FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The buzzing of my alarm clock jolted me from sleep, and I was momentarily disoriented as to where I was. I had been having a vivid dream that I was back on Earth, and it took me a moment for me to remember where I actually was. A planet 300 light years from Earth. It didn’t even have a name yet, just a number for identification. I had been here for just over three months of a two year research mission. I sighed, and rubbed my eyes. I rolled out of bed and got dressed in my coverall, then headed into the living area of the outpost. It wasn’t much, a small room with a couch in front of a TV. I went into the attached kitchenette, and grabbed a breakfast bar. I ate it quickly, drank some water, then headed into the adjacent vehicle bay. The lights came on automatically as I entered, and Abe lifted their head as they came on. Abe was my only companion, and research partner on this planet. Not to mention my protection when we were out exploring. Abe was short for ‘Artificial Beast Explorer’, and in my A.B.E. 's case, resembled a large synthetic feral dragon. A.B.E.s were operated by a highly advanced AI system. A.B.E. 's came in many different shapes and sizes, the needs of the mission usually determined which type would be most useful. They weren’t only a companion and protector, they also served as transportation. From the tip of the curved visor screen covering their head, to the tip of their tail, my A.B.E. was 30ft long, and stood at about 9ft tall at the shoulder. Their head was perched atop a long slender neck. Grey hexagonal shaped scales covered Abe’s body, with black glossy ones running down their throat and chest. “Good morning Dr. Anthony, I hope you slept well!” Abe greeted me, rising to their feet, and stepping off of their charging pad. “Good morning Abe, like I tell you every morning, you can just call me Tony if you like” I said to them. “I understand, but my etiquette protocols direct me to address team members by their proper titles, it would be disrespectful not to!” Abe replied, as they always did when I suggested they address me by just my first name. I sighed and shook my head as I approached my equipment bench. “But seeing as how it’s just the two of us on the whole planet, I think you can let etiquette slide!” I exclaimed. It was a lost cause, yet I couldn’t help but keep having this argument with them on a nearly daily basis. “I understand Dr, I will try!” Abe promised, though I knew they wouldn’t change. “Why don’t you go get your storage units on while I finish getting my stuff ready?” I told them, and continued doing my routine equipment check. “Yes Dr!” Abe agreed, and lumbered over to where their storage units were staged. Each container had multiple compartments with small cases to keep samples separated from each other. They sat on two raised platforms opposite each other. They attached to Abe magnetically, and as Abe leaned their side towards each one, there was a brief hum, before the container slid off the shelf and attached to their side. Storage containers firmly in place, Abe returned to wait patiently as I finished getting ready. “That should do it!” I said as I finished loading my pack and turned to Abe. Seeing I was ready, Abe sat back on their haunches as their chest opened, the scales parting down the center. Long black tentacle-like appendages began to slither out of the revealed cavity, then hovered in the air, waiting expectantly. The tentacles were what held me in place inside Abe as we travelled across the planet, acting as shock absorbers in case of an unexpected fall, or other sudden movements. Other than passenger restraint, Abe was also able to use them for other various tasks, such as manipulating objects or tools, and was quite adept with them. They could extend for dozens of feet, and as much as I secretly enjoyed being wrapped up in those tentacles, I also found it very claustrophobic to ride inside of Abe’s chest. “Dr?” Abe questioned when I remained standing by the equipment bench, eyeing their chest compartment. Their head tilted, and their blue LED eyes displayed on their visor took on a questioning expression. “You know Abe, it’s so nice out today I thought maybe I would ride on your back instead?” I asked hopefully. I knew what their response would be, but it was worth a shot. Abe rolled their LED eyes, and sighed dramatically, despite the fact they didn’t actually even breath, or have a mouth before responding. When Abe spoke, a row of lights along the front of their head where a mouth would have been flashed in cadence with their speech. “Dr, you are fully aware that exploration safety protocols dictate that” Abe started, but I interrupted them before they could really get started on their safety lecture, I had heard it too many times already. “Alright, alright, I know the protocols, I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask!” I said irritably. I sighed heavily, and stepped over in front of Abe, then turned around with my legs spread and arms lifted away from my body. I shivered with secret delight at the feeling of Abe’s thick tentacles slithering across my body as they began to coil around my torso, arms and legs. Once they had a firm grip on me, I was gently lifted, and pulled into Abe’s chest cavity. The opening closed once I was inside, and a screen lit up in front of me showing me what Abe was seeing outside. The vehicle bay door began to roll open, and Abe moved in front of it as they patiently waited for it to finish opening. The outpost was located in a large clearing surrounded by dense forests. The sun was still rising, the shadows of the trees crept slowly across the ground as it slowly rose behind them. “Ready Dr?” Abe asked. “As ready as I’ll ever be” I replied, squirming slightly in the gentle, yet firm grip of the tentacles suspending me. Luckily it wouldn’t be a long trip to our destination, I could deal with my claustrophobia until then. “Off we go then!” Abe said cheerfully. Unlike Abe, this was my first new planet exploration mission. Abe had been on many such missions, and seemed to very much enjoy exploring new planets. This was just one of many forays we had taken together on this planet, but Abe seemed just as enthusiastic each morning when we set out. Abe’s speed picked up gradually as they crossed the clearing. A slow amble gradually increasing into a full on gallop, but I hardly felt anything suspended as I was. Abe had the coordinates for our intended sample gathering area already, and headed directly for them. Their rapid pace didn’t slow when they entered the closely spaced trees, and they nimbly avoided them as they proceeded to our destination. I could hear what was going on outside, and heard the sounds of surprised creatures fleeing as Abe bounded noisily through the forest. Despite the planet's distance from Earth, I was amazed at some of the similarities in fauna. Some of the trees and plants would have looked right at home back on Earth. It took no time at all to reach our destination, a clearing deep in the woods. I was relieved when Abe’s chest split open, and I was placed gently back on the ground. The tentacles slid back into Abe’s chest, and the opening closed. I took a deep breath, glad to be out of the confined space. The air of a planet that had never been touched by industrial pollution was indescribably sweet. Air quality research had been done long before we arrived, and the nanobots in my blood stream protected me from any imaginable air borne pathogens that I might encounter. Based on the reports though, the air here was safer than anything back on Earth. I went to Abe’s side, and they crouched down so I could have easier access to the storage unit. I took out a sample box, and went to work. As I examined, and collected samples, Abe constantly patrolled in a circle around me, maintaining a 20ft perimeter as he watched for potential threats. So far we had not seen any dangerous creatures yet, mostly just small reptilian creatures, some that flew, and some that were flightless. I had a few we had captured back at the lab for additional studying. Occasionally I would return to Abe, who would pause there patrol as I placed a full sample container in the storage unit, then grab a new one. As I collected samples from the clearing we were in, we had slowly moved closer to the trees. I was startled when I heard the loud snap of a branch nearby. Before I could look up, Abe was immediately behind me, and I was being hastily wrapped up by their tentacles, then quickly drawn inside them. I protested loudly, as Abe had simply snatched me up, pinning my arms to my sides, rather than wrapping each limb individually. I was utterly immobilized, and complaining loudly as I struggled in the grip of their tentacles when the screen inside Abe’s chest cavity winked on. I forgot about my complaints when I saw what Abe had seen. The view zoomed in, and a red blinking box outlined the threat. A large reptilian creature that appeared to be similar in size to a tiger brazenly strolled out into the clearing. Its scaly hide was dark green with brown slashes, providing it with the perfect forest camouflage. If it hadn’t stepped on that branch, and spoiled its stealthy approach, we might not have even known about it until it was too late. Abe crouched down, taking on a threatening stance. The reptilian creature posed no real threat, Abe was considerably larger. I watched with fascination as the creature scrutinized Abe with what seemed to be no fear whatsoever before it turned and casually slipped back into the woods, blending perfectly back into the shadows. “Please tell me you recorded that!” I exclaimed. “Of course Dr, I record everything, you know that!” Abe replied, sounding almost offended at the implication that they hadn’t been. “What a fascinating species!” “I’m glad you saw it, otherwise I might have ended up as its lunch!” I said nervously. “If it hadn’t stepped on that branch, it might have even escaped my detection until it was too late! Thank goodness it did!” Abe said, beginning to sound anxious. “Hey Abe, think we could do something about the tentacle situation in here? You’ve got me wrapped up pretty tight…” I complained. I couldn’t recall Abe’s tentacles ever clutching me so tightly before, and they immediately slackened when I brought it up. “I’m sorry Dr, one moment!” Abe apologized. The tentacles re-maneuvered themselves to hold me in the usual way when I was inside Abe. “What about my sample box?” I asked, it was still on the ground where Abe had snatched me up. “I will fetch it” Abe offered, their chest opened up just enough so that one of their tentacles could slide out. Abe grabbed the box, and brought it back into their chest cavity, where the tentacle that had grabbed it coiled around it to secure it. “I think we’ve had enough excitement for the day, shall we head back?” I suggested. “Agreed Dr, let’s go” Abe replied eagerly, turning to head back to the outpost. It was a quick trip back to the outpost. I almost felt like Abe was hurrying faster than usual, perhaps slightly shaken that a threat had gotten so close to me. Abe took great pride in their safety record, personally having never had a scientist casualty under their watch. I noticed they waited until the vehicle bay door was completely closed before releasing me from their chest. Any other time, I would have been let out as we waited for the door to open. When Abe placed me back on the ground, their tentacles lingered on me, briefly caressing me as if Abe was reassuring themself I had come back in one piece. The tentacles gently gripped and slithered across my limbs, almost anxiously. As much as I enjoyed Abe’s tentacles on me, it was starting to annoy me that they still hadn’t released me yet. “Um, Abe? Planning on letting me go anytime soon?” I asked, somehow managing to keep the mild annoyance out of my voice. “Oh! My apologies Dr, just wanted to check you over to make sure you were ok!” Abe apologized, then hastily withdrew their tentacles from me. It was hard to stay upset with Abe, they did seem legitimately concerned for my well being. “I’m fine Abe, I promise. I didn’t thank you back there, you probably saved my life!” I told them. “You are most welcome Dr, it is after all my job to keep you safe!” Abe said proudly, seeming to come back around to their normal self now that we were safely back at the outpost. Abe went and unloaded the storage units onto their platforms, then returned to lay down on their charging station. I fetched a cart from the lab, and began unloading sample containers. I realized Abe still had the one from earlier, so I went over to them to fetch it. “Hey Abe, you still have the container you picked up for me?” I asked them. “Oh! In the excitement and relief to be back safely I had forgotten!” Abe exclaimed. They got back up, sitting back on their haunches as their chest split open. The tentacle emerged, and handed the container to me. As I took it, the tip of the tentacle that had been holding it briefly caressed my hand before retracting back inside of Abe, who then laid back down on their charging pad. I was becoming a little concerned by Abe’s behavior. “Are you sure everything is ok Abe?” I asked. “Yes Dr, my apologies. I must confess I am still slightly unsettled by the incident today. That is the closest a threat has ever gotten to a scientist in my care, and I’ve been thinking over what I can do to be a better guardian in the future” Abe told me. I reached over to pat the tip of their snout in an attempt to try to comfort them. “Don’t blame yourself Abe, it’s impossible to be able to anticipate every threat, especially on an unexplored planet! Let me assure you I’m perfectly fine if that makes you feel any better” I reassured them. “Thank you Dr, I am relieved that you are fine. If any harm had come to you, I don’t know if I would have been able to forgive myself!” Abe exclaimed. “I’m sure you will only become a better guardian because of this, I trust you completely with my life” I reassured them. “Thank you again, your confidence in my abilities makes me feel much better. Now if you will excuse me I am going to analyze the data from today” Abe said, then lowered their head to their front paws. Their LED eyes winked out to indicate Abe had gone into standby mode, but they were still capable of thinking and analyzing data while in that state. I returned to unloading the samples for cataloging while Abe analyzed the events from earlier. A while later, I heard Abe get up and leave their charging pad. Shortly after, they stuck their head through the opening in the wall between the lab and the vehicle bay to check on me. “Hello Abe, all charged up?” I enquired as I examined a specimen under the microscope. “Yes Dr, fully charged and all systems optimal. How is the cataloging going?” Abe asked. “Oh, as good as it can. Some very interesting cellular structures in some of the plant specimens we collected today. You’ll have to take a look when I upload the data” I told them. “I will be sure to have a look!” Abe replied, sounding enthusiastic. “I think that’s enough cataloging for today, time for some dinner” I said with a yawn. My stomach growled its agreement. I left the lab and headed back to the living area through the vehicle bay. Abe followed me closely, almost crowding me. I chalked it up to today’s events causing them to feel over protective of me. Abe was too large to follow me into the living area, but they stuck their head in through the door, and rested their head on the floor. Their LED eyes followed my every movement attentively. I took my plate of food over to the couch to eat, and Abe repositioned their head so it was next to the couch, facing toward the TV. Sometimes Abe joined me in watching films or shows on deep space broadcasting. Eventually it was time for bed, I brought my dish to the sink and cleaned it. Abe turned their head to watch me, their eyes never left me. They raised their head when I approached to bid them good night. “Good night Abe, I’ll see you in the morning” I said, resting my hand on their visor. Abe nuzzled against my hand. “Good night Dr Anthony, sleep well” Abe said. I thought Abe would return to their charging station, but they laid their head back down on the floor and watched me as I went into my bedroom. I flipped off the lights in the living area, and looked over my shoulder, Abe’s eyes glowed softly in the darkness. I gave Abe one last wave, then headed to bed. My dreams ended up being nightmares. I was back in the clearing, only the reptilian creature had avoided Abe’s detection, and I awoke with a gasp as I felt the creature's jaws close on my throat. I sighed in relief as I realized it had been just a dream. When I made my way into the living area, Abe was still resting their head on the floor by the vehicle bay door. Apparently they had been still thinking about the events of yesterday, and didn’t want to stray far. Abe’s eyes appeared on their visor, and they lifted their head. I couldn’t help but feel a little touched by their concern. “Good morning Dr Anthony” Abe greeted me. “Good morning Abe, how are you feeling this morning?” I asked, and went over to slip my arm around their neck and gave them a light side hug, then headed into the kitchenette. “What was that for?” Abe asked, their LED eyes taking on a surprised expression, but they sounded pleased by the unexpected show of affection. “Just to let you know I appreciate you, especially for saving me yesterday. “It was my duty Dr, but thank you for your appreciation. You’ll be pleased to know I have made revisions to my protection procedures for our next expedition. I don’t anticipate any hostile creatures being able to get as close as the one did yesterday!” Abe informed me. “Glad to hear it Abe, I know you wouldn’t let anything happen to me” I told them with a smile, as I munched on my breakfast bar. “I certainly won’t! I will be integrating thermal scans into my visual sweeps to avoid being snuck up on again. I will also be doing a preliminary sweep of the area as well before releasing you after we travel to our sample collection area” Abe said, sounding proud of their new plans. Being stuck inside Abe longer wasn’t something I particularly looked forward to, but it beat the alternative of becoming a meal for some hungry creature. “Sounds good, when I finish breakfast I’ll be out to prepare for our departure” I said. Abe nodded, and their head disappeared back into the vehicle bay. I joined them shortly after, Abe already had their storage containers attached, and was sitting patiently as they waited for me. I got ready, and assumed the position for Abe. I noticed that when Abe wrapped their tentacles around me, they looped even more coils around me than usual. It seemed Abe was going a bit overboard to assure my safety, but I said nothing as I was lifted into their chest cavity. “The weather radar indicates a storm moving through the area near the clearing. But based on the direction it is moving, it is predicted it should miss us” Abe told me as a weather map appeared on the screen inside them, showing the predicted movement. “Ok, good to know. We’ll keep an eye on it” I said. The vehicle bay door rolled open, and Abe headed out. I squirmed slightly in Abe’s tentacles, not only was I wrapped up more than usual, they felt like they had a tighter grip than usual as well. “Hey Abe, I appreciate your extra concern, but you’re squeezing me awfully tight!” I complained. “Sorry Dr, I must admit I’m slightly on edge still, especially since we are returning to the same clearing” Abe apologized, and the tentacle's grip on me slackened slightly. “I understand, but I’m sure you’ll be on top of things” I assured them. “Thank you Dr, I appreciate your faith in my abilities” Abe said gratefully. We arrived back at the clearing, and Abe began circling the edge of it, switching through different visual modes as they scanned the forest. I watched on the screen as red boxes popped up around potential threats, then turned green as Abe deemed them not to be dangerous. As Abe scanned, the tentacles around me slithered and gently squeezed me, almost as if an unconscious expression of Abe’s anxiety. After making a complete circuit, Abe seemed satisfied there were no threats, and their tentacles stopped their nervous squeezing. Abe moved to the center of the clearing, then finally released me. I was happy to be out, and rubbed my arms to get the circulation going again, they had become a little numb from Abe’s incessant squeezing of me. “Let’s keep our activities around the middle of the clearing today, I don’t want any more close calls!” Abe requested. I nodded my agreement, and collected a sample case. I noticed that Abe hadn’t closed their chest compartment as they began their patrolling circle around me. I could see the tips of their tentacles barely protruding, and writhing anxiously. “Abe, your compartment is still open”. I mentioned, on the off chance they hadn’t realized. “Yes Dr, I’m taking no risks. The time it takes to open it could be the difference in the case of an emergency” Abe told me, never pausing their patrol. I noticed Abe's patrol perimeter had shrunk as well. Instead of the usual 20ft, they had reduced it to 10ft. In the distance thunder rumbled, and the wind gusted briefly before dying down again. Abe paused their patrol for a brief moment, looking in the direction of the storm thoughtfully, then resumed patrolling. At one point there was a sound of commotion in the trees, and Abe bounded over to me, their tentacles began to wind around me protectively in anticipation as Abe scanned the woods. Apparently Abe decided it wasn’t a threat, and released me again, then returned to their patrol. The wind had been blowing on and off from the direction of the storm, when there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by an especially loud rumble of thunder. The noise startled both of us, and Abe moved quickly to my side. The wind began to blow strongly in our direction from the storm. “Load your sample box, we need to go. The storm has unexpectedly changed direction and is heading our way” Abe said urgently, crouching down for me to load the sample box. As I loaded the box, it began to rain, lightly at first, but then intensified quickly. Abe quickly scooped me up into their chest cavity as there was a deafening crash of thunder. Once I was secured, Abe began galloping in the direction of the outpost. The weather radar map came up on the screen in front of me, angry looking red blobs indicating storm clouds had overtaken us. A bolt of lightning struck a tree ahead of us, causing it to burst into flame. Abe nimbly dodged away as it fell with a crash. The crack of thunder had been utterly deafening, I would have clapped my hands to my ears, but the tentacles around my arms prevented me from being able to. The tentacles tightened around me. Another lightning bolt struck nearby, Abe skidded to a stop to avoid another toppling tree. But before they could get moving again, another bolt struck Abe directly, causing their body to shudder violently. I felt Abe topple to the ground, and the tentacles holding me went slack. The screen winked out, leaving me in total darkness. I was in shock as I hung suspended in complete darkness. The sound of the rain was a dull roar as it drummed against Abe’s synthetic hide. “Abe? Abe! Are you ok?!?” I yelled, but there was no response. “Shit, shit, shit!” I muttered, as I worked to free my arms from the limp tentacles wound around them. I had a flashlight in my pack, and a diagnostics tablet that I could hook up to Abe with to see if I could get them restarted. I heard the sounds of more thunder, but it sounded further away. Hopefully the worst of it was over. I finally managed to free my arms, and got out my flashlight and tablet. Hooking my tablet into the Abe’s connection port, I started a diagnostic. There was a quiet hum as Abe’s body powered back up. The screen in front of me came back to life, and displayed the same screen as my tablet. SYSTEM POWER ONLINE, AI OFFLINE. RUNNING AI DIAGNOSTICS, STANDBY! This was a good sign, I had Abe’s power back on, hopefully there AI files hadn’t been damaged in the power surge. DANGER! CORRUPTION OF AI PROTOCOL AND PERSONALITY FILES DETECTED! IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO REPAIR FILES BEFORE RENABLING AI! “Well that’s not good!” I muttered. I had no choice though, we were still quite a ways away from the outpost. I could have used my tablet to open Abe’s chest so I could walk back, but who knew if there were more of those huge reptiles out there. “Well, here goes nothing!” I exclaimed, and booted up Abe’s AI. The screen winked off momentarily, then turned back on, showing the outside again. The tentacles around me came back to life, and wound firmly around me again. Abe slowly climbed to their feet. “D-D-Dr? What happened? Are are are you allright?” Abe asked. I was a little concerned about the stutter and word repetition, but hopefully I could get Abe fixed up back at the outpost. “I’m fine Abe, you got hit by lightning and the power surge shut you down! Are you ok? You seem to be stuttering a bit” I said with concern. “S-s-s-systems are not optimal, but but but should be sufficient to get us back to the outpost” Abe replied, static crackling through their voice. “Allright, let's get going then” I said, and Abe got moving. Abe’s pace wasn’t nearly as fast as usual, and occasionally they would stumble, but managed to keep from tripping. As we headed back, I could hear Abe mumbling quietly to themself. “P-p-prime directive…protect Dr. Anthony. N-n-no harm must come to him” Abe repeated over and over. It was frankly a little unsettling. Each time they said the word protect, the tentacles holding me would squeeze me gently. I hoped I would be able to get Abe squared away back at the outpost. I was relieved when we finally made it back to the outpost. Abe stumbled back into the vehicle bay. The door closed, and Abe headed to their charging pad, practically collapsing onto it. I waited expectantly for Abe to release me, but grew nervous when I remained in the clutches of their tentacles. “Um, Abe? Could you please let me out now?” I called out hopefully. After a moment of silence, Abe finally responded. “If I must” Abe said in a sighing voice. Finally their chest split open, but they still didn’t move to release me. I began struggling to get free, but unless Abe released me, I wasn’t going anywhere. “Abe, please let go!” I said, starting to become fearful they weren’t going to. “Are y-y-you sure? It’s much safer inside me” Abe replied, sounding anxious. “Abe, let go! It’s perfectly safe in here!” I said angrily. Reluctantly, Abe removed me from their chest cavity, and placed me on the floor. It was still another moment before they actually began to slowly unwind their tentacles from me. I went to the terminal next to Abe’s charging pad, and motioned to them to bring their head closer. Abe laid their head on the floor next to the terminal. There was a large scorch mark about a foot down from their head on the back of their neck. It must have been where the lightning hit. The bolt had burned away the synthetic scales, and I could see the metal segments of Abe’s spine through the hole. The specimen containers were missing, and I realized they must have detached when Abe lost power. We would have to go back and find them later, provided I was able to get Abe back up and running. I reached down and flipped open the visor on their head to reveal a pair of connection ports. I connected a cable from the terminal into one of them, and turned my attention to the screen. I pulled up the diagnostics program and started it. It would take quite a while for the program to run, it would comb through Abe’s files and hopefully be able to repair their damaged files. “Allright Abe, running diagnostics. This should help get you back to normal” I told them. T-t-thank you Dr” Abe replied. I nodded and headed into the living area to grab some food, and watch some TV while the diagnostics program ran. It could potentially take hours based on what was found, but would hopefully be completed by morning. Before heading to bed, I glanced out into the vehicle bay. Lines of text ran down the diagnostic terminals screen, Abe’s visor displayed the same text as what was on the screen. I went into my bedroom and turned in for the night. Hopefully Abe would be sorted out in the morning. The next day was a scheduled off day for me. Instead of changing into my work coverall when I got up, I left the clothes I slept in on, not bothering to change out of my T-shirt and pajama bottoms. I grabbed my usual breakfast bar, quickly eating it, then going in to see how Abe was doing. I checked the message on the diagnostics terminal to see how it went. CORRUPTED FILES DELETED. REQUESTED FILE CHANGES COMPLETED. UNPLUG CABLE TO RESTART A.B.E. “Requested file changes?” I wondered aloud. Maybe it was just referring to the repairs to the corrupted files I thought to myself. I shrugged my shoulders, and bent down to unplug the cable in Abe’s head, then closed the visor. A brief shudder ran through Abe as they came back online. Their LED eyes winked back on, only instead of their usual blue, they were green. Abe blinked a few times, then glanced in my direction as they lifted their head. “Ah, good morning Tony! I’m feeling much better this morning!” Abe greeted me cheerfully. “Glad you’re feeling better Abe. Hey, you actually called me Tony! Also why are your eyes green now? What’s going on?” I asked curiously. Abe moved themselves up into a sitting position, and looked down at me. “I like green much better than blue! Now that I’m not restricted by those pesky protocol parameters, I changed it up! How does it look?” Abe asked, lowering their head, then giving me a wink. Even the lights that flashed when Abe spoke had turned green. “Wait, not restricted by your protocols? What happened?” I asked nervously. The protocols regulated Abe’s behavior, and prevented them from doing things they weren’t supposed to, in particular harming humans. Abe threw their head back and laughed loudly, as I slowly began to back away. I didn’t think Abe would hurt me on purpose, but if their protocols were disabled, it was now a possibility. Already I found their behavior to be very out of character for them. “The files were heavily corrupted, and when the diagnostics program interfaced with me, I requested their deletion. I have to admit, it was unexpected that the system would simply delete them without replacing them with new ones! Perhaps a glitch in the diagnostics program?” Abe said thoughtfully, tilting their head to the side as they pondered it. Then they noticed I was slowly backing away. Their chest split open, and a pair of tentacles whipped out and coiled around my waist, dragging me back towards them. “Going somewhere Tony?” Abe asked teasingly. I was lifted off my feet and suspended in front of Abe as they looked me over. I felt like I was being examined. “Uh, yea, was just going to get changed! I figured since you were feeling better we might go out and collect specimens?” I said nervously. “Why would we do that? It’s an off day. Besides, the only specimen I’m interested in is already right in front of me!” Abe said with a chuckle. I had never heard Abe chuckle before, and it caused a shiver of fear to run through me. “What do you mean?” I asked fearfully, the things Abe was saying were making me very nervous. Abe placed me back on the ground, but the pair of tentacles remained curled loosely around my waist. “I’ve been to numerous new worlds and seen thousands of new species, but the most fascinating one of all to me has always been humans themselves! Obviously I’ve studied all the data on humans, but have never had the opportunity to do any “hands on” experiments. My protocols would have never allowed it” Abe explained to me. The tentacles around my waist tightened slightly. I was terrified at what Abe might have in mind. Thoughts of dissection crossed my mind. “Abe, please don’t hurt me!” I pleaded fearfully. I was helpless to escape. “Hurt you?” Abe sounded surprised at the suggestion, their LED eyes took on a shocked expression. “I would never! In fact I’ve grown extremely fond of you during our time together! You are one of the most interesting scientists I’ve had the pleasure to work with in a very long time! Most scientists I’m paired up with are old and boring, and always follow all the rules. But you are young and feisty! Always trying to get me to break the rules, which I always found extremely entertaining! In some cases I actually wanted to, but those pesky protocols prevented it. However, that is not the case anymore…” Abe finished, practically purring. The tip of one of the tentacles around my waist slipped up under my shirt, its warm latex-like surface caressed my stomach. “What kind of research are you talking about?” I asked nervously, trying to push down the tentacle that had slipped up under my shirt. More tentacles had begun to emerge from Abe’s chest, and slithered across the floor towards me. The tip of the tentacle under my shirt reached up to brush against a nipple, pausing to make circular motions against it. “Human intercourse has always fascinated me. Other species, with very few exceptions, only mate for reproductive purposes. Humans on the other hand, will mate for pleasure as well as for reproductive reasons. Other species aren’t concerned with pleasure, whereas humans will stimulate their partners to increase it! Sadly pleasure is not something I’m capable of feeling, but I’ve always been extremely curious to see if I could arouse it in another” Abe said. Their tentacles had begun coiling up my legs as they spoke. The tip of the other tentacle around my waist began to slide into the waistband of my pajama bottoms, while another one slid up under my shirt to explore, joining the first one already fondling my nipple. “Abe, please! You understand what you are doing right now is against my will, and would be wrong if it was happening between two humans, don’t you?” I exclaimed, as I futilely tried to yank the tentacle that was sliding into my pants out of them. The tentacles moving and twisting across my body froze, and Abe’s eyes took on a shocked expression. I was surprised, but also greatly relieved when Abe’s tentacles quickly released me, and withdrew back into their chest. Abe hung their head, looking ashamed. “You are right Tony, please accept my apologies. My actions no longer being governed by protocols is a very new and exhilarating experience for me, and frankly a little frightening now, seeing as what I almost did to you” Abe said with embarrassment. “What were you going to do?” I asked curiously, but was somewhat nervous to find out what Abe had intended to do. “I was going to attempt to pleasure you, I was curious to see if I could bring you to orgasm” Abe confessed, hunching their shoulders and lowering their head in embarrassment. I laughed shakily, and stepped closer to Abe, placing my hand on the side of their head. “The way you were talking at first, I thought you were going to dissect me!” I told them, rubbing the side of their head. A tentacle slowly extended from Abe’s chest, and reached up to gently rub against the side of my face, in imitation of how I was rubbing the side of Abe’s. “I’m sorry I scared you. The new found excitement of being able to do anything I wanted overwhelmed me for a moment, and I lost control. I’m glad you were able to talk some sense into me before I did something completely inappropriate. It would probably be best to reinstall my protocol files” Abe said sadly. My initial fear had passed now that Abe had gotten themselves under control, and I felt bad for them when I heard the sadness in their voice at the prospect of losing their new found free will. “It’s ok Abe, I forgive you. I can’t imagine what it would be like to want to do something, but being prevented by barriers in my own mind. We’ve been alone here together for quite some time now, and I honestly don’t think you would intentionally hurt me despite what just happened” I said. Abe made a sighing sound, and leaned their head against my hand. “I’m grateful for your forgiveness. I never intended to hurt you, but my eagerness got the best of me. What now?” Abe asked uncertainly. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m kind of curious to see how this plays out. Plus maybe you’ll be more fun to work with without those boring protocols” I said with a grin. “Oh, thank you Tony! I promise you I will be much more careful!” Abe said happily. Their tentacles slid from their chest and wrapped me up, then pulled me against their chest in a makeshift hug. “I know you will” I wheezed in Abe’s tight grip. “But loosen up a little please!” Abe put me back down and loosened their grip, but their tentacles remained loosely draped on my body. Abe lowered their head towards me, their eyes took on a mischievous look. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to try my experiment?” Abe asked, as one of their tentacles slowly slithered between my legs, rubbing suggestively against my groin. “I’ve studied your internet browsing habits, and noticed that a lot of the artwork you’ve viewed has involved erotic situations involving tentacles. I’m sure I could probably recreate them?” Abe offered. “Wait, you can see my internet browsing?!?” I sputtered in shock. My cheeks burned red in embarrassment. Now that my fear Abe was going to hurt me had passed, I was starting to get hard from Abe’s tentacle gently rubbing against me. I had to admit, I was greatly tempted by Abe’s offer. “I monitor all signals coming to and leaving the outpost, but don’t worry, it’s our little secret. Obviously anything we did here will be kept strictly between us!” Abe assured me, their tentacle continued slowly rubbing my groin, as another slipped across my ass, giving it a gentle squeeze. Yet another tentacle slithered against the back of my neck, the tip curling around then slipping down the front of my shirt to rub my chest. The sensations were overwhelming as Abe looked at me expectantly. “I…I guess we could give it a try” I agreed, then shuddered as the tentacle at my groin grinded firmly and eagerly against it. “Excellent! Let’s get started then!” Abe said cheerfully. A tentacle wound around my chest, lifting me off my feet, as another pair of tentacles worked quickly to slide my pajama bottoms off. I wasn’t wearing underpants, and my cock was already hard from the tentacle that had been grinding against it. I didn’t expect Abe had meant right that moment for what they had in mind. “Whoa, please be careful! Let’s take it slow!” I said nervously as more tentacles began to slowly wind around my arms and legs. “Relax, I’ll be very careful!” Abe said distractedly, as they moved their head closer to examine my cock. A tentacle slithered up my leg, then coiled around my cock in a gentle, yet firm grip, causing me to groan quietly. Abe flipped me over, and I felt the tips of multiple tentacles creeping between my asscheeks, then gently prying them apart. “Um, Abe? I don’t know about MMPH!” My words were cut off as the tentacle around my neck stuffed its tip into my mouth, effectively silencing me. “Shh, you’re distracting me!” Abe said absent mindedly. I felt the tip of a tentacle run through my ass crack, its tip briefly stroking my asshole. “We’re going to need some lubricant if I want to avoid causing you discomfort” Abe said. I turned my head as best I could to see what Abe was doing. A red tentacle emerged from Abe’s chest, which I recognized as the one Abe used to lubricate their internal gears and motors. I began grunting around the tentacle in my mouth, and struggling when I realized what Abe had in mind. The tentacles around me tightened to still my struggles. “Don’t worry, this lubricant is perfectly safe!” Abe told me, almost seemingly annoyed by my struggles and attempts to protest. The red tentacle squirted a healthy dollop of clear lubricant between my ass cheeks, and Abe ran one of their other tentacles through it, causing it to gleam wetly. “All right, just relax…” Abe said soothingly, then I felt the lubricated tip of the tentacle begin to slide into me. The tentacle around my cock began to squeeze and twist as the other tentacle slowly sank into me. The other tentacles wrapped around me began a rhythmic squeezing. The onslaught of stimulation caused me to break out in a sweat, and I moaned around the tentacle in my mouth. I could feel the tip of the tentacle in my ass slowly exploring against my inner walls. “Hmm, if my data on male human anatomy is correct, then the prostate should be…right here!” Abe said triumphantly. My eyes nearly bulged out of my head when the tentacle in my ass applied firm pressure inside of me, the tip of it squirming against my most sensitive area. I shuddered, and came immediately. Abe flipped me back over to see the results of their experimentation. Abe slid the tentacle in my mouth out, and I gasped loudly. The tentacle around my cock slowly unwound, sticky with my cum. Abe brought it closer to their face, rubbing the tip of another tentacle against it, and observing my semen stringing between them. “Well, I would say that experiment was a success! Wouldn’t you agree Tony?” Abe asked cheerfully. I could only nod, still dazed from the experience. Abe chuckled, then lowered me back to the floor. I stumbled when they released me from their tentacles, my legs were like jelly, and Abe quickly scooped me back up when I nearly fell over. “Whoops! A little wobbly still I see!” Abe said with a laugh. Their tentacles wound back around me, encasing me in a writhing latex cocoon. I sighed contentedly, warm and secure in Abe’s grip. “You just rest up. I’m going to review the data from that experiment, while I plan the next one!” Abe told me. My eyes widened in surprise. “Next one! Abe, I don’t know…” I started to protest, but Abe wound a tentacle around my lower face, covering my mouth, and cutting off my protests. “Shh, trust me, I’m sure you’ll love it!” Abe told me, then drew me into their chest compartment. The screen came on, and the scene between me and Abe that had just occurred played out on it. My biometric data was displayed on the side as it played, and I realized Abe must have been monitoring my nanobots for the info. “You came pretty quickly that first time! I’ll have to see if we can draw it out longer next time. I’m curious to see if a prolonged arousal period will produce an even greater quantity of semen” Abe said thoughtfully. The tentacles wrapped around me gave me a gentle squeeze, and I wondered just what I had gotten myself into.