Chapter 4

The morning following the trip to the hospital, Throttle woke up early. The back wall of the bedroom was an outside wall, and above the bed were two small, narrow windows nestled up near the ceiling. Their height made them private while at the same time allowing warm morning light to filter into the room, glinting off things like memorabilia they'd picked up on road trips, picture frames and posters.

Tamerin was still asleep, her arm draped across his chest and her head on his shoulder. With his mind on everything he learned yesterday, Throttle slowly reached over and picked up his new data pad from where he'd left it on the nightstand, careful not to jostle the bed and wake his mate.

They were making similar products on Earth these days, but Imeerans had been manufacturing data pads for centuries. Imeerans were a save as much time and space as possible kind of race, so the hand-sized units were designed to last a lifetime - a second one wasn't needed. The battery never drained and it was impossible to run out of memory. And you could use it for pretty much anything: reading - or writing - books, drawing maps, storing important dates and pictures. They even picked up broadcast signals, so you could use it as a mini TV or radio if you wanted.

Tamerin mostly used her for reading, and as a former soldier accustomed to recording detailed reports, she was disciplined about writing in her personal journal. She also liked to experiment in the kitchen and recorded some of the exotic recipes she came up with. Since she'd had hers for years, her data pad was fully customized, with a pink-and-blue interface and animated backgrounds made to look like the ocean.

Throttle's was brand new, so all it had was the default interface; bland black text on a milky gray background. Since he wasn't pushing any buttons right now, the unit was on standby, the screen blank and lifeless. The unlit background was a dull grayish-bronze, the glossy surface of the screen gleaming in the sunlight. Aside from the default programs, it only had one other feature: the program Dee had installed before they left the hospital yesterday. The one that would be keeping tabs on his artificial organs from now on.

He was the kind of mouse who was more interested in riding out in the open wind than fiddling around with something with buttons and a computer screen, so he didn't see himself bothering to add anything else. On the other hand, as he set the data pad aside again, he could already imagine what Tam would be doing with hers for the next few months. Making lists of baby things to buy. Comparing designs and color schemes for a nursery. Listing baby names and organizing them from most to least favorite.

After they got back home yesterday, he could tell that her mind was already running in that direction. She hadn't said anything about it, but she didn't need to. He knew her more than well enough to know that how long it had been since conception didn't matter to her. The point was she had conceived, and that meant there was a ton of things she needed to start planning. But she wasn't saying anything about those plans because she could sense where his mind was, too. Right now, his only plan was to wait and see what happened.

This thought remained in the back of his mind as he started wondering how long it was going to be before his new data pad utilized its principal function. He was still mulling it over when Tamerin suddenly stirred. Eyes still closed and murmuring contentedly, she stretched her long limbs before settling against him again. Just like a lazy, sleepy cat. She even rubbed her cheek against his fur before cuddling her face against his neck.

"Feels like your thoughts are all over the place," she noted drowsily. "What's on your mind?"

"Yesterday," he said vaguely. "I was wondering how long I have before my lungs collapse or something."

He paused as something else occurred to him, then said, "I just remembered - my eyes are artificial, too. Does that mean they'll break down someday?"

Considering how flawless his vision still was, that didn't seem likely - at least not for a long, long time. Opening her eyes and propping her chin on his shoulder, Tamerin thought this over. "I guess it's possible. If you're worried, they wouldn't hard to replace in advance."

Probably not, Throttle thought silently, remembering how quick his recovery had been when they were first inserted in his eye sockets. And that wasn't quite the direction he had been going, but his mate had already warmed to the idea. "Maybe you could try a different color next time," she suggested. "I'm thinking blue."

The tan mouse looked at the blue orbs gazing at him so intently, illuminated by the brightening sunlight. Likening them to a shell was no stretch; when the light hit them just right, the iridescent blue irises showed hints of sea-foam green, wisps of sunset pink. Made all the more unusual by the thin ring of black surrounding them.

"Like your eyes?" he guessed. "They're one of a kind. I wouldn't want to copy them."

Grinning, Tamerin playfully plucked at one of his antennas, lightly rolling the tip between her fingertips. "Not like mine, silly. I'm thinking something nice and deep. An ocean blue."

"You and your oceans," said Throttle, with a sigh of pretend exasperation. "If they ever do go, I'll just replace them with good ol' Martian mouse pink, thank you very much. Isn't pink one of your favorite colors?"

"Yes," his mate allowed. "But I like blue better."

She snuggled against him a moment more, kissed his muzzle, then rolled over and hopped out of bed. She didn't say anything as she started getting dressed, but Throttle could tell by her shift in mood that she was going out. "Are you going to eat first?" he wondered.

"I'll grab something on the way. I want to see Ash."

Ah. After learning that she was out of danger of excessive pain she at least wanted to share the news with her unofficially adopted little girl. Throttle didn't see any reason for her not to, even if he didn't plan on sharing the news himself just yet. While she was gone he wanted to go see what his bros were up to; he knew if they found out they would start teasing him, then congratulate him, and then start asking all those normal questions. If he wanted a boy or a girl, what kind of names he liked, how long he was going to wait before he bought baby's first bike. He wasn't ready to get that excited.

It was a few days before Saber saw Vector again. He was out in the middle of nowhere digging in a mound of grimy sand when the familiar buzz of a custom racer reached his ears and rapidly came closer. Even though it had been a few days, Saber was willing to go a little longer before he saw his best friend again. Scowling, he crawled across the dirty sand and plunged the scoop he was holding into the moist center of what looked like a black puddle. The stench this dredged up almost made him gag. He had a mask on over his nose, but it only did so much.

He was coughing and fumbling to get the fruits of his labor into a plastic container when Vector reached him and pulled neatly to a stop. The white half-mouse folded his arms on top of the handlebars and leaned forward, hitting the switch that turned off the electronic visor of his helmet. "So, this is where you've been hiding," he noted.

There was a little too much amusement in his voice. Grumbling to himself, Saber snapped the container shut and put it into a thermal-like case with the others. He drew out an empty one and went back to work. "Was this your mother's idea?" Vector wondered.

"Who else's?" the sable hybrid groused. "'Go out and dig up some dung samples for the guys over in Research', she says. I had no idea analyzing the properties of animal poop was so important for science."

For a moment his best friend doubled over the handlebars with laughter. Muttering under his breath, Saber stabbed at the gooey puddle.

The wild, docile animals in question were grazing over by a small pool a few yards away. They were fat, bovine-like creatures, scarce once but now thriving in abundance and popular as a food source. At least they were up here. Down in Neothera they needed to mind their space, so their livestock was small. And a lot less messy.

As Saber finished filling the last container, Vector eyed one of the pudgy creatures, wagging its stubby tail as it munched on a blossom. "And here I thought you were looking for a date."

"Do you keep your head up your ass for the warmth?"

Instead of getting insulted, the white rodent went into hysterics again. "Woo!" he shouted, fist raised. "I didn't think you had it in you!"

"You have no idea what I've been through," Saber said seriously.

"I can make a reasonably educated guess."

After stifling a cough, Vector switched his visor back on and took deep, deliberate breaths. The half-rat put the container away and got to his feet, giving his best friend a deeply weary, pained look as he pulled his mask off. "I'm not talking about this. I don't want to go home anymore. Ever."

The white rodent eyed him with sudden sympathy. "That bad? Your parents fed up with you?"

"No. But if they were it'd be your fault. Correction - it is your fault. It's all your fault."

Scowling again, he sealed the case and shouldered it. "I take it your dad didn't like his un-birthday present," said Vector.

"Try the opposite. He's gone mad-crazy for it. Started calling her his 'special lady.'"

The proud biker mouse snickered and patted his own bike affectionately. "What's wrong with that? They're all special ladies."

"He kept taking her for rides. Just the two of them."

"Sounds all right to me." Vector caressed the mouse insignia below the handlebars.

"My mom got jealous. Angrily jealous. So jealous that she decided to remind my dad who the real lady in his life is."

His shudder was paired with a whimper. "And she'll remind him anywhere, anytime. Yesterday I caught them in the garage. On the tool bench. I'll never be able to use that tool bench again."

Instead of sympathizing with his obvious pain, Vector sniggered. "That's nothing, bud. I've lost count how many times I've walked in on my parents. On tool benches, my dad's bike, the auto repair lift, the kitchen table..."

Saber was cringing and ready to cover his ears. "Oh, stop."

He had his suspicions about their own kitchen table, and really didn't want to think about how it and other surfaces at home might have been used over the years. Make that misused.

"Ah, come on. You're eighteen now, remember?"

"Maybe so. But there are lines that shouldn't be crossed."

His best friend looked like he was getting bored with this conversation. With a stretch, he asked, "You ready to go yet?"

"Yes," sighed Saber. "I need to take this over to the lab."

The white hybrid instantly brightened, his dark eyes lighting up. "Oh - right. I'll go with you, and later we can talk about you moving out so you don't have to worry about catching your parents knocking booties anymore."

Saber had to admit, that was an awfully enticing incentive. After peeling off the gloves he'd been wearing and tucking them into a bag he could throw away later, he mounted his bike and started the trek to the research laboratory.

It was one of several facilities built at a large outpost a few miles from the primary mouse city. Having it there made it easier to travel out to gather samples, many of them as unappealing as the ones he'd spent all morning digging for. All in the name of science. Saber didn't know what kind of profession he wanted now that he was out of school, but he was sure that becoming a scientist wasn't a possibility.

Little was said during the long ride, and when they pulled into the crisp, paved lot of the lab, Vector hopped off his bike and dumped his helmet before Saber had finished cutting the engine. Most who worked here knew them, since they visited from time to time and knew Michio pretty well. He was the one Saber was supposed to bring the samples to, so after being let inside they boarded an elevator to the third floor. The place was just like you would imagine; sterile in both look and smell, grayish walls, plain flat carpeting in the halls and tile floors in the labs, specially treated so they wouldn't conduct electricity. Even then, if you weren't wearing rubber shoes when you entered one of the labs, you were expected to pull a stretchy glove-like material over your feet. Whatever was necessary to avoid accidentally creating a spark that could end up shorting out the delicate equipment the rooms were crowded with.

Since the two of them already wore rubber boots with insulated soles they got to skip that step, but they were expected to slip on special lab coats over their regular clothes in case they were bringing in dust. Despite the formalities, the mood permeating the room they entered wasn't a rigid one. A happy husband-wife mouse duo was working in a corner with a microscope, while a male mouse was busy writing something on a chart as another mouse typed something on the computer they were standing next to. The chatter in the room was casual, and the pair sitting on an otherwise empty plastic table in the middle of the room were even more casual.

Saber knew them both well, having grown up with them. The furry one sitting close to one end of the table was Ako, who despite being several years younger had been Michio's closest friend for as long as Saber could remember. He worked as an assistant here at the lab these days, and he lived with Michio and a few of the scientist's friends from school in what Michio described as a 'rockin' bachelor pad'. If a place that looked like a small chem lab could be considered 'rockin'.

In spite of the title of 'he' and the fact that he lived with 'rockin' bachelors', Ako was actually genderless. Saber had only been five when he went through his final metamorphosis and hadn't really understood why the furry creature had gone away for a little while and come back walking on two legs instead of four. But as he got older he had come to understand that repeatedly changing form and not having a gender was normal for Ako's species.

He still looked the same way he did after changing at age ten; just taller. He had grown to an average height with a slim build, and while he walked on two legs and had facial features similar to someone like Vector's mom, there was still something distinctly animal about him. And not just because he never wore clothes and was covered in thick brown fur everywhere except his face, hands, and feet. He was sitting on the edge of the table with his legs drawn up so his feet were up near his haunches, almost like a dog. Saber half expected him to lift his toes and scratch behind his pointed ear.

Everyone called him a 'him' because it was nicer than saying 'it', but those who didn't know any better sometimes mistook him for a 'she'. Saber could understand why; at a glance, the heart-shaped face, big blue eyes and delicate lips were decidedly feminine. And despite being twenty-two, the voice Ako spoke with was a lot like a child's - easily sounding like it could belong either to a young male or a young female. The mane of dark green hair that hung to the small of his back was also much more feminine than masculine.

But while others sometimes paused and gave the unusual creature a puzzled look, Saber gave a casual, friendly hello as he walked by. Ako glanced at him and waved his long fingers before leaning forward a little, intently watching what the mice by the computer were doing.

Vector was much more interested in the other figure perched on the table. She was balanced on one edge with her knees pulled to her chest, her long, skinny arms snugged around her legs and her chin rested on her knees. In her way, Astrid was every bit as unusual as Ako. She was half mouse, but you'd never know it by looking at her. Like the other half of her parentage, she had brightly colored skin and hair. Unlike either side of her parentage, she was bone-skinny and had gawky, bird-like limbs. Her arms and legs looked oddly long for her small body, and her fingers were almost as long as Ako's animal-like ones.

But this was apparently what happened when a Martian mouse and an Imeeran got together and had a baby. Or at least this was what had happened when her parents had a baby. Saber had heard that there was no guarantee anything like her would ever be birthed again, even by the same parents. Imeeran DNA had too many unknown factors in it for anyone to be sure. Breeding outside the species was a game of pure chance.

Saber liked Astrid, but he felt bad for her, and for more reason than one. When someone saw her for the first time, you never knew how they were going to react. Looking beyond her gangly limbs, she was what some might consider pretty. She had huge, doll-like silver eyes that went starry when she was happy. Her forehead was high, her nose small and delicate, her lips thin and her mouth on the wide side, maybe even a little too wide for her narrow chin. But Saber had seen both mice and rats respond to her with the same interest that customers did to Vector's mom - her appearance was otherworldly and exotic to them. To others...she just looked strange. Alien to the point of creepy.

It didn't really matter. Nearly everyone avoided getting too close to her for safety's sake - himself included. Those long bones of hers were fragile and very easily broken. Even though she was the sweetest, most gentle girl you could ever hope to meet, he tried not to get close to her out of fear of accidentally hurting her. The lab workers felt the same way, clearly giving her a wide breadth as they passed back and forth in front of the table.

Not Vector. With a boldness that almost made Saber cringe, he went right up to the breakable girl, grabbed her bony shoulders and pressed a noisy kiss to her forehead. "Hiya, Asteroid!" he greeted cheerfully.

Saber rolled his eyes; Astrid giggled and gave the white half-mouse a quick hug. She really didn't seem to mind his rough touch - even though the sable hybrid knew his best friend had to cause her discomfort sometimes. Aside from fragile bones, Astrid had highly sensitive skin. Heavy clothes could end up giving her a rash, so her wardrobe was light as a feather. Today she had on a sleeveless tissue linen blouse, and - speaking of tissues - a skirt that looked like it would blow away if she sneezed too hard. They were both a pale blue that complemented her violet skin. Her teal hair moved around her shoulders like kelp as she put her chin on her knees again.

The half-rat tried repeatedly to get his best friend's attention before giving up. Vector had a weird habit of going oblivious to everyone else whenever Astrid was around. The two continued to talk while Saber moved to the back of the room, looking for Michio. He didn't seem to be around, so he headed for an open door that led into another hallway. Behind him, he heard one of the mouse scientists start talking to Vector - asking him about a subject sure to get his attention. After all, it was bound to make a scientist curious, knowing that Vector was essentially a glorified test tube baby.

Vector's usual reaction when someone brought this up was, "Neat, huh?" He thought it made him extra special - uniquely unique.

"So, you were really conceived in vitro?" the scientist asked.

"Yup."

"You parents' cells were combined manually before being injected into your mother?"

"Uh-huh."

"And in only one night?"

"Yes indeed."

"Just one night? Are you sure?"

The sudden pressing of that particular detail made the hyper mouse pause. "Uh-huh...?"

It was kind of an unusual story, one his parents probably wouldn't have ever mentioned to their son - or anyone else - but Vector had overheard someone else talking about it once and demanded to know everything. He didn't seem to mind at all that he hadn't been conceived the 'fun way.' Again, it made him extra special.

"My parents were taken and my mom impregnated with me in just one night," Vector reiterated, as Saber peered around a tall file cabinet. His best friend was still standing by the table, arms folded. "My mom even checked the date and time when she got home. Only a few hours passed at most."

The male scientist he was talking to looked intrigued - to the point where he was eyeing Vector like he'd just found his latest specimen. "It's just unusual, that's all," he mused, rubbing his chin. "Ordinarily, when forming in vitro an embryo needs to develop for several days before it can be put in a female's uterus. Was something special done to your embryo to enable it to safely grow in your mother's womb so soon?"

Vector gave him a strange, confused look. "How the heck would I know? I wasn't even a fetus yet."

"Or maybe," the mouse went on, his excited interest growing, "your cells were stimulated so they would have a rapid growth spurt right before being implanted in your mother. And if so, who's to say that didn't affect your overall growth for life?"

The white half-mouse was edging away now. "Uh, there's no way we can really be sure, right?"

"Hardly. I'm sure analyzing a small sample will tell us plenty."

Vector darted around to the other side of the table. "Sorry, but I'm not handing out any free samples today."

"Ah, come on. Just a little hair. It's for science."

"No samples and no hairs!"

Undaunted and determined, the scientist followed him around the table, producing what looked like a pair of tweezers. Vector grimaced and picked up speed; grinning, the mouse quickly gave pursuit, while the other scientists in the room chuckled as the scene rapidly turned into a playful chase. Saber was watching in amusement when he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Michio standing in the doorway behind him. "Ah - just the guy I was looking for." He took the case from his shoulder and passed it to him. "Enjoy your poop."

Michio had always had a good sense of humor and smirked wryly as he accepted the case. "As much enjoyment as you had collecting it, I imagine," he noted.

"Not likely."

Shuddering, Saber followed the goat-like being out into the hall. "What do you need that stuff for, anyway? Compost? Fuel?"

"Actually, we've noticed an increase in minerals in the soil around that area," Michio explained. "Naturally this will have an effect on plant life, and the animals who eat those plants."

"Ah. Naturally."

The two of them stepped to one side to make room for a male mouse walking in the opposite direction. He was looking over some graphs on a clipboard, occasionally making notations in pen. Even if it smelled kind of medicine-y, Saber didn't mind coming here. Much like the goofball chase in the next room, everyone always looked like they were having a good time.

Still, after a morning like the one he'd just had, he was ready to move on and have some fun. "If that's all you need from me today, I think I'll go spend my time doing something a little more sanitary."

Smirking, Michio started to say something - just as the mouse that just walked by let out a gasp. His clipboard and pen clattered to the floor. His head had jerked in the direction of the room Saber just left, his face a mask of surprise and puzzlement.

And it wasn't just him. Every mouse in the long hallway had stopped what they were doing and were staring in the direction of the medium-sized room. Some were poking their heads around doorways. Their expressions all matched. Saber had seen it all before, and knew exactly the cause of the sudden, silent stares. And as he took off in a jog, he knew just what he was going to find as he hurried back into the room. It made his heart sink with a twinge of pain.

By the time he rounded the file cabinet blocking the view of the plastic table, the mice in the room were in motion. Some were stepping forward uneasily, others were edging back. The uncertainty they felt was plain on each of their faces. They all knew the stories, too. They wanted to help, but they didn't know if trying would actually help or just make the situation worse. Ako, who had seen this happen plenty of times too, was standing over by the computers. His shoulders and furry pointed ears were drooping in sadness.

The plastic table was cocked on a sharp angle, like someone had bumped into it. Hard. Vector was kneeling on the floor next to it, bent over the small figure curled up in a tight ball on the cold tile. He kept saying, "I'm sorry." Over and over.

His eyes were almost wild with worry as he helped Astrid sit up, and it looked like he had gone pale under his fur. Saber knew it wasn't just worry and remorse that had him so upset. Like all Imeerans, Astrid was empathic, but she had also been born a telepath. She could control it these days, but when she was really upset - or when she was suddenly in severe pain - her emotions would be broadcast to anyone within receiving distance. Guaranteed to make every antenna-bearing mouse snap their head in her direction. Saber had been born without them, so he could only imagine what it was like to sense someone else's pain.

He knew that Astrid had to be feeling plenty. As Vector cradled her in his arms, her silver eyes were wide and round, her violet face ashen. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her hands trembled as she gripped at her left wrist.

Saber didn't need to ask to know it was broken. All of her bones were easy to break, but the smallest and most prominent ones were easier still. Out of all of them, her wrist and finger bones had been broken the most over the course of her life. Her ankles and toes came in a close second. And because they had been broken so many times, her tiny wrists snapped with no effort at all, usually in the same place as the last time. Or the time before that. Or the time before that.

If that wasn't bad enough, her heightened sensitivity meant she felt pain more keenly than someone normally would. It was amplified many times, burning and searing until she was shaking from head to toe and her teary eyes had squeezed to slits. And yet in all the years he had known her, Saber had never heard her complain once.

With nothing but quiet sniffles, she sank into Vector's chest and hid her face. Murmuring soothing words the whole time, the white half-mouse lifted her carefully. Saber heard him whisper that he was going to take her home. He decided not to follow. His best friend always went into a foul mood whenever Astrid was hurt - and the fact that he was responsible for it this time would only make him madder. Saber knew better than to bother him until after he'd cheered up again.

For now, he quietly retrieved Astrid's shoes (satin slippers, the only kind of shoes she could stand wearing) from where she'd left them and passed them to Vector just before the half-mouse hurried out of the room. The silence lifted a little after he was gone, though it didn't rise above an unhappy murmuring. Ako absently brushed back his long, bushy tail. "I'm going to go pick her some flowers," he said, before leaving the room.

Saber left, too. By the time he reached his bike, Red Ebony was long gone, her rider no doubt racing straight to Brimstone city. After thinking about it for a minute, Saber decided to head over there, too. In a time like this, he knew just the place to go to lift his spirits. A place he knew that no matter what was going on, he was always welcome.