A Fox in the Machine

by Blkdragon7

A deep dive into the psychosis of my muse. This one is both light hearted and dark as hell. In either case, it should be fun. Any summary beyond that would give away the farm, as it were.

2. Chapter 2

Hello again my good and loyal readers. Welcome to chapter 2 of A Fox in the Machine.

Nothing to really say. Working away on everything as life, muse, and time permits. Enjoy the chapter.

I do not own Zootopia or its characters, that's Disney. I only own my own OC's. Though with hints and teases of Z2 at some point in 2024, one can only hope it will come up to the standard we hold Z1 to.

Anyway. On with the show, such as it is.

xxxxxXXXXXxxxxx

Chapter 2

As the memories started to slow down along with her shaking, a warm paw landed on her shoulder startling Judy with a sleepy voice. "Hey, Judy. You okay?"

Judy rolled out of bed away from the contact, coming up with her lethal in paw. The very naked and sleep and sex furred corsac fox on the bed had his eyes wide in terror, putting his paws up slowly. "Judy?"

Relaxing, Judy safetied her weapon and set it on her side table then sat on the bed, face in her cybernetic paws. "OH fuck. I'm sorry Chet." Letting out a very tired sigh. "Yeah, that was a bad one. Sorry about pointing a gun at you."

Chet chuckled behind her, his voice now fully awake. Adrenaline will do that for a mammal. "Hey, it's all good. Not like I didn't know what I was getting into. Wasn't the first time, probably won't be the last. You've managed to not shoot me so far. I figure that counts for something, right? You want to talk about it?"

Judy chuckled darkly. "Chet. I like you. You're great in bed, it's why we've fucked more than once, and you actually get to sleep instead of being kicked out."

Shrugging he smirked. "Helps that I'm also your DJ."

"Yeah, you're half assed at that. It's your dick that I keep you around for." Giving him a smirk over her shoulder.

Chet flopped back with a paw to his forehead. "Oh the mammality. Used for only my body." Looking up at her with a smirk. "But really, I know this isn't about feelings and never will be. As much fun as we have, I know it'll never be more than that. Still, if you need to talk, I'm here for you. I mean, if you weren't an honorary fox, I'd not be here."

Judy rolled her eyes and looked back at him. "Thanks, now get out." Sighing deeply. "It's time to get up. Well, for me, and you actually. You still have your day job."

Chet groaned. "So mean! But you're right. I suppose I do need to open the store."

Judy nodded. "You do, and I have a lot of nothing to do. I think I'll work on a few songs. If I can't wield my nightmares into some music, what's the point in having the nightmares?."

Chet looked at her back, shook his head with a frown and got out of bed. He tried. All her lovers did. To get her to open up. She only took foxes to her actual bed, and even then, he was one of two that she had ever let stay. It was the species' stated goal to try and help her. They were no longer the absolute scum of the world because of her and her deceased mate. Sadly, there didn't seem to be any way to get through to her. It was concluded that it was only a matter of time before she pulled her eChip (Engram chip), smashed it, and then shut down the life support systems of her body.

Judy listened to, and watched Chet get off the bed, get dressed, and leave. She really did like Chet, but he wasn't Nick, but he was close enough that it helped her heart in little bits when she needed it. It helped that she could access all the cameras and such in the room, letting her ogle him without him knowing. He probably did. He wouldn't bend over like that with his tail pointed directly at one of the cameras, every time he got dressed, unless he knew she was watching.

Getting up herself, she walked over to her closet and opened it, looking over the various options. One thing about having the money she did, even if she didn't flaunt it much, she had her choice of bodies, and the modular systems that Honey had developed and Fin perfected, allowed her to have multiple bodies to use depending on the situation or mood.

Connecting to the transfer equipment, she made her selection and a few moments later her head and partial lung were extracted from the body she referred to as her Shaggin-Waggin. That being the body she used to sleep and have sex in, as it had the artificial sex organs and such. Once extracted, she was transferred to the one she had selected. It was more of a daily use body, some extras of this or that type. More battery power to get her through the day without a recharge, some minor weapons and such, but lacking things like the fun bits of the Shaggin-Waggin.

Stepping out of the transfer suite, she looked herself over in the mirror and with the various sensors at her disposal in the room and the body. It looked mostly like her original body, including a cloned fur and skin covering. Hidden beneath the softer than she ever was in her life outer appearance, was a hidden holster inspired by an old movie about a wolf cop that was killed and converted against his will. Robowolf, if she remembered right. Slipping her lethal into that. She checked the other systems and with a smile, put on actual clothes and headed out to start her day.

xxxxxXXXXXxxxxx

Later that evening Judy walked into what was often called a Chop Shop or CP, by the mammals of the city, named Nick's. It was one of the few businesses she was able to keep up without GenoM getting overly nosy. She still employed her old team, but with ostensibly different roles. Fin kept up the equipment, and ran the small cafe attached, while Honey, who was in fact a board certified surgeon, did the actual work of the Chop Shop.

A Chop Shop was essentially a business where a mammal that wanted, and had the money, could get the installation of cybernetics done.

Nick's was one of the few truly full service chop shops in not only the city, but the wider state, because of Honey and Fin. You could get everything from an LED tattoo implanted in your skin, including the replacement of fur to ensure it showed through when turned on, to things like ocular and brain implants, new limbs, extra limbs, and just about anything else one might come up with, providing you could pay for it of course.

Only a few places in the state were certified for the brain and ocular work, and Nick's was on that very short list. They also offered Megafauna services, something only the main GenoM facility also offered. Sure, they could only manage one a week, and required significant prep time, but they could do it.

Walking past the counter Judy smiled and nodded towards the racoon watching the store front. Their job was to talk shop with potential customers, discuss cost, financing options, depending on the requested item or items, and if needed schedule them with a full fledged consultant, or just an appointment to get the work done for something simple and off the shelf.

"Hey, Lisa. How's business today?"

Lisa grinned, looking up from her phone. "Hey, Judy! The usual. Bunch of Lookie-loos, a few serious inquiries, and one schedule for a basic off the shelf dermal swap. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Judy nodded. "Great. Okay, I'm heading in. Hold the fort."

Lisa laughed. "Always. Or at least until Herin gets here to relieve me. Late, as always."

Judy nodded. "I'd fire the damn cat, if he wasn't so damn good at what he does."

Herin, a Norwegian forest cat, walked in. "Sorry… You guys know I have to wait for my mom to get home to look after the kittens."

Judy and Lisa laughed. "Yes, and that's why your shift starts when it does. Enough we can give you a hard time about it, but not actually be late most of the time, forcing me to fire you."

Herin frowned. "Yeah… I know." Logging into the other station and punching in. "Okay, Lisa. I'm in. Get out of here. I know you have a hot date tonight."

Judy rounded on Lisa who suddenly looked nervous. "Is that so? Who is it this time?"

Lisa actually blushed. "No one you know. He's this really nice boar I've been chatting with for a few weeks. He lives in the meadowlands, and our shifts haven't coincided." Rolling her eyes at Judy's critical look. "We have video chatted, and I used the faker-checker that Honey made, just like you told me. Not doing a repeat of last time. Still don't know how the Borg knew I was in trouble, or why they helped me. Not complaining mind you. We're meeting in public and having a nice sit down dinner at a place with decent lighting, so no need to worry."

Judy smiled. "We worry anyway. Seriously, though. Why do they call them, The Borg?"

Herin laughed. "Have you not seen the photos and vids? They're like some kinda super advanced military cyborg. They go out and kick the tail of jacked up crooks and such. Hell, there's a claim by some on the net that they are a secret ZBI project, or ZPD, or something like that. Of course there is also the fact that GenoM wants them. BAD! Because they're constantly kicking GenoM's military grade stuff's tails. It's crazy. Supposedly Chief Wolford has a direct line to whoever they are and can call them in when they are dealing with some crazy mammals with more tech than brains."

Judy chuckled. "If you say so. Personally, it seems more like GenoM using the city as an open test site for their experimental tech. What better way to get real world tests of their tech than with real world testing. All you have to do is arrange for it to be stolen." Adding air quotes around stolen. "And away you go. Some criminal will happily try and knock over a bank, or something else using that tech. Then you have the real test come in and whip its ass. It makes marketing a breeze with the generals and such. I should know. A practical demonstration always impressed them more."

They all shared a laugh and Judy did in fact head into the back of the facility. The back of the facility was where the operating rooms that implants and other cyber-work was done. It also housed a small, licensed, cloning facility which was one of two contracted with the ZPD for when an officer needed a new body, and the facility to do the needed upload. They also provided some cryo-storage for genetic samples and such. Along with the actual business offices and back end.

Because of all this, although the store front itself was small, and mostly an adaptive holo-virtual interface, the rest of the building, which took up Nick's old warehouse, and then some, had its own fusion core, backups, etc… The power and redundancy needed because of the power needs of things like the cloning vats and cryo-storage was not small. As such, they were technically off grid. This meant the fact that the place gave off power like it was going out of style never raised a question. That level of power also cloaked what went on in the deeper levels.

That was something that Judy, Fin, and Honey, had taken full advantage of. There were a dozen levels below the known levels. Explained away as equipment spaces to support the work above. While technically true, only the upper two levels actually were that, and the third was redundancy, but not used. It was the levels below that Judy was headed for. Her office contained one of two elevators that actually went into those levels, and both had security set-ups the likes of which would make the ZBI jealous.

Exiting the elevator, she chuckled, hearing Honey and Fin arguing. It seemed to be the only thing the two could readily agree on, other than trying to talk her out of her regular evening excursions. That being, arguing.

Fin's deeper voice. "I'm tellin you, it ain't gonna work like that. There ain't room fur it and the needed heat dispersion."

Honey growled in response. "I'm telling you that there is room, and that the heat is not an issue. This new design does not generate heat like the old one."

"I'm not doin it until ya proves it ta me."

"Fine! I've already got it set up in the test range, because I knew you would be unreasonable."

"Whatever. Let's get this over with so's I can get back to work on things that will actually work." Both noticed Judy standing in the doorway of the shared workshop. "Hey, Judy. You good?"

Honey smiled. "Judy! I see you're wearing the full fur."

Judy nodded with a smile. "I am. It's nice. Don't think I didn't notice that you replicated the claim mark. I appreciate that, even if it did hurt when I first saw it."

Honey smiled and shrugged. "Blame Fin for that. Was his idea."

Judy nodded. "Regardless. Thank you both. Now, what are we testing?"

Honey beamed. "New broad spectrum, output selectable, pulsed laser. It's solid state, so it can take a pounding unlike the other designs, and doesn't produce heat like the old designs either. It's the one I told you about, forever ago."

Judy nodded with a smile. "That'd be great. If it works like you expect, the firepower increase will be huge."

Fin shook his head. "I still don't buy it, but we'll see."

A few moments later, they were another level lower and in the testing range. Hooking up power, they commenced to test the new laser core and the firepower was impressive. It did generate more heat than Honey expected but far less than Fin expected as well. They argued for a short time and came to a conclusion on where it could be used, depending on the size of the unit as the design was scalable.

Judy then drew the two of them into the planning and conference room. "Okay guys. I've been thinking about it. And before you ask, yes, the fact that this is the tenth anniversary of Nick's ultimate death, is a part of my calculation."

Fin groaned, knowing what was coming. "Just say it."

Judy smiled. "Not that, Fin. No. I just want to complete the conversion. There is no reason to keep around anything but the necessary biological bits. You make a full backup of me every night anyway. My genetics are on file, and we have the advanced clone designs ready. There is literally no reason to keep the quarter of my original lung that I have left. My esophagus? Not needed. About the only thing I might need to keep would be my tongue so I can still taste things, and the last time we tested that artificial tongue it worked perfectly. So, even that isn't strictly needed. It would make moving between bodies easier, the life support functions would be simpler, and the heat considerations change significantly, power considerations change, and on and on."

Fin nodded with a smirk. "Actually was what I expected. We all knows you is too ornery to go chasin Red just yet. I already got the designs done up." Pausing and giving her a serious look. "But you are sure about this, Judy? I mean, really. There is no going back without uploading into the clone."

Honey nodded. "He's right. There are not many true full-conversion, brain only, cyborgs out there. I mean, you are already registered as that because of how little is left so you wouldn't have to re-register. But… you are not actually one, yet."

Judy nodded. "I know. But what else is there? Some skin? An inch or two of original fur? Maybe a quarter of my original skull? If it was most of me, then yeah, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But there is only, me, left. My mind. The body is just a thing to me at this point as much as a car or a phone is. I change that with my mood, and you are all just used to it at this point. This is no different. Hell, with the change, my shaggin waggin could get some much needed upgrades." Honey blushed furiously at the last statement.

Fin let out a deep laugh. "By the gods! You really are always horny. Even without the rabbit hormones."

Judy shrugged. "What? I am still a rabbit. I'm just a cyborg. I still have needs."

Fin laughed harder. "We know. Okay. I've already started work on the housing. Honey?"

Honey nodded. "Yeah. I have everything we need. We'll get that ready and let you know. Shouldn't be more than a few days."

Judy nodded. "Great. Get the Borg… Gods, I hate that name… Ready for the change over too. I think the nesting doll concept is best."

Fin nodded. "Already part of the plan and been building it on the side. I knew you'd end up there eventually."

Judy nodded with a smile. "Hey. It's not a bad thing, guys."

Fin smiled sadly. "We know. It is however just one more step closer to you calling it quits and meeting up with the Red menace again."

Judy sighed sadly in return. "Yeah. But not yet. There is still a better world to be made, and I'll have whatever impact on that I can."

Fin gave a hard nod and looked to Honey who smiled with a nod of their own.