Zootopia Origins - Part IV

The Beginning

More weeks passed and more months. Summer turned into autumn and winter. The city of Zootopia kept calm and carried on, but for the workers of the wall, every day was hell on Earth. During the summer came heat strokes and during the winter came frostbites. But a new spring came and before anyone could realize it, it was the middle of summer again. The wall was growing, faster that anybody expected it to be. A huge part of the workforce was now made up of convicts, mostly predators. The barracks became overcrowded and stifling hot in the summer heat. Holly and the other water carriers were grinding their legs down, climbing the scaffolding without a minute to rest to bring a cold glass of water to the workers.
The vixen grabbed a thick rope and swung over to the next platform. She was now a natural, living a vertical life became muscle memory and instinct. Welders, not convicts but hired professionals, were working on massive steel beams. A halo of sparks was flying everywhere and Holly felt the taste of molten metal on her tongue. The smell and taste was overwhelming, she sneezed and blinked.
- You guys need a drink? – she shouted over the buzzing of the machinery. The two welders, a grizzly bear and a bull, put down their equipment. Holly pulled two cups from her backpack holder and poured water into them. As she turned toward the workers, she almost dropped the cups. Paddy was there, looking tired and parched, sitting next to the electrical generator of the welding equipment. Holly ran over to him, cradling him in her arms, making him drink both cups of water. Paddy looked up at her and smiled.
- Hey there, beautiful.
- Are you allright? – Holly asked, her voice trembling.
- Yeah, sorta. I think I fell asleep or something. Weird... it's so cold...
- Sweetheart, it's as hot as hell here.
- I think he's got heat stroke. – the bear said, leaning over the two.
- Get him to the showers, he needs to cool himself down. – the bull chimed in – We'll cover for you.
- Thank you! – Holly whispered gratefully. She helped Paddy up on his feet and helped him to the nearest elevator. They almost reached it when the signaling horn sounded. It wasn't the usual signals, but a long, never-ending honk bellowing through the construction site.
- What the...? – Paddy mumbled, shaking his head to clear his senses.
- I don't know. – Holly stopped to listen as the horn fell silent, only to sound again after a few seconds. She saw many looking confused, thinking it was an emergency. Did an accident just happen? Or did the riot many have whispered about finally broke out?
Holly helped Paddy inside the elevator and pushed the Down button. As they descended, they saw many following suit, some used the lifts, others the ladders, the braver ones simply climbed down on ropes. Something was happening and by the looks of it, things were about to turn ugly.
- We should sit this one out. – Holly said, turning back to Paddy.
- I just want a shower. – he moaned.
The elevator car came to a halt with a yank and Holly opened the door. The foxes stepped outside to see hundreds already there, shouting, crying, a mixture of emotions.
- Hey, what's happening? – Holly asked, grabbing a leopard by his prison uniform sleeve.
- It's over! – he leopard said, half-laughing and half-crying – There's been a regime change. Segregation is over!
The foxes looked at him with wide eyes and saw he was wearing no collar. Guards were walking up and down, grudgingly taking the collars off of the predators, prisoners and free alike. Ten minutes later, Holly and Paddy were embracing each other as free foxes, free citizens of Zootopia.
Somebody rugged up a radio with loudspeakers and tuned it onto ZNN Radio. The loudspeakers shrieked with interference until the right band was found, upon which the booming voice filled the air:
- The new joint government is in full session as of this hour. Comprised of an equal number of preys and predators, they are open in correcting the flaws of the previous administration. Although most new legislation will be published in the upcoming days and weeks, four new decrees were immediately declared. First: the end of predator segregation, including the removal of all predator's collars. Second: all those who have participated in the previous regime and abused their power at the expense of predators and pro-predator preys will be held accountable for their actions by court of law. Third: A complete cessation in the construction of the planned predator zone wall, whose further fate will be decided later. And finally: general amnesty to all found guilty by the previous administration for their anti-segregationist actions.
What the reporter said thereafter was heard by nobody, as the crowd erupted in cheers. It was a dream come true. Not only they were granted equal status, they were really free. They could go home again. But others were ready to take matters into their own paws. Some begun to round up the guards who were masters of life and death only a few minutes ago. Now, they didn't look so tough and were quite right in fearing the worst. But then came Honcho, pushing everybody aside, his voice carried above all heads:
- Stop this, now! Is this how you want your new world to begin? By lynching? By bloodshed? You'll get none of this as long as I'm here! Let these mongrels crawl away, and don't worry for them, this is a world where they can't even look into the mirror now without seeing a monster!
- Would you look at that. – Paddy whistled – Our boss is quite the speaker!
- He's great. – Holly nodded, smiling. They watched the crowd dissipate, everyone going home or at least as far away from the wall as possible. The two foxes lingered on, just so they could say their final goodbyes to the giraffe.
- You'd think I'm out of the business now. – Honcho said with a huge smile – But this is Zootopia. It'll grow and I'll be there to build it. This city'll always need a good construction crew. If you two ever need a job, just look for the biggest construction site you can find.
Holly and Paddy left the wall, shaking Honcho's hoof once more. As they stepped outside, onto the open street, they found the city in celebration. Mammals were singing and dancing, and even though it was still hours away from dusk, fireworks were being shot into the sky by the dozens. Store owners were handing out free food and drinks. Hastily printed editions of The Zootopia Honker were passed from paw to paw, the cover bearing the image of former mayor Barnum being led away in pawcuffs.
The two foxes mingled with the crowd, enjoying freedom in a way only they could: someone who never really had it and was now almost unable to comprehend it. They walked through the streets, running into celebrating mammals everywhere. They even stopped to dance with the crowd as three brown bears started to play the accordion while simultaneously dancing the mazurka.
It was already after nightfall when they arrived home: the only home they knew. The former Headquarters of the Turtleneck Club looked abandoned and forlorn. The door was hanging open, as it was left all those months ago. The inside wasn't a prettier sight either, as the house was looted and vandalized. Now it was completely empty, welcoming the foxes.
- All it needs is a fresh coat of paint and some love. – Paddy said with a hopeful smile.
- And Honcho's construction crew. – Holly grinned – But for the lack of anything better, I'm fine with it.
She threw herself down on the beaten-up sofa and yowled as a spring poked into her rib. Paddy leaned down next to her and pulled her into his embrace.
- Come to think of it, we didn't actually have a wedding night. – he said with a playful twinkle in his eyes.
- Are you suggesting something, Mr. Wilde? – Holly grinned, feigning ignorance.
- But of course, Mrs. Wilde.
- Enlighten me.

The festivities lasted more than two weeks. Zootopia became a colorful chaos, but one everybody welcomed. For the first time in generations, predators could enjoy all the freedoms that preys had. The new government appointed a new city council as well, with a polar bear named Yuri Dazdraperma as mayor. For the first time, a predator was heading the city and he was the kind of mammal the city could rally behind: he was outspoken, often saying the hard and cruel truth. He always looked tired but also strong, as he held hours-long speeches almost every day. He spoke of a new era, an age of harmony and cooperation, and a new Zootopia, where anyone can be anything. And each day, his speeches were followed by cheers. The world started to become a better place.

Holly and Paddy begun to call the old Headquarters home again. Yes, the place needed refurbishment, but doing it felt like living again. Not to mention, the new government has issued a decree by which all the forced laborers had to be compensated, earning the foxes a small sum of money with which they could start a new life. After a week's hard work, the house looked habitable again. Paddy, using his skills, even managed to get it on the electrical grid again.
- Just don't ask where we get the juice from. – he said with a huge smile.
- Hail the new world, where foxes still steal electricity. – Holly laughed.
- It's temporary. Once I get a job and can pay the bills, I'll make it legit.
- I seriously need to get a job too. – Holly sighed – Damn, I have no qualifications. I haven't even finished high school.
- Hey, you heard the mayor. In the new Zootopia, anyone can be anything. – Paddy said encouragingly – Tell me, my fair lady, what do you want to be in this brave new world?
- Well, umm... promise me you won't laugh.
- Scout's honor. – Paddy crossed his heart.
- Ah, I know you'll laugh. You'll say it isn't even a real job.
- Do you think I'm the fox who'd break your dreams?
- No, it's just... okay, fine. I wanna be a florist.
- Aww, that is so sweet!
- See, I told you! You're laughing!
- No, I'm not. I just think you're the best thing to come to my life.
He pulled her close and kissed her, their lips curling into a smile as they met. It was bliss, freedom, something the two have almost lost forever. They were backing up, towards the sofa, when they heard a sudden knock on the door.
- Aw, for cryin' out loud. – Paddy sighed.
- Don't worry, sweetheart, I won't let you get away so easily. – Holly chuckled.
- Aye-aye, ma'am! – Paddy grinned. As he they heard the knocking again, he shouted toward the door: - Coming!
He opened the door and his jaw dropped. Standing on the porch, looking almost a decade older since their previous encounter, stood Gillian.
- Oh... my... goodness! – Paddy moaned. He pulled her into a big hug – Sweet mercy, what happened to you? Where have you been?
- Who is it, sweetheart? – Holly came over and when she saw Gillian, she cried out her name. The pine marten wriggled free of Paddy's arms, only to hug the vixen instead.
- Oh, my dear girl! – she cried – I thought I'd never see you again!
The foxes led her inside. Holly made hot earl grey tea for her and they all settled down on the sofa.
- After I was released from prison, I had nowhere else to go. – Gillian sighed after taking a long gulp – I guess that's why you two are here as well.
- Yeah, old habits die hard. – Paddy said with a sad smile – What happened to you, Gillian?
- When we were separated, I was sent to a different police station, I think you've already figured that out. There was a riot there, the larger preds started tearing off their collars. It was horrible, most of them were shocked till they lost consciousness, or worse. But some managed to do it. It was... awful. The cops came in and started to beat up everybody. At the end, all preds were collared again. Nobody asked how a little pine marten could take hers off.
- Nice move, Gillian. – Holly said acknowledging.
- This is how I escaped from being treated as a political prisoner. I was sent to Zootopia Penitentiary with all the other common law criminals. I was released three days ago with the latest round of amnesty.
- It's good to have you back. – Paddy said, patting her shoulder.
- But tell me, what happened to you two? You look terrible. I'm sorry. – she added apologetically.
- No offense taken. – Paddy laughed, but his face turned serious the next instant – We were political prisoners. Collarless, untamed, you name it.
He and Holly told her their story, the year they spent on the construction site, all the tragedies and the few cherished moments they've experienced there. Gillian listened in awe, wiping away her tears. As the foxes finished their story, she embraced them.
- My dear friends! Just look at you... you've grown up. And a married couple now, I'm so happy for you!
Holly and Paddy shared a look and a small laugh.
- Well, let's just say we are a match made in heaven, 'cause nobody on this Earth has officially certified it. – the vixen said with a grin. She showed Gillian the paperclip ring on her digit and Paddy showed her a similar one Holly made for him during their captivity.
- Oh, who cares about the paperwork? – Gillian said with a dismissive wave of her paw – You're in love, and that's all what matters!
- Yeah, we figured even Preacher would agree. – Paddy said with a huge smile. Gillian's face suddenly turned into a mask of grief. Her eyes widened and she sniffed, her eyes tearing up again.
- What's wrong? – Holly asked. The pine marten shook her head.
- You don't know?
- Know what?
- Preacher... Nicholas... he didn't make it.
Holly's eyes widened in shock. She looked at Gillian as if asking for confirmation, asking if she's heard her right. The pine marten nodded silently.
- How? – Paddy croaked, unable to utter any more words.
- The cops. – Gillian said between sobs – He was beaten up too bad. They couldn't save him at the hospital.
Holly and Gillian cried in each other's embrace. Paddy just shook his head, his grief beyond tears. Preacher was a father figure for him. Back at the construction site, he often thought of seeing him again, listening to his wise words or just share a joke with him. Now, the warthog was gone forever.
Later that day, Gillian took him and Holly to a cemetery. It was a hot, cheerful summer day, so unfit for the emotions the three were experiencing. They marched under an unforgiving hot sun till they reached an inconspicuous headstone, with a brass plaque simply stating: Nicholas Hamhock, "Preacher". They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.

While the dead were mourned, the living went on to live. Gillian stayed for a few days with Holly and Paddy, but decided to settle down somewhere else. The foxes knew she wanted them to live a happy married life, without a parent figure looming over them. The pine marten remained in contact with them, becoming their occasional – and only – houseguest. The Turtleneck Club was gone for good, with its goals realized and its survivors finally enjoying the world they wished to live in. No other members showed up at the old Headquarters and with the buzz the city was in, it was virtually impossible to track them down.

In a few short weeks, Holly found a job at a flower shop at a richer part of the city. Paddy was also hired as an assistant electrician. Life seemed to be on a good course, but cracks started to appear soon. After the regime change, many hastily made decisions needed to be re-evaluated. The construction of the wall left Zootopia in a state of near-bankruptcy, the situation made worse by all the compensation money the government needed to hand out to the victims of the segregation. The dream that Zootopia now symbolized seemed to stall and was ready to be swept away.
When a few mammals suggested the re-purposing of the wall, many laughed and others were outraged. The wall needed to be torn down. And who cares about the billions that already went into it? It is a symbol of oppression and has to go. It took crazy minds to implement a crazy solution, and luckily for Zootopia, crazy was something the city never had a deficit of. When a group of young technocrats presented their ideas for the public, they were laughed at. What they proposed was a beautiful idea, but something nobody had the resources to actually make happen. Of course, they had a solution for that as well. And while their ideas were outlandish, the government greeted them with open arms. A miracle was ready to be born.
It was late autumn when Mayor Dazdraperma presented the concept officially. He made it a huge media event, knowing well that it would boost his popularity too. But he wasn't the star of the event. All of Zootopia and the whole world was watching as a group of mammals, none of them older than thirty, prey and predators alike, stepped on a podium.
- What a weird bunch. – Paddy whistled. He and Holly were watching the event on their old black and white television they bought at a pawn shop.
- When I see preds who made it to become scientists or what, I always feel awkward. – Holly sighed – How did they do it? Now it's easy for us, but during the segregation...?
- Well, you know what they say. You either had to have an extra flexible spine or an extra talented brain. And I think these guys are the latter, chompers and grazers.
Indeed, the predators looked young and full with energy and fresh ideas. The largest of them was a bear in an awkward grey suit, radiating stage fright. Next to him stood a young zebra who looked no older than fifteen. He emitted quite the opposite aura: he looked like he could take on the world, with his wide grin and flamboyant purple suit.
The mayor introduced each mammal after the other. Most of them were not from Zootopia, and some not even from Animalia. They all arrived within the last few weeks in the wake of the changes, and were now ready to make changes themselves. It came as no surprise that the zebra was the spokesmammal. He was modest enough not to step out of the line of his colleagues, but he was still a phenomenon. His words brought silent awe as he spoke:
- Good evening, Zootopia! It's great to be here, and living here and now is so exciting! Don't you agree? Of course you do! This is a new age, and it's about time we take it into our own paws. We all know the story of this great city, even those who've slept through the history classes. I know you, you cheeky buggers! Prey and predator living in peace, cooperating and all these wonderful things. But it took generations to actually make it happen. And it will fail!
The onlooking crowd, and the millions who tuned in via TV or radio were shocked at his words. But the zebra knew what he was doing, so before a word could be said, he continued energetically:
- It's not about us not wanting peace. It's not about being preys and predators. We have tamed our natures ages ago. But we did not tame nature itself! Zootopia's climate is a primarily Mediterranean one. Does it suit mammals of every shape and size? Of course it doesn't. So a large majority of the population just doesn't feel at home here. Our mayor would prefer a nice cold environment. Humble me, I'm all in for a savanna but I'd be fine with a desert. Unfortunately, none of these can be found within thousands of miles. Of course, there are buildings with special furnishings, but... bo-o-oring! How about we take this whole peninsula and create artificial environments?
Hundreds of uncomprehending eyes blinked at the zebra. He looked over them, slowly, as if trying to make eye contact with everybody present.
- Imagine a city five times the size of our current Zootopia. Massive weather modification systems separating climate zones: rainforest, savanna, tundra, Sahara, you name it! My esteemed colleagues and I propose the following: re-purpose the wall of oppression. Finish it but not as a means to deprive the predators of their freedom, but to expand the freedom of all mammals living in this city. And build more walls, housing the required equipment, like petals of a flower diffusing from our current Zootopia. We know it sounds crazy. We know it sounds like something that cannot be done. But we don't want to make this real because it is easy, but because it is hard!
The crowd begun to cheer, they were sold. As was the mayor and the city council, and eventually the whole government.
- Who is this guy? – Holly whispered in awe after she turned the TV off.
- He has a weird name. – Paddy said musingly – I think it's Idube.

Zootopia was a dream that turned into a nightmare, which gave life to a new dream, a dream so bold only idealists and zealots believed in it. But with the winds of change sweeping the tragedies of the past away, the city and its inhabitants wanted to heal. And healing now meant that, as Idube the zebra has put it, the taming of nature itself, erecting mile-high walls not to separate mammals but allowing them peaceful and comfortable co-existence.

Within the first two months of the project, unemployment virtually ceased to exist. Even the most shunned predators were welcome and many thought that now is the time to begin a new life. The future seemed bright, especially for a young fox couple.
When Holly and Paddy turned up at Honcho's office, the giraffe laughed so hard he was beating his desk top with his hooves. He greeted them like old friends and found them the perfect jobs: Paddy became an electrician, working with a small brigade, working on the power transfer systems of machinery that was – according to Honcho – has not even left development phase yet. Holly was not sent back to haul water, Honcho found her a job at a different site. Laying outside of Zootopia's soon-to-be-extended borders, was a massive covered stadium-like hall dedicated to horticulture. Botanists from all around Animalia came to find which plants were the best suited for the biomes that were under construction.
Everything seemed to be perfect. What the new era has promised it started to fulfill. Preys and predators were finally cooperating, and while some tensions remained, everybody thought that it's something that will sort out itself. The biomes project showed that not only cooperation but coexistence was a possibility. On the construction sites, portable radios now tuned in to stations broadcasting pred and prey rock. Predators could now apply for jobs which were forbidden for them only a few months ago. Most remained the unsung blue collar heroes of the wall, though.
It was early October, and Paddy was wriggling through a cabling tunnel. He pulled a tangled mess of wires after him, and when he emerged on the other end, his reddish fur and blue overalls were sticky with the grime inside the tunnel. He had to go inside, of course, he was smaller than most of his teammates, and was considered the most agile.
- They seriously need to get some bunnies. – Paddy moaned, trying to wipe away the muck off his overalls – They're supposed to be good in crawling in and out of holes.
He pulled the cables out of the tunnel after him, his eyes searching for a similar one with which he needed to connect his batch. He found the cables and pulled out a folded blueprint from his pocket. He needed to cross-reference the cabling guide with what he was going to do. Everything seemed to check out, except for a single thick, white cable for which he brought no pair.
- What the heck is this thing? – the fox mused. The thick white cable looked harmless, but apparently had nothing to connect to. It looked like the computer network cables he saw at the head architect's office. Paddy was amazed at what computers were capable of, the technology starting to spread with talks of even a city-wide network being planned. Will this cable be part of it? Who knew? Paddy shrugged his shoulders and checked his task list.
- Hello, Sailor!
Paddy turned around and his lips curled into a big smile Holly was emerging from behind a steel beam, looking absolutely gorgeous in the purple dress she was wearing.
- Well paint stripes on me and call me a zebra, I'd be thinking I'm seeing my beautiful wife, but that can't be. – Paddy said cheekily – 'Cause she's ought to be at the botany plant.
- I pulled a few strings so I could get away a bit early. – Holly said. Paddy leaned over to kiss her, trying his best not to get her dress dirty from his own uniform.
- Lucky you. Just look at your poor husband, I can't figure out if they changed the blueprints or someone just went creative during construction.
- I know how to cheer you up. – she said. It wasn't the playful way she said it, it was something else, Paddy couldn't quite grasp at it – Come with me, I'll show you something.
Paddy followed his wife up the scaffolding. Although it's been months since she last climbed them, Holly navigated the maze of planks and ropes with ease. Soon, the foxes found themselves on the very top, with Zootopia sprawling under them.
- Look what I got. – Holly said after settling down on a horizontal beam. From her small bag, she pulled out a paper bag of blueberries.
- Wow, blueberries in this season? – Paddy whistled – Where did you get it from?
- It was actually my shift leader, a hare named Cornelius. He got it from Bunnyburrow from one of the family farms.
- Remember when we used to trade with them? – Paddy laughed – Now they can sell their stuff legally throughout Zootopia. Lots of cheap food, more bucks to spend on the biomes.
- A good deal for everybody. – Holly nodded. The two ate the blueberries in silence for a while, enjoying the view. Ever since they were freed, it was the first time they climbed to the top together. Even the air smelled nicer as they enjoyed the fruit.
- So, how's is goin' at the botany plant? – Paddy asked after a while.
- Oh, it's great! – Holly said excitedly – I got a batch of desert flowers today, they're beautiful.
- Can you smuggle some home?
- Mr. Medvedev'd kick me straight into next week if he'd found out. Not that I won't try. – the vixen laughed.
- It actually feels weird, you know. We're both working on this place to become nicer. It's like a dream. I'm actually afraid of waking up one day, still locked up in a container, wearing a collar and all.
- If it's a dream, I don't want it to end. – Holly sighed. She looked at him with a twinkle in her amber eyes that made him nervous.
- Sweetheart, is everything okay?
- Yeah, what makes you think something's wrong?
- My fox sense is tingling.
- Paddy, what if I told you our lives are about to change forever?
- What's wrong? – he turned to her with worry on his face, taking her paw into his – Holly, please tell me if there's trouble.
- No, it's not trouble. At least I hope you won't think it's trouble.
- You're killin' me! Just say it, please.
- Paddy, I'm pregnant.
He looked at her with green eyes wide. His jaw twitched as if trying to say something, but all he could do is let out a howl of happiness. He pulled her into a big hug, not caring about how dirty his jumpsuit was.
- I'm gonna be a daddy! – he cried – Oh, Holly, I love you so much!
- I love you too. – she sighed. He let her go and looked into her eyes, his expression now serious.
- I think we should visit your parents.
She blinked in perplexion.
- How... how did you know...?
- Sweetheart, I am a real orphan. – he said with a sad smile – And no matter what you said about you being one, it never sounded the way I said it.
- Sly fox. – she grinned – I hope you aren't mad at me for keepin' up this lie.
- I'm sure you had your reasons. You ain't the first runaway I've met. Kids who got beaten up or simply had enough of not being able to live like the good little collared chomper their parents wanted them to be.
- The latter. – Holly sighed – I couldn't stand it anymore, how they became part of the system that trampled them down.
- Well, it's a different world now. And I'm sure your folks'll be out of their minds when they learn they'll become grandparents soon.
Paddy went to find Honcho to ask for a day off. When he explained why he needed it, the giraffe slapped him on the back so hard, he went down on all fours, coughing. But he felt as proud as ever as he put his arm around his wife's shoulder to escort her to her parents' home.
The ride to the Western part of the city felt like a journey to the past for Holly. It was years since she seen the place, and the closer she came to her childhood home, the more anxious she felt. She wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to look her parents in the eye again. She has changed, she has been through hell and back, and she wasn't sure she became what her parents would approve.
The old neighborhood has only changed in a few bits and pieces. A new high-rise was towering over the smaller, older houses. It was probably the building her father worked on. But aside of some unremarkable changes, everything looked and felt like it used to. As Holly stepped down from the bus's rear door with Paddy behind her, she ever remembered how the air smelled around here. The gasoline stench mixed with the salt of the nearby seashore, urban decay mixing with nature. It felt like home again.
When she rang the doorbell, her whole body was trembling. Paddy standing beside her was the only thing that kept her from running away. Every second felt like an eternity, when finally, the door opened with a rusty creak and there stood her mother.
- Yes, how may I help you?
- Mom, it's me. – Holly said silently. Her mother blinked at her, realization finally hitting her.
- Holly?
- Yes. – she threw herself at her mother, embracing her, both of them crying. She was pulled inside, back into the family nest. She reached out to grab Paddy's paw, pulling him with her. He belonged here just as well.
Isabella Volpone was almost in a state of shock. She young vixen in her arms, this was her daughter, but that was impossible. After all the search efforts, all what came back from the Police that her daughter died during a riot. But she always knew it wasn't true. And here she was, her Holly, her little Holly, alive and well. Oh, how much she has changed. She looked older than she should have looked, as if she'd been through horrors too terrible for a mother to imagine. Gone was the mixture of wide-eyed optimism mixed with teenage rebellion. The young vixen, the young woman in front of her was weary, yet content.
Isabella suddenly realized they weren't alone. Still embracing her daughter, she turned her head toward the young fox standing a bit awkwardly a few steps away. He too had that exhausted-yet-cheerful atmosphere around him. Without needing any introduction, Isabella knew who he was.
- Piberius Wilde, ma'am. – Paddy said after Isabella let Holly go – I'm... I'm your son-in-law.
When Holly's father came home, all he heard were voices coming from the living room. As he stepped inside and saw his lost daughter, he fell to his knees and began to sob uncontrollably. Holly ran to him, embracing him.
- Dad, it's me. It's really me.
There were many things she didn't tell her parents, and she never ever told them. She didn't want them to know about all the horrors she went through, that she was beaten up and sent to work as virtually a slave, how she lost friends and saw lives being broken. But she told them about the kindness she got from Paddy and Gillian and Preacher and Honcho, how she fell in love and that she was expecting a child.
The family reunion was tearful, with apologies from every side. But for Holly, it now really felt like a homecoming. Seeing her parents without the hated collars around their necks was worth everything she's been through. Back during the protests, she fought for them, just as she did for herself and for every predator. Now, that fight was over and she was ready to take on another challenge. That night, back in her old childhood room, laying in her old bed in her husband's arms, she thought about the future.
It will be a better world where her child will grow up, it has to be. Too much was lost to get to it, too many have suffered for it. But those who will be born into this new Zootopia can grow up knowing that they will be free, predator and prey alike. She felt Paddy caress her belly and that made her smile.
- Hi there, baby daddy. – she whispered.
- Hello, baby momma. – he grinned back.
- Thanks for comin' along. I couldn't've done it without you.
- But of course, sweetheart.
She turned to face him.
- I think we should start thinking about a name.
- Oh my... yeah, you're right! – he sounded excited but couldn't hold back a playful quip – Just don't give her a prey name.
- Her? What makes you think it's a girl?
- Dunno. Fox sense.
- I think it's a boy. Mother sense rules out fox sense. Nature one-oh-one, you know.
- Who am I to argue with nature? – he laughed – So, how do you wanna name our baby boy?
- I think he should get his father's name. Paddy Junior.
- Oh for cryin' out loud, one poor soul named Piberius is bad enough. You know how much I got teased for my name when I was a kid?
- Okay, wise guy, what do you have in mind?
- Well, I was thinking about Nicholas. – he said with a sigh – I think Preacher'd like that.
Holly nodded silently, burying her face in his neck. She sighed deeply.
- Nicholas Wilde. Yeah, I think I like that.

Nicholas Piberius Wilde was born next spring. For his parents, he was perfection. He inherited his father's green eyes and his mother's slightly lighter fur. But most importantly, he was a child of the new world, so full of opportunities. He was meant to be something great, in this new Zootopia. Oh no, he won't become a menial worker like his parents, no sir! Who knows, he might be the first in the family to get a college degree!

And while Holly and Paddy mused over their son's future, they didn't see the cracks that were already forming in the dream they were living. Even though segregation was over, some mammals were still more equal than others. Old ideas that were too deeply rooted couldn't be done away with in a matter of months. And some mammals with traditionally bad reputation found themselves on the sad branch of the social tree again.
While the new regime forbade segregation, they couldn't weed it out. No preds allowed signs appeared in traditionally prey neighborhoods, or, in some cases, the owners of certain establishments simply reserved the right to reject anyone service. The Wilde family often found themselves in such a situation.
- Hey, at least we don't have to wear collars anymore. – Paddy sighed after the three foxes were kindly but firmly asked by the goat waiter to leave from a posh Downtown restaurant. It was little Nicholas' third birthday and the family wanted to celebrate. They eventually went to a burger joint, which wasn't elegant but was more fun with the colorful decorations and the spectacle of happy faces everywhere.
As the years went by, the biomes project slowly started to take shape. The first climate wall was finished months before its due date. In separated the areas that were dubbed Tundratown and Sahara Square. It was a technological marvel to behold, and those who built it were proud to have taken part in its construction.
However, there were a few loose ends every here and there. Some were design errors, the sort that could be remedied with some corner-cutting, while others simply made no sense. Paddy was one of the few who spotted some, but when he told Honcho, the giraffe just shrugged. He too has seen some of the nonsensical things, but his superiors told him to forget them. It's a big project, they said, Such oddities are inevitable. So Honcho didn't care about them, but Paddy kept on looking at the blueprints, searching for anomalies.
It started as a hobby first, something he could do while little Nick slept and Holly was out shopping or just having a nap herself. Paddy managed to get a copy of the original blueprints and he added his own annotations to it. Everything, from the basic load-bearing structures to the massive weather modification equipment was remarkable to say the least, no doubt about that. But there was something else, almost like an underlying layer of mechanisms that made no sense. Paddy couldn't quite grasp at it.
Months have passed between the sessions he took the blueprints out from a box under the cupboard again. But more and more it felt like a mania. It was gnawing Paddy from the inside. All his instincts were at alert, and the worst part was that he couldn't understand why. So he forced himself to abandon his phantom search and concentrate on his family and job. But every now and then, as he was working on the installation of a new system on the weather grid, he took notice of something that made his skin crawl again: as small as a remote override switch or as big as a maintenance shaft that seemed to serve no real purpose, all unmarked on the blueprints.
Paddy never told anybody about this, not even Holly. He began to fear the wall again, it seemed more sinister now than during its original form. He knew somebody was up to no good and it frightened him to the core. While Zootopia rejoiced at the completion of the first climate wall, a working class fox was busy thinking about how to get his family as far away from it as possible.
He had to be brave, he couldn't show how he felt. He didn't want to frighten Holly or Nick. He kept up the happy-go-lucky charade, and there were times he could actually believe everything was allright. Deep down, he knew he was slowly going insane, due there were moments he didn't care. Long sunny days he spent with his family. Watching his son grow from baby to a little mischievous boy, who now started his first year at primary school.
But every now and then, Paddy found himself sitting at his desk with a tabletop lamp providing salvation from the darkness of the night, illuminating the blueprints that were now a jumbled mess of annotations, crudely drawn engineering supplementals. And during an otherwise beautiful, starry summer night, everything suddenly made sense.
It was clear as day, now that he finally saw the bigger picture. He couldn't see it before because he was just an electrician, not a technician or an engineer. It was the computers. Those new electric miracle machines that used to fill up a building but now they could be housed on a desk. A machine with endless possibilities. An array of computers that could be used to control the whole city, including the new and planned parts. Paddy understood it after seeing a computerized camera system being installed on the top of the wall.
His face went pale under his fur, he saw sparks before his eyes. He now saw everything: shadowy figures sitting in front of a computer screen, monitoring and manipulating the whole of Zootopia, shaping it according to their desires. He remembered the faces of the mammals who presented the idea of the weather control grid, and he couldn't help but think about that weird young zebra. So young, so full of bright ideas, so... crazy.
- Honcho, can I take the day off? – Paddy said, his head still spinning – I'm not feelin' very well.
- Oh, you caught that virus too? – the giraffe sighed – I always knew they weren't cleaning the canteen properly.
- Yeah, I think I ate something bad. – the fox said silently. He looked up, into the dark eyes of the giraffe he considered a friend – Say, Honcho, when was the last time you checked how the blueprints differ from the real thing?
- Paddy, I've got a hundred problems. Of course there are differences. I've seen many strange things on many constructions. The ones here, they don't make too much a difference. Getting the whole thing up and running is a big thing enough. Half of the equipment still needs to be installed, and the housing projects in Tundratown will have to be delayed.
- Is this all real? – Paddy said, shaking his head – Are we really building the future here?
- Go home, Paddy, you're KO. – the giraffe said with a friendly laugh. Paddy nodded in silence and went home. He took a long, cold shower, trying to clean his thoughts. His fur still wet, he got the blueprints from under the cupboard. He took them to the backyard and burnt them. He didn't want to see them again. All he needed to do was to get Holly and Nick to safety.
As he stood over the smoking ashes, shoveling dirt on them, he heard noise from inside the house. He peeked inside only to find his son arriving home from school.
- Hi Nick!
- Hi Dad! – the little fox said with a wave of his paw. Paddy went inside and picked him up.
- How was school today?
- Jack Fontaine called me a liar. – the little fox said with a sigh – Someone stole his lunch money and he said it was me. But I didn't do it, I swear!
- I know you didn't. – Paddy settled down on the sofa, his son in his lap – It's part of being a fox, kiddo. They'll always think the worst of you.
- But why?
- I honestly don't know. I got hustled by a couple of mammals, and none of them were foxes. But the world is what it is. At least you can live without the collars.
- I've heard some older kids saying preds should have collars.
- Don't listen to them, they're dumb as a brick.
-Dad, was it really bad with the collars?
- One day, when you're a bit older, I'll tell you about it. – Paddy sighed – But not now.
The door opened and Holly stepped inside. She saw her husband and son and smiled.
- Looks like someone came home early. – she said with a grin.
- Yeah, I ate something at the canteen my body just rebelled against. – Paddy said, forcing a smile on his face.
- Oh, you poor thing. – Holly leaned over to kiss the top of his head, making Nick giggle.
- How was your day? – Paddy asked, rubbing his eyes.
- You ain't gonna believe what happened. We got a huge shipment of plants, all new from the Burrows. Little blue flowers that hatch from bulbs that look like onions. Well, a couple of guys thought they were onions and ate some.
- Let me guess, they made frequent trips to the shrine of the porcelain god. – Paddy said with a tired smile.
- No, it got them crazy, like, real crazy! It was a madhouse, they had to call the cops.
- Wow! – Paddy whistled – Were the plants spiced up with drugs or what?
- No, it was in the plants. – Holly said, shaking her head – Turns out they contain some chemical that makes mammals go wild. They had to evacuate the whole botany plant. Dr. Medvedev and his colleagues all came to salvage the situation.
- At least you're okay.
- Yeah, some weird flower won't give me the heebie jeebies. I think Medvedev overreacted it, evacuating the whole plant and calling his friends. All were there, I kid you not, including that zebra.
- He too? – a shiver ran through Paddy's body. He put Nick down next to himself on the sofa, while he stood up – Holly, sweetheart, I think you should quit from that place.
- Quit? Why?
- I have a bad feeling. Fox sense, you know.
- Paddy, I can't quit. Even with two jobs, we're barely pulling through the end of the month.
- Sweetheart, we need to get away from this city as soon as possible.
- Paddy, what's gotten into you? – Holly cried out – You're acting weird. Is this about the blueprints?
- You saw them? – he said, shocked.
- Of course I did! Paddy, something's happened to you!
- You have no idea... – he said, now almost in tears – This place... this city... It's not what we thought it to be!
- Paddy, you're scaring me. – Holly whispered – You're scaring Nick.
Paddy turned to see his son, looking at him with a frightened look on his face.
- I'm... I'm sorry. – he embraced Nick, kissing the top of his head – I'm sorry, son. I'm just tired, that's all.
He now hugged Holly, pulling her close.
- I'll need to clear my head. – he said silently – I'll get some fresh air, buy some milk. I'll be right back.
He left the house without saying a word. Holly followed him in silence as he disappeared behind a corner. A few years ago, right before the first protest rally, she ran after him. Now, with her being a mother and her child being her first priority, she couldn't. She sat down next to Nick and pulled him close.
- Hey there, little fox. Don't worry, Daddy'll be back soon.
Paddy headed for the little shop that was just a block away. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He was seeing too much into things, seeing coherence in random things. Yes, that's it. After all, what he's been through during his life had taken its toll on him. All he needed to do was to get a few weeks of vacation, take his mind off work, and everything will be fine.
At first, he didn't saw the black car that turned up at the corner. It was getting late, with streetlights blinking on, one after the other. The street was almost empty. Loud music blared from an open window, and annoyed shouts from its neighbor. The noise droned out the sound of the car, which now pulled up next to the fox. Paddy looked at it without any suspicion. The car suddenly stopped, its driver's side window descending.
- Good evening, Mr. Wilde.
- Who are you?
- A friend. – the driver, a hyena said with an eerie grin. Paddy saw that a wolf sat next to him, and a ram behind him.
- I don't think we've ever met. – Paddy said. He wanted to move on, but the hyena jumped out of the car, the grin never disappearing from his face.
- We've met now, and that makes us friends, am I right, Mr. Wilde?
- I think you got the wrong guy, pal.
- Oh, have I? I was told to find a certain Mr. Piberius Wilde, electrician at the Tundratown weather wall. Mr. Piberius Wilde, who pokes his snout into places he shouldn't have to.
- I have no idea what you're talkin' about. – Paddy said, frozen.
- Come on, Mr. Wilde, don't keep up this charade. – the wolf said, now stepping out of the car himself – Snoopin' around the wall, noticing things that aren't your business.
- Stealing the official blueprints to doodle all over them. – the hyena added with a small laugh. Paddy knew well he was caught and couldn't hustle himself out of it.
- It's time, eh, fellas? – he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
- Why don't you come with us? – the hyena said, his grin becoming even wider – We'll get you to Mr. Idube and you two sort things out, okay?
- Just leave my family out of this. – the fox said – They know nothing about this, I swear.
- We know that, Mr. Wilde. – the wolf said – And what they do know is something they don't believe.
- Yeah, I was always the crazy talker. – Paddy said, still playing the role of the devil-may-care fox. For a brief moment, he thought about running or fighting, but he knew he had no chance. He said it right, it was time. He sat in the back of the car, next to the ram, who looked at him with a crazed expression.
- Let's get this done quickly, my daughter's waiting for me at home. – he said.
Paddy turned back to look out of the rear windshield. He sighed deeply, thinking of his wife and son. The car's engine came to life, the massive black form disappearing into the night. That was the last time anybody has seen Piberius Wilde.

When Paddy didn't come back home in a couple of hours, Holly began to feel anxious. At first, she dismissed it as him needing some time to clear his head. He was going through rough times, some fresh air might help him. But the hours flew by all too slowly, with morning finally arriving, and Holly knew something was not right.

She phoned the construction site, where they told her that her husband didn't show up for work. They even asked her if he was still sick. Holly slammed down the phone without answering. She made breakfast for Nick with trembling paws, trying her best not to show her worry, lest she frighten her son.
She had to wait another day, she knew it. Forty-eight hours had to pass before anyone could file a missing mammal report. Her optimistic part told her Paddy'd be home by then. Her realistic part told her quite the opposite. She phoned the botany plant, asking for a day off. She had to stay home, Paddy might come home injured.
Her husband didn't turn up during the day. The next morning, after almost two days without sleeping, Holly dressed Nick up in his best clothes and with a faux smile, she said:
- You're not goin' to school today. We're going to Aunt Gillian's.
She needed a safe place for Nick. Something sinister was going on, and neither their home, nor her parents' felt safe now. Gillian was happy to take in little Nick for the day, while Holly went to the only place she hoped to get help from.
The police station hasn't changed much since the last time she visited it. Back then, she was a prisoner, beaten and muzzled. Now she was a free fox, but felt just as forlorn. As she entered through the front door, a cold chill ran down her spine. Instinct told her to run away, old memories making her shiver. She took a deep breath, she needed to stay calm. She walked up to the nearest cop, a tall, slim cheetah.
- Excuse me, officer?
- How may I help y... Oh my goodness! Holly, is that you?
- Oliver?
Holly pulled her old friend to a big hug. Seeing him again was like getting back a piece of a life that was stolen from her.
- Oliver, is that really you?
- Present and accounted for. – the cheetah said with a grin – Holly Volpone, I knew I'd see you again.
- It's Holly Wilde now. – she said with a small smile – Oh, Ollie! You look great! So you really made it, huh?
- First cheetah in the Service. – he said proudly – After the changes, I thought I'd try my luck. Guess I was right.
- I'm so happy for you.
- I've heard rumors of what you've been through. If half of it is true, and you're still here, you're the toughest fox I've ever known.
- It wasn't easy. – Holly sighed – You have no idea...
- I do. – the cheetah said quietly, making a paw gesture – Are you a Turtle?
- You... you bet your sorry tail I am. – she mumbled, making the same gesture – You... you too?
- I joined a few days before the segregation ended. I've heard you've been knee deep into it.
- Yeah, I was. – Holly nodded – Oliver, you got to help me. I need to speak with your Captain.
- Oh, he's quite busy right now. I'm not sure if...
- Oliver, please! It's... I need to talk to him. Tell him... tell him it's an old friend.
When Captain Bogo saw the vixen enter his office, he wanted to say something to his cheetah officer, but he was quick to leave. A few tense moments passed after the door closed shut behind his guest. Finally, the buffalo took a deep sigh and said:
- I owe you an apology.
- Come again? – Holly said, not understanding.
- The last time you were here, I told you I'll apologize to you for serving an unjust system, if it ever changes. – Bogo said – And I don't like to be in debt to anyone.
- Apology accepted, I guess. – Holly said, finally remembering.
- I have a feeling my apology isn't what you came here for, Mrs. Wilde.
- No. No, Sir. I need to ask your help. My husband's gone missing.
- Another one? – Bogo moaned – Ever since the end of segregation, missing mammal cases keep cropping up. As everyone's allowed to move free throughout the city, keeping track of everyone has been a nightmare. You'd think it'd be over in a few months, but ZPD's been overflown with cases like this ever since.
- Captain, my husband is not simply lost in the city! – Holly said, her voice raised – He was troubled, something fishy is goin' on at the wall and he...
- He was working there? – Bogo cut in, and when he got a nod as response, he sighed again – PTSD, another one for the gutter.
- I don't understand.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Listen, ma'am, your husband has been through a lot. For you predators, that wall was living hell. And he kept working on it. The shrinks say that something deep down inside the mind, a little voice always says that the wall is dangerous, even though the conscious part knows it's not.
- So you say Paddy's gone crazy?
- No, I'm not. He's just experiencing something he can't cope with alone. I've seen some predators who felt the same. It's almost like coming back from a war. Part of you still remains on alert and it gnaws at you from inside until you snap.
- My husband hasn't snapped! – Holly cried out – He knows something. He had blueprints and all!
- Mrs. Wilde, I'm not a psychologist, but I've seen a few cases over the years. Your husband thinks he knows something, but he's just grasping at thin air. All I can do is add him to the missing mammals list. If he's still in Zootopia, we'll find him.
Holly left the Captain's office crying. It was all the same as it used to be: she was alone and nobody understood her. Years have passed since she left a life she could not bear to live anymore. Now she was an adult and a mother, and the world has changed around her so much. But deep down, nothing has changed.
As she exited the police station, the city of Zootopia buzzed on around her. A new age was dawning, a new world for all mammals, predator and prey. The first climate wall now stretched toward the East, and another one was already being built, meandering toward the South. In a few decades, the whole peninsula will be filled by a colorful metropolis beyond anyone's hopes and dreams. Life will change, and society will follow it. Some deep-rooted hates and fears will remain to poison some hearts who in turn will gather around them those who are easy to manipulate or just want to grab some power for themselves.
But the Zootopia as it will be known by then all began with the nameless thousands who wanted it to become reality.
Those who worked on the climate walls.
Those who fought against segregation.
A police captain who will one day becomes responsible for the whole city.
A disgraced cop who tells insane stories about evil predators to his young daughter.
A businessman who twirls a harmless-looking blue flower between his bony digits and smiles.
And a single mother with a son destined to make a difference.

Written by: thefirstfleet (David Metlesits)

Notes:
The final part of my Zootopia Prequel. And, sheesh, it's dark as heck!
I think this is my first story I ever wrote not to have a happy end. It just couldn't!
Those who have read my original Zootopia stories might remember Nick telling Judy how his father quit on him and his mother. Well, we now learn that he was wrong, but in the end, completely unbeknowst to him, he could avenge his father.