FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

<<I know it smells bad, I've done it dozens of times, but we handle the supply side of the ship's operations and cleaning the water filtration units is part of your duties as my assistant, Leina,>> Gahn said.

<<It's disgusting! How do they get like this?>> Leina complained and then reached into one of the eight large cylindrical filter housings. She pulled out something that looked like a stack of radiators, coated in a slimey substance that emitted an odour she thought would never get out of her fur, and set it on the floor of the water treatment room she and Gahn were in. Only a month into her time on the Teshar and she was pretty sure her job title of quartermaster's assistant was just a nice way of saying spaceship janitor. Space was supposed to be this glamourous and exciting thing, at least in her time anyways, but all she had done was clean things, some of which she'd never even knew existed, move containers, and maintain equipment that made her truck seem like a children's toy, oh, and move more containers.

The wolf laughed, <<There's almost 90 crew aboard, all the fur that goes down the shower drains has to end up somewhere.>>

She prodded at the slime and when she noticed that it was also furry the sight nearly made her vomit, <<That's just wrong on so many levels.>> She picked the filter unit back up and looked at Gahn, <<So, what do I do with it?>>

<<Set it on the workbench and clean it. Then move on to the other seven,>> he replied as if it was the obvious thing to do.

Leina grumbled, <<Should set this thing on your head,>> and carried it to the workbench which had an assortment of tools, all of which looked like variations on paint scrapers and large dental picks. She picked up one of the scrapers and started removing large amounts of the furry slime from the outside of the housing, each wet smack of a glob of the substance hitting the top of the workbench added at least another year before she'd ever want to eat again.

<<Come find me when you're done, it should only take you a couple hours. We have to do an accounting of the foodstocks so we know how much to get when we reach Imos,>> Gahn said as he left the room.

<<Work hard in school, they said, go to college, get your degree, get a good job. Hah!>> she complained to the empty room and continued cleaning the unit. After about fifteen minutes she set the scraper down and grabbed one of the large picks, pulling out long strands of gunk from between the baffles until she could find no more. The top of the workbench was covered in a disgusting mass of what she'd cleaned off the filter and she picked up the scraper again to push it into a nearby chute she knew lead to the ship's incinerator. She grabbed a rag and gave the filter a wipe down that left it looking at least a thousand times cleaner than it was before by her estimate. Seven more to go.

As the serval worked her way through each of the filters she thought about the her former life on Earth as Roger Keene, firearms collector and mechanical engineer. She thought of the friends and family that were now so long dead it seemed unreal that she'd ever known them. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she stopped for a moment, using a clean rag to dab them before taking a few long slow breaths. That life was over and gone, she reminded herself, Roger Keene the human was as dead as any of the people she'd left behind. She was Leina the Rukot now, spaceship janitor and on her own. Sure, she was surrounded by new friends here on the Teshar, it was the reason why she had asked Captain Rels to take her on. Every member of the crew did their utmost to make her feel welcome, probably as thanks for saving their lives, but she still felt completely and utterly alone in the galaxy as she tried desperately to dab fresh tears from her eyes.

<<Stop that, Leina, you are not alone,>> she said aloud, as if somehow that made it more true and pushed the thoughts of her past out of her mind to focus on the filters. Eventually there was one more unit to go and soon she could leave this smelly place with its disgusting slime and maybe take a nice hot shower before meeting back up with Gahn. The thought of a shower calmed her nerves a little and she set about the task of cleaning the last filter with gusto.

====================================

While Leina was busy cleaning the filters Gahn found Captain Rels in the galley and approached her. <<Captain, do you have some time to talk?>> he asked.

Captain Rels looked at her quartermaster and smiled, <<What is it, Gahn?>>

The young wolf shifted nervously for a moment before saying, <<It's about Leina.>>

The deer sighed, she knew that Gahn was performing a lot of the duties expected of his assistant on top of his own, and she wondered if he had finally had enough. <<Give it time, Gahn, she learns quickly and wants to do a good job,>> the captain said in a reassuring tone.

He cocked his head and gave her a confused look, <<Oh, no, it's not that at all, Captain. She's already a real help. I have her cleaning the water filters right now so I could talk to you.>>

<<So, what about Leina did you want to talk about then?>> Captain Rels asked.

<<I wanted to ask if we could stay an extra day on Imos so I could have time to show her the icefalls.>>

<<Why do you want to do that, Gahn?>>

<<She's been holed up on this ship for a month now and hasn't stepped off it onto another planet since Wrulov. You may not know this Captain, but she spends a lot of her freetime in her quarters, alone, listening to music about loss and sadness. I think she's miserable.>>

Captain Rels was aware, but it was to be expected of someone who's life had been flipped upside down so much they couldn't be sure of the right way up. <<I offered to show her around the colony on Valkter when we delivered the mining equipment, but she refused. She didn't even want to see Jinem, which is supposed to be her home colony. How can you be sure she would want to go off ship on Imos?>>

<<I've made some minor modifications to her truck so that it can operate on the planet and think she would be unable to pass up the chance do this 'off-roading' thing she's talked about,>> he replied with a proud smile.

<<Leina is very protective of her vehicle and might not appreciate what you've done,>> Captain Rels warned.

Gahn nodded and said, <<Nothing that I can't easily remove, none of the modifications are permanent.>>

<<Are you sure your modifications will work? Imos' average surface temperature is negative 50 and the vehicle was designed for use on Earth during a time where temperatures rarely reached that extreme except at the poles and high altitudes.>>

<<We'll only be out during daylight, when it is not nearly that cold. Besides, I installed extra heaters in key places powered by an energy pack to keep its fluids from getting too viscous and the cabin warm. I've also managed to come up with an equivalent to the fuel it uses based upon leftover grease from the galley cookers along with an oxygen supply for the engine to run on. We should only need to borrow a couple breather masks for the outing since the atmospheric pressure is close to that on the ship.>>

Captain Rels was impressed, it sounded like her quartermaster had thought of everything. <<If Leina is willing, we will stay on Imos an extra day.>>

====================================

Captain Rels was right, at first Leina had been very unhappy to find out that Gahn had made modifications to the truck once the Teshar landed on Imos.

<<You did what!?>> Leina exclaimed, looking ready to claw him.

Gahn stood his ground, <<None of the modifications are permanent, Leina, they are only so we can drive around on the surface.>> In his paws he held two breather masks and their oxygen bottles.

<<My truck is literally the last 40 series in existence, and you touched it without my permission!>> Her ears laid-back and she growled in anger.

<<Ah, but Leina, don't you remember when you hit me over the head two months ago that you gave it to me? Technically I don't need your permission,>> he reminded her and acted as if he didn't notice her displeasure with him.

She continued to fume at him for several moments, but remembered he was right and sighed, calming a little. <<I only said that because I thought I was going home and could get another, Gahn.>>

<<I know, which is why the modifications aren't permanent. I did this so you could have a day doing something you've said repeatedly you enjoy. Have you not told me the truck is meant to be driven? What good does it do either of you to just sit on the ship all the time?>> He held out one of the breather masks and bottles to her.

She nearly ripped it out of his paws and replied, <<Fine, but when we get back I'm going to watch you put my truck back to exactly how it was.>>

<<Our truck, I'm willing to split ownership with you.>>

<<Don't push it, Gahn, I'll leave you in the middle of nowhere on this oversized excuse for a comet.>>

He laughed, got into the passenger side of the vehicle and put on his mask.

Leina looked out at the bright white landscape outside the hanger doors and nodded to herself. It had been awhile since she'd driven on snow, a few doughnuts would be fun, and she really did need some kind of release. The serval got into the driver's side and put on her mask. Gahn handed her another item that looked like heavily tinted goggles.

<<So you don't get blinded by the sunlight reflecting on the ice,>> the wolf said, his words muffled slightly by the mask and put his own pair of goggles on.

She put the goggles on and said, <<Just... Just shut up and hang onto something.>>

The engine roared to life as soon as she turned the key. Leina moved the shorter stick into a position marked 4WD H then grabbed the longer one, slammed it into gear perhaps a little too roughly and the truck took off out the hanger doors and down the ramp.

Within a few minutes she'd put several kilometres between them and the colony that the Teshar was landed at and they came across a wide open expanse of flat, snow-covered ice. Leina stopped the truck for a moment and moved the shorter stick to 2WD, then she drove right for the middle of the expanse while gaining speed and suddenly jerked the wheel hard to the right. Gahn gave her a terrified look as the vehicle started spinning wildly sideways.

She looked at the startled wolf with a wild grin and practically yelled with delight, <<You want to play in the snow, Gahn? Let's play in the snow!>>

For nearly an hour she kept throwing the truck in and out of sideways spins and skids, a look of insane glee on her face. Gahn just held onto the box on the dash with one paw, a handle on the door with the other, and prayed she didn't kill them both. This was not what he'd been expecting her to do though after awhile he started to calm down, but still jumped a little each time the truck spun or jerked.

Finally the vehicle came to a stop and all Gahn could hear above the sound of the engine idling was Leina's rough panting and the pounding of his heart in his ears. The expanse of snow-covered ice looked like a storm had torn through it.

<<Thank you, Gahn, I really needed that,>> she said, giving him a smile. When she noticed his deathgrip on the dash hadn't released she started laughing. <<That bad, huh? I used to do this all the time before I moved to Arizona.>>

<<Wh-what the hell was that, Leina?>> he gasped out and stared at her like she was about to kill him. Gahn was certain that the serval had finally snapped.

She reached over and grabbed his paw in hers, giving it a squeeze. <<Relax Gahn, "doughnuts" are a great way to blow off steam. Want to give it a try?>>

He rigidly shook his head several times, making her laugh again. Despite his concern for his own well-being, he thought she'd never looked this happy before. In fact, he was pretty sure that she was purring in sync with the engine.

<<So, where are these icefalls you mentioned earlier? Let's go see them,>> she said with a smile.

<<I just want to go back to the ship,>> he answered quietly.

She shook her head, <<Nonsense! We still have over three quarters of a tank. I promise I won't do any more doughnuts if it freaks you out that much.>>

<<Promise?>> He wasn't sure he believed her.

<<Yes, now where are those ice falls?>>

Gahn took a minute to calm down and relax before pulling something out of a bag at his feet. It was a large pad-like device with a display screen not all that unlike Leina's phone or music player though it had a much more boxy appearance. When the screen turned on she thought it looked like some kind of GPS since it displayed a map with a marker that was probably the indicator for where they were. He looked around at the landscape for a moment, then pointed in a direction off to their left and said, <<That way.>>

Leina moved the short stick back to 4WD H, eased the truck into gear and drove at a much more sane pace. Gahn offered up the occasional course correction and within less than an hour they were stopped in front of a vast wall of iridescent-looking ice stretching from one horizon to the other. It had to be at least half a kilometre tall. A symphony of colours seemed to ripple in the sunlight like a massive waterfall down the face of the wall.

<<It's beautiful,>> Leina whispered, shutting the engine of the truck off as if worried the sound would somehow cause the sight to stop being so and stared out at the ice in wide-eyed wonder.

Gahn looked at her and spoke up, <<The icefalls of Imos extend for hundreds of kilometres in both directions. The colours and rippling effect are due to sunlight and impurities in the ice.>>

<<How was it formed?>> she asked, not taking her eyes off the wall.

<<Our scientists believe an asteroid impact did it several million years ago. Caused the ice sheet to crack and part of it rose up.>>

<<How long can we stay, Gahn?>>

<<We need to return to the Teshar before sundown, so a few hours.>>

Leina pulled on the handle that engaged the truck's parking brake. Gahn was startled when she slid across the bench seat and leaned against him. He wrapped his left arm around her and the two looked out, watching the colours play in the ice in each other's silent company.

After what felt like a long time she sat up and pulled away from him. She moved back behind the steering wheel and said, <<Are you ready to go back?>>

Gahn nodded, <<Yes, it shouldn't take that long to get back to the ship, as long as we don't stop to 'play in the snow' again.>>

Leina smiled, <<I promised, didn't I?>>

<<You did, let's go.>>

The sun was setting on the horizon when the truck pulled up the ramp and into the hanger. Leina parked it back in its spot between a couple stacks of cargo containers and pulled off her breather mask and goggles. Gahn did the same and made to exit the vehicle.

<<Gahn, wait,>> she said softly and he turned to look at her.

<What is i-,>> he found himself cut off as the serval kissed him. It caught him by surprise and when he started to return it after a few moments she pulled away.

<<Thank you.>> She slipped out of the truck and left the hanger.

Gahn just sat there in the cab of the truck, staring out of the windshield at a cargo container, an odd smile on his muzzle.

====================================

In the Teshar's medical room Gyth closed a drawer full of tissue stabilization gel that she'd just restocked. She and Nak dealt with small injuries on an almost constant basis and the gel was typically used for all manner of cuts and scrapes. The work was steadier than it had been for years, with Kouhm on a year-long leave back on Jinem to visit family and while the old tabby doctor had only been off ship for two weeks, she missed his wise presence. Nak was off sleeping to prepare for his term on the night shift which left the lioness alone.

<<Hi Gyth!>> came a voice that followed the sound of the door to the room opening from behind the doctor, one she had heard a lot lately, but this time it had a happier tone than she'd heard before.

<<Hello Leina, I'm just finishing up here. What can I help you with today?>> Gyth responded without turning around as she heard her friend take a seat nearby.

After Leina had come back aboard the Teshar, following the events on Wrulov, the two cats had spoken at length. The doctor no longer felt responsible for Leina's accidental changes, for the most part at least, the serval had insisted the blame lay soley upon her own shoulders. Instead Gyth took on the role of confidant and provided emotional support for the younger cat, who was usually in a sour mood. Over the course of the past month they had become fast friends and spent a couple hours talking every few days.

<<Gahn took me to see the icefalls today, and they are one of the most amazing things I've ever seen!>> Leina said excitedly, it sounded like she was in a very good mood for once.

Gyth was aware of the outing, it was her that Gahn had gotten the breather masks from. <<By the sound of it you've had a good day.>>

<<I did! He modified the truck and insisted that I get out of the ship for awhile. There was this ice field and I tore it up for the better part of an hour. Haven't done something like that in years. This is the best I've felt since, since...>> her last sentence took on a sad tone as it trailed off.

The doctor turned to see a small frown and faraway look on the serval's face. <<It's alright to have some fun, Leina. Focus on that.>>

<<I know, I'm still just getting used to all of this.>>

<<It will take some time. Now, tell me about your day. Are the icefalls as beautiful as I remember them to be?>>

Leina gave her head a shake for a moment and a smile replaced her depressed look, <<All the colours! Gahn and I must have sat there just watching them for hours. While they aren't really icefalls, I can see why they're called that.>>

<<They are one of the most beautiful things known in this part of the galaxy. It's a popular place for inhabitants of this colony to take one another for romantic outings.>>

<<Romantic outings? You mean today was a date? Holy shit, holy shit, it was! I kissed him!>> the serval's face took on a shocked expression.

<<So Gahn's attempts at courting you are starting to work, are they?>> Gyth asked, smiling.

Leina just stared at the doctor.

<<Ever since you woke up after the escape from the human ship he's looked at you like a lost puppy when he knows you can't see him. Lately he's been doing a lot of your duties under the guise of easing you into your job.>>

<<He what!?>>

Gyth was sure that if the younger cat's eyes opened any wider the doctor would be performing emergency surgery to put them back in the poor girl's head. Instead she said in a matter-of-fact tone, <<While you're a bit young by Rukot standards, you are still an adult, and Gahn is at an age where it is normal to start looking for a mate. In opposite-sex pairings, the male tries to prove his suitability and the female either rejects or accepts them. By the sound of it, you're starting to accept him.>>

<<B-but we've only known each other for two months! I'm still dealing with the fact I'm a woman now, and you're saying he's barking up my tree?>> Leina exclaimed. There were times she did think about how good Gahn was to her without realizing it but she'd thought nothing more of it than him being friendly until now.

<<My mate and I only knew each other for a few weeks before I accepted him and we've been together for nearly 50 years now.>>

<<Your mate? I've never seen anyone hanging around you, Gyth.>>

<<Froan is on another freighter as a pilot, we don't see each other often but in a decade or two we'll settle down and start a family on one of the colonies.>> Gyth's face took on the faraway look of one in love.

<<50 years, decades, I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact I'm going to live for centuries now and you're saying I'm going to pick whoever I spend those centuries with in tiny fraction of all that time? I dated the woman I thought I was going to marry ten years ago for nearly two before I bought a ring. This is all happening so fast, too fast.>> The serval shook her head as if trying to dispel the notion that she was going to end up spending an impossibly long amount of time with someone based upon barely knowing them.

<<It sounds like you're trying to argue any reason. I do not know much about human courtship but this is how it works for Rukot. We mate for life and that decision is made after only a few weeks or months of courting.>>

<<We're not even the same species!>> Leina really was grasping at straws.

<<Interspecies pairings are not common, this is true, even Froan and I are both lions, but they aren't discouraged. I think it would be good for you to have someone. Besides, Gahn is handsome, for a wolf.>> Gyth advised.

<<I can't do this, it's too soon.>> The serval's earlier happiness looked like it had been darkened by the discussion.

<<Then you need to reject him, it sounds harsh but if you don't he'll continue trying to 'bark up your tree' as you call it. Just be aware that his attitude towards you may change dramatically when you do,>> the doctor warned.