FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The board room felt hot and stuffy despite the air-conditioning blowing as hard as it could, mostly due to the nature of those that sat within. On one side were the major players of the city; military officials and politicians that sat stern-faced with a forest-worth of binders between them. On the other side of the table were two groups of men and women in white lab coats and suits, all of them glancing at one another with nervous stares and accusatory glances. At the head of these two groups were two men who clearly were the heads of these different sects, though they both looked similar to one another as they tried not to look in the other's direction.

"Sir, I know that our investible resources are lean but I really think we have the answer you're looking for," the slightly older man stated. "We have to focus within these city walls first and think about the outside later. We've all seen the news, people are starting to wonder whether they're truly safe and have started to act out because of it. Our cybernetics department have made incredible breakthroughs in organic interfacing and we've already started to create humans and machines that go well beyond the capabilities of any unaltered human. Using these machines and augments we could create for you a task force that requires minimal cost to maintain and yet can help quell the unrest that clearly resides within our borders. That's why I ask that you put your investment in our department where we can put your money to work keeping you safe and, if I may add, still in office."

The speech created a smattering of applause amongst the group on the other side of the table, then they looked towards the younger of the two men as he cleared his throat. "My brother Arlen is very much correct on the decaying nature of our fair city," the other researcher said. "But one has to ask themselves on the true reason for why everyone is acting so out of sorts. Has anyone asked that perhaps it could be because we all feel trapped? Trapped in a city that strains to support its population because no one can survive beyond its protective barrier?"

The younger brother motioned towards the window that made up one wall of the building, which showed the domed city in which they were all inside as well as the barren wasteland that laid beyond it. There was a noticeable shift in demeanor for everyone at the table as they gazed upon the reminder of why they were all there in the first place, both in the board room and the city itself. Every person at that table knew of the global disaster that caused humanity to retreat and cower behind the domes of its sanctuary cities, though how it happened had fallen to rumor and speculation. A sudden noise of the young researcher slapping his hand down brought everyone back to his attention as they looked up at the face of the concerned scientist.

"If we are going to survive we must make the uninhabitable habitable once again," he continued on. "Everyone here in the Synthetics Department has been working around the clock in order to solve this problem, and with your help and your investment we believe we have. Using rubberized creatures with the amazing capacity for personal resource management and its ability to self-heal we can utilize machinery and other technology in order to tame the wildlands and cause it to bear fruit. Then, and only then, will people start to finally feel at ease when they know their lives aren't three feet of industrial strength glass away from total disaster."

"Arlen, Javi..." one of the researchers near the center of the table said as he raised his hands in the air, clearing seeing the anger start to rise in both brother's tones as well as sense the distain from those on the other side of the board room. "You both just spent two hours each going over your proposals for the city council investors, perhaps you should let them get a word on what their thoughts are?"

As both Arlen and Javi sat down the researcher, another rather young man by the name of Erico, breathed a sigh of relief. He had been assigned by their company almost four months ago when they got the bid for the city project as the 'inter-research liaison', which was a fancy way of the corporation saying they wanted him to make sure the two brilliant brothers didn't kill each other or run off the city council. Unfortunately the task was easier said than done, particularly when the two groups had to meet in order to show the progress of their projects and especially because one of them was likely to get the axe due to the increased shortage of resources. Erico sat nervously as both the politicians and the military officers looked at one another, one side waiting for the other to start before finally a woman with a number of metals pinned to her jacket finally spoke up.

"First of all let me congratulate the both of you on a job well done," she complimented before continuing on. "We knew that when we first chose your corporation for this monumental task that we had placed our trust and the well-being of the citizens in this city in good hands. I very much wish that we could have both projects move forward but unfortunately as Dr. Arlen Kevir mentioned our resources have been stretched thin and we can only go to full-scale production with one group. While I can't speak for everyone I have to say that I think we could all be in agreement that the Cybernetics division is the way to move forward."

"Well hold on a second there," an older gentleman said as he stood up. "With all due respect General you do not speak for everyone here, and my colleagues and I think that the rubber creatures will be far more productive then creating these super soldiers. Not only can we use them for our needs outside the city but they could also be sold by the manufacturer's themselves and help stimulate our economy."

"The only reason our economy is failing is because of the threats inside and out," the General shot back. "With the cybernetic upgrades and augmentations we can deliver real-time data to our men in order for them to respond to real threats in record time. And when they're not keeping the peace, from what Arlen Kevir mentioned in their data integration section we can also use them to combat the cyber-terrorism that is wreaking havoc on the datanet from this city and others."

There was a murmur of disapproval from the crowd before the Elder stood up. "Part of the problem with the peace is that there is rampant unemployment. While we can get a few jobs manufacturing these parts for your peacekeeping forces the manufacturing district could employ thousands making all manner of synthetic creature!"

The raised voice of the politician caused a roar of dissent to come up not only from their side of the table, but also from the researcher's side as well as Arlen and Javi began to try and shout the benefits of their side of the project over the angry voices that had filled the room. Erico let the shouting match continue for a few minutes more until he finally shouted at everyone to break it up. Once he had managed to get everyone to stop talking he looked at the time and dismissed everyone for lunch. Everyone grumbled as they stood up and left the room until it was only him and the two head researchers left.

"I don't suppose you two want to take this time to hash out a compromise," Erico asked, and the two brothers looked at each other once more before they turned away and walked out of separate doors with a huff. "No, I didn't think so." For a while the young researcher sat there in the empty boardroom, the silence refreshing compared to the cacophony of screaming that he had just gone through. Once he had his fill of that he got up and left the room himself, heading down to the employee cafeteria instead of the catered lunch that had been provided to researchers, officers, and politicians alike.

Once he had grabbed his lunch he sat down at one of empty tables in the corner and pulled out his phone, pressing one on the speed dial. A picture of a long-haired male smiled at him with the name 'Ishi' underneath it as it initiated the call. After a few long rings the voice mail answered and prompted him to leave a message.

"Hey Ishi," Erico started to say as he poked at his food with his fork. "If you get this message within the next few minutes call me back, I could really hear a friendly voice right now. Things aren't going the greatest at my work, I'm afraid the Kevir brothers are going to scare away these investors and put me out of a job. It probably won't happen, but it would still be nice to talk it out with someone. Anyway, if you don't get this message until later I'll just meet you for dinner at the usual spot. Take care."

Erico sighed and hung up the phone before he looked down at his meal in silent contemplation. While he had tried to sound lighthearted he knew the situation weighed heavily on his mind, and eventually he found himself packing up the rest of his hardly-touched lunch to walk out on the skyway that linked their building to several others. With it being the lunch hour there was a lot of traffic that he had to wade through before he reached one of his favorite spots in the city, an observation platform with high glass walls and benches that allowed one to see the bustle of the metropolis below. He found the area to be thankfully mostly empty when he arrived there and sat down with his lunch in one hand and his phone in the other.

"C'mon Ishi..." he pleaded to the phone as he waited for the screen to light up, only for it to remain dark as he pulled out his sandwich with his free hand. When it was clear he couldn't will his boyfriend's call into existence he gave up and put it back into his pocket. He sighed and leaned back against the bench, looking out past the bustle of the community to the blasted wasteland that laid beyond.

"No one ever learns," he sighed to himself as he watched the black cloud of a dust storm head straight towards them. "We fight until someone breaks the world and now we fight when we try to fix it." As he resigned himself to silence he began to think that perhaps he had been in the game too long and had become jaded by all the political nonsense. From what he had learned it had always been that way, even before the cataclysm that claimed most of the world save the sanctuary of the domed cities.

The cataclysm... the entire reason two brilliant-minded brothers squabbled with each other while those that run their world do the same. No one quite knew what happened that fateful day, the leading theory was that some evil, shadowy group destroyed the natural world when they tried to harness a power they couldn't control or comprehend, but along with every other theory it remained just that. No matter what the reason the land beyond was completely inhospitable, which led those that lived within to only look out for themselves. The police force did what they could but it could be seen both on the news and walking down the streets; people had grown unhappy with their places in life and saw no way to move up, no light at the end of the tunnel to give them hope.

Suddenly Erico's phone buzzed and he dropped the remains of his sandwich on the ground as he frantically searched his person for it. When he finally did fish it out he felt his heart drop slightly when he realized it was the alarm to signal the end of his lunch break. He turned it off and ate what he could on the way back to the meeting room before he discarded the rest and wiped the crumbs off his suit. When he reached the boardroom he looked at his watch and found he had gotten there with ten minutes to spare. The others had just started to file in as well as he peeked inside, the two brothers were already at the table glowering at each other which caused Erico to sigh before his phone went off.

"He always does have a knack for being late..." the researcher said as he brought the phone up to decline the call from his boyfriend and silence it for the meeting when he saw it was from a completely different number that prompted him to answer immediately. "Hello?" He asked, hearing the other voice on the line ask if it was him. "Yes, that's me, is something wrong?" For a few minutes Erico listened as the voice explained to him the situation and his face went from panic and worry to confusion, then quickly to anger as he gripped the phone tightly. "I understand, I will be down there as soon as I can..."

*************************

Erico had his arms folded in frustration as he sat in the flimsy plastic chair of the police precinct's waiting room. He had been there for an hour after he had received the call that caused him to postpone the meeting, giving the flimsy excuse that everyone was still too amped up in order to rationally continue for the day. Luckily it was good enough and at least partially true as people had started to verbally jab one another even before he had finished with his explanation. It had also worked to give him the rest of the day off as well on such short notice, though the anger he felt now was for a completely different reason, one that he currently waited to be released back to him.

When he heard his name called Erico walked up to the dispatch desk where a tall, mustached man sat behind a computer screen. "Looks like he's been through processing already Erico," the officer said. "All you have to do is sign the paperwork and he'll be out. Do you happen to have your frequent felon card that I can punch?"

"Not in the mood today Francis," Erico gritted as the air was filled with the angry scratching of pen against tablet. "I already had a meeting go sour on me, and then I had to cancel the conclusion of said meeting because my boyfriend went and got himself thrown in prison and needed me to pay his fines and bail him out."

"Well just be glad that all he got popped with was the vandalism charge," Francis replied as he took the electronic signature and transferred it to the requisite documents. "Had he been any closer to the other crime scene they would have taken him in for robbery too, then even your pull wouldn't have been able to do anything to get this cleared away. Now with the fines and fees the total charges come to eight-thousand, nine-hundred and seventy two credits."

Erico could feel his face turn red as it was flush with rage, though he desperately tried to temper it as he handed the officer his credstick to make the necessary fund withdrawal. It wasn't the first, nor the most expensive, time that he had to pay for something like this but as he looked at his phone and watched his account go down it still hurt every time. "He must do something really special for you to keep coming down and doing this," Francis commented as he handed the credstick back to the flustered other male.

A few more minutes passed where the two made small talk until the heavy steel door that separated the prison proper from the processing desk opened and a long blue-haired male walked out with a plastic bag filled with his personal effects. "I'm so glad you came Erico, I thought with your meeting I was going to get transferred to the holding cells for the night..." He said happily as he reached up and hugged the other male, who couldn't help but reciprocate the gesture before he turned to the desk officer. "Hey Francis, how are the kids?"

Before Francis could respond Erico grabbed him by the crook of his elbow and nearly dragged him out of the police station and into the parking lot. As he heard Ishi start to speak he turned his head and gave him a look that could freeze water, which seemed to be enough to keep his boyfriend quiet before they got to his car. Once they were inside the vehicle and on the main road back to the residential district did Erico finally speak. "What the hell were you thinking Ishimura," he demanded to know as he continued to look straight ahead while he drove.

"I thought I would add a little color to the otherwise drab landscape that is this city," Ishi replied as he stared out the window. "It was just a small amount of wall I was covering and it was in a secluded location, no one would have even seen me if it wasn't for the fact that the place down the block was being robbed. I just can't believe they managed to block off my emergency escape route, the bastards... they even confiscated my supplies and kept them in evidence."

"Ishi, do me a favor and stop trying to lie to me," Erico shot as his anger continued to spike. "Francis told me about the robbery and what was involved, so where you really just there trying to be a street artist or where you also providing a look-out? Because both I and he happened to notice that while you got popped the crew that robbed the place managed to get out of there completely free and clear."

There were a few moments of silence before Ishi finally let out a sigh and pressed his hand against his eyes. "They were my friends Erico," the blue-haired male confessed, which caused Erico to tighten his grip on the wheel in pure anger. "You don't understand what it's like out there right now, people are dying in the streets and you expect me to turn a deaf ear to their pleas?"

"I expect you to not commit a major felony Ishi!" Erico shouted as he felt his frustration finally come out. "Do you know how many favors and friendships I've had to call in for you just so none of this garbage you pull actually shows up on your record so you can have a decent life? Your job, your freedom, our relationship all get jeopardized when you put yourself on the line for them!"

"Oh yeah, I know how devastating it would be if I lost my prestigious job as a bio-mass cultivator," Ishi said sarcastically as he crossed his hands in front of his chest. "Nothing beats scrapping pond scum for ten hours a day to get paid enough to maybe afford our groceries for a month. Plus if I do get in enough trouble they'll just put me in one of those labor camps they're setting up and I'll probably be doing the same thing anyway."

Erico sighed deeply, the sharpness of his anger losing its edge despite his want to remain mad. "You know those labor camps are a myth," he stated shortly. "And if you don't watch out one day you're going to get caught up in something terrible and they're going to sentence you to wall duty."

Silence fell over the car as both males had to suppress a shudder at the thought. To work on the wall, which was the barrier that separated them from the rest of the world, was essentially a death sentence if the time was long enough. The mortality rate of those who worked on the wall was so high that they had to use it as a punishment, though with the advances in the cybernetics division those that voluntarily worked there received experimental augmentations that increased their survival rate considerably. Those that were sent there as a result of a crime were not afforded the same protections, something that almost every citizen knew.

"I'm sorry..." Ishi finally said to break the quiet.

"I know you think that because of my occupation that I'm blind to the plight of our city but I'm more in the middle of it then you think," Erico sighed. "If I could just get the Kevir brothers to pull in a unified front on one of their projects then we can move forward and start making a difference in this city... but I think at this point it would be easier to travel through the wastelands then to get these people to find some sort of common ground. Then you have your politicians and your military that we have to sing and dance for and even they can't decide on which is better."

"Sounds like you got your work cut out for you," Ishi stated with a small grin. "When we get home why don't you let me take care of dinner, I think you've gone through enough stress for one night and I'll make sure to try and at least take care of the portion I gave you."

The rest of the drive passed by uneventfully, neither male saying much to the other. Though they had somewhat made up Erico was still upset over his boyfriend's disregard for the law when it came to the friends he ran with when he was younger. They had to rely on each other to survive the streets, especially since there was no where you could run if you got in trouble he understood that loyalty ran deep. But despite repeated attempts to help them the same way he helped Ishi with potential employment they continued to resort to criminal activities in order to get what they wanted. Erico sighed as despite what he wanted his boyfriend was much the same, but it was their relationship that anchored him somewhat to try and maintain life on the right side of the law.

When they got home Erico crashed on the couch and turned on their television to listen to the news, though he already knew that it would most likely be the same stories of unrest that were normally on. His thoughts turned back to what Ishi had said to him and he looked around at his modest yet still comfortable apartment, complete with the furnishings and amenities that came with his position. While he wasn't the wealthiest man in the city he knew there were many that had far less than him, which made him ponder if he really was out of touch with what's happening to the city. He remembered the arguments in the boardroom as well and wondered if he could say the same about everyone in there too. Everyone looked out for their own gain he realized, whether it was the Kevir brothers trying to fund their projects, or the military and political personal that were trying to keep their jobs and look good to the public eye.

The researcher's thoughts were interrupted by his boyfriend calling him over to the table, where he found that Ishi had not only finished his cooking but had already plated it out for him. As he dug in he realized that the other male was attempting to make it up for his legal indiscretion by doting on him, and though he wanted to press him further on it he also didn't want to be too harsh. "Do you think that people before the cataclysm had to deal with same problems we do today?" he asked in an effort to keep the topic somewhat light-hearted. "I mean we have a fraction of the technology and space that they likely did, so I can't imagine that they would really want for anything."

"Well don't forget according to the archives we also have a fraction of the people the pre-cataclysm world did," Ishi replied as he started to eat as well. "Maybe to them the whole world is like what we feel within these city walls. For all we know they could have been trying to escape this planet and that's how they got themselves blown up. If that was the case at least I could respect them despite what they caused."

"Why would you say something like that? Erico asked in slight shock.

"Because they had the balls to try and make their situation better!" Ishi nearly shouted passionately. "The big problem with our situation today is that no matter who you are, whether you're have or have-not, everyone is so... content with the way things are. Everyone is just looking out for themselves and no one could care less about the big picture unless it somehow affects them. I even hear it when you talk about your meetings and how no one listens to each other, if it doesn't somehow benefit them then why even bother?"

Erico just stared once Ishi had finished, watching him run his hands through his long hair in frustration before they both started to eat once again. Though it hadn't been directed at him Erico knew that his partner was frustrated in the way of the world and could feel it radiate from him. To a lesser extent he was too, and though he had hoped that one of the two projects his company were developing would have been the magic ticket to peace and prosperity it began to look less likely. They continued onto less stressful topics until they finally finished eating and put away their dishes, then the two went to the couch and laid on one another to watch television.

As Ishi rested his head on Erico's body he wondered what it would be like, a world without the human condition for arrogance. He continued to think about it until he heard the soft snores of the male in his lap, looking down to see Ishi fast asleep. Part of him wanted to move them over to the bed but as he laid his head back he found himself doing the same, his last thoughts being how maybe this world wasn't so bad after all...