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Mission No. 37

Corneria
Dawson McLean Headquarters

"The Test"

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"You may be a bit nervous if this is your first time, but please, relax. If you have nothing to hide, you should have nothing to fear. This is merely a routine screening we give all applicants. You are suspected of no particular crime, but we must ensure you are an honest person with no ulterior motives."

The frog sat in a medical chair in a stark white room. He was hooked up to an odd-looking monitor via a pair of rubber tubes around his front, a blood pressure cuff on his arm, and two finger plates pinching his index and ring fingers. There wasn't much else in the room besides some technical equipment and the laptop the administrator was typing away at. A large mirror sat in the wall facing him: too large and lacking any frame. Suspiciously inset.

"The machine records physiological changes in your body," the administrator absently explained: a basset hound with a patchwork of brown, black, and white fur. "When you lie, your body unconsciously reacts with increased respiration, sweat gland activity, and blood pressure."

The frog forced himself to smile and appear friendly. He tried to make eye contact whenever the hound spoke to him, but his ears always kept flopping in the way, completely covering his eyes. But it wasn't his large ears, eyes, or even the advanced equipment littered in the room that scared him; it was that bulbous black nose he feared, seemingly large enough to sniff out any lie, no matter how concealed.

"As a word of warning, if you employ countermeasures, we will end the exam early and no longer consider you a potential candidate." He handed the frog a writing tablet and a stylus. "Now, we'll start with an acquaintance test to check that you're hooked up properly, and to acclimate you to the process. I want you to write a number from 1 to 5. One-by-one, I'll ask if you've written a number, and you will deny each one—including the one you wrote. Is that clear?"

The frog nodded and quickly jotted down "4," keeping the screen hidden.

The administrator asked if he'd written a 1, 2, or 3, with the frog denying it each time—but when he got to 4 and Slippy denied it, the polygraphist stopped. "You chose 4," he simply stated.

The frog's mouth hung open, and a slightly fearful look came over his face. "Wow," was all he managed.

"Now we shall establish your baseline for honest answers. I'll just ask you some easy questions which are obviously true. Is your name Slippy Toad?"

"Y-yes."

"Are you nineteen years old?"

"Yes."

"Are you currently in Tetracon Vale?"

"Yes."

"Are you applying for a cyber security job at Dawson McLean Security?"

"Yes."

"Do you sometimes drink water?"

"Yes."

At first Slippy showed visible signs of nervousness, but calmed down as the questions continued and he became familiar with the process. The basset hound typed up some notes, but he was probably just pretending. "Before continuing, I must remind you that Dawson McLean contracts for the Cornerian Security Agency. We take patriotism, honesty, integrity, and adherence to the law very seriously. Now, let's begin the rest of the questions."

"Alright."

Slippy became aware of his own breathing, and now had to force himself to inhale and exhale each time. He controlled the pace of his breaths until they came at a steady rhythm, slightly relaxed but purposefully shallow. He maintained this pace as long as he could.

"Have you ever lied to a loved one?"

"Yes," he admitted.

Slippy was pretty sure the basset hound was rolling his eyes beneath that pair of ears. "Have you ever lied about anything serious to a loved one?"

"N-no."

After each question, he paused for roughly thirty seconds. The hound typed up some notes, each keystroke jabbing into Slippy's mind like a pincushion.

"Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you?"

Of course he had. Everyone had. But like everyone else, he was expected to lie about it. He searched inside his mouth with his tongue till he found a particularly sharp tooth at the back of his jaw. He pressed his tongue against it until he felt a nick of pain. "No," he answered simultaneously.

"Did you ever cheat in grade school?"

"No." In addition to pricking his tongue, he also caught his breath. He was spiking his pulse; making him think he was a screamer.

"Have you ever violated a ground or air traffic law?"

"No." Another bite and catch of breath.

"Did you ever violate a digital copyright law?"

"No." A bite. A halted breath.

"Have you ever had unauthorized contact with anyone from a non-Cornerian intelligence service?"

Finally, the first of the serious questions. This time Slippy didn't prick his tongue or catch his breath. He continued breathing at his same steady pace. "No."

"Have you had unauthorized contact with a Venomian, Macbethan, or Eladardan?"

"No."

"Unauthorized contact with a pirate or other outlaw?"

Falco probably fit that last description. "No."

"A member of the Free Lylatian Federation?"

Why would that be a problem? "No."

"Has any group directed you to seek employment with Dawson McLean?"

Slippy thought of his meeting with Peppy and Falco in the transport shuttle a few days ago. He remembered the moment the hare gave him his mission; use his previous job position at Space Dynamics, his record of honoring elevated privileges, and his technical skills, to infiltrate Cornerian intelligence. Before the question could unnerve him, he relaxed and focused on a memory of his last vacation. It was on Aquas, where he'd escaped for a week in the sunlight. Soft sands, bright beaches, and beautiful waters. The imagined world relaxed him enough to be able to calmly reply, "No."

"Have you ever provided classified information to any unauthorized individuals?"

Fox and the Cerinia project flashed before his mind's eye, but he quickly replaced it with the picturesque landscape. "No."

"Have you ever committed an act of espionage against Corneria?"

The palms continued to sway, and the waves continued to lap. "No."

Internally, Slippy felt relieved. That was it! Those were the most important questions on the test. He'd passed—

"Is friendship more important than one's duty to their nation?"

Taken off-guard, Slippy's heart stopped. "I'm sorry, what?"

The basset hound lifted his ear, revealing an eye. "I said, is friendship more important than one's duty to their nation?"

It was too late. Slippy had already let his bodily control lax, so appearing completely honest was out of the question.

"N-no," he stammered. "Well, maybe. I don't know," he sighed. "I guess not. The nation is more important."

"Mhm. And is it sometimes necessary to sacrifice the few for the benefit of the many?"

"Yes," he said with more forced confidence.

Slippy remained seated in the chair, sweating bullets while the hound looked over his results. After a few minutes, he set his laptop aside, folded his hands, and looked at the frog. "Well Mr. Toad, your results are NDI."

Slippy knew what it meant, but he gave him a purposefully blank stare, pretending.

"No deception indicated."

The frog smiled and sighed. "Whew. Well, I'm glad that's over with."

"I understand you are the nervous type, but there's nothing to be worried about. The test accounts for anxious people like you." He proceeded to remove the tubes and wires from Slippy, releasing him from the chair. The frog stood, and they shook hands. Before he left, the polygraphist added, "Good luck with your application! You're free to go."

"Thank you, sir."

Slippy gathered his things and exited the examination room—and he kept right on exiting till he left the waiting room and the hallways of Dawson McLean as well. But he still didn't relinquish control of his rhythmic breathing. Not until he marched out the front gates; not until he walked an entire block; not until he rounded the pretentious corner ice cream shop and hid in the shadow of the building.

With no one to pay him any mind, he reached into the back of his jaw and wiggled the prosthetic tooth free—the same one he had used to prick his tongue with. He lost his grip on the wet bit of acrylic plastic, but spat it out into a nearby trashcan without any difficulty. It probably just looked like used gum to those who walked by.

Wiping his mouth, he disappeared into the crowd populating the palm tree-lined boulevards and sun-washed streets of Tetracon Vale. He'd done it; he'd infiltrated Dawson McLean: security contractors for the Cornerian Security Administration. He'd passed his test for that day—but the last two questions the administrator had sprung on him still plagued him like an echo that refused to fade.

Is Corneria more important than your friends? he asked himself, suddenly doubtful. Is it sometimes necessary to sacrifice the few?

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The elevator doors opened onto the top floor of Space Dynamics' headquarters. Fara exited before her mother, noting the gray marble walls and large glass windows that opened onto Corneria City's skyline. The executive meeting room was to their right, separated from the hall only by plexiglass walls. Seated at the head of a polished oak table was the company's president, Yaru de Pon. On his left sat Fredersen, the banker who'd orchestrated the union of their two companies. They looked up from some tablets and acknowledged Edelyn through the glass.

The elder fennec squeezed Fara's hand. "Alright Princess, this will only take a few minutes. Shouldn't be too painful."

"Don't take too long, Mother," Fara winked at her.

While Edelyn made her way to the meeting room, Fara sat in a comfy fabric chair next to the window. She powered on her tablet and began reviewing her test flight results from the previous day. She'd only come along because her mother promised to take her to her favorite Zonessian restaurant right after her meeting.

Fara tried to keep her mind focused on the test results, but before long her large ears picked up voices drifting her way. Executive meeting rooms were normally sound proof, but her eyes drifted to the doors which must have been left open by her mother. She wondered if it had been accidental or not. It wouldn't have been so bad if the hallway was filled with talking people, but because it was so deathly quiet, she found it impossible to focus on anything else besides the executives' voices.

Fara kept stealing glances up at the three figures, trying to read their facial expressions. At first they were amicable enough. The bull and tanuki greeted Edelyn warmly, exchanged pleasantries, and sat down to business. But it didn't take long for things to get heated.

"…gentlemen, I'm worried we can't justify the potential cost of life." Her mother.

"It will pay for itself once it's built, while raising living standards in Lylat a century ahead of what they would have been otherwise!" De Pon's voice; higher-pitched and energetic. "Past accidents are no longer possible. He perfected the formula during the Lylat Wars, and the last one was destroyed in war—not from some internal malfunction."

"But we've never attempted one of this size before! If something went wrong this time, there will be no recovery, no brushing it under the rug, and no blaming some scapegoat. If we mess this up, the whole system will bear witness to it, and more than likely, pay the price. Have you considered everyone else who might be affected? What of your average citizen who has no say in the matter? What about the power source itself? And while we're at it, let's stop using unpersoning phrases like 'it' and 'power source.' We all know—"

"Shhh!"

At that moment, Fredersen noticed the door was ajar, and he hushed Fara's mother. De Pon got up and closed it, and Fara pretended to be focused on her flight results—but when she deemed it safe again, she returned to glancing at the heated debate.

The fuse was nearly spent. The executives' arm motions were becoming more and more animated, and Fara wondered how they hadn't come to a shouting match yet. Fredersen and De Pon looked more and more exasperated as they tried to reason with Edelyn, but they didn't seem to be making any headway; she only crossed his arms and shook her head, not allowing Fredersen's hulking figure to intimidate her.

Eventually Edelyn shot to her feet, relayed some quiet but sharp words, and stormed angrily out of the meeting room. That was her mother all right: stubborn, through-and-through.

Fara hastily packed her tablet and rushed to her side. "You really showed them, Mother!"

Edelyn rubbed the bridge of her nose, calming down. "It wasn't a matter of 'showing them,' darling…"

She removed her glasses, wiping them with a cloth from her pocket. "Fara, when I agreed to this merger, we removed the 'Phoenix' name from our company and became just General Dynamics. It's not about the Phoenix family anymore; it's not about us. But I didn't agree to some wild miracle scheme that will 'single-handedly' save Lylat from the post-war depression. I thought if we pooled our resources, we could come up with solutions to help people from the ground up; not grandiose undertakings from visionaries."

She looked at her daughter and replaced her glasses. "I'm getting tired of going in there and fighting on my own. I need an ally. Beltino might not be a lost cause, but he doesn't have the courage to fight a fly. He's too consumed by what he can do instead of what he should do. No, Fara, I think the time has come for me to start involving you more in my business affairs. I already have too many enemies."

As they stepped onto the elevator, Fara stole one last glance at the tanuki and bull. They had just finished talking about something and nodding in agreement. Then they turned to watch the fennecs go—but they weren't looking at her mother.

They were looking at her.

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Clutching a bundle of clothes and food, Krystal hurried down the hidden footpath between the cliffs. Every few steps, she would turn and look over her shoulder, brows arched in worry—but no one seemed to be following her.

After a time, she burst from the winding canyon onto the cliffs overlooking the lake—though really it was a peaceful river that surrounded the Altaira mountains. The forest stopped at the edge of the shelf of boulders, where she hesitated. Closing her eyes, she listened for the thoughts of any spying, nearby lifeforms that might be hiding in the perpetual pink mists, but she heard none.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the vixen stepped onto the rocky shelf. In front of her, the mists faded slightly; she had reached the edge of the cliff where a lone fox sat bound to a weight stone. She rushed over to his side and set her bundle down, immediately placing her hands on the ropes binding him.

Fox lifted his head wearily. "Krystal…?"

"It's okay Fox, I've come to free you!"

She reached out with her mind, and the loose knot she had retied the day before came free again. Fox fell into her waiting arms, and she hugged him tightly. To her surprise, however, he pushed her back.

"Don't do this," he said. "I just have to stay here for another day, and I'll pass their stupid test. How hard can sitting on my ass be?"

"I don't care. They're cruel and heartless, and I hate seeing them treat you like this! How can I be content here when I know you're suffering? We're leaving now, whether you like it or not!"

Krystal unfurled a bright pink robe from her bundle, similar to her own teal one. She draped it over his shoulders.

"Here, put this on! I know you don't like being unclothed, so I brought it for you."

Fox examined one of the silk sleeves and rubbed it between his fingers. He chuckled to himself at the feminine pink material.

"Nas? What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "It just… makes me happy that you care so much for me."

"I knew you'd like the robe. I also stole some more food! We should have enough to get back to your flying, metal beast. Now, can you stand?"

Fox tested his aching legs and grimaced. "Um, I think I need your help."

"Hold onto me." She threw one of his arms around her shoulders and looped hers around his waist. With her assistance, Fox struggled to his feet, but the creaking in his stiff joints was so strong the vixen could nearly hear it. Fox's legs trembled beneath him when they rose to full height, but he firmly planted his feet. He groaned the entire time in relief.

"Oh boy, ah that hurts. But it feels so good…" He stooped over like a hunchback at first, then he arched his spine and flexed his shoulders, bones audibly cracking. "I've waited so long to do that!"

"Quiha ko koe mahi?!" a sharp voice rang out over the clifftops.

Krystal and Fox's hearts froze as they looked up. The mists parted to reveal a group of Cerinians standing on the edge of the forest. Mother Namah stood at the forefront, proud and regal in her purple robes. She was flanked by several of the Kaitaki: the warriors of the village, evident by their gray cloaks and masks. Behind them stood a few of the Kaumatua: the village elders, with their flowing robes and ceremonial chords. And behind even them, Krystal spotted Māra, her attendant. She looked timid, and stood behind the others as if she feared Krystal or Fox's wrath.

Still giving Fox her support, Krystal backed him away from the Cerinians until they came upon the edge of the cliff, beneath which lay only fog—but did it conceal the river below, or jagged rocks? Whatever the unknown held for them, it wouldn't be safe to blindly jump into. But the vixen wasn't about to give up so easily, and neither was Fox by the determined look on his face.

'How did you sneak up on us?' Krystal demanded. 'I listened for your thought speech, but you were nowhere near!'

"We hid our thoughts from you as easily as we hid ourselves in the mist," Namah answered in Cornerian. "Weren't you suspicious when you couldn't even hear the thoughts of a single fish or grasshopper?"

So it was a trap then? 'Were you waiting for me the whole time?!'

"We followed you at a distance; we were not ignorant of your comings and goings here. We knew you sneaked away to visit the Lylatian yesterday, and we knew you stole food and clothes with the intent of fleeing. We are not as blind as you think, nor are you as secretive as you might believe. You have much to learn."

Krystal gnashed her teeth and glanced between the Cerinians. They had them trapped and outnumbered five-to-one.

She scooted even closer to the cliff's edge with Fox. 'Well, it doesn't matter! Fox is free now, and we're leaving—no matter what you do!'

One of the Kaitaki stepped forward. She spoke aloud in her native language, but simultaneously telegraphed her thoughts so they could all understand. 'It was the decision of the elders that the Lylatian would be isolated for three days. His trial is still underway, and he must be bound until tomorrow. Then, we will release him as promised.'

'I don't care!' Krystal's thoughts shouted back. 'You have no right to treat him like this! You hate him and everyone like him. I've told you he's kind and gentle, but you won't believe me!'

The warrior stepped even closer, removing her mask. Krystal's eyes widened when she recognized Sister Āni, the woman she'd knocked out via telepathy a few days prior: the woman that had so readily forgiven her. 'The Kaumatua have decreed. The man will finish the test.'

Krystal felt conflicted; this confrontation had never been part of her plan. But she couldn't back down now. She stepped forward and placed herself between Fox and Āni.

'If you want him, come and take him. You… you know what I can do to you!'

But Āni wasn't dissuaded. She walked across the shelf until she stood a few paces from Krystal. She didn't lift a hand; her arms were still folded in the wide sleeves of her cloak. 'Krystal,' she said, 'please stand down. I believe in you; I know you will not hurt me or anyone else again.'

The young vixen fell silent. A tense quiet descended over the cliffside—more of a violent emptiness than a tranquil calm. The air grew fraught with energy as Krystal's gaze darkened on the other Cerinian. She felt herself reaching out; grasping the edges of Sister Āni's mind like she had before. It would be so easy to choke her thoughts and make her body crumple to the ground again—but now that the warrior stood directly in front of her, unarmed and with no mask concealing her face, she found herself struggling to go through with it.

Before Krystal could work up the nerve to attack, Fox's hand squeezed her shoulder, and she snapped out of it. "Krystal… please. You don't have to do this. Both of us are going to be fine."

The vixen continued to stare down her opponent. She growled through gritted teeth. 'I spent my entire life as someone else's prisoner; I'm not about to be theirs instead. That's not why I escaped; that's not why you broke me out. Trust me, Fox, you don't want to be tied up for the rest of your life! You helped me escape; now let me help you! I can't let them hurt you anymore…'

Behind her, Fox's breathing became ragged, and his grip faltered on her shoulder. Then, he re-tightened his hold and pulled himself in front of her, standing between her and the warrior. He lay both his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Krystal, there's nowhere left. If we leave the valley, where would we even go?"

The vixen faltered for a moment. 'B-back to your beast, the Great Fox!'

Fox shook his head tiredly. "We can't live in an over-sized tin can for the rest of our lives. It would just become a cage: a prison of its own."

She thought back to the night they escaped, remembering the sapphire-blue planet beneath the orbital gate. 'Then we'll go back to your home. We'll live on Corneria!'

But Fox shook his head again. "It's too dangerous. The Cornerians will be on the lookout for us day and night. I've seen the entire Lylat; there's nowhere they haven't been, there's nowhere they can't reach. We'd never be able to stop running. There's no going back. We already made our decision; our home is here."

'Fine. We'll stay on Cerinia—but not with them! Anywhere else but here. We'll just keep looking until we find a new home—'

"I'm tired of running!" Fox suddenly barked.

Krystal recoiled in shock, and Fox's head hung low. It felt like he could barely keep himself upright, and with each passing second, his hands rested heavier on her shoulders. The weight of everything he held pressed down on her for a second, as if she were the only thing keeping him standing.

When he spoke again, it was in a quiet, broken voice. "There's nothing for me back there. I want to start a new life—here. I've given up everything. Everything, Krystal. I'm so close, I can't give up now. I've forsaken my people so I could make things right for you, and this is the only way I know how. Please just understand, we can't run from everyone and everything forever. Everyone has their differences. Everyone might wrong you in some way. I… I certainly have, yet you chose to stay with me. Sometimes, you just have to choose who you belong with and stick with them no matter what."

Krystal could feel tears forming in her eyes as Fox's words poured out. She placed her fingers on his. 'But Fox, I've already chosen…'

He looked up at her then, the dawn of realization spreading over his face.

Gathering her strength, Krystal gently pushed Fox aside, who now felt like a feather leaving her shoulder. She turned her attention back to Āni, released a pent-up breath, and bowed her head.

'Sister Āni, I'm sorry. I can't believe I was so close to hurting you again. Just… get this over with, please.'

The warrior likewise released a sigh. Her stone-cold expression warmed towards Krystal, and she glided past her. She took Fox's arm over her shoulder and led him back across the cliff face. Krystal's curiosity was peaked however when she passed right by the weight stone and brought Fox before Mother Namah and the rest of the Cerinians instead. There she lowered him to his knees and stood aside. The rest of the warriors likewise parted and let Namah and the elders approach Fox.

"I think you've passed the test," Namah said. "Both of you."

Surprised and confused, Krystal slowly crept back to Fox's side. "What do you mean?"

"Three days might not be over exactly, but enough time and events have passed to know he does not possess powers. If he did, he would have freed himself days ago and run off with Krystal, or even exacted revenge on our village. But as we have seen, he is clearly helpless without you."

"Thanks, I guess," Fox rasped.

Krystal could still feel the hunger in his stomach and the thirst on his lips, but he still remained calm and didn't beg. 'And what about me?' she pressed. 'You were testing me, too?'

"We were testing his power over you, which we wrongly attributed your loyalty to. You clearly do care about him, to the point of risking your life and your future in the village to free him. But you also showed us that he cannot control you."

'At least, no more control than a handsome todd usually wields over a young vixen,' another elder's thoughts chuckled.

"You wanted what you thought best for him even when that conflicted with what he wanted," Namah continued. "You defied his wishes and freed him against his will. He has no secret spell over you."

'That was a silly notion from the start!' Krystal pouted.

"But now we must decide what to do with him." Namah's face darkened. "He knows where our village is, and if he fell into the hands of the Cornerians, they would find out, too. We can't cast him out into the wastelands, for they are dangerous and full of terrors: ones beyond his comprehension." She turned to the other elders present. "Well, my sisters, what is your council?"

A Cerinian much older than Namah and wearing the chords of the Kaumatua spoke, switching to Cerinian. "The results of the trial speak for themselves. The man poses no danger to us as long as we keep an eye on him. If he wishes to stay, I don't think we should turn him away."

Another elder equal to Namah's age scowled at Fox. "But he's still a male—and an alien on top of that! Men are not permitted in the village; he deserves no place here."

The older Cerinian smiled at Fox. "We are not beyond making exceptions to that rule, are we? I think he has proven himself quite honorable."

While Krystal was able to peek into their minds and understand their speech, Fox was unable to follow along at all. He worriedly glanced back and forth between the elders as they talked, already feeling indebted to the one who looked upon him kindly.

The second Kaumatua continued looking at Fox distrustfully. "You know the dangers of letting his kind stay. If you are set on giving him shelter, fine—but shelter him far away from myself and the daughters I look after."

"I think that is agreeable," the first said. "The boy is strong and maybe useful; he can look after the old man. Krystal is an apt learner, as evident in her quick grasp of our language and her willing spirit. I am sure we can find good fits for both of them."

"I can think of a good use for him," Namah said. Switching back to Cornerian, she continued, "I have a proposition for you, Fox. We have decided to let you live among us, as long as you and Krystal fulfill your duties in the village. But there is something more you can do for me. We live in constant fear of Lylat. Your people are always on the hunt for us, and they may be on the hunt for you. It would be helpful to know more of our enemy. I would also like to know the fate of our sisters kidnapped and brought to your world. If you would tell me as much as you know about Lylat, I would do something in return for you."

"Are we already guaranteed a home here?" Fox asked.

"You are."

The todd debated for a moment. "…My parents were involved with Cerinia years ago. When I first found Krystal, I was looking for answers about them. How about a fair trade? You answer my questions about Cerinia, and I'll answer your questions about Lylat."

"An even exchange," the abbess nodded. "Done."

"I still don't trust him," the doubtful elder said.

Namah pursed her lips. Playing mediator and ultimate judge between so many different authorities was taxing. "Very well. You will be kept under close watch. The exits from the village will be guarded, and you will not be alone with the girl unsupervised."

Fox shrugged. "Doesn't sound like I have a choice."

"No, you do not." Namah turned and began walking back up the path. "Now come. I'm sure you are tired and famished. We will prepare a substantial meal to make up for your fasting."

He clutched his stomach. "Urgh, I can hardly wait…"

The elders followed Namah back onto the forest path, but two warriors stayed behind Fox and Krystal. Together they set off walking after Namah, and the two Kaitaki followed behind.

Farther ahead of their group, Sister Āni quickened her pace to catch up to Namah. 'Forgive me, Mother,' she began, 'but this test you conducted… you weren't only testing the Lylatian, were you?'

'As I said, I was testing both our new guests. I tested the Lylatian for the Curse, as well as any spell he might have cast over Krystal.'

Āni shook her head. 'That's not what I meant. You weren't only discerning whether the girl's loyalty was genuine. My involvement—my role in this experiment—was to test her in the same way you tested the boy, was it not? You had me… incite her, to lash out like she did before.'

'You are quite observant, Sister Āni. You might say I wasn't even testing the Lylatian at all; his imprisonment was to further test her.'

'And…?'

'And what?'

'Did she pass?'

Namah smiled and glanced back at Krystal, who was busy helping Fox walk when he stumbled.

'She did—but I have a feeling her true trial is just beginning…'