FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Dear Refractor,

_ We at the League are updating our systems. As such we've combined the new software in partnership with the new hardware developed over at Labyrinth Tech Inc. The visor included is revolutionary and should provide a better tactical overlay during the day-to-day--not just during battle like previous models._

_ You've been selected to participate in the beta test. (Yes, this is mandatory.) Please wear the visor during your shifts this Thursday and Friday and report your experience by Monday._

Sincerely,

Doctor Spectrum."

_ _

_ _ The otter sighed, tossing the letter onto his kitchenette counter. He leant down and sifted through packing peanuts to find the bubble-wrapped item at the bottom. The visor had a simple design--a glass plate that fitted over the eyes with connectors at either end that slid over the ears. It was much sleeker than his old one, but he didn't know if he liked the lack of analog controls. Mental input tended to be wonky at best.

He slipped on the visor, which fit like a glove. The screen came to life with an offensively green sheen. He squinted as his pupils received the painful flash and a headache instantly shot through his brain. Already he had the first complaint he would make in his report.

"Quick setup in progress," said a deep male baritone in his ears. That was a genuine surprise. Most vocal interfaces were feminine and soft in nature, but the break from formula wasn't unwelcome. The display lit up with green and blue light and a tab registering Kaito's home PC appeared. "May I connect to this device to quickly register your preferences, Refractor?"

"Oh!" Kaito smirked. At least this wouldn't be a pain to set up. That was one qualm he had with new technology. The endless preamble before he could get to the good stuff drove him crazy. However, Labyrinth Tech had anticipated his worries, much to his joy. "Please."

"Thank you," the voice continued. A progress bar appeared. Kaito's good mood once again was quashed as the progress bar shifted and flipped between bright blue and even brighter green.

"Can you change the theme to something less...eye melting?"

"My apologies, Refractor. The default theme is the only one available in this beta test." The progress bar shifted into a circular shape that swirled outward. Kaito still found the bar awkward to look at but at least not unpleasant in this format. "Is this more agreeable?"

"Yes, but," Kaito said as he stared into the green and blue swirl. "Could you minimize the progress bar? I need to check and see if anyone's in trouble."

"Of course, Refractor," the voice chanted. The progress bar compressed into the corner of the screen.

"Um," Kaito said. He felt a sudden withdrawal. "Keep it minimized, but center screen."

"Of course, Refractor," repeated the AI. The progress wheel slid right between his eyes. The tension in Kaito's muscles released. That felt better for some reason. He chuckled to himself. When had he become so particular about his desktop organization?

Suddenly, a map of the city popped into view with a marker a few blocks away. Social media posts began to splay across his screen in pings of green and black showing a bus crash on 43rd Avenue.

"Refractor. An accident has occurred. You are the only hero within a mile. Will you accept this distress call?"

"Always," said Kaito as he rushed out to his apartment window. He rolled up his sleeves and slapped the wristwatch he wore, transforming his jeans and tee shirt into his red, white, and black Refractor jumpsuit in a flash of light. He opened the window. He could hear the screams from here. Holding out his hand, he created an invisible plane of force outside that sloped downward and swooped around his apartment, towards the accident in question. With that, Kaito leapt out. To a passerby, he would appear to be surfing on nothing as he glided towards the crisis at high speed. "Nice response time... this only occurred ten seconds ago. Do you have a designation?"

"Apollo 0.1.5."

"Alright, Apollo. Let's roll!"

"Thank you, Mister Refractor!" said the young rabbit. The kid had a few bruises, but thanks to Kaito, he had escaped the wreckage of a collapsed building without serious injury. His mother clutched him close and nodded her thanks at Kaito as well.

"No problem, folks!" said the otter as the adrenaline waned. All around him, citizens held up their phone for photos of his latest rescue. He shot finger-guns to a few among the crowd before he created a set of invisible steps in the air to make his heroic exit.

He summoned a stretch of force to run along, high above the city. As he did so, an exhilaration shot through him. Apollo had already loaded the social media posts of his latest venture, displaying them automatically onscreen for the successful hero. He responded to a few of them with a mere thought and Apollo extracted his meaning precisely, a far cry from the old mental inputs.

The green and blue theme still looked gaudy, but he had come around on the colours. Last night, he left the visor on without realizing and, thanks to the initial setup, Apollo had enough intuition to play the sounds of ocean waves in his ears to help him sleep. Labyrinth Tech really knew their stuff. He received pings of incidents the moment they occurred. Apollo also provided him tactical suggestions for dealing with villains in the League's registry. Even methods on how to proceed through disaster areas without damaging structural integrity had been loaded into the system and updated on a moment to moment basis. There hadn't been a serious injury or casualty since Kaito put the visor on.

The visor was also constantly updating to adapt to Kaito's preferences. The menu layout had swapped according to his desires and that progress wheel always spiralled in the center of his screen. Sometimes, when there wasn't an emergency, Kaito just zoned out and stared at it, chatting with Apollo who assured him his heroic performance would improve with every rotation of the wheel.

An alarm went off in his ears. He froze. The red ping on his radar indicated that an incident was occurring at Labyrinth Tech! A level five emergency!

"Proceed to Labyrinth Tech immediately! Proceed to Labyrinth Tech immediately."

"Right!" Kaito said. Without question, he created an invisible pathway that led all the way to Labyrinth tech on the East side of the city.

Labyrinth Tech lay inside a large skyscraper connected to several facilities on the ground level that all intertwined in a web of tunnels and pathways. Kaito always considered it an impractical gimmick but found the design charming ever since he experienced their kind of tech firsthand.

Using his invisible track seventy stories in the air, he hastened towards the CEO's office on the top floor. To his good fortune, the window was already open. The otter slipped inside and tumbled into a battle stance. However, when the adrenaline wore off, he saw that the dark office was empty and quiet. The only light available blared from a laptop atop the mahogany desk. An imposing figure sat there--a minotaur with horns adorned in gold jewellery. The seams on his midnight blue suit seemed to be about to burst with all the muscle contained within. He stared at his computer screen and typed, either unaware or unwilling to acknowledge the otter who had barreled into his room.

His visor lit up with the minotaur's identity. A wave of respect washed through Kaito as he saw who this was. "M-Mister Theo?"

"Indeed," boomed the minotaur's voice--a baritone and awe-inspiring as Hades itself. A voice that commanded respect.

His visor finally told him the nature of the emergency and Kaito gasped. "H-How can this be? Mister Theo, you don't have a bodyguard? How could your staff be so irresponsible?!"

"Quite an oversight, it seems," the minotaur chuckled. Without looking at Kaito, he beckoned him forward with a single finger. The otter obeyed the nonverbal command. He caught a whiff of the bull's impressive cologne. His impressive presence made him feel small by comparison. "I'm uploading a new suit to your visor. It's what you'll wear in my presence."

A thrill shot through him. He couldn't believe his luck! "Y-You mean I get to be your bodyguard, sir?"

"Yes. I've taken the liberty of ending your affiliation with the league. You'll now be known as the Refractor of Labyrinth Tech Inc."

"Oh, th-thank you Sir! Thank you!" Kaito grinned as he saw a full employee contract appear onscreen. Without reading, he willed his consent to follow its commands. He pressed the switch on his watch. Tip to toe, he shivered as a moist feeling washed over his body. His suit's colours began to change to the beautiful green, blue, and turquoise hues of the company logo. The fact that his visor informed him that he was now property of Labyrinth Tech Incorporated didn't bother him. What did cause some concern was the draft he felt on his rump. "Um. Sir, this suit doesn't seem to cover my...my rear end?"

"Ah. I see we're not there yet," said his new boss. On his laptop, the minotaur opened a new window and began to type a new string of code. The language of which Kaito had never seen before. The characters began to glow onscreen. In tandem, Kaito's visor sprang to life with a green and blue whirlpool. Everything beyond the glass became opaque. "No worries. Just pay attention and I promise it will all make sense to you soon enough."

The green and blue progress wheel lit up the entire visor. Kaito, conditioned and helpless before the promise of pleasure that the wheel provided, slumped immediately. His thoughts crumbled to dust. He let himself fall and get swept away as the spirals overwhelmed his senses. A finger slid between his exposed cheeks.

"Update of Kaito 'Refractor' Kudo version 2.1.1 in progress. 1% complete."