FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Tyra stared at the ever-complex engine, that seemed to fold in on itself and create a new tumor-like protrusion of machinery every time she looked elsewhere. None of that mattered, however. There was one central focus point of it all. The little device that pulled them out of emptiness with accuracy. Pinpointer wasn't its true name. It had an absurd elaborate name in her tongue, and likely similar in the number of human languages.

Delicately, Tyra pried open the broken device, staring at the precious metals that had been cracked into several pieces. Shattered, like her dreams, perhaps. If she had any. She held it up to the glow of the engine. Such a small, unique thing. Even cannibalization would be pointless.

“So you can't fix it?" Joshua asked from the tight entryway.

He was surprisingly quiet at times.

“I cannot. There are no shared components among the many metallic chunks here."

“And another jump would be death."

“Potentially. Either something far more hazardous, or that would draw unwanted attention." She stared at the component. “Though I do not know where the best destination would be."

“What do you mean? Don't you have a family to get back to? A group?"

“Irrelevant. I am branded an outcast regardless."

“Because of me?"

“Were it so simple. No."

“What about a neutral zone? You could drop me off in something like that, when we figure this out."

“When I figure it out." She looked back to him. “You do not follow the war's news closely, do you?"

“What?"

“A neutral zone? We are at war. There is no buffer between the frontlines except a trail of corpses."

“If you hadn't noticed, I wanted to get away from everything."

“You have succeeded."

“I don't even know where I am!"

Tyra looked back to the engine. She hadn't given it much thought. It was irrelevant with their current situation.

“Anywhere."

“The thing just shoots into a random direction?"

“Without the assistance of this, yes."

Tyra stood up and walked over to him, showing him the one little broken bit of machinery that grounded them.

“The engine works by shrouding the ship, making it virtually undetectable in this physical reality. As nothing can observe it, it lapses into a state of existing in all points until a location is decided by this. Without it there is no stopping force. It must drift until gravity rips it free."

Joshua's expression was easy to read, even in the low light. He didn't understand. Tyra couldn't blame him. While she had harbored some pride for her intelligence, the mechanics behind space travel eluded her. That was for other workers to take on and refine.

“So that's why we're on this planet. The gravity?" he said.

“Yes."

“I thought we just punched holes into space, or something."

“Humans did, at one point. As did we. The technique is far too imprecise and leads to many issues. I am somewhat surprised your species did not arrive at this conclusion first. Early scientists in your history had postulated about simultaneous states and the lack of perception."

“So if it's more primitive, why can't we just do that?"

“An entirely different process."

Joshua rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows. Likely, he added an “of course" to his internal monologue. For someone so fearful of the war, and had little experience in space travel, Joshua was taking the revelation quite well. Humans certainly handled their situations differently. Tyra briefly considered deception in his words, but it seemed unlikely. His one deception was embarrassing and odd.

“Are you enjoying this?" she asked.

Joshua's expression faltered. “What?"

“You seem at ease for the situation. Do you derive pleasure from it?"

“No. And don't call it 'pleasure', that just sounds weird. I'm safe and I can't go anywhere, that's all I can ask for right now."

“I suppose that is a logical way of viewing it."

“We are safe, aren't we?"

“Unless the local fauna is able to puncture the ship's hull, I imagine we are."

“And nobody out there can track us, so we're good."

“That does not make us invisible." She looked to the engine. “I should note the status of the ship and if we are discharging anything. I ask that you do not touch anything in this room." Tyra approached him and he reflexively backed off, allowing her to pass.

“Yeah, I wasn't planning on doing that."

Back above, Tyra tapped away at remained of her diagnostics console. It was functional, just that the screen crack along its face made certain colors more difficult to discern from others. From what she could gather, the ship wasn't leaking any traceable materials, such as fuel. The water outside proved to be benign as well. Whatever cracks they had were likely a result of the lurching escape.

“I know you're busy, but I'd like to know where you keep the food."

“It is in the closet-like department next to your bed."

There was the sound of grinding metal.

“Yeah, about that."

Tyra perked up and moved over to his side. There was a large metal container sat atop a pile of mush. The movement earlier must have sent more objects careening to the ground. Tyra's horns raised. Fate had diverged yet again.

“Is there any more?"

“No," Tyra replied.

Joshua took a few steps backward.

“I would rather starve than eat you," she said.

“Hard to tell when it looks like you're springing into kill mode."

“Are you not upset you will expire without sustenance?"

“There has to be something on this planet, right?"

Tyra relaxed herself. There might have been. It was an oceanic planet, so fauna wasn't necessarily an impossibility. Something must have been producing the breathable atmosphere, or living in it. Either of those may be edible.

“Perhaps."

She moved over to the scanner. While it couldn't tell what was edible, it could at least pick out clumps of organic matter. Joshua wasn't necessarily a terrible choice of consumption, but his assistance made it unsavory. No, Tyra would keep him around. He had proven himself somewhat capable. She briefly wondered if he would attempt the same on her. Cannibalism was taboo, and her own cognizance made her, if at least somewhat, human in his mind. It was comforting, in a sterile way. Indeed, it was becoming more apparent that his lack of a wartime mindset was best. Human psychology was a curious thing.

“I am not detecting a trace of organic materials."

“Not here, but maybe elsewhere? It's a big ocean, right?"

“Man the controls. Steer through the water."

“You sure you want me to do that again?"

“Your eyes are not suited for the console. I cannot do both."

“Alright." Joshua moved up to the controls and flexed his hands. He placed one hand on the throttle and gently eased it forward. The ship began its gliding through the still waters. The gentle ripples it created stirred up the array of colors across the water.

Tyra caught herself staring out at the ocean rather than the sensors before her. She looked back to the screen. It warbled in its many colors and symbols, unsure as to what was truly out there. Something organic lay in the water, but as to its location or size or even physiology, it was unable to tell.

“So, anything out there?"

“Not as of yet."

“There's always something in the water."

Joshua had grown more bold with his movements in the water. The two dimensional plane of travel must have been less worrying. The lack of any apparent danger, as well. They may starve, but that didn't distract him. If anything, that made him more focused on the task. Perhaps he was designed for this very purpose, by his own deity. He had changed completely from that panicked voice rattling in her head. Joshua was stoic now.

Instincts? Humans always carried the delusion that they were above instinct. This new incarnation of him could have simply been a matter of nerves gripping his body and steering it to safety. However, he seemed too sober for that. His demeanor remained relaxed. Indeed, Tyra noticed his face had calmed, the last bastion of human expression.

A new construct of colors wavered across Tyra's computer. Something large. As to its edibility, that was unknown.

“There. To your right," she said. Tyra was unsure about the human measurements. “Ten meters, I believe."

“What's that in yards?"

“Yards?"

“Never mind, I see it."

Tyra strained her eyes on the water. There was some slight bobbing on the surface that she could only barely make out with the surrounding coloration being disturbed. It was all blue to him, wasn't it? The ship eased forward, with Joshua slowing their progress to a dead stop, near right above where the disturbance sat.

Without so much as a word, Joshua spun around and walked right on through the airlock. Tyra decided to get a better look out the viewport. In vain, as it turned out. The water was a mix of colors that muddied whatever was below. There was a glimmer of something, that was as much as she could tell. Before she could consider going outside, Joshua was back.

“It's big," he said.

Tyra expected that to be delivered in an uninterested temper. Not so with Joshua. There was almost a delight to the way he pronounced that B in “big". She quietly noted how ridiculous lips could be and simply nodded.

“Do you have anything we could use to fish it up? Like a harpoon?"

“I am unfamiliar with that word."

“It's like a spear that you shoot."

“I see. Would a boarding spike suffice?"

“A what now?"

“Wait one moment."

Tyra descended below deck and approached her coffin. Below it was a compartment containing her boarding spike, an empty portion for a space suit, and one simple firearm. She took the spike and resurfaced.

“That's overkill. Think it'll work through the water?"

“It is made to puncture the hull of a spaceship. Water should do little to stop it."

“Help me fire it, then."

Tyra looked to the airlock, then back to Joshua. “As you wish."

_

The large empty sky was dizzying, now. Tyra's nerves had eased from the joy holding her together. Now they were in a vast empty space that she almost felt would consume her. Joshua and her were positioned at the edge of the ship, staring into the deep water. Something down there was a brilliant gold, underneath the haze of water.

“What is it?" she asked.

“It's like a pear, fat end up. I think it anchored itself on something."

A fruit? He must have meant the shape. A colorful simile.

“When this fires, what does it do?" he asked.

Tyra hefted up the device. “A head fires out at an extreme speed, pierces the hide of its target, and spins."

“Definitely overkill, but I guess that's the point. What's the cabling made out of? Could I reasonably yank that thing over here?"

“As if pulling a ship?"

“You guys do everything. Yeah, that'll work."

“Yes, that is possible." Tyra hefted up the thing onto her shoulder. She knew how it functioned, just not how well it performed on flesh. Or whatever covered this creature's hide. This was rash, of course. However, she had little choice in the matter. There could have been any number of variables that worsened their food situation.

“Alright, when you hit that thing, make sure you yank it in. However you do that."

Tyra could vaguely see the creature, serenely wavering in the water. Her mind was already abuzz with questions. How did it survive here? What was its sustenance? Did it have natural predators? How many years of evolution changed it into this curious form? Her fingers pulled from the triggers.

“I believe you have a better shot of it," she said, lowering the device.

“If you say so."

Tyra handed the device to Joshua, who huffed upon feeling its full weight. She approached his side and helped him shoulder it.

“Your right hand should settle here." Tyra guided his squishy hand into the handle. Her fingers guided his internal structure, feeling up his carpals, metacarpals, down to his distal phalanges. “Your second digit settles on the firing trigger. Your third on its safety release beneath that."

“What about this dial?"

“That is for velocity."

“Crank it up."

Tyra stared at the dial, then nodded, giving it a firm spin toward maximum. Joshua seemed the more skilled of the two in the matter of killing. She trusted his judgment, for now.

“What do I do when I hit?" he asked.

“You grab the handle at the top of the device and squeeze once you place it on the ship. A powerful force will pull the two together."

“Sounds good."

“Fire when ready."

Tyra took a few steps away. Joshua looked to her, a little worried, but quickly returned to his task. He pressed the safety trigger, steadied himself, and then fired. There was a loud bang. The sharpened end shot into the water, and in mere seconds there was a series of frothy bubbles from below. Tyra's horns shot up.

“Like a damn rocket launcher!" Joshua said. His delight was followed by a scrambling of placing the device on the ship, locking it in place.

A deep red disturbed the quaint blue. Bloodied gold bubbled to the surface. The behemoth was entirely limp, not a spark of life in its hide. Tyra's horns slowly lowered back down. A black wire led to a carving of gore to the instrument of death like an umbilical cord. It loudly whirred, pulling the wire back along with a few chunks of viscera, quietly clicking back into place as the last of the wire disappeared inside.

The shot completely pierced the beast and killed it instantly, from what Tyra could tell. The speed at which it punctured it meant that the drill couldn't even function, simply gliding on through without a care in the world. This was indeed, overkill.

Joshua's gaze remained firmly on the creature.

“Didn't realize it'd be that bad, but I guess it didn't suffer."

“It was quite instant."

Tyra looked to the less gruesome parts of the beast. A large series of tentacles sprouted from what would be the “stem" of the pear. Likely it had indeed anchored itself securely to the floor, with bits of sand still stuck to its appendages. Long gills and what she could only assume were filtering orifices lined the beast from its vacant, bulbous head down to the anchoring point.

“You think if the power is dialed back, we could reel it in?" he asked.

“The ship can be eased over to the beast's side."

“Right, OK."

And she did just that, providing enough distance to pick at the creature's body. Joshua had retrieved his knife and began carving away at the creature. Tyra let him stab away at it, as she had no clean alternatives to the task. None that wouldn't severely damage the creature's flesh, that is. It would certainly provide a massive amount of food. Water, as well, was without issue.

It was interesting how fates connected like this. A creature that had evolved over untold years brought to a cutting end by an alien from far beyond its world. From the vacant state of the planet, it might not have even had a concept of fear. Perhaps it couldn't even understand emotional states whatsoever. Joshua was its alien conqueror, and still, he showed some modicum of respect for it. For something that couldn't comprehend anything outside of its bubble of water.

Tyra quietly approached the beast. Joshua was hard at work. From his motions, she could tell he had carved a large beast before. She tried to create an analogous creature in her head from what she knew of Earth fauna. A whale, was it?

“Have you done this to whales?" Tyra asked.

Joshua briefly paused to look at her, then back to stabbing. “I have, yeah. I'm surprised you know what a whale is."

“Earth itself has been routinely studied by now."

“Is that supposed to be scary?"

“It is not. I am stating that I am aware of your planet."

“Almost sounds like a threat."

“Are your scientists not aware of my planet and its fauna?"

“I wouldn't even begin to know. All I know about you guys are that you're bugs, and you want to kill us. For all I know, you crawled out of space." He stopped for a moment, cutting out a final chunk of flesh. “Actually, that's not true. You did give me that spiel about the males and females. Hate to meet one of the guys." He dropped the pound of flesh onto the ship. “Might want to put that in the freezer, if you have one."

“Is it edible?" Tyra hefted it up.

“We'll make it edible."

Chunk by chunk they peeled away the faux whale. Tyra had to repurpose a fuel cell freezer for flesh, it was sterile so it would work all the same. That would be enough for more than a few months. While that might have grown dull, it was far better than starving. Joshua seemed to agree, as he already began cutting out a more reasonable size for consumption.

“Do you have a mess hall?" Joshua asked.

“A place to prepare food? No. We rely on the prepackaged rations," Tyra replied.

“How are we supposed to cook this, then?"

Correct, his stomach was not designed for raw flesh, a curious evolution. She thought on the question for a moment. Fire was out of the question, but a reasonably hot device sat underneath a plate of metal would suffice.

“Follow."

They descended below deck, sidling up next to the engine. She peeled a cover off to reveal a blue humming portion. Tyra recognized it as the device that pulled heat directly from the component that allowed the ship to levitate.

“That looks radioactive," Joshua said.

“Were it truly, you and I would likely be severely ill. Are you ill?"

“No."

“Then we will try it."

Tyra took a piece and placed it on the component. Immediately it simmered. The smell stirred something within her own stomach.

“Smells pretty good, I have to admit," he said. Joshua pulled up a set of what he would likely call pliers from a nearby bench of tools. “These clean?"

“They are."

Joshua sat down in front of the meat with his makeshift cooking tools, pressing and flipping over the meat. It was soon a more pleasing brown.

“Don't do this back home?"

“Culinary arts are reserved for celebration."

“I would say living is a celebration. Don't know about you."

Tyra decided not to answer, instead watching him work away at the bit of flesh. He cut into it, revealing some of the pink center surrounded by the cooked brown. Seemingly pleased with this, he carved more of it out, picked it up, and blew on it. That looked incredibly unsanitary, sending spittle every which way.

Next, he pressed it up to his lips for a few moments, then his fleshy tongue, and finally a bite. Some slow, purposeful chewing, and a final swallow. Testing for poison, very clever. Joshua looked back to her and moved out of the way, leaving his cooking tools nearby.

Tyra considered doing the same, but her taste buds would be more than capable of noting any deadly or ill chemicals. She cut out a portion and held it in her mandibles as her smaller mouth parts picked away at it, testing each chunk against the smaller hairs that surrounded her mouth. Clean. Good. More than good, actually, it was quite delectable. The creature's death was not in vain, its flesh was delightful. Joshua was likely happy he could discard the thoughts of her eating him, too.

Joshua furrowed his brow. Tyra snapped to look at him, causing him to look away.

“Everything satisfactory?" she asked.

“Yeah, yeah," Joshua said between sloppy mouthfuls.

Unconsciously, her horns had half popped upward. Tyra smoothed them back down and returned to her eating. Much like his squishy face was a curiosity to her, her anatomy was bizarre to him. Unlikely he had ever seen one of her species in a positive light. It did not help matters that her face was a stony, expressionless mask. Originally it was a boon to her threatening demeanor, but now, now she had to seek some assistance in his continued partnership. Appeal to him, somehow. Not as though she could simply ask, the attempt at diplomacy would come across as deceptive.

However, it may have also proven a positive still to remain so imposing. Any foolish aggressions would be kept in check. Tyra may have been helped by him, sure, though the possibility of deception remained. She was running on her logical understanding of humans. Tyra knew humans on generic, technical facts, interspersed by chunks of their cultural behavior. Even culture was sketchy, as humans had not yet taken on one monolithic identity.

For now, Tyra could maintain that she still had some upperhand in all of this.