Simon Mark asked Jan S. Gephardt:

just read the short story, Enjoyed it enough to purchase the first book, in the short you had just the vocal boxes on the dogs but had a telepathic link in the start of the book (read the free chapter) is it something you wanted as an idea from the start ? and how would the surgery be done (to the humans) / did the dogs already have theirs implanted ?

Jan S. Gephardt First of all, thank you for your question, and many apologies for being a Goodreads "slowtop" and not seeing it until now! Yes, the XK9s and their partners get the brain link implanted (a simple, in-clinic procedure) after the Choosing ceremony described in the prequel novella "The Other Side of Fear."
All have had a CAP and HUD from early years, and yes. It was part of the concept from the beginning.

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