FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Toya tested the rig line with his wing claw. The metal cable bowed and hummed, causing his ear to vibrate with harmony. He frowned. The pulley system had not been replaced in years. The micro-fractures and frays in the wire caused the vibrations to shift in pitch. On the other end, two hooks locked to either side of a crate twisted.

"This needs to be replaced," he grumbled. Across the docking bay, a silver-gray Pteran swiveled an ear towards him. The brass bands in his hair jangled with the motion.

"Sure, we can get a whole new system." Arkay laughed. "While we're at it, we can get a new elevator platform. A dozen of those fancy mag clamps. A new ship, while we're at it!"

"We have the resources to spare," said Toya.

"Not the point." Arkay thumped his wing against the hull, beyond which lightyears of space lay. "Out here, we have to take care of what we've got."

The Pteran shooed him to the side and cranked the cog next to the system. The wires began to travel, and the cargo box slid across the platform. Soon it drifted across the air, slow and steady, like it was gliding across to the waiting hand-truck.

Arkay put his hand-claws against his hips and watched the box move with a sure smile.

About a meter from its destination, the wire screeched and the pulley wheel jammed. In an instant, the left wire twisted and the container did a drunken pirouette. It shuddered from side to side, thumping violently until one of the hooks popped loose.

"Shit!" Toya sprinted beneath it and thrust his shoulder against the container. The cool alloy dug into his fur, and he felt the impact vibrate through the tips of his claws.

Arkay locked the pulley and hurried over. They lifted together, straining with great effort to get the box back onto the mechanism. Then the Pteran began to fuss over him, inspecting the spot where Toya had been hit.

"Nothing broken. Does anything hurt?"

Toya flexed his wing. A dull throbbing rose around the bone. He would be paying for the bump later, but it wasn't anything to go to the medical bay over. "It mostly startled me."

"Good," said Arkay. His wingtip lingered in Toya's fur a little longer before drawing back. They had exchanged pleasantries, but not touched much since Toya joined his band. Flights usually spent much more time in physical contact while familiarizing, but they normally chose their members first.

"Guess we could ask around for a replacement," Arkay said.

"You need to trust my judgment with these things." Toya's ears lay flat as he guided the box the rest of the way. He lowered it down onto an identical stack of two, marked with labels for Golden Stars and Gecko Fruit.

Arkay frowned. He followed Toya back to the loading platform where the rest of the shipment waited and put a wing on his good shoulder. "Let's sit."

Toya flicked his ear with annoyance and then sighed. "I'm sorry. You just… remind me of someone."

"I know. This is your first time in a new flight, isn't it?"

"No, of course not." Toya shook his head. "I left my birth flight ten years ago."

"Yeah, but that's expected." Arkay opened his wings wide. "I get it. Flights from the Academy tend to stick together for life. You're not used to being the new voice."

The merchant looked him in the eye. "You're going to need to speak. And we're not always going to listen. It's going to take time before we've found our harmony."

Toya nodded. Arkay had done so much to make him feel at home. Even though he was from a completely different continent, he, Solara, and Fiona had immediately accepted Toya into their lives. He shared their meals, their sleeping chambers, and even their gossip about the station's residents.

He was learning, but they hadn't been able to get him to talk about the accident.

It hurts so much, he thought. I can't do this to my new flight. The hurt has to end with me.

"What if we're not a match?" said Toya. "I don't think you would have ever taken in someone like me."

"Oof." Arkay rubbed the back of his head with his wing. "You really are from the central colonies, aren'cha."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toya narrowed his eyes.

"I know you don't think too much about the kind of life we lead, but we take in whoever needs it." Arkay waved his wings around the bay. Around the nose of the ship, Solara and Fiona were unloading the aft platform onto another carrier. They looked up and smiled before turning back to what they were doing.

"Maybe you find a pack of prettywings you like better someday," Arkay went on, "and you go your merry way. I'm not saying you've got to be ours forever. But for now, we're what you have."

A scar of anger throbbed in Toya's mind where his last flight used to be, and he realized why Arkay wasn't mad.

He was used to seeing this.

"I guess I never realized how different life was outside the Corps," said Toya. "No. I knew. I just didn't like thinking about it."

"You've got us," Arkay said again. "And we've got you."

"Thank you. I'll… I promise I'll talk about it soon. I just need a little more time."

An awkward static crackled between the two Pterans, each wanting to get closer and each repelled by an unseen feeling. It was like the pitch between them sounded wrong, just like the pulley did.

A loud slam reverberated through the adjacent bay. "What do you mean it wasn't onboard? It's right here on the manifest!"

A muffled, scattered reply sounded from the hallway. Toya hopped down from the platform and tuned his ears to the voice.

"I'll be right back," he said.

"We've got to finish unloading!" Arkay called, raising his wing as Toya raced away from the freighter.

“This sounds important," said Toya. “Whatever's going on, we need to know."

* * *

"It's on the bloody manifest!" The Veyah's voice could have belonged to a Heskar for all of its booming. "Check again. Pull apart the walls if you have to."

The hiss and grind of the bay door did not catch the attention of the pair arguing outside the adjacent bay. Toya recognized the Veyah as the individual that his original wing intended to report to when they arrived at the station. Chief Engineer Ajax's reputation preceded them despite the private nature of his race.

The winged avian wore a thick, midnight blue cloak that draped to the floor and a wrap of darker black around their middle. Ajax's hood was down so that their raised black crest could be seen, but a silvery mask obscured their face. Every Veyah that Toya had ever met, seen, or heard of in documents wore these as a centerpiece of their culture. The exact reasoning had not been disclosed to other races in the Confederacy, but they maintained the same level of secrecy with one another as they did with neighboring species, and so they had learned to take no offense.

Toya did know that the masks contained a sort of voice modulation device, and despite the volume of Ajax's demands, it was lowering their volume considerably.

"You can send your team in to search the shuttle if you'd like," said a Ratling with a brusk shrug. "It was probably just a mistake in the loading bay."

Ajax's feathers curled up even further, giving the impression of crescent moons on either side of their head. A sharp puff of breath was almost muted by their mask, and they lifted their wingtips from underneath their cloak to press against the tip of it.

"This wasn't a milk run, Boyle," they said, voice even and constrained. "This station relies on the T-8 Cluster Cells to maintain its energy banks. We're ramping up the third ring, and that infinite solar power is completely useless if we don't have a way to manage it."

The Ratling fidgeted. "You don't have spares?"

"No, of course not," said Ajax. "The Confederacy gave my team plenty of warning that they were populating the third ring, and I didn't have a contract prepared with a supposedly reliable shipping company."

Boyle withered under the Veyah's imposing stare. "I can promise you a full refund, credit for your trouble…"

"Our life support doesn't run on credit," snapped Ajax. "You get me those cells, or the CE Corp will get another shipping company from now on."

"Yes, sir. Ma'am. Officer." Boyle choked.

Ajax lowered his head, and Toya could imagine the Veyah's eyes narrowed as the Ratling all but scrambled back into the bay doors, praying that he could manifest the cells from thin air.

Then they turned, tucking his wings back into their cloak. The empty, dark eyes of their mask settled on Toya and they lifted the tip of their beak. "Can I help you?"

Toya's heart thumped. "I was hoping I could help you," he said. "My flight spent months reviewing the energy grid for Alpha. There must be something I can do."

Ajax lifted a wing to stop his speaking. "Toya, you have my sympathies, but I'm not giving crew clearance to a vendor. I'll figure this out on my own."

"B'kay…" Toya mumbled, and then averted his eyes, mumbling some mix of acceptance and protest. The Veyah made a stiff gesture of farewell and then stormed off into the corridor.

A minute later he regained his composure and recounted the incident to Arkay and the others. The three seemed to shrug in unison before passing him the towing cables again.

"Let the engineers do their job," said Arkay. "We've got our hands plenty full getting this shipment distributed to the rings."

Toya pressed his wing sails tight to his shoulders. "But I know we can help."

Fiona put a gentle claw on his back. "This is how we help," she said. "The station needs food just as much as it needs fuel. Let the Corp do their part, and we'll do ours."

Toya said nothing and latched the hook onto another crate of thick white roots. He tried to silence the voice in his head asking questions – are there other shippers nearby? Has he tapped into the power reserves already?

He'd spent years of his life shaping his whole being around solving these kinds of problems, and helping this way. How can they ever hope to make this feeling go away?

* * *

Toya spent the rest of the afternoon guiding mobile platforms along the access tunnels, aiding his flight in unloading crates in various kitchens and storerooms. The station's mess hall required the largest shipment, but there were plenty of private shops and owners that had requested a crate or two of their own.

"One more left," said Toya, wiping his brow and peering at the label on the crate. "Says it's for Nil. End of the Universe?"

Arkay, Fiona, and Solara flinched in unison.

"It's a bar, last stall on the third ring," said Solara.

"Uh-huh," said Toya. "And why did you all clench your collective arses when I said its name? Something weird about the bar?"

"Not the bar," said Fiona. "The owner."

"Though the drinks are strange_,_" followed Solara.

Arkay shook his head. "You haven't met the Many, have you?"

The Many. The word was the preferred term of one of their neighboring allies. They had not joined the Confederacy, not due to a lack of interest or friendliness, but because they simply had no unified political body to commit. Each member of the race was said to have a unique physiology, and the rumors as to how they acquired that genetic variation were whispered with the same vitriol as ghost stories.

Even Toya felt an odd skip in his pulse at the thought of one residing on the station.

"We usually draw straws to see who has to make the last drop," said Arkay.

Toya could hardly believe his ears. Nervous or not, that wasn't behavior that befitted a Pteran of any birth, let alone one that was supposed to represent their people in the galactic community. "I'll do it then."

"You sure?" Arkay said. He didn't lift his wing in the usual way that he did when trying to talk Toya out of a new idea.

"Yeah," said Toya. "I need to check out the third ring anyway. If any of you want to join me…"

They should have. Toya's flight should have been willing to at least consider staying in his company, but instead, the three of them suddenly became interested in the blue glow of the access corridors.

"We need to run some diagnostics on the ship," said Arkay, cheerfully changing the subject. "Why don't we meet you at the cafeteria later?"

Toya twitched an ear. Ship diagnostics was something he should have insisted on being involved in. Yet his curiosity tugged at him. What could have spooked them so badly that they were reluctant to even visit this Nil?

"Sure," he muttered, already pushing the mostly empty cart ahead of him.

The utility access ran along the back of each of the businesses, shops, and other establishments set up on the public round. A full half of the ring had been dedicated to space for private enterprise, once the station's population had grown large enough to demand it. That meant shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, and naturally a bar. The further one got towards the end of the section, the fewer visitors wandered down.

Toya wondered if Nil had chosen it themselves, or if the station's administration had decided to stick them in the most remote stall due to the stigma against their people.

He rolled the platform next to the door and tapped the buzzer on the outside. He couldn't hear the call in the bar, or the approach of the owner until they arrived.

Toya looked up and found he was still not looking up enough. His wings stiffened in surprise as he looked up, up, up, until he could meet some of Nil's eight ruby-red eyes.

The Many looked like someone had stuck a hammerhead on a black timberwolf, and then chopped four legs and four arms off of eight different creatures before melting them into one twisted masterpiece. The hand that lifted to greet him reminded him of the larger felines on his homeworld, down to the tender pink pads under their fingers.

"You're new." Nil's voice was a chorus of three tones, winding up from their neck and filling Toya's ears. "Lost the draw?"

Toya shook his head, immediately ashamed of his reaction. "I volunteered," he said. "Where do you want this?"

A fuzzy eyebrow raised at Toya's response. Then the Many stepped forward, one heavy leg landing next to him as they leaned down. A feline hand and a scaled one joined on either side of the crate and lifted it as if it were lighter than a dried leaf.

"The Pterans don't usually come in," they mused.

Toya swallowed. Should I apologize for their behavior? The flight doesn't seem too sorry about it.

"Would you like to?" They followed up. "Your mobile platform will be safe here."

Toya blinked. Despite his unease, his curiosity was growing stronger by the moment.

"Sure," he said.

Nil laughed, a sound like barking and water running over rocks, and swept their tail to cue the door to remain open. "Right this way."

Toya followed Nil into the establishment, where they paused for a sharp left to stow the box on a vacant shelf. A passageway, narrow for Nil's body, led into cold storage and a small kitchenette.

The tour continued into the public-facing bar. A crescent wrapped around the staff access to a suite of tables and booths. The bar's lights, soft coppers and blues, cast the same brightness that shone from the window-like displays along the wall. The far side showed Ghost in its full glory, its sky-blue plasma frozen in place and yet radiating its eternal light.

Only a few patrons occupied the bar at the moment. A single Veyah sat at at the far end of the bar, and a pair of the wolf-like Covax lay on cushions next to a circular table.

"Sit wherever you'd like," said Nil, waving a hand across the bar. "I'll mix you up something on the house."

Toya nodded and scanned the available seats. Here and there he saw narrow stools and perches that might be suited for his kind. He wanted to keep looking at Nil, but forced himself to mind his manners and instead spotted a familiar face in the booth nearest to the entrance.

"Jules?" he called.

The Heskar looked up from his half-drained glass and blinked. "That you, Toya? Get over here!"

For a moment, he completely forgot his host and joy flooded his wings. He practically fluttered his way over, squirming into the booth with an awkward pinch of his wings against the back cushion. By the time he got settled, he noticed that the other patrons in the bar were staring at them. Even Nil, whose attention was mainly focused on the tumblers in their hands, glanced in their direction.

"What're you doing here?" Toya asked, turning his attention back to his friend.

Jules grunted and took a long drink of his ale. "I'm on break. What about you? Didn't expect to see you without all your fluttery flightmates."

Toya's ears twitched. "Yeah, well, I guess they don't like coming around here very much."

"Huh."

Their conversation dwindled as Nil approached the booth. They sat a tall cocktail glass in front of Toya, a dark golden liquid bubbling around several cubes of ice.

He wrinkled his nose, able to smell the alcohol wafting off of the top. It wasn't a trouble for his species, but he still eyed it warily before leaning down to lap at the top.

"Ghk!" He gasped at the berry taste that clung to his tongue along with a deep bitter sensation.

Nil frowned. "Is it that bad?"

"N-no," Toya said, swallowing and taking another taste. "Strong. It caught me off guard. And it's a bit too sweet."

"Hmm." Nil tilted their head to the side, fur shifting along the bottom of the hammer shape. "Thank you. You're my first Pteran customer, so it's going to take me a while to figure out your tastes."

"Happy to be of service," said Toya. He rubbed at his throat and then drew the glass closer with a wing. There was no hook for his claw, so he would have to resort to lowering his muzzle down into the bell of the glass.

Nil settled their hands, talking to themselves in their native tongue as they stalked towards the bar. Toya tried not to hiccup from the harshness of the drink and looked up at Jules, who had witnessed the whole affair with an amused, toothful grin.

"What?" asked Toya.

"You're just full of surprises," said Jules.

Toya watched his reflection on the surface of the drink, outlined with the image of the little star lights. "If my last flight were still here, they'd be in here with me."

Jules shook his head. "And your new flight?"

"They're kind," Toya said, leaping to defend them despite their differences. "Took me in without question. Arkay and the others have been going out of their way to make me feel at home."

"But?"

"It's fine if they don't want to drink here," Toya said, stirring the liquid with his wing claw. He could feel the alcohol evaporate from its tip like a cool breeze. "But it's like they're moving at a different wavelength. My instinct pulls me one way, and they pull the other."

The Heskar drained the rest of his mug and then raised a hand to order another. "Look, I don't know much about how your flights get on," he said, "but if you're supposed to be a part of them, you need to make yourself heard. Don't just submit to everything they tell you."

Toya knew that his friend was right. It was expected for new flightmates to integrate their voice. There would be some friction, of course, but the flight represented each of its members.

And if they're incompatible, they find a new flight. Toya shook his head and drank deep, ignoring the overwhelming bittersweetness. I don't have that kind of luxury.

"I'm not an engineer anymore," Toya reminded him. "I can't put my talents to use."

Jules drummed his claws on the table. "So you're a merchant with an engineer's mind. Isn't working with what you've got half the job?"

The solution hit Toya across the face as strong as the first taste of the drink. He couldn't work with the Corp, but nothing was stopping him from using the flight's network to find the replacement parts. And if they happened to end up in Ajax's lap, then everyone would benefit.

"Maybe there's something to that," he said, making the ice clink against the glass.

A loud chime echoed from the station's PA system, followed by an announcement.

Due to internal maintenance, we will be rationing power for all non-essential systems. Please refer to your terminals for further information.

Jules snorted. "They better get on top of that quick, or they're going to have a riot on their hands."

* * *

Arkay and the others were already hanging from their roost when Toya returned. The three of them looked over from where they swayed in the half-light of their quarters, smelling of fresh oils and soaps. Their bare fur and wing membranes shone, though they seemed more restless with the rise in temperature and humidity that had come with the slowdown of environmental systems.

"There you are!" called Arkay. "We thought we were going to have to go and rescue you."

Toya scrunched his nose. "Nil's not that bad, actually," he said. "I just ran into a friend."

"If you say so." Arkay swayed to the side. "Shower's open if you want to get cleaned up."

Toya nodded and walked towards the far side of the quarters, casting a look over his shoulder. He was out late, but it still hurt to be left out of the group grooming sessions. The water was lukewarm and smelled metallic. The various oils smelled nice—being involved in the trade meant they had the first pick of many goods, and it was one perk he could get used to.

When he rejoined the group, Arkay made room next to him and Solara. He swept up, clasping his feet on the rough black structure, and settled into the inverted room.

"I've been thinking about the energy cell problem," said Toya.

Arkay frowned. "Look. I get you still want to help, but we're not an engineering flight. We really ought to mind our own business and let the professionals handle it."

Solara and Fiona flicked their ears towards him.

Toya shook his head. "We are professionals, aren't we? Look. First, it's going to get really uncomfortable. You can't tell me you're happy with this room right now."

Fiona nodded. "The air is clinging to my wings."

"And it's only going to get worse once they start rationing energy. Worst-case scenario, we have to abandon the station…"

Arkay sighed. "If it gets bad enough, we might go back to the transport. It's cramped, but at least the air filtration has a couple of months on it."

"The engineers have a merchant problem," said Toya. "So why don't we provide a merchant solution?"

Arkay chirped as if the thought had suddenly popped into his brain. "I see what you're getting at. But those systems they ordered… they're highly specialized. If there was a merchant in short-hop that had them, the chief would have already purchased them by now."

Toya shook his head. "We just need a temporary solution until the new cells get here. If we can find a spare shipment of Lithic crystals, then the Corp can handle the manufacturing."

"What makes you think Chief Ajax hasn't checked already?" asked Fiona.

"The station corp has a limited list of approved vendors," said Toya "Which we happen to be on."

"I don't know…" Arkay's claws scratched at their perch.

"This is our community too," said Solara. "It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?"

The flight was coming around to his idea. With Solara's voice, Fiona and Arkay seemed to warm from their skepticism. He could feel their course changing, like a shift in the wind. Even if for a brief moment, his voice resonated through them.

"If we're doing this, we're doing it right," said Arkay. "The Aerie can get us in contact with approved merchants in the sector. If we find some Lithic, then you can write the proposal yourself. If not, we're letting it go. Okay?"

Toya nodded. It was as close to a compromise as he could hope to make.

"Okay."

* * *

Toya rubbed his eyes and stared at the message on his pad. They had succeeded in locating another merchant who had the Lithic material and was willing to deal.

Word on the river is that you guys got shorted by Ro'chak and Boyle. I'm willing to give you the Lithic for your spice line. Confirm by 1500 standardized sector time. We've only got a small window to drop out of the stream.

"Ajax must have put in a complaint with the guild," said Arkay. "Ro'chak will have to reimburse him, but in the meantime, every trader in the sector knows that we're over a barrel."

"Which means he won't be inclined to haggle." Toya sighed. And we've already got a contract for the spice.

Breaking a contract with one of their partners would jeopardize their future business. Toya pulled up to see the orders and his eyes snapped wide. The name 'Nil' was listed next to each and every bottle, satchel, and container of flavorants. Why the interest in Pteran seasoning?

Then his stomach sank.

If they went through with this deal, it would mean breaking a contract with Nil. Toya was just getting to know their neighbor, and he hoped that this decision wouldn't ruin the possibility of friendship.

Is there anything else we have you would consider? He asked the merchant out of sheer desperation.

He was not surprised, yet was still disappointed in the response: Sorry, it's the spices or nothing.

Toya lowered the pad to rest on an end table. He felt deflated as if his wings might spread as thin as filament and he would spill onto the floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fiona reaching for an old canister with four red straws in it.

"No," said Toya, rubbing at his temples. "I'll tell them."

The rest of his flight looked immensely relieved. Arkay pat him on the shoulder. Though Toya didn't revel in the idea, he wasn't about to let cowardice seep into his flight. If they were going to break an agreement, they should do it with conviction.

He fastened his kilt and swept out of his quarters.

Finding Nil was not a challenging task—if it was standard business hours, they were either exploring the mall or tending their bar. If it was after hours, they stuck to their quarters.

Getting there only redoubled Toya's determination. The air in the commercial ring had already grown stale, no doubt deprioritized from critical sectors for research and administration. A medley of grumbling voices formed a chorus of discontent around him.

On his left, he passed a pair of Veyah examining a textile shop. "This wing just opened. If this is how the Confederacy's operations are going to be, they're not going to last very long in the frontier."

A few more steps down he had to hurry past an animated Heskar, ducking just in time to miss the swing of his arm as he argued over the freshness of the skewers sold there.

The smells were starting to merge as the temperature rose. In some places, the lights had been lowered to conserve consumption, and already the first quarter had been shut down entirely.

If it were this bad after a day of rationed energy, Toya could easily imagine how the station would look after weeks of restrictions and lockdowns.

Everyone that didn't or couldn't abandon the station would riot.

With this knowledge, he stepped into Nil's bar where the smell of sanitizer still clung to the air. The Many pivoted from where they were handing dark frosted bottles to a pair of Heskar and looked him over.

Toya approached the edge of the bar, not feeling worthy of the perch in front of him. "Looks like business is going well."

Nil shook their head. "My coolers just happen to have a bit more longevity than the rest of the quarter. These people are going to turn on me quick when they can't find a good meal. Please tell me you have good news."

"Sort of. My flight has located an alternate energy storage for the station."

Nil squinted all eight of their eyes. Two hands came to rest on the edge of the bar while one more gestured towards the open space. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is they want the shipment of Pteran spices." Toya coiled his wings in as he saw the fur on Nil's back bristle. "We can get the power back on, but we have to delay your contract for at least a month."

Nil hissed. Their eyes blinked in rapid succession, and Toya heard the thump of their tail smacking against something behind them with notable force.

Finally, they said, "fine," and turned away.

"Fine?" Toya echoed.

Nil paused for only half a beat. "Fine," they repeated. "If that's what it takes, get it fixed. I have customers to look after."

Then, even though Nil was just on the side of the bar, they may as well have been on another planet. Even if they understood the necessity of it, Toya couldn't stop obsessing over what Nil thought about him.

Not my flight. Me.

From the day he was born, he always thought about his flight's relationships more than his own. How did his family's reputation hold up? How well were his siblings, and later his coworkers getting on with the world? When they developed feelings for another individual—another voice—they shared it through their Flight and processed it together.

But this time Toya wanted to keep his feelings a secret. It didn't make sense, but then, very few Pterans spent much of their life with other species.

What kind of relationship would he form with the Many? Would he ever get a chance to know?

Or would their businesses and their social presence forbid it?

* * *

Thoughts of Nil and his fight had not passed from Toya's mind as he presented his pad to Ajax.

At least I have reason to seem nervous, he thought, doing the practiced formal tuck of his wings to hide most of the tension in his body.

The Veyah was no less foreboding when sitting behind the tidy black console in the midst of his office. All of the screens around were dark, and the same untreated air permeated the space between him.

Ajax's attention moved with only slight tilts of their head, the tip of their beak shifting to different parts of the display. Their eyes must have moved quickly beneath their mask, but Toya had no doubt they were scrutinizing every element for a reason to reject the proposal.

The merchant inquestion was an accepted guild partner. Nil had begrudgingly signed an amendment to allow the trade of goods.

"This is clever," said Ajax. "And lucky. Our crew didn't get as far turning out raw materials."

The tips of Toya's wings and ears fluttered. He was ecstatic but forced his joy into a thin-lipped smile in front of the Chief Engineer. "Most stations would find it too out of date," he said, "but we figured that if generation efficiency wasn't as crucial, it would do in a pinch."

"Refining the Lithic to fit our grid is going to be a pain in the ass, but there isn't a soul on my crew who wouldn't put in an extra shift to get their air conditioning back."

Toya rose on the tips of his toes and realized at that moment that he'd hoped for some sort of invitation. Some exceptions to his Flight's restrictions. He could imagine the process of refining the metals so easily that he could feel the tools in his claws.

"If we need materials in the future, I'll be sure your flight gets mentioned," Ajax went on. "If this is how you operate, you're going to have a bright future in the stars."

Toya hoped the Veyah didn't see his heart drop. He loosened a wing to salute again. "Thank you, Chief."

* * *

Toya didn't go back to the docking platform right away. He should have told his flight how the meeting had gone. They would be elated that their proposal had worked. They would want to celebrate in true Pteran fashion.

But I don't feel like celebrating at all.

Arkay and the others wouldn't have thought to help in the first place. Were they truly willing to let his voice be equal to their own, or were they just showing pity on him for losing his flight? If he stayed out of step with the other three, he would be expected to eventually come around to their way of thinking—not the other way around.

His feet led him through the third ring. It would be several days before the systems were restored, and in the meantime, the air had grown even more stale. He could taste the homogenized odors and the sounds echoed strangely off of the walls.

That may have had more to do with the absence of bustling patrons than it did with the air itself. It felt as quiet as an early morning.

Toya found himself standing outside of the End of the Universe, looking inside to see if it was still open.

"Are you going to come in?" The Many's voice came from the other side of the bar as they emerged.

Toya curled one wing up to his shoulder. "Am I… still welcome here?"

Nil blinked their eyes in succession and lifted a hand. "Of course you are." The booming chorus of their voices softened and they waved Toya closer. "Sit down, silly."

It could have been the increased humidity in the bar's chamber, but Toya liked to believe it was a sense of relief. Despite the hour, the establishment was empty.

Nil sat a glass of ice water down in front of him. "We are unhappy with the delayed shipment," they said, "but we would have done the same thing in your position. This place will be dead in a month if the folks in the upper ring don't get the systems back online."

"Chief Ajax is already working on the retrofits," said Toya, dipping his tongue into the ice water. It was the best thing he'd ever tasted in his life.

"Good," said Nil. They turned, shifting their lengthy carriage so they could rest against the edge of the bar.

They were alone, and Toya wasn't the slightest bit afraid of them. His heart still thumped in funny ways when he looked at them, but fear had exited the equation entirely.

"You're not like any Pteran I've ever met," said Nil.

Toya lifted his head. "What do you mean?"

"For one thing, you're the only one who doesn't cringe when it comes to doing business with me." Nil laughed and opened a canteen of water for themselves. "It's more than that, though. You act more as an individual than any I've met."

Toya's ears drooped. "The rest of my flight is gone. I mean, Arkay and the others are wonderful people, but I still feel like I'm a part of something else."

Nil stopped talking and leaned closer still. He found that he was comfortable saying things to them, the same as Jules—and he could share his grief without being overwhelmed with guilt.

"This kind of disconnect isn't unusual on Ptera," he went on. "When a voice finds themselves out of harmony, they seek out another flight."

"Which isn't an option here on the station," Nil said. "Things are a little difficult for all of us out here. It's the main thing we have in common. Things just can't work the way they did where we all came from… wherever that is."

Toya lifted his ears. Everyone was curious about the homeworlds of the Many. Not one of them was willing to talk about it, or even give specific coordinates. He could not help his curiosity, though. "Why did you decide to come to Ghost Station Alpha?" he asked.

Nil lifted their eyebrows. They were not accustomed to this kind of personal question, but judging from the bassy vibrations in their chest, were pleased that Toya had asked.

"Because we think if we're all to survive out here, we're going to need each other." They laughed. "That's what we said when we applied for the stall, anyway, but the truth is… we're very curious."

"Curious?" Toya tilted his head.

Nil finished their water off in one long gulp. They paused and then smiled at Toya. "We know you're going through a difficult time, but we hope you decide to stay. You'll always have a seat here if you want it."

Toya hadn't realized that he was thinking of leaving until Nil pointed it out. Now that they had, he realized he had found something he didn't want to lose.

* * *

The Many didn't let him return home without a bottle of golden melon liquor, which made Fiona and Arkay quick to forgive his absence in the afternoon. Since the environment in their quarters had not improved, they had relocated to the cramped cabin aboard their vessel.

"Here's to Toya!" Arkay said, raising a Pteran flute filled with the sweet-scented drink. "I admit I had my doubts, but you've got the makings of a merchant in you yet. I can't wait to see where your instincts lead us next."

Toya raised his glass and chimed it off of three more. He smiled against his drink, though for all the wrong reasons. He had employed the same method as when he was the youngest engineer in the Corp—letting the flight share credit for his insight, listening when spoken to, and putting his claws where they would rather not.

"As soon as the station is back to normal, I want you to start meeting with the other companies," said Arkay. "We've got a few more weeks before we have to make a run back to Ptera. I know you're just settling in…"

"I can handle it," said Toya, swirling his glass. “I'm good with people."

As he looked out at his flight, celebrating and basking in the artificial breeze, his smile warmed. He might not ever be a perfect fit for them, but now he realized just how much he wanted to stay on Ghost Station Alpha. The thought of meeting Jules, Nil, and any number of souls in the days to come helped fill the hole that had been left by his prior flight.

Maybe he couldn't replace them, and maybe that was okay. Maybe the future would shape up to be something unrecognizable, filled with the faces of those he had come to call friends.

After all, wasn't that exactly why they had all come to live in the Ghost's peaceful glow?