Jeremy knew he was facing the greatest crisis of his position as "lord of the deer." It wasn't that he couldn't take the punk in a fair fight--it was obvious to his experienced eye that Chad hadn't fully adjusted to his anthro body yet, and Jeremy's experience in stag fights was going to count hugely--it just wasn't clear this was going to be a fair fight. Rumors were flying that these new bucks had some kind of in with management, and it was possible that their bodies were somehow enhanced. Chad didn't seem as worried as he should be. Jeremy decided it was time to talk to the only people in management he trusted, the huskies. Too bad Naomi was gone--bringing her on side against some macho assholes harassing females would have been child's play, but Harry had a good reputation.
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Unbelievable. Harry had just finishing reaming the technicians in charge of transformation. They hadn't bothered to check the new huskies against the permanent records kept of the somatype of everyone who had ever been through the transformation process at the Park? Nobody had caught that James, ok, Goldie now, was red-flagged?
He stared at the new husky bitch.
"Gotta admit" he said "Never would have figured you for going for the upgrade."
"Huh?" said a frightened James.
"Going bitch" said Harry, unconcerned by the possibility that the new husky would find the word offensive. "Liking it so far? Not that I actually care."
"What are you going to do?" mumbled James.
Harry did need every new husky he could get his hands on, and the fact that Goldie had experience in an anthro-canine body was going to make it easier to get her up to speed. Harry's grin revealed his gleaming teeth. "Someone who used to work here had a theory that most of the world's problems are caused by males, and the solution is to use the technology to turn them female. Maybe, just maybe, the combination of a low testosterone level and the fact that as a husky you're hardwired for conformity to pack norms, a lot more than you were as a wolf, will enable you to be a decent husky. There's also the possibility that the gender change syndrome will kick in, and you'll be a girly-girl husky, which would at least be entertaining." Goldie's eyes opened wide--this wasn't something James had thought about. "But, in the meantime, we're going to put you working under the direct supervision of one of our most experienced huskies. You remember Zack, right?" Harry was gratified to see that Goldie was already unconsciously moving even further into a submissive posture. "Cause he sure remembers the Lone Wolf. Dismissed!" Harry barked, and the golden husky exited in a hurry.
Harry went through some reports before his next appointment. No-one had seen Terry the rabbit girl since the twins had dropped her off at the Warren. If half the stories Harry had heard about the rabbits were true, he had a pretty good idea of what she was up to. Hopefully this would convince her that the Park was about innocent fun, not insidious brainwashing. If not, maybe after she switched back--rabbits always switched back--he would be too embarrassed to bring up the situation in public. In any event, Harry had more urgent problems.
He rose out of his husky-adapted chair for the next appointment. "Lord Jeremy! To what do I owe the honor?" Not that he didn't know what this was about.
Jeremy explained his concerns about possible cheating by the new stags. Harry brought up the transformation records on his desktop PC.
Or tried to. Ordinarily, bringing up transformation logs was routine, but Chads and the other new stags's were locked. Harry used his highest security overrides, but came up empty. What the hell?
After reassuring the plainly troubled Jeremy that he would get to the bottom of this ASAP, Harry considered his options. Obviously, someone was working against Park security, someone on the inside. The thought that management's cooperation in unethical transformations could be bought sickened him--this was the kind of thing Naomi had been shielding him from. Maybe if she had trusted me more I'd have been better prepared, but too late now.
One thing Naomi had told him about was the off-the-books slush fund under the personal control of the leader of the husky pack she had built up. She had given him the passwords before she left. Maybe it was time to bring in some outside help.
Harry went through the paper directory of anthro-friendly businesses. He didn't dare go online given the possibility, nay certainty, that the management was monitoring his computer. Naomi had sworn up and down that the phone line was secure, even from management, so he would have to risk it. There weren't too many security consultants listed, but this "Charles Grantham Security Consulting" came highly rated. The name looked vaguely familiar, but Harry couldn't place it.
He picked up the secure phone and called the number.
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Charles's friends and family had come to accept the fact that he was going to do what he wanted to do, from going to the eighth-grade dance with a male date to signing up for Special Forces. The fact that he was now an anthro she-wolf named Charlotte dating a female husky was still a surprise, but most of her associates, even her widowed father, were willing to give the new girl a chance. She was even, tentatively, for the first time, making some women friends.
The real problem was business. No question, the image of the old Charles, the 6' 2" hardass veteran with a shaved head and bulging muscles, had been good for business, even if the work she did was more brains than brawn. Giving an anthro she-wolf, even one with Charlotte's experience, a chance was a bridge too far for a lot of people, apparently. Discrimination against anthros was still legal and widely practiced. Charlotte was frugal, and had enough money saved so as not to be under any immediate stress, but it was worrying. Naomi wasn't much help, given her inexperience with the world. It was delightful introducing her to all the changes that the world had undergone since she had first entered the park, and Charlotte grew fonder of the husky every day. Naomi seemed to be adjusting better than Charlotte had dared to hope. One of the happiest moments of the she-wolf's new life had been when Naomi went out on her own for the first time to get her hair done at one of the new anthro beauty parlors. Who'd have thought that the tough pack leader had a femme side?
But the job situation was still worrying. Charlotte stared at her business phone, daring it to ring.
It rang.