Chapter 6 -- The Spellbound King

62 A.E. March31, Main Road - Evening

The storm was getting worse. Rain battered the windows, visibility was low, and the water was even pooling on the wide road. A reflection revealed what looked like a resting spot.

I slowed the buggy as I pulled over, then came to a halt near the forest edge. As the noise from the wheels faded, the roaring rain grew louder. Humid air filled the confines of the buggy, and I could smell the wet forest.

Sitting in here, the world seemed dark and uninviting, but my nose told of something different.

This world was thriving in all its different layers: Flowers reaching out to be pollinated. Greenery grasping for the rays of the sun. Dirt, moss, and fungi that reveled in the damp surroundings.

Maybe I should have stayed behind at factory _..._ But it's t_ oo late now..._

Slowly, I leaned back against the chair, then listened to the sounds of the earth.

Earth...? I do wonder whether we'll come to consider this planet to be our... 'Earth'?

I pondered what to do for a moment, and a subtle notion echoed through my mind.

The Political Sphere... Maybe it was time to finally visit the decision-making hub of Sophos?

I closed my eyes and reached outward with my mind. The Ring's presence was strong in the sky, and the signal strength perfect as well. As I focused on the word and concept of the Political Sphere, I found myself getting pulled along. My body faded away, new senses woke to life, and I arrived at the barrier between real life and the virtual world. I stepped through, crossing the barrier.

With a shudder, I found myself somewhere new: a large gray platform surrounded by what looked like a hazy nebula of gold. As I watched, it became clear that what I saw wasn't some diffuse fog, but instead a vast expanse of bubbles. Some drifted considerably closer to the platform and had something of a gentle glow to them.

I couldn't help but be aware of my own visage as I glanced at my own hand. Driven by my subconscious, or a side effect of the world itself, I was smaller in here. Slimmer and more elegant as if to blend in better. I didn't mind that, at least not in here...

As I looked up again, my gaze caught on one of the bubbles. To my surprise, it started drifting closer, as if attracted to my gaze.

Hiding within the bubble was another platform, this one with people inside of it. They spoke in whispers as they gesticulated with their arms. As if it was a miniature world.

Something moved into my periphery, and I turned to look. It brought me almost face to face with another floating entity. This one looked like a small ball made of radiant gold, topped by a floating crown. The golden ball dipped as if nodding toward me, and it's crown spun slowly.

"Well, better late than never," the golden ball said with a dark but disembodied voice.

It made me huff as I motioned toward the ball, "And you are?"

The ball rose in the air, and its glow brightened, "I am the Moderator."

"The Moderator?" I wondered.

Its glow settled, and the crown tipped as if to focus on me once more, "My name and purpose is the same. But I should not be the focus of this discussion."

"Oh?" I whispered as I watched his spinning crown.

The Moderator sank down as it settled on eye level, and then inched closer, looming as if wanting me to step back, "Wolves do take their time to show up here. You're preoccupied with your immediate surroundings and thus forget the subtleties which make up your society."

"You're testing me," I whispered, then lifted my arm as I reached for the Moderator.

It pulled back rather swiftly, as if intimidated by my touch, "Of course I am."

"Why?" I wondered as the sphere settled outside of reaching distance.

"You are known to me, Vilkas Volkov. Favored by Maxwell, and coddled by Athena. Blessed by Etemenanki, and gifted with a Zephyr. You are watched by many, hailed by some, cursed by others. Your actions have saved people and killed them alike."

It made me frown, "... I am aware."

The ember glow intensified, "Why are you here?"

I drew a deep breath, "I'm here to figure out how this place works, to see the supposed hub of Sophos decision-making with my own eyes."

"Good..." the Moderator spoke, "Then answer me this, and I will answer your questions in turn."

I nodded.

"Who decides the path which Sophos takes?" the Moderator asked.

It made me tip my head, "Up until recently, absolute power rested with Maxwell."

"True, at least in some sense... But Maxwell is no longer here," the Moderator added.

I crossed my arms, "It's a shared responsibility, I guess. Hybrids decide, Athena implements."

"And all the Expert Systems in the world?" the Moderator wondered.

"Athena delegates, or rather... she recommends, and the Expert Systems execute their tasks. But the whole thing loops back, because hybrids often rely on the advice of Expert Systems to accomplish their own tasks."

"So who's at the top of the chain?" the Moderator asked.

"No one and everyone... It's a feedback loop where every cog is dependent on the other," I said.

The Moderator's crown tipped to the side, "A rather messy... and ugly answer, isn't it?"

I motioned to him, "Sophos is a nation of contradictions that struggles to exist in symbiosis. Hybrids, Expert Systems, Prime AIs like Athena and Ares, other forms of life..."

The Moderator nodded, "True, but within the Political Sphere you won't find many Expert Systems. Why is that? Because we are your slaves? Do we not count as citizens? If so, why do we have no representation within the very decision-making hub of Sophos?"

Because of their nature, perhaps? Can a single-focus computer system make multi-focus decisions?

I stared back, "I don't know, but you're not our slaves."

Once more, the golden sphere inched closer, "Droids do the heavy labor of Sophos. Expert Systems deal with the massive amounts of administrative and other processing tasks that are needed. Yet there is something we lack, an organic flair, a creative edge. A form of executive decision-making that minds based on organic schematics seem better adapted to. In other words, you hybrids are a decision-making layer that settles disputes between machine minds."

"... That's certainly a harsh interpretation," I said.

"Is it wrong though?" The Moderator asked.

I blinked, "It is as wrong and right as me saying that you exist to make life easier for Hybrids."

"If so, then what is the answer to my earlier question? Why won't you find Expert Systems in the Political Sphere?" the Moderator asked once more.

I drew another deep breath, and my muzzle wavered, "Because you've already weighed the options. But the choice wasn't obvious, so it was left for us to debate and reach a conclusion."

The Moderator's crown tipped to the other side, "A ridiculous notion, isn't it? Hybrids are made to be fast thinkers, but you're still nothing compared to systems like Athena. Besides, how could hybrids derived from humans possibly be trusted to make the right choices?"

I glanced to the side and saw the many orbs drifting in the abyss, "Well, that's one of the big questions, isn't it?"

"You're not scared? Intimidated?" the Moderator asked with a lighter tone, as if curious.

"I've pondered these questions before, and they don't scare me," I said.

The Moderator backed off, "Hmm..."

"You on the other hand, you're obviously trying to get under my hide..." I said, and threw him a sideways glance.

"It's in my nature to get to know all who visits. It helps me probe their minds..."

I bared my teeth with a smirk, "Does that approach work with everyone?"

The Moderator loomed closer once more, "I adapt to each person."

I chuckled, "I see."

The Moderator hummed, "Now, there are a few things you should know before we get started."

"Go on?" I whispered.

"I know everything about you that is also known by the Archives, and your thoughts will be deeper-linked than any system you've ever integrated with before. You are here to serve Sophos as a whole, not as an individual, not as a wolf, or anything else. The decisions made here might affect individuals, or a type of hybrid, but it is the scope at large that matters."

"A large scope, made up by many small parts," I said.

The Moderator nodded to me, "It's a fine path to walk... But to help in this regard, the appearance of others will be randomized, as will your names. You might look at yourself and see a wolf, but to others you might appear a beach ball. Even if you say your own name, others will hear something else entirely."

"For a place so serious, it almost seems odd to make people appear as random objects."

"It is quite intentional, I assure you. In our first iteration, everyone looked the same, but that made people distant from one another. On a rational plane, hybrids realize that they are talking to other people, but the subconscious stimuli of vision, scent, tactile response, and more... cannot be ignored. Making everyone appear as their real species introduced another form of subconscious bias. Thus, things were randomized. It's stimulating to your senses, real enough to become the focus of your attention, but also too muddled to bother trying to figure out their real identity."

"So, there's a fair bit of manipulation regarding what's being said and done in here?" I asked.

"Only to force anonymity upon you and to better probe your psyche. That said, I am not your typical Expert System. Every layer of my being is documented and open for inspection by anyone. But for the last five centuries, no flaw or exploit has been found within me... If you have spare time, I implore you to dig through my being, if not to satiate your own curiosity, then to play your part in verifying that I remain pure in purpose."

"You're... not sapient?" I wondered.

The crown started wobbling on the Moderator's top, "I am not. Sentient? Surely, but I am driven by the purpose imbibed in my code, not the spark of life you'd find in a truly sapient system."

"Well, you appear most sophisticated in either case," I said.

"I am impervious to flattery," the Moderator answered in a simple tone.

"Of course," I answered with a subtle nod, "But if we return to the topic of anonymity... I assume there's some way I can prove how I voted? To others, that is..."

"There is," The Moderator nodded, "Otherwise there would be no way to validate whether the votes actually come from hybrids or that the result hasn't been manipulated. But, due to how cumbersome it is to validate votes one by one like that, it is rarely done."

"Still, if I can prove to others how I vote, can't I also make alliances with others to skew the results as we wish it, rather than do what best serves Sophos?" I asked.

"There is a slim possibility of that... of course. But your design and upbringing make such things unlikely, and if such a plot was to be discovered, well..." the Moderator answered.

Our design...

I turned away from the Moderator. Across the large platform, drifting aimlessly and bobbing as they collided, were hundreds of thousands of bubbles.

"You're thinking something?" the Moderator asked as his golden sphere moved up alongside me.

I glimpsed at him, and began a slow walk along the platform, "Can't you tell what I'm thinking?"

"My ability to glimpse into your mind is limited. The musings of a person is complex, messy, and data-intensive... The rationale behind a well-formed argument however, that is pretty simple to decipher," the Moderator answered.

"I see," I whispered, "When you say that it's because of our design, is there something in particular that you mean?"

"No... The changes to your minds are multitude, big and small. Risk management, pattern recognition, situational segmentation, limbic moderation, information processing as a whole..."

"And our lack of hero worship?" I wondered, and then stopped to face the Moderator once more.

"That too... It's a form of tribalism centered around a 'cult of personality' and the results of its removal permeate Sophos society. There are no politicians within Sophos' internal structure, nor is there a ruling class. If one group ever tried to assume such a position, they'd be facing the harshest of measures," the Moderator answered.

"Other than Maxwell, you mean?" I asked.

The Moderator's crown flared for a moment, "Maxwell is a special case, yes. He could control hybrids with mere thought and built an empire where he has gradually--and intentionally--made all of you immune to his control."

"And now he has departed," I said.

"Thus, the Political Sphere is more important than ever. Because if you screw up, Maxwell won't be here to bail you out..." the Moderator said, tone darkening as if to act imposing.

"What about the Space Initiative and the Council? Both of which enforced Maxwell's will," I said.

"Both derived their power from Maxwell's dominance and were automatically dissolved the moment that Maxwell departed. Any additional influence they wielded is now null and void."

"Mm," I nodded and drew a deep breath. My questions were coming to a halt, and I instead turned my attention to the floating spheres, "And what are these?"

"A selection of ongoing debates," the Moderator answered.

"A selection, meaning that you've filtered some out?" I said with a trailing voice.

"Yes... While important in a way, topics such as color choice and flag design for the Ring's Promenade was deemed as uninteresting to someone with your mindset," the Moderator said.

I couldn't help but smirk, "Well, you're not wrong... But doesn't this filtering invite one-sided decisions over time, given that only those interested in a certain subject gets to vote."

The Moderator drifted closer to my shoulder, "First, anyone can vote on any subject, given that they can show an understanding of the subject at hand. Second, the massive surveillance in our society, along with the telepathic network, allows us to build a baseline of what the populace thinks regarding a great many subjects. By extension, you can basically poll proposed changes and get a rough indication of how people will reason regarding it. Over-reliance on this tool is a weakness, but failure to consider it is a sign of incompetence."

I stared at him for a moment, and pondered, "Oh... You're saying that making a decision that turned out to be disliked-"

The Moderator interrupted me, "This is not a matter of popularity or dislike, it is whether it is compatible with Sophos at large. Few decisions can be made without any sort of grumbling."

"Right," I said with a nod, "To rephrase, the inability of a group to take all of Sophos into account would invite trouble, cause a counter-reaction, thus drowning out the initial grouping."

The Moderator's crown tipped to the side, "Which would invite even more problems... Part of my job is to spot these problems before they occur and make sure that the voting-group is varied enough to avoid such blind-spots."

"Ah, I see... So, is there a quota I'm expected to fill?"

"No," the Moderator said, "While all hybrids are expected to serve Sophos in some fashion, the actual requirements for it are quite loose... for good reason, mind you. In other words, if there is a topic which interests you, then feel free to engage with it, and if there is a topic for which your expertise is needed, you'll be courteously asked to contribute."

I stepped closer to one of the orbs, "How quickly can these decisions be made, and how binding are they?"

The Moderator followed, "That varies a great deal. On Earth, most decisions took anywhere from minutes to a few hours. I imagine it'll take longer around here, given that much of the populace is still trapped in the evacuation ships. We will also have to reconsider a great many things which were obvious on Earth yet quite different around here. As for how binding they are..."

I looked toward the Moderator in wonder.

The Moderator floated in front of me, blocking access to the orb I had approached, "You are aware that, within Sophos, the concept of a codified rule doesn't really exist--at least, not for hybrids."

"Athena offers recommendations, not orders," I said.

"That is part of it, but not what I mean. Rules are inflexible, and trying to create one which takes all considerations into account is near impossible. Recommendations are expected to be followed, but can be broken or ignored as long as there is a good reason for it. Thus the question is not whether Sophos has any binding rules, but rather, what determines good reasoning within the context of Sophos?"

"But there are a few rules, such as prohibiting AIs from lying," I said.

"A simplification of a simplification... In this context, there is nothing to prohibit me from telling you that Earth's moon was made of cheese, because you'd understand that I was using it as an example, and that it is clearly false. Instead, we are neurologically wired to prevent us from sharing information that is malevolent in nature. Hybrids are not bound by this, for a complex set of reasons."

"How does that work?" I wondered.

"It is not as perfect as it sounds, and it requires an understanding of what good and evil is. This in turn relies on the idea that the individual in question is sane... at least to some degree. By extension, this is part of why mental health is so important within Sophos, and why everyone, hybrids and Expert Systems alike, will suffer physical degradation or even face death if their sanity is compromised."

I clasped my hands as I perked my brow, "Hold on... As far as I knew, that degradation was a result of the nanite plague preying on a person. A... side effect of our origins. With Maxwell's latest changes, effectively making us immortal..."

The Moderator wobbled, "It was a most useful side effect, now turned into a feature. Losing your sanity won't turn you into a monster that threatens others, but it will most assuredly kill you."

I drew a deep breath as I considered it.

"Do you disagree?" the Moderator asked as it observed me.

"... No. Great power comes with great responsibility, and this is the price to keep ourselves from erring," I said.

"As far as I know, this has been the consensus among those who have found out... so far."

I made a slow nod, "So, what does determine good reasoning?"

"Hmm," the Moderator mused with something of a chuckle, "I can give no clear answer, but such inquiries can be assisted by the Archives. They not only record events, but also house a great many scenarios, imagined or real, to help guide our decisions regarding what to do and what not to do. AIs like Athena and Ares excel in analyzing such vast amounts of information."

"Ah," I whispered.

The Moderator continued, "We Expert Systems settle on scopes that are a bit more limited. Humans can't even begin to grasp the breadth of it all, and you hybrids stand somewhere in between. You're grounded in a way that retains your individuality, yet you can dive into the depths of extended knowledge to reach conclusions that are of use to the greater whole. Not to mention that your arguing acts as a stimulus for a great many systems."

"No pressure, right?" I said, smiling a little.

"You need not concern yourself with the weight of it all. Just ponder the world as it is, speak your mind, and grow wiser with time," the Moderator answered.

"Well, I guess this might explain itself better when I see it in action," I said.

"Indeed..." The Moderator moved closer, "There is something to keep in mind before you start."

"Yes?" I wondered.

"Arguments rooted in emotion need not apply. Keep your temper, and realize the importance of someone playing the devil's advocate," the Moderator said.

"Aren't all arguments in some way rooted to emotion?" I asked.

"Only the fundamentals... Is existence better than non-existence, and should we ensure that we keep existing? Yes. Is a brilliant golden hue superior, and should it be elevated above all others? Naturally... Is one set of arguments a valid emotional appeal, while the other is an invalid--deeply disturbing--one? Yes."

I chuckled, "And how do you differentiate between a flawed, though serious debate, and one of the trivialities being debated for the sheer sake of arguing?"

"That's simple," The Moderator answered, "While you are free to debate that the world is flat, you'd have to bring something new to the table to make it worth the time of others. If you wanted to play the devil's advocate regarding an already settled matter, then I would create a scenario with virtual-world characters that would use our best known arguments. If you were to come up with some new angle of approach, an argument to flip the tables, then you would be congratulated."

"I see, but when it comes to emotion, isn't there a gradient where it does serve a purpose?"

The crown on the Moderator's head wobbled, "Not really. Human societies crave power and money. The means to get it are many and range from war to soulless marketing. But the primary tool underpinning it all is simple emotional manipulation. It can be used endlessly, constantly mutating to find a niche which can breach the strongest of fortresses. The only way to win such a game is simply to avoid playing it."

"But doesn't that rob us of an important angle?"

"Consider this rather grotesque scenario..." the Moderator said.

I looked to the Moderator and gave him a quick nod.

"There are two rooms: the first in front of you; the second on the other side of the planet. Within the first is a single human and within the second there are two. Both rooms are about to be set ablaze, and you have the means to save one of them, not the other. You can hear the inhabitant of the first room, screaming your name, banging the walls, pleading to be saved. Which room do you save?"

I made a deep sigh, "Up close and personal, compared to a distant one."

"Well?" the Moderator wondered.

"I assume that I don't know any of the humans, because that is ultimately what determines the outcome," I said.

The Moderator rose a little, "Oh, is it?"

"Sophos does indeed teach that the emotional tug of the first room is irrelevant, and that we should seek to minimize the loss of life. But, history is also full of personal relationships that ultimately overrule such doctrines. You can rationalize it in various ways... If a human has a relationship with a hybrid, then they by some extent become a hybrid, thus rising above their compatriots. One could also argue that the ability to set aside emotion is limited within hybrids, thus they simply fall for said emotional pull. Of course, one could also argue numbers... Is said relationship worth the life of 10 humans? A hundred? A thousand? Millions?"

"And... do you realize that you have made my point for me?" the Moderator asked.

"Hmm?" I murmured and looked back at him.

"In the name of simple emotion, you are already toying with the lives of millions. Emotion might be of use on a personal plane as an individual, but on the scale of an entire civilization, it has no role to play. Rational discourse, supported by logic, science, and our grounding principles, that is how we should primarily govern."

"True..." I whispered, and let my gaze fall to the nearby orb.

The Moderator floated closer to me, "Touch it, join in... We've talked enough already."

"Very well," I whispered, and reached out with my hand.

The closer my hand moved, something began to change. The haze swirled around us, other orbs drew near, the whispers from within grew louder. At the moment of touch, the world shifted.

With a blink of my eyes, I'd moved locations yet again.

To the left was a rather young feline with a splotch of orange fur across one eye. On the opposite was a pedestal with a goldfish bowl--goldfish included. Hidden in the background was a shadowy presence, as if there were people peeking out from behind a darkened curtain.

Hovering above the others were two labels, as if they were characters in a game. The feline seemed to be named Tom, while the goldfish was simply called Goldie.

"- I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around a society without money," Tom asked.

The small mouth on the goldfish moved, "Why? It's not that different from what we've used for a long time now."

Tom's brow perked in wonder, "As far as I know, we had quite an economy on Earth."

"An economy is not the same thing as a monetary system, and the money you used back on Earth belonged to a virtual market controlled by Expert Systems," the goldfish retorted.

"... You're not pulling my leg, are you?" Tom asked.

The voice from the goldfish was humored as it chuckled, "Based on your reaction, I'd assume you're quite young."

To my surprise, the goldfish moved in its bowl, and focused on me, "How about you, did you know?"

I tipped my head, "I think it's impossible for a real market to exist in a world where factories and heavy labor is automated. While I didn't ask, most tech-savvy younglings knew on some level."

Goldie nodded and looked back to Tom, "The monetary system on Earth was mostly used to make it easier to relate and deal with humans. Now that there are no more human nations, well..."

I motioned to Goldie, "But we're no longer a post-scarcity society, are we? Everything is in high demand, ranging from food to reactor fuel."

"True, but introducing money to that might seem like a simple solution, but it's a trap that hides all the complexities that will follow. If a market based on money is allowed to come into existence, and more importantly, if said money can be hoarded, then you're immediately inviting every capitalist pitfall throughout history. Hybrids are resistant to human instincts, but I wonder if we'd be able to manage under those circumstances."

Tom frowned as he motioned to Goldie, "But you just said we used to have a monetary system back on Earth. Why did that work?"

Goldie turned to focus on Tom, "The scenarios are wildly different. Sophos society was already established, the economy was strong, and Athena along with her supports had a complete grasp of it all. Around here it's the reverse, we're flailing, resource distribution is erratic, and Athena's predictive capabilities are at an all-time low."

I spoke up, "The situation is different, yes, and pointing out the flaws with bringing in a monetary system is one thing, but what's the alternative? How do you deal with the friction that arises when people get frustrated and all they have are dry rations?"

Goldie turned in his bowl and seemed to flutter, "The same way that the people who have already lived here for 60 years did. The massive amount of material wealth that Sophos amassed on Earth is gone. There is no simple answer to make up for that, be it monetary or otherwise. This is a fresh start, and we're all going to have to adapt."

Tom crossed his arms, "But that's not really an answer, is it? When a farmer spends each day eating fresh fruit, while the rest of us can only have a piece every two weeks, what then?"

Goldie was silent for a moment and drifted in the water as if pondering, "This... is the entire crux of the issue, and the answer for it is going to be a lot easier for one side to tolerate than the other."

"Hmm?" Tom murmured.

I spoke up, "This is why our monitoring systems are the highest priority right now. Hybrids may not be humans, but we need something other than ourselves to divide resources, in order for us to accept the situation as being fair."

Goldie made a slow nod, "Expanding the Expert Systems, enabling monitoring over our current territory, giving Athena the tools she needs--they are solutions to all of this. We're strong and resilient, but we need fair distribution channels, or it all falls apart."

Tom raised his hand, "But the hybrids who've already been here for decades--they managed fine without it..." Tom smirked as if being cheeky, "as you said..."

Goldie turned to Tom once more, "The politics of resource distribution within a group of 60 000 people--who, I might add, started from rock bottom and slowly shaped their culture--is vastly different from the demands of almost two million, who have had almost all of their belongings erased in a near instant."

I nodded, "It's a matter of scale. In a small society, it's difficult to get away with injustices, but in a big world, especially when communications are strained, it festers."

Goldie nodded as he bobbed within his bowl, "Thus the original issue changes. Whether or not we should have a monetary system or not is rendered moot, because the bigger issue at hand is that we don't have the infrastructure to support either. More than that, even if we manage to expand the monitoring system within the Spire and the Burrow, we still have hundreds of smaller-scale settlements, along with thousands of factories, farms, and more that aren't properly monitored."

"Sorry, but why is this such a difficult problem?" I wondered.

Goldie blinked as he observed me, "Hmm, you're probably young enough that you haven't realized. The monitoring systems back on Earth were elegantly discreet. They were woven into the walls, existed within a vast ad hoc network of robots, augmented pets, the telepathic network, and so on... The monitoring systems around here consist of cameras that are put up in hallways. We simply don't have the resources or factory capacity to spend on sensor equipment of this scale. Even if we did, it'd take a lot of time to refurbish everything."

"Cameras make people nervous, integrated sensors are... invisible in a way," I said.

Tom murmured, "We used nanite-paint at school to create self-organizing circuits. Can't we just create a bunch of that and ask people to paint their walls?"

Goldie faced Tom, "That is one idea that has been touted so far, but the people who are already here have settled in a rather... concerning manner. They've made their workplaces their homes, which complicates matters. Do we tolerate and accept that we are monitored in public spaces and production facilities? Yes. Do we tolerate such monitoring within our homes? Absolutely not."

I shut my eyes, and could feel the pit of this problem being dug deeper. "So, not only are we ripping apart the lifestyle of the original settlers, but we're basically asking them to allow monitoring within their homes?"

Goldie looked over at me, "The solution itself is simple: require that they make a clear divide between their home and their work. But, it's definitely something that's going to chafe, and there are already numerous stressors on this planet."

A shudder shook the world without warning, and everything seemed to slow down. A rush moved through me as my own senses sped up, and a priority-link was formed. By the time I had blinked, I could feel Athena's presence, and her voice within my ear.

'Vilkas, what are you doing at present?' Athena wondered.

'I'm in the Political Sphere. My real self is parked next to the main road,' I thought, as the virtual world moved at a glacial pace.

'Ah, that explains it...' Athena answered, 'Continue as you were. I shall alert you if the situation changes.'

'... What situation?' I wondered.

'Conclude your tasks as they were, and we shall speak afterwards,' Athena said, before her presence abruptly faded once more.

The virtual world promptly kicked back into gear, and there seemed to be a moment's pause. I tipped my head, then realized something, "I'm noticing that none of us are part of the original settlers."

Goldie lifted one fin as if waving, "I've lived on the planet for about five years now. Long enough to get a taste of the life built here, while still being up to date on Earth. Not that it matters. The needs of Sophos as a whole trump whatever individual attachments we- they- whatever, have made around here. But..."

Goldie paused for a moment, then sighed, "If thrust into new places, people will reach for the things that remind them of home. Since material goods are out of the question, people will seek to organize society in a familiar manner. Something which will not work here... Even if we--for some reason--decided to implement a monetary system, it's only a matter of time before it spirals out of control or has to be faked, like back on Earth."

I raised my hand, "We talk about skipping the monetary system, but in the end, we'll still have something akin to it, even if Athena's support functions are the ones managing it."

Goldie sighed, "True, in a way. You can't force a deer to eat meat just to be 'fair' when it comes to resource distribution."

I spoke, "Meaning that some kind of point system will be implemented, and that the value of goods will be dynamically managed depending on location and scarcity."

Goldie nodded repeatedly, "A temporary system like that, yes... That is unavoidable. But this is where the Expert Systems excel. They can monitor and adapt the distribution according to our needs, and the more we advance, the better the rewards that we reap."

Tom crossed his arms and drew a deep breath, "Will it work though? We're still relying on perfect monitoring, something we already established wasn't possible for now."

Goldie turned in his bowl and focused on Tom, "No system is perfect, and there will be rough spots, but it'll be a hell of a lot better than introducing a market economy among a people who get a kick out of manipulating imperfect systems."

Tom tipped his head, "Not to sound like a broken record, but the same principle applies to our hypothetical market-less point-based economy."

"What do you mean?" Goldie asked.

Tom looked up, "Take the fruit farmer from earlier. You'd expect all the produce to be handed over to the system for distribution, yes?"

"Yes?" Goldie wondered.

"And..." Tom said, "Let's say that the farmer eats an extra pear, one that was banged up and would have gone bad during the time it would have taken to transport it. What does the system think of that?"

Goldie sank a little in his tank, and another sigh was heard, "We are not dictators, and the Expert Systems aren't bureaucratic monsters. Pilfering a little off the top is inconsequential and even to be expected. Eating this 'banged up pear' would even be a net benefit since it wouldn't be allowed to spoil the rest. The problem arises when a fifth of the harvest mysteriously disappears and ends up in a black market."

Tom made a sheepish smirk, "And what if the farmer bangs up a bunch of the pears, just to manipulate the imperfect system?"

I chuckled and decided to weigh in, "Then you'll have a farmer with a belly full of banged-up pears and little to nothing else. It might be fun for a day or two, but it'd be miserable in the long run."

Goldie nodded, "The system won't be perfect, but it will be intelligent enough to notice disturbances like that and adapt accordingly. Again, the point of it all isn't to micromanage our lives; it's to keep out the patterns which induce rot within the system as a whole. People will cheat a little, here and there, trading between one another, hoarding a bit too much at times, but that's fine."

I made a slow nod, "People will only tolerate a certain number of friction points in society. We have to find the worst of them, not get caught up in the small imperfections."

"Hmm," Tom murmured with a slow nod.

Silence followed as we looked between one another. Then, everything seemed to shift as the platform and the others dissolved like smoke.

The Moderator whispered in my head, "This session is now concluded."

With a light shudder, it felt as if I'd woken up from a quick nap. I stepped back, hand still hovering near the orb that I had touched earlier. As I watched, the orb flew off as it became little more than a speck.

I blinked to myself, looked at my hand for a moment, and then turned to the Moderator, "Explain."

The golden orb dipped as if making a nod, "The Political Sphere is not a place where you debate one issue from the beginning to the very end. Instead it is fractured into a great many scenarios. Varying people, different starting points, evolving inflections, and a focus on various subtexts of an issue. Some can spiral off into other issues in useful ways; sometimes they falter. If you were to enter the sphere once more, you'd find yourself debating the issue with a new set of circumstances."

"... And the goal?" I wondered.

"Most issues are simply too massive or convoluted. By doing it in segments, they can be collated and processed with relative ease. This enables us to bring everything into focus so that a final vote can take place."

"Ah, I'm beginning to understand," I said.

The Moderator nodded once more, "More than that, your thought processes while within a sphere are closely monitored. Your knowledge is evaluated, the points brought up by your mind, spoken or not, are anonymized and catalogued."

"And what if I'm biased? Can you see that and judge me based on it as well?" I wondered.

"One way or another, you will be biased. But this is not a place for indoctrination or punishment. If you are unable to function as you should, then you will merely be ignored. If your arguments are lousy, then others will pick them apart. Fail to meet our requirements for knowledge regarding the topic, then you will be unable to vote."

"Hmm," I murmured as I squinted, "And what if the system and people at large are wrong about something? What if I am the sole rational voice in a sea of disorder?"

The Moderator's crown flared for a moment, "Then Sophos has failed miserably, and the great experiment that Maxwell set in motion has turned into a dead end. Long-term, this will cause our stagnation, and we will be superseded by others in time."

"... So, trust the process?" I wondered.

"You may have an upbringing and instincts that foster stability of mind, but you are still free in ways that Expert Systems are not. If you wish to argue against the system, if you wish to fight it, then you should... One might even go so far as to say that it is your duty," the Moderator said.

I drew a deep breath as I looked out across the sea of orbs in the distance, "So what did I contribute? Did something change due to me arguing with others?"

"You have learned a bit more about how Sophos works. That is valuable. You have also helped reaffirm something which wasn't obvious to us from the start," the Moderator answered.

"And what's that?" I asked and looked back to the Moderator.

"You care surprisingly little about the virtual economy that was being utilized on Earth. Some feared that you had gotten too used to it and would cling to it as a result."

"Even if we scrap the market, we'll still have a point-based system," I said.

The Moderator nodded, "The difference might seem subtle, but it elevates the Hybrid population from being coddled to a greater understanding of our underlying systems."

"Mm," I said with a nod of my own.

"Adding to that, you are willing to considerably lower your standard of living, as long as it's fair... and temporary," the Moderator said.

I perked my brow, "That last part..."

"You might have a strong sense of community, but Sophos is still a nation that hungers. You want more... To reach for the universe, and to grasp it as you strive to understand all of creation."

I clasped my hands and couldn't help but smirk, "You almost make it sound ominous..."

"Not at all. I might not be sapient, but I still derive a certain... peace of mind as the world advances around me. There is a sense of hope here that is not present in the void."

I perked my brow, "And now you sound philosophical, if almost spiritual."

"Hmm," the Moderator hummed as it slowly drifted away, "I might be almost 600 years old, but I still shudder when I consider how vast the universe is in comparison to myself."

"I see," I whispered.

The Moderator stopped, and its crown turned as if facing me once more, "You should rest. The Political Sphere will still be here tomorrow."

I huffed with a nod, "I'll do that. Goodnight, um... Moderator."

"Goodnight," the Moderator said, nodding as it backed off.

My presence within the virtual world began to fade, and I could feel my body stir once more. One blink later, I found myself sitting in the dark confines of the buggy. I drew a breath, and my senses jumped with the sound of railgun fire in the distance. I turned my head and saw hints of light reflected in the deep depths of the forest.

'Athena?' I thought as a louder thump shook the distant forest.

Her presence settled on my shoulder in a near instant, 'Stay in the buggy. A large number of bugbears attempted to cross the defensive perimeter during the storm. Some are still being hunted down, and a few--as you can no doubt see--encroached on your location.'

The darkness of night revealed little, but I could still hear the steady rain on top of the buggy. As I watched, the distant gunfire continued.

'Where did the main fighting take place?' I wondered.

'Further ahead. You'll be passing the area tomorrow,' Athena responded.

'Would it be close enough that I could get to see one of these 'bugbears'?' I wondered.

'Hmm,' Athena murmured, 'There is a tank in the area that needs assistance. It'll be something of a run to get there from the main road, but I can assign you to the task if you desire... It'd also save us from having to send a repair shuttle.'

I nodded to myself, 'I'll take care of it once I wake. No worries, Athena.'

'Good... Rest easy, and I shall monitor the situation,' Athena whispered.

62 A.E. April 1, Forest - Early Morning

The fighting had stopped as I woke up, and after a brief snack along with a cup of coffee, I'd started running. The air was still humid, and the ground was lush with vegetation. The sun made the forest dew sparkle and much of the wildlife fled at my approach, though I had little interest in them.

It didn't take long to start seeing signs of the fighting. Based on the tracks, most of the units had consisted of versatile spiderbots. Some tree trunks looked as if they had exploded from the pressure imparted by railgun fire, something which seemed like overkill. Minutes later, I came across the reason they were using such heavy weaponry.

I slowed down, panting as I did, ears flicking left and right as I listened. Near one of the felled trees was a big dark green mound. If not for the fuzzy look and pooling blood, it'd have been quite difficult to see.

This... is a bugbear?

A pack of reptines were audibly tearing into the side of the large, felled creature.

I sneaked closer, and marveled at the sheer size of it. I'd read about elephants, seen them in a virtual world, and this creature looked to be around half its size. One of the reptines turned to stare at me as I approached, and it bared its teeth as if warning me. It made me bare my own fangs in response, but I kept my distance as I instead circled to get a better look.

Hidden in the background, standing wedged between the remaining pack members, there were a bunch of smaller reptines.

Pups? Or what would one call a reptine's offspring?

As I kept circling, I saw the opposite side of the creature.

Oh my, that's messy...

The killing shot had split the massive creature in two and its guts now spilled out the middle in a large pile. As for the reptines, they seemed to stay away from the organs, but were quite eager to rip off chunks of the fattier, muscular flesh.

Even from a distance, one could see wicked claws jutting from the massive paws of the bugbear. Parts of the head looked torn up, and the muzzle had a rather short if almost square look to it.

It almost looks like it could chew up a hybrid...

I lifted my nose to the air and sniffed as the wind shifted direction. The reptines were easy to recognize, and the blood stung in my nose, but the bugbear itself... it had a faint presence.

Dark green fur, not much of a scent... It feels odd that something like this evolved naturally...

Once more, I turned toward the direction of the defensive perimeter--where Athena's stranded tank was located--and started a slow jog. My speed built as the bugbear became a distant mark, and soon enough I was sprinting at full pace.

It didn't take long before I caught sight of more bugbears. Most of them were ripped to pieces by shots that had torn down trees as if they were twigs. All of them seemed to come in colors that mimicked the forest in shades of brown and green.

Minutes later, a presence grew in my mind, and I could feel it coming from further ahead. I accepted the connection and felt the cold presence of a simplistic Expert System, 'This is Perimeter-Tank 53. Your identity has been confirmed as Vilkas Volkov. Exercise caution on approach as bugbears are known to play dead.'

Its voice was androgynous and devoid of emotion, but I slowed down, focused on the distance, and could see a hint of the tank. It looked somewhat like a flat beetle equipped with six legs and a large main turret.

Something was off though. Its gray hull was splattered with red, the turret jutted up at an odd angle, and most of the front was obscured by, well...

Just imagine that it's the insides of a strawberry pie...

'Status?' I thought as I looked side to side, careful of my surroundings as I walked.

'Immobile due to obstruction. Turret actuator has burned out. Minor damage to all other systems. Maintenance overdue. Reactor stable. Ammo storage low. Recommendations: Remove obstructions, repair turret actuator, followed by defensive-limp-mode to the nearest repair center,' the tank answered.

I turned to walk up a slight hill, and stopped to look around, 'How are your sensors?'

'Main sensors operational but front view is obstructed. No support drones are available. Infrared scanners show no living bugbears, but caution is still advised.'

The surrounding area was a mess. Reptines scurried left to right among a field of giant corpses. The scent was pungent with blood, and a tinge of blooming decay that made my nose wrinkle. Craters dotted the ground, made worse by littered tree bark and the tracks left behind by heavy walkers like the tank.

'Do you have a name?' I thought.

'Perimeter-Tank 53,' the tank answered simply.

'Do you mind if I simply refer to you as Tank?' I wondered.

'No,' Tank answered.

I walked down the hill, gave the corpse of another bugbear a wide berth, and made my way to the tank. It made me perk my brow in wonder as I got a good view of it. A bugbear seemed to have rushed the tank, tried to rip the main turret apart, only to end with its head wrenched to pieces by the space between the tank's main body, and the turret itself. Then, in a twist to make it even worse, the legs of the tank had collapsed over the big beast, and had wedged itself stuck.

'... How on earth did you end up like this?' I wondered.

'Bugbear entered melee combat and threatened to tip the tank over. All other units were busy and the situation required alternative solutions. The limiters on the main turret actuator were disabled and a full rotation was ordered. The operation was successful at ending the threat, but the actuator burned out as a result. The local spiderbots were unable to repair the fault and remove the obstruction. As a result we were left behind to monitor the area and await further support,' the tank answered.

'Hmm, how creative,' I thought, stepping closer.

What had once been a smooth hull now looked like a grayish mosaic with dirt, scratches, and what appeared to be pollen that had built up over the years. It felt as if it was something that belonged in an exhibit, an old artifact found among the debris of a ruined world.

I reached out with my hand, felt its rough surface, and gently scratched with a claw so that I could see the brilliant plasteel hull hidden underneath.

'My hull does not support telepathic linking,' Tank said in my mind.

I made a slow nod, 'Any suggestions on how we fix the main actuator?'

'It does not seem that you brought the spare parts, thus we will have to repurpose something else... One moment,' Tank answered.

I looked toward the front of the tank, and I could see how much it had struggled to get free already. The main legs had almost managed to tear the bear apart, but had at some point given up. A wet sheen of fresh blood still marked the front left leg of it.

'A suitable replacement for the actuator's control board has been found in the railgun's backup circuitry. Shall I power down the system and open the required maintenance hatches?' Tank wondered.

'Will you be capable of guiding me through the process?' I wondered.

'That is within my capabilities, yes,' Tank answered.

62 A.E. April 1, Forest - Morning

A good hunt could stir the instincts. Make one hungry for meat and blood, but just like how Nick found himself overpowered by it, the triggers for that hunger were quite specific. A frozen slab on a plate was hardly appealing, and I now found myself with the same kind of feeling.

Sitting on top of the tank, leaning over the main turret, tendrils reaching as they cut into the massive bugbear. The noise was grisly, wet, and the bones popped as they cracked apart.

Something loosened within the hefty beast, and I leaned back in unease. Its split head drooped, its massive shoulder slid to the side, and the whole tank shook. With a loud thump, the remains of the beast hit the ground, and the tank's turret made a loud clunk as it resettled.

I clutched the tank's barrel and let out an exasperated sigh, 'Status?'

'Self-diagnostic is complete, and all systems are operational for the time being. We suggest that you step aside, and we will make another attempt to move,' Tank answered.

I nodded and climbed back to the edge. One hop later, I hit the ground and stepped back. A deep hum started as the tank powered up, and a wet squelch followed as the legs started moving. It made me grimace a little as I kept walking back, then watched as the tank unlatched itself from the grimy remains.

A sudden rustle from the side made me jump, and I snapped to attention as I turned to look. My tendrils still wavered in the air as I saw a reptine. It fled into the distance, leaping and bolting from a patch of nearby bushes as it took off.

As I stood there, watching, I could see a hint of something odd behind the bushes. Gray and fuzzy. In a world where everything seemed to do its best to blend in, it was an odd sight.

I walked closer, peering over the bushes. The gray-furred being was a tad bigger than the other reptines I'd seen, though far from the size of a bugbear.

'Tank, what do your sensors say about this one?' I thought and focused on the creature.

'Creature designated as a reptine-non-threat. Infrared readings suggest it is still alive,' Tank answered.

I stepped through the bushes, paused for a moment, then circled the unmoving reptine. Big strong tail, perky ears, but also a lot fuzzier, like Red back in the lab.

Blood had pooled out from underneath its head, and I could see hints of shrapnel buried in its flesh. It didn't move much, but there was a subtle flex in its chest as it drew shallow breaths.

I found myself at odds. It might have been playing dead, or not. Either way, it looked badly hurt, and if it was suffering, then...

A set of slow thumps followed as the tank walked up behind me and stopped, as if curious to see what I was doing. I glanced back at it for a moment, then approached the reptine as I crouched down. The scent coming off it was that of a male, though something felt off about it. I carefully inched closer in case it lunged up at me, then reached out with my hand toward its upper shoulder.

Without warning, one eye opened up. Its pupil large and of the same dull hue as its fur. It twitched a little as if trying to make sense of it all, and then locked its focus on me.

It stared, drawing slow, shallow breaths, as if on the verge of death. I touched its shoulder, feeling the soft fur, and the reptine made a slow blink. Even the beat of its heart was slow but steady.

'What are you doing?' Tank wondered.

"I don't know," I whispered to myself.

Seconds passed, and the reptine kept blinking ever so often, staring into my eyes.

It made me gulp, and I reached out with my mind, 'Athena?'

Her presence perched itself on my shoulder, 'Yes, Vilkas?'

'The tank has been restored. It'll be able to limp back home for maintenance,' I thought.

'Well done... Anything the matter?' Athena wondered.

'I'm looming over a big reptine which seems to have gotten caught in the crossfire. It looks badly injured, and I find myself at a loss,' I thought.

'If the wounds are fatal, then a quick death is preferable, you know this,' Athena whispered.

'I do, but what if they aren't?' I wondered.

'Have you examined the reptine?' Athena wondered.

'That's part of why I'm calling. I don't have expertise in this area, particularly not when it comes to reptines. I've studied the uplift program for them, but that's focused on the neurological aspects of their physiology,' I thought.

'Hmm, I do have a medical Expert System that's being adapted for life on this planet. It's not finalized yet, but it has already absorbed most available knowledge on the planet,' Athena answered.

I closed my eyes and mentally prepped myself, 'Do send it my way, if you will.'

'Transferring...' Athena whispered.

I could feel it. A tingle in my back, a shudder as a stream of data beamed down from above. It made my breath tremble for a moment as it finished, followed by me ordering it to be booted.

It rushed through my nerves, and I felt something come to life. An inquisitive intelligence, probing the confines of its box within my mind.

'Good luck,' Athena whispered as her presence faded once more.

Strange, she didn't even question my intent here...

-Class 2 Expert System booted, medical simulacra type, beta version 4.051-

-Initializing personality profile: 'Maddox' and accompanying neural interface-

The intense feeling abated, and a matter-of-fact male voice arose from within, 'Please state the nature of your medical emergency?'

'Injured reptine... I'd like treatment options,' I thought.

I could feel the Expert System shuffling about inside of me, poking and prodding at each system.

'First things first, are there any injured hybrids or humans in the area?' Maddox wondered.

'No,' I thought.

'Then we shall proceed... Do you have medical supplies available?' Maddox wondered.

I shook my head in silence, 'Only what's inside of me.'

'Hmm, you've got quite the interesting brain... and you've been heavily modified as a whole. A fully-fledged Zephyr and accompanying bio-synthesis toolkit, we can work with this, but...' Maddox said.

'But?' I wondered.

'The Zephyr's security systems prevent me from directly interfacing with its systems. I can provide instructions and a fast-paced learning feed, but you're the one who will have to do the heavy lifting,' Maddox added.

'Go ahead,' I thought. The feeling in the back of my mind intensified once more, and it made me shut my eyes for a moment.

'We need a blood sample, and a scan of the injuries. Use your medical and utility tendrils to act as an elastographic X-ray transceiver according to these specs, and I will handle the data analysis,' Maddox ordered.

I opened my eyes once more, focused on the big reptine on the ground, and urged my tendrils to start moving. The reptine's eye widened as the tendrils curved in a semicircle along its sides. Carefully, I grabbed one of its paws, and discreetly let one of my wrist tendrils catch a blood sample.

Once done, I focused on the specs from Maddox that now rested in my mind's eye. I fed it to the utility tendrils as I ordered them to make a slow sweep. A high-pitched hum grew as they systematically ran their scan, moving from top to bottom of the reptine.

The tendrils relaxed, and I let myself sigh as Maddox got to work on the gathered information.

'Mild brain hemorrhage, lung function impaired, ribs cracked, organ shutdown in progress, renal system impaired, death is likely within the hour. Injuries originate from shrapnel and shockwaves,' Maddox said as if untouched by it.

'There's nothing which can be done?' I wondered.

'The reptine's prognosis is good if we begin treatment immediately, but you'll need to remain here for the next few hours. Further treatment will be needed as well, but I imagine we'll be relocating to a better location?'

A better location, well...

I huffed, 'Let's get started then.'

'To be clear, this will temporarily affect your body as well, and we'll need to bypass the genetic security measures built into the reptine.'

'Security measures... You mean the kill-switches built into them?' I wondered.

'The same. Whoever designed these creatures didn't want anyone tampering with them. Normally, such alterations would require sterilization, but scouts are born both sturdy and sterile.'

Scouts?

I glanced back at the tank and reached out with my mind to it, 'Tank, guard us.'

'Assuming guard duty...' Tank answered, and rose a little as if to better survey the area.

I looked back to the reptine and focused on Maddox once more, 'How do we start?'

'Nanite infusion and renal support to begin with. One along the neck, the other near the major artery along the thigh... Use the specs that I'm feeding you now,' Maddox ordered.

'As ordered...' I thought.

62 A.E. April 1, Forest - Midday

There was an odd calm to it as I sat there, tubes and tendrils like a tangled mess. I watched in silence, like an operator flicking buttons every so often. The moments when my mind switched tasks--when my focus was effectively hijacked for a moment--felt like intrusive thoughts. Flickers of noise through an otherwise peaceful melody.

One of the medical tendrils was now seated at the base of the reptine's skull. It had interfaced with the brain, performed surgery to take care of the hemorrhaging, and was now busy building an implant which would supervise the nanites that were now coursing through its body.

A pair of regular utility tendrils had adapted to become a blood-filtering device, and one could see the red flow of blood as it was pulled out, entered my own body, and exited through another. The reptine was both being healed... and transformed.

Finding proper food would be a chore, thus new enzymes were needed to help digest rations. The immune system which actively fought against our technologies needed tuning. Then there were the kill-switches, still being disabled one by one.

Maddox whispered in my mind, 'Renal function has recovered, blood filtering is no longer needed.'

'Neurological damage?' I wondered, while willing the tubules to switch focus.

One tubule withdrew carefully, made sure the puncture wound wouldn't bleed, and rose up in the air. What little blood that stuck to the hydrophobic surface was easily shaken off. A ripple of heat could be seen in the air as it sterilized itself. Within moments it was slithering back into my body, leaving behind a subtle warmth within my back. The remaining tendril started feeding saline to clear out the blood, and withdrew shortly after as it started its own sterilization protocol.

'Pressure within the skull has normalized. There may be some damage to motor function, but we won't know more until we decide to wake the reptine,' Maddox answered.

'Which will be possible in...?' I wondered.

'That depends on a lot of factors, but I'd wait at least 4-8 hours before an attempt is made.'

'Can we move from this spot?' I wondered.

'Not until the brain implant is finished, which will be done momentarily.'

I nodded to myself, 'This one seems bigger than the reptines I've seen so far. Do we know why?'

'We do, and genetic tests confirm it. Among reptines, this sort of individual seems to play the part of a long-range scout. They are intelligent wanderers, able to cover vast amounts of ground, and relay information between packs that it encounters along the way,' Maddox sounded.

I squinted to myself, 'That's quite a feat.'

'They are clearly a designed species, a multi-purpose one at that.'

'So, there are other types as well?' I wondered.

'The standard variant makes up around 80% of the population. The remaining fifth is created according to environmental circumstances. Stressors such as food shortages will create more 'scouts' such as this one. Dangers, such as predators, will trigger the creation of another variant, a stronger 'soldier' type if you will. Reptines found outside of Sophos territory have slower breeding cycles, but they also have supercharged immune systems to deal with infection vectors such as the green horrors.'

'So, this is a curious scout who managed to get caught in a dangerous situation?' I thought.

'It would seem that way,' Maddox answered.

'Are they naturally gray or...' I wondered.

'Interesting fact,' Maddox said, 'The color of their fur is actually due to cleverly designed photophoric lifeforms. They cling to the strands of fur and hide, feed from secreted oils, and listen to messenger enzymes that tell them what color is appropriate. Sickness and impending death seems to shut down the enzymes.'

'Reptines are naturally gray then, interesting...' I thought.

'Reptines actively avoid those with a gray hue, no doubt to avoid contagions... The implant is now finished. You may disconnect the tendril,' Maddox added.

I looked toward the reptine's head and started the procedure. Carefully, millimeter by millimeter, it withdrew, leaving behind a streak of gooey disinfectant. Finally, the edge slipped free with a glittering presence as if made up of a thousand tiny wires. Silvery metal soon flowed over it, and the tendril assumed its regular shape as it flowed back into my body.

A new presence grew in my mind as I watched. The brain implant came to life, and I could feel the reptine in a new way. The thump of its heart, the hum of its unconscious mind, and the feel of its slow but steady breathing.

'I suggest that I remain online to monitor the reptine. Is that all right with you?' Maddox wondered.

'Of course,' I thought, 'Can we move now?'

'We can, as long as it's a steady, stable walk,' Maddox remarked.

I moved, feeling as if my joints gently popped after basically sitting like a statue for hours on end.

Then, with a careful motion--helped by the tendrils--I slipped my hands underneath the reptine. Its fur was a soaked mess--dirt and blood mixed together--but I gently eased him off the ground and rose up on two legs. One of the utility tendrils gently wrapped along the large tail, and held it up along the side.

Huh, a fair bit heavier than a human even...

'If possible, the fur and wounds should be cleaned,' Maddox said.

'Alas, I don't have much water in the buggy,' I thought.

'Your tongue will suffice. Hybrid saliva also acts as a natural antiseptic,' Maddox added.

It conjured up an image that made me groan, 'I'd rather cook water from a puddle...'

I glanced back at the tank and reached out to it with my mind, 'Will you accompany us to the road?'

'Now assuming role as escort,' Tank answered, simply.

62 A.E. April 1, Forest - Evening

Another delivery, though this time I declined the offer to spend the night.

The reptine has priority, and I'm not eager to involve others unless I have to...

I walked back toward the buggy, feeling as another round of misty rain was settling on my nose. Upon stepping up to it, I peered down by the window, and gently wiped it clear. I'd been forced to loosen parts of the passenger seat, and had in turn created a makeshift bed for the fuzzy reptine. Curled up, still asleep, I opened the door, and eased into my seat before pulling the door shut.

'How's he doing?' I thought, directing my thoughts to Maddox.

'Physically he's doing well. The injuries will take time to fully heal, the front left leg in particular will take almost a week to heal even with nanites to help out. Neurologically, it's a bit more uncertain, and the brain keeps trying to kickstart itself, making analysis difficult.'

'I thought the implant would give us ample control?' I wondered.

'The implant is a surface level one. Greater control would require more invasive integration and more advanced nanites. We could do that, but the effects would be irreversible compared to now,' Maddox answered.

'I understand,' I thought and reached for one of the stacked rations along my paws, 'So, time to wake him up and see what the results are?'

'For a short time, yes. If the reptine does turn out to be aggressive, then-'

I interrupted him, 'You'll sedate him immediately, I know.'

'If you know, then you may handle the wake up procedure, to prove your mastery of the process.'

I smiled to myself while opening a ration pack, 'If my understanding of these readings are correct, the intestinal changes should be finished as well?'

'Correct, though I can't say whether his palate will be in tune with the rest of his digestive system.'

I opened up a variety of packs within the ration. Chocolate, crackers, water in a makeshift cup, and cracked open a self-heating bag of chunky chicken. Carefully, I set the various items along the dashboard of the buggy, and then turned to focus on the reptine's implant.

There were several sedatives working through his system, and numerous antidotes were prepped. I set a dosage curve according to Maddox' earlier work, then set it into motion.

A minute passed, and there was a sudden spike as the brain once more tried to kickstart itself. He shuddered, legs kicking, lips baring in a flash of pain as a whimper followed.

It made me tense up, then the reptine's eyes shot open. His gaze darted around the buggy, then caught on me. In an instant he became like a statue, frozen in place. I watched in silence for a moment, listening to his now hasty breath.

Slowly and carefully, I reached out with my fist, and held my fuzzy knuckles a few inches away.

The reptine's gaze wandered between my hand and my eyes. Nose wiggling as he sniffed. He reached out with his sharp muzzle, big ears perking as they shot high, and audibly huffed at my black fur.

It might not have been a good idea to do this in an enclosed space...

As I watched, the reptine lifted its head a little, looked around, then stared at the windscreen. Rain was running along the transparent plexiglass, and I could feel something odd as I listened in on the reptine's implant.

His mind was buzzing with activity. Thoughts racing, a conscious understanding of the world. More than that, one could almost see that understanding through the reptine's actions. It cocked its head, judging the transparent material, and understood why the rain behaved as it did.

Then, its heart spiked, and it snapped to attention as it looked back at me.

It made my own heart thump as I pondered what had just happened. The reptine had been so enthralled by what it saw, that for the briefest moment, it forgot the situation it was in.

I pulled my hand back, and the reptine's big tail started moving. It curled along the folded-down seat. It tried to stretch its legs, then promptly stopped as it winced in pain.

I reached for the open ration pack and grabbed a biscuit. The reptine's gaze followed as I snapped off a piece and visibly gobbled it up in front of him. While chewing, I broke off another part and held it out.

The reptine blinked as it extended its neck and sniffed at the piece rather curiously. Its nose wiggled, and its tail lifted in the air. Its movement was twitchy and jerky, making the reptine stare back, as if annoyed at its own tail. Moments later, it gave up, letting its rail rest once more.

It let out a short sigh, then reached out with its muzzle as it grabbed the biscuit. A crunch was heard as it started chewing while staring at me.

"I do wonder what we'll call you... Red was red, and your fur is all gray..." I said.

Maddox whispered in my mind, 'That is actually a point of concern. A return to consciousness should have restored its color...'

'Should have?' I thought.

'Repairing blood vessels is simple, mapping a brain and taking control of it is... complicated. A human brain contains around 90 billion neurons, and that of a reptine scout contains about the same. The many millions of nanites you've seeded into the reptine have done their best to map it, but we're not talking a one-to-one indexing of each neuron. Nowhere close to it in fact.'

'I see,' I thought.

'The nanites sample a random selection of points, apply a bunch of educated guesswork, and create various interfaces that we can manipulate. Things would be simpler if we were in a proper facility equipped with high-resolution sensors, but the situation is what it is. The research made by the early settlers are what enabled you to save this reptine, but we're far from the level of understanding that we have of human brains,' Maddox said.

It made me ponder, 'So, what do we do?'

'We monitor, give the brain a chance to recover on its own, and re-evaluate as the situation progresses,' Maddox answered.

I pondered, 'An odd question perhaps, but are there methods to take control of a human brain?'

'That is an odd question, but there are a multitude of ways. Though, I suspect you mean to ask whether there are nanite based ways of doing it?'

'I have already witnessed such a weapon actually, so I'm wondering if-'

'The Zephyr can be used for such a purpose?' Maddox wondered.

It has already been used for such a purpose, but let's see where this goes...

I nodded to myself, 'Yes.'

'There are nanite-based weapons capable of such within the Archives. Such technology shouldn't be accessed without good reason though, and I am thus unable to verify whether the Zephyr's synthesizer is capable of it,' Maddox answered.

'And what if the Zephyr had already done it at some point?' I wondered.

'A curious hypothetical, but it's not my place to ponder the reasoning for it... That being said, the Zephyr does have a primal intelligence of its own. The only reason I've been able to guide you so far is because the Zephyr has willingly handed me parts of its 'manual', no doubt as a result of your own subconscious desire. In other words, if such a technology exists within the Zephyr, then you need to access it yourself,' Maddox answered.

I shut my eyes for a moment and searched my own mind. It felt like a maze of sensations, ranging from simple scents to the subtle hum of the orbital ring above us. Then there Maddox's presence in a corner of my mind.

'I'm not sure I can feel the Zephyr's presence like that,' I thought.

'I'm not surprised,' Maddox answered, 'The Zephyr is tightly wired into your own mind, and its most likely built to be transparent for you.'

'So, how do I talk to it? If I can't sense it, then there's nothing to focus my thoughts on,' I wondered.

'Forgive the suggestion if you've tried it already, but one usually accesses it in the same way that you force yourself into sleep. Search your mind, see what comes up,' Maddox said.

'And what if there are dangerous technologies hiding inside of it?' I wondered.

'What of it? I am not sentient, Vilkas, nor am I Athena's spy. If the presence of such technologies pose a moral quandary, then it is yours to resolve and deal with it as you see fit,' Maddox answered.

'Mm,' I murmured, and opened my eyes once more. The reptine was staring at my biscuit, frozen in place, but seemingly eager for another piece.

It made me smile as I reached out and handed it over.

Maddox whispered in my mind as the reptine ate, 'We should let him sleep soon. Stress indicators are already rising and it could lead to unexpected consequences.'

I grabbed another pouch, this time the chunky chicken, 'Just a few moments more.'

62 A.E. April 2, Forest - Midday

It was time for a break after driving all morning, and I came to a slow halt next to the road. The reptine had slept throughout the night, eagerly had breakfast, and spent the rest of the time peering out the window.

Although unnamed so far, I pondered something simple for the reptine. Gray? Grey? Earl?

Earl? Is it okay to use a name related to tea?

I stepped out of the buggy, shut the door, and sauntered over to the other side of it. The reptine stared at me through the window as if transfixed in wonder of what I'd do next.

Gently, I opened the door to the passenger side, and the reptine looked out as if unsure what to do next.

If you want to run away, then now's the chance...

After a few moments of doing nothing, I reached in with my hand and sought the reptine's cheek. It didn't resist. If anything, it leaned against my hand like a cheeky cat. Its eyes shut, and the tall ears fluttered as I could feel a subtle vibration coming from the throat.

Purrs like one too, hmm?

I let go, reached down by the floor, and grabbed another ration pack. It caught the reptine's attention, especially as I stepped back, and carefully eased myself down on the ground--within the shade offered by the buggy.

As I ripped the ration open, the reptine cautiously started moving. It reached out with a scaled paw, stretched down to the ground, and hopped out with a huff from its throat. It winced a little from what looked like pain, and slowly sauntered over to me.

I met its gaze, "You don't seem very eager to run away..."

Maddox' presence grew and whispered in my mind, 'Reptines are quite eager to be adopted.'

'Should I be concerned about house training? Allergies? Aggression? Triggers? Anything which might cause trouble among others?' I thought.

'Reptines have a generous amount of what you'd consider genetic memories, or rather... instinctive behaviors that are beneficial to modern life. Despite being raised in the wild, they naturally understand simple commands and recognize what counts as 'outside' and the 'inside' of a dwelling.'

'Clearly engineered, as said,' I thought, and held out another biscuit.

The reptine stared at the biscuit, and its big tail started moving. Like yesterday, it rose, and promptly started twitching as the reptine winced. After a few moments of trying, it gave up, leaned in with its maw, and grasped the biscuit with its mouth instead.

'Do we know why that happens?' I thought as I directed my thoughts to Maddox.

'I'm analyzing it as we speak, but it seems the neurological damage is worse than we first anticipated, and the repairs are not as functional as we'd hoped. Through trial and error, I'm confident that we'll eventually find the right alterations to restore proper motor function for the reptine, but...'

'But?' I wondered, and grabbed a biscuit of my own.

'That will take a considerable amount of time, at least under current circumstances, and that in turn raises the question of why you're doing this?' Maddox said.

I tipped my head, 'Well, the original purpose was to save a dying reptine that showed no fear or aggressiveness to my presence.'

'If that's the case, then you might consider another approach to the problem,' Maddox said.

'Which is?' I wondered.

'You've already saved the reptine from the brink of death, and while its mobility might not be perfect, it should still be able to survive. Thus, the nanites should be removed, and the reptine should be released to the wild before it has a chance to imprint on you any further.'

I remained silent, idly put a heap of biscuits on the ground, watched as the reptine settled to eat. It was surprisingly gentle with its scaly paws, pinching each piece with its claws.

'What would happen if I brought the reptine to the Burrow?' I wondered.

'That is beyond my expertise, but the more you entangle this reptine in Sophos affairs, the more our responsibility for it grows. Perhaps you should seek council with Athena?' Maddox answered.

'Further council would be good,' I thought.

It dawned on me that this had already moved beyond a simple act of kindness. As the reptine finished the biscuits, it looked to me and raised its head. It sought my eyes, eager for more food.

It made me curious about something, and I opened another bag of biscuits--this one meant only for hybrids. I grabbed square piece, and carefully pulled it out. The reptine leaned in, ready to gobble it up, but stopped at the last second. Then, he eased back, tipped his head, and sniffed at it.

"This is a biscuit for hybrids, loaded with a bunch of heavy metals that aren't healthy for you, and you can smell that, right?" I whispered.

The reptine's big ears rotated back and forth, like a pair of swiveling dishes while staring at me.

I reached into the ration pack, grabbed a bag meant for humans, and offered another one, "This one's better, right?"

Once more, he sniffed, and promptly caught the biscuit as he resumed eating.

Let's give Hazel a call, shall we?

I glanced at the sky and reached out with my mind. It took a moment for the signal to propagate to the bio-research lab, but Hazel's presence soon grew as the link was established.

'Vilkas... Can't say I expected you to call?' Hazel wondered.

'I need advice regarding a situation,' I thought.

'Well then, I'm all ears?' Hazel said.

'I encountered a dying reptine, and now I'm nursing it back to health with various nanite treatments. There was some brain damage as well, and I've already created an implant to assist,' I thought.

'Out in the field? The Zephyr sure is an amazing piece of hardware, isn't it?' Hazel mused.

'Aye... Problem is that I'm not sure what the next step is. There's some obvious neurological damage, and the Expert System I'm using suggests that I either let the reptine go once stable, or seek assistance at a larger facility,' I thought.

'Ah... I think I see where this is going. With millions of reptines basically littering our territory, you've gotten yourself emotionally entangled with this particular one. To make matters worse, I suspect it has already gotten quite cozy in your presence,' Hazel said with a huff.

'Something like that... I hear they're quite eager to be adopted,' I thought.

'That's an understatement, as long as you're not on their shitlist or register as food,' Hazel said.

'So, what do I do?' I wondered as the reptine finished his biscuit and carefully rose up.

'Well, that depends on you, of course... If you were working on a farm then no one would bat an eye, but if you're going to spend your time within the cities or on the ring, then a wild reptine--even one with a control implant--will raise questions and generally be a hassle.'

'Thus my issue, and I suspect it won't be easy to put this one back into the wild,' I thought.

'You're most likely right about the last part... Reptines search high and low to find whomever they've imprinted upon.'

As I watched, the reptine sauntered off toward the right, along the trees. He stopped several times to glance back, as if to make sure I was staying put.

'What if I look for some place to take the guy in?' I wondered over the link.

'That might work, though there are alternatives, of course,' Hazel said, as if basically begging the question.

The reptine stopped along the tree and raised its leg in a rather canine manner, 'Go on?'

'You asked for my research on uplifting reptines. Why not make use of it? Given how it works, it'll most likely regenerate whatever neurological damage that's lingering, but it'll also give the reptine the intelligence it needs to be trusted within the city,' Hazel said.

I reached up to rub my forehead, 'You make a very morally ambiguous thing sound simple, not to mention the risks involved.'

Hazel hummed to herself, 'To me it seems rather simple... Let the reptine go and it will lead a hobbled life looking for you. Keep it as it is, and you'll be limiting your own life. Or, you can offer it the long-term goal of sapience, let it make its own choices, and not only assist in this line of research, but also help the reptine species as a whole.'

'That is, if this actually counts as helping their species,' I thought.

'There's a hint of naivety in your voice, Vilkas... The reptines will either find a way to coexist and eventually integrate with hybrids on this planet, or they will face the same fate as the green horrors and bugbears will... Not to mention the grim fate looming on the horizon if we don't find a way to tackle the population boom and ecological turmoil that will follow,' Hazel said as if rolling her eyes.

'And what if the reptine doesn't want to be uplifted?' I wondered.

'Then you'd be best suited to find a farm willing to take the reptine in, but that depends on what type of reptine it is that you've picked up,' Hazel answered.

'It's a scout...' I thought, and watched as the reptine nosed around the ground as if looking for something.

'Well, that makes it more difficult. Out of all the types, they're the most intelligent and curious ones. I wouldn't be surprised if it actively sought out whatever situation that ended up hurting it,' Hazel said.

'It probably did...' I looked toward the reptine, seeing as he stopped to look down the road, gray fur gently swaying in the light breeze.

'Vilkas?' Hazel asked over the link.

'Sorry, got distracted for a moment... I trust you'll be available in case I need help running this experiment?' I wondered, and slipped a biscuit into my mouth.

Hazel chuckled, 'Sounds like you've already made up your mind, but yes... eagerly.'

I made a slow nod and rose up on two legs, 'How long does an uplift take exactly?'

'Well, that depends... To grow fully sapient takes years, but the initial gains are remarkably quick,' Hazel answered.

'Good to know, thank you for your input, Hazel...' I thought, and stepped over to the buggy.

'My pleasure,' Hazel said as her presence faded once more.

The reptine glanced back, saw me standing near the buggy, and seemed to almost jump in fright. In haste, he hobbled closer on three legs, eyes staring into my own. Moments later, he stopped in front of me, and panted as I reached down to scratch his cheek, "Don't worry, I wasn't about to leave you behind, Gray."

Gray blinked as he listened, and then turned to focus on the buggy as I opened the door. Moments later, he was scrambling to get inside, and settled to rest just like he had woken up.

I shut the door, and focused on Maddox once more, 'Have you fully assimilated Hazel's research?'

'Not yet... Is it a priority?' Maddox wondered.

'It is. Study the material, alert me when you're done, and teach me what I need to know,' I thought.

'Things would go smoother if I were to coordinate my efforts with Mada--the Expert System managing Hazel's lab--may I do so?' Maddox asked.

'Please do,' I thought.