48

You enter the office ahead of Ahote and Haken, doing your best to put up a friendly smile in the face of an awkward situation. The boy does the same.

"Justin," he says.

"What's that?" you ask.

"My name is Justin."

"Well, Justin," Ahote says, "we'll be needing to take you to a more secure location. I'm sure you understand that we might be a little wary of humans entangling themselves in our private affairs."

"Wait, you've got to hear me out first! I came here to help you!" the boy says, standing up from his chair, a sudden look of concern clouding his face. "At least listen to what I have to say!"

Ahote leans over to you and speaks quietly in your ear. "It might be worth gathering a little information before we take him away, but it's your call. I trust your judgment."

You address the boy. "We have some questions for you."

Justin nods enthusiastically, pleased to be able to offer information of use. "It's to the northwest, away from the military base. The other protesters worked the breach open over the last week at night when the police weren't watching us as closely."

"Protesters?" you ask.

"You know. 'Werewolf Rights Now!' You mean the military hasn't even let you know we've been out there for months?"

"We had no idea," you say, looking first to Ahote, then to Haken. Both shake their heads. "I remember rumors, but they were from a long way back. Years. One time someone scaled the wall, but they got caught by the military."

"I shouldn't be surprised," Justin says. "The government's been stonewalling us, too, and the media won't even report on us, or on you anymore. It's like the entire system wants to just pretend you don't exist. That's what we're trying to fight! You don't belong in a cage! You're just like us, but better! You're evolved! That's gotta be why the politicians are afraid to let you out. They know you're the next step for humanity!"

"But, I, uh…" Justin stammers, unsure how to respond to your anger.

"What Decaarr means to say," Ahote steps in, "is that we've been on our own for so long with the humans as our oppressors, we're not certain that the help of other humans is what we need at this point in time." He walks over to the window and looks out over the expanse of the warehouse. "I must say, however, that I disagree with him on a most fundamental level."

"So why, exactly, did you follow us to our meeting?" Haken asks. "We can sit here and talk bullshit about evolution and inflate our egos with your starry-eyed wonder, but we have things planned that don't account for you. You could have shown up anywhere else, but you chose to crash a quiet gathering held off the grid. Tell me why we shouldn't just throw you right back through the hole in the wall you crawled out of?"

Justin gulps. "Well, I…I mean, we wanted to communicate with you. Find out how the military is really treating you in here, and if it's bad, we could get the word out, try to help somehow, maybe even take pictures of abuses and leak them to the press! Here." He produces a small electronic device from his pocket. "It's a radio. You can talk to us with this, and you can even hear the outside news, too, though Haven is full of interference. It might not always work."

Ahote raises an eyebrow as you pocket the small device. You shrug your shoulders.

"It can't hurt," you say.

"Give us a moment to confer, Justin," Ahote says as the three of you exit the office, closing the door behind you.

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