FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Benny stood with his garage door open, watching the rain continue to pour. It had been pouring ever since he got home, and still continued to do so. Out of the mist came the distinct sound of a cruiser's engines. Benny smiled. Riggs had a hell of a lot of pull with the Chief. The cruiser came to a slow stop outside his garage, coming to float gently beside the railing attached to the outside of the building. Riggs stepped out of the cruiser, dressed in casual wear. His clothes were quickly soaked as he stepped through the rain into Benny's garage. He had his distinct smile on, but Benny could tell he was worried.

"Benny Boss, you're sure going through a hell of a lot of favors with the Chief. At this rate, you'll have to work your life away to him to pay him back."

Benny smiled.

"It's okay Riggs, I won't be asking any favors after these ones."

Riggs raised his brows.

"That supposed to mean somethin' boss?"

Benny chuckled.

"You could say that."

Riggs crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I wish you would tell me what you're up to boss. I'd help you if I could."

"Riggs, you've already helped enough, and you're gonna help a bit more. I'll take the cruiser you brought. You can take my car and the Roach to the port. Hell, keep my car."

Riggs held his arms in place.

"Why are you so keen on helping this one Roach boss? Do you even know her name?"

Benny chuckled.

"No Riggs, I don't. But I do know something else."

"And that would be?"

"A secret Riggs. Don't worry, it won't be a secret after today."

Riggs frowned visibly. It wasn't often that Riggs frowned. He wasn't a man that looked right when frowning.

"God damn it Benny, what kind of shit you got going on in your head?"

"Don't worry about it Riggs, all I need you to do is watch the Roach while I'm gone, and then take her to the port when it's time. Easy stuff."

Riggs kept his frown, but let Benny pass buy.

"You brought a suit right?"

Riggs put on his regular smile.

"I sure did boss. You wouldn't believe how much trouble I had getting that out of headquarters. Off duty officers taking stuff brings up a lot of red flags."

Benny smiled.

"Don't worry Riggs, its good exercise for your people skills."

Benny took an envelope out of his pocket, handing it to Riggs.

"Give that to the Roach before she gets on her flight."

Benny winked at Riggs.

"See ya around Riggs. Take care."

Benny stepped into the rain and into the cruiser, sealing the door up and powering up the engines. Riggs waved to Benny before he pulled away from the railing. Benny set the autopilot on, and stepped out of his seat into the back portion of the vehicle. Sure enough, Riggs had left a suit in there. Benny stepped into the boot plates on the floor and began suiting up. Chances are he wouldn't need it, but it was always good to give off a good impression. Benny looked around, and found one single gun on the rack next to him. Riggs even managed to get him his favorite gun, a small, single handed, pistol like shotgun. He'd need that for sure.

---

Riggs entered Benny's house, stepping in quietly. Most of the lights were off, save for one in the corner by the only window in Benny's place. The Roach sat there, amongst her pack and a pile of bottles, holding a bowl in her hands, sucking down noodles. Riggs walked over to her slowly.

"Hello Ma'am, I take it you remember me?"

She looked up from her noodles, slurring ever so slightly as she spoke.

"You're Benny's partner. The big man in the SWAT suit right?"

Riggs nodded.

"Tell me ma'am, did Benny tell anything about what was going on?"

The Roach nodded.

"He bought me a ticket onto the nearest out of system flight. He didn't say much else. I actually wouldn't know what to say to him though anyway. He is a kind man, isn't he?"

Riggs sat down on the bed nearby.

"That he is ma'am. I just wonder if what he's going to do is a kind thing or not. I don't know what he's got planned."

"He did not say anything else to you either?"

Riggs nodded.

"He kept the whole damn thing to himself. It's got me worried, to be honest."

The Roach twitched her antennae.

"Why would he worry you?"

Riggs sighed.

"He asked for a squad cruiser, a SWAT suit, and a gun, along with a link to somebody."

The Roach raised her antennae, the closest equivalent to eyebrows.

"A link to who?"

"Your guess is as good as mine ma'am."

Riggs stood back up, towering over the place.

"Come on ma'am, we should head out soon. Traffic's always slow by the ports, and I don't got the cruiser I came with anymore."

The Roach set aside her bowl on the floor amongst the empty bottles, getting up to her feet, wobbling slightly.

"Benny didn't tell me you drank so much ma'am."

The Roach stretched her four arms before returning to normal. She bent down, grabbed her pack, and hoisted it onto her shoulders.

"It's a bad habit of mine officer."

Riggs chuckled.

"Its okay ma'am, we all got em"

Riggs let the Roach go first, taking care to avoid her massive pack as she wobbled through the piles of various bottles in the corner of the house. Riggs followed after her, shutting down the lights as he went, until the two reached the exit to his garage. Riggs turned and sighed.

"Ma'am, I hope you know what this man is doing for you. Because I'm not sure what. But I've never seen him like this, and I don't know what he's going to do."

The Roach turned as well, looking over the darkened house now that the lights were off, listening to the patter of rain as it hammered on the roof.

"Your partner, was the first person I've spent any time with, in 6 years. And in one night, he's done more for me than anyone I've ever met in my lifespan. I wish I could find the words to thank him."

Riggs turned out the last light, before stepping out of the house with the Roach. Riggs sighed. He hoped things would work out.

---

Benny scarfed down his meal while traveling through the sky lanes, finishing it up and tossing it out the window. Now was the time to see if his link was right or not. He hoped it was. He couldn't afford to go back now.

Patching into the communications network, Benny found the code he was looking for and started it up. Electronic phone rings sounded out through the car as he was patched through. Someone picked up on the line on the other end. The voice of a secretary sounded through.

"Greetings and welcome to Interplanetary Trade and Shipping, how may I help you?"

Benny spoke into the comms.

"Hello ma'am, I'd like to speak with the company's owner, in person, ah, that would be a Mr. Roland Carnagey, correct?"

The secretary's voice chimed back.

"That is correct sir, and when would like to make an appointment? Mr. Carnagey has some free slots next month."

"Sorry ma'am, I want to speak with him, today. In fact, tell him I'm a police officer. I found something of his just recently, a couple of days ago in fact, in the street sweep for the Roaches."

Silence filled the comms for a whole minute, and Benny sat, waiting in anticipation.

"Mr. Carnagey would like to see you sir, right away. Are you at his headquarters now?"

"No ma'am, I'm on patrol right now, but I gotta talk with my superiors first, but I'll be on my way in about an hour."

"Ok sir, and your name is?"

"Benny."

"Just Benny, sir?"

"Mr. Carnagey doesn't need to know my last name."

"Very well sir, please be at his headquarters in an hour. Just give the receptionist your name and she'll take you from there."

"Thank you ma'am, have a nice day."

The comms closed, and Benny leaned back in his seat. He had an hour to get in touch with his old station now, and set things up with some good friends back on Harccada. He hoped the comm lines weren't too jammed up, as this was the most important part of his plan.

Weaving his way through traffic, he decided to make a stop at another fast food place. It was probably going to be the last good meal he'd have in a long time. Better make up for it now.

---

Riggs traveled slowly through traffic lines, as they slowly made their way towards the spaceport. The Roach sat quietly in the passenger seat, watching the various vehicles pass by. Riggs started talking to pass the time.

"So ma'am, you happen to have a name? Benny said he didn't know. Hell of a guy to do this for someone whose name he doesn't know."

The Roach chattered briefly.

"The name I knew at birth, would be too long to use by human standards, but you can call me Sook."

Riggs chuckled.

"That's a nice name Sook. If Benny knew it I'm sure he'd like it too. So tell me, down in the markets where we found you, why was it the first thing you tried to do was show us documents?"

Sook chattered under her hat.

"I worked hard to get where I was. I had to climb my way up from nothing. All too often I see police dragging others away, but I know they still obey laws. Laws that are corrupt, and twisted, abused by others. They make loopholes, to ease the use of abusing power, but not outright showing it."

Riggs chuckled.

"With all due respect Sook, you caught on pretty quickly to what we were up to. I doubt they hide things so well now."

Riggs spotted Sook shaking her head.

"Then why do the people of this world not stand up for themselves? The many outnumber the few, and have the power to do so. But the many cannot hope to accomplish anything by going one at a time."

Riggs sighed.

"That's some dangerous talk Sook. You're lucky Benny's sending you off world to Harccada."

Sook chattered again, this time sounding angry.

"I had to fight for everything I owned here. Believe it or not, I liked living down in the slums. If it weren't for people like you, I wouldn't be afraid to......"

Sook brought her primary pair of arms up to her mouth, catching herself mid-sentence. Riggs looked directly at her.

"Wouldn't be afraid to do what, Ma'am?"

Sook shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I see you are a good man, like Benny, but you frighten me. When you chased me in the streets, in the suit of yours, bashing through stalls and vehicles, I was scared for my life. I was worried that he had tracked me down."

Riggs smiled, only lightly.

"No offense taken ma'am. But when you say "he," who exactly do you mean?"

"My owner."

Riggs slammed on the brakes in the middle of the lane, causing other vehicles around them to pass, with less patient individuals honking horns and making gestures out windows as they passed. Riggs stared at Sook, and from under her wide brimmed hat, he could see her mandibles quivering as her antennae slunk low.

"Just so I hear this right, you mean, "owner," as in slave owner?"

Sook nodded, watching from under her hat as Riggs stared forward blankly. Sook could tell the man was livid underneath. He had his arms over the steering, watching through the windshield as the rain pattered against the vehicle. Sook placed a hand on his massive shoulder. He looked down to her.

"Show me."

Sook pulled her hand away.

"The marks. Show me the marks."

Sook slowly pulled the sleeves of her overcoat up, showing the various symbols etched into her exoskeleton. Slowly unbuttoning her overcoat, she pulled it open, showing off more symbols, bar codes, alien languages, tattoos, and carvings. Riggs released the brakes and began driving onward.

"We're getting you off world Sook."

Riggs ran a mammoth hand along his bald head, gritting his teeth.

"God dammit, I thought those battles did something. Whole planets gone...systems wiped of the map... We're better than this god dammit......"

---

Benny stood in the small elevator, anxiously waiting. Sure enough, the receptionist in the lobby down below let him pass easily, leading him to an elevator that would take him directly to this, Mr. Carnagey, the big bad boss of Interplanetary Trade and Shipping. Benny twiddled his fingers of the holster of his hand cannon. Not right away. He wanted to talk first. The long elevator ride finally came to a slow halt, and the silver doors parted, revealing the office of Roland Carnagey.

The man wore a grey business suit, with various gold chained trinkets hanging from its pockets. He was slender, with a slightly receding hairline, etched with grey. He was busy talking to someone over a holographic interface when Benny stepped off the elevator. Without so much as a pause, the man waved the hologram away into nothing, turning on his heels to face Benny.

"Ah, you would be the Police Officer, Mr. Benny I presume? A pleasure to meet you!"

Carnagey extended a hand, and reluctantly, Benny shook it, putting just a bit too much force into the suit's joints. The man slunk his hand away casually as if nothing had happened, but the impression was there.

"Quite a grip you have Mr. Benny, I presume you used it in catching my slippery, if not unique property?"

Benny raised the visor on his suit.

"Sir, and that property would be?"

Carnagey sat down at his large desk, carved from solid wood from one of the few remaining forests on this world, he opened a drawer, taking a small bottle and glass out. Opening the bottle up, he poured himself a drink. Giving a smile showing off all of his almost unearthly, clean white teeth, Carnagey spoke.

"Let's not beat around the bush here officer, I'm talking about the Roach. The one with all the symbols, tattoos, and carvings on it."

Benny's hand was shaking, almost unnoticeably so, hovering near the handle of his cannon. Putting on a smile, Benny spoke, turning to look about the room.

"If you don't mind me sir, I'd like to ask a few things before we get to the issue at hand."

Carnagey took a drink from his glass, setting it down on the table.

"If it helps move things along, I'd be obliged, Mr. Benny."

Benny turned to face him.

"Where do you get something like that? I mean, where's the market for something like that?

Carnagey laughed, showing off his clean white teeth once more.

"Mr. Benny, there isn't just a big marketplace with a sign up that says, "Buy your property here!" No, it's a carefully organized network, small, but well run, and kept hidden, very, very well."

Benny tried putting on his best smile.

"Where'd the Roach come from?"

"The Roach, Mr. Benny, came from a long line of exchanged hands. It fetched quite a lofty price from the owner I bought it from. The Roach went through a very vigorous, long line of training. Many breakings were required, I hear. Evidently, these breakings were apparently not enough."

Benny's grip tightened over the holster of his gun. Keeping his smile up, he spoke again.

"Do you think, Mr. Carnagey, that you could point me in the direction of these markets, or people? Quite a looker, your property."

Carnagey laughed.

"Mr. Benny, I'd imagine that even with a better salary such as chief of police for example, you'd have to work until you were grey and falling to pieces to even consider seeing, let alone touching such things. But, with the goodwill of returning my property, and a considerably lessened fee, I may let you on to such things. Perhaps even, some time with my own property. The Roach was very well conditioned for such things. Might I add that the exoskeleton is a wondrous thing? Wonderful to carve up, and heals fast, but always leaves some mark of your work. So you can be as rough as you please."

Benny was restraining the movements of his hand in his armour, pushing back the ugliest face he could manage, maintaining a smile.

"Just how rough, Mr. Carnagey?"

"They are not called Roaches for nothing you know. Strangulation? Please, they can hang for hours. But the struggles, oh you should see them. Drowning? Pull them out and let them sit for a few hours, they'll come around. Electrocution? That special nervous system in place of a brain keeps them from frying up too much. And don't get me started on their sexual uses. They are, without fail, the most durable piece of property one can own, their entertainment value limitless."

"You should try me Mr. Carnagey, I've got a bit more money than you think. I'd like to get my hands on one of those trades."

Mr. Carnagey's grey eyebrows shot up in surprised mockery, but none the less, he brought up his holographic computer and began working on it briefly. His fingers flashed over the keyboard and then were done. Pressing a key, the computer vanished.

"There you are Mr. Benny, all the information you could want. Keep in mind that should you want to spread the word, your home computer system will purge itself. And, for good measure the information I sent will only unlock on DNA, Retinal, Voice, and Age scans. Now, to the issue at hand, I believe you have my property?"

Benny smiled.

"I did, Mr. Carnagey. But I had some talks with her, and she showed me her scars and identification marks. I picked her up on the street during a sweep for Colony Day, then appealed to the Chief of my station to wipe the data on the chase with her. She WAS, with me, but I just sent her off world, to a system so far away from this place. You won't be finding her again, I can assure you of that."

Pulling the cannon out of his holster, Benny fired it point black from the hip, the rounds blasting through the table and into the gut of Roland Carnagey, who, with a look of sheer terror on his face, was blasted off his chair through the air, slumping against the window of his office. Benny stepped through the smoking wreckage of the desk to Carnagey.

Carnagey, blood cascading down his mouth and nose, staining his grey suit, still managed a smile. Choking for air and on his own blood, he spoke.

"You fool. They'll eat you alive. Killing me makes no difference. All the cards are in our deck. You'll burn for the rest of your life. One life in exchange for freeing another, those are the rules."

Benny brought his suits foot down on Carnagey's knee, smashing through it and breaking through the bone. The man wailed in pain, struggling vainly to clutch his severed leg. Benny kept the cannon pointed square against his chest.

"I know. But here's the thing, you piece of human FILTH, your, "property" got away, and beat you using loopholes in your own corrupt, rigged system! That's why you want her so bad. And I just played your game, and flipped the table on you. As a matter of fact, that information you sent me, I just used a little loophole of my own. Changed the terminals owner before coming here. You didn't send the information to me. But your networks were always slow on updating things like that. If one slave can do it, so can I, which I just did. And if I can do it, then so can others. The only thing I wish is that I could step on your kneecaps a little longer. But, by now, alerts have traveled from the cameras in your office here to my headquarters. They'll be here in about 15 minutes, assuming they go the fastest they can. I'll be here, waiting for them, but you won't."

Carnagey merely laughed, choking up more blood in the process.

"Tell me one thing, Mr. Benny, you holier than thou officer. Why? Why go to all this trouble, for one, simple Roach? Why go on a crusade, when even you know the odds are against you?"

Benny kept his cannon leveled at Carnagey.

"I'm not a white knight Carnagey. I haven't been remotely close to one since I got my job on this shithole of a planet. But if I can do my job, my real job, to stand up and protect those who can't do it for themselves, like I'm supposed to, then I can go through with this a happy man."

Carnagey laughed again, showing off his absurdly clean white teeth, stained with blood.

"You won't be so happy when we're through with you. The courts are rigged. The other rich members of this world will catch you, and you'll be passed down to the market I told you about. A life for a life. Even the information you supposedly took from me will be useless. Nobody will be able to anything about it."

Benny smiled.

"That's where you're wrong. There's a man on this world, a friend of mine. Does the Harccadian Revolution mean anything to you Carnagey?"

Carnagey's smile faded.

"You can't be bringing them back. That alliance disbanded years ago! They were put down by higher authorities after their rampage!"

"Not me Carnagey. But the man I know won't sit down and take this. And that's the man I transferred my terminal to. This'll be the first place on the chopping block. Harccada and its allies will march again. Shame you won't be around to see your empire fall Carnagey. See you in hell."

Benny pulled the trigger on his cannon, blasting a hole clean through Carnagey's chest, blasting through the damage resistant glass, propelling what was left of Carnagey out the window into the skies below. Wind and rain blew through the open window, as Benny kicked the severed leg out the window for good measure. Grabbing the blood stained toppled chair off the ground, Benny began removing his suit, and tossed his gun away into the corner of the room. Sitting on the chair, Benny faced the elevator, waiting.

---

Riggs entered the terminal with Sook, the two standing in an area where traffic was low. Riggs pulled the letter out of his pocket, tapping Sook on the shoulder as she looked around the massive terminal, watching the bustling crowds traveling back and forth. Sook turned, sliding her wide brimmed hat off her head in the process.

"Here Sook. Benny gave this to me. Don't know what's in it."

Sook took the envelope, carefully sliding it into one of her many pockets, which she had now emptied on the way here. Sook's beady eyes traveled upwards to the face of Riggs.

"Riggs, may I ask you something?"

"Anything you want Sook."

"Back in the car, what did you mean by "We were better than this?"

Riggs sighed deeply.

"Few years back, there were a lot of big skirmishes involving slavers and their respective governments, against an allied group of governments and systems. They dragged a whole bunch of people in with them, and there were a lot of things done that shouldn't have been. The slavers and the governments they were tied to where annihilated, but the other group had to do a lot of ugly things to win. I thought something like that wouldn't leave recent memory for a while. Guess I was wrong."

"Where you there Riggs?"

Riggs shook his head.

"Doesn't matter now Sook. Come on, we should get you set up. I'll stick with you until you go through all the terminals. That sweep is still going on."

Sook chattered under her hat.

"Thank you, Riggs. I owe you much as well."

Riggs chuckled.

"You shouldn't be thanking me ma'am. Benny's the one who set all this up. I'm just the taxi driver."

Sook chattered again.

"If a taxi driver brought your partner in labor to the hospital, would you not be as thankful to him as the surgeons and doctors who delivered your child?"

"You got me there ma'am."

The two passed through the crowds together, with Riggs staying nearby as Sook passed all the various checkpoints, until at last, she was cleared to board. The two approached the boarding ramp together amongst the crowds, with Riggs stopping briefly.

"Well Sook, your new home's gonna come from that ship. Harccada. Safest place you could ever live on. They've got good programs for refugees."

Sook stopped beside Riggs.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing Sook. You'll find out later. Anyway, good luck to you. I promise you'll like Harccada."

Riggs extended a massive hand to Sook, but rather than take it, she wrapped all four arms around him."

"Thank you again Riggs. I can never repay both of you."

"That's okay ma'am, you don't have to."

Sook pushed her wide brimmed hat down, revealing her beady eyes.

"Can you do me a favor Riggs?"

"Anything ma'am."

"Can you give Officer Benny a kiss for me?"

Riggs chuckled.

"I'll try ma'am! He'd like that very much! Now go on, get outta this dump. Make something good with your life!"

Sook left Riggs behind in the bustle, walking up the ramp to board the massive starcraft parked outside the terminal that would take her to Harccada. Unknown to her and Riggs, the police had just found Benny and arrested him. Word was traveling quickly along private networks of Roland Carnagey's murder, the owner of Interplanetary Trade and Shipping for this sector of space. No doubt, plans were already being made for the upcoming trial, contacts being talked to, traps closing around Benny.

While Riggs was un-aware of current events, he was aware of what Sook had told him. And, ironically enough, Harccada officials would want to be the first to hear Sook's story when she arrived. Which in turn would lead to other channels and networks being opened, old allies of Harccada being called upon once again. But Riggs was thinking of how he could get more information. He needed solid proof if he was going to get in touch with any officials on Harccada. He'd have to talk to Benny once he got back, assuming he did come back. Riggs worried over things.

What did Benny do?