Barnyard of the Cyberons (short story)

 was the sixth and final story in Cyberon. It was a short story written by Tyche McPhee Letts, described as a "Cwej prelude".

Summary
Larles and Kwol visit Padrano Pier on the posthuman world of Orniticon, where they observe as Lady Aesculapius approaches Chris Cwej and offers him a banana smoothie. Cwej pauses to transmit his consciousness to another body to deal with an issue on Saturn, and immediately returns two years older, now knowing Larles and Kwol, whom he introduces to Aesculapius. Aesculapius tells Cwej that the smoothie, which she had acquired in the 31st century, contains real cow milk, something anomalous for the time. She explains that various animal products have been leaking from the Totality into adjacent universes, which needs to be stopped.

Cwej, Larles and Kwol travel to 31st-century Gantifreet in the Jathar Expanse, landing on an orbiting warship which was captured in the wake of the Cyberon War and converted into a farm. Lorre, the young priest in charge, mistakes the trio for inspectors from Oberon. Giving them a tour of the facilities, he explains that his compatriots have been giving the drug Cyberon to animals in order to suppress their emotions while increasing their intelligence, arguably allow them to consent to being farmed. Lorre reveals that he wants the farm to be destroyed; he fought the Cyberon a thousand years earlier, and does not trust them even in this reduced condition, and hopes that the inspectors will shut it down, sparing his reputation as a neutral party. A cow reveals its ability to speak, telling Cwej that the animals intend to conquer the universe. Kwol and Larles confess to Lorre that they are impostors, but agree to help destroy the farm. The Cyberon-infused cows, pigs, chickens and goats chase the group to the control room. The group sabotage the farmship, escape to the jungles on Gantifreet's surface, and watch as the ship burns up in the atmosphere.

Back on Padrano Pier, Larles and Kwol wonder whether the cyborg posthumans have Cyberon ancestry, and whether they had been right to destroy the farm. While Cwej discusses time with Aesculapius, Larles and Kwol are approached by a scarred, dark-haired woman, Tina, and her red-haired partner. Tina tells them to beware that the Cwejen whom Cwej controls are people in their own right, and may object to how they are used. Later, Cwej tells Larles and Kwol that, in the fourth millennium, the Jathar Expanse recorded legends of a bogeyman, the Carnarchy, a sinister society of intelligent, part-metal animals; Cwej reflects that the Cyberon seem destined always to survive in some form.

Characters

 * Chris Cwej
 * Larles
 * Kwol
 * Lady Aesculapius
 * Lorre
 * Tina
 * Frey
 * Robo-servitor

Worldbuilding

 * Aesc got the banana smoothie from a dimensionally-orthogonal planet in the 31st century.
 * Gantifreet is at the border of the Jathar Expanse.
 * Lorre asks Cwej, Larles and Kwol if they're the inspectors from Oberon.
 * Cyberon blood is emerald.
 * According to the Superior's databanks, the mythology of the Jathar Expanse shifted in the fourth millennium to include a new bogeyman: the Carnachy, "Empire of the Consumed". Kwol posits this is the Cyberons entering folklore, and Cwej suspects it could mean Cyberon survived the crash.

Continuity

 * The first events of this story were remembered by Chris Cwej in PROSE: A Bright White Crack.
 * The Jathar Expanse is mentioned. (PROSE: Flight of the Cyberons)
 * Lorre the 'shapeshifter' is implied to be Lauren Anderson, referring to themselves as having had a long history with Cyberon starting "1000 years ago". The later HOMEVID: Lauren Anderson confirms Anderson has called herself Lor after becoming a 'shapeshifter'.