Jackie and Keith looked around at the other anthros, and realized, just realized. That were just two among many. They weren't the only people that Hannah had helped, well, maybe they knew that but, hadn't exactly thought about it.
"Maybe deep down, these forms make no different." Jackie muttered to herself. "We're just as prone to killing each other as when we were monkeys."
"Don't say that dear."
"It's true isn't it? I think these forms, just take away the excuses, the lies, we were always uncivilized animals! Now it's just more obvious! I think the feral are just the ones most honest and accepting of themselves than the rest of us!"
Meanwhile, Su Yin was wondering if it would be proper to commit seppuku after she special ordered a sword from outside the park. It felt like the honorable way out. Hannah was dead totally and completely because of her. Maggie was a slave to her instincts and temper, Hannah hadn't even been her target! But Su Yin had been the one to force Hannah back to Marth, to give their friendship a second try... Hannah wouldn't have been there if not for Su Yin.
+++++++
"Anthro is a quant term, but we kinda prefer the term hyper evolved. We're not just humans with animal DNA mixed in. We're the product, of what our non-sentient cousins would have turned into, if they had taken the road of the opposable thumb and balancing on two legs trick too!"
Alexis slowly turned, "Rodney?"
The boar nodded, "That's my name, don't wear it out. I always make it a point to look after the newbies. And what do you mean this place has to be shut down? Sure what happened was awful, but there's no reason the rest of us should suffer."
"This place is evil! Animal DNA being graphed onto humans, and being used as slaughter toys?!"
Rodney shook his tusked head, and counted off on his armored fingers, "One, our DNA wasn't 'graphed' onto a human. Our DNA is 100% primate free. And second, the animals here are getting eaten just like they do in nature. It's half the point of the park is that we're doing thing the way these beasties do in nature. The only exception is that we don't eat the other two legged beasties."
"Why should two or four legs make a difference?"
"Because we can appreciate being eaten, 99% of animals can't. When a chicken's head is cut off, and it run around the barn yard, the other chickens couldn't care LESS of what happened to that chicken. I used to work on a farm, I know. I actually chose this form because I loved Charlotte's Web as a kid."
+++++++
Polanski couldn't stop staring at her butt. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop looking at the rear of the female humanoid husky who was guiding him. It was bad enough her twin was walking right behind him too.
"I'm sure you'll find Mrs. J to be a rational, and reasonable person Agent Polanski." Said the female husky in front of him, she didn't seem to notice or care about his stares.
"I'm, I'm sure she is." Dammit, was this meant to be some cheap distraction? No, these people were in hot enough water as it was to try and pull something this petty. "Er, forgive me for saying so but... can't you well... put on something?"
"Put on what?" The husky asked as if she had no clue what he meant.
"Put some clothes on, sorry I didn't meant to be rude."
"Clothes? Oh! Right! I remember! Sorry, but seriously, biologically, I'm perfectly suited this way. And to be honest, I haven't given them one though since the day after I was modified."
"Doesn't this sort of thing cause... incidents?"
"There has been no recorded rape at Transformation Park USA Sir! And it's a lot less likely to happen than you think. While I'm flattered you think I'm attractive, yes I noticed. I find you as attractive as I would an hyper evolved cat. Or rather, as attractive as you would find a female chimp. I'm not saying you're ugly, you're very hansom sir, but, between species, the attraction just doesn't click."
"Hyper evolved?"
"Do I -look- human to you?"
"Well, sorte, you have the figure."
"If you ran a DNA test on me, you'd find not a trace of primate DNA in me. I'm what a husky would have evolved into, if they had taken the same path as humans would."
That made Polanski shuddered. "I see."
"It's actually a running gag among the huskies, how guests often forget what a human looks like and seeing the look on their faces when they meet one and remember! We're actually discussing building a photo collection. And some police contractors are even considering us as possible officers due to our sense of loyalty and order."
"Sis..." The identical husky woman said, "I don't think we should chit chat with the man who wants to shut us down."
The front husky said, "What?!"
"No mam! I can promise you, I'm not here with the direct intention of terminating your park's legal status. I'm just here to investigate a murder, nothing more."
The front husky collected herself and continued her perky discussion, "Well, the park's by laws forbid -anyone- to enter the park unmodified, normally the husky breed is limited to staff members to prevent fraud by guests, but I think management be willing to make an exception for you-"
"No thank you! I like being human! And I think I'll be able to handle myself just fine as one."
She shurrged, "Meh. Human. Haven't seen what the big deal is for a while now. I walk, I talk, I reason. Who cares if I now evolved from something that barks up trees rather than swings from them."
The back husky threw in her lot, "I just hope your investigation into Beauty Queen Hannah's murder doesn't disrupt the wedding."
"Wedding?!"
"You don't know? We'll be having our first in park wedding soon. Some of us have even ordered under the table for white roses for the bride."
"Sis! Ixna!"
"Oh! Sorry, anyway, here's Madam. J's office. She's expecting you."
Polanski started when a humanoid deer, a doe, walked out of the office, as naked as the rest of the animals on two legs he had seen so far, looked at him once, and walked away.
"She'll see you now."