PART 1
“What are they doing, Mommy?” A little girl with brown piggy tails in her hair and a super clean dress tugged at her mother’s perfectly pressed business pants. She pointed towards the now invisible wall before them.
“Oh, that is what Feral’s do when they are frightened, honey. Guess we picked the wrong time of day to come see them. We can try again another weekend.” The mother walked back to their vehicle hovering just above the ground about thirty feet away.
She didn’t have to wait to see if her daughter followed. The obedient child was right on her footsteps. As soon as she was close enough to the vehicle, a male voice spoke, “Welcome back Mrs. Nobilis and little Ms. Nobilis. Are we heading home now?” The doors opened on their own to allow entry.
There wasn’t a steering wheel since the car drove itself. “Yes, Currus, home it is.”
“Very well.” As soon as they were both securely inside and buckled up, the car rose in the air and swiveled back in the direction it came. With a silent “woosh” they went home.
Back at the invisible wall, the huddled balls of fur shook until the wall solidified again. Finally, several tall figures and two small ones separated from each other. They began smoothing out their white and light gray soft fur with hands just like those humans who came to gawk at them. If it wasn’t for the fur and yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and claws; they may have looked just like them.
One in a tattered dress went over to the two shorter ones and knelt down to them. Her face rubbed against them while she purred loudly. “It is alright now, my kits. Those nasty humans are gone.” The kits wrapped their long grey and white tails around their mother but didn’t speak.
PART 2
BREAKING NEWS: Nepritel continues to press our borders. Their use of the larger Medved species challenges our Ferals. Don’t despair good citizens. The Ferals are not easy to take down. They can move faster than the bulky Medveds. We will prevail. And as a reminder, do not approach any Feral at any time. They are still very dangerous and can hurt or kill you.
“Turn that thing off, Mom. It only spreads negativity towards the Ferals. They aren’t like what the news says.” Silvy busied herself getting all she needed for her day. After graduating high school, she took a job tending the Ferals. She took them anything they needed, food, clothes, personal items. It wasn’t the most glorious job, but she loved it.
“You know we aren’t allowed to turn it off, girl. The law says so. I can’t turn it down, though. And do get caught speaking that trash out and about. Could get you arrested. The Ferals are dangerous. Why can’t you get a better job? I don’t like you putting your life in danger.” Silvy’s mother stood in the kitchen with her arms crossed. The animatronic maid prepared breakfast for them both. It put Silvy’s in her backpack for her.
Silvy hugged the robot as best she could. “Thanks, Mally. See you later.” Silvy went over to her mother and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I love you, ma. And it’s not a dangerous job. They really aren’t that bad.”
“Shush your lies, child. You don’t have to tell me that just to keep me from worrying.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek as well. “Now get out of here. Mally has a lot to do today and doesn’t need you under her feet.”
“Yes, ma. Bye” Silvy secured her backpack onto her back and left.
They lived in a modest apartment on the eight hundredth floor. All the buildings went up for almost a thousand levels. There wasn’t much space in this oasis. What there was held green grass and tall trees. They had all they would ever need inside the safety of the oasis.
Beyond that was pure dessert. Only the Ferals could live out there, or rather, they were made to live out there in their small box-type homes. Each family was locked inside for the safety of all supposedly. Only the fighters were allowed to leave but they were quickly escorted back after their week of battle to rest.
These thoughts battled each other in Silvy’s head as she did her shopping for the next Feral’s home. She punched in the items’ codes at the grocery store’s console and waited for her package. Of course, when she placed the order, Silvy had to put that it was for the Ferals. That way the selection wouldn’t be as good as it would be for a human.
The shoot opened and her bundle of items shot out. As always, it was vacuum packed and bundled to make it lighter and easier to carry. Silvy grabbed the package after scanning the tattooed bar code on her inner wrist and went outside.
Dry, hot air stung her blue eyes and blew back her black hair. She had forgotten to tie it up in a ponytail before leaving so she did that now. With all the vehicles zooming past, mere feet above the ground, there was no need to try and look fancy. Most of the rich woman tried. Silvy wasn’t sure how they found a way to keep their hair solid as stone.
With her package tied to the back of her scooter, she put in the coordinates for the Feral’s compound a few miles outside of the city. Her vehicle began to hover and then slowly accelerated to get into the flow of the traffic. Her little scooter might not talk like all those higher end cars did but it still drove itself. It was a good little scooter.
After half an hour drive, she finally saw the gates for the Ferals in the distance. To the left and right, for as far as she could see, stood twenty-foot fence with razor wire along the top. When she reached the gate, there were about a dozen military style guards standing at attention. Two broke off to search her vehicle. She showed them her receipt for the items and was told to walk her scooter the rest of the way.
Silvy was already on her fifth trip today and felt it in her bones. The next house made it worth it like most but this one was her favorite. She knocked on the door. After a few minutes, an eight-foot tall grey and white feral wearing a tattered dress opened the door. “Oh, Silvy. I am so glad you are here. The kits have been asking for you.”
PART 3
BREAKING NEWS: The war continues to take its toll. Many of our human fighters supporting the Ferals died this week. Enemy Medved broke through our lines. They made their way into one of our intelligence camps and wreaked havoc. Ten of our soldiers died before taking down the beasts. This a remind to be ever vigilant when in the presence of Ferals. They can and will kill you if given the chance.
Silvy was walking back from the kits bedroom when the news ended for the moment. It always repeated until something new needed to be said. “Makes me so mad to hear the news all the time. They mention human lives being lost but not Ferals.”
The mother Feral placed a large paw on Silvy’s shoulder. “You have the passion of a Feral, my dear, but this is the way the world works for now.”
“I may have your passion, but I have no way of changing things. I wish I could. It’s not right how you get treated. You’re not the killing machines they make you out to be.” A tear ran down Silvy’s cheek.
As delicately as a bee landing on a flower, the mother Feral whipped the tear away with a single finger. “If the wind wishes to change our fate, it will tell us. Nothing can be done until that moment.”
“I know, but I want to help. I would live here with you if I was allowed to.” Silvy wrapped her arms tight around her slender chest. She looked around the kitchen they both stood in. “When is your son and husband coming back from the front line?”
The sound of purring emanated from the mother. It wasn’t the purr of content or happiness. It was distress. “My son will be home soon. My husband was one of the Ferals who died in the latest attack.”
Now the tears streamed down Silvy’s face. “What? No! Have you told the kits yet?”
“I have not. I will tell them tonight when my son comes home. We will morn. The camp is allowed a midnight mass to say farewell to those we have lost this time. Under guard, of course.”
Silvy ran up to the mother Feral and hugged her tightly. Her head only came to just under the mother’s chest so when those long powerful arms embraced her back, they mostly encompassed her head. When she pulled away, Silvy looked up into the sad yellow eyes of her friend. “I am so sorry. Can I do anything, help in any way?”
“Your love is all that is needed. Now run along. You have several more trips to make and I would hate to be the reason you were disciplined.”
“It feels wrong leaving you like this. I should stay.” Silvy wiped her face trying to dry it.
“Nonsense. We will see you next week, love. Now go. Our hearts go with you.” There were tears matting up the mother’s fur just under each eye now.
“As mine goes with you.” A hand placed on her chest where her heart beat, was the universal sign for that parting. They both did it until Silvy was out the door. She grabbed the handles of her scooter and walked back to the compound’s entrance.
Already the picketers were out with their vulgar signs and yelling profanities towards the Ferals living within the fence. They demanded all Ferals be put to death and that they were dangerous to all humans. Silvy wanted to punch them all and tell them humans were worse but that wouldn’t help.
She looked down the length of the front fence to see families huddled together, pushing the buttons that would make each outer wall of the Feral home closest to the fence turn invisible. They pointed and laughed while the children held tightly to their parent’s legs.
Rage burned inside of Silvy. Was there nothing she could do to help? How could this be deemed appropriate? She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying something that would get her beat up or arrested and took off on her bike.
As she rode back into town for another run, she passed countless news bulletins scrolling through the latest news. Tears blurred her vision even though she wore goggles. The news of her friend’s husband being killed and the sight of all those people outside their compound just made them flow even more. When she tried to blink through them at the same time as looking at one of the billboards, something caught her eye. It was almost like she saw some other writing under the news. It was in a different color and larger. She tried to see it on the next one she drove past but couldn’t seem to duplicate the effect. Was her mind playing tricks on her?
Silvy was finally back at the grocery store for her next purchase. She had finally stopped crying, thankfully. Not that anyone would care. Everything was automated so unless you knew someone, you never had to worry about talking to anyone.
Coming out of the store with her bundle, she started to secure it to her scooter. Movement caught her eye. Something small hovered in the ally about six feet off the ground and close to the cement wall of the store.
She finished tying down her purchase and went into the ally. Just before she could get close enough, a tiny flying robot in the shape of a ball zipped past her head and up into the sky. Where it had hovered by the wall, a symbol was now etched. It was a paw print with triangles in a neat row beneath it. Each triangle was paired with a simple line on a different side than the last.
“That’s a strange thing to etch in a wall.” Even though Silvy was curious to find out what it meant, she had deliveries to make and Ferals depended on her. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing the picketers again so many times in one day but there was nothing to be done about it. Later that night she could try to look up what that symbol meant.
PART 4
The last delivery was finally done. Silvy enjoyed the Ferals’ company but twelve-hour days, six days a week really took its toll. She grabbed her scooter and started pushing it towards the gate. It was late and the sun had already set. She could hear all the conversations in each building she passed. Some were in English, but most were in their native Feral tongue.
Her mind went back to her conversation with the one mother. How many other families wouldn’t be whole tonight? The thought tore at her heart.
She was passing the center tree of the compound when someone stepped out from behind its large mass. It wasn’t a Feral as Silvy would have guessed even though curfew had already been called, but a human.
A man with grey hair but a strong build continued to step closer. He led up both hands in a show of harmlessness. “Silvy? Right? Can I talk to you for a moment?”
Silvy took several steps back. She recognized the man. He was the grounds caretaker here. He even lived on site. You wouldn’t know he was an older gentleman other than his grey hair. He continued his approach even though Silvy was now taking a step back for every one of his coming forward.
He finally took the hint and stopped. “I am not here to hurt you. I need your help.” He looked around and waved one hand at all the buildings. “They do, too.”
That caught her attention. All she could think about was helping them. Maybe this man had some ideas. She walked closer now so they could talk privately. “You take care of the grounds here, right?”
“Yes. I’m Tom.” He reached a weathered hand towards Silvy. She accepted it and shook his hand.
“What did you mean they need my help? I know it’s obvious from our point of view, but how can that even be accomplished?”
“I know some people that can help us. I need you to run messages for me if you can. I know you are busy, but it wouldn’t be much out of your way. Please. We have some plans laid out but can’t go forward without more people. People like you.” His eyes never left Silvy’s.
She knew she wanted to help right away but was it really something she could do? Her days were already too long and the price for getting caught doing something like this had three ways to go; life in prison, being sent to the front lines, or death.
Visions of the mother and her kits who would never again see their father or her husband swam in Silvy’s mind. The answer was obvious. “Of course. What messages do you need me to send?”
“That’s a brave girl. Thank you. I will see you here tomorrow at this time with the first message. For now, I need to make some other arrangements, so my contacts know who to expect.” He took Silvy’s hand again but with both of his. “Thank you. Hopefully, we can move forward with your help.”
When he let go, he slipped back into the shadow of the huge tree. Silvy stood there a moment. Thoughts and hopes filled her heart. It thumped hard against her chest. She looked around to make sure she wasn’t being watched and then continued on towards the gate. The more she thought about Tom’s proposal, the happier she became. Silvy kept it in check as she went past the guards though. She didn’t want to show any changes to her emotions in case they got too curious.
Her ride home seemed to fly by as she thought of all the possibilities. The idea of being a spy of sorts was exhilarating but knowing she could possibly help her friends be free of their slavery would be even better. Even if she never saw them again, their freedom would be worth it.
Instead of going straight home, Silvy stopped at a nearby coffee house. It was one of her secret pleasures in life. Most of her money went straight to bills, groceries, and medicine for her mother but she allotted just enough to have a coffee at the end of each day.
Silvy went in and ordered her favorite caramel macchiato and found a seat. It was busier than normal for a mid-weeknight. Luckily, there was a table with just one woman sitting at it with her laptop open. Her blonde hair was messy, and several pencils poked out of her hair in random places.
“Mind if I sit here? I just need some down time.”
She looked up briefly and smiled. “Go ahead. I was beginning to think I had cooties.” She giggled but then went back to her work.
They called Silvy’s name. She grabbed her cup and went to sit quietly. There was so much to think about. She was lost in thought until the woman sitting with her spoke up.
“You have the look of someone with a problem.” She pushed her glasses up with her first finger.
“Not a problem but definitely working on a solution.” Silvy knew she couldn’t say anything to a random stranger. There was no telling who would turn you in for simply sympathizing with the Ferals.
“I understand what you mean.” She looked down at her laptop again but seemed frustrated.
“If you don’t mind, what are you working on?” Best to change the subject from herself to the stranger.
“I work in code and the internet. I’m just trying to figure out my solution.” She kept looking at her computer screen but wasn’t typing.
Silvy looked at her outdated computer. “I am surprised you are using a laptop instead of the hologram computers. The head pieces always looked uncomfortable but it’s easier to think what you want to have in a message rather than typing it out on a keyboard. Searching for things is much faster, too.”
The woman giggled again. “I prefer my privacy. My work is delicate. I wouldn’t want someone stealing my codes. This way I can encrypt what I am doing.”
“All sounds Greek to me. I always wished I had the brain for that stuff. You must be really smart.”
“Nah, I just think outside of the box.” The woman started typing again.
That is when Silvy noticed a notebook with scribbles and drawings on it. There, in the corner, was the same picture as what the robot had etched onto the wall in that ally.
PART 5
The next day Silvy couldn’t focus on anything other than that symbol. When she had gotten home, her mother wouldn’t leave her alone long enough for her to get on a computer and do a search. Apparently staying out five minutes longer than usual was a crime in her mother’s eyes. Claiming to have met a friend for coffee was an even worse crime. But it did set the stage for running messages for Tom.
The news broadcasts blasted everywhere as usual. Today’s news was about even more human casualties. They still wouldn’t mention the Ferals deaths. This war had been going on for as long as anyone could remember. Silvy wasn’t even sure anyone remembered why it all started. By law, everyone had to listen to the news constantly. Yet, another unknown fact. There was no music, no other news, just the war news and you could not turn it off. That was a definite crime punishable by death. Not just her mother’s irritated ramblings.
Finally, Silvy was finished delivering her last package of the day. It was already dark again and she now stood by the huge tree. So far, Tom hadn’t shown. Was he supposed to show tonight? She couldn’t remember. If he didn’t appear in five minutes, she would leave and try again the next night.
In reality, she waited another ten minutes before grabbing her scooter and starting to push it away from the tree. She hadn’t made it far when she heard her name.
“Silvy.”
She looked back at the tree, but no one was there. Shadows danced across the open space between the tree and the closest houses. There was no movement anywhere. Then she heard it again.
“Silvy. Over here.”
She followed the sound this time. It was coming from behind a shed just to the side of a far-off home. Silvy set her kick stand and carefully walked in that direction. It sounded like Tom, but it could be a trap. Maybe the guards found out that Tom had approached her about helping the sympathizers. She started to turn and run when Tom emerged from the shadows.
“Wait, Silvy.”
“What took you so long? You scared me nearly to death.” Silvy wanted to leave now but out of spite.
Tom reached out a palm to help calm her. “Hear me out, please. I had to make sure you weren’t being watched or followed. It’s good you were careful. Real good. Impressive really.”
Silvy wasn’t used to compliments and it did the trick. “Ok, fine. What do you need from me?”
He let out a breath. “Thank you. This will help immensely. I need you to get a message to my contact. I believe you already met her.”
“Her, who?” She scrunched up her eyebrows but then shock registered. “The girl at the coffee shop?”
“Yes. The girl at the coffee shop.” He nodded in confirmation.
“Wait. If you can talk to her, and already get messages to her, what do you need me for?”
Tom looked around in the darkness. “We can’t keep communicating the way we are. It’s being monitored and pretty soon they will decode what we are saying. There is just so much technology can hide. We have to go old school now.”
“That’s fair. What do you need me to take to her?”
“Take this letter to her. Do not open it at any time. She will know. And do not let it out of your sight. Take it straight to her.” He made sure to look Silvy in her eyes the entire time.
“I get it. I get it. Don’t have to get so serious with me. I know it’s top secret and all that. I know what’s at stake. I want to do what I can to help the Ferals. They aren’t the wild beasts they make everyone believe they are.” She was getting very tired of his attitude but now she needed him if she was to make a difference somehow.
“Do you really understand? I am not sure you do?” Tom crossed his arms.
“I spend every day with them. So, yeah. I do.” She snatched the letter out of his hand and tucked it in her pants between her skin and the fabric of her jeans.
“Don’t let the guards search you too well. They are allowed to shoot on site if they suspect anything.”
Now that was new to Silvy. She didn’t know that. Apparently, her expression relayed that fact because Tom patted her on her shoulder and then disappeared into the shadows again. “Well, great.”
She walked back to her scooter and started pushing it back to the guard shack. She really didn’t worry too much about being searched. They never did. It was only on the way in that she was searched. The guards didn’t want any weapons given to the Ferals. That is about all they were really worried about.
With her head down, Silvy pushed her bike through the gate. Just as she was almost on the other side, one guard called out to her. “Hey, hold on a second.”
Silvy cringed. She looked back at the guard. “Yeah? What’s up?”
“You’re a little late leaving. Why is that?”
“Oh! One of the mothers had a spill in the kitchen and couldn’t look over the items right away. I had to wait till she could.”
The guard looked her over for a long minute. Silvy had a hard time not squirming under the pressure. All she wanted to do was jump on her scooter and hall ass. That would only get her in trouble. Finally, the guard nodded and said, “very well. On your way.”
Silvy nearly fell to the ground in relief. On shaky legs, she mounted her bike and slowly took off back towards the city and to her first drop off.
PART 6
The city came into view. Silvy’s heart raced with the possibility of getting caught. Her mind wandered to the Feral families and how they were being treated. The fear vanished. It didn’t matter what happened to her. She had to help them.
The hustle and bustle of people created a sort of chaotic dance all around inside the city. Everyone went about their daily lives with no thought to what was really happening. Silvy swerved in and out of traffic to get to the café where she would meet that woman again. Her curiosity was killing her. She wanted to stop and read what was in the note but decided it was best she didn’t snoop. If they needed her to do more, she would. For now, this would have to be enough.
She parked her scooter in front of the coffee shop and went in. It was crowded as usual but there was one table open. After getting her coffee she navigated the shop and sat down. The woman wasn’t here yet. Silvy knew she couldn’t stay long without getting another earful from her mother.
A light tap on her shoulder caused Silvy to jump. “Mind if I sit here with you? All the other tables are taken.”
Silvy looked up to see the same woman she had talked to before. “Sure. I don’t mind at all.”
The woman set her things down and went to order a drink. When she returned, she took out her old computer and set up all she needed to do whatever it is she did. The same symbol Silvy had seen before was still there. It seemed to shine at her, almost trying to get her attention.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” Silvy twisted her napkin in her hands.
“Sure. What’s up?” The woman didn’t even look up from what she was doing.
“What does that symbol mean?”
This caused the woman to stop what she was doing. She looked up at Silvy. Her eyes narrowed. “What symbol?”
Silvy pointed to the one she meant. “That one.”
With her eyes still narrowed, the woman looked between Silvy and the symbol on her laptop. “Don’t ask questions you are not ready to be answered.”
Silvy sat up. “But I am ready. I want to know.”
“No, you don’t. Not yet and not here.” She went back to typing on her computer.
Disappointed, Silvy reached in and took the note in her hand. She slid it to the woman. “Here’s your grocery list.” Without another word, Silvy stood and left.
Days and then weeks went by like this. It all began to seem like a blur. The most enjoyment Silvy every got was when she interacted with the Ferals. They were kind and giving, not vicious and terrible like the news kept telling everyone. They weren’t mindless killing machines. She was even invited to one of the kits’ birthday parties. Now that was fun.
The news kept blaring about all the death and war going on in the outer circle of our zone. The Ferals were fighting hard to keep the enemy out. They were really good fighters but only because they had to be.
At the end of every week, Silvy would ask both Tom and the woman to give her more to do. Every week they said she wasn’t ready. How could delivering messages help the Ferals?
At the end of month two, she approached Tom again. “Let me do more. Haven’t I proved to you that I am willing to do whatever needs to be done?”
Tom scratched his chin as he looked Silvy over. “You have proven yourself. I think you are finally ready.”
PART 7
“I am sorry it took so long to finally accept you. We can’t just give anyone important tasks until we know for sure they can be trusted. The least amount of moving parts keeps it simple.” Tom crossed his arms over his chest.
“I get it. But I am ready for more. What can I do to help?” Silvy began to pace until Tom placed a hand on her shoulder. It made her jump. She wasn’t used to physical contact from anyone but her mother.
Tom laughed softly. “Sorry.” It only took a second for him to be serous again. “Do you even know the extent our leaders have gone to in order to keep the Ferals at a distance?”
Silvy wasn’t ready for that question. “I don’t. I do know they can’t help but slander their race on the news. They put them on the front line to use as cannon fodder.”
“It goes way deeper than that. Those broadcasts aren’t just spreading the news in a negative light. They have subliminal messages hidden in them. We need to stop that with out them knowing we did.”
“How in the hell are we going to do that?” She was having a hard time keeping her voice down. Silvy knew there was something off about the news and why no one was allowed to shut it off. Now it made sense but to alter those messages. Was it even possible?
She stood there thinking for a while. Tom stayed silent and let her sort through her thoughts. She wasn’t afraid. It wasn’t that. She simply didn’t know how to do it. The new building was highly guarded which in itself was strange. There was no choice to be made. She knew she would do it.
“Tell me how to do it.” She faced Tom who smiled again and nodded.
“You won’t do it alone. My contact in the coffee shop will do all the tech work. You will be her eyes as she works. Can you do that?”
“I can. When do we meet up? Will we need weapons?” She had a million questions but held back.
“Good. She will have the weapons you will use. Nothing that will kill. We refuse to stoop to our leader’s level. It is a simple stun gun that also helps erase recent memories. Meet her tomorrow night after your shift at the coffee shop. We are happy with how you have handled the messages. No one will suspect the two of you if you leave together.” Tom scratched the side of his head. “Use your common sense while you do this. Listen to your instincts. They have proven to be correct so far.”
So much was running through Silvy’s head. She was excited and yet worried. Could she do this? She knew she would do it but could she pull it off? She shook the thoughts out of her head. “I will follow her lead. What is her name by the way.”
“Her name is Patricia. Just call her Pat. Now go get some rest. You work too hard as it is.” Tom walked back towards a shed and disappeared into the darkness.
Silvy stood there for a moment as she contemplated what was to happen. She needed to come up with a reason she would be late coming home tomorrow night. It was hard to lie to her mother. She didn’t want to but knew she had to. Her mother was under the news’ spell.
Silvy began to walk her scooter towards the guard shack and stopped. Why wasn’t she under the news’ spell like the rest of the city? Maybe it was because she actually spent time with the Ferals. There was no way to tell.
Her ride home was uneventful, and she didn’t bother to stop at the coffee shop. Instead, she went home and hugged her mother.
“What’s this about, Silvy?” Her mother held her at arm’s length.
“No reason. Can’t I just hug you for no reason?”
Her mother gazed at her for a moment before nodding. “Of course, dear. Now eat your dinner. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be home on time tonight. Lucky for me, you are. Your food is still warm.”
Silvy smiled. “Yup, nothing kept me tonight. I did make a friend, though.”
Her mother stopped from heading to the living room and turned around. “You did? And not one of those horrible Ferals?”
“I did. Her name is Patricia. We are going to go see a movie tomorrow night after work. Will you be ok till I get home?”
“A movie, you say?” She squinted her eyes a little at her daughter. “Yeah, I will be fine.” She turned back towards the living room. “It’s about time you made a friend.”
Step one was taken care of. Her mother believed her. Hopefully everything would go good tomorrow night. Otherwise, she may never see her mother again.
PART 8
Silvy waited in the coffee shop for Pat to show. She didn’t know what to expect. Only in movies did things like this happen and she was sure real life didn’t work that way. How were they going to get into one of the most secure buildings in the city? Come to think of it, why would a broadcast station be kept so secure?
A tap on her should nearly caused Silvy to scream but she held it in. When she looked who it was, she wasn’t surprised to see Pat standing there with a wide grin. “Hey girl, did I scare you?”
“I nearly peed myself. What the hell?” Silvy couldn’t help but smile, too.
Pat laughed. “Sorry, not sorry. Imma grab a coffee and then we can head out.”
When Pat returned, they both headed out of the warm coffee shop. It was getting cold outside, winter seemed to be coming early. Silvy worried about the Ferals and how they would handle it. Some of the families didn’t have heat in their small homes.
Just outside they approached Pat’s car. It was your typical vehicle. The usual gray like everyone else. Just another floating bubble shape among other floating bubbles. Silvy guess that was the whole point. To blend in. She had left her scooter back at home, choosing to walk to the café. It could have raised suspicion if her scooter was outside the café for a long time.
Pat turned on the heat as soon as they closed the car doors. Silvy sighed in relief. She never liked the cold. Soaking in the warm sun was more her style. A beanie slapped her in the face, bringing her focus back. “Hey!”
“Pay attention. Cover your hair with the beanie. There’s a black hoodie in the back seat. Put that on.” Pat took out her phone. “Show me your phone.”
Silvy took hers out of her back pocket. Pat lightly tapped hers on top of Silvy’s. “There. Now you have my number. We both go in but when I am in the hub, I will need you to be my eyes. Send me a message if someone is coming.”
“Got it.” Silvy tried to put on a brave face, but she was terrified. “Oh, Tom mentioned a stun gun?”
“Glove box, but don’t engage unless we have no choice.”
Silvy pulled out the two guns. They looked like regular guns but at the end of the barrel, there were two prongs protruding from it. “So, these work up close?”
“No, they shoot out the prongs. When your opponent is down, you push that blue button on the side, and it will release the wires and push forward more prongs.” Pat kept her eyes on the road while she talked. Silvy couldn’t understand how she could be so relaxed.
“Have you done things like this before?” Silvy tried to read Pat’s face.
She shook her head. “I’m a tech. The most I have done is hack into stuff, but this can’t be done that way. This time, we have to physically go in. This is my first field mission.”
“What?” Silvy’s mouth hung open. “This is your first?”
“Don’t worry. We’ve got this, girl.” Pat winked at Silvy. “This place is usually empty at night. Only guards are outside the fence. As soon as we get in, we’ll be fine.”
“What about security cameras? They’ll see us and then come shoot us or something.”
“I already took care of that. I hacked in and put them on a loop. All anyone will see are empty hallways.”
Silvy tried to control her breathing. This was insane. They were going to die and never get to help the Ferals.
Pat put her hand on Silvy’s leg. “Calm down, girl. You’ll pass out if you keep breathing like that.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, look. We’re here.”
They drove past the fenced in building and parked at the movie theater. Pat grabbed her bag containing her laptop and they went to buy tickets. It didn’t matter what movie they bought them for. They wouldn’t be watching it.
Both Pat and Silvy entered the building and walked into the theater their tickets told them to. Previews of upcoming movies flew by while Silvy nervously tapped her foot. As soon as the movie started, Pat nudged Silvy’s shoulder and they both stood to leave.
They left the theater and walked to a back door. Above it said, “Emergency Exit Only”. Silvy placed a hand on Pat’s arm. “Won’t an alarm sound when we open it?”
Pat simply smiled and pushed the door open. Silvy braced for the noise, but it never happened. So, Silvy slumped her shoulders and followed Pat outside. Now for the hard part.
PART 9
The door shut behind Pat and Silvy shrouding them in darkness. The ally was your typical one. Garbage bins lined the building on the other side while stagnate water sat in puddles all down the middle. Pat got her bearings and led them to the right.
Halfway down, Pat stopped and turned to Silvy. “Stay right behind me. Do as I do.” She reached up and tucked more of Silvy’s hair into her beanie. It was cold outside so no one in the theater even glanced their direction when they showed up in hats and hoodies. Now, however, they needed to be completely covered.
Pat continued to fuss over Silvy’s attire. She lifted the hood of her jacket over her head and snugged it down with the laces. “There. Now you might not glow in the dark.” Pat did the same with her outfit and then continued down the ally.
They walked in silence, staying in the shadows. Neither spoke again. When cars would pass along the street ahead, they stopped to make sure no one noticed their movements. Finally, at the end of the ally, they stopped. Across the street was a ten-story glass building surrounded by fencing.
They stared up at the side of the building. Its front ran around to the right while its back was to the left. The latter was where Pat took them next. She grabbed Silvy’s hand and drug her across the street at a very fast run. Silvy was used to hard work but running wasn’t part of her daily routine.
Once across the street, Pat didn’t slow down. Silvy could barely breathe, but she didn’t lag. Getting caught would be worse than being sore tomorrow.
They made it to the backside of the fence. Pat threw herself to the ground, so Silvy followed along. They inched along the ground to the left until they came to a large bush. Pat took out a large pair of cutters and cut the fence vertically right behind the bush. When it was large enough, they slipped through.
Pat left the cutters behind as they stayed low to the ground. Just across the short lawn was a back door. Silvy didn’t understand why every building had to have a back door. Maybe it was some kind of fire regulation, but she was glad for it at this moment.
The pair darted across the grass. Pat pulled out a black card that looked like a bank card and swiped it through the door’s keypad. It was strange that it had such and old school security pad. Normally it was done through biometrics but who was Silvy to complain at their continued luck?
With a soft click, the door popped open. Pat opened it a little more and took a quick look inside. She didn’t bother looking back at Silvy. Instead, she waved her hand for them to enter.
Inside was darker than the ally. Small green lights glowed from the ceiling causing Silvy to panic. Pat grabbed her, clearly hearing Silvy breathe harder, and did a circular movement with her hand. Silvy could barely see it, but the motion helped her to remember that Pat had already hacked into the cameras, putting them in a loop.
Relief flooded Silvy’s system. With new resolve and trust in her partner, she followed Pat down the black hallway. Several turns later brought them to a door. They hadn’t climbed any stairs, thankfully, but Silvy had expected the room they needed to be on the top floor. Clearly, she was wrong.
Another pad kept this door closed but it wasn’t an older model. This one was new like the rest of the city. Silvy wondered how they would get past this one.
Pat pulled out some kind of gadget from her bag. Wires hung from it at one end. She approached the scanner and opened a side panel to the scanner, revealing similar type wires. Pat quickly began to connect her gadget’s wires to the panel.
Footsteps sounded somewhere in the building. They were coming closer. Silvy nervously glanced from Pat to the encroaching sound. Any minute they would be found out. The seconds felt like minutes.
This time when the door popped open, it was thankfully silent. Pat ushered Silvy inside as the put the panel back together. Pat, then, slid inside and shut the door. Silvy’s heart pounded in her ears. That was too close. What if they came in here to check?
Lights flared to life and Pat placed a hand on Silvy’s shoulder. In a whisper, she said, “They won’t come in here. Their arrogance is their weakness. This room is soundproof so they can’t hear us either. Stay here and if someone does try to open the door, run to me.”
All Silvy could do was nod. She was terrified yet exhilarated. She watched as Pat went down the stairs into what was now obviously the basement. When Pat glanced over her shoulder and saw the confusion on Silvy’s face, she came back over. “Heat rises. So, the best place for a room of servers is in a nice, cold basement.” She patted Silvy on her back and went down the stairs again. This time she didn’t turn around.
PART 10
Silvy waited by the locked door and listened for any noises. It was eerily silent in both directions. She couldn’t hear anything that Pat was doing. She wasn’t even sure what Pat was doing or why. She knew it had to do with the news broadcasts. That was about it.
Footsteps from outside started Silvy from her thoughts. She held her breath as they stopped right outside the door. Pat had said to go to her if something happened like this. She didn’t know if she should wait to see if the person left or go to her now.
The person tried the handle nearly causing Silvy to scream but she held it in. That had made her choice for her. As quietly as she could, Silvy walked to where Pat had disappeared. She turned to the corner to see her sitting on the floor with all her gear littering the floor. Pat had her laptop next to her and many other things Silvy couldn’t identify. A pen light dangled from her mouth.
When Silvy came up to Pat, the light dropped. “What are you doing? What happened?” Pat looked behind her with her eyes wide.
“Someone tried to open the door. I didn’t know what to do.” Silvy held her hands together so Pat wouldn’t see them shake.
Pat’s expression softened. “You did the right thing. Here, sit down with me. I need your help.”
“What about the person trying to get in?”
“They won’t come in. They were probably just checking to make sure the door was locked. Now, hold this light for me.” Pat handed Silvy the pen light.
Silvy took but her hands were shaking. She tried to hold it with both hands and keep them from moving but it only helped a little. Pat didn’t seem to mind. She just moved the light in Silvy’s hands to where she needed it.
“What are you doing to the news servers?” Silvy glanced back hoping no one would appear from around the corner. It caused the light to lower, and Pat had to reach out and move Silvy’s hands again.
“So, you know how the law states you can’t turn off the news? And you know how it is being blasted everywhere?” She looked to Silvy for a nod. When she did, Pat continued. “There are messages hidden in those broadcasts. Messages that make everyone afraid of Ferals.”
“Then why do you and Tom want to help them?”
“The messages don’t work on everyone. Take you for example. You interact with them on a daily basis. It’s obvious why they don’t work on you. You see beyond the lies. Other’s brains don’t take in those messages. There aren’t many but hopefully there are enough.” Pat went back to working on the server.
She finally pulled it out and placed it in her lap. “Get me a small screwdriver out of my bag.”
Silvy rummaged through her satchel until she came across a little screwdriver with a strange end. “Is this it?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” She held out her hand and Silvy placed the tool in it. “Now. What I am doing is changing the message.”
“Why not just delete the one that’s running?”
Pat half chuckled. “Because it wouldn’t change how everyone felt about Ferals. They are already programed. We just need to adjust that programming.”
“That is brilliant.” Silvy smiled wide. Her heart grew warm knowing she was helping others see Ferals for who they really were.
She continued to watch as Pat opened the black box and work her magic. Change was finally going to happen.
PART 11
The next day, Silvy wasn’t sure what she had expected. It would have been stupid to think the change would happen overnight. She stumbled into the kitchen where her mother was making breakfast as usual. The typical news broadcast blared on the holographic screen. Pat had said they didn’t want the changes to be abrupt. Otherwise, the powers that be would know and go looking for what might be wrong.
“Hey, Mom.” Silvy sat at the breakfast bar on her favorite stool. Her mom slid her a cup of coffee just the way she liked it.
“You look tired. Didn’t sleep well last night? I didn’t hear you come in.” Her mother stared at her for a minute too long, scrutinizing her daughter’s face.
Silvy refused to make eye contact. “Yeah, we went for coffee after the movie.”
“That is why you couldn’t sleep. You need to stop drinking so much coffee late at night.”
“I know, Mom. I’m gonna go get ready.” Silvy slid off her stool and started to walk back to her room.
“I would ask you to stay home today and get some rest, but I would hate for the Ferals to go without. Especially the little kits.” Her mom didn’t look at her when she said this. Instead, she was busy scrambling eggs.
What she said caused Silvy to halt mid step. Since when did her mother care about Ferals? She didn’t want to make a scene by asking her, so she kept heading to her room. Maybe the change would happen faster than they thought it would.
Out on the streets, everything seemed the same. She went about filling orders and taking them to the Feral families. Silvy made sure to spend as much time as she could with each. It was always the best part of her day. She even made sure to buy candy or toys for each Feral kit from her own money.
Other than her mother this morning, nothing seemed different. The guards were still buttheads. The news still only told of human casualties. People came to stare at the Ferals through the fences pushing the buttons so one wall would become invisible, and the occupants could be seen.
However, Silvy realized she had only been paying attention to the adults. The next time she passed by, she looked to the children trying to climb the fence or standing slightly behind their parents. What she saw had her pulling over and getting off her scooter.
The children weren’t afraid anymore. They were waving, actually waving. One kid was even holding out a lollipop through the fence and the parent wasn’t trying to stop her. Change was happening.
Silvy got back on her bike and went to gather more supplies for the next family. Her smile stayed on her lips the whole time. They only thing warring in her mind was if she should tell the Ferals what was going on. On her way back, she finally decided that it wasn’t her place yet, but she would ask either Tom or Pat about it. They were the ones who this was all about after all. They should know. And with the humans staring at them all day? They would start to wonder about why the children were being nicer.
As Silvy went about her day, she wondered what would be next. How would they stop the Ferals from being the front line in the war? How could they get them to be equal to humans? She really hoped they continued to let her help. This was just the beginning.
