Future Fur-A Hero Rises

Chapter 14 Debriefing(Unrevised)

     I was cold. How long had I felt cold? Where am I? On a ship, or dead on the floor of that port, lost in time? Slowly I opened my eyes, not caring if I could avoid the sight of blood with my sense of smell. My sight was blurry, lights flashed on and off as I closed them to only open them again, the more I opened and closed my eyes the clearer my vision became, soon enough I knew I was in a Medical Ward. One of the Nurses came over to me, asking that I was alright, I nodded as I sat up. My head hurt, what happened exactly, and then as if it was a surge of energy I remembered being thrown into a wall. Everything after that was a haze at the back of my mind, it would return more vivid than ever sooner or later. The Nurse walked off and hit a panel saying something I did not catch. It was not but minutes later when four familiar faces walked into the Medical Ward. Zane was the first person I saw, my heart stopped when I noticed Collin by his side. It was wrong, I am Married. THe other two that had entered the room were Commodore Liz Balitar and Commander Shiro Jones. For them I felt nothing other than the building friendship we had worked towards since I met the two of them but for Zane, I don't know, more than I realized I felt for him and I never noticed any of these feelings. We all exchanged greetings more so towards me since they all walked in together for moment and talked about the current situation. Zane made direct notes to the Current state of the Argos Explorer, for the past few days. How long had I been out? Several crewman wanted to go back to their homes, I couldn't blame them. If the Explorer was not my home I would have left too. Then again everyone I cared about was on the Explorer. The conversation was interrupted by the doors to the ward opened revealing an aging German Shepherd entering the room with more authority that he meant, you could tell when everyone but me stood at attention though even I saluted. He let his head hang for a minute and then asked for the room to be cleared.

     When the room was clear he spoke as if he was a friend not a superior, "Tanem, I don't know how much you have been told since you woke up but I wanted to thank you personally for doing every thing you did to protect our people!"

     I shook my head, "I only did my duty, Sir!"

    "You know they are releasing you tomorrow, the only damage left really is the missing fur," I forgot about the probe. Had that much of my fur really been removed because of it? Evidently not enough for anyone to look at me funny. I continued to listen, "I have a mission for your task force if you decide to take it, you get to go home for a short time and then take your task force to Aden, assess the planet for survivors!"

     I spoke with a certain uncertainty addressing the issue but kept at the position of a subordinate, "Sir, let the Explorer go to Aden alone, It could send the enemy in to a false sense of security."

     "I want you to take someone with you that is not a part of your crew, someone to make a report on the findings since you are still recovering from your ordeal." A whimsical smile had grown on the Admirals fur covered face, "Someone you trust!"

     "I have someone in mind," I said with a smile.

                                                                                                  ***
     Commander Shiro had been more than happy to comply with the assignment claiming that it was better than waiting for another attack regardless Commodore Balitar had a few reservations about the assignment. The ship was quiet as Collin walked in to the armory, the Explorer had just left Earth's orbit minutes ago with all damages repaired or being repared enroute to Saltaner. Collin started taking down his combat gear when he heard a clank on the floor panelings, silently he walked toward the clank. Did someone enter the room after me? He thought to himself. A figure in black clothing was messing with one of the weapons, Pistol, identification Jax 2304. Sabotage? He stopped his mind in mid track, he didn't jump to conclusions without any evidence and Argos was constantly monitoring all armories. If the person wasn't allowed in here the entire ship would be on alert. Slowly he approached, not that silently either but the figure never turned around. The closer Collin got the more he realized that whoever was here was about the height of his husband but the smell of the being was nothing near that. The smell at least in Collins mind was bitter in comparison, not truly bitter but definitely not Zane.
     Collin placed his hand on the beings left shoulder as he started to speak, "Is there an..." A swift strike to his diaphragm stopped him mid sentence. Two strikes followed and before he was able to think he was on the other side of the armories entrance falling to the floor, smashing his head against the wall which rendered him unconscious. There was a noticeable gasp from almost everyone in the corridor as the masked figure muttered under her own breath.
     "Collin!" Some one had seen her handy work, not that she was worried when the fox no shorter than her barged in to the armory with a fire in his eyes that almost screamed for blood. So this is Zane? She thought. By the time they were in contact range I was in the armory doorway. Before I could make a sound the first strike had been delt.
     "Zane, Stand down!" I bellowed not letting it be in anger, "Attend to Collin, we will have words latter." It came out softer than it needed to but in no way did I mean for the conversation to be harsh.
     Shiro removed her helmet before licking her bloody lip and yellin, "Bitch you busted my damn lip! What the hell!" Zane didn't respond to what Shiro was rambling about, he started tending to Collin as I had ordered.
     I turned back to Shiro for a moment giving her an apologetic look when I heard Zane's distressed scream, "what the fuck is this thing?" Shiro whistled and the metallic mass moved from Zane's shoulder where he had been staring at it, Shiro looked like she fought the laugh as she started to roll on the floor.
                                                                                            ***
     Things had settled down by the time we reached Saltaner, reservations still turned up about the choice of bringing Shiro but everyone was assured that it would work. The crew was distributing supplies to various sources Zane and Collin had been eager to pick one specific source leaving them just a few minutes of walking range between them and Aunt Tala's Cafe. The two of them dropped off their boxes and went on their detour that had been allowed, enroute they saw something strange and forgot about the detour, before they could turn around the city scape disappeared as Zane saw a blue flash swarm the street as he fell into the black void
                                                                                          ***
     It had been two days since the explorer left Saltaner, my shuttle graced the skyline of what used to be a planet with a very active society, that was no longer true. The clouds of ash fell from the sky, the lovely features of the planet's forests and beaches were nothing but grey derelict dust. Millions died here, the now barren world was cold, small segments of light managed to creep through the clouds. I sighed as my shuttle touched the ground, stepping to the shuttles access door I tried to see the area the way it was before the Explorer left for deep space, the ceremony full of vibrant colors, music whispering in the air of that day just distant of my reality was gone as I stepped out of the door. I scowled at myself for stepping on the grey remnants that moved under my boots. I said a silent prayer for those who died as I walked towards the place where I had laid down away for the crowds to see the sun setting and look at the city one of my closest friends had grown up in, when I asked Collin he declined saying he had things to do on the Explorer, it was odd but I guess I didn't know him well enough to guess his actions with a situation like this. Metal scraps tried to stand tall in the destruction that was the remnants of the planets capital city, Cherna. I could hear the chatter, an echo of what this planet used to be, the exotic creatures that peaked out of the forests, the culture and life that had lived. The only thing that I could still hear was the cold lifeless wind flowing around me. The truth of why I was down here was to prove that the sensors on the Explorer were wrong and someone had survived but it was true. All the things that I had come to love about this world, gone all gone.A soft beep brought me back to my shuttle, "Captain, Admiral Zaryal is requesting that all ships return to earth for a defense conference." That was Shiro, with the tension in her voice I knew she was unhappy.