OUTCASTS

Shalimar looked at his interface display with dismay. His data search was being slowed by increased security. He frowned, and waited for his system to overcome. There were decided advantages to being the designer of the system and the interface. He had left backdoors and patches in the core that they would ever find. They would never recognize them for what they were. Yet, this morning, the datamaster for all of the Homeworld was being denied access to his system.

He would get access, in time. The nagging question as he watched the flashing holographic display was why he had been barred.

A second window opened in the dataspace flow around him. It held an image of a sentinel, whose monotone voice read the High Council's proceedings. This too, was odd, for he had instructed the system to eavesdrop only when select subject matter was discussed. Shalimar closed but did not abandon his first aperture with a wave of his paw, enlarging the second image until it was the size of his wall. He stood on the telescope balcony, and listened intently to the government sponsored drone.

"..has been further decided by the Council, meeting in closed session for State Security, that effective at once all subjects of the Empire who are born with the abilities of telekinesis and or telepathy must be registered with the State. All such adults are exempted from registration at the present time, but any mated pair registering such offspring, natural or adopted, shall have their parenting permits revoked."

Shalimar cursed as he waved the sentinel and his propaganda out of existence.

He turned angrily and looking toward the dome, thought a name.

Karnat!

The sound system of the observatory filled the stately dome with a smooth authoritarian voice whose tones barely disguised the speaker's contempt.

"That's DOCTOR Karnat, my Dear Doctor Shalimar."

"Don't lecture me on protocol, Doctor. Just tell me why my search has been delayed." Shalimar growled.

There was a protracted and uncomfortable silence from the sound system.

Doctor Karnat! Shalimar's telepathic send was edged with anger this time.

"I'm Sorry--Doctor Shalimar. That research has been suppressed by the High Council." The clearly embarrassed voice stammered.

Stay there, I am coming to you!

Shalimar vaulted the fifty feet to the floor of the observatory as if they were nonexistent. He landed at a dead run that let him lope across the rotunda almost before the echoes of his last thought died in his mind.

The panel that was Doctor Karnat's office door slid back without being touched, helped by Shalimar's telekinesis. He bolted thru the opening, and without stopping, leapt up onto the Administrator's desk! Shalimar set the small opossum in a stark and angry stare. The puny paper pusher was already quaking so hard that he seemed to be sitting on a vibrating chair! Karnat's flat gray fur was standing on end in fright, and his black eyes and heart were nearly catatonic with fear. The opossum was a formidable fur bearer for his size and species, but it would have taken two more of him to equal half the strength in the paw that Shalimar set on Karnat's quivering chest, pinning him to his chair as if the marsupial was a doll.

Karnat's eyes went wide with stark terror. He held his hands up before him, pushing back hard on the powerful lion's heaving chest. Shalimar's deep set amber eyes were raging thunderheads of anger.

"YOU BETRAYED ME!! MY WORK! EVERYTHING!! Shalimar roared as the marsupial paper pusher nearly fell over backwards in his chair.

"It wasn't my idea! Ask them! It was them!! Them!" Karnat shouted, certain that he had seen his last moment of life and his first as prey to the enraged white lion.

Shalimar snorted with contempt, sweeping reams of carefully stacked papers into a cloud of falling leaves. The great cat's gaze shifted as Shalimar set his sight on a pair of uniformed felines standing impassively at the back of the office.

They stepped forward with a swagger Shalimar knew all too well. Yet the pair of feline faces also showed surprise that bordered on shock. The historical pictures and even the images in his file did the tremendous white cat little justice. He was four times the size of the average quadruped fur bearer, and his tremendous body was as lean and well muscled as it was large.

Shalimar's glance was withering in its scorn. Both smaller cats realized that the famous lion could probably break all three of them with ease.

The cats exchanged worried glances. This one would have to be handled with tact, in place of the intimidation that had worked so well on the small marsupial.

"This is Officer R'yn Tau and I am Overseer K'u Ri." The taller of the bipedal cats began to say. He stepped forward, extending a paw that held a baton under Shalimar's nose. "HUMPH!" Shalimar snorted again, fogging the bronze standard with a breath of contempt. "What has the Internal Security Service to do with this?"

K'u Ri smiled, trying to be disarming. Shalimar knew better. "Merely enforcing the High Council's newest policy, Doctor Shalimar."

"Really?" Shalimar punctuated his question by sitting down heavily, blocking the doorway into the dome with a wall of white fur and muscle. Karnat's entire office shook. "And what new policy is this?" The scientist mockingly inquired. "Remedial education for thugs and lackeys?"

The pair of feline faces fell flat, into an officious frown. The second of the two cats quickly produced a notebook and scribbled something quickly. Shalimar looked on with defiance in his eyes. "Tell junior to take this down as well, if he really can spell." Shalimar told them coldly. "My works and any research I choose to undertake have the full backing of the Council. They are classified as Important to the State."

"Yes." K'u Ri said. "I read your file before coming over from the Nexis, Doctor Shalimar. Permit me, if you will one small correction in your most accurate statement. Your works had the full backing of the council. Until three hours ago."

The second officer paused in his scrawling long enough to take a folded piece of paper from the inside pocket of his uniform coat. He held it out to Shalimar with a venomous smile. "You can read a Council Warrant, can't you, kitty?" He asked in a sickening sweet tone.

The ornate paper was plucked from the feline paw by an unseen energy that allowed it to hover easily in mid-air while the scientist's disbelieving and mistrustful eyes swept it, looking in vain for sign of falsehood or forgery.

Shalimar's eyes were resolute as he looked again at the pair of law cats. "This states that I must suspend work, but you also know that before you can take custody of a single crystal, I have the right of appeal."

That smile appeared again."Of course, Doctor Shalimar, for now, we are only messengers."

They walked out of the office, across the rotunda and out the far door without another word.

"I--I'm sorry-- Doctor Shalimar." Karnat spoke in a small voice. Shalimar never heard it. He walked toward his beloved telescope, his pace heavy and slow, his head and shoulders low.

Across the great and sprawling expanse of the capital, far and away from science and lofty ideals, another set of eyes clouded with rage, and then gave in to sorrow, their fire extinguished in a flow of tears. Again and again, in the same awful monotone, the sentinel's announcement repeated, blanketing the populace, so that none could claim ignorance.

"I just don't understand, Shantal. Why should we loose our parenting permits?" She asked, her green eyes full of fear.

Shantal took her mate into her arms. "I dunno baby. I don't wanna have to register him either, but for now, what else can we do? They're bound to find out sooner or later, and if they find him unregistered, they might-" She dreaded finishing her thought.

"Couldn't we leave?"

"And where could we go, Shari? You know they suspended travel permits for gifted citizens last month."

Shari nodded. She knew, but it was her last hope. "Why Shantal? Why us?"

The tall slender vixen shrugged, and then cuddled in close to her Lifemate. "I guess it's because we're easy targets and the State can't admit its mistakes."

"You mean we're--?"

"Scapegoats. Exactly"

"Damn Militarists." Shari spat in a disgusted whisper. "Aggressive expansion! Bah! Weapons instead of food. Uniforms instead of clothes. No wonder the economy is ruined." The shorter vixen's blue eyes flashed with anger and a fear made more terrible by hopelessness.

Shantal managed a brave smile. "I had to fall in love with an economist."

"An unemployed one at that!" Shari snapped bitterly. "Any regrets?

Shantal nodded. "A few."

Shari looked at her, surprised. "What?"

Shantal nuzzle nipped her Mate's neck. She loved feeling Shari stiffen and then melt!

That we didn't meet sooner! Shantal thought at her mate as Shari cuddled with her Lifemate.

The sentinel's message repeated endlessly. As it filed thousands of lives with despair, there were those on the Homeworld who found relief, if not joy in the news. One of them stopped his search in a dingy alley, rapping lightly on a heavy door with no handle on the outside. The rhythm of the knock brought a tapped response from inside, and the vault-like door opened with surprising quickness to admit him.

Inside the vaulted room, he was free to remove his cloak. It was swept from his shoulders by a pair of gentle pastel blue paws, whose touch he knew at once.

"Hello Shomron." She chirped pleasantly.

"I'm glad you made it Aurora-San! Is Vladimir here, as well?"

Aurora nodded. Yes, Shomron-San, They brought me. Another State sponsored rally in our tract today. The Skiltaire's thoughts carried a note of sadness.

The cheetah smiled at the diminutive otter-like figure, and bent slightly at his knees so the capable sableine paws could gently massage his sleek shoulders.

Shomron reached back, over his relaxing shoulder, allowing his own paw to find the top of the Skiltaire's head.

Aurora's antennae uncurled slowly beneath the Cheetah's digits, and the arboreal female sighed, as much from momentary pleasure as from the worry that Shomron could feel from her. Slowly, he turned to face her as she stood on the padded stool that was her customary seat. Aurora's eyes were as blue as cobalt and usually held a light as soft and gentle as their owner. But this time, all Shomron could sense was worry.

The long cat grimaced. Did anyone else need to evacuate?

"Yes." Aurora spoke quietly. "Lollo and Krista were taken, but the rest of us are here."

"Don't worry, Aurora-San." The cheetah spoke as well, punctuating his reassurance with a gentle nuzzle. "We still have friends. Nothing will happen to them if their records cannot be found."

"How many here tonight?" The cat asked.

Nearly one hundred. Our biggest gathering yet. Aurora sent.

"Splendid! We have a lot to do, so lets get started."

Everyone has been fed. And we have assigned everyone a new home with the underground.

All ready? That usually takes two or three days!

Aurora smiled modestly. Well, Vlad and I thought your staff could use some help.

Shomron's smile broadened. If we had twenty more like you two, maybe we could restore our democracy. It would happen so fast not even the High Council would know until it was too late!

Aurora blushed, and turned to lead the cheetah into the steep passageway that led down to the shelter.

They looked up at the staircase as Aurora led Shomron into the room. The resistance leader's heart tore at him as he saw tens of faces and muzzles gazing up at him. Every race and species, some expectant, others angry, almost all of them fearful, some hiding it better than others. He knew nearly all of them, and had grown from kithood with many of them. A leaden hush filled the room as Shomron fought his emotions, so that words and not tears would issue from his mind and muzzle.

"Friends." he began, struggling to keep his voice from braking. "Today--Today, evil has supplanted freedom. Each of us must carry the light of that freedom thru the nite of terror which the oppressors drape like a dark vale over us."

He paused, drawing a deep breath.

"For many months, we have been divided as a community, some seeking reconciliation, hoping for better things. Others amongst us have seen the darkness gather and grow, nourished by tyranny. We have been divided, and evil has conquered."

There was a low murmur in the room. Some began to weep softly.

Shomron summoned iron resolve to continue. "This--Is--no time for weeping, my free people. Now is the hour of decision. We free people must choose and chart a path, lest the freedom we now carry within us be extinguished, and our way of life fall forever into darkness. While those of us who chose to resist also hoped for healing in time, the resistance has chosen to pursue an alternative possibility." The cheetah informed his people.

Surely, you do not counsel submission to this injustice? Someone thought at him from the midst of the sad assembly.

No Thought Shomron to his fellows. "Never!" He spoke and sent with a dash of defiance. "There is another alternative." He told them, his voice and thoughts rising in hope. He paused again, and with resolution in his mind and heart, prepared to give his destitute people a rich but risk filled hope. As he spoke and sent, the room was overtaken by a hopeful whisper.