Chapter 6:
The Wolf

	The council chambers was in disarray when they arrived. Boxes were 
being packed, furniture was being moved, and people were cursing at the 
inventory sheets. Tobias carefully waded through everything in search of 
Larcris. He wasn't expecting to bump into him literally. "Sorry," he said.
	"It's okay," Larcris said.
	"What's going on?"
	"There are some problems at the capital. I need to go help."
	"Oh. Okay."
	"Don't worry. Sven will be in charge. And besides, I'm not out of 
office yet. Do you need anything?"
	"Yeah, I need a new quarter assignment. Somewhere around the 
neighborhood of Science Quarters 2?"
	He chuckled. "Funny. That's where Samantha and Kaitlyn live." A grin 
crawled across his face. "You wouldn't be asking to move there to get closer 
to them, would you?"
	"Me, naw...."
	"C'mon. Tell the truth."
	"Eh....oh, all right. That's the reason."
	He chuckled. "The person who lived next to Samantha just moved out. 
I'll have the movers take your stuff there. Okay?"
	"That would be great. Thank you Larcris."
	"Think nothing of it. I know what a young heart like yours thinks."

	Kaitlyn was waiting for him outside of the building. So was Samantha. 
"Hello Tobias!" she said as he exited. She "glided" into his arms.
	"Hello gorgeous!" he respond, catching her in his arms. 
	Kaitlyn snickered. "How'd everything go with Larcris?"
	"Well, I dunno yet. He said to check in with Sven later.."
	"Oh, okay."
	"So what's on today's agenda?"
	"The lab boys have something for you. They want us to go to the lab 
to pick it up."
	"All right. You two know this place better than I do. Lead the way."

	The lab was a large, dull, abandoned looking building. It wasn't 
until Kaitlyn knocked on the door that Tobias knew what it hid. Anxious to 
see what was inside, Tobias sped through the doorway. All the interesting 
little devices stopped him in his tracks. Each gadget, he thought, probably 
had it's own purpose. There were beakers, Bunsen burners, most things you'd 
find in a lab. There were also many different people there, each occupied 
with some task or another. But one of them seemed very familiar. "Hey," he 
said. "You look just like the guy who first spoke to be back in the metal 
room." The raccoon whom he was addressing said nothing. He flipped a switch. 
The wall opened up and revealed a monitor. He pushed a button and a tape 
played. It was the observations of their new arrival. "You are the same 
person!" he said.
	The raccoon turned to him. "So you do remember," he said. "We thought 
you had lost your memory at that point. Allow me to introduce myself. I am 
Professor Krypt. Welcome to the lab."

	He lead the three to another part of the lab. "We wanted to get this 
to you earlier," he said. "But with the whole traitor incident, I doubted we 
would be able to at the time. I'm still not sure we should give this to you 
now." 
	"Well, I'm here. You might as well get it over with."
	Krypt nodded and took a large box from the table. He opened it, 
revealing the padding that was inside. Nestled comfortably in it was a small 
headset. It was a little larger than an air controller's headset. "This is 
your Interface Headset. This will allow you to interface to any electronic 
or mechanical device or vehicle. When it's not connected to something, it 
will allow you to target things and scan them." He handed it to Tobias. 
	"Great," he said, putting it on. "You sure the scan part works?"
	"Um....no. We're confident the interfacing relays work, but the 
scanners are untested. We are unsure of what they do."
	"Well, here comes the test." He pushed a small button. Something shot 
out of the device and out of that popped a small, crystal clear lens. Tobias 
looked through it. Nothing. He looked at Krypt. He was about to say the scan 
did not work, when the lens lit up. Krypt was outlined and there was some 
text, describing his physical attributes. "Whoa!"
	"What is it?"
	"I didn't know you had a fake left foot."
	Krypt blushed. "I think the scanner works on biological things. Try 
it on chemical composition." He pointed to a beaker with a brown, bubbling 
liquid in it. Tobias took a look at that. The scanner worked for a few 
seconds before coming up with the report.
	"Lactic acid, maltose, glucose, cocoa. Sounds like someone was making 
a chocolate malted."
	"I know," Krypt said, taking the beaker off. "I was making this as a
little snack."
	Tobias shook his head and looked at one of the guard's sidearm. The 
scanner beeped and came up with the report on it. "This thing does weapons?" 
He patted the side of the device. "This thing will help me out a lot. Thanks 
doc." He ran his fingers against it and found six small holes. "What are 
these?"
	"That's for the final part of the device, which we're still making. 
We're trying to create a program that alters your body state to create a 
superior warrior." He turned their attention to a book. "I've been doing 
research on the subject and found that it is possible if we temporarily 
alter the chemical composition of you DNA. We can generate a number of
features, from fur and a tail to superior strength to god only knows what."
	"Sounds great."
	"We need three things from you though."
	"That would be?"
	"A picture of your face so we can generate a transform profile for 
you, a sample of your hair, and your preference in animal."
	"All right, if you insist." He tried to take the device off. It 
wouldn't budge. "It won't come off."
	Krypt pushed a small button by the base of the device. A small 
microphone popped out. "You tell the headset what to do here. If you want it 
to target something, you say something like targeting. You wanna alter the 
pathways in a device, you tell it what to do. You want it off, just say off."
	"Okay." He fixed it so it was comfortable. "Off." The device 
disappeared. 
	Krypt handed him a small device. It has a red button on it. "When you 
have the device off, you push this button to retrieve it." Tobias nodded and 
attached the device to his belt. "Now, when would you like to get everything 
done?"
	"Let's get this over with." He had his picture taken and they cut off 
a piece of his hair. "My preference in animal? Gray wolf will do."
	"Very well."
	"Send it to me when it's done. Take care doctor."

	The rest of that morning was spent in Joey's quarters. They talked 
about how this new headset would affect Tobias. They also talked about the 
DNA theory. "If this does work," he said. "This will change me drastically. 
I wouldn't be human anymore." He took a sip of his tea. 
	"Yes," Kaitlyn said. "It'd make everybody feel a lot better. I mean, 
Samantha and I are used to you. I've seen you everyday you've been here. She 
just happens to be a very caring person. Same thing with Swift. Larcris and 
Sven know they have nothing to fear. It's just that everybody else isn't 
comfortable being around you."
	He put his cup on the table and leaned back. "It's just that," he 
said. "For the last 15 years, I've been a human. Wouldn't this drive me off 
the deep end a little bit?"
	Samantha put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry," she said. "It's 
going to take them a little while to get the composite picture of you ready. 
Then they have to manufacture the DNA. Then they have to program it into the 
chip. It's real complicated."
	"And what will happen if it doesn't work?" he asked.
	"It'll work," Kaitlyn said. "We've got some of the best scientists 
here. They'll work out any kinks in the system."
	He looked at her. "I hope you're right," he said. "I really do....."

	Tobias returned to his quarters to find Swift there. She was 
overseeing the removal of his stuff. He snuck up on her and covered her eyes. 
"Guess who?"
	"Um.....Crash?"
	"Nope!"
	"Uncle Larry?"
	"Try again."
	She spun around and hugged him. "Tobias!"
	"On the nose! What's going on?"
	"We're getting ready to cart your stuff over to your new quarters." 
She turned to the workers. "Please don't scuff it all guys."
	"Yeah, sure Swift," one of the workers replied. "We've got, what, one 
box of clothes and a couch to move. We can nail it all in one shot."
	"Good." She turned back to Tobias. "So, what are we going to do 
today?"
	"I was thinking of settling into my new home. If that's okay with 
you, of course."
	"It is. It's a lot better than you going off and beating the crap out 
of 'J' again."
	He chuckled. "You say it like it was a crime."
	"It isn't. I just don't like violence."
	"Swift, we're ready to go!" The two stepped out of the way so the 
movers could take the couch out of the room.
	"Wanna go do something while they set up?" Tobias asked.
	"Why? Don't you wanna get to your new home quickly?"
	"And ruin the surprise to Samantha and Kaitlyn? Never! Let's go annoy 
Crash or something."
	She giggled. "Oh you!"

	The movers had just finished "unpacking" and arranging the room. "I 
wonder who's moving into the neighborhood," Samantha told Kaitlyn. They were 
in Kaitlyn's place discussing the new arrival. "Those quarters weren't even 
vacant a week."
	"I noticed," Kaitlyn responded. "I hope it's someone cute."
	She chuckled. "Are you THAT starved for love?"
	"Yes I am."
	"Oh. Sorry." There was a knock on the door. Samantha got up and 
answered it. "Tobias! What're you doing here?"
	"Well, when you didn't answer when I knocked on your door, I figured 
you'd be here."
	She smiled. "Well, you guess was good. Come in." She didn't wait for 
his answer and grabbed his arm. She pulled him in and closed the door.
	"Agressive today, aren't we?"
	"She's just a little anxious to find out who her new neighbor is 
going to be," Kaitlyn told him.
	"Oh? Someone new moving in?"
	"Probably. Hey, how'd your request for a quarters change go?"
	"Larcris told me it'd take a few days, but I'd get the change I 
wanted." She looked at him with one of those "you liar" looks. He responded 
with a "don't spoil the surprise" look. "I just came to check in," he 
continued. "I've got a little work to do. I should get back to my quarters."
	Samantha hugged him. "Oh, all right. When do you think you'll be able 
to pop back in?"
	"Soon. Real soon." Samantha let go of him and walked him to the door. 
"Take care Samantha. You too Kaitlyn." He left.
	"I wonder what building he's getting changed to," Samantha asked 
Kaitlyn.
	"Oh, I think I know." They heard a lock being opened. Curiously, 
Samantha opened the door a crack to see what was going on. Tobias already 
had his key in the next room's door. She squealed, threw the door open, and 
pegged him to the wall. "Yeah. Things'll be more fun now."

	The fog of his dreams enveloped him while he slept that night, 
disturbing his peaceful sleep. He found himself on Earth. "But wait," he said 
aloud. His words echoed in an unnatural way. "I thought I had given up 
Earth." He surveyed the landscape. It was his old hometown. But it looked 
like it had gone to hell. The buildings were nothing but burned out shells. 
The air reeked of death, the charred bodies that littered the streets a
testimony to that. Cars were on fire. The trees were all gray. Only the 
fires made noise as they crackled. Only the fires danced. There was no life. 
"I'm glad to see everyone got what was heading their way." He started to walk 
through the ravaged town, avoiding the debris and scorched flesh.

	His wandering brought him to a small stretch of street. Unlike the 
road he was taking, which was cracked, torn up, and blasted, this section was 
well maintained. Wondering what was keeping it, he looked towards the 
buildings on one side of the street. There, right where there was supposed to 
be a burned out shell, was a small hill. It showed no signs of what was going 
on around him. The grass was green, the air smelled fresh, and there was even 
an old elm tree at the top. Curious to this phenomenon, he climbed the hill.
Upon reaching the top, he found a person. He recognized the person from the 
picture in his other dream. "Who are you?" he asked.
	"I am Lone Wolf," the figure responded.
	"How did you keep this one place safe?"
	"That is one of my talents."
	"Why have you called me here?"
	"I have called you here to tell you something. You will be meeting me 
in the real world in three days. Keep watch, though. There are many dangers 
lurking about."
	"But...." The fog rolled back in.

	He sat straight up. He felt his forehead. He was coated in a cold 
sweat. Hoping that it was now the morning, he looked at his clock. "Damn it," 
he muttered. "3 hours of sleep." The clock read 12:37. Not wanting to go back 
to sleep, he crawled out of the bed and got dressed. A hasty retreat was bid 
for the door. When he opened it, he found Samantha standing there. "It's 
nearly one in the morning," he whispered. "What are you doing here?"
	"I heard a low scream," she responded. "It came from here."
	"Just a bad dream. Go back to your room and get some sleep."
	"No, I think you need me more."
	"Just go get some sleep. We can talk about it tomorrow."
	She grabbed his arm. "Please, come to my quarters." She gave a tug. 
He wasn't going to be getting much sleep anyway, so he followed her in. He 
sat down on her couch and she sat down next to him. "What happened?"
	"It's nothing, really."
	She leaned her head on his shoulder. "C'mon. You can tell me."
	"Are you sure?"
	"Very." She curled up close to him. "I don't mind."
	"Okay. If you insist." He got a little more comfortable. "I'm 
standing in the ruins of my hometown on Earth. Everything is destroyed, dead, 
or dust. I start to walk around and I come upon this one untouched hill. I 
go up and I find someone there."
	"Was it me?" she asked with a yawn.
	"No. It's some wolf guy who calls himself Lone Wolf. He said that 
we'll be meeting him in three days and that there was much danger ahead." He 
chuckled. "Knowing my luck, something bad is going to happen. Don't you 
think?" She didn't answer. He looked at her. "Samantha?" She was asleep. He 
smiled. He took her and rested her head on his lap. "Sleep well pretty 
thing." He started to stroke her head as a light rain started to fall.

	"Samantha?" Kaitlyn's voice broke the morning silence. Tobias shook 
his head, freeing himself of his sleep. "Samantha, are you awake?" Kaitlyn 
poked her head through the door. She saw Tobias and smirked. He put his 
finger to his lips and pointed down at Samantha. Kaitlyn nodded and went over 
to his side. "What'd you do to her?"
	"Nothing."
	"How'd you get in here?"
	"I woke up in a cold sweat last night. I went to take a walk, and she 
caught me before I could leave."
	"And how did her head land in your lap?"
	"She sat me down, asking about why I paniced last night and fell 
asleep before I could finish explaining. I didn't want to wake her up, so I 
let her sleep like this." He winced a little. "I think I got a cramp or 
something."
	She smiled. "You've got a kind heart. That's admirable." She looked 
at Samantha. "And you really care for her."
	He looked at Samantha as well. "You wouldn't know the half of it."
	Samantha began to stir. She stretched and looked up. "Oh, good 
morning." She sat up. Still half asleep, she gave Tobias a soft kiss. He 
turned beet red. Kaitlyn giggled. "I'm sorry for keeping you here Tobias."
	"It's no problem Samantha." She hugged him. "Can I go back to my 
quarters now? I'm not feeling to well."
	"Okay. Take care of yourself. And thanks for spending the night with 
me." She let him go. He got up and went back to his quarters.

	He kicked his shoes off and layed down on his bed. He was curious to 
if they were looking for him back on Earth. Boy, they'd be in one hell of a 
surprise if they knew what I was doing. He rolled over onto his side, took 
his glasses off, and closed his eyes. "Maybe they haven't noticed I'm gone," 
he mumbled. "Or they know I'm gone and are celebrating it in the streets. Oh 
well. All that matters to me is here right now." He sighed. He heard the door 
open and close. Someone walked up to him, sat down on his bed, and started to 
rub his back. He tensed up. Grabbing his glasses, he looked over to the 
intruder. "Samantha," he muttered. "What can I do for you?"
	"I just came in to check on you."
	"I'm doing well." He noticed the sad look on her face. "What's 
wrong?"
	"We just recieved word from Sven. A few Raider units have broken 
through our lines. We're in their path."