FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A day had passed, and Tyra had chosen their target. She and Joshua sat at the console, hopefully deliberating for the very last time.

“This is what you settled on?” Joshua asked.

“Yes. This is a refueling station for reconnaissance ships,” Tyra replied. “Visitors would be sparse, and likely would not visit for vast periods of time. That leaves only the potential crew aboard the station. It seems unlikely that they would signal for assistance, and should they risk it, the threat of revealing their location along with other confidential information to the human forces, should be enough to silence them.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then they can stew in the fact that they traded our defeat for the sake of the safety of their front lines. A punishment, I think, is perfectly fitting.”

“Would it be as easy as just asking for fuel? Something tells me there’s gotta be more to it than that.”

“There is an automated process to all of it. Quick efficiency.”

“Guess that’s good. Can’t just pretend we’re back for refueling or something?”

“No. Official orders are required to take on additional fuel into our cargo space. Additionally, crews of this size are required to debrief and give reports. I am uncertain if that is true for this variety of ship, but I see no reason as to why it wouldn’t be.”

“Plus, I’m sure the suit and helmet wouldn’t fit me.”

Tyra shook her head, tittering. “No. It would not.”

“Well, I’m down, then. Not sure what I can do in a situation like that. Do I just man the ship? Gun at the ready, maybe?”

“That would be the extent of it, yes. I would move to the cargo hold to make certain the fuel is properly loaded and viable for our use.”

“They’re not just uh, gonna shoot at us on the deck or something? I guess I’d prefer it to being shot in the chest or something, but, you know,” Joshua replied.

“That would risk damaging the station itself, but should they deem it a reasonable sacrifice, the threat of a time activated transmitter beaming their secrets out should stay their hand.”

“I think that’s all our bases covered, then. Let’s do it.”

Tyra turned her head. “Won’t you consider it a moment longer?”

“I’ve already laid out my life plans if we get caught. 50/50 chance, right? We either pull it off or we don’t.”

“That is not how a percentage chance works, Joshua.”

“May as well for me.”

Joshua’s face took on that sly but genuine smile. Tyra couldn’t help but stare at him, burning that visage into her mind. Maybe the last time she would ever get to see it. A shame she could not return that smile. Her mandibles quivered trying to shape themselves to something coming close to that expression.

“I tried my best smile,” she said.

“It looks beautiful,” he replied. “Save it up, because you’ll want to smile a bunch once we’re out of here.”

“What happened to 50/50?”

“Well, I figure there’s a 50/50 chance we even have to worry about that other 50/50 at all.”

“I do admire your enthusiasm.”

_

And it was enthusiasm that Tyra tried to carry with her on the turning point of their lives. Joshua and her had simply decided to do it in a few days. They spent most of it lounging, existing near one another, with only sparse chatter traded between them. It was a strangely peaceful time. Tyra should have been panicked, strained for the inevitable tribulation that lay before them, but she wasn’t.

Tyra had held onto the simple fact that life likely wasn’t going to improve from here. There was nothing to return to, except Joshua, and should she want to keep him, she would have to accept the task ahead. The one that sat before her now as reality eased back into her vision.

The actual station was embedded in the ring of a meek gas giant, hiding in a rocky particle that seemed as inconspicuous as all of its other brethren. Tyra eased the ship toward the station. Her horns raised. Joshua stared ahead, his face blank but bearing some level of worry. How brave he was to stay beside her in a moment like this.

They had dropped a simple “time-bomb” fitted from an emergency signaler and left it at the cusp of the solar system. All sorts of confidential info lay inside, eager to burst. That was one of the few things Tyra reminded herself of on their approach. In the end, she would win.

“This is the fortification of nourishment,” came a Vesper tone. “Identify.”

Tyra merely forwarded the ship’s credentials. There was a pause.

“Proceed with landing.”

They silently cruised along into the shell of the asteroid, finding it to be a properly fitted station with a landing zone. Tyra eased the ship in, feeling it lurch as it touched down and came to a stop. The view from the cockpit was sparse. There were airlocks leading to and from the pad, but hardly any other details of note.

“It’s all you from here on out, Tyra,” Joshua said.

“And I won’t fail you,” she replied.

“Prepare to debrief,” the voice said.

Tyra leaned forward, pressing a button to broadcast back at the station. She flexed her mandibles, faintly recalling her native tongue.

“Apologies, fortification, but there are demands to lay out regarding our refueling process. We are in need of additional fuel loaded into our cargo, as well as rations. Should you not comply, you jeopardize the entirety of Our war effort. Military installation locations have been encoded onto a transmitter and are ready to transmit to the exposed should I not return to disable it.”

There was a pause.

“I was not expecting the deviant to crawl into my facility,” the voice replied.

“I have, and I my demands have been set.”

“What do you hope to gain from abandoning your entire existence?”

“A new one,” Tyra said.

“You will find none in the grasp of the sea above, nor in the clammy hands of the exposed.”

Tyra grinded her mandibles together. “I have no interest in conversing about it. Comply.”

“What if I were to destroy you now?”

“Discuss it with your crew. Some may be averse to the entirety of their efforts being brought to ruin over fuel cells and food.”

“I have no crew. I am myself.”

“Then consider it yourself. Trade your honor for the safety of your peoples.”

“My peoples? You have become more than deviant,” they replied. “My disgust grows.”

“I have already delved into the disgust belonging to Us. I do not care for it. All of you will drown in disgust as the exposed drown in the disgust for you. Both of you will perish. All I ask is for some spare supplies, so that you may yet guarantee your mutually assured destruction, rather than be flattened under their heel.”

Joshua swallowed. Tyra could hear it. He didn’t understand their words, but he could likely ascertain the tone in each droplet of her words. His brow lightly furrowed, leaning closer to her.

“I cannot taste the air you reside in, but I imagine it would sting of hatred.”

“It is all I have learned. Consider this hatred as proof of my threat. You see the ship I reside in, you understand the information it holds,” Tyra replied.

There was a pause, then a low hiss as machinery in the station began to turn. A small alert on the console noted how the station was requesting permission to load cargo. Tyra accepted it, causing the ship to open its own cargo hold.

“So, we’re doing good so far?” Joshua asked.

“So far, yes,” Tyra replied.

“You sure?” Joshua tapped on his forehead. “Your horns seem to disagree.”

Tyra lowered her horns back down. “I did not enjoy their words, but they complied. I will tend to the cargo now. Please see to it that the cockpit is not breached.”

Joshua nodded and approached one of the storage containers built into the ship. Inside was a weapon not far from the construction of human ballistic firearms. Not nearly as effective on the Vesperratus, but then again, they were never the intended targets. It would deter them all the same.

“Make sure you get your radio working,” he said, as he placed the patch onto his neck.

“Yes, I will,” she replied, doing much of the same.

Tyra, on the other hand, stepped outside and onto the pad. In her hand, she held a gadget that helped detect electrical devices, a good fit for reclaimers, and now a life saving tool for deserters making a bargain. A large tunnel had opened up beneath the ship, slowly raising various amounts of fuel cells and boxed supplies. She slowly began to go over each one, making certain that none contained any sort of duplicitous additions.

Her work slowed as she realized exactly where she was. Tyra was now pushing around military forces to get them to comply to her demands, goaded on by the desire to escape into the stars with what was once her enemy. It felt both delightful and bizarre. No, in fact, it was wonderful. A giddiness vibrated through her plates. Should all go well, this was the last she would even have to worry about her life in the grand scale. It would simply be a blissful existence, she just had to assure all would go smoothly.

“You have one of the exposed with you,” the station voice said, buzzing into her radio. “I can hear it breathe.”

Tyra didn’t respond. She shouldn’t be concerned with something that wanted her dead.

“Through hushed tones, there have been many queries as to why you would degenerate in such a way. You, who has served Us well. Until you decided cowardice was the best choice of action.”

They spoke as if she were some highly notable figure. Tyra supposed that was right, to a degree. It was possible there had been others who fled, but their lives had been erased and their story banished to the void. Tyra had broken that mold in one way. She struck back, violently. It was one thing to simply vanish, and it was another to maim and steal. Her presence must have vibrated through crew after crew after her and Joshua stole the very ship they flew on. It was hard to stifle the spread of her actions now, and if anything, those in control of the Vespers would want to paint it as negatively as possible. Not that it required much effort.

“What promises has it given you? Would they be worth this perversion of existence?”

Tyra paused as she went over another box. Amusing. She was the one who swindled him into going with her, predicated on some notion of love. This was all her doing. No blame could be shifted to the enemy. In a way, she was happy for that. It meant that the control over her existence had truly been established, this was her tunnel to carve.

“How’s it going, Tyra? All the food and fuel ready to go?” Joshua said. His human reverberations were a sweet, delicious relief to her body.

“All seems well, my love,” she replied. “It appears as though they don’t want to risk their efforts.”

“You even have mastery over their language and wield it like a native,” the station said. “You wish to imbue yourself under their flimsy exterior, beneath the vulnerable exposed surface.”

“I don’t wanna risk mine either, so you cut and run when you’re good, alright?” Joshua said.

“Of course.”

Tyra stepped away from the cargo and to a nearby console, tapping it and allowing the platform to slide up and into the ship, depositing the goods.

“One more delivery and we will leave,” Tyra said. “I think they can afford us that much.”

“Well, may wanna hurry up telling them that. I feel like I’ve got eyes on me.”

“Do not worry, they are certainly watching us at an arm’s length.”

“Arms tend to grab at you,” Joshua said. “At least in my experience.”

Tyra felt much of the same. She would have expected some sort of convoy to meet with her, or try to halt her in some way, but there was only the taunting voice. Her eyes found a few cameras dotting the place, so they were certainly observing indirectly. But was that all? No guards posted? Not a furious station commander, eager to tear her apart? It was only them, the voice. Whoever they were.

The platform lowered back down into the ground, and the station churned again. Tyra continued her examinations, pondering what manner of Vesperratus could manage an entire station by theirself.

“You think they’re planning something?” Joshua asked.

“There is supposedly only a singular Vesper posted here,” Tyra replied. “They would not be able to accomplish much, I imagine.”

“You sure it’s not an AI thing?”

“Artificial intelligence is not a science they enjoy. Pride overrides the desire to be replaced by a machine.”

“Well, if they’d do anything to win… Anything’s on the table, right?”

Tyra turned to a camera, staring at it. “I suppose it’s very much possible.”

“But that just means you don’t need to worry about stealing from a tin can.”

There was a clicking over the radio. “You should excise the tumor. At the very least you can escape its corrupting influence before it destroys you. If not for Us, then for yourself.”

Tyra’s horns eased forward.

“If you were focused on survival, you would understand this. Instead, you seem under the delusion that you could bond with something that only desires your death. How can you reject the singular idea that has painted our existence?”

Tyra approached one of the cameras at her eye level. She pulled the radio off of her neck.

“I reject your very existence,” she said. “I reject the exposed. I reject all of it. Fester in your genocide, you will not see it to the end. Your war of attrition will see you both of you struggling and writhing in the dirt, and you will still hate one another. For all the anger that stains me, it is weaved into the very fiber of your being. You have normalized your hatred, and for that, the universe will shun you.”

The camera whirred. “I wish I could touch you,” it hissed, voice buzzing through the artificial eye. “Just to be certain that you exist, odd creature that you are.”

“Crawl from your hole. I am waiting.”

“If only I were still of able body to do so.”

Tyra stared at the camera a moment longer before turning and moving back to the supply pad. Another set of materials had come forth, arranged as precisely as it had been before. And as before, Tyra went over it with her device, noting that none of it had been tampered with in any way. Or at the very least, the machine couldn’t detect anything amiss. Her horns lowered. Again, she allowed the supplies to be loaded onto the ship. That was enough for them to retreat far, far away from here. Tyra pressed the radio back onto her neck.

“The supplies have been loaded, Joshua,” Tyra said.

“See, I knew you could pull it off. Almost wish I could see the look on their faces. Or horns, I guess.”

“Yes. As would I.”

Tyra paused, waiting for a rebuttal from the station, but it did not come. She glanced to a camera one last time before boarding the ship once more. Joshua was there, with his gun set aside. He instantly ran to Tyra and pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground, laughing gleefully. Tyra delighted in the vibrations running through him. She was pulled into a humanlike laughter herself.

“Nobody compares to you, Tyra, nobody,” he said. Joshua gave her a squeeze then set her back down. “But I guess we better get going, before the thing out there decides it doesn’t like the deal.”

“You are correct.”

Tyra lingered on his expression for the briefest moment. The smile, the light in his eyes, the glimmer of his skin. This was what she was living for, this man. She turned and moved to the pilot’s seat, plopping down into it. The ship’s engines hummed to life again, and it lifted off of the pad.

“You will be flattened under their heel far before I ever shall,” the station said.

Joshua leaned forward and pressed the broadcast button. “Shut up already, will ya? We’ve got important things to get to.”

“Eloquently put,” Tyra replied with a chuckle.

The ship turned and flew straight out of the hangar. Ease washed over Tyra as her hands tightened on the controls.

“What direction shall we go in, Joshua?” she asked.

“The world’s our oyster, huh?”

“The galaxy, even.”

“A lot of good choices there. You know, humans get a little overwhelmed when we have a lotta things to choose from.”

“Perhaps you could point to whichever star seems the prettiest.”

The ship continued to speed outward into empty space. Joshua sat in the seat next to Tyra.

“You won’t pinch me if I say you, right?”

“I might consider it.” Tyra looked at him, then back to the stars. “Let us soar within this little solar system for now.”

“No rush from me,” Joshua replied. “Though, we should pick up that little time bomb you left, right?”

“I suppose we should. No rush from me.”

They sped farther and farther from the station, Tyra tilting the controls off in the direction of the emergency signaler she had left dangling in space. As she neared it, she was able to interface with it and shut it off remotely, but just to be certain, she wanted to destroy it. Tyra was a woman of her word, after all, or so she wanted to be.

The ship drifted closer to the emergency signaler.

A gravitational warning blared across the console. A dark shape formed in the stars, pulling itself free from the void silently. A hundred more warnings sounded off as all varieties of weaponry began to lock onto the ship. Tyra’s blood ran cold. Along the length of the metallic beast was inscribed that word “Phaethon.” She could see the ship’s construction now, a halo was attached to its midsection and on it ran an array of beam weapons that caught any ship close enough in its net.

Joshua said nothing, staring out at the monstrous steward of space. His head lightly dipped.

“Shall we evade, Joshua?” Tyra asked. “There’s a fair chance we could survive their initial barrage.”

A small smile tugged at the edges of Joshua’s lips. “Something tells me they would just use their special gadget and stop us dead in our tracks.”

“Reasonable assumption. Care to try regardless?”

“I’ll do just about anything right now.”

The ship had nearly phased entirely into reality, bringing with it even more weapons. Tyra grabbed at the controls and yanked them downward as she began her craft’s own phase, engines groaning. Not a single barrage came their way. That was expected, wasn’t it? The entire thing was a charade.

A beam of light trapped them in place, their ship screaming in metallic anger. Tyra continued jerking the controls about fervently before easing off.

“Suppose that’s all we could do,” Tyra said. “I’m sorry, Joshua.” Her horns flared as more of reality seeped into the cracks of her chitin. Her hand came slamming down upon the controls.

“Easy, Tyra. We knew this wasn’t a 100% guaranteed thing.”

Despite Joshua saying that, Tyra could see the twitch in his eye and the subtle grind of his jaw. He was still trying to maintain his authority and comfort her. And for that, she adored him. Still, all she wanted to do was scream. How close it had all been… For this. The humans to come skittering out of the void to ruin everything.

“Disarm yourselves and prepare to disembark upon landing,” a voice came. It wasn’t the captain, as it lacked that smug intonation.

“I’m guessing they’re telling us to get ready to get hauled off?” Joshua said.

“Essentially,” Tyra replied.

Joshua’s eyes trailed down from the blank viewport and toward Tyra. He grabbed at her hand.

“Just like the whole trip wasn’t a guaranteed thing, this isn’t either, right? We’ll be alright.”

Tyra couldn’t reply, but she nodded. She rubbed her thumb into his palm, feeling up the patterns in his hand.

While the window was entirely obscured, the ship did report that they were closing into the human vessel. The light eventually faded and they were drawn into the hangar. Rows of human fighters lined the space, with an empty spot directly in the center for them. Human soldiers surrounded their assigned spot, weapons at the ready.

The ship eased onto the ground, then came the order.

“Disembark, appendages up.”

Joshua nodded at her, then stood up. He pulled her close, then gave her a kiss on her forehead. She returned the favor by pressing her horns back against him.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you,” she replied.

They paused for a moment.

“I’ll go first, alright?” he said.

Tyra nodded.

Joshua squeezed her hand, then approached the door. Tyra followed behind him. The airlock clicked and both doors opened, revealing the open space. Joshua did indeed raise his hands and descended downward. Tyra followed in his footsteps, mimicking much of the same. She instantly felt several eyes on her, gawking at her. This was likely the first time most if not all of them had seen a Vesper. The curious side of her was picking away at their features, but she quickly lost interest. It was irrelevant.

One of the humans departed from the ring, shackling Joshua in handcuffs. He was marched off, while giving Tyra one last look and a pained smile. Another human departed from the circle, flanked on either side by armed men.

“Don’t move!” they barked. Their translators buzzed a moment later with the same instructions.

The human with the handcuffs hesitantly approached. Tyra stared him down. He grabbed at her arms and shackled her, then pushed her onward toward another door. More soldiers joined them, now leading the way as she was prodded along. Joshua was pulled through the very same door, and then he was gone.

It was interesting, being so feared and yet so helpless in this situation. Tyra was far less agonized than she thought. Perhaps she had always been preparing for this inevitability. In the back of her mind, she had always expected it to go wrong. She deserved nothing after all. Her simple schemes and enthusiasm could only get her so far.

Though, that muted sensation began to simmer as Tyra realized that Joshua wasn’t coming back. Her fists tightened. Her insides lurched. There would be nothing left of their happy, blissful existence. This would be her new reality, touted about like an animal.

Tyra’s horns braced forward.

The humans around her began to chatter, hushed whispers. She didn’t hear them, she didn’t want to hear them. She just wanted Joshua back. She wanted to go back to the ship. Her plates flexed, as if she could somehow escape her own carapace. Nausea began to quiver inside her, growing more overwhelming with every step.

At some point, she had been shoved into a small room and sat at table, shackled to it. Tyra tried to relax, but somehow the room felt as though it were boiling. That couldn’t be right. She could feel the tinge of a chill on her chitin. It burned all the same.

A human stood guard at the door, staring her down with his rifle in-hand. More likely stood outside. Tyra kept her focus on the table, trying to make her body obedient again, crushing the sickening feelings running through her. Time crept on by and she could scarcely calm herself. This focus was broken when another human entered and sat in front of her.

“Hello,” the human said. Her translator repeated her greeting.

A female? Tyra’s head tilted upward, meeting the human’s eyeline. A fragile thing. Her blonde hair came down to her shoulders and her blue eyes maintained an uneasy glare at Tyra. Yes, she was the feared one in this situation. Tyra straightened her posture and examined more of the feminine creature, noting how she differed from males. The softness, the unblemished skin, the subtle curves that traced along her red dress uniform. She produced a handheld computer and tapped away at it.

“Hello,” Tyra replied, greeting the woman in her own human tongue.

“You speak English?”

“I do.”

The woman removed the translator from her uniform, setting it aside.

“I apologize for the suddenness of this interrogation,” she said. “Normally we would examine you for wounds and let you rest for some time, but the captain was insistent on what you had to say.”

“I imagine I am one of the few Vesperratus to speak to you.”

The woman paused. “Yes. The others have a tendency to be violent.”

“Yes.” Tyra nodded. “They do.”

“First and foremost, do you have a title you prefer to be referred to as?”

The guard behind her seemed to scoff at this question.

“My name is Tyra, I would prefer that.”

“Tyra, then.”

“And yours?” Tyra asked.

The interrogator’s eyes subtly widened. “Jemima.”

Soft. Fitting for a female like her. And indeed, likely why she was chosen as an interrogator. A calm outward appearance to try and pacify the Vesperratus. Unfortunately, their zealotry likely superseded any psychological effects that a seemingly fragile intermediary might have.

“And what it is it that you wish to discuss, Jemima?” Tyra asked.

“You, and your compatriot, Joshua. We’ll focus on you for now. What was your role within the Lithovespan military?”

“A mixture of reconnaissance and researcher. My duties shifted routinely.”

“And the nature of those duties?”

“I was tasked with understanding humans, essentially. We may translate your words, but some nuance can be lost in that. And as for research, most of that was lost with the destruction of my original stationed ship.”

“So,” Jemima started, “you were part of a listening station, essentially.”

“Of sorts, yes.”

“And the research?”

“Attempts at shifting explosives into a planet’s core. It yielded no results.”

More tapping on the computer. “What led to the abandonment of your post?”

That word, abandonment, stung. Tyra focused on the fleeting sensation of Joshua’s hands.

“We came under fire by a human vessel. Seemingly hopeless, the others attempted to board the vessel. I refused. They perished. I remained on a dying ship.”

“And Joshua? How did he become a hostage?”

Tyra stared. Of course, they would assume that. Even this seemingly objective creature was poised to accept the worst explanation. She thought on that for a moment, wondering if it would be best if she simply played along with that assumption. Joshua may be released if that were the case, and he might even be held in some special status among his people. Tyra chittered. No, he would gladly explain the story in intricate, over-exaggerated detail.

“He is my partner,” Tyra replied.

“Elaborate. Was this a trade?”

“My lover, if you will.”

“Romantic partner, that is?”

Even still, Jemima wouldn’t accept it, would she? Despite her blank expression, the instant question was enough to show her confusion. The clarification was needed, in the off chance there was some sort of failure to grasp human lexicon.

“Yes, the one I had planned to spend the rest of my existence with. I imagine you have someone similar. Or… perhaps not, considering your post. Little time for partners when you’re under conscription. I was very much the same way.” More life bled into Tyra’s words as she spoke.

“And he reciprocated this relationship?”

“Would you like me to explain our sexual experiences? Perhaps that might better outline the depths of our partnership.”

The guard in the background stared at Tyra. Yes, that must have come as some surprised to him, as well.

“No, thank you,” Jemima said. “That’s superfluous.” She readjusted in her seat. “Then you came to view each other as equal partners. How did you come into contact?”

“Joshua had stolen one of your ships and planned to salvage the remains of my ship to ‘hock’ it.” Tyra laughed. His vernacular was so plain and yet so colorful. “Yes, I believe his idea was to buy a mansion.”

“He abandoned his post as well, then. AWOL, as it were.”

“Very much so. He was wounded during salvage and I tended to his wounds.” Tyra looked back down at the table. It seemed so long ago now that they had joined forces. “Both of us wanted to flee, so I concocted a plan to escape. Tunnels of fate had kept us tightly wound together for quite some time.”

“Has he claimed anything otherwise? Belonging to part of a mission to reclaim Lithovespan technology, perhaps?”

“He was right, none of you truly know anything.”

“Answer the question, please,” Jemima said.

“No. Aside from when he fucked with your captain, that is.” Her horns flapped. “That is a fun word to say, isn’t it?”

Jemima looked to her pad, then back at Tyra. “And how did you come to possess your ship?”

“Deception. Murder. Theft. Simple things.”

“Please, do elaborate.”

“If your craving for sedition is so great, certainly. An emergency flare gained the attention of a nearby Vesperratus ship. They sent their reclamation vessel. We killed its pilots. We stole the ship. Simple enough?”

“You seem to be skipping quite a few details.”

“There’s little for me to elaborate on. At least in terms of your interest. You want to figure out what potential intel I hold, but in truth, there isn’t any.”

“Every part of this story is interesting, and every detail should be scrutinized.”

Tyra began the long, winding process of explaining the very beginning of her despair to the very end, where she sat. The story, admittedly, gave her some shreds of happiness once more. Her life had essentially ended, but she managed to pull out at least a temporary joy from the carcass of her past existence. Jemima nodded along and wrote down several things, most likely hoping to pry apart her story.

“You seem awfully lucky,” Jemima said.

“I suppose so,” Tyra replied. “I would like to think my actions helped spur luck into action, at the very least. And, of course, my partner.”

“It does make me question the validity of your statements.”

“I imagine Joshua would tell you the same story. Perhaps with an amusing flair or two. He’s very good at those.”

“I’m sure you understand how hard it is to grapple with the idea of this level of companionship. Lithovespans are exceedingly xenophobic, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Yes, they are.”

Jemima wrote down another thing. “And you simply broke that mold?”

“I suppose I did, but an innate curiosity opened me to the idea of a dialogue with them. I’m certain many of your scientists would like to speak to any number of Vesperratus, wouldn’t they? Despite how easily violence could brew between the two. I was simply ‘lucky’ enough to meet a human in such dire circumstances.”

“When you were already excommunicated.”

“Precisely. Much like how the Vespers are portrayed as unfeeling insectoids, they portray you as brutish consumers desiring little else except to populate and destroy.” Tyra nodded. “Perhaps not far from the truth, but it does lack nuance.”

“Would you want to return to Lithovespan society?”

“No.”

“And why is that?”

Tyra flapped her horns. “Joshua could not join me.” She chuckled.

“I see.” Jemima continued to tap through her computer.

It was then that Tyra realized that this was the sort of creature that Joshua should have been attracted to. This soft, elegant human. She wondered, then, if he would trade any of her chitinous features for something softer. Or if… He might revert to admiring a human female now that he had gotten a glimpse of them. No. No, that wasn’t right. They were partners, and he wouldn’t break that, would he?

“And may I ask, what you intend to do with us?” Tyra said.

“That is not for me to say.”

“What do you assume will happen? You do wish to build a rapport with me, after all. I think it’s reasonable to give your prisoner this shred of information.”

Jemima’s lips twitched. She was thinking on her words.

“Joshua will likely be tried for his AWOL status, if he’s not given some sort of deal for whatever info he can divulge. You? I cannot say for certain. Lithovespans are rare as prisoners, and as far as I’m aware, rarer when it comes to their amicability.”

“Another delightful aspect of being so special, I suppose.”

“It’s likely they will transport you to some sort of special holding arrangement.”

“Away from Joshua, then.” Tyra stared.

“That would likely be the case.”

“What if I were to say I would no longer be amicable without him?”

Jemima glanced to her computer as something on it beeped. “I doubt that would sway them, but I suppose it’s possible with how open you’ve been.”

“I see.”

“I’ll have to leave now. I enjoyed talking with you, Tyra.”

“Likewise, Jemima.”

Tyra watched as she got up and left the room. It wasn’t as enjoyable as she might have implied, but Tyra did enjoy watching them shift uncomfortably. There must have been a vast disconnect between the Vespers they had seen destroy their peoples so casually, and the one sitting in front of them, talking so politely.

The only other person left in the room now was the guard. He maintained his stoic facade, but was blatantly staring at Tyra. She almost wanted to ask what thoughts were rumbling in his head. Best not, as interesting as it might have been. This was essentially his first contact scenario, and he was burning it into his mind.

Most of the fighting that had gone on between their kind was relegated to impersonal spaceship battles, with little in the way of visible casualties. It must have been so easy for their minds to wander on the Vesperratus, beginning to dream up ever monstrous forms for their enemy. Now, here Tyra was, a reasonably sized creature having a normal conversation.

Though, in that moment, she craved some of that monstrous power. The acceptance was beginning to whittle away. Tyra’s fate was in her grasp and now it was slipping away again. Maybe they should have feared her, that would give her every advantage in escaping. She lightly pulled on her restraints, feeling the metal dig into her chitin.

Tyra took a moment to pause, letting the air slither through her body. She was safe. Joshua was safe. That was all she could ask for in that moment. There was not much she could do except observe and think. At some point, a new tunnel may yet open itself. She had gotten this far, hadn’t she? Perhaps that luck hadn’t run out just yet. Perhaps there was a sliver of hope, waiting to be unveiled in the path ahead of her.