Chapter 1

Knocking on my office door offers me a good distraction from the problem I was thinking about. Enter. "We've identified all of those with the mage gift but before we start training them, you and I have to get the classrooms shielded so no one gets hurt. Do you agree Dawnslight with Chekov's assessment? "Only partly Tom. What I see is that we haven't identified everyone with the mage gift and that's dangerous if they suddenly show it." Not as dangerous as you think dear. I've discussed the issue with Checkov and we've come up with a possible solution that should at least protect everyone from a sudden outburst. "Oh? What did you come up with?" The idea is to begin teaching everyone how to channel their fear, anger and such into a reservoir of power that will be used by both mages and healers. This should provide a place for any unexpected power surges to be dumped without hurting people. "Sounds like it might work but how do you plan on teaching this?" It's going to become part of everyone's morning routine as meditation. Help clear the mind and focus. By teaching it this way, I'm hoping the process becomes habit so that when someone needs it, they'll be use it automatically, with the result of calming themselves while adding to the reservoir.

"Okay, I can see what you're thinking and it does make sense even if it doesn't add energy like you hope." That's just one of the side effects of teaching them to meditate. What I'm really hoping for is to calm everyone down and start advancing the martial arts training. I feel that many of the older pups will be able to help me refine the Katas that Shawn and I developed. That's going to be useful once the new training command is setup and we start getting both recruits and any transformed troops that need to be retrained. In that regards, I've asked HQ to assemble a list of all surviving troops plus to pass the word that anyone who has been transformed is to report here for a training review. That's going to be damn hard work though we've at least got Mike and the others run the reviews and select the first batch of advanced trainees. It'll be a couple of weeks for them to be ready for me to start. For the others, Dennis is going to have fun running the first Refresher course just to get them familiar with the changes needed. Sudden laughter from Checkov who then says "I can see it now. Dennis is going to have them sleeping in piles out in the field if you give him half a chance". Thanks Checkov, I can just see it, "Someone wakes up with a tail in his face and his nose placed in some ones crotch." Just thinking about it makes me laugh, particularly after seeing pile of pups sleeping just that way.

You know what Checkov? That's not a bad idea really. I'm going to tell Dennis and Mike to do it. You've both seen how the pups sleep. Someone's nose always ends up in the wrong place though they've adjusted to it. We do need to get the marines adjusted to their new conditions as quickly as possible while working on their skills. Don't ask me why but I feel like the clock is ticking and that in some way we're going to need them and they'll need to be completely comfortable with each other and themselves. Both of them leave the office with smiles on their faces. The idea is so practical and damn unconventional.

Phoning Malecky, I give him the new order that the barracks are to have platform beds just like the kids use here and be prepared for several fights because of where someone's nose ends up during the night. "I think I see where you're going with this. The troops have to be totally comfortable and trust each other don't they?" Yep. It's going to get them used to the differences very quickly and when we start working them through the new Katas, things are really going to start popping. The biggest issue we're going to have to watch out for is bigotry and such. I'm expecting to see shit like happened to the five you brought over and that's got to be stopped before it even starts. Of course there's going to be idiots, you know that as well as I do so there will be a few ass kicking's in the future for me. Damn I hate that part but in this case, it's going to be worth every black and blue mark I end up with. They'll acknowledge me as the Alpha or they wont live very long. "What?" Damn it Dennis, don't scream in my ear. As I said, all of them are going to accept me as "The ALPHA" because there can only be One and I'm willing to enforce that using Lethal Force. Keep in mind that once done learning the new Katas, these pups will be the most dangerous monsters we've ever had to hunt and it's why all of them will acknowledge me as the one and only alpha. The will learn that I can and will beat them and unlike Shawn, if they challenge, it's going to be very quick and dirty because I will kill them if needed. There is too much at risk here and I fear the clock is ticking. No I don't know why it's ticking but I hear it in my mind and things are going to get nasty so these pups have to be ready for it. Since that's out of the way, Tell Gary I expect you and him, along with Johnson for dinner tonight after which, we can discuss any problems that have cropped up.

Hanging the phone up, I take a moment and reflect on the many changes that have happened. The most visible is the transformations the plague has caused. One fear I have is that someone will vilify the survivors as demons or devils since they look like creatures out of legends. Thankfully, we've had little problem with that since farming folks simply don't give a damn most times. If you can do the work and stand by your word, you're accepted on that basis. That's far better than the vague reports that Sam brings me from Crime-net. That's one of the things I'm worried about and why I told Dennis that any transformed troops will have to accept me as The Alpha. Something to discuss with them is the command structure as I suspect the normal structure wont work with the morphs if they accept the pack mentality I'm pushing for, which means we're going to have issues with "Beta's and Gamma's". The main problem there is that Beta's are usually second only to the alpha and that's got to be addressed. I'd prefer sticking with the standard ranks and let each unit figure out who their Beta is but that's where the trouble is coming from. We're going to have to separate the Beta's from leadership unless they have the rank and get it through their heads that the NCO's and Officers have command. It's the same as with any recruit. Some don't realize that Command is not just being the boss and we'll have to watch things closely.

Having gotten a handle on that, it's time to find Checkov and start shielding the mage classrooms. Damn that just gave me another thing to worry about. We're going to have to test all of the troops for mage and healer gifts. Any that show them are going to end up here for training, which means my idea of incorporating meditation into our morning routine will have to be done for the troops. Now that's not a bad idea. If we're successful, it should help cut down on many of the problems we'd normally face while providing a very large reservoir of energy for future needs. Let's get started on those classrooms, I say having found Checkov in the Salle. Entering the first room, we close the door before beginning and stand in the center of the room. How do we do this? "It's fairly simple. All we have to do is switch to mage sight and draw strands of power over all of the walls, ceiling and floor." Ceiling and Floor? "We are shielding the entire room Alpha, not just the walls. If something goes wrong, it could just as easily go up as into the ground, so we shield everything." Okay you start and I'll follow this first pass.

Seeing how Checkov lays the barest of frameworks, I'm soon able to duplicate what he's done but with far greater strength and soon the first room is fully shielded. The next rooms take but minutes to shield, which gets me thinking about the reservoir we need to create. Asking him "What method are we going to use to create that pool?" I don't know is his answer. "I haven't really thought about it and it might be more in line with Spock's abilities then mine." I thought mages were all the same. "No Alpha. We're not all the same. Just like troopers, some are better in one area while others are better at something else. In this case, I've got the knowledge needed to lay the shields and start teaching but Spock's different. For some reason, she is linked with you and knows far more then I do. She's also much stronger than me" he says in a whisper.

Yes, for good or ill Spock and I are linked and have been since I found her on my porch. Looking at him with Mage sight and say "Yes she is stronger but then she is older and at full strength now while you are still a pup, though babe in arms is more app and nowhere near adult strength as she is." Suddenly seeing the future, Prophecy strikes me and I shiver.

Checkov stands before the gathered army, desperation written large upon his frame yet calm and determined is his expression. A horde of demons. Creatures from the lowest pit of hell attack, slaying many as he casts the spell to send them back."

Looking at me in worry, he asks, "what is wrong Alpha? I smell fear and anguish from you yet see nothing to cause it." Striving to keep my tone calm and even, I know it's a lost cause as he's already smelt the worry. I now understand a dream I've had many times over the years is a prophecy of what may come though I dearly hope it does not. It also explains why I feel like the Clock is Ticking and an urge to hurry and get the training base running along with the school we are developing. Shaking a bit to dispel the affect of prophecy before heading down the hall I suddenly remember the Dinner meeting with Gary and Dennis to discuss any problems they've not found solutions for. Calling Checkov back to my side I tell him, Find Spock and meet me in my office for Lunch. We've got some things to discuss about how we're going to work the marine training once they start arriving. Stepping into the kitchen, I give Callie a quick hug before grabbing my lunch tray. I'm now in the habit of having working lunches in my office during the week and today is no exception, so Callie provides me a tray full of finger food that can be nibbled on during meetings and once there, I brew a fresh pot of Tea as I can no longer drink coffee and it seems to be an issue for all mages. Spock and Checkov soon arrive and we get to work. The first problem we need to discuss is mages and how we are going to find and train the new ones that will be with the troops coming for retraining. How did you two determine a person had the gift? "We don't know dad. All we have to do is look at someone to see if they have the gift small though it might be." That'll work for the time being but we either have to find others who can do the same thing or develop a simple tool that anyone can use. Suddenly sniffing the air, I look at both of them and ask, alright, who needs a bath? Checkov answers with "it's not something a bath will fix. Spock is coming into heat." Is that what I smell? How's it affecting you dear? "What? You can't be serious Checkov. I'm not ready to breed yet!" "Don't blame me sis. It's part of life and yes that's what both of us are smelling, faint though it is. I wonder how you are able to smell it because I can barely scent it yet." Hel, I don't know but I'm going to have to think how this will affect the incoming troops since I've seen how single minded dogs can get when a bitch is in heat. Making a note, I'll take it up with Gary and Dennis as a problem we have to think about. Don't need anyone coming up pregnant though it'll happen soon enough as things settle down.

Gary, Dennis, I've got a doozy of a problem and it's going to hit in a few weeks. Simply put, Spock has started her first heat and I'm worried what'll happen when all the girls enter heat at the same time. Will it be anything like what happens when any bitch comes into season. All the damn dogs in the neighborhood try to get to her. Do we want to try to control the situation and if so, what options do we have? Right now I don't have any ideas simply because I don't have anything to base them on. "Oh boy Tom. That is certainly going to be interesting for all of us. Right now, we're fairly well off on base as there aren't too many females in the service that survived the plague. The option is simply to keep them restricted to base and work their tails off so they don't have the energy to get into trouble." The big question Dennis, is how many will go into heat at the same time? If it's anything like dogs, it'll be anything between ten to twenty percent at the same time. If they all go into heat, then all I can think of is to hide in the basement. I don't want to get involved with that. What do you think Gary? "For some reason, I'm not too worried about the issue and no I haven't a clue why. Thinking about it, I suspect things are going to be closer to Wolves then Dogs, meaning that only the Alpha and one of two others are allowed to breed. This does depend on local resources though so when hunting is slim, only the Alpha breeds. When things are plentiful, then a few more but the control is the Alpha. Now if things go like the dog breeds, there will be two heats a year. Anywhere's between ten to twenty percent will then go into heat and drive us nuts for a couple of weeks then things settle down to the normal quiet roar we've gotten so used to." Gary, If we follow the pack mentality as closely as I suspect, we're going to have issues with "Beta's and Gamma's". Betas are seen as second only to the Alpha, who is also the Pack leader and that's going to cause problems for us. Gammas though are the grunts and real backbone of the pack because they're as common as grunts are. The smart ones end up as Betas while the strongest betas eventual end up as Alphas or dead trying.