FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Cohen Loop

Rejects, Part 5

Mason's remaining stay at the Academy changed after meeting Dr. Cohen. He, Roller, and Gamer were all relocated to staff dorms. Although Roller was technically still his partner, Mason saw less of either Longos and far more of Nathan himself (Dr. Cohen, the young man learned, preferred his first name and disliked putting on airs). The reason for that didn't become apparent until almost a month later.

Dr. Cohen had been scheduled to stay at the Academy for five weeks before he was to depart and it was no secret that he was returning to Water Earth. What did come as a surprise was the meeting that was held the morning of Nathan's departure. In addition to Dr. Cohen and Mason, the room had two other individuals present: a tall, short-cut-brown-haired guy with a no-nonsense attitude and a black-haired lady with wire frame glasses who looked like she was in her mid-twenties.

Mason's attention was drawn to the woman since, unlike most of the staff Mason had seen from the Unity Program, she was not of average build; she wasn't fat, per se, or even overweight, but she had what he would have considered to be a 'sedentary lifestyle' look to her. She also had a big smile. Although there wasn't much to go off of, he decided that he liked her. When nobody spoke up for the first minute or two, it was her to whom he addressed his question. "Are you from the Academy too?"

Her smile never faltered even as she shook her head. When she spoke, Mason picked up what sounded like a hint of a European accent; he wasn't very good with accents so he couldn't tell where she was from. "No, Mr. Weston... I graduated from the Unity Centre several years ago, and I've been helping Nathan's continued experiments with the Gateway."

Mason had, of course, heard of the Gateway and, for reasons he couldn't explain to himself, he felt compelled to show that he wasn't stupid. "Oh. Cool... Chimborazo or B72?"

Rather than answer him, she glanced toward Dr. Cohen, her smile faltering only faintly. Nathan, in return, nodded and she looked back to Mason. "Neither. I'm studying 45S-90E from the research station on St Paul Island.

Her vague answer brought up a very new, very pressing question. "Okay... and what's 45S-90B exactly?"

Nathan was quick to correct. "45S-90E, Mason... it's a set of coordinates."

The girl clarified. "45 South, 90 East. It's a point on the globe half way between the equator and the south pole as well as half way between the Prime Meridian and the 180 meridian."

He remembered something about global coordinates from his global studies classes in high school, but geography had never really held his interest. "Oh... uh... cool. What's so special about THAT place?"

Her smile widened. "It is a second Gateway."

The room was filled with silence for many long seconds, nobody saying anything. Only after the statement had sunk in did Mason really comprehend the significance. "You mean there's another way to get to Water Earth?"

His comprehension was incorrect. Sitting forward in his chair, Dr. Cohen laced his fingers together atop the table around which they all sat. "No, Mason... it is a Gateway to an entirely other version of Earth, completely different from Land Earth and Water Earth."

Mason expressed his surprise mildly. "Holy fuck."

The statement made Nathan laugh, even as he replied "Yes... 'holy fuck' indeed."

The big guy with the buzz-cut hair scowled, staring across the table to the doctor. "Dr. Cohen, are you SURE this is the candidate you really want to consider for this?"

The question caught Mason's attention immediately. "Candidate? For what?"

Nathan held a hand up to quiet everyone (the military-looking guy had an expression like he was about to shout), and then addressed the young man's question. "We've been working on building up a rapport with the Oolau, the dominant species there. This is still a fairly new undertaking since we discovered Shattered Earth less than eight years ago."

Dr. Cohen reached down under the table to a satchel that had been resting against his chair. He picked it up and set it down in front of himself before digging around and pulling out several file folders; Mason had rarely interacted with paper in his entire life yet, for whatever reason, whenever Nathan appeared, physical copies usually followed. He slid it half way toward the young man before stopping. "You have a good head on your shoulders, Mason... and I'd like you to consider accepting a position on a research and contact team."

Reaching for the folder, the young man found that Dr. Cohen didn't release it to him so the two sat there each with a hand on the papers before Mason added. "Um... okay?"

Nathan stared at him, their gazes locked as the older man stated "This information is highly confidential, and I can't release it to just anyone. Only project members are able to look at the dossier."

Mason nodded, trying to figure out Dr. Cohen's angle. "Okay... and... weren't you inviting me to be one?"

Smiling at him, Nathan nodded. "I was... but you haven't said 'yes' yet, and, before you do, you need to know what's involved."

The young man shrugged. "It's okay-- I'm in."

The woman to his right objected. "But you haven't heard what is involved!"

Mason shrugged. "It's fine. I'm in. If there's another civilization out there of whatever-they-are and we--"

Nathan interjected. "The Oolau."

The young man continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "If the Oolau are out there and we have a chance to interact with them then that's good enough for me."

The woman smiled anew. "Well then, welcome to the team, Mason."

Dr. Cohen glanced at the military guy and released the folder to Mason. "See? Like I said, Sergeant: no problem."

Finally privy to whatever secrets remained unknown by 99.99999% of the population, Mason opened the folder; the first item inside was a picture, presumably of an Oolau. "Oh man!"

The woman's smile never faded. "Indeed."

He stared at the creature, amazed at how animalistic it looked, and yet, how Human. "Wow... she looks just like a--"

Nathan was also smiling. "Yes she does. Now, Mason, are you ready to start your new topics of study?"

The young man didn't even need to think before replying. "Hell yes!"

* * * * *

If Mason had guessed what to expect when it came to a formal introduction into the Unity Programme; the lack of any real change in his daily activities was probably the farthest from what he would have figured. The reality of the situation was that he continued doing exactly what he'd been up to since before meeting Dr. Cohen, but the gigabytes of information that'd been added to his accessible files kept him busy enough and engaged enough that he didn't lament the continued grind.

Knowing that he was one of less than one hundred Humans to know that there were more than two Earths was mind-blowing but, at the same time, his excitement was tempered with the understanding that there were enormous expectations set on him; not only did he have to learn an entirely new set of information on anatomy and physiology, but he also had to actively study a completely new language, and he didn't have a partner like Gamer to help instruct him. In fact, by the time his second week of studying the Oolau and Shattered Earth arrived, he didn't have a partner at all.

Just as Mason had received an invitation to join the Unity Programme, so too did Roller, however the Longos was not going to stay on Land Earth. Just as a new Gateway was discovered on the Human's version of Earth, another Gateway had been found on Water Earth. It made sense in a strange way that the connection to what was called Riparian Earth was on what called the 'antipode'-- the opposite spot on Earth, which was 45N-90W, a spot in the United States, specifically within the state of Wisconsin.

It was a break from learning about such factoids on the last night with Roller that Mason sat back in his chair and grumbled. "I can't believe you're going back to Water Earth."

The Longos glanced his way before continuing to pack his personal effects. "I have been working toward this ever since I came here, Mason. I am excited to head back to Water Earth and join my Pod at a research facility."

Mason knew it was his partner's plan from the beginning; even though they hadn't spent a lot of time together in the preceding weeks it still felt strange getting ready to say goodbye. "Dr. Cohen said I might end up going to Shattered Earth... do you know if you're going to Riparian Earth?"

Roller offered up an uncertain trill. "Right now, my focus is to get to the research facility... I have a lot of catching up to do, but as long as I get to be with my Pod then I will finally be back in the current."

It was another turn-of-phrase used by the Phin-- similar to being 'on the right path', and Mason was able to appreciate that; before attending The Academy he'd never found the current to be back in, but that had changed. Standing up from his chair, the young man stretched his back, and went over to join Roller by his stacked belongings. "You'll stay in touch... right?"

The Longos paused, turning to regard him. "Of course. Gamer and I are going to be assigned to the same research base. We may end up being in different teams, but he will be in contact with you, right?"

Mason realized that Roller was right; both of his partners from the Academy were going to Water Earth. It was an amazing feat for everyone and he knew he should have been happy for everyone involved, but he felt a sudden twinge of melancholy. "Wow... everything's changing... in just a few days you guys'll be gone, and I'll be heading toward st Paul Island with Caroline."

Even as he said the name Mason paused; Caroline had been brought along to the Academy specifically because she was to be his 'handler'. The title sounded like something out of a spy movie but, according to Dr. Cohen her task was to help him acclimate to the differences between the Academy and a full-time research station. She was friendly enough and, if he had to admit it, not too bad a strain on the eyes but, despite everything he'd learned, Caroline always made him feel like he was back in high school-- like he was stupid.

It wasn't anything overt, and he was pretty sure she wasn't doing it on purpose, but she Knew things with a capital 'k'. She was certain; decisive; confident. It made him a little jealous most of the time, and really jealous the rest of the time. Still, he had a hard time not liking her, and so the inner turmoil only made him more frustrated. The storming thoughts in his head stilled the moment Roller's hand came to rest on his shoulder. "You will do fine, Mason. You are a good student, and you have an excellent handler who will help you learn what you need to know."

Acknowledging his partner's comment with a nod, Mason looked down at the file folder that Roller was packing up. "So... you've been learning a lot about the eCollie?"

Roller responded only "Ikali."

The Human paused for a second before he realized that the Longos had been correcting him. "That's what I said."

The soft upward inflection of the Phin's response made Mason aware that the statement was said with a smile. "No it isn't."

"What did I say then?"

Roller didn't even pause "You said eCollie."

Mason sighed. "And how are you SUPPOSED to say it?"

"Ikali."

The Human returned to his seat. "I can't hear the difference."

The Longos finally packed the folder away, voice still including the tell-tale good-humored upward inflection "There is a difference. One is an online dog and the other is a bipedal Otter."

Mason pulled out his own study material, flipping it open. "I'm surprised you know what an 'otter' is."

Roller let out an indignant trill-chirp. "We have otters on Water Earth too... we just call them xo,'//'."

The Human took note of the word, not having been familiar with it before. Another thought caught his attention and he jumped to it. "And how do you know about collies? I thought there weren't any domesticated canine breeds on Water Earth."

The Longos moved to take a seat on one of the stools in the kitchen. "I pay attention. Sam Pinkerton, the boy with red hair... he has a pair of collies at his home."

Mason let out a faint 'heh', and then the humor left him. "You know... I haven't had a lot of friends, and now I'm gonna lose both of you at the same time."

The silence after his statement stretched out for quite some time before Roller eventually stood up and made his way over to where Mason was seated. "Gamer leaves tomorrow... but I'm leaving tonight."

The announcement struck Mason hard. Jumping out of his seat, he turned to regard his partner. "Tonight?!?"

The Longos wagged his beak up and down in a human-like nod. "Yes... so this is goodbye."

"L-like... now? RIGHT now?"

Roller nodded again, holding his arms wide. "Yes."

Mason had never been much for hugs and, everything he knew about Phins suggested that they weren't particularly partial to that specific Human show of affection but, for some reason he couldn't understand, the young man sealed the farewell by accepting the invite. He fought back the tightness in his chest and brimming tears in his eyes, clearing his throat before stating "I... uh... I guess we'll exchange messages then."

They eventually disengaged and Roller fought to mimic a smile. "I am certain we will. Take care of yourself, Mason Weston."

Mason nodded. "Yeah... you too."

The Longos headed for the door, pausing on the threshold before he turned back and offered a simple "Keep being you."

* * * * * *

Over the course of the next two weeks the changes kept coming, and with increasing frequency. While Mason buried himself in his studying material, the departure of Roller left him on uneven footing, especially since the Human had to say goodbye to Gamer the very next day. At that point he was relocated yet again to a far-removed section of the Academy where his small room was flanked on one side by his handler Caroline Ashley, and on the other side by Sergeant Noah Baker, the military-looking guy who'd accompanied Dr. Cohen during Mason's interview. Once the teen had been settled into his new accommodations he saw more of both.

Although the Sergeant continued to say little, he was present at each and every meeting Mason had with Caroline. The three of them spent more and more time together as Caroline made herself available to answer Mason's questions, and he had a lot of them. It was refreshing to finally have someone he could talk to about the numerous thoughts running through his mind and the encouraging tone she took when speaking with him and addressing his inquiries was invigorating; it went a long ways toward helping him distract himself from the loss of his Phin friends, but it was only the start of what was to come.

Just over a week into the guided study Mason and Caroline were discussing the rapid metabolic regeneration rate found in the different species of Shattered Earth when their discussion was interrupted by Sgt Baker who, up until that moment had been mumbling quietly via a transmission in the adjacent room. Things went silent and, a moment later he emerged into the living room where Mason and Caroline were pouring over some data pads and he declared "Dr Cohen said that a team is headed through 45-90 at the end of the week and he wants us there to patch in with the Chancellor Arlen."

Mason had only recently started studying the government of the Oolau and how their civilization was split into two distinct factions. After the great war that nearly destroyed their Earth the survivors split into separate camps; one group focused on returning to living lives in balance with nature while the others sought to rebuild their civilization in a more responsible, sustainable way. The Chancellor, he remembered, was the elected leader of the second group. "He's the leader of the ones trying to recover what they lost, right?"

Rather than confirm Mason's question, the Sergeant put his own spin on it. "Chancellor Arlen runs things for the Oolau who actually want us there."

Before Mason could address that statement, Caroline interjected "We didn't make alliances with the Phin right away either... these kinds of things take time... especially because of how the Oolau see the importance of balance. The thought of a few hundred Humans suddenly being added to their global population is a daunting prospect."

The young man didn't quite see the problem. "Well, if we send a few hundred Humans there then they'll send a few hundred Oolau here... isn't that how it works?"

Sgt. Baker let out a scornful 'ha', while Caroline actually addressed the question. "Yes and no, Mason... the Oolau's Earth is still recovering from their destructive war. Even some three or four hundred years later it's not as habitable as it might have once been and both social groups of Oolau keep very tight restrictions on population."

The Sergeant interjected again. "Right now, the Chancellor is doing a swap of five... that's a pretty big portion of his city's people."

Caroline clarified. "The capital city has about five thousand Oolau, so that's a tenth of a percent of the total population."

The small number made Mason pause; there were over 5000 people in the subdivision where his parents lived. "Wow... how many cities do they have?"

She didn't even need to consult her notes. "Three."

Mason realized that Shattered Earth was going to be yet another big change for him.

* * * * *

Unlike Mason's trip to the Academy, his journey to St Paul Island was not taken by skiff; the trip wasn't even undertaken by airplane. A private jet took him, Caroline, and Sgt. Baker to LAX and, from there, Mason had his first experience with a Drop Shuttle. Having never been into space before, the young man would normally have counted that as the high-point to his day but, scarcely an hour after landing from the eighty nine minute trip, he was ushered into a small meeting room where Dr. Cohen was already waiting, seated at the head of a table behind what looked like a multidirectional microphone.

Nathan stood up immediately as the group arrived. "Caroline. Noah. Mason... so good to see all of you again."

Caroline shook the Doctor's hand and immediately took a seat; Sgt. Baker took position near the door and closed it. Realizing Nathan still had his hand out, Mason quickly gave it a shake. "Hello again, Dr. Cohen."

Moving to the far side of the table, the young man was just about to take a seat when Caroline gestured to the chair next to herself. "Come join me over here, Mason... we need to share a data pad."

Not exactly realizing the point, Mason did as was requested of him; he saw that she had already typed something out in a word processing program: The Chancellor can hear everything we say so any questions you have can be answered this way.

Looking up at Caroline he saw she was smiling; he offered a polite smile back and reached down to add his own line to the data pad: okay.

Dr. Cohen spoke only when he had everyone's attention. "The Gateway will open up in three minutes. When it does we'll have about twenty minutes to establish contact and have our exchange."

Caroline further explained for Mason's benefit. "The Chancellor and his wife are always in attendance along with one or two of his advisors."

Nathan clarified. "Just one today, Caroline. Dughl, chairman of the inter-Earth relations board, I believe."

She smiled. "I like him... he has a good sense of humor."

Mason couldn't help himself. "Is there anyone you DON'T like, Caroline?"

The woman shrugged casually. "I usually look for the best in people, so that makes it easy to like them."

The idle banter continued until a loud beep issued from the mic-and-speaker combo on the table; a moment later static sprang to life on the line. Nathan raised a hand for silence and waited several seconds before speaking. "Shattered Earth, this is Land Earth. Dr. Nathan Cohen speaking. Are you receiving us?"

The static continued for several seconds without a response. Caroline looked down to the data pad on the table and Nathan realized she'd typed something in while he was looking at the speaker: It sometimes takes a minute for the signal to clear up enough for us to talk after the Gateway opens.

Mason reached over and repeated his earlier statement: okay.

Dr. Cohen continued his call another two times and, after the third, the static on the speaker altered slightly before a faint message came through. Mason could tell there were words included in it but it was faint, and almost undecipherable. Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so. Caroline spoke next. "Shattered Earth, this is Land Earth. Dr. Caroline Ashley. Say again, please?"

There was a pause from the other end and the first part of the follow-up transmission was almost as garbled, but it cleared up quickly; Mason was able to identify it as a female voice but he didn't recognize the speaker. "..l.. ..n...a...h. .h.s .s S.at.er.d Ear.h. Dr. Emilia Loris here. Are you receiving?"

Nathan responded. "We read you, Emilia. You're coming in clearly now. Go ahead."

Another voice spoke up and Mason realized immediately that the speaker was not a Human. Despite what the young man had been led to believe about Oolau having difficulty with English, the Oolau did a surprisingly good job despite the problems that were supposed to be present due to the difference in facial structure. "It is good to talk uith you again, Dr. Cohen."

Nathan smiled. "And with you, Chancellor. I trust everything is going well?"

The jovial voice on the other end sounded upbeat but, as he continued to talk, Mason was able to pick out the faint differences in his pronunciation. "Assuredly. The Senate has agreed to another exchange and they need to knoh huat to extect uith the newcunners."

Sgt Baker finally approached the table. "Chancellor, this is Sergeant Noah Baker. We will be adding four newcomers to our personnel, including myself next Cycle. After that we'll be moving four staff back through the Gateway. Will your people be alright with the additional population for the cycle between?"

There was a momentary delay in a response and Mason could hear some discussion in the background in the Oolau native language. He also heard the female voice that had spoken up first, and her interjections were in a Human language. He looked down at the data pad and quickly typed in a message to Caroline: Emilia is part of the Unity Programme, right?

Caroline read the message and quickly typed back: Yes. She's also the Chancellor's wife.

The statement made Mason's brain stall and he sat there staring at the typed statement. A moment later Caroline added to it: They have a son. He's six.

Mason realized that the changes he'd already gone through kept on coming and they certainly had no intention of stopping.