FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It is lunch hour, and everyone is doing their thing. Colleen has Lydia in her office, KC is in the break room with Rosa. KC is not really fond of Rosa, but you don't always get to choose your work friends. Tina wandered downstairs to visit Ray in I.T.

Tina enters the I.T. department during lunch hour. As she walks through the department, she looks in each cubicle. In one, the person is playing W.o.W. In another, 'Second Life'. In yet another, the person is scouting stuff on Ebay.....

She makes her way back to Ray's office in the rear of the room. Ray is on the computer. He looks up, and motions Tina in......

"Hey, Hon. Come check this out. "

"Uh, I see everyone here on the web. I thought we were blocked..."

"YOU are" Ray smiled "We design the code that blocks you."

Tina walks over, and sees a big list of names and numbers on the computer screen.

"What's this?" she asks.

"I ran into this months ago. It's geneology. YOUR geneology.

"Geneology?" Tina repeated, confused.

"Yes. A family tree. For hybrids."

Most of us have some sense of who we are. Where we came from. What our ancestry is. For the majority of hybrids, that isn't possible. In the begining, they were laboratory experiments. Then pets. Then some kind of sub-humans. It was only recently that the hybrids were recognized as full citizens, with the same rights as humans. Many did not accept it still, but it was the law. Progress made, in tiny increments.

"Ray, what does it all mean?"

Tina stared at the screen, now with real interest...

"See? The left side is your father, the right, your mother. That's them at the top of the page. Below them are your grandparents, then their parents. Go back four generations, and we arrive at generation zero."

"Generation Zero?" Tina asked, confused.

"I'm still working on your mother's side, but I've reached generation zero on your father's side." Ray stated, triumphantly

"But what is generation zero?" Tina asked again.

"Generation zero is the begining, the first human/dog union that began the line."

"My great great grandparents?" she asked

"Exactly. If we follow the line back, these were your great great grandparents."

"I don't have my glasses" Tina said"Tell me who they were"

"Your great great grandmother was a white Standard Poodle named 'Daisey'"

"And my great great grandfather?"

"He lists as donor 1042"

"Just a number?"

"Well," Ray continued "Not just a number. It lists him as a mixed race male."

"Mixed race?" Tina repeated, confused

"Probably Black." Ray observed "Other searchers have found that many of the donors were Black, or mixed race, most partially Black"

"Who were....these ...donors?"

"They were a varied group. Some were students, some scientists, some were commercial donors...."

"Ray, how did you find this?"

"Well, there are groups, hybrids searching their roots. I learned a lot there"

"And the rest?" Tina asked, pointedly "You've been hacking again, haven't you?"

Tina knew that Ray was a hacker. As a very upright citizen, Tina did not approve of what Ray did. But there was a part of her that was fascinated by this modern day pirate. Ray was good; so good in fact that he could travel the WWW pretty much wherever he wanted.

"You know, don't you?''

Ray looked over his shoulder and just nodded.

Tina however, barely noticed. She stared at the screen, and the information on it...births, deaths, .....more than a list of meaningless statistics. It was more. It was a picture; a picture of who she was.......

Colleen and Lydia walked back from a local Italian restaurant. They had had a nice dinner. Colleen had pasta, Lydia lasagna. Colleen felt guilty. Even though Lydia didn't pay anything, she was always working. She cleaned, even though Colleen had a cleaning lady. She cooked dinner each night, keeping it warm when Colleen went to meetings. The bed was folded down each night when she retired. She shopped for food, and picked up the dry cleaning. Lydia was handling the pregnancy well; she felt good, and still had plenty of energy.

As they walked the blocks home, they laughed and talked. In just a few weeks, they had become even more close. Colleen had hired a lawyer for Lydia, to help in the pending divorce. As they walked, they held hands. Approaching the building, Lydia stopped. Colleen stopped, too, to see why she had stopped. They were still holding hands, as Lydia turned toward her. Lydia took Colleen's free hand, and gazed directly in the big Setter's eyes, as she spoke....

"I love you...."

Colleen froze. You see, Colleen had never heard those words directed toward her before. Ever. Strange as that might seem, it was true. Sean had never said it. The man had never said it. Colleen could never recall that even her parents had ever said it. Emotion welled up within her, almost closing her throat.

"What do ...you...mean?" Colleen stammered

Lydia spoke slowly, and with thought and feeling

"I love you. All my life, I've searched for something...a person to whom I could bare my soul. Someone warm, someone who cares. All the things I hoped for when I married my husband, I found....in you. I never knew what it means to be loved....until I met you. Colleen, dear...my true love......"

When she finished, she was still looking deeply into the Setter's eyes. Colleen, however, couldn't see, for tears were flooding her deep, expressive eyes. Colleen took Lydia in her embrace, sobbing hysterically. She collapsed into her friend's arms.

Now, since the breakup, Lydia had lapsed into a child-like dependence on her friend. Colleen fed her, and dressed her, and got her to work, even though those were the things that Lydia had done for her family. In a moment, all that had changed.with Colleen lifeless in the Afghan's arms....

"Come, dearest" Lydia said soothingly "Let's get you upstairs"

She helped her friend upstairs, and sat her on the sofa. Colleen was still beside herself..

"Colleen, I didn't mean to upset you. I just..."

Colleen cut her off..

"Noooo. " Then she began to cry, even harder, hugging Lydia, and crying on her chest.

Lydia let her cry herself out. It took the better part of a half hour. Maybe longer. Then she spoke. Her eyes were puffy; her makeup running.

"I.....never.......no one ever told me that."

She looked up with big, sad eyes. Lydia's heart was just wrenched. She took her, holding her tight to her chest, as a mother comforts a scared child. Colleen stayed there, peacefully for a very long time. Finally, Lydia offered..

"Maybe it's time for bed" she said, kindly

"May I....would you....hold me tonight?"

Lydia smiled.

"Like you did for me?"

At last, Colleen manged a weak smile. Lydia escorted her to the bath, removed her makeup, and helped her into flannel pajamas. Lydia pulled on a fresh sleepshirt, and joined her under the covers. They kissed sweetly, before Colleen put her head on her shoulder, and passed out, exhausted from the night's emotion