After helping Jasper and sensei return to the surface, I check up on the wolves. All the regular wolves have given birth, so thankfully that’s done, though now that I’m no longer stressed by it I have to wonder why they came into heat when they did - usually wolves should go into heat around spring and/or fall, not mid-summer.

The wolfkin is another matter, but it makes sense for them to be pregnant for longer given how they’re something between a wolf and a human. I’m a bit curious as to how that happened, like were they wolves and got pregnant and then transformed, or were they wolfkin, or mixed, and did it happen at the same time as the rest, but…

It seems like the kind of thing which might be okay now, but will become rather immoral to… investigate fairly soon. What I can say that I definitely did not fully think through what it would mean for the wolves to actually be uplifted.

I mean, on an individual level they’d become smarter, maybe up to the level of a human, but it will essentially create an entire new society, and that society would need to integrate with the existing human society. I guess having shapeshifters and the kemos around will make it easier for people to accept, but still…

We either need to teach them our culture, which to humans happen mostly from parents, which is not applicable, and school and such, which might not be applicable. If we do not send their ‘kids’ to school that will also be an issue since they will essentially be useless to society, though [Mind Magic] and other post-Upheaval stuff can mitigate that. On the other hand, if they are not intelligent enough they end up as a sub-race of sorts, and that’s its own historical/ethical can of worms…

The wolves as a whole seem to be a bit smarter than they were to begin with, or maybe I’m imagining things, but the wolfkin stand out above that, even if they temporarily shapeshift back to wolf form. But the other way is not true, as far as I can tell. Does being in wolfkin form make them smarter over time, or do they become smarter from making that their main/base form, or is it something else?

On the bright side (maybe?) the first generation born will probably be animal enough in intelligence for it to not be a dilemma, but I can’t say that for sure. For all I know the two pregnant wolfkins might give birth to little furballs that have human-genius level of intelligence.

I mean, probably not. But I should proooobably keep track of what’s being done in terms of laws and such, and maybe try to push it forwards.

Tåke is here with her (sub)pack today, and greets me enthusiastically after dropping off meat for the tribe. Because they are a tribe, I realise as they do. A hunter-gatherer tribe that is spread out around human habitation, but still a tribe.

They have dedicated hunters, and I’ve seen them use bags to carry stuff. This pack’s catch is the thorn-antler deer (a doe, given the lack of antlers) unceremoniously levitated here by Tåke.

The other wolfkin and three wolves seem to be connected to her with a mana link, or at least I think that’s what it is. The only reason I could even detect the faint connection is because of the wizarding battles with Leda, and in battles I don’t exactly try to identify what her streams do before I dispel them and/or dodge (or lose).

Being able to detect mana/magic like that a useful skill to have, as is a lot of the other things I’ve learnt from ‘playing’ with her. I mean, some of these games are great practice, so I should probably share them.

As I think about all of this and give Tåke some much-awaited petting, the other wolfkin gets down on all four and looks up at me.

A moment after actually noticing I’m being stared at, I let out a “Uhh, you want something?” Of course, it does not understand me, at least not fully. “What, you want petting too?”

Tåke notices that my attention is elsewhere, and turns to her fellow wolfkin. She holds her open paw-hand out as if holding out treats for a dog. The other one, a female I don’t know if has a name, walks over and sniffs it. Tåke scratches her neck, and then she stands up.

…did I just see some kinda ritual? Or ceremony? Either way, that seems distinctly like culture. Did someone teach them this? Actually, they probably taught themselves. It does look like giving treats to a dog. Or wolf. Have they made that into a thing? Is it just Tåke’s sub-pack? Or the greater pack? For that matter, is it just among wolfkin, or wolves as well?

Ugh, I’ll put off these questions for now. ERROR: INSUFFICIENT DATA, or so to speak. I should keep an eye out for other… cultural things, though. I’ll just do the rounds. Should check up on Sandy, too. Tåke will want to come home with me too, won’t she. At least she won’t be dripping wet this time.

After a night’s sleep I get up pretty early, wake Tåke up from her little corner and eat a simple breakfast with her. I wonder if she -and other wolfkin- can eat anything but meat, but a quick prayer to Wikipedia tells me wolves are ‘not picky eaters’, and I assume that’s doubly true for wolfkin. Well, at least in regards to human-edible food.

I haven’t had any problems eating in wolfkin form, and judging by how Tåke is wolfing down dairy and grain products (bread) with no problems, that should be true for the wolfkin, too. Well, there might be indigestion problems later, so I’ll have to keep an eye out. If that does happen… Ugh, I don’t want to deal with that…

After the meal I head to the construction area to talk with one of the leaders so that they can talk to their leader, which can sign off on me taking some of their scrapped metal, if they haven’t scheduled a pickup yet.

Which they have not, so I grab a sufficient amount of scraps (quite a bit, but not so much that I couldn’t lift it all without magic) and melt it down to one chunk with the Magic Air Furnace Technique™ for easier transport. I drop it off back in the apartment and create a doppelganger to pet a whining Tåke while I do some research.

Specifically, I’m getting more and more certain I want to take that trip to the US, but there is a bunch of things to handle before that. Apparently I don’t need a visa if I register in some ‘ESTA’ thing ahead of time, but there are other things to consider.

For one it seems like you’re still supposed to register when and where you will arrive, though that might just be to lubricate the gears of bureaucracy. It’s also interesting how they use the term ‘port-of-entry’, given that my plan is to fly there under my own power. Will I need to land at an airport or something?

Judging by the call from Thomas, that’s what I was called in to discuss. Well, flying for Leda, since she has a significant radar signature. She also flew over and into the city, which had some people, ah, worried. I’ll just have to kill time until then. Let’s see if I can teach the wolfkin some games.

“Hello, military science man!”

I shake my head slightly as I hop down from Leda’s back. “His name is Thomas, and that’s not his title.”

Thomas just waves his hand. “Hello Lars, hello Leda. You’re probably wondering why you’re here?”

“No really, you told me on the phone. Err, you weren’t very specific though.”

“Today’s agenda is two topics. Leda’s recent incursion to the city, and the fact that she shows up on every radar around when flying. Should we just get started?”

Ugh, someone is calling. I drowsily grab my phone from the side of my bed. Mom again. Yes, I took the painkillers, or I wouldn’t have been able to sleep. Yes, I feel better, that’s kinda what they do. Yes, yes, yes. Can I please just lie here in comfortable oblivion? Yes, thank you, bye.

Of course, it’s not that simple to get back to being not-awake after being so rudely shaken out of it, but I do my best at not doing or feeling or thinking anything. I’m really glad I am almost never sick. Heh, I guess it’s good for me to get sick every now and then, so I remember how much I hate it. On the other hand, please no.

Ahh, there it is, that feeling of, well- fuck! Who’s calling now? Why do these kinda things always happen a bunch at the same time? I don’t know that number, so I should just hang up. But, nng, I’m the owner of a business now, I can’t just- ugh, fine.

I take the call and introduce myself before saying I’m not very well and asking them to call again tomorrow or in a couple days. Thankfully, I sound terrible enough to convince them to ask if tomorrow is fine. I just say yes, assuming that I’ll probably be back to full health tomorrow. I already feel much better after a good night’s sleep.

After hanging up I stare at the dark screen for a moment. Ahh, please just let oblivion take me. But noooo, this time I get the call after just long enough to forget that I didn’t put my phone back and confusedly have to find it under my covers.

“Ugh, hi Thomas. I’m sick. What is it?”

“I’ll be short, then. Do you know where Leda is?”

Of course I do, she’s in that general direction. Which is… I don’t know. Min, just, please, ugh. I hate being sick. “Mmmnnno.”

“She’s in the city.” Uh-oh. “She’s trying to sell… Things. Like you usually do.” Uh-ooooh…

“But I’m siiick… can’t help you. Make the police go… ask her to stop and to go away, she probably will. Or get me on the phone to her.” Ugh, another call? “Wait, do you need to…? Is she doing anything bad?”

“No, she’s just asking people to buy stuff. She doesn’t seem to have very much success. The problem is that her big body scares people, the police have gotten several calls.”

Wait, she… “not hiding? Just… Just talk to her. Police. Tell her to hide. Big body. Main body. Or not, seems fine. Just- not me.”

“Will she actually listen to them?”

“Sure. Loves that one hero show. Police are good guys. Trying to help. Listen to them. If not, call me, I’ll tell her.”

There is a pause with some voices in the background.

“Can you hold for two minutes?”

“Mmmmm-hm.” Uncomfortable. Flip. Put phone there. Better.

“Lars, are you still there?”

“Mmmyeah. Dozed off.”

…

“We talked to her. It took a bit of convincing, but she grudgingly accepted. I have a few things to do now, so I won’t disturb you any longer, but I will call you again if any further problems appear. Rest well.”

“Sure. Bye.”

The day after I do indeed feel perfectly fine, but as per usual I don’t do anything particularly intense, spending most of the day looking into things about that potential US trip. The official page with travel tips (I did not know that was a thing) suggests to contact the embassy if there is anything special, and I would say this indeed counts.

I looked it up on Google Maps, and it’s… far. The shortest path to Quebec is more than 5500 km. Why quebec when I’m going to the US? Because it’s damn long and I’m not sure if I can fly there in one go - it will take more than a full day.

I should probably practice flying long distances, and I can do that by flying up north. If I do that in december I can catch the polar night and maybe see some northern lights, and I’ll see how I handle the cold in flight forms. Could sell my services while on the way. And explore. I should make a travel vlog.

Anyway, unless I find a way to safely fly for entire days (there are birds that do that, right?) I will probably want to do some landings on the way to sleep, and Iceland and Greenland is perfectly placed for that. I will be flying for quite some time, but not drop-dead-from-exhaustion long.

Greenland technically belongs to Denmark, and it and Iceland are both within the EU area, so travelling through those should be unproblematic. I’ll still contact the relevant embassies just to make sure things are in order, though.

I guess I should contact Guinness world records as well, given that I will, most definitely, be the first person to fly across the atlantic under my own power, even with rest-landings. Hmm, if I can avoid that I will have one helluva record under my belt.

The trip north and US trip could both be used to test some of the equipment the space agency is developing, as well as publicity stunts, so it shouldn’t be a problem to get funding. Not sure how much I’d like the attention. On one hand, super useful for my business, but on the other hand I don’t particularly want to be famous. Attention can be scary sometimes, especially with large… audiences.

Actually, what sort of aeronautical laws apply for this? Thomas wanted Leda to have a transponder for her main body to better organise the airspace, but because of privacy laws and whatnot she only needs to use it when flying above a certain height, and there’s potential issues with that, too.

After some discussion I suggested that it might be useful, or maybe even required, to know certain laws and procedures to fly in certain areas or heights, and in some cases, even required to have equipment. Problem is you want human-carryable equipment, the stuff you install in a plane is a bit too big and cumbersome.

He agreed that it would be useful, but obviously laws -and development of new tech and products- take some time, so what you can do is a bit limited. Looking into what’s needed to get a pilot’s license, it turns out it’s really damn hard to find out what, specifically, you need to know. Sure, they have the subjects, but that’s like knowing you need ‘Programming’ to get a software degree - True but ultimately useless.

Eventually I give up finding a straight answer, or even a pirated copy of one of the books, and decide to head over to Leda and ask her about yesterday. I’ll take it a bit slower and carefully since I just got healthy.