FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

He awoke with a start. His head slamming up against the plastic glass covering that hovered over the upper portion of his bed frame. The plush, ribbed sponge of a mattress absorbed the impact of his body as he slammed back down onto it with a groan, his paw going to his forehead to massage the hurt away.

His eyes opened, unfocused, as he looked around his sterile surroundings. It almost looked like a laboratory room, if it weren't for the fact that there were several amenities embedded into the walls of the small space. A small fold-up table and chair were pulled out and situated perfectly for seating, but he could see the grooves in the walls where they would go to make it one smooth surface. Adjacent to that and opposite him were a mirror and sink, as well as a pull-away curtain that most likely housed a toilet.

A small crackle and hiss alerted him to the very sharp needle just mere inches from his neck. His eyes dilated as he shuffled his body to the side, getting as far away from the sparking device as possible. Whatever it was went deep into the wall beyond his room, and seemed to be bent and inoperative. Just what was it used for? He really didn't have much of an idea of why he was here in the first place.

Recognizing the now aching spot on his neck, he scooted his butt down the bed a ways before flipping his legs over the side and sitting up, feeling several good pops go up and down his spine. He yawned and stretched wide, before plopping his hands down at his sides, relaxing after what seemed like ages asleep. He had hardly noticed anything amiss until his tail came down to rest upon his arm.

Looking down at himself, it was then he noticed that he had an extra appendage and his skin was nothing but fur! Standing up suddenly, twirling around in a circle trying to get a good look at that which he could surprisingly control with muscles he didn't know he had access to, he immediately surged to the sink. His paws gripping the sides of the cold porcelain, he gazed at himself.

The face he remembered was not the person looking at him now. His paw shakingly rose up to touch the bridge of his muzzle. That long snout with a dark, wet nose breathing misty heat onto the mirror. His ears flapped at the humming lights above him. Was this the person he always was? If anything, he looked more vulpine than human. His paws glided through the fur on his face, and he knew this was not a dream.

Shaking his head from the shock, he stumbled over to the table, crashing down into the chair beside it as he shook violently. Where was he? Why couldn't he remember? A slow panic began to form in the pit of his gut, and he was about to howl when a small, blinking, blue light caught his attention at the edge of the table where corner met wall. It almost seemed like a toy at first glance, like something was to go onto it from above, but missing its piece.

Pressing the button, a shimmering picture exploded into view, hovering just inches from his face and perched perfectly above the device. It was a woman of remarkable beauty. She had flowing, black hair that reached the small of her back, and she had the most luxurious summer dress with pretty floral print. She looked like one of those classic pin up girls from home when men went off to war.

She had the most startling eyes of green, she seemed a bit lost and unsure of where to be looking as if some unseen person was setting up the camera and giving her directions. After a few minutes of back and forth chatter, she finally got her mark down and managed to look right into the camera, into his eyes. He held his breath tightly, not wanting to breath as her voice filled the silence of the room with melodic frequency.

"Hey...um...Trevor..." She began hesitantly. It was clear that she was on more personal terms with him, but for some reason was a bit shy and reserved. "I...I know this is probably going to be very confusing for you...it's a bit shocking to me as well. I was surprised myself when you first started growing the hair that you did..." She had to chuckle a bit, almost seeming more like herself at the memory.

Trevor reached out his paw to try and touch her face, but was met with nothing but a distortion of the image. It carried on as if nothing had happened, "Nobody knows why or how it started. You were one of the first. For a while, I was hoping I would turn too and grow some fur and a fluffy tail. It...it was kind of hot." He smiled as he saw the hologram blush.

His brow furrowed as he saw her fluster a bit, as if some unseen person off camera was directing her to carry on with it. "Ah...um...Well, the scientists asked you and several others to come in for testing to see what the cause was. Things were getting a bit heated and..." There was more distortion before garbled voices could be heard.

Within moments, it cleared up and the woman was back, crystal clear. She seemed different, as if she had been crying and quite distraught. "I'm so sorry, Trevor. They can't fix you or anyone else, but I don't care what they say, I know that I love you. Do not forget me...remember me, please. Sarai Grissom loves you, and all that you are!" It felt like there was more to the message, but it abruptly cut out and dissipated.

Trevor sat there in silence as he stared through the space of air that was once occupied by his wife. Yes, he remembered now. He had a wife. Was she his still? He placed a paw to his head, riffling it back through his hair, between his ears. A movement he had done in what seemed like a past life whenever he was nervous or agitated. Just what was going on, and what had happened? He wasn't always like this, that much was clear. He was as smooth and bare skinned as his wife was...or still is.

Resolving to get to the bottom of this, he stood up and was ready to walk out the door before realizing he was stark naked. Granted, he had fur covering the majority of his body, but that did nothing to hide his masculinity. He spied the hideaway closet just to the left of the door. A push of a button was all it took to elongate the clothes hanger into the room. After spotting what looked like an agreeable pair of pants and t-shirt, he awkwardly placed them on, snapping the button of fabric above his tail to let it through.

Placing his paw on what looked like an access panel, he was pleasantly surprised to see the door sliding away with a very satisfying sound, quite like the Star Trek days of old. Trevor really did love watching that show, as ridiculous as it got. Looking up and down the white-washed corridor, he noted several glowing light pathways in the corners where the floor met the wall. A sign across the hall from him gave color coordination for each path of light and where it led. He found the cafeteria and decided to follow the light that would lead him there, there must be crowds of people that could help explain to him what was going on.

His paw pads were making only the slightest of sounds as he paced down the sanitary corridors, passing room after room of what he could only assume were more people just like him. Were they all fox-like in looks and shape? Or were that all more or less the same? He was actually kind of excited to find out, almost like heading towards meeting old friends or family.

Slapping his paw on the access panel just outside the double sliding doors to the cafeteria, he anxiously awaited the sliding doors to open. As they slid open with a hiss, he bounded into the room, eager to meet with any others who shared his predicament. His mouth stood agape at the empty room. Rows upon rows of empty tables and benches. There were several huge pillars with monitors with various food item pictures, presumably where one would get their meal. Several hanging TV monitors were sporadically placed around the room, but none were on. It's as if the entire operation was in suspended animation.

Trevor morosely walked over to one of the food pillars and pressed a claw to one of the images of bacon and eggs. He was feeling a bit hungry right now and he would tackle his current situation on a fuller stomach. He waited a few moments before trying again. Nothing was happening. No whirring of gears or anything. He tried pressing other food pictures, all with the same effect. Within a few minutes, the screen dimmed and 'Out of Order' flashed.

Growling his anger, he slammed his fist onto the whole monitor. "Stupid machine!" He roared.

Stalking over to the next pillar four tables over, he pressed another button. Nothing. The grumbling in his stomach began to rise to a fever pitch as he frantically began checking each and every pillar. Nothing was forthcoming. It was as if the entire cafeteria was dismantled. Nothing was working. He slumped down to the floor and rapped his head back onto the cold metal, his eyes closed. He tried to ignore the yelling in his belly.

Head held in his paws, Trevor finally quelled the need to eat. Frustrated at his inability to find sustenance, he stood up and headed out of the hall. Maybe there was another mess hall? Maybe he went to the wrong one and this one was inoperative and everyone was at the one that worked? Maybe he could knock on some doors and see if he could talk with any others about their situation.

"Hello?" He called out as he padded down the bright hallways. "Is anybody here?"

He saw a small hint of flashing yellow bordering a door of one of the bedrooms. With a flutter in his heart, he dashed on over to it. It could very well be someone occupying that room! He gave the door several knocks before waiting for a response. After a few moments of silence, he pressed in on the door, activating its safety sensors, causing it to slide into the wall promptly. With a bounce in his step, he stepped in and looked around.

The room was unremarkable and laid out almost cookie cutter. He snorted, almost imagining whoever built this place hiring the cheapest contractor and having them copy and paste room designs up and down these living quarters. It wouldn't surprise him in the least. Within moments, he spotted the occupant that lived here still sleeping soundly in her bed. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon her form.

She was a voluptuous beauty. Feline in appearance, with whiskers extending beyond her face. Noticing her tail, stock still between her legs, his eyes roved up her form, to her cat-like ears. She too had the small, encasing plastic covering that hovered over the upper part of her body. She seemed to be in a very deep sleep, her bare chest hardly moving at all, with what little oxygen she was consuming.

Trevor had to tear his eyes away from her alluring spots to notice the same, small needle piercing her neck. He frowned a bit and wondered why it was there. He nervously hitched a knee up alongside her leg, feeling the ribbed mattress absorb his weight with a jiggle. He looked up at her face, wondering if she'd wake up, but she was too far gone in dreams for that. He laughed nervously as he began to crawl over her to get a closer look at the needle.

"Ah...I'm sorry, for...um...being this inappropriately close to you, whoever you are. I'm sure you are a very proper lady, but I just need to take a quick look at one thing..." Trevor apologized, feeling it the right thing to do.

Trying his best to not violate her decency in any way, he continued to crawl up her body on the bed, trying to squeeze himself on the side before ducking his head under the clear covering. He scooted forward until he was almost face to face with the beautiful cat woman. He had to shut his eyes tightly to remind himself that he was married to Sarai, a gorgeous woman who was still waiting for him somewhere.

Opening his eyelids again, he turned to examine the needle. It appeared to be wedged firmly into her main carotid artery. He followed its length into the siding of her bed where it protruded from a small hole in the wall. Some small lights were flickering between green and yellow on a small, hardly noticeable panel just beside it.

Digging a claw into the slit between the panel door and wall, Trevor managed to yank open the small access door and see the wiring within. It resembled nothing but a tangled mess of cords and cables to him. It seemed hopeless; figuring out what it's purpose was fruitless this way. He returned his attention back to his feline companion next to him, regarding her with scrutiny. Was this keeping her asleep? Was that why he woke up, because it malfunctioned?

Maybe if he could just...try and pry it out? With a quivering paw, he firmly gripped the thick needle and tried to wiggle it back and forth, with a constant force in opposition to its entry. His tail flicking back and forth with the intense focus, his tongue sticking out with determination, he slowly saw it begin to slip out of her, a small trickle of blood seeping out from the wound.

"Almost...there..." He said to himself. God, how long was this freaking thing? Just as he felt like it had come out, a small beep from his right indicated that the control panel had detected something amiss and immediately shunted itself back into her, a soft flow of liquid could be heard coursing through it. "Oh shit! No, no, no, no, no!" He began to scream, frantically pawing at the needle that had re-entered into the female.

He ripped the horrid thing out of her, but it was already too late. A noxious fluid gushed out of the tip and from her wound, clearly an overdose if he ever saw one. He quickly backed away from it, before it made him pass out from the fumes. He tried to sit up, but only managed to flop back onto his rump as he gazed in horror as the feline woman's chest slowly fell from her last breath and then lay still.

"What the fuck just happened?!" He cried out to nobody. Only the silence greeting him.

Trevor couldn't believe what had just transpired in front of him by his own hand. Why were the damn things pre-programmed to kill the patient upon tampering? Was that standard procedure? Was there protocol for safely getting everyone out of the deep sleep they found themselves in? Just what the hell was this place anyway? All these questions raged through his mind as he continued to reel from having just witnessed a living human...furry person die in front of him.

Toppling over onto the ground, he scrambled up onto the jutting table and chair, unfolded and set up quite like his own room. Just like before, there was a device where a hologram would play for the occupant of this room. Having just been an accomplice to her murder, he might as well go the distance and view the message meant for her upon waking. With a weary paw, he jammed the button in hard. As expected, an image of a human shimmered into view. It was a rather handsome male with dark eyes and blonde hair. He glanced over at the now deceased cat woman. How would he explain this to her husband?

"Hey...um...Taylor..." He began hesitantly. Trevor's face fell as the familiar message played beat for beat with his own. "I...I know this is probably going to be very confusing for you...it's a bit shocking to me as well. I was surprised myself when you first started growing the hair that you did..." A hearty chuckle seemed to break out the dimples in the man's cheeks.

"What the hell?" Trevor asked incredulously, unable to tear his eyes away from the prerecorded message.

"Nobody knows why or how it started." The man continued unhindered. "You were one of the first. For a while, I was hoping I would turn too and grow some fur and a fluffy tail. It...it was kind of hot." The same shy demeanor upon admitted this and then a sudden fluster, "Ah...um...Well, the scientists asked you and several others to come in for testing to see what the cause was. Things were getting a bit heated and..." Garbled mess before coming back into clear view. "I'm so sorry, Taylor. They can't fix you or anyone else, but I don't care what they say, I know that I love you. Do not forget me...remember me, please. Samuel Grey loves you, and all that you are!"

The image disappeared, leaving Trevor in abject confusion mixed with a creeping sense of horror. With a few minor changes, it was beat for beat like his own personalized message. Just what in blazes was going on here? He needed to find the command room or some place where some sort of leadership for this entire operation resided. Maybe he could find answers there. There were just too many questions.

With one last, lingering look at Taylor, he bowed his head as he strode out into the hallway with renewed purpose. Heading straight for one of the many maps he had already come to expect posted nearby, he walked up to it and surveyed the entire complex. It seemed easy to figure out, almost like a hub and spoke design, but with only a few spokes leading to what appeared to be a central node. Maybe that was where he could find answers?

Trevor began to sprint down the pristine path, not really noticing until he made his first turn down what he believed to be the nearest spoke hallway that the entire corridor was slightly curved. He hadn't given it much thought when he was following it in a straight line. The gradient was so gradual it was barely noticeable. Now that he was perpendicular to the main thoroughfare, it was much easier to perceive that the entire place was curved in what appeared to be a full circle. What devilry was this?

Another thing that began to unnerve him was the severe lack of windows. He could have sworn he had explored most of this facility in the few hours he had been awake, but to this very moment he had yet to spy even one single look outside. At last, he made it to the center node and discovered a rather small corridor that bordered a centralized structure which appeared to have airlocked doors. Why in the world would they need that?

Rushing up to the access panel, he placed his paw on it, only to get a red flash of denial. His shoulders slumped. His ears only perking up as he heard a computer's voice in a soothing female tone intone the problem at hand, "Minor structural damage to exterior protective barriers. As sole living organism that is awake, confirm sealing protocol?"

Trevor stumbled over his words as he looked around, unsure if the computer meant him specifically. The only living one? "Uh...yeah, do the seal thing."

"Understood." The female replied. Within moments, he could hear a high pitched squeal as metallic rumbling was heard within the central structure. After a few minutes, all sounds stopped and a hissing leak of air emanated from the sides of the airlock before him. The lock disengaged and it swung unhinged a few centimeters outward. Heart pounding, Trevor gripped the bulkhead door and pushed it open before stepping in and looking around.

His voice caught in his throat as he saw three humans sprawled out over the chairs and floor, gunshot wounds in their heads. Hastening over to each one, he put his paw to each neck to feel no pulse. He noticed a gun that one had dropped to the floor where he fell. This human's wound was different from the others. Where the other two had clean wounds through their cranium, this one has a full blow back that exploded the back of their head, as if they killed themselves through the mouth after having offed the others.

Why go suicidal? What was going on? Trevor's pulse raced as the panic began to settle in. He was alone and there was no one directing...whatever this was. He glanced up to see reinforced glass, covered by metal shutters. Through the glass, he could see a single crack where the last bullet went through after what he assumed was the final, self-inflicted shot. With intent, he scoured the control panels in the small room and discovered a button with a sticky-note next to it marking it as 'windows.'

"How convenient." Trevor snorted, as he pushed the button.

Within seconds, the air grew instantly cold as a huge rush of wind surged up past him and forced its way up through the crack as the shutters receded back into their storage spaces. His mouth stood agape, eyes filled with millions of stars. There was nothing but the vastness of space above him and the chill truth of realization of where he was.

"Holy shit!" He slammed his fist back onto the button to reseal the room up again. The entire room was protected once more from the harsh vacuum outside.

Trevor fell to his knees as he understood the gravity of his situation. They must be in some sort of colonial space station...headed somewhere. For what reason or purpose, he had no idea yet. These humans who had not grown fur, tails or any mammal-like features were heading the entire operation, but had either gotten into some dispute or argument and now he was left here alone with an entire population who were too drugged up and asleep to know or care!

Wiping the last tear from his face, he gripped the nearest terminal and pulled himself back up. Eyes glossing over the myriad of buttons and dials, he hadn't the faintest clue what he could do now. As he scanned the room, he came to rest on a small cabinet about waist high with several drawers. Opening one up, he found an operating manual which appeared to be untouched. Figures that no one would even read the damn thing.

Plopping it unceremoniously onto a relatively open space of terminal, he opened it up and began to flip through the pages. He ultimately found what he was seeking; the ship's log commands. Tracing the panels by the diagrams, he finally found the switches and dials he was looking for. He would have never guessed it otherwise.

One press illuminated a small screen just to the right on the dash. It was a laundry list of logs and folders. Inside each folder was more logs and messages to view. How in the world would he navigate through all this to find the answers he was searching for? He thought for a moment before finally selecting the initial log entries, the ones where the entire thing was built. He flipped through the menus to find the very first log. Selecting it brought up a small hologram just before him on a small device similar to the ones found in the living rooms. He had hardly even noticed it was there, so hidden in the mass of buttons and switches.

A rather balding man in a lab coat and carrying the stereotypical clipboard was clearing his throat as he looked at his notes, figuring out what he was going to say, not realizing he was already on rolling camera. He looked up startled before clearing throat again, "Erhm, this is Dr. Malthius Greenwood. I am here to mark this joyous occasion of the completion of the Intrepid! A biological containment facility where we can break new ground in science free from the physical confines and limitations we have on Earth. With the generous backing of the United Nations working in cooperation for the betterment of mankind, we are able to do extensive research into cures for cancer, disease and more without worry of regulations and restrictions. I'd like to thank everyone involved in helping us achieve this incredible..."

Trevor already tuned him out as he shut the log off. So this was a space station build for scientific research. Malthius only alluded briefly on a specific truth, but Trevor picked up on it right away. Without regulations or restrictions. Out in space, were there any to truly enforce? Was human testing a part of it? Was he just an experiment like Taylor and everyone else, presumably in each of the other living quarters?

He needed to find out more. He skipped ahead to several entries that had the headline, 'Primary Testing Phase 1.' A female scientist dressed in more or less the same as Malthius appeared before him. She adjusted her glasses before speaking, "Test case #117 showed promising signs of accepting the serum. Within a few days of injection, he had showed all signs of natural hair growth. We unfortunately had to terminate the subject due to miscalculating how bad growing tails from a fully grown human body would be. Recommend injecting subjects at an earlier stage, preferably after they are released from natal containment."

"Hell..." Trevor breathed, turning her off as well. Were they test tube babies now too? What was going on in this sick place? Were they growing humans just to turn them into...this? He looked down at himself and now wondered how he would have looked as a smooth skinned human. Was he even human anymore? And what about Sarai Grissom? Were these memories of his manufactured as well?

Trepidation fueling his drive, he continued to filter through the logs. Each one seemingly worse than the last. "Subject was very violent, had to be sedated for further observation."..."Three more put down as growing snouts and ears appeared to cause internal brain hemorrhaging."..."One tried to attack an intern, pinning her to the ground. Thankfully, it still takes only one gunshot to the head."..."One of our idiot interns had the stupid idea of trying to mate with one of them, to disastrous results. Poor thing didn't realize it wasn't being harmed. We had to put down the subject and sedate the intern, but could not stop the blood from the lacerations."..."We aren't getting anywhere, the funding is probably going to get pulled."

It was a nightmare carousel of images dancing before Trevor's eyes. Each scientist offering their candid, yet brutally honest assessment of the entire operation. With shaking paws, he reached out one more time to initiate the final log entry, dated at what appeared to be nearly a week ago. Malthius was there, in all his sterile glory. He seemed a lot more haggard and depressed than his first appearance.

He looked up at the camera and wearily sighed as he made the ships final log entry, "The research into an evolved immune system yielded unexpected results. Instead of starting from ground zero with our research, we tried our best to work with the side effects of the serum we had created." He rubbed his eyes tiredly, groaning as he did so. "This has been far too costly, with very minimal returns on all our efforts. With so little to show and what little quite unimpressive, the funding was pulled effective yesterday. We now need to look to the future and decide what we can salvage from this operation."

"We have organized all the escape shuttles to be launched by close of business tomorrow. Three volunteers have elected to stay behind to help guide this station on a collision course with the our nearest star, the sun. Their directives are simple, keep the remaining subjects sedated and under observation. Once the course is set, they can man the final shuttle and return home. We can then be done with this whole fiasco. This is Dr. Malthius Greenwood, signing off from the Intrepid." The picture flickered and went out.

Trevor stood there staring at where Malthius had vanished for what seemed like hours. His entire existence seemed to be one big lie. Then why was he filled with the knowledge of his past, his memories? Why did he know language and could think coherently on his own and recognize obvious structures within the facility and their intended purpose? There was so much he did not understand.

With an extra shuttle left to ferry them to safety, he couldn't understand why these three elected to die instead. He picked up the gun from the cold floor and manipulated it in his paws, turning it over and over. Maybe he should do the same? His entire life was a joke. Maybe he never really had one to begin with?

Cocking the gun, with what seemed like eased practice, he placed the barrel of it in his mouth, feeling the smooth steel on his upper jaw. It would be so easy to just pull the trigger and end it all, just like...he stopped in mid-pull. Taking it out of his muzzle, he looked over at the human who had blown his brains out after shooting the other two. Why did he kill himself? And why shoot the others first? They clearly had opportunity to return home, so why didn't they?

Setting the dangerous weapon back on the ground, Trevor got up and began to paw through the man's pockets and clothes, wondering if there was something on him that might explain his motivations. Upon lifting his buttoned shirt, his eyes locked on to a rather nasty looking set of scars that had freshly healed.

Realization thudded into Trevor's skull as he recalled one of the log entries from before, there was no entry indicating if the intern survived or not from trying to mate. Could this be the same one? What reason could he have for volunteering to stay behind? Or was he punished for what he had done earlier and was forced to? Were these other two misfits as well? But why shoot them?

He put a paw on the man's cheek, almost in appreciation. "Thanks...whoever you are. You were probably one of the few who probably saw us as more than lab subjects...in your own twisted way." What an odd thing to say, but was there anything normal about this situation?

With firm resolve, Trevor flipped the manual back open and did his own research on the station. He and everyone else still sleeping in this station may have been left to die to cover their tracks, but he wasn't going to lay down and let it happen. Someone or something wanted him to wake up when he did. Trevor now had a purpose. Once he learned enough on how to operate this station, he was going to wake up everyone he could find, human or not. He may have woke up alone, but he was most certainly not going to die that way.

Trevor was on a mission. With a cruel smile, he checked the manual one last time before pressing the first button.

FIN.