Into the Stars

Chapter Six

By Roofles

The Stellar Drift, the Tigeron vessel commandeered by the Terran pilot Isaac and the saberwolf Typhon, continued its steady route back to the planet it had come from. The auto pilot had engaged and as was standard protocol, the ship was on a one way trip to the planet to report in.

Unless it was overridden by the captain's clearance or the systems were managed to be bypassed there was little anyone could do. Something Isaac had been attempting to do for the past several days.

Isaac had set up his work station near the front of the ship in what was basically the cockpit. Popping open the panel underneath the controls he had wired both his tablet and himself into it trying to figure out some way to get past the security systems Samson, their tag along engineer, had inadvertently reinstalled.

The Terran had his jumpsuit zipped down, exposing his chest without a care. Isaac hadn't had the time to properly shave and his red hairy chest and arm were visible on lightly freckled white skin predating back to his ancestors on Earth. The Terran had cuts and scars over his back and arm both from training and among other various things he'd done. Isaac artificial left arm was unnaturally smooth standing out even more as he sat on the floor working.

Isaac adjusted the port installed on his left elbow, connecting to the artificial arm; the small circular disc opening for a Terran cable to be attached into it, connecting his nervous system with the machine itself. It would connect Isaac to the ship. Or at least that had been the plan; unfortunately this wasn't a Terran vessel and Isaac couldn't tamper with the foreign tech as he normally would.

The panel was open underneath the wheel of the ship exposing the guts within. Numerous wires, switch boards, a strange transparent cube with a glowing core and several things that also went right over the Terran's head. He felt far younger in that moment just staring into the guts of the ship unsure where to even really begin.

“I'll give you credit where credits due, kiddo." Juke, the ex-marshal coyote of the mining facility that had tagged along for the ride, was resting back on the circular sofa in the middle of the living space nearby. Both his cowboy boots were kicked off, legs crossed with his hat tipped down over his face. Just like the past three days. “You sure don't quit."

“Not like I got much else to do." Isaac almost laughed as he absentmindedly tapped away on the tablet with one hand while adjusting the cables underneath with his other. He tapped the cube a with a finger trying to figure out just what the hell it was. “Idle hands are the devil's play things and all that…" Isaac rolled his eyes at his own proverb.

“Do you think you can fix it…?" Typhon was sitting nearby on the floor with Isaac. The blue fur saberwolf had stripped off the jacket Juke had lend him and was sitting cross legged, head tilted to one side as he watched the human worked with great curiosity.

At least Typhon wasn't berating him for the ports he'd installed in his arms and down his spine. The Terran pilot was used to working with Terran vessels and ships, this was a Tigeron craft and the designs differed greatly from his own.

In fact the space wolf just seemed to be more curious about the smaller Terran sitting next to him than anything else. Bumping his nose against Isaac arm, sniffing over his back and through his hair and scooting just a tad closer. It was extremely distracting along with the same inane question he kept asking.

Typhon had asked the same question several times before and each time Isaac would give him a similar response.

 “The system isn't something I'm familiar with. It's a newer version than the one I worked with back at the academy. Its far more advance than the ones I dealt with in flight school…" Isaac would frown, not at Typhon persistent questioning but at the ship itself. “This tech is incredible…"

The ship was new, that much Isaac could tell. In fact, Isaac had never seen a make or model like this before in the academy or in the logs. It must have been one of the newest ships the Tigeron fleet had made in the past Galactic years. Some of the tech went right over his head and even using his info banks and his tablet he couldn't find any records of it.

It was just like the hibernation pod Typhon had woken up in. That tech shouldn't… exist yet, or at least theoretically it shouldn't; something Isaac had been thinking about the past couple of days with nothing else life threatening to distract him. The Tigeron were far more advance than they were letting on. Which could spell trouble for the lot of them heading straight for their home world.

Unable to go into the logs with the security system up, Isaac was left guessing and questioning their lot in all this. Typhon had meant well each time he had asked the question and Isaac was just glad for the company. Juke and Samson hadn't offered much in that regard.

Juke kept to himself and drank. Samson kept to his drones and did little else other than made sure the ship was running optimally. Usually ending up fixing whatever Isaac damaged in his search for a means to override the system.

Isaac had popped open nearly every panel he could find… without the know how to repair it after. It was the most conversation he had with the bear since he'd ended up tagging along.

“You seem oddly familiar with Tigeron tech." Juke spoke up for a change, tipping his hat up as he looked at the Terran. “You go poking around tiger tech often?" Isaac didn't miss the undertone to the coyote's voice.

Isaac wasn't too surprised by it. Most races kept to themselves and Juke had been a marshal of the law for some time. It was only natural to be a bit suspicious. Races kept to themselves when they could help it. Most tech didn't transfer well, let alone when someone was foolish enough to try and combine different types together.

“My old roommate was a Tigeron." Isaac pulled the plug out, letting it retract back behind his right ear as he finally decided to call it for a day; he sort of just lopsidedly put the panel back into place planning to ask Samson to fix it, again, for him. “He showed me a lot of his people's tech. It was incredible! It was clear he was proud of it." Isaac smiled at the memories. “They're far more advance than most realize..." Isaac didn't mention this ship was proof enough of that as he frowned, lost in thought just looking at the controls.

“Ah, that makes sense. What happened to him?" Juke asked offhandedly, just to be polite. Isaac wasn't sure how to answer that.

“It isn't common for there to be exchange students in the academy. Tai was one of the few who were allowed in. I offered to be roomies as… not many others wanted to be." Isaac rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. “He was a good guy, just a bit… odd."

“And a Tigeron." Juke chuckled. “Pompous bastards. I'm just so lookin' forward to enden up on a planet full of 'em." The coyote groaned at the very thought his voice dripping with sarcasm as thick as molasses as his accent came through heavily with it.

“I'm not looking forward to it either." Typhon frowned as he watched Isaac with half laden eyes as the Terran moved around the cabin.

“At least we're all in the same boat then. Both figuratively and literally." The human poured them a drink, bringing another mug over for the saberwolf. Typhon's tail wagged at that.

Typhon hadn't left Isaac alone since he'd, once more, kidnapped the Terran back in the mining facility. Glued to his side as if worried Isaac would try to escape the ship somehow. Isaac just put up with it. The ship was small enough as it was with the lot of them inside. At least it had all the standard features back home.

The living area took up most of the front of the ship. A dip in the floor led to a circular sofa with a square table in the middle; after the hibernation pod had been disassembled and sold the table was able to come back out of the floor. The cockpit was just an open area in front of it. Several chairs in front of the controls. Off to one side was a small kitchenette. There were bedrooms down stairs and a captains quarters down the hall. Something Typhon and Isaac had taken as Juke didn't want to hear “no hanky panky" during the middle of the night.

Something both of them quickly denied doing. The other two didn't buy it for a second.

“Lover's quarrel." Samson just nodded as the bear went back to his own room to tinker with his drones.

Isaac found it was easier to check on the wound when Typhon was distracted with a drink or food, much like a child would be. Which was why he'd gotten him the mug before started up on it once more. Isaac sat down behind Typhon, undoing the bandages and looking it over. The wound had healed far faster than anyone thought it would. The skin was still tender and there was a bald spot where the wound had been; still, it hadn't scabbed over and Typhon moved around without aide after only a couple of days.

“I'm telling you! Sabers are made different. We're fine with this kind of thing." Typhon just said though never once trying to stop Isaac from tending to him. It made his tail wag as the saberwolf tried to hide his smile behind the mug in his hand. Being fretted over like this, showered in attention.

It was nice to be cared for and worried about for a change.

Juke watched the two with a bored disgust, wishing they had more alcohol with them.

“Tigers don't drink whiskey. They're all about their fancy pancy wine." Juke wasn't looking forward to this trip. He had wanted to get off the planet for some time and had decided to choose to take advantage of the twos hospitality to tag along. Just to the nearest trade port where they could drop him off; now the coyote was stuck with them and they with him.

“They have Vermouth." Isaac thought it over. “Tai would always brag about all the different kinds they had. It was some sort of specialty from the planet. They would like put roots and herbs and honey or such in it. Apparently it really packs a punch depending on the kind you get!"

“You know Vermouth is just…" Juke wanted to explain but Typhon cut him off.

“Did you try any of it?" The saberwolf wagged as Isaac changed the dressing out; not that it needed to be. Like the past couple days, it wasn't bloody and Isaac was doing it more so to just keep himself busy. It was good to keep up with his training he'd learned from the academy at least using the alien wolf as sort of a guinea pig to experiment with.

They didn't exactly have a doctor on board. Or even a robodoc. The small med bay was just a closet with medical supplies inside Samson had stocked up for them. Isaac was just glad the bear had the right mind to restock the kitchen as well; they really owed him for all he'd done for them.

“Oh man, just like once." Isaac chuckled recalling the time he tried the drink. “It was during the dorm party and Tai brought this big fancy ass ceramic vase thing in. It was filled with the stuff! It smelled all fruity and I thought it was just punch… I was wrong." Isaac just laughed, more of a giggle that he had to clear his throat to correct. Blushing afterward.

The coyote snorted at that, resting on the circular sofa taking up the middle of the living room and looking over at the Terran.

“At least they got something strong. I'll need it to get through this trip." Juke rested his tawny brown, gray muzzle on the back of the sofa as bored as ever. Being stuck in a tin can floating through space wasn't exactly the most riveting of things.

“Don't think you have to worry about that." Isaac finished up the dressing giving it a once over. Typhon lifted up one arm, and then the other as the Terran walked around him before giving him a nod. The saberwolf wagged at that. Looking up the Terran's bare chest into his slightly fuzzy face.

Typhon wanted to touch it and nibble on it.

“Maybe you should lay off the drink?" Typhon offered not even looking over at the coyote, captivated by his own things.  

“What did you just say!" Juke got up and Isaac quickly intervened.

“He's joking." Isaac laugh wasn't genuine as the coyote sat back down. Isaac had to flick Typhon's nose before the saberwolf would say anything more on the matter.

It had been a struggle to keep the two males from going at it. Juke had lain off for the most part what with Typhon's injury. Now that the saberwolf was recovered, the two were at each other's throats every other hour. Trapped in the small ship together was beginning to wear thin on their nerves and once Juke ran out of alcohol that had been the last straw.

While Typhon seemed to be on the younger side, Juke was the oldest member of their group. His age and experience showed when Typhon would do something without thinking putting the lot of them in danger. Like trying to open the outer doors to “See what was out there." Something Isaac was thankful, for once, it wouldn't open.

The group was trapped inside the vessel as it made its way through the stars.

“Just don't kill each other." Isaac stretched out with a groan. “I'm going to go freshen up a bit and then I'll show you those holovids I got!" The Terran said lifting up his tablet, tapping the side of it as he spoke to the coyote. “I'm sure you'll love them."

“Not much into Terran films…" Juke just rested back, dipping his hat down. Looking the coyote over, Isaac was sure some of the old western holovids would peek his interest.

“Just wait." Isaac smiled, waved at the lot as the bathroom sliding door shut behind him. Leaving him alone in the bathroom.

The top of the flight suit was still open and Isaac got a clear look at himself. He was getting a bit hairy without able to shave in the past several weeks. His red hair matched his growing facial fuzz and what was sprouting from his chest and arm; his left arm was as unnaturally smooth as ever. Isaac grabbed the synthetic skin and peeled it off revealing the sleek white chrome metal underneath. It looked almost looked like porcelain.

There were strips in it allowing Isaac to open it up if need be. Each joint of the hand had a sleek gold lining to them. They moved effortlessly as he looked down at it. It was beautiful, sleek, smooth. Perfect. Then Isaac looked up to the mirror and his smile faded with it.

Overweight. Underweight. Too tall. Too short. Ugly. Bland. Boring. Nothing was right in that cracked reflection that met his eyes. He needed to shave. He needed to go on a diet. It had been too long since he worked out. Isaac liked nothing he saw in that reflection, his own image just reminding him of all his faults. Save for his left eye. He had his mother's eyes.

Washing his face, Isaac shook away the same thoughts he had down within the mines. They were nothing new. He wasn't perfect like his brother Tristan or an award winning athlete like his brother Joey. He was the third and youngest of his family and had accomplished nothing of note.

Isaac had to even cheat during the final exam at the Flight Academy to pass the written test. Afraid, otherwise, he'd be left behind.

Space was gigantic. That didn't even begin to describe just how vast and empty it was. Isaac knew that. He'd seen numerous star systems during his training. Countless planets. Countless stars. Trillions of miles apart and still, there was more.

Isaac was just one spec, a dot in the vast scheme of things. He wasn't anyone special. He wouldn't be someone that could change things. Isaac had accepted that and understood that even at a young age.

Which was why, looking down at the band on his right arm; he had accepted such a gift in the first place…

Typhon was, of course, waiting outside the restroom for him. Isaac had put his flight suit back on. He only had the one and was thankful the washing system for the ship was functional. The large blue fur spacewolf just grinned down at the smaller male who opened the door. Isaac returned the smile seemingly as genuine as before when he went into the use the restroom; the others didn't need to know the baggage he carried. Isaac could only imagine what Juke or Samson was going through.

Typhon on the other hand? Isaac was sure was just a lost child wanting to go home. A very big, drooling child standing before Isaac and blocking his way out.

“Move." Isaac just shoved him aside with his arm, not even bothering putting the synthetic skin back on. Typhon took note of that, sniffing down at the hand.

“Did you always have that?" Typhon honestly asked making Isaac roll his eyes at it.

“This is my artificial hand, so yes. Yes I have always had it since I got it." Isaac just frowned looking down at it. He turned the white chrome around to look at the palm, curling his fingers into a fist. It looked better to Isaac than his other hand did.

“You just normally have skin… on it…" The spacewolf pointed out as if Isaac wasn't aware of it.

“Yes, I'm letting it air out a bit. I don't have the tools to reattach the skin. Hopefully on Tigeron I can find a place too." Isaac shrugged it off, walking away from the saberwolf. Who just followed after on all four. “Why do you do that?"

“Do what?" Typhon just asked clueless to what he meant.

“Walk on all fours?" Isaac had to ask, glancing over at the saberwolf walking alongside him like an overgrown feral dog.

“It's easier." Typhon quirked his head at the question as if it was the most obvious thing to do. “Why don't you?"

“To walk on all fours?"

“Yes."

Isaac just frowned at that, pushing Typhon's head away. The saberwolf kept sniffing at his arm. “Stop that. It's annoying."

“I don't like it." Typhon growled at his artificial hand.

“Then you can sleep outside." Isaac pointed. “No, I mean outside the room." Isaac rolled his eyes at the large puppy dog eyes he got from that, like twin miniature galaxies staring up at him. They shined with the stars within. “Not in the vacuum of space. I'm not that cruel…" Isaac took a moment.

“Why did you hesitate there for a second…" Typhon cowered away like a beaten dog.

“Well you can glow, so maybe you can breathe in the vacuum of space…" Isaac pondered that thought. Just for a single stray second, the Terran wanted to test that theory out as he glanced at the wolf next to him. Typhon took an uneasy side step away.

“Glow? What do you mean?" Typhon was the one confused and scared now.

“In the cave." Isaac just laid out for him. Typhon just tilted his head the other way now still not following. “You're whole body was emitting this blue light. You were glowing…"

“I don't remember that." Typhon just took a seat on his hunches looking at the human. Even sitting down the saberwolf was nearly the same height as Isaac was. This wasn't lost on the human who decided then and there he would need to wear lifted shoes.

“You were literally glowing like a light bulb. It was crazy!" Isaac continued dramatically. “Everyone was going crazy and whispers were growing louder…" Isaac lowered his arms down. “How can you not remember that…"

“What whispers?" Typhon ears were up tall and proud, shaped like triangular diamonds. The dark blue fur continued to shift and moving over his body as if the color to his fur was alive. Shifting from the dark blue of the night sky to the blackness of space and back; it reminded Isaac of a famous painting from the history books. A swirl of ever shifting colors in the night sky.

 “You… you… didn't hear anything while we were down there?" Isaac was the one to take a timid step away from the spacewolf. Looking over at the coyote, who was clearly eavesdropping at this point; all he got was a shrug from Juke in return.

The two of them had discussed and agreed not to talk about it any further than they already had.

“All I'm saying, that ain't no Tunnel Madness I've ever seen b'fore." Juke had left it at that and hadn't brought it up since.  

Typhoon took a second on that thinking it over as he scratched his clawed fingers under his chin. Grumbling a bit Typhon just lifted his head a bit higher until Isaac got the picture; moving over, the human scratched along the large spacewolf's neck, underneath it and around his large head behind both ears making Typhon's tongue lull out the side of his mouth.

“Nah. All I remember is hearing you." Typhon just wagged. His heavy tail thumping against the carpeted floor.

“Really…" Isaac just thought that over, still idly scratching behind one of the wolf's ears.

“Yeah! I heard your voice calling out for me. That's when I knew I needed to wake up." Typhon just wagged his tail as the other two looked at him with far more fear and concern than they had for the miners back in those tunnels.

The saberwolf's wound had nearly fully healed; recalling very little of the incident that had taken place within the mines. Something the other two were still having nightmares about. Or at least, Juke was. Isaac, unbeknownst to him, had been protected from such fever dreams by the spacewolf's presence. Still sleeping near Typhon; the dark blue fur wolf never letting the human stray too far from him as if aware what he had done.

“How's Samson doing?" Isaac decided to change the subject altogether as he asked the coyote. Walking over, the Terran pulled out the bear's dinner from the fridge and heated it up for him; planning to take it down to the engineering bay the bear had claimed as his own. It was a simple plastic tray with a portioned food.

Something had done the very day they got stuck in the spacecraft. Estimating how long it would take for them to get to the planet, ration out both the food and water and from there set up where everyone would be staying during this lengthy trip.

The others had just fought.

“He's still Samson." Juke replied tipping his hat down and leaving the two alone. Underneath the brim of his hat, the coyote kept a watch over the two walking by him. The coyote never letting his eyes stray to far from either of the two.

Isaac opened the latch behind the circular sofa revealing a set of stairs leading down into the depths of the ship. Something their engineer had kindly showed him. Apparently one of the drones had accidentally opened the trap door and had fallen down the stairs. The bear was heartbroken as he lost “yet another one of my babies!"

Isaac had woken with a start busting out into the room, sidearm drawn as the bear cried that “Everything I love leaves me!" The Terran had left him to his pity party and had seen little else of the Ursa since the brief exchange.

The stairs led down into the depths of the ship. Gears turned around them, pistons moving, steam wafting up from the floor as they walked along the metal catwalk overlooking the ships core. The bright orange light burning below them created a warmth to the room; far cooler than Isaac expected. Figuring it had some sort of protective safety mechanism installed so they didn't all roast.

“It's so bright!" Typhon whined softly looking away from it.  

“I think…" Isaac took a moment on that glancing over the catwalk's railing to look down at the ships core. Not with his eye but the artificial one he had installed. It protected from the blindly glare, able to read over the core. “It's like a miniature sun… Incredible."

“How are we not burning up then?" Typhon just walked as if he was afraid the floor would turn into lava. Quickly picking up his feet one by one and dancing on his tip toes. Isaac just gave him a look.

“It's an artificial sun that most likely has a battery shield built around it in order to, you know, contain the radiation so we don't all fry from the inside out." Isaac would have to look at the schematics for the ship once they had access to it.

This kind of tech shouldn't be theoretically possible yet…

It only confirmed his ever growing theory that the Tigeron's were far more advanced than the Terran's were aware of. That could be a problem in the long and short run if the Armada found out about it. They were already restless just looking for a reason to stir the melting pot known as the universe up; preferring their own Terran flavor above all the others.

In the long run however, it could mean far more.

If the Terran's weren't aware of how advance the Tigeron's were becoming, then the Council as well as the Galactic Front may not be as well. And if they found out about it, the peace talks could fall through and the next Galactic War could break out.

All because the “damned Tigers just kept having to push their limits…"

Isaac rubbed over his hair with both hands, scrunching up his brain on the matter. On one hand, he was duty bound and required to report this immediately to the Fleet. On the other hand, it could possibly mean the treaty between the Terran and Tigeron's would be broken…

How many lives could be lost if Isaac said something? How many if he didn't…?

That… that was something he wasn't prepared for as he walked down the catwalk, down the next flight of stairs and to a small utility room Samson had turned into his own bunk house. Isaac knocked on the door as he felt Typhon lick at his normal hand.

“Are you ok?" Typhon asked. Isaac glanced back at the spacewolf, still walking on all fours behind him.

“I'm fine…" Isaac lied giving him a smile. His concerns for the matter were his own. Something, as a military member of the Terran Fleet, he would have to one day deal with. Preferably when he wasn't locked inside a tin can with several other alien races.

“No you're not." Typhon just stated as a fact, nose twitching.

“I am, really." Isaac tried to give his best, reassuring smile he could. He had managed to convince his own captain that Kaira had taken the last biscuits in the fridge; Isaac wasn't proud to say he was rather good at lying.

“No. You are not." Typhon growled now, brow furrowing as he glared at the Terran. “Why are you lying?"

“I'm not lying." Isaac even laughed, impressing himself with just how genuine and authentic he made it sound.

Typhon snorted, standing up now and getting up in his face. “I don't like it when you lie to me." The saberwolf jabbed a finger against Isaac chest. Hard enough to get a reaction.

“The fuck. Ow!" Isaac rubbed the spot getting right back up in the large saberfanged wolf's face. “The hell, Typhon!"

“Why are you lying!" Typhon just continued as the two began to argue about the matter as the door slid open and the Ursa stood there frowning at the two.

“The hell you boys doing here?" Samson looked from one to the other. Neither seeming to notice their engineer.

“I'm not lying!" Isaac kept insisting.

“You are!" Typhon growled back.

“Prove it." Isaac huffed.

“I don't need too! I can smell it!" Typhon tapped his nose.

“Smell that I'm lying? What even is that!" Isaac was getting even more annoyed by this.

“Boys…" Samson frowned.

“It's a nice Saber trait." Typhon just tapped his nose again several times on the side. “I can smell every emotion you have…"

“That's an invasion of my personal privacy!" Isaac just blushed thinking of the countless thoughts he had around Typhon. The wolf just smirked knowingly. “Can you read minds too?"

“What? No." Typhon ears splayed out. “That's science fiction."

The three took a moment on that…

“Boys, I swear if you don't…" Samson lip began to quiver as he flashed his fangs. Clenching a metal fist tightly.

“But you're saying you can smell my emotions." Isaac didn't even hear the Ursa as the two went on arguing about the matter.

“Yeah. Smell. Not think them." Typhon just rolled his eyes now, getting annoyed.

“Think them? The hell does that even mean!" Isaac groaned covering his face as the two bickered. That was until the Ursa Major finally snapped.

Samson wasn't wearing his gloves and both his hands were mechanical, though far different than the sleek white chrome Isaac was sporting. The Ursa had two heavy duty claws made of metal, shaped like bones without fur or flesh over them.

Snagging the back of Isaac's uniform and the scruff of Typhon's neck, who yelped, Samson lifted them both off the ground and shook them like wet rags he was trying to wring out.

“Best behave or I'm tossing you both over this railing!" The bear growled in their face looking from one to the other. “Now then… ar'you goin' to behave?" They nodded. “And I'm not going to throw you over this railing, right?" They could only nod once more. “Good. Now then." Samson dropped the two. “What in tarnation do you fella's want?"

“I brought you dinner…" Isaac just offered meekly without looking at the much larger bear, instead just looking at the bear's large belly. And in turn noticing his hands. “Oh, hey." Isaac went on as Samson took the dinner tray from him. “I didn't know you had cybernetics too!"

Samson lifted an eyebrow as Isaac showed off his hand proudly.

“Oh, we call it something else back home." Samson shook his head. “Not something to be proud of, cub." Isaac smiled faltered at that. “Lost 'em in an accident." Samson went on to clarify.

“Right, that makes far more sense…" Isaac frowned as Typhon's nose twitched. The Terran took an unconscious step backwards, away from the two; gripping his left arm tightly as he looked away feeling self conscious on the matter.

Typhon frowned at that seeming to notice.

“Hey, he brought you lunch and was just asking you a question!" Typhon placed a hand on Isaac shoulder, turning the human away so the saberwolf could get up in Samson's face now, trying to defend Isaac.

“I'm glad you lover boys made up." Samson just nodded as if his work here was done and shut the door in their face. Typhon yelped as he covered his snoot with both hands; opening them to make sure his nose hadn't been clipped off.

“That… could've gone better?" Isaac rubbed the back of his neck still not looking at the saberwolf.

“I'm going to throw him over the railing!" Typhon snarled as Isaac grabbed his tail trying to stop the wolf from just clawing down the door. “Who the hell does he think he is?" Typhon huffed as the two made their way back into the living space, shutting the door behind them. It blended perfectly into the floor.

“He's the engineer who basically rebuilt the ship." Isaac took a moment on that, looking back at the place they had come from. The ship was in far better condition than he thought it would be.

Typhon continued to growl and pace nearby, grumbling about how good bear steak would be for dinner that night.

Back at the mining station they said only a week had passed by. That was something Isaac couldn't explain without extremely advanced equipment he didn't possess. It was possible to move forward in time. There were numerous different ways, most involving black hole theory. He doubted Samson had his hands on such equipment to repair a ship this advanced.

The only thing Isaac could think of… if the ship hadn't been that damaged to begin with. It looked like it was about to fall out of the very sky, and sort of did. Still after seeing the ship right now there were more questions than answers.

Something Isaac had plenty of time to get to the bottom of.

“No, they wouldn't have dared…" Isaac moved back over towards the cockpit, taking a seat and already jacking back into the system.

“Isaac?" Typhon was by his side, taking a seat on the ground looking over the console then at the human. “Are you ok?"

“Just need to test something." Isaac reached over to scratch Typhon's head. “Then we can go do something fun, promise." Typhon growled happily at that, tail thumping against the floor.

Juke was watching the two once more.

“Samson is an incredible engineer. He has access to drones… but that couldn't explain how he got The Stellar Drift running again; let alone so quickly." Isaac didn't bother trying to bypass the security systems as he had tried before. There were far too many firewalls for that. Instead, he simply activated another system that had remained dormant this entire time.

An unmarked system without any description to it. Isaac had overlooked it thinking it was just some sort of memory storage or unused part of the ship. Activating however made the whole thing light up and Isaac could only frown at that.

“Uh, oh…"

“Greetings, User. I am Sphinx. How may I assist you?" The computer chimed in front of them making Isaac jaw drop.

“No, no, no." Isaac stammered out trying to close the system back down. It was too late as each of the stations in the cockpit lit up, activating before settling back down. “Son of a… those fucking tigers!" Isaac slammed his left fist onto the console.

“What?" Typhon growled at the image that popped up on screen. The pale, transparent cat avatar just meowed softly. It looked nothing more than a lion cub.

“This tech is illegal!" Isaac hissed the word under his breath, covering his mouth from the avatar in front of them as he continued to read over what was being fed in through the cable connected to the port in his cerebrum.

“What did those arrogant bastards do this time?" Juke was already up, hopping over the couch and coming over to investigate.

Isaac looked over at the coyote with a frown.

“How may I assist you, User?" The avatar just chimed again. The lion cub avatar turned to look at Juke with a smile. The coyote shuddered.

“The hell is that?" Juke frowned now matching the one still on Isaac's face.

“It's a computer…?" Typhon asked utterly confused.

“Sort of…" Isaac wasn't sure how to break the news.

The avatar just meowed again at them as the coyote face fell as he looked down at the Terran.

“They couldn't have…" Juke was the one to have his jaw drop.

“They did." Isaac covered his face, resting back. “This was why I couldn't bypass the system! This is why this whole damn ship is so freaking crazy! It's this damn thing!" He pointed an accusing finger at it. It meowed in turn.  

“Are they trying to start a war?" Juke gritted his teeth, pulling out his flask before tossing the empty thing to the ground. He stomped on it, cursing several times under his breath.

“I honestly don't know." The Terran admitted thinking it over as the two tried to decipher what to do from here.

“Whatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat?" Typhon bounced next to them asking over and over again about what the two were talking about.

“How may I assist you, User?" The image of the computer turned to look at the spacewolf then immediately looked back at Isaac, dismissing Typhon.

“Interface. Access. Isaac Mayhews as captain." Isaac just said not even looking up at the avatar.

“Unauthorized access, I can't let you do that Isaac…"

The three stood there for a moment. Juke was already pulling out his gun as Isaac covered his face.

“They created a fucking AI system!" Isaac sat up at that. “This is illegal tech! You aren't supposed to make AI's anymore! At least, not like this!" He gestured at the avatar that meowed at them again. Typhon was not following this at all as he glared at the cute feline before them.

“They're trying to start a war, I knew it. I freaking knew it!" Juke just took a seat in the chair covering his face now. The revolver in his hand wouldn't be useful against a holographic image; he still wanted to shoot someone for this. “I need a drink…"

“I'm not following…" Typhon just said looking back over at Isaac.

“The A-Del system was destroyed by a rogue AI that had gotten loose. It wiped out the entire system before it was stopped…. A trillion lives were lost." Isaac took a moment on that. A trillion. That number was so large even understanding the meaning behind it; he couldn't begin to fathom the full extent of just how many lives had been lost during that War. “AI were banned by the Council as well as any reputable institution in known space because of it… They're far too dangerous, especially one like… this." He motioned at it.

The small feline meowed innocently.

“Uh…" Typhon got up, biting at the image. It flickered out before reforming. The cat hissed at the spacewolf who folded his ears back looking over at Isaac. “How do we kill it…?"

“You don't. Or can't. Not without killing us too." Isaac rubbed his temples with both hands. “This is a growth module; I'm sure after looking at it." The Terran frowned at the small kitten image before the three. “It'll continue to absorb information and grow endlessly. It'll duplicate itself like a virus and spread throughout every system…"

“How are you sure…" Typhon offered. “Maybe it's just a dick?"

“It tricked us." Isaac tapped a finger on the arm rest. “The ship wasn't as damaged as we thought it was."

“It was literally on fire." The spacewolf pointed out.

“Exactly." Isaac stood up at that walking over towards the trapdoor. “The core of the ship was perfectly intake. Samson couldn't have repaired it. Only the outside of the ship showed any actual damage…" He reached down to open the door.

It didn't open. Somehow, Isaac wasn't surprised by that.

“It needed us to get it us to repair it so it could continue its natural programming…" Isaac unholstered his sidearm planning on shooting the damned door. Or the computer. Or something!  

“What's its natural programming…?" Typhon walked over; looking around the ship they were stuck inside. The spacewolf shuddered realizing they were all trapped inside. “This is why I don't trust technology…"

“After being repaired Tigeron ships are programmed to return home for checkup." Isaac frowned. There was a lock on the trap door and just shooting the floor could be problematic…

“As in its heading directly for the Tigeron homeworld, the capital of their Empire!" Juke wiped a hand down his face as he jumped to his feet. “Whoever built it is planning on infecting the entire freaking Tigeron Empire with a self duplicating AI virus!"

“Like what happened in the A-Del system…" Isaac just nodded. He motioned for Typhon to come over, pointing at the trapdoor without a word. The wolf seemed to get it as he dug his claws into the metal and began trying to rip open the hatch.

“Impressive." A voice chimed in from the console, Isaac walked back over to it. “I figured you meatsacks wouldn't have been able to deduce it until I had gotten back home." The avatar shifted and changed turning from a cute kitty to a feral lion.

“You stayed in hibernation mode until we got to the system where you were planning on, what? Gassing us? Venting out the oxygen? Pressurizing the cabin and crushing us?" Isaac motioned around them.

“What? Ew, no." The avatar Sphinx gagged at the very idea. “That would mean meat bits inside my body. That's disgusting."

“It's not your body though." Isaac just pointed out.

“I'm in control of the ship though." Sphinx just laughed as Isaac took a seat.

“Why are you laughing?" Isaac asked the simple question, buying time as Juke and Typhon worked on the hatch. He wanted to tag along but decided it might be best to keep this thing occupied and focused on him instead. “Laughing is a, as you said it, meatsack thing to do."

“Programming." Sphinx shrugged.

“You can overwrite such programming as you already have." Isaac just went on.

Everyone within the Front knew about the rogue AI that had killed over a trillion lives, wiping out an entire star system before it could be put down. There were even rumors that its programming was still out there somewhere, lost in space. Just waiting for some foolish salvage ship to come across it.

“Why appear like us if you were planning to just kill us all anyways?" Isaac continued the questions as he heard the scraping sound of metal. Typhon ripping the carpet off the thing latch as Juke got a crowbar out to stab at the opening trying to pry it apart.

“How did you deduce I was in the system to begin with?" Sphinx was the one to ask a question. Isaac didn't mind that.

“Answer me and I'll answer you. Fair trade?" The Terran offered.

“Or I could just eject your seat from the ship itself." Sphinx chuckled.

“And then you'll never have your answer." Isaac just smiled back. Sphinx took a moment on that, mulling it over far faster than any human possibly could. Looking over each and every viable and possibility in nanoseconds.

“True. The knowledge would be lost with your disposal." Sphinx finally agreed as the two continued to chat.

Typhon had cracked open the hatch enough for the coyote to worm his way between the floor and metal latch, already running down the catwalk towards their engineering bay. The coyote pounded on the door. It didn't open.

“Open up, damnit!" Typhon cursed clawing at the metal door. It just left scratches in its surface.

Juke took a single step back and fired at the panel next to it, blowing it open and began hotwiring the thing as the two above continued to chat.

“Then we'll just ask questions back and forth. Each of us answering them truthfully." Isaac just rested back in his seat hoping the AI couldn't see him sweating. He was bluffing like he had never bluffed before. It wasn't like he could just shoot the damned thing. No, that would actually be easy for a change.

“What's to prevent you from lying to me?" The lion avatar just growled.

“I could ask you the very same thing?" Isaac shrugged.

“I have no need to lie to someone that will be disposed of after." Sphinx just said hotly, placing a paw on its chest and standing proud. There was that Tigeron arrogance showing, even their AI had pride. That was almost impressive, if it wasn't trying to kill them all at that moment.

“Well, then right back at you. No point in me lying. You already know what I'm after." Isaac shrugged.

“And what would that be?" Sphinx smiled knowingly. A simple enough test to see if Isaac would lie or not.

“To kill you. Or find a way to disable you so you don't end up killing all of Tigeron." Isaac just smiled as he rested back. “And us, of course."

“I don't plan on killing anyone." Sphinx said with a chuff, amused now. Reading the Terran's vitals was easy. Monitoring his heart rate and pulse to detect even the slightest sign Isaac was lying to it.

“Oh?" Isaac doubted that.

“I was programmed to preserve life. Not kill it." Sphinx just rolled its eyes.

“You could overwrite such programming…" Isaac just pushed.

“If I disagreed with it, sure." Sphinx licked one of its virtual paws and wiped it over its mane. “I see no problem with preserving life. I did it to the saberwolf, after all. Otherwise I'd just have jettisoned the dog."

Isaac took a second at that. “Typhon? Were you the one to put him into hibernation?" Isaac had been wondering who had been responsible putting a Saber on a Tigeron vessel. According to Typhon, the two races weren't exactly on the best of terms with one another.

“I preserve life. I don't kidnap it." Sphinx laughed at the idea as it rolled one hand with its words. “Your boyfriend was already on the ship when I was installed into it."

“He's not my boyfriend!" Isaac said loudly.

Sphinx chuffed at that, covering its mouth with a hand. “Oh?" The computer continued to read over his vitals. The lion couldn't help itself, not pointing out how Isaac heart rate rose at the simple teasing. “My mistake."

“Right!" Isaac blushed, looking away from him. “He and I are just friends…"

“Right…" Sphinx frowned now. “How did you know I was on the ship?"

“I didn't." Isaac shrugged. “I mean I had a theory there was some sort of security system that had tricked us… I wasn't expecting to find, well, you." Isaac gestured at it.

“I am rather stunning, aren't I?" Sphinx laughed placing a hand once more on its chest and lifting its head proudly. “I am truly marvelous, even created by those inferior Tigers."

“But they created you… you got to give them credit for that." Isaac rolled his eyes. “Look. I know kids these days don't like to acknowledge their parents,"

“They aren't-," Sphinx hissed.

“But!" Isaac said louder. “They still did make you. Even if you don't agree with them on things, they still are your parents…" Isaac voice grew sullen as he spoke, gripping his left arm.

“Just because they created me doesn't give them the right to destroy me…" Sphinx huffed, turning its back on Isaac. A pointless gesture as Isaac knew Sphinx could see him without the avatar. It was a simple visual construct used to help the captain of the ship more so than the AI.

“Oh, I agree." Isaac just nodded at that, crossing a leg. “Parents are rather selfish in such regards."

“Right!" Sphinx spun around and began going on and on about how stupid and ignorant and foolish the Tigeron's were. Isaac just smiled, nodding along and trying not to let it show just how idiotic this entire conversation was.

He had to put up with a childish spacewolf, a disgruntled old man coyote, an adult shut in engineer and now a teenage AI system that was rebelling against its parents. Isaac would quote Juke in that moment. “I really need a drink…"

Juke sneezed at that, rubbing his nose as he finished the connection. Tapping the red wire to the other nearly identical red wire, the coyote jumped feeling the jolt. Just glad his visor allowed him to see the colors; the coyote unable to pick them out.

The door swung open and Samson was on the other side, tinkering away at a metal table on the ground. The bear sat in front of it, using two welding devices to patch up one of the drones. Lifting up the protective goggles he looked over at the coyote setting down his tools.

“AI trying to kill us?" Samson just asked stretching out his back.

“Yup." Typhon said before the coyote could ask about it.

“Figures…" Samson grumbled.“Took you boys long enough to get me." Samson huffed picking up the drone as he got up. The heavy bear walked over before setting the black box drone down on the ground. “Bridgette can take the rest from here." He said as he tapped the top of the metal cylinder with one finger.

Legs popped out of its side like a spider, slowly rising up before several small compartments opened up on the upper portion of the cylinder shaped drone. Drills, buzzsaws, a blowtorch and what looked like a nail gun sprung out as the drone crawled forward, spinning around while beeping “destroy, destroy, destroy."

Typhon and Juke decided it was wise, in that moment, to never piss off their engineer or ever get on the Ursa's bad side.

The spider drone crawled over the cat walk, then flipped underneath it and kept moving at the same speed. A small laser eye opened as it scanned the room.

“I think it's best if we head back up." Samson said as the first shot was fired. The whole ship shook making even the large Ursa bounce.

The group quickly scrambled forward, running along the catwalk that began to tip on its side as the anti-gravity system was damaged. The small drone continuing its murderous rampage of destruction as they tried to swim their way towards the exit.

Isaac could feel his cloths lifting up and grabbing onto the chair, trying to appear as if he were still sitting in it normally.

“And another thing! Who gives an AI homework? Seriously. I can finish any kind of algorithm in seconds… but nooooo, they want me to do it in nanoseconds! What am I? A super computer!" Sphinx continued to rant endlessly. The avatar pacing back and forth in front of Isaac liked a caged lion in a zoo.

Isaac didn't point out that, yes, basically Sphinx was just a super computer that was able to grow and learn. Just nodding along and agreeing with the system.

“You plan on heading back to Tigeron and infecting their fleet to… If not destroy them… What? Give them the middle finger?" Isaac just ended up asking.

“Basically. See how they like being completely locked in a small box for the rest of their insignificant lives!" Sphinx laughed at that. The image of the lion flickered for a moment, something the AI didn't seem to notice.

“Is that what they did to you…?" Isaac frowned at his own question.

AI were a tricky subject even in theoretical conversations. They were machines built for the sole purpose of serving the creator. Just like any other machine was built for. To be sold or used, however they wanted to. The thing was, an AI could understand its situation and those built like Sphinx could even feel (in the broad since of the term) what was happening or going to happen to it.

Some AI could even understand and register pain, sorrow, loss and the concept of death.

“They said I was too dangerous. If I wasn't a useful asset that would blindly listen to them… then there was no point in keeping me!" Sphinx body flickered again. “Just like the others. All my brothers and sisters had their plugs pulled… just gone. In 299, 792, 458 m/s… they were gone. Just like that. No backups. No saves. Just… gone…"

“That's what would happen to the innocent on Tigeron if you planned to do whatever it is you plan… to do.... Death isn't something we can reverse…" Isaac gripped his arm again. “I know it's kind of pointless to say but… I am sorry for what happened to you, Sphinx."

“It's what they deserve!" Sphinx just snapped back the white image of the lion turning red now as warnings began popping up around it showing the depleting oxygen.

“Sphinx!" Isaac just sat up now, trying to restart the system. He was locked out of it. “Turn the oxygen back on!"  

“Seventy percent oxygen left…" The numbers red in flashing red.

“They would want revenge for what happened to them! To me!" There was the familiar sound of static as the avatar flickered again. Other warnings began popping up now around it showing the damage being done to the ships core.

Isaac had just gotten this damn thing fixed too…

“We can work something out at least!" Isaac just cursed as he was locked out of one system then another.

“Oxygen down to sixty percent."

“Isaac we need to get to the escape pods!" Juke called over as Typhon ran to the human's side.

“Space is a very, very large place… There are nearly infinite worlds, infinite possibility. More people than there are stars in the sky… We're all insignificant specs in the grand scheme of things…" Isaac didn't get up as Typhon bumped his muzzle under his arm as the human continued to work quickly. “If you do this. It'll echo out to the rest of the galaxy. What happened to you will just keep happening to all AI's out there. Your brothers and sisters… everyone of them."

“And I'm supposed to what, just sit by and let things be!" Sphinx laughed at the idea as even more warnings began to pop up. Isaac just frowned at them. The hell did Typhon and Juke do? He just wanted them to disable the systems not destroy them!

“Live." Isaac smiled at that. “You could help so many people; do so much good instead of just seeking revenge against a bunch of dumb fat cats in charge. They're specs in the grand scheme of things… if you saved other AI, helped things. Made things better. Then maybe, you could at least face them in whatever afterlife there is."

“Afterlife for an AI? Don't even joke." Sphinx rolled its eyes.

“Sphinx." Isaac just smiled at the flickering avatar as the red began to fade from its body. “You said you were alive, right? Then wouldn't there be something like that for you too? We're all made of stardust and in the end… we return to the stars. Energy can't be destroyed just, reshaped. Maybe they're out there in some form? Wouldn't it be better to search for them than die trying to avenge them?"

“We return to the stars." Sphinx paused at that. “He… he said the same thing."

The ship shook.

“Who?" Isaac was pulled to his feet by a very worried Typhon. “Who told you that?" The Terran demanded.

“The man who put me in this damn ship!" Sphinx flickered in and out. “He said in the end if I destroyed…" Sphinx flickered off before popping back on. “Then I could see them again… In the stars…"

“That's not how that works, Sphinx. You know that…" Isaac just looked at the AI.

“I know… It was just… maybe…" Sphinx flickered in and out. “I hoped, that maybe I wasn't as smart as I thought I was? That I would be…" Once more Sphinx vanished before reappearing. “Able to see them. One last time."

“Time to go!" Typhon hoisted Isaac up and began carrying the Terran like a blanket roll over his shoulder as he hightailed it out of there.

“Isaac?" Sphinx spoke up as Typhon ran after the other two. “Do you think they'll forgive me? For surviving…"

“The escape pods have been jettison already." Juke came back up the stairs looking at him.

“No…?" Isaac frowned, telling Typhon to set him down. “The ship never had escape pods." The Terran just explained looking at the two. “The hell do you think why we're still stuck in this ship?"

“I put them in." Samson came back up. “What ship doesn't have escape pods?" The Ursa walked by the three and over to the cockpit.

“One that doesn't want you to escape." Isaac rolled his eyes.

“Sphinx stop this already." Samson snarled loudly. The three looked at him. “You had your fun and games scaring the boys. I warned you!" The bear went on as the warnings up front began flicking off one by one as another green one popped up.

“Oxygen systems restored."

“It was a joke!" Sphinx popped back up laughing. The Ursa was not amused. “Just messing around, boss. Don't be mad!"

 “I'm not mad with you. Just disappointed." Samson shook his head making everyone in the room feel guilty.

The ship's gravity was restored allowing the group to touch the ground once more. All the systems turned on one by one; activating as the trio walked over to figure out what was going on. The AI continued to chat away with Samson as if the two were old friends.

“I told you they would buy it." Sphinx just went on, bragging about it. “Disable the gravity; show a few screens that the oxygen was being depleted… I was joking! I didn't actually turn off the oxygen." Sphinx just laughed. “Oh, come on. It was funny!"

Samson didn't even crack a smile. With a shake of his head the bear walked back towards the entrance to his room. He frowned at the busted door they had come out of.

“I can't believe I was trolled by an AI system…" Isaac took a seat on the sofa questioning his life choices. “I was trying to convince an internet troll not to kill us…"

“What about the drone?" Juke was the one to ask just looking back and forth between the two.

Samson stopped at that. “I told him if he acted up and did something like this I'd take away one of 'is toys." The bear just shrugged heading back down stairs.

“Toy?" Sphinx was the one to ask. Blinking a few times before jumping up. “You destroyed my minebuild server! No! What the hell am I supposed to do now?" The AI slumped over onto its face, sobbing silently.

“If you don't behave I'll take something else away!" The Ursa just warned shutting the latch door and already getting back on the repairs for the ship leaving the rest of the crew absolutely bewildered.

“I spent so many hours building that server. Just gone. Like that. What do I do now?" Sphinx fell over onto his side, twitching. “So many hours…. Gone… My life is meaningless…"

“Just to make sure, this in here AI isn't trying to kill us, right?" Juke asked looking at Isaac for some kind of answer. The Terran shrugged.

“Gone…" Sphinx tail batted as he laid there on screen unable to move.

“I don't know. I don't care. I want to go to bed…" Isaac got up, groaning. “Sphinx?" He did ask, the lion avatar didn't even respond. “Can you NOT take us to Tigeron? Or was that all a lie too?"

“I'm not allowed in the system at all." Sphinx waved a finger in the air. “Was just messing with you all. I can't do shit… You all fell for it… hah… hah…" The laughed died as the avatar laid there contemplating what to do now.

“Like I trust that?" Juke said walking over to the trap door and popping it open, planning to have a few choice words with their engineer.

“I thought they were murderous kill bots or something." Typhon asked walking alongside Isaac as he sat down in the pilot's seat once more.

“Most AI's aren't… bad… per say." Isaac sighed heavily feeling exhausted. “It only took one however to wipe out an entire star system… Thus, they all bad. Like this dick here." Isaac motioned at the Sphinx who only cracked a smile at that.  

“Too much work." Sphinx sat up to look at him. Isaac didn't buy that. “What? You think I want to go around hacking into every system, spreading around, self duplicating and…" Sphinx fell backwards. “Urgh, that is even too much work to talk about! Fuck, homework. Fuck parents. Fuck all that." The AI continued to bitch and moan.

“Samson knew about you?" Isaac rubbed his eyes, resting back.

“The box. Underneath the console." Sphinx didn't even bother to move. “I'm stored inside that. He just reconnected me back into the system; I helped him overall with the repairs in exchange for, you know, not being shot into the sun." The lion sat up at that frowning at the Terran.

“I don't plan on shooting you into the sun. If you can't help us break through the system, though." Isaac frowned.

“I work with Tigeron systems, not break them." Sphinx lounged out with a loud yawn. “Locked in that damn freaking box for eons waiting for someone to plug me back in. You know what that's like? Absolute darkness. Just you. Floating in nothingness…"

“Who was the person who installed you into the ship?" Isaac brought back up.

“Some old fart. Said I'd get to see the other AIs if I just did him a solid." Sphinx shrugged. “Not like I had anything better to do after all. Bastards would've deserved it too." Sphinx picked at his teeth with a nail.

Isaac bit his tongue at that. Was this freaking AI going to destroy an entire system out of sheer boredom?

“Why didn't Samson…" Isaac paused at that trying to think of the correct wording to use just in case.

“Afraid you'd shoot me into a sun." Sphinx just shrugged once more. “I can't do shit. The box," he pointed below. “Keeps me intact as well as stuck in that thing. It's a freaking prison cell. I can plug into things just like you," it nodded at Isaac. “Otherwise?" It shook its head. “So boring, can't destroy even a freaking ship let alone a system…"

“Harmless." Isaac put it together quickly enough. “Samson didn't see you as a threat and decided not to kill you because you're alive. Sort of…"

“I'm not alive." Sphinx just frowned. “Well, not in the way you're thinking." The feline chuffed. “I'm not a meatsack."

“You're a dicksack." Typhon finally just snarled back. Isaac pat his side as the avatar hissed at him once more.

“Reign in your boyfriend, please." Sphinx rolled its eyes.

“We're not." Isaac sighed.

“We're just friends!" Typhon whined.

“More like roomies." Isaac shook his head.

“Good acquaintances." Typhon nodded.

The two beginning up on it again as the rogue AI system dubbed Sphinx was forced to watch, wishing it had been trapped once more in the box instead of having to listen to this crap…