FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The engine roared, and everything around us blurred into streaks as they rapidly faded into the distance, left behind. I had already tucked my tail away, avoiding being swept away by the relentless wind. The internal combustion engine vibrated beneath us, its unique rhythm reminiscent of… a heartbeat.

“This thing… is way too fast!” I clutched tightly onto the raised structure at the back of the motorcycle, feeling a bit scared.

“You haven’t seen anything yet!” 74258’s confident voice came through the microphone by my ear, likely misunderstanding the fear in my tone.

He pressed down on the throttle, pushing the speed to another level. Judging by the degree to which the surroundings were distorting, I was starting to suspect we had entered warp speed. The sudden inertia gave me the illusion that I was about to be flung off, and I instinctively curled forward, wrapping my arms around 74258’s waist.

Realizing what I had done, a wave of heat rushed to my ears, making them feel like they were about to catch fire. And when I was certain that the microphone had captured the sound of 74258 trying to stifle his laughter, the embarrassment and shame made me seriously consider whether letting go and falling onto the road to break my neck might be a more comfortable, easier option.

Damn it, was this sneaky fox doing this on purpose?

Just as I was about to voice my suspicion, 74258 accelerated again.

The inertia and wind became even stronger, forcing me to cling to the fox's waist with all my strength, disregarding any strange feelings.

My chest pressed tightly against his back, and I could clearly feel each rise and fall of his breathing, as well as the steady, powerful beat of his heart—it was just like… the engine.

After some time, I noticed that I was still holding onto the tip of 74258’s fluffy tail, wrapped around my body. Feeling a bit awkward, I released my grip, worried I might have hurt him.

The fox didn’t react this time, probably because he was focused on the road, and I didn’t want to disturb him.

Finally adjusting to this high-speed rush, with everything being left behind, I dared to raise my head a little, taking in the surroundings, which had blurred into something dreamlike.

The world seemed to have lost its contours; boundaries no longer had meaning. All the colors twisted and blended together, stretching into countless lines. The flat road beneath us, embedded with diode lighting elements, lit up as we approached, making us look like a shooting star racing through the night.

Something was welling up from my chest, but I couldn’t quite put it into words just yet. I simply let myself be immersed in the unfamiliar yet oddly familiar sensation.

Then came the sound. Having grown used to the engine’s deep growl, I realized just how quiet it was around us—so quiet that I could clearly hear my own pulse.

Thump, thump.

I was the focus of the world; I was the universe unto myself.

Amid this tranquility and disorientation, I discerned another sound—the synchronized breathing of 74258 and me.

It was as if to declare that, in this vast, dauntingly empty world, I was not alone.

I gently stroked the fur in my palm with my fingertips, feeling the delicate texture of the fox’s tail. I couldn’t even remember the last time I was this close to someone else. Sometimes, leaning on others… didn’t seem so bad.

The intense warmth gave me more courage, so I turned my head slightly, looking at a violet light source that had caught my attention—it took me a moment to figure out what it was.

A city—a vast metropolis several kilometers away—shone brilliantly, pushing back the darkness, radiating an aura like a glowing mist.

I now understood why the night sky always appeared the way it did. Whoever described something brighter than the stars, more blinding than the midday sun, likely had never witnessed this sight.

If I had to choose a suitable metaphor from my limited vocabulary, it would be… a supernova—a supernova that exploded and burned everything in an instant.

Towering structures, like the great spires from ancient stories, rose from the layers of interlocking silvery-gray alloy structures, dotted with countless tiny points of light, like the galaxies depicted in illustrations. If you stood on the highest floor, could you really reach out and touch the sky?

A long, massive flame burst out, drawing my attention to the outskirts of the city, where rows of oil refinery flares emitted small tongues of fire, occasionally spewing larger flames. Lower down, things became harder to see, as metal factories continuously released steam, shrouding everything in a misty veil.

“I thought they’d recycle methane for reuse,” I said, unnecessarily lowering my voice, feeling a strange sense of awe from the towering flames. “I know fermentation tanks do that.”

“Cost issue,” 74258’s voice came from my earpiece. “Energy from the Dyson swarm is so cheap that it’s better to burn the methane and just use a capture device to recover the carbon dioxide.”

A dotted outline flashed on my helmet’s visor, as 74258 pointed out a building. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a building—it was… a structure. Yes, more like a “structure.”

The structure was lower than the surface level, so I hadn’t noticed it before. It was a massive concave curve, nearly as large as the city itself. It seemed to be embedded with numerous components, though I couldn’t make them out from this distance. The display on my visor helped me identify the functions of those parts—it was the ground-based energy receiving station for the Dyson swarm.

I knew this thing could power the entire continent with just one station, so I expected it to be some sort of colossal machine. But I didn’t expect the structure to be so… vast.

Following what appeared to be tracks, I spotted another astounding construct on the far side of the city.

Because it was in shadow, I didn’t initially notice the flashing red warning lights along the cables, but thanks to the annotations on my visor, I recognized it—it was the space elevator.

Turning off the display, I could now make out the space elevator’s outline with my own eyes.

It was incredible.

The towering buildings of the metropolis were imposing, but this… the cable of the space elevator literally reached into the sky.

I’d heard that people in ancient times believed a giant once held up the sky on his shoulders. I think this awe-struck, romantic notion perfectly captured what I was seeing.

Squinting slightly, I thought I could see a carriage moving along the cable at a speed that would probably give me a heart attack. Following the cable upward, my vision was lost in a glowing cloud, unable to see any higher.

I turned my gaze back to the massive metropolis.

Living, breathing, millions of free souls… I deliberately exhaled slowly, reminding myself to breathe.

Relaxing my body, I leaned against 74258, marveling at the majestic city as it gradually retreated behind us at a much slower pace.

Perhaps, one day, I could take that space elevator, ascend along its endless cable, and witness the infinite cosmos with my own eyes. And when that time came, maybe I could look down at this planet that carries us all.

As we sped along the empty highway, I finally understood what I had been feeling before—no obstacle could stand in my way, no shackles could bind me—I was free.

Racing through the wind, I couldn’t feel the collar around my neck.

I—Red Fox Abel—76184, whoever I might be, was now laughing freely. Because I had experienced what it meant to truly live, and how to breathe freely.

After discussing with 74258, we decided to spend the night in a small cave in the woods. The navigation system led us deep into the forest, and the rest of the journey had to be done on foot. So, 74258 found a spot to park the motorcycle and turned off the engine.

"My ass' completely numb." I took off my helmet, flicking my ears as I spoke, and then adjusted the fur on my head.

After 74258 removed his helmet, I suddenly realized that maybe I shouldn’t have brought up certain keywords so quickly. However, the fox didn’t seem uncomfortable. He just chuckled lightly and shook his head, which made me feel a bit more at ease.

"I probably won’t be able to move for a while either," 74258 said, rubbing his thighs. "A short rest should help me recover."

We both threw our backpacks and coats on the ground and tried to stretch with limited movements. During the process, 74258’s tail brushed against my nose, causing me to sneeze.

"Oh, sorry." He turned and smiled at me.

"It’s fine." I waved my hand to show I didn’t mind. "But, your tail—did I hurt you?"

"It's okay, I’ve been through worse." His mocking tone made me roll my eyes. "I didn’t know you were the type that likes to grab tails."

"That was an accident." Being compared to a young cub made me uncomfortable, and a wave of shameful heat rushed to the tips of my ears. "Anyway..." I cleared my throat, preparing to say the words I’d been rehearsing in my head all the way here.

74258 raised an eyebrow, his olive eyes meeting mine, as if he wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to say.

"From the beginning, when I planned to get you on board with this mission, I had this mindset of 'doing you a big favor.'” I couldn’t handle the fox’s gaze anymore, so I looked away, awkwardly scratching my ears in shame. "Like I was the one who truly understood the world and had come to help you escape your miserable fate." I exhaled slowly, adjusting my pace before continuing. "But in reality, it’s been you saving my arrogant butt the whole way, and I’ve barely contributed anything." Even my decision to put on the collar was only made because 74258 could take it off for me. I treated it like some kind of sacrifice to create opportunities for him, without considering that 74258 would do the same for me.

A cool breeze passed by, causing the branches in the forest to sway rhythmically, making a rustling sound. A few dried leaves were blown to the ground, crackling as they rolled past our feet.

I took a deep breath, letting the peaceful atmosphere soothe the shame I felt from my unfounded pride.

"I’m really sorry." Even though I meant it, saying it out loud was far harder than I expected.

I turned back, meeting 74258’s eyes again, hoping to gauge his thoughts. But he just quietly blinked his large olive eyes, his ears perked up as he listened. I took that as a sign that he was willing to hear me out.

"Just now, I think I experienced something I’ve never felt before in my life... the freedom of racing through the air." I raised my hand, spreading my fingers wide, feeling the breeze slipping between them. "I couldn’t even feel the collar anymore, not even now. That’s never happened before." I slipped my fingers between the collar and my neck to check—it was still there. "All of this, it’s because of you. You showed me that something I could only imagine is real. Freedom isn’t just some illusory, unrealistic thing. It’s something you can touch, something you can feel firsthand. I—"

I was interrupted.

It took me a moment to process what was happening.

Something warm and wet... it was the fox’s nose, and his lips, pressed against mine. 74258 had closed his eyes, his ears drooping back. That prickly, ticklish sensation—it was his tongue...

My ears and tail immediately stood up, and my fur bristled all over my body as I reflexively backed away, my whole body stiff.

"Oh!" My reaction clearly made 74258 realize the situation. "Sorry, I... I just..." He fumbled, trying to make calming gestures in his flustered state.

I struggled to jump off the back seat, but my legs were so numb that I fell into a pile of thick leaves. A bunch of dry, yellow leaves flew into the air, and a few, covered with a bit of dirt, landed near my nose, making me sneeze again.

"It’s fine... Achoo... Uh... Yeah, my legs are just numb!" I clumsily tried to play it off, hopping around awkwardly on one leg. The leaves under my shoes crunched and cracked as they broke.

"Abel..." 74258 called my name softly, lowering his gaze, his ears flattened against his head.

"It’s fine! I’ll be right back!" I blurted out, completely flustered, saying whatever came to mind. "I’m just scouting the area... yeah, scouting!"

I tripped over myself twice on my way out, but thankfully, the pile of leaves was thick enough to cushion my fall, so I wasn’t hurt.

I had no idea how to react. I didn’t have the courage to look back at 74258. I couldn’t bear to face the guilt-ridden expression I imagined he must have, so I just kept hobbling away into the dark, lightless forest.

"Running away... could you be any more mature?" I muttered angrily to myself, repeatedly kicking a small stone as I wandered aimlessly—wherever the stone rolled, I followed.

As time passed, the temperature dropped lower and lower. I rubbed my arms with my palms, trying to warm myself while cursing my decision to leave without my coat. But I couldn’t go back yet—not until I had sorted things out.

It wasn’t the first time I’d been pursued—I still had some status, after all—and back when I was younger, there were times when overly eager advances happened. There were even a few young foxes from the Fourth team who would flirt openly whenever I visited. But the ones who’d done that were always females.

Ever since Adam and I found the key, though, I’d given up on the idea of starting a family or even getting too close to others. I kept my distance from any vixens who showed clear interest, to avoid any complications.

As a result, my reputation for being solitary and difficult grew. After a few years of this, almost no one pursued me anymore. I didn’t mind, of course, and on occasion, I’d wake up next to a kind woman who offered me a place to stay after a banquet in the Fourth team.

So I was sure this wasn’t some kind of "bashful" reaction. I wasn’t an inexperienced kid, and I had never felt that way about males.

But honestly, if you’ve never tried something, how would you know if you’re interested?

I touched my lips and shrugged. In any case, this at least... cleared some things up, right?

The temperature had finally dropped to an unbearable level. I pulled out my terminal to check 74258’s location. Then, using all my strength, I kicked the small stone one last time, watching it disappear into the leaf-covered forest floor.

On my way back, I regretted kicking the stone so soon. Even though it was just a mindless action, the absence of its rhythmic sound in the wide, empty forest made everything seem just a bit too quiet.

Shrugging again, I wrapped my tail around myself and headed toward where 74258 was waiting.