Notes:
Wait, a two-chapter update? Yep! So, this is about as far as I've gotten, but I do have some more content that still needs formatting, editing, and other tweaks before I'm ready to post. I'm a one-man show here and I have an original fiction story(of a similar bent) I'm concurrently working on, so I might take more time to work on that one. If you're really curious you can find that one under my FurAffinity account RallyFolfy or my SoFurry account FeuerfoxKA8(along with this story without rating-related editing).
So, here's the not so great news: This is where my output is likely going to sharply decrease. Due to the nature of my job my workload increases drastically through the summer months; this generally lasts through September and even into October. While I will have time to write, I may not be nearly as fast in my editing and tweaking processes as I have been, which means that chapter output might linger or stop completely. On top of this I am moving next year. While the circumstances behind this move are quite positive, I have lived here for eighteen years and I have a ton of stuff to sort through and pack, so I have to give priority to that.
So, onto a couple of questions posed by reviewers and a couple of private messages:
Firstly, I don't have any plans on progressing any further on Zero Point. That story's been dormant for five years, and while I had inspiration at the time there's not a ton of gas left in the tank where that one is concerned. While it's hard to let that one die an ignominious death, it might have to suffer that fate. While there's a small chance I might continue that one the chances are small; I put them at a realistic 10-15%.
As far as an appearance from Fox McCloud and the rest of the Star Fox team? That's far more likely, though Fay will probably shed more light on what's going on with our favorite Lylatian mercenaries over the next several chapters.
Yes, our protagonists are going to make it off Sauria at some point, but not before the Saurian Crisis has been resolved. There's a lot more out there to worry about than Scales and his merry band of Sharpclaw; a certain power-hungry Cerinian still needs to be dealt with, along with a very nasty group of space pirates and some other factions that have taken an interest in this brewing conflict. This is where the plot starts to thicken.
So, on with the show:
Chapter 19: Echoes
'BEEP-beep! BEEP-beep!' the sound of the mediscanner's alarm jarred me awake; I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. My eyes snapped open, revealing the interior of the bunkroom I had transformed into a cut-rate infirmary. I was leaning against the bunk Krystal occupied; the vixen still sleeping soundly despite the noise. Frowning, I glanced down to the scanner; silencing the alarm and looking at the notifications that popped up on its holographic display.
NOTICE: Please perform final Agent C administration for patient: LaSpaniae, Fay. Recovery estimation is 04h17m. Side effects after recovery will include residual narcotic effects from kartosidone, headache, increased respiration rate and mild tachycardia.
NOTICE: Nanite logs for Patient: UNKNOWN[Cerinian Female] indicate residual fluid buildup in lungs. Nanites have induced a deep rest state in the patient to allow for healing. External air pressure of 0.74a detected; recovery estimation extended to 03h37m. The effects of the cerebral edema event have been mitigated. Administration of supplemental oxygen after awakening is recommended.
NOTICE: Nanite logs for Patient: UNKNOWN[Ipranian Male] indicate breakdown of foreign objects underway. Nanites are also repairing an existing laceration. Nanites have induced a moderate rest state in the patient to allow for healing. Recovery estimation calculated at 04h09m for laceration and 2d18h14m for foreign object breakdown.
The instructions seemed clear enough; it explained why I had fallen asleep. I retrieved the autoinjector from its resting place; the space between the bunks was quite narrow and all I really had to do was lean forward to place it against Fay's neck. This time she visibly winced, a sharp intake of breath given through her lips. The Cornerian shifted a little; I took her increased activity as a good sign. That left me with not much to do until one of them woke up, other than explore the rest of the ship.
Before she passed out Krystal told me she sensed seven pirates, which equaled the number that fell to my gunfire. I had also fallen asleep and woken up on this side of the afterlife, so that meant we were alone. This was also a significantly larger ship than Krystal's shuttle, which meant there were more areas I could try to get into. I kept the mediscanner on me as I walked out into the corridor; making a concerted effort to ignore the sharp, earthy scent of drying blood and the faint hint of gunsmoke still in the air as I checked the other rooms.
I didn't find much other than a couple other bunkrooms, a head, some personal effects left behind by the pirates, a makeshift holding cell that I assume had been occupied by Fay, and what looked like a supply locker that had been reorganized as a makeshift breakroom. Doorways that branched off to other areas of the ship were locked; the keycard couldn't access them and the small displays underneath them displayed an unnerving message: 'BULKHEAD SEALED: Hostile Environment Beyond This Point!'
I let out a sigh and made my way for the breakroom, collecting my backpack and weapons while I was at it. I might as well make sure everything was cleaned and loaded. I swept the existing detritus off what looked like a folding card table and set my things on top of it. I pulled my phone out with the intent to cue up some music, if only to break the silence. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped as I glanced to the screen:
Phone: 8 Missed Calls(18h)
Phone: 5 Voicemails(18h)
Messages: 18 Messages(18h)
Mail: Mail Notification(18h)
"What the actual fuck?" I hissed, noting the fact that I had no signal right now. There was no way this was possible, but somehow my phone had grabbed signal from somewhere. My battery level was also very low; I didn't have much charge left on my external but I decided to plug it in and check it out.
The voicemail notifications were just that: notifications. My phone hadn't been able to retrieve them. The text messages, on the other hand, were pulled down. My heart sunk as I looked at the messages; I had lost track of time. Had I been gone only a few days? Tears brimmed my eyes as I viewed a series of panicked messages from my mother:
Mom: WHEREARE YOU? POLICE CAME BY MY DOOR, GAS EXPLOSION AT YOUR HOUSE! TWO OF YOUR CARS ARE MISSING, CALL ME NOW!
Mom: POLICE CANT PING YOUR PHONE, PLEASE PLEASE CALL ME!
Mom: I'm not giving up on you. You can't be dead, I just know it! Damn it, call or text me! I don't know what you're going through, but I just want to know you're okay! I love you, son!
I took a shaky breath as I scanned the messages and emails; some were from friends, my boss, and even a couple from a number I recognized as Fi's, which I didn't bother reading. All were concerned about my well-being, and there was a thread of speculation that an accident happened and I was either dead or had run off somewhere on a complete whim. Questions ran through my mind; questions I had no real answer to. The only thing I could think of was that I thought I felt my phone vibrate near that 'wild spot' Krystal talked about; did that have something to do with how I got here and how my phone received signal? Was there a thread of hope I could find my way home, however gossamer-thin it may be?
With trembling hands I typed out a message in response to my mom. It would queue in my phone; with luck it would automatically send as we passed that wild spot. I wasn't sure if I should bring this up with Krys; at the same time we had to have total trust in each other and I didn't want to break it.
Message Queued: Mom, I'm sorry for frightening you. There was some kind of accident at my house, something I can't easily explain. I am very far away, I am not alone, and I am fighting to return home. I will message you when I can, but contact is nearly impossible. Don't give up on me. Love you.
Trying to shake it out of my head, I forced myself to cue up some music and attend to the firearms. It wasn't like anything needed a lot of attention, but I topped off magazines, replaced spent rounds in the revolvers and made sure that nothing was damaged. The AR15 took the most damage; the barrel and receiver had very shallow scratches and the handguard had a few fragments stuck in it. I dug the latter out with my multitool; dropping the copper and lead splinters into an errant plastic box.
After a while it felt like I was just killing time, and that was causing some very difficult thoughts to come across my mind. It was probably time to check on Krystal and Fay anyway, and I needed to keep myself as distracted as possible. I got up and make my way over to the bunkroom, shaking away the temptation to go outside and head back for that anomaly Krystal and I passed.
I was a few yards away from the doorframe as a familiar figure emerged, her steps shaky and unsteady. Krystal glanced in my direction, flashing a tired smile as I closed the short distance and wrapped my arms around her. She repaid me in kind; nuzzling my cheek as a relieved sigh left her lips. "I woke up and didn't see you here," she rasped, her voice still congested and gravelly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
I was content to simply hold onto her for a moment; saying nothing as I wanted to savor it as long as possible. "Mostly," I admitted; my voice shaking as I answered her, "I'm just grateful you're alive, hon. I almost lost you out there, and I felt powerless to do anything about it."
The vixen held me closer as her muzzle tucked against the crook of my neck; the sensation of her soft fur a blissful reprieve from the memories of recent events. "Did the medical scanner give you any clues as to what happened?"
I tightened my embrace, only then noticing she was trembling and shaking slightly; the fact she still needed time to recover was quite apparent. "The scans indicate that you were suffering severe hypoxia," I paused a moment, trying to come up with a possible explanation. "That usually occurs in very high altitude environments, but it's strange that the Snowhorn, Sharpclaw, and I weren't affected while you were."
She nodded, the motion of her fur brushing against my neck extremely comforting. I didn't want to let go of her, and I had the distinct impression she felt the same. "We're going to need to be very careful," Krystal murmured, "especially since we can't afford to be continually injured like this. We don't have much time left to help Sauria."
"I know, hon," I answered, unwilling to pull away from her embrace. "We need to make a big push for the Spellstone once the two of you are okay to keep moving. Until then, you need to rest. Are you hungry or thirsty? I'll get you something if you need it."
She shook her head. "I'm okay for now, at least until the pilot wakes up," she held on even tighter. "Please, stay with me?"
"I can do that," I offered, guiding her back into the bunkroom as conflicting thoughts ran through my mind. As difficult as they were to breach, I needed to tell her. "Krys, there's something else I need to talk to you about; something I think might be more appropriate to discuss before she wakes up." I nodded over to Fay, who hadn't so much as moved since I had placed her on the cot.
Krystal's hand fell around mine as I sat her down on the other cot; a worried expression tugging on her vulpine features. "What's wrong, my che?" She motioned to the corridor beyond, voicing something I had wondered about over the past few moments. "While I was asleep I had a feeling something had happened to you."
I glanced over to her; even with her mussed fur, tired expression, and faint flecks of what looked like dried blood that had trickled down her muzzle she exuded an aura of calmness and compassion. She was a kind soul, and I was hesitant to hurt her. "Something happened when we were walking through that place; you called it a 'wild spot'?"
Krystal nodded as she laced her fingers with mine, a thoughtful expression cutting through her fatigue. "They are rare but they are dangerous; on Cerinia they are studied by high priests and advanced practitioners of the Art. Those who can focus through them are capable of using their focus to perform great feats and create artifacts of immense power, but they are known to kill anyone who ventures too close to them. What happened?"
"I had my phone with me," I explained, "a communications device. It doesn't work on Sauria, though I can store and play music on it. When we approached that area, it somehow connected to my world; I received messages from friends and family. If there's a way I can communicate with them, at least let them know I'm alive..." I trailed off, letting that implication hang out in the open.
Krystal responded by pulling me closer, tears brimming in her eyes. "I… I understand, dearheart; I know your heart still seeks a way home. I would not be a good m…" she caught herself, the insides of her ears flushing slightly, "…a good friend if I discouraged you from trying. I know what that implies; I won't lie to you and say my heart isn't conflicted. I know yours is as well."
I nodded at her; unsure of a good answer. Everything was happening so quickly, but I understood that staying with her meant abandoning my drive to get back home, and vice versa. I told her I was with her until this ride ended, but where would it end?
Various scenarios clashed in my head; us somehow eking an existence out among the Lylatian stars, heading with her to Cerinia to find a place among her people and make things right; hell, convincing her to come with me and somehow carve out some land in rural Wyoming or Montana to live out our days without tipping anyone off? Pipe dreams, most likely. The reality was that this ride almost ended several hours ago with her drowning in her own blood in a snowy wasteland. It was a sobering thought.
Her hand tightened around mine; concern crossing her features. I was sure she was tuned into my thoughts, especially as she spoke. "Tomorrow isn't guaranteed to us, dearheart. The fact you are trying to consider my feelings and find a way to fit me into that tomorrow is comforting, even if we know it may not happen."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah," I admitted. "I've never been comfortable living in the gray areas. It's a part of who I am; I've always tried to mitigate risk and the unknown, so being surrounded by it isn't a great place for me."
She leaned forward, her lips gently pressing against mine. The kiss was brief, but it said enough. The past few days had been a whirlwind, but it had also been a stark reminder at how much and how quickly things could change. "It is a difficult thing to do," she stated, "but we must adapt. There is too much at stake."
I nodded in understanding, trying to force thoughts of an uncertain future out of my head. However, those thoughts were shattered by an unexpected source; a murmur from the Cornerian pilot across from us as she started to stir. "Looks like she's coming out of it," I mentioned. "I figure we'll talk about these things later?"
"I promise, che." Krystal leaned over and kissed my cheek before pulling away; I realized that it might not be a good thing for Fay's first waking sight to be the two of us hanging all over each other.
Fay tossed and turned a few times before her eyes blinked open; widening at the sight that lay before her. Her gaze shifted first to Krystal, then to me; a sharp gasp exiting her lips as she scooted towards back towards the bed. Her voice was slurred and almost dreamlike; likely from either the overdose or the emergency treatment I had given her. "Please! Pleaseno, pleaseno… notth'pirates, notth'remnant, notth'ippies…" She looked around frantically for any means of escape.
Krystal went into action first, a quick thought cast in my direction. 'She thinks you're here to harm her, dearheart; please keep your hands where she can see them. I'll try to calm her!' I kept my hands up and empty as my Cerinian companion crossed over to the frightened spaniel. Fay's eyes focused on her as she scooted back against the metal bulkhead behind her; I winced as even I could tell she was absolutely frightened.
"It's okay," Krystal's calm voice carried out, still rough with congestion. "You are safe here. The pirates are gone. We are not here to harm you." She knelt on the floor, trying and succeeding at bringing Fay's focus and attention to her instead of me.
"Wha'happen?" Fay's slurred voice asked. "Why's'n ippie here? Why'r'yoo here?"
"We found your wrecked Arwing outside," Krystal responded. "That led us to this wrecked ship. I was suffering from a medical emergency; my companion here managed to defeat the pirates who had captured you. I am not familiar with what an 'ippie' is; could you explain?"
Fay's eyes darted to me; her pupils were contracted. I remembered hearing from my aunt, a substance abuse councilor, that was a sign of heroin use. I could tell she was dealing with the aftermath of what the pirate did to her; she would need some time to get this out of her system. "Him. He's'n ippie. Ipranian; yanno, planetcall'd Ipran, Kew System, slavin' bastards?"
Krystal and I exchanged confused looks. Fay's reference to the Kew System meant something, but was only mentioned once in reference to a now alternate timeline where Krys never reconciled with Fox and became a mercenary there. There wasn't any mention of a planet called Ipran, or of humans inhabiting anywhere other than Earth. The vixen frowned at me, apparently reading those very same thoughts. She turned back to Fay, a soft yet concerned tone entering her voice. "I assure you, my companion is not from a planet called Ipran. He hails from a planet called Earth, and has not harmed me. In fact, his actions have demonstrated quite the opposite."
Fay's confused, dull aqua eyes darted between me and Krystal; confusion evident in her gaze. "What'ya mean?" Her voice was laced with confusion and suspicion. "What'he do?"
Krystal gently reached out to grasp one of Fay's hands. The Cornerian stiffened, but I realized that Krys' intention was to share thoughts with her as she had with me. "He saved my life on multiple occasions, and has also saved yours. One of these pirates attempted to kill you with a lethal dose of something called Zuvex. He managed to defeat them and get you prompt medical attention. I must stress that you would not be alive right now without his intervention."
Fay let out a sigh, her gaze continuing to shift between the two of us. She leaned back with a laugh, an incredulous look on her canid features. "Funny," she slurred. "Saved by'a rogue Iprani an'a really cute Cerinian. Universe's gotta sense'a irony, m'right?" Right after she said that she blinked; the incredulity replacing itself with a sheepish expression.
Krystal and I exchanged puzzled looks at Fay's comment; the vixen's ears flaring up bright red. I headed her off at the pass by directing a thought to her. 'I mean, she has a point. You are stunningly cute…' Her blushing intensified, following it up with a sheepish expression of her own that nearly matched Fay's.
'You are absolutely incorrigible, my che…' Krystal's eyes fell on mine, trying not to burst out laughing.
"I'm…" Fay broke off, turning away to try and hide some apparent embarrassment. "I'ma not usual… this'forward. I'ma feelin' funny…"
I took a deep breath before standing up; the motion caused Fay to flinch a little but I immediately backed up, making sure my hands were visible and empty. "I think you could use some water," I surmised. "You're likely still dealing with side effects of the drugs you were given. I'm going to go find something, okay?"
Krystal smiled at me, nodding her assent. "I think all of us could use something," she mentioned. "I'll chat with our guest until you return?" A mental comment was directed to me. 'She's still somewhat frightened of you. Give me a little time to talk with her, dearheart?' I nodded in response as I walked into the corridor.
Food was an interesting prospect, especially considering the fact neither of us had planned on being here that long. I had brought some water, but that was about it. Frowning, I started to rummage inside the small supply room, coming up with a small plastic crate full of some kind of packets. I was pretty sure I had come across the Lylatian equivalent to cup noodles; only these packets were called InstaPasta. The packets were in multiple different varieties such as Aquan Bounty, Katinan Sweet and Tangy Roast, Cornerian Deluxe Noodles and Steak, and Papetoon Savory Pork and Veggies.
Looking them over, I also noticed that these had self-contained heating units; all you had to do was pull a tab at the bottom of the bowl and it would cook. They didn't look like they were incredibly high quality, but they would be enough. Snagging a sampling of all of them, I put them into my backpack along with pouches of Lylatian drinks; I wasn't sure what Krys or Fay would like so I figured a variety would be welcomed.
By the time I came back Fay looked much less strung out, though her eyes widened as she saw me enter. Krys was still sitting on the floor, the backpack that we had found near the wrecked Arwing open and its contents spread out along them. I noticed an autoinjector sitting on the bed next to her; had they found something to help counteract the effects of the drugs? My Cerinian companion looked up and smiled as I sat down on a nearby cot and opened my pack; I opted to put the spread onto the floor next to her.
"I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot," Fay's voice was much less slurred; enough for me to detect a faint accent that I interpreted as upper-crust Northeast, almost transatlantic. "Krystal told me about both of you being stranded here; while I have trouble believing you aren't Iprani I want to thank you for saving my life. I should probably introduce myself; I am Fay LaSpaniae, a private operations contractor attached to the Cornerian Rangers."
I nodded at her. "I'm Adam Strayton; I guess I'm now a former IT systems administrator," I shrugged. "You're a private contractor? The pirate said you were part of something called Star Fox?"
The Cornerian shook her head; a pensive look tugging at her features. "Former member of Star Fox," she admitted, her aqua eyes glancing between Krystal and me. "It's a long story, but apparently the Remnant either didn't get the memo or doesn't care.
"How did you end up here?" Krystal asked as she glanced through the food and drink packets. I idly noted she seemed familiar with them as she went straight for the sweet and tangy variety and a pouch of water. "Sauria is rather out of the way from most of Lylat."
Fay leaned over to look at the selection, ultimately deciding on a beverage pouch labeled Tropical Delight and the Aquan InstaPasta variety that I surmised was seafood-based. I went for the pork one, opting to pull one of my limited cans of Coke from my backpack; I needed some caffeine. "There's been reports of increased pirate activity around here on the Rim; Graydale's Crimson Scourge have had some skirmishes with Vartharok's Bloodfangs and raids on mining stations and Freeports have been on the rise," she regarded me with a cool look. "There were also sightings of Remnant activity and even rumors of Ipranian slave vessels; that is very concerning as it could mean either pirate groups trafficking captured civilians to Iprani slavers or those slavers making raids within Lylat. Considering the destroyed Iprani slave transport in orbit, you can see where I have multiple concerns."
I frowned slightly; the spaniel meeting me with a look of cool suspicion despite her earlier thanks. "Fay," I began, reaching inside my coat pocket with one hand and my backpack with the other. "I know you're not convinced I'm not one of those assholes, and I get it. Hell, even that medical kit labels me as such. I'm going to hand you two things that I hope will change your mind." Before either Fay or Krystal could react I flipped my wallet onto the bed next to Fay; a much heavier object landing beside it a second afterwards.
The Cornerian blinked a few times, her eyes widening at the objects I had tossed at her. Krystal did just about the same thing; a surprised glance cast in my direction as Fay slid my 1911 from its holster, staring at what was obviously a weapon. "If I were an Ipranian slaver," I mentioned, "do you think I would have just armed you?"
Fay's eyes darted back to me, but she didn't point the handgun at either of us. "You have a point, Mr. Strayton. This is also not one of the standard sidearms of the Iprani Guard," she looked the weapon over. She soon found the magazine catch and popped it out, her jaw dropping as she glanced over the ammunition feeding device. "Ipranian weapons are caseless slugthrowers with electronic ignition. This is a cartridge-fed, mechanical firearm. Lyla's Bells, where did you get this?"
"Bought it off a friend who was upgrading to an HK USP Tactical," I answered, arching an eyebrow at her. "You are correct about it being a cartridge-fed firearm. That's pretty much what we have where I come from."
Fay put my pistol back in its holster; I noted that she handled it competently and didn't flag any of us as she did so. "Mechanical firearms are virtually unknown on Lylat, at least outside Cornerian nobility. They're primarily traditional arms for hunting and demonstrating marksmanship prowess; you may see a few CDF officers carry them as status symbols, but they aren't used for combat."
"Are you comfortable with using one if you need to?" I asked.
Fay hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes," she responded, a tinge of curiosity laced in her voice. "I don't like to bring it up, but I am minor Cornerian nobility and grew up around them. May I ask why?"
Krystal glanced to her, a soft look on her vulpine features. "It is a very long story," she explained, "but I am sure you realize that Sauria is breaking apart. We are trying to prevent that." She launched into an explanation of what had transpired between the Saurian tribes, the theft of the Spellstones, and the Sharpclaw forces under Scales.
Fay sat there with a serious expression; she seemed to be shaking off the abuse her body had gone through. To her credit, she didn't seem to be too put off by the more fantastical elements of what was going on. "So, you two are going at this alone?" she asked. "I'm still somewhat confused as to how an Iprani and a Cerinian would have met in the first place, but this sounds very serious."
I took a deep breath. "I'll ask you to check my wallet and ID while I explain this," I motioned to the black leather billfold I tossed to her. "My arrival here isn't that conventional; I went to bed one night and my house somehow ended up here. Krys and I discovered an artifact of Cerinian origin that had been buried underneath my house; our speculation is that it was damaged, released some kind of energy, and here I am."
Fay perused the wallet's contents; pulling out my driver's license and payment cards in order to examine them more closely. She gave me a curious look before speaking. "Spraken dur Sprag?" Her speech sounded Germanic, but definitely wasn't. "lu Sermo loqueris? Hala kalam Al'alai?" Other languages; one sounding vaguely Spanish and the other almost Arabic. I shook my head, eliciting a confused look from the Cornerian.
"I'm sorry," I answered, "but I don't speak any of those. One of them is vaguely like a language I speak, but I know enough of it to know that they're not the same."
"Your Lylan is almost flawless," Fay remarked, "yet you do not understand any major Ipranian languages? Also, I don't recognize the language on your document cards; if you're from outside the Lylat and Kew systems, how are you speaking Lylan so well?"
Krystal glanced up. "He is using a translation artifact I made for him," she explained, glancing over to me. "Remove it and speak with us, che?"
I nodded my assent and slipped the pendant from my neck, setting it on the bed. "So," I began, "This is what I sound like. My native language is called English."
Fay's voice responded, but I couldn't understand a single thing she said. I had to admit that Lylan was a beautiful, flowing language, but I had to shake my head. She frowned in confusion for a moment, then spoke again. "Ye spake Aenglisc?" she asked. "I na good Aenglisc, it na use much Kew yi Ipran." Yeah, her English sounded archaic and wasn't great, but the fact I was speaking to a Lylatian without Krystal's intervention was mindblowing.
I slipped Krystal's pendant back on; I was curious about something. "So, how do you know these languages? This Aenglisc is similar to what I natively speak, but I've got more questions than what you just answered."
Fay took a breath as she leaned back against the bulkhead behind the bunk she occupied. "I spent a couple of years in the Kew System when I was in the CDF," she replied. "It was a joint effort between us and the Kewian government to help keep Ipranian expansion and raids in check. They're a powerful military and economic force in the system, and apparently they've found some uncharted Slipspace routes if they've shown up here." She sighed and frowned, turning to Krystal. "How about you? How did you end up here?"
The Cerinian looked up to her, tears brimming in her eyes. "It is not a pleasant story," she admitted, "and one which will take some time to tell." As she launched into the tale of Meran's betrayal and the attack on her people, I reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. By the end of it, Fay leaned forward and swept Krys up in a hug, tears coming to her eyes as well.
"Goddess," the Cornerian hissed. "These were the same pirates that attacked your clan?" Krystal nodded at her, taking a few breaths to regain her composure. "I need to get in contact with the CDF. Do you know if your shuttle has a Hypernet comms package?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "We're in the middle of retrieving one of the Spellstones, so we won't be back to the shuttle for a while. If we do, you're welcome to use it."
Fay nodded at us, but paused for a moment before letting go of Krystal. She frowned a bit. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you sound like you're badly congested. You've been using a nanny-kit; may I see the scanner?"
I passed the device over to Fay, who opened its menus and pored over the details. By the growing frown on her canid features, she didn't like what she was seeing. "Shit," she spat. "We have some problems."
Both of us glanced up to her. "What do you mean?" Krystal asked, moving over to sit on the cot next to the one I was using. We were following an unspoken agreement that we probably shouldn't reveal the nature of our relationship to Fay for the time being, and that was probably a good idea. "Are we okay?"
The Cornerian shook her head. "I'm going to temper my concerns, but please understand that most trained spacers would be screaming at both of you over some of these things," she sighed, but her expression remained calm as she continued. "Firstly, you two need to be careful with these nanny-kits. Nanite toxicity is a threat, and Mr. Strayton in particular is close to hitting that threshold. Stay out of this kit for the next two weeks or you aren't going to be in any shape to move, let alone engage in combat."
Fay turned to Krys next; reaching across the aisle to place her hand on the vixen's shoulder. "Krystal," she began, a soft look in her eyes serving to take the edge off her words. "What I'm seeing in the logs is very alarming. I can't stress enough that you nearly died yesterday. You're suffering from the aftereffects of low-pressure pulmonary edema; fluid on your lungs. Do you know if your LISAs are in good working order?"
Krystal blinked and shook her head. "I don't think I was wearing mine yesterday," she admitted, glancing over to me. "He doesn't have one, so I know he didn't."
Fay's eyes darted over to me, widening in surprise. "Wait," she exclaimed, "You two weren't using LISAs out there?" She got up, wandering to one of the other bunks. I hadn't cleaned out the pirates' equipment, and she grabbed something that looked like an oversized smartwatch. She manipulated it; displays flashing at her. "Lyla's Bells!" she hissed, sitting back down. The expression on her features was equal parts frustration and alarm.
I spoke up. "You're right in the fact neither of us are spacers," I motioned to her. "However, you look like you're about to freak out. What's happening?"
Fay shut her eyes for a moment. "Firstly, I'm very surprised that you two aren't dead; the outside air pressure is less than point-six atmo, the equivalent to four thousand meters!" She sighed, motioning to the medical scanner. "CDF regulations are that LISAs are to be donned at less than point-eight atmo, or about two thousand meters. This ship's interior pressure is at point seven-five, which means this hulk has a hull breach the life support systems can't keep up with. The outside environment is enough to kill most Lylatians who aren't using life support equipment," she glanced up to me. "You aren't even wearing a flightsuit; how long were you out there?"
I remained silent for a few moments as I crunched some numbers. "About three hours total," I blinked as Fay's eyes widened even more; another realization hit me. "Shit. I think I understand now. Krystal's likely used to lower altitudes; she developed severe altitude sickness without us even realizing it." Sighing, I reached across to grasp Krys' hand, unspoken rules be damned. I felt hers tightening around mine in response. I still wondered how the Snowhorn and Sharpclaw were still making it; had they adapted to high altitudes where Lylatians and Cerinians had not?
Fay nodded at us. "I still have no idea how you managed to survive that kind of exposure," she admitted. "However, if you're going to be up there in hard vacuum you must be able to recognize signs of hypoxia; not only in yourself but those around you. If you can't tell what the signs are, you can and will lose someone you care about," she turned to me, her calm voice contrasting her expression. "If you felt something was wrong with her physical and cognitive abilities, it was your responsibility to address it. I can tell now you're a decent person and not a bastard Iprani slaver, but you need to understand just how close your mate came to death yesterday."
Krys and I exchanged a worried glance; was it that obvious we were together? "You're right," I agreed. "I live in a mountainous area, and I have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps us humans have a fair bit more tolerance to these altitudes than Cerinians or maybe other Lylatians. That said; you're already aware Krys and I are involved with each other?"
Fay grinned. "I think I can recognize a mating bite when I see it," she tapped the side of her neck and winked at Krystal; my vulpine inamorata's ears practically lit up in a blush. "However, let's make sure you two survive to have more quality time together. We're going to need to find some equipment, so follow me…"
