FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Abidjan 7. A large gas giant named Charybdis, comfortably sitting over twice as massive as Jupiter in the Sol System. Five moons currently orbit the giant ball of gas, with the third moon being the largest. Named Xabaloo, the moon acts as one of the positions that very few other planetoids within the greater universe 'enjoy.' The dumping point of the galaxy. A trash bin set against the backdrop of the planet it orbits with only one job: To contain the outdated and discarded models of starships that are unceremoniously dumped onto the surface with multiple vessels dating back to near the beginning of the spacefaring era.

Resting on the edges of the Constellations' Republic, Xabaloo is often overlooked due to the lack of strategic or economic importance. Those who make a living on the trash planet use wreckage of one of the largest ships to date as a shantytown. Formerly known as part of the Emperor Class series of cargo ships, the decommissioned vessel was one of the first ships unceremoniously slammed into Xabaloo during the early years of its existence as a universal dumping ground. Being several hundred kilometers long and sporting a dedicated railway system onboard, it was no surprise that the ship quickly became the gathering hub of others. More so during the wild years of dumping. The formation of the Constellations' Republic was a turbulent time with regulations being rathe choppy at best and flagrantly violated at worst. As such, there were hundreds decimated during unscheduled dumps onto the planet from the decommissioned ships turned meteors.

The ship held on robust, built to withstand the worst the universe had to offer and compartmentalized in the efficiency that only a merchant could handle, the community had hardened homes that survived the pounding of various ships slamming into its surface or the debris from said crashes peppering the ground around it. Controlled by a governor situated far below the earth and steel in a modified command center, the shantytown thrives through the grey and black market with a focus on scavenging parts from old ships. The more pristine, the better with more than one fatal brawl occurring from the theft of parts or of elements being lifted off of the scavengers for less than a 'fair price.' A place of chaos and camaraderie as well as backstabbing betrayals. It was a world that Madow thrived in.

Now to say Madow was unique would be to put a positive trait to his qualities. As a Navax, he stood out a little more than others considering the strange mix of marine and draconic attributes that comprised his race. Added onto that resided a genetic mutation from his own family, resulting in a blend of recessive genes. Instead of a slimmer and sleek form common to their species, he was blessed with a bulkier design along with horns that had the propensity to get stuck on doorways. The more cumbersome body enjoyed increased strength and endurance. However, within the confines of Xabaloo, it was very unwieldy for searching confined spaces and dealing with delicate machinery. After all, the main focus was to salvage in as pristine a condition as possible. Finally, as if to heap one last great insult onto his existence, came the albinism. The moons orbiting the gas giant followed a week of constant sunshine with a week of total darkness as they rest behind the giant. Timing and schedule are an integral part of his life due to albinism, avoiding severe burns and difficulties in the sun even with his specialized suit by restricting his activity to nighttime. Even his name carried insults to his inability to withstand the sun. Madow, Moonlight.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Fingers slid across the screen, tapping and exploring the interactable surface with practiced precision. The only light to the small room came from the device itself, with the sole focus being the conversation scrolling across the screen. The Navax really didn't have much else to do in the foreseeable future, considering it was the third day of sunlight, and it still needed another four before the night cycle could begin, and he could finally step out of his home. As such, much of his time was spent trawling the net for others to chat with and for exciting groups to meet. This was one such group, one he found on a messaging site meant for friendship building. However, that app quickly spiraled down the usual rabbit hole into a hive containing equal parts of the best and the worst the universe had to offer. Madow had gotten lucky, though, and grew to enjoy the interactions he cultivated with those over the net even if they were... strange, to say the least.

A small smile grew on his lips before attention is drawn to a little flashing symbol at the bottom right of the screen. Notification of a new message on another app, flicking over to the next app, brought up the grinning muzzle of the friend who sent it. A jackal named Liz, sporting the usual haircut, brushed over one eye with said fur on her head tinged pink to give a punk rock-esque vibe with the rest of her clothes.

_ Hey hey, how's solitary confinement treating ya?_

_ Terrible as ever, what's up?_

_ Something just popped up, we found some cool new loot. Think it's worth a ton of cash to the right person, but it's a little.... hot, to say the least._

_ How illegal?_

_ Well, it's overdue by quite a few decades by my guess, but it still should bring some money, we think we found one of those old prototype assistant bots with some useful info inside. Thing is shielded with several high class but outdated locks._

Sounds promising, but are you sure?

A pause. The wait for the message is a little long, probably the canine thinking over her response. An immediate red flag if he ever knew one.

Potentially.

That's not reassuring.

Look, we'll come over and show it off. You just help us with the locks, and we'll get you a cut as usual.

Fine. Just keep the thing hidden if it's as valuable as you say.

You know we will.

The tab is quickly closed away, flicking through the usual stomping grounds for the young recluse. Art sites, fiction, a few news sites when he can stomach the usually depressing sets plastered all over the front of the website. Sure, it was important for the time, but it didn't mean he had to enjoy the constant string of depressing news. The Navax glances to the side at the digital clock on the desk. It was only 2 pm Standard Terran Time, and it seemed to move far too slowly for his liking. Madow couldn't stand it. The silent waiting grated at him. It bored and aggravated the Navax to no end, only heightened by his own issues. Sitting in silence always worried Madow, made him paranoid, and also gave him nothing to drown out the worst of what is rolling around in his mind.

His hand smacks the desk a little harder than he meant to, shocking himself a little and bringing him out of the slight haze that started to form in his mind. Madow sighs before adding another tab, starting off with a saved playlist on one of the many music sites. It wasn't exactly a popular genre that he listened to, remixing old music for new spins, but it was enjoyable and eased his self induced stress. The Navax even used the music for sleep though that was a much rarer occasion. The steady and rhythmic pulses echoed through the steel room rather swiftly, forming a bit of an echo effect that only seemed to improve the music's quick and friendly beats. No notes were really harsh, flowing together well and looking to prep Madow for an adventure. He lowered the volume slightly before dropping onto his bed. Sleep came quickly for him as he stared up at the ceiling, the soft tunes from the computer drifting him away to the land of adventures in his mind. Sword in hand and shield in another, ready to go on the experience of a lifetime. A beautiful field of hopes and dreams that he'll one day turn into a true legend.

---

The sound of loud knocking from the door quickly roused the Navax out of his slumber, vision hazy and his mind in even worse shape at remembering exactly why he'd be having anyone over at this time. After another round of knocking feeling like they planted their impacts directly on his skull, info finally dislodged from his mind to remind his body why they were awake. A soft groan leaves his lips as he stumbles out from the bed, dressed in shorts and a threadbare tank top. Scratching at the ring of fur circling his upper body and shoulders, he pawed tiredly on the door pad until the steel barrier finally slid out of the way to reveal three individuals standing in front of the door.

"Sheesh, finally, here we thought you'd keep sleeping through all the damn knocking." The first slipped around the drowsy Navax with practiced ease, the EVA suit doing nothing to hide the slim and lithe figure underneath the fabric. The other two were more careful with how they sidestepped Madow while entering the room but still tried to keep pace with the first. A loud groan leaves his lips before the door seals shut once again to drown the room in darkness. The Navax rubbed his hands along his face in firm rubbing motions while dropping onto the chair beside his computer.

"Yea, I was kinda hoping I was now. Now, what the hell did you find out in the Graveyard?"

"Well we found this," The response came with a small bag appearing from behind the back of the first, one hand fiddling with the zipper while the other tugged the helmet out of the way. Her eyes were predatorial yet still kept a somewhat soft gaze despite the naturally slitted pupils. The mask drops to the bed with a dull thud to reveal sleek black skin before the item in question is fully revealed, the faintest whiff of rot causing his body to mentally recoil. "Ugh... smells worse than I thought. Definitely a hybrid mix. Regardless, there's some sort of brain vault style thing hidden in here. I think it's a sort of memory bank."

"I still think it's some mods from someone who was 'fired' and dumped with the ship."

"Then they'd be the biggest idiots alive for leaving him with the ship to be discovered by us." She shrugged before holding out the piece of broken hardware and organic tissue. "Just prod around in here and see what you can get." Madow stared at the oblong shape with narrowed eyes. The Navax was immediately on edge from the scent of death and the small amount of info his eel friend has given to him. Then again, he couldn't exactly be picky at the moment. Especially since the promise of extra cash would give him an added boost since he's currently in his forced house for a few more days.

"I can poke around in its electronics to try to find what's essential. I can't promise much, though, especially since the thing looks old."

"Just get us whatever you can, and you'll get a cut of the pay as usual." He nods before gingerly taking the object in question and setting it down on his desk.

"I'd give it a day or so before coming back. If it's as old as you say, it should be done long before you come back, but I need time to comb for important info you'd want."

"Alright, Madow, have fun. Try not to get too attached to the thing while you're stuck in here." He swivels in his chair before giving a wave over the shoulder, the small group shuffling out of the door to leave Madow to his work. He absentmindedly paws through his drawers before finding the universal cord needed to attempt to connect the machine with his computer. Wrapped with other wires, as usual, it provided momentary annoyance before spinning the item in question to reveal the rear of the device and the set of inputs to connect. The Navax paused before the final step, quickly created an isolated section of the computer to access the item from in case things went south exceptionally quickly. With the fail-safes in place, the connection was established. No immediate errors popped up on the screen, so that was a good sign. Clicking on the new connected device, named Jot-L, the computer screen flashed with a simple message.

Warning.

_ Data Files Corrupted._

Attempt Recovery?

• Yes <=
• No

Click.

Attempting Data Recovery. Estimated Time to Completion: 6 Hours and 13 Minutes.

Now came the time to wait and see just what was salvageable on the little piece of tech. Now, if only Madow could open a window. The smell was starting to get to him. The Navax huffs quietly before flopping onto the bed, facing away from the computer to try to save his nostrils at least partially from the scent coming from the organomechano mix of a head resting on his counter. He snorted to clear his nostrils a bit before letting his eyes slowly slide shut to try to sleep through the long download time.

The bright light from the computer screen flashed as a myriad of displays and numbers lasted for only a moment before being replaced just as quickly.

Executing Coy Loser-R Program.

Attempting Recovery.

Logic Error.

Loop.

Attempting Recovery.

Logic Error.

Loop.

Attempting Recovery.

Logic Error.

Loop.

Attempting Recovery.

Logic Error.

Loop.

Attempting Recovery.

Logic Error.

Loop.

Initializing Turbo-C.

Locking Loop.

Restarting System.

10%

30%

50%

70%

90%

95%

Restart Successful.

Insert Password.

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

Incorrect.

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

Incorrect.

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

Incorrect.

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

Connection Successful.

Attempting Connection to Wax Nomad-VA.

Connection Successful.

Uploading Jot-L to Wax Nomad-VA.

Error!

Corruption Detected!

Error!

Corruption Detected!

Err-

_Initiating Jot-L Program. _

Administrator Privileges Granted.

Good Morning.

---