Page 1 of Strays
PART ONE
FINDING
On the classificationof Homo Gregalis
Excerpt from Emergent Divergence: The Evolutionary Path of Homo Gregalis by Dr. Steve Bureau, Ph.D. (4th ed., West Kempton Institute Press)
The genus Homo has produced several now-extinct hominids, all of which contributed incrementally to the evolutionary trajectory of modern humanity. Yet only two lineages have persisted into the present: Homo sapiens and Homo gregalis. Unlike other hominids, Homo gregalis did not arise in isolation from sapiens, but alongside it, developing in its shadow and shaped by its dominance.
When Carl Linnaeus named the dominant species sapiens, “the wise,” in the tenth edition of Systema Naturae (1758), he named its counterpart gregalis, from the Latin grex, meaning “herd” or “flock”.
Historical records confirm that gregalis populations have never produced complex societies of their own. Instead, they clustered around sapiens settlements, serving primarily as tools of war and protection. Early linguistic patterns reflect this relationship between the two species: across dozens of proto-languages, the word now translated as “aegis,” the male gregalis, consistently denotes shield, beast, or guardian.
Conversely, nyra, the female gregalis, is a name the species gave itself. Found in pre-modern inscriptions, nyra refers to center or source: a recognition of their role as the gravitational focal point around which the triadic pack of aegis naturally orbit.
CHAPTER ONE
The Day We Quit
When we pull up to the school, it’s chaos.
Six squad cars sit haphazardly parked along the curb and on the front lawn, their lights still flashing and doors open.
Kids are everywhere, huddled behind cars and sitting on the curb. A few are crying, but most just stare. Parents pull up fast, jumping out of their cars still in pajamas, faces pale. Others rush through the lot, shouting names.
A cruiser’s parked sideways across the main gate in a desperate attempt to block the street, but more parents are already spilling past the tape. Screaming. Holding phones to their ears.
I can see small bloodstains on the concrete among the glass from one of the shattered front doors of the school.
Everywhere smells like fear: sweat, metal, blood.
I scan the building. It’s a low sprawl of red brick and aging windows, standard public school layout: two main wings, three floors, flat roof. No fences, just wide glass doors and open access.
One of the officers crouched behind a cruiser sees us. He taps his radio and points west, toward a cluster of cops regrouping near the side entrance.
We move fast across the lot, heads low, gear tight.
At the center of the officers, a man with silver bars on his collar — a lieutenant — is giving orders. I’ve never seen him before, but the patch on his sleeve reads Greenster Two.
“Finally,” he barks as we approach. “Unit ID?”
“Aegis Unit Eleven,” I say. “Greenster Nine PD.”
He gives a sharp nod. “Alright. Shooter entered approximately oh-nine-thirteen. Multiple shots fired. The suspect barricaded himself in Room 2-C, second floor. Students were already in session. We don’t know how many.”
“Staff?” I ask.
“No confirmation. There’s a report of a body in one hallway, but nobody’s gone in to verify. The rest of the school self-evacuated; teachers and kids ran for their lives. You’re the first tactical unit to arrive. SWAT is six minutes out. Negotiator’s with them. We’ve got nothing inside, so you’re going in.”
He steps closer and points to the east wing.
“I want you three to make entry. Get to room, secure the hallway and hold position. No contact with the suspect. No engagement unless SWAT or thenegotiator gives the green light. You’re there for recon and support. That’s it.”
I nod once. “Copy.”
“Channel three is yours. Keep it clear.”
We move.
