FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

The dessert in the southern province of New Ignatia had been thoroughly consumed by industry. The high rises of the city centers contained the offices of countless banks, law firms, engineers, and corporate CEOs. Surrounding the population centers and public amenities were the massive factories and refineries when comprised the manufacturing infrastructure of Jardine, producing everything for cars and airplanes to the smallest household fusion drives. Every other square centimeter of land, save that protected by the state parks and recreation requirements, was covered in solar collectors. Despite being the Republic's largest manufacturing center, the largest, not to mention most profitable, export was electricity. The all encompassing solar cells generated only a fraction of this surplus. The real power came from a trio of super reactors built over a mile underground and housed in special hardened facilities. These powered all five provinces of Jardine as well as a portion of the grid belonging to its northern neighbor.

To the west however, there were hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of completely flat and undeveloped salt flats left over from a massive sea which had dried up millennia previously. Owned by the military, it was nearly impossible to get within three kilometers of their secure testing grounds. Trenches, fences, towers, radar installations, SAM batteries, and countless unseen defenses guarded the "Midnight Zone." The ionosphere generators even disrupted the prying eyes of spy satellites, both friendly and hostile.

On the eastern border lay the "city" of Risius. Nearly, the entire population worked in one of the three research labs owned and operated by the nation's largest defense contractors. Gregoire Weapon Systems, Lochow Stanton Munitions, and Easterling Arms all ran government funded development and testing facilities and composed the entire local economy. It was to the latter of these where we were headed. Their proximity to Midnight Zone was no accident either. They had positioned themselves there partly for convenience, but mostly for the security offered.

It was this which worried me the most. If the JIA was actively searching for me, then a secure military area was the last place I should be going. I had of course considered immediately returning to Raven Fire and having a little chat with Doctor Hall. She would come in time, but I was depending on someone, if not Doctor Easterling himself, then perhaps Hogan, still being empathetic to the team. Though I didn't know who had facilitated our "elimination" I couldn't imagine it had been someone within the program. If I was wrong, then my freedom, and very likely Jaimie's, would be coming to an abrupt end. In my opinion though, the chance of getting some strong support, as well as some answers, was more than worth the risk. But I had been known to make mistakes before.

At the south extent of town I knew lay my goal and it was there I navigated the bike, past endless cookie cutter box houses with matching front lawns. Soon our target was in sight, the massive white block, emblazoned with the stylized star of Easterling Arms. As we drew closer though, I saw that the name had changed. The emblem now bore the letters EQDS. In smaller text below this was written "Easterling Quakenbush Defense Solutions." Curious, Hogan had come a long way in the past half year of my exile.

Jaimie gasped as the last obstructing building fell behind us and we got our first clear look at the entire complex. Even I, who had some idea of what to expect, was impressed by the seemingly obsessive amount of security scouring the facility. A pair of seven meter tall, double chain link fences, each topped to electrified razor wire, surrounded the buildings. The innermost of the two was speckled with towers featuring spotlights and armed guards in private security uniforms and helmets which covered their face as well as head. My trained eyes immediately recognized the ASMR variant rifles they carried in a variety of configurations. Obviously the company had begun mass producing Task Force Tech. The four guards at the main gate even wielded sub machine guns which appeared to be cheaper variations of the pair Jessica had once carried.

"Are you sure about this?" Jaimie whispered through the helmet com.

"No," I replied confidently, maneuvering the motorcycle towards the heavily defended entrance.

The gate was flanked by to steel bunkers and the four security personnel, who stood within the two fences, eye us fiercely as we approached the perimeter. An additional steel barrier rose from the drive, stopping beside a consol containing camera, speaker, microphone, and visual screen. The display popped on to show anther security man, apparently sitting at his desk.

"State your name and business."

"Dave Smith," I lied, "I'm here to see Doctor Easterling."

"You can't see Doctor Easterling without an appointment. You clearly don't have an appointment or else you would probably know that he isn't going to return to this facility for another month," he replied scathingly, obviously detecting the falsehood, "Now leave the premises before I have to order security to take action."

"Wait... how about Hogan? Is Hogan here?"

"This isn't the Q and A session, now leave."

"Please, just let me talk to him."

"I told you to leave!"

Just then an arm reach into the view on screen and the background shifted as the camera was rotated towards a new speaker. Now the familiar glasses, unkempt red orange hair, and mongoose features of Hogan filled the display.

"Who is this?"

In response I flipped the visor of my helmet up and looked straight into the camera. Though my appearance was altered, my eyes remained the same and I knew there was no way he could fail to recognize them.

"By Theo," Hogan muttered and then the monitor blanked.

I stared at the empty screen for a few seconds before making the decision to leave. I obviously wasn't a welcome guest, so now I'd have to get in the hard way. Before I could activate the bike's hydrogen motor and depart however, a claxon began to sound somewhere within the compound. A pair of doors opened on the buildings which flanked the gate and six of the helmeted, uniformed, gaurs who populated the perimeter bounded out. Like all the others, their species were indeterminate as the uniforms, head gear, boots, and gloves they wore hid any identifying features. Even their tails were encased by the navy blue fabric. Most disturbing about their appearance though was the SAT-5 carbine each one held pointed straight at my chest.

A computer generated voice spoke from unseen speakers.

"Slowly remover yourselves from the vehicle keeping your paws visible."

I carefully stood up and dismounted the bike, keeping my arms to the sides and paws outstretched. I indicated to Jaimie to do the same.

"What's happening?" she whispered.

"Keep quiet and follow their instructions. If I tell you, find cover and stay down."

Now standing beside the motorcycle, my senses fed information to my brain where it was instantly analyzed and used to create an action plan. The six guards all left their safeties on, but the four beyond the first fence had immediately activated their weapons. Marksmen in the nearest towers had sighted on us as evidenced by the several glints from scopes I had caught from the corners of my eyes. Sloppy.

Had I been alone, I may have considered fighting, but that strategy would not work here. With my enhanced speed and reflexes would have a good chance of winning too. With Jaimie here however, I didn't risk giving the guards any reason to open fire. One stray bullet or ricochet could be fatal, and I could never forgive myself if anything happened to her.

The guard on the left of the line made a slight motion and the individual next to him lowered his rifle and carefully removed my helmet. This complete, he quickly and thoroughly frisked me for weapons or explosives. Not thoroughly enough for a highly trained insertion operative though. He failed to locate both my 9mm and my combat knife.

This process was repeated on Jaimie by a second guard. This one was most likely female for legal reasons. Jaimie's revolver was found and secured before both security personnel fell back into position. The one on the left who must have been their leader (I couldn't tell as none of them wore rank insignia) now spoke. "You are instructed to proceed into the structure under guard."

Soon, flanked by half a dozen armed men and women, we were led past the first gate, through the perimeter, and towards the interior fence. It all reminded me of the POW training I had undergone years before. The second gate finally slid open, revealing a solitary figure standing at precise parade rest.

He was clearly another guard, but there were many distinct differences between himself and the others we had encountered previously. For one, his uniform was all black as opposed to the navy of his companions, and embroidered insignia on his shoulders identified him as a captain. I resisted the instinct to salute at this realization. The biggest distinguishing factor, in my opinion, was his lack of the standard, all enclosing, helmet and face shield worn by the other guards. The captain, who I could clearly discern to be a rabbit now, stood tall and powerfully. I had no doubt that here finally was a man who would make a worthy opponent. His fur was the pale brown of maple wood and hazel eyes fixed on me, judging us as I was judging him. His left ear rose from a shock of close cut dark hair before folding and resting along the back of his head. The captain's right ear in contrast stood straight for ten centimeters before suddenly ending in a ragged line of old scar tissue and the stiff white (except in my case black) fur that grows over bad wounds.

"Dismissed" he commanded.

The guards came to attention, saluted, then all but two double timed back to the perimeter.

"Follow."

I did as he ordered with Jaimie behind me, clutching my wrist so tightly that I was beginning to lose feeling in my paw. He led us to one of the low buildings surrounding the center structure which now towered eighty meters over our heads. We road an elevator in silence an indiscriminate number of stories underground before boarding a subterranean tram in equal silence.

I didn't know how far we traveled but after speeding through a narrow tunnel for at least five minutes, the electric rail car slowed and stopped. Again the rabbit instructed us to follow and we complied until he deposited us in and elaborate office.

"Wait here."

We had little choice in the matter as the door was shut, leaving us alone inside. The deep rumble of a security being slid into place followed to assure our internment. Two chairs sat before and enormous polished wood desk. They looked inviting enough, and there was no point trying to escape, so I sat in one placing my feet luxuriously on the desktop. Jaimie chose to remain standing and paced back and forth in front of the heavy door.

"Call down," I told her cheerily.

"How!? What if they turn us in, or just kill us?"

I stood up and put my hands on her shoulders, "I doubt they would have gone through all the trouble to bring us here, wherever here is, for either of those motives. There's nothing we can do right now so there is no point wasting our energy worrying."

Her breathing slowed by a fraction, but she continued her nervous pacing. I knew that this could be a difficult situation for any normal person. I chose to remain silent, resumed my seat, and practiced a series of mental exercises to keep my nerves calm and my wits sharp. The minutes turned to house and I as on the verge of sleep when the sound of the security door being opened brought me to immediately to full alertness. I nearly leaped to my feet, ready to meet whatever happened next. The interior door swung open with none other than Hogan himself standing in the threshold. He glared at me, the captain behind him, as he entered the room. The door shut with a soft click.

"So Kirian he growled, "You think you can just show up here and demand my presence? You dare approach my gate as a government fugitive?"

I was about to reply in kind, something along the lines of betraying friends, when he rushed forward and hugged me. I was so taken by surprise from the gesture that I couldn't move.

"Damn it's good to see you again!" he exclaimed gleefully, "Come sit down. I want to hear everything."