FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's note: All characters, places, etc. herein are the work and property of the Rogue Wolf. Please, no plagarism. If you want to borrow, just ask!

--

"Welcome aboard Zenima Station, in orbit above Ampheru VI-b. The time is now 2240 Rimworld Alliance standard, and 14:27PM moonside-point beneath the station. Those passengers seeking transfer to another ship should head to the right; those passengers seeking transport to any point on Amperhu-VI or its moons should head to the left. Questions may be spoken to any holographic guide or Rimworld Alliance Police agent, or entered as queries into any available infopanel. May you have a safe and pleasant journey."

It always took him a minute to adjust to the difference between ship gravity and station gravity. There were always discrepancies, no matter what engineers did to calibrate their settings. Most people didn't even notice... but most people didn't have a part of their spinal column practically pressed against the floor. All part of being a snake in space, he thought with a quiet chuckle.

Ampheru VI-b hung beyond the windows of the station, an ebony marble studded with glowing diamonds- lights from the lunar stations sparkling against its unlit side. He could see one of Ampheru VI's other two moons- both white, unlike their carbon-coated cousin- just past the planet's disc off in the distance. Ampheru VI itself was a rather unextraordinary world, habitable to all oxygen-breathing lifeforms with mild summers and cold winters at the poles. It was on that world, with its red deserts and green-and-purple forests, where he hoped to make a stake for himself.

The gateway scanner validated his ticket and identity and let him through without note, and he paused to buy a pack of poultry sausages from a vendor, gulping them down as he moved on. Gnah. Not very good. Then again, I grew up a bit spoiled when it came to food. Still, whatever fills the belly.... He smiled to himself as he dropped the wrapper in a refuse bin, then took a drink from a nearby water fountain before heading to the inner docking ring. Bay 34- here we go, this is my flight.

The transport was small but comfortable, and already crowded with other people; apparently the new job opportunities in this system hadn't gone unnoticed by the population at large, and while RA unemployment rates were relatively low, chances at better employment weren't to be sneezed at. That's what I'm here for, after all... even fresh out of the university after four years, job prospects in Vasudia system are a bit thin, and I didn't pay all that money for a higher education so I could be stuck in some dead-end job while living off my trust fund. Mom and Dad didn't spend so much time instilling values in me for me to be a lay-in-the-sun serpent.

He found a window seat, coiled himself into it as best as he could to keep the other seat free, and took out his PDA and stylus to check his mail and the news. There wasn't much- only his sister's weekly recipe, which he saved to the PDA, the regular report from the family stockbroker, and reports on new incursions from the biomechs. The latter upset him, more than it should have, he would admit. What does it take to kill those damned things off?! he wondered, tapping the stylus against the side of the PDA in anger. Gah.. calm down. You know a lot of people are working to put them down once and for all. It's just that the damned 'mechs are real pests. I'd compare them to cockroaches if one of my best friends wasn't an insectoid himself- even if he'd agree with the assessment.

He leaned back into the chair, took a calming breath, then opened up a window on the screen to send mail out.

_"Mom and Dad-

I'm arriving now at Ampheru VI, or should be in less than an hour. Lots of people here, so I guess news about the colony expansion got out faster than I might've expected. I'm sure there'll be something for a guy who has degrees in three different areas of engineering, though. Plus, this system is only sixty parsecs from home, which means that I can actually come visit once in a while. It's actually a nice-looking world, a bit cooler than I might like, but hey... you spend two months on an ice world that barely meets G-rating, everything's warm after that, right? I've already arranged for lodgings for the time being, until I can get situated and find a few leads on jobs. This-"_

He was interrupted by a rustle of cloth and a shape moving at his side; he glanced up to see a young-looking Tirarnik female gazing down at him, a bulky duffel bag slung over her shoulder. "You mind if I sit?" she asked abruptly, her voice and the set of her tall lupine ears betraying a high degree of fatigue.

He moved over a little more to offer her room. "Go ahead," he said, indicating the other seat with a slight smile.

"Thanks." She unceremoniously dropped her bag on the floor next to the seat, then just as abruptly plopped down, threading her tail through the conveinent hole in the back of the seat. She leaned back and closed her eyes, and he paid her no more mind, turning his attention back to his PDA. He found, though, that with someone sitting next to him- even someone who appeared to already be dozing off- he couldn't bring himself to write a private message, so he saved the work in progress and busied himself with the handful of games he'd loaded onto the device.

It seemed to be about forty-five minutes- and sixteen levels of Tetris- later that the transport shuddered slightly as it docked at Ampheru VI's primary orbital station. A chime rang through the cabin, and everyone began to stand and make their way towards the exit- except for the Tirarnik next to him, who was completely zonked out with her head hanging back and her mouth slightly open. He sighed, then tapped her shoulder. "Hey," he said. "It's our stop, wake up."

"Nrrf... muh? Wha? Oh!" Her ears flattened in embarassment even as her eyes managed to focus. "I'm sorry... more tired than I knew." She scrambled to her feet, pausing to rub at what had to be a very sore neck, and pulled her duffel out of the way so he could exit. He gave her an understanding smile and a flex of his hood before heading out onto the station.

He would have to admit, he was impressed with what he saw. Ampheru VI had only seen colonization efforts start ten years ago, but this station already had a fully-functional space elevator and a decent-sized docking bay; it seemed they mainly used the station orbiting this world's second moon as a primary destination hub to leave space for all the vessels entering and leaving atmosphere. He knew a bit about how colonization efforts went and suspected that that would be the case until one or two more space platforms with their own elevators were placed. The elevator on this station would get him close enough to where he needed to be, though, so he headed towards its entrance.

He was in luck- one of the four passenger lifts had just arrived, and most of the seats were empty, so he picked one suitable for a serpentoid form and stretched out, glad to have a chance to finally straighten his entire tail after so many hours spent coiled up. He let out a soft grunt as he felt a couple of vertebrae pop, then sighed in relief, leaning back and watching as the lift filled up with others looking to get down to the surface. He was mildly surprised when the female Tirarnik from the transport made her way along his row and picked the seat next to his. "I wanted to apologize for falling asleep like that and blocking you off from the aisle," she said sheepishly, a nervous smile on her muzzle.

"I've been there and done that, believe me." He chuckled, reaching out to pat her hand lightly. She flinched ever so slightly from the contact, despite a visible effort not to, and he took his hand back. "Apologies," he said, dipping his head a bit.

"No, no need, I'm the one who should be sorry. I... I've just traveled a lot over the last few days and it's worn away at me." She offered him a halfhearted smile and slightly raised ears. "New places tend to make me a bit nervous as well... which is probably what made me want to sit down next to a friendly face. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I promise not to bite if you do the same." He flashed a goofy smile at her.

She laughed at that, appearing to actually relax for half a moment. "Alright, consider it a deal." She leaned back in the seat. "My name is Niosh Paurharrlian. And yours?"

He flexed his hood in greeting. "Doril Syhassi. Call me Ril."

"Alright, Ril." She flicked her ears. "Kryyjh, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"I think you're the first one I've actually met. Still not many of you in this particular area of space, are there?"

"Most of the ones who came to RA space after the revolt headed further towards the core. Better opportunities, and a bit less adjustment than they'd face out here in the rim. I suppose I can't blame them."

"No, I guess the more ordered lifestyle you'd get up that way would feel more familiar." She leaned back in the chair. "I apologize if the questions are out of line, really. I'm too tired to know proper boundaries right now."

"Don't worry about it. You look like you're about to collapse... why don't you rest your eyes a bit? It'll be an hour and a half before the elevator makes it to the surface. I'll wake you when we hit bottom."

"Yeah... yeah. I think I'll do that. Thank you, Ril." Niosh set her duffel bag underneath her legs, leaned her head against the high-backed chair and closed her eyes. Once more, she was almost immediately asleep. A pity, really, he thought as he also leaned back and fit the end of his tail under the chair. She'll be missing quite a sight. But she looks beat. The female didn't even twitch her ears when the warning buzzer sounded, alerting everyone to be seated; the artificial-gravity counterfield would prevent anyone from flying off of the lift as it plummeted towards the ground, but the rapid displacement could cause dizziness and nausea in some people in a standing position, and nobody wanted to endure a ninety-minute ride alongside people vomiting or fainting.

After another moment, the lift disengaged from the station and began its controlled freefall. There was a moment of disorientation before equlibrium was reached, and then the ride was smooth and quiet, with only the occasional support brace of the tube zooming by as any indication that they were in motion. Every time he rode one of these things, Ril imagined that he could perceive the planet rising up beneath him, though he knew that even at these speeds that was impossible. So he settled down once more, retreived his PDA from his jacket pocket and found a few entertainment articles on the SubspaceNet to indulge in during the ride.

It didn't seem very long before they breached atmosphere, and soon after that, the cloud bank. Ril leaned back in his seat, watching the white, fluffy clouds seem to zoom past, and the various native avian life that soared between them. I really should take up hanggliding one day, he thought, sighing wistfully at the sight of the clouds rapidly rising above him. Or maybe I could find a glider for sale, if anyone even sells things like those anymore. Spaceships and hovercars are fine, but I'd love to be able to feel the wind currents, ride them like a bird.

The lift continued towards the ground, and Ril looked to his right, seeing that Niosh was still sound asleep and twitching slightly, her ears lowered and her fangs slightly bared. Nightmare? he wondered, gingerly reaching out to touch her shoulder. Tirarnik instincts tended to be strong, and being bitten by a new acquaintance didn't strike him as being a good way to start off life on a new planet. Fortunately, though his hand did startle her awake, she didn't react offensively, only cringing reflexively before realizing what was happening. "Nnf," she murmured. "Sorry... again."

"So long as I get my hand back intact, it's alright." He could sense the heat from her body fade somewhat, signalling a lowering stress state. Must have been one hell of a nightmare. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I... I am, yes. Just a long trip. I'll be glad to be settled in." She glanced outside to see that they were nearing the ground, slowing, and she reached under her seat to get her duffel. "Look, Ril... I'm not nearly so jumpy and twitchy once you get to know the well-rested me, really. You wouldn't mind if I... call you sometime, once I get myself situated? Dealing with a new place would be easier with a friend to talk to."

"No, I wouldn't mind. I'm not listed, though. Do you have a comm unit of some sort?"

She did have a PDA, a pretty old model but still servicable, and he transferred his contact info to it. "I'll probably be all moved in and set up in three or so local days," he told her, "so anytime after that, if you want to talk, feel free to call."

"I will. Thank you, Ril. I appreciate it." She stood as the lift finally made it to the ground, hoisting her duffel over her shoulder. "I'll see you sometime. Take care until then."

"You too." He watched as she made her way through the seats, disappearing into the crowds, before he pulled himself from his seat and headed for the exits. Even now he could scent the sweet earthy smell of planetside air, and he couldn't wait to get his tail on some honest-to-Ancients dirt after so much time spent on ships and stations.

--

Niosh, you foolish, foolish cub.

She leaned against the wall of the apartment, letting herself slide down into a squat, her tail firmly tucked under her. She wanted to break down and cry, howl her fear and uncertainty out until her throat closed, crawl under the rickety bed at the far end of the room until the universe forgot she existed. I can't live a life like this. It isn't in me. I don't like change, I don't like being in unfamiliar places, around people I don't know or understand... but here I am, stuck in a low-rent apartment, with only what I could fit in this frost-blasted bag. No connections, no leads for how to make a living, and only one extremely understanding serpent for a friend.

She pulled out her PDA, cursing at it as its display flickered, and brought up Doril's contact info. He seemed a nice enough male, and the fact that he hadn't been carrying bags said that either he was a tourist or he'd probably spent the money to have his things shipped along from wherever he'd come from. Not that it would be a bad thing to have a friend with means to rely on should something bad happen... but no matter how desperate she might get, she would not use a nice male like him to get ahead. She wouldn't let herself become that kind of manipulative... what's the Human word for it? Right. Bitch.

The apartment building at least had a decent connection to the local SubspaceNet hub, and apparently her piece-of-dung PDA was in a cooperative mood for once, because it allowed her to look up Doril on a public search and perform a lookup of local employment openings at the same time. A depressingly small number of jobs that fit her criteria built up a list on the left side of the PDA's display, while a good number of articles and other information flooded the right. Niosh felt her ears flatten as she realized just who it was she'd talked to. Did I forget everything I ever learned? How could I not catch the significance of that family name?! I talked to the offspring of the most famous Kryyjh ever to come to RA space and didn't even know it!

She let out a whimper of self-disgust and slowly got to her feet. Her stomach was uninterested in her personal issues, being much more concerned that she hadn't eaten in the last thirty-six hours. She fished her wallet out of her pocket, tugged out her ragged-looking bankcard, and checked her account balance on her PDA. The amount made her ears sag. At least I can afford food for now, she thought. I'd better see if there's a discount supermarket around here, though. I get the feeling I'll be eating sandwiches and sausages for a while.

--

Just as he'd arranged, his belongings were all stacked neatly in the living room of the apartment, labeled boxes piled up to chest height just waiting for him to begin unpacking. Dad used to say that his favorite part of moving somewhere new was figuring out where to put everything, he thought with a chuckle, taking down a couple of the boxes with the most necessary items and pulling them open. Utensils, dishes, basic sundries, a few books to read- these came out first, placed wherever appropriate. He had a few changes of clothing in a suitcase, which he dragged into the bedroom to use as an impromptu dresser; a bed was the only furniture included with the place. And Dad always said buying new stuff for a new place was his second favorite part. Wish I would've inherited that view off of him!

His personal computer rig was next, placed atop a few boxes of stuff he wouldn't likely need before he could acquire a desk. A small folding chair went in front of the makeshift workstation, and once he'd plugged the computer into the power and data hardlines, he had the machine up and running a job search in a matter of moments. He let it do its work while he continued unpacking essentials; within an hour, he'd gotten everything he would need for the next few days into places where he could use them easily. He saved the job-search results without bothering to look at them. That can at least wait until tomorrow. Whatever Kryyjh tradition says about hunting on an empty stomach producing the best results, I refuse to pursue the mighty and majestic Paid Occupation beast without some food in my belly.

Thanks to modern technology, ordering food was just a handful of screen-presses away. The notification screen told him that it would be half an hour before dinner- an order of Mif'laschkin and a couple of cooked sausages- was delivered, so Doril pulled off his clothes, stretched himself out on his bed and reached into one of his boxes. Nothing like breaking in the new place with a little "rest and relaxtion", he thought, pulling out the bag that held his two small sex toys. Though he hoped that it wouldn't be long before he'd have the occasional female visitor over for this sort of fun, his little toys helped tide him over in the meantime.

A couple of verbal commands to his computer brought up one of his favorite erotic videos- a threesome between an Isshak male and two females, Tyrazed and Tirarnik. Though Ril had no sexual interest in males, watching one of the normally reserved and religious Isshak eagerly plowing his hemipenes into the wet passages of two willing alien females never failed to turn him on. The fact that the females' moans of pleasure were muffled by the deep kisses they shared as they ran their hands over each others' bodies certainly didn't hurt, either, and it wasn't long at all until Ril's own hemipenes everted. He rubbed them with the sides of his sex toys for a couple of minutes until he'd dripped enough semen to lubricate himself, then slid the toys over his twin shafts and began stroking up and down rhythmically. His slitted pupils closed for a moment as he relished the feel of the polyvinyl gripping his sensitive flesh, and he squeezed the toys lightly to increase the sensation as he slid them up and down along his exposed flesh.

Aware that he'd be expected to answer the door soon, he decided to make this session quick. He raised his lower torso off of the bed, arched his back and began to thrust upwards into his toys, which he held as still as he could; he timed his movemens with that of the male serpent on the display, the soft wet noises of his toys drowned out by the moans of the two females in the recording. Maybe if I'm lucky enough I'll get to try that sort of thing out myself... but until then....

Climax struck quickly, and he pumped more of his semen into the recesses of his toys; some of it dripped back out along the grooves of his twin shafts, and he quickly retrieved the towel he used for just such occasions to clean himself and the toys up before putting them back. He pulled himself out of bed, closed the video and washed himself up before putting on one of his casual robes, and just as he was tying the sash around his waist, his doorbell rang. Ah, good. Time for some dinner, then to put my resume out on recruitment sites, and then maybe a nice hot bath.

--

The water wasn't as hot as she liked, but at least it wasn't freezing like the last place she'd stayed in, so Niosh finished stripping down and stepped into the shower stream. She lifted her head and let the flowing water flow down along her muzzle, splashing against her neck and her closed eyes, pounding a beat against her fur and skin. Here, at least, she felt comfortable and safe, and she could let her body and mind relax.

Warm water flowed along the fur over her breasts, plastering it to the skin beneath. She gently cupped them with her hands and stroked them with her fingertips, letting her palms rub against her nipples, a soft moan escaping her throat. At least here I don't have to worry about being walked in on by someone who finds the very idea of self-pleasuring reprehensible, she thought, moaning again as she pinched her nipples lightly. She leaned back against the wall of the small shower stall, letting the water fall on her chest, and feeling small jolts of pleasure every time a droplet hit one of her sensitive nipples. Her hands slid underneath her breasts and squeezed lightly, lifting them up towards the showerhead.

It's been much too long since I've gotten to do this.... She let one of her hands slide down the slight curve of her belly, clawtips tracing their way through the thick patch of pubic fur just above her sex, making her shudder slightly. She spread her legs, growling softly in pleasure as her fingers slid across the lips of her vagina, and her middle finger teased her clit in its hiding spot just above her opening. Her sopping-wet tail lashed against the wall as an entirely different type of moisture coated her fingers; she started to pant softly, sinking two fingers into herself as a third began to lightly stroke her nub, sending pleasurable jolts up her spine and making her knees tremble.

Soft whimpers left her muzzle as she pleasured herself, her fingers sliding in and out of her dripping-wet slit and rubbing circles around her clitoris, the rising waves of pleasure forcing her to grab the handle of the stall with her free hand for balance. She gulped back a howl of pleasure as her climax struck, leaving her quivering underneath the warm water, gasping for breath while she rode the pulses of ecstasy that rolled through her, before they finally faded away.

With a soft, shuddering sigh, Niosh managed to gather her wits and shut off the water, stepping out onto the towel she'd set on the bare tile floor and using her only other one to dry herself off. It was a long process. "Damn, I hope at some point I can afford a dryer," she murmured to herself, heading out into the living room and standing in front of the air-circulation vent in order to hasten progress. Once her fur was finally dry enough, she slipped into one of her old nightshirts and set an alarm on her PDA, then unrolled her sleeping mat and laid down, using her duffel as a pillow.

I'll have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, she thought, stifling a yawn and trying to get comfortable. Might as well get as much sleep as I can.

--

"I'm certainly not calling you underqualified, Mr. Syhassi." The Kik'nachi employment agent folded all four of his hands together and gave Ril a sympathetic look. "Your degrees put you ahead of a good number of other applicants I've dealt with over the last few months. The trouble is, as it always tends to be, practical experience. A lot of people with similar credentials and work experience have hit the job market here as well, and they're the ones the major corporations will look to first. You might luck into an entry-level position, but honestly even I wouldn't hold my breath."

Ril sighed and nodded. "I'd sort of hoped I'd gotten in ahead of the flood, but these days it's almost impossible to pull that off. I don't suppose you have lower-profile jobs where I'd get a chance to get that hands-on experience?"

"You're in it for the long haul, hm? Good. A young male like you will get far with that attitude." The cetacean tapped at his panel a few times. "There are several independent businesses looking for people with engineering expertise like yours. Granted, you'll probably be handling repair jobs rather than research and development, but a couple of years showing you know the ins and outs of what comes out of the blueprints will put a nice big flag on your resume."

"That's what I'm hoping."

"Good, good. You've got a clear picture of the process, that'll help keep your snout towards the prey, as you Kryyjh sometimes say." The other male chuckled. "Here. I'll print out a handful of the more likely prospects for you, but it'll be up to you to follow up- regulations won't let me intercede with companies who aren't our clients."

"Not a problem." He waited as the Kik'nachi finished printing hardcopies of the information, then handed the papers over. "There you go, young male," the agent said. "That'll get your hunt started. Good luck from here on out."

"Thanks." Ril pulled himself out of the chair and left the employment office, giving the printed sheets a casual look-over as he headed back to the bus stop. He could likely afford an aircar, especially if he checked the used market, but he wanted to wait until he had a steady income before buying one. Besides, the bus would give him time to check up on the contacts he'd been given.

The dusty-looking transit vehicle settled to a stop at the post, and Ril found himself almost alone when he climbed aboard, with only a couple of disinterested-looking youths in the back. He took a seat near the middle and flipped open his PDA, methodically going over each company's information while he waited for his stop, and rearranging the papers in order of preference. By the time the bus had reached his destination, he'd put two pages on top of the pile as best bets, folded four more underneath them as possibilities, and crumpled one up and shoved it in his pocket as a "better to starve first" category. He slithered his way off the bus and across a few pedestrian roads until he reached the apartment complex he now called "home", going through the ID scan and making his way to his modest apartment, throwing his jacket onto a wall hook and heading into the kitchen.

The com rang while he was busy measuring soy milk, and he reached up to tap the kitchen wall unit and grinned at the image that showed. "Afternoon, sis," he chuckled.

Illisi gave him a smile and a flex of her hood. "Morning over here, brother of mine. I was just calling to see how you were doing in your new place. I see you've read the last recipe I sent? Remember not to pour in the spices until you see bubbles in the mix."

"I'm not Faumis, you goof. I don't burn water." He chortled. "But thanks, though. A little home cooking can make a place feel a lot more welcoming. I do miss home a bit, but this place isn't bad."

"I'm glad to hear it. How's that job hunt going?"

"Just really got it underway, but I have a few leads. Looks like I'm going to be doing grunt work for a year or two- you know, getting the real-life experience under the belt."

"Mmm. The same sort of thing I'm doing over here. I won't complain, though- apparently there's a lot of tense people over here, because my little massage- and tone-therapy business is making some respectable credits I can put towards medical school. Apparently no one in the area has bothered getting certified for more than a half-dozen species at once aside from me, and people like to refer their friends to someone they know."

"Hey, I'm glad to hear that, sis. I get freebies when I visit, right?"

She laughed at that. "Always, brother of mine. Oh, before I forget- speaking of Mis, he wanted me to let you know that he'll be in the quadrant in a few weeks. If he can get leave near your neck of the woods he'd like to stop by and catch up."

"What, is he out of the Academy already? Did he get his officer's bars?"

"Fifteenth in a class of four hundred and twenty, in fact. Even knowing how hard he always busted his tail after Arc-Commander Raorahn recommended him, I'm impressed."

"Hot damn, so am I. Just don't tell him I said that; I have an image of affected disinterest to maintain." He snickered as the image of his sister laughed. "But, yeah, if he wants to stop by, I'd be glad to see him again."

"I'll be sure to let him know, then." Illisi had long ago accepted her role as go-between for the two brothers when it came to such things as praise. There was no animosity involved, just a bit of male sibling rivalry. "I'll let you get back to cooking. Remember, not until you see bubbles in the mix!"

She cut off the connection with a smirk before he could think of an appropriate retort, so he just laughed to himself softly as he finished measuring the milk.

--

"We've got a few spots open, strictly part-time. You're going to be very near a hot oven for a long period of time... you sure you're fine with that?"

Niosh sighed and nodded. "I can trim my fur to compensate. How many hours are you offering?"

"Thirty-two per standard week."

Niosh considered that. "And you're alright with my scheduling?"

"Yeah, yeah, we don't need many people during that part of the week anyway. No promises when winter rolls around, though- people like baked goods for the solstice celebrations."

"I guess I can figure something out for that when it comes up." The pay wasn't what she would've hoped for, but this job alone would at least cover most of her rent, and along with the income from the warehouse job she'd taken earlier in the day, she could cover all of her expenses and even manage a bit of saving. "Alright. When can I start?"

"Next week. We don't tolerate lateness or laziness here, so come lightly dressed and ready to work."

"I will. Thank you." The male Peshy'ia simply shrugged and flicked his ears dismissively, and Niosh took that as her cue to leave. It would be a long walk home- she couldn't even afford a bus pass quite yet- and she wanted to get back before it was dark, so she cut through a couple of alleyways to shorten the trip.

A pack of males of varying species leered at her from beneath the overhang of a closed second-hand goods store as she walked by; she refused to make eye contact with them, instead resolutely walking forward as they whistled and shouted opinions on her physique. Fortunately, they didn't follow, and she lost sight of them well before getting home- a good thing, she felt, as that sort of attention was one of the last things she needed at the moment.

Once she was inside her apartment, with the door locked tight, she flung herself onto the creaky bed, ignoring the points where the springs jabbed at her. So. I at least have gainful employment. It's sixty hours a week spread across two jobs, sure, but at least it doesn't mean being stuck in some shelter or even out on the street. And it's not like I could afford much of a social life at this point anyway. She let out a long sigh. A social life with who, anyway? I certainly haven't seen many friendly muzzles or faces around this place. Frost and night, do I have anyone I can even talk to?

Then she remembered, and she let out a soft groan of self-disgust. Yes, Niosh, yes you do. One particular Kryyjh you were going to call two days ago. Stupid cub! She quickly yanked her PDA out of her pocket, opened it and brought up Doril's information, then dialed through. It was a couple of moments before he answered. "Hello?"

"Ril? It's Niosh. Remember the sleepy Tirarnik on the transport?"

"Of course. Sorry, I would have called you but it's been a rather busy few days."

"Likewise. Sorry for the audio-only link... this frostbitten piece of junk can't manage video."

"Quite alright. So how are you doing this evening?"

"Mmf. Tired, honestly. Job hunting and all that. I hope you've had some success on that front?"

"I have, yes. Not quite what I was hoping for when I came here, but it's a good start. How about you?"

"Pretty much the same. With all the people coming here, I suppose we were lucky there's anything left, huh?" They shared a laugh. "Though, Ril, I would like to ask something of you if I could."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Dealing with new places isn't my strength, really, and I much prefer to have someone I can talk to about things. And you're a nice enough person to let a complete stranger call you, so I wonder if we might go out somewhere and talk face-to-face."

"I'd like that, actually. I like to think of myself as a social type as well. What days of the week do you have available?"

"Third and seventh."

"Seventh is good for me. What do you say in two weeks we meet somewhere? I don't have a vehicle yet, so it would have to be somewhere accessible by bus."

"Same here. Two weeks would be great." By then I might actually be able to afford to go out, she thought with a grimace. "I'll send my public information over to you, and you can pick a good spot near the bus routes. How does that sound?"

"That works for me." He waited while she linked her public listing to him. "Alright, I've got it. I'll call or mail you back in a few days with some places we could both get to easily."

"Okay, Ril. I look forward to it. And I promise to be better-rested than the last time we met."

He laughed at that. "Good to hear. See you then, Niosh."

"Take care." She cut the connection and sat down on her bed, staring at her PDA in contemplation. Well... I guess maybe things could be worse. I've got a place to sleep, employment, and one person I can talk to. And if I want to stretch definitions quite a ways, I even have a date! She chuckled to herself, lashing her tail a little. Maybe I underestimated myself. Maybe I can handle this. She flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the off-white ceiling of her bedroom.

I guess time will tell.

--

_Author's addendum: I suppose you could consider this to be "Salvaged: The Next Generation". I know it's a slow start compared to that series, but there have been a lot of changes with the Rimworld Alliance and its neighbors since the end of that tale, many of which will come to light later on.

I can't promise I'll update this story any faster than my previous ones, but it WILL come along, of that you can be certain. Those of you who have taken the time to leave me comments: You're a big part of my inspiration, and I thank you wholeheartedly for telling me what you think._