EXTINCTION WARRIOR

Chapter 25

Tuk stands mutely watching us hugging. He stomps once, and says "Hello Frank and Virginia. It is nice to perceive you."

"Tuttuk!" Dad exclaims, sticks his hand out to shake, and keeps one arm wrapped tight around my shoulder. Mom has her arm around my waist. They're both wearing silk pajamas, but Dad's are so small, the cuffs come to his calves and the sleeves end above his wrists. Mom's are ridiculously big. The pants are so long, they swallow her feet and the sleeves hang below her hands.

Tuk takes Dad's hand,pumps it robotically, and stares at the ground,

"You okay, Tuttuk?"Dad asks, glancing at me with a frown.

"That idiot freak-a-droid head-butted him really hard."I nod. "He hasn't been the same since I rebooted him an hour ago."

"Neural network damage..." Dad nods. "...If we're lucky it's only a component or two, right Tuttuk?" He asks, and ducks down to look in Tuk's eyes.

"Yes Frank. That would be...lucky." Tuk answers. "Luki has damage too. If she is lucky, her ankle will only require a new screw."

"What happened to your foot?" Dad asks concerned.

"And your hair?!" Mom adds, frowning.

"We'll tell you about it on the trip home. Right Tuk?" I ask, smiling at him, hoping he might smile back, but he doesn't, because he can't.

Tuk nods, "I would like that."

"Let's get out of here.It's a long climb back up." I ask.

"You're not climbing anywhere," Dad says, "except piggyback." He turns,bends over, squats a bit, and holds his arms out for my legs.

"Tell me what happened to you!" I reply, and wrap my arms around his neck. As he lifts me up, I'm the happiest I've ever felt before, and squeeze my legs around his waist.

***

Mig leads the way into the crimson blackness, back to the steep stairs. He's the first one up, followed by Mom, then Dad and me. Tuk's last.

"We were unconscious in less than a minute with that many Blue Trance Micro Bolts." Mom says as we enter the kitchen.

"We didn't wake up for forty eight hours. We had no idea where we were." Dad adds, a little out of breath, and looks around the kitchen and out the window.

"Glad to see all the WEAPPs out there." He says.

"We were downstairs, caged in that room when we finally woke up." Mom adds.

"Keep going that way," I point, "There's another stairway at the end, through the doors."

"Am I correct to deduce that you were kidnapped because Red Wolf's scientist died?"Tuk asks, as we trudge up the stairs into the bedroom.

"White Wolf."I whisper.

"Or was murdered. They still don't know." Mom says.

"His body was never found." Dad says, staring at the bed. "Guess you don't get sea sick if you're bed floats like that."

"A brilliant observation, Frank." Tuk offers.

"You're so smart Dad." I say, and squeeze his neck a little tighter.

"But you're right, Tuttuk." Mom continues. "He wanted us because of what we know about endangereds, and Frank's expertise gene editing with CRISPR."

"But why?"I ask.

"Do you know what he planned to do with all the genetic material he  was collecting?" Tuk asks as we enter the dining room. "De-extinction could not have been his goal. Was it Frank?"