Cynetic Wolf

by Matt Ward

  “Thanks for the heads up.”

  “Want to spar?” She gave me a funny look, challenging yet playful.

  “Me? Spar with you?” I took a step back.

  “What, am I too old to spar?” Her eyes flashed.

  “No, no, I meant—”

  “Good, let’s spar.”

  We suited up in protective headgear and light gloves, and stepped onto the soft circular mat.

  “For rules, anything goes except the eyes and groin.” She gave me a look, sizing me up, or mocking me, I wasn’t sure.

  Everyone was watching. Damn it. Talk about a first impression, kicking some old lady’s butt. How’d she talk me into this?

  We squared up, circling. Her footwork was outstanding. Mine wasn’t half bad—Mom made us have lessons when we were younger—but Paer moved with impossible grace and precision.

  “You know I have cybernetics?” I asked. “I don’t want to hurt you—”

  “Kid,” she said with a smirk. “If you hurt me, I’ll bake you cookies.” The crowd roared and I flushed. I was trying to be nice, lady.

  Moving inward, I threw a few feeler jabs but she dodged them with a smile.

  As I lined up a combo, she faked and her right fist sledgehammered my stomach before I realized what happened.

  Ugh… Dropping my arm to cover my body, her left clobbered my face. I stumbled, struggling to stay upright. My reaction time had to be twice as fast as hers, yet she was crushing me. What was going on? I’d underestimated her. “Well played.”

  She gave an innocent smile before she swept my leg and pounced, elbow crashing into my jaw as she landed. Her knee slammed my abdomen, knocking the wind out of me.

  Struggling to defend myself, I remembered something Mom said once, “Wolves don’t attack, baby, they kill.”

  Spinning my hips, I knocked her off and launched upward, creating space. As I landed, I put all my force into an uppercut, impaling her jaw. She dropped like a rock, out cold before she hit the floor.

  Stunned silence, no one said a word.

  Someone clapped. Others joined in. Soon I was swept up in high fives. I did it, I’d won, somehow... Next time I might not be so lucky.

  Paer blinked, bleary-eyed. “Wh—where are we? What happened?”

  Offering a hand, I helped her to her feet, her pupils dilating at last. “You’re an amazing fighter, Paer. You knew what I’d do and how I’d react before I did.”

  “I want a rematch one of these days,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “How about one better?” I asked. She’d be the perfect tutor and Fitz hadn’t taught me much yet. “Would you teach me?”

  “Too busy, kid. Can’t.” She shook her head, face set in a hard line. Dang... “But thanks for asking, makes an old lady feel appreciated.”

  Someone called her over and she disappeared as Zedda came over to congratulate me. I tried to downplay it but she’d have none of it.

  “I’ve never seen her lose, not once. Rumor is it’s been years, some tigerish guy, I think. You’ll have to ask Ashlo or Henk. They’re more interested in that stuff.”

  Tigerish, mhm? No way…

  “I’ll see you at the meeting.” She smiled. “First, I need to get some climbing in.” She headed for the rock wall in the far corner. Chimpish, I laughed to myself. Our little animalish tendencies.

  After showering, I went looking for Fitz.

  When I got to his room, he was chatting with an older brunette I hadn’t met. She had kind eyes, a warm posture, and petite hands that kept up with her whirlwind mouth. Fitz waved me over. “Raek, this is Fenni. She was sharing all the good gossip, you wouldn’t believe some of the things... Fenni, meet Raek.”

  She smiled and after a quick hello, continued, “Like I was saying, sounds like the raids were successful. There’s a meeting tonight, 18:00. Sounds like a big deal. Targets were high profile government buildings, I think.”

  “Really? “I didn’t see anything on the web or forums. The elite web either.”

  She nodded. “That’s normal. Our successful missions usually get swept under the rug.” She wagged a finger. “Command and control 101. Never let the enemy appear strong, successful or human. It goes something like this: we attack some GDR building or assassinate a corrupt leader and it’s either not reported, or labeled an accident: gas leak, bad heart, car accident… you get the picture.”

  She paused, basking in the attention. “But anytime we fail or something goes wrong, it’s everywhere.” She rolled her eyes. “Terrorist plot to blow up a hospital, thwarted. Rebels kill four innocent kids before being gunned down by heroic DNS officers....” Another eye roll. “It’s always something like that. And no, we don’t target hospitals, children, or innocents.”

  Fitz said, “It’s true. Been like this for years.”

  “We always kind of thought so, at least our family… But you never know.” I paused. “Guess that’s the point. But don’t people post footage? Shouldn’t there be hundreds or thousands of videos and holos and articles?” The more I thought about it, the less sense it made.

  She chuckled, Fitz too. “You ain’t seen the data centers have you, honey? Who do you think employs the best developers and hackers, even some simple AI? The GDR spends the bulk of its monitoring budget on cyber, I’d bet.”

  Talk turned to the day’s plans, and I told Fitz about the meeting. “We’ve got an hour to kill but—”

  A funny, knowing grin on his face stopped me. “What? What is it?”

  “It’s nothing. I’m surprised, that’s all,” he mused. “Lilia, haven’t heard that name in years.”

  “You know her? How?” Was she that old? Darn.

  “Long story. We ran in similar crowds.”

  I was about to respond but thought better of it. Fenni was eyeing both of us and seemed loose-lipped. “I’m gonna grab some coffee from the mess, want some?”

  “I could use some caffeine. Give me a sec.” We said our goodbyes, and, after Fenni left, I gave Fitz a questioning look. “Later,” he murmured.

  We made it to the mess and fresh brewed coffee and savory biscuits hit me. Fitz perked up and I used this as the perfect excuse to ask about Lilia. “So, you know Lilia?”

  “I do. Another life.”

  “Were you guys, well, lovers?” I fought to keep my face a mask.

  “What? No.” His brow furrowed. “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re avoiding the topic,” I said, not wanting him to realize I was jealous.

  He told me they’d been early members of the Resistance together, gone on a fair number of missions...

  “But why’d you leave?” I asked.

  “Differences of opinion,” he said without elaborating.

  I was sick of the guessing games and narrowed my eyes.

  “To be honest,” he said. “I’d had enough. I was tired of fighting, tired of trying to break the system. I wanted to build a better future for animotes, for all of us. That’s why I became a teacher, I wasn’t lying when I said that. Education is the key to opportunity. It’s the thing I never had. I wanted to change that,” he said at last.

  Someone yelled my name.

  It was Jame, the guy who drove the bus with Zedda and saved us.

  “Hey, Jame!” I said over the noise. “Space for two more?”

  “For a mixed-breed magic man... Move over, Bret, Othie.”

  I looked down, uncomfortable with the special treatment. The two scooted to make space which made me feel even worse.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I said.

  “I didn’t have to.” Jame smiled. “I wanted to. Bret and Othie are great, but they’re a bit dull,” he whispered. “Besides, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

  You have? I introduced him to Fitz. “So, what’s up?”

  “Wanted to make sure you were getting the hang of things, feeling at home. Stuff like that.”

  “Yeah. Everyone’s been super welcoming. Are they always so friendly?” Seem
ed out of character for an underground movement.

  “Well, you are a living legend!” Jame exclaimed. “An animote-cynetic hybrid, that’s never happened, like ever! You’re a symbol of hope, man.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m a kid, an ordinary guy.”

  “Tell that to them.” Jame pointed two tables over.

  Sure enough, they all looked away. They’d been talking about me...

  “I’m not some hero, I’m not a savior!” My voice rose, breaking the din. “I don’t know what I am.” Other than a freak. “I’m an outcast I guess…”

  “Not anymore, buddy.” Jame clapped my arm, a big grin on his boyish face. “They got big plans for you, the Council that is.” They do?

  I didn’t like this much attention. Not. At. All.

  “You’re all anyone’s talking about.” He snapped his fingers. “By the way, is it true you knocked out the old lady, you beat Paer?”

  I shrugged. “Lucky punch. She should have won the fight.”

  Fitz raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

  “I knew it.” Jame signaled one of the guys at the other table. “Hey, Drue, get over here!”

  A tall muscular guy headed over, long golden curls and a thick, blond beard covering his cheeks and chin. “I heard, Jame. I know. Congrats, Raek.” He tapped his silver band twice. “Twenty creds?”

  Jame nodded, tapping his smartband. He held it to Drue’s with a grin as continuous biometrics verified their identities to make the process fast and secure. Wow, twenty, Mom would kill me if I gambled away so much. My stomach panged. I missed her. Were they okay?

  Jame beamed. “I told you. Never bet against my friend Raek.” He patted me on the back.

  “Look at that!” Fitz exclaimed. “I lost track of time. It was nice meeting you two, but we have to run.”

  We hustled to the entranceway and were lucky Zedda found us because I had no idea where to go.

  “There you two are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Come on.” She hurried along the far side which was all new to me. “Offices and meeting rooms are on this side of the building,” she explained.

  We reached a large official-looking door. Rather than a fabbed cubicle, these rooms appeared permanent, built when the building was, and adapted to the layout today.

  She knocked twice and opened the door. I took a deep breath, no idea what to expect.

  19

  Old Friends

  At the center of the small whitewashed windowless space was a mahogany table, nine seats around it, six of which were full. The three chairs nearest the door were empty. At least these were cushioned, a stark contrast to the spartan efficiency of everything else.

  We tried to be quiet but everyone stopped to stare. “Sorry we’re late,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t worry,” Lilia replied with a sympathetic smile. She was seated at the far side in what appeared to be a prominent position. “Come in, take a seat. Make yourselves at home.” She gestured to the open seats.

  I was the youngest in the room, a year or two younger than Zedda, and at least ten younger than anyone else.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the Council,” Zedda announced. “I give you Raek Mekorian and Linus Fitz.”

  Several eyebrows jumped as a few Council members gave Fitz curious glances.

  “Linus, eh?” Paer said at last, breaking the awkward silence. “That what you’re going by these days, Lyam?”

  Fitz smiled. “Why, Agtha, still so direct after all these years? By the way, you’re looking lovely, darling. Fiery as always.”

  “Till I die, Lyam, till I die. You know that.”

  “I do.” There was a twinkle in his eyes.

  What was going on? I was so lost. Fitz knew Paer? And Lilia? And Linus wasn’t his real name, it was Lyam. My head spun, and they hadn’t even asked me anything yet.

  “It’s good to have you back, Lyam,” Lilia said. “The Resistance lost a great fighter and leader when you left. We understand, what happened and all,” she added. “Still, it is good to see you and have you back.”

  I kicked Fitz under the table to let him know I was on to him. As soon as we left, I’d confront him.

  “So, your name isn’t Linus?” Zedda asked.

  Thank you, Zedda!

  “Depends on who you ask,” Fitz replied with his usual nonchalance. “What’d you want to see us about?” He looked to each Council member in turn as he said it.

  “Raek, the boy,” the older man next to Lilia said. He had brown hair, big blue eyes, and a powerful frame, arms and face covered in dark clover spots. “Let’s save the reunion for another time. We have things to discuss. But as Raek is new and some of us don’t know Lyam, let’s introduce ourselves.” He paused, eyeing me. “Raek, it is nice to meet you, son. My name’s Hrun and I’m the president of the Initiative and oversee the Council. I help the seven of us come to an agreement, even when we’d prefer to argue,” he added with an ironic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  Lilia introduced herself as well. Second in command, not bad.

  The pale blond man to Lilia’s right waved a large manicured hand. “My name’s Mico and I represent the Old Europe contingent of the Initiative. I manage our missions and hubs on the continent including old Britain, Ireland, and, of course, Scotland.”

  “Good idea, Mico!” Hrun added. “We should say where we’re from. As Lilia and I are responsible for overseeing all ops, neither of us have a specific regional focus. She’s based out of Caen, and I’ve come in from Zone Three. I bounce between our Asian hubs.”

  “Raek and I have met,” Paer said when it was her turn. She gave me a smile, no hint of the competitiveness earlier. “And, Lyam,” her eyes sparkled, “well, we go way back. I’m responsible for Zone One ops and overall strategy.”

  “Raek, Lyam, it’s a pleasure to meet both of you. I’m Ganla and Zone Two’s my territory.” The olive-faced woman next to Paer flashed a sharp smile and raised pencil-perfect eyebrows. She was pretty, and radiated energy. “I add a bit of Latin fire to this lot and while it’s too cold up here, it was worth the trek.”

  Fitz was next and my ears perked up. “Most of you know me as Lyam, but for the past ten years, I’ve gone by Linus Fitzgerald, teaching in a small town northeast of here, Kiag. Raek was a student of mine, Science History. I’ll let him tell you the rest.”

  He turned to me and I took a deep breath. “Thanks. My name’s Raek, most of you know that. You also know about my condition. I have no idea how it happened. Do you want me to talk about that now, or do you have specific questions?”

  “Whatever you’re comfortable with, Raek.” Lilia’s encouraging smile and creamy voice reminded me of home.

  I relaxed. Thank you Lilia. “Where to begin? I guess the beginning’s as good a place as any.” I told them about my life, my family, that I’d never known my father. I described our town, my senses, hunting in the woods... everything. The six-clawed beast, the incident with Vovi, and about Elly. By the end, I was drained and slumped in my chair.

  Hrun cleared his throat. “Quite the story you have there, Raek. I’m sorry to hear about your sister,” he added, his voice a touch softer than before. “Don’t give up on your family. We’ll see what we can dig up.”

  “Be careful,” Fitz said. “If DNS knew he were here, they’d redouble their efforts to find him. It’s better they think he’s hiding somewhere in the woods.”

  Hrun nodded. “For the time being, nothing about this boy leaves the building, not a peep.” He looked at each of us, face a determined chisel. “Understood? We’ll emphasize that at the meeting tonight.” He gave Lilia a sharp look.

  “I don’t know.” Lilia’s eyes flashed fire. “We’re running out of time. We can’t continue like this forever. Isn’t it delaying the inevitable?”

  “What do you mean, running out of time? This is my life we’re talking about,” I said, harsher than I intended. “I want a say in what happens.”

  “Times have been toug
h,” Hrun replied. “We’ve been losing ground for years. The government ups taxation and enforcement budgets every year, making it harder and harder for us to operate. Every day they intercept more and more of our comms. Every week officers and volunteers are killed in their raids and—”

  “You all know what this could mean,” Lilia cut in, her voice electric. “An animote-cynetic hybrid, it invalidates their propaganda. We could have equality, we could have peace… heck, we could even rule!” She paused, a slight smile crossing her face.

  “We outnumber them. The ability to breed with cynetics, or to cybernetically advance existing animotes,” she continued. “What happens when we have our powers plus theirs? We need the people, we need the towns. Without them, we know what happens...”

  There were nods and sighs all around. There was a practiced feel to what she said. They’d had this discussion before.

  “We don’t have to decide anything now,” Paer said with a finality that closed the topic. Phew. “We’ve gotten to know each other and said things we wanted and needed to say. Let’s give this two days to settle and consider what we talked about.” She stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m starving. I heard Anti is serving something new today, not that nasty-as-nails meatloaf he’s famous for. I’d prefer to get it while it’s hot.”

  “Thank you everyone for coming. And thank you, Raek, and Lyam, for being here,” Hrun added. “Agtha’s right, this meeting is adjourned. See you all tonight.”

  Everyone filed out, everyone except Fitz and me.

  “Interesting,” I said once the heavy door had closed.

  “Yes and no.” He pursed his lips. “They’ve been having that debate since I left. The question is always timing, and peace versus war. We’ve always been divided.”

  Oh, nice of you to tell me now… “That why you left?”

  He nodded. “Among other things.” Such as...

  “Why does it take so long? It’s been decades of fighting.”

  “Sometimes,” Fitz—or Lyam... Fitz I decided—said, “there is no right choice, no good solution. Sometimes all the brainstorming in the world isn’t enough.”