FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

It took a while for James to manage to set up a camera on the dashboard of his starfighter pod while on autopilot. Once he did, he turned it on to reveal the faces of Emily, Takeo and Tsuki back at the base. He had the other yingling on his lap; He had brought him along to watch, "So he could learn how to become a pilot," he told the officers.

The young one had taken an interest in piloting and mechanics, and was a fast learner. Due to this, he named him Tacit. He looked at the screen of his camera and said, "Hi guys, I'm about to make contact over here. So Tacit," he pointed at the steering wheel and said, "this wheel is what steers this thing."

In the monitor, they could see Takeo get up and walk away looking forlorn. James watched him walk away and was brought back to a breakup that happened years before. "Is he still dwelling on his family?"

He saw Emily shrug and asked, "How could we make it up to him?"

"You think I know? Get him laid?"

"We can think about it while I'm out here. By the way, what has he been telling you?"

"About the Edo Era and things he's done-"

James recoiled and gasped, "Oh god!"

"Oh god what? It was interesting."

"Can you tell Takeo I was going to save talking adult things around for later?"

"Adult things? He just told me about his battles and all."

"I mean-you know what," James shook his hands and said, "never mind."

"Okay?"

When he turned his attention to what was before him, he saw Coyan ships heading towards him. "Oh, here they come!"

He pressed a button on the dash and said, "Command central, this is private Scale. The targets have been spotted."

He took the wheel with both hands, took a deep breath and opened fire. He zipped between the Coyan pods and made a wide U turn. "Engaging second strike," he muttered into the camera microphone. Then, he heard the voice of Emily squealing, "I made you a baby!" "Wait, what?"

Upon hearing and seeing that, James stopped in the middle of his U turn cruising away from the battlefield."Where you get this," Takeo barked. "That's what I'm wondering," added James. "I got it from the scientist who grew her!" Emily answered.

"Are you talking artificial womb?"

"Yes! What else could I do? He's a human."

"You could have gotten me a boy," said Takeo.

"Well, it's something."

"Hai," said Takeo, "I can make compromises. You getting raised as boy, you hear?"

While resuming his U turn, James could hear Emily show Takeo baby formula and telling him how to use it. "Resuming second strike!" he barked.

He drove the pod towards the Coyans, and, once he was within range, he opened fire. He looked at Tacit and said, "See, Tacit? That's how it's done."

As James was about to make another U turn, he saw the rest of the Dracosith squad approached. Then, after making his next U turn, he tailgated one of the Dracosith starships before they veered off to the side revealing a Coyan pod about to collide. Before collision, he opened fire at the pod. Then, right at the point of collision, the Coyan pod fell apart in a flash of fire.

As his pod glided through the rubble, James pumped his fist and opened fire at another pod. Pods whizzed past, and on the other side of the camera, they could hear the sound of a ricochet. He turned the pod and fired once more. Another pod exploded as he rode past. "Doing good over here."

Then, a voice on the radio said, "I'm taking, heavy fire over here!"

"I'll be right over," stated James.

James made a sharp turn and saw a Dracosith pod being pursued by Coyan pods. He opened fire at the pods in pursuit. When he heard the sound of ricochet, he turned his pod up and made a sharp turn to fire at the one shooting him. Shot after shot missed no matter how hard he could aim. "Come on..."

Finally, he saw the pod fall apart and pumped his fist. "Yes!"

He turned his pod and continued firing. Pods whizzed past, and he made a u turn and said, "Forth strike incoming."

He opened fire, and another pod whizzed towards him and exploded. As he glided through the explosion, he saw a larger Coyan pod and opened fire figuring that a larger pod would mean higher rank. He held the triggers for the guns for a couple minutes, until there was a flash and the larger pod fell apart in a red and yellow flash. Then, a voice on the radio said, "Private Scale, was that your laser that took out that officer?"

"I'm pretty sure it was."

The next time James looked up, he saw the Coyan pods turn and fly away. The same voice said, "All pods, back to the mothership!"

James turned down to face the screen and said, "Well guys, looks like we won."

He could hear Emily clap and cheer. "I'll be back as soon as possible! James Scale, out."

With that, James turned off the camera thereby severing the connection between him, Tacit and the rest of the gang. Then, he turned the pod towards the mothership and picked up speed. As he closed in on it, he turned the pod in an attempt to align with the docking bay. As he docked inside, he remembered the order to not leave the pods until the mothership had docked. Once the pod shut itself off, a voice could be heard saying, "Engaging hyperspeed."

James took Tacit in his arms and held on as they both were pressed against the seat. The same had happened with every pod inside the mothership as it worm holed towards the Dracosith planet. A few minutes felt like more, but they were soon on the planet. That was when James got out of his pod, set Tacit down and leaned against the wall having gotten carsick, in a way, through hyperspeed.

As he caught his breath, someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around to come face to face with a Dracosith with some scrap metal in his arms. "Lemme guess," he croaked, "Looting?"

"Bingo."

"I'll get to it in a minute, god that hyperspeed!"

"Don't you love it?"

"I'm still not used to it."

"Neither am I!"

"Okay," he took a deep breath, clapped his hands and said, "I'm ready now."

He looked at Takeo with his daughter and said, "Oh, hi guys."

Takeo waved, and James asked, "Can you excuse me while I loot some of these pods?"

"Hai, go ahead."

James turned and went off to where the rubble had been collected. He had to squeeze past a mob of Dracosith to be able to swipe so much as a single diode, but once he was in, he actually had a pile to himself; Most of the Dracosith were focused on other piles. When Emily came, he whispered, "A pile to ourselves."

Emily could see sheets of charred metal hiding objects that they knew not of. James tossed one of the sheets aside, then another. That was when the contents underneath were revealed. There was a pile of ash concealing everything, except for a skull.

Both of them started digging through the ashes. She found a skull and put it on her head. James saw and stared at her. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Because I wanna!"

He sighed and continued digging through the ashes. From the ash, he produced the cadet's uniform, completely charred. Emily grabbed a ring from within, while James dug deeper and found a device of some sort, a compact pad. He slid it in his pocket and kept digging. "Where did this guy get half this stuff?"

Emily shrugged, and James blew some ash up into the air. He waved the dust away from his nose. He looked at Emily and asked, "Who's your science teacher?'

'"Well, I dunno."

"Well, have you heard if it's possible to make a planet?"

"Not yet."

He looked down and brushed more ash away. "Looks like that's it. Let's head for home."

Everyone nodded, and Takeo went to fetch Tsuki. James picked up Emily and headed toward the door. * * * * * At the base, James set Emily on one of the cots and sat on another. He took a deep breath and unzipped his jumpsuit. Takeo came in with his daughter in his arms, and best friend at his side. James looked at them and asked, "You guys find any good loot back there?"

"I do not know. I was taking care of infant."

Tsuki took a deep breath and sighed, "Well..."

She reached in her pocket and showed a small mirror, for rear-view. "A mirror," asked James.

"Hai, a mirror," replied Tsuki. James emptied his pockets before getting up and said, "Does anyone need to use the bathroom before I use the shower?"

"No," Tsuki and Takeo said in unison. Tsuki looked at Takeo as James went into the bathroom, shut and locked the door. Takeo looked at Tsuki and asked, "You hear something?"

"No." As he opened a drawer, James heard a crash, like breaking glass. He jumped and gasped before turning around with his hands over his crotch, despite the fact that he was wearing underwear. There on the floor was a human with the ears of a fox. In an attempt to keep his distance, James inched towards the door, turned the lock and eased it open.

He threw the door open and backed out while stating, "Shower can wait!"

"What you mean," asked Takeo.

James stepped to the side to reveal a figure in the bathroom. Takeo's eyes widened, and he muttered, "What in Yomi? Tsuki?"

"I see it," she stated.

"What is it?"

" It looks like a person."

Both of them approached the person, and Takeo called, "Uh, konichiwa?"

The person looked at them and asked, "Who you?"

"Shiro Tsukiko," said Tsuki.

"And you," he asked upon turning to Takeo.

"Okuda Takeo, a Daimyo from outside of Kyoto."

"Father?"

"H-Haru?"

As they locked in a hug, James entered the room and asked, "What just happened?"

He could see that the person known as Haru looked quite similar to Takeo. "Well, I'll leave you guys to it," James said before going back in the bathroom and locking himself inside. He kicked the broken glass on the floor to the side and peeled off his jumpsuit. When he saw Emily in the room, he asked, "Oh uh, when did you get in here? Why are you in here?"

"Tacit started spewing."

"Oh."

That was when James heard the other yinglet gagging. "Does he need anything?"

"Water," croaked Tacit.

James turned the lock, opened the door and called, "Kid needs water in here!"

He waited for about a minute before closing the door. As he was about to shut the door, he stopped when he saw Emily's arm with a cup of water in her paw. He took it and relayed it to Tacit. "Water for the cry baby!"

"Okay," said James, "that was uncalled for."

"So?"

He sighed, opened the door and herded Tacit out into the main room. "Does anyone else need the bathroom before I lock the door?"

They all shook their heads no. With that, James shut the door, locked and took his boxers off. He turned on the shower head and waited to get under it. Out in the main room, they could hear the running water as James rubbed his chest with a sponge.

Tacit sat on one of the beds as Tsuki got up and went to sit near Takeo. She could see him passed out with the younger man. "I wonder," said Tsuki.

When she saw Hisa reaching, she rubbed Takeo's shoulder and said, "Takeo?"

"What?"

"Your daughter needs nourishment."

"Again?"

"Hai."

Takeo sat up and picked Hisa up. "And yes, I did the dirty with a kitsune woman."

"Who would that be?"

"Haruka, his mother. She was very kind woman, except she was forced to be one of the Shogun's wives after she fell pregnant with the boy."

"I remember her."

"You do?"

"Hai, I do."

Takeo took Hisa's formula bottle from the nightstand and gave it to her. While she drank, some of it splattered on a now awake Haru. "Oh come on," he muttered.

"I saw you two together a couple times," continued Tsuki.

"Oh, I didn't know. I kinda feel bad for getting a 17 year old pregnant, but-"

"Father, how old you?"

"Uh, that no matter!"

"Would that include dormancy?"

"No. Just physically how old is he?"

"Let us just say," said Tsuki, "he is getting up there."

During their conversation, Tacit looked at Emily and asked, "Where do babies come from?"

Emily shrugged and replied, "Zhink I know?"

"I no want loose him!" cried Haru.

Takeo hugged him and said, "We can't help aging. Well, you have-Agh! Hisa!"

Hisa had climbed on him and latched onto his nose with her teeth. Tsuki raised an eyebrow and picked a black speck off of Takeo's arm. A speck that resembled a flew. Haru felt something crawl on his ears and started scratching. "Takeo, it appears that you-"

She cut herself off when she felt crawling on her arm. She scratched up some white fur, and a flea. Takeo screamed while his body hair grew into fur. His voice cracked as he screeched, "Hisa off!"

As this happened, Tsuki went down on the ground and scooted across the floor on her back. Tacit jumped off his bed, knowing something was off, and went for the door. Takeo, apparently now a kitsune as well, scratched his back on the wall while screaming, "What the Kuso is this?"

Then, the sound of running water ceased. A moment after it did, James emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "What the hell is going on out here? Can someone explain those noises I've been hearing?"

"Fleas," said Tsuki.

"Is that it? Fleas?"

"Yes!" shouted Takeo. James sighed and said, "I'll leave the bathroom door open."

"Who ready to get soaked in vinegar and sake," called Haru. James, however, raised an eyebrow and stated, "I didn't get any vinegar."

"Well, I found some!"

Then, Emily stood up and barked, "Zhat's for my fries!"

"Where did you guys get that?"

"Oh I bought it," stated Emily, but she soon turned around and continued, "Okay I stole it."

"What?!"

James snatched the vinegar from Haru and said, "We are going back to the store and returning this!"

"I need clean father and Tsuki with it!" hissed Haru. James, however, shook it in his hand and snapped, "It's a stolen product!"

"And we have fleas! You want them to?"

"Alright, Emily, do you know if you were caught?"

She shook her head and said, "No, I wasn't."

James took a deep breath and said, "Okay, okay. We can make this work. At least it wasn't anything valuable."

"I also stole cans of clams."

"As long as you weren't caught. Just don't rob stores again, or banks, or homes."

Emily rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine!"

"How would you like for someone to steal from you?"

"They wouldn't, I'd act to pitiful."

"Too pitiful?"

When she got on all four and quivered her lip while letting a tear run down, James said, "Well, still."

Then, she stood up, beat her chest and said, "I can kill them!"

"Maybe maim, unless they're trying to kill you. Well, now I am discussing the logistics of self defense with a kid."

Then, he heard Takeo screaming from the bathroom, and he went to check on him. Haru had him pinned with a sponge in hand. He looked and saw Tsuki in the corner shaking from being wet and cold. "Does anyone mind seeing a naked Awek?"

"Why?"

"Because, I'm about to dry off."

With that, James unwrapped the towel around his waist and smothered his head with it. None of them looked, whoever did look would catch a glimpse of him naked, and the surgery he had as an infant. Once he was done drying off, he took some underwear from the clothes drawer, stuck his legs through the holes and yanked. "I'm covered now."

He heard yipping and splashing and sighed, "What is going on now?"

He saw Takeo and Haru wrestling in the tub-shower, and barked, "Hey, hey, what the hell?"

Takeo got out and ran completely naked leaving Haru alone. James, not being jarred by seeing a man naked, asked, "What was that all about?"

"I had to pick a flea off his er, you know. And Hai, my kitsune form is female. Don't judge me!"

James scratched his thigh and said, "God, I hope this place sells flea collars."

"Why?"

"So I can avoid these fleas."

"That's if your lucky!"

"What makes you say that?"

"Fleas, they no care what you have or who you are!"

James took a spare jumpsuit and stuck his legs through their holes. He brought his arms in one at a time, then zipped the back of the jumpsuit and left the bathroom. He saw Takeo on a cot with a towel over his crotch. He opened the door and went outside.

He crossed the plane of concrete towards the fort's supply shop. He could hear Haru's footsteps behind him. He opened the door and searched one of the shelves. As he browsed one of the shelves, he plugged his ear when Haru squealed, "My little sister needs this!"

James sighed and went to where the collars were kept. He looked at the person at the desk and called, "Excuse me, do you carry flea collars here?"

"No."

When he turned around, he saw Haru with his arms full. "Please, James?"

James raised an eyebrow, with his shoulders tensed up close to the back of his jaw, and asked, "You got your own money?"

"No."

"Great."

With that, James left the store. Haru, somehow, got the stuff and came back an hour later with a limp. "Hisa I got you stuff!"

"You know what," said James, "I wish I'd have gotten a helmet from that salvage."

"Why?"

"To keep these fleas out."

Takeo took a clump of Haru's hair and commented, "You look like woman."

"How much credit do we have altogether," asked James.

"I have 60," stated Takeo."2,000! I begged a lot!" shouted Emily.

"Well, I never knew Dracosith were suckers for yinglet kids."

"They just found me annoying and wanted me gone."

"Okay, just so you'd know, annoying folks for money is not the best idea, there's a good chance that, instead of getting paid, you'd get a tooth knocked out."

When she started doing the face and lip quiver, James shook his head and said, "Not going to work. By the way, what do you say about uh, changing your form?"

"I can?"

"I'm pretty sure."

He saw the smile on her face, stood up and said, "Let's go to the lab, eh?"

"Yes!"

James picked her up and went outside. He crossed the plane to where the lab was and opened the door with his free hand. "Hello?"

"Yes?"

"Does this one seem old enough for a MORPH shot?"

A doctor came over and asked, "How old is she?"Coming up on two."Well, by Yinglet standards, she seems ready."

"Alright, all the sets are on a shelf. Take your time, and be careful."

"I will!"

James sat down and watched as she read the vials. She took one, and James asked, "Is that your choice?"

"Yes, or should I pick a other? I really never met one."

"If you want. Excuse me, can we get a picture of a midbeast?"

The doctor showed them one, and James looked at Emily and asked, "What do you think?"

"It's nice. Oh what do I wanna be?"

"Can you also show her a sergal?"

They pulled one up, and she squealed, "Shark puppy!"

"In a way."

After a long time of looking, she looked at James and asked, "Can I try to be a penguin? Fat and cute?"

"Maybe."

"I can get us money than without begging!"

"I don't know about that."

He looked at the doctors and asked, "Is there anything you recommend?"

"Fish. Lots of fish and squid. Also trim her nails if you like having guts. Also a swimming pool."

James shook his head and said, "Yeah, we don't have a pool."

"Get a kiddy one and put ice in it."

"Oh by the way, do you know how much private starships cost here?"

"About 15,000 to 30,000."

"Alright then."

When Emily waddled to him, he said, "We've got a while to go until we can afford a starship. You know, there might be better ways to make money than begging."

"What are the ways?"

"Music, making things, mercenary work, maybe you could make some money in MORPH. Can someone make money in this program," he asked the doctor. The doctor nodded, and she said, "I'll join than!"

"And, how old does someone have to be to sign up?"

"Eighteen."

"Oh. Well, what could she do until then?"

"You gotta see with the Labor office."

With that, James stood up and said, "Let's go."

Both of them left the lab and went next door to the labor office. They went inside, and James picked Emily up and approached the counter. "Is there anything for this one to do besides begging?"

"Possibly. Swimming trials, retrieving golf balls-"

"They do that kind of stuff here? Are there lakes on this planet?"

"Indoor biodomes."

James took a deep breath, nodded and said, "Ohh, okay. By the way, what are the best paying jobs?"

The receptionist handed a list to him, and he took a minute to read from it. When he saw a category for sciences, he focused on that one. He allowed Emily to look and pointed to the science category. "See anything you like?"

"Yes! Nanobots!"

"Donor?"

"I want to work with them! But I can be a donor right now!"

"I guess that works."

He looked at the pay rate for donors and saw that it was three hundred credits per vial. "Nice!"

"What is?"

"The pay rate of donors."

"It does look good!"

"You know, I might volunteer as well."

With that, James opened the door and went outside. As Emily ran after him, he went back into the lab and asked, "So, are there any sets you guys are running low on?"

"Not really but we take any."

"Well, perhaps we could contribute."

"How much?"

"I'll give two samples."

He sat on one of the gurneys and rolled up his sleeve. He shut his eyes as one of the doctors approached him with a needle. He felt a sting as the needle went in, and blood was taken from one of his veins. He opened his eyes right as they finished taking his blood, and after the needle was taken out of his arm, he covered the area with his hand.

"So, how do you guys filter the DNA?"

"Magnets, it takes any nanobots out and many straining methods."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So, how useful will my strands be?"

"Pretty useful. You have multiple species in you."

"Oh yeah. I know I have dragon and Awek."

"-Which is good."

"Emily, I think we know how we'll get a starship."

"Selling our blood?"

"Along with switching forms for multiplying various strands. We can also sell salvage. At this rate, we'll be able to get a starship in no time."

"Yeah!"

James lowered his hand towards Emily for a fistbump, or in this case, a fist and flipper bump. She was happy to oblige.