FACTS

No, not that kind of wrong. Nicolle was... abnormal... very abnormal, but not in any bad way that he could think of. However, the sensation of being out of step, of being at the edges of normal, an outlier on the bell curve of humanity, was no stranger to Edwin. An instinct honed since his childhood told him to stay quiet and avoid notice until he had the situation figured out again. Until he felt in control again.

He knew he had to learn more about catgirl norms before he could ever feel comfortable again, but that instinct whispered again and instead of easily using his easy workplace access to the WorldNet, he made a trip to a local game parlor, The Event Horizon. He had once frequented this parlor, and knew it specialized in anonymous play for somewhat socially unacceptable multiplayer roleplays. It also allowed completely anonymous WorldNet browsing.

For almost three weeks, he renewed his old habit of visiting the parlor off and on, reestablishing his accounts and dispelling any curiosity about where he'd been and so forth. No notice at all was what he wanted. Only then, he began his research. As he studied catgirl phenomena, his unease increased. When he went home to his cheerful and inquisitive Nicolle, his devotion increased. But there was no question now; he possessed a mutation. An illegal mutation.

What was one to do? His browsing made a few things clear. The laws required that illegal mutations must be turned over to authorities. The law would then hunt down her developers and make a public spectacle of their punishment, of course. Perhaps Edwin would get a refund for his catgirl, but he worried the law might make an example of him as well.

And no matter what, poor Nicolle would be liquidated and dissected.

Edwin’s new layman's understanding of genetically modified creatures, along with the manufacturing and cloning methods, led him to believe the potential carnage would not end with just Nicolle or just Edwin or just a few Kawaii-Kits scientists.

Nicolle continued to happily ingest knowledge as if her forced growth and subliminal indoctrinations in the labs had starved her of some vital nutrient that she had now discovered in Edwin's home. Despite Edwin's growing misgivings, he couldn't keep himself from feeding her more. He not only answered questions but made lessons for her to do while he was at work. Her rate of learning was phenomenal, though nothing suggested her IQ was above human norms. And she had begun reading.

Edwin knew he was digging his technically criminal hole deeper but it made him happy to be doing it. The part of Edwin that had always made him feel an outsider, always "behind the power curve" was now telling him he was part of something unique, something extraordinary. But he didn't foresee that his nurturing intentions were preparing another, different kind of hole. A pitfall that when opened might ruin his little paradise.

Next: Part 3 / 25, “Truth”