AN, Apr. 27, 2024: This chapter has been heavily edited from its original version, with several scenes partially re-written.
Chapter 2:
Cornerian Defense Force Head Quarters, Interrogation Room 3:
POV Isaac:
Isaac sat alone in the room, staring blankly at the steel table in front of him. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but it felt like hours. One of the aliens had tried talking to him earlier, but he remained silent. With everything he'd be through, he wasn't in the mood to talk. He wasn't sure what the machine had done, but with the talking animals he couldn't deny that he wasn't on Tau Volantis anymore. Or maybe he was still on Tau Volantis, or Titan Station. Hell, maybe even still on the Ishimura, and all of this is some Marker induced fever dream. He pushed that thought away and began to wonder if Carver was sent here as well. One of the aliens here did find his helmet after all. A sigh escaped his lips. When would he catch a break?
He glanced toward the large two-way mirror on his right. He knew the aliens who picked him up were on the other side. He could fell their eyes on him, sending a chill down his spine. He wondered what they would do with him, hoping it wouldn't be a dissection, like the shitty B movies he watched as a kid. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to slumber.
POV Star Fox:
Peppy, Bill, Fox, Krystal, and Fay stood on the other side of the glass, observing the alien. Falco and Miyu left earlier to help move the shuttle to a hangar and to ensure the alien body made it to the research area without being seen by the media.
"What do you guys think?" Bill asked.
"I don't know," Peppy replied, "Charlie, did you get anything from him?"
"No, he refused to answer any questions," Charlie replied, the ferret scratching behind his ears. Peppy nodded, returning his eyes to the alien, watching his slowly nod off. He sighed and turned to Fox.
"Did he say anything to you two?" he asked.
"If throwing a flash bang counts as talking," Fox replied.
"He called me Ellie when he heard my voice," she replied, "but he froze up when he saw me." Peppy nodded and rubbed his chin in thought.
"Uh, Peppy," Fox began, knowing what Peppy was thinking, "I don't think we should send Krystal in there alone."
"We may not have a choice," Peppy said, "Were you able to read his mind when you saw him, Krystal?"
"I was not," She replied, " Something was preventing me from doing so."
"You wanna give it another shot?" Peppy asked. Before she could answer, Prime Minister Lena entered from the end of the hall and made her way toward them.
"OK! So, what did we get from the alien?" she asked in an irritated voice.
"He's refusing to talk," Bill replied.
"Well, we need to get something from him," she said frustration filling her voice, "Every god damn news outlet is outside the gate demanding answers, and I need to give them something before this causes a mass panic."
"I understand that," Bill said, "But the alien is under a lot of stress right now. I mean he almost killed himself when we caught him." Lena sighed, running her fingers through her hair.
"I get it," she sighed, "Ever since I arrived here, the press outside has been hounding me with all these questions I can't answer. Not to mention, the Senate has caught wind of this as well." She returned her gaze to the room, "Someone has to at least get him to say something."
"Just neither confirm or deny," Charlie suggested.
"Yeah, 'cause that always works." Lena replied sarcastically.
"Works for the military," Charlie replied with a shrug.
As the group argued amongst themselves on what to do, Krystal thought about what happened when she first encountered the man. The name Ellie ran through her mind, and she wondered why he called her that. Making up her mind, she turned to the others.
"I'll go," she said, silencing the others.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Fox asked.
"I am," Krystal replied. Fox nodded and turned to the others.
"What do you guys think?" he asked.
"Well, if she wants, I don't see why not," Peppy replied. Fox nodded and turned back to Krystal.
"Please be careful," he said.
"I don't think it'll be a problem," Krystal said. She headed to the door, which Bill unlocked and opened for her, and she stepped inside.
POV Isaac and Krystal:
Isaac stirred awake when he heard the door open. The blue vixen he encountered at the pier walked inside, a friendly smile on her face. She sat down in the chair across from him and rested her arms on the table. He looked over her appearance. She had dark blue hair in between in her ears, what looked like beads in strands that hung down near her face. The fur on her face was white, her eyes an emerald green. She cleared her throat, snapping him out of his stupor.
"So," she began, "I believe introductions are in order. My name is Krystal, you are?" she motioned for him to speak. Isaac closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.
"Isaac Clarke," he said.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Clarke," she said, "Now, can you tell me where you are from?"
Isaac hesitated, unsure he could fully trust her. She seemed friendly, but he'd learned the hard way that could be a facade. Krystal frowned at his hesitation. She focused her mind to see what he was thinking. Darkness clouded his mind, red symbols occasionally appearing in the void. She was sure she had seen symbols like them before, but they evaded her mind. Whatever they were, they blocked her from going any deeper.
"I'm from a planet called Earth," Isaac replied.
"Earth, alright," she said, "And what species are you?"
"I'm a human," Isaac said. Krystal hummed at the word.
'I never heard of humans,' she thought.
"Where am I?" Isaac asked her.
"You're on Corneria," she said. Isaac looked down to the table.
"Corneria," he muttered, "Where the hell did that machine send me?" Krystal's ears perked at 'machine'.
POV Star Fox:
Outside the room, everyone glanced at each other.
"Machine?" Fox questioned, "Is he talking about our orbital warp gate?"
"I think we should call Beltino," Peppy suggested "He might know."
"Good idea," Lena said, "Mr. Toad, contact your father and have him meet us down here."
"Yes ma'am," he replied, stepping away to call his father.
POV Isaac and Krystal:
"What machine?" Krystal asked.
Isaac thought for a moment. Should he tell them? Would they believe him? Where would he even start? He sat in silence for a while, torn by indecision. Eventually, he decided to come clean.
'What do I even have left to lose?' he thought.
He took a deep breath and began his story. He told her about the Ishimura, Titan Station, and the Lunar Coloney. He left out the more personal details about him and Ellie, and also Nicole, only saying he had a friend on the Ishimura he wanted to visit, but said everything about the Unitologists, Danik, and the Brethren Moon, how they used the machine to kill it, and finally John Carver. Krystal and the others listened with their full attention.
She thought on his story before asking, "So, you believe this alien machine sent you here?"
Isaac nodded, "I don't know any other explanation." Krystal gave a slight nod. She rose from the chair and bowed to him.
"Thank you, mister Clarke," she said, "I'm going to talk with the others to find out what we'll do next."
She walked to the door and exited, leaving Isaac alone once again.
POV Star Fox:
The others turned to Krystal as she left the room.
"Was he telling the truth?" Lena asked.
"He didn't tell me everything," she said, "But what he did tell me was true. I didn't sense any deception." Lena gave a nod, stroking her chin in thought.
"How should we proceed, Prime Minister?" Peppy asked.
"I'm not sure," she said, "We have yet to discover an alien species, and now we've had one seemly appear from places unknown."
"Well, I don't think we should just lock him away," Peppy said.
"We should at least keep him here till he calms down," Lena said, "Then we can try to get him to give us the full story of his arrival."
"Let's-" Peppy began but was interrupted by the sound of a slamming door. At the end of the hall, Beltino was bent over in the doorway. He rested his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
"Relax," he said between breaths, "I'm here." Everyone collectively rolled their eyes.
"Well then," Lena said, putting her hands together, "Mr. Toad, I asked you here to get your opinion on somethings we've learned."
"Ok," he said, walking over to the group, "So, is this about the alien?"
"Yes," Lena replied, "Krystal here just interrogated him, and he gave some details on his species and his arrival."
"Great!" Beltino said, turning to Krystal, "Let's start with a name."
"Isaac Clarke," Krystal replied.
"Interesting name," Beltino said, "Species?"
"Human," she replied.
"Hm, never heard of humans," Beltino muttered, "What about his arrival?"
"He said that an alien machine sent him," Krystal replied. Beltino rubbed his chin and began pacing.
"Well, the orbital warp gate is still being repaired form the Aparoid invasion and is not fully operational, so I don't think it sent him here, " he said.
"He mentioned this planet Tau Volantis," Fox chimed in, "He said it had been inhabited by aquatic aliens that had built the machine." Beltino cocked a brow at this.
"I haven't heard of this Tau Volantis before," he said as he stopped pacing, "Is his race from there as well?"
"He said his race comes from a planet called Earth," Krystal replied. Beltino nodded at this and went back to pacing. Lena rubbed her temples.
"Well, I should head back out to do some more damage control," Lena said, rubbing her temples, "Mr. Hare, stay here and see what else we can get from the alien."
She turned to leave just as Falco and Miyu entered the hall. Miyu planted herself against the window, staring at Isaac through the glass. Falco stopped at Peppy's side.
"The research team moved the shuttle to Hangar 885," he said, "The body was taken to the BIO building."
"What are they planning on doing with it?" Lena asked.
"I wanted to have them perform an autopsy to learn the alien's anatomy," Beltino replied. He pointed to Isaac, who was now staring at the ceiling, his arms folded across his chest. "Seeing as we have a live specimen," he continued, "I thought it best should our guest require any medical treatment. I was going to check on their progress before you called."
"Alright, get back to it then. Make sure you document everything we've learned so far," she said before heading out, "I would like a report tomorrow morning."
"Yes ma'am," Beltino replied, following her out, Charlie escorting him.
"What should we do now?" Fox asked.
Peppy hummed in thought as Fay joined Miyu at the observation window. She tapped on her shoulder to get her attention.
"So cool, isn't it?" she asked, "Life from beyond our galaxy."
"Sure is," Miyu replied.
"It's strange," Fay mused, "He's so different, yet so similar."
"And quite handsome for an alien," Miyu added. Fay looked at her in shock.
"Miyu!" she exclaimed.
"What? she questioned.
"He's an alien!" Fay replied, "Plus he's got grey fur on his face and head. That means he's old."
"I think he looks good in grey," Miyu said. Peppy cleared his throat, getting her attention.
"Let's keep that quiet for now Miyu," he said, making her blush, "We don't want to stress him out any more than he already is."
Fine," Miyu said, and she and Fay went back to chatting.
"I'm going to ask him some questions now," Peppy said, walking to the door, "Fox, make sure no one interrupts us."
Fox nodded and Peppy pulled a tablet from his jacket and stepped inside. Krystal stepped beside Fox, staring into the room. She tapped Fox on the shoulder.
"What's up Krystal?" he asked.
"I can fell his stress building," she said, "I think we should let him rest."
"I don't think Peppy will be long," Fox said.
POV Isaac:
Isaac looked down towards the door when he heard it open. In walked a large rabbit in a red dress uniform and what looked like a tablet tucked under his left arm. He remembered seeing him when he was arrested. The rabbit pulled out his chair and sat down across from him.
"Hello sir," he said, "I'm General Peppy Hare of the Cornerian Defense Force." He extended his hand toward Isaac.
He huffed softly and took Peppy's hand, "Isaac Clarke, CEC Engineer." Peppy smiled and released his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Isaac," he said, "I saw your interview with Krystal, but I wanted ask you a few more questions. Is that okay?"
"That's fine," Isaac replied, "What do you want to know?"
"Tell me more about your home world," Peppy replied, "Earth you called it?"
"Yeah," he replied, "It's over-populated, low on resources, on the verge of death." Peppy nodded, typing this into his tablet.
"And where is your planet located?" he asked.
"In relation to here, I don't know," Isaac replied, "But it is in what we humans call the Milky Way Galaxy."
"You mentioned that your people had colonies," Peppy said, "Did your people branch out to escape the problems of your home world?"
"Yes," Isaac replied, "Though we learned nothing from our mistakes on Earth." Peppy nodded and continued typing on his tablet.
"And the deep space mining you mentioned was part of the solution as well?" he asked.
"It was," Isaac replied.
"And that's how this Marker you mentioned was found, right?"
"It wasn't supposed to," Isaac replied.
"What do you mean?" Peppy asked.
"I... Aegis 7 was in a restricted system," Isaac replied, "The Ishimura, it shouldn't have been there." Peppy quickly added this to his notes.
"Tell me more about the Marker," he said.
"The Marker is an ancient alien artifact that was originally found on Earth in 2214," Isaac said, " The researchers discovered that generated a signal that seemed to produce unlimited energy, which was paramount to our dwindling resources. But, the Marker signal, drove people mad, made them kill each other, and themselves...then they would...change."
He went silent after that, his breathing becoming heavy, his heart pounding. Balck circles appeared in the sides of his vision, slowly making the way to the center as he balled his hands into tight fists. Peppy quickly left his chair and stood by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright," he said, "Deep breaths."
Isaac closed his and took several deep breaths. His heart rate slowed, and he unclenched his fists. Peppy remained where he was, but his gaze shifted towards the window.
POV Star Fox:
Fox and others watched from outside with concern. Krystal grimaced as she could feel the pain radiating from him. Fox, noticing her stress, came up beside her.
"I think we should give him some space," Krystal said, "His stress is growing."
"Peppy shouldn't be much longer," Fox reassured her.
Krystal sighed heavily before stepping away from the observation window and walking to the breakroom nearby. Miyu feeling concerned for her friend, followed close behind. Fox let out a puff before turning back to the room.
POV Krystal, Miyu:
Krystal strolled over towards the water jug in the far corner and filled a cup. With the drink in hand, she sat down on the nearby couch and took a drink. Miyu entered a few seconds later and sat down beside her.
"You OK?" she asked, taking her hand.
"Yes," she replied, "I'm just worried about Isaac."
"Who?" Miyu asked.
"The alien," Krystal replied, "His name is Isaac Clarke."
"Isaac huh?" she hummed. She glanced at her friend, who had her eyes closed as she leaned her head back against the back of the couch.
"He's suffered so much," Krystal said.
"What do you mean?" Miyu asked.
"When I interviewed him, he told me about this ship he went to on a repair mission. He said he had a close friend onboard he wanted to see, so he volunteered for the mission," Krystal said, pausing for a sip of water, "When he arrived, most of the ship's crew had been mutated into these creatures he called 'necromorphs,' and they killed the remaining survivors, and the people he arrived with."
She could feel tears beginning to sting her eyes, the pain she felt from Isaac wearing on her emotions. She rubs them away before they could flow. Miyu patted her on the back.
"It's OK," she said, "Take your time." Krystal took a few steady breaths to calm her nerves. After her breathing slowed, she continued her story, telling Miyu about Isaac's journey through the Ishimura, the visions of his friend, the betrayal of Kendra, and the battle with the Hive Mind.
"Doesn't that all sound kinda like, you know, bullshit?" Miyu asked.
Krystal let out an amused huff, "Yeah, it does," she said, "But I could tell he wasn't lying."
Miyu nodded and hummed in thought. This Isaac might be the most interesting person she's ever heard of. She definitely wanted to talk to him in person, and maybe get a closer look at his face. But first, she needed to hear the rest of his story.
"What happened afterwards?" she asked.
Krystal took a deep breath and continued with what Isaac had told her, going into his time on Titan station.
"Wait, so he was held in stasis hey for three years?" Miyu questioned.
"That's what he was told by someone named Daina," Krystal replied, "This guy named Teidmann was using his mind to create this Marker thing."
Miyu gave her a questioning look, and before Krystal could explain, the slamming of the hall door made her and Miyu jump. They both glanced at each other before getting up and heading to the hall.
POV Fox, two minutes earlier:
Fox glanced towards the breakroom, hoping Krystal was alright. He knew she could fell Isaac's stress, but he didn't realize it would affect her this much. Despite knowing her for five years, he was still learning the extent of her powers. He rubbed his temples as Falco joined him at the window.
"Is she alright?" he asked.
"She can feel his stress," Fox replied, "It's really affecting her."
"He does look pretty agitated," he said, watching as Peppy calmed Isaac down, "By the way, me and Miyu saw a massive crowd of reporters out front. Do the know about this."
"They all saw the green light," Fox replied, "And maybe some here say about the aliens, but the Prime Minister is trying her best to keep that quiet."
"I doubt she'll succeed with that," Falco said, "The media loves rumors, no matter how farfetched."
"It comes with the territority," Fox said, "She'll handle it."
"Here's hoping," Falco muttered.
"You said earlier they took that shuttle to Hangar 885, why did they take it there?" Fox asked, "That's the wash rack."
"They were going to take it to the research room in Hangar 880, but that hangar is full of experimental Arwings," Falco replied, "The egg heads are there taking a look at it now, anyway."
"Let's hope it helps solve this mystery," Fox said. He turned back to the room, noticing Peppy returned to his seat. He could see the fatigue in Isaac's body.
"We should wrap this up soon," he said, "It's getting late."
"Peppy looks like he's almost done," Falco said, watching Peppy put his tablet away.
Fox sighed in relief, "That's good. Maybe some rest will-"
The door at the end of the hall slammed, interrupting Fox. He spun around and drew his blaster, with Falco, Fay and Slippy doing the same. Charlie, the CDF soldier from earlier, was picking himself from the floor. Fox groaned and holstered his blaster while Charlie stood to his feet, brushing off his uniform.
"What the hell was that about?" Fox asked. Charlie looked at him, letting out a huff as he straightened his hair.
"General Stanely is on his way down here," he replied, "Where's General Hare?" As if on cue, the door to the interrogation room opened and Peppy emerged into the hall. Krystal and Miyu exited the breakroom and joined the others.
"What's with all the noise?" Peppy asked.
"General Stanely is coming," Charlie replied, "He'll fill you in when he gets here with the Prime Minister."
"What's this about?" Peppy questioned. Before Charlie could answer, the hall door opened, and General Stanely and Lena stored inside, who were followed in by Fara.
"Peppy," Lena began, "We have a situation."
"What is it?" Peppy asked.
"Another alien was spotted at James McCloud Memorial Park," Stanely replied, "It attacked a couple of guards, stole their weapons." Peppy pinched the bridge of his nose. It was approaching eleven thirty at night, and this debacle showed no signs of stopping.
"Was anyone killed?" he asked.
"No," Stanely replied, "But both were seriously injured." Peppy groaned slid his hands down his face.
"For fucks sake, I'm not officially in charge yet and I'm already considering retirement," he said.
"We're sorry this got dropped in your lap," Lena said.
"It's alright," Peppy said, "I don't think anyone expected something this would happen. Where is the alien now?"
"He escaped inside the Lylat War Museum," Stanely said, "We don't his exact location, but CDF has surrounded the museum, and currently holding for further orders."
"Okay," Peppy said, sounding relieved.
"The reason we came here," Lena chimed in, "Was that the injured guards told us the alien was asking for him." She raised her arm, pointing at Isaac.
Peppy glanced to Isaac, leaning back in his chair, appearing to be asleep.
"You sure it asked for Clarke?" he asked.
"The guards told us he kept demanding where Mr. Clarke was," Lena replied.
"So, that's the 'alien' from the marina, right?" Fara asked.
"Yup, that's him," Peppy replied.
"Did he mention if anyone was with him when he arrived here?" Stanley asked.
"Uh...," Peppy groaned scratching his head.
"He mentioned someone named John Carver," Krystal replied.
"Did he give a description of the Carver?" Lena asked.
"No," she replied, "But we should ask him."
"Did the guards describe this guy?" Peppy asked Lena.
"They said he was about six foot two, dark skin, shaved head, and what looked like a large scar on the left side of his face," she answered. Peppy turned back to Isaac, then he began pacing.
"I wanted to let Isaac rest and continue this tomorrow," he said, "But he's the only one who can help us here. What do you want to do, Prime Minister?"
Lena closed her eyes and blew a puff of air. She opened her eyes a few seconds later.
"Ask him what he knows," she replied.
"Right," Peppy replied and headed back into the room. After Peppy left, Fox went to Fara and wrapped her in a hug.
"How did the evacuation go?" he asked.
"Good," she replied, "The venue was cleared, and no one was injured." Fox released her from the hug. "So, the 'alien'," she started," Who is he?"
"He said his name is Isaac Clarke," Fox replied.
"And he's a..?" she asked.
"Oh! Uh...human, I believe he said," Fox responded. Fara nodded, continuing to stare at Isaac.
"He kinda looks like the simians from Venom," she said, "Do you think they're related?"
"We'll have to wait on the research team," Fox replied, "They found a dead human on the docks, they have in the lab right now."
"Wow," Fara said with a tone of disbelief, "And now there's another one. What a day, huh?"
"Yup," Fox replied, watching Peppy question Isaac, "What a day."
POV Isaac:
Isaac stirred from his sleep as the door opened and General Hare steeped inside.
"Mr. Clarke," Peppy said, "I have some questions about your friend, this John Carver."
He stiffened at the name, a feeling of dread flowing up his spine.
"Why?" he asked slowly, "Did you find him? Is he here?"
"We believ so," Peppy replied, "Guards at a nearby museum have cornered another human inside."
"Shit," Isaac hissed, "Is it him?"
"That's what I wanted to ask. Could you describe his appearance?" Peppy asked.
"About six foot two, dark skinned, and a large scar on his left cheek," Isaac replied.
"Then that's him," Peppy said. Isaac grew more concerned at the confirmation.
"Carver's been through a lot," he said, "It's not my place to go into details, but he's very unstable."
"What do you suggest?" Peppy asked.
"Let me talk to him," Isaac replied, "We aren't exactly friends, but a least I'm a familiar face."
"Alright," Peppy said, "Follow me." He led Isaac to the door, and out into the hall. He visibly stiffened as all eyes turned to him.
"Mr. Clarke," a large lioness said, extended her hand, "It's nice to see you in person."
"Likewise," he said shyly, taking her hand, "And you are?"
"Oh sorry," Lena said, somewhat embarrassed, "I am Lena Harrigan, Prime Minister of the Lylat Empire."
"Good to meet you," he said releasing her hand.
"Now," she said, "About your friend. General Hare here will escort you to the museum."
"That we will," he said, "We'll go out the back way to avoid the media. There's an APC parked nearby."
"Hey Peppy, can we come with you?" Fox asked.
"Prime Minister?" Peppy asked.
"I think it would best if Star Fox went with you," she said.
"As you wish," Peppy replied, "Let's go."
As the group trekked down the hall, Isaac took his time to observe the others. In addition to Krystal, the was another fox, bird, frog, and lynx he saw at the marina. A cocker spaniel and a tan fox who weren't there before were also in the group. He was completely out of his element now. As if he was before. Now that he knew Carver was alive, his thoughts went to Ellie.
He wondered if she even made it to Earth, if any of Danik's men survived and followed her. He figured with the Moon dead, their faith would be shattered and probably would all be driven mad. Or did she get caught by the machine? Was she here too? He pushed that thought down for now. First, he needed to help Carver, then he could worry about Ellie. As they reached the end of the hall, Peppy opened the exit and they headed out to the motor pool. Peppy led them to a nearby APC.
"I'll drive, you guys get in the back," he said.
Isaac and the others headed inside after Peppy opened the ramp. He hopped in the driver's seat and quickly drove to the museum. He sat himself between Krystal and the other fox, the tan fox with the large ears sitting beside him, and the lynx sitting beside Krystal. the toad, cocker spaniel and avian sat on the opposite side. As they drove, Isaac thought about what he'd say and do when he would encounter Carver. He didn't know how disturbed he was by all of this, he hoped he hadn't hurt anyone. He was taken from his thoughts by the lynx across from him tapping his shoulder. He looked her way, her large green eyes were making him somewhat uncomfortable.
"Yes?" he asked shyly.
"I'm Miyu," she said, extending her hand.
"Isaac," he said, taking her hand.
"I saw you from outside the interrogation room," she said with a smile, releasing his hand, "And I have to say, you are quite handsome up close."
Isaac cocked an eyebrow at this. "I'm also forty-nine, so," he said with a shrug, hoping that would dissuade her, as she looked to be in her early twenties.
"I think you look good in grey," she said with a sly smile.
Isaac sighed softly. He didn't want to have an alien flirt with him, especially after all he's lost. His thoughts again turned to Ellie, his expression turning to sorrow. Krystal watched Isaac's shoulders slump, and the sadness fill his face. She shot a glare toward Miyu, who mouthed 'sorry,' glancing to Isaac with an apologetic look. Fox patted Krystal's knee to calm her down. Krystal stared at him, wondering what he was thinking about.
'Please be okay,' she thought to herself.
The rest of the hour-long ride continued in silence. When they arrived at the museum twenty minutes later, they were greeted by a flurry of activity. Soldiers and police surround the building, reporters and camera crews scrambling to get the best angle to capture the scene. Peppy parked the APC near another and they exited. He walked up to a nearest CDF soldier.
"Who is in charge here?" he asked. The solider gave a salute and pointed to a tiger standing nearby.
"Capt. Roberts, there, " he replied.
"Thank you," Peppy said.
They made their way to Capt. Roberts, Isaac lowering himself to keep from being spotted by reporters. The looks the soldiers gave him were of curiosity and gave off no hostility. Isaac was definitely thankful for this. Capt. Roberts turned to them when they arrive, his eyes immediately went to Isaac.
"Capt. Roberts." Peppy said, getting his attention.
"General Hare," he replied raising his arm for a salute.
"No need for formalities this time," Peppy said, "What's the situation?"
"The alien locked himself in the curator's office," he said.
"This," he began, pointing to Isaac, "Is Isaac Clarke. He knows the other alien, and he's willing to help." Roberts returned his gaze to Isaac.
"Well, hopefully he can calm the other one down," he said, "Follow me."
Roberts led them around the back of the museum where several more CDF soldiers were waiting. Stepping to the backdoor, the CDF guarding the door slowly opened it, peeking around for any sign of Carver.
"Don't take too long," he warned, "High Command is wanting this wrapped up as quickly as possible."
"Just let us handle it," Peppy replied, "We don't want anyone else getting hurt."
Roberts nodded and gave the signal to his men. The CDF soldiers stepped aside and Peppy, Isaac, and Star Fox entered the museum. The halls were filled with dull light, giving an ominous feeling. The group moved slowly through the halls, their footsteps echoing through off the walls.
"We're almost to the curator's office," Peppy whispered, "Everyone stay sharp."
''Peppy," Isaac said, "Let me do all the talking when we find him."
"Ok," Peppy replied. Rounding a corner, they spotted the curator's office.
"We'll stay around the corner," Peppy said to Isaac, "You go ahead."
Isaac nodded and slowly walked to the office. A few paces from the door, he heard Carver shout and glass shattering. Isaac took a few steps back and waited. A few moments later, he heard footsteps approaching.
"Here we go," Isaac said to himself. The office door flew open, and Carver stepped into the hall.
"Carver," Isaac called out, catching his attention. He turned to him, a look of surprise on his face. The look of surprise quickly turned to anger.
"What are you doing in my apartment!?" he shouted.
"We're not in your apartment," Isaac replied, "We're not supposed to be anywhere."
Carver looked around the museum, the illusion of his apartment dissolving around him, his twisted in terror. Peppy and Star peeked around the corner, ready to spring into action in case things went south.
"What the fuck!?" Carver muttered, stumbling backwards, "So this is real?"
Carver's mind flashed with images from when he woke up. He remembered the furred creatures staring at him in fear, the ones that resembled police officers that he attacked, chasing him as he ran.
"Aren't we...?" he began, confusion in his voice.
"Dead? Guess not," Isaac replied.
"Isaac," Carver said, "That doesn't make any sense! I activated the Codex! The Moon fell! We fell!"
"What about the alien machine, huh?" he asked, "It froze the planet, it pulled a moon out of the sky. We don't what that technology can do." Carver stared at Isaac with an unamused look on his face.
"So that's it?" he asked, "We were saved by fuckin' aliens? A-and sent here?" He pointed to a painting on the wall nearby, showing a blue Isaac recognized Krystal, clad in a small bra and a loincloth, "To some fuckin' furry's wet dream?" Star Fox bristled at Carver's words, especially Krystal, since the painting was of her.
"Isaac?" Craver asked, sounding stressed, "Give me something."
"I quit trying to make sense of it all back on the Ishimura," Isaac said, shrugging his shoulders. Carver turned away from him, throwing his arms out in frustration before turning to face him again.
"Come on! This...this can't be real!" he shouted, "So what are we supposed to do now!?"
"Well, I..." Isaac began, peeking over his shoulder, the implication not lost on Carver.
"Were you followed?" he asked darkly.
"No, I was picked up by the locals hours ago," Isaac replied.
"And they brought you here, huh?" Carver asked with a heavy sigh.
"Yeah," Isaac replied, "You guys can come out now."
Carver watched as a rabbit in a red dress uniform stepped out from around the corner. Following him was a red fox, a tan fennec fox, a blue bird of some kind, a small green frog, a white cocker spaniel, an orange cat, and lastly and blue vixen, who looked very familiar. Carver turned back to the painting he pointed at earlier. He let out a chuckle.
"I called that one the furry's wet dream," he whispered to Isaac, nodding his head toward Krystal.
"Just apologize," Isaac sighed, "I'm sure she'll understand."
"Doubt it," Carver said. Star Fox lingered behind as Peppy continued forward. Stopping next to Isaac, he looked Carver up and down.
"Mr. Carver," he said, "I am General Peppy Hare of the Cornerian Defense Forces." He extended his hand to Carver. He glanced at his hand, then slowly took it.
"Sargeant John Carver, EarthGov," he said.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Carver," Peppy replied, "Since its late, I say we postpone any interrogation until tomorrow."
"Interrogation?" Carver asked.
"Yes," Peppy replied, "Since you and Mr. Clarke are the first alien species we've ever discovered, this is a first contact scenario. The Prime Minister will want a full interview with both of you."
"Does anyone else know about us?" he asked.
"The media has been reporting 'possible' sightings," Peppy replied with a huff, "But we haven't confirmed anything...yet."
"Yet? You think it's a good idea to tell everyone?" Isaac asked.
"There were plenty of witnesses," Peppy replied, "If we don't provide an answer, people will lose the minds." Isaac huffed in agreement while Carver just stared at the floor.
"So," he continued, scratching his ear, "I'd rather not send you both to holding cells for the night, but where...?
"Peppy, we have extra rooms on The Great Fox," Fox said, "We can all stay there for the right."
"That'll work," Peppy said.
Isaac followed Peppy and the others, John lagged behind. Isaac glanced at him watching him drag his boots across the floor. Isaac sighed, He looked so tired, and frankly, so was he. As the group arrived at the museum's exit, Peppy held up his hand to stop them.
"Let me talk to Capt. Roberts first," he said.
Peppy stepped outside, closing the door behind him. The others waited in silence, the late hour finally catching up to them. Peppy thankfully opened the door and motioned them outside within a few minutes. The late hour meant most of the media had turned in, making the trip back to the APC more pleasant for Isaac and John. As they boarded, Peppy climbed in the driver's cab. Startin the engine, they strapped themselves in, Isaac and John sitting next to each other, and Peppy started the drive to the cities space port, where the Great Fox was docked.
As the drove, Isaac rested his head against the wall. The cold metal could hardly be called a pillow, but he was since so tired, he just didn't care. As he slept, Carver decided to get a better look at the group. The blue vixen from before was sitting next to Isaac, perhaps a little too close. An orange lynx sat next to the vixen, resting her head on her shoulder. Across from them, a blue bird was playing with a small tablet, a green frog looking the screen as well. A male fox was resting his head just as Isaac. Lastly, a white cocker spaniel was staring at him. When his eyes met hers, she quickly glanced toward the floor, a slight pink hue formed on her cheeks. John sighed before resting his head against the wall. After an hour of silence, the APC arrived at the space port. Isaac and John both stirred as the lights in the troop compartment brightened. The ramp slowly lowered, revealing Peppy standing outside.
"Come on," Peppy said, "The Great Fox is just over there."
The pointed over to a large ship, painted white, with a large hangar in the bow, two long wings on each side. He raised the ramp up after they exited, punching in a code to lock the APC's doors and followed behind them. Fox led the team to the ship, Isaac and Carver taking the rear. Stopping at an elevator, he pushed the call button. The elevator slowly came to a stop, the doors parting open. They stepped, the doors closing behind them.
The elevator jumped as it started its ascent to the Great Fox's hangar. After thirty seconds, the elevator came to a stop, the doors opening to reveal the hangar's interior. The hangar was filled with crates, and what looked like spare parts. On the ceiling, four strange fighters sat inside individual cradles, each mounted on tracks, one for each fighter, that led to the hanger doors on the opposite side. Large pillars were attached to the cradles and the tracks, providing support. Isaac's eyes scanned the room, his mind flashing to his fight with the Tripod on Titan Station;
Entering the atrium of the Titan Memorial Medical Center, Isaac slowly made his way to the exit, following Daina's route. Loud banging from the other side of the atrium caught his attention. He turned to the sound, raising his plasma cutter. Behind a destroyed shuttle, a large, three clawed hand grabbed the top of the wreckage, crushing the flaming metal in its grip. A second hand joined the first, pulling a massive necromorph, the mutilated bodies making up its body twisted in the most horrific ways imaginable. With a roar that shook the walls, the necromorph leapt twenty feet in the air, and slammed onto the floor, the force nearly knocking him off his feet. The Tripod began stomping its way toward, Isaac quickly dodging to the side as it swiped its claws at him. He aimed his plasma cutter at the glowing yellow spot on its shoulder and fired.
The Tripod roared in pain before raisin its other arm and slamming its hand on the floor, missing Isaac by inches. Isaac jumped to his feet and fired another bolt of stasis. As the Tripod was engulfed in the stasis field, Isaac aimed his plasma cutter at the same arm and fired another two blasts. This time, its arm separated. The stasis field wore off as the Tripod slammed to the ground, roaring with pain and rage. Isaac tried to fire another bolt of stasis, but his pack had run dry.
There was a station recharge station on the wall nearby, Isaac quickly ran toward in while the Tripod recovered. Pressing the button, he watched the stasis refill through the feed on the station's display. Behind him, the Tripod stood up and began hobbling toward him. He whipped around and launched another beam of stasis into the Tripod, once again covering its body in blue light. Isaac aimed his cutter and fired into the Tripod's other arm, quickly blowing it off completely. The stasis off wore again as it slammed into the ground. Out of its mouth...Isaac?... a long appendage with a scythe like growth of bone slammed into the floor inches away from him...Isaac! He quickly jumped back and aimed his cutter...ISAAC!
Carver's voice shook him out of his dream. He realized he had been standing still the entire time. He looked toward Carver, noticing his annoyed expression, and the concerned looks of Peppy and the Star Fox team. Isaac cleared hir throat and walked up to them.
"Are you okay?" Fox asked.
"Yeah," Isaac said softly, "Everything's fine, everything's...fine."
Fox didn't believe him, but just shrugged it off for now. He motioned for them to continue and the left the hang and entered a hallway that led to another elevator. Climbing in, the elevator took them up to floors up to the Great Fox's living quarters. Fox stepped out first and led them out into the hallway.
"Okay," he began, "Those two rooms there are spare rooms for guests."
He pointed towards two doors on his left. Isaac and Carver glanced at the doors. Fox went over to the keypads on each door and unlocked them.
"Mine and Fara's room is the one on the end there," he said, pointing to the last door on the left, "Falco's next to me, Fay's right next door." He then pointed to the doors on the right.
"The last door is Peppy's," he said, "Then across from you two are Miyu and Krystal, the last one here is Slippy's. Feel free to knock on any one of them if you need anything."
"Thanks," Isaac said, "We appriciate you guys going out of your way for us."
"No problem," Fox said, "You guys have any spare clothes or anything else?"
"We're wearing some clothes under our suits," Carver replied, "But that's all." Fox rubbed his chin in thought,
"Well, tomorrow's our day off, so we can take you guys out to get more clothes and other things you need. Sound good," he asked.
"Sounds great," Isaac replied.
"Alright," Fox said, "We'll see you guys tomorrow."
Fox and the others bid them goodnight and headed to their rooms. Carver glanced to Isaac and gave a slight nod before opening his room's door, disappearing inside. Isaac stood in the hallway for a few moments before going into his room.
It was a rather large room, Almost the size of his apartment on the Lunar Colony, the layout was even similar. Isaac undid the seal on his snow suit and stepped out of it, He was now dress in the same grey shirt and pants he was wearing when Carver and Norton picked him up. He removed those next along with his shoes, now only dress in his boxers and undershirt. With a sigh, headed to the bed, pulling back the covers and climbing on the mattress. Laying down, he looked at the clock on the desk across the room, the display reading 3:25 a.m. Isaac turned his gazed back toward the ceiling. He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly as the fatigue finally claimed him.