Chapter 3
Ruins
"Run the scan again Peppy", Fox ordered. It was the tenth maybe twentieth time he requested the life scan, each time sounding more urgent. Across from him, at the navigation controls, Peppy's old, but nimble fingers moved swiftly, inputting instructions for the ship's scanners. There was a telltale "bloop" sound as the ship initiated the scan, invisible beams roving the space for any trace of life. Fox sat muscles tense, fixated on the screen that was attached to his armchair. After a short interval a familiar but ominous message flashed on screen.
[Zero Life Signs Detected].
Fox averted his gaze, his nails digging and scratching the leather armrests of his chair. He felt a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder, the familiar delicate touch easing his tension. In his peripheral vision, he caught a glimpse of gold attached to the comforting hand, his wife's wedding ring. He craned his neck to see Fara at his shoulder. Her amber eyes were fixated on the forward viewport as though her perception outpaced the scanners. She was composed and stoic as always during times like this, however, the persistent shifting of her fennec ears betrayed her unease.
Fox sighed trying to regain his composure. He followed Fara's gaze at the floating debris that was growing larger and larger as his command ship kept its course. "How far of a radius was the last scan?", Fara asked, ears pivoting to hear Peppy's answer. Peppy's face softened, "The last scan was at its peak range twice the distance between us and our destination", Peppy dralled. "Thanks Peppy, can you set the scan on a loop?", Fara asked. "Sure thing honey, I'll set it to go off every ten minutes", Peppy entered the command prompt and the console chimed a confirmation.
It did little to ease Fox's nerves. The last scan had reached the remains of his father's research station and beyond it. If Alex was there it should've detected him. He could feel Fara's grip on his shoulder tighten ever so slightly, she was thinking the same thing. Fox closed his eyes recounting the events of the last few weeks. It had been two years after the climax of the Lylat war, the death of Andross and his hold on Venom, when he proposed the expedition to his father's research station the Spillman to his team.
The station contained all of his father's work and passion he performed for the Cornerian military infrastructure. More importantly within the recesses of the station were the coordinates of his father's last known location. The prospect of closure was too much of a pull for Fox, but he needed someone who knew the station and wielded the proper security clearance, Alex his adoptive brother, and the other half of James Mccloud's legacy.
He had his own reasons for wanting to tag along. While the station served as the starting place for Fox's scavenger hunt, it held a deeper significance as the birthplace for Alex. He didn't envy the existential plight that his brother had inherited. He was the byproduct of a joint experiment between his father and the now infamous Dr. Andross, biological evolution manipulated to create a species immune to infectious diseases native to inhospitable planets like Venom. But the machinations of Andross had muddled things in a way that resulted in his exile to Venom and left the McCloud family with a strange living being floating in a stasis tank.
What followed was a cautious integration of the human into Fox's family, birthdays, holidays, pictures, family trips, sharing toys, especially that one. Fox had been an only child up until the age of five longing for fraternal companionship. He had been too young and ignorant to think too critically about the circumstances around Alex's origins. He finally had someone to share the joys and hardships of childhood with. His parents, more so his mother Vixie, were a bit skeptical as to if the pair would get along or be socially compatible. Still, they arranged for the two to meet, Alex aged four, Fox a year his senior. While he was still waiting for the scan to loop again, he relived better times in the memory of that first meeting. Alex was holding James's hand and shyly looking at the carpet of their home, not yet brave enough to look Fox in the eye. Across from the pair, Vixie was holding Fox by the shoulders. The scene looked almost comical like a pretend game of exchanging prisoners. Fox had looked up at his mother and remembered how she had coached him before meeting Alex.
"It's a big deal for him, he's coming into this world and this family for the first time, so don't feel discouraged if he's skittish or shy", Vixie had said. "How do I make him not feel that way", Fox had asked. Vixie had taken his tiny hand in hers, fingers lightly pressing his palm, as though imbuing him with her confidence. "Be gentle first, kind second, he has to come to you", Vixie said caution underlining her words. Taking them to heart, little Fox slowly reached out his hand to Alex and said, "Hi my name is Fox, want to see our room", then with more uncertainty "Uh….I have toys…..maybe we can play or-", he trailed off seeing Alex's expression becoming more shy retreating around his Father's leg. To Fox's credit, he didn't persist and he didn't reach, he just felt deflated. For a long moment, no one spoke. Then to both Fox's and his parent's surprise, Alex had stepped around his father's side.
His shy expression was gone, replaced with innocent curiosity. He reached out and took Fox's hand at the same time he said, "My name's Alex, what kind of toys do you have?". Fox smiled gently pulling Alex along he said, "Follow me I'll show you". "Okay", Alex said, letting himself be led by Fox to their room. Before he had turned to pull Alex along, he could see over his shoulder his parents beaming at him with pride, their eyes turning glassy. Be gentle, be kind, Fox reminded himself.
He let his brother gradually acclimate himself to his environment when they entered their room. Alex's eyes roved left to right taking in the walls, the windows, the two beds at either end of the room, and finally the wooden toy chest next to Fox's bed, his blue eyes lighting upon it. His gaze met Fox's and became coy in the way all children do when uncertain how to express a want. Fox happily indulged his curiosity and theatrically opened the chest for Alex. He let Alex handle the action figures, puzzles, and replicas of his favorite spaceships. Occasionally Alex would turn to Fox, and each time Fox explained each toy Alex had selected. Alex would listen intently and then fiddle with the toy before putting it back with gentle care.
After playing for a bit the pair found themselves in the living room of their home watching cartoons. Again Fox did his best not to pester Alex too much. Still, it couldn't be helped. "Are you liking it here so far?", Fox asked. He had been sitting next to Fox on the couch, his eyes fixed on the screen were now cast downward shyly in response. "It's a lot isn't it?", Fox asked. Alex said nothing. "You know….I was nervous too, but I guess we all are. I guess it feels good to know you're not alone in that feeling", He sighed to himself. "Or at least that's what my Mom tells me". Again Fox felt the urge to reach out, but stilled himself. It wasn't until Alex had shifted closer resting his head on Fox's shoulder that he gave his silent answer. After a long moment of silence that was punctuated by the chatter emitted from the tv, Alex spoke.
"Yeah, I think she's right", he said softly. "It's all so new and strange but I guess that's what I'm like for you too". A frown marred Fox's face. There was something eerie in that statement. "You're right but I hope it's not bad or", he fumbled struggling as he tried to find the proper word in his limited toddler vocabulary. "Well I hope you don't feel icky", Fox said. Alex chuckled at this, his gloomy eyes becoming warm. "Maybe for a little bit I felt icky, but it feels far away now like it can't reach me", Alex said. "Well if you feel icky, let me know okay?", Fox said as confidently as he could. "Sure…sure", Alex replied. Then after a long pause. "Do you feel icky?", Alex asked hesitantly. Now it was Fox's turn to chuckle. "Yeah I had that feeling too", Fox admitted. Alex chewed this over for a bit "Well if you feel icky, you can tell me too, maybe I can make it go away", Alex said. They both nodded in agreement,
Fox looked across the room at his mother who was seated in a recliner with iced tea clutched in her hand. "You hear that Mom!, if anyone feels icky in the house you need to tell me or Alex right away", Fox said with earnest sincerity. Her face twisted up in an amused snort, the ice in her drink clinked and jingled as she stifled her laughter. The trio continued their silent viewing, the living room gradually darkening as the day ebbed away. Fox could hear Alex breathing steadily. He looked over and saw he was fast asleep, his head still resting on his shoulder. He was starting to feel sleepy himself. The light from the tv was beginning to become an eye strain. He heard his mother's muffled footsteps on the carpet but didn't turn to look at her.
"Need me to rescue you? I can put him to bed if you want to stay up", She said. "No, that's okay I think I'm tired too", He said. Then more quietly as if he might be overheard, "I wanna be close in case he's…you know… afraid of the dark". She smiled warmly at him. "Come on boys, let's get you both to bed", She said. She carried Alex to bed with Fox in toe. The stress and nerves of the day must have exhausted the younger boy, he didn't so much as stir when Vixie carried him into the well lit bedroom. She quickly slid him under the covers and Fox hit the dimmer switch, darkening the room. He settled himself in, and watched his mother who was sitting on the edge of Alex's mattress.
He observed, puzzled as she stared curiously at Alex's sleeping form, her hand slowly running down his head to his cheek. She looked troubled at first, but she looked at Fox then back at Alex and her face became that radiant glow he was familiar with. She leaned down and kissed Alex's cheek then pressed her nose to his dark hair and inhaled.
"Why do moms like to smell their kids, don't they know that's weird?", He thought to himself. She then came to his side of the room kneeling at the edge of his bed. "He likes you," she whispered. Fox simply nodded as she kissed him goodnight.
Over time the pair grew gradually closer. Fox had made an effort to create a comfortable environment for his new sibling, displaying patience and kindness despite his brother's introverted nature. Eventually, his efforts had paid off and Alex had come to show love and acceptance back. The shy and uncertain boy had grown into his own and the Mccloud household was all the livelier for it.
It was almost perfect.
But it didn't take long for the human to realize he was different. It was subtle at first, tentative questions whispered to Fox in their shared room before sleep. Parallel to his bed he would see a pair of blue gloomy eyes shift towards him. Then the questions would start. They were easy to dismiss at first with a game or a show to watch, or the simple "I don't know". But as time went on the questions became more frequent and to Fox's dismay, Alex began to glance at families then at himself, and then at his own family. In instances like that, Fox would pull Alex to him, and that worrisome face, the one that questioned his belonging evaporated.
He had the same look when Fox asked him to join him on his trip to their father's research station. Even after all this time, the mystery of the past had gnawed at him. He shouldn't have let him go on his own. He should've made him stay. He should've pulled him close like he always did. His chair's screen chimed again, pulling him from his thoughts.
[Zero Life Signs Detected].
He looked again out towards the floating debris, the remains of his father's research station. "This shit was better left alone", he thought gloomily.
Then he said out loud, "How long until we're within range for extraction?". Peppy turned in his chair drumming his fingers on his armrest. "About twenty minutes give or take, you want to suit up and snag him?", Peppy asked. Before Fox could reply Fara quickly chimed in "I'll do it, two of you can take an Arwing each and cover me". Fox glanced over at Falco, his ace pilot. He was perched on the forward section of the Great Fox's bridge, his legs dangling over the side of the holographic navigation table as he sat on its edge. The surface served as a space that could simulate various structures, astronomical charts, people, technical data, and other vital visual info that could be projected in three-dimensional space.
Hovering over the table was a perfect digital depiction of the wrecked Spillman station. Falco was studying the slowly rotating hologram intently, his avian features and feathers shifting in focus. The neurons and synapses in his brain sparked as he calculated flight paths, vectors, speeds, and other variables required to navigate the hazardous minefield of debris. If Falco couldn't do it then no one could. He turned to Fox, his beak quirked into a smirk as he gave a subtle nod. "I can cover her Fox and snag them both on the way back", Falco said.
Despite it all Fox smiled. Falco would never take any unnecessary risks. The man might be brash, but it never shadowed his skill in a cockpit or his devotion to his team. He was no liar, if he said he could do it it was almost a guarantee. "Alright it's a plan, Fara will suit up and ride Falco's Arwing into the remnants of the station, I'll circle and provide security", Fox said. As one, the three moved towards the elevator to the hangar. Fox was walking alongside Fara with Falco shadowing them. Fox had begun to reach for the button to open the lift when a ship proximity alarm began to wail from the bridge. Over the din, he could hear Peppy shouting, "We're being hailed by a Cornerian battle cruiser".
Fox glanced down the corridor to the bridge and then to Fara and Falco who were stepping past him into the elevator. "I'll hail them back and see if they can assist us, the plan hasn't changed", Fox said. They both turned to face him, Falco nodded, and Fara leaned forward. He felt a pair of soft lips peck his cheek, "I'll bring him to you", Fara said softly. She pushed the key for the Great Fox's hanger, she winked at him as the doors clanged shut, the compartment humming as it descended.
Returning to the bridge, Fox saw Peppy tapping more keys in his console presumably establishing contact with the Cornerian warship. Fox strolled up to the holo-table arms behind his back, his posture straightening as it always did when readying to address any military command figures. "Alright Peppy, patch them through", Fox said. Peppy wordlessly tapped keys, initiating the communication link. The holographic representation of the ruined station suddenly shrank into the flat surface of the table. In its place was a flashing message indicating that the ship was establishing a secure connection to the Cornerian warship. Below it was a portrait of the ship's commanding officer, along with their name and rank bordering the image.
Fox realized he recognized the name, Major Shears. He was a rising star in the Cornerian military having distinguished himself during many of the engagements on Venom, both land and air. He had a reputation as a shrewd strategist with a calm demeanor that rarely wavered under pressure. Many of his peers nicknamed him the "Stare" owing to his mild mannerisms and piercing blue eyes that never seemed to blink. Last Fox had heard of Shears, he was a captain in charge of a company of Cornerian Rangers during the invasion of Venom. Alex and Fara, who served in the specialized division of the Cornerian military, were assigned to that particular unit. Together under the command of then captain Shears, they began various tactical assignments, assassination, sabotage, wounded retrieval, reconnaissance, and other operations that made the daily life of Venomian soldiers a living hell. While Fara and Alex spare-headed much of the ground engagements on Venom, Fox and his team had kept to the sky offering air support to their unit while they removed various anti-air defenses.
Fox's musings were interrupted when he heard a telltale "bloop" and suddenly Shear's holographic specter appeared before him. Yup, it was the "Stare" himself, his ice-blue eyes staring blankly down the muzzle of his German shepherd face. He was garbed in a dark blue major's uniform, he too was standing ramrod straight, arms behind his back. Fox expected some surprise at him being here, but the "Stare" only twitched his muzzle upon seeing him, it could have been an itch. "Fox Mccloud…I've never expected to stumble across you here", Shears said, his voice as flat as his expression like a bored lecturer. "Likewise major, I hoped to have met under better circumstances", Fox said.
Shears gave a slight muzzle twitch in agreement, "So do you have any insight as to why this station is in ruins, we had reports of weapons discharge along with shield and life support failure to the station", Shears said. Fox's eyes closed for a moment at this, he prayed that Alex made it out in time before the calamity. "No major….we arrived only to see the aftermath, we've been running continuous life scans, and I've sent two members of my team to look for survivors", Fox said. Shear's head turned, looking sideways at Fox's eyes narrowed curiously. "But why come in the first place", Shears asked pointedly.
Fox quickly recounted the planned trip to his father's station to Shears, but decided to exclude Alex's reasons for going. The Spillman station and the project responsible for Alex's creation was firmly under the Cornerian military's jurisdiction. Fox didn't want to complicate things further by giving the impression he was planning to meddle or breach security of the more classified aspects of the station. As a mercenary Fox didn't have the proper clearance to access the station in the first place. Moreover, Alex was in the full employ of the Cornerian government, and while it was more likely his brother didn't care for protocol or bureaucracy, he still didn't want to cause any risks to Alex's job.
Shears listened with rapt attention, but held up a hand at the mention of Alex's disappearance interrupting Fox. "I can assist your team in your search, I have a company of Cornerian Rangers already prepping to scour the area for survivors. If he's out there we'll find him", Shears said confidently. A wave of relief washed over Fox. The Cornerian Rangers were some of the best and brightest in the armed forces. One of their many functions as a quick reactionary force, was search and rescue operations in hazardous environments. And Shears was sending a full company, at least a hundred men and women would be combing the debris.
"The help is greatly appreciated, major", Fox said. Shears merely nodded, "Think nothing of it, I served with your brother on Venom, that kid had a good track record of keeping me and my men alive", Shears said, then more gravely "We take care of our own". Fox nodded his agreement at the sentiment. "Then I'll leave you to it, Major me and my crew are at your disposal. I'll keep the channel open if you need me", Fox said. "Noted and appreciated", Shears replied. The Major's face became suddenly pensive; he put a thumb to his lip contemplatively. "Still we don't know who or what attacked the station, we should keep our heads on a swivel, I'll keep you posted if we learn anything further".
The two exchanged salutes as the connection ended. Fox turned to see Slippy taking a seat next to Peppy at the navigation console. Fox walked over, stopping between the two, his arms crossed. "Any luck Peppy?", Fox asked. Peppy sighed, stress and fatigue had begun to seep into his face and voice. "Still nothing, I've been scanning this junk up and down, left to right, sideways, criss-cross applesauce, and what do I have to show for it", Peppy made a thumb and forefinger circle to illustrate his point. Then he curled it into a fist slamming it into the console in frustration. It made Slippy flinch and Fox to rest a hand on Peppy's shoulder.
Peppy craned his face up at Fox, it was awash with worry. "I don't like it Fox, I don't like it one goddamn bit, your brother is too careful, and mindful of us to go disappearing like that", Peppy said his voice haggard. Looking back out the viewport he continued "Shears is right whoever attacked the station might still be out there, we need to keep our eyes peeled and our weapons lit". Slippy was fiddling with a data pad, he took his turn to chime in. "I might have an idea to find Alex", Slippy said. Fox and Peppy's heads snapped to look at Slippy. "I can try to gain access to the surveillance system onboard the station," then more sheepishly, "I don't have the codes but I can, you know...bypass it." He pantomimed typing keys on a pad.
It was smart thinking. If they could access the various security cameras aboard the station, they would be able to visually track Alex's arrival to the station as well as his escape. If he did escape that is, Fox thought grimly. "Alright Slippy go ahead", Fox said. Slippy began his work in earnest hands gliding over the console with the quickness and dexterity of a speed chess player. He had faith in Slippy. If it worked as Slippy had said, then he could direct the search party to his brother's location in a timely manner.
It would be alright, he told himself. Still it didn't shut out the dark foreboding thoughts in his head. Over the years Fox had experienced heartache and loss. Eventually it had manifested itself into almost a personality that preyed on his fears and doubts. Sometimes he could hear it mocking him in an old surly voice like some decrepit, drunken, vagrant. It would jeer and cackle at him in his darkest moments. He heard it when his mother died, when his father vanished, when Fara had nearly perished alongside Alex in a ill fated raid on Venom, and lastly when he leveled a blaster pistol to Andross's head and squeezed the trigger.
He could feel it slowly spreading in his subconscious. It poked and prodded. It began to speak. No matter how hard he tried to shut it out he heard it. "It's time Fox", it said. "Time to ring the funeral bell".