V is for Victim

Chapter 8
Finale

Chapter Eight

Mayianri Huyan smiled warmly as she looked down at the slumbering form laying on the cot in front of her. The kit’s ears twitched gently in his sleep, probably bothered by the white bandage that ran itself around his head, nursing a soccer injury. Taking a deep breath and recalling her lines, she bent forward and gently shook the boy’s thin shoulder speaking softly to him.

“Mr. Kol... Addy...c’mon, child...wake to the dawn...”

The boy stirred and groaned, green eyes slowly opening to wince at the bright light of the Medical room. Squinting as he looked around, Addison’s eyes focused on the white coated figure standing over him. As she met his gaze, she noticed that his pupils were wide, his look unfocused and confused. “Wha...what happened?” he asked, disoriented. Where was he? Wasn’t he just outside?

Principal Huyan’s crisp, cheery voice descended down to him. “Well, you took a rather nasty blow form an exceptionally well kicked soccer ball, Addison. We’ve warned Kiama about his power in the past, but sadly, these things do happen from time to time.”

“My head...”

“Will feel a bit stuffy for a bit, I’m sure. Don’t worry about that, it’s perfectly normal.”

Sighing, Addison looked around at his surroundings as he lay back on the soft bed. Soft pastel colors covered the room, but on the shelves and walls, neon lights pulsed at irregular beats, highlighting technology that the regressed human had never before seen nor imagined. The sight was almost hypnotic.

Feeling dizzy, Addison shook his head to clear it, which turned out to be a big mistake. Pain flared up behind his eyes, and a childlike wince escaped him. It was not unlike a puppy’s yelp.

The principal surged forward holding him still. “Easy, boyo, easy! You’ve just been through an ordeal. Rest yet, do not strain.”

“Where are we?”

Principal Huyan looked around. “This is the Applicable Sciences and Medical Room. You could say that this is the heart and mind of Tiera Raev. All the programs and educational software are run from it, and if accidents happen, well,” she laughed self-consciously, “you know the old saying about quality brainwork being the Thera’s ambrosia...”

Addison quieted, but as he listened, a sick feeling began toying with his stomach. Though he heard every word, they were hard to comprehend, as though he was listening to a foreign language that he was just starting to learn. A wide, worried look crept into his eyes. “Something...something is wrong. It’s...it’s hard to think...my head...”

She shushed him with a gentle note, and laid her paw on his, pulling his hands away from the bandage. “Well, I’m sure that has everything to do with your accident, Addison.” She smiled playfully. “How about we try to shake it off with some mental exercises, hmm?”

He just looked at her, not understanding.

“Theresiani told me quite a bit about you, Addison, but I still had some questions I’d like to ask, if you don’t mind. Pardon my saying, but I happen to find you a fascinating individual, and to have received such praise from my dear friend, well, may I proceed?”

Addison thought for a second, then slowly nodded. He didn’t like this feeling, comparing it to the sensation of knowing a word, but not being able to say it past the tip of his tongue.”

“Oh, goody. I do so love Q and A...hmmm, let’s throw a hardball. Can you tell me, Addison, where do you live?

Addison blinked, not expecting such a simple query...surely something like that Theresa had already mentioned if they talked so much. Easy enough, though. “Well, I live in California...in King’s Can-“

Swiftly, the Principal placed a finger on his speaking lips, hushing him. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I’m not that familiar with Earth’s geography. I know I should be, but for personal reasons, it’s a topic I’ve tended to avoid. You know how Earth mirrors Thera, right? Can you give me the name of the Theran counterpart town? That would make it easier on me to comprehend.”

“Oh...well, then it’s here. I mean, it’s Leoliana.”

“Oh, so you live in Prelude! That’s great!” she said, seeming overly excited.

“Well not really, I live in...”

“Isn’t it just easier to say that you live in Prelude?”

“I...guess so?” Addison replied uneasily. That numb sensation was encroaching again, and the pain was causing a ringing in his ears.

“Try it. Say it for me.”

“I...live in Prelude?” That wasn’t exactly right but...it was the same as that...other place...so yeah, he did live here, in a way. “I live in Prelude,” he found himself repeating, more confidently.

“Ah, splendid. Did you know, that all of the children of Prelude attend here at Tiera Raev Academy? You like it here, don’t you? Wouldn’t you like to come back?” The raccoon’s eyes gleamed in the pulsing light.

“Yeah...I mean...I’d like to...but you know I’m not really a...”

“What do you want to be when you grow up?

Despite the static in his mind, that comment didn’t jive. “I’m...I am already a grown-up,” he said a little moodily giving the Principal an odd look. Enough was enough. These questions were stupid, and only making his head hurt worse. He started to crawl out off of the low-lying bed. “I need some fresh air.”

The principal gently but firmly gripped his arm and kept him in place. “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. With your current appearance, you’ll have to forgive me. It’s easy to forget that you are not what you seem.” She pointed beyond him, and he turned to find his image capture in a full length mirror. Still dressed in his P.E. uniform, he took himself in, the big eyes, the round ears and cheeks, the shaggy, toddler-like brown hair, the pink nose that canines had through their childhood. Seeing himself made him admit, it was pretty understandable that she’d forget. He let it slide and relaxed, the ache in his head subsiding a bit.

“Well?”

“I want to be a teacher!” he exclaimed, a little loudly. He didn’t know why it had come so suddenly, the words had just leapt from him. The Principal nodded sagely.

“The most noble of professions. Very, very impressive, Addison. What makes you want to do that?”

“Well...I like working with kids. They have person...personal...they have attitude. I also like to draw, and I draw good, er, I mean, I draw well, so I like to help other people learn how too.” He smiled. “I want to do something...I mean, y’know, do.”

“Oh, you like art, do you?” Mayri tapped her chin. “You know, if memory serves, you have an art class scheduled after your physical education course, which is still running as we speak. Isn’t that exciting? My daughter also takes the course at that time, maybe you’ll get to meet her.”

Addison didn’t say anything as he nodded, the pain in his head dimming. Something about the way that had come out didn’t seem right to him, but another comment quickly drew his attention away from really worrying about it.

“Your momma must really love you, do you know that?”

“Huh?” Addison was confused. The buzzing began again, horribly loud this time. “What about my mother?”

Reaching into one of the many pockets on the coat she wore, Principal Huyan drew forth an expensive looking silver camera, dangling it by it’s black nylon cord. Thumbing it on, she scrolled through the pictures as they flashed by on the digital screen. Finding the one she was looking for, she presented it to the kit.

Addison stared at the picture of himself and Theresa, as she was in the act of saving him from that rather large slide in the park. That whole thing seemed like it happened ages ago...almost a blur. He remembered playing...and having fun...and all the while, she took pictures, smiling at him, loving him. Just a vixen and her kit, enjoying the Autumn’s sun. However...

“That...that is not my...not my...” The buzzing intensified, worse then ever, and Addison cried out, holding his head. Principal Huyan grabbed him in a tight embrace, waiting for the spasm to pass. She made shushing sounds, rocking him, and finally, the pain eased and the kit lay still. When his eyes focused again, they caught sight of the camera. The picture was different and this one...didn’t seem familiar...what was...?

Mayri looked down at the camera. “Oh, that’s a beautiful one. Look at you, quite the happy birthday boy with that giant cake in front of you. And just look at all those presents. Do I count six candles up there?”

Wait.

Staring hard at the picture, Addison willed his mind to focus. It was him alright...quick, hurried glances back at the mirror confirmed the kit in the photo to be him. Frozen in the moment right before the candles are blown out, it seemed a perfect, page one snapshot of a happy child.

“And the date on the bottom says this was taken only about a month ago...happy belated birthday, Addy!”

The kit frowned hard, trying to think through the gray. A memory surfaced, but it was of no happy party surrounded by presents and cake, no. The image that churned up out of the shadows of his mind were of a sad looking man in a dirty, wrinkled brown jacket, wiping tears from his eyes with the tip of his green scarf. A badly crumpled scrap of paper sat in front of the figure, as well as nine little glasses, all overturned and dry. Some part of him tried to grasp that, hold on to it for unfathomable reasons, but in an instant, it was gone.

Feeling as though on autopilot, Addison’s chubby paw worked the camera with some difficulty, flipping through the pictures as though seeking salvation. Each one mirrored the last, each one told another part of a childhood that seemed a distant dream to the confused child. There they were at the beach, the kit’s wings wide spread as the vixen tossed him through the air. Another one placed the two at an amusement park, both wearing expressions of terror and glee as they came upon a sharp drop. Other pictures were more mundane, pictures of riding in Hover-Gos, walking through the beautiful forests, sharing lunch at an outdoor caf?. None of it seemed familiar when he first gazed at it, but as he continued to look, the memories seemed to take hold, and he found himself almost in a daze, reliving the moment captured in the photo within his head. He turned to the adult sitting next to him, and gave her a sad look.

“Mrs. Huyan...I don’t feel so good...and it’s not my head,” he whimpered, and that was true. The pain in his head seemed to have completely subsided, replaced only by a queer, fluttery feeling in his stomach that he didn’t like.

The old raccoon stood after looking at him for a long moment. “Well, that won’t do, will it? I’ll call the doctor up right away.” As she reached for an object on a nearby dresser, a coarse, rough voice sounded from behind her, making her jump.

“I am already here, Huyan. Is he ready?” The voice came from the shadows, and Addison jumped as well, looking around for it’s source. Standing near the biggest collection of glowing lights and diodes, the speaker detached itself and strode over to the bedside. Grim-looking and ugly, the doctor’s scowl caused Addison to recoil and sit up, away from him. The possum noticed, but if he was offended, he didn’t make any mention of it.

“I am Dr. Cade,” he stated, pulling a flashlight from his coat pocket to shine painfully into the kit’s eyes. Addison winced, but didn’t look away, held in some place by something he didn’t understand. Were he in his right mind, he might have recognized it as the instinctual fear all children have of doctors.

Hmmming to himself as he worked, Dr. Cade checked his eyes, his nose, his ears, even made him open his mouth to display his sharp puppy teeth. Pulling a cold stethascope from an unknown pocket, the frigid instrument brought for a slight giggle from the boy as it was pressed against his stomach. Finally, Dr. Cade stood and fixed the Principal with a firm glare.

“As far as I can tell, he is perfectly healthy, for an adolescent Alivulpes kit. All outward signs show that the procedure, though rushed and untested, was a success. I’ll need a blood sample to further study, but I am sure that can be obtained at a later time.”

“Yes, doctor,” Mayri said, looking down at the boy, who looked positively horrified at the thought of giving blood. “We will have time for all that and more later on.” Without another word, the Doctor turn and left the room, rat-like tail swishing behind him.

Addison watched him go, and felt the small wings on his back twitch and rise. He was getting anxious, staying in one place for so long, and he knew what he wanted...to get out of this scary room and back outside...to the games, to his friends, who had cheered so much as he scored those goals.

“I’m feeling much better, Ms. Huyan,” he piped up, looking up at her as she turned from the door. “Can I go now?

“Just a moment, precious boy. I have only a few more questions I’d like to ask you.”

“Aww...” Addison made a face, rolling his eyes. More questions? “Ok...”

Mayri smiled down at him, at ease now that Cade had left. The man’s cold demeanor always set her on edge. Looking down at her forearm, she looked through the fabric, at the black armband that rested there. The numbers ?547’ were etched into the cloth, mirroring the one that Dr. Cade had worn on his belt like a sash. He had been such a kind and funny man, before that bloody mission.

“Just how old are you, Addy? I’d like to know so I can put you in the appropriate courses.”

The question gave him pause, but suddenly, he remembered with perfect clarity the wonderful birthday party he had had not two weeks ago. A candy number had graced the top of a delicious cake, one that was only reluctantly shared. It had been so much fun...

“I’m six!” he exclaimed, recalling. He held up seven fingers, and the Principal gently took his hand and placed one back down into his fist.

“Very good! A big boy, that’s what you are. My little girl is your age too, you know. Her birthday is coming up soon...would you like to come?”

Something in Addison’s mind rebelled against the thought of attending a ?girl’s’ party, but he grinned wide and nodded anyway. A party was a party, after all.

“Splendid. Just one more now...and this is the most important question of all, little one.”

The boy frowned, prepared for anything. Just one more question and he’d be able to go!

“What are you?”

“Huh?”

“It’s an easy enough question, isn’t it? What are you? You can use the mirror over there if you need help, but I think you know.” She gestured. “Are you a frog? A skunk? A sparrow, perhaps?”

Addison laughed. “Nooo, I’m not a sparrow, I’ma hu...a..” he furrowed his brow, confused. There was a word he was trying to say...but...”A...a...”

“Remember what Dr. Cade said,” Mrs. Huyan said, coming up behind him. Running her fingers down his back caused the boy’s wings to spread. “The old word for ?wing’ is ?alius’. And, well, let’s see.” She took the boy’s ears in her hands. “You’ve got ears like a fox, a nose like a fox,” she said, poking him between the eyes playfully, “hmmm, the paws of a fox....” She leaned forward, and lightly sniffed at him. “And you smell like a fox...so that must make you....”

“A fox! I’ma fox!” He finished triumphantly raising his hands. Such a silly question.

“Right you are, but you forgot these,” she said, touching his wings. “Alivulpes vulpes...you, my boy are a winged red fox kit.”

Addison nodded. Of course he was. “Can I go now? I really want to get back to the P.E. class. Can I? I feel really fine, I promise.”

“Go, child, with my blessing. The door is just that way. Follow the hallway, and I’ll call a prefect over to help you back to your class.”

With an excited yip, the boy hopped off of the cot and dashed out of the Medical Room, all injury and worry long forgotten. Mayri watched him go for a moment, then turned and exited through a different door. Climbing a few flights of stairs, she found herself in front of a solid door. Various warnings labeled it as something to be avoided by the general population of the school. She was about to knock, but stopped herself. She had as much right to be in there as he did.

Stepping through the door, she was greeted with dozens of computer monitors, all tuned and focused on different subjects. Captured within the feed were images of the school, of the children, of the Slider Station. Also, oddly enough, some of the monitors held live video of humans, of Earth. Some of the people were behind bars, others sat expressionlessly staring at white, padded walls.

Dr. Cade reclined in a heavy leather chair in the center of the room, dark eyes fixated on one monitor in particular. Upon it, Addison Wolf, no, Addison Kol scampered and played, having rejoined his class. The bandage still sat between the boy’s ears, but it was soon jostled free and forgotten.

“A success, Doctor. I can’t believe how well it turned out,” she said, hoping to startle him as he did earlier. He didn’t flinch though.

“So it would appear,” he said in his usual monotone, ending the conversation. They stood watching in silence for a few moments. Mayri wore a triumphant smile on her face, but the cold expression never changed on the Doctor’s.

“Did we...did we do the right thing?” A soft voice spoke from behind the two. “Is this...alright?”

Dr. Cade spoke without turning around. “It’s far too late for such questions, Theresiani. Had you these overriding doubts, you should have resolved them first and then proceeded. It is ridiculous to worry this long after the fact. The deed is done.”

Theresa bowed her head, her beautiful face now muted with worry and concern. She had gone through about six packs of cigarettes over the past few hours, and the nicotine made her light-headed and anxious. Ashes stained her pretty green robes, but she didn’t notice.

“Everything went well, dear friend,” Mayri said, walking over to stand beside the trembling vixen. “A success...the first of many.”

Theresa’s gaze stood riveted on the screens. Unprompted, Dr. Cade pushed a few buttons on the remote he held, and the majority of the screens shifted to views of the field. Together, they watched Addison join the cloud of children chasing aimlessly after the soccer ball, running back and forth across the carefully manicured grass, grinning wide as he did so. A spotted feline boy seemed to enjoy the new addition, and the teamwork the two shared on the field was easily evident to the observers. In barely a day, it seemed, the child had made a friend.

But such is the nature of children.

“You realize that if this gets out, if the humans find out what you’re...no...what we’re about to begin here, there could be war.”

The doctor snorted disdainfully. “A war they would lose.”

“A war nonetheless,” Theresa said firmly.

The doctor didn’t say anything for a long moment. Finally, he glanced back at the young woman. “I would suggest changing his first name as soon as you decide upon one. It would help the suggestions we’ve laid down.” Cade steepled his fingers. “This is a relatively new science...it stands to reason that anything to remind him of his former life would be detrimental to the process.”

Theresa frowned. “No...I won’t do that. It’s...it’s like I’d be completely be burying the man I knew. It’d be like...like killing him. I won’t do it,” she said adamantly. Mayri looked over at her, concern plain in her face.

Dr. Cade snorted and stood, dark eyes boring into Theresa like knives. “There is no room for sentiment in this endeavor. Look upon our work; the friend you knew is dead, gone forever, your child now stands in his place. This is murder, this is a death, a death of the human sorrows and miseries to expose a pure Theran soul beneath it. It is a rebirth that he is lucky to have been able to experience.”

Stepping forward, Principal Huyan tried to interject a soft note between the two. “Theresa, please don’t be so downcast. Look how happy your friend is! Isn’t this what you both wanted?”

Theresa followed her look, and sadly nodded. “Yes, but I wonder, how much of that,” she said, gesturing, “is happiness, or a combination of the narcotics and suggestion?” she asked bitterly, then put her hand over her mouth, ashamed. Her and Mayri were too good of friends to be arguing like this, to have exchanged those words.

Mayri looked away, terribly hurt. “Those were just to ease the transition, and from my observations and what you told me, I doubt they were even necessary. He was ready for this, on some consciences level, he wanted this, or all the suggestion in the world would have amounted to nothing. Theresa, dear, if you harbored such resistance to the project, why did you volunteer your friend as our first subject? We had plenty of other humans to chose from...”

Theresa let out a breath and wiped at her eyes, where small tears had begun to fall. Where was her resolve, where was her determination to see this through? Hadn’t she spent all of the last month debating if this was the proper course?

“He...Addison somewhat forced my hand. Remember, I told you that he lived alone, in a filthy, dirty hovel, his mother and father having passed some time ago, in a airplane accident. It was his life’s dream to become a teacher, and per human standards, he had all the credentials required to do so, but positions were not open. Constant frustration followed, and he was getting desperate.” Telling the story reminded her of the reasoning behind her actions, and she began to feel a little better. “In our letters to each other, he strongly hinted that he was going to attempt to illegally immigrate into Thera, hoping to find the job market better here.”

“A human’s educational credentials are quite inferior to theran ones,” Dr Cade said in a low voice. “Our children leave this academy with more knowledge then he probably ever had, despite that.”

Theresa ignored the doctor’s remark, continuing. “Thera was Addison’s light. For every failure, it was here to brighten his day. Every time we met, every time we saw each other, he was happy, free of the misery he buried in his letters. If he was ever caught, illegally immigrating here...well...you know the human’s immigration laws. He’d be deported back to Earth and never allowed near another Slider Station. I thought...I thought that if that happened, I’d lose him.” She didn’t have to finish, those assembled knew what she meant.

“You’re wrong, Theresa. Thera wasn’t his light. You were.” Mayri smiled, kissing away some of the tears that yet fell from her friend’s face. “He loved you dearly, that much was painfully obvious, in the human way. And you...you loved him too, didn’t you?”

“...yes...”

“Then smile away those tears, dear one. In this endeavor, everybody wins. Addison will now grow up, loved and nurtured by someone who cares so much for him, receiving a proper Theran education. I will even focus his studies to put him on the path to becoming an Educator and he will reach adulthood proud and wise. You needn’t worry about his safety now, because he will always be in your sight. And on our end, the Project continues, this one life saved serving as a beacon of hope to it’s completion.”

Theresa finally nodded, and the tears no longer fell. “I understand the importance of the Project, but I want no further role in it. I will assist if needed, but I’m well aware you have sympathizers within my station that are capable of handling my place in your work.” She turned, starting for the door. “I’d like to go meet my son, now, if I could.”

“Just a moment, I have just a few things to go over with you, but rest assured, you will see him very soon.” They glanced up at the screens, and the children were in the process of lining up to return underground to class.

“They say the best subject is a willing one,” Dr. Cade murmured softly.

*********

Humming a tuneless song to himself as he entered the classroom, Addison could barely contain his excitement. His friend Zylo had told him about Art class, which though he wasn’t taking it this semester, he had taken twice before. And though Addison had transferred into Tiera Raev from a school with far lesser standards of Academia then Raev, and thus was far behind other kids his age, the one thing he did know was that he loved Art.

After a short introduction in front of the class, Addison sat himself down at a round table with three other children, one of which was the raccoon girl from before, Pyri. She looked at him strangely for a few moments, then leaned across the desk to sniff at him. He drew back away from the girl’s attentions. You never did know what sort of germs they carried.

“Hey...” she whispered in a loud voice. “You don’t smell funny anymore.”

Addison put his nose to his chest, inhaling. “I don’t smell funny,” he said, sticking his tongue out at her.

“You did,” she retorted.

“Nuh uh!” he shot back.

“Uh huh!”

“Nuh uh!”

The squabble might have gone on for quite a while, but the two quieted as the teacher and his assistant began passing out various drawing utensils. Grabbing at a handful of pastel chalk, the kit and his table-mates were soon covered in the dusty stuff.

“I’m drawing a picture of my mum and me,” Pyri declared, and after a few bold strokes, some frantic scribbling, and a bit of finger paint for good measure, she proudly showed off her masterpiece. The picture showed, presumably, two raccoons, one smaller then other, which was dressed in a white coat. Addison squinted at it.

“Your mom is the Principal?” he exclaimed, looking at her with a sort of awe.

“Yup,” she said, smirking proudly.

“Wow, that’s cool!”

“Why don’t you draw your mom?”

That was a good idea, he decided, and wiping some excess paint off on his trousers, (which were made of some incredibly washable fabric...just in case) he reached for a new piece of paper. However, before the piece of chalk touched it, he paused, thinking. He knew his mother, of course, but for some reason, imagining her in his head was difficult, as though he hadn’t seen her in ages. Mentally shrugging, he decided to go on what he knew. He was a winged red fox, so, reaching for the red pastel, she should be too. Of course, she was going to be bigger then he was, because she was a grownup, and...and...well...green was his favorite color, so she’d be wearing green. Yeah.

The door to the classroom clicked open, and in the habit of children everywhere, human or theran, each and everyone of their heads swiveled to view the newcomer. Green robes swished about her, giving her an otherworldly look, and the wings on her back completed the impression. Seeing it was an adult, the children returned to their various doings, but not Addison. Seeing her made him leap up and nearly upend the table he had been working on.

“Momma!” he cried, dashing for her as a dying man in the desert dashes for water in his head. Embracing her legs in a tremendous hug, he looked up to grin wide at the winged vixen. To his surprise, despite the smile that sat proudly on her face as she looked down at him, the red fur around her eyes was stained dark by the tears that flowed freely.

“Huh? Mom, why are you crying?” he asked, worried. “Are you hurt?”

Theresa sank down to her knees, and quickly gathered him up in a hug that squeezed the breath from him. “No, no, baby, I’m fine. I just...I just missed you very much, is all.” She shuddered and fought to regain her composure.

The kit looked at her plaintively. “I was at school! You didn’t have to worry...we read Romeo and Juliet, and I had the longest passage to read, and they said I was the best,” he said, breathlessly settling into the childish tendency to exaggerate. “Then we played soccer, and momma, I made a whole bunch of goals. A whole bunch.”

“That’s wonderful, Addy.”

“And...and...” he caught sight of the picture still held in his black-furred paw. “Lookit! I was drawing me and you! See...there’s you...with the wings.”

“Beautiful, baby, beautiful. Come on, I don’t think your instructor wants us disrupting his class like this. Why don’t you show me where you were sitting, and maybe he’ll let us draw together.”

Addison whirled around to look askance at the lapine teacher, who smiled warmly and nodded, gesturing back to the table. As they sat together, mother and son, Theresa’s worries melted away, replaced instead by an indescribable sense of fulfillment. Her friend that she had loved and cherished might be gone, but in his place remained a beautiful and precocious child. Looking into Addison’s happy eyes, Theresa saw hope for the future, hope for Thera, despite the horrific challenge that faced her planet.

Smiling to herself and joining in on Addison’s tuneless hum, she bent over him, guiding his hand, trying to instruct him on the fine points of staying within the lines. The kit was absolutely hopeless at it, but he didn’t seem to mind. No, these things come in time.

V IS FOR VICTIM, COMPLETE

END PART ONE OF THREE

 

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