"So, up for a few questions?" asked Johnson.
The Minotaur gave a vague nod in reply, staring in apparent fascination at his hands as he twitched his fingers.
"Right then. Let's just get right to it. What do you know about the facility we just rescued you from?"
The Minotaur took a moment, before simply responding, "Are the cows OK?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Sometimes cows come to visit me. Are they OK?"
"As far as I am aware, I was the only visitor you had the day you were attacked. Unless you're referring to..." he checked his notes, "Charlotte Grantham and Naomi-"
"No, no. They weren't cows. It would have been fun if they were cows!"
"Right... so no, no one else was present that I am aware of. Now about that facility. What can you tell me about Mark Yeltis?"
"Mark? R&D type boy. Not a good person. Too smug, and he has an ugly face."
The rest of the interview continued in this fashion, with all the Minotaurs answers coming in what seemed like a daze. While he was able to confirm a lot of basic suspicions, there wasn't much hope of getting any new answers out of him. Eventually Johnson gave up and dismissed him.
"So... he's just going to be a space case like that for the rest of his life?"
"It's hard to say. Might be permanent, he might just be mentally fragile after that whole ordeal. I suppose there's even an outside chance he's just faking it, so as not to implicate himself in anything."
"Well, let us know if he becomes any more lucid."
++++++++++
Katie had to look away, this was just too much. It was bad enough knowing this... thing used to be Harry, but to see her here, like this... in public no less!
"Hi Katie! Uh! Is something wr-OH! wrong?" Irene asked, in what would have been a casual tone if it weren't punctuated with so many moans.
She couldn't take it any more. "OF COURSE SOMETHING'S WRONG!" she shouted. "Look at yourself! Trying to hold a conversation while screwing some guy you just met in front of everyone! Even a rabbit would have more dignity than that! Harry would never dream of anything so... revolting! How dare you keep defiling his memory like that!"
Irene blinked but if anything only intensified her gyrations. "That's a little rude of you, isn't it? I mean, you've always been a little rePRESSed. Remember how you used to always insist on wearing that drESS- Yes! Yes! YEEEESSSS! All I'm doing is what comes natural. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm tired, I sleep. When I'm aroused... ah! Ah! Aaaahhhhhhhhh!" There was a fluttering sound as her wings twitched. "You should try it," she continued, laying in Lawrence's arms. "Just find a guy you like, or a girl, and live in the moment."
Katie was shaking with rage. There was bile rising in the back of her throat as this... this monster tried to preach to her about values. The twins hadn't said anything throughout this exchange, but from the look on their faces, they were just as horrified and disgusted as she was. "No. No more. This ends right now." she said, grabbing the pegasus by the arm and hauling her to her feet and towards the main entrance. The twins dragged Lawrence along as well, before he was able to process what was happening. As they walked, Irene continued to urge Katie to just relax, preaching about true freedom and connecting with her 'inner goddess.' It was all she could do to keep from choking her out before they reached their destination.
"I don't care what you think about free will, or psychological functionality, or whatever the hell else you want to call it! This THING used to be my best friend, and I don't see ANY trace of him in there! He was turned into this against his will, I am DAMN sure his template is on file here, and you are going to apply it to this pile of filth right now! I'm never going to accept that Harry would be happier like this unless I hear it from HIS MOUTH!" She was in tears by this point. She might lose her job over this, but there was no way around it. She had to be sure.
++++++++++
Not far away, in another chamber, Agent Sherman was looking at his options. He didn't trust himself to stay a skunk... and it wasn't exactly the most dignified of appearances besides. Most people who came here and took up dangerous lines of work went with some sort of predator it seemed... but he didn't exactly have the sort of temper that would benefit from more predatory instincts. Of course, swinging to the other extreme could cause problems as well. For once he wished he had the sort of 'inner spirit animal' all these others seemed to have. Suddenly, he noticed a button just marked random. Well, that was easier than looking through all these options one by one. He'd just hit it until the preview here displayed something he could live with...
++++++++++
Mark gripped the briefcase with both talons, wincing at the cold wind on her chest. Too cold worse flying why so cold jungle later nice and warm by too cold now heavy case too can't carry this all the way too far should just land somewhere warm and make eggs with Tran what's that noise?
A helicopter came up from behind them, with a booming voice coming over a megaphone. "This is the federal bureau of investigation. If you are able to understand, please land immediately. You are wanted for questioning regarding an incident-"
Tran screamed "Dive dive under the trees can't let them catch us and lock us away!"
Not questioning it, she did, swooping down as quickly as possible, ducking broad branches and weaving between trunks. Too tight too tangled no room can't turn don't want to hit a tree can't be locked away no no no no!