Chapter -44-
Heart of Cerinia

Cerinia

"Bloody hell," Krystal muttered under her breath. She wiped sweat from her brow. She thrust her shovel into the clumpy cold dirt of a semi-scorched eblaster crater. She put her foot on the shovel, burying it deep into the clay-mixed soil and leaned on the handle. "Brilliant using your blaster on its highest-power setting to make this crater. The ground is warm enough we're not freezing down here. Plus, it cut down on half the work. I'm sure we're nearly there at this point."

"I have my moments." Fox buried what resembled a pickaxe into the ground once more and glanced over his shoulder. "Doing okay?"

"Yeah, love, everything's just tickety-boo." She exhaled and rubbed her face again, "Yeah, that's a load of tosh, in'nit?"

"At least it's not a frozen wasteland at the equator. In fact, it's pretty nice out, considering."

"Oi, yeah, the air warmed up nicely, the morning wind died down to a very slight breeze, but…" She scooped another load of dirt and tossed it over the side of the makeshift pit. "…The ground, beneath the crater's surface? It's still cold to the point it's a pain to shovel; my feet are starting to get cold, yet I have sweat running down my back. I hate the feel of cold extremities especially when my pelage is matted down with sweat. It's the bloody worst." She put the shovel back into the clumpy cold soil, put her booted foot on the edge, and pushed it down again. "Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest. I mean, if you can't whinge to your spouse, though, yeah?"

"I'm your shoulder whenever you need it. Just look at the bright side: we found it, Krystal. We just need to finish digging out this door. We've got this."

"I know, love. And I feel like we gave Slippy and Amanda a much harder job."

"You think so? It isn't nearly as cold."

Krystal nodded and heaped a bit of clumped earth into a pile off to the side, adjacent to the edge of the crater. "Taking seeds of all kinds from the vault and putting them into the soil around the equator? I mean, I'm glad they helped by pre-excavating this area for us, not to mention finding the buried location … and I understand we can't use the excavators to clear out around the doorway without possibly damaging it…"

"Right, that's why I made the blaster crater to get us the last two feet down, but any more would damage the doorway."

"Too right, it would, but … being cold and overheated at the same time is just … misery. I needed to get it off my chest, and you're the only person I dare throw a mardy in front of, so … thank you for letting me gripe."

"What, uh … what does tickety-boo mean?"

"Wonderful, but I was being sarcastic. After all these years, you're the only one I feel comfortable complaining to, so … thanks for letting me vent."

"I think that goes both ways, Krystal." Fox used the pickaxe to clear out a bit more dirt near the door, loosening it for her to shovel. The soil was a clay mixture, making it difficult to work with. Fox looked up at the top of the pit, roughly two stories above his head. "You know, this is nowhere near as deep as we originally expected, based on Farrah's coordinates."

Krystal shoveled the clump aside. "I was thinking … if the coordinates claim it's deeper than this, then perhaps this small building leads down into the heart of the structure."

"Guess we'll find out. Good theory. So … when you, uh, revert to Cerinian sayings, why do you say 'bloody,' anyhow? What makes that a swear of sorts?"

"It evolved religiously … it's used as if swearing on the spilled blood of our youngest deity." She tilted her head, eyeing him for a moment. 'Revert,' hmm? Now that I think about it, the first time I reverted was on Miracle. When it happened, I was a bit embarrassed, but I couldn't seem to help it. But here? It feels natural. I know I'm saying most of our phrasings in Cornerian, but I don't really think about it – it just comes out when I'm speaking your language. Thanks for not making it weird."

"It's not weird, it's neat."

"Neat, is it, now?"

"Yeah! Exotic. Sexy, to be honest. So, is there any other fun or weird Cerinian sayings? Or anything you used to hear a lot but never use? Something nonsensical, maybe?"

"Yeah, but the direct translation makes no sense in Cornerian."

Fox swung the pickaxe again, grunting in unison to the tool slamming into the dirt. Each swing broke soil free from the lower section of the doorway that covered the subterranean building. "Try me."

"Bob's your uncle."

Fox blinked. "What?"

"Its closest translation to Cornerian basically means, 'and that's that.' Here, love, I'll use it in a sentence: 'We're gonna find the guardian, nick the device, pop on back to Lylat, destroy the locusts, and Bob's your uncle.' See? Makes no sense in Cornerian."

"Oh. Weird. You're right, I can see someone using '…and that's that,' in that example."

"Yup." Krystal chuckled softly and scooped some more dirt. Her shovel hit the surface of a metallic door just beneath the clumpy dirt. "Okay, I'm to the bottom of the door, now. Almost done. Another few clumps of dirt and we'll have the door completely uncovered."

"Outstanding." Fox put the pickaxe aside and climbed up onto the edge of the crater. He grabbed another shovel off the nearby excavator and hopped back into the shallow crater at the heart of the excavation pit. He returned to her side and they worked together to shovel out the bottom portion of the door until it was fully uncovered. "God, I hope this thing opens, after all this time being closed."

"It's Krazoan technology, so maybe we'll get lucky."

"Lucky," he repeated.

She nodded firmly. "Lucky."

"We'll get lucky," he said with a confirming nod of his own. "I have a feeling."

"Yeah, cheers." She slammed the shovel home once more, stomped on the edge, and heaved out another clump of cold dirt.

Fox did the same, working with his wife to get dirt in front of the doorway fully unearthed as quickly as possible. He used the shovel to scrap a bit of loose dirt away from the surface of the door, from waist height downward.

"I feel like I'm digging my grave or something," Krystal muttered. "Dark, but … is that weird?"

"Oh, we're digging a grave, alright."

She flinched. "I was joking."

"I'm not. We're digging the Locusts' grave."

She rolled her eyes and kept working but felt glad to hear him word it in such a way. "What a cheek."

"Okay. Is being 'cheeky' or whatever … is that kind of like how Corneria says, 'on the nose,' but different than being, say, nosey?"

"I suppose that's accurate, but it also means being silly or being sarcastic, depending on how you use it."

"God it." Another dirt load loosened in front of the doorway. Fox exhaled sharply. "God, this sucks." He took yet another heavy clump of dirt from the doorway.

"Too right," she agreed, adding, "We've got it uncovered, now we just need to get a bit away from in front of the doorway. Almost there, Fox." She worked the dirt away from the bottom of the door each time he shoveled a chunk downward, from the middle of the door. She continued to scoop it out so it wouldn't build up at their feet. "Look at us, working in syncopation whilst grumping about it together. Almost there, you dishy boy. Keep working that tail, yeah?"

Fox chuckled. "Okay. Back up."

Krystal took a few steps back and thrust her shovel into the soil. She leaned against it. "Break time when we're this close?"

"Only for you, honey. We're done."

"Oh, are we, now?" She eyed him, sensing that he had a plan. "You're … going to shoot the dirt again, then, are you?'

Fox nodded firmly. He withdrew his blaster, changed the lens setting to a wide beam, and adjusted the output level. He backed up a few steps and pointed it at the remaining dirt clinging to the doorway. He opened fire with a three second sustained blast, turning the clay to muddy ash and sludge.

"Brilliant," she replied with an approving nod. "Whilst we're out here slaving this dirt with our backs, I can't help but wonder what Marcus is doing."

"He's our son. He's working his ass off, just like we raised him to do."

"Yeah, he's prolly sorted the entire mess by now, and Farrah is just sitting around watching us work for a laugh. He's clever like that – he could figure this out without these parts."

Fox changed the blaster settings again and used it to clear out dirt from around the bottom of the doorway. "Yeah, I'm proud of him, too, but if it was that easy, he'd have come here to join us to see his ancestral home."

"Yeah, no, you're right," she said with a soft sigh. "Okay. That looks like the last of it."

"Let's get this, uh, 'sorted' huh? Did I use it right?"

"Yeah, love. Let's do this." She approached the door, which was now fairly warm, and pressed on it.

Fox did the same, trying to open it.

The door shifted with a grunt, leaving a tiny gap. After a moment of pushing, Fox reached for his shovel and wedged the spade into the gap, leveraging the door open.

All at once, the doorway dropped backward, falling to the ground with a whisp of dust coming from behind it.

Fox stumbled forward but kept his footing. "Well, that, uh … that was … um."

"I was curious to see if it would swing open on hinges or slide on a track."

"Yeah, same. But it was just a solid walling up of a doorway. No actual door."

Krystal withdrew a flashlight. "Got your torch?"

"Torch? You mean my flashlight?" He pulled out his own.

"Yeah. Sorry. I guess this reversion is worse than I thought. I, uh … the Cerinian word's literal and direct translation is the Cornerian word for torch. We just kept the same word when we upgraded from oil-soaked cloth on wood … to dry cell batteries and light bulbs. All right, let's do this."

"Right, uh … torch. Got it." Fox stepped into the dark room first. "Well, you were right. It goes deeper." He moved the light from left to right and stepped aside for Krystal to come through the doorway.

The simple room had little more than artistic etchings on the walls, and words that Fox could not read. He moved the light back to an ornately carved platform at the middle of the room.

Krystal panned her light about the immediate area. "It looks like the floating lift in the Krazoa Palace."

Fox nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but the ones in the Krazoa Palace were made by the ancient Krazoa … the ones that existed, like, a million years ago."

"Too right. And it was the ancient Krazoa that created all'r of our kind, genetically, from scratch, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I think that's what I heard." Fox rubbed his chin. "So, did the ancient Krazoa leave this device here, or did they build this place and the modern Krazoa left the device here?"

"Fox, the way I understand things, the ancient Krazoa likely built the device and separated it from the other pieces. Maybe to try and bring all our races together once we were mature enough to be space fairing. But, the Locusts returned before anyone was ready for them. So, the anatomically modern Krazoa quietly came to each of our worlds, assembled the device, and used it to repel the Locusts about twenty-two to twenty-five hundred years ago. Then, when the modern Krazoa finished, they returned each piece to its original hiding place. Which would have to be done without alerting the population living on each of those worlds. Of course, they had no choice, after all. I mean, two thousand years ago, none of us were space faring yet. Still, it's a shame they did not introduce themselves. Our peoples have never met our true makers."

"I guess it makes religion kind of pointless, now, huh Krystal?"

She stepped onto the platform and, without warning, it started to levitate down the shaft, surprising her. "Oi, Fox! Don't tarry about! Get your tail down here, quick as you like, yeah?"

"Okay, hon!" Fox hopped down onto the platform before it got too far away. He landed in a crouch, adjacent to Krystal. "Hey."

"Oi. Going my way?" she asked.

"You know it. Let's hope it isn't too cold down here. I only have this light jacket on."

"It likely is, love."

"Yeah, true."

"Back to our conversation, there is always a point to religion. For all we know, deities are more than we can understand, or they are the names of the Krazoa that created our worlds, or they're the ancients of our kind that worked with the original Krazoa'r, early on, in finishing our respective worlds, or … who knows? There is a lot of possibility, and no less reason to pray to them if you are a religious person."

"Fair enough. Hadn't thought of it that way."

Krystal nodded. "I've been wondering what deity the Krazoa worshiped. And if they ever stopped…" She rubbed her chin with one paw while pointing her light at the passing interior of the shaft as it went by on the sides of the platform. "Or if they had members who stayed faithful, or if the Krazoa'r ultimately discovered their roots, as we discovered them to be our creators. I mean, they only ever made statues of themselves, but many religions claim that their race were made in the image of said species' creator, so it's hard to tell their mindset about religion."

Fox rubbed his own chin. "You think about a lot of stuff."

"Hel-lo. I'm a woman. We over-think everything, love."

"All women?"

"The average woman does, yes. Most of us, you know? I've yet to meet one that doesn't overthink things at some point in her life."

"Fara? Miyu? Katt? Lucy?"

"My heavens, yes." Krystal turned to face him, pointing her light downward at the platform so as not to point it in his face. "Lucy worried about her daughter. She worried about ROB while she was in the other universe with the rest of us. She worried about her father. And that was what she thought about in her free time, whilst she wasn't overthinking astrophysics information to try and get us home."

"And the others?"

"I can't speak for Katt and Miyu, as they were in Lylat whilst I was with you in 'parallel Atlas.'"

"Yeah, well, it's a good thing me and the boys … er, the boys and I … spent time in the standard dimension Atlas system shortly after we defeated Andross, right after the Lylat Wars. I mean, knowing our way around and having all the animals in our database is what kept us alive all those years when you joined us in 'parallel Atlas.'"

"Too right it did. But, yes, love I was there. I remember. You don't have to remind me, trust me."

"Right, right. Sorry. I'm tired, I don't know why I'm explaining it to you, hon. Anyway, back to what we were talking about … now that you've been back a while … are you telling me that Katt and Miyu overthink things and worry about stuff, too?"

Krystal nodded. "Of course, love. Katt worries about her grandchild, and she was worried about Falco whilst we were outside of Lylat. She was here struggling to raise a teenaged Violet … oh, and Miyu, I haven't been around her enough to know what preoccupies her mind, except that recently, she has been focused on Panther, Lylat, and helping us. But she has been preoccupied with … something. If I spend more time with her, I'll know better."

"And Marcus' girl?"

"Oh, Fox."

"What?"

"Stop being so cheeky. You can say her name."

Fox shrugged.

"Oh, good heavens, Fox. Seeing them together really bothers you, doesn't it? I don't sense any jealousy, just that you feel utterly awkward."

"I'm fine; I'm glad they're happy. So, out of curiosity, what's on her over-think list?"

"Fara'r, as an adult woman, has responsibilities as a CEO of Space Dynamics, now. She's sharing the responsibility of Phoenix Enterprises with her stepsister, Kelly, and she's laser-focused on Star Fox with our son. But she's also an expectant mother. So, she overthinks motherhood while keeping it all to herself. She overthinks worrying about what you think of her romance with our son; she worries what kind of grandparents we will be, or if you were accept her child as your grandchild. She overthinks raising her baby in a universe where the Locusts exist, and it terrifies her. But she has a very disciplined mind. I've joined with her mind once, and it was…" Krystal trailed off to think of a way to word her experience with Fara Phoenix.

"Yeah?"

"Let's just say that I was very impressed with her mental and emotional discipline. It actually helped me at a time whilst I had just been through a lot with my memories, with Kursed, and I was trying to wrap my mind around a lot of things. It helped immensely to experience her mental discipline. But … overthinking? Yes. It's suppressed, but it's there. She keeps her plate full to keep the overthinking at a minimum."

"Damn. I had no idea … that kind of sounds like a curse."

"It's anxiety. Even the more confident women have worries, deep down, Fox. You can take the most overconfident woman, and on approach to her third trimester, while she's lying in her bed, uncomfortable and overheated at three in the morning, if you were to ask her what's on her mind, and if she's willing to share it, she would tell you that she's worried about what kind of mother she'll become, and if the world will be kind to her baby. Fast forward to week three of motherhood, when she is bloody knackered, and still trying to figure out some sort of rhythm for what her life has now become, and if you ask her that same question, she'll be lying in bed with bloodshot eyes, wondering if she left the stove on because she's sleep deprived, and she's worried if she moves, she'll wake the baby she worked so hard to rock to sleep. She'll be staring at the ceiling or the wall, unable to move, and wondering if she was about to burn down the house and endanger her child. It's what we women do … in any culture … because we have to be the responsible one … responsible for the life of a helpless child … and no matter how well we cover it up to save face, we're terrified of breaking our baby, being a huge cock-up, or just somehow causing everything to go all to pot." Krystal glanced back at the shaft as the granite zipped by. She shrugged with a weak chuckle. "It's just … sometimes I think blokes don't realize just how easy they have it in life."

"Slippy has anxiety, but he works through it."

"Yes, okay you've got me there … I've always felt that Amanda and Slippy have a fascinating relationship … she takes care of him and stands up to others for him. Meanwhile, he does enough worrying, and has enough social anxiety for them both, even though his last job working in Cornerian R 'n D provided a posh home in a gorgeous neighborhood, he did all the worrying. And, for the record, I really respect Slippy. He works through that anxiety quite well, but still … all the same, Fox … he constantly worries he's not good enough."

Fox shook his head with a soft sigh. "I can't understand why. I mean, Jeeze, he's proven himself a million times. Hell, he got us home to Lylat last year. Also, he and his dad invented the computer virus that defeated the Aparoids. Not to mention he was the first one to come back when I went after the Anglar Empire alone."

"Fox, he knows he's capable. However, he still worries what his friends think, deep down. But Slippy keeps control. He does remarkably well in that regard, but he still tries so hard to overcompensate for his shortcomings … by continuously working to 'earn his place' on a team that has been his entire life since he was a teenager."

Fox sighed again with a frown. He rubbed the back of his neck with his free paw while pointing his flashlight at the granite elevator shaft that flew by. He couldn't help but wonder how deep the shaft went. "I had no idea he had all that on his mind all the time."

"It rarely bothers him anymore, especially at this age. But it tarries about in the back of his mind, and sometimes, just … out of the blue, it surfaces. You often tell him when he does well, and that helps immensely. But now and then it comes out of nowhere."

"To be honest, Krystal, I really thought he beat it ages ago. But, just between us, I bottled some of my own worries while we were in parallel Atlas. Mostly, I felt like I failed Star."

"Fox, that's everyone. We all had kids back in Lylat. Kids who thought their parents were dead. Not to mention we worried if they would be hunted by Andross."

"Yeah, true. Falco had freak-outs over Katt and Violet, so he'd go to the gym and disappear for hours at a time."

"Oi, Falco hates any time he feels embarrassed by … anything. Appearance is literally everything to that man. Meanwhile, you have anxiety you've suppressed, but still deal with."

"I do?"

Krystal nodded. "Yes, love. You worry that I will one day leave you again, which is why it bothers you to see Miyu with Panther and Fara with Marcus … those are the women you feel like you've failed. Seeing them with someone else makes you feel as though you weren't good enough for them on some level. But, Fox, you didn't bloody fail anyone."

"How do you figure?"

Krystal reached out to touch the passing granite shaft, but she quickly discovered a low-level force field in place to keep the lift's passengers safe. "You were never meant to be with Miyu; Fara took a dangerous mission without telling you. Fara was on her own and struck down by a sniper when you thought she was in a cockpit halfway across Lylat. And me? You went out of your way to prove to me that we are soulmates. So … ta for that, love. You worked hard to make me feel as though I am worth it, and that was something I needed in my life."

The lift platform stopped at the bottom of the shaft.

Krystal brightened, happy to finally reach the bottom.

Fox cleared his throat. "I don't … uh … I don't know what to say to that."

Krystal's smile faded just slightly. She gestured to Fox. "And there's your anxiety. You get a bit shy when presented with affection, because you grew up thinking you had to be macho for your father, because you never got to see his affectionate side with your mother. You never saw'r 'ow it's done, y'know?"

"I … guess. I hadn't really, you know, thought of that kind of stuff before."

"I know, love. And that's why, when you experienced things like strong emotions, take love for example, your own insecurities will surface. We all have insecurities, Fox. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's how we deal with them that makes us who we are, yeah?"

"Doesn't it drive you nuts that I still get flustered by you after over twenty years together?"

"No, love. I revel in it. Women typically like seeing a man show some vulnerability. I know I do. It means he has a sensitive side."

"A killer mercenary with a sensitive side," Fox mused aloud.

Krystal replied with a broad grin of amusement at his self-assessment. "I think it's sexy that you're a sensitive killer mercenary."

Fox snorted in retort. "Oh, is that right…"

"Strong enough to break me in half, yet gentle only for me. Yes. I find that sexy."

Fox felt his face become flush. He turned away, but he knew she could sense that he was flustered. He cleared his throat. If it were anyone else, he would have changed the subject, but he didn't want to look silly to her, even though, ironically, he already felt silly by hearing her speak of her acceptance of his emotions.

Krystal added, "I like that I still have this effect on you, love."

"Heh." He cut his eyes to the right, peering at her in his peripheral vision. "You know, after Fara came Miyu. After Miyu was a couple of one-night-stands over the course of, what? Eight years? But when you left me, I never had any interest in…"

"I know, love."

"Sensed it, huh?"

"No, you silly sod. I'm your wife, and I know you better than anyone. I know you had a complete disinterest in being involved in a relationship with anyone else after we parted ways…" She trailed off, then, in a softer voice, said, "When first we got back together, we had a joining of the minds atop Krazoa Palace…"

"I remember…"

Krystal continued. "I learned so much about you from your perspective. It gave me a big ego, because it made me feel like I ruined you for other women."

"Yeah, uh … I felt like I was poisonous to others, to be honest."

"Oh, Fox…"

"It's just … I knew you were able to move on, and I just … couldn't. That's why, uh, you know, when we got back together, I enjoyed our work and all, but when Star came along, that's also why I threw myself into the role of being a husband and a father. I didn't want you to leave again. But, uh … when you were ready to fly again, I was pretty excited, heh."

Krystal stood up on the tips of her toes, wrapped her arms around him from the side, and rested her chin on his shoulder so that her nose was against the side of his neck. "I know you did those things out of fear that I might ever leave again, and I appreciate you wanted to put me first in life. But…"

Fox tilted his head, listening to her.

"I just want to tell you, so that we're completely clear, Fox…"

He held his breath.

"Being a husband and a father is the manliest thing there is, Fox McCloud."

"How do you figure?"

"Lemmie … answer your question with a question, Fox. Why does a man peacock around?"

"How do you mean, hon?"

"What I mean is, why do men strut about trying to act macho?"

"I … I don't know." Fox shrugged, adding, "To get attention from girls?"

"That's the short of it, yes." Krystal offered a firm nod. "Besides trying to achieve peer respect from fellow men, it's all an act to look like some sort of wild stallion to women."

"Well, yeah. Yeah, I guess that's a good way to put it."

A wry grin tugged at the corners of her muzzle. "Well, let me put things into perspective for you, Fox McCloud. You've saved the known universe from the Aparoids' programmed mandate to transform everything living. Not to mention … you've saved Lylat how many times?"

"Enough times. Heh."

"Mm. Furthermore, you've saved me from my own stubbornness and anger. Many times, Fox, you've demonstrated that you … are … a very macho and confident man, often brash at times, especially in front of your peers. But…"

"Another but?"

"But, Fox, I got to see the real you."

"I thought … all that stuff was the real me?"

"No, Fox. I'm talking about the side of you that no one else gets to see except your family."

"You mean like when I walk through the kitchen in the morning, wearing nothing but socks because the floor is cold?"

Krystal shook her head with a giggle. She lowered from her tippy-toes and drew her arms from him. She took his right paw in both of her own, with her eyes on his face as if looking upon art. There was such love in her gaze. "I got to see the side of you that no one else has seen. I have seen you change a diaper with spit-up on you shoulder."

"Well, I've had slime on my shoulder when walking through caverns on Sauria, while charting it. Spit-up is nothing. Not getting grossed out is just par for the course in the world of machismo."

"Oh, Fox … I'm not talking about how well you 'crush' a beer can and then hit twenty-five targets with a blaster, love. Sod all that. I'm talking about providing for your family. I'm talking about picking up our son's Legos, because, after stepping on one, yourself, in those socks you mentioned, you became worried I would also step on them, or worse, our little boy. I'm talking about kissing our baby boy's knees'n elbow because he perceived it makes his 'owie' better."

"So, women like seeing guys be … what, squishy? Vulnerable? I mean, that's the word you used. Is that what it boils down to?"

Krystal shook her head. "No, you great big silly."

Fox melted inside at the way she said the word 'silly,' but he maintained his stoic disposition.

She smiled, sensing the effect she had on him. "Vulnerability can be cute. I got to see the right squishy center of a proper family man."

Fox opened his muzzle to reply, but he didn't know what to say.

"Fox, love, I remember, once, back when I was in my late second trimester, you opened your eyes at three in the morning, saw I was on my phone, just, y'know, reading whatever whilst I delt with insomnia … and you asked if I were craving anything or if there was anything you could do to help me. You never showed such consideration to Falco."

"Feels like forever ago. I barely remember those days. What would I do at three in the morning to make things better?"

She smiled while recalling the memory. "You'd pick up strange food requests and bring them home to me, or you'd rub my feet or shoulders until I was able to relax enough for sleep again. Later on, when Marcus was a tad older, I recall feeling grateful, more than once to be truthful, when you'd stopped what you were doing, whatever it was, just to run to the store and pick up one ingredient to make sure dinner wasn't ruined. Why? Because you knew it would make me very 'appy to 'ave a proper dinner made. A proper dinner for the two boys I love most in this entire world. I felt privileged to'r enjoy the sight of my husband kneel beside his little boy … and kiss his booboos when our child scraped his knee after falling off his bike. I got to see my husband encourage that little boy into getting back on that bicycle and try'r again … whilst also being mindful that our son felt embarrassed over falling. You were so clever, it made me fall in love with you all'r over again."

"I think I understand what you mean by overthinking things, now. Not sure it had anything to do with me being, like, considerate or whatever. I mean, maybe, but I think maybe you appreciated me more because you were…" He felt like he wasn't explaining things properly, so he trailed off to think of how best to explain himself.

"Go on, then," she said, curious how he would word his thoughts on the matter.

"Your entire pregnancy, you worried about what kind of mother you'd be. You worried you'd 'mess things up,' or that the baby would 'inherit your stubbornness,' or … whatever was on your mind at that moment. I remember you saying stuff like that roughly a zillion-freaking-times. But I just … I didn't give it any thought. I went out of my way to put those worries into a bottle with a really tight lid. For me, it was easier to react to things as they happened than to worry about what might happen. If I'd prepared, I'd have already had your craving snack on hand, ready to go. But when I saw you were uncomfortable, you know, I just went out and got it and brought it home."

"Never mind not being prepared with things on hand, love. You were prepared to do whatever it took to make me comfortable and happy, and that's prepared enough, Fox. I didn't just sense these things from you, I saw'r it in your eyes, love. You were happy to fetch whatever I needed when I needed it. You only showed that side of y'self to me. That is the sort of thing I appreciate from you. It's special, you know?"

"I know I was already a grown-ass-man when you were pregnant with Star. Er, Marcus – you know what I mean. Anyway, even in my thirties and forties, I didn't prepare. Not like I do now, at least. I think that's a thing with us. Guys I mean. Like, we guys don't prepare for life … we don't bring an umbrella when it's supposed to rain later that day – we just react to the rain if and when it happens. Preparing means we left it in the car, but we don't carry one with us, because we don't want to look stupid if the rain doesn't happen. Stuff like that. But then, later, we learn to prepare when teaching our kids to prepare."

"Oh, is that what makes you grow up, then? Fathering?"

"I mean … I think so. Just a theory. Like, it starts by looking out for our wife, then, later, it gets better when we look out for our kid; bringing random odds and ends, or packing supplies for any situation…"

"Like when you started leaving napkins and pacifiers in the glove box?"

"Exactly! But, still, even when dudes start doing stuff like that, we don't worry about 'what if's. And then, one day, when we're already old, we grow up emotionally or whatever. And then we start to worry about stuff like bringing an umbrella to carry when the forecast says there's more than a thirty percent chance of rain … because we sent our kid to school with an umbrella and learned to also start taking better care of ourselves, but now we're old and we're used to getting wet or cold or … whatever it is that we didn't prepare for. I don't know. Then again, I think I consider myself lucky for not worrying my way through my youth. I don't know what I'm saying. I'm just rambling because I don't know how to handle your…"

"My … what? My barrage of compliments?"

"Er, yeah, I guess so. This conversation is turning awkward, I think."

Krystal grinned at him. She pointed her flashlight forward and said, "Actually, this conversation has been refreshing. Thank you for always being open and available to me on an emotional level, Fox McCloud."

"I don't know how to do it. I, uh … I guess I should be thanking you for helping me be … I … I don't know what I'm trying to say."

"Just be blunt, love."

Fox licked his lips and looked around the empty room at the bottom of the lift shaft. He cleared his throat and just pushed out his thoughts without reservation. "Look, my mom died when I was a kid. I didn't receive the benefit of having both parents, so maybe I didn't grow up well-rounded. Learning how to belch on command and recite the Cornerian constitution, sometimes at the same time, was more important than knowing what kind of flowers to give a girl, or that I was supposed to stay in the driveway until my date made it all the way inside the house safely."

"You embraced the bachelor life from sixteen until twenty-six. And, by that point in your life, you were really proud of it. So, it took until thirty-six to really grow beyond that behavior. By forty-six, you were getting good at manhood…"

Fox chuckled. "Yeah, and by fifty-six, I'll be a friggin' expert."

Krystal grinned but continued where she left off, adding, "…So, right now, you look back and lament spending your youth years behaving like a bachelor … is that it?"

"More or less, yeah. Don't get me wrong, when I was younger, like, I had Vivian Hare in my life from time to time, but she distanced herself from Peppy because she expected him to die the way my father died … in a fight."

"You judge her for that?"

"I don't know. I guess. I mean, if mom never died, I know she would have stuck around for my dad, but Vivian needed to focus on her kids … and when she saw my dad's suffering over mom's death, Vivian didn't want to go through that same heartbreak or whatever. So, she started distancing herself from Peppy, like, emotionally or whatever. And when dad died, she really started distancing herself from Peppy to prepare for whatever she expected to happen to him."

"Poor Lucy…"

"Yeah, I know right? I guess my point is … thanks for … thank you … for showing me what a relationship is supposed to be like between a man and a woman so that I could…" Fox trailed off and rotated his paw at the wrist, looking for the right way to word his thoughts. "…So that I could reach my full potential as a man. You know what I mean?"

She pursed her lips so that her bottom one would not tremble with emotion.

"I … I'm not sure I'm explaining myself right. Talking about this kind of stuff was never my strongest suit, and…"

Krystal put her a finger against his lips to quiet him. She took a slow, deep, calming breath, and said, "That … was perfect."

"It … it was?"

Krystal nodded. Her eyes glistened, but with the flashlights pointed downward, her tears went unseen. "God, I love working missions with you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess because sometimes I'm treated to wonderful moments like this one. Because your adrenaline occasionally causes you to open up to me, like now."

"Yeah, it was easy the first time, I mean, uh, like, you know … on Miracle, because of the weird hormones in the air, but yeah. You're the only one I get chatty with like this. Not sure why."

"Because Falco doesn't want to hear it."

"He would call it 'mushy sissy stuff.'"

"Typical Falco. In all seriousness, Fox, I love when we work together because, every now and then, you say things to me that really just … make me fall'r in love with you all'r over again."

He listened to the way her dialect became thicker when she wasn't trying to speak the Cornerian way, but he didn't say anything. He just listened to her compliments.

"You've matured so much since we first met. You've become so much more manly since we first met. And, yes, I love it, Fox. Thank you for coming to Cerinia with me. Thank you for being my husband. Thank you for being the father of my child. And thank you for growing into the man you are, today."

"I guess that maybe…" He licked his lips and then cleared his throat. "I mean, what I'm trying to say is, I'm starting to realize that you were the only one in my life worth growing up for."

She beamed as brightly as her flashlight.

Fox looked at the door across the room, still feeling kind of bashful. "I'm not as good with words as…"

"Oi!" Krystal cut him off in mid-sentence. A sly grin spread across the vixen's muzzle. "I don't know why you think Panther is so much better with words than you, Fox. I know you think he is, but it's simply not true. He speaks from his dick; you speak from within."

"He's confident about his romantic … side … or whatever, I guess."

"Oh, to hell with that stupid twonk. That tosser reads Harlequin romance novels like a girl, Fox. Then he quotes some rubbish that he thinks would make a woman swoon. Hah. Maybe it'd work on a fictional female character, but certainly most living, breathing women. Why do you think he has been single for so long? And Miyu will figure it out, eventually, and leave him just like everyone else. Until he learns to dial back that nonsense. Or, unless she happens to be the woman for whom he grows up, finally."

"Still, he has a smooth…"

"No, he really doesn't. See, Fox, you speak from your heart, and that makes me swoon."

Fox blushed beneath his fur. He felt his face tighten up and couldn't say anything. Finally, he managed to ask, "I know you married me, not him, but sometimes I worry that…"

She placed a finger against his lips again. "You want to compare the two of you as men? Fine, I'll tell you how you stack up, Fox McCloud … do you know why Panther still works for Wolf? Because he constantly spends all his legacy accounts. The man can't save money if his bleedin' life depended on it." Then, in a darker, huskier tone, Krystal pretended to speak like Panther. "'Oh, mon Cherie, Panther will buy you diamonds, and you will live an endless holiday by his side.' Tch! With what money? He already spent it all on silly parts for his silly fighter. That man pretends to talk the talk, but he cannot walk the walk, so to speak. He's not as romantic as he wants people to believe, I can assure you."

Fox laughed. "Does Miyu know?"

"Miyu isn't interested in him for anything more than a play toy. I assure you of that. At least at this time. I learned that much from her in passing."

Fox laughed. "You really know how to make me feel better."

"And you know how to make me fall in love with you over and over again, and I adore you for it."

Fox tried to swallow but his throat felt dry all over again.

Krystal smiled in a playful sort of way. "Again, I love having an effect on you, even after over two decades of marriage."

Fox bit his lip. "I just … don't know what to say right now, that's all."

"No, honey. I'm right chuffed I married you, y'know that?"

Fox licked his lips and smiled in a semi-nervous manner. "Chuffed, that's the Cerinian word for proud, right?"

"Too right it is. Y'know, you used to avoid romantic conversation."

"I don't avoid it?"

"Not when I'm the one doing the talking," she said. "I'm not talking about pillow talk. You're brilliant in that department. I'm talking about anywhere outside the bedroom. I think it's because you were worried that you'd feel compelled to reciprocate, and you worried that you'd mess it up…"

"It made me feel foolish."

"…Just because you feel foolish trying to reply doesn't mean you look foolish when women flirt with you in public. But my theory is that you simply had so much anxiety about romance. But, mostly, I was referring to how you'd react when you overheard someone else having romantic conversation. Like two lovers on a park bench, or characters in a television program. It used to make you squirm, Fox. But now, you just roll your eyes or ignore when you overhear someone else talk romantically. You aren't completely flustered by the subject anymore. And, yet, it seems I still fluster you when we talk about our feelings."

"I've never been good at expressing myself."

Krystal's grin broadened into a playful smile. "Except for pillow talk, of course."

"I, uh…" Fox reached back and rubbed the nape of his neck.

"Stop worrying so much. You really know how to say all the right things in the bedroom. Better than any romance novel, believe me. You're as natural in my ear as you are in me."

"Really?" Fox bristled up with pride. "I had no idea it turned you on. You're not just trying to coddle me, right? You really like when I say that stuff to you, huh?"

"Oh, god yes. Because it's not hokey or fake when you say it. It's from the heart and I bloody well adore your passionate side."

Her compliments caused his tension to bleed away, so that his body relaxed a bit. "Well, in that case, I'll have to show you that side again as soon as possible."

"Don't keep me waiting."

"I would never keep my girl waiting," said Fox. "So … let's get this mission over with. Sooner we're done here, the sooner we can make good on all this flirting."

"And, hey, if we do wind up having another child … at least this time we'll have a helper watch them."

Fox chuckled. "Yeah, and baby James will be older than his aunt or uncle. Hilarious."

"You don't think that's weird, do you?"

Fox smirked and stepped off the platform. "Krystal it just means we're not too old to know how to still have fun."

"Well, that's true, too. I like it." She followed him across the nondescript room, roughly the same size as the top floor of the lift, high above them. "And you're right. Sooner we finish, the sooner we can try to see if my eggs are still viable. I'm pretty sure they haven't turned to dust just yet, heh."

Fox didn't know how to reply to that, so he didn't.

"Oh, I'm joshing you. C'mon, love. In all seriousness, would you consider it?"

"You know, I didn't know how to appreciate all the little moments when St- …er, Marcus was little. But then we got to hold Jaye, and it was so neat to see those neurological leaps he goes through. One day he's babbling, the next day, he's fussy, goes down for a nap, and suddenly wakes up saying new words. It's really fascinating. I've never thought about stuff like that when Marcus was that age. I enjoyed fatherhood the first time around, but I didn't know how to appreciate it. But now? I think I'd really like trying it again."

Krystal beamed happily. "Holding Jaye was … god, I've been thinking about a baby several times a day since meeting my grandson. You sure you can handle a toddler climbing all over you at this age?"

Fox scoffed. "At this age, huh? I'm in better shape, now, than I was in my twenties. At least I feel like it."

"Oi, that's because you eat better, now. You take better care of your body. Not to mention you no longer drink alcohol, which is a diuretic."

"I guess so."

"I know so. C'mon. Let's figure out what's beyond this door and then maybe I'll show you my home, where I lived … shall we say … intemerately, if you will…"

Fox tilted his head. "I … don't know that word."

"You know … my … vestal bed chambers, where I dreamt of you before we first met."

Fox felt flustered again, but he liked the flirting. "Oh, you mean your…"

Krystal nodded. "Yes, love. The home of my maidenhood. Virgo intacta. Where I lived whilst still pure."

Fox stared at her, trying to retain his composure. His left ear flickered listlessly.

A secret smile tugged at the corners of her muzzle. "After all, you were my first. I fell in love with you long before we met on the bridge of Great Fox."

"You did?"

"You really haven't the foggiest, have you?"

"I know we shared memories, but it was brief, it was focused on our parents, and with me getting back my lost memories … and it was a lot at once, so, honestly, I have no idea when you fell in love with me."

"Oh, Fox. I fell in love with you way back when we dreamt of one another, a decade before we met face-to-face. I was young, impressionable, and had no idea if you were even real. But in my dreams, you were my age, and I seem to recall from your memories that you dreamt I was your age. Fascinating how the mind works, isn't it? But I still wondered if you were just a figment of my imagination at the time. And then? Ten years later, love, there I was, plummeting from the bottom of that sodding crystal chamber, and I saw your blinding dishy face. I reached up just as you held the staff out to me, and I latched on, clinging to it for dear life. I knew who you were right away. And I was such a nervous and flustered little virgin … you pulled me up, saved my life, and I didn't know what to say or do … so I snatched my staff back and threw myself into shooting at Andross because he was getting away again. I acted like a silly schoolgirl."

Fox could hear something in her tone of voice that made his temperature rise. "Oh, uh…"

She continued. "But after you defeated Andross and returned to your ship, I 'ad an epiphany. I realized that I might very well be the last of my kind. I have no idea'r about what came over me that day, but I hurried to my shuttle, used the last of my fuel to take off, throwing caution to the wind mind you, and … the next thing I know, I'm standing on your bridge, in front of all your mates – a bunch of blokes I'd never even met, and I … I flirted with you. Just like that. Just as base as you like."

Fox tilted his head. "You sound like you're ashamed of doing that. I can hear it in your voice."

"A bit. I mean, I had no respect for your culture. None whatsoever. I'm a telepath and I should've known better. God blind me, Fox, I put you on the spot, looking easy as you like. And then I ask for a kiss in front of the whole sodding lot of you. But … in that moment, it felt right. And, looking back, I am so glad you insisted that we wait until we developed a real relationship before we made love the first time."

"You mean … waiting several years to get serious?"

Krystal nodded. "I know it took a bit of time to sort our relationship, but … if I had it to do all'r over again? I don't know that I could've waited as long as I did when I was a teenager. I'd bloody well throw myself at you if we had a second go-round at life, I'm just sure of it. We'd've had kids much sooner."

He eyed her for a moment. "Does being home kind of make you feel like a teenager again?"

"You know me so well, Fox McCloud. If we find a bit of time to faff about, maybe you'd fancy the grand tour sometime. I could … show you my home … where I spent my nights alone, thinking about the man from my dreams … the man from another world. The man with the orange and white fur, who looked nothing like any man I'd ever seen before. The man who got my heart racing … and made me want to know what motherhood would be like."

Fox looked at the door then back the direction from which they came. "You know what? I accept."

"Good."

"You know, I always found it strange that we both had dreams of each other when we were much younger. Bill Grey is the only friend I have that knows about those dreams."

Krystal grinned a bit. "You know, Grey never forgot what you told him."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, when I flew for him, I couldn't help but notice that he thought about it a few times."

"I still don't follow, Krys."

Krystal took his paw and walked for the door at the far end of the room. "When I came back to fly for 'im the second time, after Panther and I broke up … I occasionally flirted with William, because…" She pursed her lips with a frown, exhaled through her nose, and confessed, "…Well, because I was lonely. Once, after a night of drinking together, I sensed that he recalled back to the academy days, when you told him you dreamt of meeting a blue-furred vixen."

"Yeah, I remember him asking if my 'dreamboat girl' had 'dyed fur' the first time I told him, heh."

"Oi, Fox, he thought you were a little bit off your trolley when you told him otherwise. But, a decade later, when you introduced me to him, he realized you weren't as barmy as he first thought."

"Wait, Bill thought I was crazy?"

"As mental as a moony bloke can get. He thought being a nutter was just a bit of a tradeoff for being the best pilot ever. He thought it was from losing your folks. But, later, when you introduced me to him, he had a change of heart … he was a believer, he was, and that was that."

"What was what? I mean, you know, a believer in what?"

Krystal pushed on the door and it opened, then slid to the side on tracks, just how doors operated on Cerinia. "See that? The Krazoa made their doors the same way my people made doors. Proof it's the right way. Heh."

"Or your people found Krazoan ruins with a door, thousand of years ago, and decided that's how doors should work, and they've emulated it that way ever since."

Krystal eyed him. "Mm. I'd not thought of that possibility." She looked forward into the gloom. The hallway beyond was long, dark, and had carvings along the walls. She panned her flashlight around the area.

"So, what was Bill a believer in after meeting you?"

"Bill, uh, felt like the mere notion of reciprocating my flirtations … well … to be blunt, Bill felt like flirting back with me would be akin to … standing in the way of destiny. It weighed on him. We started getting close, and I asked him about his memories of what you'd told him that day at the academy … about meeting me in your dream. It stopped him in his bloody tracks. He didn't want me to kiss him anymore; I felt horrendous. I respected his feelings on the matter. Instead of trying to convince him, I decided to leave Lylat."

"Look, so we're clear, I know you flirted with Bill; I know you guys had a few physical moments."

"Very brief. Kissing, snuggling, and, uh, once … there was a…"

"Yeah, I know. I'm not mad. We shared our memories atop of the Krazoa Palace, remember? I know it got a little physical. I also know it didn't go 'all the way,' either."

"Too right, but I also know Cornerian men have a serious stigma about things of that nature."

Fox shook his head. "It's in the past. We caught up at one point, and we talked about it. He was honest with me … about everything."

"And since you were privileged to my most intimate memories, the fact he didn't lie about anything meant he'd earned your respect, then, yeah?"

"Yeah, he's a good guy. On the other hand, since we're being so honest, I went out of my way to repress the images of you and Panther. Like, I don't remember anything about that. I remember cringing at images of him shortly after you and I left Sauria together, back when we had that moment on the top of Krazoa Palace. But now? Now those mental images are gone. When I saw him working with Star, my first thought was, 'Really? Miyu? Is he obsessed with my exes? Or maybe he's obsessed with me? Because, no lie, that's kind of weird,' heh."

She eyed him for a moment, trying to scan his mind for visuals of herself with Panther. "Good heavens, Fox, you really did repress them."

McCloud shrugged. "I'd hope you did the same of the visuals of me with Fara and Miyu."

"Oh, Fox. Those moments of your past are a part of you. Those girls helped make you become the man I fell in love with. My people never saw awkwardness or taboo in someone's previous mate-ships. They were seen as steppingstone relationships."

"Right, right. I forgot. I just … let's find this guardian or level boss … or whatever challenge awaits us, then you can give me a tour of your home. Did you live with your parents?"

"I'd been living on my own for nearly a full revolution while finishing my education. Before leaving for my trip, I paid for rent up front and sequestered a ship for exploration. I was supposed to be away for a few months as part of my education."

"I never asked how that all happened. Would you mind sharing?"

Krystal nodded. "Think of it like how Cornerians with a degree will do a great amount of work for their PhD; my field required me to have time 'in the field' so to speak. I wasn't on Cerinia when our sun went dark. I was halfway between our planet and its satellite, Meredith, intending to send a data-burst to the university's servers. I never told anyone this but … I returned to the planet intending to rescue my parents. But they were in the leadership and they refused to leave."

"Oh, my God. They sent you away, knowing they would likely die?"

"Yeah. 'Take this bin, get your life sorted, and off you pop, now. Go on, girl, on your bike! Don't look back!' It was … sorry. Sarcasm is sometimes my coping mechanism."

"So, what happened when you tried to save them?"

She frowned at the memory, sighed, and said, "They gave me a container and some provisions, which included my tierra … and my mother's tierra. Seems they knew the end was near; they knew how serious things were, see, and they both managed to keep it from me."

"Why?"

"So that I'd not worry, you silly sod. Instead, they gave me a direction and a 'break glass in case of emergency.'"

"Go on," he said.

"They told me to see if I could find out what happened and who was responsible. But they already concluded it was Andross. I learned as much from a recording file they'd loaded into my computer, which I found on approach to Lylat. Anyhow, there I was, a stupid prat, waving ta and toodle pip, thinking I'd see them again. I launched back into space. I received one last video communication from the bunker beneath the senate building. They said our world was doomed, and they feared for the worst. They said I was to lead our survivors, if there were any. I was just a twee girl. I was smart enough to know I was daft. The mere notion of leading? It terrified me, Fox. After losing communication with Cerinia'r, and having a strop with the walls, I scanned the system for three days, but no one responded to my hails. Finally, I decided to follow Andross' wake trail to Lylat with the intention of demanding answers from him face-to-face. And you know how that went."

Fox rubbed his face with the backside of his free paw then pointed his flashlight around the hallway, quick to notice the carvings and effigies. "Yeah. I know how that went … we met those guys," he said, nodding his head at the image of the ancient Krazoa in the walls.

"Too right we did. I left this planet, thinking, 'oi, Krystal, you're really taking the biscuit now, ya daft bint.' I was pretty hard on myself, not gonna lie. That … wasn't a very nice word. A fairly dark pejorative, to be honest. But I was a teenager, unable to process everything I'd lost at the time, and the self-depreciating was at an all-time high, and my emotions were at an all-time low."

"What … is a bint?"

Krystal frowned. "That word is … taboo … banned, really, in the capital of this world. At least … it was when there were still people to take offense. Anyhow, there I am, low on fuel. When I shut off my engines and coasted to Sauria, I thought everything had really gone all to pot. But it just kept getting worse. First, my temperature-regulating outfit was destroyed, then I used seashells to support my boobs – not very comfortable, mind you. It was hot … humid. Ugh. Oh, and it was pouring rain when I decided to go after an airship, the only thing resembling modern technology that I'd seen on Sauria."

"How'd you get to look the way I remember meeting you?"

"That humidity I mentioned? Yeah, I removed my ripped leggings and simply wore the overlay cloth from my outfit. I mean, it made a cute skirt, but the seashells were right cumbersome. But then…"

"Then?"

Krystal feigned a tired smile. "But then … I met you. I know we've had our ups and downs, but it worked out in the end. Ironic that we fixed our problems on Sauria, where we met. And now? Well, now we have a family together. And … erm … and here I am waffling about. Sorry, love." She glanced back at the wall with a carving of a Krazoa. She pivoted to the imagery set into the wall. "Fascinating lot, aren't they?"

Fox nodded in agreement. He didn't know how to approach the conversation of her trials and tribulations, so he reverted to the Krazoan effigy. "What do you suppose this building is made of? Doesn't seem like granite, but it's definitely not concrete, because that would be brittle by now."

"Whatever it is, it's similar to Saurian coquina, Fox. It reminds me of the coquina found in Cape Claw."

"Oh. Right, you mean like parts of the Ocean ForcePoint Temple."

"Precisely, Fox. Look close, there; you can see the tiny seashells in the etchings, where the lime plaster protectant was scraped away to make the effigy."

"Isn't coquina made from coral, seashells, mollusks, and shellfish?"

"Yes, essentially. It's cemented together by fossilized fish bits, shells, and limestone, naturally."

Fox shined his light on a door up ahead of the long hallway. "Isn't this stuff too soft to be used for such an old building?"

"No, Fox. It's brilliant. Soft means it can absorb energy and it doesn't become brittle. It won't erode over time because water isn't lapping at it."

"Absorb energy? You mean like cannon balls or modern ammo?"

"No, you big … silly. I mean, yes, that's also true, but I meant that tectonic shifts and seismic activity won't cause it to crack or crumble. A Cornerian builder would likely reenforce it with a rebar mesh; the Krazoa would have their own way of reenforcing this building."

"Smart."

"Yes, the Krazoa certainly were a blinding people."

"No, I mean you. You figured things out just by looking at it. That's smart as hell."

"Smart? Maybe. Educated, yes. After spending two years as a bounty hunter to support myself, I came to learn about many alien species outside of Lylat. I'm a bit of a hobbyist extraterrestrial anthropologist. I find the different cultures and their technology to be fascinating. I know it doesn't really concern you, so I never bring it up, but … there it is, my secret confession, you married an anorak of sorts."

Fox furrowed his brows. "Based on how you're using the word … a … geek?"

"A nerd, a geek; somewhere between a boffin and a swot." Her eyes flitted to Fox's wrist. She looked down at a small indicator light blinking on his computerized gauntlet. Krystal bent at the waist, frowned at the warning light, and stood up straight with a sigh. "Speaking of which, I know better than to come down into a building that has been sealed off for a couple of millennia. At least … I knew better than to come down here without scanning it first – we need to turn back."

"Wait, what?"

"What makes it worse is I literally knew better. I learned about this sort of thing in school when I signed up to explore for Cerinia. I was getting what basically amounts to a 'degree' in Cornerian schooling, and I should've known better than to come down here before scanning. Anyway, yes, I have some education in studying ancient aliens' dwellings, remember? So, for the record, we're making a bloody mess of this job."

"Wait, what? Oh, you mean because we're talking instead of pushing forward?"

"No, love. Because we…" She trailed off, rubbed her forehead, and sighed with a shake of her head. "We're being bloody cack-handed with protocol on entering a structure this old. I should know better."

"How do you mean?"

"Don't you remember the building on Miracle?"

"Oh, right, the lunar satellite above Sauria."

"Oi, give that man a prize. All right, well that building was above ground. The first thing your team did, Peppy or Slippy, I forget which, was to scan the air and walls inside the building. This one is much worse, because it was full buried in a humid climate, near the euqator, yeah? All right, so! Before we go any further from the elevator, which is the only known ventilation source we can confirm thus far, we should scan the area for air saturation and quality, as well as traces of bacteria in the air to make sure it's safe to breathe. To be honest, we should've done it before we even entered; I am not in my right mind, being back to Cerinia after so long."

"We're mercenaries, Krystal."

"I know you charged right into ancient ruins on Sauria when you were twenty-six, Fox. But, good heavens, you were lucky you didn't breathe ancient bacteria'r and wind up dead, love."

Fox held his paws up, defensively. "You're the expert in this field, especially based on your education. If you say we should do a scan before going any further, then we should do a scan first." Fox looked down at his wrist pad. "I see, now. You saw this thing blinking. Okay, so for sure, the air isn't safe up ahead…? Yeah, that's not good. Should I call Slippy?"

"Yes. Let's call Slippy and have him perform a proper scan. It will take a few hours to send a probe through the deeper parts of this bunker…"

Fox raised his paws, gesturing her to relax. "It'll be faster if we just print up some hazmat suits and go through this thing ourselves."

"Fox, love, how many times did you have to manipulate objects with your touch on Sauria?"

Fox brought a paw to his chin in thought. "I mean … a lot. Pretty much every puzzle now that I think back on it."

"So, would you be able to do that in a hazmat suit? I'm not saying there will be those kinds of puzzles, but … we're talking about the ancient Krazoa, here, so it's a good possibility."

"That's a fair assessment, actually. Yeah, a lot of those puzzles required touch to activate. The palms of my gloves didn't do it; I had to use my fingertips to activate things. Kind of like a capacitive electricity kind of deal."

Krystal nodded. "Then it's settled. Either a probe, or Slippy and Amanda can do a quick check in suits if they're excited about going into this place as a couple."

Fox nodded firmly. "What if the air is extremely thin in the lower section? We don't know how stable this place is, let alone how old."

"I suppose Slippy can use a tight-beam blaster to create vent shafts to the surface, if ventalation doesn't exist, and he can use a UV bomb with an air purifier device to cleanse the air in rooms deeper in the bunker. You might be right about sending a live person instead of a drone, just in case any doors require any sort of puzzles to open. Just talk to him and make a choice, but maybe they can consider doing an audio mapping of the layout and determine, first, if there are vent shafts, if they've been blocked, and, if a surgical blaster strike is required to make ventilation, he would be the most qualified to do it, because he has a degree in engineering."

"Computer engineering, not structural engineering, hon, but … yeah. He'd be able to figure it out, so that nothing collapses."

"Yes, fair enough. I'm just … I'm sorry I didn't think to check this building before we went any further."

"What do you want to do while we wait?"

Krystal rubbed her chin briefly.

Fox tilted his head, watching her consider her options.

"Oh, sod it. Let's visit home. Most of my childhood memories were boxed up from when I moved in. I never unpacked; I was too focused on finishing my education at the time. It … might be nice to have a few keepsakes, and some things to pass on to our son. You know, something from my culture."

"All right. To your place, then. We'll come back when Slippy says the air down here he safe." He gave a gentle tug on her paw and they headed back to the lift. As they retraced their steps, the warning light on Fox's wrist gauntlet stopped flashing the 'air quality' indicator.

The lift rumbled back up the shaft with no issues…