"This news is.... Most concerning, commander. And you disposed of all the creatures."

"I.... did...regrettably. None of them were viable for life, but you must understand that If i run across one with some semblance of sentience that is not in pain that I will not be able to kill it, and I must insist that you do not either. I.... have a certain.... Attachment to hybrids."

"Of course commander, we understand. However, Your spiderlings are the result of a natural process and not genetic meddling, but if you do run into a creature who is not tormented and racked with pain, then we urge you to bring them in for testing."

"Yes ma'am. Have your scientists determined anything about the experimentation>"

"We determined much, but what we learned had only lead us to more questions than it has answers." The rundi chairwoman gestures with her hand in a dismissive sweeping motion, "Your assumptions were right to begin with. The Prodigum were trying to splice human DNA with their own DNA. The way they were doing it was not particularly scientific. Each of the testing kits that you sent to us contained different variations of DNA implying that they were either trying to find a balance or their operation was being poorly run by people who did not understand what they were doing."

"What do you believe they were trying to do?"

She turned in a circle facing away from him, "We are not entirely sure. With the human DNA we suspect that they were trying to obtain certain attributes of the human condition that would be beneficial to their own furtherment, though what it is I cannot say.

"The ability not to be ugly as hell."

"What was that commander?"

"Nothing ma'am."

"Very well, I want you to start in on this investigation. Figure out what other things they were doing, and determine if anyone else has this technology."

He bowed his head, yes ma'am." The line before him shut off and he stood on the center of the bridge hands behind his back.

"What you looking for?"

He turned around blinking in surprise when he found a large furry shape standing behind him.

Glados.

It always blindsided him at how big she was getting. She was as tall as Krill now, almost three feet in height, and the peach fuzz baby fur on her wolfish head and body had long since died off.

The hair on her face was short and tawny though the hair on the rest of her body was still prone to greyish, more like a tarantula than a human.

He took a seat in his chair, and she scuttled over resting her head on his lap.

He ran a hand over her ears, "I think something strange is going on."

"Strange?" She wondered.

Behind him he heard the scuttling of two other forms as Hal and Glados came crawling onto the bridge.

Man they were getting massive. They were no longer big enough for him to carry, though they tried very hard to keep that traidiona alive, an attempt that usually left him lying on the floor in mock agony as they screeched at each other about having killed him.

"What are you going to do?" Cortana's voice was warped and distorted, like he was hearing it through a static radio or the voicebox of a warped doll.

"Well, luckily for all of us, I think I know exactly where to start."

***
Commander Vir and Sunny stood together on the slow-moving elevator into the abyss. Down in the chasm light passed by them on either side as the night life of Noctopolis went on at the fast-paced rhythm that it always had.

He leaned against the railing, while Sunny stayed planted in the middle of the platform.

"You know that if this thing drops and we fall, standing there isn't going to keep you alive." He mused.

"Yes, but it will keep me from accidentally falling off. Now get over here before you give me a heart attack."

"Can Drev even have heart attacks."

"Perhaps not in the same way, but it applies.... Please."

He sighed, "Fine." Stepping away from the rail and walking over to where she was standing.

"Why are we even here?"

"Because, I think I know some people who might be able to help us?"

"How is that."

He taped his foot against the metal, "I have a sneaking suspicion that the prodigum weren't the first people to come up with the idea of hybridization. I think that they were either trying to replicate, or someone sold them the secrets on how to do it, and if that is the case, why would someone want to make a hybrid."

"Mix a human and a Drev and you get an indomitable warrior." Sunny mused

"There is that.... But who do you think might want a hybrid child."

She looked on blankly at him, "One of those circus people/"

He shook his head and waved a hand, "I have a sneaking suspicion that this has something to do with hybrid couples."

Sunny's eyes widened, "You mean LFIL... " She trailed off and he nodded

"Think about it, if there is a market, A Tesraki is going to try and fill it. So say one of their friends is in a relationship with a man and one day they overhear how the couple really wants kids, but they can't have them. They think about adopting, and that's fine, but one of them muses what would happen if it could actually work, and then the third gets a brilliant idea."

"I suppose it's possible."

"I suppose it's probable, and while I like the LFIL guys, not all of the are going to be upstanding citizens who say no to experimental genetic testing."

The elevator stopped and the two of them got off walking out into the underground tunnels.

"Where are we going."

"I've been invited to come stop by in their area on one or two occasions, you know after what I did at the last protest."

"Of course, leave it to you to make friends with literally everyone."

HE smiled but kept walking shouldering his way down the alley until they finally reached the place he was looking for. Red and purple neon glowed around them, and –through the floor– they could hear the driving beat of the music."

Together the two of them pushed open the door and stepped into the dark hallway.

The walls before them were lined with images of little strings of lights. Most of them were depictions of couples in loving poses holding hands hugging or some other form of affection. Little plaques below the pictures read out their stories.

The commander and Sunny walked past these stepping into the large open room.

Music rattled the floor. On one half of the room humans and Drev danced to a driving beat, while on the other Tesraki, Finnari, Drev and Humans alike lounged about a s drinks were brought to them from the nearby bar.

More figures could be seen up on the balconies playing pool and darts and generally laughing.

Sunny stepped up beside him.

A live band played at the other end of the room."

"Where do we start?" She wondered

He motioned towards the bar, "Where everyone starts."

Together they shouldered their way through the crowd, though they did not go unnoticed. As a few people turned to recognize them drinks were lifted or they were patted on the back given friendly smiles or waves of approval.

They had almost made it to the bar when most of the crowd turned to look at them.

The music cut off

The commander sighed, "I was hoping that wouldn't happen."

"Is that the commander!"

He grimaced and turned on the spot to face the stage where the live band had now turned the entire room to look at them, "It is you! Everyone give this man and his friend Sunny a round of applause!"

He felt his face go red as the entire room erupted in cheering.

He waved a hand trying to get them back to what they were doing.

A few of the people on the dance floor motioned them over, "Come dance with us!" They urged .

"Sorry guys, official business. Maybe later."

They looked disappointed, but allowed the others to go on. The music started back up, but most of the attention was on them as they made their way over to the bar. When they got there, the bar tender was already waiting.

He was a very tall and skinny man with a studded jacket and a bright green Mohawk. At his side a Finnari was busy pouring drinks.

"Can I get official business a drink? It'll be on the house."

"Sorry, I don't drink on duty"

"Not even soda, or juice."

"Well I suppose that would be alright."

The punk smiled at the little Finnari, "You mind, dear.

She nodded and scurried off popping off a bottle lid and pouring the commander a glass while simultaneously passing Sunny another strange concoction which looked like someone was trying to marinate about half a cucumber worth of cucumber slices in some water.

Sunny seemed to enjoy it though.

"So what can we do for you."

He seemed almost eager to help the two of them out.

The commander took a sip of his drink, "Well, I can't say specifics, but..... The GA discovered something recently, and whatever it is could be a game changer for the rest of the galaxy.... Do you know of anyone who has been approached by a group or organization that.... Claims to be able to splice two species DNA together?" he kept his voice low hoping that no one would hear him over the music.

He wasn't expecting the reaction he got.

The man's eyes immediately widened, and he held up a hand, "Hold on. There is someone I thin you need to talk to."

Sunny and him exchanged glances but, after a moment the punk bartender returned with two others. A tall woman and her Tesraki partner. The group of them shook hands as they returned before business got more serious.

"So.... you know something about this? The commander wondered.

They glanced at each other, "About... the DNA thing?"

He nodded.

The Tesraki snorted, "Someone approached us with some sort of business proposal, and of course I didn't take it seriously. I know shady business practices when I see them, I said to silvia I says that they will probably tack on charges to us as everything goes along until eventually we owe them the house and the car." He waved his hand, "Besides hybrids, there is just something I don't like about that."

"So someone approached you?"

"Targeted us more like." The human said crossing her arms, "Came up to us all shady like asking personal questions about our love life. About how we could have kids if we wanted how it wasn't fair that we got to see other people with happy families where we can." She snorted, "Bitch please, there are plenty of orphaned children out there that it would be more than a little selfish, in my opinion, to bring some kind of strange hybrid abomination into this world."

"You didn't take their offer seriously?"

"Of course we didn't. It was probably some kind of scam anyway."

"Has anyone else gotten these offers?" he wondered

She paused, "Well not that I think about it a few people have, but all of us have sort of ignored it. No one that I know would willingly involve themselves in something like that. Genetic tampering is illegal after all other than for reasons of medical research."
The commander nodded, "And how about everyone else here. Do they share the same views as you.... Or do you think they would be willing to make a deal like that."

He saw the answer in her eyes before she even said it.

She was unsure.

"Well." She glanced down at her partner, "Now that I think about it. There are a few people... eccentrics mind you."

The Tesraki leaned forward, "He means unstable. Our entire community isn't a haven for the misjudged and oppressed. There are some real craizes in here for very wrong reasons. Some eccentrics who just think its fun to be different." he glanced around, "They give the rest of us a very bad name, and I would wager to say that something like that would not be above them."

"And where have these people been approaching you?"

The woman shrugged, "Usually in LFIL friendly bars like this one, but since this one was recently accepted by an establishment by the state things have cleaned up around here.

"I see." he glanced at Sunny, "Looks like we have some work to do."

She nodded.

He smiled, "What do you think, what to be my date for a night out of espionage"

She snorted, "You're gonna have to buy me a drink first."

"Playing hard to get, I see how it is." He glanced at the bartender, "Another one of those.... cucumber .... thingies but after that I'm going to need about five gallons of nail polish, some hair dye and a shitty prosthetic leg."

"Kinky." The bartender commented on his way back.

"You can shut your trash mouth. I don't tell you how to spend your free time."

The group of them laughed for a minute as the commander moved back to being serious glancing back at the room full of people.

What might they know, and how many of them could potentially be involved.

He didn't want to think ill of anyone, but desperation makes people do some strange things