Fictional Life

REDEMPTION

— by Jeff Karamales

Chapter 25
Footloose and Fancy Free

Word arrived from the desk of Ásmundr Gustavsson, President of the Anthro Human Colonization Project that the Furs of the Bastien mission would get twenty-four hours in the city of Seattle, Washington prior to transport to Vandenberg Air Force Base and one of the closer launch facilities that could transport the entirety of the Abeona group in one trip. It would be the last chance that any of them had to spend on Earth prior to boarding the slipship that would carry them to the world of Bastien where they would assume control of the colony attempt that had claimed the lives of the Felis volunteers that had been obliterated in a matter of hours due to an unknown plague.

Though the trip to the city was still a few days away, most of the colonists were excited and the entire group was abuzz with conversations of subjects that had nothing to do with establishing a life on a far off planet. Not even the appointed colony leader for the upcoming mission could hide her enthusiasm. Sofiya Talova thought about the things that it would be nice to do or see in the city with those that mattered most to her, and as if that thought were the catalyst, she turned her head to look at where they still lay in the large bed sleeping while the anthrovixen enjoyed a cup of rich, strong coffee.

Richard had insinuated himself into Sofiya’s life effortlessly, becoming a source of strength, succor and confidence. The silver fox male had seen her at her worst and her best, and were it not for his steadfast companionship, the vixen was sure she would have lost herself in the grief of her father’s death. Even when she would have surrendered herself to him had he only given her the word, Richard had refused to take that route, proving that his heart and sense of right and fairness were larger than life itself. He might have started off as her friend, but now he was so very much more.

Now the silver fox lay in the bed, still sleeping from the night exercise that he’d taken the four recent additions to the Abeona group, doing his best to get the most vital lessons all of them had honed over the past few months. Granted, in Richard’s off-hand manner he’d called it a hunt, but he’d used the pretense to teach, pleased that all of the new Furs had not only listened, but demonstrated that the lessons he imparted were absorbed. That one of those new Vulps was still curled up with him attested to the rigorous physical exertion that they had put out.

It had only been a few days since Sofiya suggested, with her full blessing, that Amanda join the older foxes as part of their family. Because of the very lopsided number of females to males, some fairly unorthodox relationships were forming, the situation between Sofiya and Richard being one of the examples. The small fennec had not only been brought into their little circle, her demeanor and ability to care for others had increased the affection the other two foxes had for her. Put simply, she was a sweet and charming young female, and rarely failed to make those around her smile, imparting the almost effervescent joy in her soul with those around her.

As it was, looking at the two members of her little group sleeping brought a pleased look to the vixen’s muzzle as she sipped her morning brew, content to let them laze in bed.

The situation was enough that if she didn’t maintain control, Sofiya would have started laughing. She’d had no indication that her life would have taken this particular direction, and realized that just a few years prior, if someone had suggested such a thing she would have recommended psychiatric help. Now, though, looking at things, there was a level of contentment and peace, her entire being filled with love and affection for those around her while she had a goal to aspire to, and she would have it no other way. Sofiya had lost much in the course of her life when she was still human, but she had gained much as well, almost as if the universe was making an attempt to compensate her for the trials and things that had been taken away and to make life as wonderful as possible now that she was a Fur.

As the last bit of her morning coffee, doctored with heavy cream and a touch of honey rolled over her tongue, the vixen decided a shower was in order before she indulged in a second cup and got up, selecting the first garments that were tailored to her size that she reached for, not needing to disrobe as she had slept in her own luxurious copper colored fur. It was a violation of AHCP rules regarding hygiene, but there was something about the feel of having her beloved Richard and even Mandy next to her with nothing but their own fur that was exceedingly comfortable and fulfilling.

Stepping into the bathroom and closing the door before activating the light, Sofiya regarded herself in the mirror. Mussed hair aside, it was almost difficult to remember what she had looked like as a human woman, and the face that had looked back at her the first twenty-six years of her life was like something from a dream that faded upon waking. There were times that it seemed she’d always been furmankind, a blend of human and animal, that she had always had the body she now wore. She could recall those that had mattered in her life before so readily; her father, her late husband, Aleksandr, her mother… But when it came to trying to recall what she herself looked like, it was like trying to see a picture that was obscured by smoke and age.

Furs had been around for two decades, a little longer if the experiments that were carried out on hardened criminals were also taken into account. Sofiya wondered what her life might have been like if she hadn’t chosen the path that had taken her to joining the United Nations with her Aleksi. Would both of them still be together? Most likely they would have been assigned to the world of Monarch where the first Vulps colony had been sent. Would Aleksi still be alive, or had he always been fated to leave the mortal realm before her?

Shaking her head at such deep thoughts so early in the morning, the blond haired vixen chuckled lightly, dismissing her weighty ruminations and turned on the water to let it heat up as she snagged the two plastic bottles of her favorite shampoo and conditioner. Both were biodegradable and she had a supply to take with her to Bastien. It wouldn’t last forever, but there was no reason that she couldn’t enjoy that simple indulgence in the meantime. Once the shower was at a comfortable hot temperature, the anthrovixen stepped into the cubicle and slid the frosted glass door shut, letting the nozzle soak her thoroughly before opening the first bottle and breathing in deep the scent of melon.

As she always did, Sofiya started with her hair. She always liked to get her hair out of the way first, and enjoyed the way it felt to work her own finger pads and claw tips into her scalp. She had just worked up a solid lather when the sound of the shower door opening caught her attention, though she was unable to open her eyes because of the shampoo.

"Do you mind a little company?"

Richard had often joined Sofiya in the shower, but she wasn’t expecting the high, clear voice of Amanda, the Fur’s timbre matching her small size. The two had spent the last few nights cuddling together in the bed with Richard, but there was nothing more intimate than the almost instinctual need for contact and simple, platonic affection. It wasn’t uncommon for mundane fox skulks to be sociable, and it seemed that that particular trait was also part of the Furs themselves.

"I wouldn’t be minding the company at all," Sofiya replied smiling widely, though she kept her eyes tightly closed.

Still working the lather into her hair, the red fox vixen felt her way along the cubicle wall to make room for the fennec vixen to slip under the spray. She was a little surprised, however, when she felt tiny hand-like paws start working shampoo into her back and shoulders.

"You have the softest fur," Mandy commented with a touch of envy. "No wonder I like snuggling against you!"

"It is all because of the conditioner," Sofiya replied with a chuckle, enjoying the attention. "It was taking almost a year before I was discovering what worked best. There is also the added benefit of my shampoo and conditioner being inexpensive!"

"No wonder you always smell so good," the fennec commented, smiling at the way the other vixen sighed as her back was scrubbed.

The two females tended to each other, and while most would have gotten the wrong impression, to Sofiya and Amanda, it was a form of bonding. As both toweled off prior to stepping into the full sized dryer unit, the younger Fur gave the red fox a warm hug. "What is this?" Sofiya asked gently.

"I just want to thank you again for letting me be a part of your and Richard’s lives," the desert fox said, her words thick and full of emotion.

"Miymalen’kyy sestra, you make us very happy, too," the red fox said as she returned the embrace. "You arerodyna. Family."

"What was the first thing you said?" Amanda asked, a curious expression on her delicate face.

"Miy malen’kyy sestra. My little sister."

The fennec nodded and hugged the other vixen even tighter. "I like that."

When the two finally parted, looking at each other and laughing lightly. They turned almost at the same time to see Richard looking at them, his arms behind his head and grinning widely. "You know, that was quite the sight to wake up and see," he told the vixens with a grin and wink.

"You take the left. I will be taking the right," Sofiya said as she dropped to all fours and began stalking towards the large bed, the fennec Fur following her lead.

When they pounced on the silver fox, their efforts couldn’t have been better coordinated.

***
Modern touring coaches with repulsor lift modules arrived to convey the entire Abeona group to Seattle, the trip taking far less time than if they’d first gone to the northern coastline and caught a water going ferry. Washington State was one of the most dedicated to using green technology, and had actually helped entrepreneurs establish recharging and hydrogen refueling stations for more ecologically sound transportation. The citizens of the State had embraced the change so thoroughly that it was actually a misdemeanor offense to have a vehicle or device that utilized fossil fuels. The changes that had been wrought, the use of clean, renewable resources had demonstrated that green technology had increased the number of available jobs while substantially reducing air and waterborne pollutants.

As far as the Furs were concerned, it was a novel thing to enter a city where the air wasn’t redolent with the reek of fried hydrofluorocarbons, and even the people that called the huge metropolis their home looked healthier than those people in other cities.

The hotel that had agreed to host the Abeona group for their twenty-four hour stay was one of the most celebrated establishments in the country, and it brought a substantial number of tourists that were there for no other reason than to say they stayed at the renown Visions. From the outside the building looked like any glass sheathed business tower, the slightly blue reflective glass. Inside was a testament to the imagination of mankind.

Each floor and the suites on that level of the hotel were dedicated to visionaries throughout history, whether they were authors, movie directors, innovators or inventors. The first few floors were dedicated to directors such as Lucas, Spielberg, Whedon, Roddenberry and others. The next series of floors were modeled on the worlds created by different authors such as Heinlein, Wells, Niven and Foster. The Furs had been offered suites on one of the more popular floors, the level dedicated to Jules Verne.

Taken to their floor in groups, all of the Furs gathered in a large area in the center of the building as they’d been told that someone rather important had wanted to meet and speak to them personally. As they milled around all of the Vulps were in stunned awe at the décor. Instead of drywall and carpeting, the room was floored in wood and the walls were made to look similar to riveted metal like something from the end of the Industrial Age, with fittings and trim of polished copper and brass. Instead of pictures, cleverly disguised flat screens depicted realistic computer animations of the worlds that Jules Verne had imagined with steam powered contraptions, skyships, submarines and cityscapes where propeller driven aeroplanes and zeppelins moved through the air above slender skyscrapers.

"It’s almost like being in the story 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea!" Richard said with a grin as he looked around, Sofiya and Amanda both holding one of his paw-like hands, just as taken with the hotel.

"Well, that’s what we were hoping for," a well-dressed man in his mid-forties said. He had short, well-trimmed hair that was an indeterminate shade of brown, dark green eyes and an easy smile. Instead of the latest trend of wearing two ties, he wore a sort of modified Nehru suit of dark blue with tasteful silver embroidery at the cuffs. It was easy to see that the man tried to take good care of himself. Then he saw the slightly perplexed look on the three foxes’ faces. "Sorry. I’m Jeremy Carver. Welcome to my little playground."

"You’re the guy giving Blackthorne a run for his money on new slipship designs," Daniel Holt said from the side, his eyes a little wide. When the others nearby looked at him in surprise, the American grey fox shrugged with an impish grin. "I’m interested in more than just biology."

Carver laughed, an honest sound that put many of the Furs at ease. "I’m not, personally, but the engineers and physicists that work for me are!" The man held his arms wide. "And if I may, welcome to Hotel Visions!" He gestured to the large open area and his greeting had included all of the Vulps. "Despite all of the other stuff my family is into, I’ve always liked the people that dared to look towards the future to see what might be. Each floor of this hotel is dedicated to those that had a story or a thought or influenced the world we have today. How many different conveniences do we have and use that first existed as something in a movie, or a TV show? Roddenberry’s communicators and tricorders became cell phones and personal coms and field computers.

"Perhaps it was Lucas and Spielberg that made some young boy or girl think that it really was possible to go faster-than-light, thus the slipships we have, and one that will, in fact, be taking all of you to your new home in the upcoming weeks? So much we have now were things that someone thought of, visions of something that could be, and now they are reality.

"And then there are all of you. How many books, stories and even comics had men and women altering themselves to become better than what they were? Whether it was using cybernetic implants or even genetic manipulation, mankind has always wanted to be more than just what he or she was born as, and now we have Furmankind! You!"

Jeremy Carver regarded each of the visitors and gave them a warm, genuine smile that also reached his eyes.

"I can’t begin to tell you how jazzed I am that all of you are here, and I really want to make your stay with us as fun and exciting as possible. In fact, I think that I screamed a very enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ at Mister Gustavsson when he and his assistant called and asked if there was room for all of you!

"As it is, I’ve decided to put all of you on one of the more popular floors, the Jules Verne. Every room is based on the things that he envisioned in his stories, blending how he saw the future, with flavors and accents of the height of technology found in his own time. There will also be assistants at all times for your convenience during your stay, with a list of activities and shopping venues throughout the city, and our hotel’s own shuttle service will be more than happy to provide transportation.

"Now, if you would all be so kind, Craig and Emma," the man gestured to two liveried hotel workers near the elevators who smiled at the Furs, "have your room assignments, and I would like to personally show Miss Talova and her party to theirs so I may speak to them, and once again, welcome!"

Without hesitating in the slightest, Jeremy stepped up to Sofiya, Amanda and Richard, his eyes twinkling with a wide smile on his clean shaven face.

"It’s a definite pleasure to meet you, Miss Talova," Carver began in a more conversational tone. He offered his hand and didn’t shrink in the slightest about touching a Fur, then offered the same hospitality to the other two Furs. "I decided to put the three of you in the ‘Nemo Suite’, and considering Mister Tavington’s earlier comment, I’m going to guess that was a good idea."

"You are knowing who we are?" Sofiya asked, pleased, but puzzled.

"Very much so!" the man exclaimed as he directed them to a set of large double doors at the far side of the circular room that were made of stained oak with a large ‘N’ of brass in calligraphy style. "Ásmundr made sure that I had pictures of all of you so I knew whom I was addressing. I look forward to having him stay with us again."

"So you know Mister Gustavsson?" Richard asked.

"And your father, Nathan. For some reason they prefer to stay here each year when they come for the Vancouver Space Expo." Jeremy looked at Richard with a grin. "Your father is a complete nut for the Lucas and Spielberg floors, while this one or the H. G. Wells tends to be Ásmundr’s preferred accommodations. You’ll forgive me, but I didn’t think some of you would have found the rooms based on the book ‘Island of Doctor Moreau’ to be in good taste, though that is one of the suites that is sort of dedicated to you Furs."

The suite was a combination of aged copper ductwork, gleaming brass fixtures and black iron works with polished, stained woods all brought together with items that were the height of Victorian fashion. The large bed was covered with blue satin and surrounded by thick curtains, velvet padding along the frame of the same sapphire shade, and brass framed mirrors.

"I can see why this is a popular hotel," the silver fox commented as he looked around, his gaze drawn immediately to a large smart screen framed in polished copper with large rivets that had an underwater panorama playing and combined with the inward curving walls made it look as if they were in a sub that was actually moving, the other flat screen monitors synched to do the same. "Especially if you’ve paid as much detail to the other suites as you have this one."

Jeremy shrugged, though the grin he gave was like a little boy that was both proud and a little embarrassed at having the best toys. "I was one of those kids that didn’t have too many friends growing up, but that was okay because it gave me more time to read! Anything sci-fi was fair game. Of course, that only proved that I was even more of an anomaly in that I liked real books over e-readers and such. I like the feel of a book, the smell of it. Science fiction led me into actual science, though considering that the family business was one of the few private space firms back then, it shouldn’t have been too surprising.

"With slip-drives, we were able to do things that people had only dreamed of and literally reached for the stars! Then, when all of the money started rolling in I decided to do something to honor the men and women that influenced me." He stepped closer to the silver fox and gave the fur a conspiratorial wink. "Besides, don’t all little boys, at one point or another, wish they could have sailed with the notorious Captain Nemo?" Carver motioned for the Furs to relax on a very opulent settee while he took a wing backed chair. "It’s more than space exploration now. Carver Applications has expanded into the fields of aquaculture, desert reclamation, and we’re working with the AHCP on designing new equipment or improving materials for extraterrestrial colonization.

"That’s one of the reasons that I was so happy when Ásmundr asked me if I could put you up for the night! I’ve only met two Furs before this, but I’ve always admired what all of you are doing as a whole, and the sacrifices that you make as individuals. In fact, many of you will probably get asked a lot of questions by the staff members who feel the same. We’ve had a few celebrities come through, but this will be something to remember!"

The four individuals spoke for almost half an hour before Jeremy Carver eventually left to make sure the rest of the group was settled in and comfortable, leaving the three Furs to their own amusement, though he had told them that he would have a rather lavish dinner waiting for them at seven PM in the main dining room.

"I almost feel like the Queen Mother!" Amanda commented as she explored the suite even further, giggling at the different things she found. "It really makes me feel like I’m on the Nautilus!"

"Doesn’t it?" Richard chuckled.

When Sofiya yelped in surprise after entering the bathroom the other two foxes rushed to see if she’d slipped or hurt herself. They found her ogling the set up and had to agree with her assessment. Apart from the standard fixtures, albeit highly decorative ones, that a bathroom was supposed to have, the center of the room was dominated by a large brass and copper hot tub that could have easily fit six persons. The spigot and controls were shaped like seashells and there was a metal rack with all sorts of bathing condiments.

"Um, you said you wanted to do some shopping, right?" the silver fox asked with a grin, noting the way that both females were eyeing the tub like one would a long lost lover.

"Did I?’ the red fox answered distractedly.

Laughing at the two vixens’ reaction to the tub, Richard took both of them in arm and steered them back into the main room of the suite. "Let’s go do our shopping, then after dinner we can come back and you two can stew until we leave tomorrow."

"Promise?" Amanda asked.

***
It was evident by the conversations at the different tables of the dining room that the rest of the colony group found their rooms just as wonderful as Sofiya and Amanda did. The meal itself was incredible with meat and vegetable dishes that came from all over the world and were expertly rendered by the executive chef in the kitchens. Jeremy Carver asked almost all of them about their opinions on their upcoming mission, how they felt, and listened to their responses. He also asked what the Furs thought of their day in Seattle and if his staff had helped them sufficiently, and was quite pleased when the Abeona colonists had nothing but good things to say about his employees. He did notice that several of the Vulps were starting to show signs of being tired from a full day and laughed at his own enthusiasm.

"Look, if I don’t behave, I’ll be keeping all of you up the whole night. Just don’t forget that there’ll be a breakfast buffet waiting for you in the morning before you leave." With that the human excused himself allowing the Furs to make their ways to their various suites.

As per promise, Richard got the water for the huge tub going so his vixens could soak, Elena joining them for a relaxing evening. Sofiya had gotten a back rub and was sitting in one sculpted niche with a glass of wine while the silver fox tended to Elena, the platinum fox Fur’s sighs of contentment causing the other two to chuckle. Mounds of suds released a pleasant vanilla scent that filled the room and the soft lighting made for a very relaxing atmosphere.

"And where were your wanderings taking you today?" Sofiya asked her friend with partially closed eyes and a pleasant smile on her muzzle.

"Ah. There was a jewelry store that I was visiting," the gold colored vixen replied, leaning back against Richard. "I found presents for all of us that I thought were fitting."

The silver fox smiled as he listened to the two females talking. It was easy to tell that they’d had the same teacher in English as their methods of speaking were incredibly similar. He personally thought it was cute, and at times the only way to differentiate which one of them speaking was by their different tones, Elena having a slightly higher pitched voice, though it wasn’t as high as Amanda’s.

"I will be giving them out later tonight," the other Ukrainian fox said with a grin. Elena looked around. "Speaking of, where is Amanda being?"

"Right here," the fennec said, holding a gigantic glass that contained a pink substance with copious amounts of whipped cream and enormous strawberry and sliver of banana on top. She had to set the glass down and let her robe fall before retrieving her glass and started to step into the tub.

"What in the world is that?" Richard asked. "And be careful. The tub’s slip-"

No sooner had the desert fox stepped down than she dipped under the water and vanished beneath the voluminous layer of bubbles, though she was able to keep her glass above the contents of the bath so it wasn’t ruined. Before anyone could help her, Amanda popped back up, sputtering as she tried to clear suds from her little black nose, her sandy colored bangs completely sodden and falling over her eyes.

"Is my milkshake okay?" the fennec asked, more concerned about her treat than the possibility she could have been hurt.

"Good save," the male commented with a nod and grin.

Elena took the glass while Richard handed her a small towel, the tiny vixen getting herself situated with a grin. "Oops!"

"What is that?" Richard asked indicating the enormous glass.

"Strawberry banana milkshake!" Amanda replied brightly. "I was waiting on room service to bring it up!"

"I thought you were a desert fox, not a dessert fox," Richard chuckled. Amanda simply batted her large brown eyes at the silver fox.

"May I try?" Elena asked, her eyes sparkling. The fennec nodded and chuckled when the platinum fox’s eyes widened in surprise. "This is being good!"

"My turn!" Sofiya said. She let the milkshake roll around on her tongue then looked at her wine in distaste. "Now I am wanting one," she said with an almost pout.

"I know," Amanda said as she reclaimed the glass, needing both of her paw-like hands to hold it. "I almost got the chocolate raspberry one, but then I found out that I could get this!" She took a sip, her eyes closing in bliss. "I can’t have them too often, though."

Richard smiled. "I don’t think that as a Fur you have to worry about desserts going to your hips."

Amanda shook her head. "I…I’m an ice cream junkie," she admitted sadly. "I don’t want to get too used to this before we go to Bastien." The fennec sighed and looked at her glass. "I’m going to miss milkshakes."

Elena slid off of Richard’s lap to the intercom that was next to the tub, the device fashioned to look like an old call tube complete with copper funnel and ordered two more milk shakes from room service, the chocolate raspberry for her, and caramel and vanilla for Sofiya and instructions for the one that was making the delivery to come to the bathroom. As she was doing that, Amanda shamelessly took her place so the silver fox could give her a massage as well.

"You are being a sneak!" the platinum fox Fur said with a laugh when she turned around and found herself displaced.

"Well," Amanda began winsomely, "Richard was looking lonely."

It hardly seemed that any time at all had passed when a voice called into the bathroom. "Room service."

"Come on in," the silver fox answered, still massaging the fennec’s shoulders, the vixen sitting on his crossed legs so she wouldn’t slip under the water again.

The young man was dressed in the uniform that looked like it was part sailor’s uniform and wholly appropriate for the theme of the floor they were on and doled out the large glasses to the cooing delight of the other vixens. Then he realized that Richard was the only male in a tub of female Furs and shook his head, speaking before he even knew what he was saying. "You lucky dog," the young man breathed.

"No," Richard replied with a grin. "Lucky fox."

***
The breakfast buffet that was waiting for the Abeona group before they caught a shuttle to Vandenberg took a serious hit with the ravenous Furs that descended upon it, the cooking staff and chef smiling at the justice the different Vulps were doing to their efforts. Appetites were in overdrive as many of the Furs had tried to cram in as much activity as they could the day before, much of it including shopping, sightseeing, the cinema and museums. In a tentative gesture, still a little miffed about what had transpired, Ruiz had agreed to accompany Tipper and Mina to a few music stores, though it was easy to tell that that particular relationship was still a little cool.

Being the person that she was, Amanda had already approached the other two vixens and told them that she forgave them, that simple gesture having more of an impact than the punishment that Sofiya had handed down. The fennec’s gentle words and demeanor had rapidly reduced the Arctic and swift foxes to silent tears, and Richard and Sofiya were both glad at that point that the red fox had foregone the standard penalty of shaving the two vixens’ tails.

At their own table, Sofiya, Elena, Amanda and Richard were all wearing the gifts that the platinum fox had found. The necklaces were more like collars with large links that wouldn’t snag fur or pinch the underlying skin, and the colors corresponded with the shades of the one that wore them. Richard’s was silver while Elena and Sofiya wore gold and Amanda’s chain was white gold. "It is to be showing that we are a family," the platinum fox said, having given each of the others their necklaces and a kiss on the cheek. As it was, all four Fur’s new jewelry got appreciative looks and comments from the rest.

As breakfast wound down, and a few were enjoying one last cup of tea or coffee before boarding the shuttle buses that would take them to Sea-Tac airport to catch the flight to Vandenberg, Jeremy Carver made an appearance with several staffers in the standard hotel livery of one-piece jumpsuits in light grey and silver piping that looked reminiscent of something from an old televised space opera. The staffers carried a large plastic crate each.

"So, did everyone enjoy their stay?" the man asked the Furs, getting several called out affirmatives and smiles all around. He looked around the dining room that had been reserved for the Furs and saw pleased expressions on all of the faces that looked back. "Excellent! I do have a little something for each of you before you go, though."

With a nod from Carver the hotel staffers moved around the different tables and gave each Fur a small black gift bag. The tags had a single word, ‘Thanks!’ in bright red script on them.

"I know that you have all of the equipment you’ll need for your colony, but I thought I’d add a little something to show my appreciation for all of you.

As the Furs began to look in the bags, many were surprised at the contents. There were packs of chewing gum and candy of all different flavors, emergency Mylar blankets that were tightly rolled up into the size of a pair of socks, flexible sunglasses that would fit the heads of the Vulps and could be adjusted, a mirror of polycarbonate plastic that was nearly unbreakable, small travel brushes and combs, a notebook, pen and mechanical pencil and finally a multi-tool that had the standard knife, scissors, pliers and screwdrivers, but also a small magnifying glass, magnetic compass plus a fire starting kit of magnesium and steel striker rods. The multi-tool came in a weather resistant pouch that could be clipped to clothing and also had a lanyard so it could be worn around the neck.

"I once learned the hard way that it’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have! Of course, I was only ten and camping in the backyard, but the lesson was learned! I just hope that some of the items you won’t need and that the other things will serve you well. I would also like to tell on behalf of the staff that it has been our pleasure having you stay here with us. Now, as there is still a little time before you need to depart, I’ve had one of the smaller conference rooms set up with additional communications terminals so you can make calls to anyone that you might want to talk to before heading to Vandenberg."

The man then gave the assembled Furs a nod and another smile.

"Godspeed, Abeona colony."

Before the Vulps could applaud their host, Carver and his staff gave that accolade to the Furs before departing.

"Well, that was an unexpected thing for Jeremy to do," Dimitri said as he joined the table with Sofiya and the others.

"I didn’t know that he was such a big supporter of the program," Richard said, nodding in approval at the quality of the multi-tool. "Too bad we have to turn these in before lifting to Sebra."

***
The coach that was waiting to take the Furs to Vandenberg was completely blocked by a small crowd that carried signs decrying the opinion that Furs were a crime against nature and humanity, though they were blocked from entering the hotel by a small knot of Seattle and State Police. There weren’t more than a dozen protestors, and it looked as if the group had been hastily organized as the signs and sections of poster board looked to have just been put together with the same tired arguments hastily scrawled with markers and spray paint.

Richard looked out of the windows that lined the lobby and shook his head. As far as protests went, this one was barely notable, and while the sign carriers had linked arms and were blocking the doors to the coach, the crowd they attracted was far larger. The police, while vigilant, seemed fairly unconcerned, though they weren’t letting their guard down.

"Compared to the protest at the Institute before we got there, this isn’t too bad," Matthew Sykes said, looking past Richard and the vixens, Charlotte Bujold and Nan Pi-lei holding onto his arms, their ears back and more than a little agitated.

"What happened?" Nan asked softly, her eyes wide and nervous.

"Someone actually brought a firearm," Richard said casually. "I think one of the Furs got shot. Nothing severe, so it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been." The silver fox looked at the simple watch he wore. "The only problem is this might delay our arrival at Vandenberg which could throw our whole launch off."

"What are you planning?" Sofiya said, sensing her lover was about to do something rash.

The Fur looked at the crowd and shook his head. "This is really slap-dash. These people weren’t planning this. That one works at a bank or something, that girl over there is a student or something, and that one," Richard said looking at one girl that was dressed in the latest trend of completely distressed clothing and filthy looking dreadlocks before shaking his head, "well, I don’t know what he is…maybe one of the neo-hippies, but there’s no…seriousness to this. I’ve seen serious protests. This ain’t it."

Much to Sofiya, Elena and Amanda’s chagrin, he slipped free of the vixens and walked out the door. As if on cue, the chanting about the Furmankind program being evil and morally reprehensible stopped, and the only sounds were the ground cars and normal urban buzz from the surrounding blocks. Everyone watched as the silver fox strode directly to the coach, almost as if the crowd wasn’t there, his gait completely casual and nonchalant. He stopped when he got in front of the dreadlocked girl and smiled.

"I hate to bother you and this fine protest, but we have to get to the airport to catch our flight. You wouldn’t mind moving, would you?" Richard asked politely.

The girl had to look up to make eye contact as her mouth worked up and down silently several times. "You talk!" she squeaked in disbelief.

Richard was unsure why it seemed that most people were astounded when a Fur spoke. "All my life," he replied, though there was a tone of sarcastic humor to his voice. A few in the crowd that could hear the exchange chuckled along with most of the police officers.

Not sure what else to do, the girl moved as she’d been asked, thankfully taking her downwind from the Fur who waved to the others inside. He’d been correct in her lack of bathing, a trend that was all too common with the neo-hippie movement, most of the adherents thinking it brought them closer to nature. The rest of the protesters regarded the silver fox with some surprise that he’d spoken as well and had edged away giving the police the chance to block further interference.

As he leaned against the side of the coach, the rest of the group hurried out and boarded, thankfully kept from view once inside the vehicle by the tinted windows. Richard looked at his cohorts as they got into the coach, giving Sofiya and the other two vixens a wink when they brought up the rear. As soon as his mates were on, Richard turned to the protesters and gave them a toothy grin. "Thanks, guys. Have a good day!" he said and slipped inside.

The driver had been anticipating more trouble and before the door was shut he had the bus moving, heading to the freeway as fast as possible. "I thought those yay-hoos were going to be a problem!" the man exclaimed as Richard took the seat behind and to the side of the driver.

"No. They were too hastily organized to be a problem," the fox said as he allowed the three vixens to give him kisses. "That was a spur of the moment thing and we just happened to be a target of opportunity."

"How could you tell?" Amanda asked from the seat across the aisle as she sat back down.

"The three suits," Richard replied. "They kept looking at their watches, and the signs had just been put together. If we’d been there another day, then it might have been a problem."

***
There was no delay at Sea-Tac Airport. The directors that oversaw the facility that served the Seattle/Tacoma Washington region had decided to reduce potential issues with the Furs strolling through the main terminal and had directed the coach to one of the outlying hangars that had the aircraft that would carry the colony group to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The VTOL was similar to the Adirondack Furmankind Institute’s aged Osprey in basic design, though instead of huge rotors on tilt points at the ends of the stubby wings, this one used ducted fans that were powered by hydrogen engines with four nacelles to provide lift and thrust. However more efficient the design was, it was easy to tell that the aircraft had certainly evolved from the V-22 Osprey concept.

The flight crew was all USAF personnel, and as the Furs disembarked from the coach, if any of them were prejudiced against the anthrofoxes, they kept their comments to themselves. One of the crew was a woman with short red hair and reflective sunglasses looked over the Vulps with an impassive expression as she counted the Furs, adding Doctor Kavalos to the count as well and nodded to herself. She conferred with the pilot, the man having a silver oak leaf on his collar denoting a Lieutenant Colonel. The man nodded and stepped away from the aircraft and put his hands on his hips as he regarded the group.

"How’s everyone doing today?" the pilot asked. There were a few verbal responses and nods in reply, all of them positive. "Good. We’ll be in the air a little under four hours with our arrival ETA at fourteen thirty hours. There’s a small patch of storms that are moving in off the Pacific just north of Sacramento, but that shouldn’t have any effect on our flight today.

"Once we land at Vandenberg, there’ll be a cattle car waiting to take you to the prelaunch facility. Keep your personal bags with you and once you get onboard you can stow them in the overhead rack. As we don’t have facilities on the bird, the latrine’s over there in the hangar. I can give you fifteen minutes, but after that we’ll need to get airborne. Likewise, the only refreshments we’ve got are bottles of water. I hate to say it, but we really aren’t meant for shuttling civilians, so you’ll forgive us for the lack of comforts."

The Colonel gave them all a disarming smile that was actually rather charming.

"While the rest of you are hitting the facilities, would I be able to speak to…" he looked at the Tech Sergeant that had been counting heads and comparing it to her list and listened to the woman’s whisper, "Sofiya Talova?"

"That would be myself," the red fox said.

"Excellent. The rest of you may want to go ahead and use the facilities. We’re on a bit of a schedule."

As the rest of the Furs made their way to the two bathrooms in the hangar, Richard hung back, his ears swiveling to catch what the Colonel was saying. Most of what was said fell along fairly standard lines of what kind of behavior was expected, safety protocols and such. It was also something of a professional courtesy for the pilot to meet the leader of any group. Both laughed when Sofiya apologized beforehand about potential shedding in his aircraft and the two parted, the Colonel boarding his aircraft to begin preflight checks while the red fox rejoined Richard and the line for the restrooms.

***
The flight to California was almost text book perfect, and most of the Furs wound up drifting off, snoozing a substantial portion of the flight. The high, smooth drone of the four ducted fans weren’t as choppy as other aircraft, and the insulation along the fuselage dampened the noise enough so that it didn’t hurt the sensitive ears of the Furs. The only major discomfort came at the conclusion of the flight when the hatch was opened and the hot, damp air of Southern California rolled through the troop compartment. It seemed that almost everyone wilted a little at the heavy humidity and after retrieving their travel bags were more than happy to make the air conditioned interior of the transport to the prelaunch building.

The vehicle that they traveled in wasn’t a bus, and Richard was the only one familiar with the pseudo-trailer that had a few seats, windows and handrails, looking more like the mating of a cargo trailer and old school bus that almost everyone in the military that had ridden in them called ‘cattle cars’. The former Marine remembered being hauled from the barracks to the range in just such a contraption during his time in Basic Training, and found he hadn’t really missed the uncomfortable beasts.

A short walk again in the sweltering heat had some of the Furs lamenting that they hadn’t put on sandals when their foot pads were slightly burned on the sun baked asphalt until they were once again in blessed air conditioning. An Airman took the Abeona group into a room that was longer than it was wide that had padded chairs along both walls and told them that the flight surgeons would be by shortly to begin checks to ensure that everyone was healthy enough for their pending launch.

"We aren’t going to get that sleepy drink?" Matthew Sykes asked in surprise.

Before the Airman could answer, Dimitri Kavalos answered. "Not on this flight. Unlike the space plane that took all of you up to Space Station Sebra last time, today’s trip will be on OSP-42." The Greek pulled out his PBJ and smiled at the Airman. "Please let the flight surgeon know that I have the baseline for physical standards if he or she is unused to working with Furs. Some of the readings aren’t the same for humans, and what is normal for them may cause some confusion."

"Yes, Sir," the Airman replied crisply. "I let the Major know, Sir." The Airman looked as if he should have been in high school and still had a bit of the awkward, gangling lankiness that would hopefully disappear as he got older. As it was, is military haircut made his ears look a little large for his head. He pointed out the different amenities for the Furs, his attitude clearly demonstrating that this was his first time in dealing with furmankind, and he tried not to stare before he left.

"So we get an actual rocket launch?" Matthew continued once the Airman left, a grin slowly spreading across his muzzle.

"Very much so," Dimitri said. "Personally I was hoping for another ride on either the Branson or one of her sister ships." The man noted some of the sick looking expressions on the faces of a few of the Vulps and chuckled. "Don’t feel bad. This is my first time on something like the OSP-42 and I’m a little nervous as well."

As soon as she heard that they were going to be launched on a rocket, Enola Bellingham had her PBJ out. No sooner had she typed in her inquiry than a flood of information popped up on her dual screen device. "Let’s see…" the vixen said as she scrolled through the information using her claw tip. "The Orbital Space Plane…OSP-42 is an off shoot of the X-39 program from the early 21st Century…reusable, perfect flight record. Huh. Essentially it’s a big space bus. Inexpensive, reusable launch vehicle. An average of 3g’s on takeoff. Why, it’s not even as bad as some of my favorite roller coasters!"

"Some of us don’t like roller coasters," Nan Pi-lei muttered with a dejected expression. She brightened a little and smiled bravely when Matthew gave her a little hug.

The Furs didn’t have to wait long for the flight surgeon who was able to determine that all of them, so far as she could tell, were healthy enough for the pending flight. The Major made a notation in her computer tablet, the device built more for durability than anything else and certainly not as flexible in different applications as the Furs’ PBJ’s. Once the brief physicals were concluded, a senior sergeant came in and gave all of them a quick briefing on the flight and also had them stow all loose items in their bags and attach tags so they could retrieve them onboard Space Station Sebra. He then began to describe the flight that they were about to undertake.

"We’ve been using the 42 for routine space launches to ferry both materials and personnel to space-based assets for over a decade," the Sergeant began without preamble, activating a video screen that had simple animation, his narrative synching perfectly with the government made cartoon. "Launch will be carried out by the Hermes class first stage, a five engine rocket that utilizes a cluster of four, reusable SRBs, or solid rocket boosters affixed to a liquid bi-fueled T-1 rocket engine core. The four SRBs put out over one million pounds of thrust each. At two minutes and ten seconds, the SRBs will detach and fall back to earth to be reused in subsequent future launches while the T-1 liquid fuel rocket engine will put you into a Low Earth Orbit.

"Once the T-1 engine is spent, the OSP, in your case the ‘General Chuck Yeager’, will detach from the T-1 module and continue until it reaches rendezvous orbit with Space Station Sebra. Because of the altitude the T-1 engine will be at precludes its recovery, the unit will maintain a low orbit until it is recovered by an automated orbital tug for eventual refuel and reuse for future missions, though as of late most T-1 engines have been used for hauling cargo modules to Mars or other high-risk unmanned missions."

The Sergeant took a sip of water and used a laser pointer as the next few images came up.

"The OSP-42 is the direct descendant of the X-39 unmanned space delivery vehicle that was developed when the original Space Shuttle fleet was retired. Utilizing advanced materials engineering, the vehicle is lighter, more durable with greater range and mission length capabilities. As the OSP utilizes mission variable internal modules, it is one of the most flexible, inexpensive space delivery systems still in use and can perform multiple tasks per launch.

"Your flight this evening will not only include you, but also replenishment stores for Sebra, and prior to docking with the space station, orbital delivery of a satellite. Mission flight time from launch to docking with Sebra will be approximately three hours and seventeen minutes. Unlike civilian carriers that service Sebra, you will be required to remain in your seats at all times during the flight, though certain exceptions will be made if there is a need for use of facilities."

The Sergeant loosened up a little at that point and gave the assemble Furs a small smile.

"Now, I know that this makes it sound like a boring trip, and I’ll be the first to tell you that boring is good. Excitement normally means some kind of emergency. We like boring. We love boring. But, just in case there is some excitement, under the seats that all of you will be strapped into, we have one of these." The man pulled out a bright yellow and red bundle that looked like a backpack. "Now, I’ve been instructed that all of you have been up to Sebra during your time with the Furmankind Institutes, and were briefed on the rescue balls, but it’s my job to make absolutely positive that you know how to use them, so before we get started, stand up, get a little water, stretch your legs and we’ll move on to this next part, okay?"

Many of the Furs, happy for the break, didn’t hesitate to do as recommended. Richard was smiling as he stood and stretched before dropping to all fours and giving himself a good shake. "This is way too much like being back at Parris Island," he told his vixens with a grin.

"They didn’t do this for us when we went to Sebra the first time," Amanda said as Elena rubbed the other vixen’s neck.

"Yeah. The military has a set way of doing things," the silver fox replied with a smile. "Normally they’re trying to get the most amount of information imparted in the shortest amount of time." Richard turned when he felt a tug on his vest and saw that Sofiya was nodding at the Sergeant who had approached.

"Did I hear you say you were in the military?" the man inquired.

"Jarhead," Richard said with a chuckle.

"Well, this ol’ wing nut won’t hold that against you!" the Sergeant said grinning. "You wouldn’t want to help with the next portion, would you? I don’t know if you folks ever got to see one of the rescue balls deployed, and that’s the next part of the briefing. Once the others see you do it, they’ll get a chance to try it as well. Granted, it’s a completely different game when you’re in zee-gee and getting ready to breath vacuum, but it might help keep panic down. Just in case, mind you."

Richard nodded. "Sure, thing, Sergeant."

"Nah. Call me Howe. Ya’ll are civvies, so I won’t make you use my rank," the man, Howe, told them. He looked around and saw that most of the Furs were finished with their little break. "Alright…er…"

"Richard."

The man smiled. "Alright, Richard. Let’s go up front and you’ll show everyone how to deploy a rescue ball."

***
The Sergeant instructed all of the Vulps on the use of the rescue ball using a video aid, then had Richard demonstrate the steps. Once he made sure everyone had a working grasp, each of the Furs got to do a timed exercise of getting the training units deployed and getting into them. During the timed portion of the exercise Amanda actually had the best time, the nimble fennec inflating the device the rest of the way while sitting in it while Richard actually had the longest, finding it difficult to get his larger size into the inflatable sphere, though it was well within the excepted time frame.

"The most important thing to remember," the Sergeant said at the conclusion of the training exercise, "is if you find yourself in vacuum, do not hold your breath. Exhale slowly and remain calm. Help will get to you within the allotted time that your rescue ball has air for. Of that you can be assured." He glanced at his watch again and nodded. "And that concludes our debrief. Now, if you would all like to hit the facilities once more, it’s about time to get all of you loaded up on the ‘Yeager’."

Once last minute runs to the latrines were completed, the Sergeant took the Furs to a door at the back of the classroom and down a circular ramp. At the bottom of the ramp was a small tunnel with an electric powered tram with several cars that were little more than wheeled platforms with benches.

"And this is where we all say good-bye," Howe told them. "Have a good flight, and Godspeed to your new world, folks."

The tram, driven by a lower ranking Sergeant carried the Furs almost two miles to a small room and elevator that would carry them up to the staging room, and from there they would take a second elevator up the gantry support and board the OSP. Because of the need for proper weight distribution, names were called for specific seating arrangements. As the Vulps were taken up four at a time in the completely enclosed elevator cars, no one got to actually see the Orbital Space Plane or even outside one last time. Because they were being separated, many of the Furs were kissing their significant others one last time before boarding, Sofiya, Elena, Amanda and Richard no exception.

The interior of the passenger module had seats for fifty, twenty-five per side, with a ladder incorporated into the aisle of what most of the Furs considered the floor. The panels over their heads was a light shade of blue with the seats and padded sections between them a muted beige, all colors that were supposedly supposed to be calming. Technicians helped each of the Furs strap into their seats, though many were a little miffed when they had a foot placed on their shoulders to push them down while the straps were cinched tight.

"Gott himmel!" Kurt Reichmann swore as he was crammed into the seat, grunting with the rough treatment while on the other side of the aisle, Richard underwent the same.

"It’s better than bouncing around, Kurt," the silver fox grunted.

"Ja, but does it have to be so tight? I can barely breathe!" the platinum fox replied wincing.

"I know it’s a pain, Sir," the technician said with an apologetic look, "but it’s better than slipping out and winding up plastered on the rear bulkhead. By the time the ship hits ten thousand feet, you’ll be doing a little over Mach two. Even a short fall will pulverize bones if you tumble out. Not to mention hitting other seatbacks on the way"

The German Fur’s eyes widened slightly. "Ja, that would not be pleasant."

Richard watched as the techs moved up the ladder in the center aisle, making sure the others were properly secured, then before anyone was really prepared for it, the hatch was closed and sealed. Many of the Furs worked their jaws or forced yawns to compensate for the increased air pressure as the cabin was filled with almost pure oxygen. From the outside there were sounds of bumping and other things and vibrations that ran through the entire module. It wasn’t until they came to life that the Furs discovered the seatbacks they faced had small viewing screens. A woman and man in orange pressure suits looked at them from the screens and smiled.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. "I’m Colonel Alvin Michado and I’ll be your pilot and mission commander for tonight’s flight." In the background they could hear the woman that was next to him talking to Mission Control, though her voice was subdued, being on a different channel than the intercom. "We’re about fifteen minutes from liftoff at this point. The screen in front of you will cycle through different cameras that are scattered about the surface of the ‘Yeager’ here, and you can cycle through the different views by touching the circular arrow icon on the screen. Unfortunately, the cameras will be blacked out when we do our satellite insertion for ten minutes prior to and after deployment so you’ll have no visuals at that time. I will, however, notify you as soon as we come into visual range of Space Station Sebra so that you may watch our approach. Now, sit back, enjoy the flight, and welcome aboard."

As soon as the Colonel was done speaking, the screen switched to a pale blue sky with streaks of high level clouds stained magenta with the setting sun. "What’s that?" someone asked. "It looks like a painting."

"That’s what the view from the cockpit is," one of the other Furs, Toshiro from the sound of the voice, replied.

Throughout the cabin of the module, some of the Furs were talking, a few were praying, all were feeling the anticipation of being blasted off into space.

— NEXT CHAPTER —