FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

My name is Sakuya and I was born twice…. Once on a blue world of green fields and deep forests. Where my people lived under the protection of the high mountains. Where legends were born. We hunted for food and grew endless fields of grain. I was only just becoming an adult when it happened when they came from the sky.

We called it 'the Black Angel' a ship of pure ebony as if the void had spat her out itself. It brought with it, black armored knights, whose weapons spewed fire in a blinding light. Burning a hole through whoever was caught in the blast. I still remember their red glowing eyes and the horrible masks they wore. I tried to flee, but I was captured. I was chained, beaten, and then carried into the belly of the ship. With millions of other humans. Our screams for mercy and pleas for help were given no attention. We were livestock to them, a thing to be harvested. I was told of the stories, of a land of milk and honey, a paradise in the sky. But, those were just lies, no as we watched our world get smaller and smaller. It was only then the nightmare began and the truth, was revealed. That we were just a speck of dust in this universe and no one was going to save us. No gods, no heroes, and no legends. Just cold iron and man's creations.

They took us across an ocean of stars to our destiny. A dead world of sand and sickly green skies. We were marched into their makeshift labs and soon strapped down to operating tables. I fought with every fiber of my being, but there was no use. I weakly grabbed the doctor's arm who was checking my straps. I begged him, rivers streaming from my eyes, “Please…. Please let me go…"

He took note of me, pausing to stare into my pleading eyes, his mouth covered in a face mask, “Are you scared?" The light above beaming down making it nearly impossible for me to see my surroundings.

I nodded, still begging for my life, “Why have you done this?!"

“I have done nothing," He said almost playfully, “No, not yet.." He began to load a syringe into an injection gun.

“What is that?!" I screamed, trying to free myself from the straps. Every vein in my body pumps with adrenaline to the max. Whatever he was about to stick me with, my sixth sense was going crazy with the feeling that it wasn't good.

“Your future!" He laid the barrel to my neck and injected me with it. I felt the sharp pain of the needle as it penetrated my skin with ease, “I am sorry, but now I have done my worst." He simply lowered his head almost in sorrow as he went to the table next to me and did the same to them.

I began to panic as my head raced with possibilities of what that thing was. Well, I did not need to wait long. My legs snapped with a horrible cracking sound. I felt a pain like no other, a million swords cutting my legs apart and then ripping them backward. The changes were rapid and violent. My body began to cover itself in reddish-orange fur. My mouth elongated and my ears morphed. Within seconds I was unconscious from the pain and shock.

When I awoke, that was my second birth. My eyes open to red flashing lights and sirens blaring. I reached out to find glass blocking my hands. I took a look around, I was in some kind of sleeping pod. Outside were muffled loud alarms and a red light spinning on the wall. Gunfire rang out in loud echoes from a weapon being discharged indoors. I began to bang on the glass screaming for help. Then out of nowhere, a fox face appeared. It was humanoid but with blue eyes like a person. He slammed his fist onto the release button as the machine hissed to life. The glass would slide away and I felt a wave of confusion and shock overcome me. He rushed his arms around me screaming, “I am getting you out of here!" A second door slid open as a black armored knight rushed into the room from his right side. He pulled out his side arm and began squeezing the trigger. His handgun spat out several rounds while he moved me over his shoulder. He dropped that bastard as blood spewed from the soldier's chest.

With that, he turned and began helping me walk, but I was finding it extremely hard, it felt like my legs were all twisted wrong. They didn't respond to the way I used to move them. I took a look to find they were digitigrade now. I let out a cry as he tried his best to calm me down. I, in turn, tried to fight him off me, but he kept trying to tell me to listen and that it was going to be ok. But, how could I be rational in such a situation… So, he did what he had to and I never blamed him for it. He pulled out his stun gun and let me have it. It was lights out in that concrete corridor for me.

When I came back to the world of the living, I was greeted by more cold iron. Or, at least what one would call a cell. I guess we can drop the primitive talk. I was restrained and completely naked, what a lovely way to start my morning. My head was still reeling from being electrocuted and I was struggling to have a good look around my new living quarters. We had all the classics, a toilet, a shitty bed and mattress, and a single light in a five-by-five room. I gave a long sigh, reflecting on what just happened, when I noticed a mirror. I stood up on shaky legs from the bed and walked toward it, using whatever I could to stand. At first, I was in the shadows. Only a small outline was visible, but when I stepped into the light, there was no me staring back. I hyperventilated hard and my heart rate increased to the point of exploding. My eyes grew and my blue iris shrank. For I only saw a fox face looking back at me. “No…." I backed away from the monstrous reflection and then noticed my pawed hands. I shivered while looking at one, and then at the other. When a new sensation welled up from the base of my backside. A new limb in the form of a big bushy tail that whipped to life behind me. I felt every knot in my stomach clenching my insides into dust. I fell onto the toilet, catching the rim with my hands. I dry heaved out nothing, but spit, as my stomach tried to clear the horrible pain from inside me. I held my forehead, dizzy from a blender of emotions. It mixed and blended until one emotion came screaming into existence, rage. I roared out and tried to swing my fist at the toilet head, only to find the restraints halting my blow. I only felt my anger increase, as I pushed past my limits and snapped the cuffs like a twig. I, then, slammed my balled fist into the bowl. I dented it in, to my shock, which quickly turned to surprise. When inspecting my hand, it was unharmed, and I felt no pain. “How?" I questioned while staring at my uninjured paw.

The door slid open behind me and I nearly pissed myself. I stood up while trying to reach for a blanket to hide my naked form. The red fox male from before was there with a female human with pale skin and a rugged look to her, she was dressed as a captain. She would whisper to him, “I told you she'd break those cuffs…"

Being that I was exhausted from stress and being overly pumped full of adrenaline, I did not have any fight left in me. I simply asked, “I could ask a million questions right now, but I just want to know what happened?"

The male fox would sigh, looking at me with sadness in his eyes, “We were too late when we finally tracked down that rebel cell… I can understand the pain and confusion you must feel. I was once in your shoes." He came a little closer. I, naturally, slunk down to the floor and he joined me by squatting down. He continued, “A rebel group had stolen the foxtenian retrovirus, it's a mutagen that is created from Kitsune DNA. It was first used on volunteers like myself, to create super soldiers. It, however, did not create new kitsunes, instead, something in between. I never age now, and the increased strength and agility is nice, but as you can see, it turned us into this."

“Why would someone do this to me?!" I was on the edge of tears as I tried to swallow it down, “My people never did anything to anyone!"

“Simple," he replied, “Because your genome is a pure strain and no one would ever notice a group of tribals going missing. I assume they wanted to use you as a weapon." I began to weakly stand, as my legs shook, I couldn't control them and almost fell when he caught me, “Woah kiddo!"

I growled like a fox and yelled, “I am not a kid!"

He smirked and laughed, “You are to me, you have yet to crawl before you can even stand."

I pushed him away trying to use the sink to steady myself, “Who are you anyway?"

“I am Lt. Connor of the mercenary group 'Fox's Fangs,'" he removed his hat.

The fair woman would pipe in, “I am Captain Shiva of this ship the 'Dawn's Light.'"

“Mercenaries?" I struggle to stay up on my feet, as I have to relearn how to even walk properly.

Connor would rub the back of his head. He had already stood back up himself, “Yeah we got paid to find you after the mutagen virus was stolen."

“

By who?!?" I snapped my jaws at him feral-like.

“Easy there princess," he held up his hands defensively and stepped back, letting out a chuckle, “Don't make me get a muzzle, no one is paying us to rescue you in particular, but your entire people. Sadly, we were far too late, you were about to be the last one to be loaded onto their ship. I managed to snag you at the last second."

I took a deep breath and calmed down, “Fine, so I guess my name is warranted, I am Sakuya."

“Well a pleasure to meet ya, Sakuya," he smiled and then looked to the captain, “It's ok I got it from here."

She smiled at him and patted his shoulder, “I am sure you do, call me if you need me, big guy!" She turned and stepped out of the cell heading down the hallway. Leaving us alone now.

I gave him a narrow and suspicious look, “What do you mean by that? I am not some war prize!"

“Well," he laughed, “In many ways you are cargo, however, I can't get paid by the Benevolent government if I bring

them back just one Foxtenian. So sad, for me at least," he gestured in a playful way pointing to himself, “I have to just simply write down that my cargo was lost when returning to port."

I look at him confused and a bit surprised, “You're…. You're not just gonna turn me over? Why?"

He rubbed his head looking up, “Naw, as I said, payment would not be forthcoming. So at the next port, we make, you are free to just disappear."

Sadness overcame my senses like a flood, “So that's just it, my life is turned upside down, I am now a freak of nature, and all you can say is you're free?"

He looked back to the floor sighing still rubbing the back of his head, “I mean what else am I supposed to say? No amount of words could make it better."

“There's no cure?!?" I scream at him with anger, now replacing my sadness completely, “Anything?!"

“Sweetheart," he replied in a calming voice, “If there was a cure, you think I would be here? I am over five hundred years old now and I am still looking for a cure myself."

“F-Five hundred years?" my mind would race, 'How, how is that even possible?'

“Yeah," he smirked and turned back to a cheerful mood, “Kitsunes were ageless, so now you are, you will never know what it is like to grow old. You will stay about your current age forever, maybe some more growing here and there, but after that, you will remain the same for all eternity. Till ya die by the other means."

“What other means?!" I panic at the idea.

“Well if ya get shot, stabbed, ya know hunger, thirst," He listed them on his fingers. It was then, that I noticed his sidearm and in the weakest of moments, I snapped. I made a move for it out of desperation. With no mercy or hesitation, he grabbed my head and slammed my muzzle into the steel floor with insane amounts of speed and strength.

He began to cuff me behind my back while grunting, “Ok there little runt, now that was uncalled for. These are Foxtenian cuffs, good luck trying to break these." I was still reeling from the slamming and couldn't fight back as he placed a muzzle on my snout. “Maybe a few more days in the brig will teach you manners," he would throw me back onto the bed like a rag doll, “I understand you hate this, but this is a reality now, you're going to accept it, even if I have to beat it into you. You don't get to take the easy way out!" He slammed the cell door behind him as he marched off.

After about an hour, the little slat would open and a cup of a gross-smelling green liquid slipped in with a straw.

The smell quickly filled the room and I gagged. A female guard would reply, “Hey, you're the one who tried to reach for an officer's gun. So, you have to wear the muzzle of shame." I heard a few other humans laughing in the background as they cracked jokes, “Yeah, maybe she caught some kind of rabies!" I growled and muffled at them as I, literally, couldn't move my jaw and would then scream in a high-pitched vixen cry. This only caused them to laugh even more as a male then commented, “Damn, she's already turning feral!"

Connor's voice came over the laughing and as soon as it did no one was laughing anymore, “Harass the cargo one more time, and you might find your asses joining her. You will see how feral she is then! Get the fuck out of here!" The sound of heavy booted feet, trampling over each other, came from the door and went down the hall. Connor would speak through the slat next, “Sorry about that, humans, they are not understanding. I love them to death, but they don't get that their jokes are not funny to us." All he could hear was my crying as I had already been broken, this caused him to sigh and then open the door to come in, “I know…. I know…" He brought the drink to me and sat on the bed as a father does for a child, “Shhhh, it's ok… Let it all out." He softly caressed my hair, “I know the pain, trust me… You are not alone in this. I, too, was once a human, a proud man. But I wanted to be a warrior if only I read the warning label on the tin. Now I am a freak, too. Humans hate us… They hate us, we are the monsters they speak of in hushed whispers at night."

I would break down and cry as he took my muzzle off, seeing as I was no longer a threat to him or myself. I would try to speak, “How can they be so mean!?! I was just human like them not more than a few days ago. I looked like them, talked like them, I was a person!!? How can I live like this!? You expect me to just suck it up and move on?!"

His face turned stern, reminding me even more of my father as he yelled, “Yes I do, because we all went through it! I will be damned if I let you waste your life! Inari gave you her gift, her blood flows through you! You are her child now and you will accept it!" He clenched his fist, “I don't know you, I don't owe you anything, I could vent your ass into space, and not a single damn bastard on this ship would care." He grabbed the newfound scruff of my neck and pointed at me like one does a puppy, “But, I won't because it's us versus them!" I just was teary-eyed from crying. He would then calm down, “I won't because of your family because your pain is my pain. You have every right to cry, but you have no right to die…." He placed me down and turned his head away shifting to face the wall while still sitting on the bed now burying his head into his hands.

My heart sank as I asked the real question, “Are there any more Foxtenians on this ship?"

I felt his energy almost turn even colder as he replied, not even able to look at me, “No, I've been alone for over two hundred and fifty years… Imagine, being in a sea of faces and not one calls you a friend. It's been so long since I saw one whose face matches my own." He stood up and looked at the gross liquid meal, “Let's get you some real food.." He would turn to uncuff me, and the moment he did, he was taken by surprise. My arms flew around his midsection, the only part I could reach… No words needed to be said, he simply smiled and returned the hug. Finally, we would break the embrace. I would then wipe the tears away from my eyes.

“Food sounds great right now," I was able to reply, after regaining myself.

He placed his hand on my back, he was over six and a half feet tall compared to my five foot three inches. So I felt very small next to him, he first handed me some clothes he brought with him. After getting dressed, I struggled with my new legs to even get them to bend correctly, imagine having an extra joint, that's what it feels like to be digitigrade. It was even worse when we started walking. I fell a few times, but he was always there to help me stand back up. Not once did he leave my side, as he showed me how to use my new body. How my tail kept me balanced and allowed me to lean even more forward without falling.

“Foxtenians can run at higher speeds than humans because we can lean into our strides," he would tell me as he lifted his tail, “Your tail will counterbalance your forward momentum and allow you to take longer steps." As he was explaining I fell again, but he would be quick to help me, “Woah, first you need to learn to walk before you can even run." He bellowed a playful laugh as I shakingly took each step with care.

I shuttered and stumbled as if on ice, looking back at him with some skepticism, “Was it this hard for you!?"

He continued to laugh, holding my hand while he guided me with his own feet, “Oh no…. It was worse. I didn't have a teacher!" I laughed a little for the first time in a long time and I felt a lot better. Even if it wasn't that funny, it was nice to know I wasn't going to face this alone. “There you go," He said as he showed me his elegant fox steps and I copied, “Like a graceful swan, you don't just walk, you dance."

“You know," I began to walk more easily without help, “It is like a dance, I feel like I am walking on my toes."

“Well, you are…." He scratched his neck, “You see that joint which you think was your old knee." He pointed it out and I nodded to him, “Well that's your ankle." He traced down my foot, “This entire part is all your old foot and where your paws are now, that's your toes and plantar fascia ligament."

I would blink as big words were big and shake my head at the sudden science stuff, “Look Connor I am from a primitive world, easy on my fragile mind."

He snickered, “Fragile indeed!" I scowled at him unamused at the comment. He smiled, “But, the good news is you can only learn from now on. Time is not a limitation you have to worry about anymore." The halls were lit by simple electric lamps. Piping would snake through the ceiling panels and the walls were pure steel with reinforcement joints. They were about large enough for two people to pass each other, though still cramped. I was, at least, happy with the extra stuff to hold on to.

The walk to the mess hall was about a couple of minutes, making me question how large this place was, by now I was already starting to piece together how things work. What Connor failed to mention is that Foxtenians have natural hyperintelligence, which allowed me to conclude this was a ship similar to the one that took me and my people. And that this must be a common piece of technology. I took a look around the decent size twenty by twenty-foot room with about six tables. So, there probably was not a massive crew on this ship, either. Connor would look at me, “Here, just have a seat hun and I will get you some lunch." I did as I was told and looked at the bench, before awkwardly struggling to swing my leg over, nearly eating the floor while doing so.

He soon returned with some chicken and other nice fixings, placing them before me. Boy, let me tell you, humans may love chicken, but my dear god when you have fox taste buds, it's like a drug. Connor watched me scarf it down like a starving man at a homeless shelter and laughed, “I guess you were very hungry."

Just then the double doors swung open and the same human female from before came strolling in. She came directly over and joined our table, speaking to me, “Well kid, it seems you are finally getting your sea legs." She playfully nudged Connor with her elbow.

“Ha ha ha," I would grumble in a bit of annoyance, “You try having an extra knee, and then come talk to me about being wobbly…"

“Could always cut 'em off and put on some robot legs!" She snapped back.

“She wouldn't do that?!" I cried in a panic, “Would she?!"

Connor would laugh, “Don't worry, Shiva is just playing Sakuya."

I would get curious about something and ask them, “Hey if you are five hundred years old, why is she a captain and you're just a lieutenant?"

Connor only unleashed more laughter, “She is captain only in name, it's a little playful joke we play on the crew. Plus, they listen to her more than me!"

Shiva would cut in now, “Yeah the only thing this bastard leads is a flea circus. We are just business partners."

He scrunched his nose at the comment as he snapped back with, “At least I won't freeze to death in a light breeze! Yeah, we went into business together back on Mordine Prime."

She snickered at him and punched his shoulder playfully, “You mean when I found this old ass pirate, drunk off his tail in a smuggler's den. I should have collected that bounty on you and turned your ass into a floor rug!"

He leaned in and made a little wink while whispering to her, “That's not what you said in the back alley five minutes later…."

Oh, he struck a nerve as she went completely red in the face and smacked him, “Inari's sake, sometimes you are just too much for me!"

Connor brought her into his arms and kissed her deeply. She didn't even fight it. He then looked over at me, breaking the kiss, “Oh sorry, just reliving the moment…" I was weirded out that she just willingly kissed a fox man, but I couldn't say much being a fox person, too.

Shiva pulled away from the kiss, “Sakuya, let this be a lesson, don't get involved with foxtenian men, they are the most silver-tongued scoundrels you will ever meet."

“Doesn't it feel weird though?" I would ask her, “How can you two be like that?"

She smiled and turned to gaze upon me, “Connor is a good man and a slippery fox. I don't love the beast on the outside, but the real man on the inside…" She turned back to him, kissing him once more, as they held each other. Leaving me to think and make sense of it…

I finished my lunch, while they talked about important business matters. I listened in, when Connor mentioned, “We are three days from port, what are we gonna do with the kid?"

I butt in, “I already decided. I'm staying."

Connor nearly dropped Shiva, who he had been holding still in his arms, “You will?!"

I gave him a nod, “Yes, I got nothing waiting for me at home or that port. Seems the only life I have is here with you." Both of them seemed to sigh with relief together, I guess they were stressed about it, especially Connor. He looked the most happy about the news and the most tired still.

He tilted his head over to me again, “Well as part of the crew, I will give you a tour around the place. Also, get a room for you."

After we departed the mess hall Connor began to walk me around the ship, by now I was walking almost normally. I had some mishaps, but with every step, I only got stronger. He showed me the bridge first. We had to ride an elevator to the top of a conning tower. Which opened up to a large circular room with many command consoles in rows shaped like crescent moons. The command crew members were stationed at each one, but most were just lounging around in standby mode. That is when my eyes caught the observation windows and I saw it. A few white little lights like the night sky and in the distance a large bluish world. I began to unconsciously move toward the glass, in shock. Connor soon joined me, “Really makes you feel small, huh?"

“Is this what they call space?" I would look up at him.

“Yes," he gave a small chuckle, “I could live forever and never see the end of it…"

“Cause it's infinite?" I asked him.

He nodded to me, “I guess you are learning quite fast aren't you."

I cracked a smile at him, “Yeah, my mind has been feeling clearer now for some reason…."

He rubbed my head and ears, “It's the transformation, it increases your critical thought and understanding. You will catch on quickly to things." He turned away from the viewing port, “Come on, I got something really fun to show ya."

I tilt my head, as my ear naturally moves to one side, curiously, “Oh, what is it?"

He chuckled as he was already across the room and at the doorway, “Now why would I ruin the surprise?"

I snicker and would trot toward him, “Cause you're a big softy!" He simply shook his head looking up to the ceiling in a joking disapproval, before placing a hand on my back and pushing me out the door. After another long walk, we came to a door of which I could not read the text, but it had black and yellow lines covering it.

He pushed the door button and it slid open to an enormous room. It had to be seventy feet tall and a couple hundred yards long. But what was most shocking, was what it contained. Six enormous hangar gantries overlooking their respective mechs. Each of the mechs was unique in their design, from the humanoid to the more bird-like. I was at a loss for words as Connor stepped in with his normal grace. He waved his hand for me to come, “Come on let's meet some of the pilots…"

Confusion hit hard when I saw her, it was another red foxtenian, I clearly remember him telling me there were no others on this ship. “Hey, you said you were alone?" I asked, “Who is that then?"

He turned to me with his head, while we were slowly approaching her, “She is gen two, we are gen one. We still know what it was like to be human, it makes us much more different than her kind."

I glared at him, “What? Gen two?"

He laughed a little and rubbed my head again, “Generation two are foxtenians born from generation one parents. She was never human, she spent her whole life as a foxtenian." We soon crept up on the fox girl as she wore overalls and mechanic's garbs. She was busy working on an exposed leg panel as her tail swished back and forth, focusing on her craft. The air of the mech bay was filled with cranking, hissing, and machinery sounds, as mechs were being refitted, rearmed, and repaired. The ground was tiled with reinforced steel and it felt colder in here. Well, little did I know at the time, that a room of this size is hard to keep warm in space. I begin to unconsciously shiver and hold my arms looking around at the various humans who watched from the gantries. All eyes were on me, some were friendly smiles, most were neutral, and some were looks of disgust.

Connor would stand behind her and admire the vixen's assets, for she had her butt raised high in the air, “Well I didn't think the moon of Altas 7 was full tonight…"

She gave a fox squeak and slammed her head on the upper panel hard with a loud thud. She grabbed her forehead with a pained look, “Bastard! OW!" She stumbled back, just having her senses knocked around, still holding her wrench in one hand and her forehead in the other.

Connor tried not to laugh, as he snickered, “Maybe, you shouldn't be putting on a show!" She whipped around and punched him in the muzzle and sent him right onto his back, instantly, with a loud crack. He was nearly knocked unconscious himself.

She would dust off her palms, “Well that ought to fix your ugly mug, darling…" Her voice was very distinct and unlike any, I'd ever heard. She had some kind of country accent, like a farmer or something. It was very unique and before I could even comment, she had already shoved her hand right out in front of my face, “Vixie Sandra, at your service little one!" She was even taller than Connor at a whopping seven feet.

I simply stared at it, unaware of this greeting tradition, so, I did what came naturally to me in my half-feral state and sniffed her hand with my wet nose like a dog, “Sakuya Attono, nice to meet you!"

Connor was still reeling from the blow, commenting, “Ok, maybe, I deserved that one."

She huffed at him, sticking her nose up, “You deserve worse. But, anyway." She focused on me, “Well aren't you just the prettiest flower in the cow patch." She pulled her hand back laughing, “I see, well, you may need to resist those animal urges, hun. I don't want the humans catching us sniffing each other's butts." She jokingly smiled, “Might confirm their biases, too much. Best do that behind closed doors."

I looked at her like she was being serious. “Wait, we do that?!"

Both of them would break into a full choir of laughter as Vixie gave me a nice head rub, “We are keeping this one, fuck the pay!"

Connor eventually managed to stand again, “Yeah we are, she is far too precious."

I would scowl and pout coming to terms that she was messing with me and I fell for it, “I am not!"

Vixie would get even more motherly, “Awww, how precious, she is even pouting!"

I scrunch my nose annoyed now that they mocked me, “Oh hush! I am sure it wasn't easy the first time."

Connor would step in and smile at Vixie, letting her know to lay off, “It's ok kid, she doesn't understand. She was just born a mutt, we were molded into it."

She growled at him, crossing her arms, “Guess I need to use something a little heavier to knock some sense into you boy!" She began to pat her palm with the wrench threateningly. Her face was covered with a coy smile.

Connor nervously laughed and tried to play it cool by changing the subject, “Hey Vixie, will my mech be ready to redeploy?"

This seemed to work, because the beautiful green-eyed vixen put down the wrench, “I hope. I need more time, how long are we stationing for? I need to buy a few things."

He shook his head, leaving me to listen to them, “Not long, need to get back on the hunt for those rebels and the rest of Sakuya's people. I am not letting our payday get away."

She sighed heavily, closing her eyes, her face looking very tired, probably from having to work overtime, “OK, I was hoping for some rest, but you're right. You better give us some RnR after this job or it won't be a wrench I hit you with next."

He put up his hands defensively, “Easy girl, It is a huge payday, we all can get some rest then."

She looked over his shoulder at me and then whispered, “What are we going to do about her?"

He got closer to whisper something to her, lucky I could kind of hear it, “She is staying with us… Even if we get the cargo…. I like her and she has already seen too much…"

I felt a little uneasy, because of the last sentence, “What do you mean I have seen too much!?"

He instantly swiveled his head around to me and sighed, “Look, kid… Listen, if I turn you over, they will ask you a lot of questions about my ship…. I have cargo, weapons, and other things on this ship that aren't exactly legal. I would have kept you caged up if the offer was not on the table."

I put my hand up to him, causing him to stop talking, then I spoke, “It's ok, I know, my family is dead, and I don't care to go back to my people. I'd rather just make a new life. I don't want to be reminded of what happened. I wanted to rescue them, but my life ended when they injected me with this curse. I have no reason to ever go back to them."

Connor and Vixie were a little stunned. Vixie stepped around him and toward me, “Sugarcube, are you sure? Fuck what he said, I would never let him keep you from your people…" Connor would frown at this, knowing she probably could keep that promise.

I hugged her softly trying to contain my real emotions, “Yes, I am sure. I would never be able to move past.." I gestured for myself with my hands, “This… If I was to go back to them I would always remember the horrible things done to me."

Connor put his hand on Vixie, who was about to say something, when he said, instead, “She has some kind of point. I can understand how it feels to be reminded every day of the worst moment of your life. We should respect her choice…"

Vixie let me go and held a hand to Connor's, she defeatingly uttered, “Ok, well if you two need me. I am here in the mechbay." She stood up fully and then went back to her work.

Connor soon joined me again at my side, using his hand to guide my shoulder, “Come, let's get you to your new quarters." I silently looked over to my side at Vixie, as she had already resumed work. I felt I could trust her, more than anyone here. I calmly followed Connor back into the halls, departing the bay for now.

We soon arrived at a sliding mechanical door and he explained, “Your passcode is 1776. You press these numbers. Watch." He would slowly press the corresponding numbers and I took a very hard mental note of them. The door slid open in a blink of an eye with a little wisp sound. I took a step curiously inside and looked around. It was about the same size as the cell. It was very industrial, with pipes hanging from the ceiling, and a glow lamp at the foot of a small bed. I looked at the circle window, which the bed sat next to, it was a viewport, but very small. I, instantly, raced toward it, and shoved my muzzle to it, looking out into the void. Stars moving by as we were traveling at sub-light speeds. Connor soon took a seat at my new stool and desk, swiveling it around to watch me, “So, curious, ain't it?"

“Connor," I replied, still at the window, “Is it infinite?"

“Yes," he would say with abject awe.

“How do you know?" I would continue to ask with more curiosity.

“Because," he chuckled, “No one has found an edge yet. Spacers have gone as far as their natural lives can take them and yet, still, the ocean yields no edge. I imagine that is what it was like in your homeworld?"

I turned to look at him, my tail flicking, “No, legends spoke of an edge! But…"

“You didn't see one when you were taken, did ya?" He was smirking with satisfaction at my curiosity.

I tried to wrap my head around it, so many questions, but infinity was impossible to grasp. I would continue to gaze out once more, “Are you scared? To look out into the darkness and know there is nothing left beyond?"

His face turned to fear as he hesitated, then replied, “Yes…"

“An infinite night of which there is no morning…" I would add in complete mesmerization of the ebony world outside. Connor said no more and just watched me, I don't know what he was thinking, but I felt his dread. It was like a little bit of the black void was sitting behind me. I guess I hit a little too close to home for him. I wish I could tell him I was sorry.

After a long time had passed, Connor would get back up, “OK kid, sleep well. I got your job list ready in the morning. Hopefully, we will make port by then!"

I groan at him, “Chores?!"

He puts up his finger and sternly wags it at me, “No bellyaching, being part of this ship, means part of it, is your responsibility. No free rides or meals here!"

I took a deep sigh and nodded, “Ok…"

He smirked and headed for the door, in response it parted open, “Good night!" He said in a sweet tone knowing he won the argument.

I would simply reply, “Night then." He then left and the door once more slid closed. I laid my head down on the pillow and began to feel my eyes grow heavy. Before long the blackness of sleep took me and I was gone.