The three had escaped from a crazy militia on a war-torn planet. After they were clear of it, Alex finally got to speak his peace. He explained what he had done and the events that led to it. Zwokkie’s faith in Alex started to rock and even hy isn’t sure about him anymore . However, Silktail was devastaded and stripped him of almost all his privileges. Alex will be turned in to the proper authorities as soon as possible. Later Zwokkie finally got to declare hys love to Silktail and asked hir to be hys mate. Shi accepted. While consummating their bond, Zwokkie shifted into male form and after a passionate night they fell asleep in eachoters arms.
I woke up late the next morning. Silktail was allready busy getting ready for todays duties and cheerfully greeted me from hir bathroom.
“I slept wonderfully in your company and I feel great.” I replied to hir question.
“How is my sleepy mate doing to…” shi started hir question and peeked a startled muzzle from around the corner.
It took a moment to register, because I was still a bit drowsy from having just woken up, but I too noticed the akward order of our conversation. Turning inward to myself I noticed I could feel hir presence close to me, hir confusion mixing with hir feeling towards me. Then it hit me that I felt HIR through the empathic bond I used to share only one-way with hir. The emotional surges from our lovemaking seeped back into my stunned mind and gradually things started to make sense.
Chakat have an ability of forming an empathical bond with those they love. This is similar to a degree with the empathical abilities we Skuntaurs have with eachother naturally. This too is the reason why Chakat can sense our side of this bond and sometimes share our powers. As I had understood it, the bond of the Chakat enables them to sense the state of their loved ones, wether they needed them, were in danger, or happy and thinking about their mates. I figured that this bond had allready begun to form between us, and it had grown into a complete link last night when our bodies and souls touched eachother.
I began to feel even more happy than I allready was, not only had I found someone to spend my days with, I was also feeling the sensation of belonging I had missed since I left the Archiplelago and my fellow Skunktaurs. You see, as this link is an integral part of our lives, starting from birth, a Skunktaur can get very lonely if hy is separated from the sense of emotion and feelings from others around him for a long time. I had no idea how I missed home untill I felt Silktails love for me radiating into my train of thought.
As this link still worked both ways, Silktail sensed my sudden change of heart and went over to me. Wordlessly shi hugged me and placed a kiss on my muzzle. The here and now began to come back to me and I smiled at hir.
“We better start moving into bigger quarters,” I said to break the silence, “This is cozy, but we need some bigger closetspace.”
We finished getting cleaned and dressed together and went to our business. As I was padding my way to the engineroom, I was treated another big surprise. I still felt Silktails presence even though shi must be in the bridge. And I felt hir sense my surprise. As I slowly ambled on, I realised that this must be one of the other great things of being mated. To always have the one you love nearby.
* * * * *
While Silktail was preparing some administrative work regarding our den-mateship (you have to be den-mates for at least a year before being able to call yourselves life-mates), I had finished my work in engineering and decided I needed a talk with Alex.
A quick survey on a computer console showed me Alex was in the dining room. When I entered I found him cradling a mug of coffee. Pouring one for myself I went over to his table and asked him if I could join him. He looked up and nodded. As this table was a little lower for more humanoid crew, I lied my lower body down completely to comfortably use it to sit by.
I drank my coffee silently and wondered what to say when Alex started to speak.
“Don’t do this. I don’t need pity. I know what I did and I do regret it, but nothing can changed what happened.”
I swallowed and sighed, “Alex, all I want to know.. All I want to know is why you didn’t come to us in the first place. We could’ve helped. You called us your friends, the least you could’ve done was show us.”
He looked at me while I went on, “Instead, you rely on trickery to get yourself out of you problems on your own. And you relied on trickery to get away from those rebels too. I just don’t know if I can trust you anymore. And I don’t know if I can call you a friend anymore either.”
He looked me straight in the eye when I said that, and I immediately regretted what I said.
“You’re right,” He said, “You have no reason to call me a real friend. And to be honest I can’t expect you to do so ever again on just my apologies for what happened. But at that time, the only thought on my mind was keeping you out of trouble, and out of contact with the side of me I tried to get behind me. Still…”
He was silent for a wile, sipping his coffee. I did the like and just sat there, waiting for whatever would happen next. Eventually Alex said that his shift on the Comm station would begin soon and he got ready to leave. When he was gone, I was drawn to a piece of paper lying on the floor where he sat. I went to pick it up and looked it over, it told me where he had stored the virus. I chuckled and went down to engineering. I don’t know why, because what happened in the Mess wasn’t all that deep or meaningfull, but I still felt a whole lot better having said what I did and hearing what he replied.
I hummed a happy little tune to myself as I proceeded past the bridge to fetch a safety-suit and get that radioactive material back into the engine system. I heard Silktail humming the same thing inside.
* * * * *
After I replaced the materials and set the safety measures, I proceeded to destroy whatever was left of the DNA-virus when Silktails voice came from the intercom system. “Better keep that in safe storage. We need it to hand over to the authorities.”
I went over to the secure hold and hooked the container up to a power source. When I was finally done, I set the computer to test the ARDRS* and see how much engine power we got back. As it started to happily bleep away, a gurgle from inside me announced that I was late for lunch and I joined Silktail in the DiningRoom. Shi told me that everything was finished and that shi had picked a nice room for us. It was equal distances from the brigde and Engineering and we only needed to move our stuff in. We agreed to do so immediately after lunch. I got something to eat and set down beside hir. As we ate, I felt hir tail slip round mine.
It might be nice to mention that a Chakat tail is prehensile. Though the fur may slick the grip, it works just fine. Also it keeps on growing slowly as the Chakat ages. Chakat often, and as often as possible, wrap their tails around the one of those thy care for deeply, regardless of species, as an intimate sign of affection and love.
Our plans were interupted as halfway during lunch Alex’ voice could be heard on our comlinks. There was something floating towards us and Alex requested our presence on the bridge. Taking a few more hasty bites, we shoved the rest of our food on a heater to finish later and hurried to the bridge. We were both excited, maybe a ship that could help us get home, or the other option, of wich we were very aware since our last planetary stop.
As we entered the bridge, Silktail went over to hir station and I set behind mine. An extra panel was temporarily added to my workplace to accomodate for the functions Alex was no longer allowed to perform, so was hirs. In the next couple of moments I wished I had a digicam to catch Alex’ expression as the both of us started to answer eachothers questions and requests before we actually asked or made them. We were too busy and too exited to take notice.
The object was soon identified and brought up on our main screen. It was a life-pod. It looked ancient with all its scars and dents from small asteroid collisions. I managed to filter a signal from it. It was an old code, mostly garbled, and the only thing I was able to decipher were the words ‘Earth’ ‘Division’ ‘Fox’ and a set of coordinates. Our hearts jumped. Something from Earth, all the way out here.
I wanted to bring it in immediately, but Silktail cautioned my request. Alex was the next person to say anything.
“Am I missing something here?” he said with a slight quaver, “Have the both of you suddenly gotten precognizant or something? Please help me here because this is freaking me out…”
This broke our fugue and Silktail and I began to laugh, realizing what we were doing all this time. We told Alex that there was nohing to worry about and I promised him that I’d explain it to him after we dealt with this situation. As the object drew closer and became more clear Alex turned pale.
“I know what that is,” he started ,”That’s a marine drop-pod. A cryo-stasis device used to insert troops into enemy lines. But..” He faltered.. “Those haven’t been used since World War Three..”
As he spoke a little rythmic bleep emerged from my scanning monitors.
“Well,” I interrupted him, “I guess that someone will be very relieved to be let out then.”
Alex looked at me and Silktail, being preoccupied with other thought soon caught the noise as well.
“You mean that there is actually something alive inthere?” Shi said.
“Yes, there’s something inthere,” I replied, “but the entire object is coated with some kind of material that prevents our scanners from properly reading it.”
Alex grinned, “Of course it is, it’s been designed to be undetectable for those old-time scanners. We’re lucky to have a little better technology now or we’d missed it completely. Probably the only reason why it as been left undisturbed for so long.”
We decided on our next course of action and figured that it would be safer to haul the pod into our loading bay so that we could thoroughly scan whatever is inside before opening it. As said, I engaged our small tractor beam, used to load big packages in orbit, and coaxed the thing into our landing bay. I relocated some of the computers recourses I directed towards engineering for properly exploring the pod while Silktail made hir way to the science/medlab. I made sure the results were fed directly to hir.
Alex seemed as thrilled as we were, and part of me was feeling a little pityfull for him. So I decided to let him prove himself a little and make him feel better letting him use some of the skills he was trained to perform.
“Alexander,” I began ,”As the replacing Security officer, I have to make sure that that pod is safe. But as the Technical Engineer and Second in command my presence on the bridge is needed…” I trailed and grinned a little, he caught the hint and smiled.
“Therefor I have to order you to gear up and head for the cargo bay. You are to stand guard at the pod and make sure nothing gets out or happens to it. And don’t go near it yourself.” I finshed my order with an as stern as possible “Dismissed” that I could manage and Alex set out to do as I told him. I was sure I heard Silktail chuckle a little.
* * * * *
It took a while for the computer to resolve all the data, but when the tests and calculations on the engines were complete, more of the recourses were used towards the scans and the process was sped up. When it was finally completed, I decided to put the ship on the so-called ‘autopilot’ and meet Silktail in the lab.
I entered the room, finding hir staring intently at a screen, hir curiousness filling me from the moment I left the bridge. I gave Silktail a quick hug and shi replied in kind as I joined hir in looking at the monitor.
“So,” I asked ,”What do the scanners tell you?”
“I don’t fully understand. There’s defenately life in the pod, partially preserved through cryogenic freeze and sustained for the rest by a stasis field. But I read both organic and anorganic components in whatever is lying inthere.” Shi paused for a moment, “And it’s not completely human either. There are traces of Vulpine DNA. It’s an anthromorph.”
“Is it safe to open?”, I asked. Silktail acknowledged that it was safe as in no radiation, bacteria or similar dangers, but whatever was inthere would have to thaw out first and wake up before the pod can be safely opened. And there was also the risk that whatever was inside could be hostile, seeing as the pod was military in use.
“Well, as it’s safe, I say we join Alex in the cargo bay and take a personal look at the pod”, I ventured. Silktail agreed and the both of us padded to the bay flank to flank, hir hand resting on my back.
* * * * *
The pod was lying in the middle of the loading platform, emitting a very low hum, barely audible even to me. Alex was looking impressive all geared up and even saluted Silktail and me, even if it was just for the image. We padded up to the pod and noticed a fouled-up window filling half of the lower side. I gave Alex a rag from one of the pockets on my vest and told him to polish it off. Manipulating the small loading crane, I managed to flip the pod over. We all looked in anticipation as the layer of sludge was gradually wiped off.
What was in there was nothing we could have imagined. There lay what was basically a morphic fox tod. He was wairing a lightweight version of the armor worn by Alex, leaving most of his arms bare, also the pants were modified to shorts as the end of it could just be seen before the window stopped. He had deep red fur with sharply bordered white starting under his muzzle and flowing into his armor. His ears were tipped with a deep brown color and the same went for the part of his ‘gloves’ we could see. His headfur was longer and also deep red, standing out in a spikey fashion. But the most disturbing feature about him was that part of the left side of his face and muzzle, including the eye, was replaced with a metal mold **. There was an electronic eye clearly to be seen, and a dull pulse of red came from it.
“Do you think he can see us?” asked Alex.
“Well, you can still see when you enter stasis with your eyes open,” I replied, “But his, erm, real eye is closed. I think the red is sort of an indication that he is still active or something. It is pulsing in synch to the hum.”
Alex turned to ask what hum, but the question died on his lips as he saw our ears and remembered their sensitivity.
Silktail tore her stare away from the strange tod and turned to Alex. “Something tells me you have a little more light to shed on this,” shi said.
Alex nodded and started to explain. He had been given a course in Warfare History during Marine training and there was something told about an experiment conducted during WW3. It comprised of humans and, more often, recruted furs to undergo cybernetic operations, during wich their physical, mental and emotional attributes were altered to suit a more docile and effective fighting force. All but five of recipients died due to their bodies denyind the implants or commiting suicide after the mental ‘adjustments’ were put through.
It was documented that these five were used often, being inserted through space by these kind of pods behind enemy lines. Near the end of the war, one of the opposing forces got their hands on the insertion coordinates and a retalliation was launched while the five were still in helpless cryogenic-stasis.
“They were all declared KIA,” Alex concluded.
“Guess this kid here was knocked out of his flightpath and was sent hurling in space.” Said Silktail.
“But that was ages ago,” Said Alex, “He should probably have ended up somewhere on the other side of the galaxy.”
I started chuckling, my mood affecting Silktail as shi started to grin as well. “I think I know,” I said ,”We were all too occupied with the pod to pay much attention to it, but when you go and look at the recording of the screen…”
“There was an asteroid,” Said Alex.
“Of course,” said Silktail silently chuckling as well, “How could we have missed something as big as that in the first place.”
“That answers why he was still so relatively close to known space, doesn’t it?” I asked. They both agreed.
“Now for the rest,” I started, “I think I will be able to manually start the thawing and it shouldn’t be hard to find the macro for his wake-up call, but what do we do when he wakes up? If we want to wake him in the first place..”
“I say we get him out,” said Alex, “We know what stasis is like for short periods, try imagining his situation.”
Silktail agreed to that and offered the idea to place the pod in the one holding cell of the ship. That way he would allready be safely contained in case of trouble, and if he isn’t a threath we could alway set him free. We decided to do that and I mounted some Anti-Grav units to the pod.
Actually they don’t really negate gravity and they are useless outside the ship, all they do is lift the object they’re attached to above a grid installed into the floors. But Anti-Grav sounds so nice and as the effect produced is similar to what Anti-Grav would do it’s commonly referred to by the same name.
After it was set down in the brig I began to unscrew a panel I had found. I was lucky, as a very old emergency conrol panel looked back at me from inside, someone had the thought that a non-technical soldier could one time need to release the person inside. While I would have figured any controlls out eventually, just plug in the right equipment and do the right research, there was this big faded-green button still marked clearly “Manual ReleaseProcedure Start”. I grinned a wide grin and with a decided “AHH” bopped the button with my elbow. The pod started to clearly hum now and I left the cell. Alex closed the force field and sat down on the chair provided for guards.
“I’ll give you a call when he moves,” He said.
I told him I’d bring him some food later on and remembered the lunch I left in the Mess. When I got there, Silktail rounded the corner at the same time as I did. We smiled at eachother. We were allready starting to get used to the both of us having the same general idea at the same time. Our lunch was spoilt of course, but I prepared something to eat and after a quiet and intimate dinner, we snuggled a little letting it settle for a few moments. Afterwards Silktail announced that shi would start moving some of the more important stuff from hir old cabin to our new one and I said I would join hir as soon as I brought Alex something to eat.
During the move, we made another discovery about our new relationship. One of Silktails paintings was about fall of the cart and impale itself on my synthesyser. I happened to like that particular painting a lot, it was the one with me under the globe spilling water over me, because that was made on the night I found out about my true feelings towards Silktail. I wanted to use my telekinesis to save the canvas, but amazingly enough, Silktail hirself beat me to it. A little on the spot experimenting reveiled that shi could freely draw on my powers as if the normal requirements of two Skunktaurs to one Chakat were met, as long as shi stayed within range of my regular empathic bond, being about 10 metres in any direction.
It took a few hours before we were finally settled in and we snuggled up close to eachother on the two-taur bed. As I put an arm around hir, shi wrapped hir tail around mine and we fell asleep in eachothers embrace there and then. Fatigued by the sheer amount of surprises we had today, and not to mention the moving our stuff into new quarters.
While we slept, Alex was down in the brig, waiting for our mistery guest to thaw.
* * * * *
* ARDRS = Active Radiation Distribution Relay System.
** Think of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator when half his face is gone.
***
by taross