FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I look up at her in a mixed emotion the doctor behind the window starts asking her questions, but I am fixated on her eyes and tone out the doctor. She had an "Oh shit" expression or at least that's what it looked like to me. I look down at the bent metal and cracked polymer. Such fear, anger, and agony "Release her" I mumble.

"What?" the doctor replied.

"Release her." I looked up at him on the other side of the window, guards all around the window their black visors reflecting the vixen and myself.

"Sir, are you okay?" He questions my sanity.

"If you're not going to release her I will." I looked at him with all seriousness.

"I-I can't sir it is against protocol." He replied

I get up take the pieces of the sidearm and walk to the window. "See this..." I show him the barrel. "This is the steel barrel to my sidearm... a steel barrel! If you do not follow my orders I swear to you that she will not stop this violence if you keep her locked up like this! I want the crew to be notified that we have a guest and the respect the guest, no guards, no hostility, and NO questioning!" I walk to the door and remove the chair then unlock it and turn to her.

"You're on MY ship and we can't land on your planet." She breathed sharply.

"And we wouldn't. What was on the ship with you is also on the surface. You are free to roam the ship. I will have a room for you that's better than this. A platoon will clear your ship and if anyone else is found alive we will do the same as we did for you." I open the door and step out keeping the door open.

"GET back to your posts!" I yell at the guards. They jump and scatter to their posts as I walk out of quarantine and head to my barracks. Ramirez sits on the deck outside my barrack's hatch bouncing a tennis ball off the wall across from him. He catches me in the corner of his eye and gets up quickly.

"Don't even bother Ray." I look at him tired and annoyed.

"That rough... how she doing?" He asks.

"Sarah's fine -"

"Not Sarah the fox lady." He looks at the bent and cracked pieces of my sidearm in my hand.

"She speaks English..." I reply opening the hatch. He follows behind me but I stop him at the entrance. "I want you to be with her just don't start asking her questions."

"But Sir..." He interrupts.

"Like I said she speaks and understands English. Just show her around and make her feel welcome. Any problems come to me first." Before he can say another word I close and lock the hatch. I turn around and the pain hits me like a speeding train. I take my uniform top off and see the bandages are soaked in blood. The entire time I had no idea I was bleeding. I even forgot that I was injured. I walk to the medical cabinet and take out fresh bandages and change the used ones out. Throw a fresh olive green t-shirt on and lay on the bed slowly. I stare at the overhead and think to myself what had just happened. Why was everything this way? Why did this event take place? Why on my last mission before my contract was up did something like this have to happen? This was so tiring. It just reminded me how much I have given in service to my country and planet. All that time spent on helping others, following orders, being a leader. My body ached more and more day by day, this career slowly destroying me. And now I had another creature barrow into my chest cause me so much pain and removed just before reaching my heart. This had to be my last mission I could no longer allow myself to keep going like this. I had no family; I really had no time for a relationship just time for my career. No down time, just constantly working. No time to plan on a family, no time to enjoy my life. How could I have been so blind to this?

I close my eyes for just a second or what seems to be just a second. The next moment open my eyes to Ramirez standing by my bunk.

"Feeling better Sir?" He looks down at me.

My body's awareness awaken and my muscles spasms and aches.

"I feel horrible." I reply. He smiles at me and extends a hand. I grab it and struggle to get out of the bunk. "How long was I out for?" I ask feeling my whole body ache with soreness.

"About three days." He replied as I give him a shocked look.

How is that possible? Three days! What happened? I thought to myself then closed my eyes.

A flash then a deafening boom followed by ringing in my ears.

"Sir, Are you okay?" Ramirez leans down to me as I shake my head the ringing going away.

"Would everyone stop asking if I am okay?" I scream. "I know I am a captain but you don't need to baby me!"

"Sorry sir it is just- well the fox lady wants to talk with you." He steps back. "She has been very quiet when trying to engage in conversation but when it comes to you and the ship she- well to be honest it has been like watching a child. She has asked so many questions about the ship and you but not anything about our human race or what we eat. Just asking where you come from. What you do. What the ship's purpose is. How it moves. The kind of stuff that a kid would ask when at a museum. It's kind of annoying."

I take the sleep out of my eyes and go over to the sink and wash my face.

"She seemed very interested in how old you are." He added. I stop brushing my teeth mid way and look at him through the mirror.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yep I told her to ask you because I cant remember the last time anyone ever celebrated your birthday." He smiles.

"Ass, I'm 26." I give him a dirty look. As I finish brushing my teeth and I yawn.

"You have been asleep for 3 days how can you still be tired?!" He yells.

"Cause you put me to sleep with your boring conversations." I smile and punch his arm and feel a sharp pain in my ribs. "Wow that hurt me more then you."

"So is okay if you come out and talk to her right?" He says with a big smile.

"Yes I am fine with that." I start for the passage way.

"Sir you might want to get dressed." He laughs.

I look down only in my boxer briefs. "Ah, good suggestion."

"Good to have you back Cap." He laughs leaving my quarters.

"FUCKKKKKKK!" I yell to no one.

"Damn It!" I vent my frustration on my bunk mattress.

I take a few deep breaths and put my work uniform on. I take one last deep breath and exit my quarters. I step out into the passage way look left, nothing, look right, she is there leaning with her head and shoulder.

"Hey there sleep head!" She says in perfect English with a North Carolina accent.

"Uh, hi." I say awkwardly. Why is she talking like that?

"How old are you?" The fox woman asks.

"Why does it matter?" I look at her.

"Well I am 23. My name is Heather by the way." She smiles widely. "Oh, thank you for saving me." She adds.

"Your welcome," I smile back. "And I am 26."

End of chapter 4