FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Steam hung heavily in the air as my boots rang out against the metal walkway of the large underground cavern. The air was a cacophony of hisses and clanking from the steam powered generators up ahead. As I neared the power plant I affixed my goggles over my eyes, brought the hood of my longcoat over my ears, and secured another piece of cloth over my snout with a button that rested upon my bridge. It would do me no good to have my face burned off by a ruptured steam pipe. I reached forward with a gloved paw and opened the door.

A gust of warm air met me as I walked inside. The steam hung heavier here than outside, creating a visible layer. A few foxes moved about, mostly messengers. As I was walking down the hallway a fellow fox grabbed my shoulder, "Hey Arthur," It was My neighbor Alfred, "I've heard the breeding den has some new vixens in it. A few of my friends will be joining, you want to come as well?"

"No thanks, I prefer Vixen that like men. Specifically a Vixen that likes me."

"Ah, your loss then," He continued on his way turning a corner and disappearing.

I never really figured out how he could tell who anyone was underneath the mask and goggles. Shrugging that thought process off I proceed to my work station.

I Put my paw on the shoulder of another fox, I don't know who she was, nor does she me. She looked over to me, "Shifts over," I say before she nods and walks off.

I took her place and look upon the multitude of gauges valves and levers before me. Making sure that none of them read out of ordinary and adjust flows in the case that it does. Here I stood for most of my day. It isn't very long before someone places their paw on my shoulder. I look over to the masked fox behind me, "Pipe five has a steam leak." I nodded as he ran off.

I took a couple steps to my left and grasp a large valve and turned it, shutting off the supply of steam to where the leak is. I then went back to the control panel and pulled a regulator's lever fully towards myself. Then moved the four other levers up to compensate, bringing the other four pipes from 150psi to 180psi

"At least today won't be boring." I say, the words lost in the cacophony.

I was the steam regulator at Southden City power plant. I regulate the steam coming from the boilers to steam engine number three. To avoid a leak or ruptured pipe from shutting down an engine there are five pipes running to each engine. There was an engine operator at the engine side managing steam pressure like I did, but while also managing engine output. That was the job rank just above mine.

As I looked at the gauges, I occasionally adjusted regulators here and there making sure the levels and outputs were stable. After several hours, A messenger came back and tapped my shoulder. I turn to look at him and he shouts, "They've repaired pipe five, they want you to give them fifty psi to check for more leaks." I nod and move over to the valve and crank it open. Next I moved back to the levers and pushed the farthest to the right one forward ten percent. I looked up at the gauge, the pressure began to rise.

I look back at the young fox who serves as the messenger and nod. All of the messengers are younger foxes. It is the first job one gets at the power plant. Running back and forth with messages helps them figure out how everything operates, so when they go to the next job they already have an idea on what to do.

As the pressure rises I make a few minor adjustments, but it holds steady at fifty psi. Soon enough the messenger comes back with a thumbs up. I open up the regulator to about fifty percent, and lower the others to the same. Over the period of a minute all the gauges equalized, pushing 150 psi each.

The next several hours not much went on. Most days absolutely nothing happened. That day had been eventful though, in the last hour of my shift I hear a massive hiss. The factory is constantly filled with a near constant hissing and clanking. However an extremely loud, or strange hiss will be heard. This was the hiss of a rapid release of steam from an engine relief valve. In the case of an engine failure, the engine operator would pull a large lever and instantly release pressure from the engine so that he wouldn't have to turn off all five steam pipes to get the engine to shut off.

Now the questions remained for all foxes in my position. "Was it my engine that failed? Will I get the order to increase psi, or shut-off."

Soon enough a messenger came, "Engine failure, increase to 210."

I nodded then pushed the levers forward two at a time, starting one and five, then two and four, and finally with number three with my left paw.

It was an exciting shift indeed, but eventually it came to an end when I felt a paw on my shoulder. I looked over and she said, "Shifts over," into my ear.

I respond with, "an engine failed, Maintain two-ten."

After the brief encounter I walk away from the vixen who took my place and out of the power plant. I don't bother to take off any of my face coverings as I walk through the underground city.

There are several groups of foxes walking around. A fox in military garb runs past me to join a pair of foxes who are walking behind me. "Henry!" One of them shouted, "You're back!"

"Yeah!" He responded falling into step with the foxes that where behind me.

"Kill any wolves?"

"No, didn't see any." He said, almost dejectedly, "But the outside is so fucking awesome! If they told foxes what it was like outside, there'd probably be more soldiers."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, it's really bright too, we had to wear goggles to see. There was a lot to see, like..." The soldiers story was lost as they turned down another street and I could no longer hear them.

I had been fantasizing about leaving for over a year now. Not many days would go by without me thing about escaping this hole we live in, a near impossible feat of course.

I was broken from my reverie with the screams of a pair of vixens. A crowd was already beginning to gather. Two vixens, one without any clothes on, the other in only panties were being dragged out by the police. It was clear what was going on.

"NO," The one with panties shouted, "I can be with men! This was only a one time thing," it wasn't, with each word shouted, the one with out any clothes on looked more and more hurt.

"She's just a friend, I was humoring her, I'm not like her" The loud one shouted.

With that the completely naked vixen stopped struggling, instead breaking out into sobs and accepting her fate.

"Shut up," the police fox shouted, "You're not fooling anyone. You're not going to produce off-spring on your own, so we're going to make sure it happens. Don't want Southden to die off do we?"

The vixen kept shouting and begging to be let free, struggling all the while

I was really glad I didn't bother to remove my face coverings, I have no doubt my nervous expression under them would have given me away. I continued on to my apartment building trying my best to not let my anxiety show.

I finally made it going up to the second floor where I lived. The hallways were empty, so instead of my apartment, I knocked on the apartment across from mine. The door opened to reveal a slightly shorter male fox. I pulled off my face coverings and goggles.

He smiled and stepped aside to let me in. I glanced down the hallway as I entered the apartment. He quickly closed the door behind me. I look around, the apartment it's familiar, it feels more like home than my own apartment. Like most apartments, it was relatively sparse in decorations, the only real decoration being a levergun on the wall. Most foxes in Southden owned a firearm of some sort, it was encouraged in case wolves were to make it into the city.

It wasn't the very unimaginative decorations that made this place like home. Or even the spartan furniture. No, it was the fox who lived here. I turned around, he was still at the door. I pull him in for a kiss. He reciprocates, we've done this so many times, and hoped to do this many more times, but had no guarantee of there being a next one.

We broke the kiss and embraced into a hug. "I think we should escape," I whispered into his ear.

"You've been saying that for a while," he replied.

I pulled away to retort and our eyes locked. His lovely blue eyes gazed into my brown ones and I gazed back. He could tell something was bothering me, and that I was more serious about this than normal.

We start moving towards the couch on the left side of the room. I don't know who initiated the movement, maybe we moved as one. "Something happened didn't it?"

He asked and as we were sitting down, "Yeah." I sat down and looked him in those beautiful blue eyes, "Lucius, I saw a pair of vixens get taken from their home." I pulled him into a firm hug, as if letting go would bring my worries to fruition, "I was thinking all the way over here. It's only a matter of time before that's us."

I had come here, hoping to find solace. Hoping to plan a way out. Instead, I only added to my growing anxiety. "I'll be right back," I got up walked out of the apartment. I stood at my door for a few seconds as I fished the keys out of my pocket.

Upon entering my apartment the familiarity filled me. It was almost a less neatly organized version of Lucius's apartment. I walked through the living room, and into the bedroom at the back. On my dresser sat my long barrel .45 revolver in it's gunbelt. I chose it for it's ease of carry. I don't normally carry it on work days because the steam is too harsh on the metal. I picked up the belt, the familiar weight and feel of the leather and steel in my paws helped put my mind slightly at ease. Well, not at ease as much as easing the feeling of being defenseless.

I didn't even bother putting it on, I just carried it in my paw. I locked my door behind me and walked immediately into Lucius's apartment setting the gun down on his coffee table. Taking my place next to him on the sofa. While I was fetching my gun, my lover had placed some fruit juice on the table.

I nuzzled into him and thanked him.

"I don't think I've seen you this worried before."

"I hear all the time that they found a gay couple, but seeing it makes it so much more real. I don't even know how they find out."

"Let's not worry about this just yet," Julius said, bringing a paw up behind my ear and rubbing gently. I always like to think I was the rock or the relationship, but times like this the shy fox was easily my center.

I turned to him and ran my paw along his cheek. The gloves I had yet to take off nullifying my sensation, but the sentiment was all there. I lean forward and our muzzles connect again, less lust fueled and ravenous than before, but certainly with as much compassion. Then the door burst open.