FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“We used to think we were number one. We were the best. The only sapient species in the galaxy, but then they came along and everything changed."

Marcus slurred his words slightly as he spoke. A mostly empty bottle of wine was in his hand, almost striking the woman sat next to him at the bar as he gestured with every word. She had the look of someone who had long since tuned out of the conversation, with glazed over eyes that only still looked at Marcus out of politeness. Not that Marcus had noticed any of that. He still spoke with the same vigour of someone who had an entranced audience.

“We thought we were the top dogs. We'd colonised Mars at last. Decades upon decades of planning, and we thought that was such a massive achievement," Marcus continued. He paused to drink right from the bottle of wine, not even bothering with a glass. “And then pow. They turned up and showed us how meaningless we all were. We're nothing but ants in the big, wide sky of possibilities."

“Mmm," the woman said.

“But they're nice to us. No alien invasions, so far at least. Just friendliness and offering us knowledge of how to take our place amongst the stars. And now this," Marcus said, gesturing down to the bar. “They're offering places for some of us to go up to the stars with them. I know I won't get in, but thought I might as well put in an application anyway."

Marcus sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I'd just finished my degree when they showed up. Bachelor of Hydroponics and Terraforming." He barked in laughter. “All useless now. Their tech is better than anything we imagined up. So what do I do? Nothing I can do here with that degree. Might as well give it a shot."

Marcus turned to look at his audience, only to find an empty seat beside him. He sighed and looked up, catching sight of his audience slipping into a seat on the other side of the bar, with a group of other guys who were all chatting and laughing together.

With another sigh, Marcus turned away. He stared at the bottle of wine and drained the last few drops. He had nothing else to wait around for, so he paid up his tab and staggered outside.

Humanity had changed so much in the last few years since first contact. Their species as a whole had advanced so much, using the new technology from their benevolent carers into this new, exciting era. For people like Marcus, who had put their education and development into technologies that had been rapidly made irrelevant, there was the danger of being swept aside into obscurity. Nowadays, Marcus felt as irrelevant as his field of research. No one needed to know how to terraform a planet over the course of a century anymore. With new tech, the same results could be achieved within mere years.

All around Marcus were the wonders of technology. No vehicles traversed the city at ground level, with everything passing by in tunnels beneath the surface. All the energy they used was clean and renewable, with the days of dirty coal and oil since passed.

Marcus looked up to the dark sky. This deep into the bright city, he could not see the stars. The hidden pinpoints of light still held their wonder too much, but most of the unknown had already been stripped away. Up there, amongst the stars, was a vast civilisation beyond the comprehension of humanity. Soon, humanity would get the chance to take their seat at the galactic table, but first, their benefactors said, they needed to learn what waited for them.

That was where Marcus hoped he came in. The call had come out a few months ago, asking for volunteers who would be the first humans to leave the solar system. They would go with the creatures from beyond the stars; the furaxi. Marcus had jumped on the opportunity, but the closer to the choosing the date reached, the less confident he felt about his chances.

No one on Earth or Mars could ever be considered homeless or destitute, but Marcus was as close as someone could still get to that. He had no job, no hobbies, and no skills that needed to be used. He felt cut adrift in time. Why would the furaxi ever want him? Why would any human ever nominate him for the chance to prove himself beyond the stars?

Marcus sighed as he approached his apartment building. From the base, he couldn't see the top of the tall tower, no matter how high he craned his neck. Thousands of people lived in one building, and Marcus knew the names of two of them. One of them, Sandra, worked on the help desk on the ground floor. The other, Kieran, was one of the janitors. Everyone else was a stranger to Marcus.

He had lived there for three years.

Weary feet found their way into the elevator. The walk had cleared away some of the drunkenness, only to be replaced by a deep-seated tiredness that Marcus didn't know how to shake. The elevator smoothly ascended two dozen floors without stopping, before depositing Marcus at his floor. The carpeted corridor was empty of his neighbours.

A holo-notification beeped at Marcus as he pushed open his door. He glanced to the holoscreen and sighed. “Hit me with it then," he said quietly, pushing the door closed behind him.

An electronic voice chirped brightly in response; his apartment's personal service system. Every apartment had one. They were all called Hallie, though no one really knew why. “Good morning, Marcus. You are up late tonight. You have one new notification of incoming mail. Would you like to receive it now, or wait until morning?"

“How important is it? Who's it from?"

“Marked as urgent. Delivered by the Furaxi Collaboration Committee."

Marcus dropped his keycard. His head felt light. “Already? I didn't expect anything for three more days."

“Would you like me to delay reading the message for three days?" Hallie asked.

“No!" Marcus yelped. He fumbled on the floor for his keycard. “Please play it now."

Hallie's voice changed from its usual electronic tone to a deep voice Marcus recognised from the FCC. Director Alnwick. “Marcus. Delightful news for you. We've selected you to be on the collaboration mission. Meet up with me and the rest of your group on the 12th at our headquarters so we can run through the particulars with you. Congratulations, and good luck!"

Marcus slumped back against the wall. His mouth hung open. “Play back the message again, please," he asked Hallie, barely daring to believe he had heard the service system correctly.

The message from Director Alnwick replayed. Every word remained the same.

Marcus clapped his hands over his mouth and felt tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't believe it. He was going to be leaving Earth to travel with the furaxi, all the way to their home in the stars. He had been chosen!

Hallie beeped. “Date added to planner. Meet Director Alnwick in three days. Meeting subject: departing Earth."

“I can't believe it," Marcus said, still in deep shock. He shook his head and laughed. “I'm really going, Hallie. I'm leaving all of this behind."

“Should I set a reminder for your return?" Hallie asked.

“I don't know. I don't know when I'll be coming back. Or even if I'll want to," Marcus said in a hushed whisper. His throat felt tight. Some nerves were there, but mostly excitement filled his mind. Three days was all he had to wait until his life would be forever changed. He would be going to the stars with eleven other humans and the entirety of the furaxi species.

Finally, there was a purpose to Marcus's life. Things could only get better from here.

The only problem now was waiting for those three days to pass.

***

The tall white tower at the centre of the city was visible for kilometres in all directions; even through the tall skyscrapers that lined the city streets. The gleaming tower was the centre of human civilisation, where the government sat and made decisions for two planets and countless small satellites and craft in between. If something happened between the two planets, then the White Tower would know about it.

Marcus stood nervously at the base of the tower, staring up towards the distant summit. A bright blue sky shone down from above, bathing the city in light. Flags of all nations fluttered in the light breeze above the wide doors.

Marcus knew he was in the right place. He had been there once before, in the initial interview phase of the applications. He had not expected to come back again. He certainly had not expected to come back so soon, and to be successful in his application.

Slowly, Marcus made his way inside the gleaming building. The interior sparkled just as brightly as the exterior, with clean white walls reflecting in an almost biological glow. A helpful assistant guided Marcus to the room he needed to be in. A nervous energy filled the air, tempered with excitement. Everyone present knew that the day's events would likely be the start of a grand new era in humanity, one that had been teased ever since the furaxi had made contact.

Marcus was taken up to a large boardroom, so far up in the White Tower that he felt he was halfway to space already. Out of the window he could see the endless expanse of the city stretching out to all horizons. But for the occasional parkland, there was no sign of the nature that had once covered the planet this side of the horizon.

With a sigh, Marcus removed his glasses and gently wiped the glass with the inside of his shirt to remove a small smudge. Without them, he was forced into a slight squint to account for the blurriness of his vision.

For the moment, Marcus was alone, but that didn't last for long. One by one, the chosen dozen all filtered in to the boardroom. When they were all present, Marcus counted five other men, with the remaining six being women. He wasn't surprised about that.

No one spoke to each other just yet. Some of the chosen few took seats around the large table, while others remained standing. Only Marcus stood by the windows to look out over the city.

Before too long, another man came into the room. Marcus recognised the newcomer from his original application interview. This was Director Alnwick. He was followed by a woman he didn't recognise.

The director took his place at the head of the table and waited for everyone's attention to turn to him. He cleared his throat when one small conversation refused to die down. He smiled his big, broad smile and looked around the room. “I'm so happy to see you all on time. Congratulations on being chosen to represent humanity amongst the stars."

The woman coughed politely. “It should be important to note," she said, glaring pointedly at the director, “that you will not be officially representing humans. We have ambassadors being prepared for service. You are merely a goodwill gesture that we are willing to learn their ways. You will report back to us with your findings, but you will not be our voice amongst the stars."

Director Alnwick nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, of course," he said, quick to agree with the woman. He gestured one hand towards her. “This is Professor Leslie Grant. She will oversee your preparations before you meet the furaxi."

One of the chosen men raised his hand. “When can we expect to meet them?"

Professor Grant didn't look like she was going to answer for a moment. She pursed her lips and appraised the room. Her eyes lingered on Marcus. “Within the week. They are sending a ship to pick you up at Phobos. We will have you in Martian orbit ready for them."

Marcus wasn't the only one who let out an audible gasp. He held his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide. He felt acutely aware of every breath he made, seeming so loud to his own ears.

“So soon?" one of the women asked. “I thought there would be a lot to learn first."

Professor Grant shook her head. “Truth be told, there is little knowledge we have to pass on to you. The furaxi requested that they be the ones to teach you all you need to know. We have respected those wishes. You will be our eyes and our ears, but we wish to impress on you again: you will not be our mouths. You are not representing humanity. You are merely learning for us."

Director Alnwick clapped his hands together. “After all of that, are there any questions?"

Marcus had many questions, but he kept them all to himself. He expected that all his questions would be answered in the week to come; or else they would be answered by the furaxi. Some questions though, he doubted had an answer. The one that buzzed around his head the most was simple. Why? Why had he been chosen over everyone else?

That was a question he did not expect to be answered.

***

None of Marcus's questions had been answered. Only further questions had been raised.

In the six days since Marcus had first met Professor Grant, she had given several lessons on what was expected of the dozen lucky candidates who would get to first travel with the furaxi. None of those lessons focused on what the candidates would expect to see amongst the stars. Whenever the professor had been questioned about that topic, she had been vague and hesitant. Marcus got the impression that she didn't know what was waiting for them out there.

Instead, most of their lessons had focused more on how they could collate information and have it sent back to Earth and Mars. They were instructed on how to avoid making statements on behalf of humanity, and instead how to stand back and take in as much knowledge as possible. Much of what they learned would be beyond their comprehension, but the professor was confident that they would be able to focus on what was important.

Marcus had also learned a little bit about his fellow candidates. They had all come from different areas of expertise, as well as differing social backgrounds. Only one other, like him, was someone who could be considered a failure. Emma had been a university drop-out, and had drifted from mediocre job to mediocre job, without any drive for the future. Others had been successful. Derek had been instrumental in developing the technology required to mine resources from asteroids amongst the gas giants. Shinji's father had been one of the first colonists on Mars.

No matter what their background, all twelve were treated equally by Professor Grant. No one had preferential treatment at any stage of their education. No one demanded any.

Finally, the day they had all been waiting for came. The dozen candidates were transported out of Earth's orbit and loaded on a fast shuttle to Mars. Excitement grew within the dozen, tempered only by their nervousness for what was about to come. None of the twelve had ever seen one of the furaxi face-to-face; even images of the alien species had been hard to come by. Professor Grant claimed she had met one of the aliens once, but she refused to elaborate anything more on that meeting. She told the candidates that it would be better if they went into the first meeting without any preconceived notions about what the aliens were like.

Marcus spent most of the flight to Mars browsing through various documentaries that had been hastily put together in the short time since the furaxi's arrival. Most of the programs were full of speculation, as little information had actually seeped out into public knowledge about just what waited for humanity beyond the stars. Marcus had always assumed the top government representatives had known more, but the longer he had spent around Professor Grant and Director Alnwick, the less he believed that.

He was to be amongst the first twelve to truly know what lay beyond the boundaries of the solar system. Marcus thought back to all the greats he had learned about through human history, especially those around space exploration. Had they all felt the same twitchy excitement he felt now?

The twelve candidates never landed on Mars. Instead, they transferred to the gleaming new satellite that orbited the once-uninhabitable red planet. There were no crowds waiting to meet them, just as there had been no crowds to send them off from Earth. Marcus got the impression the whole affair was being kept shrouded in secrecy, just in case anything went amiss. No one had said that outright, but he had expected the exchange to be treated with a higher profile.

The satellite did not house the candidates and Professor Grant for long. They were quickly moved on to a second shuttle, which would take them on the much smaller journey to Phobos, one of the two small moons that orbited Mars. Marcus had always dreamed of coming to Mars. The early stories of colonisation on the red planet had painted Mars as this far-away, distant frontier. Now, Marcus knew the red planet was merely their doorstep still. Soon, he would be travelling far beyond anywhere he could have imagined or hoped for.

Phobos approached on the sensors. From the limited view Marcus had, he could not see anything outside the ordinary. No non-human craft lurked close to the small moon.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed through the shuttle. The screens all switched off. Tension rose as Professor Grant stood and turned to face the candidates, with only the flickering emergency light above her head to illuminate her body. “We're here. This is your time."

Slowly, Marcus rose to his feet. His knees felt weak as he stepped away from his seat. A hushed silence had fallen across the shuttle. Every moment since they had put their applications in had been leading to this.

A soft, yellow light began to emanate out from the shuttle door. Marcus resisted the urge to step back.

“What is that?" one of the candidates whispered. Without looking back, Marcus thought it had been Ellen who had spoken.

“Nano… quantum… thing…" Professor Grant said, stumbling over her words. She clicked her tongue. “Teleport ring."

“We're meant to go through there?" Shinji asked.

“That's right, yes," Professor Grant replied, with a little more confidence back in her voice. “Go through there, and you'll be with the furaxi. Apart from each other, I don't know when the next time you see another human will be. Good luck. And remember what we've taught you."

Marcus looked back to Professor Grant for a moment. Realising he was at the front of the group of candidates, he took a couple of steps closer to the portal ring. This close to the ring of yellow light, he could hear a slight crackle of energy emanating out. The smell of ozone filled his nose.

Before he could regret what he was about to do, Marcus stepped into the light.

Everything vanished into a white haze. His skin tingled, like he had been dipped in icy water.

The light streaked past his head and a dull roaring filled his ears. Marcus got the impression he was moving incredibly quickly, but he couldn't feel anything on his body.

Then it was over. Solid ground returned beneath his feet, and the piercing lights around him faded into nothing. Darkness briefly surrounded him, before he took another step forward.

The floor felt warm, even through his shoes. The surface was perfectly smooth, with a bright metallic sheen. It dipped down into a concave shape; a depression in the surrounding floor. His eyes slowly moved up to see what was above his head. A circular ledge ran around the top of the bowl-like depression. A dozen pods were set back into the wall on the other side of a narrow walkway that circumvented the depression entirely. Marcus couldn't see an obvious sign of a door.

Marcus pulled his glasses down to wipe them on his sleeve. The alien room almost disappeared with the blurriness of his vision, with most of the details all fading into a smudged mess.

A slight sizzling caught his attention, like bacon cooking on a pan. Marcus returned his glasses and turned around with wide eyes to see the swirling portal of light intensify for a moment, before a shadow emerged from within. Shinji stepped out from the light, looking every bit as stunned and awestruck as Marcus felt.

Marcus stepped back, closer to the centre of the deep depression. Shinji followed him, making room for the ten others who would come through the portal.

Everyone who came through the portal had the same dazed expression on their face, but once all twelve were through, a little disappointment started to creep across some faces.

“No one is here?" Derek said quietly.

None of the candidates had tried to climb out of the bowl, with the sloped floor steepening too much before the ledge above their heads. Marcus couldn't feel much grip on the slightly warmed metallic surface.

“Are we in the right place?"

“Where even are we?"

Marcus kept his silence as mutters of concern spread through his companions. Fears that this was nothing more than a prank at his expense began to bubble towards the forefront of his mind, but he bit his tongue and didn't say anything yet. His companions were all speaking his thoughts. He didn't need to add anything to that.

A bright light started to shine out from the far side of the room, just above the ledge.

Marcus gasped and blindly reached back, tapping someone on the shoulder. He didn't see who he touched, or how they reacted, but slowly the ripples of discontent fell into silence. All eyes were focused on the swirling light and the dark shape that began to emerge from within.

The dark shape grew larger. It was clearly not a human shape, though it appeared to move on two legs. Two arms were in the usual place, but Marcus thought he could also see something that could be a tail.

The furaxi stepped out of the portal and looked around the group of humans. The alien looked almost like a feline, but not quite. Marcus was reminded of those ancient paintings of exotic animals, where the artist had clearly never seen the animal they were painting. Marcus thought that someone who had never seen a cat might draw one like the furaxi.

They had four limbs, standing upright on slightly crooked legs. Clawed toes tapped at the metallic floor. A long, slender tail swished slowly from side to side. The furaxi's furred torso was thin and long, seeming almost ethereal in appearance. Long, slender arms reached out in front of the alien's body. A short muzzle pressed out on the front of its face, teeth bared in a facsimile of a smile. Bright green eyes seemed to shine with their own light as the alien looked to the humans. They were clad in light, white robes that draped over their body almost light an afterthought.

The furaxi lifted one hand. They had a small metallic device clasped between their fingers.

The alien spoke in a language that Marcus had never heard, sounding like a cat hissing and spitting at a foe. The little device in their hand translated their speech, and English words emanated from a speaker.

“Welcome to our ship. You are our honoured guests, and I look forward to getting to know you all. Your species is fascinating to me, and I can't wait to learn all about you, just as I am sure you want to know about me. For your first day, we will keep you in here while we chart our course back to the Galactic Hub, and while we provide you with all you need to survive in an alien environment."

The furaxi clasped their hands over their chest while the translator finished speaking.

“What may we call you?" Derek asked, all traces of his doubt seemingly faded with the appearance of the alien creature.

The furaxi waited for the translator to change Derek's words into their alien language. They then spoke, with the translator speaking English again.

“My name is Hsss'Sysssysh'Kqak, but should your mouths fail to adapt to my name, you may call me Hiss." Teeth were exposed more as an uncomfortable smile spread across the furaxi's face, as though they were not used to the motion. “I am a female of my species, should you not be aware of our sexual differences yet."

The furaxi looked around the small group of humans. Her long, pointed ears were partially folded down. “Please, get comfortable in here for the night. You will find your pods have been named for each of you. Inside, you will find entertainment to keep you occupied. There is also an information channel we have curated to give you the basics of what awaits you at the end of our journey. Do you have any questions? I will do my best to answer them."

“Why can't we get started right away?" Ellen asked.

The furaxi's eyes turned to look at Ellen as her device translated the question. The alien bowed her head. “I must apologise, but there must be a period of isolation first. Your pathogens are different to ours. We need to ensure you are vaccinated against ours, and that you cannot transmit yours to us. I have been vaccinated against your pathogens, but we are not yet ready to mass-produce these for my crew."

“How long will that take?" Marcus asked. He hoped it would not take too long, for he would hate to be cooped up on an alien spaceship without actually getting the chance to see the aliens.

“We estimate around six of your standard Earth months will be sufficient." She raised her hands to curtail the cries of protest that had threatened to spread around the room. “Rest assured you will not be locked in here for that long. We have a way to protect you and ourselves from unknown pathogens. We will all be safe in each other's company, and you will be able to walk amongst us."

That helped to ease some of Marcus's worries. He wanted the chance to explore and learn; being cooped up inside a pod while he waited for vaccinations was not his kind of fun.

“If you have no further questions to raise, then I shall leave you so I can prepare the ship for departure. Your pods are fully automated and will provide you with nutrition as required. Rest well, and I shall return tomorrow to begin your necessary procedures."

The furaxi bowed again, before turning to walk back through the open portal. The swirling circle of light vanished, leaving behind no way out of the circular room. An alarm beeped somewhere above Marcus's head. A brief moment of concern followed, before the floor beneath his feet began to rise up. The indentation in the floor became smooth and flat, leaving the twelve humans with uninhibited access to wander around the room.

Marcus wandered away from the rest of his chosen companions. He took a closer look at one of the dozen pods that surrounded the room. Inside the frosted glass wall was a small area, padded with soft cushion-like walls. There didn't appear to be anywhere to lie down. A small thought bubbled to the back of Marcus's head. Perhaps this was one of the first things he could note down as something interesting. Maybe furaxi didn't sleep lying down? Perhaps they stayed standing even in sleep.

As the furaxi had promised, there was a large screen inside the pod. Marcus couldn't see any controls for the screen, but he imagined there was probably some easy way to use it.

A name had been etched into a small plaque above the door. This pod was Shinji's.

Marcus wandered around until he found his pod. Slowly, the rest of his companions were all trying to find theirs. Some rippled conversations spread through the room, but Marcus in particular didn't have anything to say. His head was still a little overwhelmed by his first interaction with the furaxi, and he was sure that many of the others were feeling the same way.

All Marcus wanted was the chance to be in isolation for a little while and compose his thoughts. He could only imagine there was so much he was going to learn soon. The first interaction had felt surprisingly normal and mundane, but he doubted that would last for long.

Slipping inside his pod, Marcus bade good night to his companions. He pulled close the pod door with a hiss, then leaned back into the comfortable cushions. He was surprised at how soft they were. He sunk into them, feeling his feet lift up off the ground slightly so his weight didn't keep pressing down on them.

“Huh," he said in surprise. He didn't feel like he was still upright, as though the gravity had somehow shifted within the confines of his pod. Even after just a few seconds, he felt like he could easily sleep despite his upright position.

Marcus still couldn't see any obvious way to switch on the screen in front of him. He placed his hand on the side of the screen, and was surprised when it switched on. Bright white lettering filled the screen, all in English.

A menu displayed several options; all of which appeared to be information he could learn about the furaxi and the coalition of power that spread across the galaxy. Marcus didn't know where to begin. He scrolled through the menu and idly scratched behind his ear. He felt comfortable in the pod, but he needed something to sate his curiosity.

Marcus picked one of the options at random. He leaned back into the cushioned wall, getting comfortable as a video began to play.

***

Marcus didn't know how long he had slept. He felt like he had stayed up for many hours watching the videos, learning a little about the furaxi and their home planet of Hyssansyr. Most of the information given had been basic, not going into too much detail. Lacking most of the context surrounding the provided information, Marcus found himself more confused and full of wonder, with very few of his questions answered. All he had learned was that Hyssansyr was an oxygen-atmosphere planet like Earth, which would allow humans to live on the surface without needing any specialised equipment.

Marcus felt refreshed as he woke up, feeling like he didn't need his traditional morning coffee. It was a feeling he wasn't much used to.

All twelve pod doors seemed to open at the same time. Marcus stepped outside simultaneously to the other chosen companions; all twelve looked around each other, all sharing the same expression of confused wonder. Marcus had felt no particular impulsion to step outside his pod, but he was amazed that all twelve of them had chosen to do so at the same time. Something more was behind it, he was sure.

Almost immediately afterwards, the portal came to life and a furaxi stepped through. Marcus couldn't be certain that she was the same furaxi as the previous day.

The furaxi held up one of the small translating devices. “It is good to see you all again. I trust you slept well?" she said, speaking through the little machine.

Marcus joined in the chorus of affirmation. He nodded his head, confident now that this was Hiss, the furaxi who had greeted them. He realised then that her presence meant they had already left behind Mars, and would be well on their way towards Hyssansyr. He wondered where exactly they were, but he had no frame of reference of anything outside the circular room.

The furaxi spread her long, slender arms wide. “If you would be so kind, I would like to start the quarantine process now, so that I can begin the tour of the ship for you. It would be my honour to show you, the first humans, around a furaxi vessel."

Marcus felt a little flicker of apprehension. He couldn't have been the only one, as Shinji cleared his throat. “Just what does that involve?"

Hiss smiled. At least, attempted to smile. Her lips didn't quite allow for the right movement. “It is a simple process. You will be clad in a hygienic suit that will allow you to walk amongst us with minimal interference to your bodily functions and activities. All twelve of you will require this suit, or else you will not be permitted to walk amongst us for the duration of your quarantine. Who would come first?"

Marcus looked around at the group. A few bit lips and awkward shuffles had followed Hiss's words. He took a step forward. “I'll go first."

Again, Hiss smiled in her eerie way. She extended her hands out, and she gently touched Marcus's hands. He hadn't realised until then that her fingers were coated in very fine, short fur. Her touch also felt oddly cool to him. “You are the one called Marcus, correct?"

“I am, yes."

“Good. Then please step forward into the middle of the room. I would ask that you remove your clothes first."

Marcus blinked. He looked up to the alien. He reddened as his gaze then moved back to his fellow humans. A few of them giggled and snickered. “All of them?" he asked.

“All of them, yes. We require access to your skin," the alien replied. She gestured towards the middle of the room, where the previous day had been the lowest point of the depression.

Feeling his skin redden a little more, Marcus stepped forward. He now regretted his decision to volunteer first, but he knew he had no choice but to listen to what Hiss had to say. He wriggled out of his shirt and pants, to stand only in his underwear. Unsure of where to put his clothes for the moment, he dropped them down onto the floor by his feet. He looked up at Hiss briefly, hoping she may say that was enough, but she wasn't even looking at him.

With a sigh, Marcus dropped his underwear too. He cupped his hands in front of his crotch, but there was no modesty left for him. His only comfort came in the thought that his companions would all have to go through the same process.

“Step forward here, please," Hiss said. She pointed towards the very middle of the room.

Marcus looked down at the floor. He was sure the lighter coloured disk had not been there the previous day, but now there was a discoloured section right where Hiss told him to stand.

As Marcus stepped forward, he was surprised by a loud clunk. The floor opened up before him, and a harness and metal frame rose from beneath. Several nozzles on the end of long, flexible hoses were draped around the side of the multi-armed frame.

“Whoa!"

Marcus's gasp of surprise was replicated by several voices behind him. For a moment, Marcus was almost able to forget his nakedness.

With Hiss's help, Marcus stood in front of the metallic frame. His hands and feet all fit snuggly into the harness, the straps of which were made of something that seemed like leather. Unfortunately for him, that kept his hands away from his crotch, but at least he was facing in the opposite direction to his companions, who had all clustered together on one side of the circular room.

“So. What does this actually do?" Marcus asked, feeling a little nervous. He had expected a suit to wear, but he couldn't determine the purpose of anything he could see. Was it some kind of shower, perhaps? He didn't know how accurate Hiss's translator was.

“This will protect you from our air, and us from your pathogens," Hiss explained, without actually explaining anything at all.

The furaxi pulled away the nozzles from the frame. There were four in total; one pointed at each of his limbs. The alien checked the metallic arms, making sure the harness was fully secured around Marcus's body. She then made a quiet sound like a soft hiss, and plucked the glasses off the human's face.

“Hey!" Marcus yelped. “I can't see without those."

“You do not need them with us," the alien replied. “Please keep your fingers and toes spread wide. We're ready to begin now. Do not be alarmed."

Before Marcus could respond, he heard a low click coming from somewhere just behind him. A loud whirring followed just after, and the hoses connected to the nozzles began to move.

Without his glasses, everything was just an incoherent blur to Marcus. The nozzles moved, and something cold was sprayed against his skin. He tried to recoil, but his wrists and ankles were firmly bound by the harness.

The cold fluid adhered to his skin, not seeming to trickle away at all. The cool feeling spread up his limbs quickly as the nozzles moved all around him. A warm rubber pad pressed against his crotch, squeezing over his cock slightly awkwardly, before he felt his shaft slip into a rubbery tube. He couldn't see what had happened to his, and nor could he move his arms to feel what was going on.

The nozzles moved all around Marcus's body. He could hear gasps of surprise and murmurs of conversation coming from behind him, but he couldn't hear exactly what was being said. The noise of the machine was too loud, and he quickly lost his focus as the nozzles turned their attention to his torso.

Marcus gasped. The cold fluid over his chest felt discomforting for a moment, before it seemed to harden and warm up to his body temperature. He felt almost like a second skin was setting over him, slowly engulfing his entire body. His four limbs all felt covered, though tactile senses were still coming through. His torso and crotch were likewise covered, leaving only his buttocks and head exposed.

“Whoa…" he gasped, feeling the nozzles stop spraying him with their cold fluids. A second rubber pad pressed against his backside, and a series of needles jabbed into his skin, right over his coccyx. Something heavy draped over the back of his thighs, but Marcus couldn't twist his head around to see it.

Now with only his head exposed, Marcus thought the procedure had to be done, but there was still one more surprise for him. Hiss's hands pressed hard around his neck, forcing him to look right ahead. His eyes flicked up just in time to see a helmet descending from the ceiling.

All sound and light vanished from Marcus's world as the helmet fitted snugly around his head. The inside seemed to be made of a soft, foamy substance and perfectly fitted around his head. He could see or hear nothing, even as he could feel the straps loosened around his wrists and ankles. He was free of the harness, but senseless to the world.

Marcus's chest thudded in his chest. Fear threatened to overwhelm him as he lifted his hands up to his head, trying to tug on the helmet, but his fingers didn't seem to work right. He couldn't get a grip on the helmet, let alone start lifting it up.

“Do not panic."

The voice came clear and true into his head.

“The helmet takes a moment to configure. Do not panic."

Marcus stopped moving as a small pinprick of light appeared in front of his eyes. He blinked a couple of times as the light slowly expanded to a white rectangle. From there, shapes began to appear in the light. Moments later, a full picture emerged. Marcus could see, but the image in his eyes was clearer and sharper than anything he was used to, even with his glasses.

Marcus slowly turned around. He could see his eleven companions all staring in wonder at him. He could make out every detail about them all, noticing small blemishes and details he had never seen before.

“Can you hear me?" Marcus asked. His own voice sounded muffled to his ears, but all eleven nodded. “Does anyone have a mirror? What do I look like?"

Hiss was able to provide a mirror. She led him towards the side of the room, between two of the pods. The wall was reflective enough that Marcus could see himself. Gone was the human. Instead, he looked like he wore a furaxi costume. Covering his skin was a layer of what looked like rubber or latex, shining slightly in the lights. He was coloured the same as the furaxi, in a deep sandy orange, with darker stripes across his limbs and torso.

The helmet he wore was cat-like in appearance, with large ears sticking directly up from the top of his head. The eyes were wide and unblinking, and thin wires emerged from the pushed-out muzzle, giving the impression of whiskers.

Most surprising of all was the tail that hung down between his legs. Even more surprising still, Marcus realised he could feel sensation through it. He tried moving the new appendage, but couldn't do anything more than a quick twitch.

Hiss took hold of Marcus's arm and lifted it up. “You didn't keep your fingers apart," she admonished.

Marcus realised he hadn't heard the voice of the translator speaking. He could hear Hiss's words in her native tongue, and found himself able to understand them perfectly.

Then, Marcus's attention drifted to his hands and realised why Hiss was disappointed with them. He had no fingers. The suit he wore ended in just a fingerless mitt on each hand. He quickly glanced down to his feet, finding that a similar situation had happened there. He could see his big toes, but the remaining four toes on each foot had been melded together into one.

Marcus could still feel his fingers and toes beneath the layer of rubber, but he could barely move them at all. They felt constricted beneath the suit. He gulped nervously. “Can it be redone?"

“These suits are genetically bonded to your nervous system," Hiss said. She patted the human on the shoulder. “I can remove the suit, but it will take weeks for your genetic code to accept fusion with another suit. You will be unable to walk amongst us while you wait for that. If you are willing to sacrifice that, then I can remove the suit. Otherwise, please stand with your companions."

Inside his helmet, Marcus's eyes widened. He didn't know if that made any difference to the outside of his helmet, as he had already turned away from the mirror. He crouched down to pick up his discarded clothes, struggling to properly grab them without being able to use his fingers. After a couple of attempts he managed to scoop them up and drape them over his shoulder. He turned to his companions, who all watched on with nervous interest.

Marcus stumbled slightly as he walked. He almost tripped over the tail that hung limply between his legs. The strange new appendage felt weird, as sparks of sensation began to tingle through it, like it was slowly connecting and integrating into his nervous system.

Someone gently prodded Marcus's shoulder as he stood amongst his fellow humans. He turned to see Shinji staring in wonder. His bare fingers rubbed against Marcus's suit.

“Incredible," Shinji whispered. “It's like a skin-tight protective suit. We've been working on developing something similar to these, but the application is far beyond anything we could have imagined. How does it feel?"

Marcus tried tensing and spreading his fingers again, but still found himself barely able to move them independently of each other. He slowly moved his hands up to the sides of his helmet. “Feels… like my skin. A little restrictive in places, but it hardly feels like I'm wearing anything."

“Even the helmet?"

Marcus found that he was able to focus his senses on multiple things at once. His perfectly pristine vision looked towards the harness, where Derek was being prepared by the furaxi. His ears focused on the conversation with Shinji, and the conversation happening between the other humans. He could also hear Derek and Hiss talking, understanding the furaxi's words before the translator chimed in. The senses should have been overwhelming, but he was able to process them all quickly and simply, though he didn't understand how.

“Even that, yeah. It doesn't feel like I'm looking out through anything," he said. His hands slowly moved around to the front of the helmet. His fingerless mitts looked strange to his eyes, but as they brushed over the muzzle in front of his face, he was sure he could feel them through the helmet. The tactile senses were incredible, despite the layer of smooth rubber over his entire body.

One by one, the humans were selected to step forward and strip out of their clothes, so they could be prepared for the harness. The patterns on their new rubbery skinsuits were identical, as were the helmets that covered their heads. But for the shapes of their bodies, there was almost no difference between the suited humans, but Marcus was still able to instinctively know who was beneath which helmet.

None of the others made the same mistake as Marcus, having kept their fingers and toes spread wide. They had properly formed fingers still, wrapped up in the rubber.

Marcus stretched out a few times as he waited for the others to finish, testing the flexible capabilities of the suit. He could feel the rubber tense and tighten around his body as he moved, but never did it feel restrictive, apart from his fingers. He still had full motion of his body, though now he did squeak slightly with every movement. His senses seemed enhanced, especially his vision. He had never seen so clearly before, and every noise around him seemed clarified to the point that he could pinpoint exactly where the sound had come from.

The furaxi returned the nozzles to the harness, and the whole apparatus began to sink back into the floor until it was no longer visible at all. Marcus stared down at his mitted hands. He knew he couldn't have had the suit redone, but the removal of the machine finalised his decision for him. He would have to deal with them until the quarantine period was over.

The alien turned to the quarantined humans and spread her hands wide. She had tucked away the translator, no longer needing the small device as the suit helmets automatically translated her words anyway.

“You are now perfectly safe to walk amongst the rest of my kind," she explained. “These suits are designed to be resistant to almost anything in the galaxy. They cannot be pierced or ripped, and they will maintain your bodily functions for as long as you wear them."

“All of them?" Ellen asked. The tip of her artificial tail swished. “Even…"

“All of them," the alien repeated, cutting across Ellen before she had a chance to finish her question. “You will have no need to remove the suits until your quarantine period is over."

Beside Marcus, Derek squirmed slightly. His hands had dipped down to his crotch, feeling around the slightly bulging rubber around there. “That might be a problem," Derek said quietly. His hips squirmed and the rubbery material coating his hands squeaked slightly as he worked.

Marcus quickly glanced down. As Derek's fingers explored, Marcus could see what looked like a small sheath in front of Derek's crotch. Like the rest of the suit, the rubber was smoothed over and sealed. Marcus could feel something similar over his crotch, preventing access to his cock. He doubted he'd be able to get properly erect at all, as the rubber tube around his shaft already felt tight and compact.

“It won't be for too long, I hope," Marcus replied. He had other issues to worry about, beyond the sealing away of his cock. He didn't know how he'd be able to properly cope without the full use of his hands.

“Didn't they say months?" Derek grumbled. A small whimper entered his voice as he pulled at the rubbery sheath. The rubber stretched slightly but didn't give at all. Nor did it seem to give Derek any relief. “I can't go that long."

Marcus frowned. He didn't know if any of his expressions were mirrored on his helmet. He couldn't feel any changes with his hands. A quick, tentative pat at his crotch confirmed that he had the same setup as Derek. He hadn't yet seen what any of the women had at their crotch; he wasn't just going to look down there without permission.

“If you'll follow me then," Hiss said, cutting through Marcus's concerned thoughts.

Joan tentatively raised her hand. “Shouldn't we dress again first?" Despite the fact she was fully covered in the rubber suit, she still held one hand in front of her crotch, and her other arm was quickly lowered to hover over her breasts.

The furaxi shook her head. “It is not custom to wear anything. You are modest according to our standards. You would be out of place wearing more. Once we make planetfall, we have some garments like these," she said, holding out her hands to gesture to the light shawl that covered her body. “I wear this merely to keep you comfortable. I will be discarding it soon."

Marcus couldn't help but get the impression the furaxi were toying with them. Anything Hiss said could not be argued with. He didn't know anything about their customs, and nor did any of the humans around him. They had to take her word for it.

“I will take your clothes and keep them in storage, so you may reclaim them when you return to your planet," Hiss continued. She wandered around the room, taking the unworn clothes from the twelve suited humans. She folded them neatly and placed them into a drawer that had opened up on a previously smooth wall. Marcus had seen no evidence on the drawer before, and when it was closed, he couldn't see it again. Not even the enhanced senses of his suit could detect anything there.

Once she was done, a portal opened up behind the furaxi. Dark shapes appeared within the blaze of light, and Marcus had to lift an arm to shield his eyes. Automatically, the suit darkened the light for him, bringing it to a more manageable intensity.

Four more furaxi stepped out of the portal to stand alongside Hiss. Though Marcus looked between them, he wasn't able to notice any distinguishing features between them. All appeared absolutely identical to his untrained eyes. None of them were wearing anything, but Marcus couldn't tell apart any features between male and female. They didn't appear to have anything external between the legs.

The furaxi slowly walked amongst the humans. Marcus felt like they were prowling, almost predatory in their movements. One leaned in close to him and placed their muzzle close to his neck. He could feel their whiskers tickling at his rubbery skinsuit.

“These are delightful creatures," one of the other furaxi said.

“Most unlike the zyrel we rescued from Betelgeuse."

“Poor things. Losing their whole star like that."

“Would they care to come and see the stars?"

Hiss held her hand out and looked around the humans. “Who will come through first?" Her eyes fell on Marcus.

A small hand provided pressure in Marcus's back. He stumbled forward, volunteering himself to step through the portal before the others. The furaxi stepped aside to give him room.

Marcus looked up at Hiss. She said nothing, and instead just gestured towards the portal.

The human nervously moved closer to the whirling light. He could feel his tail starting to move behind him. The strange new limb seemed to be sensing temperature and movement where he couldn't normally see, as he could feel alien sensations in his mind.

Marcus stepped through the portal. His senses were overwhelmed by white light and an intense heat for a moment, but he forced his legs to keep walking, to keep moving forward. The light faded away, and Marcus found himself somewhere new.

The human stood in the middle of a wide open area, surrounded by gleaming metallic walls, with large windows opening out to the darkness beyond. Everything shone brightly, with several dozen furaxi looking at him with interest.

Beneath his helmet, Marcus blushed slightly. He felt naked, despite his suit. None of the furaxi were wearing anything, either. Perhaps Hiss had been truthful in what she had said; that the furaxi had completely different standards of modesty to humans.

Marcus slowly wandered forwards, into the open area. If this was a spaceship, then he was in an area that reminded him of an observation deck. His eyes were immediately taken by the sight in the windows. Some furaxi clustered close, with a couple even placing their hands on his shoulders. For the moment, Marcus had no interest in the aliens. His eyes were solely on the windows and what lay beyond.

Hushed gasps came from behind him as more humans stepped through the portal.

Stars burned in the inky darkness of space. Sweeping colours of orange and red shone brightly as a massive nebula covered most of the visible sky. It was a sight no human had ever seen before him. A shiver ran down Marcus's back as he pressed one hand against the window.

“It's beautiful," he whispered. A small visual flashed up on his suit, identifying the stars he could see, as well as the nebula that arced across the sky. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, but the written visual lingered even with his eyes closed.

A furaxi stood by his side. He didn't know if it was Hiss, or one of the many others who had clustered close. “This will soon be the domain of your species," the furaxi said. “You will be able to join us and take your place in the stars. We are interested to learn about you, as you are surely interested to learn about us."

“I want to know everything. I want to know it all," Marcus said. He looked up to the furaxi by his side, who bumped their forehead against his.

“And you will, we can assure you of that. Every species that rises to the galactic age is just another fascinating specimen to study. Humanity will be the same."

“You'll be studying us?" Marcus asked in surprise.

The furaxi bowed their head. “Of course. Your species is an unusual one. You have passed through such periods of violence and self-destruction, but the resilience you have shown to come this far is remarkable. Your history alone makes for a remarkable tale. Your futures, now unbound by those archaic ways, are limitless."

“I suppose I've never considered things that way," Marcus said quietly. He knew he could stand and watch the stars outside the window for hours without getting bored. The pinpricks of light didn't seem to be moving. The human wondered if they were travelling at all, or whether they had paused to give the twelve awestruck humans a good view of the nebula.

Marcus couldn't wait to start learning. Slowly, the realisation that he was far outside the solar system filtered into his mind. He was further from Earth than any human had been before him and his eleven companions. Even if he had to spend several weeks stuck inside a rubber suit and otherwise naked, that was worth it.

He was going to be amongst the stars. There was nowhere better he would rather be.