FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Is space infinite? Is it really ever expanding? Nobody is ever certain. Theories come, theories go. People are inclined to believe whatever they want, regardless of whatever evidence is presented to them. You can't always convince people.

One thing nobody can ever be truly certain about is if humans are the only life out there. There have been people who swear up and down they were abducted by extraterrestrial life but nobody believes them. Those people are too scared to believe that they're out there. For the most part, it's widely believed humans are not the only life forms. There just has to be something else... right?

According to astrologers, we're not. Within the last few years, they were able to send out some form of communications into deep space. What they were exactly, Kyle wasn't sure. He was no astrological expert, and he definitely was not a scientist. After sending out whatever it was, the waiting game began. What scientists were hoping to get back... even they didn't know. All they wanted was something back.

For over five years, nothing was received... until one day. Some kind of radio frequency like no other was received. Scientists couldn't pinpoint where it came from, other than millions of light-years away. This frequency baffled scientists because we thought it came from stars. But it didn't match the frequency bursts these brought... at all.

So, what was this phenomenon? Scientists and astrologers still don't know. Many theorize that it was just something thrown out by a black hole, something we'd never seen before. To them, that made the most sense since we had recently gotten our first ever picture of a black hole. It only made sense for the two to be related.

But... what if? What if it was some kind of communication sent out by life from deep space? That was a theory never thrown away just because nobody could disprove it wasn't that. Many people, Kyle included, believed this was the first sign of life that wasn't human. After all, there were hundreds, thousands, if not millions, of Earth-like planets out there so why was the idea of extraterrestrial life so hard to believe?

"It has to be because of fear..." Kyle mumbled to himself. Kyle believed that the reason people wouldn't really accept the idea of life is just because they're scared to. The media and all the movies almost always pose aliens as beings bent on destruction and takeover. Sure, it was possible, but so was them coming peacefully. Kyle was much more believing the possibility of a peaceful alien race one day coming, but that was probably his optimistic, or what he believed to be optimistic, attitude. "I really need to stop reading these articles. Cool, but they're so overexaggerated..."

Kyle looked at the time on his phone. He had it a few inches away from his face as he laid in bed. It showed it was just a bit past 11:30 p.m. which was a pretty good time for him to try and sleep. He'd already spent the past hour reading, which he did every night. Kyle couldn't really ever fall asleep quickly so reading was something he did to help relax him. Sometimes it took an hour, sometimes more.

He read a bunch of different things. He would read stories about mythical gods while other nights he'd read about romance between some fictional creatures. He didn't care what it was - if he found it enjoyable, he was happy. Tonight just happened to be the night that he read something on the scientific side. And boy did it do the job of making him sleepy.

With a yawn, Kyle rolled over in his bed and plugged his phone into its charger right next to him. Setting an alarm for the morning so he wouldn't miss work, Kyle locked his phone and sat it down. After yawning one more time, he rolled over and covered himself with his blanket then snuggled right into the pillow he had his head on. One thing he hated about himself was that he could not, under any circumstances, sleep if something wasn't in his arms. He would toss and turn until he felt something there. But once that something was there, he would out like light.

Just like he was now.

---

For several hours, Kyle laid peacefully in bed. It took him only seconds to fall asleep. Once he was asleep, he stayed that way. At least, until a blinding light shined through his bedroom window. It was so bright that the black curtains he specifically bought to keep light out did absolutely nothing. Even through closed eyes, he had to cover them to not go blind. "What the actual fuck..." he grumbled tiredly.

With his other hand that wasn't shielding his adjusting eyes, Kyle reached for his phone and turned it on to see the time. For the second time he was blinded as the screen lit up brightly. With squinted eyes and several curses later, he saw it was about two in the morning - way too early for any sunlight. "I swear to Christ himself..."

Throwing the blanket off himself, Kyle got out of bed quickly and walked to the window. Pushing the curtain to the side, he took a look outside and was floored by what he saw. A huge pillar of light descended from the sky over his neighbors house. He couldn't see the house anymore. All that was there was that white light. "What... What the fuck..."

Pulling the blinds up and completely moving the curtains so they wouldn't be in his way anymore, Kyle undid the lock to the window and opened it. He then leaned out and looked up into the late night sky, following the beam ask the way up. From what he saw, there was no end to the beam. He heard a loud rumble every few seconds, something that semi-resembled a thunder clap but also sounded... different. "What the fuck is that?"

Pulling himself back inside, Kyle ran to his bed and grabbed his phone. He was going to record every second of what was happening. This was more proof than he'd ever need that there was some kind of life out there. This beam of light had no explanation and nobody would ever be able to argue that. After grabbing his phone and opening a recording app, he went back to the window and began recording.

Aiming his camera at the base of the pillar of light, Kyle followed it the entire way up, right into the night sky. "I don't know what the fuck this is. It's about two in the morning here in Birmingham. I was asleep in my bed when this... whatever the fuck this is woke me up because of how bright it is," Kyle spoke loud enough for the camera to pick it up. As had been happening since he woke up, periodic clasps of thunder boomed loudly. "You guys fucking hear this, right? This isn't a hoax or anything. I'm really fucking freaked right now."

Kyle pointed the camera away from the beam of light and looked further in the distance off to his left. Way out in the distance he saw another beam. "No, you guys can't deny it anymore. This is aliens. This is proof enough," he said. One by one, Kyle saw more of these light beams appear and slam down into the Earth.

Turning back to the one just across the street, Kyle aimed it at the bottom. "I haven't seen anything but... Wait..." Kyle paused and sat quietly. As he was about to say nothing was there, a figure slowly emerged from the light. Contrasting the bright white was a taller, pitch black figure. He couldn't make out exact details with it being a silhouette, other than it having longer arms and a longer looking head. It definitely stood on two legs. The rest of it he couldn't tell. "Oh my fucking God..." Kyle said quietly.

Kyle stood stock still as he recorded the mysterious being. Like Kyle, it stood still, not moving an inch. "I think I'm gonna throw up..." Kyle mumbled out of fear. The thing was staring at seemingly nothing, just straight forward. Kyle was about to bend over to avoid being seen but, in an instant, its attention whipped right to Kyle, starting directly at him. He saw no eyes, mouth, or single facial feature - just pure darkness. "Oh fuck..."

Kyle closed the curtains faster than ever before. Without thinking twice, he ran to his bed and dove beneath the covers with his pillow and blanket covering him entirely. "I... I think it saw me. Did you guys see it? I... I'm so scared..." Kyle was brought from his little recording when a loud slam resonated throughout his house. It was loud enough to make him jump where he was laying. "I... I think they're in my house..."

Seconds passed by quietly as Kyle waited. He didn't know for certain if they were in or not. After a few more seconds he took a deep breath. "If someone finds this recording and not me, know I'm probably not the only one. There were more beams, and probably more of these things. I hope they're not hostile..." he said scaredly. "Mom... Dad... I love-."

Kyle was interrupted as a second slam was heard. This time he was certain that whatever it was was for sure in his house. Now... it was in his room. That slam was his bedroom door. Kyle laid perfectly still, hoping they wouldn't figure out where he was. The faintest sounding footsteps came all around his room. The thunderous booms had stopped, instead being replaced with a killer silence.

Kyle mouthed his goodbyes to the camera, sure that whatever was in his room and mere inches from his bed was going to take him. The footsteps stopped where he heard the creatures communicating in their own language. It sounded a lot like growling that dogs did, all in various tones. Some were high pitched while others lower.

Something heavy began to climb on his bed. He knew now that they knew he was there. However, he held out hope, but it quickly vanished. Slowly the pillow was pulled from his head, the blanket being pulled immediately after. Knowing he'd been found, Kyle slowly turned his head towards whatever was on his bed. Like the one he saw outside, the creature was pitch black without a single creature being shown. It stood at the edge of the bed, facing towards him. The figure stood on for legs and had something resembling a tail swinging around wildly. It would point in one direction then quickly point in another. Sitting up, Kyle saw two more of the creatures in his room. The two of them looked like the one he saw outside.

Slowly he sat up. He looked around for a possible way to escape. Looking out the window, Kyle saw the binding light still coming through. However, it was much, much brighter than before. The beings blocked his only way out, meaning he couldn't do anything except beg. "Please don't hurt me..." The creature on his bed looked at the other two then cocked its head sideways curiously.

A high-pitched growl came from the four-legged creature as it stood up and slowly walked to him. It only got one step where the two others let out loud growls where both he and the other jumped and recoiled. The second he did, the two looked back at him and quieted down. This time, they growled similarly to how the smaller one did.

The three of them all let out different types of growls and whimpers. Kyle wanted to run but he knew there was nowhere to go. They'd surely had him trapped. And even then, he found it... hard to move. Not that he couldn't, but something in him just said not to. It had to have been the fear he felt, which they also picked up on. As they communicated, more than likely about him, they would face directly towards him. Eventually, their growls and whimpers stopped.

Once more the smaller, four-legged one slowly approached him. Inch by inch it crept. Eventually it was directly in front of him. The two stared intently at the other. Kyle was a swirling mess of emotions. He was terrified but he was terribly curious. If he was going to die, the last thing he wanted was for his curiosity to be sated. What he was about to do could very easily be his demise but it was worth it.

Slowly, very slowly, Kyle raised a hand. The creature sensed his movements and faced his hand. It watched as his hand slowly came up until he was able to touch it on the head. The creature faced him once more as its head was touched. What he felt was something that resembled fur. It was... similar but in ways he wasn't sure. On its neck he swore he also felt scales of some kind. "What are you..." Kyle mumbled.

Kyle was drawn from touching the creature when the two others climbed into his bed. The three of them were able to slide him back down so he was laying down, where the fear began taking over. He didn't know if they were about to hurt him. His fight or flight instincts kicked in with the former taking over. "No, stop," he said, trying to push them away.

The two on the side of him gently grabbed his arms. He tried to pull away but they held him down firmly. "No! Let me go!" he continued yelling. The creatures all whimpered gently in response. He had no idea what they were saying but he didn't care. The smaller of the three climbed on top of him, effectively pinning him down entirely. It laid on top of him and looked directly at him before leaning its head against his.

"Please don't..." Kyle begged, the fear really showing. He was so scared and terrified that he felt tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. They all continued whimpering where the two holding his arms let go, something he didn't realize. Instead, they rubbed his arms and head gently. Kyle couldn't figure out why but he also began to feel really, really relaxed. It grew steadily more difficult to keep his eyes open as the one laying on top of him rubbed its head against his. The whimpering died down and was no more as he inevitably fell asleep in the grasp of the three creatures.

One by one, the three of them pulled away from the sleeping human. Like him, they all felt relaxed. After communicating for a brief moment, one of them bent over and picked Kyle up in its long arms and held him closely. The small one jumped from his bed and stood next to the one holding him. The third one started to walk over to them until it saw a little device right where Kyle was laying.

Curiously, it reached over and grabbed the device. It showed the two of them who also eyed it curiously. They saw Kyle with it so whatever it was must have had some kind of value to him. Maybe it was something all humans needed to live. If that were the case, they all decided to bring it. After waking over and standing by the two others, the group grew a bright white before disappearing from his room... and Earth entirely.

---

It was quiet - very quiet. Never once had Kyle felt so relaxed. As he slowly rose from his slumber, he realized he felt completely weightless. Every muscle in his body was relaxed more than any sort of medication had ever done to him. Like a lot of humans, Kyle had a lot of back pain but now it's gone. Completely gone! Not only was he relaxed, he was very, very warm. It felt as if someone had thrown a blanket in a dryer for an hour and wrapped him up in it like he was in a cocoon. Never in his life had he ever felt so perfect.

Kyle tried opening his eyes but it proved to be difficult. Eventually he was able to. What he saw confused him beyond words. He was not in bed, nor was he clothed. In fact, he gradually began to realize he was in some kind of tube of greenish-colored liquid. Slowly looking up and down, he saw a bunch of tubes connecting to him from behind. He then realized he also had something over his mouth with bubbles periodically flowing from it - probably supplying him with oxygen while he was in... whatever this stuff was.

Kyle tried to grab at the mask but realized he couldn't move. His arms were resting against his chest as he realized he also had his knees brought up right beneath his arms. He couldn't move anything besides his head. He was so confused on where he was and why he was like this. Then it all flooded back instantly.

The lights.

The creatures.

His room...

He was no doubt with whatever those things were. Now realizing what was going on, he focused on the outside of his tube. Because of this mysterious liquid he was in, everything was distorted and more of a green color. It definitely made it harder to decipher it all but he was determined. He saw multiple other tubes with other humans in them. They had tubes and masks attached to them, just like he did. In front of them were the same black silhouettes that had been in his home.

He counted at least twenty different sets of tubes, and that was only what he could immediately see. He didn't doubt that there were hundreds more. He hoped there wasn't but he wouldn't be surprised if there were. He tried to turn his head more to see just what was going on but it was difficult, especially with the tubes virtually holding him in place.

"Subject-524 is no longer with us..." Kyle heard one of the creatures say. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a group of them standing at one the tubes that had a girl in it. One of them reached up where a holographic screen appeared out of thin air. Seconds later, the tube changed color entirely, at least from what he could tell, and the girl's body began to disintegrate into nothing. After a few seconds, the tube was empty. "That's another gone. I'm starting to lose hope..."

"Do not give up. We have more subjects. Right now, Subject-123 has been rapidly stabilizing. He has a good chance of survival," another creature spoke. It walked over to the tube right next to Kyle and stood in front of it. It reached up with one of its arms where another screen appeared. "...I was wrong. Subject-123 was stabilizing. They are not with us either..." Like with the girl, Kyle watched as the tube in it turned a different color, the body soon vanishing. "We will not give up," it said.

It confused Kyle how he could understand it. He distinctly remembered growling and whimpering, but now they spoke in a human language. The creature started walking by, Kyle following it with his eyes. Just as it was about to pass, it stopped and turned towards his tube. "Wait. Edili, this one. I think it's awake!"

"That's not funny..." one of them replied. Kyle watched as a screen appeared in front of his tube. His heart sank out of fear. He was terrified that it was going to get rid of him like the others.

"No! This is no joke. Analysis shows Subject-169 has stabilized tremendously! Much more than other subjects. Please look for yourself!" the one looking at his tube said. Like the creature instructed, one of the creatures, who was on four legs like the one in his home, approached the hologram where it lowered down to its height. A second taller one also walked up, looking at whatever the hologram said.

"You're right!" the four-legged one exclaimed. "Beaudon, get Shyam and the others. They need to know!"

"Right away!" the creature named Beaudon said. A huge bright flash happened where the taller being vanished. Kyle was so confused at what was going on but was glad he wasn't about to die. A minute or so passed as Kyle continued staring at the creatures who stood perfectly still. Soon, another light blinded Kyle as a ton more of them appeared in front of his tube. "He was one we were worried about. But he bounced back. We made sure and everything!"

"That is fantastic news. This one?" the creature spoke in a much calmer tone. It was on four legs and had the same tail as the one he saw in his room. It continued flicking wildly and randomly. However what kind of scared him was how it looked like it opened closer to the end. Before he could be sure, the tail was back into one.

"Yes, Shyam. Subject-169. That's him." The creature said. The one named Shyam stepped forward in front of them all.

"Can you hear me?" it spoke up to Kyle. His eyes darted around nervously, which was good to know for them. "Good. Hearing is working. Edili, remove mouth restraints," Shyam instructed.

"Right away!" the other quadruped said excitedly. With the help of the holographic keyboard, Edili was able to put in something where Kyle felt his own mouth and jaw able to relax. He hadn't noticed it but he wasn't even able to move his mouth. "Restraints removed - Subject-169 is now able to communicate!"

"Do you have a name?" Shyam, who Kyle was slowly beginning to believe was a leader of some sort, asked him.

"...Kyle..." he answered. "Please don't hurt me..."

"Subject is able to communicate. This is fantastic. Subject-169, your name is Kyle. Correct?" Shyam asked.

"Y-yes..."

"Edili."

"On it! The Subject's name is now noted," Edili, who was some kind of assistant, said.

"How are you feeling? Are you hurting? It is imperative we know so we may help, and so you keep living. I'm sure you don't want to die," Shyam asked Kyle. He felt as if there was a tiny bit of humor in its voice but he couldn't tell.

"N-no. I'm just scared. Where am I?"

"We will answer your questions soon. Do you see my hand?" it asked, raising one up.

"Yeah..."

"Follow it with your head," Shyam instructed as it began moving it side to side. Kyle was able to do so but with a tiny bit of struggling.

"Is it hard to with the tubes..."

"I understand. You being able to is a great sign. You might be one of the few to make it..." Shyam said with a tiny bit of happiness showing through its voice. "Please do not be scared. We are not going to hurt you at all. You've survived the hardest part. Everything from here is smooth sailing and that is a promise. Do you remember how you got here? At all?"

"I don't know about this tube but I remember something..." he answered.

"Edili, note everything. Kyle, we need to test your memory. Please, tell me exactly what you remember. Everything. After that, I will answer some questions. Only a few. You need to continue sleeping to help recover. Deal?"

"Recover from what?"

"I will explain but not right now. Please do as I asked," Shyam told him. Kyle sighed deeply. He saw no reason not to. If he didn't, they'd probably just kill him. So he retold every detail he could remember about then getting him. How he thought he was okay to them terrifying him. He also mentioned how one was on his bed and tried to approach until it was growled at menacingly, which also scared him.

"Wait... You were there? That was me! I was the one who was on your bed!" Edili spoke up.

"You were? Why did the others get onto you?" Shyam asked Edili seriously.

"I could feel Subject-169's fear. It hurt. I wanted to help but they didn't like that," Edili explained. "They probably thought I would be attacked or something. But when you look into something's eye and see the fear in a certain way and feel it in another, you know it's okay."

"So you approached anyway?" Shyam asked.

"I wasn't going to until I saw how the way they spoke scared him even more. He needed comfort. After he touched me, he was okay, which was when everything was easier... At least for a second," Edili continued explaining. "Fear took over and I assume the subject thought we were going to harm him. He tried to push us off but we were able to relax him."

"Did you release your chemicals?" Shyam asked quizzically.

"I did, yes. He was the only one, actually. Once the chemicals were absorbed by his skin, he relaxed tremendously. From there, we were able to bring him in."

"Is that all true?" Shyam now asked Kyle.

"Yeah... I just don't know about the, like... chemicals or whatever. I don't remember that..." he answered.

"That's okay, I know what Edili means. I have one more question then I will answer some of yours," Shyam told him. Kyle awaited the question. A smaller, rectangular device floated up in front of his tube. "What's this thing? Why do so many humans have it?"

"That's my phone," he answered simply. "Humans use them to do things like communicate over long distances with each other. They do a lot to make our lives easier."

"Interesting. Humans are on a solid path. Okay, Kyle. I will now answer some questions for you. Please go ahead," Shyam told him.

"Where am I and how long have I been here?" Kyle asked, not wasting any time. He had so many different questions but that seemed like the best to start with.

"You are aboard our home, in one of our examination rooms," it explained to him. "You've been here for, what humans would call, a week."

"A week? I've been sleeping for a week? How have I not been dead?"

"To put it in terms you can understand, we are a race of life far more advanced than you in technological terms. We've been able to keep you alive through the tubes attached to your head, back, and neck. They have been constantly feeding you nutrients you humans need for survival," Shyam explained. "There will soon be a time where you will be brought out of the chamber. Before that can happen, you need to promise me you will not mess with anything on your body. It is your lifeline. Promise me you won't."

"I'll try my best. You said I made it through the hardest part and now everything will be easy. What did that mean?" he asked next.

"May we come back to that? I would rather explain that when we see you're completely okay," Shyam asked him. It wasn't the answer he wanted but it was probably the best he'd get.

"Okay... Why me?"

"May I answer this one?" Edili spoke up. The creatures turned their heads to it, Kyle doing the same.

"You may," the obvious leader answered.

"Okay. Subject-169, I'm going to request you try not to be upset. I know that it's easier said than done but just try. You weren't actually chosen," Edili finally answered. What did this thing mean by that? If he wasn't, then why was he taken? "You were one that was, as humans say, in the wrong place at the wrong time. When you saw one of us, we had to bring you. You saw way too much. If you hadn't come to look, you wouldn't have been brought with us."

"Wha... What?" He mumbled in disbelief. He wasn't someone they wanted and only took him because he saw the creature. If he had stayed in bed like any sane person, he'd still be there. "So... It's my fault?"

"In the nicest way possible, yes. It was," Edili told him. Kyle looked away and down at his floating body. Had he not grown curious, he'd still be in bed, probably still asleep. But because he had to look, he was taken from his home, even his planet.

"Will I ever get to go home?" He asked them hopefully. They all stayed quiet which gave him his answer, one he didn't like.

"Please do not be upset. Or mad. I promise you that things will be okay," Shyam told him. "You're scared. You're confused. You've got every right to be. But please, do not be upset. We know humans have forever questioned if they were alone. Well now you know! Surely that had to count for something to you!"

"...How can I understand you? What I heard before was growling. Now you speak our language. How?"

"That ties in with what we will talk about soon. I promise all will be easier and will make more sense. You should really rest more. Next time you awaken, you will be out of this chamber. How does that sound?" Shyam told him.

"I have two more questions. Please."

"Okay. We will answer them. First, Edili. Initiate sleep treatment," Shyam told the other. That same hologram appeared in front of the other. "Subject-169, we are going to help you to sleep so make your questions quick."

"Okay. Who exactly are you?" Kyle asked them.

"Our race is called the Lahorez," Shyam answered him. Soon after seeing the hologram disappear, Kyle began to feel incredibly tired. He knew what was going on but very, very quickly began to lose focus.

"O-okay..." he said, growing more groggy by the second. It became very hard to even think. Whatever they were using to knock him out was more powerful than any form of anesthesia he'd ever had before. "You... You aren't... Umm..." he began mumbling, "going to hurt me... right? Promise?"

The creatures all let out gentle laughs at him. It became harder to hear as his vision slowly faded. The one who had administered whatever was putting him to sleep walked up to his tube and put a hand on it. Shyam soon stopped laughing and answered, "No. I promise we will not hurt you. Now rest. Please."

"I uh... I..." Kyle was unable to finish his sentence. He had one more question but couldn't fight off the tiredness. He was wide awake thirty seconds ago - now he was out like a light.

"Humans are interesting..."

---

Just like before, Kyle felt really relaxed. He was warm, but not like before. It was a cozy warm. Unlike before, he found himself wrapped up in a blanket. As he opened his eyes, he slowly sat up and looked around. A loud yawn escaped his mouth where he stretched immediately after. It felt so, so good being able to move once more. Throwing the blanket off his body, Kyle swung his legs off his bed and looked around.

The room he was in was lit up by a singular light on the ceiling. The walls were bare a bright white. Aside from his bed, there was a single desk and chair on the opposite side of the room. Other than those few things, there was nothing else. There was no dresser for clothes, no way to entertain, nothing. He didn't even see a door. How was Kyle supposed to leave?

"Guess I'm not supposed to..." he mumbled quietly.

"Oh! You're awake!" a voice boomed loudly in the room. It was so loud it made him jump where he sat.

"Holy shit, yeah, I definitely am now. You scared the shit out of me..." he told whoever was there. The voice laughed at him.

"I'm so sorry! I will send someone to clean you!"

"W-wait, hold on. It was a joke. It's an expression. I didn't literally do that..." he said to the voice. He facepalmed at himself, forgetting just where he was.

"Oh. Okay. Well, how are you feeling?" it asked.

"Uh... Okay, I guess," he said as he tried to stand up. The second he got to his feet, he went straight to the ground. "O-okay... Yeah, I'm really weak..."

"Are you okay?!" it asked him worriedly. "Oh no. Stay there, we'll be right there!"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just weak..." he mumbled. Kyle didn't entirely think about how long he'd been off his feet. At this point, he knew for certain that it was a week, but how much more, he wasn't sure. He tried to get to his feet but had a lot of trouble doing so. As he laid there on the ground, a bright light, similar to the one that came over his house, blinded him. As it vanished, a couple of the creatures who took him rushed over to him.

"Come on. Let's get up," one said. He recognized it as the one he'd been talking to when he woke up. He saw it was one of the ones that had two legs and had really long arms. A second creature matching the one who was right next to him came over. They both bent over quickly and held onto his arms with one of their huge hands, a second being held out to him. He hesitantly reached forward and grabbed them. As before, one was super soft and furry feeling while the other felt like it had scales on it.

With their help, Kyle was able to get to his knees and then to his feet. "Stand here. Beaudon, I've got him. You go get Shyam so it's known he's awake."

"Okay, I'll do that," it responded. Kyle felt his arm let go by both of them.

"Wait, Beaudon? Aren't you... the one I heard about earlier? Whenever I was in that tube or whatever?" he asked. It took a few steps away from him before it began glowing white.

"Yes, that is me. Don't move, please," it instructed him. Kyle nodded.

"Let's sit you down," the second said as the one he figured out to be Beaudon teleported away.

"Yeah... okay," Kyle agreed. His legs were slightly hurting but that was probably from not being used for so long. Kyle held its other hand and took a step backwards and was helped back to the bed. "Thanks..."

"You are welcome," it responded to him before letting go of his hand. It stepped back and stood patiently. Something that Kyle noted was how none of the creatures had distinct differences in their voices like he was used to. He was used to pretty obvious differences to tell if something was a guy or girl - these creatures didn't have that. At least, it wasn't noticeable to him. All of them had higher pitched voices. "Are you hurting? Looked like that fall could have been a little painful."

"I think I'll be okay. Just sore. Do you have a name?" Kyle asked the creature.

"Aiyla," it answered.

"That's a unique name. You all have really different names, actually," he said. Aiyla stayed quiet but he did see it give a simple nod. For a few minutes, Kyle sat there awkwardly, not sure what to do. He looked down at himself and was thankful he was dressed now, though it was in something resembling a dress. That was all he had on - no socks, underwear, anything.

After another minute or so of waiting, that same light began shining in his room. Seconds later, three of the creatures appeared. He assumed one was Shyam, one was Beaudon, and then a third he didn't know. "Hello again, Subject-169. It is me, Shyam. Do you remember me?"

"Yes, I do. Beaudon?" he asked the second one who was on two legs.

"Correct," it answered. Next to Beaudon was another on four legs. "I heard you took a bit of a spill. Are you okay?" Shyam asked him. He could tell that it was worried about him, which was surprising.

"I am. My legs are just sore... And I'm just weak in general. I assume that's just because of how long I've not used them..." he said with a light chuckle.

"That and you haven't actually eaten in a long time," Shyam told him. Kyle cocked his head sideways confusedly. "We gave you the basic necessities to stay alive. You need to regain your strength. Will you consider eating?"

"I mean... Food does sound really nice..." Kyle told Shyam. He didn't realize how empty his belly was until now. "Wait, How am I going to eat if... you know..."

"That's what's great about us. On your planet, it's currently night. Would you be interested in us surprising you with dinner?" Shyam asked him. Kyle grew even more confused. "I can tell you're curious. Basically, we are able to create food as long as we know how to make it. There's more to it than that but that's just the simple version. It gives you all the nutrients you need to survive. So, how does some real food sound?"

"I can't turn down food," he said truthfully.

"Edili. Please bring Subject-169 food. Something... nice," Shyam instructed.

"Hold on. Two things," Kyle spoke up. They all faced him. "Can you please use my real name? Kyle. Please?"

"Request acknowledged. If you would prefer, we will now refer to you as your human name when around you. Please don't be mad if we mess up," Shyam told him. Kyle nodded.

"Thank you. Second, you're Edili?" He asked, referring to the other quadruped creature.

"Yeah! That's me!"

"Why did you touch the thing I was in before I fully fell asleep? And why do you keep showing up everywhere I am?"

"Can Shyam answer the first while I fetch you food?" Edili asked him hopefully. Kyle sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks! You'll love it, I swear!" Edili told him before vanishing in a flash of light. This time, he didn't need to shield his eyes. He was steadily growing used to it.

"So, the reason Edili did what she did," Shyam spoke up, getting his attention, "is because you are the first life outside of our own she has interacted with. She is very curious. If she makes you uncomfortable, please say so. We want you to be happy and comfortable."

"I see. So... You said she... Edili is a girl?" he asked next.

"In human terms, she would be considered one, yes. Though our race does not have set genders like you do," Shyam told him. Kyle was confused by what that meant.

"Huh? What?"

"I would really like to not discuss more than this. However, I know humans like being able to distinguish genders. So, here's how you may do so," Shyam began explaining to him. "Females are able to do this with our tails." Kyle watched as Shyam's tail came around to the front and, at the end, split open into two. A third thing came out from the inside but he had no idea what. "If you watch our tails, you'll see that a female's tail also flicks around a lot. Males don't do either of those things."

"What... What did it do? What was that?" he asked both nervously and curiously.

"I do not think those questions need to be answered right now," Shyam told him seriously.

"Will you at least answer if you're a female? I assume so because yours did that but..." he trailed off.

"Yes, I am. I am what humans would consider a female," Shyam told him. Before he could say anything else, Edili had returned with a small, robotic feline-esque machine next to her.

"I'm back! Ready to eat?" she asked him excitedly.

"Only if you answer the question I asked before you left," he told her.

"I will. But first, Shyam, may I?"

"Yes. Go ahead," Shyam nodded.

"Yay! Okay, Kyle, I need you to follow along with me and trust me. I know, I know, trust is hard. But will you?"

"Okay..." he said with uncertainty.

Edili tapped a few things on the robot next to her where it jittered in place then stood still. "I'll walk you through what I'm doing as it happens... I will need you to say your name in a second. Okay?" Edili told him. He slowly and confusedly nodded. "Awaken!" she suddenly yelled, startling Kyle. The robot turned its head directly towards Edili.

"Hello! I am Serving Creature Retainer Automatron Treatment Cat Helper or SCRATCH for short!" the robot said in a stereotypical robot voice. "I aim to serve in any way my user requires. First, I must know who I will have as a primary user. Please, say your name!"

Edili and the others faced Kyle expectantly. He figured this was where he did his thing. "Uh... Kyle?" he said. The robot snapped its head right to his voice.

"Hello, Kyle! Thank you for registering. Would you like me to have a co-owner?" SCRATCH asked him. "Co-owners are able to issue commands that you can as well."

"Uh..." Kyle said uncertainly. He looked over to Edili who nodded to him. He figured she was saying yes so she may help him. "Yes?"

"Who would you like as a co-owner? Please have them say their name now!"

"Edili," she spoke up.

"Hello, Edili! Thank you for registering. Would you like to go over commands?" SCRATCH asked.

"No," Edili answered.

"Would you like to skip final set-up?"

"Yes."

"Okay! Before I can fully operate, I will require a name from user Kyle or user Edili. Please clearly and slowly say a name for me!" SCRATCH instructed the two.

"Can I name it? You might like it!" Edili asked him.

"I... Guess?" he told her. He had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Have the users decided a name?"

"Yes," Edili answered.

"Please say the name slowly and clearly now."

"Kitty!"

"Are you serious..." Kyle mumbled in disbelief. Edili just let out a giggle in response. "Whatever. Easy enough."

"Okay! Final setup is complete. Hello users Kyle and Edili! I aim to serve you both. Whenever you're ready, you may issue commands!" Kitty told them both.

"So... Can you explain that?"

"This wonderful piece of technology is called Serving Creature Retainer Automatron Treatment Cat Helper, or SCRATCH for short, as it told you," Edili began explaining. The robotic feline was a pure white color that very heavily resembled a lioness back on Earth. "This is your little helper and servant. It will feed you, bring one of us to you, and do pretty much anything for you. Kitty!"

"Yes, user Edili?" Kitty answered immediately.

"Feed Kyle meal one," she instructed. In an instant, Kitty walked up to Kyle and turned sideways. "Okay Kyle. So one thing Kitty will do is help you eat. However, it won't be the way you're used to," she explained to him. Kyle watched as a tube similar to the ones attached to him from before came from Kitty's side. "Only one of these will attach to you. This goes to the back of your head. What it does is stimulate your brain into thinking you're eating a certain food. After a set amount of time, which is determined by your weight and height, the "feeding" will end and you'll feel full and have all the vitamins and nutrients you need!"

"Hold on, what?" he said confusedly. Kyle felt something attach to the thing on the back of his head. "So... I don't actually eat?"

"Nope! You are just receiving the taste of food while getting whatever you need to be healthy. Give it a minute, you'll see what I mean!"

"Do I just... sit here or can I move around at the same time?"

"You can move. Kitty will sense your movements and follow you. We will go over everything Kitty can do another time. For now, you need to regain strength. Okay?" Edili told him seriously. Kyle sighed and nodded. "Good! Now, while this does its thing, is there anything you'd like to talk about? I'm sure there is."

"Perhaps you could answer his question from earlier?" Shyam told her.

"Oh! Okay! So I'm sure Shyam told you that you are the first live I've met excluding my own race?" Edili asked him.

"Yeah, it was mentioned."

"That's one reason. The second is because I was the one who brought you. Well, one of the few who did," she explained to him. "I know you're upset about you being here and how we said you shouldn't have been but I saw your fear. We are not a scary race. I wanted to be the one who could show you that. I want to show you what we can do for you. I also did something that I didn't realize would have consequences but that's a discussion for another time."

"Does that mean you're going to be around me a lot?" he asked her curiously.

"For the most part, yes. Maybe not right here with you, but I'll always be around when I'm needed," she answered. "Kitty can always get me if you would need it."

"I see. Hmmm..." He thought for a minute on what to ask. As he did, a very faint, yet familiar, taste began filling his mouth. He couldn't exactly place what it was yet but he knew it was something he enjoyed. "Can I ask why you came and took a bunch of humans?"

"Yes, I do owe you an explanation now," Shyam spoke up. Kyle turned and faced the main one of the group as she began to explain. "Starting from the beginning, we are all a race called the Lahorez. We travel through space, aiming to learn about everything we can. We've been around for a very long time now, and our technology proves it."

"So you don't have a home planet?"

"We did. However, we were like you humans. We grew curious and wanted to see what was out there. So we created this and just... went on our way. That has led us here."

""That doesn't entirely explain why you took a bunch of humans..." Kyle mumbled quietly.

"I know. We did for two reasons: knowledge and food."

"Wait, hold on!" Kyle spoke up instantly. "You promised that-."

"Please don't worry. Please," Shyam said in an almost begging tone. He saw how she recoiled when he began to momentarily freak out, which confused him. That was the second time he's seen them do that. "I promised you that we won't hurt you. I meant it."

"Then explain to me how you plan to use me for food," he said flatly. Shyam's dark figure nodded to him.

"We do not feed off material things like you do. We feed off emotions," she explained to him. Now he was really confused. "Specifically, positive emotions. When you are happy or feel good, we notice. We don't ever have to sit and eat - it happens naturally. All the time... Nonstop..."

"I assume that is why I've seen you recoil away when I got scared?"

"Yes... Anger, fear, sadness, and emotions like those harm us. It's like someone is physically hitting us in our heads very hard. It hurts us a lot..." she explained to him. "That's why we try and make sure you don't grow scared or anything. Because it hurts..."

"So... That's why you let me touch you?" he asked Edili.

"Sort of. When you become overwhelmingly negative with emotions, it can have long-term effects on us. If you being able to touch me would help you relax and see we mean no harm, I was willing to let it happen."

"So if I'm happy, you can eat?"

"In simple terms, yes. We function best with the more positive energy we have," Shyam told him."I don't expect you to be overjoyed that you're taken. I feel the opposite but it's not horrible. However, over time, we will slowly show you what we can do. You will be happier than you could have ever imagined. The happier you are, the better we work... which means you get even happier!"

"I get it... Kind of. I'll be honest, I really don't but I'll just play along. It's not like I have much of a choice. I've wanted to know this for a while. How can I understand you?"

"Okay, so this will also answer that second part of why we chose humans," Shyam told him. "This goes back to the knowledge thing and wanting to learn everything. Humans taught us things we didn't know. All of the humans we took had the same thing done to you. The tubes hooked up and everything. From there, we were able to take a look inside your mind and learn your language, human values, rules you had on your planet - everything."

"Okay, you lost me," he said truthfully. He tried to figure out exactly how they did that. "You... went in our minds? I assume you did something to my brain?"

"...Kind of, but not really. Just a couple wires were attached to it. Don't forget our technology is far more superior so it was really easy to do. It just... had risks," Shyam told him.

"Is that why humans you brought weren't surviving?"

"Sadly... In a more graphic explanation, think of it as if we were ripping apart your mind to see the inside. Once we got what we wanted, we had to try our best to put it back together," she explained to him in the best way possible. "A lot, most actually, of humans weren't able to make it through that. But you did!"

"What now then?"

"Now it's all about you. We learned a lot. Like, it's scary to know what we know," Shyam told him with a chuckle. "You had multiple languages on your planet, different rulers, all kinds of stuff. You even enslaved your own kind in your past! It's so interesting."

"It's sad is what it is..." he mumbled quietly. "Since I'm stuck here... will you teach me about you?"

"Oh! Yeah! Can I be the one to?" Edili asked hopefully.

"I am open to you learning about us but only once I see you are willing to do what we need. You are our own lifeline..." Shyam told him seriously. Kyle nodded, thinking that made sense. "There are also things that I do not want shared yet. Edili and I will go over them together privately, though I feel she already has a good grasp on what's not allowed."

"I've got one question. Are these... appearances... these black forms... are they how you naturally look?"

"No. At least, not entirely. We do look like what you see in terms of figures. But we hide our real, natural look," Shyam told him.

"What? Why? Can I see?" Kyle asked, his curiosity showing massively.

"I'm sorry but we can't show you. Out of fear, we just can't. Not yet..." Shyam said sadly. Even if he couldn't see it physically, he could tell by the tone that there was fear and sadness in her voice.

"Fear? Fear of what?"

"We have not found life who likes our real looks. We have been called things ranging from scary to ugly. We may be advanced but..." Shyam trailed off.

"We still have our own feelings. Those hurt... Those words. So we hide ourselves from others who aren't our race," Edili finished explaining. Kyle felt bad for them deep down. He knew how it felt to be judged based on your looks. Humans did that on the daily...

"I can't really force you but I would like to one day see. Could you maybe consider that? If we're going to benefit from each other, then I'd already like to know the real creatures. Please?" Kyle asked them hopefully. They stayed quiet, Kyle figuring he upset them. However, that seemed to not be the case.

"We will see. I will not say yes nor will I say no. We will just have to see," Shyam finally answered. That was the best he was going to get but that left him with another question.

"Then I've got another question. When I touched you in my room, Edili, I felt fur. But then other parts, I felt scales," Kyle began. They all listened intently, or at least he thought they were, as he explained his question, "and earlier when I fell, I felt the same thing. Can I ask exactly what you are? Like... are you mostly furred? Scaled? What are you?"

"Okay, this is where you'll start to feel more happy," Shyam told him. Kyle was confused why she said that.

"May I, Shyam? Since I'm the one he'll be around most..." Edili trailed off hopefully.

"I think that would be okay. Go ahead."

"Okay Kyle! So don't worry about what we really are, okay?" she told him.

"...Okay?"

"Here's what I want you to do instead. I want you to focus hard on something that you liked to see in your world," she instructed him. Kyle was confused why but followed along. "Another human, an animal, make-believe creature... Whatever brought you the most joy. Think hard..."

"Okay..." he said. He had no idea what to think about because there were so many things.

"Kitty! Project top five thoughts!" Edili yelled out suddenly.

"W-wait..."

"I will project thoughts one by one! When you would like the next, please say!" Kitty said.

"Oh no..." Kyle mumbled anxiously. Kyle hoped more than anything that certain thoughts weren't about to be shown. One hologram appeared right in front of Kitty. It was a creature on four legs from a game he played. The creatures bounced in its spot happily as it looked around. The fur on its neck and head swayed around everywhere it looked.

"Awww! It's so cute! What is that? It doesn't look like an animal on your planet," Edili asked him curiously.

"Because it's not real. It's this thing called a pokémon," he explained to her. "They're fantasy monsters that fight each other for fun. That one is called flareon..."

"It's so cute! Kitty, next!"

"Displaying next thought now!" The hologram of the pokémon vanished and was replaced with a creature that used to be on his planet - at least that's what people believed. Large fangs came from the creature's mouth. Like Kitty, this was feline in shape, but was incredibly big. Much bigger than Kitty was, even more than Edili and Shyam.

"What is that?" they all asked him curiously while examining it closely.

"It's an animal. It's not on our planet but people think it used to be. It's called a Saber-toothed tiger. They're my favorite animal," he told them. Kyle sighed a sigh of relief that his personal thoughts weren't being shown.

"Those look really cool. Kitty, next!" Edili ordered.

"Displaying next thought now!"

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Kyle asked her hopefully.

"Soon, promise," Edili said. The feline was replaced with a much, much smaller feline. It heavily looked like a character from a movie. "Another feline creature? You really like those, huh?"

"That one is from a movie..."

"Movie?" she asked him curiously.

"Movies are like... fake realities where things happen. You watch them for entertainment. Sometimes they're scary, sometimes funny, sometimes sad," Kyle explained. "I thought you learned that from our brains?"

"Only the basics. There's a lot you could personally teach us," Shyam told him, still looking at the small cub lioness.

"Oh. Well, that one's Nala," he said.

"That's really small. Kitty, next!" Kitty repeated the same phrase again, the hologram disappearing and being replaced with a new one. This one, however, wasn't of an animal, person, or creature in general. "W-wait. Is that food?" Edili asked, trying to stifle a laugh. Kyle couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Listen, that's the food I swear it tastes like I'm eating..." Kyle laughed. The projection showed a meaty steak dinner that he would have never been able to finish back home.

"Because it is! I didn't know it had that much of an impact..." Edili continued laughing.

"I like my food..."

"I can tell. Kitty, next!"

"Last thought now being displayed," Kitty told them all. Kyle sighed contentedly that his personal thoughts weren't being shown to everyone there. However, that sigh was for nothing as his fear became a reality. Before then all was a projection of himself with two of the other projections they'd seen. They had him beneath them while they both touched him in very inappropriate ways.

"Oh my God..." he mumbled embarrassedly. He had to look away to hide how he felt.

"Uhh... What?" Edili spoke up confusedly. "Why is it showing them all? Did I mess something up?"

"Hmm..." Shyam hummed loudly. She got up and circled around the hologram. "Oh. No, I see now. They're all reproducing," she said flatly.

"Oh. Oh... Okay! I see now. Is that true?" Edili asked for confirmation. She looked at Kyle and saw he wasn't able to face it. "What's wrong?"

"I think I remember this," Shyam spoke up. "Some humans feel embarrassed when reproduction happens around others. I do not think Kyle wants us to know he wants to reproduce. Is that true?"

"Fucking God..." he mumbled, barely even able to think straight. "Yeah. Those are personal thoughts."

"Do you need to reproduce? We can help you if-."

"N-no! I'm fine. Can we please move on? Why did you do that?" Kyle asked, hoping to get off the topic of that.

"Okay... Well, because we are shapeshifters," Shyam told him. She really wanted to help him reproduce since she knew humans liked that but she also didn't want to upset him.

"You're... What? No way," he said skeptically.

"Yes way! Watch, I'll show you," Edili told him. He watched her intently as she slowly shrunk and grew the exact same features as the flareon from before. "Told you!"

"No way... You..." he said in awe.

"Yeah! We can do that for any person, creature, animal, anything," Edili explained. "All we need is a visual of what it is so we may know what you want. Or we can just surprise you with a new form!"

"Edili, please, can I pet you?" he asked. This had been a dream for so long, and now it was an arms length away.

"Duh! I can tell you're happy!" Edili exclaimed just as happily. She ran over and jumped up with her paws on his lap. Without even thinking about it, Kyle wrapped his arms around her in the tightest hug ever. He was overwhelmed with emotions. His hands ran through the incredibly soft fur around her neck and back. He held her for a long, long time before he pulled away.

"Okay, you win. You've got me sold. What do I have to do to keep doing that?" Kyle asked with the biggest smile on his face.

"Nothing," Shyam told him seriously. Edili jumped down from his lap and stood next to Shyam once more. "We do all the hard work. Soon, we will move forward with you so you can experience something even better than just that."

"Better? Impossible."

"We just proved you wrong. I promise we will continue to do so. We have not hurt you yet, and we made you very happy. You have no idea how much that amount of happiness has fueled all of us here," Shyam said.

"If you were that happy from one creature, imagine when you see all of us as things you never imagined possible!" Edili told him excitedly. She seemed like she was almost bouncing in place.

"I can't wait," he said simply. There was no way it could get better than that.

"From one living creature to another," Shyam told him as she approached him. She then slowly changed into the bigger feline from his thoughts and looked up to him. He saw the biggest sparkle in her eyes imaginable. "I promise that you will be happier with us than you could have ever been on your planet."