Deagan, Gray and Jose had no clue what they were looking at but Eli... "A gorilla!" Eli gaped, betraying his knowledge. Joannes gave a grin, moving over. His huge club like fist moved around Eli, pulling the boy into his pit for a rough hug. "He gets it! Kid, you're a genius, you know that?" Joannes muttered, letting Eli back. Eli was surprised how real it felt; the fur, the musk, the heat... "You know what he is? What else do you know? No wonder this place got upgraded..." Iala said. "My parents told me lots of stories about the before times... Tried drawing some pictures about things." Eli lied. "Maybe you can tell us some of those stories sometime..." Jose said hopefully. Eli gave a nod. "In the mean time... What you new guys will need to learn is that this is an illegal modification... Theta team was on a long term study of the great barrier outside of New York monitoring power levels... And one night when I was sleeping I had this amazing dream... That I was this powerful creature... That anything I had sex with would change into something better. It was so powerful that I couldn't let it go... I wrote the changes to this program." Joannes said. "And... it works?" Jose asked in awe. "You better believe it... It took me quite a while to get my code back this human, but I can revert into what I became at any time to any degree..." Iala said. "So you weren't a gorilla too... The claws... Is it random?" Eli asked. "Let's find out..." Joannes grinned meatily, grabbing Eli and pulling him to his beefy chest. Eli struggled a bit at first but soon a thick gorilla nipple had been pushed between his lips. It was so meaty, so thick... so musky. Eli pushed his hands against Joannes' rounded belly as if to push away but his resolve slowly melted. Soon Eli was sucking on the thick nipple. Deagan's eyes widened in surprise to see Eli sucking on the chest of a beast that was unlike anything he had ever seen... but soon a roar came that reminded him that the gorilla was not the only beast present. With an eerie roar Iala began shuddering and shifting. He slipped his shirt off and let it fall to the ground. Gold lines complimented his skin tone, giving him the appearance of scales but as Jose and Deagan watched the lines became more and more defined, almost as if they were hardening. Iala's eyes became solid black with a gold slit. Deagan took a few steps back as Iala began growing taller and taller, his torso stretching and growing thinner. Iala let out a moan, strands of dark hair sprouting from either side of his lips and his chin, stretching out into a long Fu Manchu beard before his face began pushing into a muzzle. Gentle nubs of horns emerged from his forehead, curving back along his skull. Deagan nearly fell over a rock as he moved backwards but Jose was grinning wide eyed. He reached down, shifting in his clothing to bring out his manhood as he watched, his hand gliding up and down his shaft. As the boys watched Iala's form continue to shift they soon noticed he had grown several more pairs of arms ending in clawed paw like hands. Moist slits lined his lower half before numerous cocks began emerging, glistening in the light. "What... are you?" Deagan murmured. "I am a master of the wind, I am a dragon..." Iala responded, "And you are my play things..." Iala said, moving through the air as if he had no weight. The smooth armored scales slipped around Jose, coiling along his body like a snake. Jose gasped gently as he felt large dragon cocks slid against his knees, his thighs, his groin, his stomach... They were everywhere. It seemed like Iala had become the perfect being to fuck. Deagan watched in shock and awe as the dragon maneuvered itself around. Jose's clothes were shredded and soon the latino man was naked, dragon cocks accosting him from every direction. One slipped into his ass, another leaking over his stomach before one pushed into his mouth. The mustached man began sucking eagerly as if he was getting a slice of heaven. Deagan had to admit, seeing such a strong creature intent on sex was a bit of a turn on... Deagan watched for some time, trying to determine if he should jump in. It was soon after that he realized something was happening. The dragon's long torso heaved with breath, rising and falling... But it was growing faster and more intense, the dragon reaching orgasm... and then came the flow of musky cum in all directions. Jose was being bathed in it, his skin massaged by the coiled dragon. His tan skin was glistening with juices and slowly a pattern was forming... Dark stripes and dots were marking the boy's skin that seemed to take on a faint hint of more gold. Jose's ears were stretching into points, the backs lining with golden fur marked with the same markings... and pinned to his body was a fuzzy tale. "This is..." Deagan murmured. "Great." Came Joannes voice. Deagan turned in time to be hoisted up and clung to the Gorilla's other chest, a thick nipple stuck in his mouth as well. Deagan was completely shocked at first but he felt Eli next to him, the other boy held by the same kind of strong muscle, pinned in place. Deagan sighed gently around the nipple before closing his eyes, starting to suck gently on the nub of flesh. The gorilla, or rather Joannes was grunting and moaning in great joy and lust, an earthy musky scent blowing in the simulated breeze. Across the clearing Iala sniffed at the scent, his long serpentine dragon tongue darting out into the air before he uncoiled from Jose and moved through the air with such great ease. Soon Joannes was grunting anew as the dragon wrapped around his feet, twisting its long body to start sliding not one but two shafts between the cheeks of the Gorilla's ass, the beast still holding two suckling boys to his chest. Back across the clearing Jose stood, shuddering and moaning as his muscles continued to grow more defined. He had not grown fur but his skin was marked with all the dots and circles and lines of a true Jaguar. The black hair around his groin had grown almost gold, thick and stretching up much higher on his navel... And his shaft had grown large and feline. Jose's nose had changed to be closer to feline and his ears were so pointed and fuzzy, completely animal. He sniffed the air as if on instinct, picking up the scent of Gray. Jose licked his lips with hunger before darting off on the hunt, leaping over fallen branches.

A short distance away Gray moved through the wilderness. Despite the odd appearance of a Gorilla and a clawed man, the mere fact that he was within nature perplexed him beyond belief. He had never seen a tree before... Had never heard of grass. No one in his settlement even had grandparents that were alive during the before time and no one felt like talking about what they had never seen. Gray emerged through some brush to come across a clear, cool stream of water. He had seen streams before but never one so clear, so crystal, so cool... Gray knelt down gently at the edge, reaching out for the water, unaware eyes were watching him. Jose waited, relying on new instincts, his chest rising and falling in silence. This man... was his first prey. It felt so good, so right. Jose waited another moment, hips swaying before he lunged out of the brush. Gray yelped as he was knocked over, the two rolling. Gray was pushed face down into the grass and then he felt sharp claws cutting at his clothing, shredding it and pulling it away until it was gone. Gray used all his might, struggling to stand up but he was soon pushed into a tree by his attacker. Jose licked his lips once more before in one valiant thrust he speared his feline cock into Gray's ass, sliding deep. Gray's eyes went wide as he gasped, standing stock still. Soon Jose's hands moved to Gray's hips, holding him there as the jaguar boy started to thrust wildly. Gray's shock and surprise started to melt and soon he was pushing his ass back to his attacker. Jose chuffed at this, moving to trace fangs and tongue over Gray's neck. Gray moaned deeper at this. The two worked for several minutes before Jose let out a yowl of bliss and Gray felt the hot, wet flow of animalistic cum flowing into his ass... But Jose wasn't slowing down, he was still thrusting, working it in deeper. Gray felt a tingle spreading through his body, an amazing pleasure. He felt as if he was about to cum but couldn't. He braced one arm against the tree, hunched over gently as his ass continued to get pounded and then Gray started to let out a deep howl. As Gray howled the teeth in his mouth grew wickedly sharp... Soon his fingernails had thickened and stretched into claws. Gray's feet contorted, the toes ending in claws as well. As Gray held onto the tree for support he saw his hard shaft start to stretch longer... inch by inch. It was growing redder, starting to shimmer in the light... as if it was secreting a liquid or had been covered in such. Each inch it grew Gray howled louder until the very tip stretched into a rough point, the slit contorting. At the base of Gray's cock the flesh started to swell gently into a knot. His flesh had contorted around the base as well, forming a bit of a sheathe. Soon more nipples were forming on Gray's torso and dark spots were forming along his skin. They complimented Jose's jaguar markings but as Gray's ears shifted into those of a canine it was clear that he was taking on traits mostly of a hyena. Gray snarled as his face pushed out slightly into the very start of a muzzle, his nose ring contrasting even more with his darkened skin. Gray turned and pulled Jose out of his ass, turning before pouncing on the cat, biting his neck before thrusting into that ass beneath Jose's tail.

Back in the clearing the orgy had continued on rather haphazardly, the dragon doing whatever it could to fill the gorilla's every orifice. Eli and Deagan had started to get a bit neglected although the nipples had oddly enough spurted musky milk into their mouths. Deagan pulled himself off one nipple, leaning over to Eli gently as the Gorilla's arms relaxed a bit, reaching to grope at the dragon. "Maybe we should go have some fun on our own..." Deagan whispered, sweat coating his hairless tan skin and matting his bright blond hair. Eli nodded and went to move but a communal scream of pleasure from Joannes and Iala stopped them in their tracks. Four dragon cocks and one giant gorilla cock suddenly sprayed copious amounts of sperm, splattering all over Deagan and Eli. Eli yelped in shock but the cum landed in his mouth... and that was all it took. Eli fell off the gorilla into the dirt, moaning louder and louder as his erection grew stronger than ever before. He grabbed at it and started wanking for all he was worth, the flesh throbbing in his hands. As Eli helplessly jerked his shaft it started undergoing a remarkable change... Each stroke from the base to the tip seemed to stretch the cock longer and each stroke from the tip to the base seemed to make it wider... But Eli simply couldn't bring himself to stop. Within moments it was long enough for two hands and when both hands were on that growing shaft it only sped up. The hefty meat started surpassing twelve inches, fourteen, sixteen... Soon it was well above his navel and almost to his nipples... The veins along the length were growing bigger... and when Eli least suspected it a firm ridge started forming half way up. Eli started drooling as he watched his cock growing, the drool slipping over stubble forming on his chin. The hair grew dense and started growing longer. Eli's feet soon started to ache but he couldn't care, focused only on his pleasure, not noticing his toes fuse together, the skin merging, the flesh darkening and growing harder. The hair on his legs soon was growing bushier, curing thicker, growing longer and darker... But all Eli saw was his cock that was starting to drool as much as he was. Eli shuddered, grabbing the head of his cock, assaulting it with his fingers... but as he did, it too shifted. The mushroom shaped tip flattened out, growing quite blunt. The slit was much larger... and that was when Eli remembered visiting a farm in his childhood... Holding the cock nestled between his nipples... He was truly hung like a horse. Eli's realization was short lived as he moaned, feeling pressure in his head grow and then subside as two sharp horns pushed through the skin, curving back along his skull. His ears soon grew to points and his legs were covered in such dense fur... His feet were now hooves and all Eli wanted was sex. His mind echoed one last word, Satyr... before he crawled around the twisted mass of gorilla and dragon, finding his quarry. Deagan had undergone a transformation as well, lying curled up on the grass. His hands ended in claws, his palms discolored to show the start of paw pads. His feet were powerful wicked paws with great strength, his legs dusted in pure gold hair. Thick bushy sideburns covered his cheeks almost entirely and his hair was wilder, giving him the look of a mane. A tail whipped about behind him and his ears fluttered against his head. Deagan looked up, seeing Elijah's eyes. "Eli, what's going on? Help me..." Deagan whimpered, overwhelmed by the changes. Eli moved over and rested a hand on one of Deagan's hips, getting closer to the blond lion boy, "Eli, what are you doing?" Deagan asked. Eli didn't hear his words, only the instinct inside of him... Eli moved, pushing his horse cock between Deagan's cheeks. Deagan groaned in surprise as he started getting filled so very full. Eli started thrusting back and forth and unlike the others he started cumming at once, his gigantic sack producing surprising amounts of sperm. The cum seemed to lubricate inside Deagan's ass and soon the blond boy's fear was melting away as Eli's arms wrapped around to grab Deagan's feline cock and start working it, massaging its length. What had started as an orgy had broken up into three couples having intense, wild sex, embracing the animal mentality and synthetic world that saturated their minds... the greatest pleasures they had ever known flooding through them... and it would for many more hours.

Green Horizon Chapter 8 - Duty

Ever so gently Eli felt the waking world start penetrating his deep, blissful slumber. All he knew was that he had been content; he couldn't even remember his dreams... He must have passed out at some point during the orgy... The last thing he remembered was watching Gray and Jose suck each other off while suspended in mid air by the dragon Iala who was fucking them both simultaneously... But now it felt like many hours had passed... and a warm tongue was sliding across... cum on his belly? Eli murmured, eyes opening. He was momentarily shocked to see the cold metal ceiling above him, the flat dull colorless walls... It was hard to believe what he had experienced had been all in his mind... But if it was all in his mind, what was that sensation of a tongue? Eli lifted his sleepy head just enough to see that his uniform had been unzipped down to below his groin and peeled back. Eli's own cum covered his cock, his groin, his belly, even his chest... not to mention the inside of the apparently water tight uniform. He had messed himself a great deal during the orgy... but that was nothing compared to the surprise of a stranger kneeling between Eli's legs, leaning over his body with his tongue extended. "Who... are you?" Elijah asked gently. The youth looked up at Eli before taking a long lick of cum from his stomach, swallowing it happily. The boy had darker brown hair than Eli's and the most amazing honey colored eyes, dark spacer earrings in his ears. "You taste good! I'm Lucas, I'm Theta's other techie, like you." Lucas explained before he leaned down, nuzzling Eli's groin, "I heard you were a Satyr... Can I be your nymph?" Lucas whispered, licking Eli's shaft. Eli shuddered and slid back, his head throbbing. Memories of the orgy were flooding back and he couldn't believe he had been so wild, so unrestrained. Elijah looked around; noticing the rest of the room was empty. Not only were Deagan and Gray missing but none of the soldiers were present either. "Where is Deagan? Where are the others?" Eli asked. Gray took one last lick before he moved, sitting between Eli's legs. "The test results came through last night. Deagan was classed as a scout and Gray was being classed as a soldier. They are going to spend most of today receiving their armor. Liam, Iala, Joannes and Jose are at the docks... And we have the morning and afternoon off until this evening I start your tutoring when Deagan and Gray are done." Lucas smiled. Eli looked at the boy. "Do you... often wake guys up by cleaning them?" Eli asked with a nervous grin. "I wish..." Lucas murmured, unzipping his uniform before he crawled up along Eli's body, lowering down until his clean skin pressed against Elijah's cum covered skin, "You see... We're mechanics... We're the only ones that will never be in armor... We're the only ones who can cuddle all over in any position..." Lucas whispered before he kissed Eli. Eli murmured in surprise, tasting his own cum in the boy's mouth... but Eli remembered what Liam had said about sexuality being open... and Deagan's hesitation after their first encounter about what they meant together. They kept winding up together, but at the same time there was no definite tie... and Eli had a cum covered horny mechanic making out with him. "So how long have you been in the service?" Eli asked gently, starting to relax a bit. Lucas cooed as Eli relaxed, grinding their cocks together, moving to kiss and suck on Eli's neck. Lucas' hand slid down to wrap around their shafts, starting to stroke both boys off evenly. "I was born into it... I've been working on equipment since I was pretty young." Lucas replied. Eli wondered how much of that was a euphemism. "So... You like it, right?" Eli asked. Lucas smirked. "Yes, quite a bit... I think you will too. What interests me most, young Satyr boy, is how you lasted so many hours... Deagan and Gray had to log off because of the headaches the Halos cause, but you... You stayed until Joannes and Iala had passed out cold..." Lucas said, reaching to caress Eli's cheek. "I guess... I just didn't notice the pain, must have been having too good of a time." Eli smiled gently. "Well, that certainly sounds like something to explore." Lucas said, his grin seemingly so innocent and his face so peaceful and yet... he truly did remind Eli of a nymph.

The brisk smell of sanitizers and metals filled the air, the gentle whirring of small motors and machines sounding like a symphony of long forgotten insects. Gray's brows furrowed before he had even opened his eyes as the sensations started to return to him. He felt as if he was hung over from very poorly made moonshine. His thoughts swam to the orgy... then a hazy image of Liam explaining he had been selected to be a soldier. That was right, he had been taken for a surgery... Gray opened his eyes, soon realizing he was being suspended off of the floor, upright and facing a wall. The walls were completely white and featureless although he could make out countless seams. The floor was an industrial grating, the metal thick. Pipes and tubes and various slots were beneath the grates, more seams hiding panels undoubtedly. Gray tried to shift around a bit. He could feel a pressure on his spine... However he was being held up, it felt as if he was anchored by the middle of his back, his tailbone, and his back on either side just before his shoulders. He swayed gently but was still held in place. Gray looked down at his body, murmuring softly. Silver rings of metal had been implanted in four spots on his abdomen, gaps in the middle that looked like ports or entry points for something. There seemed to be smaller ones on his legs and arms. "Hello, and welcome to Militech's San Diego recruitment facility." An automated female voice rang out. Gray stopped moving, looking at the wall as a projection appeared, a woman with flowing black hair and ice blue eyes. Gray didn't respond so the projection continued, "You have been selected to join the Soldier class. This is an exciting day. You will be granted Militech's most sophisticated piece of technology, a mark II exo-skeleton armor suit. This suit will protect you from harm, from injury, from illness. The patented regulation systems will keep you healthy for years to come, doubling and in some cases tripling the human lifespan." The woman explained. "The catch being that I can't take it off?" Gray asked, thinking back to all he had seen. The projection seemed to hesitate for a moment as it processed. "That is correct, however Militech has gone to great lengths to ensure that you will not have any cause to regret this. All physical stimulation can be experienced within the HALO network's virtual reality and your actual body will be augmented to enable recreation of various types despite the suit casing. Are you ready to begin?" The woman asked. Gray hung in the center of the room by his back, legs and arms dangling at his side. He'd left his home, found friends... The question seemed absurd. "Of course I am ready." Gray said. The woman's face simply disappeared. With a hiss the room started coming to life. Wall panels slid open, rearranging themselves as mechanical arms came out. The floor beneath Gray slid open and a metal ring began rising, a sheet of flexible material stretched through the edges of the ring, making an even sheet. The ring began rising, pulling the material along. It pressed to Gray's feet and started contouring, stretching over the skin. It soon slipped over his feet, obscuring them from view although beneath the ring it looked as if he was wearing light grey form fitting socks. "The first step in the process is a polymer material that will protect your skin from chaffing inside of the suit." The automated voice announced, sounding more like a recording that the earlier conversation. Gray didn't reply, merely taking the experience in. The ring rose up, coating his body in the material. As the grey film pulled over the metallic rings it sizzled, sealing to the edges while flowing off the surface to leave the ports exposed. Gray's arms were drawn out part way and the film began moving over his hands and arms as well, eventually sliding over his waist. The film again sizzled to seal around the ports in his abdomen and on his arms. Gray took a deep breath as the film slid over his chest before stopping at the base of his neck. The ring started rotating and sank back into the floor, the grates closing. "The second step in the process is biological adjustment to allow you the most comfort and ease." The voice announced. Arms moved from the walls, bringing tubes over. One by one they were connected to the ports and a dull blue liquid began flowing in. Gray's eyes snapped open as he started to feel more awake, his body reacting as if he'd had a good meal. More mechanical arms moved, starting to work faster. A panel of the film was cut off around his groin, the remaining edges seeming to adhere to his skin. It left his manhood exposed, almost as if highlighted. Slowly he felt a cool sensation underneath the body suit, watching it puff up gently as a liquid flowed over his obscured skin. The energy flowing through Gray's body was not subsiding. He murmured gently, feeling his nipples perk beneath the body suit. The wall soon shimmered as a reflection was shown. As Gray watched, his figure started to grow; a few inches taller, his arms and chest bulking out, his abdominal muscles growing more defined. Gray moaned louder in surprise, trying to flex a bit. As he did the muscles in his arm bulged gently, setting in the larger configuration. Gray flexed his other arm, not wanting to leave it behind. Gray started to be turned on by the sight of himself and the sensations, blood rushing to his manhood. In the reflection it was easy to see the shaft firming, lifting away from his body... but something was different. Gray looked down at his cock; realizing even when it had reached his full size that it felt half soft, unfinished... and it soon proved to the youth that the sensations were not to be ignored. With each pulse of his heart, Gray's cock stretched thicker and longer, a quarter of an inch at a time... bit by bit he grew longer, soon reaching a foot in length although the process was not ending. He hadn't gotten much thicker but just that extra girth really complimented the length. Gray let out a loud moan at that. "Congratulations. You are now ready to begin the construction of your armor suit. Your body is now suited to make full use of the armor and you can bypass the exterior bulk of the armor to engage in recreational activities with mechanic or soldier classes. Please stand by." The automated voice stated. Gray looked at his cock, realizing it had to be long enough so he could fuck people even in his big armor. That... was some perk. Countless wall panels opened up around Gray, portions of armor being exposed. Many of the pieces came out of the same slots as the tubes that were feeding into his arms, legs and abdomen. Sure enough, heavy metal arms began sliding the thick chest chassis along the tubes, up toward Gray. A shadow fell across his shoulder as the back portion of the chassis was lowered. As Gray hung in the air the two complex pieces of machinery slid together, interlocking. A large metal collar started below Gray's chin, curving up around his jaw line before sloping higher in the back, meeting several inches above his head. Huge shoulder panels dwarfed his arms, making him look quite absurd. Two more portions began moving down, this time heading towards his stomach and groin, the corresponding piece lowering towards the small of his back and his hips. The pieces came close to Gray's body a little low before they moved up and together, slotting into the chest piece as well as together. The whirring and buzzing of pieces locking together came all around Gray, the cod piece of the suit following a flowing design, integrating all the way up to the chest piece. Despite coming in so many pieces it was obviously going to fit together quite durably. As the top and bottom half of the main chassis locked together Gray realized the bright yellow Militech logo was situated above his navel, looking to be on the suit's large chest. With the two primary pieces in place the machinery was working faster and faster, parts spinning around Gray. Gray watched as the arms to his suit were assembled, sixteen pieces each held by separate articulated arms, sliding up into the shoulder socket beneath the cuffs, sealing into the rotating joint and to each other. More pieces were slid up the fusing metal to cover the seams, those too sealing. All the while Gray hadn't realize his legs were already partially clad, mechanisms being assembled around his feet to absorb shock and stress, keeping Gray quite comfortable. In a few more minutes the only part of Gray exposed was his head, black hair still hanging over one dull haze eye, the other soaking in the experience. "Before the procedure is complete, scanners have indicated you have opted to retain customized body modifications. Would you like to take this opportunity to upgrade them as well?" the automated voice asked. Gray's brow furrowed once more in confusion before he looked at his reflection and realized what he was being asked. "My nose ring? Uh, sure." Gray replied. The computer processed for a moment before another slot opened. One articulated arm removed Gray's thin wire nose ring carefully and discarded it down a slot while another arm moved through a series of options before pulling out a thicker silver ring, the outer edges etched with a faint circuit pattern in a rather decorative way. The new ring was moved into place and then secured. Gray didn't wince as the metal pierced his skin, making a slightly larger gap. It was perfectly worth it. "The process is nearly complete. The last stage will be your helmet and permanent integration into the Halo and Militech networks." The computer announced. Gray heard a slot in the chassis behind his head open up, likely where the helmet would go when he wasn't using it. The suit was much more impressive than the models he had seen before, likely the whole Mark II thing. It almost made Liam and the others look like fat bugs while this... This was truly impressive. The sight was made even more impressive to Gray when he caught a glimpse of the helmet. Drastically different than the previous models, it looked more human and yet more menacing. Two cool blue rectangular eyes rested behind the sloping metal that minimized the detail of a nose, bridging the mouth and chin piece that jut out gently to the slope of the top of the head. The helmet was moved into place and lowered over Gray's head. Heavy anchors were connected through the joints in the chassis, the metal fusing together with a faint smell of ionized air. Suddenly the entire interior surface of the helmet glimmered, the view from outside appearing to Gray's eyes once more. Fresh, cool air began moving through the helmet. It seemed as if Gray was still looking out with his own eyes, the display was so natural... but icons began to appear along the left side of his vision. On the right came information about his body; heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, breathing, temperature... They were almost invisible when he wasn't looking at them. Around Gray the room started to slow down, arms retracting. The tubes entering his body had apparently been trimmed and sealed inside of the suit, the excess being pulled into recesses as the flaps on the armor closed. Slowly Gray was set down, his armored feet landing with ease on the metal grating. Gray looked around, pausing as he noticed through the suit he could see small numbers on the wall panels that had been all white to him before. "What in the world?" Gray muttered. The screen flashed before a document came up, listing a Frequently Asked Questions section. It listed how Militech used Ultraviolet inks and paints to display information in some areas where only soldiers and scouts could read it. "Prepare for networking." Came the automated voice, this time in Gray's helmet. Gray was about to ask how to prepare when he felt like the walls of reality were shattering around him. Gray inhaled sharply, feeling a sea of voices just outside his range of hearing. His mind reeled, running all over the place as information flooded into his mind... The layout of the base, the biographies of his teammates, so much information... And then silence. It all seemed to return to normal. Gray stood there for a long moment, panting gently. One of the icons on his display flashed before a window opened, Liam's face appearing. It seemed almost as if he was in his own suit as well although there was a distorted ocean scape behind him. "Welcome to Militech Gray. When you're ready please come to the docks, you can help us unload." Liam said. Gray gave a gentle nod. "Al... alright sir." Gray said. The communication closed, replaced by a map of the facility, a blinking yellow indicator showing where Gray was, a white path snaking through the facility. Gray took one last breath before he set out. He would apparently be learning on the job.

Early morning sunlight glimmered across the plains, the sun peeking over the horizon, the few stray grasses swaying in the gentle breeze. The air was the perfect temperature for Lynx, cool and yet not cold. It was a shame that it was such a fleeting moment... Lynx sighed gently, running another spoon through the purple paste in the metal bowl he held, putting some in his mouth, grimacing at the taste before he looked over at Keel. Keel had been quiet since they moved back out into the wilderness but Lynx couldn't simple sit on the questions any longer. "Why was that so easy? They just... gave us food and information and let us go on our way?" Lynx asked in disbelief, his fuzzy silver ears directed at Keel as if trying to hone in on the answer. Keel gave a sad smirk, taking another bite before he decided to speak. "It's terrible to think, isn't it? That this peace, this simplicity... That if they knew the truth it would be harder for us to help them?" Keel asked. Lynx frowned slightly, "It is rather ironic... Two strangers wander into a settlement of the Americas Union... 'Hello, we're travelers and we are looking for an associate... Have you seen Elijah Tennant?' and they say they're sorry, they haven't but the next town might... for our troubles they give us food... because we're all fellow citizens trying to survive the desolation of the Climate Cascade and we're all in this together." Keel said. Lynx was rather dismayed at the portrayal. "They don't know to be scared of Militech..." Lynx said softly. "Exactly... and there's the point. They are blessed by the fact they don't know. They don't know... that Militech has any enemies. They don't know people just like them learned the truth. They don't know because Militech won't tell them." Keel shook his head, eating more of the rations. "But... if they don't know, how will the resistance accomplish anything?" Lynx asked softly. Keel set his bowl down, taking a breath. "When the time is right we'll let them know... But if we move too soon Militech might stop seeing us as a tiny nuisance and just... bombard every last hiding place we have. Right now the transit system is slightly more valuable to them than we are a draw back, but... if all of their citizens learned that they were being held back at the convenience of the people 'sworn' to protect them... They'd kill the messengers and anyone that learned... They've done it before." Keel said gently. "They... They did?" Lynx asked, eyes growing quite wide, his ears flattening against his head. Keel nodded. It wasn't an ideal bedtime story, but... Lynx's curiosity could be very persistent. "There was a settlement called Utopia once... One of the first six built. It was the settlement furthest east, even beyond Titan. Apparently you could even see the ocean in just an hour's walk. They were pretty remote from other settlements. Well, some of the settlers started working on forbidden technology... In this case radio. After a year and a half they managed to craft a working unit... and they started picking up transmissions." Keel said softly. "Transmissions? Really?" Lynx asked, the boy's eyes wide. "They were encoded so they couldn't hear what they were saying, but... they were able to hone in on them. Several of the settlers walked North for a day and a half and came across a top secret Militech base... way more advanced than anyone would have expected." Keel said softly. "More than San Diego?" Lynx questioned. Keel nodded. "Way more... The settlers went back to Utopia and told everyone... but when Militech came to drop off supplies, the settlers asked about it... They didn't even try to bargain for more supplies, they just wanted to know." Keel said, looking at the dirt, moving his foot around a bit, "Militech quarantined the settlement, told the others it was because of a dangerous disease... They... massacred the settlers and then when they thought they had killed them all they sent one of their recyclers to raze the entire settlement, erase any trace..." Keel said softly. "That's awful... but... how did you find out?" Lynx asked gently. Keel looked up at the sky softly. "There were two survivors... They were outside the settlement at the time. They saw what was happening, they saw their parents killed. They headed south. They went down all the way to Florida and met up with a free merchant ship. They knew they wouldn't be safe so they left the entire Union, headed for Eurasia. It was a hard trip, storms and little food. Only one of them survived the trip. The survivor, his name was Samuel... He joined a religious order dedicated to nature and he told a few what had happened. That's... why I'm here. They sent me to help spread the truth, to help those in need." Keel said softly. "So... That order, they're like you? Like us?" Lynx asked. Keel smirked, "Most of them have even stronger features than you or me... But it's going to heat up. We need to rest now." Keel said, finishing off his rations, putting his bowl back into his bag before moving to lye down in the shade of the rock outcropping. Lynx lingered, sitting on the rock still. His gentle eyes looked over the horizon to the east... as if imagining where Utopia had once been.

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