FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“Ten klicks to target”

“Confirmed”

The crackle of the radio faded into the muggy night as the platoon of five soldiers laid in line on a dusty ridge overlooking a lush valley.

All five men were dressed in camouflage and gripping binoculars, focusing down on a large, fenced compound in the several metres below in the centre of the valley.

“Alcarez, Dale, find us an entry point” the man at the centre, Commander Wilson, growled “Copeland, Freeman, surveillance. I want every guard tagged.”

“Yes Sir” the four men responded.

“All right you have your instructions” the commander continued , “I will be monitoring from the rear until we have breach, we will rendezvous once we have access, understood.”

“Yes Sir” the four men repeated.

“Move out!”

The men shifted immediately, using the night shroud to advance unseen through the undergrowth, avoiding the searchlights of the guard towers that swung across their path at regular intervals.

Watching from the rear, Wilson watched his men take up their respective positions, one pair approaching the fence while the others took up lookout positions near the watchtowers.

Pressing his binoculars to his eyes, Wilson watched the searchlights strobe across the grounds and dark figures patrol across the lit fence line.

Focusing his lenses, he tried to get a closer look but all he could make out was the black, shadowy outlines, marching militantly together, arms swinging robotically with each stride.

“Do they even have weapons?” Wilson whispered to himself as the figures disappeared around the compound walls.

The silence that followed allowed Wilson to reminisce on the task they had been ordered to carry out.

His superiors had become suspicious over the actions of a new and strangely prosperous company that had recently begun buyouts of smaller companies and profoundly increasing their efficiency with new so called “drones.”

Humanoid rubber creations which could perform tasks as easily as a human but with substantially more efficiency.

What happened to the former employees that were consistently replaced with these drones, however, was unknown as colleagues had been questioned when suspicions were raised but everyone questioned refuted the claims, desiring nothing but to get back to work.

With little leads on what was happening to the former employees, the government decided to send Wilson’s team to examine the records at the company headquarters and discover what was going on.

Wilson had been shocked to discover that unlike normal company headquarters which were bright, tall, and usually close to the metropolitan centre, this company had opted to place their headquarters in the middle of secluded valley and make it as seemingly impregnable as Fort Knox.

“Entry Point Located” came a crackly whisper over the radio.

“Guards Tagged” followed another, “Entry window, one minute between patrols.”

Wilson lifted his receiver.

“Entry team, make a breach and await the window, All other units converge on breach point.”

“Yes Sir” came the response.

Packing his binoculars back into his belt, Wilson quickly skated down the ridge, following the trail his squadron had left towards the compound.

Approaching the perimeter, he saw the outlines of two figures squatting near a space int the fence that had been cut away.

“Dale and Alcarez have made breach” Freeman reported as Wilson settled in beside them, the soldier gestured across the yard to a doorway.

“They will signal at the next window” he added as a pair of drones marched robotically past while they sunk silently into the shadows.

They waited as the searchlights span and the drones vanished around the corner of the compound and a pair of flashes came from the doorway.

“Go, Go, Go!” Copeland whispered and the three men bolted through the hole and across the yard to the doorway which opened as they approached to reveal Dale.

They piled through the door and quickly closed it just as a searchlight flashed in their wake.

The corridor they had entered was cold, dark, and appeared to be made of the same concrete as the exterior, the men turned on their helmet lights and Wilson quickly noted that there were only three.

“Alcarez went ahead to secure tactical” Dale mumbled, keeping his voice down as they scanned the hall, “I tried to reach him but somethings interfering with signal in here.”

Wilson reached up and pressed his radio, only to hear a strange static in response.

“Damn it” he scowled, “Right Dale you’re with me, we’ll rendezvous with Alcarez, Copeland, Freeman, Begin the sweep and record what you find, if an alarm is raised, we get out, understood?”

“Yes Sir” the others responded, and they moved onwards before splitting at the first intersection.

Wilson and Dale moved onwards, weapons raised and moving as silently as possible.

“Where is Alcarez” Wilson hissed as they rounded another corner, “We should have found him.”

“I dunno Sir” Dale responded, pointing his weapon through a dark doorway, his torch alighting on what looked like a gymnasium, “Clear….nice set up.”

“Focus on the goal, soldier” Wilson snapped, examining the room himself before moving onwards towards a pair of double doors which hissed open at their approach.

“Holy mother of….”

Wilson’s whisper faded to indistinct noise at the sight that beheld them.

They had entered a large hanger-like room where, standing before them, were rows upon rows of stationary, black, shiny humanoid figures.

Dale’s gasp next to him echoed his own shocked horror, there must have been a least a couple of hundred, all stood at attention, their smooth faces staring blankly at the wall ahead.

“Is…is this an army?” Dale whispered frantically, staring around fearfully as his torch illuminated featureless face after featureless face.

Wilson grabbed Dale’s torch and aimed it at the ground.

“Do you want to wake them up?” Wilson growled angrily, “Let’s move on before….”

There was another loud hiss, followed by the sound of footsteps and the two soldiers quickly backed into the shadows, turning off their torches as a black, shiny figure emerged through another door and marched robotically towards the end of the line.

In the gloom, Wilson was sure that something was trailing from the figure, he was sure he could see something fall away from its body as it walked.

The figure moved into a free space in the line and then stood at attention, leaving that same eery silence.

Wilson and Dale remained where they were for several minutes before they dared to move.

At a quick nod, the two men began to cross the room, moving quickly and quietly towards the door the figure had entered through.

As they approached and the doors hissed open, Wilson stumbled as his foot caught something.

Staring back, he saw something dark on the floor and again he was reminded of something falling from the figure, instinctively he grabbed it and followed Dale through the doors, hearing them hiss closed behind them.

“Dale, shine a light on this” Wilson whispered once the drones were out of sight.

Dale obliged, turning his torch back on and illuminating a scrap of camouflaged fabric whose edges appeared to have been melted.

The two soldiers stared at the scrap of fabric and then at each other.

“Shit” Wilson seethed, “You think they got Alcarez?”

“We should have run into him now” Dale responded, “You think he got caught?”

Wilson sighed.

“Looks like it, or one of the others…Right….we continue the plan Dale, gather info and get out, if we find Alcarez along the way we’ll get him out, else he’s on his own.”

“But Sir?” Dale gasped, his voice echoing in the dark room they were now in.

Wilson gave him a scorching look and pressed a finger to his lips to silence Dale.

“You all knew the risks” Wilson hissed angrily, “Alcarez is a competent soldier who can handle himself, now come on.”

Turning around, Wilson turned on his torch and examined the new room they were in for the first time.

It was a large square room with a strange black, cross shaped mount upon the wall above which was a strange spindly device.

The floor space was clear save for a few desks against a far wall and the floor was tiled like a laboratory.

Wilson’s eyes however were drawn to a large window opposite the strange cross mount which looked into a small viewing room, there was an open arch directly next to it.

“Clear” Dale said after shining his light into each corner.

Wilson moved over to the small and shone his light inside, revealing a computer terminal and another pair of doors.

“Clear” Wilson mumbled stepping into the room and moving to the doors which, unlike all of the other doors, didn’t open as he approached.

He searched around for a panel and came across what looked like a retinal scanner mounted next to the door.

“Locked” he mumbled before turning to Dale who was stood in the doorway, “Search the desks for records, I’ll look in here.”

“Yes Sir” Dale replied, heading back into the lab room.

Wilson watched Dale move to the desks through the window before turning his attention to the console and tapping a key.

BEEP

Wilson almost jumped as a screen at the centre of the console suddenly lit up green.

CONSOLE ACTIVE…….ENTER DESIRED PROGRAM

Wilson looked stunned at the message for a brief moment before he began typing, mouthing the words as he worked.

“Drone Purpose…show records…print list” He whispered, ignoring the sounds of drawers being opened and paper rustling from Dale.

The screen flashed again.

DRONE PROGRAM INITIATED….AWAITING SUBJECT

There was a click and a flash and both Dale and Wilson gasped as a spotlight in the laboratory suddenly lit up, illuminating the wall with the cross shaped mount.

“What the?” Dale mumbled, moving towards the wall to examine the large black cross while Wilson returned his attention to the console.

AWAITING SUBJECT…PREVIOUS ENTRY REQUESTED

There was a beep, and the screen changed to show a list, each entry paired with an identical image of a drone.

ID: CP-130124

COMPLETION: LESS THAN ONE MINUTE AGO

CURRENT LOCATION: PROCESSING CHAMBER BETA

CURRENT DIRECTIVE: PATROL FACILITY

PRIOR IDENTITY: CURRENTLY DETERMINING

ID: FN-02091212

COMPLETION: 00:02 MINUTES AGO

CURRENT LOCATION: PROCESSING CHAMBER BETA

CURRENT DIRECTIVE: PATROL FACILITY

PRIOR IDENTITY: CURRENTLY DETERMINING

ID: AZ-030118121519

COMPLETION: 00:10 MINIUTES AGO

CURRENT LOCATION: CENTRAL DRONE STORAGE

CURRENT DIRECTIVE: STANDBY

PRIOR IDENTITY: CARLOS ALCAREZ

Wilson’s face suddenly paled as he read the third most recent entry into the database.

“Holy shit” he muttered, remembering the drone in the last room that had been trailing camouflage fabric.

The drone that had entered from this room.

Wilson’s eyes snapped up to the window into the laboratory and his fear heightened as he saw Dale standing right in front of the black cross mount, leaning into examine it.

“DALE GET OUT OF THERE!” Wilson yelled, banging on the glass just as the console beeped again.

SUBJECT DETECTED….INITIATING DRONE PROGRAM

There was a hiss and suddenly the door between the viewing room and the laboratory slid shut as a strange, slick, bubbling sound began to emanate from the lab and Dale, who had turned around at Wilson’s yell, let out a scream of terror as four large, black tendrils flew from the cross mount and ensnared themselves around Dale’s wrists and ankles before yanking him back till he was bound spread eagle on the mount.

“SIR HELP!” Dale yelled, his panicked voice drowning out a mechanical whirring as the spindly apparatus in the sealing jolted to life and four long mechanical arms lowered themselves sinisterly and began to reach towards the bound soldier.

Wilson bolted from the console and banged on the now sealed door.

“FUCK!” he screamed in frustration before running back to the keyboard and beginning to type rapidly.

“Stop…drone…program” he muttered, trying not to mistype in his panic.

DEACTIVATE DRONE PROGRAM…AUTHORISATION REQUIRED

ENTER AUTH CODE: _ _ _ _

“Err” Wilson froze, staring at the request on the screen and feeling horrified.

Through the glass window however, Dale was struggling desperately against his bonds while the spindly metal arms surged forwards, one pair seizing his helmet and pulling it from his head while the other two appeared to be secreting and kneading something black between its thin fingers.

“SIR DO SOMETHING PLEASE!” Dale begged as the arms seemed to stretch the material into a sheet before beginning to move it slowly towards the man’s face.

INCORRECT ENTRY

….

INCORRECT ENTRY

“C’mon…C’MON!” Wilson yelled, punching in random codes, hoping against hope that he would hit upon a suitable code, yet each attempt was still met by a negative buzz from the console.

“No…NOOOO!” came a scream from the laboratory and Wilson looked up just in time to see the mechanical arms lurch and pull the black substance like a film over Dale’s face.

It was like a horror movie, the outline of Dale’s face was imprinted on black substance writhing and yelling silently as the arms pulled the substance around his head until it was completely encased, making Dale look like he was wearing a gimp mask.

There were muffled noises as Dale struggled and writhed against his bonds for a few minutes before he suddenly went limp and became still.

“DALE!” Wilson yelled, pounding on the window, afraid that the soldier has suffocated, then there was an odd hissing and Wilson watched in terror as the black substance began to crawl down Dale’s neck, moving under his uniform which suddenly began to steam.

The same began at his hands and feet where the black tendrils bound him, the same substance oozed over the man’s hands and into his boots encasing whatever it touched in black rubber.

A beep from the console suddenly drew Wilson’s attention and he momentarily stared at the new words on the screen.

PROCESSING NEW ENTRY

ID: DL-130118200914

COMPLETION: IN PROGRESS

LOCATION: PROCESSING CHAMBER ALPHA

PRIOR IDENTITY: CURRENTLY DETERMINING

“New…entry” Wilson stammered, and realisation hit him like a charging bull.

“All of the missing employees” he thought wildly, “they hadn’t been replaced by drones.

They had….”

The thought trailed off as his gaze returned to Dale, the man was now only recognisable by what was remaining of his uniform as with two large thumps, his boots fell off his now black, rubbery feet, the material completely dissolved.

As Wilson’s eyes wandered, and saw his camouflage uniform sizzling away, pieces beginning to fall away from his body like the drone before….like Alcarez.

As more of Dale’s body was exposed, Wilson saw that the muscles beneath the rubber were contorting and swelling, appearing to take on greater strength until within moments, the rubber man had a physique that was on par with champion body builder let alone a soldier.

The rubber continued its process up and down the man’s body and Wilson watched the substance meld seamlessly together when it converged.

There was a clunk, and a thud and Wilson stepped back as the restraints holding Dale to the wall vanished.

The rubberised man dropped to the floor, slouching slightly before he stood up and stood sternly at attention.

Wilson stared into Dale’s ‘face’ noticing how the human elements were beginning to sink into the rubber, the lips vanishing, the eyes filling in and finally the nose like a sinking rock, leaving the man with a completely smooth face.

No…not a man…a Drone.

DRONE PROGRAM COMPLETE….TARGET ASSIMILATION COMPLETED

“Assimilation” Wilson repeated, staring at the drone that had once been his fellow soldier.

He gazed at its blank, muscular features before there was a click and the spotlight that had illuminated the room, went out.

Wilson’s fear heightened as the gravity of what had just happened surged into his thoughts.

“I have to warn everyone” he gasped, “This is a major threat…and they already have an ARMY!”

There was a hiss and Wilson turned on his torch and directed down the room, expecting the door to the laboratory have opened, however it remained sealed.

There was the squeak of a footstep behind him, Wilson gulped and revolved slowly on the spot.

His torchlight fell upon formerly locked double doors had now opened and framed in the doorway were two, towering black drones.

“UNAUTHORISED SUBJECT DETECTED” came a cold mechanical voice from one of the two, “LOCATION PROCESSING CHAMBER ALPHA OBSERVATION ROOM…DIRECTIVE…APPREHEND!”

Before Wilson could even move there was another hiss and this time the laboratory door did open but Wilson found his way blocked by the newly converted Dale.

All three drones advanced in one, robotic motion and seized Wilson where he stood.

“GET OFF ME!” he screamed, attempting to kick the drones grappling him but wincing as it felt like kicking concrete.

The drone’s grip was like iron, yet they remained stationary, their objective of apprehending him apparently complete.

He attempted to break free, but the drones held him fast.

Wilson’s eyes wandered from drone to drone as he tried to formulate his escape and suddenly his eyes went wide as he spotted one common factor they all had.

Each of them was wearing the smouldering remains of camouflage fabric.

“C…Copeland…FREEMAN?” Wilson gasped in sheer terror, realising now his entire squad had been converted into drones and a dread as deep as the ocean filled him at what his own prospects were now that he had been caught.

As though to answer his question, one of the drones that had been Copeland or Freeman suddenly released him and turned towards the console.

“ACTIVATING DRONE PROGRAM!” it announced coldly and there was a flash as the spotlight in the lab illuminated again.

The two remaining drones suddenly heaved him backwards through the doorway and began to drag him across the lab.

“NO! NO, I DON’T WANT TO BE A DRONE!” Wilson screamed, “RELEASE ME! THAT’S AN ORDER!”

But his former squadron did not obey the order, and Wilson’s protests fell on deaf ears as the drones paused before lifting him bodily from the floor by the arms.

He must have weighed nothing to them as the motion had been without effort.

A wet, slick sensation on wrists suddenly brought back the memories of Dale and before Wilson could react, something had seized him and he was pulled tight to the wall, spreadeagled as the spindly arms lowered themselves again.

Wilson knew it pointless to struggle and he whimpered as the two drones that had restrained him appeared to watch on as the arms moulded out what would become his new face.

His thoughts turned to what the government would do when his squad didn’t return.

Would they send more soldiers in their stead, more new prospective drones for the growing army.

The spindly arms suddenly stretched out, pulling between them a film of thick, black rubber.

Wilson gazed at it, heart in his mouth as the arms began to move closer.

His eyes went to the window in the opposite wall where he could see the outline of the drone operating the console only now there was a second outline, one that was wearing a distinct white coat.

Wilson’s face contorted as the figure was quickly masked by the approaching arms.

“YOU WON’T GETAWAY WITH THIS!” he yelled, “YOU MAY HAVE CAUGHT US BUT YOU WONT MPPPPpppphhhhh!”

His statement was immediately cut off as the arms lurched forwards and his vision went black as the film of rubber engulfed him.

He struggled and spluttered, thrashing against his bonds.

The arms pulling the rubber taught against his skull, blocking out all off his senses, leaving him completely blind, deaf, and unable to move.

Then he heard it, a low piercing whine that shot through his whole body, causing him to freeze and then go limp.

The note was constant, yet within it was a word…one that pulled at the soldier in him.

As the seconds went on, it grew clearer and louder, until it was the only word he could think of.

“OBEY!”

The word repeated over and over as Wilson felt its body grow tense.

Its body felt strange, incomplete, but that would soon be rectified.

Strength seemed to be growing in its arms and legs, a creeping sensation of invigoration and power.

“OBEY…DRONE….COMPANY!”

Wilson heard the new words in the note, each one was important, it knew that.

It had to Obey!

It was a Drone!

It served the Company!

A shiver ran up its body from the very thought.

“WL-040113080511”

The statement seemed to flash before its eyes.

The designation was familiar….right….perfect for it…yes….it was WL-040113080511.

It was WL-040113080511

It was a Drone.

Its purpose was to serve the Company.

It would Obey.

Obey

Obey

Drone WL-040113080511 suddenly fell as it was released from the wall mount, it landed on its rubber feet before standing at attention, a perfect mirror of its fellow drones around it.

They remained stationary, awaiting instruction before, as one, all four drones shed the remaining fragments of their old army uniform before marching through the laboratory’s double doors, into Central Drone Storage where they marched along to end of the line to take their place alongside Drone AZ-030118121519.

The squadron was complete again, only now they were part of something bigger.

They served the company.

They were drones.

They would obey.

Back in the lab, the figure remaining in the observation room smirked at the console at the list of four fresh drones.

“Very good” the figure smirked, his voice was slick and oily, “Such a good test, but I recon we can do better…convert faster!”

Turning on his heel, the figure left the room through the double doors, pondering how he could further improve the conversion process for the next bunch of soldiers that came snooping around.