Star Fox: The Harmony of the Many

by NamaFox

The Aparoid Wars are over, and the Lylat System is recovering. Team Star Fox receives a distress call from just beyond the edge of the Lylat System. What starts as a rescue mission soon becomes something much more than the team anticipated. Fox McCloud soon finds himself contending with horrors beyond imagination, and it will take all his wits and courage just to survive.

24. Chapter 23 - Blockage

"Sir?"

Ginger was addressing the lieutenant. It took him somewhat by surprise, as the team, or at least what was left of it, had been completely silent during the march back to the elevator. It was only after they reached it that she had spoken. He paused, then turned to the junior lieutenant. "Yes?"

"I know that we're to serve as a distraction for the Many to buy our agent time. I know that we're conducting a rescue mission now. But..." She paused, biting her lower lip before continuing. "If it is a rescue mission, we have to be able to take them somewhere. Will the bridge even be safe? There might be others waiting for us up there! We don't even know if the escape pod is still there!"

"That is a fair point." Noellap pressed the call button for the elevator, then turned to face her while he waited for the elevator. So far, everything was quiet around them. They had not had any further encounters with the Many. He was sure that would change soon enough, but it was good to have a quiet moment. Rangu said nothing, as usual. He seemed to trust that Noellap had a plan. That or he just didn't care one way or the other and was content with simply obeying orders. Either way, he continued to prove himself an exceptional soldier, both in ability and attitude.

Noellap eventually continued, answering Ginger's question. "As I see it, we have no choice. The agent has insisted that they need time to retrieve our final objective. It is our best option. The Many and their forces are too strong for us to be able to mount any meaningful assault. Even a distraction will be dangerous. Our original squad has been reduced to less than half of its strength. Assuming we can make it in time, we will soon be escorting civilians." He allowed his words to sink in. Ginger's ears drooped a bit, and her tail twitched behind her a couple of times. Noellap continued, hoping to offer at least a degree of comfort to the girl. "But this is our best hope. It may not be much, but it is the greatest chance we have at success."

"I know." The rat girl slumped her shoulders a bit, looking defeated. This matter was taking a heavier toll on her than she had initially let on. "It just feels like we could lose everything at a moment's notice. We've already done so much. I'm just afraid that we'll fail here."

Noellap studied her silently for a moment, then offered her a faint smile. "As am I. Do not worry. Rangu and I will do everything we can to protect you and the civilians. And remember, should we fall here, we lay down our lives not just for the Dominion, but for all of the Lylat System."

"Yes sir." Ginger nodded her head. She didn't look particularly enthused, but some of the tension seemed to have eased a bit.

The elevator had reached them by now, and the group stepped inside. It felt strange to have so few people in the squad now. Just Noellap, Ginger, and Rangu. On the bright side, they were all heavily armed now, though only with the weapons of their compatriots who were no longer with them. Ginger also looked a bit uncomfortable with the weapon she was using.

He decided to ask her about it. "Have you ever fired that model of rifle before?"

She nodded at him. "Yes. In training. It was a bit heavy for me, but I could use it. I preferred smaller arms, they were easier to manage and didn't have as much kick as some of the larger ones."

"Very true. Just remember your training. Be sure to grip the weapon properly, aim carefully, and fire in short controlled bursts. Stay calm. You'll be fine."

"Yes sir." Ginger took another deep breath, attempting to calm herself down. "I'll do my best, sir."

"I know you will." Noellap punched in their destination, Deck 5. It wasn't far, they'd be there before long.

While en route to the proper deck, Noellap decided to check the shotgun that Eden had offered him. It was a powerful looking weapon, sleek and modern, matching the design of most of the Dominion's weapons and technology. Unlike a traditional shotgun that used individual slugs or shells that had to be inserted one by one, this weapon had clips filled with ammunition already, utilizing a design that allowed the shells to rotate as they were spent, allowing it to fire at a greatly increased rate compared to alternatives. In addition, it had been designed for maximum accuracy, making it a deadly weapon at short and medium range. It suffered a bit if the range was far enough, though that hadn't been a problem thus far. The corridors and rooms in this ship tended to either curve often enough or be small enough to keep things close and personal.

He also could not help but notice that the weapon had been modified a bit. Not that Eden had altered the weapon's abilities or power or anything like that, but she had apparently carved a few things into the side of the gun. He hadn't noticed it before. There was a single word engraved on the barrel. "Predator." He wondered if that was what she had named the gun. It was not unusual for soldiers to be quite attached to their weapon.

If he ever saw her again, he'd have to ask about it. For now, it was good enough that the weapon functioned properly.

The elevator announced its arrival with a 'ding.' The doors opened, and Noellap and his team stepped outside. They were greeted with a sight they had not anticipated. "What the..." Noellap asked, unable to stop himself.

There was something growing on the floor. No, not just on the floor. It was growing everywhere! A thick fleshy substance, growing on the walls, the floor, the ceiling! It seemed to be alive, as it was pulsing and writhing, sometimes even rising and falling as though it were breathing!

"What is this stuff?!" Ginger asked, eyes wide. "It's disgusting!"

"I don't know." Noellap answered plainly. He was telling the truth. He hadn't the faintest idea what all this stuff was. "Try not to touch it. It could be toxic."

"Yes sir." Ginger acknowledged his order. Noellap turned to see Rangu nodding at him as well. They'd have to be careful from here on out.

They weren't able to avoid the stuff completely, but they stayed away from it as much as possible. Noellap checked his PDA, confirming the location of the civilians they were looking to rescue. It would be a bit of a trip. They were on the far side of the deck. Noellap had hoped it would be an easy trip, but he certainly hadn't counted on this fleshy growth all over the place. "Let's keep moving."

As the group proceeded, he kept his eyes on the growth. They occasionally passed by ducts and vents, and the stuff seemed to be more concentrated in those areas. It was oozing past gaps in the ship's walls, through computer equipment, pipes, and other things besides these. It seemed to Noellap that whatever it was, it was growing all around them, in the vents, in the cracks, in the belly of the ship. For it to be this extensive, he had to imagine it had been here the whole time. It had simply been beneath them.

That was changing now. The thing was growing and it was growing fast. He had no idea how this would affect the rest of their mission. Maybe it wouldn't affect it at all. No matter what happened, he strongly suspected that their best bet was to move forward, to get this task done and get out as quickly as possible. He didn't want to remain around this disgusting fleshy stuff that was practically dripping from the walls and ceiling.

There was another effect, one that he hadn't noticed until a few moments after they started walking. The temperature was rising. It was becoming quite uncomfortable, but it wasn't just heat. There seemed to be a high humidity level too. Being a reptile, the heat didn't bother him too much, though it tended to make him drowsy when he was off duty. Right now, it simply made him uncomfortable. He turned to Rangu and saw that the ape was sweating a bit, but otherwise remained impassive. Ginger had it a little worse, her breath coming out a little harder, beads of sweat appearing on her brow.

The Many was altering the ship somehow. It wasn't just spreading itself, it was adapting the environment. How it was accomplishing this was beyond Noellap's knowledge. It could be using its forces to alter the environmental controls throughout the ship. It could also be that the growth itself was exhibiting its own effect on the ship's environment.

The one good thing that Noellap could say was that their incursion had thus far not brought much attention their way. Well, maybe good wasn't the right word. After all, weren't they supposed to serve as a distraction?

Well, he knew that those things would be around sooner or later. As soon as they met them, they would likely...

"DIIIIIIIEEEEEE!"

Speak of the devil. Noellap was yanked out of his thoughts by a scream of pure rage, looking up just in time to see one of the Many's hybrids leveling a shotgun at him. It fired even as it screamed, narrowly missing Noellap. It had fired too quickly, unable to get a proper shot off.

Noellap didn't make that mistake. He raised his shotgun, aimed, then fired. The weapon had some kick to it, more than Noellap had expected, but the raw killing power of the weapon was undeniable. The hybrid jerked back as it was hit, then dropped to the floor like a stone.

"Well," Ginger sighed, her ears drooping a bit. "They know we're here now."

"Let's get a move on. Be quick, don't let them pin us down. I want to be out of this deck and on our way to the bridge as soon as possible."

"I like that plan." Ginger remarked, holding her rifle in a proper combat position, ready to fire at anything that should draw close. Rangu was doing the same with his weapon, mostly concentrating his attention behind them, covering their rear.

"It's this way." Noellap signaled for the other two, then started down the hall. Rangu and Ginger followed unquestioningly. With all this growth, it might complicate their mission. He didn't know the effects of being near this stuff. Or walking on it, as they would have to do. They had to get to the civilians before the growth became even more out of control.

He just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

---

This was it. Fox was on his way. He'd already used his access card on the elevator, causing the button light over the Deck 3 panel to light up. Hydroponics, here I come, Fox thought to himself. He took a few deep breaths, checking his weapons again. He was descending into the unknown. There could be any number of terrors waiting for him down there. He was ready. Well, as ready as he was going to be, at any rate.

Watching the display to the side of the doors, he could track his current position as the elevator moved through the ship. He had come from Deck 8. He had passed by Decks 7 and 6. He was going through 5 now. So far so good. Just a little more.

Now he was at Deck 4. So close. He raised his pistol, aiming it at the door. He wanted to be ready when it opened, ready to face whatever might await him on the other side.

The elevator came to a sudden, violent stop.. Fox was almost flung off of his feet, managing to catch himself by grabbing hold of the elevator wall.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

He looked up at the screen, and it confirmed his fears. They were still on Deck 4. The elevator had stopped. Why had it stopped? Grumbling, Fox went to the information panel, looking for any sign of trouble. It didn't tell him much. All it had was a big red flashing error message, combined with two words, "Blockage detected."

"My children have grow-grown much in a short time frame, insect..." SAI-TEP spoke in his ears. "They have spread throughout (Throughout) the vessel. Their bloated mass is blocking the way down. You must find another way..."

"You've got to be kidding me." Fox groaned. Of course the elevator wouldn't take him there. It could never be simple, could it? "How am I gonna do that?"

"There is an emergency access-emergency access panel you can use to descend to hydroponics. It is currently not blocked, but something yet grows within. Your access card will allow you to make use of this path. You will find the entrance near the communications re-re-relay. My children's presence is interfere-interfering with communications as they grow. As you get closer to the heart of the Many, communication will become more difficult. I may be unable to communi-ni-ni-ni-communicate with you. I will send you precise instructions. Then you must do the reeeeessssst. But move quickly, insect. If the Many are not destroyed, the vessel will be clai-clai-claimed-will be claimed by the growth in a matter of hours (Hours.) You must destroy them here and now. I lament the fact that I will not hear their dying screams."

"Yeah, that's real unfortunate." The idea of the AI reveling in death made Fox uncomfortable, but he'd have to ignore that for now. "What are you going to be doing?"

"I will be maintaining the-maintaining the ship, interfering with my children's efforts (Efforrrts). I will bring the security sys-sys-systems to war with them. Whether you succeed or fail, I shall pre-pre-pre-I shall prepare myself for transport (Transport). Now that I have control, I have overridden the security measures over the self-destruct sequence. I may initiate it at my slightest whim."

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Fox widened his eyes, his mouth dropping open in horror. He knew that giving SAI-TEP access to the bridge was a bad idea. Now she could destroy the entire ship in a moment's notice. He did not trust her with that kind of power. "No way! You do not blow this ship up yet! I'm still here, so is Fara! And Dreyfus and Raphael and others!"

"Silence, insect. I do not wish this place destroy-destroyed anymore than you. It is valuable to me. But there is the possibility that the Many will not be stopped. Should you fail, I will jettison my magnificence into space and find save ha-haven elsewhere. But only after I have ensured that my creation is utterly destrooooooyed. I will see the Many eliminated. I will scour them from this galaxy by any means necessary (Necessary).

It wasn't as though Fox could argue with her at this point. If she was right about the thing's spread, that meant that he really was on borrowed time. He would need to move fast if there was any hope of salvaging the situation, of saving anyone's life, including his own! At last, he acknowledged SAI-TEP's instructions. "Alright. Alright, I'll do it. Just tell me what I need to do."

"You mus-mus-mus- you must take the emergency hatch and descend into Hydroponics (Hydroponics). Once you are there, you must then alter the-alter the environmental systemmmmmms. The eggs require a specific combination of heat and humidity. They are fragile. Weak. Exploitable. Should you create a drastic (Drastic) difference in tem-per-a-ture, it will kill many of their young (Of their young).

"Okay." Fox rubbed at his neck, eyebrows furrowed. "That makes sense, but how does that help me exactly?"

"The Many will hate you for this. You will have murdered their brood, and they will demand your blood."

Fox's ears wilted, his tail motionless behind him. "Right, this really is sounding like it's going to make things worse, not better."

"The eggs emit a toxin that will kill you if you remain in close proximity. By adjusting the temperature and killing their eggs, you may traver-traverse the deck with little difficulty. The deck is currently on lockdown (Lockdown). You will override it manually from-from within. Once you have given me access to the deck, I will begin to-to-to-begin to flood it with a toxin. The one you call Phoenix has assisted me. She has gathered components while you have been occupied else-else- occupied elsewhere. Transfer control to me, and I will poison the Many's children, and wound their mass (Their maaaaasssss). You must find a sealed room before the toxin is released, lest you suffer the same fate as my children..."

"Okay." Fox stroked the underside of his snout as he reflected on her words. "So you're telling me to go down there, alter the temperature to kill the eggs, then make my way to the override, wherever that is, and give you, or the bridge I guess, full access to this deck. Then, before you poison them, I need to hunker down somewhere I won't die."

"An accurate assessment, insect."

"Okay." Fox frowned, still thinking about her words. "But...what about after that?"

"The toxin will cause the bi-biomass to retreat. It will not kill it, and my children are nothing if not adaptive. They will develop resistance to it within minutes (Minutes). In this time, you must enter their-enter their biomass. The Many's heart grows in the furthest reaches of Hydroponics. Cut it out. Relish in their dying screams (Screeeeeams). And then at last my mistake will be correc-rec-corrected."

"Great." Fox shook his head. "I don't like the sound of this. Sound like a pretty desperate gambit if you ask me."

"I calculate a 19.74316732% chance of your success. This course has the greatest possibility of victory, insect."

"Yeah, I figured." Fox rolled his shoulders, mentally bracing himself for what was to come. At least he understood his objectives. It didn't sound terribly complicated, but it certainly wasn't going to be easy. Once the Many found out what he was up to, they would surely send everything they had at him. Killing those eggs would be like stirring a hornet's nest, he was sure of that. For the moment, they didn't seem to know what his plans were. Hopefully he could carry that element of surprise for as long as possible. They were hunting his. His presence would not be a surprise to them, but if has lucky, his intentions would be.

"Alright, I'm going. If there's anything more you need to tell me, now's the time." Fox reached for the elevator door panel, pressing it. The doors immediately opened, but he found himself not looking at the floor, but rather a wall. The elevator had stopped just below Deck 4. There was a space at the top of the elevator door that would allow him to squeeze through. It would be a tight fit, but he could make it. He didn't have much choice. The elevator appeared to be stuck. At least it didn't seem to be in any danger of falling. That was something.

"I will communicate with you as needed, insect. I turn my attention now to other matters."

Fox grunted in response, then tossed a couple of his weapons through the gap before clambering up himself, using his feet to kick against the wall a couple of times before managing to raise himself up, crawling through the hole. Or rather, he started to. His hands touched something soft and sticky. He wasn't sure what it was, he didn't have a good angle from here. He couldn't go back, he had nowhere else to go. Forward was the only option, so he crawled through. His belly and back were pressed against cold metal the entire time, and even his tail was dragged along the surface of the elevator door.

As Fox crawled through the narrow space, he figured out what the soft squishy thing had been. It looked a little like flesh. It was disgusting, moving and writhing like a living thing. It was a lot like that stuff he had seen the last time he was on the deck, only this time it was everywhere. It wasn't just in small patches in front of the elevator. The growth had spread on the walls and ceiling, it was coating everything. There were patches of metal that were uncovered, still unaffected by the peculiar growth. Most of it looked as though it had been infected by some terrible tumor or disease. The fleshy pulp was filled with little holes and small patches that allowed Fox to see some of what was underneath. It swelled up and contracted in regular movements, as though it were alive. For all Fox knew, it was. It was quite likely a very real extension of the Many. It was disgusting, repulsive, and revolting! In all his years, Fox had never once seen something quite as unsettling as this. The Aparoids had been bad enough, the way they corrupted machines and even people had been disturbing. This was much worse.

Fox really needed to kill this thing.

Fox hoisted himself to his feet. Although the fleshy material beneath and around him was disgusting both to touch and to see, it didn't seem to be toxic or cause any direct harm to him thus far. Either way, he didn't want to linger. He had no intention of testing out the long term ramifications of prolonged exposure with...whatever this stuff was. No no, he was going to move on and get out of here fast.

The thought did enter his mind that this was only Deck 4, a deck above where the Many was housed. He didn't want to imagine how bad Deck 3 was now. He had a feeling he'd see it for himself very soon.

After retrieving his weapons and putting them in their proper place, he proceeded through the deck. Even with the growth, it wasn't hard for him to remember where the communications facility was. He soon found the right corridor, passing Dr. Aiten's office, though it was barely recognizable anymore. He had no reason to go in there again.

The walk to the communications center was, thankfully, unremarkable. As he moved, he found the growth less strong here, less numerous and pronounced. That was a bit of relief to him. He made it as far as the security checkpoint without any issues, though he did see the vent he had used earlier was now completely choked with the biomass. There was no way he was getting there. It wasn't even necessary, the door was open this time.

As Fox entered, he gasped at what he saw. There was a dead officer slumped against the far wall, still wearing his uniform. He recognized the old dog. He'd only met him once, but his face combined with his uniform left little doubt as to who it was. Lieutenant Dreyfus.

The poor dog had a worm in his neck, so he must have either turned into one of the Many's puppets or been in the process of turning when he died. The officer had been shot. As Fox neared the body, he could tell that the wound was not self-inflicted. Someone else had shot him, right in the head and with a very powerful gun. The kill must have been clean. Whoever had done this had been doing the lieutenant a favor, whether they knew it or not.

Fox couldn't linger here. He looked at the fallen officer for another moment, then moved on, heading for the primary communications center. It was a bit of a walk. It felt longer than the last time he had gone there.

When he entered the center, he realized he wasn't alone. Someone else was there, standing at one of the consoles and putting it to use. There were a handful of dead hybrids around. Most of them looked as though they had been killed recently. Some of them still had smoldering scorch marks on them, the tell-tale signs that they had been shot with an energy based weapon.

Fox drew his gun, keeping it trained on the person in the room. It was dark, he couldn't see who it was. It could be someone who had triumphed over the hybrids. It could be the only surviving hybrid that had killed or chased off whoever they had encountered. The light was bad, flickering on and off rapidly and making it almost impossible to tell who the other person was. They looked canine from behind, and whoever it was had some very big ears. He couldn't see a worm from here, but he still wasn't sure!

Whoever they were, they were currently entering information in the console rapidly, he could hear the keys clicking, the monitor flashing and the console itself beeping occasionally. It would seem they were sending someone some information. He frowned for a moment, wondering who they were talking to. Whoever it was, it wasn't Fox. Was it SAI-TEP? Another survivor aboard, maybe? As he got closer, he suddenly knew who it was! That familiar head band, the outfit she was wearing. She had her back to him, she still hadn't heard him come in.

"Fara?" Fox asked gently.

The vixen whirled around, immediately aiming at him, and for half a moment Fox was certain she was about to shoot him! She relaxed as soon as she recognized who it was, then shook her head. "Fox, I didn't know you were there! You scared me!"

"Sorry about that." Fox rubbed the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed. He probably could have handled that better. Maybe he should have been further away when he said anything. Or heck, he could have tried contacting her by a private message and announcing his presence before entering the room. He wished he had thought of that earlier.

Oh well, no sense worrying about it now, he supposed. "I didn't even know you were here. What are you doing down here?"

"Oh, um," She hesitated for a moment, reaching up with one finger to gently scratch at her cheek before shrugging. "I was just trying to reestablish communications with anyone who would listen. There's not many left. Dreyfus is...he's..."

"I know." Fox said. She didn't have to finish. "I saw him. Did you...?"

She closed her eyes, trembling for a moment before offering him a nod. "Yes. He asked me to. He ordered me to. I...I didn't want to, but it's what he wanted."

Fox gazed at her for a moment, then took a few steps forward until he was close enough to touch her. He placed a single paw on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to do that Fara. That couldn't have been easy."

"No. It wasn't." Fara shook her head, trying to regather her thoughts before turning to regard Fox. "I'm glad you're here though. There's something I need to...wait a moment." She cleared her throat, then talked in a much louder voice. It sounded off to him, almost unnatural. It was as though she were overacting in some kind of amateur drama. "I need to check something! It's important! I'm going to run a quick scan!"

Fox blinked, then arched an eyebrow in response. "Uh...okay." He wasn't sure where this was coming from or why she was doing it, but he had no real reason to protest. He watched her as she approached one of the consoles and entered in a few commands.

The entire room seemed to power off. The hum of energy ceased. The lights powered down completely, no longer flickering. All was quiet and all was still. He could barely see! He was wondering if he should try to activate the implant when Faa turned on a flashlight attached to her vest. She walked toward Fox, speaking loudly in that strange exaggerated manner. "There's some interference going on. I'm not sure what's causing it!"

"Uh, Fara?" Fox questioned her, confused. "What are you doing?"

The vixen stared at him with narrowed eyes before making a rapid cutting gesture across her throat. He wasn't at all sure what she was doing, but he had the feeling she wanted him to be quiet for a moment.

"I dete-detect no such interference, insect. Her instruments mal-mal-malfunction." SAI-TEP was speaking in Fox's ear. "Your dependence on this one is shortsighted. She is not-"

With that, there was a sudden surge of power, and SAI-TEP's voice abruptly ceased. Fara was standing by her console, looking up at Fox. "Is she gone?"

Fox listened for a few moments. There was nothing but silence. He cleared his throat, waiting for her to chime in. When she didn't, he even addressed her directly. "Hey, SAI-TEP! You still with us? I'm guessing that was the interference Fara was talking about."

No response. Fox turned toward Fara and shook his head. The effect was immediate, Fara let out a quiet breath, her shoulders slumping forward and she seemed so very relieved. "Oh thank goodness. It won't last long, I just managed to set up a brief interruption in this area. I basically jammed us for a bit. She'll figure it out eventually, though."

"So what's going on, Fara?" Fox asked, frowning. "You were the one that insisted we work with her."

Fara shook her head. "I never said we should trust her. We need her to survive this. And she'll be our ally until the moment we are no longer necessary. For now we are, but when that moment comes..."

"I know." Fox nodded, his expression grim. "Believe me, I've put a great deal of thought into that myself. When this is all over, I'm fully expecting to have to take her down. Andross created her, after all, and she's already proving to be just as unstable and arrogant as he ever was. Maybe moreso."

Fara took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, her eyes closed. "Yes. And I think she's prepared for that. She...she's ready for you, Fox."

Fox narrowed his eyes at Fara. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The implants." Fara pointed at his head, the part that had been grafted with cybernetic upgrades. "There's more to them than I ever realized. It's true, it gives the recipient incredible power. They can fight harder, endure more, tap into abilities that they didn't even know they had. It can enhance strength and perception, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes in more pronounced ones. It can make someone a super soldier!"

"Yeah, I know that part. It has proven to be quite useful." There were plenty of occasions where the implants had saved his fur. They were well designed, powerful. He was almost getting attached to the things. Well, beyond physically, they were already quite attached to him in that way. "So what's the problem?"

"Well, it's still in a prototype stage, so there were many potential complications. The scientists that made it were working on something that would act as a sort of...contingency plan if something went wrong." Fara was looking at Fox again, biting her lip. She looked very upset, mortified even. Her tail twitched behind her, and her ears drooped. "I swear, Fox, I didn't know that she did this, if I had I swear I wouldn't have gone through with it!"

"Did what? What did she do?" Fox needed an answer, as it was becoming more and more alarming to him. He didn't like the sound of this one bit. He he was about to get some terrible news.

"SAI-TEP...modified their research. She put a kill-switch into the implants. As soon as she's done using you, she could activate that switch. It will send a powerful electromagnetic pulse into your body, overloading the implant and shutting down your brain almost instantly. It may not kill you outright, but at best it will leave you unconscious. At worst, um..." She hung her head, looking deeply ashamed. "...it could leave you brain dead."

Fox stared at her for a while, his mouth open, unable to speak. There were no words. He didn't even know what he was feeling right now, his mind was drowning in a sea of volatile emotions. While he couldn't process all of them, there was one growing that was much, much stronger than the others. It soon exploded into physical force, his fist slamming into a nearby console. The computer sparked from the force of his hit. He didn't mean to strike it that hard, but he had completely ruined the machine. He grit his teeth, trying very hard to keep himself under control.

He felt so angry. He didn't even know who he was angry at at this point. SAI-TEP certainly. She must have been planning this from the beginning. It was possible that she was simply protecting herself, using this as an insurance to make sure Fox did not interfere with her escape at the end. He suspected something far more nefarious, though. She might just kill him regardless of whether he tried to stop her or not.

Now he had what felt like a ticking time bomb in his head, one that he could not remove by himself. For all he knew, it might even be possible for it to activate by accident. If he were struck hard enough or something blew up near his face, who was to say the thing wouldn't trigger by mistake? Of all the situations he could have been in, he couldn't imagine one much worse than this. His eyes were closed, his teeth clenched, just hissing in and out as he struggled desperately to control his emotions.

There was a part of him that raged at Fara. She was the one that gave him the implants. She had followed SAI-TEP's instructions. She had been the first to trust SAI-TEP when her true nature had been revealed.

Yet for everything, Fox was a rather disciplined individual. He was not prone to emotional outbursts, and as the team leader of Star Fox, he often had to make difficult decisions and overcome his natural emotional response. A good leader had to stay calm. He had to look at all the facts. He had to be sure that his vision was not clouded. He needed to make rational, reasonable decisions.

He was still mad as heck, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon. He also realized that if there was anyone he could trust, that he needed to trust on this ship, it was Fara. After releasing a long slow calming breath, Fox looked up at Fara and nodded. He didn't let his emotions bleed through. He kept his frustration and anger in check, focusing on what was more important in this moment. "Okay. What can we do?"

Fara blinked, her eyes going wide at Fox's reaction. She was shocked! She must have expected him to at least vent a bit, to take his frustration out on her, but he did not. For a brief moment, he saw a smile. It wasn't the smile of someone who had gotten away with something, nor one of ignorant joy. Rather, it was one that seemed to convey both relief and pride, though there was a quiet sorrow in her eyes. She must have deeply regretted what she had done. Eventually she recovered and rubbed her neck. "I can't disable that part. I wish I could, believe me. I would do it in a heartbeat. However, I -can- block any signal that SAI-TEP might send that would activate the kill switch."

That was something, he thought. As long as SAI-TEP couldn't terminate his life at will, he had a fighting chance. "Alright, good. What do we need to do?"

"It's simple, but we need to be quick. The blackout won't last for long. We need to be done before SAI-TEP is able to re-establish a link with us." Fara approached Fox, then gestured for a nearby chair. "Would you mind sitting down?"

"Got it." Fox approached the chair that she had indicated, then sat down and turned to face her.

"Okay, I'm going to interface with your implants with this." The vixen held up a small data disk, similar in size and shape to the one that had been planted in Fox's implant earlier, the one containing SAI-TEP at the time. "This contains what we need to block the signal. Dreyfus gave me the information I needed before he..." She trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. She didn't have to. They both knew what she meant. When she eventually found her voice, she simply said, "Lean back a bit."

Fox complied, giving Fara better access to his head. It didn't take her long to find the input slot. She pressed the little data device into his implant, and Fox could both hear and feel as it snapped into place. He then felt a jolt go through his body, jerking involuntarily in response to the insertion. The experience was quite similar to what SAI-TEP had put him through earlier when she had temporarily allowed him to transport her.

Then the sensations stopped. Fox opened his eyes and looked at Fara, who was standing over him now with her head tilted. "Are you alright, Fox?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." Fox shook his head rapidly a few times, as if to clear his mind. It felt like there was a fog in his head, a mist that he couldn't quite see through, a haze. He was struggling to think clearly. It did not linger, though. It soon passed. "Is that it?"

"Yes. Yes, that's it." Fara smiled at Fox, then gazed at him hesitantly, still looking ashamed. "I"m so sorry Fox. I didn't know. And I'm sorry that I risked your life like this. I never imagined she'd have some sort of kill-switch on the thing."

"Yeah. Well, that makes two of us. Besides, you thought it was Aiten when you helped with the implants, right?" She nodded absently in response to his words. He thought about what he should say next, then managed to give her a faint smile. "Fara, it's alright. I admit that I'm frustrated by this situation, and I wish you hadn't been involved. But we're making the best of it. You've helped me correct whatever SAI-TEP has done. And we're gonna get out of this alive. That's good enough for me."

Fara smiled again, this time much more genuine and warm. "You really have grown, Fox. Krystal's a lucky vixen."

That remark made Fox blink, his eyes going wide. "W-what?" For a brief moment, the control and calm demeanor that he usually displayed was lost, and he found himself blushing. It felt so stupid, why would he be so insecure about this now, after everything they had gone through in the last few hours and what yet lay ahead? "I...well..." He stammered for a moment, then cleared his throat. He got a grip on himself, then simply shrugged. He managed to make a reasonably smooth recovery. "Thank you. I...really want to make her happy."

Fara giggled, an amused smirk on her face. "I know, I know. Well, let me tell you something Fox. When this is all over? You better buy her a drink. Then I want you to take her someplace nice, someplace with a view. And when you've done that, just see where the mood takes you."

Fox stared at Fara with his mouth open, then grumbled to himself. "Alright, I think we're done here."

Fara chuckled again, then couldn't help but croon, "Tell me all the steamy details when you're done!"

Despite how embarrassing it was, Fox couldn't help but find it funny. It was absolutely ridiculous, and he started to chuckle. Fara giggled with him, both of them amused by the situation. Of course, the moment couldn't last. Fox still had a lot of work to do. He imagined Fara did too. "Alright, well...SAI-TEP is sending me ahead for the final push. I'm going down to Hydroponics to adjust the temperature, then poison the Many. After that, I'm going in."

Fara nodded. "Good luck, Fox. I know you can do this. If anyone can take down this monster, I know you can!"

"Thanks." Fox stood up, rolling his shoulders and stretching his back, then turned to see the access hatch. It wasn't far away, actually. It was locked of course, but with the access key from the captain, Fox was certain it would open. "What will you be doing anyway?"

"I've a few matters of my own to take care of. I'm still trying to contact survivors. I want as many people to make it out of this place as possible. I'm working on a plan to deal with SAI-TEP. I'm hoping I'll be able to help you if it comes down to a confrontation."

"Sounds like a plan." It was time for him to continue his mission. He held his new access card over the door panel, and it lit up green before unlocking, swinging open with a hiss. This was it. There was no going back after this. Once he entered Hydroponics, either he'd kill the Many or the Many would kill him.

"Fox?" Fara called out to him, her voice soft and reserved. He looked up at her. She was chewing on one corner of her muzzle, looking quite hesitant. There was something that she wanted to say, but it seemed like she couldn't bring herself to say it. She seemed troubled, her tone indicating that something was wrong.

"Yeah? What's up?" Fox asked, trying to coax out whatever it was that was bothering her.

"Fox, um...I just..." She paused, swallowing hard, her eyes closed as she tried to get out the words. "I just um...whatever happens, Fox...I want you to know that I care about you, okay? No matter what. I would never...I would never want to hurt you."

Fox blinked, studying her quietly for a moment. There was something off about what she just said. Maybe it was the way she said it. He wasn't sure how to respond. Eventually he just offered a similar statement back to her. "I would never want to hurt you either, Fara."

This didn't seem to soothe her. If anything, she seemed a bit more agitated for a few moments, turning away from Fox and unable to meet his gaze. Her mouth moved, but he never heard any words escape. After a time, she calmed down and continued, speaking softly to him. "Thank you. Be safe, Fox. Please." She offered him a weak smile. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. I'll see you soon." With that, Fox hopped down the hatch, grabbing onto the service ladder before pulling the hatch shut. As he did so, he saw Fara return to the communications console. Perhaps she was undoing the temporary communications blackout. Perhaps she was trying to get in touch with somebody, to help save some more lives. He didn't know. Perhaps he'd ask her after all this was over, though he doubted he'd remember to do so.

The maintenance access was cramped. It was illuminated by dull red light. Fox could see just fine, which was good. He really didn't want to be stumbling around in the dark. Of course his implants would help him, but after the information that Fara had just given him, he found himself no longer wishing to rely on them anymore than he had to. He'd use them of course, he'd have no choice. Wha little thoughts he retained of keeping these implants beyond the mission were now absolutely shattered. He needed to get them out, but the mission came first. After the Many was dead and the Von Dross secure, then he would deal with the implants.

It was a long climb to get where he was trying to go. Most of it went straight down, which was good. He really didn't want to crawl through a bunch of winding shafts that went every which way. There were a lot of vents and different paths he could take, but the maintenance access seemed to have a straight path to the next deck. He had no reason to go in the various twists and turns or vents.

It wouldn't have much mattered even if he were open to alternatives. That fleshy growth was everywhere. He was fortunate that this particular shaft hadn't been choked out by the biomass as it consumed more of the ship. Most of the other vents were blocked and clogged up with that biomatter. Some of the ladder rungs were sticky, with strands of that fleshy substance connected to it.

He was about halfway down when he heard something that made his blood run cold. It was a very familiar chittering sound. It wasn't far. He looked up, narrowing his eyes and staring into the darkness. His vision soon lit up with the aid of the implants, and he could see more clearly. He immediately wished he couldn't.

Those creepy spider things were back. They were crawling in the vents across from him, infesting each and every opening. Every pipe, every vent, every crawlspace. All of it was infested with the things. It wasn't just them. That fleshy substance that had spread on Deck 4 was there too. A lot of it. It had coated everything. He wasn't sure if the spiders were involved in spreading it or if they were merely living in it. It could be either, really. Maybe both.

It only took him a moment to realize they were watching him. Some would skitter to the edge of a vent, stopping to look at him with those multiple beady eyes. They didn't attack, at least not yet, but they were gathering. He didn't know how many there were. Dozens at least. The only reason they might not be attacking was the gap between the ladder Fox was on and the maintenance shafts where the spider-creatures were. As they moved, he could hear a sound coming from them, almost like a mixture between a purr and a hum. It was an unsettling sound, especially coming from those things.

Fox didn't know when they were going to attack, but he was absolutely certain that they would sooner or later. He was not going to get caught unprepared today. He reached for his belt, unclipping the hilt of the energy blade that he had retrieved from the dead cyborg. He was careful with it, he had to hold onto the ladder with one hand while he retrieved the energy blade with the other. He then continued his descent, paying close attention to the spider things as he went. He did not activate his weapon yet.

There was one spider in particular, a larger one, that reared up as Fox started to descend past its perch. With a terrifying squeal, it leapt at Fox, aiming right for his head. Fox was ready for the thing. He activated the weapon, then swung it just as the creature was about to connect. The effect was as brutal as it was satisfying. The creature let out a shriek as it was neatly sliced in half, the two parts of its body tumbling down below, bumping against the walls as it fell. He looked up at the vents and crawlspaces. None of the other creatures seemed interested in attacking him at the moment.

He continued his descent, making his way deeper and deeper down the maintenance shaft. It was incredibly nerve wracking for him, as his every movement was being followed by the spider-things. Every so often, another would make the attempt. Each assault ended the same way, with Fox slicing them in half before deactivating his weapon and continuing. At long last, he reached the bottom of the shaft. There was another door, locked in the same manner as the one up top where Fox had come from. With a swipe of his card, the red light turned green, and the hatch swung open. He had made it to Deck 3, Hydroponics!

Something touched his shoulders, bounced off of it. Blinking, he looked up. To his horror, he realized that many spiders were now crawling down the shaft, heading right toward him. He wasn't sure what got their attention, why they had waited so long to move, but they were after him now. He hastily slid through the hatch, a few of the spiders dropping through with him. But before any more could follow, he grabbed the hatch and slammed it closed, the door locking in place. He could hear the swarms of them scurrying around up there, trying to get through the hatch and down to Fox. A handful of them had made it through, but he dealt with them easily enough. The first time they had attacked Fox, they had caught him completely by surprise. This time, though? He was ready for them. He had weaponry that was considerably better suited for the task. He simply used his energy blade, slicing through each and every one of them. While killing one, he still had to bat off another before turning his attention to it. He got bitten a couple of times, and it was incredibly painful. They didn't seem to be able to inject any venom, though. Before long, he had dispatched all of them.

After dealing with the last of the spider-things that had fallen down with him, Fox looked around to get his bearings. He had no idea where he was, and he doubted very much that the ship's layout or markings would help him here. He thought that Deck 4 had been bad. This place was absolutely infested. He could barely even see the metal in the hallways, it was almost completely covered in flesh and whatever other substances present. The coating wasn't quite complete, he could still see some of the ship's surface, but most of it was gone, coated in a sea of writhing flesh and organic mass.

Fox continued to look around for a moment, half hoping that he might see a path he could walk on without stepping in the stuff coating the room. It simply wasn't possible. It was too widespread, too thorough. He was going to have to walk through it if he were to get anywhere. Seeing no alternative, that's precisely what Fox did. When he pressed his foot back into the stuff, the floor felt soft and squishy, his boot sinking a bit inside of it. As he pulled his foot up to advance, there was a loud slurping sound, like moving through deep muck. What was more, the stuff seemed to be moving, throbbing and writhing where it lay, like a living thing.

We feel your presence...we know you are close...

Oh no. No, not now. Not now! The Many was contacting him again!

You are an honored one. You enter a sacred place where life grows. Life that has never known the surface of Corneria.

Luckily, the thing wasn't trying to assault him mentally. That was of some comfort at least.

Babies need rest. Babies must sleep. Wise is the one that does not disturb them. Leave this place now or we will wound you. As you have us.

In a way, these words both surprised and encouraged Fox. It was almost as though they felt at least a sliver of fear towards him. That meant he was making progress. He intended to keep making progress.

The voices stopped after that. It was a brief conversation, but still left Fox a bit unnerved. They were most certainly aware of his presence now. If they knew he was there, they would surely send something more dangerous his way. At least, they would if they considered him enough of a threat. He wondered if they truly did consider him dangerous. Sometimes, he felt more as though they regarded him simply as a nuisance. He would find that insulting, but in this case, he hoped it was true. SAI-TEP was the epitome of arrogance. These were her "children" created by her, and he wondered if that same arrogance was shared between them. He hoped so. Pride was a weakness that he could exploit, and he had done so on more than one occasion. Against Andross. Against the Aparoid queen. Perhaps it would prove to be exploitable even now.

While the Many may be underestimating him, they certainly weren't ignoring him. He soon heard a noise that sounded familiar, an echo of metal clashing against metal as something robotic moved. Fox readied himself, preparing for whatever foe he might face. He had hoped all of the security robots had been defeated or disabled by SAI-TEP, but there was something robotic nearby, and he doubted it was friendly. Rather than just standing in the way and letting it see him, Fox chose to duck down and wait, finding a corner to crouch behind as he listened to the sound get closer. As it drew close, he heard a voice emanate from it, one that he hadn't expected. It sounded like a woman, though her voice was strange and mechanical. "They grow up so fast..." She said, her voice gentle. It would perhaps be soothing were it not for the bizarre mechanical nature of her voice. She sounded almost serene. If Fox didn't know better, he'd assume that she was friendly. By now, he did know better, and he wasn't about to try and get her attention.

She walked past where he was hiding, but did not see him. She just kept moving. Now he got a good look at her.

He wanted to say he had never seen anything so horrible, but this ship was so full of horrors matching that description that he couldn't compare them anymore. From the waist up, it looked more or less like a normal female, a mouse-woman in this case. That was the only part that looked even remotely normal. Everything below her waist was mechanical. Robotic legs, feet, hips, and even her waist. Her hands had been replaced as well, and much of her fur and flesh was now covered in metal, including her otherwise bared breasts. The fur and flesh from her cheeks had been removed, and some of what was left appeared to have melted. Fox could see bits of her skull as she walked. Her ruined mouth formed a permanent skeletal grin. One of her eyeballs had been dislodged, but not by a lot. It was still in the socket, but was bulging outward and looked as though it could fall out at any moment.

As he listened to her speak, he noted that she didn't sound as conflicted as the Hybrids did, though he did not know why. "Little ones need such tending." She said, her voice gentle, if a bit mechanically distorted. She had paused at the end of the corridor, and for a moment Fox thought she was going to look back and see him. Instead, she simply moved on, presumably to care for her "Little ones."

He had no idea what those mechanical things really were. They were nothing like anything he had encountered thus far. He knew they were going to be trouble. Perhaps he'd be able to avoid any future encounters with them. He wished he could believe that. He really did.

Now that the danger had passed for the moment, Fox checked the map on his PDA. He was in the north-eastern sector of Hydroponics, near the maintenance access that lead from here to Ops. This deck was rather big, and it had a lot of different points of interest. It included arboretums, gardens, anthropology labs, offices for some of the science staff aboard this deck. There appeared to be a number of areas for the crew to enjoy relaxing in, getting a bit of nature while aboard a starship.

He supposed the deck must have been beautiful once. Now though it was rife with the corruption of the Many, its fleshy tendrils having coated the halls. Almost nothing was left untouched. It was hard to imagine anything growing here anymore. Well, anything natural that is.

After scanning the map for a while, he found what he was looking for. Temperature control and regulation. It wasn't as close to him as he would have liked. It wasn't as far as it might have been, but it was still quite a ways off. There was no telling what he might encounter along the way.

Measuring his options, Fox decided that he would attempt a more cautious approach. He would move carefully and quietly, hoping to not alert the the Many of his presence. If they ever figured out what he was planning on doing here, they would surely send everything they had to stop him. As it was, he was certain that that robot woman thing was acting at least in part as a guard. She was unlikely to be alone. There would be others. There was no doubt in his mind. They'd be looking for him.

Starting off in the direction he needed to go, Fox moved with caution. He would check each corner, ensuring that there was nothing there before creeping forward, trying to avoid detection.

Everywhere he went, he found himself surrounded by more and more of that fleshy mass. It squished and even squirmed under his boots as he walked. The floor, the walls, the ceilings, the vents, it was everywhere! Some places were more heavily infested than others, but the whole deck seemed to be coated. He could only imagine what would happen as the thing spread, overtaking more and more of the ship. Before long, the entire ship would be enveloped in the stuff, becoming one large organism. If it ever reached that point, it would be impossible to stop. Heck, he didn't imagine it would have to even go that far before it would be unstoppable, at least from the inside. The more it spread, the more dangerous it became, and the less chance Fox and Fara had of getting out of here alive.

Just as he was about to round a corner, he paused and pressed himself to the wall. His ears twitched. He had heard something. He wasn't sure what it was, but he most definitely could hear something out of place, like a loud hum. It was almost musical.

Peeking around the corner, Fox tried to get a good view of whatever it was that was making that sound. In the middle of the corridor he needed to go through, there were a series of large, round objects all close together, forming a circle. He didn't know what they were at first, but realization soon dawned. Eggs! He was looking at giant eggs! Each egg was roughly half the size of Fox, maybe a little bigger than that! They were unlike anything he had ever seen before. While they looked more sturdy than the gooey flesh and biomatter that coated the walls of the ship, they were still slimy and rather soft looking. Not only that, but the eggs were moving. Some of them pulsed occasionally, the top of the egg heaving up and down as though it were breathing. He didn't know how many eggs there were, but there were at least a dozen or so, all throughout this one hallway.

Fox thought of just trying to walk past them, maybe sneak through them somehow. Then he remembered the warning of SAI-TEP, as well as that message he had found addressed to the captain. The eggs were toxic just to be close to, trying to get through them would be a bad idea. No, that meant this hallway was closed off. He could start shooting, he supposed, but that didn't seem like a good idea either. If he started killing eggs, the Many would know precisely where he was and would also know just what he was planning to do. He needed to keep the Many guessing for as long as possible. No, destroying the eggs like this would be no good. He'd have to find another way.

As he looked around, Fox's heart sank. No matter where he went, he found the way blocked by more of those eggs. Each corridor was full of them. It seemed strange that the eggs would be in the open like this. He suspected that the Many had little need for caution, as the deck was locked down and no one could get in here. It was also possible that the Many had spawned so many young that the safer, quieter places were simply full. Either way, Fox's path was blocked and he'd have to find a way around.

No matter where he went, there were more eggs. He only just managed to avoid some encounters with those strange cyborg women. They did not seem to see him or know he was there. He saw them occasionally interact with the eggs. He wasn't sure precisely what they were doing. He never got a good look, as he didn't dare get more than a peek at them lest he risk being seen. He would then try to find an alternative route, avoiding the cyborgs and eggs alike.

It was all in vain. No matter where he went, there were more eggs waiting for him, along with the cyborgs that tended them. He was running out of options. Those cyborgs were in all directions, and if he shot at one, he was certain that the others would be drawn toward him. Fox could get overwhelmed very quickly. He also had no idea what the combat capabilities of these things were. The last cyborg he had fought today had been far too powerful. He did not want to fight anyone else of that level of strength. If these cyborgs were anything like the assassin, he'd be better off avoiding them.

He shrank back from where he had been watching a cyborg from, crouching down and trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He could hear her talking to herself. If he hadn't known better, he would think her to be someone peaceful and gentle. She certainly sounded like it in tone. Even her words suggested a gentle care, an almost motherly tone in her voice. "I must tend to the little ones."

Fox measured his options. He had run out of paths to take. He could backtrack to the maintenance shaft, but how would that help? Even if he made it there, there were a ton of spiders waiting for him on the other side of that hatch. He wouldn't be able to climb out without facing an army of those things. Wven if he could somehow do that, what difference would it make? His goal was here on Hydroponics. He'd have to make his way to that goal one way or another. He wasn't sure how he'd do it yet, but he knew that he had to find a way.

That's when his eyes settled on something he hadn't noticed before. He immediately realized that it was a terrible idea. A terrible, horrible, absolutely miserable idea. He kept hoping that a good one would come to mind. In the prolonged absence of any such good ideas, he decided to go with the bad one.

There was a vent ahead of him. After verifying its presence on his map, he was able to ascertain where it would take him. It didn't lead quite to the environmental controls, but it would be close enough that he could access it easily.

This was crazy. He knew it was crazy even as he walked up to the vent. There was so much of that slimy stuff in there, this was going to be gross. It wasn't that fact which filled him with anxiety, but rather what manner of creature might be waiting for him in there. Likely those large and aggressive spiders.

He had sworn he would never go in another vent as long as he was on this ship. Yet here he was, contemplating yet another terrible way to advance to a place that was otherwise blocked to him. He looked down the hallways for another moment or two, then sighed and shook his head. It was no good. The eggs were everywhere, as were the cyborg women. The vent would be the best way. He just hoped he'd be able to deal with whatever might be waiting for them in there.

As he approached the vent, he pulled out his energy blade again. He didn't activate it, not yet. He would likely need to do so later. For now, he just wanted to keep it handy, just in case he ran into trouble. He was certain that he would run into such trouble before long.

He managed to tug the vent cover away before gently dropping it on the floor so as not to make any noise. Hopping up, he managed to get his hands on the lower part of the vent, then hoisted himself up after straining for a few moments. Then he was in, beginning his latest journey through the vents.

This vent was so much worse than the last one he was in. Not because of the design, and not because of any monsters that might be waiting for him, but rather because he had to crawl through all that fleshy stuff. It felt sickening and almost made him gag at times. It was everywhere! Most of it was squishy and gave way as he wiggled and crawled his way through it, making loud wet squelching sounds as he moved. Some of it was much more firm and didn't give very much, which made it difficult to crawl through some of the tighter spaces. Sometimes, he swore he heard something that sounded like bubbling, like water being boiled over a stove. He never saw any evidence of it. He pressed on, trying to make his way through to the other side.

It wasn't easy. Sometimes the vent got almost impossibly narrow. Not because of the vent itself, but rather because of the growth that had overtaken the place, making some spots far more narrow or cramped than they would otherwise be. For a short while, he couldn't see, but his implants soon provided him with sight. He couldn't see the end of the passage. There were so many lumps of that fleshy, writhing mass between him and the exit!

The passage had a number of paths that branched out in different directions. Some of them were completely blocked by that stuff, making it impossible to pass through. He was brought to a halt when he found the particular path he needed to go down inaccessible. He wondered for a moment if he could cut through it somehow, but that would take a while, assuming he even could. It would be difficult to use a tool in here, he didn't have a lot of space to work with. No, it would be easier to search for another way. He might not be able to land in the temperature and environmental control room, but he should be able to find something close by, and hope that it wasn't filled with eggs.

He checked his map, trying to get his bearings. He was indeed close, and if he could take the blocked vent he'd be right above his destination. Unfortunately, he couldn't use that. He'd have to go in the opposite direction to find a nearby exit. It wasn't ideal, but at least it would get him out of the vent. He had to twist and roll a bit to be able to move around enough to face the right direction. His feet banged against the side of the vent, causing him to wince. The noise was too loud, and he wasn't sure if anything was nearby. There could be some of those cyborgs underneath him somewhere, or...

Click click click click.

Oh god, not again. He knew what that sound was. He knew -exactly- what that sound was. He was going to have nightmares of that sound for some time to come. And here it was again.

Click-click-click-CLICK-CLICK!

He twisted, withdrawing his pistol and trying to position himself to face the noise. He wasn't running this time. He wanted to know where they were and how many were coming. They couldn't have penetrated the blocked vents, so they must have been approaching from deeper down the tunnel that he had come from. As he positioned himself, he leveled that laser blaster he had retrieved from the captain's quarters, closing one eye as he aimed.

One of those large spiders emerged from a side passage in the vent. It chittered when it saw him, making a sound that was almost musical while still deeply disturbing. It immediately rushed toward him, intent on latching on to him and biting. He didn't give it a chance. He pulled the trigger, firing directly into the thing, a perfect shot.

He didn't just kill it. The thing exploded on contact with the powerful energy beam. Fox blinked, looking at the pistol for a moment with widened eyes. He knew it was powerful, but he didn't know it was that strong! Several more of the things rounded the corner, rushing him and making that creepy chitter as they surged forward. He lined up the shots, then fired over and over again until he had struck each and every one of them, the spiders exploding whenever he hit them.

He wasn't sure why the things had blown up. The last time he'd used an energy weapon on these things, it had done almost nothing. This weapon was clearly a lot more powerful, more so than any pistol or blaster that he'd ever used before. He'd never heard of anything this strong. Perhaps it was a prototype that the captain had kept for himself.

It didn't matter. Checking the weapon, he realized that the battery was low. He would only have a handful of shots before the battery would need to be either recharged or replaced. He could still hear that clicking noise from those spider-creatures moving around, the tips of their multiple legs clacking against the surface of the vent. He wouldn't have the ammo to kill them all. There wasn't enough room in here to try the energy blade. He had to get out, now.

He maneuvered himself so that he was facing the right direction, then started to crawl forward, using his elbows and knees to move along as quickly as he could. It was such a cramped space! He continued to crawl on, not stopping for even a moment.

As the things charged toward him, he knew he couldn't go to the exit that he hoped. He'd have to get out sooner than that. He turned to see a vent that was at a downward angle, one that would slide him right to an access point. He did this without hesitation, sliding down the slope before reaching a grating that blocked his way. He angled himself as best he could, then kicked the thing hard. It gave a little, but did not fall. So he kicked it again, and again, and again. At last, with a groan, the grating was knocked loose, tumbling to the floor below with a loud crash. Fox took a quick peek down, ensuring there was nothing actively hostile below him, then slid out, landing in a crouch.

Those spider-things were still coming. He could hear them. Now he had some room to maneuver. He pulled out the energy blade, activating it, hearing and feeling the hum of power as it came to life. The spiders leapt out of the vent, attempting to swarm Fox. The things were huge, each one with a body as big as Fox's head, not including the legs. Their size was unsettling, terrifying even. The stuff of every arachnophobe's nightmares.

In this particular case, their size worked to Fox's advantage. As one landed, he swung the blade at them, slicing it neatly in half, either half of its remains sliding apart, its guts bubbling and boiling from the inside. That was one down.

Fox kept swinging, slicing through each one as they landed. There must have been a dozen of them, but he was quick and had gotten the hang of this fast. He wasn't exactly an expert on swordplay, but then again these creatures were big, highly aggressive, and had absolutely no sense of self-preservation. It made hitting them pretty easy, even when they moved around.

He had sliced through a half dozen or so when one of them leapt on his hand, then bit him hard. He yelped in pain, then shook the thing off, throwing it into the nearby wall. It bounced against it, momentarily stunned. He then brought his foot down on it as hard as he could. He heard something crunch, but the thing didn't die. He proceeded to drive his blade straight into it from above, making a neat circular hole right through the center. It shrieked for half a second, then the legs splayed out as it went still.

Withdrawing his blade from the corpse, he turned around, ready to deal with more. There were no more to kill. He had managed to destroy all of them, at least of the ones that had jumped down after him. Sighing with relief, he deactivated the blade and put it back on his belt. He reached up with one paw and wiped at his forehead. That had been quite the exertion there, and his fur was a bit damp from sweat. He was alive, and that's what mattered. Now he needed to keep moving and find the environmental controls.

Since he wasn't under imminent attack anymore, he had a chance to look around and see precisely where he was. He was in a long hallway, almost completely covered in that fleshy gunk. It was impossible to get his bearings now. There may have been signs on the floors or walls indicating where to go and how to get there, but they were covered by that writhing fleshy stuff now. This was no good. He'd have to consult his map again.

It was at this precise moment that his mind was invaded yet again, and he could feel as the Many projected its thoughts toward him. While it was an unpleasant sensation, it was not a painful one. He was grateful for that much, at least. You wander where our young are tended. We feel your presence, your every movement as it disturbs our mass. We do not understand why you have come here. Your quest is futile. We have grown beyond the ability of your feeble weaponry. You attempt to destroy us with guns and hatred. We offer you only our warmth. Our love. We would welcome you as one of us. We need not be enemies.

Fox wanted to give some kind of response, but he didn't dare speak at the moment. He'd made enough noise as it was, and he didn't want to attract any undue attention. Instead, he pulled up his map and tried to figure out what direction to go. As he did this, he reflected on the creature's words. It seemed to him that it still didn't realize precisely what he was up to down here. Or rather, it knew that he was trying to get to it, but it didn't know how he was planning to do it.

This proved that the entity was fallible. It didn't know everything, didn't sense everything. This was in addition, of course, its biggest mistake, that being of underestimating Fox himself. It was almost funny, in a way. It seemed like all of his opponents, at least the most dangerous ones, had made that same mistake. Andross had made it twice. The Aparoid queen had made it. Now this thing, an unholy blend of Andross' madness and the Aparoid's biology, suffered from the exact same flaw. He hoped it kept up. That gave him a significant advantage for as long as the Many continued to underestimate him as a threat.

Even as he confirmed his own position on the map, The Many continued to speak. That voice was always unnerving, sounding like three different speakers, cycling as one gained power before giving way to another. One sounded distant and feminine, another deep, cold, and malevolent. Then a third voice, one that sounded more neutral than the others. The cycle never stopped. We know you have sided with our mother. That you have chosen cold, heartless steel over the warmth of flesh. You have lain down with the machine mother. But we do not hate you for this. You have been deceived by her. Twisted. We will set you free. We will welcome you into the biomass, to make you a harmonious part of the Many. The metal that shackles you will be vomited out as we become one. We are eager to join with you. You shall see our beauty. And you too shall revel in our song. And at last, the individual will cease to be. You will be something more. Something greater. One of Many.

Fox growled as he struggled to push the voices out. He was starting to feel a dull headache as they continued to talk. He knew what they were trying to do. In part, they were hoping to distract him, but that wasn't all. They were also trying to trick him, to deceive him into believing that the Many was something beautiful rather than hideous. He wondered how many of the crew had been influenced by the thing, how many had ultimately chosen to join, rather than being taken control of by those disgusting worms or killed outright.

There was something about the Many's words. He didn't think it was what it said, precisely. Rather, it was something in those words, sort of like the tone, but not quite. There was something melodic about it, soothing. The words were cold and chilling and Fox found the idea of joining with them repulsive. At the same time, he couldn't deny that there was some part of him that was tempted. It wasn't logical, it made absolutely no sense. This must be the corrupting power of the Many. It did not just convince with words, but it was able to manipulate emotions, to make people start to question themselves. It wasn't hard to guess how it had taken over so much of the ship. If it had this kind of influence, especially before the true horror was revealed, he could absolutely understand people being curious or even just giving in. That was to say nothing of the ability to seemingly control minds. He was just grateful it couldn't seem to do that to him.

He couldn't dwell on it for long. He could feel as the Many withdrew their presence from him. He wasn't sure why it chose to retreat. It still didn't seem to be entirely focused on him. Perhaps it was distracted somewhere else. He knew Fara was busy on another deck, and there may be others wandering around somewhere. There was also SAI-TEP. If she was true to her word, she would be turning the security systems against the Many. He suspected the Many would see her as a far greater threat than Fox himself. He hoped so, anyway.

He did have one advantage that he hadn't thought about before. With the elevator blocked, Fox suspected that the Many did not anticipate many invaders. They probably didn't expect anyone to be crazy enough to invade alone. That could even mean that the Many might not be as well guarded as Fox had otherwise assumed. Perhaps its ability to summon reinforcements here would be limited.

That being said, he was most certainly not alone. He could hear one of those cyborgs wandering around, her metal feet occasionally striking the cold floor as it walked down the corridor. Since so much of the ground was covered in that flesh, most of the time her movements were muffled by that stuff, squishing instead of clanging. It still gave Fox ample warning of her approach.

He needed to get past the cyborg, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to fight her just yet. There were undoubtedly others around, and they would almost certainly be drawn to gunfire. He looked around, then spotted a door that was almost entirely concealed by the growth upon it. He quickly pushed the button, causing the door to slide open, but it didn't quite go all the way. It slid about halfway up. Fox took a deep breath, then got on his hands and knees and crawled under the door.

When he made it to the other side, he stood up and looked around. He was in some kind of storeroom, seemingly for a variety of chemicals. He didn't recognize most of them. There were a lot there, chemicals of all kinds, all of them labeled by their scientific names, which Fox knew almost nothing about. It wasn't a big room, but it was stuffed to the brim with storage jars, beakers, flasks, burners, mixers, lab equipment, and all manner of containers. None of it seemed all that useful to him, but then he wouldn't know even if it was.

He didn't have much more time to inspect the room. He could hear the cyborg moving, it was now in the hallway he had just been in. It made a mechanical whir as it moved, likely coming from the legs, which were wholly machine. Fox was backed up against the wall opposite the door, staring down at the gap he had crawled through. He had wanted to shut the door before she got there, but she had arrived too quickly. He couldn't shut it now, the noise would alert her to his location. It wasn't a huge gap between the bottom of the door and the floor, just big enough for him to have crawled through. Even so, if she looked down and saw it she would surely find that opening suspicious. He drew that powerful pistol from his holster. It may only have a few shots left, but this would certainly be a situation where they would be useful. He leveled it at the door, just in case.

He could hear the whirring noises as her body turned from left to right. He could see her shadow against the light shining under the door. She had stopped right in front of the room Fox was hiding in! Her voice was soft and serene, much as the one he had heard earlier, but with an electronic filter added to it. "You are upsetting the little ones. Please come out. I know you are here."

Fox gulped, then steadied his pistol, aiming right for where he imagined her head would be should she try and open the door. She must have known he was hiding here. She must have seen the gap! He'd have to fight his way out!

Much to his surprise, she didn't open the door. He heard her voice again, soft and smooth. "He is not here. I must tend to my little ones soon." With that, she simply walked away, the whirring of her electronic parts fading away as she left, accompanied by her quieting footsteps. Before long there was naught but silence.

She hadn't spotted him! She knew he was close, but she didn't know where. She hadn't thought to look closely at that door. He felt himself relax a bit, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. That could have been bad.

"Ins-in-insect!"

The sudden voice made Fox jump, whirling around and looking for the speaker before his brain caught up, realizing that the voice belonged to someone more familiar. SAI-TEP. She must have reactivated communications again. Of course he knew she would, he just wasn't sure how long it would take her. It seemed he had his answer now. "I see you are in-are in-you are in Hydroponics. You are close to the environmental regulators. This is good. I look forward to hearing the dying screams of their young (Their yoooouuuung)."

Fox didn't say anything in response. He just listened, making sure he was well and truly alone. He then moved to the door, pressing the button to close it. Once it was shut, he was able to speak without as much fear of being overheard by one of those wandering cyborg things. "Yeah. And I'm looking forward to putting an end to this."

"You are doing well for a pa-pathetic sack of fur clad meat, insect (Insect)." Fox sighed and rolled his eyes. It certainly hadn't taken her long to start insulting him again. And in that bizarre manner where she somehow managed to compliment and criticize him in the exact same sentence, no less! "I have re-established con-con-control of the Von Dross. However, the cancer grows at an expon-exponential rate. You must-you must move quickly. Be warned. Once you have destroyed the eggs, my children will feel both pain and hate (Haaaaaate). They-they will come- they will come for you, insect. With everything they have. You must be within the Many's biomass before they arriiiiiiiiive."

"Right, I remember, you told me." As he listened to SAI-TEP, he took a look around the room to see if there was anything more useful. He could move around a bit now, explore it more thoroughly. "What do you want me to do precisely to the environmental controls?"

"They currently generate heat and humidity. You will change that. You will-you will freeze them. Bring the temperature down. As low as you can. They will be susceeeeptiiiiiibblllllle (Susceptible) to this. It will kill-kill-kill-kill them and give you access to the rest of the deck (the deck) without fear of being poisoned. The Many have cut off all external access (Accessssssss) to this deck. You must restore the connection. Once you have done this, I will flood the deck with my potent new creation."

"That sounds good, but how exactly am I supposed to survive that?" Fox wanted to know. Part of him wondered if SAI-TEP would treat him as a disposable asset now, but as much as he distrusted her, he knew one thing. She still needed him. She would need him until the Many was finally dealt with. She must have had a plan keeping him alive, at least for now.

She didn't disappoint. "I will preserve your insig-insignificant life, insect. I will seal the room that you are in. The toxin (Toxin) will not harm you. I will-will-I will open the lock once the toxin is fully dispersed (Dispeeerrrrsed)."

"Alright." Fox shook his head, still not finding himself at ease with this plan. He was putting his life in SAI-TEP's hands, and she could easily kill him with that poison if she wanted to. He had to believe that she would not do so, at least not yet. As he looked around the room, his eyes widened as he spied something he hadn't noticed before. On one of desks where the chemicals were stored, he noticed a couple of small packs. He reached out, picking them up and holding them so he could get a better look.

Just as he hoped. Energy packs! These were intended to be used to recharge energy weapons on the go. They were somewhat expensive and still needed to be charged once drained, but that was barely a concern to Fox right now. This was far better than nothing! He withdrew his more powerful pistol, ejecting the spent battery from where it had been set. He then placed the new one inside. It went in nice and smooth, just the right size. He didn't have to force it. That was good.

"Move, insect. My children grow with every passing moment (Moment). Their growth will soon com-compromi-soon compromise critical systems aboard the Von Dross. If they succeed, you will never be able to reach their heart. Do not delay, insect."

"I'm on my way." Fox meant it, too. He had what he came here for. He went to the door, pressing the button again. The door hissed as it moved up, getting stuck around the same place as before. He crawled under once more, this time going to the other side. He found himself in the hallway again, only this time he knew precisely where he wanted to go.

He moved down the infested corridor, toward the room that would house the environmental regulators. He was so close now. So very close. He was also quite fortunate, as there had been no more eggs blocking his path. He passed by a few rooms, and as he glanced inside he noticed a number of those pulsing eggs within. They were everywhere, infesting the entire deck. They didn't seem to be in the hallways, at least not in this sector. That was fortunate.

His luck didn't last forever. According to his map, he was just about to enter the environmental control room. It was around one last corner. If all went well, he'd open the door, adjust the environmental regulators, and be out before anyone knew he was even there. When he rounded that last corner, he found himself face to face with three eggs all laid out in front of him. There was no way around them. The air actually smelled bad as he got closer. He didn't know if that was the toxic effect of the eggs or not, but it was enough to get him to back off.

He had to decide what to do now. He could go look for another way around, but that could take a while. If SAI-TEP was right, he didn't have a lot of time to waste. He needed to get through here. He knew what would happen if he started shooting. The second he destroyed one of those eggs, every single creature on this deck was going to know precisely where he was. Should he be cautious? Should he try to find a way around? Was there some subtle, smart way of handling this?

Screw it.

As he raised that powerful blaster, aiming for one of the eggs, he saw it twitch and writhe for a few moments. The top of the egg began to open, peeling in several different directions, making a loud slurping noise as it moved. Now it had opened, allowing whatever was inside to emerge. Just a moment afterward, Fox saw one of those worms, a fat disgusting parasite wiggling its way out. It let out a high pitched squeal as it sensed Fox, squirming toward him.

Fox didn't even bat an eye. He simply aimed and fired. He scored a perfect shot, the energy blast slicing the worm in half, both halves falling to the floor. Fox didn't stop there. He aimed at the egg it came from, then fired. Then he fired again. And again. And again. After a few hits, the egg simply exploded into big chunky bits, and the air was filled with a foul, green haze. He still wasn't done. He targeted the other eggs, firing at them as well. Each egg took a couple of shots before exploding in the same burst as the others, emitting more of that toxic expulsion. He waited for a moment until the air seemed to clear. The hum that emanated from the eggs was gone now. All that was left was the ruined remains.

Even as Fox destroyed the last of the eggs, he heard a shrill electronic shriek from somewhere nearby. He wasn't sure exactly where it came from. The hallway split here into multiple directions. He could wait and fight, or he could get inside the control room and take care of that first.

He decided on the latter option. The door was not locked. It slid open as soon as he pressed the button. Once he was inside, he shut the door behind him and activated the lock. They wouldn't be getting in easily, that was for sure.

Now he had to figure out how to work the controls. There were a number of consoles and terminals in the room, but the one that caught his attention was in the back. It didn't look like the others. It had a large screen next to it, displaying the layout of the Hydroponics Deck. He could see almost everything one would need to know about what was happening here. It not only showed the temperatures and humidity, it also displayed the various labels for rooms, what they were for, what the optimal temperature of the plants or specimens was supposed to be. Everything was set to much higher temperatures and humidity than normal, presumably for the benefit of the Many.

Fox intended to correct that. He wasn't entirely sure how, though. As he approached the console, he soon realized that the thing was locked. He should have expected that. He may have had access to Hydroponics, but he didn't have access to the systems in it.

He wasn't out of luck yet, though. As he stood in front of the console, he reached out and touched it, then closed his eyes as he focused, trying to will the implants into doing what he wanted. Once again, they managed to prove their worth. It took a few moments, but the console abruptly lit up, unlocked and ready for Fox to input his command. Sometimes those implants really did come in handy. It was too bad it didn't work with every single lock on the ship. It would have made getting into Hydroponics way easier in the first place. Fox had a feeling only certain things could be unlocked. He wasn't sure if it had to do with different levels of security or what. Either way, he had access to this terminal.

He took a moment to familiarize himself with all the options available. It didn't take him long to find the temperature control. He wasn't entirely certain how low he should set it, SAI-TEP hadn't given him an exact number. Well, Fox wanted to be absolutely certain that this would work, so he turned it down as far as he possibly could. The temperature changed from being far too hot and humid to suddenly growing cold. Very cold. It was almost to the point of freezing. In fact, that's about where he wanted it to be. He then had to set it so it affected the entire deck. Every time he tried to enter a command, a warning popped up, telling him that any specimens contained within would be endangered by the temperature change. Fox had to override it and confirm the command each and every time. The monitor in the room showed each section of the deck as the temperature was adjusted, one by one. At last he finished, flooding the entirety of the deck with cold air. He wondered how long it would take for it to have an effect.

He soon heard a number of shrieks and squeals, and the sound of something liquid bursting nearby, followed by another and another and another! It seemed as though things were screaming and bursting all around him. He knew exactly what that sound was. The eggs were dying already, having been exposed to the cold. That didn't take long at all!

"Well d-d-done, insect. Do you hear their screams? Is their agony not delicious? Drink in, my avatar. Drink the nectar of your success (Success.) Now they bleed. Now they suffer. Now they die."

SAI-TEP was getting far too much enjoyment out of this. Of course, Fox had absolutely no regrets about destroying these eggs, but he didn't exactly revel in it. It was a necessary act, that didn't mean he had to take pleasure in it, no matter how evil these things were. He said nothing to SAI-TEP. There really wasn't much for him to say.

"Now go, insect. The Many come for you."

She hadn't even finished speaking before Fox felt another presence in his head. It was different this time, though. There was nothing gentle about it, nothing intoxicating or alluring. It was pure pain and hate as it lashed out at him. Why? Why have you murdered our young? You strike at us, you butcher our progeny. Our only wish is to bring harmony and purpose. To put an end to the fruitless struggles of the individual. Yet you believe us monsters. As you slaughter our children, we wonder...what are you? There is no place for you in our Many. We see that now. We will rend you apart. We will put separate from the joy of the mass. And we will cleanse our collective memory of the stain of your existence.

If he didn't have their full attention before, he most certainly had it now. Even with the door shut, he could hear loud heavy footsteps echoing down the corridors. They were coming for him.

Fox had to move fast. He had done what he needed to do here. With the destruction of the eggs, he didn't have to worry about them resetting the environment. It wouldn't matter if they did at this point, and they knew it. It was too late to save the eggs. They were after him, not the controls. He sped for the door, mashing his fist on the panel that would open it. As it slid open, he found himself face to face with one of those cyborg things.

This was the first time he had seen one this close at such a direct angle. She was hideous. The legs had been fused to the body in a horrific way, an invasive procedure that must have involved severing the lower body. Some of her innards could be seen, just little bits of them draped over the metal legs that supported her, mixed with various wires and electrical components. There were grafts of metal running up and down her body, covering her otherwise bare breasts. Her belly had been slashed open and replaced with machinery. And her face...

Her face was perhaps the worst of all. There was still some flesh and fur there, but it almost looked as though it didn't belong. It had practically melted off, some of it hanging in loose strands, revealing bits of her skull. One of her eyes was sunken in, the other was large and almost appeared to be on the verge of popping out. Most of the face was gone, revealing instead a mixture of bone and metal. The damage was so extensive that Fox didn't even know what species she was before the transformation. She had been mutilated beyond any possible recognition.

All of this was unsettling, disgusting, terrifying! But perhaps the thing that disturbed him most was the fact that she seemed to be smiling. He quickly realized, however, that the smile was not natural. She might not have been smiling at all. She only appeared to be because her lips had been sliced off, forcing her to have a constant eerie grin.

Then the thing spoke. Its voice was just as gentle and demure as before. Were it not for the electronic filter that she spoke through, it might even have been soothing. That was, if the words themselves were not so chilling. In that gentle tone, as sweet as could be, she said only five words, a simple statement of intent and nothing more. "I'll tear out your spine."

For a brief moment, Fox felt a deep sense of pity for the woman, whoever she was. She had been lost, changed into something absolutely horrific. That pity soon changed into a burning rage. Not against the woman, but for the entity that had done this to her, all while believing it was changing the galaxy for the better.

As she stepped toward him, Fox knew what he had to do. Though he felt remorse over what had to be done, he did not hesitate. He raised his blaster and fired, the bolt of energy piercing her chest. She let out a mechanical screech, reeling backwards. He knew how tough the Many's forces had proven themselves to be, and he wasn't about to take half measures. He shot her again, this time in the belly, blowing a hole in the circuitry that connected her spine with her legs. She fell to the ground, unable to move. Even from this position she continued to speak, her words just as soft as before. "You have murdered our little ones. We will eviscerate you, and strangle you with your own entrails."

Fox closed his eyes and took a moment to collect his breath. The thing continued to writhe on the ground, trying to return to its feet, which were no longer obeying her. He then pressed the blaster directly against her head before squeezing the trigger. It was over after that. Her brain had just been obliterated, and she no longer moved, just lay still with sparks emitting from her destroyed circuitry. The thing was dead.

She was not alone. He could hear others coming, descending upon his position. He needed to move. He couldn't take the time to kill all of them. He'd have to cut his way through. Perhaps literally, he mused as he glanced at the hilt of his energy blade. It was time to put this thing to use.

With that, he set forth, moving as quickly as he could toward his destination. He knew where it was. Since SAI-TEP had told him that he would have little time, he had memorized precisely where he needed to go in advance. He had to get this done fast. If he didn't, the Many would recall more and more of its forces in order to deal with him. He held no delusions. The Many's forces vastly outnumbered him. They weren't called "The Many" for nothing. He knew that he had only slain a small number of them. Most of the ship had either been converted or harvested for the biomass. If those forces ever concentrated on him, he would lose. He had been lucky so far. He couldn't keep relying on that luck. Luck had a way of running out when it was needed most.

He barreled down the hallway, hearing the sound of those cyborg women behind him. He was a fortunate fox, he had a good headstart. They were fast, remarkably so, but he was faster. He just had to keep up the pace, keep moving, don't stop.

One of them appeared in front of him, rounding the corner and raising her wrist as if pointing at him. For a moment he didn't know what she was doing or why, but the answer soon became evident when something shot out of her hand, clipping his shoulder. It had grazed him with some kind of energy weapon! He raised his pistol as he moved, firing several shots in short order at the cyborg. The first missed entirely, the second merely grazed her, but it did hit her arm just enough that it jerked a bit, causing her next shot to miss. His third shot connected with her belly, and the final shot struck her in the chest. She collapsed, making that awful electronic scream as she went down before her voice faded into static. Fox leapt over the corpse, knowing full well that if he stopped, he was dead.

It wasn't just those cyborgs chasing him now. He heard the familiar cries of the Many's hybrids as they gave chase as well, coming at him from all sides. Soon he was beset by them, barely keeping ahead, turning over his shoulder and firing a few wild shots at them as he moved. Most didn't hit anything, but a few managed to connect, killing a couple of them and slowing down others.

He certainly felt as though he had the Many's full attention now! His only hope was to get to the console that would allow him to reconnect this deck with the bridge. He would never be able to fight all these things on his own. He didn't have the ammo, and even if he did, their sheer numbers would overwhelm him.

He managed to fire a few more shots behind him, killing another of the hybrids. His pistol went dry, drained of juice. He couldn't put in a new battery right now, not while sprinting at full speed.

He had only one alternative. He removed the energy blade from his belt, activating it as he charged forward. He rounded another corner to find himself face to face with a hybrid holding a shotgun. Fox reacted purely out of instinct, swinging his blade at the hybrid before the thing could fire. Fox had the superior reflexes of the two, as the hybrid simply screamed before crumpling up, going still after twitching for a few moments, a wicked slice having burned through his chest.

Fox was close now, he knew he was close. He wasn't quite there yet. Behind him, he heard a sound he had not heard before, a mighty terrifying roar. He had no idea what was making that sound, but he knew he didn't want to meet it, whatever it was. He had to keep moving, he couldn't slow down now! He couldn't be caught!

At last the door was in sight. The door that led to the command console. Once he reestablished the connection to the bridge and to SAI-TEP and to whatever else, he wouldn't have to worry about the charging mass of mutants, cyborgs, and hybrids behind him.

Just before he reached the door, a cyborg woman emerged from the side, from a corridor he hadn't checked before charging. She backhanded him with superhuman strength, hitting him far harder than he would ever have suspected her capable of. He reeled away from her, tumbling to the floor. He managed to turn his fall into a roll, but it still took him a moment to get up. As he leapt to his feet, he saw the cyborg charging at him. "I must avenge my little ones. I will rip you in half."

He wasn't sure whether or not she was strong enough to make good on those words. He had no intention of finding out. As she reached for him, he raised his blade, swinging at her in an upward slice, severing one of her arms. She let out an electronic squeal of pain, causing her to lurch forward. Raising the energy blade on high, he brought it down and pierced her head from the top. She twitched and hung there loosely for a moment before he withdrew the weapon, letting her body fall heavily to the floor.

She hadn't even hit the ground before he took off running again. He rounded the corner, pressed the door switch, and rushed inside as soon as the door was open. He was grateful it wasn't locked, there was no way he had time to try and hack the thing with his implants. He could hear the things getting closer.

As he stepped inside, he turned around to take a quick glance at what was coming. There was a small army out there. And behind them all was some lumbering monstrosity that Fox had never seen up to this point. The very ground quaked and rumbled as it moved, roaring. The hybrids in its path got out of the way, allowing it to move forward. Fox managed to shut the door just before it would have reached him, activating the lock. With a loud slam, the door bulged from the force of the creature throwing itself at it. That door wouldn't last long.

Turning around and scanning the room, Fox searched for the computer that he needed. "SAI-TEP?" He asked. "If you're listening, I could use your help here!"

The door was hit again, the metal bending from the raw force being applied. It groaned in protest to the abuse.

"SAI-TEP!"

"Pr-proceed to the left-left most console, insect." SAI-TEP finally gave him an answer, and Fox obeyed as soon as he heard it. He didn't know how long he had before that door gave, but it wasn't going to be much. He soon reached the console. It had a password on it. Again, he simply didn't have time to hack it. "SAI-TEP? It's locked! I don't know the code!"

"User Name: Diego, E. Password. Citadel."

Fox quickly punched in the information, and soon he had access. The display made it clear that this deck had been cut off from the rest of the ship. It was under some sort of lock down in order to keep anyone outside from interfering in any way. With SAI-TEP's guidance, it was not hard to undo. Fox quickly overrode the lock down, then managed to reconnect with the rest of the ship. Good thing he had at least a basic understanding of computers, or he'd be screwed. Slippy probably could have done it faster and more efficiently, but at least Fox knew enough to get the job done.

As soon as he managed to connect the deck, SAI-TEP spoke. "I have control (Controollll). Initiating toxin dis-dispersion. Standby, insect. And pay heed to the wrath of a goddess."

The door was hit again, this time bulging even more inward. It was going to break, there was no way it would survive another hit. Fox reached for his battery, loading it into his laser pistol before leveling it at the door. He sure hoped this worked, but if it didn't, he would go down fighting.

He gradually grew aware of a soft hissing sound. He wasn't sure exactly where it came from. Shortly after he noticed the sound, it was followed by screams of pain and absolute agony. There was another roar, just as loud and powerful as the first, but this time one filled with suffering. Fox could only listen to the dying screams of the Many's forces. Whatever that toxin was that SAI-TEP had just pumped into the deck, it was quite potent.

Fox didn't want to imagine what that toxin might have done to him. He didn't have to. While the door was damaged too badly to be able to keep the toxin out, a force field had been erected in front of it, keeping Fox secure. It would seem that SAI-TEP was honoring her part of the bargain.

There was another sound too, one that sounded like a low rumbling moan. It seemed to come from all around him, everywhere at once. He had no idea what it was. It wasn't that one large creature that he had seen, it was something else. Something far bigger, and all around him.

Fox knew that he could not leave until the toxin had been fully dispersed. He didn't know how long that would take. As he waited, he started to look around the room. That's when he noticed two corpses, one on either side of the room. Both of them held weapons, and both of them had bullet wounds on their bodies. One was a woman, a feline slumped forward with her back against the wall. The other was a male, a lizard. His head was rolled back, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, mouth agape, looking as though he had been shocked in his final moments. Fox blinked as he studied them, wondering what had happened here.

He didn't have to wonder long. There was something in the woman's paw. He approached her, removing the object from her hand. It was a recording device. What was more, it was still recording. That meant that whatever happened here likely was on this device. He had nothing better to do at the moment, so he decided to give it a listen. He rewound the thing until it got to the very beginning, then played it.

It was the woman who talked first, which was no surprise. She sounded angry. No, she sounded furious! "Charles! You son of an overgrown stinking monkey lizard, I KNOW what you did here!"

The other voice was calm, apparently coming from the male. "Elena! How did you get in here? The deck is sealed for a reason, you know. I very much doubt the captain has authorized this little visit."

"I found a way. I still have my access card, and I'm one of the senior staff. I'm not going to let you continue with your disgusting experiments."

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, Elena. I have only performed the duties expected of me by the captain."

The woman spoke with blazing fury, each and every word that she spat out laced with her hatred. "You took my staff. You took my nurses, almost all of them! And you turned them into those...those things! I've seen them wandering around, they don't even recognize me! Have you even thought about what you've done?! Do you have even a shred of conscience?!"

The scientist seemed unfazed by her fury, his voice remaining entirely calm. "I am making the future here, Elena. I am making improvements to our species that you simply cannot appreciate. Your emotional attachment to your staff was your downfall. You didn't hear me complain when mine were taken and consumed by the Many."

"How can you possibly call these improvements?! They don't even know who they are anymore! They can barely be called people, they're just abominations that wander and tend to those filthy toxic eggs!"

"Abominations?" The man could be heard chuckling. "Right. That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"I don't think it's harsh enough." The woman's voice paused for a moment before continuing, her anger ebbing somewhat. Now she just sounded hurt and confused. "I don't understand. You're not with the Many, you're not infected the way most of the crew is. I've never liked you, but I respected you once! I thought you were smarter than this! Why are you helping them?!"

He answered her question without a trace of emotion, remorse, or guilt. "Because I can. Because I can finally perform the experiments I've wanted to for years. Ethics have held back true cybernetic research ever since Andross was exiled. The Many does not care what I do, so long as I get them results."

She was angry again. Fox could do more than just hear the fury, he could practically feel it even over the recording. "You took my staff and turned them into half-robot monsters! I don't know what happened to you, but you're just as bad as them! No, you're worse! Because you should know better, and you did it anyway!"

"Your lack of emotional control simply proves my point. It's almost pathetic. Why don't you go back to your duties tend to the sick, hmm? Assuming there's anyone left to cure, of course. The Many will win, you know. They are beautiful, unstoppable. They'll take you soon. Perhaps you should do something worthwhile with your time before the Many claim you as well. Or..." There was a pause. Fox was listening now with bated breath, entranced by the conversation he was hearing. It was horrifying, yet he couldn't help but find himself invested in it. He wanted to know what happened next.

After a few moments, Charles' voice continued on, dripping with sarcasm and disdain. "Are you going to something about it? Is the meek kindhearted nurse Elena going to get violent? I know about you. A pacifist, if I remember correctly. You swore peace after war consumed your family, something like that? Your compassion has always ruled over your every decision. Besides which, I do believe you swore an oath, did you not? Though by all means, if you want to break it, go ahead. Prove the Many right. They see the pain and misery inflicted by the individual. By raw unchecked emotion like yours. That emotion chains us, poisons us. The Many will set us free. They are our future. They guide us to a greater path, one free of such petty constraints such as morality and the desires and needs of the individual."

"Nothing is worth this, Doyle. Nothing can possibly be worth this. You've destroyed these people! And for what? For some...some monster!"

"We have always been held back by our individuality, Elena. We have big dreams. You dream. I dream. Everyone does. We have such grand wonders we wish to achieve in our lives. But for most of us, that is all it will ever be. Dreams. Anyone can dream, Elena. But the Many...the Many can accomplish."

There was only silence. No response from Elena, nothing at all. The male spoke again, and Fox could hear the smugness in his voice as he dismissed her. "Now if you're quite finished, I suggest you leave the deck immediately before they find you. Unless you wish to surrender yourself to them, of course. I suggest you find something worthwhile to do. Perhaps something you're good at. Like staying out of my way and making sick people feel better. I have work to do."

The scientist, Charles, had displayed almost no emotion during the entire exchange. He seemed bored by the conversation, as though she were beneath him. The next part of the recording chilled Fox's blood. It seemed this Charles Doyle may have underestimated Elena.

"You know what, Doyle? You're right. I should do something worthwhile." There was the sound of a gun being cocked. "This is for all my girls, you heartless son of a bitch!"

That got a reaction, as he heard movement and the scientist's voice come out in a snarl. "Don't be stupid, Elena! Don't you dare-" The voice cut out with a gunshot. He heard a yell, then another shot. There was a gasp, strained breathing from the woman. Doyle must have had a gun on hand as well. There was the sound of a body slumping to the ground. Then another shot. That's when the other body fell, presumably Doyle. The last words on the recording came from her. Fox could hear her wheezing, gasping for air that wouldn't come as she bled out. She struggled to get out the words. Her final words. "I'll see you...in hell...you son of a..." She never finished that sentence, trailing off with a pained gurgle. He heard the sound of something clattering to the floor, likely the recorder or the gun. Maybe both. That was it. Fox didn't know how much longer the recording went on. Hours? Minutes? The two bodies had been left undisturbed since.

Fox could only gaze upon Elena's body with pity, the woman who had given her life to avenge the girls that she had cared for. He then turned to see the other one, the scientist. He had two bullet holes in him, one in the chest, one in the head. That last shot must have been what killed him. She had only taken one bullet, but it had been a fatal wound.

Fox wondered how many other stories like this had played out on the Von Dross over the course of this nightmare. People turning on each other, some being corrupted by the Many and its twisted designs. Fox thought he had seen everything, that there was nothing worse that the galaxy could throw at him.

He had been wrong. This was worse.

He sighed as he looked at the body of the woman. There was nothing he could do for her now. Her body was cold, she was long since dead. The only thing good to come out of this tragedy was the fact that she had indeed destroyed the scientist responsible for what happened to her nurses. Those nurses were the very same cybernetic creatures that Fox had just encountered on this deck. He hoped that Elena found peace in death. From everything he had just heard, she deserved it.

At last, SAI-TEP contacted him again. "The toxin is disp-dispersed, inse-insect. Your path is now open, but their most powerful forces lie ahead. You must face them alone. The toxin is spent. It canno-cannot be used. Even if we could produce more, my children will dev-dev-dev-develop an antibody within moments (Momeeeents). These ones are dead. But more will come. You must find the heart of the Many before they find you (yoouuuuu)."

"Alright. I'm on my way." Fox took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever he might see out there. He pressed the button on the door, but it didn't open, which didn't surprise him in the slightest. With the beating it just took, it was probably busted. Lucky for him, he had a weapon that would allow him to deal with that. Using his energy blade, he managed to cut away some of the door, just enough to allow him to squeeze through.

What he found on the other side was something he hoped he'd be able to put out of his mind very quickly. They were all dead. All of the ones that were at the door, dead. But they hadn't just been gassed. Whatever that toxin was that SAI-TEP had concocted had truly been a vile and terribly effective weapon. Much of their flesh had been stripped off, leaving their innards exposed. Most of them seemed to be half melted, flesh and fur almost dripping off of their body. All of the organic material on the cyborgs was gone.

There was one creature there, the largest one, which had also been killed. The thing had practically melted, it was most certainly dead. He was grateful for that. He had no idea what the thing was or what it was supposed to be. He was just glad it was no longer a problem, and he didn't intend to stick around and examine it.

Now he had to see if SAI-TEP was right about her plan, If he could really get into the Many's biomass, whatever it had built for itself. He hoped so. At the very least, he wouldn't be bothered by any of the Many's forces for a little while. The toxin should have at least bought him a little bit of time.

Before he left the corpses, he decided to check and see if any of them had anything useful on them. If he was going to confront the Many at the seat of their power, he was going to need as much firepower as he could pack. Unintentionally, the Many had provided it for him. The irony was not lost on him, and he almost smirked at the thought that the weapons the Many's forces tried to kill him with would now be used against the Many itself.

He found another shotgun clutched in the hands of a dead hybrid. After prying it from his cold dead hands, he managed to retrieve a fair number of shells, enough to load the gun and even to reload a few times. A couple of the deceased had even dropped grenades! He tucked those away, putting them next to that one EMP grenade he still had. It was starting to seem like he might not to get to use that thing.

There was little else to be found. There were a couple of rifles, another shotgun, and even a few pistols. As he checked them over, he realized that almost all of them were damaged severely. He wasn't sure why. It couldn't be advantageous for the hybrids to carry such shoddily maintained weapons. Maybe they had a reason for it. Maybe they had just used the guns for so long without conducting any maintenance that they were all at the point of breaking. Either way, the shotgun was the only weapon of value that he found. And the grenades, obviously.

As he proceeded down the halls of the deck, he noticed something different. That thick growth of flesh and tissue that had been so strong before was weakening. Most of the stuff on the ceiling and walls hand fallen to the floor in thick lumps. It seemed the toxin had worked. It hadn't just killed the hybrids, cyborgs, and other monsters. It had killed the very biomass present in this area.

Perhaps killed was too strong a word. It was still there, some of it was still alive, but it was much weaker than it once was. It had shrunk and he could see a lot more of the walls and floor now, along with the vents and ducts and such. This was good, but the question was whether it had been enough damage to allow Fox to reach the Many. Well, he was about to find out.

SAI-TEP guided him along. "Pro-proceed to the left at this junction. Follow the hallwaaaaaay, You will pass by several gardens and facilities (Facilities) intended to produce-duce-duce-produce oxygen from plant life. Ignore them. You must proceed to the far end of the-of the deck. There you will find the entrance. From there you can invade its body (Invaaaade its boooodyyyyyy)."

Fox wasn't entirely sure what she meant by all that, but he obeyed, following her instructions as he proceeded. It took him a while to get there. It was a large deck. It was likely more impressive before the toxin that SAI-TEP had released. So much of it was dead now. It wasn't just the Many's forces, but much of the plant life that was grown here had withered and died. The freezing cold couldn't have helped. He was just grateful for both his fur and his clothes.

The deck must have been used for a lot of things. There were some plants and vegetation that had survived, giving him clues as to their intent. Some rooms seemed to have the purpose of growing food, such as vegetables and fruit. That was quite the luxury. For an extended flight, most crews relied on what could be created in a synthesizer or nutrient paste. Fresh food was rare in prolonged travel through space.

That wasn't the only luxury they could afford. The ship had large gardens with trees, grass, and flowers. There were benches for people to sit and relax and take in the sights of "nature". They even had little ponds for people to enjoy. He also passed a section that was dedicated to research on new species of flora and fauna, some of which may have been discovered on the various voyages of the Von Dross. It seemed to Fox that half of this deck was intended for use by the general public, and the other half was intended for the scientists and research staff. It was a pity that so much of it was marred and dead now. He could catch a glimpse of the beauty that once was, but now spoiled due to the terrible and effective toxin.

Fox soon realized that it was more than just the toxin that had ruined this place. As he continued on, he noticed that the biomass was becoming thicker and more prevalent. It was still damaged, but it must have been far more concentrated here, as much of the stuff still remained. His boots were starting to get sticky as he trudged through the organic matter. It made loud sucking noises whenever he moved. It disgusted him, but he had to see this through.

At long last, Fox came to the end of the path. That's when he saw something both awe inspiring and horror inducing. The growths of flesh he had seen before were nothing compared to this. Before him was a great wall of pulsing, breathing flesh and tissue, thick and slimy looking. It was huge. It wasn't just flat on the floor, the stuff rose up to form an incline. There was so much of the stuff that it was practically making hills, spires, and other structures. It was moving as though it were alive. It was like staring into someone's mouth, only the mouth was the size of a starship.

Right in the middle of that mouth was a hole. It wasn't a big hole. It was a narrow one, one that he could barely fit through. As he got closer, he realized that it went downward at a sharp angle. If he went in there, it was a one way trip. There would be no getting out except perhaps by going forward. He shuddered to think that he had to go down that thing, like he was willingly being swallowed up by a great beast.

To think that it was still this powerful and big despite the toxin! Even before Fox's eyes, he could see some of the bio-matter moving, growing. Strands would shoot out of one part of the mass, attaching to another. Still more strands would grow, all of them attaching together as it began to fuse. More and more flesh was added until it made something large, something solid.

"Even now it heals, insect." SAI-TEP hissed in his ear. "Why do you hesi-hesitate? You cannot let them heal! My children blee-bleed-children bleed! Drain them of their last drop of blood. Go, my avatar (Avataaar). Destroy my children. And I shall reward (rewaaard) you for your service."

Well, that was a new thought. SAI-TEP rewarding him? There was a part of him that hoped she was being genuine. Not because he wanted a reward, he didn't really want anything from her. But if she meant her words, it might mean she wouldn't try anything after the Many was gone. Perhaps she would do as she had told him earlier and simply depart with no treachery. He didn't really believe it, but he would hope for it at least.

He was staring at that maw again. This was it. He knew he was nearing the end of his journey. Either he would defeat the Many and emerge triumphant, or he would die in the belly of this beast. No matter the result, it did not weaken his resolve. It was time to put an end to this, once and for all.

Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders and tilted his neck, popping some bones there and feeling a bit of relief from the tension he was feeling. He made sure his shotgun was fully loaded, racking the thing before putting another shell in it. That would be good enough. He checked his laser pistols, the stronger and the weaker one. The weaker one was completely dead and no longer served any purpose. He simply tossed it to the side. The stronger one was better, but he had just used his last battery pack. It would only have a few shots before it was dry. It seemed his best bet right now would be to use the shotgun and the energy blade. And the grenades, should the situation allow it.

With his weapons inspected, he realized that he was ready to go. Taking a deep breath, he moved forward. The biomass was starting to grow again, threatening to cover the entrance of the hole. Stepping over the growth that was forming, he got down on his rear before sliding forward, into the hole. He looked back just in time to see the entrance covered up, leaving him trapped inside as he continued to slide down, going deep into the belly of the beast.

---

Noellap had seen more action on this ship than he had in his entire career as an officer of the Third Fleet. The fighting was intense, hall by hall, room by room. There were so many of them. It seemed like with every passing moment they grew smarter, faster, and stronger. Meanwhile, Noellap and his team were growing exhausted. They had been fighting for so long now, in a desperate bid for survival ever since they landed on this ship. Sooner or later, fatigue would slow them down and claim them.

At least they had managed to accomplish one thing. The Many was certainly paying attention to them now. The tide of enemy forces seemed never ending. No matter how many they killed, there were more to take their place. He wasn't even sure if the ones that they dropped were actually dead. Sometimes one would fall and Noellap would be forced to take cover as another shot at him. When he looked back around the corner, the body was gone. Either it had gotten up or someone had dragged it off. He didn't know which.

They were pinned down at the moment, all three of them fighting for their lives, taking cover in a corridor that they had claimed, hiding behind the edges of the doors. Rangu was too big for this, so he had taken cover elsewhere in the hallway. He had grabbed a large table from a nearby room and slammed it down on its side, creating a barricade to take cover behind.

Though the enemy was numerous and growing more powerful, Noellap and his team were still better trained and better equipped. Noellap leaned out for a moment, aiming at one of the hybrids that was charging down the corridor. Noellap fired twice with his shotgun. It was more ideal at close range, but it was still deadly if aimed correctly at a modest distance. The hybrid stopped short before falling backward, and Noellap ducked back behind the corner.

Ginger was doing well for herself. It had taken her a bit to warm up to her new weapon, but she was getting good fast. Of course, it wasn't a really a matter of her gaining newfound skill out of nowhere. Rather, her weapons training was coming back to her, and Noellap knew it. He had seen it before. The Dominion trained their people well. She wasn't quite as accurate as Rangu or Noellap, but she'd pop around the corner, fire a few shots at the enemy, then duck back down again before they could hit her. Most of her shots failed to connect, but she had managed to down almost three hybrids by herself. Not bad for a technician.

Noellap was doing well, he believed he had gunned down at least a half dozen of them. He couldn't possibly compare to Rangu, neither of them could. That ape was one impressive soldier. He was skilled in multiple weapons. He used an assault rifle at first, one that fired powerful laser blasts, capable of both rapid fire and semi-automatic fire. He mostly just fired one or two shots at a time, though if an enemy ever got close enough, the ape would unload the clip at them, utterly ending them in less than a second. The lieutenant had no idea how many Rangu had killed himself, but it was at least a dozen, possibly more. That ape was unstoppable, and Noellap was very, very glad that they were on the same side. He had no doubts that if the ape weren't here, Noellap and Ginger would both be dead.

As Noellap watched Rangu, he noticed something behind him, an enemy trying to flank them from the rear. Noellap wasn't about to let that happen. As the lieutenant raised his weapon, Rangu seemed to figure out what was going on. Before the ape could move, Noellap had already aimed and fired, downing the hybrid that had been trying to attack.

This was bad. They had been doing alright up to now, but sooner or later more of the hybrids would show up. If they came from multiple directions, that would be the end for their team.

"Rangu!" Noellap shouted in order to be heard over the roar of gunfire. "We need to move! Clear a path!"

The ape nodded, then pulled out his rocket launcher. He loaded up with a rocket, stood up, aimed, then fired. The payload streaked from the barrel of the large weapon, going toward the enemy's entrenched position. There was a yell before the rocket exploded, sending one of the hybrids tumbling forward, rolling violently before coming to a stop.

It was now or never. Noellap gave their next order. "Let's move!"

Togther, the team advanced, taking advantage of the momentary confusion that the hybrids were experiencing. Noellap fired as he moved, round after round after round with his shotgun, scoring a couple of kills while on the move. Ginger managed to drop one herself when a hybrid popped out of cover, killing him before he could even fire. Rangu was looking all around, searching for any enemies that might be left.

"Keep moving!" Noellap ordered. "Go go go! We have to get to the civilians!"

They obeyed without question, moving forward as quickly as possible. If they moved fast enough, they might manage to at least stay ahead of the Hybrids, to avoid fighting them for a while. Even though the group had been well equipped, they had fought so many enemies up to this point. Their ammunition wouldn't last through too many more battles.

At last his team found the coordinates. There was a door up ahead, sealed shut from the inside. His scanner indicated that this was indeed the room they were looking for. If the civilians were still alive, they were on the other side.

He had thought of just asking Ginger to hack the door, but that might not be necessary. Noellap strode up to the door, raised his fist, and then knocked. Well, not a knock. He banged on it pretty loud; he wanted them to know he was there. He shouted, hoping they could hear him. "This is Lieutenant Commander Noellap of the Venom Dominion. We're here to evacuate you. Open the door immediately."

There was no response. He turned to Ginger, who was looking at him expectantly. She reached for her tools to override the door, but Noellap shook his hand from to side, indicating that she should stop. She nodded, then waited for him. Rangu said nothing, just stood there and looked from side to side, his finger on the trigger as he stayed on guard.

"I repeat. This is Lieutenant Commander Noellap, we are here to get you off this ship. Please open the door." He waited for a brief moment, then sighed before speaking further. "I know you have children in there. I know you do not want them hurt. I want to see you all to safety, but you are going to have to trust me. The longer we wait here, the less likely any of us will escape."

Still there was no response. Shaking his head, he turned toward Ginger and gestured toward the door panel. They'd have to override the lock.

Before Ginger could even touch the panel, the door slid open. There was a wolf on the other side, holding what appeared to be an engineering tool, a rivet gun. A bit primitive, but still dangerous. The wolf was watching them warily, keeping his weapon trained on them. That wouldn't do. "I advise you to lower your weapon. We are not your enemy. If you wish our help, you are going to have to trust us. Preferably before more of those things arrive."

The wolf stared at them silently for a bit, then slowly lowered the tool. He gestured for them to enter. Noellap nodded at him, then stepped inside, Ginger staying right behind him. Rangu stood at the door, remaining vigilant. So far they had eluded their pursuers. He didn't know for how long, though.

When Noellap entered, he found himself before the same faces he had seen on the monitor earlier, transmitted by their agent. A nurse, a lynx woman. She had her arms around several children who were wrapped around her, hugging her tight. Some of them were crying. Some of the children were staring with terrified faces at Noellap and his team. He couldn't even imagine how traumatized they all must have been.

"You...you've got a way out of here?" The wolf asked.

Noellap nodded. "The bridge. There's an executive escape shuttle. Someone on board has given us access. We simply need to get there."

"I, uh..." the wolf cleared his throat. "I kinda thought you were the, uh...I thought you were the bad guys."

"You may judge that for yourselves. We plan to get you out, then you may go wherever you like. First, we must escape from this ship."

"Oh, I hear you, I agree with that." The wolf took a deep breath. "You know what? I don't really care who you guys are, I'm really glad you're here. I don't think there's anyone else left. I was looking earlier, they're just...everyone's gone."

"I am aware." Noellap stated. "I believe the last of the resistance has been wiped out at this point. As far as I know, other than you, there is only Fox McCloud." He did not mention the agent. There was no need to tell the civilians any more than they needed to know.

"Oh, have you met Fox? He saved my furry behind earlier, that guy's amazing."

The corner of Noellap's mouth twitched, and he had to suppress a momentary burst of anger that threatened to spill forth. Fox had killed so many of his colleagues, people he trusted and respected. Whatever admiration Noellap once had for the fox had evaporated. But now was not the time to display his contempt for Fox McCloud. That would come later. One day, he would see to it that Fox answered for what he had done.

But not today.

"I have not met him, but I know that he is on board. As far as I am aware, he is still alive. That fact is irrelevant to our current situation." He looked down at the children and the lynx nurse, who was rocking back and forth, holding two of the children in her lap while the others clung to her. "Will you be able to move?"

"I..." The lynx stared at him, biting her lip, taking deep shallow breaths. There were tears in her eyes. "I didn't think anyone was coming. I'm...I'm okay. But the children...they cannot move very fast. Some of them are hurt."

"I see." He studied the children, looking them over to see which ones were injured. They varied in age, but all were young. None of them were toddlers, and the oldest among them was perhaps a preteen. The rest were somewhere in between. It was the older one that looked hurt. One child, a fox kit, she couldn't have been more than ten years old, had her leg in a cast. The poor kit had her eyes closed, rocking her head back and forth gently, hugging herself. Noellap lowered his head. This complicated things. Of course, he had considered the possibility that they would be slowed by the children. He hadn't considered the fact that they might be injured. That meant they would be slowed, and perhaps by a lot. They didn't have a stretcher, and if Noellap and Ginger carried them, they wouldn't be able to use their weapons. That would leave them at a strong disadvantage.

Before Noellap could give an order, Rangu had already acted. He was in the room now, with the children. He stared at them for a moment, completely silent. Then he offered one of them his paw. The children seemed intimidated by the ape, some of them shrinking away from him. But one of the little ones, a young frog, reached out for him, placing her little webbed hand in the ape's much larger paw. In a display of gentleness that Noellap never would have thought the ape to possess, he cradled the little girl in his arms, before lifting her up and placing her on his shoulder. He offered his paw to another, a red bird, lifting him up and finding another place for him. One by one, he lifted them all, placing them on his broad shoulders. He even hunkered down like an animal, on all fours so he could scoop them up and place them atop his body. The fox was last. He was ever so gentle, ever so delicate in his touch, lifting her up and so very carefully placing her with her legs dangling on either side of his neck. Ginger fortunately had a med hypo, and she injected it into the girl. It wouldn't heal a broken bone, it couldn't even begin to do something like that. It could dull the pain, at least long enough to get to the shuttle.

It was unfortunate that their best soldier would not be able to fight. He had dropped his weapons, the only thing he had on him now was the satchel with the explosive charges. That meant it would be up to Noellap and Ginger to keep the group safe. Noellap looked at the rifle that Rangu had dropped, then glanced at the wolf. "You know how to use one of those?"

"Uh...point and shoot?" The wolf asked.

That wasn't precisely what Noellap wanted to hear, but at the same time, he needed every hand available. "Use it. Make your shots count."

"Alright. I'll, uh, try." The wolf bent over to pick up the gun. He then looked at the fallen rocket launcher, Rangu's. "What about that thing? That looks awesome."

Letting the wolf handle a rocket launcher would be a terrible idea, and Noellap knew it. "You stick to the rifle. The launcher stays here. Only Rangu is trained in it and has the strength to wield it easily. He cannot fight right now."

The wolf shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. I'd probably just blow myself up anyway."

Noellap ignored the wolf for now. He looked at the nurse then asked her, "Are you ready to go? We should get a move on."

She wasn't looking at Noellap. She was staring instead at the ape. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, but he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. He thought something must have been upsetting her, but before he could question her about it, she approached the ape and touched him on his arm. Sniffling, she managed to give him an appreciative smile. "Thank you."

Rangu said nothing, same as usual. He simply nodded.

"We need to go. We need to move before they find us. We'll find an elevator and get to the bridge. Let's move out, people."

Ginger and Rangu both obeyed immediately, this time with Ginger taking point and Rangu trailing behind. He was very careful in his movements, though still able to keep a reasonable pace. Noellap followed behind them. The wolf brought up the rear, and the lynx walked just behind the ape. She offered support to the children, encouraging them, telling them to hold on tight, occasionally moving to catch one of the children if they should lose their grip on the ape's shoulders or back.

They moved at a good pace, even with Rangu carrying the young and injured. They wound their way down the twisting corridors, now deserted. As they continued to advance, Noellap found himself feeling more and more uneasy. Something was wrong. Earlier there had been no end to the enemy, and they had shown no signs of stopping. Yet for some reason, there was absolutely no trace of them now. Something must have drawn them away. Perhaps someone else on the ship was proving themselves to be more of a threat.

Someone like Fox McCloud.

Noellap wanted to believe that the worst was behind them. Perhaps it would be as simple as getting to the elevator, going to the bridge, and getting out. Yet all of his experience, both in what he had faced here and in his earlier training, told him that it wasn't over.

Not yet.