FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Another story I wrote several years ago. Re-posted since it seems to have been missed by many.

Wayfarers

Koro shivered and cinched the collar of her jacket tighter. The tiny, portable heater was doing the best it could to warm the small room. It would have been warmer to sleep inside her vehicle, sitting in the gloom outside, but she despised trying to sleep upright in the cramped passenger compartment. The seats had no room to recline with all the supplies that were crammed inside, especially after having just resupplied that day.

Her sleeping bag was unrolled near the heater. Still, even next to the heater the cold was pervasive. She wished she was on a planet that wasn't deep into an ice age. Instead, she imagined being on a hot, tropical beach with the sun warming her bare fur, or curled up in a large, comfortable recliner before a blazing fire radiating soothing warmth.

With the daydreams of warmth came the familiar, sorrowful yearning for her lost husband. For years she and Mir had been on this quest, relentlessly searching for any word of him. Sometimes she wondered why she hadn't given up yet. There was little hope they'd ever find him, even less that they'd find him alive.

He'd been working at one of the planet's mining colonies. Then, one day, her contact with him simply stopped. So she'd come to this forsaken, frozen planet to find him with only the faintest ideas for where to start looking. She had only the name of the mining operation's location where he'd been working as an engineer, Zulu14-30.

When she attempted to start her search, the few remaining settlements that still survived had no reliable maps. She spent every last credit she'd come to the planet with; armed with all she could afford, she and Mir--her sentient, robotic companion--had set out looking for him. She yearned to share the warmth of her lover's body in this damnable cold.

If she focused hard enough, beyond the memories of her husband, she could almost remember a time when she was able to go outside without several thermal layers, a thick, heavy jacket and ungainly arctic boots. Those ancient memories hadn't been formed on this shit-hole of a planet, but back where the climate was hospitable.

She envied her companion, Mir, who never noticed the biting cold. The only reason she wore clothing at all was for style and modesty. Mir admitted once that she felt a little sluggish when the temperatures were at their most frigid; temperatures cold enough that Koro would freeze to death in minutes without protection. So, Mir willingly suffered Koro's organic desires for creature comforts, even if they were inefficient. Not that she truly minded. They'd been together for nearly a decade, after all.

A pleasant, unobtrusive beep brought Koro out of her daydreams of a better life. The kettle plugged into the heater's power supply was signaling that it contained something piping hot. Koro reluctantly pulled her hands from the warm pockets of her jacket and picked up the kettle by its cold, steel handle. She poured the steaming, amber liquid into the porcelain mug sitting on the floor. Vigorously, she rubbed her hands together over the hot liquid. Despite being futile, the action made her believe she felt minutely warmer. The cold of the room quickly brought the drink down to a consumable temperature.

"I don't envy you that necessity," Mir said pleasantly.

"I know. You've told me a million times," Koro grumbled.

She clutched the mug in both hands and brought it to her lips. The heat washing over her nose felt wonderful. She sniffled to keep her nose from dripping into the mug. Warmth suffused her as the drink disappeared down her throat and settled in her stomach. She was glad they'd been able to buy nutrient drink mix that didn't taste like shit at the nearby settlement. The animal that this broth was supposed to taste like might have actually existed. The extra cost was well worth it.

"Better?"

"No," Koro sighed. She continued to sip the drink, finishing it before it could chill.

Mir padded over and tried turning the knob on the heater, but it was already at its maximum setting. She shook her head in sympathy for her poor, fleshy friend. Koro turned the kettle back on to reheat what was left of her dinner--it had already gotten too cold.

"Why don't you get inside your sleeping bag and I'll pour you another cup?" Mir offered, crouching next to the kettle. She balanced nimbly on her two-toed metal paws.

Koro nodded, happy to accept. She took off her bulky jacket and began to shiver. As quickly as she could, she yanked off her boots and shoved her legs into the bag's small opening and slipped in up to her waist. The jacket she folded as small as possible and tucked it into the space designed for her head--to keep it warm and to use it as a pillow. There was nothing worse than having to put on a frozen jacket in the morning. It was especially difficult to put on a jacket that you had to break until it was wearable. Mir took Koro's boots and set them close to the heater.

"Thanks." Koro smiled and wiggled deeper into the lovely warmth of her sleeping bag.

"Of course." Mir couldn't smile--she didn't have a mouth--but Koro could hear it in her voice. Mir turned one eye to the kettle while the other watched Koro. Koro smiled back at her closest friend.

Mir's eyes and "ears" were the only part of her triangular head capable of emoting. A pair of immobile gray eyebrows arched over her eyes. The rest was sharp angles and rounded edges. Despite not having a mouth, her cat-like face was friendly. Her ears were two wedges, packed with sensors, on short, flexible booms standing out from the top of her head. Her face ended in a point where an olfactory system filled the role of a traditional nose. It was painted white, offsetting the dark, matte purple of her metal skin. Softly glowing teal eyes with white, slit pupils appeared perpetually bored as they regarded the world around her.

The rest of her visible body was lithe and smooth. Her joints were all hidden or wrapped in a flexible, black material. Beneath the metal skin was a complicated endoskeleton supported by an even more advanced synthetic musculature. Her hands--and a few other, more discreet places--were covered in a super-material that near perfectly mimicked the soft, plush feel of skin, while also being damage-resistant. The material also afforded Mir a keen sense of touch and was self-healing. This super-material was maintained by a semi-organic system. The "skin" was alive.

Koro thought Mir was beautiful for what and who she was. She looked like a machine, but her body language and manner was that of a living being. For all intents and purposes, she was. Mir, a highly complex sentient creature with a living brain whom happened to have been constructed. Mir was as alive as anything born of flesh and bone.

Mir looked away at the kettle's meek beep. She gingerly picked it up and poured its contents into the waiting mug. "You're going to have to come out to drink."

"Can't you just feed it to me?" Koro sighed and sat up, exposing her torso to the cold.

"I would if you had a straw for a tongue. I think you'd look pretty with the head of a fly. Or, oh, a mosquito!" Mir held the steaming mug out to Koro with a self-satisfied chuckle. The sound always reminded Koro of a singing bird.

Koro took the offered mug, scowled at Mir, and drank it swiftly, scalding her mouth. Not that she cared. A burnt mouth was preferable to a freezing body. She wanted to get back inside her bag where it was warm as swiftly as possible. Mir tsked and took the mug when Koro held it out to her.

"Thanks, mom," Koro teased as she ensconced herself in the sleeping bag.

"You're welcome, dear," Mir replied, smiling with her calming, feminine voice. Koro often wondered at the technology that allowed her friend's voice to sound so natural. There were many things Koro wondered about Mir but never asked. She didn't really need to know the answers. Mir was her best friend and as alive as any other could be.

Koro pulled the sleeping bag over her long, pointed ears so only her snout was exposed to the chill. "You don't mind keeping watch?" She asked Mir drowsily. A polite, but rhetorical question. The warmth in her belly and comfort of her cocoon were taking their toll.

"Are you ever going to stop asking me that? You know I don't truly sleep. Not like you, anyway." Mir languidly turned her head around to her friend, eyes glowing a little brighter. Koro shrugged.

"If I haven't stopped in all these years, what makes you think I ever will? Besides, it's the thought that counts." Koro curled up and pulled the sleeping bag closed over her muzzle.

"Sleep well, Koro."

Koro expressed her muffled assent from deep inside her sleeping bag. Mir unplugged the kettle and turned off the floodlight built into the portable heater to prolong the heater's battery. She had no need for light. She could see in the dark just as well.

Mir stood and swept her gaze around the room once more. The modular, steel building they took refuge in had seemed suitably unoccupied when they'd explored it. She padded toward the door, long cat tail swaying lazily behind her. The door squealed annoyingly when she opened and closed it behind her. She'd make one more round through the two story structure before settling in to stand guard in front of the door for the night.

---

The snowflakes the wind blew into his face hit him like thrown icicles. He felt them through the mask he wore over his snout. Keeping his tail warm was even more annoying because he had to tuck it down one leg of his trousers. He hated this fucking rock of a planet. Bereft of money, he couldn't buy his way onto one of the few ships that still came planet side. He couldn't simply kill a crew and take their ship either, as much as he relished the idea. He cursed his inability to fly as strongly as he did the freezing cold.

He trudged along the twin vehicle tracks he'd found going the same direction that he was. The snow in the tracks came up to his knees. He wondered who the hell would be this far away from the nearby, still-populated settlement, but was glad for the marginally easier travel the tracks provided. He didn't like having to live in the abandoned, modular buildings that skirted the settlement, but those high-and-mighty cunts certainly didn't want him around either. It wouldn't do to kill his only sources of trade; even though he longed to.

The stinging, ever-present snowfall masked him as well as it masked anything beyond a few feet in front of his face. He knew, from how long he'd been walking, that he was close to arriving at his current domicile. If only it wasn't so fucking dark all the time!

By the time he saw the tracked vehicle he'd nearly walked right into it. The only way to shield his face from the wind was to walk staring at his feet.

"The hell?" He muttered to himself. It was a squat, white block sitting on long, wide tracks. It was a well-used looking model, but only because of its age. Snow was already piled up on and around it. Whomever owned it had been here for at least a few hours. He walked around the truck and tried both doors but they were bolted tight.

Shining his small torch through the thick windows made him wish he had some way to break in. A treasure trove of supplies was locked inside, not to mention that he'd love to commandeer it. It would sure beat the hell out of walking everywhere!

He extinguished his light and took his rifle off of his back. Nobody would leave something like this behind. Whoever owned it must be inside. They were going to regret trying to take over his temporary lodging! This could prove a great opportunity. It'd been too long since he'd had prey to hunt.

There were no footprints leading to the door of the two-story building. The snow had long ago taken care of those. The lock he'd left on the door was gone, fresh scratch marks in the metal where it had been. So--they'd cut his lock off. They were going to pay him back for that!

He cleared the snow away from the door so he could pull it open quickly. If they were right inside he didn't want them to be able to get the first shot off. He paused and put his head against the door to listen and the cold of the metal swiftly soaked through to his skin. He couldn't hear anything except the howling wind.

Standing off to the side, he yanked the door open and swung the muzzle of his rifle into the entryway. He only saw still darkness. As quietly as he could he crept inside. His torchlight found nothing but cold, empty space and no obvious signs of passage. The door closed silently behind him as he stepped inside.

---

Mir's ears swiveled forward, flat sides pointed toward the building's main entrance. She'd heard something. Her long, nimble legs unfolded and she stood smoothly, clothing whispering against her sleek, metal skin. The sound had only been a tickle to her sensors this far away from the entrance, through so many metal walls. There shouldn't be any noise other than the wind and Koro's shifting in the room behind her.

She turned off the backlit glow of her eyes. It wasn't necessary, but it made people more comfortable with her otherwise expressionless face.

Like a cat, she padded noiselessly through network of rooms, each exactly the same as the last. Then, down the sole flight of stairs to the first floor. At the bottom she saw a beam of light dance across the wall of the room straight ahead. Whoever this hostile was, she decided, they'd be easier to capture at the top of the stairs.

Mir backtracked up the stairs to await her unsuspecting target. She crouched next to the wall, just behind where the stairwell opened into the room. Her tail lashed the air behind her; it was the only outward sign of her excitement and trepidation.

The interloper could be dangerous, or they could be an unfortunate soul seeking refuge with no idea what they were stumbling into.

The torchlight bobbed as the wielder ascended the stairs. Light reflecting off the far wall made her visible, but they had no chance of seeing her until it was too late. The speed at which the intruder was moving, and how silent they were endeavoring to be, made Mir doubt they possessed good intentions. A boot landed on the floor just ahead of her, and then its partner joined it. As the torchlight began to swing around the room toward her, she pounced, slipping around the corner with preternatural speed.

In the time it took the intruder to register that he was being attacked, Mir had already looked him over. It only took her an instant to label this intruder as dangerous. He had a short barrel assault rifle hanging from a sling, hand tight on the pistol grip and his torch in the other. A mask and hood concealed everything but his eyes; emerald eyes opened so wide in surprise that she mentally bared her nonexistent fangs in pleasure.

Before he could react she'd torn his weapon from his hands and tossed it across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor. He shouted in surprise. Mir bunched her fists in the collar of his jacket, lifted him off his feet and threw him to the floor. The air in his lungs fled with the impact.

He wheezed as he tried to get his lungs working again, struggling up onto his hands and knees. Mir took her time walking around him, supremely confident in her ability to keep this trespasser down, but alive. Koro would be most interested in talking to him. When he shakily started to stand she took care not to kick him hard enough to break any of his ribs. He landed heavily on his back and moaned in pain, but insisted on trying to get back up. It was a clumsy attempt.

She could hear his heart hammering in his chest. This one didn't seem afraid, however, only furious. His tremulous breathing told her that he was still recovering from her last kick even as he stood. Undoubtedly, Koro had heard his earlier yell, but it would still be some time before she was dressed and present. Mir had a little time to toy with her new plaything.

Darkness was absolute in the room. Mir didn't move and stilled her tail. Would the target be able to tell where she stood? She pitied Koro and this person for their terrible, poorly evolved night vision. His head whipped back and forth, but he looked right through her.

"Well! Are you gonna fight me or kill me?" he shouted furiously.

Mir watched him pull a short, double edged blade from behind his back. He assumed a crude fighting stance. A knife was essentially useless against her, she knew, but it could still damage the parts of her that were covered in skin. And she refused to allow them to be damaged. The length of time that it could take to heal was downright aggravating.

"Drop the knife," Mir said sweetly.

His eyes locked onto her. Hmm, a perceptive one, Mir mused to herself. She considered that thought when he seemed to throw all caution to the wind and charged her, a snarl on his lips. He held the knife close to his hip.

Mir disarmed him in one fluid, perfectly choreographed motion. She spread her arms for balance and twisted her torso, leg swinging around in an arc. Her toes caught his blade and locked it between them. As her momentum carried her around she hopped onto the foot clutching his blade and the metal bent into a useless shape beneath her weight. She arrested her spin with a flat-footed kick directly into her target's vulnerable stomach.

Mir's kick lifted him off his feet. He crumpled to the floor and made strangled choking noises. One hand wrapped his damaged body and the other quaked, barely able to hold up his weight when he doubled over. He retched and then vomited the meager meal he'd eaten earlier onto the dusty floor between desperate gasps for air. Mir had expected him to be able to handle the strike better. There was always something new to learn where the delicacy of breathing creatures was concerned.

When he'd stopped dry heaving and wobbled to his feet, Mir decided he'd had enough. She had no desire to hurt him further, he was clearly no real danger to Koro anymore.

"Fight me, coward!" His voice was hoarse, but he was determined to continue. Mir's shoulders slumped. She knew she would have to subdue him before he'd quit this nonsense.

"No," she replied flatly. She saw his nostrils flare with rage. Mir found his manner both amusing and sad. She'd never encountered someone so... feral and intent to fight, even when the odds were so hopelessly against them. Maybe it was because he hadn't yet realized she was a synthetic? Perhaps he could be reasoned with. "Fighting a synthetic is hopeless, you realize."

"I don't give a fuck what you are. I'll tear you into scrap if I have to," he snarled.

"Have it your way," Mir replied demurely and shrugged one shoulder. She didn't move and waited for him to attack. It was not a long wait.

Without knowing exactly where she was he simply charged as if to tackle her. The counter was easy enough. Mir snatched one of his wrists and side stepped out of his way with lightning quickness. She wrenched his arm behind his back; his own momentum almost dislocating his shoulder. He cried out in pain. Despite that, he still managed to drive his free elbow back into Mir's metal plated hip. She was sure that he regretted that decision. Mir gathered his other wrist, in no particular hurry, and lowered him face down onto the floor.

The stink of bile rose to her from his lips. He continued to thrash wildly. Pulling his wrists higher up his back only seemed to enrage him further. The more pain she applied the harder he struggled. Mir wondered at what point he would stop. Dislocated joints, broken bones, or both? She sat lightly on his back, her knees holding his elbows tight. What was taking Koro so long?

As if Mir's mere thought could summon her, Koro threw the door into the room open, her torchlight sending the darkness fleeing into the shadows. "Mir!"

"I'm here, Koro." Koro's torchlight flashed to her. "I caught myself someone you might be interested in talking to." Mir inclined her head to the man beneath her, one eye on Koro and one on him.

Mir saw Koro's shoulders relax and her grip loosen on the rifle clutched in her hands. "And you won't be needing that." With the need for stealth gone she brought her glowing eyes back to life. "Could you get me something to tie his hands with?"

Koro nodded and left the room. When she came back she wasn't carrying the rifle, but two zip ties instead. She handed them to Mir and nudged the captive's shoulder with the toe of her boot.

"Who is he?"

"We haven't had a chance for proper introductions yet. What is your name, stranger?" Mir asked as if she hadn't just kicked his ass.

"Fuck you!" He spit and started struggling again. Mir fashioned the zip ties into handcuffs with her nimble fingers.

"That's not a nice name. Did your parents hate you?"

Koro snickered. He gave her a baleful look with one eye, his pupil a tiny pinpoint under the harsh light of her torch.

"Don't be mean, Mir. Our guest looks worn out after meeting you," Koro said mockingly as Mir slipped the zip ties over his wrists and cinched them down tight.

"We had our differences, but I think we've worked those out. Wouldn't you agree?" Mir asked pleasantly, bent down so she spoke near his hooded head.

"You'd better let me go. Maybe I won't kill you."

"Sounds like a great incentive to let you go."

"His rifle is over there," Mir said as she pulled her prisoner onto his feet. Koro scanned with her torch until she found it and picked it up. Mir walked her prisoner to the room they'd set up camp in.

"We're not going to kill you or steal any of your things," Koro said. "We'll set you free tomorrow before we leave. Can't have someone wild as you loose while I'm sleeping."

"You'd better trust these plastic cuffs. Might never wake up," he sneered and tried to make moving him as difficult as possible. Mir didn't notice.

"So much for not murdering us if we let you go," Koro sighed behind Mir.

"Screw you!"

"Now-now, be nice, Mr. Fuck You," Mir chided, folding his wrist painfully. He grunted and tried to stand on his toes to escape the pressure, to no avail. "Stop being so intractable and you might find us to be quite friendly."

"Welcoming, even," Koro added.

Koro opened the door into the marginally warmer room she'd been asleep in and shut it behind them. She scanned the room, looking for somewhere Mir would be able to secure their new friend so he couldn't cause any damage. Not far from the portable heater she found a solution. All around the room, where the walls met the floor, were metal D-rings spaced every few feet. Koro surmised that they were used in transporting and constructing the modular building. They would be more than strong enough to secure his bonds to.

"Mir, put him by the D-ring on the floor near the heater. We can tie him to that." Mir pushed her recalcitrant prisoner toward the location. He tried, futilely, to resist her as they approached the wall and she started to turn him around. She put her foot against the back of his knee and shoved to get him down onto his knees.

"Quit being obstinate, Fuck You. You brought this on yourself trying to sneak up on us." Several zip ties landed next to where Mir crouched, one hand on his shoulder to keep him down.

"Use those to tie his ankles and wrists to that D-ring," Koro suggested as she moved the portable heater closer to where Fuck You was being secured.

Mir found it easier to straddle him and press her weight down onto his thighs to keep him from struggling. She pressed one shoulder to his throat until his head pressed against the wall--after he'd tried to bite her. One zip tie was tight around each ankle with two in between so that he could sit on the floor instead of on his feet. From there a chain of zip ties attached him to the D-ring. The position wasn't wholly comfortable, but Mir could have made it much worse.

Mir hopped clear of him and crossed her arms. "He's not going anywhere, Koro. I'll be keeping an eye on him while you sleep nevertheless," Mir said with an air of boredom at the task.

"I know." Koro turned her attention to their visitor. "Going to tell me your name?"

"Fuck you! Let me go!" he shouted and pulled against his bonds. He didn't struggle for long as the plastic started to cut into his skin. Finally, he stilled, resigned to being held against his will.

"I don't believe that Fuck You is your real name," Koro sighed and went to her sleeping bag. She dragged it over to be closer to where she'd moved the heater, unconcerned that it was also closer to him. He sullenly ignored both of them as he sat brooding. Koro settled back into her sleeping bag with all her clothes on, but stayed sitting. She hadn't had a chance to really look the man over yet.

He was as tall as Mir, who was a bit taller than herself. A yellow cravat hung loose around his neck. His hood concealed much of his head. "Mir, would you mind pulling his hood off?" Mir glanced at Koro, curious of the request, but inclined her head in acknowledgment.

"Don't touch me, bitch!"

Ignoring him, she bent and tugged his hood off, but left it up so his head wouldn't freeze if he touched the metal wall. A messy mane of lime green hair with snow-white frosted tips sprung free from his hood. He shook his head to clear locks of it from his eyes. His hair continued down the back of his head and neck until it disappeared into his coat.

Despite his seemingly permanent sneer, he was attractive, in a rough way. His skin was sleek and almost indistinguishable from gray, but the harsh floodlight revealed it to be a deep, muted purple, almost black. Thin white lines raced down his long, sleek pointed snout, curving beneath his eyes. A single, thick white marking ran from his nose and ended just before his hairline. Two upside down chevrons graced his neck. The point of one started just above his clavicle and the other half way up his throat. The legs of both chevrons ran up and around his neck, out of sight. His slender, acicular ears both bore two markings but, with his ears pinned back, she couldn't tell what they were.

"What are you staring at, bitch?" Koro hastily looked away from him.

"Not the most eloquent, is he?" Mir observed.

"'Bitch' might be the only insult he knows," Koro agreed.

"Why don't you tell me your names first?" he grunted, ignoring them. If he refused to acknowledge the barb, he wouldn't have to face it. Koro looked to Mir, who shrugged. She met his piercing emerald eyes and felt drawn into them.

"Koro."

"Mir," the synthetic whispered into his ear, rolling the 'R'. He jerked his head away from her and she laughed airily. She sat down perpendicular to him, reclined back onto her elbows and crossed her long legs. "And your name, Sir?"

"Arty," he growled. "Now put my hood back on, my ears are cold."

Mir sat up and reached for his hood, roughly tugging it up and back over his head. Locks of his unruly hair poked comically from beneath it. She fussed over his cravat, tightening it and tucking the loose ends into his jacket.

"See, we're not so bad," she purred as she returned to her reclined position.

"I don't give a shit! I'm done talking to you, cunts," Arty shouted and shouldered deeper into his heavy, dark green jacket.

"Isn't he a rude boy," Mir said flatly.

"I might be a bit surly if I'd gotten my ass kicked too." Koro smirked when Arty glared at her.

"Perhaps he's cranky because he's hungry," Mir suggested. "He did puke after I kicked him. Could put the kettle on."

"I could. Not sure if he deserves to be fed though." They'd been talking as if he didn't exist, but his eyes darted between them when they spoke. "Well, Arty, are you hungry? Have any food in your pack?"

"I don't want your food, bitch." Arty closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

He ignored the cold that began to seep through his hood and hair. It had been a while since he'd slept anywhere without shivering the whole night. At least these sluts have a heater, Arty thought to himself--not that it made him any happier about his situation. Maybe if he ignored them they'd shut up.

"How many times has he called one of us a bitch now?" Koro asked Mir as she wiggled down into her sleeping bag. She folded her hands behind her head and watched Arty's face. He didn't seem to appreciate how he was being talked about--a deep scowl darkening his handsome visage.

"Enough that I don't think his vocabulary is very expansive--as I mentioned before." Mir purred, as if enjoying a pleasurable conversation amongst close friends.

"Well Mr. Arty, have any other, more inventive crass pejoratives you'd like to use?" Koro scratched her nose idly as she asked the question of the visibly annoyed durachev.

"I didn't understand half of what you said, cunt, but I know it was an insult. I don't need fancy words. Hell, I don't need words at all! A gun and a knife do all the talking I need to do! And I was here first. You cut my damn lock off the door. Breaking and entering like you own everything!" Arty finished his tirade by licking the spittle from his lips.

"Could have just said 'no'," Mir offered. Arty didn't look at her. "Very well then. The conversation seems to be over, Koro."

"That lock was half rusted and looked like it'd been there for years. Oh well, guess I can go to sleep now." Koro stretched out in her sleeping bag and tucked her arms inside. "Oh, Arty, I don't suppose you have any friends that might interrupt my sleep, do you?"

"Just one," Arty grinned.

"Oh?"

"Me. Think I'm going to just sit here quietly while you sleep in your warm little sack, eh?"

"Why do you insist on being difficult?" Koro rolled her eyes over to Mir, who met her gaze with one glowing eye.

"I'd be delighted," Mir said happily, knowing exactly what Koro wanted. She'd grown tired of the loud-mouthed meatbag as well.

Mir stood gracefully and padded to Koro's pack. She rummaged through it and produced a small roll of black electrical tape.

"Ah, this'll do!" Mir turned and met Arty's baleful stare. She strolled over to him and crouched down. "Now, be a good boy and keep your damn mouth shut."

"Fuck you, you fuckin' cu--"

Mir wrapped her hand around the tip of his snout and snapped his jaws shut, hard enough she heard his teeth clatter together. He growled low in his throat. Mir ignored him and started wrapping the tape around the middle of his muzzle, around and around until she was satisfied he wouldn't be doing so much as sticking his tongue out. Motherly, she patted his nose and pulled his hood down tighter so he'd be slightly warmer. She fussed the loose locks of his hair back beneath his hood.

"Now remember, Arty, you've only yourself to blame," she cooed and straightened his jacket.

"Mm, peace and quiet," Koro whispered sleepily. She pulled the drawstring of her sleeping bag tight over her head.

"I'll make sure he keeps quiet." Koro's muffled thanks came to her sensitive, electronic ears.

Mir settled herself, sitting cross-legged next to Arty. One glowing eye keeping watch on him. She swiveled her ears toward the front of the building and began methodically settling her systems into a meditative state.

She couldn't sleep like flesh-bound creatures could. Instead, she could enter a conservation state where her brain's organic and solid state components could perform the equivalent function that sleep did for them; condensing the useful memories and eliminating the rest.

She harbored a small amount of envy for them. How they could perform something like time travel in their dreams. Sleeping for hours and waking up with the concept that little time had actually passed. She was doomed to spend every moment of her life fully aware of herself and her surroundings. However, there was also a benefit in that, for she didn't have to spend decades of her life asleep in order to function in a healthy state. She let her mind wander as she processed all that took place around her and her memories consolidated.

---

Koro shivered. There wasn't any reason to, though. She was perfectly warm, surrounded by a thick, heavy comforter before a hearth that harbored a salubrious fire. Flames licked the stones and the logs crackled and spit a soothing cadence. She looked around the room. It was oddly familiar but everything seemed to be draped in gray fog. The walls weren't visible, but she could feel that they were there. Koro looked up and saw snow falling toward her. None of the flakes were able to penetrate the heat of the fire, melting into rain drops that punched through the fog.

Then, suddenly, there was another presence with her. It surrounded her completely, a part of her, but distant; a miasma of memories encircling her. She felt large, calloused hands touch her shoulders, but turning her head to try and see them revealed nothing. It wasn't a physical touch she was feeling, but a memory of a moment, much like this one, that caressed her fur.

It was then that she realized she was naked, save for the comforter wrapping her and her short, velvety gray fur. She wasn't surprised; rather, it felt perfectly right. The hands of pure living memory slid away from her shoulders, down her back and then around to her breasts. A delightful tingle pricked her flesh where it remembered the fingertips that whispered around her nipples. The comforter slid from her shoulders and bared her torso to the reassuring warmth of the fire.

Lips delicately kissed the side of her neck and her fur stood on end. Those lips suffused her with warmth. Desire rippled down her spine as the hands kneaded her ample bosom. The memories of her lover's lips were strongest as they planted a trail up her neck to one of her elfin ears. There the memory of a rough, moist tongue traced the ridge of her ear. She gasped softly.

The ghostly touch of the hands left her breasts and traced her ribs, then explored her luscious fur down to her hips. She was sitting cross-legged in her comforter cocoon, open to anything her ethereal lover wanted of her. Fingertips traced her prominent hip bones and she had to suppress a giggle when they tickled her. She squirmed when the fingers exploited this weakness of hers, but when she grasped for them she only found her own self.

Sadness threatened to overcome her. The memories were so faint now. If she moved too quickly or paid them too much attention they weakened further, as if trying to force the memory to show itself only made it retreat into the walls of fog closing in on her with glacial inevitability. Koro heaved a great sigh and closed her eyes, hanging her head. Where the memory lips and fingers had touched her still prickled provocatively.

Just as she'd given up hope of the memories returning to her, they did. Rough hands slid around her waist. Strong, sinuous arms enveloped her in a protective hold. New warmth pressed against her back, skin warming her through her stubby fur. These memories were so strong that Koro felt sudden elation. Maybe the memories weren't all disappearing!

Koro refused to open her eyes as she lifted her head and let it drop back onto his waiting shoulder. She feared the memories would flee if she tried to behold them.

Her head rolled until her nose pressed into his hair; except...now his hair was long and held an unfamiliar scent. But his hair had never been long. Perhaps that memory had finally succumbed to time, replaced by other, fresher ones. Koro resolved that she was making up for the time that had passed, the memory's hair growing with it.

The hands, such strong hands, were eager, exploring her bared flesh with scarcely restrained fervor. His fingertips were incredibly smooth as they whispered along every contour of her body. His touch was salubrious to her soul. How long had it been?

"Too long," his voice whispered softly in answer to her unspoken question.

"Yes," Koro breathed, "too long."

Belatedly, she realized his voice was slightly off. It wasn't as deep as she remembered, it lacked a presence that had always comforted her. But it was so familiar. The memory was on the tip of her tongue as his fingers dipped into the valley of her thighs. Koro gasped and the familiarity was blasted away by a swell of pleasure.

She gripped his forearms, but the fingers continued to tease her, rubbing back and forth, over and between her damp folds. The tendons in his forearm worked beneath her palms as she stroked his arm. Koro blushed hotly at the strength of her own arousal. When was the last time she'd been touched like this?

"Too long ago," his voice assured her with that undeniable truism.

"You're not him," Koro whispered the dawning realization.

"No, but does it matter?" He punctuated the question by deftly slipping two of his long, nimble fingers into her. A soft moan escaped her lips and she melted into his embrace.

"But I'm still his." Even to her it sounded like a feeble claim. She'd been searching for so long. Always faithful, but hope had been fading with every fruitless day of seeking. Was he even still alive to claim her?

"Why deny yourself? You can have me, Koro. All you need to do is take me." His voice teased her, daring her as his fingertips ground against her walls. Her body gripped the intruding digits greedily.

"Who are you?" She asked the question even though she already knew the answer. Part of her wasn't willing to accept it, just yet.

"Look for yourself," he teased and pulled his fingers from her and let his arms fall away.

Koro unfolded her legs and turned hesitantly. She saw his arms first, his skin a black, deep purple in the dancing fire light. His torso and legs were shrouded in shadow, for she'd never seen them. A yellow cravat was tied loosely around his neck. She met his piercing emerald eyes--his gaze bored into her, but she didn't cower before it. She stood up to his attempted intimidation and a deep, insatiable lust replaced her trepidation. A permanent sneer marred his handsome countenance.

"You know you want my cock, bitch," Arty taunted viciously. A lecherous grin bared his many pointed teeth. Several gaps hinted at a rough life. "If you've the guts to take it."

---

Koro's eyes snapped open to absolute darkness. Sweat clung to her back and she panted in the oppressive heat that clutched her. She fidgeted with the drawstring of her sleeping bag until her fingers finally worked it free. Soothing, cold air poured in over her head and she lay still until she had control of herself again. She uncurled herself and became acutely aware of the pool of dampness soaking into her panties. Fuck, she sighed to herself.

In case Mir was watching her, Koro rolled so her back was to her. She straitened her arm and gingerly slipped her hand between the layers of clothing to her creamy fur. Her hand easily slid beneath the tired elastic waistband of her panties into an even more sweltering heat than the inside of her sleeping bag. The slick wetness that matted the downy fur between her legs only surprised her with its quantity. Her fingertips sodden after tracing the depression between her swollen vulva only twice. The fur of one finger ghosted over her clit and made her leg twitch.

Koro sighed and dragged her hand out of her underwear. She stuck her hand between her legs and wiped her fingers on her pants. The side of her hand felt the faintest trace of wet through her trousers. Shit, she whined in her head, hopelessly horny.

She poked her head out of her sleeping bag and looked around and met the cool, affable glow of Mir's eyes as they looked at her. No doubt she was curious what was wrong with her. Koro put a finger to her lips for silence. Mir's eyes bobbed once in the darkness. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. The portable heater's coils cast a faint red glow across the end of her bag--it was just enough to be able to just make out Arty's silhouette. By the slow, deep breaths he was taking she knew he was fast asleep.

_What are you thinking, Koro,_she questioned herself as she crawled out of her sleeping bag as quietly as she could.

The room was still cold, but it felt wonderful after the stifling heat of her dream and textile prison. She still had on her thermal layers, keeping the bite of the cold off her sweat covered skin. Mir's eyes followed her as she stopped before Arty's motionless, kneeling form.

She resolutely stopped thinking and let her burning desire take over. Koro tucked her knees between Arty's spread legs and rested her hands lightly on his thighs. When he didn't move she ghosted them along his thick trousers and under the bottom of his jacket. His thermal layers were tucked into his pants. She fumbled with his belt buckle when she found it. His head lifted as she finished unfastening the buckle and she froze.

Eventually she knew he would wake up. He would need to be for her to get what she wanted, but for now she was enjoying the thrill of touching him surreptitiously.

Arty's zipper clicked softly as she pulled it down. With his pants loose, she tugged his thermal layers free, bit by bit. Koro snuck her hands beneath the hem of his base layer and met his sleek skin. She reveled in the warmth of him as her hands delicately explored his belly, feeling the swell of lax muscle. The last time she'd touched a man with such intent... well, she didn't want to think about it. He stirred when her fingertips reached his ribs and she froze.

Again, he didn't wake up. She noted how his ribs seemed so prominent, as if he hadn't been eating enough. Sympathy for him dampened her lust, but then she recalled the entire reason he was tied up and put it out of her mind. She had offered to feed him and he'd turned it down. After she'd had her way she'd make the offer again. Though, she doubted the likelihood of him accepting the offer.

Koro glanced over at Mir. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking in the darkness. Mir's luminous gaze never faltered in observing her. Koro doubted Mir approved of what she was doing, but she kept her peace.

Even Mir, sentient being that she was, had expressed desires of the flesh. She was quite capable of experiencing them too. Koro had seen Mir without clothing on often enough to know she had the necessary equipment, mirroring Koro's own reproductive anatomy. She also knew Mir had found partners willing to explore the curiosity of a genital equipped synthetic, here and there, throughout the duration of their journey.

Koro turned her gaze away from Mir, and returned her attention to Arty. Carefully, she slid her hands around to his back, tracing the waist of his trousers to the clasp above his tail. It came undone easily and she worked her hands back and forth to bring his trousers and underwear down. Her progress was agonizingly slow; even so, her libido only grew stronger from the anticipation.

She got the articles down as far as she could with him still seated. She'd have to wait until he was awake to get them down any farther than they were, stuck just below his protruding hip bones. It was enough that she could feel the top of his sheath bulging beneath the thin fabric of his underwear where his fly lay open; the elastic waistband was stopped tantalizingly just above it.

Unable to restrain herself, she turned her hand so she could feel out the contour of his thick sheath. She felt giddy at how pronounced it was and hoped it portended an equally impressive endowment. Beneath her fingers she felt his body was starting to react. His sheath starting to grow harder as she rubbed it gently.

Feeling bold, she hooked two fingers under the waistband of his underwear and slowly began to pull it down. The back of her fingers slid smoothly down the length of his sheath. The elastic was reaching the limits of its ability to stretch when she felt her knuckles brush over his heavy, sagging balls.

Impatiently, Koro tugged the taut elastic, trying to get it under his balls. She mad a grave error when she didn't tighten her grip and the waistband slipped from her fingers. The elastic, yearning to return to equilibrium. Snap!, directly into Arty's balls. She cringed at his muffled yelp as he jerked into consciousness.

"Well, he's awake now," Koro sighed. She felt sorry for Arty's poor testicles and hoped they didn't smart too badly.

"Indeed." Koro heard the restrained humor in Mir's purred response and couldn't resist a rueful smile.

Arty thrashed against his bonds. Koro assumed the growls and strangled noises he was making were a variety of uncreative curses. She hadn't meant to do that, but now that he was awake she could get his underwear down--without hurting him this time. At least, that was her plan. It all depended on how cooperative he was willing to be.

Not at all, Koro wagered.

"Sorry, Arty. I'll make it up to you," Koro reassured him as she flattened her palms against his belly and caressed his smooth skin. His swiftly grunted response sounded like a mixture of "get off me bitch!" and an incredulous "what are you doing?"

Koro rose up onto her knees and wrapped one arm tight around his back. She leaned her weight back, lifting his butt off the floor, and started tugging down his trousers and underwear with one hand until they were halfway down his thighs. Arty tried to struggle against her, but there was little he could do. She lowered him so he was sitting back on the floor. Arty jumped up from the floor, cold stinging his bare ass.

The portable heater's eerie orange glow was just bright enough that it reflected in Arty's cold eyes. Looking into them, Koro could tell he was not at all happy. She figured he'd change his mind soon enough. Her velvety-furred hands slid easily over his lubricious skin to his rump. She squeezed it firmly several times with a grin. How she wished she was somewhere warmer and could completely disrobe him and press herself against him, fur to skin.

She'd make do with what was the only available option.

"So, you still intend on going through with this?" Mir's question cut into Koro's train of thought. She looked over at those glowing eyes regarding her. Would Mir's opinion of her suffer if she did?

"You object?"

"He doesn't seem to be consenting, exactly."

"Not yet. Besides, we'll just call it apologizing for being so rough with him earlier." Koro shrugged and turned her attention back to Arty. Mir made no further objection.

She ran her hands along his sleek snout, skipping over the tape that kept him, mostly, quiet. Her fingers slipped beneath his hood and tangled in his hair. It was a little greasy, but soft between her fingers. He didn't jerk his head away from her touch; a good sign, Koro decided.

"Well Arty, going to be a good boy and accept my apology?" Koro said amorously, brushing her nose against his cheek. His response was a petulant grumble. Koro ignored it.

"See, Mir?"

She made a noncommittal noise in response. If that was the best Koro was going to get out of her friend, she'd take it.

Koro repositioned herself on the floor between his legs, stretching out so she was prone between them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself up, chest resting on his stretched-tight trousers.

With her nose so close to his sheath all she could smell was his heavy musk. It was not unpleasantly strong, but he could use a shower. She couldn't complain, however, it had been longer than she preferred since she'd last bathed. In her current state of arousal his potent, masculine scent only served to make her hunger for him stronger.

Tentatively, she rubbed the tip of her snout up and down his stiff sheath. Despite his protest, his body was certainly enjoying her attention. She nuzzled down to his balls and her tongue ventured out to drag across them. They rose easily when she licked up them and the taste of him made her loins tingle. She gave each one a single kiss.

There, all better, she thought with a smirk. The more she nuzzled and tasted his flesh the more she lost herself to her smoldering lust.

Koro dragged her tongue up his sheath and took his heavy, twin orbs into her hand and fondled them tenderly. Her nose found his length well on its way to being free and in the open. She slid her tongue up it until she reached the tip. A faint moan broke from her at the strength of his cock's heady aroma.

Without pausing to think, she took him into her mouth. It only felt like a few inches as her lips kissed the stretched opening of his sheath. She suckled him lightly as his length throbbed and grew, venturing deeper into her muzzle with each beat of his heart. His sheath continued to stretch even further.

More and more of him filled out into her mouth. Koro had to lift her head slightly as his length prodded the back of her throat, her lips no longer reaching his sheath. God damn, she thought appreciatively, moaning gutturally around Arty's imposing cock.

Arty bucked his hips and Koro almost gagged. She pulled his cock from her mouth and coughed. Arty laughed through his nostrils, a staccato wheezing. Koro retaliated by squeezing his balls, eliciting a whimper from him.

"Do some shit like that again and I'll crush 'em," Koro warned him. She squeezed his tortured testicles again to make sure he got the message.

"Don't hurt the poor boy," Mir chided.

"I won't. Not as long as he listens, anyway." Koro's tone had changed from authoritative to husky and she tilted her head toward Arty's endowment. "You may not have had much trouble subduing him earlier, but he's got a huge dick to make up for it."

Arty growled in response. The only reason he'd been beaten so easily was because Mir was a synthetic; he could have easily taken Koro. Then their current positions would be swapped. He'd be the one having his way with her. He did, however, feel a narcissistic surge of pride at her pleasure with how big his dick was.

"I hope his size makes you happy," Mir replied after a few moments. Koro gave an annoyed grunt in response.

Mir hadn't seen a penis quite as long and thick as the one Arty possessed either, but Koro didn't need to know that. That would only encourage her. A part of her was curious if her organic parts could take all of Arty. Koro definitely did not need to know that.

Koro turned her attention back to Arty's length when it throbbed once in her hand. Curious, she measured it by wrapping one hand around the base and went hand over hand to the tip. He was just over three fists long. Koro didn't exactly have dainty, girly hands.

"Shit," she breathed doubtfully, unsure if she'd be able to take him, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from finding out.

Arty's cock found itself back inside Koro's hot, humid muzzle. She bobbed her head slowly, dragging her tongue across the underside of him, relishing his powerful taste. His thick musk oozed into her nostrils and overpowered all other scents.

His breathing had taken on a more urgent frequency as she suckled him. Koro's hand gripped his shaft tight and pumped in time with the bobbing of the bitch's head. He was everything but happy about the situation. She should be the one tied up, suffering him, instead.

At the same time, it was much better than being tortured or robbed. Though there was still the possibility that these cunts would do that. Once they'd had their fun, anyway. He hoped the junk pile, Mir, wouldn't try having a go at him next. He didn't even want to think about that. Better to concentrate on trying to make the slut on his cock regret her decision.

Koro didn't have enough of Arty's length in her maw to gag this time when he tried thrusting into her. She growled around him and tightened her grip on his balls. Arty clenched his teeth against the discomfort and bucked his hips again, harder this time. Again, Koro tightened her grip until she was genuinely worried about hurting him. He stifled an involuntary whine and his breath caught in his throat. The bitch had claws.

"Stop it you dipshit," Koro snarled at him as she lifted her head.

"'Uck-ooo," Arty responded.

"Fine, if that's what you want," Koro said with a toothy grin.

She let his cock go and it fell to the side, slapping wetly against his thigh. The sudden cold against his soaked length was not enjoyable after her warm mouth. Koro stood up sharply and jerked at her belt, yanked the zipper of her pants down and shoved her trousers, thermal layers, and panties to her feet in one motion. She stepped free of the bunched clothing, then kicked them toward her sleeping bag. A shiver ran through her at the sudden, chill draft over her sodden crotch.

Koro placed her feet on the outside of Arty's legs and confidently sank down so she was nearly sitting in his lap. Arty had leaned back as far as he could, both surprised by the swiftness she'd gotten half naked and trying to get away, as futile as he knew it was. She peeled his slick cock off his leg and gave it several firm tugs, as he'd gone a little soft.

"Now, what was that you said? 'Uck-ooo'?" Koro teased, shifting her hips to lewdly grind her mons against him.

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." she trailed off as she lifted her hips. Arty tried shifting his hips side to side, but her grip on him wouldn't be so easily shaken off.

With a possessive growl, Koro nosed into Arty's hood and set her teeth to the exposed part of his throat and bit down, just enough to get a grip on his skin. Arty instinctively froze up.

Koro took advantage of her power over him and spread her knees, sinking down while guiding his pointed tip to her slick labia. Once there, wet with his own pre, he slipped between her plump folds. Koro moaned softly into Arty's throat as he penetrated her, tip quickly giving way to his much thicker shaft. Her body protested as his cock forced her tight walls apart. Her body clung to his cock as she sank lower. She got about halfway before the discomfort forced her to stop.

"Ahh...fucking--shit," Koro gasped into Arty's throat between panted for breaths, "Arty you've...ah--you've got a huge cock." At the compliment it felt like he swelled even larger. She rested for a few moments, letting the pain of him stretching her poor pussy subside until it was a gratifying, dull ache. She braced her palms on his prominent hips and eased herself up. She went until his tip almost slipped free, then slowly sank back down, a little farther this time. Her face flushed and she moaned, releasing his throat and pressing her forehead into his shoulder.

Arty grunted as she turned her motion into a slow, steady rhythm. Even if he hadn't initiated, he loved hearing a bitch moan his name as her cunt begged for more of his cock while straining to take it. Her muscles clenched him like a vice. By the end of this she'd scream his name and beg for more.

Growling, Arty thrust his hips up to match Koro's downward stroke. He heard her wet lips squelch over his sheath. Koro cried out, her claws digging into his skin. She felt his tapered tip pressing against her, deep inside. Her muscles constricted around him and she quivered, hunching against his chest.

Mir twitched at Koro's pained exaltation. She noted her friend's blissful smile and relaxed, wondering how Koro could find such pleasure in discomfort. Organics were strange creatures.

Arty didn't give Koro the benefit of being a willing partner, pulling out as much as he could and thrusting back into her with all the strength he could muster. Her body bounced up and fell back, impaling her on his throbbing length. The bitch gasped, but managed to shakily lift herself so his subsequent thrusts didn't go so deep.

Koro collected herself and set her own speed, bouncing in Arty's lap with his thrusts. She wished she could set him free. Her body longed for him to take her, to have a male as strong and as well-endowed as him plow her unhindered. The noises of their copulation lewdly disturbed the cold quiet of the room.

With Arty's willful cooperation, Koro could free one hand from assisting in humping him to grind her fingertips against her clit. She didn't even notice the frozen floor against her bare legs anymore. The last time she'd been this taken by lust--well, she couldn't remember if she ever had been.

Mir sat, unmoving, as she watched the pair. Koro was clearly beyond reason, ecstasy written clearly upon her face; even Arty seemed to be enjoying himself. His nostrils flared with the effort, features lost in ebullience. She felt her own biological organs warming; the living gray matter of her brain drowning her solid state receptors in hormones. She resolved to ignore the insistent, primal hunger. Mir would not take what was not freely given. Should Arty choose, unbound, to express desire for her, however...

Koro yelped loudly and sat heavily. Her back hunched, snout pressed tight against Arty's bared throat. Her fingertips trembled against her clit and her weary muscles clamped down onto the thick organ filling her to the limit. She came hard, teeth clenched so tight her jaw ached.

Arty refused to let her ride her orgasm in peace and bucked savagely into her. He struggled to hold his own orgasm at bay, but her body conspired against him. Her spasming cunt craved his release, begged for it, and he deigned to indulge it.

Arty buried himself to the hilt, Koro's bodyweight forcing him even deeper, tip crammed up against an impassible barrier. His held breath emptied from his lungs with the first powerful jet of his seed. Arty's hips jerked erratically and his cock throbbed with each ejaculation. He painted her walls with hot, thick cum and the bitch moaned his name as if her life depended on it.

By the time his cock stopped twitching, and Koro's cunt stopped milking him, he could feel their mixed fluids dribbling out of her overflowing pussy. Arty grunted and sagged to the floor, body spent from the exertion of fucking Koro from such an awkward position. The zip ties had dug into his wrists and ankles and his skin was raw.

Koro didn't move until the sheen of sweat on her skin started to become uncomfortably cool. Part of her didn't want to get up because the heat of Arty's softening cock would abandon her.

Eventually, she straightened up and rubbed her nose affectionately against his. She leaned back and rubbed the nasal drippings from both their noses with her sleeve--a combination of the cold and Arty only being able to breathe through his nose. Arty jerked his snout away from hers. Koro sighed.

"Fuck, Arty. I try and be nice...," Koro sighed. "If you weren't such an unpleasant ass I might want to keep you around." Arty made no response. "Well...I suppose I should get us cleaned up so we can go back to sleep."

Koro slowly lifted herself. Her filled pussy closed around his retreating shaft until it came free with a juicy pop. She felt a substantial amount of his spunk spill out onto the floor. One last act of pure lust made her scoot back and take his flaccid length into her mouth, sticky with their combined fluids. She licked and suckled him until only her saliva was left on him, swallowing the mess of their coupling with immense satisfaction. Her pussy was already starting to feel a little sore.

The cold was quickly taking its toll and Koro made short the work of pulling Arty's underwear, thermals, and trousers back up.

With that done, she turned her attention to herself; using her still-damp panties to wipe clean her soaked crotch. The fabric rasping against her fur and flesh sent a shiver of pleasure through her. She tossed the soiled article next to her sleeping bag and pulled on her thermals. By morning her panties would be frozen solid. A waft of musk from their combined efforts drifted past her nose. Some evolutionary reflex bade her to inhale deeply.

"Enjoy yourself?" Mir asked, her voice completely neutral.

"More than you can imagine," Koro sighed contentedly as she went to, then wiggled into, her bag.

"Oh, I think I can imagine it perfectly fine." There was a hint of knowing humor in Mir's reply, but she said nothing more. Koro yawned, her maw split wide, poking through the sleeping bag's small opening.

"You're welcome to him. If I didn't wear him out too much."

Arty huffed in annoyance. The zip ties had really cut into his skin after all the effort he'd gone through to fuck the dumb slut's brains out.

"He doesn't sound very interested, I'm afraid." Mir shrugged, more to herself than the two others that couldn't see her, save for her luminescent eyes.

Mir regarded Arty coolly. He seemed no worse for the wear. The poor boy only looked tuckered out, slumped against his bonds. It seemed like his mood had actually improved, if only slightly. What Koro had taken from him still wasn't right, but he had seemed to be getting into it by the end, if Koro's wanton moaning and yelping when he'd started fucking her back were any indication. Watching Koro take Arty's rather massive-looking penis had at least passed the time in an amusing way.

Organics were interesting creatures.

"I'm going to sleep," Koro said in a small, sleepy voice after another great yawn.

"Very well, I'll wake you when it's morning."

"Not too early," Koro insisted before ensconcing herself in the sleeping bag.

"Not too early," Mir agreed sagely.

She just hoped her friend wouldn't wake up harboring profound regret. Were their positions reversed, Mir could tell Arty would have taken advantage of a bound Koro. A man like Arty, however, probably would have been far rougher and taken sadistic satisfaction in the pain he inflicted.

It wasn't long before Arty passed into unconsciousness.

Mir pondered how she was going to handle Arty when it was time for them to part ways. In the end, she decided it would be best to keep his hands and ankles bound, but not to the wall. She'd leave his pack, rifle and ruined knife near the door. By the time he rolled his way over to his knife and cut himself free they'd be well on their way away from him.

Arty didn't seem the type to forget being beaten, or raped for that matter. The more distance between them the better. She didn't expect they'd ever cross paths again, as long as they didn't return to the nearby settlement. Not that they'd ever need to. They'd already resupplied and were no closer to finding Koro's long missing husband.

One day Koro would reconcile with reality and end her search. Until then, Mir knew she would always stick with her. When the day came that her friend called it off, she would need her there for consolation. Where they went from there Mir didn't know, but she hoped it was somewhere much warmer--for Koro's sake.

Tonight had showed Mir that the planet's bitter cold had penetrated much deeper than Koro's skin.

I'd love to hear what you all think of the story!