Chapter 2

Wednesday, October 11, 2045

I woke up long before my alarm would normally goes off, and found that falling back to sleep was impossible. I lay there for several minutes, before I finally gave up on sleep and headed to the bathroom for my morning shower. Once done, I descended the stairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. I found that sometime in the evening Laura and my father had cleaned up the dining room. Normally in the morning I would make something simple, but a look at the clock revealed that my early awakening had left me ready for school with more than an hour to spare before I would have to leave if I wanted to arrive on time. Instead of the usual cereal and toast, I pulled out a mixing bowl and started work on an omelet. The pan had just about reached the perfect temperature when a thought came to me, and I rushed to the pantry to get some additional ingredients. Five minutes later I had two hot omelets each on its own plate sitting on a tray along with toast and juice. I carefully climbed the steps and knocked on the door to my father's bedroom.

I heard some movement in the room and pushed the door open. Laura and my father were lying in bed spooned together underneath a blanket. "It's time to rise and shine. It's a workday and breakfast is served."

Laura unwound herself from my father and slowly sat up. I discovered that she was wearing the nightgown that had been part of my gift to her. I had chosen the gown after a conversation with my father, but had underestimated just how much it enhanced her beauty. I felt blood rush to my face as I held the tray out to her and my father.

Laura smiled and my father laughed. "He likes the nightgown, nutgirl," he said.

"Look at him blush."

Laura elbowed him in the ribs, but laughed as well. "I didn't hear any complaints from you last night, husband to be." She then reached out to take the tray. "Are you really that accepting for all of this Hector? Everyone at the schools tells me that you are a leader in the pure human faction."

I shook my head. "Mother forced me to join back when I was ten. Since then two close friends have undergone MORFS and I have done a bit of research about it. There is no question in my mind that the transformations are not some kind of divine punishment nor do they turn humans into animals. I do not wish to change, but I don't condemn anyone just because they have. My staying with the pure faction has been mostly to protect those who would otherwise be attacked by people like Darryl and Gina."

As I finished Laura was looking at me with a surprising amount of respect. "I think I understand. That's a dangerous path to walk though. What will happen if Darryl and the others realize that you aren't as faithful to their dogma as they are?"

I shrugged. "I only have to last one more year, and other than Tristan none of the current militant pures are close to my size. Darryl is mostly talk, and the others that hang with him are not the types to fight someone who can fight back. I should be fine."

With that I nodded once more to my father and then retreated to the dining room to eat my own breakfast. I had finished and was cleaning the kitchen when Laura, now dressed in one of her professional outfits, jumped down the stairs and called out to me.

"Need a ride to the school?"

"Perhaps another time," I replied. "I made a promise to meet with a friend and walk to school with him, and I should run or I'll be late." I finished rinsing the last glass and grabbed my backpack as I rushed out the door.

Two blocks from home, I found Allan waiting for me. He waved as I walked up.

"If it isn't the terror of the gridiron," he called. "Have you decided on the subject for your term paper?" he asked. Allan Stone is a fellow senior, but one of the few "pures" who openly stood against any prosecution of students. He was not a big man, standing only five foot six and of slender build, but everyone knew he was absolutely fearless. His academic marks had him ranked never worse than second, and after school he often tutored freshmen. I shared advanced English with him and we had promised to discuss our term papers, which were due by the end of the semester. I am writing about the last century in entertainment and how a combination of advancing technology and MORFS had changed entertainment over time. Allan is doing the same with sports. We try to meet in the morning before school one or two times a week to discuss our research and suggest new resources, which might benefit each of us. Both of us understand that once on campus we must avoid each other in order avoid angering the militants