The Farlight Initiative
Ch 4

Theo was never at his best when he was away from Jen for any length of time.  He understood the importance of her 'divide and conquer' approach but he always had to remind her that it usually applied to one's foes, not one's partner.  She regularly heeded his advice, but the thought of splitting up to accomplish two tasks at once was a go-to for her and, despite his reservations, he had to admit that it worked more often than not.  It didn't help him feel any better, however, especially since she'd been gone-- even if it was for an important cause.

Jennifer Thurstenburger, being a prominent proponent of Gen rights was rarely one to flee from a fight and, once the Farlight Unity Council brought up the issue to the governance council, a fire of sorts had been lit that could not be put out.  True, it had taken time for the problem to be addressed by the rim world and even longer for it to reach the inner sphere of galactic governance, but once it had, it created waves.  The complex problems arising from the H-gene had great social significance and it seemed that everyone who had an opinion on the matter was more than willing to speak up.

AETHER Corp had been a sponsor of a bill set forth in the galactic council to address the H-Gene issue.  From there, various parties began to debate whether modifications were required; committees were set up to review options and prepare propositions.  Despite it being a bureaucratic nightmare with progress mired in the indecision of political wrangling, things were starting to take off and cutting through the red tape was Jen's goal in being away.  Unfortunately, that left the Wolf alone when dealing with the tasks on Farlight... not to mention their children.

School had changed a lot for Abe and Abby in the three years since they started.  In their final year of Intermediate Schooling, they only had four months until they would graduate and advance to high school; the thought scared Theo to no end, especially because it meant that his kids were becoming teenagers.  TEENAGERS!  Sometimes there were aspects of the System that blew his mind; his children weren't quite four years old and yet, having developed in an artificial upbringing virtual interface, physically and mentally they were the same as thirteen year old kids, or yearling wolf pups... and it was his job to look after them alone while Jen was gone and, as with any of his other jobs, he took it seriously.

They were both well behaved, which Theo considered lucky for him.  The two almost-teenagers (TEENAGERS!) were among the top students in their classes.  Abe had an incredible knack at math and was already in advance placement studies.  Abby, although competent with numbers, excelled in languages and history.  Theo was pleased that each had their own strengths; just like with Jen and himself, their kids would be able to help compliment one another's talents and create a much more well-rounded whole.  The thought didn't completely comfort him that particular morning as a synthetic rubber ball went sailing past his face at the breakfast table for what was the fifth time.

He calmly put down his fork and caught the ball on the fifth exchange, declaring "No ball games at the breakfast table.  You both know this."

Abby, whose Vitruvian Harness hand was up and outstretched to catch the intercepted ball, slowly lowered.  "Sorry, Daddy."

Abe was a little less apologetic. "Okay... we'll stop.  Can we at least have the ball back?  Mr. Roberts gave it to us so Abby could practice with her hand-eye coordination."

Glancing to his daughter, he waited until the young wolf nodded before he sighed, giving it a quick toss to her.  Abby's Vitruvian Harness' arm reached up and the hand snatched it easily out of the air and she obediently set it aside.  It had taken several years for her to master the robotic arm but, he had to admit, in recent months she had taken to it as if it were a natural part of her.  He couldn't help but smile as he watched her use it to feed herself with a spoon.  "You're doing well with it, dear."

Her tail beat out a soft rhythm on her eating couch and she set down her utensil so she could pick up a napkin and blot at the end of her muzzle. "Thank you, Daddy.  Mr. Roberts said that I'll have to pass a competency test with it before they'll let me go to high school so Abe's been helping me practice."

Theo nodded, understanding the importance of preparation but he stuck to his guns. "I think that's a very good idea you two... but not at the table, alright?"

Abe and Abby acknowledged his request with an "Okay." and "Yes, Daddy." respectively.

Everyone grew quiet and the two kids returned to eating their breakfasts.  Only after peace was restored did Theo add "Also, make sure you both have an activity summary report ready for your mother.  She's returning tomorrow."

It was an official request and, while it would have been suitable in a professional capacity for a manager to say to his employees, Theo was very aware that it was not the kind of a talk a father should have with his kids.  Thankfully, they'd lived with him long enough to appreciate his dry humor.  Abe gave a thumbs up while Abby's robotic hand saluted and both said in unison "Yes sir!" followed by giggles.   Theo realized that being able to have that kind of fun with his kids was amazingly enjoyable, he also realized it wouldn't last; they were getting older and he was confident, in due time, they'd probably respond with rude gestures.  After all... they were almost teenagers.  TEENAGERS!

* * * * *

Every morning for Theo since his kids arrived had been a combination of chaos and catch-up.  Oddly, the following day he woke up early, got prepared, and went out into the main room to see that Abe and Abby were already fully dressed and most of the way through their breakfast of eggs, toast, and sausage without any encouragement or nagging on his part.  As the Gen Wolf entered into the kitchen both of early-teens piped in "Good morning!"

He didn't have to ask to realize that they were both very excited for Jen to return; he certainly was.  Heading into the kitchen to prepare something for himself, he was pleasantly surprised to see that there was already a plate set out for him and it was still piping hot.  More than that, however, a mug of coffee sat next to it.  He glanced to Abe "Does your mother know you use the brewing pot?"

Abby giggled. "I did it!"

Pausing to glance at his daughter, Theo turned back around to collect the plate and the mug before making his way over to the table. "I thought you had a problem with counters, Abby... how could--"

Abe just sat there with a smug smirk while his sister rolled her shoulder and, as Theo watched, the Vitruvian Harness limb rose up and, after extending to its full height, grew several more inches.  Abby happily explained "Yesterday Mr. Roberts installed a new upgrade for me.  He said that I may need to reach higher-up stuff so I wanted to try it this morning!"

Theo was overjoyed to see that his daughter was focused on self-improvement, but another thought came to mind. "But you couldn't see from the floor... PLEASE don't tell me you put your paws on the counter."

It was a habit Abby had for the longest time that both parents had worked very hard to break.  Paws, such that a four-legged wolf had, were on the floor all the time, which meant that they did not belong on kitchen counters.  Despite the reproach from Theo, Abby's tail only wagged faster. "Nope!  There's a sensor in the hand that lets me tell!"

Despite himself, Theo leaned forward, fully engaged with the idea but still curious. "That's amazing, Abby... are you saying you can SEE through your--"

Abe interrupted. "Dad... your tie is in your eggs."

Theo glanced down at his plate.  "...darn it."

Taking his leave from the table, the Wolf went back to his room to get a fresh tie; when he returned to the dining room he saw that both of his children had finished at the table and had reconvened to the living room.  Abe looked to be playing a game on his PCD while Abby was splayed out on the floor with an old-fashioned book propped up on her forepaws; her harness' hand reached down to turn the page as he watched.

Deciding to give them their quiet time, Theo went back to the table to quickly eat his breakfast.  Glancing down at his PCD he saw that he had about two hours until Jen's shuttle was due in.  Thanks to recent upgrades in the colony's transportation system it didn't take very long to get to the space port so that gave him some time to relax as well; the day was free of work for him and, he remembered, his kids were also in the second half of their week so they were off class.

Since the planetary week was 8 days, all civil buildings ran on two shifts of four days, meaning that two classes occupied each room and two teachers shared it-- one for the first four days and one for the second.  Students, likewise, went to school either the first four days of the week, or the fifth through eighth day.  Abe and Abby had the first part of the week, meaning that they had absolutely nothing scheduled.  Theo suddenly had an idea; glancing into the living room, he called "Hey!"

Both his kids looked up, Abe and Abby each responding with a single word answer: "Yeah?" and "Huh" respectively.

Theo's whiskers perked upward as he grinned. "Would you two like to come with me and surprise your mom at the space port?"

The answer was, of course, obvious.  Abby got to the door first since she didn't have a coat to grab while Abe, on the other hand, had to collect his.  Both waited for Theo to join them and, once he opened the door, they raced down the hall to the elevator that would take them to the ground floor; Abby again was first.  Abe was quite indignant about the affair "It's unfair... you have four legs."

The little wolf girl was unforgiving; her wag went uninterrupted. "Well, you're the one who keeps challenging me.  Maybe you should quit while I'm ahead."

Once Theo caught up to them he gave 'that look' to each.  They apologized in unison. "Sorry, Dad."

He repeated his very important rule "We are allowed to have fun outside the home but we must do so in an unobstructive and courteous way.  That means no shouting or yelling; no arguing or complaining; and--"

They each finished the over-used rule on having-fun-out-of-the-house for him. "no running in the hallways."

Theo nodded, satisfied that he'd got his point across. "Very good... now, if one of you would please press the--"

The two kids each went to call the elevator; Abe hit the button first and turned to his sister with an expression of superiority.  Sighing, Theo wondered if perhaps having his kids stay home would have been a better idea.  As the doors to the elevator opened, he realized that it was too late to change his mind.

* * * * *

Despite his kids' antics, they made good time to the space port and did not agitate any of the fellow travelers.  It was true that Theo's family had access to numerous modes of private transportation but sometimes he felt compelled to try public systems; it was important to keep perspective on things and if he didn't test the operations then he wouldn't know first hand what was working and what wasn't.  That, and, he reminded himself, like any proud parent, he loved showing off his kids.

Considering the fact that his wife was the outpost's elected civilian official and board representative with AETHER Corp, the whole family was well known and he spent as much time talking with fellow travelers as he did keeping an eye on his kids.  Fortunately, both Abe and Abby were well behaved and they were polite and respectful even when addressed by those same strangers who struck up conversations with their father.

The trip to the space port went smoothly and without any particular problematic encounters.  As the transit tram they'd taken pulled into its bay, Theo stood up and helped his kids prepare to leave.  A helpful Cytkus passenger called after them, holding up a folded piece of paper. "Young lady-- you dropped something!"

Abby bounded back to the reptile and reached out to accept it with her robotic hand. "Oh!  Thank you very much, ma'am!"

When she caught up with Theo and Abe, her brother leaned her direction and whispered "Ma'am?  How can you tell?  I'm still not good with Cytkus."

The wolf girl wagged freely as she walked beside her brother, speaking just as quietly. "First?  Female Cytkus are tallest.  Second, her voice was more female-like a male or hemale, and third--"

Once they were further away from the helpful passenger Abe's voice became a little louder as he interrupted his sister. "More female-like?  That's not helpful."

Abby twisted the physiologically-aligned knife for the second time that day. "I can't help it if my hearing is better than yours, Abraham."

Abe looked like he was about to say something crass but, to Theo's immense pride, the boy managed to reel it in and demand between his teeth "So what was the other thing?"

The young wolf was merciless. "I could tell by scent... I can't help it if my nose is--"

Theo stepped in to stop the continued jabbing. "That's enough, Abby.  You are each special in your own way.  Stop posturing."

Although her apology sounded contrite he noticed that her tail continued to wag. "Right.  I know.  Sorry Daddy."

He would have pressed the issue, if not for the fact that they had just reached the space port.  The terminals were busy around the clock and that made for a chaotic scene.  Both of his kids were far to old to respond for requests of paw-holding so he stuck with the great parental adage "Stay close.  I don't want you two getting separated from me."

They obliged, keeping near him as he navigated the crowed.  Most of the travelers at the space port were visitors to Farlight so the familiarity with his family was minimal, making the trip from the entrance to the security gate much faster since there was less socialization required.  He was surprised, however, when, upon stepping up to the checkpoint, Theo realized that one of the security team members wasn't a usual, and yet the Wolf knew him anyway.  The Gorumn turned to regard the family.  "Morning, Mr. Thurstenburger."

Taken aback, Theo said only "Cameron?  What're YOU doing in the Rho System?"

The tall, green skinned humanoid offered a tusky smile. "AETHER Corp's security agreement with Farlight Colony Services.  Management said that I've been in artificial grav for too long and I needed a planetside assignment for my next contract cycle, so here I am."

The Wolf admired the casual manner in which the Gormumn explained the situation; back when he and Cameron had been stationed on a space station together Theo remembered the security officer often being uptight and overtly official.  Cameron had changed and, in the Wolf's opinion, for the better. Wagging, Theo smiled as well. "Then I guess we'll be seeing more of each other then."

The Gorumn nodded.  "I'm cycling between the Space Port, Central Transit Hub, and door duty for the Colonial Council Building."

Theo's ears perked. "The Council Building too?  Wow... in that case I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of you; Jen and I are there more often than not."

Cameron let out a grunt of confirmation, and he glanced around. "Speaking of Madam Chancellor, where is she?"

The Wolf smirked. "She goes by 'Representative', Cameron.  Technically she doesn't hold an office."

Behind Theo both of his kids started getting fidgety and a few words were exchanged quietly between them, but not quietly enough.  Cameron raised an eyebrow, apparently having overheard something.  "Where'd you hear THAT word?"

Theo glanced back to his daughter, who the Gorumn was facing.  She inched away, easing her body lower to the ground as her tail tucked. "Y-you heard that?"

Cameron snorted. "I am a trained security officer... you Gens don't corner the market on good hearing.  I'm sure your father would not appreciate knowing you called your brother a--"

Abby quickly interjected "There-is-a-Gorumn-boy-at-my-school-who-is-teaching-whoever-wants-to-learn-how-to-speak-bad-words-in-Gorumn."

Theo glanced between Abby and Cameron; he was mortified.  The Gorumn, however, didn't seem that affected. "Did this boy have his scent glands modified?"

She paused at that, her tail slowly uncurling. "I-- I think so."

The security officer nodded in satisfaction. "Good.  That makes things easier for him."

Theo didn't particularly like the direction of that conversation. "Abby... what did you say, exactly?"

The young wolf's tail immediately tucked again.  She tried to change the subject but, as the family passed the security check point with a brief farewell from Cameron, Theo did not relent.  In the end, they had a long discussion about behavior, courtesy, and not causing 'issues' in public.  He'd thought that both his kids had proper etiquette down but, he reminded himself:  teenagers.

* * * * * *

Jen's shuttle arrived almost ten minutes early, which was a relief to Theo; although he had near-infinite patience, every second without his wife felt like forever.  He beat his kids in a rush to her as she emerged from the docking bay and, the moment he had her in his arms the world was just a little brighter; it was even more so once they'd kissed.  Neither lasted as long as he would have liked as they disengaged so she could say hello to their kids.  Her initial statement was exactly what he expected "I missed you both SOOOO much!"

Kneeling down so she could offer Abby a hug meant that Abe would have to do the same to hug his mom; Theo marveled at how quickly his son was getting taller and in no time he'd be as tall as Jen!  Pushing the thought out of his mind, he joined them, likewise going to his knees so he could embrace them all; his tail beat out an accompaniment against the tiled floor in duet with his daughter's.  Theo felt complete.

Once they'd all disengaged, Theo led them to a nearby bench so they could have a brief discussion. "Did the conference go well, hon?"

Jen's smile slipped just a little.  "You know how difficult it is to get any traction in the Council... a few meetings won't really generate much momentum.  Still... we had a few minor successes and some corporate commitments, which is a start."

Theo nodded, offering her an encouraging smile. "Right.  A start.  Besides, I'm sure AETHER Corp is making moves to get things pushed forward and when it comes to generating momentum we both know that ALVIN is a bulldozer."

As he'd hoped, his statement elicited a grin from his wife.  She leaned her cheek against his shoulder as she reached down to rest a hand on Abby's head.  Letting out a sigh she nodded. "True... and that helps, but, most of all, it's just good to be home."

Abe, who was seated next to his mother, piped in "Who's Alvin?"

Theo reached down to pet his daughter while Jen turned to their son. "ALVIN is the CEO of AETHER Corp, and he's an inorganic manufactured organism... he's a lot like Gens, but... different."

Smirking, Abe retorted "So he's an android.  Mrs. Stafford was talking about advanced robotics earlier this week in class."

Jen glanced to Theo, who shrugged "Well... they ARE taking advanced courses."

She gave Abe a side-hug. "Yes, Abe... his body is based off android designs but he's a lot more advanced than most models, and his mind was designed using the same basic schematics as Gens, only it started as a digital program before being combined with the hardware of his body."

Abby piped in. "Oh!  Oh!  I think I saw a picture of him!  He's the Collie with the weird eyes, isn't he?"

Theo interjected "Abby, 'weird' is a judgment statement, and that's rude."

The wolf girl corrected herself. "His eyes are not like most Gens-- he has diamond-shaped pupils... right?"

Both parents nodded at that and Theo acknowledged his appreciation in her correction. "Much better, thank you, young lady."

Jen glanced back to Theo, who felt his heart beat pick up just a little when she smiled at him, and she revealed the most surprising details of her trip as if it were casual conversation. "Oh--  I almost forgot: ALVIN and Dr. Makowi are going to be visiting the colony next Ty."

Although every planet had a different measurement of revolution around its respective star the universal timeframe for interplanetary planning was the Terran Year, or TY for short.  It was 365 days which, by pure happenstance, was also almost exactly the same timeframe for the Voljoi home world-- the Terran planet 'Earth' revolved around its star every 365.24 days while the slightly smaller planet of the Voljoi origin made it's annual trip ever 364.76; each planet had a 'leap year', in which the calendar had a day added to or subtracted from it.

Theo was so caught up in his own thoughts about the galactic scheduling calendar that he'd practically spaced out his kids' excitement.  It was Abby's happy bark that pulled him out of his musings. "And Dr. Makowi made my harness!"

Snapping back immediately into the discussion at hand, Theo quickly recovered from his musings as he turned to Jen; although he was not upset, per se, the news certainly had surprised him. "They're both coming here?  Why?"

Jen reached around him to ruffle her son's hair before returning her attention to scratching her daughter behind the ears; she then Theo's question. "We're going to start our own project here as it relates to the H-Gene.  We have it planned out that we can work on integrating a combination of genetic therapy and social change to function as a prototype pilot program.  It'll be a lot easier to get through all of the hesitation and stutter-steps if we  have some solid proof of success to back up our goals."

Theo's analytical, compliance-aligned mind began working overtime as he considered what would be required.  "If we are running a biological and sociological experiment here then we have a LOT of work to get done before then."

Nodding, his wife reached up and scratched him behind the ears too. "I know-- which is why we're taking a year to get everything into place.  ALVIN is forwarding us planning funds so it doesn't have to come out of the colonial budget."

Abby piped up from the other side of Jen. "Does this means that we'll be able to help all of those Gens who have problems working with people?"

Theo, despite himself, couldn't help a little dry humor get out to ease his sudden increase in stress. "I think those gents have too FEW problems working with people, dear."

He got a stern 'look' from Jen for the comment but she made no other sign of admonishment and moved right along, pulling a hardcopy binder out of her satchel; Theo hadn't seen one of those in ages.  She passed it to him and said quietly "It's still in early stages, but this is the project proposal and outline.  We'll need to go over it when we get a chance and send any suggestions we have for modifications or revisions.  ALVIN requested in the meantime that we only keep hardcopies."

Theo accepted the binder and looked it over carefully, slowly opening the page as if handling an ancient relic that could fall apart if not enough care was taken in its use.  The first leaf was simply a cover page with three simple words identifying the proposed project:

THE FARLIGHT INITIATIVE