Intermission

Tailer led Jack in the direction he was already headed.

Jack privately considered the situation and tested the tether to see how well Tailer was connected to Jack.

I know you ended Catu's cycle early. But I don't understand why? What harm was Catu's existence to you?

"Won't work Jacky," Amused, Tailer offered. "I can read your processing and it matters little to me. Catu was a necessary step in this direction. Sometimes personal sacrifice is required for the greater good of others. I don't expect you to understand the cost to me nor to be sympathetic."

Then why? Jack queried. He then relaxed his processing and moved to a separate partition and continued his thoughts. Tailer cannot access me here. Once we get past Wolley and breach the security beacons, I'll sever this connection and end Tailer's cycle as he did Catu's! Friend indeed! No matter. I'll go along and win Tailer's trust.

Even at their clipped pace of 45 miles per hour, it would still take two weeks to reach Wolley.

"Why doesn't truly matter to you Jacko," Tailer drawled. "Eventually, I'll maneuver past your protected partition. You see, I have a secret as well. You cannot be the only extended BR with secrets." Tailer chuckled and appeared to enjoy the challenge of Jack and his encryption puzzle. His grin widened as he looked away from Jack.

Two weeks! Undaunted, Jack smiled in return.

Tedium

Petre watched Hill as the laptop lid closed with a snick!

"Jack really doesn't understand what has happened to him, does he?" Petre looked hopefully at Hill.

Hill didn't reply. He continued to look thoughtfully at the lid of the notebook. No other BR unit, besides Jack, knew the truth about Hill.

Hill was one of the original BRs designed by Master Tabbyweather and, therefore, didn't suffer cycle year expiration shutdowns like newer model designs. Hill was unique, like Jack, in more ways than the obvious. To the untrained eye, Hill (short for Hilary Bunny Rabbit) had all the appearance of a natural soft-furred, large-eared, burrowing mammal of the family Leporidae. In other words, he looked like a real, alive bunny rabbit.

Hill had be genetically engineered with a few component modifications as a whimisical birthday present for Master Tabbyweather's daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a fragile child with poor health and severe allergies to all things mammalian and furry. She delighted in rabbits, especially, and suffered many epinephren pens to cozy with her favored pet, a live rabbit she named, Ashley. Upon Ashley's untimely death, due to the snuffles, Master Tabbyweather embarked upon the task of recreating a pet for his beloved Elizabeth which would bring her delight, but not hazzard her health further.

Hill was a remarkable success and brought Elizabeth many hours of joy, companionship and years of educational tutelage.

Before Elizabeth's certain death, she arranged for Hill's longevity and emancipated him. In an unprecendented legal move, Hill inherited voting rights, a modest income and seven acres of protected land complete with rolling hills, a natural spring, bird sanctuary (for they shared a love of birding), and a complete computerized lab facililty to sate Hill's technological research and development exploits. The estate was named Lizborough Sanctuary. No human had clearance to tresspass into this protected land. Many assumed the Lady Tabbyweather had succumbed to her eccentricities and wrote off the protected land as a collossal waste of money and silly excuse to protect some furry rodents. Lizborough Sanctuary was erased from human consciousness.

Hill's lab was a underground labyrinth built soley to his specifications. No expense was spared. No technology was too advanced. Here Hill and Jack had perfected their secret.

In this serene, safe setting, Petre and Hill pondered Jack's escape.