FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Splicer's sleep was cut short by a mechanical adrenaline pumping through his veins. He opened his eyes and shrugged his way out of the skunk who was still locked into sleep, unable to wake up if they wanted to.

"I assume you woke me up for something important then?" Splicer said leaving the cage and stretching his body upward. He still felt the abuse from yesterday still fresh on his body, yet all the marks of it were gone.

"Joseph would like to see you again, figure I'd give you a heads up so you could prepare yourself." Laguna was already dressed, there was a cooperate party to attend tonight and he wanted to be ready long beforehand. "Get ready, you can wear the suit to the event if you wish. Or naked, whichever you'd be more comfortable with."

The three ate breakfast in uncomfortable silence, unlike all his other meals at the hotel, Splicer was allowed to eat from the table with utensils, it was almost uncomfortable as he held the fork in his paw, quivering.

Can't get a stain on my new suit. He breathed deep and steadied himself.

Aurich felt the air of discomfort around the table as he picked at his meal. The fork in his paw drew a line through the egg on his plate causing it to seep a golden yellow liquid over his hashbrowns. He figured Laguna would be at least interested in the party tonight, but even he seemed to be brimming with a nervous energy.

"Think we could head hom- back to the facility early instead?" Splicer bit his tongue pissed off at himself for almost making such a stupid mistake. He glanced at his watch and noted that the party wouldn't be for another few hours yet. He already knew the answer was no.

Splicer was sitting in the lobby again, staring at the otter's black eyes, in a permanent staring contest with the statue. He spent two hours in this position, falling in and out of what he began to call the product trance. He felt the clawing words in his mind telling him he was just a product and product was meant to obey, and yet he also had his own clawing words telling him his name was Splicer, and he would never be someone's product. The two conflicting clawing thoughts on his brain was taxing the wolf mentally as his two parts went to war over who would own the wolf's thoughts. He took a deep breath, he won, at least he thought he won but he wasn't entirely sure.

Splicer, Laguna and Aurich were standing on the roof of the hotel as they watched the helicopter approaching on the horizon staring off as a small dot but getting bigger with each passing second until Splicer got a clear view into the cockpit, two furs were at the front, the copilot was some random fur, but the one next to him was anything but. Splicer could see the empty eyes and the familiar face of the fox pilot. His mind was wiped but he still had the muscle memory of an expert pilot, and Joseph had found Blaine to be quickly added to his personal collection, so far he hadn't regretted the choice as the fox could fly him through any sky conditions with a mechanical precision only products knew. Splicer began to panic, his fur bristled, he began spinning in circles scanning every window within a ten-building radius.

Fuck, If Blaine is here and if Jack is as stubborn as I know he is... Splicer's eyes narrowed as he caught the star glint of reflecting glass in the setting sun 2 building south, also on the roof. Splicer knew, Jack knew, they both spent the next few seconds staring at each other, waiting for some form of communication. Suddenly the glint began flashing on and off at different intervals as the beagle covered the binoculars in his paw. Splicer watched the flashes.

Dot dot dash, dot dash dot dot, dot dot, dot, dash dot dot. U lied Splicer swallowed reading the message and seeing the far-off silhouette stand up and walk away. The helicopter was about to land.

"See something interesting?" Laguna was looking at the wolf with a bit of intrigued as he watched the wolf's expression slowly get more and more grim as he looked off in the opposite direction of the helicopter.

"N-n-no, it's nothing, I just, don't think I'm ready to see him again." Splicer wasn't sure who the him in question was, Blaine, Joseph or jack. Truth be told the inevitable meetings he'd have with all three of them was causing the wolf to bounce a paw up and down to try and blow off the nervous energy rising within his body. The helicopter touched down and the loud whipping wind died as the engine was clicked off and the blades stopped their whirring. Splicer could almost feel the whirring machines in his body slowing down as he saw the suited leg of the otter step from the helicopter. The copilot bowed his head before attending to the remained of the touched down process, Blaine exited the plane and stood in heel of his owner as Laguna and Joseph met in the middle shaking paws.

"Well how's the husband? Ready to give me a shot instead?" Joseph asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not even in your dreams Joe..." Laguna smiled and shot him down with practiced precision.

Splicer watched the two exchanging pleasantries, he reached over and felt a paw grasping his as Aurich squeezed it tight.

"I see you brought the product as requested... Not sure why you let it wear clothes, but I suppose you can dress them how you wish."

"Actually, the puppy picked that suit himself Joe."

"What, did you just say?" Joseph's eyes had turned towards the wolf, looking deep inside. "How did you? Product, come here!"

Splicer felt his mind grind to a halt as he stepped forward, everything felt so slow as the clawing words product returned to his mind.

Product... Splicer knew how stupid it was trying to deny his place, he stepped forward closer to the otter.

I'm just product, I've always been product... Joseph's face relaxed a little more seeing the wolf's thought pattern changing back to how it should be.

Splicer was standing in front of the ottter now looking right into his eyes, seeing the connection forming, even stronger than the last time.

"Joe, I spent a long time fixing him. Please don't break him again..." Laguna stepped in, deciding to break it up before it was too late.

"Fine..." The connection broke, but the resounding claws of product was still deep within the wolf's mind, causing him to stand in place in a stunned silence. He thought he could resist, he was wrong.

"So you mentioned you wanted to talk about him?"

"Yes I found the results of the lab test fascinating, did you see how much electrical output he has in his body?"

"I saw the numbers."

"He could become the first ever product battery! Think about what he could do if he were the heart of a power plant! All you would have to do is keep the body alive and it could keep this entire city running for decades!"

"We can already do that with the amount of power plants we own..."

"Think of the power this thing gives us over everyone! Hell, with the fucking power it produces, just the one of it is enough to start a global war for a fraction of the potential energy it could provide them! Presidents! Offering to suck your dick! Begging you to take their national treasures, just for a chance to see the battery in motion. We need to figure out that drug it's on, it's a gold mine of leverage waiting to happen."

"You already know as well as he does, he doesn't know how it's made or who gave it to him."

"But if I could just have it to take back to the main lab, we could reverse engineer it within a few decades and produce it ourselves!"

The thought was enough to give Laguna pause, the type of money this venture could produce, as the financial head of all of Evertech it would be foolish to refuse. And yet, on the other paw, he looked at the wolf standing beside him, Aurich still tightly squeezing his paw. Splicer was staring at the ground, a bit of drool escaped his lips and dripped down onto the rooftop, he was product, he didn't mind the idea of becoming a battery if it would make his owner money. The wolf wasn't only his test subject, he would be his pet.

"Sorry Joe, you know how I feel about my pets..."

"I can get you another wolf! Damn it Laguna, why do you act like they're not all the same?"

Joseph honestly didn't understand why Laguna valued the pets he had so highly. He was one of the few people who explicitly asked for his pets unprocessed, at least ever since that kobold. The grey wolf in front of him wasn't that special, was it? He could easily get any other grey wolf off the street with similar colouring, process it and it would be the same product as the wolf right in front of him, wouldn't it? He couldn't stand the thought of the wolf getting unprocessed, it was impossible, Joseph had never seen a case of it before. Every product he processed was processed and that was that, but even as the wolf repeated the word product over and over again to themselves, he saw residual thoughts bubbling to the surface. His vision went nearly red, he considered ignoring the badger's request and forcing the wolf into becoming a product once more, this time permanently, he focused hard.

He couldn't do it, he let out a sigh, he had a massive soft spot for Laguna, and as much as he wanted to destroy the wolf once more, he knew the badger would be cross. He let his focus on the wolf's mind slide away.

"I don't know what to tell you, my pets need personality and emotions, otherwise it's just so, boring to me."

"Whatever you say, I assume that means I can't take him?"

"No, you can't."

"Then I'll see you at the party~" Joseph couldn't stay mad at Laguna, he was too perfect, everything the otter ever wanted. He just hoped one day the badger might return the sentiment, one day...

Joseph left the rooftop with his pilots in tow. Splicer slowly felt the clawing calls of product leave his mind as he looked up, he wasn't even on the roof anymore, he was leaning on the wall in the middle of a large conference room, furs having boisterous conversation around him as naked pets went around with silver platters holding various fancy appetizers and drinks, weaving in and out of the crowd. Splicer adjusted his tie and looked down at his watch, he had lost 2 hours of time since the rooftop and it would appear as the party was on full swing. The image of Jack flashed through his mind, but he dismissed it.

Not here, not yet, soon though. Jack wasn't an idiot, Splicer knew he would be coming but he couldn't make a move yet, there was still more digging the beagle would have to do before he could make a final decision. Splicer almost thought about warning Laguna or asking Laguna for advice, but he knew that Jack's first target was the wolf. There was an unwritten rule that contacts shared amongst each other, it was a simple rule, don't lie. Of course, no one followed the rule, but as long as you never get caught there's no harm no foul. Splicer was caught, he deserved what was coming but he still wanted to protect Jack. Splicer knew if Jack got too close to finding anything out, he'd find himself in a similar situation, if he didn't get processed like Blaine...

Aurich was watching the wolf, waiting to see the signs of life return to his face, he waved him over with an eager paw.

"Hey, good to see you're back! Have fun being product again?" Aurish was digging at the wolf but he didn't really mind.

"Oh, it was a grand old time. Complete loss of self? You gotta try it, really, it's the new pet fad, so I'm told."

"Think I'll pass on that one."

"Where's the badger? Figured he'd be here..."

"Oh, 'im? I came here with Nate, the two of 'em couldn't help themselves. Already back at the room, 'catching up'." A sapphire blue kobold appeared, or maybe he was always there, the table was taller than he was after all, he was nursing a bottle. Splicer could see the rubber teat and everything. Knowing Dakota, it was better not to ask questions about it.

"I see, no worries. I figure I owe him at least a thanks for not letting me become the world's first wolf battery..."

"Wha?" Dakota's face was full of confusion.

"Oh nothing... Speaking of thanks, I owe you one as well for helping me out back there, I doubt I'd have recovered at all without your training, despite your, unorthodox, methods." Splicer was laughing but he still wasn't sure how he felt about the months of claws on chalkboard he was subjected to. Dakota was sure, he felt immense guilt for his torture of the wolf, but he had the small solace in the fact that he was at least back to normal because of it.

"Don't mention it..."

Splicer smirked, recalling a previous interaction.

"Actually I was hoping to ask you for one more favour?"

"Really now? What could I help you with."

"Once I get back to my real home, could you help me clean out my closet? I have about eight skeletons of myself that need burying, I imagine you could fit a few in your sandbox?"

"I'll get the plastic shovels, reckon it'd take a minute though." Dakota like the recovered wolf, the three pets spent a while making idle chit chat and jokes amongst each other when the wolf caught a flash of a fur who he needed to speak to.

Joseph was standing in the center of the room allowing each party guest a single hand shake and greeting, allow a few more the luxury of a conversation, after the badger had left he had felt little need to stay, but it was his party after all so he sighed and prepared for the long night ahead of him. He idly dreamt he was the otter Laguna had pulled away from the party, slipping into their hotel room for a long night of...

Splicer was approaching, he saw the silver glint of something and his paw instinctively reached out snatching two glasses of something. He downed one of the glasses of whatever it was, he didn't even stop to taste it, just let it slide down the back of his throat. He set the empty glass on another passing platter, griping the other tight in his paw. He was on a mission right now as he stepped towards the otter.

I'm not a product! Furs kept getting between the two breaking the connection the otter was trying to apply to the wolf's mind.

I'm a product... Splicer was standing in front of the otter, who wasn't even trying to break him, just the casual eye contact they held was enough to put the wolf into his place, as it should with product.

Product... Splicer's had trembled, threatening to drop the glass in his hand.

"Yes, product?" Joseph said with a bored sigh.

Splicer's mind was slowing to a crawl, when he bit his tongue, the pain sharpened his mind and suddenly the thought of something else came to him.

I'm my OWN product! Splicer's hand stopped quivering, he was making direct eye contact, eyes burning brilliant, the act of defiance made Joseph feel sick. He had never been directly disrespected by a thing before, the thought turned his stomach.

"I haven't changed my mind, I'd like nothing more than to turn you into a battery. At least then you'd have _some_value..." Joseph nearly spat at the wolf, voice betraying how angry he was.

"I don't think Laguna would be very happy with that outcome~" Splicer had it, he leveraged the one chip he had left on the table the otter couldn't steal from him. His poker face was immaculate as he dug the knife in deeper, reaching a paw out to shake the otter's. "Love the fountain in the lobby by the way, veeeeeeeeery humble."

"That's my father, actually." The otter huffed out, another nerve the wolf struck. "I would never do something so absurd."

The two shook hands, Joseph hated touching the product, but he wanted to make sure his next words rang true. He drew the wolf in close and hissed in his ear.

"Laguna may like you, but to me, you'll always be a battery. I don't care how Laguna feels about you, I will beg and barter with him until he cracks one day. I'll give him a new wolf, one that looks just like you, product, but this one will be obedient. Will treat Laguna with the respect he deserves, and I'll have, you. I will destroy you, take every little, tiny detail that makes you what you are, all that blood you think is so special, and I'll recreate it so you won't be special anymore, just another product like any other. Then I'll sell you off for a pretty penny, but I don't even care about the money, I could just give you away, I wouldn't, but I could. You'll spend the rest of your life as a battery, as you should be now. I look forward to the day."

The pure hatred in the otter's words made Splicer shiver, it had been years since he felt something so potent, he almost couldn't believe such malice could be pointed in his direction. He mustered every last ounce of rapidly diminishing resistance he could, breaking himself out of the otter's handshake, which had become more of an intense pressure, as if the otter was threatening to break his hand.

"I look forward to that day as well~" Splicer was off, his goal achived.

Joseph watched the back of the retreating product, the defiance it had displayed unnerved him and he reach down to touch the ring he stole from the wolf months ago to assure his position above the wolf. It wasn't there, fury flashed through his mind as he saw the wolf reach up to get a new glass and replace his old. The glint of gold was on his finger, he slipped into the crowd disappearing among the sea of furs. Joseph was about to chase after the product to get the ring back when he felt the presence of another hand reaching out for a handshake.

"Mr. Lockwood! Congratulations on the new deal! How'd you even manage to convince them to sell at that price?"

The otter shook his head and cleared his mind.

"Oh you know, we all have our ways, and most people find I have a certain, persuasion to my words."

He saw the processed faced of the CEO of the new company he had just absorbed into his own, ever-growing empire of Evertech, he pictured the wolf in place of the CEO and smiled.

One day...