Read Shorts: The Furry Years for Free Online Page A

'Big Unveiling'?" she smiled.
    "Yes, you?"
    "I work on the project, I'm a synaptic conjunctive cognitive researcher and designer." She smiled as I ran that through my lips a couple of times.
    "Quite a title," I admitted, "Does it mean anything?" I smiled to take any sting out of my words.
    "I just measure the grey matter; make sure that we get what we want."
    I nodded, "Well have we?"
    "If the data is to be believed, we sure have." she paused then as the plane turned onto final for landing. She was preoccupied then with baggage and papers and such and didn't say a word to me again until we finally disembarked.
    "See you at the briefing, Bill?"
    "Probably." I non-committed and headed out the door.
    I was met by a very officious looking man, who directed me off without a word, running me quickly past the security check point. I just did a cursory flash of my credentials for the computer and we went inside where he handed me off to someone I actually knew.
    "Well Bill, how was the flight?"
    "Not bad George, quick as usual."
    "Yeah, these new sub-orbitals really have shrunk the world once more." He continued with the small talk, leading me down the hall. "One of these days you'll be able to put your toilet on the far side of the damn world things will get so small."
    "Another company program?" I joked back.
    "Got to do something with all those planes, with everyone working out of their houses and telecommuting, who goes anywhere anymore? I tell you Bill, we're turning into a world of home bodies."
    "Well that's part of the reason we're here today, isn't it?"
    He sighed and nodded as I started to steer the conversation towards the actual reason for my visit.
    "It's gone far far far too well."
    "And there's a problem with that? The Board will give you the promotion you want, as well as a seat on it, if that's the truth."
    "Yeah I know," he sighed again and motioned me into a room. "This will make me rich, and give me everything I've been after all my life."
    I went inside and found myself a seat. The room was dark and there was a window on the wall. One way glass obviously. "So why do you sound so down about it?" I turned and looked at him as I asked.
    He looked me right in the eyes, "Because I have questions as to the morality of what we're doing."
    "You know as well as I do that with the labor shortfalls we have to do something."
    He nodded, "Hey, don't tell me, I lobbied long and hard for this program! After the superman fiasco, this was the only option we had left. But, well..." he paused a moment, then just shook his head. "You'll have to see for yourself, that's all I can say."
    I nodded, "Well that's why I'm here. Can I see the subject?"
    He walked over to the wall and pressed a button, "Bring out the first subject."
    I watched as a door opened on the other side of the 'window' opened and a nurse led out the subject.
    "Age?"
    "About 10"
    "Looks to be almost twice that," I noted.
    He nodded, "We need a fast maturity time to get them into service quickly. From all the cellular studies this seemed to be about optimum. Same for mental and stability studies, we figure another 2 years and this one would be prime for release."
    I stood up and walked to the window, getting a closer look. "Male?"
    "Yes."
    "How many are there right now?"
    "Well this subject is the oldest, he's the prototype for the final version. We've got another five dozen in assorted species and sexes at the 6 year mark."
    I nodded and looked as the subject looked around the room. He had suspicions about what he saw as a mirror, I could tell. "Why does he think he's in there?" I asked George.
    "He knows someone is here to look at him, he's told me it gives him nightmares..."
    I looked up at George as he said that, "Really?"
    "Yes," he nodded, "Really. That's the problem Bill, they're people, at least to me they are."
    "Well they have to be," I acknowledged, "Nothing else will work when you think about it."
    "Still, sometimes it makes me think."
    "Having second