Rik Coon and Terry Ferret slogged through the horrid February slush towards class, like they did every morning. But today Terry lagged behind... until Rik was forced to stop and wait to avoid losing his friend entirely.

"What's wrong, Terry?" Rik asked, turning to face him, "Something got you down?"

"It's these damn job interviews," Terry said, staring at his boots, "I've been through at least forty of them, and I've gotten one offer. From the Interstellar Conglomerate."

"Ack. So I take it 'indentured servant' isn't your first choice of career, then," Rik grinned, and Terry managed a chuckle. "I don't get it, Terry, you're bright, great grades... you wear a suit, right?"

"Yeah... I just manage to screw them up, somehow," he shrugged, not taking his hands out of his pockets. "I think they're all looking for humans, Rik. I can't think of what else it could be." With his face shrouded by his hat, his hands in his pockets, and the rest of his fur covered by jacket and jeans, he could almost have passed for one, except for the tail.

"I dunno, Terry, I got a ton of offers, and so did the rest of the furs. Maybe it's..."

"You can say it," Terry said, "I'm a toon. Part toon. My grandfather."

"Well... he *was* a supervillain. And a lawyer." Rik giggled. Terry didn't, this time.

"He was framed."

"*I* know that, and *you* know that, but when Foo Inc goes looking for a programmer..."

"...they assume I'm erratic and unreliable. I'll get angry at my boss, sprout tentacles, and start eating people."

"Well... yeah," Rik said, "It sucks."

"Yeah," Terry sighed. "Maybe I should sign up with the Salusians. I have a degree, almost, so it's not like I'd end up in the uranium mines. The offer wasn't all *that* bad -- I'd be doing programming work on some planet called 'FurToonia'."

"Don't you have to sign away all your rights?"

"Well, I can't quit until I pay off the transport costs. And I have to agree not to work for anyone else, ever, and they get all rights to everything I've ever done or ever will do." He paused, reaching into his pocket to take out the brochure. "It's a pretty standard NDA. And *someone* has to go, or they'll repossess the planet."

"That's what the 'workfare' programs are for, Terry. You've got a future."

"If I had a future, I wouldn't be considering it." Terry looked up at the grey overcast sky. "I've always wanted to see the stars..."

"There's no place like home," Rik said, turning back around, "Come on, we'll be late."

"Bye, Rik," Terry said quietly.

"Terry?" Rik whirled, but Terry was nowhere to be seen. "Terry!"