FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

[i]"Here are your passes,"[/i] said Sa-shi-ha giving each of them a clip-on bracelet, [i]"your flower-level clearance shall allow you to roam through most of our lower-level laboratories."[/i]

"Thank you," said Andrea attaching hers to her wrist, "gotta admit never seen this sorta pass before."

[i]"We have several kinds to accommodate various species, but this is the standard most find comfortable."[/i]

"Reminds me of when I used to wear a wristwatch, before everyone had phones."

"Wristwatch?" asked Chanoch behind her shoulder.

"Like a little clock you wear on your arm the size of a penny."

"Ah." He looked down at his wrist coated in steel and chainmail mesh. "I would like a wristwatch."

"I dunno if anyone has a spare to lend you."

"Someone can make one."

"My uncle was a horologist," said Haytham stepping beside Andrea with hands behind his back, "would that I had followed him I would make you a timepiece."

"Such a device would be useless in the reach of space," said Shuffa dragging her slugfoot behind her, "with every planet having their own deficit periods of solar/lunar escalation."

"Well to be fair my uncle never explored the realm of the stars so there was no need to go beyond a fixed template."

The group were led by the Supox greeter as she floated through the silver lanes and smooth circular corridors of the Pharmaceutical Branch. The sweltering rainforest contained within the dome was a soothing sight for them, not just from the calming chemicals that the plants exhuded that slightly rejuvenated their senses, but also in giving a feast for the eyes after the constant grey steel and chalk-white halls. Taken into the first garden they ducked underneath splendiferous frond leaves that bowed above their heads, grand jagged stems that twisted and split in non-euclidean fashions that to Andrea resembled buildings of modern Asian architecture than they did plants. What surprised her most however was the fact they were all green even in this other world, different shades but still a verdant dawn that gleamed through her eyes.

[i]"All of our flora here is medicinal-based,"[/i] said Sa-shi-ha, [i]"every single plant here contains an essential chemical to our many products available readily throughout the galaxy."[/i]

"What types of medicine especially?" asked Andrea. "Inflammations, headaches?"

[i]"Immunology, strengthening the defence system of the body to prevent before they infect."[/i]

"Is it not rather strange for you?" asked James. "To cultivate life forms so similar to you?"

[i]"No more unusual than you being made of meat whilst raising livestock."[/i]

"Hmhmhm," Chanoch nodded with a smirk, "she is right, this is not strange why would it be?"

"Whose side are you on?!" snorted the lemming with a sting in his neck.

"The only side there is, we are not at war."

"Hmph."

"I uh, forgot to ask," Andrea slipped to the Supox's side, "your boss mentioned that your species are hermaphrodites."

[i]"As most flora are,"[/i] noted Sa-shi-ha.

"Just wanna get this out the way quick, what pronouns you prefer?"

[i]"Oh! How kind of you to ask doctor, but your bodyguard already noted that I prefer the female descript."[/i]

"Really? ...oh!" She looked back to Chanoch who simply shrugged. "Well uh alright then miss...shi-ha-"

[i]"SA-shi, please."[/i]

"Right, sorry, so uh how long has this base been operating for?"

[i]"Well, how many hours in a day do you measure?"[/i]

"Uhhh twenty-four."

"Hmmmm..."

The Supox tapped a small button behind one of her large mantis-eyes to create a holographic visor across her face. Symbols appeared before her as a blue line appeared in one of her armstalks and she typed in the air before coming up with the answer.

[i]"Ten-thousand, eight-hundred-and-forty days."[/i]

"Okayyyyy so that's," Andrea squinted hard looking upwards, "thirty years-ish."

[i]"Yes, exactly, now this garden is particularly interesting for-"[/i]

She continued to explain the particulars of the plants around them, explaining how they had been sequestered into different sections of the garden based on classifications of species they were effective on. Supox employees weaved through the plants almost indistinguishable, as well as other unfamiliar species both flora and fauna-based as Fleek-Gleek approached a green fleshy creature in a cyan-coloured coat.

"Well now this issa rare sight tae see!"

"A-AAAH!" The alien turned almost dropping a few vials from his tentacles. "P-PLEASE do not do that!"

"Ahm jus' sayin' hi whut're yeh sae jumpy aboot?!"

"I am in the middle of an important extraction! ...wh-who...what are HUMANS doing here?!"

[i]"These are our GUESTS,"[/i] emphasised Sa-shi-ha spreading her leaves, [i]"they are assisting us with technical issues as a mere precaution-"[/i]

"As in the wormhole that sent us shunting through space like a frungy-ball in the fourth quatreme?!"

[i]"AhHAHhahahaha, noooo noooo do not be silly that was a malfunction in the reflective coating!"[/i]

"We are not imbeciles Sa-shi, we can put two and two together."

[i]"Ahah hahahaaaa..."[/i]

Sa-shi-ha feigned a nervous laugh that convinced nobody in the room. The scientist that stood before them resembled an anteater crossbred with a banana slug, standing at 6'5'' on two clawed feet with a single huge eye staring at them from his long-snouted face. In his two tentacled arms he held a small clutch of vials that he pocketed into his labcoat.

"Hi there," said Andrea offering her hand forwards, "I'm doctor Dixon, wormhole maintenance."

"Hmmph." The creature pulled his tentacles away. "My name is Professor HOX, and I do not risk contamination during my work."

"Oh, right," she pulled back awkwardly, "no that's cool we got a friend who works with chemicals too so that's fair."

[i]"Professor HOX is one of our chief scientists,"[/i] said Sa-shi-ha brimming proudly, [i]"our finest chemist of-"[/i]

"IMMUNOLOGIST," boasted HOX with a brandished tentacle, "I am devising new methods of inoculation not selling menstrual sheaths to awkward teenagers!"

"Sheaths?!" asked James. "For what?"

"Boy, how old are you?"

"T-twenty-three?!"

"And you do not even know what a menstrual sheath is?!" gasped the scientist. "I weep for your species and I hope you learn swiftly or else enjoy spending the rest of your life as a eunuch!"

"Wh-WHAT?!"

[i]"MOVING ON!"[/i] cried Sa-shi-ha with the tightest grin. [i]"Professor HOX is one of our finest minds upon our base and is responsible for leading our immunology department."[/i]

"I am the very reason you HAVE an immunology department," said Hox dusting his shoulder smugly, "ten years and counting, but I digress, can I help you at all?"

"We are mere visitors on a parietal basis," said Haytham with a sweep of his hand, "we are from the neighbouring planet your base is currently orbiting and as the local fauna intelligentsia, we came to meet and greet."

"Ahhh I see, and what fields of science do you specialise in?"

"Well my partner and his personal assistant deal with astronomy," said Andrea stepping aside to let James come between, "I'm a quantum physicist myself."

"Hmmm! Well, I hope you enjoy your time on our base but unless you know the finer elements of medicine I am sorry to say your aptitudes have no standing here."

"I know, we didn't realise this was a medical research station, but me and mister Durai are the most scientifically-skilled of our people."

"Understandable, but without a doctor amongst you I daresay tha-"

"I know medicine." Chanoch made everyone's head turn. "I studied herbs."

"Really?" Professor HOX waddled towards him with swinging tentacles. "Do you know what a Zifor plant does?"

"No."

"Do you know what plants you should NOT mix with fuhic?"

"No."

"Then what DO you know may I ask?"

"I know echinacea purpurea strengthens your body against disease."

"Well unfortunately I have none of this echinacea so unless you have some on your person I must also stress that your aptitudes carry no weight in my laboratory."

"Hm."

"I would not mind some of that myself," said Shuffa wiggling her eyestalk at him, "I am always on the receiving end of influenza every lunar season, in fact amongst my siblings I was called 'Moony-Fluey-Shoosie' haha!"

"You never telt me that!" cried Fleek-Gleek astonished. "Now ah ken whut to call ye after."

"Do that and I will shoot your beak off your winky little neck."

"I would actually like to learn about this immunology," said James pulling out his notebook, "I have never heard of this branch of medicine but I am intrigued with this research."

"Says the one who does not know what a menstrual sheath is BUT," HOX relented with tendrils raised, "since you are eager to learn I will do my best to enlighten you. We were all ignorant once I suppose, not me of course but then not everyone can be me."

"If I were you I could reach more shelves, hahahaha."

"HAHA, well I admit stooping down to reach those roots can be quite a chore which is why I have assistants more vertically-advantaged in that area."

"So what is this plant then?" asked James pointing at the cube-shaped leaves beside him.

"That is the hnnfruh, it has a fascinating humoral property that when administered, forty-percent of known sentient species can exhibit an increase in antibody production."

"Goodness that does sound useful, but only forty percent?"

"Well, until you mix it with THAT plant over there, the toyna which secretes a fluid that strengthens the membranes of lymphocytes. On its own it can cause the T-cells to remain activated which can be dangerous so the hnnfruh is a balancer by means of its brief impetus period."

"I see! Tell me more of these lymphocytes!"

With captive audience of one the professor continued pontificating on each of his favourite plants and which parts of the immune system they aided, whilst a small metal unit of jars and bags floated behind him like an obedient pet. Eventually HOX found himself giving a walking tour of the medical rainforest where workers slipped between stems like explorers of an uncharted wilderness, cutting pieces of leaves and roots carefully to extract the finest of unguents. Chanoch did his best to contain his wonder of this space jungle, the stars glinting constantly above their heads no matter where he walked, a peerless curtain of light that made him drift in his thoughts.

"Soooo," Andrea started with twisting feet, "does your boss have some sort of immunodeficiency?"

[i]"I am not permitted to answer that,"[/i] said Sa-shi-ha bowing curtly, [i]"with respect to the director it is their personal business."[/i]

"Fair enough. Just surprised to see someone like that running a hospital, must be a hell of a study year to work your way up the chain in a bubble."

[i]"The Director is a magnificent scientist, perhaps because of their condition that they strive to prevent others from suffering a similar fate."[/i]

"HOX said that this immunology had only been around for ten years though, but the base has been around for thirty?"

[i]"OH, yes but what he meant was that this BRANCH had been around only for ten years, we have other labs that specialise in immunology."[/i]

"Ahhh gotcha."

"Now THIS!" boasted HOX loudly pointing at a white cup-shaped plant. "This is very important, this Is a Stiirmah, which actually is not a plant but the largest monocyte ever to be discovered!"

"Monocyte?" asked James.

"A type of cell that engulfs and devours foreign organisms, please do not touch."

"Goodness, an actual feeder on disease?!"

"Most organic creatures have them, in your very blood are tiny little blood cells that busily devour any foreign micro-organisms that would dare try to infect you."

"I see...so how did THIS thing come about?" he pointed gently with his pencil.

"The Stiirmah was recovered from a shattered planet," continued HOX taking a jar of fluid out of his accompanying box, "the mycon spores had mutated thousands of years ago to create the planet into what essentially became a geo-organism."

"Them mycon are righ' fuckers aye?" muttered Fleek with a distasteful grimace. "Always ruining other places."

"What is mycon?" asked Chanoch looking down finally from the heavens.

"Are you SERIOUS?!" blustered the professor. "what backwater myre of a moon are you from?!"

"The one below us. We do not meet many people."

"Oh."

The HOX threw the jar into the Stiirmah's cup as it suddenly throbbed with a shivering feast amidst the sounds of crunching digestion.

"Well I hope you do not expect me to answer every question you have, I will stick to my field instead since there's much less timewasting."

"What was in that jar?" asked Haytham watching the twisting stem digest beneath the cup.

"The blood of a Thraddash infected by a TH3 pathogen. Naturally as a monocyte the Stiirmah feasts only on diseases."

"Does the jar not hurt it?"

"Oh it can digest ANYTHING, but its nutrition comes from diseases so please do not feed it."

"I see...how fascinating indeed."

"Right, that is my work done for the day, so you all can leave my garden."

[i]"Are you returning to the Tecturanch professor?"[/i] asked the supox curiously leaning.

"Surprisingly yes, I have some correlations to make concerning cell wall structural mimicry."

[i]"Would you mind terribly if we accompanied you, just so as to move our group all as one and give them a better tour?"[/i]

"I am NOT giving a tour!" he cried swinging his tentacle up. "I have little time as it is without squidsitting a bunch of humans!"

[i]"OH no no no, I was not going to ask you for that, I simply mean to um...a-accompany you, that is WE accompany you on the same transit, roots to water and such hmhmhm!"[/i]

"Fine, but no more questions, my mind is far too busy with actual work befitting my valuable time than repeating a lecture from 'Squiddy's Friends in the Galaxy'.

[i]"Of course, I-i would not even dream of taking your time."[/i]

They followed HOX towards the next transit station, taking in the sights of the other gardens where workers continued to harvest vital ingredients to pack into sealing bottles and carry them in anti-gravity chests, hovering behind them with gentle rumblings of blue lights underneath. They waited for the tram standing all in a line like the most awkward album cover as Shuffa turned to Chanoch.

"Fungus."

"...what?"

"The mycon, they are a giant fungus race since you were asking in a previous dialogue."

"Ah. Your husband hates them?"

"Well nobody really LIKES them unless you are some sort of plant-gazing dendrophiliac that watches nature documentaries late at night. Alone." She waggled her eyestalk at him like one would with a finger to come hither. "But the reason why my husband and admittedly I, have joined the masses of dissident anti-myconites is because they send out spores to aggressively colonise uninhabited aqua-based planets. Those spores then burrow into the planet's crust and viciously extract magma to turn a once-beautiful azure paradise, into a festering volcanic wasteland."

Chanoch blinked reeling his head back to imagine such hellish apocalypse.

"That...sounds terrible."

"It is! But also quite fascinating if you are into such."

"What is professor HOX then?"

"A VUX. Vainglorious race, only care about appearances more than anything, part of their culture, the more glorious you appear to be the greater your standing."

"Ah. Narcissists."

"In a word, though I admit HOX is quite unusual, normally the VUX hate humans, cannot stand their very presence so the fact he has not run reeling in projectile vomitations this long is frankly speaking, a miracle!"

"He is a doctor," shrugged Jarogniew looking towards him, "he has seen worse."

"That is true, the medical profession would offer a delectable smorgasbord of the gruesome and irksom-hrk...i-irk, ooof...s-speaking of," she bent over with a hot flush, "would you excuse me for a moment I uh, b-bathroom emergency!"

The slug-creature shuffled off at an incredible pace despite her single-footed body, blurring towards the nearest restroom with the speed of a frightened cat as the tram soon arrived but they waited a little longer for Shuffa's sake. Five minutes later she returned looking rather winded as Fleek hurried to her side.

"You alrigh' lass?"

"Y-yes thank you sorry, usual things-"

"Nae worries, cummon let's head aff."

"Do you require medical assistance?" asked professor HOX.

"No no nothing to delay yourselves over!" she cried pushing herself onto the train. "Let us not waste precious seconds that I am sure you have."

"Perhaps, but I would rather not be walking around with a disease openly breathing at my side."

"EY!" Fleek-Gleek brandished a claw-wing at him. "You dinnae talk aboot mah wife that way!"

"I am simply airing a concern for the sake of the group."

"By implyin' we're fuckin' plague carriers?!"

"How dare you speak like that to me!" The doctor prodded his chest hard with a firm tendril. "I am SUPERIOR to you in every rank!"

"Well unless she got an appointment wit' you, mah wife's body's her ain fuckin' business ya one-eyed snoutfuckin' shitheel-"

[i]"ALRIGHT!"[/i] Sa-shi-ha slipped between with pushing leaves. [i]"Mister Fleek-Gleek please I am sure he was just concerned about Shuffa's health, weren't you professor?"[/i]

"Yes." The cyclops stepped back with tentacles raised in defeat. "You are right, she is of no concern to me unless she is a patient."

[i]"Good good, now let us go see the Tecturanch, I am sure you will all find it most fascinating!"[/i]

"Didnae hear an apology," he muttered crossing his wings as they stepped onto the tram.

The shuttle soon departed through another tunnel within the giant asteroid, lights streaming past the windows in a pale blur as they sat in various positions around the interior. Sa-shi kept at the front like always with professor HOX accompanying her, the supox trying to make jokes whilst the doctor muttered snide comments that made her cackle. Haytham and Andrea sat alone in the back as the scholar asked her:

"Why did you not tell the director about the fact they just travelled between dimensions?"

"If they didn't figure it out then I'm not gonna tell them," she replied quietly, "if they find out by themselves then I'll tell them, I WAS going to say something but then they got up in my face and decided to be shitty so why bother letting them get used to the idea."

"Aaah I see, keeping their bargaining position on a wicker shelf."

"Yes...you think I'm doing this wrong?"

"Nooooo not as such," he admitted rubbing his neck, "I am just merely hoping we have not locked ourselves into a terrible decision down the line."

"They hardly trust us anyway, I don't think that's gonna affect us."

Chanoch sat with James further down the line whilst the lemming rifled through his satchel, pulling out a book that the lizardman recognised from the library.

"That is one of Anna's books."

"Um...yes," muttered James stumbling with his hands, "I know sh-she said not to take books out of the base but I did not mean to, I swear, I was just, heading back to return it when Jane told me you were all leaving-"

"It is fine. I know you will take good care of it." He patted the youth's shoulder calmly as James smiled up at him. "What book is it?"

"Uhm, Peter Pan, it is a story about children who are taken to this realm of imagination where young orphaned vagrants fight against a pirate."

"Mmm. Would you read it to me?"

"Wh-what?" He looked up astonished. "Now?"

"Yes," Chanoch nodded, "we have time."

"You mean you...actually like when I read stories to you I-i just thought you were being polite."

"I like your voice." He smiled with hands on his lap. "You tell stories well."

"Th-tha...thank you." The lemming blushed rose as he shifted himself closer to open the book. "Alright then well um, let's begin! 'All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this.'"

The train ride lasted two chapters of the book as Jarogniew listened intently, keeping one ear alert for any disturbance and one especially honed in on James' voice. Looming above him in his stately armour he leaned over the lemming's head seeing the pages turn to his narration until they stopped at the architecture branch. The platform they stepped out on was a lush lipstick red to indicate this dome's presence, the corridor beyond welcoming them to a rouge fortress of all things. The crimson dome gave a strange luminescence to everything as laboratories contained fortified structures floating upon small platforms in various shapes.

Some were made of cubes, others were more spherical, whilst others still were entirely formed of sharp angles like pieces of modern art being studied carefully by alien workers. Birds with strange long-fingered hands sculpted new shapes, whilst mysterious hooded humanoids in dark shrouds carefully crafting ever-changing forms that just slightly altered itself in their gloved hands.

[i]"Our Tecturanch consists mostly of Pkunk and Utwig researchers,"[/i] said Sa-shi-ha, [i]"the pkunks' limited powers of precognition give us an insight into architectural capabilities whilst our dearest friends the Utwig rely on their utmost patience and methodical ethics to strengthen buildings."[/i]

"Amazing," muttered Andrea watching the creatures tweak the tiniest organisms, "how do they even do that?"

[i]"Methods that we eventually managed to gleam from the umgah, who are masters of bio-science able to alter molecules at their most basic level without the need of equipment. Thankfully we were able to parlay our methods from them."[/i]

"And they are vile pranksters if left unchecked," muttered HOX snorting through his snout with arms crossed, "too often they have started some terrible conflict from their cruel sadistic humour."

[i]"It is part of their livelihood, we are not to question their ways."[/i]

"I am simply thankful you never hired any of those deplorable meatsacks, they would be far too uncontrollable."

"That's why ye have us," said the Yehat smacking HOX's shoulder a little too hard, "tae make sure none o' yous step oot o' line."

"I too despise the Umgah," noted Shuffa giving a leery look to the meat-sacks in their tubes, "their constant altercations upon my race, such as tricking us to become battle thralls to the Ur-Quan or the Ineffable Vug Incident."

[i]"We understand they were a controversial choice for our station,"[/i] said the plant-greeter nervously rubbing her fronds, [i]"which is why we were exceptionally cautious in dealing with them to obtain technologies, but at the same time dissuade them from joining our research by highlighting how 'tediously mind-numbing' it was for them."[/i]

"I suspect we may have wandered into quite the web of diplomatic crossroads upon this station," said Haytham waving politely to one of the bird-workers, "if you will pardon our ignorance on the matter."

[i]"It is fine human. We know your race are still young in the ways of intergalactic politics but I am more than willing to educate you."[/i]

"As am I!" cried the Spathi eyestalk. "I once wanted to be a teacher until I realised that the schools of my kind have classes numbering in the thousands, and I am already far too tired just from speaking that imaginary number!"

"Anyways," said HOX pushing himself from the group, "I have matters to attend to and research to collect so I will take my leave of you. Sa-shi, I wish you well."

[i]"A-AH, wait actually um!"[/i] she lurched forwards almost overbalancing from her pot. [i]"W-will you be attending the Earth Day Dance tomorrow?"[/i]

"If you know me well then you should know the answer to that."

[i]"B-but you are the head immunologist, surely such an occasion would not be complete without you!"[/i]

"I have already told you before I am not interested in courtship rituals."

[i]"Pleaaaase HOX? For me?"[/i] She rubbed her fronds gently like a little pangolin. [i]"It would be just terrible without you, I would be simply BORED out of my gourd without such intelligent presence to stimulate me, I mean I have to do it as part of my duties but it would be so much more bearable for me to have someone of your great standing."[/i]

"Hmmmmm...welllll," he rubbed his tentacle along his proboscis before he rolled his eye, "hhhhaaaaaaa very well then, for you I shall grace you with my assistance."

[i]"Ooooh THANK you!"[/i] she clapped her leaves together with a wide beaming insect grin. [i]"Well then good luck in your research professor!"[/i]

"Please, fortune has no room in MY laboratory for everything I do I intend from the beginning!"

[i]"Hahahaha, ohhhh that is so true, see you tomorrow!"[/i]

The doctor marched off to one of the labs as Sa-shi waved at him before taking her group to other places. The architecture labs were unusual not just for their workers but also for their subject in the ever-changing shapes and proportions that they experimented with. Some structures fell apart completely when brought into chambers that bombarded them with hyper-vibrational frequencies, whilst others remained solid even from the highest settings they could muster. Guards both robot and organic passed them by, the aliens nodding or waving hello whilst the machines gave a single scan from thick-limbed protectors to hovering drones. The travellers took a long circular walk round the Tecturanch as Haytham slipped back to their escorts' side to ask:

"How long have you been security at this establishment?"

"Hooo lessee," muttered Fleek, "think it's aboot, two years wuzn't it?!"

"Four actually," said Shuffa patting his shoulder, "Fleek-Gleek has more spots in his memory than the sun!"

"Say that agin ahll poke yer eye oot ya cow."

"AhHAH hahahaha, ohhh but yes we have remained in employment here the past four years."

"And what led you to this occupation exactly?" asked Haytham scritching his head. "I daresay you make quite the odd couple."

"S'whut evrybody says aboot u-u-us," replied Fleek suddenly flapping his wings, "egh...sorry, got a wee chill all a sudden in mah wings, but aye we decided ken whut, let's settle doon sumplace away from hame where we can use oor talents proper."

"And what talents be that?"

"Shootin', fightin', maintenance an' such, there wuz a job openin' here so we thought why not?"

"I see an-GOODNESS, what is THAT?!"

The scholar pointed towards one of the windows to the outside where a ginormous machine stomped its way through the asteroid plains. A bipedal headless robot with tremendous wide arms carrying a large crate into one of the other domes with slow methodical steps.

[i]"Those are our magna-loaders,"[/i] said Sa-shi proudly, [i]"magnetically-powered transport units for our much heavier cargo."[/i]

"Are they controlled by pilot or remote?" asked Andrea.

[i]"Pilot, of course."[/i]

"It looks ENORMOUS," gasped James, "like a walking mountain where do you even put them?!"

[i]"In a safe storage facility within the asteroid."[/i]

"Hey uh forgot to ask," Dixon picked up the pace to keep beside the floating plant, "what's this earth day dance?"

"Oh, that is just an occasion we have planned tomorrow, to celebrate the birth of our homeworld Earth."

"Wait...Earth?"

[i]"Sorry, Vlik, which is Earth in my species' language."[/i]

"Oh right right I remember, that's cool so it's just a celebration dance?"

[i]"Exactly, you are welcome to come along!"[/i]

"That would be awesome sure!" she said fist-pumping up. "Haven't had a chance to show off my moves in a while."

"And I shall be your partner," said Haytham bowing to her side, "this old fox still has a trot or two in him left to perform."

"Hmhmhahahaha, ohoh god that's corny as hell."

[i]"We would be honoured to have you,"[/i] Sa-shi bowed before stopping beside a dual-set of doors that hummed, [i]"and here is our communications room. Would you like to meet the voices behind your first contact with us?"[/i]

"You sure that's alright?" asked doctor Dixon plucking a strand of hair. "I dunno how much access we should have is all."

[i]"If you were not allowed to be here, I would not have let you come this far. Please, come in."[/i]

The communications room was a glimmering paradise of lights that spread before them like a scene from Las Vegas. Dixon almost thought it was a casino from the strange tables and upright machines that beeped and rolled numbers furiously in alien languages. In fact Dixon had to almost do a double take to look at the machines again to make sure it wasn't actually a casino for the devices looking very much like gambling equipment. Long tables with wheels that spun or black-and-red tiles that lit up on a green background, or consoles with circular seats that a trio of non-Supox plants sat upon using mysterious means to pull levers and tap rotating dials.

"Okayyyyy this is weird," she muttered, "not like any comms room I ever seen."

"Is there a reason you put communications in this branch?" asked Haytham.

[i]"Swiftest repairs,"[/i] said Sa-shi floating between the tables, [i]"should anything be damaged we can build and replace parts in the Tecturanch with as little distance to cover in transport, it was the most economical choice."[/i]

"Indeed!" cried a small blue plant swivelling in his seat. "Sometimes you get a burned-out capacitor and you that really messes up your magnetics!"

"Or your directional feeds," replied a green plant in the next seat, "scatterfeeds are the worst thing to deal with."

"Heeeey I recognise your voice," said Dixon curtsying, "nice to meet you at last mister radio."

"Yes indeed, I hope you are having a good time on our base."

Three plants sat before them. A blue coiled spring with three tiny holes in its head, a green inverse-cobra with feelers resembling eyelashes, and a brown one-eyed lump with a hood that resembled a baseball catcher's mitt.

"I guess you already know who I am," said the doctor, "so who are you?"

"I am Grue," said the jade plant.

"I'm Bleen," said the azure plant, "and this is Blon!"

The dirt-coloured Blon simply blinked its oculus at them.

"We're the deputy comms assistants!"

"Shhh!" muttered Grue, "she doesn't have to know that just say we're running comms!"

"I didn't wanna mislead her!"

"Yeah but you just had to say 'we run the comms station' and that'd be right!"

"Well it's out there now!"

"Is it only just you three?" asked Haytham peering beyond the definitely-not-slot-machines.

"Yes," said Grue fluttering feeler-lashes when he spoke, "sorry for the lack of welcome but we're on a bare-stem crew at the moment."

"Dontcha mean bare-bones?" replied Bleen puffing vapour from her holes.

"Noooo I mean bare-STEM because we don't HAVE any bones."

"Ohhhh right you were doing that cute thing where we take non-plant expressions an-"

"DON'T EXPLAIN THE JOKE!"

Andrea smirked as the supox tour guide hovered beside them, whilst Shuffa looked around the machines and Fleek-Gleek leaned against one machine out of order.

"Soooo how ya daein'?"

"Oh fine!" cried Bleen. "Having newcomers was pretty exciting, we haven't had humans in this base like EVER!"

"That's not true," said Grue, "we had those five from about fifteen years back."

"Yeah but they were dead."

"Wait you had dead humans here?!" gasped Andrea.

"Oh it was terrible, a small passenger ship got crushed by a small satellite, one-in-a-million chance!"

[i]"I remember this,"[/i] said Sa-shi nodding solemnly, [i]"it was a family we discovered had bought a cheap gyro-engine that failed on them, just awful. Without navigations properly calibrated they had no chance of evading such an obstacle, but we did manage to return them to their colony after making some extranet inquiries."[/i]

"How terrible," muttered James rubbing his arm, "so what are these machines exactly?"

"Well," began the green snake-plant, "that panel over there is our frequency calibrator for distances, whilst that table is our fine-tune aligner."

"How much distance can you get on this?" asked Dixon peering over the not-roulette wheel.

"Uncalibrated, about seven light years give or take."

"Jesus...seriously?!"

"Yeah I mean that's if you go by the default but who uses factory standards?"

"I do!" said the blue spring.

"Yeah because you're an idiot who expects machines to work the moment you plug them in."

"You are REALLY gonna bring that back up again?! How was I supposed to know the Virtual Frungy machine needed an APSOS socket?!"

"If you READ the manual you might have learned something!"

"I DON'T HAVE HANDS!"

"NONE OF US DO, YOU THINK THE ZOQ-FOT-PIK JUST CONVENIENTLY FORGOT TO EVOLVE HANDS?!"

"Alrigh' wheesht ye two!" said Fleek-Gleek tapping their heads. "This isnae a sitcom let's keep it that way."

"I hope that we are not being unconversant," said Durai leaning forwards with tentative stoop, "but could we possibly ask what species you be, I am afraid we are-"

"From an isolated planet without any means to contact extraterrestrial life?" inferred Bleen with a vapor-puff. "Yeah, we kinda guessed."

"We actually wanted to speak through your base's comms first," said Grue flickering feelers, "but then we discovered your signal array was too weak to respond back to us so it would have been pointless."

"That's why we waited until you were in range, hoping you had some kinda vessel to come meet us."

"I appreciate that," said Andrea leaning against a table carefully, "our communications aren't really good, they can only reach about fifty miles away."

"Fifty MILES?!" The coiled spring reeled back its body like an inflatable clown. "Wooooow you got shafted like an Ur-Quan pet!"

"Yeaaaah it kinda sucks, but we make do with what we have."

"So, how did you even get to a planet so far away from Earth with such basic resources?"

"They have a ship," snorted Grue rolling its "eyes" at Bleen, "I'm sure they managed to travel with a little spacehopping. Anyways to answer your question fifty moons ago, we are the Zoq-Fot-Pik."

"Don't ask which of us is which, we kinda forgot ourselves."

"Is your friend alright?" asked James pointing at the silent Blon between them.

"Oh, he's just really shy around new people, don't worry about him. Just don't ask him about Frungy, he goes CRAZY about it!"

"I used to have colleagues the same way," added Haytham, "they were quite obsessive over Triple Triad to the point of lassitude they inflicted upon me."

"I mean, I LIKE Frungy but I'm not gonna flip my roots over a game."

"Now who's using plant-metaphors?" snorted Grue wiggling feelers.

"Sh-shut up it's a common phrase on my planet!"

"Well it's great to finally meet you," said Andrea giving a little shipshape salute, "also, I hope you don't mind me asking but, would it be alright if I sent a message back to base? I know we can't hear them back but if they can hear from us then I just wanna let them know we're good."

"By all means!" said Grue. "Let's get this set up then."

The small threesome turned in their stools and started to tweak the machines before them, rolling slots and tapping buttons with the wheel on the table spinning to a very exact signal that breached through. They pulled on the levers with their apparent psychic ability and so Dixon was given the mic to speak through.

"Testing, testing. This is Andrea Dixon up at the Reichell Lunar Base hovering above you. We can't receive any messages from you at the moment cuz our comms, that is yours, are not strong enough to send back messages. Just wanted to check in on you all and let you know we're all good up here, will be back home hopefully soon in a few days. Repeat, all good up here, can't receive signals from you but will see you soon, over and out."

She clicked off the comms and smiled bowing to the trio technicians.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"No problem!" cried Bleen. "Happy to help!"

"Yanno I'm actually real intrigued by this whole setup you got going on so you mind if I talk shop with you a bit?"

"Why not do it over lunch?" replied Grue. "We're about to go have some if you'd like to join us."

"Oh sure I'd love to, that okay by you Sa-shi?"

[i]"Absolutely!"[/i] cried the supox clapping her fronds. [i]"I admit I was feeling my phloem vessels run a little dry so no time like the present!"[/i]

The cafeteria was almost exactly like the one at the visitors' base, a wide circular room with tables that rose up from the ground below and a whole plethora of foods available to every diet required. Workers from different parts of the Tecturanch came together as the fat-beaked Pkunk scooped up mushy meat, the solemn-hooded Utwig ate behind private screens with bowed heads, whilst the Supox and Zoq-Fot-Pik had a fertile mix of liquid nutrients fed into their bodies. Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek sat on opposite sides with Chanoch and Haytham at one table, whilst Andrea budged up with Grue, Bleen and Blon along with Sa-shi-ha at a neighbouring table.

"How cute," said the spathi leering her eyestalk across the table, "your friend's having a little pow-wow with the plant people."

"Indeed," replied Haytham digging into his food, "this is marvellous food, very unusual texture."

"Aye it's braw innit," said Fleek-Gleek taking a chunk of meat from his fork to gulp down like a pelican, "glllk...hafta say the service here's sum o' the best ah ever eaten!"

"Not as good as that restaurant we went to on our fifth date," said Shuffa swishing her eyestalk dreamily, "remember Pilnirah's dear? They had the most wonderful erkburgles."

"Ohhhhh aye they did," he cupped his wings beneath his beak, "that pkunk waitress wuz checkin' me oot an' you gave her the hardest stinkeye ya ever gave."

"I was TRYING to shoot lasers out of my sclera but ONE DAY my dear, I shall have the operation for it!"

"Pffthahahah that's no' whut laser-eye surgery means ya daft bint!"

"DO NOT DENY ME MY DREAM FLEEK!" she cried waggling her arms in mock protest. "But that place WAS wonderful, the lighting from the quasar-magnifier they had set off my eye colour beautifully."

"You always look beautiful." He reached out to her as she gripped his wing gently. "Since thuh day we first met through that port windae."

"Awwww."

She blushed sweetly with a tweaking eyelid of her orb before she dunked it into a glass of fluid. Much to the shock of Haytham and Chanoch they watched her eye "drink" the glass half-empty with gulping sounds in her stalk whilst her retina throbbed. James returned around that moment with a tray of food he slipped in front of Chanoch.

"Heeeere we are, no fish or ocean life, no new grains, they did not know what pork or poultry was so I decided to go safe with the artificial range."

"Thank you," the lizardman tucked in with polite restraint for his ravenous hunger, "I would have gotten it myself."

"I know but, well."

The lemming shrugged and sat between him and Fleek-Gleek with his own tray of mixed meat and vegetables. Besides the unusual colours of blue plants and neon-purple meat it tasted rather similar to the food the humans had on their base as they ate and drank quietly for a good

"Not sitting with Andrea?" asked James looking up at his master.

"No," demurred Haytham chewing space plants, "I must confess that her interest in radio communications is rather a myopic point to me."

"Ahhh."

"How are you faring James? Enjoying your first journey into the stars?"

"It is rather exciting," he admitted stirring the last of his meat and veg together, "much as we have travelled I have hardly ever been to a place like this so advanced in technology."

"Well," he leaned forwards with half a plate left, "I noticed you were quite into the biology of those new plants, did not take you for a botanist!"

"I was intrigued! Medicine is one of those fields I have a side-interest in so I thought why not entertain it whilst I have the opportunity?"

"Perhaps afterwards you would like to share notes with me and see what we have learned?"

"I would like that." He nodded smiling as Shuffa pulled her eye from her drink.

"Sooooo I hope you do not mind me giving one good turn after another but, you two do not seem like humans."

"Well, I am a lemming," said James, "Chanoch was formerly human so I think he counts as such."

"FORMER human?" she leered with a looming stalk. "How exactly can one be a former human, does your species have a pupal stage that I was previously unaware of?!"

"No no nothing of the sort, the reason for that is he was cursed from-"

"A-an experiment," interjected Haytham, "a scientific procedure that went tremendously off-beam is that not right James?"

"...yes. Exactly." He pushed away his plate stiffly and stood up with a snatch-and-grab of his umbrella. "Would you excuse me please I need some fresh air."

"Make sure to shut the door behind ye!" cried Fleek-Gleek sniggering. "Gets an awfy cald draft oot there in space hahaa-GLRK-HRRRKH-ERHHKH!"

Fleek-Gleek started choking violently, flapping his wings in frantic aid as Haytham stepped up from his seat, but Chanoch rushed round fast to behind the guard and grabbed him in a heimlich hug with a heaving clench. Both his fists tightened against the yehat's stomach as Shuffa looked at her husband with fear until he coughed up a thick wad of meat.

"[i]HHHHHHHRRRKH! KHAAAHhh...th-thank ye.[/i]"

"Are you alright?!" cried Shuffa hugging him tightly. "Y-you almost suffocated-"

"Ahm fine dear dinnae fret-"

"You really need to remember smaller chunks next time-"

"AH KNOW fer FUCK'S SAKE!"

He slumped into his seat with wings over his head in a quiet shame as Chanoch sat back down to finish the rest of his plate. Silence for a moment as Shuffa gingerly petted her husband reassuringly, whilst Haytham looked on towards where his student left perplexed by the sudden leave.

"Sooo miss Shuffa," he said moving back to his plate, "how did you and your husband meet?"

"Well we, worked on the nebula-rigs," said the spathi wiping her eye with a squeaky cloth, "I was working as an electrical engineer whilst Fleek-Gleek worked in zero-g astrowelding."

"Ah worked in her sector," he added after gingerly breaking some cubes of meat into smaller fragments, "flew past her windae a few times, we caught sight of each other an' well...yanno, started chattin'."

"And the rest is quite literally our history! Ten-thousand-eight-hundred days we have spent together since then."

"That would be about...twenty-nine years, goodness." Haytham sighed leaning back in his seat. "My wife and I spent perhaps twenty years ourselves before the rather unfortunate divorce."

"Wait izzat not yer wife there?" asked Fleek pointing a wing to Andrea.

"OHO no no no goodness she is a...a very dear colleague of mine."

"Ahhhhh." He winked his golden eye. "Ah ken ya, pal."

"NO NO NO please do not misunderstand," he lurched forwards hurriedly, "tis not an adulterous season, I have long since been divorced before I met doctor Dixon."

"Why did you divorce?" Chanoch asked cleaning his plate.

"I was...far too engrossed in my studies and I regretfully neglected my family. Long nights burning the candle at both ends, mulling over essays and forced to cosy up with dignitaries dragged me forever from my homestead and I must admit I was not entirely unwilling in that process."

"Did you have children?"

"Yes, two sons. One is last I heard becoming a philosopher, whilst the other I do not quite recall at the moment. I am hoping that the foundation I set up before my absence will continue to pay alimony as agreed."

"Well that is good," said Shuffa patting a pincer on his arm, "glad that some people care about families that they are no longer a part of."

"Y-...yes."

Chanoch took this moment to bow out and return his tray along with the food James had left mostly-eaten. Wandering to where he last saw the lemming, he exited the lunchroom and navigated through the crowds of aliens that ambled through the commons area, all of them shorter than him. The lack of humans anywhere made him feel strangely welcome as tentacled beasts waved to him and whimsical birds tooted greetings and salutations in passing. Almost every room he encountered was either steel or glass and always in a circle which he found to be quite confusing, turning round fast in the centre of a large throughway struggling to recognise anyplace.

"You lost?"

The gruff voice of a security guard came from behind, a large rhinoceros-looking thug with neon-green eyes and minus a horn.

"I am looking for my friend, short, green hair, blue robe."

"Ahh, yeah he went that way," the guard pointed with his rifle towards the veranda, "you with the new group?"

"Yes, I am their security."

"Thought that, look after yerself."

"Mm."

He walked towards an open raised platform similar to a balcony, beneath the glorious domed ceiling of the Tecturanch and elevated to be closer to it for a vista view. James stood out on the central railing amongst some various aliens that conversed amongst themselves in a gentle murmur, small insignificant beasts before the great canvas of the stars looming above them in their eternal splendour.

"Do you mind?" James asked feeling his approach.

"I wanted to check on you." The lizardman nodded with hands at his sides. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" He turned his head with a glaring eye. "I decided to save myself from making a scene this time."

"Hm." The knight walked forwards and leaned against the railing whilst still overshadowing the student. "I do not understand this place. Important research below exposed ceilings. Guards but every wall is curved, no defence positions, no corners to defend at."

"I really do not think the architects had any concerns about this being a stronghold. But at least the stars do look beautiful from here."

"They do. Hmmm."

He stared up towards them with James briefly, before he became lost in a spell entranced by their radiant sheen.

"Is it me or do the stars look purer from here?" asked James.

"Yes. They are brighter here."

"It does feel as if we are significantly closer than expected...maybe the glass is warped in such a way to magnify it."

"How many stars exist?" Chanoch asked.

"Oh talisman I cannot even guess," muttered James, "thousands perhaps millions......what am I doing here?"

He turned round to lean his back against the railing as he shook his head pitifully.

"I know nothing about the stars or space, why did I even come here?!"

"You can still learn," said Chanoch looking down at him.

"Th-that is not the point, I did not come here because I was in my element, I came here because-...I...I do not even know why I came here."

Slumping towards the ground James huddled his knees close to himself and sighed.

"The worst part of this is that I want to be angry at him."

"Your master?"

"Yes. I want to be upset, but every excuse that I can think just sounds more and more childish in my head after the fact. I do not know why I came here other than some worthlessly self-entitled opinion that I SHOULD be here. But this, this technology means nothing to me, I cannot think in the realms of space so why did I even come?!"

"Do you want me to answer that?" said the lizardman turning to him.

"I-...well, not expecting one but yes if you want."

"You are afraid he is abandoning you."

James looked up astonished with open gasp clutching his brolly close to him.

"You have always learned magic together, that is what you do, but now he learns science with Andrea the past year yes?"

"H-he has...I admit b-but he would NEVER abandon me, wh-what are you saying?!"

"I am not saying he would. I am saying you fear he might, that is why you came." He sat down beside him with legs bunched up. "Andrea told him not to speak of magic with his book, you took offence to that. He interrupted you telling the guards about my curse, you left upset."

"H-he did, yes that...that...why would he do that?!" He stood back up in a fit. "Wh-why did he excuse the truth with something completely untrue?!"

"I do not know," shrugged Jarogniew.

"He had no reason to invent that, he would never say something so inane but...you..." he turned towards him spinning on his brolly, "you do not think Andrea is behind this do you?!"

"No."

"But it...but it WAS Andrea that first started this, this a-anti-magic nonsense I mean, what is she so afraid of, does she not respect our skill?!"

"She must respect it," Chanoch said standing up, "she knows what your master does."

"If that is true then why hide it?! I have to ask her, I must, I demand to know why, it is my right as a practitioner!"

"Why not show them your magic?" The soldier slapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Wh-what?!"

"We find a place to show your magic." He swept his hand across the middling group of aliens. "Maybe here."

"A-are you...do you think that...no, no you know what, I should! Um...h-how should we start?"

"Just do magic. Nothing big, just enough for people to notice."

"Well...a-alright then! Um, but, firstly I want to...well." He clasped his fingers together towards the lizardman. "I want to apologise for my outburst against you a few hours thence. I...I acted unfairly towards you, I know you were just trying to help."

"It is fine."

"No it is not. I acted terribly towards you and you do not deserve it in the slightest."

"I understand." He patted the lemming's shoulder. "Now...show them your magic."

Standing apart from Chanoch in the centre of the room, James swept out his closed umbrella and took a deep breath, starting with something a little flourishing as he raised a finger up high and let it spark with a soft flame.

"Ignis."

He spun into a brief dance, trailing his finger to create a thin burning ribbon around his body that flickered with such sheen that it attracted more than a few eyes to his direction. He smiled seeing their attention caught and reeled back his fire string like a fishing reel back to his finger before blasting it upwards in a sheer plume like an oil rig flame.

"What is that weirdo doing?!" muttered one beast.

"Should they be using open flames like that?"

James looked back to Chanoch with a grin as his confidence grew before twisting his wrist. He shot another flaming burst that hung like the northern lights, but gripping his umbrella in the other hand he made a shimmering white mist trickle down its flaps.

"Glacies!"

The mist became thicker until packed ice coated his brolly to become a single club, whirling it in an arc above his head that extinguished the hanging curtain of flames to become ashen water. Creatures gasped and a few even chuckled confused before he magicked up another spiralling flame to wrap around the ice and melt it in thick droplets to the floor. A warm puddle spilt across to a thickening blob until his brolly was freed, raising his unequipped hand over the puddle to make it rise like a phantom of liquid with bubbling mass that unnerved his audience.

"Wh-wh-what are they up to?!"

"I have no idea, what is even the point of this?!"

"Maybe it's a space busker ooooh I love them!"

"At a medical RESEARCH station?!"

"Well I mean they do get everywhere, or anywhere there's money!"

At this point a small group had entered onto the veranda in the form of Haytham and Andrea along with the trio from the communications room rolling upon hover-stools. Dixon's face tightened with shock upon the magic act as she stuttered looking to Haytham who simply shrugged.

"What is he doing?!"

"Practicing his magic and gathering an audience I see."

"We are not here to PERFORM, we are here on business!"

"What is the harm, he is perfectly well-trained in the arts he shan't be a danger to anybody!"

"That is not the point!"

"Wow what is THIS?!" cried Bleen lifting her stool up. "Is this performance art?!"

"Ugh I hope not," murmured Grue, "I hate that stuff, always trying to be above everyone as if they have something new to say when they don't."

"I think it looks great, what is it some sorta chemistry dance?!"

"Well why not ask him when he has finished?" added Durai. "My pupil would be glad to answer-"

"U-uhhh maybe let's not bother them," muttered Andrea pulling his arm, "I-i'm sure they have their own reaso-WOAaaaaah shit."

"OhohoHOHHH goodness James!"

James however came to impress, spiralling the water round him before he leapt upon its front and started riding it upwards into the sky like his personal chariot to the shock more than adulation of the audience beneath. Droplets streamed across the floor as the lemming split the water-spout in half to leap from one to the other with childish glee, sweeping out his umbrella in full bloom like a '50s musical. He leapt from the spout before crying:

"AERIS!"

A sharp gust of wind tore beneath his feet, scattering the water into mere specks around him as he closed his brolly and spun cyclonic above the balcony. The small gale shook through the crowd as leaves and stalks trembled briefly from the small twister of white wind that funnelled taller towards the ceiling. Higher he went, faster he shot like a bullet before the wind finally ceased. He fell to the gasp of the crowd before he swung out his brolly and opened it above him, swaying in the breeze of the station's ventilation system like a stray leaf. He landed a full minute later with a grand bow to the audience who looked perplexed, then started to clap awkwardly feeling confused as they began to leave the balcony, muttering to themselves about how they should really get back to work because it was the right thing to do.

"Well DONE James!" Haytham strolled over through the walking roots to greet him. "That was a marvellous display of sorcery!"

"Thank you!" he replied beaming. "I thought I could do with some practice and now seemed the time."

"That was COOL!" cried Bleen springing her head. "You got some major chemistry skills!"

"Ohoho no no it was not chemistry, it was magic!"

"Wh-what? Magic?"

"Yes indeed."

"Pffft." The plants tittered between each other. "C-come on be real we're not saplings, what you hiding up those sleeves? Combusto-rays, elem-bursters!?"

"No, I assure you it was magic!"

"Oh don't be like that!" scoffed Grue. "You and I both know magic isn't real you don't have to pretend-"

"I AM NOT PRETENDING!" stomped James. "That was magic, it was real, magic is real!"

The trio backed slowly off with a shared look of unease and, had they any mouths, the sense of a creeping fake smile could be felt on all their faces.

"OhohoooooKAYYYY then," whimpered Bleen wiggling her azure springhead, "whatever you say little guy."

"You say it's magic, then it's magic," assured Grue with a tweak of his lash-feelers, "we won't argue."

"Don't you patronise me!" barked the lemming. "If you are so foolish to not even accept what's in front of your eyes then there is no hope for you!"

"Alright alright no need to get snippy! Anyways we have to get back to work sooo take care!"

They scooted off on their hover-stools but the sounds of their nervous giggling could be heard in the distance. James clenched his fists as Chanoch walked up to the group with Andrea crossing her arms before the student.

"Happy now?" she asked.

"...is this...is this why you told master Durai not to speak of his magic?" He looked up to her with a twitching eye. "Did you know they were unbelievers?"

"I had my suspicions. I'm sorry. I wanted to try and explain it but I was busy trying to actually do my job, which some of us are forgetting I have to do for the sake of my people."

"Why did you just not come out and SAY it then, instead of beating around the bush?!"

"Because I didn't want you to think I was insulting you by telling you that 'hey these people don't believe in magic so don't weird them out with it'."

"Why would you even THINK that in the first place?!" he demanded throwing his hands.

"Because in my world magic doesn't exist and I KNOW what people like them are like to boys like you that still believe!"

"I am not a BOY, I am an adult, also Jane believes in magic are you calling her an imbecile too?!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK SHIT ABOUT JANE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S BEEN THROUGH!"

"James I am sure she did not mean ill," Haytham interjected, "Andrea has been very busy planning a lot of things-"

"N-NO, do not defend her, let her speak on her own terms!" He stabbed his brolly into the dirt tightly gripping its handle. "All you had to do was say 'these people do not believe in magic, do not frighten them with it', that was all!"

"Well I would have if SOMEONE wasn't in such a bad mood!" snorted Dixon tightening her arm-cross.

"Wh-wha-are you blaming ME for my ignorance?!"

"You've been acting like a dick the entire time since we came up here, I apologised about not telling you about our trip, and when I tried to talk to you before, you just went and stormed off like a brat!"

"I am NOT A BRAT, I AM A LEARNED MAGE!"

"If you're so learned then why can't you behave like an adult?!"

"IF YOUR SCIENCE IS SO SUPERIOR THEN WHY CAN'T YOU GO HOME AFTER TWENTY YEARS?!"

"Wh-...WHAT?!"

"YOU HEARD ME!" He puffed his chest towards her stricken expression. "For all your quantum physics and stellar scientific studies you cannot even manage to return home when I, the silly little mage, managed to accomplish it in the space of HALF!"

"Now James that is enough!" protested Durai pointing finger. "Science and magic are two different fields an-"

"Why are you defending her, she has censured you the same as she censured me!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU LITTLE [i]BITCH![/i]"

Her voice screeched to a piercing intensity that Shuffa and Fleek-Gleek gripped their weapons waiting in the wings of the balcony. She leaned in close towards him until her eyes locked dead against his.

"Now you listen to me, you don't EVER talk to me like that again. I don't know why we can't get back home but what I DO know is that it involves the moon, which I have not had a chance to ever reach to investigate until THIS, which is WHY I am doing fucking diplomacy work so we can get a chance to go to the moon!"

"You have a ship already," he snorted brusquely, "why not go yourself?"

"Do you know how big the moon is? No, of course you don't, I am going to need help, so I can get out of this fucking land before time which I have been stuck in longer than the actual fucking movies took, and I am NOT letting you screw this up for me because you're so DESPERATE for attention that you wanna show off your little circus act!"

"[i]C-CIRCUS ACT?![/i]" James' fist tightened with piercing eyes. "YOU-...y-y-Y-YOU...[i]FUCKING [b]COW![/b][/i]"

Haytham was ready to slap him across the face, had Andrea not beat him to it with one single punch square in the stomach that sent James rolling back hard onto the steel floor. Chanoch stepped back surprised as did Haytham watching the lemming push himself up with a stuttering heave. His face twisted up and shook with rage as his hand went straight for his sword grip. Then he stopped. He clutched his chest and started to shiver with a deep cold sickness as he stumbled up onto his feet and brought his hands over his snout.

"I-i...I-i-i..."

He ran past them as tears flew down his cheeks, stuttering sobs breaking through suddenly as Haytham tried to stop him.

"J-JAMES, WAIT!" He sighed with a firm hand through his hair. "Hhhhnnnnngh...I...cannot apologise enough for this-"

"Don't." Dixon pressed her fist to her forehead trying to calm herself. "It's hard enough playing the long game on a space station where the boss hates your guts without having to deal with this."

"He is my responsibility, I must atone for this."

"You don't have to atone for shit. It's his problem, he acted out, he got smacked down so he'll learn."

"Nevertheless I cannot leave him like this." Haytham turned towards her making a backwards step. "Forgive me Andrea, I shall see you soon when I have helped soothe his woes."

The doctor watched him walk off to where James had run off to before her head raised upwards to the stars and let forth a deep desperate groan. Her fingers spasmed with a brief frustration as Chanoch waited patiently for her to return to neutral before he spoke.

"Forgive me Andrea."

"Oh, god not you too."

"I encouraged James to practice his magic."

"Wh-what?!" She turned halfway fast. "Why would you-...okay, I thought out of all of us that YOU would be sensible."

"He was upset, he felt his magic was being rated beneath your science-"

"NO, no, I am NOT getting into this fucking argument again, I can't believe you were the one that caused this!"

"I wanted to help. You did not listen and neither did he."

"Well you helped, congratulations!" She threw her arms out wide slapping the air. "Now all of us got to listen and now nobody is happy so good fucking job you jarhead, why don't you stick to your gun and sword and shut your fucking trap like a real soldier should?!"

"Y-...yes. Forgive me."

Andrea stormed off to leave Chanoch by himself. His head sunk with his shoulders as he slumped towards the balcony rail and leaned heavy against it with a deep sigh, staring at the stars wordlessly as he felt his voice shrink. His throat began to dry up with a pinch in his eye.

"Dearie me," muttered Fleek-Gleek from the balcony entrance, "this group are a righ' laugh aren' they?"

"Indeed," said Shuffa rubbing the base of her stalk with a pincer glibly, "I fear that we have met this convention of otherworldly outsiders at a rather unfortunate opportunity."

"Best tae keep eye oan 'em then, dinnae wan' them shootin' aff like that wee bastard did."

"Agreed. That, and I would not want anything to spoil our delightful rondo for the day tomorrow."

"Ohhh ye'll haftae drag me oot with a pack o' wild melnorme afore you can pull away from ye lass."

He nuzzled his beak against her stalk as the spathi giggled like a college sweetheart, closing her eye halfway with a loving fondness towards the yehat beneath the stars as Chanoch remained alone and silent. Alone once again.