FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

---

THE GRYPHON COMPLEX. Chapter 9: Homeward bound .

Given the complexities of the operation, the planning was completed in an amazingly short period of time. Indeed, we found ourselves kitted up and ready at the Science Councils displacement workshop less than 24 hours from the end of the Quorum meeting. The preparations were hectic, and we were rushed around different departments for scans and measurements, to both prepare our gear and calibrate the equipment for our departure. The fact I'd barely slept the previous night hadn't helped my nerves, either.

K slept like a baby, of course. The decision had been made, so he didn't have to stress about it anymore. He just had to go along for the ride. Bastard.

After the meeting, we were given the privilege of informing Mykos of his "involuntary recruitment", which we found entertaining to say the least. The word "stunned", when applied to a gryphon, is pretty amusing. Mind you, if our positions were reversed, my reaction would probably have been much worse. A few seconds of dropping beak, followed by a broad smile, did send shivers down my spine in recognition.

He's a feathery, furry K, I shuddered to myself, seeing the two of them slap backs in obvious excitement. Heaven help the lot of us!

Thinking the Krynn, Tass, would provide a level head was as big a mistake. Obviously excited, tail wagging and ears twitching like a hyped up rabbit, the "esteemed councillor" had trouble keeping his decorum amidst the chaos surrounding the preparation for our departure. I started wondering if "maniacal grin" was the latest fashion for those from around here.

For my part, the prep work was pretty basic. The morning of the operation was spent briefing on the tasks at hand. As K had been fortunate enough to have his mobile phone with him when we left Earth, with a bit of tinkering on the part of the science body, they'd managed to rig us up equipment transmitting on the necessary frequencies to tap into the local mobile network once we arrived.

The plan was to insert us approximately ten miles from K's parent's home, using the teleport equipment we'd left behind as a locator to pinpoint the position, as returning to the house itself was not considered a viable option. The scientists had determined it had been left operational, albeit on standby, since our departure. Unfortunately, our arrival would be quickly apparent, as the Earth side equipment responded to the transfer, but at least choosing an insertion point so far from the place would give us some breathing room to make our escape before we could be pinned down.

Once we found a safe location, we could attempt to contact K's father, and see if we could arrange a rendezvous. Having met him on several occasions, I had my doubts as to how far we'd get. The guy always seemed a bit of an anal retentive douche bag, especially for a "real estate agent". Then again, now I understood his real occupation, perhaps I should cut him some slack.

We'll see soon enough, I mused, before returning my attention to the matters at hand.

Mid morning, we were outfitted in yet more gear, primarily combat related equipment, minus the weapons of course. K had been drooling over the racks of rifles and pistols in the armoury, but was brought back down to earth soon enough by the officer in charge, who took one look at him and shook his head hurriedly. Citing "not enough time to bring you up to speed on them" as the reason, K disappointingly accepted a calf-holstered survival knife and a small stun stick strapped to his vest as the limits of his offensive weaponry.

We were kitted out in black fatigues, a tactical vest containing essentials such as torches, first aid and survival gear, and heavy black steel capped boots. A lightweight helmet containing a night vision visor, recording equipment and our communication gear topped the list. The fact the helmets had large ear holes at the top belied the fact they weren't exactly meant for humans to use, but they still did fit well enough, once the straps were adjusted correctly.

The Krynn councillor wore tight fitting shirt and pants, belted tightly at the waist. Most of his equipment was strapped to a bandolier across his chest, and while he wore a phase pistol neatly holstered at his side, it was obvious his tactical advantage was speed, not firepower. When he strapped on his own helmet, ears poking high through the slots provided, K's mumbled comment about "give me 10 minutes with a pair of scissors and some faux fur, and I'll make us up some matching sets" had me chortling under my breath.

The gryphon wore only a mesh backpack containing the teleport locator beacon for our return journey, should it be needed, and had his helmet snugly strapped to his head. He did sport a plasma rifle across his back, slung on a holster between his wings, but otherwise, he chose no further weaponry. I suppose when you sport 4 inch talons on your hands, and a beak capable of ripping a throat out, carrying a knife becomes somewhat redundant.

By sixth cycle, we were ready. The equipment had been primed, and the four of us were standing at nervous attention in the area immediately before the portal housing. At least this time, I didn't need to worry about puking my guts out on arrival, I thought dryly. The Alliance equipment was a wee bit more sophisticated than the patched together junk Pyre and the Professor had assembled in the house. Along with the increased technology came increased accuracy; no second guessing where we'd end up this time. With K being able to provide some fairly detailed descriptions of the area, thanks to the maps loaded into his phone, the equipment was able to place us in the approximate area of forest we'd chosen; at least without having us end up in a tree, or in the water, or left hanging a hundred feet above the ground.

With the final seconds ticking away, we spent the time checking over our gear and mentally revising the insertion plan. None of us spoke, which for K in particular was paramount to a miracle. Certainly it revealed the level of stress we all felt. By the time the techs had everything prepared, we were itching just to be gone.

The by now familiar shimmering portal manifested itself before us, and taking a deep breath, we all jumped through....

....to land in a small clearing surrounded by heavy woodland back on Earth, the surrounding area lit up eerily in the portal's shimmering glow.

As soon as the gryphon, which had brought up the rear, was clear of the portal, he activated the beacon, sending a signal back to the techs to terminate the transfer. The portal vanished in a final shower of sparks, plunging the four of us into total darkness, suddenly illuminated by the helmet torches we wore.

Surprisingly, I felt fine. It's amazing what a huge advance in technology can do to prevent you barfing your guts out when crossing dimensions. Certainly, I wasn't about to complain.

Looking to the gryphon, Mykos whispered to us "We'd better get some distance from here. That thing lit up the night sky for all to see. Unless we want to join your mate somewhere unpleasant, I'd suggest we move."

Nodding, the three of us followed him through the darkness, his keen night vision guiding our path as we adjusted our lights to minimum, barely keeping the track lit ahead of us. I could hear the heavy breathing from the Krynn behind me, as he hurried to catch up, taking a position beside me.

Looking at me, eyes glowing green in the faint light, he said quietly "So, this is your home world, huh? Seems a nice enough place."

I spared him a glance, before returning my attention to the footing below. "Yeah, it can be. Where we haven't completely fucked it up, anyway. And I sensed him nodding silently beside me.

He replied "You're not the only ones. Believe me, we were not always as "enlightened" as we make out now. With age comes wisdom, for both individuals and civilisations".

We tracked through the darkness for nearly an hour, before Mykos deemed we'd covered enough distance to risk attempting contact with K's father. K's watch gave the time as a little after 10.00pm, although there was some margin for error given the distortion effects of the transfers. We stopped by the edge of a large lake K said was around 20km from his parents home, settling down at a small waterside park used by day trippers sitting on the shore of the lake. I longed to remove my vest and give my aching shoulders a break. However, as a precaution, we decided to keep all our equipment at hand, so I bared the burden silently.

K moved to the gryphon's side, as Mykos shone a dim light on his features, which looked strained in the wan glow. Giving a sigh of resignation, K gritted his teeth, and made the call.

Brrrrrpt. Brrrrpt.

Click.

"Hello. Tony Chandler"

K paused for a second, before taking a breath and said "Hey dad!"

The line was silent for a brief moment, before we could hear the reply relayed through our communicators.

"Kay? KAY! Jesus, where the fuck are you? What the hell have you done now?"

Nice. Just the sort of response K and I had come to expect from his illustrious parent.

K continued, "Look dad! This is important...." before being cut off.

"You'd better fucking believe this is important! Your mother and I have been locked out of our own house, without being given any reason why, and have been put through hell because of your shit! They're calling you a terrorist now!! Saying you've helped a foreign power, or some such nonsense, although I can get no details of what you've done! When we see you, I'm going to..."

But what exactly he was "going to" wasn't made clear, as K interrupted, this time voice raised in anger.

"DAD! This is really important!! I NEED you to listen to what I have to say, as much more is riding on this than some bullshit anal punishment you're thinking of. So, shut the fuck up, and LISTEN for a change! Shit, you're supposed to be a fucking diplomat!! ACT LIKE IT!"

The Krynn and gryphon looked around nervously as K's voice echoed around the clearing, but nothing disturbed the night.

A brief silence followed, after which K's father replied "OK, Kay. I'll listen. Be brief."

K sighed in relief, before taking a large breath, and attempting to explain.

"OK, David called me a week ago saying he needed some help, and when I got to him, he had a huge gryphon called Pyre with him, who's from another dimension, and we used your house to set up equipment to send him home, but the Professor was shot, and the place was raided by these guys in armour, and I was shot, and when we got there we were taken to the Quorum, who have sent us back as diplomats to try and discuss peace but if we don't we could have war, so I told them you worked for the UN and they want to talk with you....."

Gasping, out of breath, K's voice squeaked through the final, before the clearing returned to silence.

Then the reply. "What the hell?"

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, the Krynn took over the conversation.

"Tony, K's father, I am ambassador Tass of the Krynn, representing the Quorum council of the Alliance. What, I think, your son was trying to say, is that your planet has a situation here, and it would certainly be in everyone's best interest of we were to meet, and discuss this post haste."

K's father paused again, before continuing in a stern voice "This had better not be a prank, Kay."

The Krynn put his forehead in his paw, shaking his head, before continuing.

"I assure you, sir, this is not a prank. We need your help, and quite possibly the fate of both our civilisations depends on this."

We could here Tony grunt down the line, before he sighed in return.

"OK, I'll be there as soon as I can. Where are you?"

Handing the conversation back to K, Tony was given the directions to the park, a place he knew well enough to find without difficulty. However, K was interrupted again by the Krynn, who was pointing at the huge gryphon hovering nervously in the background.

"Oh, and drive something big" K said.

"Big?"

K looked at the gryphon again, and grinned dryly. "Yeah, really big"

___________________

We expected K's father to arrive within the hour, so settled down in the park for the nervous wait. The Krynn had wandered over to the lake edge, before removing his sandals and soaking his feet paws in the chill water, staring absently across the still, moonlit water towards the distant shore. Mykos sat on his haunches on the grass nearby, tinkering with his plasma rifle, checking the charge pack and cleaning the lens with a soft piece of cloth from his vest.

K sat on the picnic table top next to me, brooding darkly. I nudged him companionably, trying to lighten the mood, but received an unfathomable look in return. He returned his eyes to stare down to his hands folded in his lap and sighed, clenching his fingers into fists before releasing them absently.

"Typical" he began, turning his head to stare at me. "Been the story of my life, huh. Always treated like an idiot, even when it's something important. Then, when push comes to shove, I freeze up!"

Putting an arm around his shoulders, I gave them a squeeze, and he let a small smile cross his features.

"Hey, could be worse" I said to him, "He could have hung up on you. I was impressed you got him to agree, actually. Not being rude, but I've always thought your old man was a bit of a douche, at the best of times. The fact he's coming out here at all is a miracle, in my opinion"

He nodded, staring towards the Krynn as he splashed slowly through the water's edge.

"These are good people, Dave" he said with a smile. "We could learn a lot from them, huh."

I nodded, leaning my head on his shoulder, and we took in the night in silence.

The minutes ticked by, and the Krynn returned to our side, slipping his footwear back on and taking a seat beside us. Reaching into a vest pocket, he removed a meal bar, breaking it into several pieces before passing us a serve each. Munching contentedly, it was the gryphon who first saw the distant light moving across the lake, squinting his eyes up to try identify the object. It approached slowly in a haphazard manner, skirting the lake shore opposite, slowly making its way towards our position. Before long, as the sound of the rotor blades finally reached us, K looking up in surprise towards the distant helicopter closing on our position.

Mykos looked grim, giving us a veiled glance, before Tass spoke up.

"Guess they're taking the light show we put on seriously" he said, smile wiped from his muzzle.

The gryphon unstrapped his plasma rifle, and the Krynn followed suit, unholstering his pistol and flipping off the safety. K and I stood to the side, fixated on the bobbing light closing on our position, but unable to assist the pair.

"Umm, what do we do when it gets here, if dad hasn't arrived?" K asked faintly, his frame tense with nerves.

The Krynn gave him a quick grin, before returning to stare at the aircraft.

"We hide, young human. If that doesn't work, we fight!" he replied, with the gryphon nodding absently in return.

It was just after an hour since the call had been made that the search light reached the area around us. We'd crammed ourselves underneath the picnic table shelter, hoping the tiled roof might mask our presence. It was a tight squeeze for all four of us, however. As the light criscrossed the area, we remained undiscovered the first few passes, until Mykos lost his grip on the table and fell to the side, slipping into view just as the light passed over.

Cursing fluently, he dove from cover and sped across the clearing towards the water's edge, just as a hail of bullets peppered the ground he'd crossed. The Krynn looked grim, as the gryphon took what meagre shelter he could behind the toilet block, avoiding the tracer rounds fired towards him.

Finally fed up at being used as target practice, he jumped into view with a screech, plasma rifle at the ready, to fire a volley of shots at the hovering aircraft, which banked sharply to avoid the glowing bolts heading in its direction. While the first few missed, the remaining shots streamed in to the whirling rotor blades, shredding several and causing the aircraft to shudder violently, before spiralling downwards towards the lake. As it struck the surface just off the shore, we heard the detonation as the fuel tanks exploded, showering the area with high velocity shrapnel from the fuselage. K and I dived behind the table, the Krynn following immediately behind, but the unlucky gryphon was caught in the open, struck by flying debris in the wing, sending him tumbling to the dirt in a pile of feathers and fur.

As soon as the haze cleared enough to see clearly, I bolted to Mykos's side expecting the worst, only to see him clamber to his feet groggily, wings spread for balance. Recovering his rifle from the ground where it had fallen, he quickly checked it over, before spreading his left wing gingerly and inspecting the ragged hole in the distal edge of his plumage, blood seeping slowly where the projectile had clipped the flesh.

"Ouch" he said quietly, before shaking the wing and flicking drops of dark blood across the clearing.

I reached into my vest, retrieving the can of wound spray from the first aid pocket. After giving it a vigorous shake, I aimed the nozzle at the wound, which Mykos had held out for my attention. The astringent liquid stopped the blood flow immediately, and sealed over the area before drying to a flexible membrane.

Mykos inspected my work, giving me a quick smile in thanks, before we returned to the pair gazing sombrely at the burning wreckage littering the shore line. As nothing stirred in the fuselage, the Krynn returned his pistol to his belt holster, although K continued to grasp his stun stick to his chest, breath ragged in fear.

The gryphon took in the scene calmly, before returning his gaze to the lake shore opposite.

"Yeah, well if that doesn't attract their attention, nothing else will"

That's when K's dad decided to arrive, driving a white minivan with headlights blazing through the smoke and haze, to slide to a stop in front of us in a spray of gravel.

Flinging the door open, he gaped at the burning wreckage, before turning and staring in stunned silence at the four of us.

K recovered first, slipping his stun stick back into his vest, and lifting a hand briefly in recognition.

"Hey, dad! Glad you could make it." he said, before turning to us and muttering "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

Continued in Chapter 10: United we stand.