Hey everyone! I've rewritten the first chapter. I felt like it needed some touching up, not much has changed but its hopefully a better read overall. Hope you enjoy. This story is also available on FurAffinity and ArchiveOfOurOwn. It's rated M for a reason, so if you're under 18, here's your warning. Okay bye enjoy the story!
The vessel, that might as well have been an antique for how outdated it was, shuddered as it touched down on the landing platform. G-diffusers, several generations in need of upgrades, made clanking complaints as systems powered down. The vulpine pilot silently thanked the spirits the ship hadn't surrendered to explosive decompression just yet. This was far from the ideal place to face one's mortality. Seats with rips where exposed cushion would flake into annoying little pieces if touched directly. Overhead lights a bit too dim to ever feel helpful and cast the interior in an orange that gave her a headache every time her eyes had to adjust to or from the natural light of Lylat. Missing Panels making it so her 'bedroom' and the cockpit were one and the same. And of course the big empty cargo hold that made every anxiety spiking squeal or clank from the engines have an echoing reverb for that little bit of extra hell on her nerves. She hesitated to call the flying soup can a home, even if it doubled as her shelter for the moment. She ran through the checklist that seemed to grow longer with each time she disembarked the rusty cargo ship. Mentally reciting all the things to do before leaving it behind for an unknown length of time.
Half-shattered solar cells to recharge a failing battery were set to follow what little starlight could be found in the docking terminal. Gravitational lock to avoid the junker of a spaceship from drifting away from where she parked should the local gravity fail. Diagnostics of the atmosphere ran to ensure she wasn't breathing in poison the moment she stepped out. And at least a dozen other sorts of little annoying time consuming things like that. To say the ship held together on spit and prayers would be generous. Instead of appealing to gods, spirits, and her own biological fluids, she turned to the tried and true duct tape to keep it from falling apart with her inside of it.
She stopped when she came to prepping the automatic emergency signal. In a rare case of logic to it's design, the ship was preset to put out a distress beacon if it was broken into, or if she left it abandoned after a set length of time. If the spacecraft had been a more modern model she could also have synced it to her vitals so if she went missing or suffered injury it wouldn't be a week or whatever arbitrary amount of time she set for help to get the message. But the simple timer set against the chipped black paint control panel was all she was afforded with the worn down and second-hand ship she'd been lucky enough to purchase before it had been donated to a scrapyard.
Usually this was a step she would skip. Setting it up was far more annoying than anything, complete with an anthropomorphic paperclip that condescendingly would offer help at inopportune moments, but something in her gut told her she should this time. A gut feeling she had learned to trust after it fortuitously saved her life by having her visit a neighboring planet that day. She shoved the memories of her homeworld and the mystery of its sudden eradication back down. The question was just how long to give herself to get back to her ship before it went off.
A day and a half she decided. This odd space station, with a shape that reminded her of the head of a dandelion, was unknown in origin, and there was no telling what had sent the telepathic summons from it. She hesitated to call the psychic beckoning a distress call. There were less words and more raw emotions and feeling to it. Telepathy came naturally as part of her species, but even so with so many lifeforms out there in the universe, messages sent in such a way were often non-lingual. Language barriers withstanding, thoughts did not Have to take the form of words, and the kind of thoughts that could be detected from across the abyss of space from one planet to another were often more base, less precise than a verbal conversation. To accomplish that kind of communication she would have to be far closer to the source of them.
The message had been an intent. A clear and conscious desperation for someone to come here, for what purpose she didn't know, only that the sender felt it was of the utmost importance.
The ship confirmed she could safely breathe whatever was being pumped in the landing station. Not that she doubted it, but better to be sure than gasping for breath. She grabbed the gold and sapphire staff, her sole defense of choice, and headed for the airlock.
The pressure difference as the door opened caused a sudden suction of air that tossed her hair and ruffled the fuzz of her tail. She set about smoothing both down with an annoyed familiarity as she set foot onto the station finally. It was honestly an astounding place, a space station that's scale rivaled that of an artificial dwarf planet, entirely contained within layers of protective barriers. A central hub with what she first thought were individual arms ending in massive atmospheric enclosures, only to find that each 'arm' had spiderwebbing pathways and connections between them, occasionally a smaller bulb of an enclosure here and there. The entire place didn't even show up on her maps or radar until she was almost rammed her ship right into the outermost barrier. Only the one landing station existed from what her ship's scans had told her, and it was the sole opening to and from the contained environment the barriers created. Whatever was sending out that telepathic signal was inside this place... Now she just had to figure out how to gain access, she thought as her short walk from the platform to a large pure white doorway that barred her passage further in.
"Greetings unknown visitor and welcome to the Endangered Lifeform Preservation Habitat, also known as ELPH. Please identify and state your purpose for this visit." A pleasant sounding voice spoke from a hologram display that lowered from the ceiling to greet her as she approached the door. The hologram took the form of a curved screen, the voice's words appearing as text alongside the Acronym in Bold on its transparent surface.
"Endangered Lifeform- this is a nature preserve?" She asked aloud. The revelation was honestly not too shocking considering the construction and lengths gone to keeping it secure, but the sheer scale of it all was astounding. So all those Enclosures, just how many different habitats did this place have she wondered.
"Correct. Please identify and state your purpose for your visit, the voice repeated at her, seemingly oblivious to her cautious look. That was the problem with dealing with AIs as a telepath, neither side of a conversation would really be used to one another. She couldn't read the thoughts or feelings of the machine, and things she felt would be perfectly obvious to anyone else were entirely lost by it.
"My name is Krystal," she told the AI. "My reason for visiting is investigating a... Distress Call." She was hesitant to share anything further, but decided pressing a sense of urgency would possibly allow her a bit faster entrance. The holographic screen cleared of text and displayed a rotating partial circle for a moment. Likely the poor AI in charge of this greeting wasn't equipped to handle much more than simple sign-ins and outs and had to switch to higher programs she thought.
"There are no in distress beacons active aboard the ELPH at this time. If you believe this is in error, please inform an individual with authorization to enter." The AI droned on prerecorded lines. So much for that plan. Maybe this AI could only deal with specific vocal commands- "However," oh, this was a deviation. The pleasant monotone was more pensive. More thoughtful, going away from a preset script. "It has been several solar cycles since the last authorized individual has passed through the entry point. It is possible there may be some form of miscommunication between this unit and a beacon somewhere aboard the ELPH that is outside of this unit's knowledge. I am unable to grant entry to any unregistered lifeforms at this time. The panel shifted, reforming into a hand with a raised finger telling her to wait. I am however authorized to take submissions to authorize lifeforms. Would you like to submit yourself for authorization?"
Krystal hesitated. "That's... Awfully convenient."
"The unit is programmed as Caretaker to the ELPH and all endangered species therein. As such ensuring the survival of these species is this unit's primary purpose. If there is indeed a miscommunication and a distress beacon has become active, locating the problem is a priority to ensure the continuation of the species aboard the ELPH. Would you like to submit yourself for authorization aboard the ELPH?"
"...and this is the only way in?" Krystal asked, her hand resting on where her staff set collapsed near her back, seeking the sense of security it granted her. This AI had very quickly gone outside her expectations of what it was and how it worked. If it really was a caretaker of this place, it was probably smarter than she first judged it as well.
"Under current ELPH guidelines, barring an administrative override? Yes. Would you like to submit yourself for authorization?" The AI repeated again.
Krystal frowned, looking down in thought. There was that feeling in her gut again. Telling her something wasn't quite right. But then there came the telepathic call again. A begging, insisting call to locate its source. It pressured her forward, to go beyond the sleek white door and to hurry, as if it were of vital importance.
"...Very well." The azure Vixen sighed, letting her hand fall back to her side. "What do I need to do?"
"A series of short inquiries, you may answer them as you proceed to the secure gate, where we will confirm no foreign contaminants are present with you before granting you entry." The Hologram faded out as with a short buzz the sealed door slid up and into the ceiling above. Lights flickered on along the ground to guide her forward as she stepped through. The door slid shut behind her as she was lead into a clean looking reception room, utterly devoid of a single soul or speck of dust. The furniture was sparse and dated, leading her to wonder if it had ever been used at all considering how unnaturally clean it all felt. The Hologram flickered back on, following alongside her, this time forming a sphere that flickered a soundwave along its middle as the accompanying voice spoke. "You have identified as "Krystal", and this unit has detected your language as Saurian. Do you wish this to be your default language?"
"It works." She muttered as she followed the preset lighted path. Nobody spoke her native tongue anymore anyway. She picked up Saurian from the planet's local population while searching for answers on that world, and it had gotten her this far in communicating with others. It helped that the language was so similar to her homeworld's in terms of structure. She would need a living mind to comb through with her telepathy to pick up any other languages, trying to learn a language without a conversation partner was difficult enough for a non-psychic race after all.
"This unit also has detected that your fur is not a naturally occurring coloration. Are you using dyes or any other fur-care products to achieve this coloration? If so, please-"
"No. This is my natural color." Krystal interrupted. She had to answer that question enough times already wandering the system that her answer came without a thought. She almost preferred the dinosaurs who had no idea what mammals were like and just assumed blue was perfectly fine... It was on her homeworld at least. Not that she could blame anyone. Cerinia barely interacted with the rest of the Lylat, kept to themselves in their lonely corner of it largely.
"Interesting. Perhaps a genetic abnormality? Do not feel you need to answer, this unit has been programmed to parse hypothesis in order to better serve as caretaker." The AI was quickly getting on her nerves...
More questions, largely involving if she had any allergies, how long since she had last been ill, did she have a history of violent temperament, things went like this until finally she was ushered past a pair of sliding doors with opaque glass that only hinted at light sources on the other side.
"Now then, what is your homeworld?"
"Excuse me?"
"Repeating, what is your homeworld?"
Krystal hesitated, the question wasn't unexpected, but it was also so... Ordinary, compared to the rest of them. Granted it made sense. The AI had made it very clear protecting the endangered species on this preserve was it's priority. Making sure she wasn't from a world that carried diseases dangerous to them would be normal...
"Repeat, what is your homeworld?" The AI asked again, taking her silence for confusion.
"... Cerinia." She finally answered, cautious as to what the machine's response would be.
"Cerinia... The holographic sphere displayed the spinning circle again for a moment before reverting to normal. Thank you for your cooperation. Your application is complete. All that remains is the physical evaluation and you shall be moved to the ELPH interior."
Damn hard to read any sort of reaction. AI just had too good of poker face.
"Please enter the sterilized chamber where your physical evaluation will take place and have a seat." At these words another set of doors, plain white, practically flush with the wall, slid away, revealing a single chair. Krystal looked at it with a raised eyebrow.
Seeing her hesitation the AI spoke up. "Physical evaluations are to ensure the health of the ELPH occupant lifeforms, all biological lifeforms must submit to the evaluation to ensure no foreign contaminants that may endanger other lifeforms enter the ELPH. Please step into the sterilized chamber and have a seat."
Krystal hesitated to step into the new room. Something about the pure white sterile surfaces and how seamless the doors had been before they opened made her second guess the wisdom in proceeding ahead blindly. If this was an endangered species preserve, where were all the people? Was everything automated by the AI? Her gut feeling told her asking those questions aloud would not go over well with her artificial host.
"Is this really necessary?"
"Absolutely. All biological lifeforms must submit to a physical to become authorized entrants aboard the ELPH. Please step into the sterilized chamber and have a seat."
Krystal glanced back over her shoulder. The doors she had passed through were more than ordinary glass, probably reinforced and made to withstand both ballistic and energy weapons. The doors leading further in looked like they had multiple layers to them. She could probably crack it with her staff's ice and fire magics, but that could take time, and trigger any defenses that were laying in-wait. Alternatively leaving and looking for another way in might mean the AI wouldn't make this offer again.
"Please step into the steril-"
"alright alright." She strode in with an annoyed huff. She'd come this far and let her home planet slip. Might as well see how far this went.
The doors slid shut behind her, once again becoming flush with the wall. Everything in this room was too smooth, too perfectly rounded. There were no corners, any seams were so thin unless she put her face right next to them she wouldn't see them. Something about the air in here made her nostrils tingle and it made each breath feel just a little bit heavier than it was outside. The chair in the center would remind one of a dentist's chair, not overtly bad or sinister, but slick and hard to remain still in. It gave a feeling almost like you were about to go through an ordeal that you had little to no input in.
Krystal would soon find this chair had that in common, as she slipped into it. She had to adjust her attire as the slick material made her native dress ride up uncomfortably.
"Thank you for your cooperation, as the first part of your physical, this unit will be taking a small blood sample to compare with the earlier provided verbal responses to initial screening. Please hold still while we retrieve the sample."
A robotic arm descended from a hatch on the ceiling, while another popped up out of the floor next to her. She was startled at first as the openings appeared as if out of nowhere, but relaxed as she saw it used a simple blood pressure cuff. Her arm was lifted by the two robotic appendages and the cuff was fastened and pumped with pressure that made her feel her heartbeat in her fingertips.
Then came the more nerve wracking part as a needle extended from the ceiling arm. It slowly aligned itself, an electronic hum as it sought out a vein before pushing the needle into her skin. She winced at the initial pain, but soon it faded and she felt her tensed muscles relax. "What are-"
"Before drawing blood, the examination chamber first injects a mild pain blocker and muscle relaxant sedative mixture. This reduces any discomfort caused by the physical examination and reduces risk of violent reactions to pain that may injure subjects, personnel, or damage to equipment." The AI cut her off in explanation.
"The unit is now verifying your health and genetic status." Krystal heard the words but was now concentrating on the odd warm floating feeling she was having... She concentrated on her telepathic powers, trying to remain lucid. The call that had lead her here was harder to make out as her head swam. She doubted how "mild" the injection was if it was kicking in this fast.
"Processing... Analyzing sample. No trace of infection." As the AI hummed through it's processes, Krystal tried to pry her arm from the blood pressure cuff. Only to find she couldn't get it to come undone. The fog in her mind was cut through with panic as she realized her arm was pinned in place by the cuff and the robotic arms.
"Please don't tamper with the restraints."
"Restraints?!"
"Try to relax. The unit has additional relaxants to apply if you would like to make the process easier. Genetic analysis beginning."
Krystal tried to pull herself free, the movement only succeeding in giving her a dizzy spell. She tried to push herself out of the chair with her other arm, only for a new robotic appendage to suddenly wrap around her wrist. The robot arms from before were simple, familiar, designed for a specific purpose and made of basic geometric shapes. This one was slender and multi-segmented, giving it a dynamic range of motion that reminded her of an octopus's tentacles. It unnerved her as its motions felt too organic, the smooth slick surface doing nothing to help her in pulling free of it as it tugged her firmly into place.
"Analysis of genetics complete. Match to on-file Cernian DNA patterns of 94.723%. Subject's species confirmed as native Cernian. Current species status: Believed extinct. File updated to Gravely Endangered. Congratulations Krystal. You are now authorized as an endangered species subject aboard the ELPH."
Authorized as a subject... Shit. She ran over the AI's wording up to this point. It had never said what KIND of authorization she was applying for. She had unknowingly agreed to become one of the specimen in the preserve. Her struggles increased, and she gasped as two additional robotic tentacles grabbed her legs from her seated position. They wrapped around, climbing up to her thighs as they grew warm from contact with her body heat. "Wait This isn't-"
"Now that you have been confirmed your species status, the physical exam will proceed with confirming viability for replenishing your species numbers. Initial screening suggests you are an ideal subject for reproduction"
Her eyes widened, a surge of adrenaline helping cut through the fog the drugs she had been dosed with made in her head. "What- Reproduction? No! Get me out of here, I withdraw my application! Cancel this physical!"
"Your application already has been processed and approved. This unit will now proceed with the remaining portions of the physical exam," The AI spoke. Krystal grunted and struggled in vain as the robotic arms from before were replaced with a forth robot tentacle. The tips of each of them began to run over her exposed fur and skin. "Muscle tone is good. Agile, flexible frame..." They lifted her out of the chair, tugging her limbs wide apart even as she struggled to fight off the seditives. "subject appears distressed. Applying sedative to air filtration."
"Spirits what is WRONG with this place?!" She yelled as she continued to attempt to pull away from the machine. She mentally chided herself as the tingling sensation from earlier now spread to the back of her throat as well. Panicking meant she would breath the sedative in faster.
"Do not be alarmed. You shall remain cognizant unless surgical intervention is required. Sensitivity levels are balanced to ensure compliance, the examination requires a degree of feedback from an aware subject. As subject is currently still in distress, this unit will assist in undressing."
Krystal growled out a command to keep away from her, but she could already feel her body starting to get heavy. The mechanical tentacles began to squirm further up her limbs and onto her torso. She bit back a cry as one slipped under her top, while another began to rummage under her loincloth for her undergarments. Cerinia culture may have been very open about displays of the physical form and open in their displays of affection, but this was neither affection, or her choice.
A gasp escaped her as her top and bottoms were both roughly tugged away from her body. With her sandals and jewelry the only clothing left on her form, her struggles and squirms grew more sluggish. She could only try to hold her breath as the machine ran it's limbs across her entire torso slowly. Probing and rubbing as they slid over her form.
They were chilly to the touch at first. Cold and hard. Yet as they absorbed her body heat and grew warmer to the touch, despite herself, Krystal found she was starting to enjoy the stimulation the tentacle-like appendages were giving her. Purely physically of course, as she continued to try and keep from breathing deeper. The more of the airborne cocktail of drugs she inhaled the weaker her protests grew.
"Hips wide. Bone Structure... good for child-bearing." Krystal's face flushed as she realized the AI was sizing her up for how many kits she could pop out as one of the tentacles passed over her crotch and probed at the outer edges of her pussy, the length wrapping around her pelvis to measure her. "Breasts... adequate, may require some genetic conditioning to ensure production is enough for larger liters. Will need to observe lactation for conclusive decision." A small 'eep' escaped the vixen as cool metal flicked over her nipples before pressing against the tips. "Now beginning internal examination."
"No!" Krystal slurred, tugging her knees together to try and block the probing tentacles at her pussy lips. This proved less than effective, as the mechanical limbs pulled them apart again, the attempt only managing to make her breath deeper. Her head swam as she tried to catch her breath. "Spirits damn you machine..." She whimpered out as the tip of one tentacle traced her lips before beginning to flick back and forth over her clit, earning a weak instinctual buck of her hips. She felt something smoothing down the fur around her crotch. To her shame, she was growing wet... but why? "Subject is likely to not have had any extensive penetration to the vaginal tunnel due to being the last of her species. Applying aphrodisiac lubricant." Krystal tried to aim a glare at the offending tentacle, but instead her eyes rolled back as warm slick fluid began to coat over the tentacle, grinding back and fort over her vaginal entrance, coating them thoroughly. "Warming examination probe. Beginning penetration."
Why... why... why did she like this? Her body was enjoying it... no, no it was just instinct. But why was she fighting it? Somewhere in the depths of her fantasies, she had thought of this. Not of machines and probing, but of breeding, becoming a mother and continuing on her people's bloodline. It was a fantasy that kept her company on lonely nights with only her hands. This would make part of that fantasy real... Why? Spirits it was hard to think.
Krystal threw her head back with a soft cry as the slick metal tentacle pushed inside of her, the slimy aphrodisiac allowing it to slide in like butter on a hot skillet. A silent cry to the spirits at how unfair that something against her will could feel so damn good as her flesh slid and tried in vain to clamp down on the intruding appendage. It was unlike any time she had toyed with herself with her fingers, or even the time she had been brave enough to try one end of her staff, and the whole sensation was making a warm tightness grow in her lower abdomen. Like a wound spring her vagina tightened with each thrust. Something primal in her begged for it to go deeper, to ensure she would be with pups. That couldn't work though, this was just a machine. But her instincts couldn't tell the difference, drowning in the chemicals through her veins and lungs. She barely registered the AI's words over the sound of her own heartbeat, and the wet squelch as the tentacle pushed deeper in.
"Cervix looks healthy. Final check required is of the Uterus... Will require additional stimulus to ensure no damage to cervix in attempted penetration most likely. Proceeding to stimulate subject."
Krystal whimpered and her hips gave another involuntary buck as the tentacle began to withdraw. She wasn't even trying to physically resist at this point, only able to relax into the grip of her mechanical captor as the different drugs running through her system left her tired, warm, and full of want. More cries of pleasure escaped her as the appendage in her pussy began to pump in and out, pushing from side to side, occasionally twisting to spiral inside of her. Small tears formed in the corners of her eyes, though she could not tell if it was from her desire to escape, or the physical joy that staying was causing her. Another eep of surprise as she felt the other appendages suddenly grope her breasts, small suction cups she had not noticed before being mashed over her areolas. She bit her lip against a groan as gentle suction from the devices tugged at her nipples, the tentacles themselves kneading her breasts softly in time with the pulse of suction.
"Subject is responding well to stimulus. Cervix entrance appears to be flexing in response to oncoming orgasm. Conclusion, induce increased furtility in subject in preparation for appropriate male sample."
Krystal's mind managed a moment of clarity as another injection, this time in her buttocks, allowed temporary pain to push through the cloud of drugs. ("What? No! No don't... Someone help me!") her mind cried out. That thought however was promptly pushed down as the tentacle inside of her suddenly coiled while pushing further in, wedging that little bundle of nerves hidden inside of her between two ridges of it within her. She physically yelped as this shoved her over the edge of an orgasm finally. Her heart pounded, the injection being spread rapidly through every inch of her body as he toes curled and uncurled repeatedly. The only thought that was now in her mind as her womb began to flex as a fire-like sensation flowed through it. ("MORE!")
The tentacle uncoiled within her, before thrusting in again, a vibrating motor in the tip pushing up against her cervix. She panted as her hips rolled and bucked over and over, trying to wedge more length of the machine inside of her. ("Fuck, Fuck, Fuck I don't even... I NEED it!") She thought as her legs once again began to struggle against the restraining machine, only this time to try and hump her cunt stronger against the one violating her. Finally, the tight entrance deep within her began to part, and the tip of the tentacle buzzed and whirred against it until finally it pushed past with a pop. Krystal could only scream out to the spirits as a second orgasm of the night shook her to the core. Her vision turned white on the edges, before slowly fading to black.
It was all too much at once, her mind was shutting down to blissful sleep with the overwhelming sensations and chemical signals running through it, her telepathy broadcasting loudly, despite nobody close to link to, her pleasure and NEED to be filled.
The last thing she was aware of before slumber claimed her, was a thick viscus warmth pooling inside of her. She could only make out the words "...observation... establish territo... if succes... extract the... ind a suit...ale..." and she was gone, her dreams taking her from here... maybe it was the drugs and the fact that her breeding period was starting to be forced upon her body, but she dreamed.
She dreamed of being held by somebody. Their arms were strong and the pads of their fingers rough from use. A male, A lover, a fox like herself. Yes, someone that belonged to her, and her to him in kind. The dream-mate had her tucked under his chin, and her ear pressed against a firm but fuzzy chest, listening to the beating of the heart inside. Strong and kind it's rhythm told her. His muscles matched her own, strong but slim, trained as a warrior would, yet controlled. A defender. And from the warmth of his breath on her neck and the swelling she felt from below, he was willing to quench the fires inside of her as many times as she wished. Even if it were just a dream, she indulged in the comfort and lust that her dream-mate invoked in her. A partner in every sense of the word.
She would later wonder if this was prophetic of her future, or if it were simply a fantasy made to comfort her that coincidentally happened to match the real thing.