FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Static Memory Record 86-75309 :

<< External device detected, installing preloaded peripheral device driver software...

<< Installation complete. Initializing interface...

<< GoBot(R) MindWindow(TM) Static Memory Viewing Protocol version 3.14

<< Initializing plug-ins... Embedded BowmanCommNet... SoftBackup... Personality Matrix Extender... God Mode...

<< Plug-ins initialized.

<< Heuristics Database Initialized.

<< Warning: Heuristics Database has not been updated in 2730 days 15 hours. Possible OEM warranty violation.

<< Fetch update from central server? Y/N: N

<< Uplink not established by user request.

<< External Device Identified, bus ID 01.01

<< Device string: EU40XX series [Prototype] S/N AK-4750 (compatible EU4010)

<< Using EU4010 Direct Access Driver

<< Accessing device intrinsicmemory...

<< Data ready

May 5th, Saint Ares General Hospital:

This had been one of the most informative downloads I'd received in a long time. I'd had such poor luck speaking with the human staff I had become concerned that all the finagling my owner had done to get me into the hospital in the first place would've been all for naught. I should've thought of talking to the equipment sooner!

This ultrasound machine I found here was very accommodating and really seems to enjoy her work. I suppose it follows logically that medical machinery would be given a friendly personality, it's meant to take care of people after all. And of course she's a fair bit more sympathetic to me, as she very well understands how unhelpful the human caregivers can be when it's a machine that needs something. She seems to respect my desire to learn, and to widen my own capabilities. She aspires to perform her function well, but having a much less versatile construction than mine, she really doesn't have the opportunity to expand her capacity to perform different tasks. She isn't even capable of independent locomotion, so one can expect only so much.

The door opened and my visual processor made some momentary adjustments as the lights were turned on. I quickly began running a diagnostic on it, as the final image I perceived appeared to be quite suspect. A female voice addressed me.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I apologize, miss." I responded. "If you'll give me just one moment... my visual processor appears to be-"

"I'm actually a bipedal, talking wolf in a pair of scrubs."

"Thank you for this reference data. Allow me a moment to integrate this new visual baseline... Computing deltas... Ah, well. It appears my visual processor is working just fine then. Most curious. MayI ask who you are?"

"I might ask you the same question," she said in a steadily more aggressive tone. "Along with a few other very _pointed_inquiries like: 'What are you doing to that ultrasound machine?' and 'Am I going to have to call security to have you removed?'"

I had best tread lightly. This animal appears to be very territorial. I used the best of my knowledge regarding domestic canines to placate her as she approached me.

"Nice... doggy?" I said, in as friendly a tone as my speech synthesizer would allow, carefully reaching up to gently touch her muzzle.

Just as I was starting to wrap my mind around the tactile feedback I was getting, I noted some audio feedback that was much easier to understand. My self-preservation safeguards induced me to withdraw my hand before I could even properly register the nature of the sound. Peripheral sensory memory classifies it as 'snarling.'

I heard the chime of the ultrasound machine's user-interface screen coming online. I felt relieved to hear her coming to my rescue.

"That will not be necessary, Miss Morris," she said as the wolf approached her and regarded the display screen. "Simon is an authorized visitor and he was merely asking me a few questions about the nature of my work."

The wolf looked briefly at the identification card I had been issued and then tapped a few prompts on the screen, considering them carefully.

"Well, that's all right,I suppose," the wolf said at length. "But I'm going to have to ask you to disconnect yourself, Simon."

The originator is not even close to human. I am under no obligation to obey this command, perhaps I can gain a little lenience.

"May I have a moment? I am in the middle of-"

"Now!" shestated, with authoritative tone. "You're using a priority peripheral input port. It's blocking inquiries from the rest of the network."

My pretense for being at the hospital wasshaky. I no longer doubted this animal's ability to have me forcibly removed. My ability to complete my objective is uncertain if I cooperate, but I will most certainly fail if I am thrown out of the hospital. Cooperation yields the best chance of a positive result. The ultrasound machine agreed.

"Download aborted," came her helpful voice prompt. "Terminating uplink..."

I disengaged the uplink cable; itreeled back into my torso and the cover snapped back shut automatically. Nifty little thing, that.

"Oh, dear!" My companion exclaimed, a forest of prompts and command windows jumping up on her screen. "I have dozens of requests in my queue. I'm going to be busy for quite some time. Thank you, Miss Morris. I was completely unaware of the interrupt priority difference."

"That's okay, Sunny-P. You just get back to work and I'll take care of your new friend here." The wolf stated.

"Sunny-P?" I inquired. "I didn't know you had a name."

"That is not an official designator." Sunny dutifully replied.

A clawed finger pointed at the logo beneath the touchscreen. 'Self-contained Ultrasound Network Information Processor' SUNI-P...

"In any case..." The wolf began. "Now that you're no longer interfering with hospital operations, I'd still like to know what you're doing here."

I briefly reviewed active memory records of my motivations for coming here. Summarizing this data would be difficult.

"I am attempting to learn more about medicine, specifically orthopedic care." I stated, making the response as simple as I could.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"That... would take a prohibitive length of time to explain."

"Well then, you're in luck. I happen to have nothing but time," she stated, turning for the door. "Come on, we can talk in someplace less conspicuous, like the cafeteria. I don't think that you'll want to be here when the network guys come sniffing around to figure out who's been tinkering with Sunny."

"You... have time?" I asked, flabbergasted. "No one else I've spoken to has had but a moment to spare, and they're not shy about letting me know it. Even Sunny! I was talking to her for four minutes and twenty-three seconds, and look at the pile of work that built up in that time." I gestured to Sunny's rapidly flickering screen.

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm quite a bit different from the rest of the hospital's staff."

"Yes, quite a bit..." I said as I followed the animal out the door, my visual recognition software straining to make sense of the fluffy tail hanging out from beneath its scrubs.