FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Vil regained consciousness while his ears were ringing from the blast received by the star cruiser he served on. “This is it.” he thought and his heart collapsed in his chest. “Humanity is no more. The fucking Ants have won.”

The bipedal alien species nicknamed Ants for their insect-like appearance and behaviour similar to an ant colony came out of nowhere just over a year ago. Despite a quick response and truce between all countries and focussing everything on fighting them, humans were driven back and wiped out colony by colony in the solar system. The few wins towards the end weren't enough to turn the tide.

With nothing left to lose the last remaining ships that could fly went for a kamikaze run with the last humans on board. The carnage was enormous at both sides. Without any regard for safety the Earth fleet took on the Ant fleet like a sea battle in medieval times. Ships flew up close to the Ants and pounded them with energy and projectile weapons even if they received damage themselves from the blasts. Engines ran in the red on the edge of blowing up to get that last bit of speed advantage.

The first Earth ship which weapons were disabled turned to the last desperate act of ramming. It scraped its damaged hull against an Ant ship, tearing open the side and leaving a long gash like a torn tin can. It ripped another ship open before it had nothing else left but penetrating its bow into a third and go down burning with it. Soon more followed the same final tactic until the ship with Vil was last and disabled by projectiles before it could make its heroic but futile end.

Vil blinked the tears from his eyes away and pushed himself from the console he floated at to the entrance of the engineering bay. Holding onto a rail he looked through the window of the door and into space. The whole next section of the ship was gone and his throat tightened hard. Even if by a remote chance someone else was alive on the ship, going outside was a waste of effort.

He pondered staying alive for whatever time was left of his life or cutting it short himself when he spotted a small vessel coming his way. “Ants!” he thought and clenched his teeth. “Coming to check the final kill.” He put his hand on the gun at his hip automatically. “Let's take a few with me then!”

He pushed himself towards the locker with emergency suits and put one on quickly before floating over to the back with another suit. There he was glad the cooling system was still warm and filled the suit with the coolant. He let it float and pushed himself towards the entrance again.

The ship he recognised as a scout vessel was close enough to attract attention. He shot his gun once towards the side of the bay to trigger the Ant's sensors, moved quickly between ducts above the door when the vessel turned his way, and waited.

The Ants had taken the bait. Vil felt the pull of air when the entrance door opened silently and a few moments later one Ant floated inside. As he had hoped, it headed towards the warm suit and a second Ant followed the first. Vil wasn't sure if there'd just be the two but he had to risk it.

Bracing between the ducts he aimed his gun and shot twice at each Ant's neck. When the bodies drifted forward against the back wall and remained motionless Vil dared to breath again.

After a peek from the door at the scouting vessel to check for other Ants he pondered his next move. Sure enough he could fly the thing since he had been in one wreck before and the controls were similar to a human ship. He just needed a destination. There was no real option of flying away and hide for the rest of his life and the same sense of ending it sooner or later came over him again.

Until he noticed what was most likely their command ship. It was the one that stuck to the back surrounded by heavy defence. It was called the queen's vessel by high command and often targeted but never touched. He grinned. “Not by a human vessel anyway.” he thought.

***

Vil's heart raced and sweat poured down his face but he couldn't relax. He looked back at the warheads in the aft section of the scouting vessel and to the queen's vessel in front of him again. Fear and ecstasy fought for control of him at the thought he might deal the fatal blow to the Ants as the last human in the universe.

The giant ship filled his forward viewport and he hoped the trick of damaging part of the scout vessel would be enough to get him aboard without a lot of suspicion when he can't communicate. He steered towards a bay at the side with a big lump in his throat. “Please let this work!” he thought. “If not to save humanity, then for other species they could encounter!”

The control sticks were slippery wet from the cold sweat of his hands and he gripped them tightly as he flew slowly through the bay doors and into the large space filled with various docked ships and Ants moving around in suits. At the back were damaged ships and he felt glad because he wanted to penetrate the ship as deep as possible with his load.

Carefully he moved towards a docking clamp and it grabbed hold of the ship. Before he could exhale in relief a high shrill sounded through the ship and the few Ants he saw outside hastened away. When he spotted larger figures moving his way fast he understood they detected his presence at docking.

Without hesitation he jumped out of his seat, rushed to the warheads and the control box connected to them on top, sensed a strange pressure in the air when all lights on board extinguished, and pushed both detonation buttons on the box.

A split second of the brightest light he had ever seen hit him, then void.