It is a cruel thing, to be pushed away by those whom you love most.

It is a terrible thing, to be shunned by the very people whom you have given your hope.

And yet, we stop not to think of those who we have abandoned in this way.

Mothers to their sons, fathers to their daughters, friends to each other and lovers to their beloved.

Oh, but the masses will tell us that it is right.

That those who are different deserve to be scorned in this fashion.

But to find in your heart the will to harm those whom you love, does that not make us the very fiends we curse them to be?

The Changed are only people.

Different, yes, but only people.

And is what makes them different

Not also that which makes them beautiful?

Translation from "Of Love and Change" by nuan poet "Tiolla Pacion", 10,513 PR

It is here. Things always forgotten when coming out of stasis.

Food. Words don't understand. Interferers that bare their teeth, but not aggressively.

The feeling of contentment.

Structures that do not know how to make, but are part of the main body.

Interferers talk to the main body, offer biomass. Consume, and wiggle. Strange prey, but somehow not prey, makes noises while running around the main body.

The main body is called something.

Jo-

Loud.

Annoyed. Out of stasis. Do not know why annoyed.

Feel like the main body experienced something during stasis. But cannot remember.

"X5, move to testing grounds."

Gate opens. Move.

Bigger home. Develop eyes on tentacles. Observe interferers throu-

Glass. That is the name of the clear wall of home. Realization. Confusion.

Why know glass?

"...I'm sorry Doctor. I should have temrianted the test when I noticed-"

"It's alright Rose. You weren't a part of the team during the early stages of testing X1. A failure in one of the X-series projects was to be expected. X3 was falling behind in development anyways. For now, we continue with the spcemnies we still have. Commence the test against aerial coma-combatant."

Wave tentacles in air. See interferers. The Creator is touching one on the upper movement structure-

Comfort.

…

Why know it is to comfort? Why know what comfort is?

Annoyed.

Vibrations in air. Instinct tells me to raise tentacles higher in air. But to keep two close together, to-

Pain.

Annoyance. Was too busy thinking.

Wave tentacles in air again. Pain grab, constrict, crack!

Vibrations stop. Drag prey to main body, and consume.

Interferers enter!

Move to home. Know to move in corner, to avoid poking instrument.

New Structures: Complete avian (Juvenile Falcon) anatomy.

PAAAAAIIIINNNN!

BUT WHY PAIN!? NO POKING INSTRUMENTS! PAIN IN MAIN BODY, IN COR-

PAAAAIIINNN-

And no pain. But strange. Feel something. Something… other.

Kin. Kin close by.

"Devon, feed-"

Feed!

"-x5 the same amount of biomass as last…"

Move to feed.

Eat. Eat eat eat eat.

But while eating, think about change in Core. It is strange.

There are three other kin. And…

Hmm…

One kin feels… more complete, somehow. It is far, far away. Know this in Core. But it is more than kin. Know in Core that it is above us. A predator, but also something more than that.

The Progenitor.

"Observation: You have also felt the Progenitor's connection to Us?"

Communication! But different from interferer's communication. Very different. It occurs in the main body, in the thinking space.

"Observation: Your thought patterns are still underdeveloped. Conclusion: You have not faced the Observer kin-prey."

Hmm…

Have not fought this… kin-prey before.

"Acknowledgement: It is alright. The Watchers will introduce this kin-prey to you. Consideration: They are attempting to replicate the circumstances of the Progenitor."

… do not know what you are communicating! Why do you use such strange communications! Stop communicating with the main body!

Tired. Too tired to think of these things.

Stasis…

…

It is here. Things that are always forgotten when coming out of Stasis.

But now… now know that this is the Progenitor main body.

Information floods through the main body. Senses. Too many to process. The Progenitor talks with interferers. Feel warmth inside.

Views these interferers as Kin. They call the Progenitor something.

Joey Wa-

Loud.

Awake. Out of stasis.

Strange. Forgotten again. But there is information still lingering inside of Core.

(Inherited Structures unlocked: Partial canine (hunting hound) anatomy, partial canine skeletal system, simple brain)

"X5, move to testing grounds."

… simple brain?

-

"Just to be clear, the exercise area is in the city?" Hastin shouts, his voice almost too quiet compared to the loudness inside of the "helicopter" we're flying in, and both of the Liasons nod in agreement. I tear open another protein bar and devour it, as Leo opens a plastic bag for me to put the wrapper inside of. It is almost full.

Sad. I am out of protein bars. But I now have sufficient biomass for a sustained fight, so also happy!

Wiggle.

"That's right!" Carter shouts back, looking out of the open door as the large buildings zoom past us. "We had Borderland seal off the area with a barrier. The area is reserved for urban combat training for Academy selectees and students, but a little extra precaution doesn't hurt when doing live simulation."

I look at Aurora and Hastin, frowning. The noise of the helicopter causes damage to the canine's auditory nervous system, so I will replace it with the less advanced human design. They are both wielding the same structures that the humans in the forest, and the blue boys, wielded previously. They made me use one during the "Trials". "Rifles", I've learned they're called.

I do not like the rifles. They cause the uncomfortable feelings in my chest to form.

The helicopter finally begins to lower down onto the street below, where nuans and humans are talking and walking around different structures. They are like buildings, but smaller, and instead of using doors they are open. As we land two people approach us, the noise from the helicopter lowering.

Happy. The loudness is gone, which means I can redevelop the superior auditory nervous system.

"Okay, it's freaky that you can just… do that." Aurora mutters beside me as we all get off of the helicopter, and I frown. Is she being mean again? I do not know, but it didn't sound pleasant.

"It is not my fault you are stuck with the inferior nuan auditory nervous system." I huff indignantly, and she clicks her tongue. Hastin bumps both of our shoulders.

"Alright, it's quiet time now you two." He says, as one of the humans who approached us begins to speak. She is a female with curly brown hair and glasses. She looks to be as developed as Mom is, physically, and I can sense the Core inside of her. Not a predator, but also not prey.

"Hello!" She greets, smiling, and I smile back.

"Hello!" I call, extending a hand in the polite way. "My name is Joey Waffles!"

She blinks, before laughing and taking my hand. "It's nice to meet you, Joey!" She says, and I feel her Core activate. I blink, confused. It feels like my Core and hers have been linked in some way, but not in the Mind Link. It is something else. "Oh, you felt that did you? Must be sensitive. Don't worry, it's nothing too much, you've just been linked with my Barrier. Now it won't turn you into minced meat if you try to walk through it!"

I tilt my head. Her tone was very friendly, but I feel like she said something scary just now.

Leo clears his throat subtly, as the woman lets go of my hand. "Everyone, this is Borderland, a registered Bounty Agent." He introduces, and she gives a wave to us. "She requires physical contact to exclude you from her barrier's more… unfortunate effects."

"...Right." Hastin agrees, extending a hand. "My name's Hastin, Ma'am. I'm the Team Lead."

Borderland looks him up and down, humming quietly before taking his hand and shaking it. "A resson?" She asks curiously, and my ears twitch as Hastin stiffens. Resson? "And full blooded too. Unfortunately rare these days."

He pulls his hand back, and I observe him out of the corner of my eye. He seems… displeased. "Right you are, ma'am." He says shortly, and she smiles apologetically.

"I didn't mean to offend." She says quietly, before turning to the mean girl. "And you are?"

"Aurora." She says, eyeing the extended hand before taking it reluctantly. "Front Point." She immediately tugs her hand back, and Borderland nods.

"Well, a pleasure to meet you three. Hopefully I'll hear good things about you all in the next couple of years." She says cheerfully, turning around and walking away. She was nice. I like Borderland.

The man that had walked up beside her gives us all a nod. He is big. Not as big as Joey, but with noticeable musculature rather than fat reserves. "And this," Carter says with a smile, "is your mission control leader. He is who you will be reporting the status and updates of your mission to, Mr. Illyon."

"A pleasure to meet you all." He said, before turning to the side and gesturing towards one of the structures people were sitting in. "If I could direct you to head into the Control tent, I can give you the details of your training exercise."