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A New Life in a New Body:

Protia

Had I pushed them too far? No, this wasn't over yet. There was still one more card to play, one that would change the entire hand. She would discard everything but that card, draw from her opponents hand and thus take the victory for herself.

'Is the final contingency prepared?' I asked, for this was important beyond all else, I needed her agreement for this, it required both of us, as did all the plans of this magnitude.

'Of course, we are prepared to invoke that response. Even Sherryl has a heart.' she responded, but I could hear her hesitance.

'I know this is inhumane, but it must be done. She was your daughter, but now she is naught but a tool, you told me to think about it that way so many years ago. We created our pet monster, and now the cage must be opened.'

********

Guard 412, Richard

Why were we protecting the cause of the war? Lieutenant General Anderson said that we were to guard this room with our lives, that the reason they were attacking us now was in this very room. Scientists would come and go, but we weren't to interfere with them so long as their badges worked.

But then the alarms went off and all hell broke loose. Suddenly I was field promoted to Commander and in charge of forty other men and women, but that was just the 'normals', at least thats what 'they' called us. The Sniffers, at least that was what the abnormals called them, we mostly called them Altered, thankfully most of them wouldn't kill us for muttering it. Really they were scarier than the abnormals, they asked for the terrifying changes.

As the wall in front of us burst open we all aimed our guns at the figure walking out of the dust, before I could shout fire, since not even an Altered would do something so reckless, the short figure raised up both hands and walked out of the dust saying "Don't shoot at me and I won't have to kill you. Just leave and keep your lives, this isn't your fight." Her voice was even and controlled, kind even, but the white lizard was covered in blood and didn't even seem to care, that was what was truly terrifying.

Several men turned and ran immediately, looking back and forth between her and them I saw two more figures step out of the hole in the wall, the dust had settled now and I could immediately see that all three were abnormals. Instead of running or attacking I turned to the door I had been guarding, "None of this was what I signed up for." Opening the door I threw my gun aside and walked away.

********

Sherri via Roslyn

As the other soldiers followed the lead of the one who had opened the door I looked at the others and we walked through the now open doorway. Right in front of us was exactly what we had come here for, there was our son.

"Sherri," Mike started, "I've made my feelings on this very clear. Would you spare that bitch for one child?"

"Yes, I would for our son." she replied in an even tone. It even surprised me, she felt that I had died because of Protia, but she would save her son even if it meant Protia would survive. As she rubbed her stomach subconsciously I knew it wasn't because she had forgotten me, but because she had a piece of me still.

"Spare one, and let thousands more like us die?" he asked, completely incredulous he continued "She's the root cause of all this evil! She indirectly killed Lisa and Roslyn, thats not even even getting to the fact that she tortured hundreds more, and you want to let this evil exist?"

"Look, I know all of that, do you think I don't fucking know that?" Her voice was pleading with him to understand, "But killing our son won't hurt her, it will just hurt us more!" At this point she began to cry as she said "Why can't you see that she is further manipulating everything, she is losing control of the entire situation, the threads she has kept so tightly woven into a pattern she can weave as she will are finally unraveling."

"This is why I left in the first place, we are no better, the world demands justice. Justice would be better served if she fried, not being allowed to live to run and hide and rise up again." Mike said, "Emotions get in the way of justice. Justice without compromise."

"I thought being emotionless was my department, I am not viewing this through the hazy view of anger and vengeance, I have already agreed that she should be torn apart piece by piece. You asked if I would if that were the only way. I want to save our son, but we don't need to spare Protia to do so." Sherri responded with only a momentary anger in her voice before she returned to the cool tone she had been using before she started crying.

"You're emotionally compromised, a conflict within you that you are not aware of because you never got to be there, the fact is that you are this child's mother. A mothers actions are never emotionless, they come from the very center of emotion, and in this you are not heartless. I have nothing connecting me to this child, a father is a biological imperative and doesn't need to be present. You are that child's mother, I am nothing but a biological relative" He said, with conviction.

"This would be why we didn't pick the targets, we just killed them" she said while glaring at him before ending the discussion by moving to open the tube that their son was laying in. "Go find and kill Protia, I'll be there once our son is safe with Tera."

"With pleasure," he said, readying his rifle.

As he and Renee walked off Sherri kept going through the sequence to release her son.

********

Mike via Lisa

Confused I looked around before I saw Mike and said 'Mike, what happened?' But he didn't turn to face me, didn't look at me even. Reaching out to grab his shoulder I passed right through him.

"Which way?" Mike asked shivering.

Seeing him shiver I knew that he could at least sense me, even if he didn't know why it was happening.

Pointing the opposite direction they had entered the hall from Renee said "Nine hundred and fifteen feet four inches"

Walking in the direction that Protia was supposed to be in and coming to a T connection he stopped and checked the corners, seeing two sniffers around the one to his left. Motioning for Renee to stop he took a deep breath before leaning out and bringing up his gun and putting a bullet in the head of the one on the right before charging the one on the left. Before he had finished bringing up his rifle Mike had flipped it and smashed his nose in with the butt of the gun.

Deciding to take a chance at something I dived at the body of the Sniffer that Mike had just knocked out. It felt weird, and I could hear the thoughts of the Sniffer I had just dived into the body of. It wasn't until that moment that I realized I hadn't felt the emotions of Mike the entire time I had been 'ghostly'. Trying to talk again I said "Mike?"

Stopping in an attack that would have surely crushed the skull into two he said, "How do you know my name?"

"Oh my god, Mike its me, Lisa. I don't know how I'm here, did I die?" I asked while he lowered the gun away from the face of the Sniffer.

"Shot in the heart, probably didn't feel anything." he said.

The body shuddered at the mental image I had, "Oh, where are you going now, what happened to Sherri?"

"Found her son took him to the car," He opened his mouth to say something else but quickly decided against it.

"Well, I probably won't be much use since I'm not as proficient with a gun as you are, but I'll help. I could probably figure out how to leave this body and look ahead, you could take care of the body while I'm gone. Though, I might be able to suppress the will, it isn't the original owner of the body thats trying to control it either, I can feel an external force trying to take control." A shudder went down her spine as she remembered something she had found once in Roslyn's mind, "The first generation Sniffers really are innocent, screaming out to have their bodies back."

"Look I'm just glad I can talk to you one more time," Mike said, hugging the sniffers body.

Feeling weird hugging him while she was in a guy's body she returned the gesture and rubbed his back, "I couldn't stand not being able to say goodbye."

"Is there any way to keep that external source out?" Mike asked.

"I think I could even give the original owners their bodies back while I'm at it." I said while digging through the mind of the man I occupied, never before had I been able to understand Klaw's reticence to help people by looking through their minds, but this gave me a new understanding. Taking the walls I felt holding in the original occupant I tried to move them to hold out the controlling force. It took effort and was exhausting, but when I finally moved the last mental wall I felt myself thrown out of the body. Looking at them from the outside again I saw the Sniffer pass out.

Looking around I figured out I could see through the walls and saw another Sniffer edging up to the corner. Deciding to try and dive into an active body rather than one that Mike had knocked out I found I could do it but it took a lot more effort. The body relaxed as I let out a sigh of relief and slowly came around the corner saying "Mike, new body. Turns out if I block out the external force I get myself kicked out."

"Alright, well then we still have another option. when we come across more than two you can take over one and surprise the others, then you don't need to be good with a gun, right up to the head and fire." Mike said.

Nodding I said "Then I'll block the external force from this one as well." Pausing I asked "Though, couldn't I just knock them all out, like you did with that first one?"

"You could, if you wanted to, though what about the gen threes?" Mike asked, "Can't they do what you do?"

Shaking my head I said "They can't take control of Roslyn even though she was a first gen before she changed, I think that deprogramming them like I'm doing undoes the ability for the gen threes since I can't keep control either. Its up to you, and I know you must be hurting for what they did, but the first generation of sniffers are like the regular soldiers, they didn't ask to be made into monsters. Like you, they want free of this life." Trailing off I almost didn't say it but I decided he needed to know, "Mike, I found out something recently that I hadn't told you, I was pregnant. Even if he won't come into this world anymore, I don't want my son's father to turn out to be a heartless killer that murders innocent people who are being controlled against their wills."

"It was true, Lisa was two." Renee piped in with a simplistic view of the situation.

"Why, does everyone argue that these men are completely innocent?" Mike sighed.

"We've already found out before that the second generation was when they started selecting the cruel, dangerous individuals that comprise the more dangerous sniffers. The first generation is still at fault, but you know the government has controlled the way people are being taught about furs. They view us as the danger to society, thats why the military control has never ended, people are scared. Just consider it." I trailed off, going through and blocking the external control of the Sniffer I inhabited, not wishing to argue anymore. His body fell to his knees before collapsing, unconscious.

Taking his rifle and tossing it aside, he said to Renee, "Lets go. What do you mean by two?"

"Lisa was two." Renee said while pointing to her stomach.

"Be careful, which direction is faster?" he asked, either ignoring or still not realizing what she meant.

Pointing at an angle to the halls she pointed slightly to the right.

"Alright, lets go," He said heading in the right.

As they went along I made sure that Mike never came to another waking Sniffer, watching over them the entire time. Either knocking them out or taking their controlling force away. It was so exhausting, I wouldn't have thought that a ghost, after all, what else could I be, could feel so tired. Finally I found one that I couldn't control, and she actually looked at me, saying "So you're the one thats been slowly cutting off my limbs. Thats all they are, they are extensions of me, they are my hands, feet and eyes." Turning away from me she yelled down the hall, "And you, stop hiding behind that corner, I have orders to let you through, which you would have found out a while ago if you hadn't immediately attacked."

Stepping out, Mike said "What makes you think I won't fight you?"

"Honestly I expect you to try and shoot me right now, but I still think you won't, not after listening to her speech. Not because I'm innocent, but because I would very much like to walk away right now and go home to my daughter. I'm not even a 'Sniffer' honestly, I'm just a controller." Holding her arms straight out she gives him a perfect shot, "So if you want to kill me, then get it over with. Because even as fucked up as I am in the head, I've realized that you're the ones in the right."

"Is the feeling mutual amongst the the more recent generations?" Mike asked.

"Are you kidding, the third gens are fucking psychotic, most second gens and controllers volunteered because we thought we were serving our country, most of us even have families and were promised greater payment to send home to them in exchange for a longer ten year contract with the military as well as the enhancements." she said somberly, almost bitterly.

"I'm not a fantastic judge of character, but I'm going to let you live. Don't make me regret it." Mike said.

Smiling I said 'Can you please tell him thank you, and that I hope I'll be able to talk to him again someday, somehow.'

Nodding she repeated my words before walking away, handing him her security card when she passed him.

"I'm slipping back," he said.

"No you aren't, you're progressing as a person." Sherri said while coming up behind them and rubbing Renee's head when she smiled. "All of us are."

"After all of this is over I'm going to go off on my own," Mike said, "I think a few years alone will do me some good. Just don't go looking for me again"

"I'm sorry for that, and all of this." Sherri said slowly.

"I dont know if you know this but I lost another one," Mike said, "She was pregnant."

Nodding she said "I could smell it on her, I didn't want to make you feel worse than you already did. Regardless of how it might have affected my argument for saving our son. I know this sounds harsh, but it doesn't matter now."

"No it does," Mike said, "Protia comes with us alive. We'll let them decide what happens to her."

Shocked Sherri moved in front of Mike in an instant, "What the hell changed this all of a sudden."

"Ask Lisa" Mike said simply.

I could see that the answer didn't make sense to Sherri, but she dropped it. Thats when I saw the two shadows following her. Looking closer I saw one of them resolve itself into Roslyn, she was still with the love of her life, even now, like I was.

Nodding at each other they walked up to the doorway, Mike using the card to open it. Standing in the middle of a room full of computers, the screens showing the various experiments she was looking over. Turning to face them she said "Well, it really is about time."

"Protia, we're here to bring you to justice and show the world what you've done to not just us, but the entirety of the planet, your plans have ruined more lives than anyone else in the history of Verath." Sherri said in a commanding and even frightening voice.

But then we learned where she got it from, a second figure walked out from the side of the room, the second figure's voice matching Sherri's for intensity "That is no way to speak to the woman who helped me bring you into existence. Hello Sherryl."

"You're biologically related to her, nothing more," Mike said bringing up his side arm.

"Very similar to the argument you tried to use to kill your own son. But as you said, I'm her mother, we'll always have a connection." she replied easily

"Fuck. You. You've caused such emotional trauma to a beautiful woman who could've been a perfectly normal, person. Instead, you screwed up her life. I'd have no problem pumping you full of this viral contaminant." Mike said venomously.

"Then do it, I'm sure that Sherryl won't mind for a moment that you're willing to kill her mother that she longed for her entire life." Her tone never changed, like she wasn't even alive.

"I didn't say kill," Mike said lowing his aim and squeezing off a round, but before it could impact the woman Sherri was there holding a steel panel and deflecting the infectious round.

The rage in her voice was nearly palpable as she turned on the spot and yelled "You fucking cunt, I know what you're doing. You're just as bad as her, you're trying to put us against each other. You don't deserve to die, death is too good for you. And I know that you're smart enough to know what contaminants we use, you've either prepared your body so that you won't react or so that it will put you into a state similar to death, close enough that we would dismiss you as dead." Pulling out a pistol she held it up, her hand visibly shaking.

"Pull the trigger Sherryl, kill me. The woman who left you alone when you were a kid with a man that we specifically manipulated to cause what happened." Her voice was somehow still level, even though she was literally looking down the barrel of a gun.

"Don't play into her ploy," Mike said, "If she's as evil as Protia then she has an ace in the hole. Besides your mad at me about ditching on you. Not her, I left on my own free will."

"She means my father." Sherri said, her voice ragged with tears. "She means that they set up everything that happened to me as a child. But theres more to it isn't there, you were doing something to my head weren't you!"

This time Protia spoke, saying "Yes, we altered your thought processes and aided your martial knowledge. Did you real think that a child of ten could have mastered the nine forms of martial arts that you had at that age. No, you've always known in your heart that you were different."

"My daughter, I'm sorry for what we did, it was before we knew what we do. The experiments of thirty years ago were so crude and cruel, but we couldn't have saved you. By the time we knew a better path you were already seventeen." her voice was somehow sweet, kind. She smiled sweetly, moving the gun aside she hugged Sherri, resting her chin on her shorter daughter's head, Sherri didn't immediately return the hug but also didn't push her away.

"You expect us to buy that crock of shit? You and Protia are soulless." Mike siad.

Whirling out of her mother's embrace she shouted "You take that back!"

Grabbing her armed hand he put the gun to his head, "Make me."

Pulling the trigger without an instant of hesitation she grabbed his body as he collapsed and quickly spun around to throw him through the wall. Barely paying attention she charged through after him, hardly noticing the bright light shining through the hole. Following them I saw something that didn't even make sense, held in a set of arms was what appeared to be a miniature sun.

As Mike inhaled suddenly Sherri stood over him, shooting him in his elbows twice each. "Fuck you Mike, sometimes you have to make decisions that are hard or that don't make sense."

"Like mine," Mike said, "I wont fight you, I wont tell you what's right, but I'm not drinking the punch."

Looking up and realizing what she was standing by Sherri asked "You said you want to be left alone, what if you could die."

"I've prepared for death all my life," Mike said, "Have you?"

"Maybe the world would be better off without a monster who can't lose and a soldier who won't die." her voice sounded further away than she was. Pulling him to his feet she asked "So, should we die and let the world sort itself out?"

Standing, arms fully healed, Mike hugged her, "I'm going to miss Tera."

Smiling Sherri said "She's a good kid." Turning on the spot she shot both Protia and her mother through the hole without hesitation before pulling Mike into the shining orb with her. While he went in she missed, her left side burning off before she impacted one of the arms holding the sphere in place. Before she could get up she saw the orb start expanding, her body burned away before she could even scream. Everything went white.

Roslyn

Inhaling suddenly at the shock of seeing all of that I looked at Sherri, who just looked at me curiously. "You didn't see that did you?"

"See what?"

That was when the screams started.