FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Luke lay quietly, eyes closed, as the early morning light sneaked in around the curtains. He did not want to get up. Remembering the dream was much more interesting, and unlike the previous morning, this one was not fading so quickly.

Warm sunlight. Squishy flowers. A frisky tiger.

Yes! A reason to open his eyes, to pull a furry body close.

"That was mean, Ben. I'm ticklish!" Luke complained, not at all seriously. He'd enjoyed it. A lot.

The plush tiger stared back solemnly, motionlessly.

But Luke was not to be dissuaded. "I don't want you doing that again. Not unless I say you can. You understand? If you do, I can't be responsible for what happens." He gave the cat a shake. "I'm sure I'll lose my self control!" He smiled, buried his face in the tiger's neck and breathed deeply, enjoying the odor.

What might he do if it could really happen? Outside a dream? His imagination suggested some answers, but he wasn't sure. When it came to actually doing something, feelings might change. Sometimes Luke felt he was too self controlled, unwilling to take chances.

"Oh, well. Sorry, Ben, I've gotta go in to work again. No staying home today. People are depending on me, even though it's Sunday."

His boss had said that they'd welcome him putting in a full eight hours every day for the entire fall break. Since school was out, the work-study limits didn't apply. Too bad he couldn't afford to go home like some of the other students did, the ones who weren't going some place warm to party, anyhow.

It should be quiet, too. He might be able to get a lot done without interruptions. Most of the people who worked full time at the lab would be taking the day off.

"Too much introspection!" he told himself firmly. "Get up!"

Giving Ben a last stroke, Luke rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom. Toilet, shower, deodorant, teeth. He was glad he didn't have to do things like shave. Wouldn't that look weird!

As usual, he wasn't hungry this early. Maybe a coffee at work.

He dressed and left. _________________________________________________________________

"Hi, Luke, working again?"

It was Nathan, not ignoring him today. One of the support staff, he almost always had time to make a friendly comment or answer questions, even silly ones. Every once in a while, though, all of his attention seemed to be somewhere else. Luke liked him a lot. He didn't act at all prejudiced, unlike some of the other stans.

"Yeah. Control algorithms don't write themselves, you know."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Some of the new 'plexes are pretty sophisticated. I heard they've got several over in the CS department running stuff that passes most of the Turing tests."

"Sure. But faking a conversation doesn't mean they can put two and two together and get five."

"Oh? Trying to drag in a one from hyperspace, are you?" Nathan joked.

Luke stared at the screen. "It certainly looks like I'm going to have to. The laser motors don't seem to be able to find the focus no matter what I do. I thought this was supposed to be an easy problem. Why else would they give it to an undergrad like me?"

"I can think of a few reasons." Nathan grinned. Luke wondered just what he meant by that.

"Maybe you just need a break. Have you had lunch, yet? Man does not live on caffeine alone, you know." Meaning he was one, too? Yes, he did like Nathan.

"Not yet. I was just thinking of getting something quick out of the vending machine."

"I already looked. There's nothing but real junk left today. I don't think they refilled it on Friday. It's annoying. I guess they still think when there's no classes everybody leaves. Of course, that's our busiest time here. You'd think they'd have learned that by now."

"Maybe they figure we'll all be so hungry we'll eat whatever's left no matter what it is. More profit for them."

"You're probably rignt," Nathan grumbled. "Would you be interested in some pizza if I had one delivered? I haven't had any for a long time, but I really don't want to walk all the way to Collegetown." All of a fifteen minute walk, that'd be, Luke knew. It had taken him about twenty to get to the lab this morning, and that was coming uphill from the far side.

"Well, I guess." How to explain he couldn't afford to spend much for it? One of the advantages of the vending machine was that it was cheap. A lot cheaper than delivery of a fresh pizza, anyhow.

"Great! I'll get a half-and-half. I'll let you know when it's here. Maybe 45 minutes." He left before Luke could ask what he meant by half-and-half.

After a thirty minute struggle with the feedback math, his screen announced a message. "Pizza's in my office getting cold. BYOB." BYOB?

"BRT" Luke responded, locked the screen and grabbed his fresh cup of coffee. He hurried down the empty hallway to the elevator.

When he got off at the floor where the computer staff offices were, the pungent aroma of hot pizza met him. Cheese, tomato sauce, meat and spices! His mouth was watering long before he got to the office Nathan normally shared with another staff member.

"Hi!" Nathan greeted him. "How about we take this to the conference room? The chairs there are a lot more comfortable."

"Sure." Luke paused, then asked reluctantly "How much do I owe you for my half?"

"Nothing. My treat. I really need some comfort food after having to come in today, and sharing with you gives me an excuse for not settling for a granola bar." Nathan shuddered.

"That bad?" Luke asked as they walked down the hall. It was as empty as the other had been. Despite Nathan's earlier comment, it was clear that there was almost nobody around. Probably just the machine operator and one or two experimenters. Luke had welcomed the quiet so he could concentrate.

"Worse," Nathan grumped. "It's what I get for living so close. Any little thing that can't be taken care of remotely, I'm the one who gets to come in to fix it. Even when there's a blizzard with three foot drifts." Luke noticed he'd avoided saying just what had gone wrong.

They sat at a corner of the long table and opened the box. Half the pizza was piled high with meat, the other with vegetables. Both were thick with cheese and tomato sauce, and plenty of napkins were included.

There was a long, companionable silence broken only by the sounds of chewing.

Finally there was only one piece left. "That's yours," Luke pointed out. "I've had my three."

Nathan looked at it wistfully. "I can't. I'm full. And I shouldn't, anyhow."

"Shouldn't?"

"Yeah. Cholesterol. My doctor'll be pissed if he finds out. I'm gonna have to exercise extra already. You take it."

"Cholesterol? Why do you have to worry about that? You're not old enough." Nathan was maybe thirty five, Luke thought. Wasn't cholesterol an old man's disease? Not one he'd ever have to worry about himself, though.

"Age has nothing to do with it, really. The buildup started when I was a kid. My parents couldn't afford the genesplice to fix it. Not like yours."

Luke stiffened. "I don't have parents. I thought you knew that," he growled.

"Sorry, sorry!" Nathan apologized quickly. "I meant 'not like your genesplice.' I know how DARPA screwed you guys over. It was in all the news."

Ten years ago, kids brought up in an isolated crèche had learned they weren't like anyone else. Funding had been canceled and the researchers working for the military had had to find fostering for them. The obvious alternative would have been murder, but lots of people with standard genetics didn't see it that way. Even today, some stans still thought they were abominations, animals that should have been put down. Luke had been nine.

Still annoyed, Luke started to stand up. Nathan reached toward him.

"Please, Luke, I like you. I think you got a really rotten deal, even though you're really better than most other people."

Frozen, still frowning, Luke stared at the outstretched hand. Other people. Nathan really did think of him as people. Fur and all.

Nathan slowly dropped his hand. His shoulders slumped. "I still want you to take that piece of pizza," he said quietly.

"Sure!" Luke grinned abruptly. "I'm sorry, too. Maybe I'm just too touchy about those things. There's a lot of prejudice."

Nathan smiled back in relief. "OK, then. You wrap it up and I'll get rid of the box. I'm sure there's room in the fridge. For the slice of pizza, I mean!"

Nathan had been right. A lunch break with a friend made all the difference. Soon the laser's motors were pointing it at the focus. Tomorrow, X-rays!