Chapter 4: Cornerian Capital Highway:
The Cornerian Capital City was already filled with traffic by the time Peppy and Star Fox arrived. Cars were bumper to bumper on the roadways, their horns blaring as the impatient drivers grew angrier by the minute. Peppy stared out the windshield of the APC, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers, trying to keep calm. His day had barely begun, and he was already angry. He joked about retiring early last night, but this was making him really consider it.
"What the hell is this!?" he yelled in anger.
"What's wrong, Peppy?" Fox asked from the troop compartment.
"This God damn traffic!" Peppy replied.
"How bad is it?" Fox asked.
"We ain't fuckin' moving!" Peppy replied angerly.
"Well, this is starting off fantastic," Carver said.
"It's usually not this bad," Fox said, "I'm guessing with what happened yesterday, everyone's heading to the Government Building to get some answers."
"That's not gonna be a problem, is it?" Isaac asked.
"Shouldn't be," Fox replied, "There's a GOV Only parking garage under the building, any civilians won't be allowed entry." The response calmed Isaac's nerves a little, but he still felt anxious about heading into the city.
After sitting still for ten minutes, the traffic finally started to move, allowing them some progress. All in all, it took them nearly an hour before they arrived at the Government Building. They stopped at a checkpoint at the entrance to the parking garage, the guards verifying their passes before allowing them through. Peppy parked the APC on the first level, closest to the VIP entrance. Two CDF soldiers, who'd been waiting their arrival, were standing nearby. Peppy shut down the APC's engine while Fox lowered the ramp. He and the others exited the troop compartment, stepping out into the brightly lit garage. The CDF soldiers made their way to them.
"General Hare, sir," one of them, a Labrador, greeted with a salute.
"At ease, soldier," Peppy said, returning the salute.
"I'm Corporal Sanders," the Labrador said, "This is Private Mitchell," he motioned to the Bull Dog next to him, "We'll be escorting you to the Prime Minister."
"Alright, let's get moving," Peppy said, "Don't want to keep her wanting any longer. We're already late because of that damn traffic."
Sanders and Mitchell led them to the entrance, Sanders scanning his keycard to unlock the door. The scanner emitted a loud beep and the door lock cycled unlocked with a clank. Sanders pushed the door open, the others following him inside. Mitchell closed and locked the door, then joined the others. Sanders led them down the hall towards the executive elevators. He pressed the call button when they arrived, the elevator humming during its decent. Isaac stared at the display above the elevator, watching the number count down to their floor. He was tense, being in a government building. He never enjoyed government business, even in his world. He also couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. He looked to his right and saw Mitchell staring at him curiously. Isaac shifted over slightly, bumping into Carver.
"Watch it, Clarke," he said with annoyance.
"Sorry," Isaac replied, stepping away from him. Carver then noticed Mitchell staring at them. He narrowed his eyes at him, and Mitchell mumbled 'sorry' before turning away. The elevator arrived seconds later, the doors opening with a ding.
"The elevator won't hold all of us, so we'll make a couple trips," Sanders said, "Since the PM wants to speak to the aliens, they'll go first with me and General Hare."
He stepped inside, followed by Peppy, Isaac, and Carver. He pressed the button for the top floor. The doors closed and the elevator began its ascent. Soft, classical music came from the speakers, providing some background noise for the trip. Arriving at the top floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal a long hallway, windows making up one side, giving them a beautiful view of the city's skyline, the morning sun reflecting off their windows. Isaac stared at the skyline as he and the others walked towards the Prime Minister's office. His eyes moved between the different buildings; their designs reminded him of those he saw on Earth. Though he hadn't been there in a long time, the familiar designs almost made him feel like he was back home. That was until he saw a building in the distance. He stopped in his tracks, Carver noticing him.
"What's wrong, Clarke," he asked.
"That building, there," Isaac replied, pointing to the building. Carver followed his finger, seeing the building that spooked him.
"What the hell?" he muttered. The building was one of a spiral design, the sides of it joined together before splitting apart, going in separate paths, before curving in slightly towards each other. The shape was one that Isaac and Carver hoped to never see again: a Marker.
"Hey, what's wrong, guys?" Peppy asked, noticing that they stopped.
"What is that building there?" Isaac asked. Peppy looked out the window and towards the building.
"Oh, that's the Waste Management Headquarters building," he replied.
"Why's a waste management building shaped like that?" Carver asked.
"I guess the designers thought it looked cool," Peppy replied with a shrug.
"If you say so," Carver said.
"You don't like it?" Peppy asked.
"It... looks familiar," Isaac replied cryptically. Peppy cocked an eye and was about to ask him to elaborate, but Sanders interrupted him before he could.
"We should keep moving," he said, "I'm sure the Prime Minister is getting tired of waiting."
"Alright," Peppy said, "Come on."
Carver followed Peppy and Sanders, Isaac stood by the window a few moments longer before joining them. His mind was racing, between his dream and the building, he couldn't help but feel as if the universe was trying to tell him something. He tried to think rationally to calm his nerves. He thought about what Peppy said about the building. He remembered when he woke up here, he saw the garbageman at the docks who had a symbol on his hat, one that resembled the building.
'Maybe it's all just a coincidence,' Isaac thought.
They arrived at the Prime Minister's office a few moments later, Sanders knocking on the door. "Come in," Lena's voice was heard from inside. Sanders opened the door and stepped inside.
"Ma'am," he said "General Hare and the aliens have arrived."
"Great! Send them in," she said. Sanders waved them forward. Peppy, Isaac, and Carver stepped inside the office, closing the door behind them. Down the hall, Mitchell and Star Fox were heading towards the office.
"There you guys are," Sanders said when he saw them, "What took so long?"
"Had to make multiple trips," Mitchell replied dully.
"Are they already inside?" Fox asked.
"Yeah," Sanders replied, "I'm not sure how long they'll be."
"Could we join them?" Krystal asked.
"I think the PM just wants the aliens and General Hare," Sanders replied. Krystal's ears lowered slightly in disappointment. Miyu walked next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"They'll be fine," she said. Krystal placed her hand on Miyu's, staring at the door.
"I guess we just wait then," Falco mumbled. He sat down on the floor resting his back against the wall. The others went to the windows, watching the city below.
Inside the office, Isaac and Carver looked over its interior. In the center was a large desk where the PM sat. Behind her was a large window which gave her an excellent view of the city. The office itself was quite large, probably more than it should have been. Lena gestured to three chairs in front of her desk. They sat down and waited for the PM to begin her questioning. She pulled a tablet from her desk and tapped on the screen multiple times.
"Okay, that's good," she muttered. She placed the tablet on her desk.
"Alright, let's begin," she said, "So, I'll start with the newcomer." She extended her hand toward Carver. "I'm Lena Morrison, Prime Minister of the Lylat Empire."
Carver took her hand and gave it a firm shake, "Sergeant John Carver, EarthGov Defense Force." Lena typed his response on her tablet.
"And I assume you came here the same way as Mr. Clarke?" she questioned.
"I guess so," Carver replied, "I can't come up with any other explanation."
"When you arrived here, several security guards were injured at the park where you were found, can you explain what happened?" Lena asked. Carver shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He took a moment to compose his thoughts.
"Before me and Isaac arrived here," he began, "We were on another planet, Tau Volantis."
"Yes," Lena said, "Mr. Clarke mentioned this planet during his questioning."
"Did he mention the Moon too?" Carver asked.
"The Brethren Moon?" Lena asked. Carver nodded on response. "Yes, he mentioned it," she said.
"Well, after we killed it," Carver continued, "Me and Isaac were falling down to the planet's surface. I remember the Moon falling down on top of us." He sighed heavily, "Next thing I remember, I'm waking up the middle of a park. I didn't know if I was dead, or...I don't know, nothing made sense."
"Then the guards found you, correct?" Lean asked.
"Yeah," Carver replied, ""I...as you can probably guess, talking animals don't exist in our world. After, waking up here, I didn't know what was goin' on and... I, just snapped."
Lena nodded and typed on her tablet. "That's understandable," she said, "I'll pull some strings and clean things up for you."
"I'm sorry for making a mess of things," Carver said.
"It's alright, Mr. Carver," Lena reassured, "From what Mr. Clarke has told us, you two have been through quite a nightmare."
"That's putting it lightly," Isaac said.
Lena let out a soft chuckle, "So it is." She tapped a couple times on her tablet. "The reason I wanted you two here today," she began, "Was to go over some things Mr. Clarke said during his questioning."
"What do you wanna know?" Isaac asked.
"Um...I guess we'll start at the beginning," Lena replied, "Tell me more about your mission on the Ishimura. I listened in on your questioning with Krystal, but I have a few questions of my own."
Outside of the office, Star Fox stood in the hall, waiting patiently for Lena to finish her questions. Krystal, Miyu, and Fay were sitting on the floor next to the office door. Slippy and Falco were nearby, playing a game on their communicators, Sanders and Mitchell a few feet away, chatting quietly to each other. Fox stood in front of the window, staring out over the city. The others had grown bored of watching traffic minutes earlier, but Fox found this oddly soothing. He shifted his gaze towards the sky, watching the commuter shuttles as they passed overhead, hearing the low rumble from their engines. Fox's communicator vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that Fara was calling him. Fox groaned; he was dreading this call. He walked halfway down the hall before pressing the accept call icon and bringing the communicator to his ear.
"Hey Fara," he said cheekily.
"Fox!" she shouted on the other end of the call, "What the hell?! Why didn't you wake me!?"
"Well, you were sleeping peacefully, and I didn't want to disturb you," Fox replied.
Fara sighed, "I'm sorry for shouting, but you could've at least woken me up and told me where you were going."
"I know, I'm sorry, Fara," Fox said.
"It's okay, Fox," she said, "It was a long day yesterday, between work, and the aliens."
"Yeah," Fox said, "John and Isaac have really stirred things up since their arrival. They're being questioned by the Prime Minister right now."
"Already?" she questioned, "Has she mentioned their arrival to Lylat yet?"
"Not yet," Fox replied, "She wants them to get settled in first."
"That makes sense," Fara said, "But do you think everyone would believe this, though?"
"I can't say," Fox replied, "But I'm sure they will. There'll be some closed-minded people who'll just call it a hoax."
"Yeah, that's usually how it goes," Fara replied.
"It is," Fox said, "And that's a shame."
"Anyway, were you guys still going to take them out get new clothes?" Fara asked.
"Yeah," Fox replied, "I'll see if I can arrange a shuttle to pick you up."
"A shuttle? Isn't that a little much?" Fara asked.
"Maybe, but it beats waiting in traffic," Fox replied, staring down at the highways, still heavily packed with cars.
"Alright, well, I'll talk to you later, Fox," Fara said.
"See you later, hon," Fox said, disconnecting the call.
He went up to Sanders and Mitchell, asking if they could spare a shuttle. They were hesitant at first, but eventually Sanders relented and left to call his superiors. Fox then returned to the window, wondering what was taking so long.
Back in the office, Isaac had finished his story on the Ishimura. Like with Krystal before, he left out details of Nicole. He didn't want to go down that rabbit hole again, especially after his dream. Lena typed his story into her tablet, her fingers rapidly tapping the screen.
"Okay, now let's talk a little about this Titan Sation," she said.
"Sure," Isaac said.
"Like you mentioned with Krystal, this Tiedmann guy was able to create a Marker using your mind?" Lena asked.
"Yes," Isaac replied, "My contact with the Marker on the Ishimura left a replicating signal in my brain. Tiedmann was able to use some kind of machine to extract the signal and create blueprints for a Marker."
"That's very interesting," Lena said, "Do you know what his goal was? He should have known what would happen, right?"
"When I confronted him, he said the outbreak was a mistake, that they were 'so close' to understanding the Marker. I can't say with certainty what exactly he and EarthGov were looking for," Isaac replied.
"EarthGov, huh?" Lena questioned, glancing at Carver.
"That was a little above my pay grade," he said with a shrug.
"Understandable," Lena said, "If it was a Top-Secret project, obviously few people would know."
"Sounds about right," Carver said.
"A question, if I may?" Peppy asked.
"Go ahead," Lena replied, giving him permission.
"Isaac, you said Tiedmann mentioned the necromorph outbreak wasn't intended," Peppy began.
"That's what he told me," Isaac said.
"So, how did the outbreak begin?" Peppy asked. Isaac pondered this for a moment. Then he remembered the church.
"That must be it," he muttered.
"Sorry?" Peppy asked.
"The Unitologists," Isaac replied.
"Are those the psychos you said worshipped those necro things?" Peppy asked.
Isaac nodded, "They had a Church and a recruitment center there. There's no doubt they had something to do with it."
"But they were destroyed right?" Lena asked, "I remember you telling Krystal that Titan Station was blown up."
"The ones in the station were when it was destroyed," Isaac replied, "But Unitology was spread across all the human colonies."
"And I can safely guess they didn't take to kindly to losing the station?" Lena asked.
"No, they did not," Carver replied.
"I take it you have experience with the Unitologists, too?" Lena asked him. Carver sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. Lena noticed his sudden change in mood.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want too," she said.
"Thank you," Carver said, "It's...something I don't like talking about. It's...very personal to me, something I'm not ready to talk about."
"Ah, okay," Lena said, "Um...let's move ahead to Tau Volantis, then. Tell me more about what happened there."
"Okay well, we went there thinking it was the Marker Home world," Isaac said, "That we could find a way to destroy them and end their plague once and for all."
"Of course, we soon figured out that wasn't the case," Carver chimed in.
"Mr. Clarke mentioned these S.C.A.F. people. What did they have to do with the Markers?" Lena asked.
"They were searching for them," Isaac replied, "They believed the Markers were an unlimited source of energy. During that time, humanity was running out of resources."
"I remember you saying that yesterday," Peppy said, "Did the signal you mentioned lead them to Tau Volantis?"
"I... believe so," Isaac replied, "I remember finding an audio log where a S.C.A.F scientist said that Markers were actually receivers of the signal, and they tracked it to Tau Volantis."
"And what was the source of the signal?" Lena asked.
"The Brethren Moon," Carver replied.
"The Moon huh?" Lena questioned, "Where does it fit, did it create the Markers?"
"We don't think they did," Isaac replied, "The Moons are the final stage of a necromorph outbreak."
"From what we understand," Carver jumped in, "When enough of a planet's population is mutated, the Marker launches itself into the lower atmosphere and the infected are draw to it and converged into one."
"As for the Marker's true origin, that's still unknown," Isaac said. Lena nodded, leaning back in her chair.
"That's...wow, I'm lost for words here," she said.
"That's alright," Isaac said, "It's really hard to wrap your head around."
"Yes, it is," Lena said, "Well, with what you've given me and from what I heard last night, I think I have a pretty good picture of how you two came to be." Lena stood up and extended her hand, Isaac and Carver both giving a firm shake.
"I can't thank you two enough for coming to speak to me," she said.
"Likewise, ma'am," Carver said.
"So, Peppy, what are your plans for these two today?" Lena asked.
"We're going to them out to get supplies and new clothes," Peppy replied," And don't worry, we'll keep them away from prying eyes."
Lena smiled and said, "I appreciate your patience with all this. Not a bad way to start your career as the CDF General, huh?"
Peppy chuckled, "Yeah, its uh...been rather interesting start."
"Well, I won't keep you guys any longer," Lena said, "Mr. Clarke, Mr. Carver, I welcome you to Corneria! If I can do anything to make you stay better, don't hesitate to come to me."
"Will do," Isaac replied.
Lena waved them goodbye and Peppy escorted them from the office. Peppy opened the door, meeting the others in the hall. Fay hopped up from the floor and hugged Carver, her tail wagging. Carver looked uncomfortable but reciprocated her hug. Krystal and Miyu both greeted Isaac, each taking a hand. Down the hall, Sanders had returned, Fara following behind. Fox walked up to her and wrapped her in a hug. Fara wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling him with her muzzle, Fox returning her greeting.
"What did I miss?" she asked.
"Not much," Krystal replied, releasing Isaac's hand, "Isaac and John just finished their talk with the PM."
"And now that that's done," Peppy said, "We're gonna take these two out to get some new clothes and toiletries, everyone ready?" The group nodded in response, "Alright, let's get moving."
Sanders motioned them to follow, he and Mitchell leading them back to the elevators. Like before, they made a couple trips back down to the lower lobby. From there, they were escorted back to the parking garage. Peppy waved Sanders and Mitchell off, joining Star Fox as they returned to the APC. Once inside, Peppy drove them across the city to the Capital Mall.
The city was still filled with traffic when they left the Government Building, so the drive took nearly ninety minutes. When they finally arrived in the mall's parking lot, the members of Star Fox breathed a sigh of relief. If there was one thing Peppy hated more than anything, it was traffic, and being stuck in traffic twice in one day made the others fear Peppy would start driving on top of the cars.
He drove the APC through the lot and parked at the back of the mall. He had Fox call the manager during the drive over that they were bringing VIPs and needed to keep them away from prying eyes. The manager took some convincing, but he agreed and allowed them to use the back entrance of the mall, sending the assistant manager to guide them. He met them at the employee entrance, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Isaac and Carver.
"They're with us," Peppy said.
"So, the rumors are true?" the AM asked.
"Yes, they are," Peppy replied, "Make sure you don't tell anyone you saw them; we're trying to keep this quiet."
"Uh...yeah, okay, that's fine," the AM said, "I'll escort you guys through the employee area. That will keep you out of the main atrium."
"Much appreciated," Peppy said.
"Um...if you don't mind me asking," the AM began, "Does the PM have a plan for these two?"
"What do you mean," Peppy asked in reply.
"Like, is she going to announce their discovery to Lylat?" the AM asked.
"She's waiting till these two get settled in before she does," Peppy replied.
"Alright," the AM said, "But people have been talking quite a lot though. Especially about a supposed body that was recovered from the docks."
"Body?" Carver asked.
"Oh shit, that's right," Isaac said, "There was a dead Unitologist in the same area I woke up at."
"And you didn't mention that because?" Carver asked.
"With all the stuff we went through, it kinda slipped my mind," Isaac said with a shrug.
"Wasn't a friend of yours, was he?" the AM asked.
"No, he was not," Isaac replied.
"Sorry to cut this short, but we should get moving before someone sees us," Peppy said.
"Right, come on in," the AM said, motioning them inside. They entered the employee area, the AM closing the door behind them.
"This way please," he said, leading them down a long hallway.
On each side of the hall were many offices and breakrooms, a few maintenance rooms mixed in. Most of the offices were filled with employees answering phones and filling out paperwork, too invested in their tasks to notice them. The AM brought them to a large room, doors lining the wall to their left. Above each door was a shop name.
"These are the doors the shop owners use," the AM explained, "Just knock on the door to whatever shop you want, and the owner will let you in."
"Alright," Peppy said, "Thanks for helping us."
"No problem, sir," the AM said before heading back down the hall to his office.
"Okay," Peppy began, "Fox, can you take Clarke and Carver to that...uh, simian clothing store on at the end there?"
"Sure, Pep," Fox replied, motioning for them to follow.
"The rest of you, um...yeah, go shop," Peppy said awkwardly.
The group dispersed and went to the various shops. Slippy headed straight for his favorite hardware store; Falco strolled to the food court. Peppy went back down the hall to talk with the manager. Miyu led the girls to a nearby clothing store. They knocked on the door, the owner letting them in a few moments later. They walked through the employee office, and into the store. The main floor was filled with racks of clothes, everything from pants and shirts to jackets and undergarments. Since it was now midday, the store was filled with shoppers.
"I'm gonna go grab some new workout pants," Fara said.
"New ones? What happened to the pair you bought last week?" Fay asked.
"Stupid thing got caught a weight rack," Fara replied, "Ripped a huge hole in the side."
"Least it wasn't the back," Miyu said with a chuckle. Fara rolled her eyes before walking to the sportswear section.
"What are you two gonna get?" Fay asked.
"I'll probably just look around," Krystal replied.
"I'm going there," Miyu said, pointing across the store. Fay and Krystal followed her finger to the undergarment section.
"Why there?" Fay asked.
"To see if I can find something sexy," Miyu replied, "You two should come with."
"Why," Krystal asked, "I'm good on panties."
"Yeah, but you could get a sexy pair," Miyu replied, wiggling her eyebrows, "You should get a pair, too, Fay."
"W-What? Why?" Fay asked with a blush.
"You know," Miyu replied with a sly smile, "Pick up something special for John."
Fay's face turned right red as she turned her gaze to the floor. Miyu laughed at her reaction and started for the section, waving Krystal and Fay on. They both reluctantly followed, dodging shoppers as they went. Across the mall, Fox, Isaac and Carver, entered the simian clothing store. Fox took a peek outside of the employee area, checking for any shoppers nearby.
"Okay, no one's around," Fox said, "Follow me."
Isaac and Carver keep their heads down, hoping no one would notice them. Luckily, the store didn't have a lot of customers. Fox led them to the dressing rooms. He checked under the doors to make sure they were empty.
"Sorry to do this to you guys, but I think you two would be safe here," he said.
"Just...each pick a room?" Carver questioned.
"Yeah," Fox replied, "I don't want to do this, but I think it's the best option if you two wanna remain anonymous."
"Is it necessary?" Isaac asked, "There's barely anyone here."
"Corneria doesn't have many simians," Fox replied, "Given the Lylat Civil War and all. But still, the least amount of people that know you guys are here, the easier your reveal will be later."
"That's actually gonna happen?" Carver asked.
"Yeah," Fox replied, "I know you guys aren't happy about that, but we can't keep this quiet forever." Carver grumbled but accepted the explanation.
"But we can dwell on that later," Fox said, "Now, if you guys know your sizes I can go out and grab the clothes for you." He handed them his communicator, Carver taking it from his hand. He and Isaac typed their clothes sizes into the communicator before giving it back to Fox. He looked over the words typed on screen.
"Should be easy enough," he mumbled, "Do you guys have a style, or do you just want generic type...stuff?"
"Generic is fine," Isaac replied.
"Alright, you guys stay put, I'll be right back," Fox said before he went off into the store.
Isaac and Carver each picked a changing room, locking the doors. Isaac sat himself on the bench, leaning back against the wall. He tried to relax, but his mind was filled in unease. He wasn't wrong when he said felt as if the universe was trying to tell him something. He sighed, maybe he was being paranoid. He wondered how things were back in their universe, if killing the moon finally stopped the Markers. And if Ellie made it safely to Earth.
"Whatcha thinking about, Clarke," Carver asked from the other side of the wall.
"I was wondering if killing the moon finally stopped the Markers," Isaac replied.
"Hmm, with everything goin' on I haven't stopped to think about that," Carver said, "I guess we can only hope."
"Only hope?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah," Carver replied, "Unless you know a way we can get back."
"Your right," Isaac said with a sigh.
He closed his eyes, clearing his mind. Carver laid himself down on the bench, his mind making shapes in the textures on the ceiling tiles. He mulled over Isaac's words, wondering himself if they'd truly won. He certainly hoped so. The last thing he wanted was their sacrifice to be in vain.
"Are you sure about this?" Krystal asked, check himself in the dressing room mirror.
She was clad in the skimpy underwear Miyu had suggested to her. The bra she wore was quite small, barely covering her breasts. The panties partially covered her pubic fur, leaving the top half exposed. The back fabric covered a quarter of her butt before it disappeared between her cheeks.
"What's wrong with them?" Miyu asked, standing naked while removing her sample underwear from its packaging.
"This bra barley covers anything," Krystal replied, "Also, I don't like when my panties ride in my crack."
"You not supposed to wear those when you're just walking around," Fay chimed in, dressed similarly as Krystal.
"Yeah, Krys," Miyu said, "You only wear those right before sex, you know, arouse your partner, make them want what's underneath."
"Whatever," Krystal said, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, if you don't like those, I've got some more you can try," Miyu said, turning back to the bench. She bent down to dig through her bag of clothes, flicking her tail upright as she did, exposing her pink slit and puckered backdoor. Fay closed her eyes and turned away; Krystal cocked her eye at the display.
"Have you no shame, Miyu?" she asked.
"Hey, I didn't make you look," she replied, straightening back up.
"Still," Krystal said, "You shouldn't flash your privates in public."
"Yeah, yeah," Miyu said dismissively, "Here, try these."
She handed Krystal another sample pack of underwear. Krystal took the pack from her, slipping off the pair she was wearing. Miyu quickly slipped on her pair, turning her body to see herself from all angles.
"How are those, Krystal?" she asked.
"Um...they're fine, I guess," she replied. The bra was a little larger, which she appreciated. The panties, while still small, covered her pubic fur completely, the back fabric wide enough to cover her crack, but still left most of her cheeks exposed.
"Fine?" Miyu asked.
"Yeah, they'll do," Krystal replied.
"What's wrong, Krys?" Miyu asked.
"I'm just not sure this is a good idea," she replied, "You remember when Carver called me a wet dream?"
"Hey, come on, you know he had no idea," Miyu replied, "He'd just got here when he said that."
"I know," Krystal said, "But...yeah, these are fine."
"Okay, great," Miyu said, "What about you, Fay? Wanna try something else?"
"No, I'm good," she replied, putting her clothes back on.
Miyu nodded, heading back to the bench. She stripped off her underwear, stuffing them back in their plastic pouch. Krystal followed her lead, quickly getting dressed after. Unlike Miyu, she was not one for public nudity. She put the sample underwear back in its packaging. She and Fay waited for Miyu to get dressed before leaving the dress room and heading back to the cashier. They turned in their sample pairs and purchased new ones from the racks nearby. They then returned to the employee office, finding Fara waiting outside.
"There you are," she said, "What took you guys so long?"
"We were getting some new underwear," Fay replied.
"Underwear? Thought you guys had plenty," Fara said.
"But no sexy panties," Miyu said, Krystal and Fay face palming.
"Okay," Fara said, "Let's go see if the boys are done now." They exited the store and returned to the employee offices. There they found Slippy sitting at a nearby table, a large toolbox by his side. Falco and Peppy were walking towards him from the food court, each carrying a large drink cup.
"Hey guys," Fara greeted.
"Hey," Falco said with a small wave.
"Where's Fox?" Fara asked, "Is he still at the clothing store?"
"He's at Addy's," Falco replied, "He and the guys are picking up hygiene stuff." A beep then came from Peppy's communicator. He pulled it from his pocket, tapping the screen. He read over the message he received, the others leaning in with curiosity.
"What's up, Pep?" Falco asked.
"A CDF patrol picked up Venomian activity near Fortuna's moon," he replied.
"Fuckin' Venom, really?" Falco grumbled.
"Yup," Peppy replied, "The CDF will be monitoring this for now, but the PM wants you guys to check it out tomorrow morning."
"Great," Falco said.
"Don't be like that, bird boy," Miyu said, "It's been a while since we've had a real job."
"It has been a while," Slippy said, "We've strapped for cash lately. I had to save for months to buy this," he pointed at his toolbox, "And this was the cheap one."
"Let's hope the CDF pays us the full amount then," Falco muttered, "I know they ripped us off last time."
"Yeah, they did," Peppy said, "My last damn job, too. I'll have to fix that, try and get you guys your money."
"Money for what," a voice asked. The group turned to see Fox, Isaac, and Carver walking towards them, each carrying shopping bags. Fox had a large bag filled with bottles of shampoo, deodorant sticks, tubes of toothpaste, and other various items while Isaac and Carver each held bags of clothes.
"Fox, what took ya?" Falco asked.
"We had to do some sneaking in Addy's," Fox replied.
"No one saw them, did they?" Peppy asked.
"As far as I know," Fox replied.
"Good," Peppy said, "Anyway, High Command contacted me, said there was Venomian activity near Fortuna's moon."
"Who?" Isaac asked.
"Our old enemy from the Lylat Civil War," Fox replied. Isaac nodded in response.
"And I'm guessing they want Star Fox to investigate?" Fox asked.
"Yup," Peppy replied, "The patrol's gonna monitor for now, the PM wants Star Fox out tomorrow morning."
"Great," Fox said with enthusiasm.
"There's the Fox I know," Peppy said with a smile, "So, everyone got what they need?"
A round yeses followed, and Peppy led them out of the mall. They piled back inside the APC, leaving the mall parking lot a short time later. Peppy merged onto the highway, driving them back to the space port. As they drove, Peppy shared more details of their mission the next day. Isaac and Carver sat mostly silent the entire time, going over the details in their heads. They did this mostly to distract themselves from the woman. Isaac was sandwiched between Krystal and Miyu, and Fay was practically sitting in Carver's lap. They weren't sure what made them so happy. Maybe they just really love shopping. Or they were suffering from some weird infatuation with them. Either way, they tried not to let their discomfort show.
"We're about twenty minutes out," Peppy said from the driver's cab, "I went ahead and had the CDF drop off your weapons, so they'll be there for tomorrow."
"Whose?" Falco asked.
"Isaac and John's," Peppy replied.
"Looks like you're getting your blaster back," Fox said to Isaac.
"Great," he said.
"Oh, your blaster!" Miyu said excitedly, "I saw it back at the docks, tell me, was that your military's sidearm?"
"It's a plasma cutter, actually," Isaac replied, "It's used for cutting through thick metal and blowing chunks off rocks to get precious minerals."
"You fought with a power tool?" Miyu asked.
"Yeah," Isaac replied, "It was the first weapon I came across on the Ishimura. It took the limbs off the necromorphs real quick, and it's been my weapon of choice since."
"Damn, that's hot shit!" Miyu exclaimed, her eyes wide in fascination.
"Uh...yeah, it is," Isaac replied awkwardly. Miyu chuckled at him.
"So, what are necromorphs?" Fara asked.
"Oh! I never filled you in, that's right," Fox said, "Oh! I never filled you in, that's right," Fox said, "Isaac, wanna help me out?"
"Sure," Isaac replied.
He and Fox relayed his story to Fara, was listened intently. Occasionally, she would ask questions, but she mostly stayed silent. Miyu leaned in a little closer to Isaac, listening to his story as well. While she'd heard some from Krystal the night before, it was good to hear it from Isaac himself. She looked over to Fay, who was talking to Carver. Her bright smile and wagging tail said everything.
'She's smitten,' Miyu thought with a smile.
She rested her head on Isaac's shoulder, him too focused on his story to notice. Carver joined in when Isaac started talking about Tau Volantis, telling his side of the story. Fara was clearly in traced by their stories, which continued for the remainder of the trip. Peppy drove through the space port gates a short while later. He parked the APC in the same spot as last night. Everything quickly left the troop compartment with their shopping bags, heading towards the elevator.
"Hey Fox," Carver asked.
"What's up," Fox questioned.
"Do you guys live on your ship?" he asked. Fox let out a chuckle.
"No," he replied, "We have a hilltop villa outside of the city, but since we have the mission tomorrow morning, it'll be easier to prep and launch if we're already here."
"Makes sense," Carver said, "How long to you guys normally spend in space?"
"Depends on the mission," Fox replied, "Our longest was six months. That one sucked, hard." Carver let out a chuckle.
"I know what you mean, " he said, "Long durations in space will drive anyone mad."
"Well, we haven't gone mad," Fox said.
"As far as you know," Falco muttered. Fox rolled his eyes at him.
They arrived at the elevator seconds later, Fox pressing the call button, the elevator doors opening shortly after. They piled inside, the addition of their shopping bags making it a very tight fit. The rode the elevator into the Great Fox's hanger bay. Slippy rolled his new toolbox over to a cargo lift nearby, taking it up to the Arwings. The others headed towards the second elevator on the other side of the hangar.
"Is Slippy gonna need any help?" Isaac asked.
"Naw, he's got it," Falco replied, "When it comes to anything maintenance related, Slippy prefers to handle it himself. Plus, none of us really know jack shit about that stuff anyway."
"Alright," Isaac replied with a shrug.
They climbed into the second elevator, taking it up to the living quarters. When the doors opened, the group scattered to their rooms to drop off their shopping bags. Inside his room, Isaac stacked his new clothes in the closet. He went into the bathroom afterwards, putting away his toiletries. He looked at himself in the mirror, briefly wondering if he should shave. His greying beard was starting to get thick, making him look even more like an old man.
'Maybe just a trim,' he thought, grabbing his new electric razor.
Next door, Carver had just put away his clothes, and was now laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was deep in thought, pondering what the future held for him. He wasn't sure, he had no intentions of surviving Tau Volantis, but it seemed the universe had other plans for him. And with that, Carver's thoughts turned to Fay.
It was obvious to even a blind man she had the hots for him, but he didn't understand why. Was it because he was an alien to her? He wasn't sure. The only people who would consider Fay attractive in his world were furries, a fact he briefly mentioned after seeing the scantily clad Krystal painting in the museum. But strip away the dog features, and Fay was basically a human woman. Her medium sized breasts and shapely hips reminded him of a lot of Damara. Carver chuckled to himself. Damara. God, he missed her. And Dylan too. He shook those thoughts away, not wanting to go down that path again. Instead, he thought about Krystal and Miyu, and Isaac. He wondered how Isaac was feeling about them. They both had been crushing on him, Miyu especially. And Isaac looked so uncomfortable each time. That poor guy. A soft knock came from Carver's door, pulling him from his thoughts.
"John," Fay's muffled voice said. Carver got up from the bed and opened the door.
"What's up, Fay?" he asked.
"We were just getting started," she replied, "And I was wondering if you would join us."
"Sure," Carver said, "Is everyone else there?"
"Fox and Peppy are in the bridge," Fay replied, "And Slippy's still working the Arwings. But they'll be back later."
"Alright," Carver motioning her to lead.
She took his hand and led him toward the mess hall. Halfway down the hall, Carver heard a door open. He turned and saw Isaac leaving his room. He whistled to get his attention. Isaac looked toward them, then followed close behind. When they entered the mess hall, they heard the clanging of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. Falco was wiping down the table, while Fara was setting down plates and cutlery. She looked up when she heard the door open, giving them a smile. Fay waved at her before heading to the kitchen. Isaac and Carver helped Fara and Falco set up the table. With their help, they finished setting the table quickly. Right as they finished, Krystal, Miyu, and Fay came from the kitchen, carrying various dishes of food. They placed them in the center of the table, making sure they were within reach of everyone. The mess hall door opened, Fox and Peppy walking in, followed closely by Slippy.
They sat down behind their plates, Krystal and Miyu placing a pile of food on them. There was some kind of pasta, what looked like fried fish fillets, and a small salad. The smell made their mouths water, Fox, Isaac, Carver and the girls especially since they hadn't eaten lunch. As they ate, Fox and Peppy filled them in on updates for their mission. The CDF patrol had noticed increased Venomian activity, and they were growing concerned. They decided they wanted Star Fox to depart Corneria at 8 a.m. to get to Fortuna as early as possible.
"I think they're overreacting about this," Falco said.
"Maybe they are," Peppy said, "But the last time we underestimated Venom, they nearly kicked our asses. That's why they're not taking any chances this time."
"To be fair, the Lylat Civil War was kinda our fault," Falco countered.
"It was, but what's done is done," Peppy said, "So, I'll depart at 5 a.m. to meet with the control tower and see you guys off."
"Gotcha Peppy," Fox said, "I had ROB start prepping the bridge, and Slippy said he's done with the Arwings, so we shouldn't be long."
"Great," Peppy said, "Make sure you guys are good on everything, check the storage for your emergency supplies, and please, get some sleep. I know none of us got enough of that last night, and I can't say how long you guys will be gone." A round of yes sirs followed Peppy's words.
"Oh, and before I forget, I dropped your weapons off in your rooms," Peppy said, looking at Isaac and Carver, "I also left your helmet, Carver."
"My helmet?" he questioned.
"We found it at the docks when we picked up Clarke," Peppy said.
"Huh, I was wondering what happened to it," Carver said.
"By the way, where was your helmet, Clarke?" Peppy asked.
"It was destroyed on Tau Volantis," Isaac replied.
"That's no biggie," Slippy said, "I can make you a new one."
"Thanks Slip," Isaac said with a smile.
"No prob," he replied.
"That should take of everything then," Peppy muttered to himself, "Alright, let finish dinner, get prepped for tomorrow."
With that, they finished their meal within the hour, quickly cleaning the table and the dishes. Afterwards, Fox and Peppy returned to the bridge, Isaac leaving with Slippy to his workshop. Carver returned to his room, looking over his pulse rifle. The weapon was a little beat up, but still functional. His check of the magazine showed it was half full. He inspected his helmet next, finding it in perfect condition. He placed it next to suit, along with his rifle. He looked at the clock in his room, seeing it was nearing nine.
'Time flies,' he thought.
He could hear some of the others returning to their rooms, getting themselves ready for tomorrow. Carver decided to follow suit. He stripped off his clothes and got into the shower, letting the warm water flow over him. He loved this shower; it was better than the ones he used on other ships and stations. He wondered if all the Cornerian ships were like this. He shut off the water ten minutes later, dying himself off before throwing on a pair boxers and a tank top. He laid down on the bed, his blanket covering his body up to his neck. He let out heavy sigh, feeling almost afraid to fall asleep. He hoped whatever waited for him in his dreams wouldn't be as bad as the night before.
It was half past eleven by the time Isaac shuffled back to his room. He was surprised to learn that the ship had a suit kiosk that was identical to their world's. He decided that he'd let Slippy make him a new suit instead of a new helmet. Isaac had gone through his things and found a schematic for a CEC Engineer Suit he'd taken from Titan Station. He was actually surprised himself that he still had it. He gave it to Slippy, who plugged it into the kiosk, letting the machine manufacture his suit. He informed him that it would take several hours, being ready first thing in the morning. Isaac thanked him and returned to his room.
Sitting on his bed, he looked over his plasma cutter. It looked like it had been through hell, because, well, it had. Between Titan Sation and Tau Volantis, he was surprised it had lasted this long. The ammo counter still read zero, but Isaac knew he had more in his Snow Suit's R.I.G. He placed the cutter on the dresser by his bed before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. A quick shower that turned into nearly thirty minutes. After leaving the bathroom, Isaac dressed in only pair of boxers before climbing into bed. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling. He knew he'd have to get some sleep, so, with a frustrated sigh, he closed his eyes.
"Please don't be there, Nicole," he said softy, drifting to sleep moments later.
Author's Note: Here is chapter 4! At over 7500 words, this is the longest chapter so far. I plan to keep the remaining chapters around the 6500-word minimum, so there will longer times between updates. The next release will be chapter one of You Can't Keep Me Here. I know I mentioned uploading chapter one of Redemption, but that chapter is going on two rewrites now and isn't really coming together. I'm not abandoning it, but it will be a while before you guys see it. Anyway, please enjoy chapter 4! Constructive Criticism welcome. (Chapter 5 is when things will start to pick up.)