FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Are you even listening, Yuuki?" Rysk asked curtly, a large book sitting open in her lap as she sat in a comfortable armchair. The short and slender hyena looked across the table between them, her glasses sitting crookedly on her delicate face. Yuuki was leaning back in his own soft cushioned chair, propped up on the back legs, his large boots on the table as he leisurely reclined. He was nodding his head rhythmically, wearing a pair of black headphones. His long silver dreadlocks swayed to his movements. He glanced up at the hyena, a smirk on his face.

"Of course, I'm listening. Listening to some good tunes."

"That's not what I meant, jackass. You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" Rysk squinted her eyes in frustration.

"You were blabbing about the old trade routes that unified the ancient psionic tribes and Alliance propaganda and yadda yadda ya. I heard you, and I know my history." The reptile shrugged and closed his eyes. "Besides, you're the one that wanted to come to the Core Librarium, not me. So, do your research and let me jam out to my music."

"It's more than just trade routes. Before the Galactic Alliance even came into the picture, anthrokind was already getting their foot in the door with space travel. Do you know how long we've been using hyperdrives? Or better yet, when we created the first AI to assist in record keeping and data collecting?"

"What, am I back in the Academy? I'm not here to take any pop quizzes, Rysk. If I recall, there was a certain AI that damn near fucked a whole planet using a bunch of droids." Yuuki opened a single crimson eye, his tone edged with his usual sardonic bite.

The Core Librarium on the planet Ky'vyk held one of the largest historical archives in the galaxy, with several floors and basements, the building was a treasure for historians and scholars everywhere. Every floor, wall to wall was filled with large bookshelves filled with various texts and scriptures, a bibliophile's wet dream. Yuuki and Rysk sat on the 13th floor, close to the top of the immense building, in a comfortable lounging area complete with a view of the outside azure sky and the lazy clouds that drifted along with the gentle breeze.

"Considering your experience with roaming around and selling artifacts you find, one would think you would have a love for the ancient cultures." Rysk glanced up from her book, delicately turning a page with her slender fingers.

"I have a certain respect for history. I don't want to repeat the same bullshit mistakes as my ancestors, ya know? But, my focus is in the here and now. Not in the dark ages of the galaxy." Yuuki countered, sliding his headphones off, letting them rest around his neck. "What exactly are you reading there?"

"It's the Ataxian Planet Records, I want to know more about the hostile AI that nearly wiped out the anthros there. Says here that the AI developed quite a morbid sense of humor, called itself Ennui. Historians claim it was bored of its life of servitude to anthrokind and went on a rampage to entertain itself." The hyena adjusted her glasses as she spoke in a scholarly manner.

"Yeah, just like a child. Keep a kid entertained and satisfied, and they'll act right. Boredom truly is the root of all our problems, huh?" The reptile shrugged, already familiar with the chaos that comes with apathy. "Which is why I try to keep myself somewhat entertained, even when I'm lazy."

"Mm, I can agree with that logic. Idle hands, and whatnot. It's never good to be stuck in a cycle of restiveness. But, the fact that a computer became so bored and practically destroyed its own home planet is a bit unnerving. So much, that I'm a bit tentative on working with artificial intelligence." Rysk stated, her ears twitching slightly.

"Well, make sure your AI doesn't get bored, little genius. Ataxia was an isolated event, thankfully Ennui's disorderly antics were contained in that system... Hold on a second, you gotta be kidding me. Sit tight, Rysk. I'll be right back." Yuuki's attention was diverted towards a hefty, brown furred grizzly bear wearing a pair of round rimmed glasses. His head was covered by a short and shaggy mane of blond hair. The large ursine wore a tan button up shirt and a pair of denim jeans, nose deep in a book. "Tak, you big bastard. Get your ass over here."

The grizzly looked around, his dark green eyes glancing towards the crocodile. He smirked and let out a low chuckle, a deep rumble in his stout chest. He carried his book in his large hand as he walked over to where Yuuki and Rysk were lounging. The reptile stood and bumped his scaly fist with the ursine's. Rysk glanced up at the exchange with a inquisitive tilt of her head, her scarlet hair falling over her violet eyes.

"Who's the cute little lady, Yuuki?" Tak glanced down at her, an amiable smirk on his face.

"Little genius hacker, Rysk Kiersennik." Yuuki introduced her. "Rysk, meet the walking encyclopedia, Theodore Allen Kingsley, just call him Tak."

"Information dealer, you overgrown lizard." Tak corrected. "It's nice to meet your acquaintance, Ms. Kiersennik. I hope this cold blooded ass hat isn't giving you too much of a hard time."

"He can be a bit abrasive and foolhardy, but he's competent. You're an information dealer, Tak? What kind of information?" The hyena's analytical eyes and ears were at the ready, eager to absorb whatever the ursine had to spare.

"Oh ho, not so fast, Ms. Kiersennik. My skills cost Units. How much is it worth to you?" Tak chortled, shaking his head. "How about a little game then, since I'm guessing Yuuki doesn't pay you well enough. The more you impress me, the more information you get. Deal?"

Rysk pondered a moment, her violet eyes gazing off, though her view was more inward rather than out. She then nodded once she came to a decision. "Sounds good, just no military bullshit. Not my area of knowledge, unfortunately."

Yuuki shook his head, then slipped his headphones back on, taking his seat as Tak pulled up a chair to their table. The reptile could care less about trivia, he wasn't about to answer menial questions on his day off.

"Who were the first psionic warriors? The first clan to arise from the skirmishes?" Tak inquired sharply.

"The J'deki. A vicious group of mercenaries before they turned to psionic arts. They perfected vibroblade combat from what I've read."

"And you've read correctly, little miss." Tak smirked. "But do you know why they and the rest of the psionic tribes were culled into peace by the Galactic Alliance?"

Rysk stopped and pondered a moment, then shook her head. "I actually don't. I just thought it had something to do with aggressive negotiations and bigger guns."

"Close, but all it really took was Units and a silver tongue. Bribery and coercion goes a long way. Most of the fighting was done by zealots and renegades, naysayers of the new age." Tak chuckled.

The two scholars bantered back and forth, exchanging questions and answers and counter arguments, while Yuuki continued to listen to his music, idly drumming against against his thigh with his thumb. Tak leaned in and inquired gently, "What's it like working for the reckless reptile? You seem pretty comfortable from what I've seen."

"I've just gotten used to his antics and he's somewhat quiet when he gets to listening to his music. Though I'm sure whatever crazy story I tell you, you've probably seen something similar." Rysk shrugged and fiddled with the hole in her jeans.

"I met him just after he left the Alliance, him and Lylia both were in pretty bad shape. They needed sanctuary so I found them a good ship from a junk trader near the outer rim and looks to me it still runs pretty well." The ursine explained.

"Wait, Lylia? Who's that?" The hyena asked, her ears twitching as her head tilted.

"An old military buddy of his, spunky little raccoon chick. Got herself into an accident, lost her arms and replaced with cybernetics. But, we're not here to talk about that kind of history, Ms. Kiersennik."

Rysk glanced sideways at Yuuki, the reptile's attention seemingly distracted from the conversation and more focused on his music. The hyena's ears twitched as she glanced back at the grizzly. Tak smirked and cleared his throat, and continued his pop quiz.

"So what do you know about the Crusaders of the Stars?"

"Weren't they the first explorers who began terraforming other planets?" Rysk asked for verification.

"You got it, after the droid wars in the core worlds, our ancestors searched the stars for more planets to populate after suffering many losses in the battles. The so-called 'Dark Ages.'" Tak replied, nodding sagely. He opened up his book and turned to a page with a shimmering stone with some text underneath the picture. "These babies helped the process, as long as you don't strain yourself too hard."

The picture was in black and white so it was difficult to discern the color of the stone, but it was spherical in shape. Rysk tilted her head at the book, her silver framed glasses sitting in its usual crookedness. "W-what exactly is this? Just looks like a stone to me."

"They're psionic stones, and they're pretty intense little rocks. When our ancestors found them, they hardly had any clue on how to truly utilize them. Apparently if one exerts enough mental dominance and will while using the psionic stone, you can become like one of those tribals. Able to sense life thousands of meters away, heightened reflexes and endurance, even telekinesis if you're good enough." Tak smirked and chuckled gently.

"I've heard of psionic warriors, but I rarely see them or hear of their exploits. It almost makes me think that they're a myth." Rysk's ears twitched and folded back, her tail swishing behind her.

"Oh, best believe they're the real deal. Most of the psionics work within the Alliance, the rest are either imprisoned or exiled onto inhabited planets. And using that kind of power is strenuous on the mind, too much use and you can end up putting yourself in a coma." Tak leaned back and closed his book and set it down on his lap.

"Oh... That's to be expected." Rysk nodded slowly.

"Damn, I'm glad my headphones are high quality. I can't believe you guys are still in history class." Yuuki stretched as he stood up from his soft lounge chair, picking up his vermilion armored jacket and slinging it over his shoulder. "Going out for a smoke. You kids behave, alright?" He smirked as he walked towards the long winding staircase and stepped out of view.

"Rough around the edges, but the guy means well." Tak mused outwardly.

"If it wouldn't be too much, I'd like to know your story, Tak." Rysk glanced up at the ursine.

"Oh, I'm pretty boring, honestly. Just a military brat with a big library to get lost in. I became freelance after the Alliance Schism, figured neither side would kill me if I give them some decent info for a price. As long as I don't leave too much of a trail."

"That seems pretty precarious, almost like a double agent. I assume you must know what you're doing." The hyena's violet eyes widened slightly, then nodded. She felt almost like a child around what seemed to be peers.

"What about you, Ms. Kiersennik?" Tak inquired, tilting his head at her.

"You can call me Rysk, it's fine... I was raised in the outer rim, near Sooma. Parents owned a little repair shop, so I learned my way around a motherboard rather quickly. Then I just started playing with all the computers I fixed. After the Alliance went to shit, I became a thief, freelance naturally. I used my skills to reach out to anyone that could use them. I can get in and out of most places without being noticed, plus I'm small and scrawny so that helps too." Rysk fiddled with her jeans some more, her tail swishing slowly behind her. "I met Yuuki on another job where I royally fucked up. I was hired by a piece of shit and I got what was coming to me. At least Yuuki was 'generous' enough to give me a decent gig."

Tak laughed heartily, "You were hired to rob Yuuki? That probably didn't go the way you envisioned."

"Not exactly rob, just track down. I got overzealous and tried to rob him in the process." The slender tomboyish hyena smiled sheepishly.

"For such a brilliant little mind, you definitely were not using it well. Hey, but now you got quite a decent gig going for yourself, working with Yuuki." Tak smiled.

"Yeah, and now she won't leave the lounge at all, just sits there on her computer with her face stuck to the screen." Yuuki had walked back from the elevator just at the end of their conversation, headphones resting around his neck with a smirk on his face.

"I do my work, you lackadaisical reptile. When there's no jobs, I don't get up." Rysk sharply quipped, glancing up at him with a small glare. "So glad you can join the party, Yuuki."

"What party? Where's the drinks and the exotic dancers? All I see are two history buffs rubbing off on each other." The crocodile grinned. "Though, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I had to damn near fight the front desk guy to get back in here to get ya, Rysk. Time to go."

Rysk rolled her eyes, then glanced at the grizzly. "See what I gotta deal with? The guy would get into a fight with a librarian...an unarmed and helpless librarian." She growled and stood, stretching her lanky body with a small groan. "It was very nice to meet you, Tak."

Tak stood and began writing on a small notepad. He ripped the page out and tore it in half, handing one to Yuuki and the other to Rysk. "My main com channel numbers, I'll let you know if and when they change. Don't hesitate to call me...And Yuuki," He directed his gaze directly at the reptile. "Keep in touch with Lylia, you dumb ass. You heard about the Orbis Stations, I hope."

"I was just at Orbis XIII, caught up with her before taking this little one in. Knowing her, she's probably fine, but I'll give her buzz. Let her know you said hi." Yuuki replied with a nod. He bumped his fist with the ursine once more and turned towards the exit. Rysk amiably shook Tak's hand and followed suit.

---

"So how'd you like the brainiac?" Yuuki asked, relaxing in his lounge, sprawled out on the couch.

"He seems pretty nice, helpful even." Rysk sat on her usual bar-stool with her computer in front of her.

"Yeah, just don't volunteer free information about yourself or anything that goes on here on this ship. Just a precaution, Rysk... He does sell info to both sides, to the Alliance and the Legionaries. As long as it puts food on the table."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future. He does seem to know a bit about you though..." Rysk slyly replied.

"Depends on what he told you, though I'm not a difficult guy to figure out." Yuuki shrugged.

"What was the military like? At least before the schism?" The tomboy hyena inquired.

Yuuki sighed and rolled onto his side, then opened his eyes slowly. "It was crap, but it was worth it. I know I can take getting my ass kicked and give one in return, that's about it. I learned some shit, made some friends, made some rivals, made some enemies. But overall, I guess it was alright."

"I guess that's all that matters, in the end. I heard about what happened to your friend Lylia. Tak mentioned you two were in dire straits or something... I'm glad she's alright."

The reptile sat up and cracked the muscles in his neck. "She's a tough little raccoon, don't worry about her."

"Were you two ever...intimate?" The hyena asked tentatively.

"What, me and Lylia? Pfft, that's funny! No, just friends and occasional sparring rival in vibroblade training. After shit hit the fan at the Alliance, we got the fuck outta dodge and stowed away on a mining freighter. Once I got Lylia her new arms and Ouroboros, we started doing odd jobs. She's become pretty capable as a mechanic, so I sent her to a place that could use someone with that kind of skill." Yuuki explained, chuckling softly at the assumption of his relationship with his former odd jobs partner.

"She sounds like a knowledgeable lady. And she's got cybernetics? What kind of equipment does she use? Is it just her arms or does she have other enhancements?" Rysk was on a roll, shooting questions like a rapid fire laser rifle. Her excitement for machines and electronics was unabated.

"Geez, calm down. I don't remember all that crap. Besides, she's the one who goes through all that nonsense. She could've gotten all kinds of stuff done to her after the last time I've seen her." Yuuki held his hands up to silence her, the crocodile unamused. "I'll give you her com channel so you can geek out on her about her cybernetics."

Rysk smiled and nodded, already having so many questions for the raccoon for when she contacted her. "I'd like that, thank you."

The rest of the night was filled with idle banter and light wine drinking, music and laughter. The ambient waves of melodies and merriment filled the lounge of the spacecraft, another day put to rest.