FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

After the visit to Brendan's planet, we were delighted and keen to hear that the Hunted were going on a third collective trip. It happened a week afterwards, and I had actually done some serious things in that time. True, I was still working, but I spent six hours in a state of yoga. What I had been doing was changing my forms every so slightly.

There is a reason behind the madness. I worried about the landing I had pulled off on the world where we had met James and O'eola, and their party.That had been snow, and I'd played enough Battlefield to know what happens to a plane on anything rough. Consequently, I had done a sneaky Google search, and found what I had been looking for. The F-35 Lightning, a vertical take off fighter. What I did was simple, as I did my search for infinite calm, I found I was able to clearly envision my current forms.With a thought, I dispelled the vision of the F-22, and felt something vanish from my body.It was, uncomfortable.Then I called up the picture of the F-35 in my mind, and felt that empty place fill, with a purpose. Then I saw it in all it's beauty, and I relaxed, opening my eyes.

And Gareth was testing me for a pulse. I was lying on the ground, he said, and had been doing so for the last six hours. It was getting on to ten at night.I told him what I had done, and he nodded, although slightly confused with what had been happening.

Thus I teleported on Saturday, directly into Draco's quarters. He was busy doing a crossword, again in his own language.

"Well, so much for knocking." He said, not looking up.

"Sorry, Draco. Couldn't get a lock on outside."

As we went towards the main hall, Draco changed into his car, and I into the Lightning.

"There's something different about you. Have you had a repanelling?"

"Hahahaha." I replied tonelessly." This is the younger brother of the Raptor, the F-35. Given my terrible landing problems, I thought it would be a better option."

"In what way?"

I concentrated, and the engine swivelled until it was facing downwards. Draco didn't see this, until I fired up the single engine.The flame rocketed down onto the steel alloy of the corridor, and I hovered upwards to a height of two metres. I could see Draco was craning to look at me.

"So you can stop in mid air, and hover?"

"That's the jewel in the crown."

I followed Draco at about two feet, and at low cruising speed, to the main hall. As he stopped outside the doors, I came gently to a stop, switching my jet's thrust downwards.Draco changed, and opened the door.

Again, I was last, this was becoming a serious habit. They all turned as I hovered in, my jet almost pointed vertical, but angled back slightly to move forward. I was doing about five kph, because Draco was walking beside me.I came to a halt beside Valmeero, and slowly lowered my thrust, until I gently dropped, a centimetre every two seconds, and landed perfectly on my wheels.I changed, and stretched a muscle.

"Morning all."

Devlin smiled.

"Good morning Alduin.That's not your usual Raptor form."

"No, it goes somewhat faster."I replied, a slight smile on my countenance."I can't keep crash landing on snow. This new form lands and takes off vertically, if it needs to."

Silverine broke into the casual chat.

"Right, seeing as we're all here."This planet is completely new, but we've got one of our drones to do a scan from orbit.The planet is about 74% water, and the land that is does have is in one great mass, with exception of a few archipelagos,and close by islands.Gravity has not been recorded, nor atmospheric conditions, but we did find some very interesting things on the planet."

"Cities?" Doran asked.

"Precisely.There are many of them, and there are roads linking each one, with small villages at random points along the road, and also there are many along the sea edge, and only a few along the hills, shown here."He pointed at several clumps of hills.

"So, we're going to set one of you down here." He pointed on a peninsula in the middle of the continent. "There is a village at the end of this peninsula, obviously for fishing, and sea life. Do we have any volunteers?"

My hand went up so fast it scorched the air.Silverine nodded.

"You're keen."

"I'm bored."

"Same thing.Get kitted up, Alduin."

He gave me the pair of special glasses, and the tracker/ position pointer. I nodded to all of them, saw Silverine fire up the direct link with my glasses, and then touched the blue button.

As I materialised, I fell over.I felt strange, very weird, as though I'd had a heavy breakfast. I stood, and noted it took more out of me. As I looked around, I was standing on the top of a hill, overlooking a clear cobble road, and either side, in the medium distance, the sea. A fresh sea breeze flapped against the loose folds in my clothing, and I breathed deeply.I spoke into my microphone.

"Temperature is reasonable, atmosphere is breathable. I feel like I'm carrying another bowling ball on my back, so the gravity's heavier. Do we have any devices to reverse the effects of local gravity?"

I heard Silverine speak in my ear.

"Yes, Alduin. A Central belt, designed to make everything feel comfortable to the wearer."

I planted the stick in the ground, like I had conquered territory, and then did a full 360 degrees, looking for life.

"That's a negative on any large life forms, but we do have a cultured road here."

"Right, that seems to be everything."Silverine finished."Come back and we'll get you a belt."

I did so, and after fifteen minutes of preparation, we all teleported, Doran on my arm. We arrived, and Draco spoke.

"Let's try and get in contact with some of the life forms. Alduin, can you do an aerial? Val, do the same to the East, Thomas, ground sweep to the West, Time, can you go East, and circle to the South?"

I changed, and rose. This was so much easier for me, but the power and noise coming out from my engines was immense. Winslo again had to cast an ice spell on the ground, as the dry grass combusted under the heat. Valmeero took off, quickly gaining height. Thomas crept along the ridge and into some foliage, we'd never spot him now.

Then I boosted with my afterburners, and soared into the sky.After about five seconds, I knew the best thing was to go down the road. This is why, after two minutes of flying, I spotted firstly a vehicle, and then a person on the road. I couldn't see the exact principles of the vehicle, as it was going the other way, and moving quickly, but I saw the creature walking down the road, and banked.

He spotted me as I turned, and he seemed very curious of my flying form as I slowed for a landing. I passed slowly over him, turned while practically hovering, and lowered myself gently to the ground as I simultaneously lowered my undercarriage. He started to kneel down to examine me, and I spoke.

"Sorry to bother you sir, but this shouldn't take long. Could you step back a bit?"

He did so, slightly perplexed, and I changed into my human form. As I did, I stood up, and looked at the person I had stopped.

The newcomer was a sight to behold. He was what I would term an inverted Tiger, a black creature with orange stripes, and stood at about five eleven.He was a male, and was wearing heavy shoulder plates, some various body armour, and a circlet on his head, in which there was a bright red stone.

But while his body was normal, his arms certainly didn't match. One of them was obviously skin and bone, but the other one was completely metal, and while it looked like a normal arm, I had had enough experience that that arm held secrets. His claws were out, just in case, and I saw that they had the same hand I did, four fingers and an opposable thumb.Their feet were somewhat different. There were only four toes, but higher up and slightly to the side was a dew claw, a claw that was multi purposed, and was found on dogs and cats on my planet. The claws on his hands and feet were retractable.

This once over being given, and I could see he was looking me over as well, I bowed graciously.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your time, but I am a newcomer to this planet."

"That's quite O.K., I'm not in much of a hurry."

I was still wearing the glasses, they changed with me when I turned into the Lightning form, and I heard Draco speak.

"Thomas, Time, Valmeero, Alduin has found a gentleman in his sector, go over to him."

Then Brendan's voice spoke into my headset.

"Woah, seriously hot guy alert." It was all I could do not trying to grin, but I shared Brendan's initial ideas. He was cool, good looking, etc., and I continued.

"Shall we walk together?I have some friends who wish to talk to you, down the road a wee bit. Meanwhile, you can tell me what you want about this planet."

"O.K., first, what is your name?"

"My name is Alduin, sir. May I ask the same of you?"

"My name is Takori Tano, I am a Kiru'Shirati."

"The dominant creature on this planet?" I queried. Simba was recording this all.

"Well,to our knowledge. We have never found any other species."

"I'm an explorer, so I have a tendency to ask many questions, Takori."

"That's quite O.K.,Alduin. I'm rather curious about your race. Are there more of you?"

"Well, I'm the only one of my race involved in this exploring. There is an organization called Central Exploration Outfit, where creatures from all realms of the universe find and explore new planets.Our quest is knowledge."

"Sounds like a fun job. Getting to find all sorts of creatures."

"Indeed."I was privately thinking how the last person who had known this was an old elf, and he had termed it, being rushed off your feet, never knowing where you had been, or where you were going, in as many words.

"So, who else is here with you?"

"There are a number of us. Three are coming to meet us, the rest are on a hill alongside the road. Incidentally, what device did I see going the other way?"

"That was a mode of transportation, which hovers along the road at about ten inches." Takori replied.

"I see.Does it travel fast?"

"Well, I don't know your speeds, but normally about 370 klicks per hour."

At least the per hour was human. After a brief explanation, a klick was about nine tenths of a kilometre,which came to three hundred and forty three kilometres an hour, for a hovering car.And speaking of hovering, I could see Valmeero high above, and coming down.

"Takori, just don't panic, but I think you're about to meet Valmeero."

Val made a perfect and gentle landing about ten yards from the pair of us, and bowed formally to the tiger. They shook hands, and Valmeero spoke.

"Greetings, Mr Tano, my name is Valmeero."

"Hello Valmeero, it is a pleasure to see you.If you don't mind me saying so, those wings are magnificent design. Does all your race have wings?"

"Yes, Takori. Alduin, have you seen the other two yet?"

"No, but Thomas can't be far away."

He wasn't. He came up behind us, we hadn't spotted him, and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned, and Takori turned faster. His left arm was up, and to my astonishment, formed into some type of energy weapon. He held it with his right hand for steadiness, and I spoke quickly.

"Sorry, Takori, Thomas is with us. I can't say much for his style, but here he is."

Thomas introduced himself to Takori, and all four of us walked along. Takori answered many questions, and asked us a few, which we answered. We met Time walking down the road, and after Time introduced herself, we came to our temporary campsite. No tents had been sprung up, yet, and all of them were looking at data streaming from the scanner, or the data of my encounter. They had run X-ray scans, thermo scans, etc., and were talking over the data. Draco looked up as we got to the top of the hill.

"Ah, Alduin, guys, Takori, good to see you."

I introduced."Takori, this is Draco, head of this little team. Devlin is the dragon with the runes on his wrists, Brendan is the one with the gold chest. Winslo is the bunny levitating things around by magic.Doran is the black and purple wolf, Grant the black panther.Simba is our recorder of info, and no doubt he has a lot of questions to ask of you."

There was instant warmness between Simba and Takori, and they went over to one side, and the rest of the party began making lunch and doing various things.After a few minutes work, I went over to the two discussing the Kiru'Shirati's history, with some lunch. Takori took some of our food graciously, and I sat down, as he began to explain many things.

"To answer your gender question, there are four types of genders, male, female, and males with female characteristics, and female with male characteristics."

"Hermaphrodites." I nodded to Simba, Takori rolled the word through his tongue, and nodded.

"Yes. These people with both are rare, and are considered special. I am a male herm, before you ask."

"Do you all have the same colour coats, the black and orange stripe pattern?"

"No." Takori leaned back, eating some food," there are so many varied patterns and colours. One of my best friends is snow white, and has silver stripes, another is plain dark red, no stripes at all."

"I see.What about the history of this planet?"

"That would take a long time to explain. There are many tribes of Kiru'Shirati, or Kiru for short, and consequently many, many wars between the factions. We are at peace now, but we know our history."

"Is that how your technology is so advanced?"

"Yes." Takori nodded."Science progresses the fastest when in direct competition, and each wishes to be better than the other."

"That true."I added to Simba." Many discoveries were made in the last fifty years, because of the Cold war between two factions on our planet. Our Internet system was devised by the United States military, from the fear Russia would send a nuke onto the central computer."

"Exactly." Takori agreed."Fear and desire can make a formidable combination. What is this Internet, you named it?"

"The Internet is a method of sending messages, pictures, videos, and the like to each other very quickly, in an electrical form."

"I see. And the way of sending these messages over seas and wide distances?"

"We have satellites, which broadcast streams of data across the world."

"What an extraordinary thing."Takori said, intrigued." I would like to see this planet you name, and I could bring back ideas to modify the ones we have."

Takori was a very curious person, and I could see in him the fire of Exploration that burned in the others. This Kiru would make a good scout. Simba made eye contact with me, and winked. He had seen it too.Takori continued.

"Of course, that's one thing about us, all Kiru'Shirati have a love for exploration. We like other things, but we all like finding new places.Technically, that's what I do."

"You explore the continent, looking for new, things?"

"Yes. I map it all, as well."

"Do you have aerial vehicles?" I asked the tiger. Takori chuckled.

"Yes, and surveillance.But nothing describes the terrain like one's own eyes."

"Point in my favour."I smiled."I am aerial, I have a camera, and I can see for myself what's happening. Same with Val, Brendan, Silverine, Draco, Devlin et al." this was directed at Simba.

"Of course."I added, " ground work is pretty vital. Thomas is our camo expert, and he managed to find the nooks and niches which we missed while looking casually around."

"He scared me for a second there."

"Yes, you activated your gun. How does it work?"

"My entire forearm can change it's form into a energy gun, with three power ratings. Stun, attack, or power attack."

"I.E., Stun, kill, disintergrate."I paraphrased. Takori laughed with Simba, and I smiled.

I got up, and headed to the road, preparing to do another fly by, maybe as far as the village. Draco placed the camera on me, and I activated my engine. The Lightning made a hell of a lot more noise than the Raptor, but it delivered more thrust.I rose majestically and steadily to about a hundred feet, and then roared forward.This journey was going to be a bit different from the previous one.

I should have realised that aerial vehicles would have been converted into weapons of war, and consequently radar had been invented to detect said aircraft.No more than fifteen years after the Wright brothers flew, military aircraft like the Sopwith Camel were in the skies, battling in the air.

The first time, I had set off alarms in the tiny village. A small non-descript house next to a small airfield had been on the alert. My second take off caused a small panic, and a light fighter took off to intercept, because I was heading directly for the village.

I saw it from a mile off. Not as sleek as my own form, but bigger, more powerful, and certainly enough armament to bomb me off the map.I heard a voice come onto my frequency.

"Unidentified aircraft, what are you, and why are you here?"

"This is F-35 Lightning reporting, Tin-man. I am on a reconnaissance mission from the Central Exploration Outfit, our intentions are peaceful." It turned gracefully, and pulled along side. I could see a dark red skinned tiger in the pilot's seat, looking at my miniature form.

"The what?"

"If you go about fifteen miles inland, you will see the rest of our party talking amiably with Takori Tano, one of your villagers. We come for knowledge, and mean no harm to your village." We circled together, me because I didn't want to go too close to the village if they thought I was hostile.

"Is that so?Yet your fighter is barely two metres in length?Is your race that small?"

"Negative. I have powers of transformation,and can turn into this form under concentration." I spoke again, to Devlin," Dev, the local radar has picked me up, could I have some confirmations of who we are and our intentions, and get Takori to do the same. "

Dev took control, as Takori came over.

"Local radar, this is Devlin of the Central Exploration Outfit. Sorry for intruding on your time, but Tin-man was having a look around, just so we can accurately map the planet. He has a camera on his underbelly, which is relaying data to our computers."

"Do you have Takori there, as he says?"

Takori spoke." I'm here. How's your day going?"

The voice grinned."Well apart from almost firing on Tin-man, not bad, Takori. What about yourself?They treating you alright?"

"Well, they've given me a very nice lunch, so I don't think they're hostile."

"That's a relief, it's just we were concerned." there was a rush of static."Tin-man, are you going to be flying around here for long?"

"Just thought I'd make a few passes over the village, if you didn't mind.For tech reasons. Do you use electrical power?"

"Yes."

"Converted from what?"

"The sea breezes blowing ashore mean that we have several wind fields, and they generate enough for our purposes.Also kinetic devices, converting energy into electricity."

"Thank you. Also, can I ask your name?"

"Didn't Takori tell you? Oh well, I am Magawi."

"Good to meet you, my name is Alduin, although everyone calls me Tin-man while I'm in this form."

"Correction." Time said acidly."You call yourself that." Magawi sighed.

"How confusing." I laughed at this.

"But at current I am a scaled down version of a fighter plane we have on my planet."

"Called Lightning, correct?"

"Affirmative. The F-35.What's yours?"

"We call it the AIV."

"Let me guess. Aerial Initiative Vehicle?"

"Close." Magawi smiled." Interceptor. One of our faster aerial vehicles."

"I call them aircraft." I replied."So, first to the airfield?"

"You're on."

"On three?" Devlin replied, ten miles away.Time sighed.

"This can only end well."

"Go!" Devlin instructed. I hit the afterburners, and I accelerated on a blue core of flame.The AIV found some extra power from somewhere, and I saw flame licking out the back, it had something like jets as well. I watched as my air speed indicator clicked over nine hundred, nine fifty."

"Jeez, I wish I had a bit more power. The sound barrier's only three hundred kilometres away, or so."

"Which vehicles have broken the sound barrier on your planet?" Dev asked.

"One car, Thrust SSC. Countless planes, the current records being listed. Fastest combat aircraft, MiG-25, 3, 395 kph. Fastest plane that can take off from ground, Blackbird, 3,530 kph. Fastest aircraft over all, X-15A-2, dropped from aerial bomber, where it's rocket engine blasted it to 7, 297 kph."

"Good grief, that is fast."

"Mach 6." I acknowledged."Of course, Apollo 10, a space shuttle on re-entry, hit about Mach 37, or over 40,000 kph."

"Yeah, but that's a space capsule." Devlin retorted."I'm talking atmospheric vehicles."

As we flew over the ridge of a hill, I saw the village. It was reasonably big, I guessed it had about 3,000 residents. I saw lots of tigers looking up as me and the AIV powered over the centre of the village, and over the airport.

"So, who won?" I asked.

"First to land and stop." Magawi replied, banking into the runway. I banked with him, and as he slowed down to meet the runway, roared ahead, flying exceptionally low.

"You intend to land at that speed?" Magawi asked, incredulous.

I thought the reverse engines, and felt myself slow dramatically. It was like a parachute. I came to a sudden halt, hovering two feet off the ground, while Magawi had landed, and was now slowing down.I changed, and landed on one knee. Magawi had reached the end of the airstrip, and was taxying around to me. The AIV stopped, the engines cut out, and Magawi raised the Perspex canopy.A team of mechanics, who hadn't spotted me, went over, one of them carrying a ladder, and Magawi got out. He came over.

"What a wonderful machine. I should like to see the full sized thing."

"Thank you, Magawi." I nodded, and spoke into my microphone." Dev, I'm at the airfield, with Magawi. We await your coming."

"You could send a car?" Devlin suggested.I laughed, and spoke to Magawi.

"Could we send a vehicle to pick them up? There's eleven of them." Magawi nodded.

"That can be arranged."

Devlin spoke again."Who won?"

I looked at Magawi, and he nodded, grinning slightly.

"I did, but it was close."

There was a snort of laughter from Dev. I noticed a veritable air force here, another five planes were there, another AIV, two planes that looked like the same thing as the AIV, but less powerful, and two others which looked like they were for carrying many personnel. Sort of like a Lear jet. We walked along the concrete to a small building with a radar on the top, and Magawi motioned for me to wait.

He went in.

"Report, where is the hostile?"

"The hostile is a new creature from off world. Takori is with more of them, and they need a pick up. Can we send out three cars to get them?"

"Yes. Where is the aerial thing that set off our radar?"

"He's outside.Tin-man?"

I walked in, and into a small room with a whole series of computers and devices. No wonder I had been picked up.There were about eight or nine tigers, each one with a coat completely different from the others. One looked at me, and his eye seemed to whirr and click, like it was robotic.

"He's capable of flight?I can see he has metal latticed through his bones, but he can take off?"

"Well, I think he should explain that, sir."

I transformed. The officer smiled.

"I see.How interesting."

I changed back.I shook hands with the commanding officer. A few other pilots around the room were talking to one another, and Magawi led me out the door, round the building to the street.

The hover vehicles were few and far between here, but Magawi informed me that in some cities, there were thousands. Everyone got around this small village by walking, and Magawi seemed to know most of them.Most of them knew him, and all of them didn't know me, so we were swamped by tigers keen to find out what I was. Magawi led me with several others to a rental service, or the equivalent. Magawi explained the situation while I fended off some questions from the Kiru. Takori wasn't kidding when he said his race were keen explorers.

I decided against getting into the silver and black cars, rather flying over head at their speed. The cars moved quickly on their mission, at about three hundred kilometres an hour, and I kept speed easily. After a good while, I spotted the hill my friends were on, and spoke to Draco.

"Tin-man here, I can see your position. Cars here in one minute."

This was the sign for frantic packing away. As the cars pulled to a halt, Valmeero was standing by the road, with Takori, the rest of them packed up the remainder of their things, and came over the ridge. The tigers that were the chauffeurs got out, and opened the boots for the luggage. I hovered directly above them, watching the loading.

After five minutes of putting stuff in boots, and sorting out seats in the surprisingly luxurious cars, or so Brendan commented, they spun around gently,another advantage of hover cars and accelerated smoothly back towards the village. I turned, let them get a kilometre away, and then rocketed after them.Devlin spoke to me.

"I'm looking out the rear window, and I see a black speck in the sky. Are you racing us, Tin-man?"

"No, I'm just practising my agility." I replied, diving. I roared past the rearmost car, and streaked in front of it's bonnet, zipping through a few trees, and hovered along side the middle most car.

"Show off." Draco commented, looking out the side window.

"Is that how it is?" I asked, feigning a tinge of hurtness."O.K., try this."

I banked away, heading for a cluster of trees, and I thought the command, fire missiles.

Six little darts erupted from my wing tips, travelling on jets of their own. All the trees in my path were blown apart, and I flew through the centre of the explosions, passing out the other side unscathed, but slightly blackened.

"That is being a show off, or suicidal, Draco." I shot back.I heard a rush of static on the radio, and Time spoke.

"Yes, very clever. You almost blew yourself to pieces."

"It looked awesome." Brendan added. I flew back into line, beside the middle car, and saw Brendan waving at me. Valmeero was comfortably beside him, and there was no one in the front seat.

"That thing have a sun roof?"

"Yes, Alduin. But we're not stopping to pick up passengers."

I rose slightly, and kept pace with the car, about five centimetres above the roof.

I landed. It was ever so gentle a landing, and as soon as I was certain I was on, I changed into my bionic form. The tiger, looking entirely unsurprised, flicked a switch, and opened the sun roof. I let myself into it, and into the front seat, grinning at Draco. He sighed.

"You do enjoy yourself doing clever stunts." he said.

"Of course."Brendan replied before I could."He'd be not half as much fun otherwise."

"This coming from the dragon who got roped down and fucked by him for several hours." Val teased. Brendan laughed.

"Exactly. It taught me never to trust a word he says, but he's still a great friend."

We pulled smoothly into the village, past a sign that was unreadable to me, and into a crowd of rather excited tigers. It was like we were guest stars at a movie premiere.The engines were cut, the tigers got out, and opened the rear doors for people to get out. A long furred bottle green tiger stood in a small circle, a chain of office around his neck.