FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

** CHAPTER 70** Awakening to reality?

"When will he recover?!" The cream furred female creature yelled.

It had been two hours now since they had brought him to the medic room. No matter how much she tried to find out what was wrong with him, he would not respond. What was more frustrating was not knowing what happened to him; it was why was he in that condition.

"He is moving, Rika." Her helper said. "Give him another minute."

"I don't have another minute! They will do a recount and will find out that we are off schedule with our work." She growled. "I don't know why I accepted him here; I just can't deal with this anymore!"

"Rika, calm down please!" the brown furred creature tried to step in and calm the situation down.

"They might as well kill us all already! I can't stand this suffering!" Hitting the metallic wall, the female creature didn't flinch at her bleeding knuckles. "I don't want us to suffer anymore..." She whispered.

Her helper did not say a word. It didn't seem like something that they hadn't discussed before. But just as last time, that subject wouldn't take them anywhere but into a cycle of frustration.

Before they could even shake of the desperation, they heard something that made the fear chill their spine. It was a sound they knew very well after generations; as much as they were used to it, it was a sound they had learned to fear.

"I will report him... I can't do this anymore." The cream furred creature said. Her mind could only think of a way of surviving one more day. The metallic steps grew closer as her options were limited.

"Rika, please..."

"I won't have you all transferred to the bowels of Canis Major! Not with those monsters down there! If I get caught caring for this useless mutt I will be damning all of us in this Sector!" She now yanked her helper from the tattered shirt and glared at him with a fury that once their kind would never show. Her fangs shined at the smaller creature, showing fissures and small cracks; long forgotten was the care they had for themselves and their own kind. In these times, there was no place for those things. "It's either him or all of us!" She whispered harshly. "And I told you to refer to me as Sector Master; I won't repeat myself!"

Harsh words came from the female. But before the situation could escalate, something caught their attention. It was the other creature who lied unconscious in a rusty metallic table.

The pain was unbearable. Letting a mute yelp, the creature finally started coming back to his senses. Confusion was all that invaded him at the moment as he managed to open his eyes.

"He is awake. He will be back to the lines in five minutes, I will make sure of that." He could faintly hear. He tried to focus on the direction of the voice, but all he could see was blur from the bone shattering migraine he experienced.

There was a strange sound in between the sentences that the voice spoke; an almost synthetic voice seemed to exchange words with the female voice.

"My apologies... It was my mistake. I can assure you that this won't happen again. I have made sure that my group works an extra shift tonight to compensate for the delay."

There was mumbling between two beings before they came to a complete silence. It just took a few seconds before he felt something touching him. He squirmed and tried to lose his grip from whoever held to him as ice cold liquid fell into his eyes.

"Stop moving, or I will hurt you." A male voice said.

It didn't take too long to his eyes cleared out. His vision was clear, but what he saw confused him...

It was a small room with eroded walls. The corrosion formed vertical lines on them giving evidence of liquid filtration. The ceiling was a mess of dark wires and ducts, with the occasional tile that still hung from it, giving evidence that was once covered.

Taking a gasp, he felt the heavy and moistened air around him. It was suffocating and dense with strange scents that seemed far from safe.

A faint light coming from a round glass-like object on the ceiling flickered every now and then, letting him have a clear view of the uncared-for place. A brown furred creature stared at him. He was obviously very nervous.

"That was too close." He said. "Please sit up and tell me you're okay. You need to go back to work as soon as possible."

The brown furred creature was just like him. He knew it; he felt it. His scent was warm and comforting behind the strong smell of fuel and chemicals. His fur was oily, making it obvious that he either had a bath a long time ago, or he never did at all.

"What happened...?" the once unconscious being mumbled. He clenched his head, trying to relief the sharp migraine, all being in vain.

"That's what I want to know!" The harsh voice of the female whispered with anger as she approached the table. Whatever spoke with her, had gone away. "What happened? Who are you?"

The creature that sat on the table still tried to recover his senses. Slowly, everything became clearer.

"Answer!" the female creature demanded.

"Sector Master; he's still dazed. Give him a minute." The brown furred creature advocated.

"We don't have a minute!"

"...wait..." The furred creature in the table suddenly focused on the female leader. "...Rika?"

It was all so confusing. His head spun, and his body shook. The sharp migraine intensified as the fumes and thick air entered his lungs, making the whole situation even more confusing. There was no memories of what had been or what was, but somehow, that mangled furred creature in front of him with a harsh stare seemed so familiar; so familiar, but so out of place.

"How do you know my name; who are you?" the female creature asked firmly.

These word confused the creature that sat on the table. He looked around to confirm where he was, or what was happening, but a lot, if not everything did absolutely no sense. He took his fore-limbs and stared at them, carefully examining his own body. His padded paws were covered in what seemed to be white fur, but heavily soiled by some kind of dirt.

He kept examining the room, as the female creature still questioned him. His confusion disabled him from listening. Far in a corner of the room, a half broken piece of reflective glass was hung on the wall. The creature slowly slid down the table, just to feel the raspy dirty floor. There was dust, debris and what seemed to be dry blood residue on it. But he kept on walking toward the glass, while he kept his paws close to his face. Everything felt so wrong... but he needed to confirm something.

Finally reaching the glass, he managed to see the reflection he was hoping to see. Behind the dirt, black and white fur could be seen. A furred creature of the most gentle blue eyes.

The creature touched his face and recognized himself. He felt joy that he was now who he knew he always was, but the fear and frustration that something was dreadfully wrong overshadowed that little happiness.

"...It was not supposed to be like this..." He whispered as a tear rolled out his blue eye.

All he ever wished for... All the times he wished he would be home... Somehow he was where he belonged, but as a cruel joke of destiny, this was not the home he knew. Was this a nightmare? Was this reality? What was going on?

"You!" Startled, the black and white furred creature jumped when the female furred creature landed her paw heavily on his shoulder. "I am talking to you! Now, answer me; who are you and where did you came from?"

It took time for the black and white creature to respond. He didn't want to believe this. Finally he had reached the place he always belonged too, but everything seemed defiled and corrupted. "Rika..." was all he could respond when he recognized this furred female creature. But something was wrong with her. Her soft, long and silky fur was tangled and soiled. Her expression was of anger and exhaustion. Where was that warmth he knew? That warmth he always sought?

"Listen to me, you little mutt..." She said harshly. The black and white creature was still drowned by confusion, and the harsh words made all this even more difficult to absorb. "You have just placed me in big trouble. Not only me, but my entire Sector. I have never seen you before, so I need to know where the hell did you come from so I can somehow return you to your Sector Master." She harshly said. "Now what is your name?"

It felt like an eternity... Searching for for so long with the littlest of hope to finally be home, and now this? How could this be fair? Destiny laughed and spat at his face by destroying all that he ever cherished; what kept him alive.

He didn't want to believe it... Not like this... He saw the reflection again, and there was no doubt about it. He was who he has always been. He didn't know if to accept it or not, by fear that it would all go away. Maybe this was just a test; maybe there could be a solution to all this.

"Husky... My name is Husky..." he finally said, after staring once more at the reflection. Cruel destiny didn't wouldn't let him embrace and rejoice for he was now home. A tear rolled out his blue eye again.

"Okay... Husky." Rika said almost in a mocking tone. She made a signal to her helper to get back to work, and so he did. "Now tell me, where did you come from?"

"I..." He doubted. He was fighting against this massive sense of disappointment, and trying to find joy after seeing who he was. He was afraid of accepting he was there under those cruel circumstances, yet he wanted it so much. "Rika, why do you ask me who I am? You know me..."

"You've got to stop with that nonsense right now!" Rika yelled. "I have never seen you before, and I know for certain that you do not belong to this or any of the adjacent sectors. Now, if you want to survive through this day, and for the sake of my own sector, tell me where you belong!"

The young Husky wanted to yell with pride where he belonged. He was there after all, but he was afraid to admit that this was his reality. "H2... Zone 112, Rika. You know that... You're the Zone manager there..."

"Shut up!" She yelled. She checked something in a very rustic hand-held computer device as the young husky saw her scowl. "Where did you get the idea that H2 exists? There is no such thing!! Now stop wasting my time, and tell me where you belong!"

"Rika... you saw when I was born..." the young husky now cried, trying to make a recount of his life events. Life events that he might not remember in flesh, but that he knew to the very last detail.

"Stop!!" Rika yelled furious.

"You helped Hasky raise me and Fx! We were the first in 112!" crying like he never did before, he yelled. Not to tell Rika who he was, but as a complaint towards fate and the horrible twist it had unfairly had given his real life.

"I had enough of this!!" The bigger female choke-held the young husky firmly. "If you're not telling me, I'll just have to turn you in to the Masks! I am not risking hundreds just for one useless little mutt!"

The young husky didn't react. He was drowned in tears, cursing fate for this new betrayal it had laid upon him. But something was wrong; he felt how Rika's paws trembled, not to prevent hurting him, but as if preparing to do something else. She was afraid; he could feel it. Looking at her, he noticed tears on her eyes.

"I am tired of this..." Rika cried... "But understand why I will have to do this..." She sobbed, as her grip suddenly tightened. "I rather take your life myself, than to see one of those monsters torturing you, or see my whole sector be thrown into the bowels of Canis Major."

The young husky could feel his bloodstream being cut of to his head, making him lose his senses slowly.

"I am sorry, puppy..." Rika sobbed as she tighten her grip.

"Rika..." Husky gargled, but did nothing to fight himself free...

The grip suddenly lightened again... "I can't..."

Rika ran to the door, and checked if someone was near. After realizing no one was there she returned to Husky. Husky was traumatized beyond belief, as he tried to relief the pain on his neck, but more, the pain in his heart, for he knew his kin would never act in such horrific way.

"I will do what I can to change the listings... I will add you to my Sector, but you have to go back and work right away..." Rika said; her voice braking.

"What is going on here, Rika?" He asked. To this point it was uncertain if all that was meant to be, or if it was no more than illusion. Deep inside, he still had hope that he could finally be where he belonged.

"Didn't I just tell you to go to work? Don't get me in more trouble than I already am!!"

"Rika... You are not like this... What happened to you? What happened to our home? To our brothers?" Husky asked as he stood up.

"I said, get back to work!" Rika now yelled.

"There is a feeling inside me telling me that something is not right. This is not Canis Major. This is not how my race should act. This is not the sweet Rika that raised me and took care of 112 with so much love and dedication along with her brother Luke..."

Something in Husky's words froze Rika completely. Whatever she was doing in the computer device, she almost dropped it to the floor. The light cream-colored furred creature slowly turned to face Husky.

"What did you just say?" She whispered. Her body shook in complete disbelief.

"That this is not my home... This is not the Canis Major I know!" Husky once again cried, slipping down to the floor and holding his head.

"No... The name that you just mentioned. You said something about me taking care of something with... someone else." Her more demanding tone weakened heavily by the broken tone of her voice.

"With Luke! Your brother! You two have been Hasky's best friend after the second attack! You witnessed my birth and you took care of me! You two are like my second parents!"

"How..." She hesitated. Something in Husky's words had deeply affected her. "How did you know about my brother? No one knows but me." She again whispered, pointing at Husky with a severely shaking paw. She could do nothing to avoid the tears flowing down her furred cheeks. "ANSWER!"

Husky didn't say nothing as he tried to understand Rika's behavior, failing to do so. Before he had a chance to even think on what to ask or say, Rika spoke again.

"My brother was murdered by the other monsters; the ones that made us and the Masks. We were brutally... defiled when young. I managed to survive by pure luck... My whole family was killed trying to protect us. That was a long time ago..."

"Rika..."

"There is no way you could've know... I have never seen you and I have not told anyone ever since that day..."

Husky slowly stood up and got close to Rika. The cream-colored furred creature stood there lost in her thoughts, as Husky tried to comfort her. He was met by her paw, slapping his own as he was close from gently caressing her.

"I have to take you to the refinery. Come with me." She said, as she walked outside the room. "Now, Husky!"

Still in a turmoil of confusion and negation, Husky now felt that he had no choice. If he miraculously made it home, there was a possibility that he could fix this. For now, he had to understand the meaning of this hell he was in now. As long as he saw that reflection in the mirror, and he could see his kin with his own eyes, it meant that he was finally home.

Hesitantly, Husky followed Rika through that place that he did not recognize. His heart and soul ached as he saw this so-called Canis Major torn down to pieces. Everywhere he walked there was filth, corrosion, pollution and the pungent stench of chemicals. Rika had mentioned this place's name as Canis Major, but nothing that he sensed or saw matched the warmth and beauty of his home.

He still questioned himself if this was a test, a mockery from fate, or if that beautiful life he craved to experience was just an illusion. Can his beloved Canis Major really exist? Can such perfect society have a place in the universe of sentient beings? Maybe he was wrong... Maybe it was an illusion created by his desire of a better place.

No... That could not have been an illusion... He said to himself. Then why did he see that reflection in the mirror? Why was he who he always was?

As he walked down the tattered colony, his eyes filled with tears when he saw the condition the place was in and the hostile and fearful energy that his kin exuded. Every step he took it was clearer that this was no dream; this was reality. He was now who he always was, but in a reality he was always taught it could be the only one.

"You never have been here, have you?" Rika asked harshly.

"I... I don't know how to respond to that." Husky replied hesitantly. He wanted to say yes, but he wouldn't accept this reality as the one he knew by heart; the one that he craved so much to be in.

"Listen; we don't have time for this. Get back to the refinery and fill in for Viz. The manager will know who you are."

"Wait, Viz? Do you mean..." The name was also very familiar. He instantly remembered one of his kind who lived in his same zone.

"STOP!" Rika stopped walking and grabbed Husky from his shoulders. "Now, I want you to stop with that nonsense and start getting serious. Your life and ours depends on that. Understood?"

Husky forcibly nodded.

"Good. Now, you are very lucky. One of our workers was... terminated not a few minutes ago." Rika said, swallowing her suffering. "I managed to note you down as his replacement. It will take me a bit to make up your information while we find out who you are, but it should work."

After being pushed by Rika, Husky was forced into a massive dark gate. The smell of molten metal and chemicals was overpowering in this place, as a red glow in the air made itself greater in presence. But what hit him harder was the heat, like he never felt before.

The noise in that place made his ears ring. The oily floor was getting hotter, that it was almost impossible to walk any further.

"You!!" A voice yelled. Behind him, a very tall tan furred creature like him walked towards him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Brother... I..." Husky once again hesitated.

"First off, I'm not your brother." The tall furred creature said. "Second of all, who are you?"

"My name is... Husky." He replied, somewhat feeling proud of being able to utter his name. But that pride and joy soon was overpowered by the sense of dismay and confusion of all that happened around him ever since he woke up. "I am Viz's replacement."

"Good. I was expecting you." The tan creature said in a cold tone. "Get geared up. You can't be walking bare-pawed here."

Painful was the way this creature that shared the same blood than him expressed towards him. There was no love and care in his words. All that he knew about his kin felt more and more as a doubtful reality. Husky felt deep inside the memories of how his kin usually felt so joyful when meeting each other, and all that was not present in this interaction.

Husky was walked through a series of tight pathways in between pipes and metal cages, until he found himself in a small room full of what seemed to be waste. Oil and carbon residue covered the walls and floor.

"Gear up. Fast. The Masks will be here in an hour or so." The tan furred creature said. "Didn't you hear me?!" He insisted after seeing Husky not moving for a while.

"What gear? I'm sorry, I'm new here."

"Damn..." The tan creature said irritated. "Your shoes, and fire suit. Come on!!"

Strange rags and garments were thrown in front of him. The tan creature soon left not before telling him to go to the line as soon as he was done.

The garments were a strange overall suit made out of thick and heavy material. After taking his light suit off, he examined the suit. It was torn and heavily soiled, but he managed to find a way to put it on. The suit was very heavy, and made his body feel extremely hot. Not only that but it pulled on his fur and compressed his joints a bit. He could sense how that outfit would be incredibly uncomfortable after just a few minutes.

Then he tried to put on what he determined was the paw wear. Made out of metal and heavy-duty synthetic material, they immediately hurt his paws just by standing on them.

Husky then walked out to where he thought the tan creature had gone. That well-familiar sense of being lost and uncomfortable in an unknown environment soon invaded him. He knew that sense very well, and it was what he ran away from all his life. He was angry to the point of crying when he realized that feeling had followed him all the way here.

As the minutes passed, he felt more nervous. His head was still hurting and that not only weakened him, but made him nauseous. The intense heat only made it worse, as he got closer to the source of the glare and heat.

All around him he saw many of his kind. No one looked at him or greeted him; they just kept on doing what they were doing. Husky started panting like he never did before due to the heat. His body was asking for relief as this heat got trapped inside his suit and his thick fur. Husky started stumbling on his own paws and before he fell, one of his kind held him discretely.

"Don't fall or you will die." before him, there was a two-story fall down to a huge pit of glowing molten metal. He had lost his coordination due to how sick he was and didn't notice he was heading directly to the edge. "Pass out, and the Masks will kill you. So you better strengthen up and start working." The black furred creature said.

"I need water..." Husky said. His head was about to explode. The black-furred creature just chuckled and went back on his way.

"You just came here and you want water? You don't get to have water until your five minute daily break. Now get to work!" The tan furred creature reappeared. He handed Husky a huge sledgehammer and directed him to the end of a long line, where the molten metal was apparently being formed into long solid metal beams. There were lots of his kind hammering the long glowing-red beam into a more flatten shape, and judging by the tool they carried, that was his place for now.

Husky's mouth was dry, his eyelids burned and his head hurt so much he quietly cried. He had no strength to carry on, but something told him there was no choice. The thought of figuring out what happened, and the determination of finding a solution was what kept him on his hind paws.

Another dreadfully familiar feeling invaded him. The false sense that everything would be done soon left him as a sense of despair took place. He realized this horror had just started and no one knew when it would end. No relief would be there for him soon.

Every time his body wanted to quit on him, someone yelled at him to keep on. Husky's muscles trembled as he lost his strength after every hit. That sledgehammer probably weighed half his body weight, and consumed his last ounce of energy. The beam never ended, as it flattened down at least twenty meters before it was cut into smaller pieces. Just as he thought it would be the end, a new beam appeared right after the other one.

It had been at least two hours of torture. Husky felt worst than ever, as he threw up continuously due to the heat and exhaustion, plus the bone shattering migraine. His tongue was dry; no longer dripping saliva. The overwhelming noise became like white noise in the background as Husky's body couldn't go any further. Before he passed up, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh.

"Damn it, mutt..." It was the tan furred creature.

The adrenaline of the pain made him look back and noticed a huge syringe being withdrawn from his thigh.

"Open your mouth!" The tan furred creature ordered.

Husky hesitated, but he saw that in his other paw, the tan furred creature had a dirty bottle filled with precious clear liquid. Husky doubted for a second, and he just wished that water was for him.

"I said open up your mouth!" The creature yelled again. Husky obeyed, hoping that he was right. Before he knew it, he felt the fresh and wet feeling filling his entire maw. Husky was desperate and he swallowed as much as he could. Five deep gulps were more than enough for him to feel the relief that his body anxiously desired. The rest of the water was splashed on his head, neck and shoulders.

"Listen, mutt." The tan creature whispered next to his ear. "I don't know why Rika would send me such a weak replacement, but I hope you don't do this tomorrow. You have just started and are already struggling. This drug will give you strength and stamina, but after a few uses, your body will simply stop responding, so you better strengthen up on your own. You don't want to end up like Viz."

The same way the tan creature appeared, it walked away, not before telling Husky to keep working. As harsh as he was, that water and whatever he injected him with almost immediately brought Husky's body back in rhythm. His headache diminished considerably, and he felt strength as he never did before.

Lost in his thoughts, Husky was unable to think on how to escape that nightmare. He just set his mind in blank and continued with the unending labor. It felt like if minutes had passed, when all of the sudden, a continuous ring echoed through the place, overpowering the loud racket of the machinery.

Behind him, he saw a large group of his kind gathering around. They looked tired and emotionless, as if preparing for the tedious routine once more.

"Your shift's over. Aren't you going to hand it to me?" A black furred creature said. Husky just stared at him, and with doubt, he looked at the sledgehammer. "Yes, 'pretty eyes'" the black creature mocked. "I need it to work. I have twelve horrible hours ahead of me and I just want to get them over with."

Husky didn't utter a word and handed out the tool, which was almost yanked out of his paws. Without crossing eyesight ever again, the black furred creature took his place and followed the never-ending routine of hammering the beam.

"Shift One; get out of here!" The tan creature was heard yelling. All the creatures Husky worked with walked in a group away from the working area. Confused, Husky had no choice but to follow.

As he walked behind the group, he soon started to realize what was going on. It was confirmed when he saw the group enter the small room where he had geared up earlier. The creatures all took their protective garments and changed into their tattered light outfits.

Husky never spoke, and tried at all costs to avoid eye contact, even if he desperately craved for it. He decided just to pay attention, examine his surroundings and the behaviors of his kin. He was heartbroken to know his once tender and loving species was now so cold and lacking of empathy, but as he spent more time with them, he noticed something in common: the sadness. It was as if what seemed unbreakable and incorruptible was pushed beyond its limits. These creatures he shared his genes with had been forced into a state of denial and absolute indifference. Husky saw this as a self-defense mechanism. As he walked through the corridors of the shattered Canis Major, he understood how his kin probably chose this way, rather than continue loving their own. That, at the end, could weaken them and end up killing the entire race.

"Stop, all of you!" the familiar voice was heard yelling. Husky knew it was Rika, but avoided looking at her in fear of being more disappointed at the whole situation. She was the only one he recognized so far, and who was once an important part of his life. Seeing her in that condition was like having a red-hot dagger being run through his heart.

Everyone seemed to have formed in a line next to a wall. Husky knew he had to do the same. Looking down to the ground, avoiding to see his defiled home, Husky just kept himself in silence. He glanced at Rika, not looking directly at her, but enough to notice how she was just walking back and forth across the formed creatures. She held that device on her paws and it seemed as if she counted everyone of them. A quick glance at her face made it noticeable how she seemed nervous.

"I really hope this works..." She whispered to herself.

Rika immediately got close to Husky and stared at him. Husky knew this because she stood in front of him longer than usual. Husky still avoided visual contact, until she spoke to him.

"Hey..." She said rashly. "Look at me."

Hesitantly, Husky made eye contact. It was so depressing, yet seeing his kin to the eyes reminded him of the joy he craved.

"I want you not to look nervous or do anything that might make them gain attention on you." Rika ordered. "Is it clear?" She now raised her voice as Husky just stared at her without giving a reply.

"Yes, Rika..." Was all he could say. But who were 'them'?

"Good." Rika said firmly. "I've gone through a huge risk by letting you in here without knowing who you are. And make sure not to call me by my name again. I am Sector Master; is that clear?"

"Yes."

Exhaustion was all that Husky felt as the minutes passed without any change in the current situation. He and his group still stood against the wall, all in relative silence. Before his mind could drift away as a way to relief himself from that horrible experience, that familiar metallic sound got closer trough a corridor not far from where they were. Even through the constant racket, that sound was too distinguishable to be mistaken.

"Quiet and steady, everyone." Rika said quickly. She immediately stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with whatever approached. The rest did the same, making Husky wonder if he should do the same. But that sound... that sound echoed inside of him, waking up those terrible memories of what threatened his race throughout their existence.

Through the shadows, the sound made itself strong enough to anticipate a visual. And it did...

With horror, Husky saw three metallic creatures.

Them...

That lanky tall body, the sharp limbs; those red eyes staring coldly out of the white mask. There was no mistake of who they were.

I... I will not forgive you... Husky's fur spiked up as the metallic monsters approached. His brothers kept staring down the ground as a sign of complete submission.

Why are they submitting? Husky thought frustrated. Every inch of his body wanted to spring towards the monsters and destroy them. But the one in the middle; that one was different.

A chill ran down Husky's spine as he saw the shorter, darker one. It was the human-like machine; the one Husky once fought. His memories were full of confusion. He knew he had fought it, but couldn't remember clearly how or when. Husky only knew that this monster had placed his courage and warrior skills to the limit, almost killing him in the process.

But how did it all happened? Husky was confused all of the sudden. The inability to remember his encounter with this monster bewildered the young Evocanis, to the point of making the anger turn into frustration.

Did I fight this machine? When? How did it happen?

Did he lose? Was this the reason Canis Major was in this condition?

A strong impact woke the Evocanis from his state of confusion. One of the tall and lanky machines had grabbed him from his neck with a modified limb, lifting him as he was weightless. Any air that was inside his lungs was now trapped with his throat completely clenched. Any air that soon would be needed wouldn't be able to nourish him in this state.

"He's... He's the replacement..." Rika said nervously. Something had gone obviously wrong.

Husky was still conscious, but he wouldn't be for longer. He saw how the dark machine stared back at Rika, and then back to him.

"I got him as soon as I could. He was incorporated to the line down the forge. He did a great job!" Rika tried to explain, obviously hiding the truth.

Time was running short. Husky's sight was going black. Any strength left to fight his way out of this was now completely drained, not only by being caught by surprise, but because of the horribly exhausting day he had gone through.

"Here... here's the report. This is all his information." With her paws trembling, Rika passed out her large device. The dark machine did not grabbed it, but seemed to scanned it quickly.

"Please. I know I did this without your official consent, but the line must be kept as efficient as possible. The paperwork was done after. I had no choice!"

The machine looked back at Rika and back at Husky... Time was running short.

"I know he was disoriented and confused, but I couldn't reduce the productivity. That is unacceptable! He is young and strong!"

The other creatures looked away as if expecting the worse. So many times situations like these had presented themselves and the machines had shown no mercy.

"I'm sorry, Husky. This is for the best..." Rika said, as she closed her eyes and waited for the life of the young Evocanis to be taken mercilessly.

Husky was close to losing consciousness, as he felt the grip tighten.

Not like this... Husky thought to himself with the last bit of consciousness he had. He wanted to know why this had happened. Why was his home defiled this way. He really didn't mind dying right there, but what infuriated him was not knowing why.

The tight grip suddenly was replaced by a sense of falling. Husky had hit the ground semi-conscious. Soon the blood and oxygen filled his head again, bringing him back to reality. The machine had released him.

Still with his sight darkened, he saw how the three machines walked away...

"Stand up, Husky!" he heard Rika. "All of you; to the dinning room!"

"Apocalypse!" Husky yelled furious as he took a gasp of air. "I should've know..." He said a word that even he failed to understand between incoherent mumbling.

"Listen!" Rika shook him. "We were really lucky this time. They accepted the false report. But from now on you must prove your value or your days are soon to be over. Is that clear?"

Husky managed to nod once he recovered full consciousness. He was overwhelmed with anger and frustration, but understood that this might be his reality now. There were no words that the young Husky could utter; there were simply none. His home was defiled by those monsters once again, but this seemed like a much sever situation than the deadly attacks Canis Major had once suffered.

Husky felt emotionally beaten as he was pushed to follow the rest. In his mind he went through feeling that gave him the most relief possible; anger, acceptance, defiance, or even hope that this horrible nightmare could be fixed. None seem to work for the young husky.

Minutes seemed like hours as Husky stumbled trying to follow the group. He shook his head, trying to make the confusion fade away, but the more he spent in that place, the more overwhelming the sense of despair felt.

Ignoring the path they had taken through the crumbling space colony, they finally arrived to a somewhat drier and fresher area. There were many furred creatures walking around this area. No one said much, but the occasional chatter could be heard.

As Husky entered this large area, a massive gate closed behind him. He was the last one to enter and now he realize they were enclosed in this place.

Is this a zone complex? By the looks of it, this place, even though eroded and badly kept, seemed a bit more comfortable than what he had seen so far. These could very well be the living quarters.

"Okay, everyone!" Rika's voice echoed though a rough speaker. "Eat and go to sleep. We have five hours before our first labor cycle."

Everyone seemed to not pay attention to Rika's words, but the large population suddenly walked away to a specific are. Following them would be Husky's best choice.

Walking across a flimsy catwalk, he noticed the area being very large and having many stories high. In each floor, he could see various doors that he identified as rooms. This was indeed a living area, but far from the warmth that he knew. It was hot and densely populated.

Finally making it to the lower level, he saw a very large room were everyone had gathered. There were tables, and the smell of something vaguely edible filled the air.

Husky stood in the middle of the room as the crowd walked around him, overwhelming him with noise and the bodies pushing him. He was again filling the anxiety invaded his body. He needed to find relief.

The sight of an empty table gave him the chance to escape the disaster. He ran to it, evading everyone that he could until he managed to sit down. The hard and rough surface struck hard on his leg bones, but he didn't care. Sitting was a luxury that he hadn't had the entire day so far, and apparently something that wouldn't be part of his days from now on.

Husky was indeed hungry and thirsty, but the pain was too much for caring about how to find food. He placed his head between his arms and rested on the table. He couldn't hold his crying anymore. The frustration of not knowing what happened finally broke the young husky.

Who knows how long it had been, but Husky was completely immobile, sobbing as time passed by. He only heard a constant chatter and noise from machinery around him. Husky had drifted away, not reacting to his surroundings or moving anymore. He was in a catatonic state, provoked by what he had experienced that day.

He still wondered if that was just a dream, or if this had always been his reality. He had a sinking feeling that his desire to be home had gone wrong, but at the same time that he had been there all his life. No answer was the right one and this was driving the young husky insane. It was reliving the nightmare of the life he didn't want anymore. But asking himself this, at the same time he wonder what it meant.

Exhaustion finally got the best of him as he drifted away in slumber. Noise fading away as his body demanded the much needed sleep. But before he could fall asleep, something touching him in the shoulder made him jump back to being awake.

Husky raised his head and looked around. In that same table, in front of him, a furred creature just like him sat.

"You need to eat..." a surprisingly sweet voice said. It had spoken so softly, but for some reason Husky managed to hear it clearly among the noise.

Husky didn't know what to do. The warm touch of that creature that was just like him felt so comforting, yet he felt he couldn't trust that anymore.

"I know it might be hard, but you need the energy if you will endure tomorrow what you did today.."

Husky was still immobile, just staring at the figure in front of him. This creature was obviously female, judging from the soft voice. But she was wearing a hood that obscured her face, not letting Husky see her features. "Eat..."

The sound of a metallic object being dragged in front of him made Husky look down to the table. A dented and dirty piece of metal roughly shaped as a plate had a strange paste and some pieces of hard material on it. Sniffing the air, he felt a not entirely unpleasant scent, but far from the delicacies that he was used to.

"It's alright. It's not that good, but it has all that your body needs." The female said.

Husky was hungry, and so he decided to place his trust on his kind again. It's not that he didn't trust them; he was afraid of experiencing the harsh ways his brothers and sisters exhibited.

Being insisted, he finally took the plate and placed it close to his muzzle. Whatever this was, he was hungry and so he ate. The stale flavor invaded his maw, but he still ate it all as fast as he could.

"You will need to sleep as much as you can." The creature in front of him said. "I suppose you don't know which is your bunk cell, right?"

At the direct question, Husky knew he had no choice but reply.

"Bunk cell?" Husky replied softly after struggling with the decision of talking to this hooded creature.

"I imagined as so... after all, your addition to this group was rather unexpected." She said. "Thirty-two-fifty-seven."

"What?" Husky asked. He knew this might have something to do with the bunk cells she spoke about, but he needed to confirm.

"You are staying there tonight. Look for that door." The female said as she stood up.

"Wait!"

"I can't explain right now... There are things you need to understand first. Eat and then look for your bunk cell." Turning away, the female of sweet voice walked away thought the crowd and as sudden as she appeared, she disappeared.

There was something strange about this Evocanis. The scent she emitted was familiar, yet not recognizable at the same time. Husky was confused as what had happened at that moment, but for the first time in that horrible day, a little ray of hope had shined upon him. He didn't know why; he just felt it...