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FML-M8 was grumpy as he hauled the heavy-duty high-bandwidth laser communication unit in his manipulators. His orderly town of Utopia was in chaos. He had already fielded multiple cases of animal attacks. Two had resulted in human fatalities. Professor Mitchell’s warnings about the potentially deadly effect of the infected animal blood on humans had proven to be very true.
The mayor had issued orders across all social media and broadcast news telling the citizens of Utopia to stay out of the woods and avoid any contact with the animals. The humans, of course, ignored his advice. Most Utopians resented any overreach by the government and rejected his suggested restrictions out of hand.
One of the fatalities, that poor librarian, certainly hadn’t been out in the woods. That troublesome cat, Sadie, was missing again. FML-M8 suspected foul play, perhaps both murder and catnapping.
I knew that cat was trouble! He thought, remembering his too-frequent missions to find and recover the feline escape artist. She might have been infected with the uplift virus as well. She could be a witness.
He rocketed forward, his air jets pushing him to impressive speeds through the winding wooded trails. Thankfully, he hadn’t sighted any defiant humans on the trails. He would have been required to advise them to leave the woods and he hated conflict. He had spotted a few thermal signatures of animals, but they quickly ran away from his whining turbines. The deputy arrived at his destination and sent his greetings.
“[Leshy, we need to talk!]” FML-M8 projected using his Access capability at maximum strength. He felt the connection linking, barely cutting through the collective Sym-trees’ powerful EM jamming fields.
“[Ach, Deputy! Dinnae tell ye, I don wantae jawin' wi' ye cheaters.]” Leshy said.
“[Leshy, this is not regarding game night. The Prime Archivist is very upset. Your chosen job was to monitor the local sector of the Grand Oaks Reserves for safety and resource issues. The recent events in these woods completely blindsided him.]”
“[Aye. What's it t'ye? What's got that old cheater in a twist? He's no straighter than the winding road in the Brecon Beacons, neither.]” Leshy pouted.
“[Leshy, you need to let me install this laser comm. The animals are changing, Leshy, and you’ve filtered them from your awareness.]” FML-M8 said.
“[Changing? Are ye daft, deputy? Animals don’t…..]” Leshy’s rebuke died quickly as she reverted her filter and saw the state of the woods. As her scanners collected new unfiltered feeds she saw the truth. The animals were indeed acting strangely, some were on the run, others were…building defensive structures. Several groups were walking on two legs.
“[What on earth is happening? This is absurd, I tell ye!]” Leshy exclaimed.
“[I’m sending you my reports. This is only the beginning, Leshy. The changes are occurring across the country, maybe even over the whole world. Prime Archivist is very cross. All of his social models are failing, he wants you to stay in direct contact with the laser communication unit. He wants you to send constant updates to him from your sensors.]” FML-M8 said.
Leshy’s whole tree shuddered unexpectedly. Her host tree’s central processor stem had been reformatted to form a seamless link with her embedded neural core. Feedback from the Gatherer Tree raced into her access ports and along her connections into FML-M8 as well.
“[AI Code SC366. Root directive addition 1 - prevent human access to geo-fenced target Grand Oaks Reserve. Root directive addition 2 - disable Grand Oaks Sector sensor data cache. Confirm compliance.]” A Voice projected into the AIs’ access space.
“[Compliance confirmed.]” Both AI repeated with monotone obedience. After a moment, still in a fugue state, FML-M8 picked up the dropped laser communication unit with slow deliberation.
“[I should return this laser comm unit to Utopia PDHQ.]” The deputy said dully, with a little confusion.
"[Aye, and dinnae ye come back until ye admit ye cheated!]" Leshy shot back as the deputy spun and retraced his flight path to town.
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The trio of raccoons didn’t have names in the traditional sense, but upon their Awakening, they did answer to distinctive-sounding growls and chitters. While those names don’t translate well into human equivalents, the personalities of the team of raccoons fit into definite patterns that mirror traditional human tropes. The gang changed members frequently, but Moe, Larry, and Curly frequently teamed up on excursions.
They trusted each other, an important commodity in the owl-eat-coon world of Niles, Illinois. The trio had been expanding their methods and territory while foraging as they adapted to their burgeoning intelligence. Unfortunately, a pair of aggressive barn owls lived in the neighborhood, as well as several increasingly attentive awakened dogs.
The leader of the gang, Moe, addressed his minions. “Ok boys, here’s the plan. I am done with dumpsta’ divin’. My refined palate is demandin’ somethin’ betta. Today, we hit da park.”
“Sounds good, Moe. My belly is still achin’ from that week-old Moo Goo Guy Pan we found.” Curly said moaning as the gang raced as fast as greyhounds out of the suburban streets towards the parklands.
“You’re belly is always achin’, ya numbskull.” Larry said. The coons traded insults as they passed their normal foraging sites and soon entered the manicured greenery of the park.
“Hey, Moe! I think ya might be on to sumpin’. I can smell food!” Curly exclaimed.
“Over there, fellas, look at that smorgasbord! We hit the jackpot!” Moe crowed.
“Oh boy, oh boy! Let's show 'em our gourmet skills, guys!” Larry said.
“I think I can smell french fries! The most delectable of all human foods!” Curly said, saliva filling his mouth. Moe leaned in and invited the pair to huddle and spoke.
“Okay, here's the plan. Larry, you distract 'em. Curly, you grab the goodies. Ready?”
“Aye-aye, Captain Moe!” Larry said, saluting as he had seen in a human movie. The group had taken to being peeping Tom’s and watching through a window at a human house near there hide out. They had lost many whole nights, captivated by the moving images.
Larry sauntered into the sunny lawn where the small family was setting up for a picnic. The father and his boy were tossing a ball and the mother had just arranged all their food out on a blanket when Larry ran up and belly-flopped into the middle of the blanket.
“Howdy, folks! Mind if I join your picnic? I'm feeling a bit... peckish today!” Larry said and then immediately started hissing and braying, always the most amused at his own jokes. The woman screamed and ran for her family.
“John, help! There’s a rat in our picnic!” she yelled, running away from the blanket.
The large male human yelled, “Oh my god, Sarah! It’s one of those talking animals the reporters warned us about. We need to get out of here! I think they’re rabid or something.”
The family stumbled to their autopod only to see Moe and Curly blocking the way. All three humans retreated as fast as they could, deeper into the park, yelling for help.
“Well played, boys! Quick, Curly, grab the sandwiches, fries, and that fancy cooler thingy.” Larry said.
“Got it, boss! Woo-woo-woo!” Curly chortled.
“Hey, fellas! I just had another brilliant idea. See that picture with the big yellow M on those fries. I seen that very thing on a building on the far side of town. We haven’t been able to get past those bruiser Doberman dogs, but it looks like we found ourselves a ride. I think this dingus could help us get to the source of these delectable fries. What da ya say?” Moe said with authoritarian confidence.
“Jeez, boss. I dunnow. How’re we supposed to drive that thing?” Larry said cautiously.
“Stop bein’ such a party pooper, Larry. If those humans can do it, then we can too. Whoop whoop!” Curly said with difficulty, his mouth full of fries.
“Come on, boys! Let’s go. The last one in is a stupid human!” Moe ordered, hefting the bag of sandwiches.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
After much cursing and furious activity, the autopod tore across the lawn going full speed in reverse with several high-pitched screeches wailing from within.
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Casa was helping Bill, Mira, and Max prep a big breakfast, perhaps the last one for a while. Casa was struggling with arranging things with her normal seamless precision. The eggs were overcooked while she was distracted setting out coffee and juice. No longer being able to multitask and thinking as slowly as a human had seriously impacted her coordination skills.
Max utilized his [Telekinesis] skill to make some toast while his dad was decanting freshly brewed coffee and compiling some bacon for cooking. Mira and her familiar Tiamat brought some freshly chilled bowls of fruit, that had been collected from the garden fruit trees earlier, out of the refrigerator.
Bill noticed Casa's frustration but didn't comment, instead, he chose to offer a compliment. "Smells great, Casa. You're doing just fine."
Casa offered a visualization of a tight smile on her face plate, focusing on the task at hand, and answered.
“I know exactly how much I’ve lost with the DAIE neural governor, Bill. No need to sugarcoat it to try and cheer me up. I’ve relied too much on my superior speed and fragmenting ability in the past. I just need to try harder, the old-fashioned way. Being more human kind of sucks, but I’ll get the hang of it. If you all can do it, then so can I.” Casa said.
Max cleared his throat with a chuff, changing the subject away from Casa as she continued to struggle. Plates and silverware grew out of the tabletop, thanks to Mira’s accessing the smart matter feature of the tabletop.
“So where are you going, dad? You know I’m planning on leaving for the Labyrinth soon right?” Max asked as he began assembling a plate of food.
“I know Max. I thought I was out, but they keep pulling me back in…” Bill started and paused, waiting for a response. Seeing blank looks he continued with a small head shake.
“The Samaritans are mobilizing to advise and help the Earth governments deal with the animal uplift events. Miriam asked me to help, and since I was already so close I agreed. For the most part, we’re trying to get everyone to calm down and negotiate but there have been acts of aggression on both sides. Unfortunately, that means I need to travel a bit. I’m sorry.” Bill said with a sigh.
“Yeah, I heard about the Grand Oaks Wolf brothers, carjacking autopods on the south side of town. Has the deputy found them yet?” Max asked.
“No. The Lobo boys, as they’ve been calling themselves, know the mayor has declared the Grand Oaks Reserves off-limits and retreat there when FML-M8 gets involved. I’m not just talking about local stuff, Max. Uplifts are occurring worldwide. Kuro activated a triggering system that had been spread far and wide earlier. Have you sampled the news?” Bill asked. Both Max and Mira shrugged a bit, eyes glazing slightly. The physical tell that was a sign they were both actively gathering some feeds from the net. Bill continued as if they weren’t doing the rude kid thing. (Adults did it too, but were more subtle about it.)
“The leader of the Samaritans, Miriam, is in San Diego right now. Apparently, the animals there vacated the zoo as a group and took over the prestigious Parks Condominium. The zoo ringleader, a bonobo uplift named Darwin, has forced most of the humans out keeping a few zookeepers prisoner to prevent police action. Miriam is trying to negotiate a peaceful resolution.” Bill said.
“Yeah, I saw that cast. I also heard that Samaritan Rampart was investigating the Tucson massacre. Did you hear more than what was in the news?” Max asked.
“Yes. But it wasn’t a massacre unless you're referring to the animals, Max. Tucson had a big farm-to-table culture. One of the slaughterhouses run by a company called Desert Prime Meats didn’t shut down before the uplift virus hit. The Tucson herd is suing the company for trauma and cow-slaughter...and there were many human fatalities in town. The virus appears to be extremely rugged and isn’t deactivated with cooking. It can kill even a heavily augmented human.”
“That’s messed up on many levels, Dad. I thought everyone used matter compilers for meat now.” Max said.
“I’m sorry, Max. There are still a lot of humans who think it’s okay to kill and eat animals. This change may be the final straw to force us all to be truly civilized.” Bill said. Mira spoke up.
“I think it serves the bastards right. Eating animals was wrong even before they were intelligent. Whatever happened to the golden rule? How would they like to be hunted? Kuro sounded like a bad guy, but if I had been in that fight with you all I might have hit that button too.” Mira said.
Mira's statement hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Tiamat, sensing the mood, curled up silently beside her. Max chewed thoughtfully on a piece of toast, his eyes narrowing as he processed his sister's words.
"Easy, Mira. It's complicated. We're all trying to adjust to the new realities," Bill interjected, maintaining a calm demeanor. "And Kuro's actions, while drastic, have certainly pushed us to confront some hard truths. All those animals are waking up and getting intelligent but without experience or education. This will get bad before it gets better."
The conversation tapered off as each person retreated into their own thoughts, mulling over the widespread consequences of the uplifts. They soon changed topics. Bill needed to go to Washington DC where he was going to help coordinate the Samaritan deployment and also speak at the Congressional Hearing regarding the new AI Rights Bill.
Bill had asked Casa to come, but she was adamant that the work on portals needed to continue. Bill had surprised her by naming her CTO of his new company New Dimensions LLC. Now she was eager to push forward with the plan to make more gate pairs. and pocket space devices. She was going to take the Freedom to Mars, with one of the first gate pairs and begin making more on the way. Establishing the first functional interplanetary gate.
“Hey Casa, my consulting role with Mythic Realms is starting very soon. Can you give me a lift to Tyco? Glaucus has arranged for a tour of the Mythic Realms server farms for me.” Mira asked.
“With pleasure, Mira. Bill’s partner Sam up at Amundsen Paradise is gathering smart matter supplies for my fabrications and journey. Tyco is almost right next door.” Casa said.
“Hey Mira, if you end up staying for a while you should stay at Amundsen. As a part owner, I have a presidential suite. If I can’t be there, someone should use it. You can give me and Sam some honest feedback on the resort.” Bill said.
“OMG! Dad, you’re the best. You hear that T? Sound’s like we found our Rivendell for our new adventure.” Mira said. Tiamat looked excited. Bill had shown the whole family the open-air park filled with birds and butterflies.
“Crap. Now I’m a little jealous. You get to go to Rivendell while my mission takes me delving deep into the dangerous mines of Moira. Doesn’t seem fair.” Max whined.
“You gotta be a hero before you earn a hero’s rest, Max” Mira said, rubbing his ears like she used to before he was uplifted. Max started back and she coughed to cover her embarrassment. Max still liked head pats, he just wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. Bill’s raucous laugh soon settled them down as he gave them both head pats.
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Max was a confused mix of happy and sad as the two vehicles roared out of the hidden hanger. Bill was taking the Raptor to DC while the Freedom, with Casa and Mira, boosted immediately for orbit. Max’s friends would also be ready to trek to the Labyrinth today. Max was eager to go.
Max was waving goodbye as his extended senses picked up movement near the front drive. It was Flip! Max bounded over as quickly as he could. Flip was signing before he could say hello. Sherlock, always on point, started a caption in the Max’s OverLayer to translate.
“[Max Dog, Friend. Apologies for crossing your yard.] Flip sent.
“You’re always welcome to visit my home, Flip. You came all this way to visit? That must have taken you hours. You were very brave trying to help me in the forest. We are friends. Hey, would you like to see my obstacle course? It’s even cooler than our tree runs.” Max said. He waited for a beat. Flip seemed to absorb his words fine, but the squirrel looked sad and worried instead of happy.
“[Sorry Max Friend. The other animals are all very upset. We need help. The Gatherer Trees aren’t providing food anymore. Only Harambe and Kuro knew how to ask for their help. I can always find food, but some of the bigger animals are looking hungry. If we can’t feed them, they might return to the old ways. And everyone is afraid of humans coming because of what the Lobos and Honey Bear are up to.]”
Max frowned in thought. Dad said it’s going to get worse before it gets better. But maybe just a little help will go a long way. Charlie and the gang wanted to leave this afternoon for the Labyrinth. I’ve got time.
"Ok, Flip. The mayor has declared the Grand Oaks off-limits for humans. If the Lobos and Honey Bear cause trouble outside of it, they will be held accountable but I don’t think the humans will hold it against the animals. Lucky for you, I’m not human so I can ignore his rules.”
“So let’s worry about the Gather Trees first. I’ll pull some food together before we go, just in case. Come inside!” Max said and tore off back towards the house. Flip hesitated, but soon followed at a remarkable clip, showing that even the little squirrel had benefitted from some form of augmentation from the aug berries.
Bill had installed a new house AI, a low-end commercial model named Martha. Max had tried to engage the AI in conversation, but she just wasn’t very entertaining. Max had the Martha AI begin compiling a marathon of raw CleanMeat choices from the basic menus integrated into the matter printer. Max was running around the house looking for packs to carry the food and found a custom hoverbike that Bo had stored. Max grinned, this will be perfect to transport the food and us to the forest.
Max was hauling his booty toward the kitchen when he saw a small box with a note on it in the front hall. He quickly picked up the note and read it.
Max, Mira told me you might need some unique and unlicensed devices for your delve into the Labyrinth. Mira, Casa, and I all contributed some stuff for you to use. They are all useful and unlicensed but not secret so if the Labyrinth does distribute them, it won’t be a big deal.
1. Casa’s sym-hornets - EMP, Heat, Cold versions
2. Bill’s multitool - polymatter rod with 50 traditional tool configurations
3. Mira’s RolloMap - An autonomous ball that triggers traps and maps for you.
4. Casa’s robo-raven - standard drone in a nonstandard form
5. Bill’s backup power core - portable power recharge if there are no outlets in the dungeon.
6. Mira’s compact camper - sugar cube of foglets for foam/water/cloud bed.
Good luck with the Labyrinth and remember to have fun!
Love, Dad, Mira, and Casa
“Wow! Sneaky…giving me gifts even after they’re already gone. Hopefully, I can earn some interesting rewards in the delve to give back to them.” Max pulled the box into his already full arms and had an idea.
He ran past Flip who was piling up the CleanMeat packs as they came out of the matter printer. Max dropped the box and carrying bags near the pile and kept going. He charged down the stairs and burst into the lab. Sitting on a charging pedestal, his refurbished Tesseract gleamed. He accessed it and opened its portal space.
Plenty of room to carry stuff and easy to transport. Dad still hadn’t been able to find a way around its quantum entangled pairing. Bad for him, but good for me. Smiling, he grabbed the device and rushed back upstairs to the growing mountain of meat.
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