RUNNER3.TXT - 11/16/98 Third in the continuing Runner series. By SwampRat (cl) 1998 Gay Furry Association Reynolds puffed up a hill, while the much more limber reptiles waited, not even panting. 3 Months.. He had a few weeks at best. It would be long enough.. It HAD to be. He stopped and rested, while the others played.. then Stood alert. As one they made a semi-circle around Parent, a dozen half-grown reptiles ready to defend a human with their lives. Out of the brush appeared about the same number of others.. A hiss died before it came out as they stared at one another. One of them stepped forward and pointed the man who now stood quietly behind them, and made a sign that was all too familiar. 'Hug?' Reynolds nodded, stepped out and got mugged as the bigger Runners ran him over, each wanting to touch the one who they had not seen in a year. Then it was time to get acquainted with younger sisters, touching noses and linking hands and making signs of names, bonding, family. Another group appeared and also mugged poor Reynolds who now had close to 40 lizards touching, hissing, and wanting to grab him. But he was also happy and hugged each and every one of them.. He was half-carried, half-dragged down the hillside, Curious and Skinny sitting on his shoulders, to the cave they all lived in. It was early fall and the young ones learned how to hunt and gather and store food for the winter times - Even though Winters were not Cold on the island chain, it was Stormy. And sometimes one could not get out for food. Reynolds also taught them fire, and how to cook.. As his cancer advanced he could not keep much solid food down and soup boiled in a steel kettle snatched from who knew where, kept his strength up until.. It was time. He stood, a bit wobbily but with a hand against the wall he managed. Strong was immediately nearby. 'Father?' she signed, waiting. "Outside," he managed, pointing to the cave entrance. A nod and he was lifted, cradled in thick arms, and carried out. The man motioned out farther and she complied, a twitch of her tail bringing Speedy up behind her, out of sight of the frail bundle she carried. They walked slowly until he found a place that looked nice. "Here, Please." She knelt and laid him down, another tail-twitch sending her young sister back to gather the others. Parent was going to leave them for the last time. 'Anything you need, Father?' He shook his head and smiled. * * * * The first generation had been specialized. 5 of each type - Strength, Speed, Intelligence, Size. There was some cross-leakage of archetypes, resulting in Strong looking like a bulky allosaurus in miniature, but she was also the first to sign, to try and speak, and the Last to leave when time came to part. The second generation was more a mish-mash. Contamination only allowed for 30 eggs and there was no room for experimentation - Either they had bouncing baby Runners to show the Finance committee, or they could pack everything up and head back to the States. 10 hatched - All Mutts, said the disgusted scientists. Others couldn't care less about genetics and were delighted to run them through tests, and watch them grow - Besides, Mutts lasted longer than Pedigrees, and they were the darlings of the Facility, keeping the place free of insects and rodents that turned many an expensive piece of equipment into a door jamb. When a year old, they had radio collars put on them and sent out onto the island for more studying.. A few had been re-captured and studied further. There was talk of putting a couple down and dissecting them - Until a cost-effectiveness study showed that reptiles in the freezer, While being invaluable to science, would cost close to $10 million Each due to the rareness of the creatures. Besides, there was Plenty to study in Failed Embryo's, as Mr. Gener pointed out in a meeting. Everything was fine until the day the collars failed. It was easy to find out Why when one morning they appeared in a a pile by the front gate. Some had twigs and bark, others dirt - All had water in the transmitters. Everyone was displeased as there was No way to track the reptiles any longer, But it was a fleeting as a cloud on a windy day when 2 new insects appeared.. The Runners were a tidy bunch and went in a certain place every day. The droppings were collected and processed and studied and catalogued and... If one wanted to lose weight they only had to sit neat the 'Crap Doctors' and hear about the texture, aroma and contents of the 'sausages', as they described them.. Of course Sausage was almost immediately removed from the menu after one of the Assistants remarked she wasn't sure of what was on her plate came from the kitchen or the collection-bag. Fortunately all the Runners were Female, else 'Weenie' jokes may have driven the poor cook into chopping up more than just the vegitables. * * * * The shade was cool in the warmth of the day, and it felt good to just lay, listening to the wind stir things.. A short time later rustling brought him out of his revere.. All his children gathered round. One by one they hugged him one last time, Curious last. "Why?" She said.. "Because.." Reynolds replied, an old joke between them - Curious asked Why so many times the crew answered 'Because' almost automatically.. Then it struck him - She had not signed the word, she Spoke it! A little bit of a lisp, but definately a word. Then he cried.. Cried for lost time, and the thought of as they aged they would also die - Not really planned that way, but no Males ever came out... He never told anyone, but Dr. Markam and himself were so desperate to get this last batch viable, they used Human Semen - Fresh Semen - as part of the genetic mix. So in a way, these Were his Daughters. One last look at all of them and a soft sigh and the body no longer held a spirit. They bowed their heads in sorrow, then returned to their chores - except for Curious and Strong who just stood and looked at the body for a Long time. At the same moment, Mr. Gener Stood straight up as if someone had patted his butt... But the fingers felt scaled. The End of Part 3