The following is the Intellectual Property of Willem Tobey (nom de plume). Usage outside of personal entertainment purposes will bring shame upon you and your family. This writing\story\novel, its characters, and the events portrayed within are purely fictitious. Any similarity to other writings\stories\novels, characters, and events are purely coincidental and unintentional.
WARNING: May contain coarse language, violence, gore, or sexual content. Reader discretion is advised. 

Chapter 21. “Adaptation”

The feline doctor, Bridgette, was standing next to her. The look on her face was a mix of exhaustion and seething hatred. Troy looked back at the President. Her expression switched from soft and motherly to irritated. Her left eye had the slightest twitch to it. Troy picked up the scent of roses emanating from her. There was something sweet on her breath, but it was the medicinal undertone that caught his attention. He had no idea how he could smell it. She was over six feet away from his nose. 

“Despite the young one making your arrival,” she said and paused as she looked slightly to the side. “Difficult,” she finally said dryly. Her tongue smacked in her mouth as she opened and closed her jaw. “For lack of better word,” she growled through her teeth. She looked back at Troy with a bit of a softer look, then sighed. “Be that as it may, I welcomed you as one of us. This latest debacle...however...is making me second guess myself.” He could hear the disdain in her voice - complete and honest truth as well. 

Troy was catching the smell of nitrile - maybe latex - gloves and hand soap from the doctor. He could hear a low groan in her breathing that distinctly signified her evident exhaustion. The corners of her eyes were red and the capillaries were visible throughout her sclera. He was starting to wonder how he could see, hear, and smell these things. Like his senses have been enhanced somehow. He could even nearly feel each of the soft fibers of Luger’s fur touching his hand. His breathing was soft and steady. The smelly one sounded to be in a bit of duress as she quietly whimpered with her soft snores.

Alundra took a breath and slowly let it out with a hum. A touch of a smile eked at the corners of her mouth. “However, Suka carried you while Luger pleaded with myself and the doctor to help you.” She pressed her lips together as a cute expression and a smile beamed from her face. “I’ve already exhausted any favors for her, but Luger,” she said and shook her head while letting her breath loose from her nose. She giggled. “I couldn’t refuse him. I heard your meeting didn’t go as planned. But, he seems to have taken to you. I suggest you don’t overlook his kindness.” She looked fondly at Luger. “Such a sweet boy,” she whispered. She pressed her lips together again as she shook her head. “He couldn’t find the words to say why we should help you, but it seems there was a reason.”

Luger twitched, then groaned. A soft gurgle came from his stomach. As if on cue and in competition, the feline’s stomach growled loudly.

Alundra chuckled. “Seems everyone is starving. Neither one has left your…”

“Should have left you to die!” The Doctor spat and cinched her folded arms tighter to her chest.

The brownish, dirt and blood caked, smelly feline shot upright and to her hands and feet on the bed. She crawled up and sniffed Troy’s face - her hot, putrid breath assaulting his rejuvenated sense of smell. Troy’s stomach clenched and his torso lurched upwards. His nose made contact with hers, then he settled back onto the pillow while swallowing back the acid. She pushed herself back in surprise and touched the end of her short muzzle as a soft purr rumbled in her throat. It was...cute?...and cut short as her right ear turned to face backwards. She turned and replaced the purr with a barely audible growl. She leapt off the bed and ran to the door, hit the switch, then bolted out of the room. 

Troy wasn’t sure what had just happened. And what’s with her eyes? They looked painful. What caused them to look like that? Even in the dreams he had that she was in, they were solid. But...just now...it looked like a crack formed in her right eye. It was so quick, but he swore he saw another color through the crack. Was it blue? Maybe he was just seeing things again. He was hooked up to IVs so he couldn’t be sure he wasn’t given any drugs that were affecting him.

Luger had snorted or choked on his breath as she pushed up from the bed. His ears were folded back and he looked terrified as if expecting a beating or something. The fur on his face was matted against the grain as he smacked his tongue and lips once. He squeaked and quickly pulled his hand from Troy’s, then looked at Troy as his torso slowly pulled away. Troy could hear the thudding in his chest mixed with quick, heavy breathing. He nearly fell off the side of the bed as he skirted away. He caught himself and settled his feet to the floor. He looked down at the floor with his hands at his stomach - his fingers laced and his thumbs drumming. Troy could just see his skin on his face and inner ears was red.

Alundra looked confused with an eyebrow raised. She watched the smelly feline leave, then over at Luger as he left, then stood by the bed. She looked at the Doctor, then at Troy with a harsh expression. “Not sure what that was all about,” she mumbled. She cleared her throat and continued. “Despite the Doctor’s outburst, let’s say that this is the...last time we’ll be operating on you without just cause,” she stated sternly. “Our resources are stretched thin as it is with our dwindling supplies and wounded soldiers.” 

Troy glanced over to see the lizard doctor looking at a medical chart tablet. Her eyes met his. She winced and brought her hand up to grab both sides of her collar tight in her hand. Troy forgot all about slamming her to the floor. How could he...should he apologize? No. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

Alundra’s left hand grasped her skirt and tightened to a fist that gently shook as she lifted her right hand to point at Troy. “You’re a guest on this ship. I realize it’s not by choice and believe me when I say, “The feeling’s mutual.” While you’re here, I will not tolerate anymore infighting!”

Troy could see and hear the emotions in her eyes and voice. Her hand vibrated harder as she gradually curled her finger back, shook her fist, then sighed and regained her composure. She looked down at the floor then back up at him as her fist loosened from her skirt and her other hand found its place by her side.

“With that said, we are trying very hard to find your home system and planet using what little information we have. If you can think of anything else that can aid us, let one of us know. In the meantime,” she said and resumed a strict, commanding expression and tone. “I suggest you start making yourself useful. My love for sweet Luger will only save you so many times. You owe him your life.” Her eyes looked up for a brief moment before returning to his. “It seems you owe your life to two of mine now. You would do well to repay those debts.”

Troy looked away from her. She was right. She didn’t say anything he didn’t already know. If he remembered correctly, she’d already said this several times. Still, he really didn’t want to be here. There was nothing for him here. He wasn’t sure why he was here or for what purpose. Even Mykol has been very vague or purposely dodging the point. Then again, he was just a dream being. Regardless, he should be dead! And what if he found a purpose and was guilted into staying? What then!?

“Doctor,” Alundra said, snapping him from his thoughts. “If he’s fully functional, get him out of here. He has work to do.”

“With pleasure,” the Doctor replied with a lot of enthusiasm.

Luger was fixing his fur until he turned and followed the President out of the room. The Doctor came to the side of the bed and began pulling out the IVs from his arms and pulling off the monitoring patches from his chest. She forcefully pulled the sheet from his body leaving him feeling very naked. A chill rushed over his naked flesh. Chill bumps seemed to form on his skin in the same wave as the sheet leaving. The Doctor jammed a finger above his left eye and shined a light into the forced open lids, then repeated the process over on the other side. She clicked off the light and slapped the end of it against his chest, abdomen, arm, thigh, and foot to which his body responded by tensing up. She placed the light in her coat pocket as she walked to the end of the bed. She sneered at him as she slung her arm out to the side and pointed to the door.

Troy would never tell her this, but she had such a cute face until she did that. Troy pulled himself up to a seated position and pivoted on his back end until his legs dangled off the edge of the bed. He pushed with his hands until his feet touched the cold floor. Another push and he was standing upright. He began to shakily walk towards the open door. The Doctor watched as he grabbed his communicator from the small table next to a chair, then walked out.

“Now what?” He thought as he glanced down both sides of the hallway.

He picked a direction and started walking while supporting himself with the wall as the slight atrophy still affected him. After a few moments, he felt the wobbly knees go away. He could feel everything! Smell everything! See everything! He didn’t feel weak. He actually felt really good. Strong. It was as if his original parts finally came to an agreement with the intruders. After two hallway junctions, he found himself near the residential wing he’d seen before. He looked down one hallway to see and smell the all-too-familiar sight and smell of sex.

The smell of sweat and breath mixed with the scent of male ejaculate and that strange smell the females gave off filled his nose. It was that same smell all the females that attempted to seduce him radiated. It filled his entire olfactory and his body reacted. He covered his nose with his free hand as a lime green lizard female stroked the penis of a much larger giraffe-like male that was using his long tongue to lap at her neck. Troy wondered again if he’d ever get used to this as she moaned and he groaned to each other’s advances. He walked past the hallway just as the male lifted her up and positioned her above him to impale her. Troy could hear her shriek, then moan as he rounded the corner of the next intersection. 

A group of the manimals...the “fur people” was it that Mykol referred to them as? They walked past and whispered insults directed at him that he ignored. The smell of musty paper caught his attention. It smelled like a library was close. He hadn’t been in one since he was in college. He looked to the left to see a sign next to the open archway with a book symbol and the strange lettering they used underneath it. The inside looked like a library anyway. If he were to “make himself useful,” this was as good as any place to start. Probably the best. Perhaps working on the language barrier would be the best place to start. The in-ear translator didn’t help him with the signs and other things that displayed their language. It was no wonder he hadn’t found himself completely lost yet.

He poked his head through the archway to see a desk with a stereotypical-looking librarian at the desk pouring over a book. Well, he’d never seen a rabbit librarian, but she had thin-framed, snap-on glasses atop her short muzzle that had a thin chain attached to the arms. Her brunette hair was pulled up into a bun on the back of her head. Her clothes were light, neutral colors. She even wore a light sweater. 

Troy decided against decency. He was already traveling around naked. The majority of the ship’s members were either naked or copulating. He walked in the door and looked around. The rabbit pulled the book away and looked over at him. Her expression went from one of boredom to wide-eyed shock. Her inner ears turned red against the white of her fur and drooped down to the sides. She gasped and brought a hand up to shield her eyes. 

Troy walked up to the desk to ask her where to start. She smelled of cherry and vanilla with a hint of spice like a gentle cedar. Troy found himself momentarily lost in his new sense of smell and her scent.

“S...so naked,” he heard her whisper as she stole glances around her blinder.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Are there any books or something to help me learn your language,” Troy thought to prepare himself to type into the communicator. 

It seemed like the best way to word it. He typed it into the communicator and was about to hit the “send” button.

She was shaking as she stammered, “Y-you’re n-n-naked!” 

Her voice was shaking about as hard as she was. He could almost feel the heat she was generating.

“We-w-we...clothes! Y-you need clo-clothes on to be-be h-here!”

Troy hit the “send” button, then followed it up with, “I apologize. I just got out of the medical ward and wasn’t given any clothing. Alundra requested I make myself useful. I don’t feel I can until I learn your language.”

She cleared her throat. “You need clothes! And Miss Arianna ha-hasn’t sub-sub...entered...given me the inf-information about your language. I can’t h-help you right now-now.”

Troy looked around and sighed. His gaze returned to the embarrassed rabbit. He didn’t want to leave here now. Not empty-handed! Maybe he could talk to Doctor Greene. Though, maybe it was still too soon. She didn’t seem like she forgave him just yet. He still wanted to talk to her. There had to be a reason Jon was being dissected. 

“Thank you anyway,” the emotionless robotic voice said for him.

She was peeking through her fingers at him. Her eye rolled up to meet his. Troy just smiled as he gently shook his head. She was too...cute? Her hand slowly lowered to show her mile-wide eyes. She seemed to have stopped breathing. Troy just waved and turned to leave.

He should be flattered that he was being looked at like that - receiving this kind of attention from females regardless of species. He never got anything like this from Jackie. Though, he may have to draw the line at groping and other public displays of affection. That was a bit much. Both groups he’s encountered seemed like highly sexualized species. Then again, the group of girls - that included the mouse girl - were younger. They may not have had any experience with men. Troy glanced back at the rabbit to see her staring at him, squirming, and fanning her face. Troy stopped at the archway and winked, then smiled as he walked out of the room.

That was such a boost in confidence. But it was still a furry person. Regardless, he had to stop himself from laughing as it sent stabbing pain throughout his neck. She was right: He should get some clothes on. He was still unsure of why they didn’t get him any if they were going to take them off. They were filthy, sure. But to leave him naked and...Troy came to a stop, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly to calm his incoming anger. Despite their lack of decorum, he was raised to keep himself covered. 

Troy continued down to his room and pulled out a set of clothes. They smelled clean despite the fraying, cuts, fading, and permanent stains. He was by far the furthest thing from a tailor, but perhaps they could use new clothing. 

“Honestly, where did they get these clothes?” 

He thought for a brief moment on that question as he pulled on a pair of briefs and a dingy white shirt. Perhaps the better question was, “Did they even have the ability to create new clothing?” He assumed not. The Major’s clothing seemed newer than his own. The President wore very nice clothes. Even the Doctors’ lab coats seemed new. 

“Space pirates?” Troy thought as he pulled on a pair of denim jeans with the knees thinned out and beginning to fray. “They would have to be. They weren’t as advanced as the previous group. They seemed to manufacture everything themselves. But...how?”

He didn’t want to linger on this question too much. Maybe that was the whole reason they invaded the other ship. If they hadn’t, he may still be an experiment shackled to a table. He immediately stopped thinking too far into this as well. Images of him being skinned while conscious caused his skin to crawl. He pulled on a pair of socks and tied on a pair of shoes with the heel of the right shoe’s sole splitting away from the rest of the midsole.

Troy began his trek through the ship once more. He passed several intersections that began to blur together. He took one look around and realized he was incredibly lost. Nothing looked familiar and it wasn’t as if he could read any of the signs on the walls. He walked up to a large door with two sliders instead of one. He remembered seeing one like this where he teleported in. Perhaps this was a storage room where they held their pirate treasure. Troy smiled at the thought of the Major wearing an eyepatch swinging around a curved blade and talking like a pirate. 

His giggling faded as he looked up at the sign that arched over the doorway. He hadn’t the foggiest clue what it said. He decided to chance it. He hoped that he wasn’t about to interrupt one of the manim-...

“Furies?” He thought as he closed his eyes and scratched his bald head. Some of the green stuff flaked off and fluttered to the floor. “Furries,” he thought as he snapped his fingers and his eyes shot open with the realization. “Do they prefer to be called that, too?” He wondered to himself as he tried the door switch. “Pardon the intrusion,” he thought as he waited for the door to open. 

He waited a few moments before realizing that the door wasn’t opening. He noticed a pried section on one of the sliders. He carefully placed his hand in the slim hole and pulled the door towards the wall. It didn’t seem to budge. He felt around inside the hole when his finger caught on something. He pushed down on the object and heard a “click.” The doors scraped against the frame as they slowly opened. He had to cover his sensitive ears or he’d be served another helping of a headache he really didn’t need right now.

It was pitch dark inside. His nose was assaulted by the smell of cut wood and oiled steel. It didn’t smell fresh. Flashes of his time with Jon’s construction company filled his head. He missed those days. Sure it was tough work, but he enjoyed it more than his time in med school. 

The dust that billowed out from the room settled and he stepped through the doors. A light clicked on above him. Row by row - like some scripted stadium lighting - the lights clicked and turned on until the whole room was lit. As the loud buzzing from the lights quieted down to a low hum, he realized he was standing inside some sort of workshop. Various sizes of lumber and steel were stacked or sorted to the left on industrial grade shelving. The middle of the room had a few kinds of workbenches. The right side had all of the tools and machines. A furnace was the last thing he could see all the way in the back. The lights back there must be out. One of them had flickered on and the filament glowed, but refused to stay on.

Troy nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a figure move to his right. He looked at the full-length mirror leaning against the wall with irritation. The wood frame was intricately carved with an ornamental design like you’d find in a mansion. The mirror surface itself seemed relatively clean compared to the rest of the shop. Troy stepped towards it to take in the amount of detail on it. It was incredible! It had to have been hand carved. Troy used his hand to wipe away the thin layer of dust and clapped his hands free of it. Troy shoved the communicator in his pocket and wrung his hands together.

This was the first time he’d seen his new body. He was decently built from all the construction work. He wasn’t exactly eating well or he might have been more muscular. Now, though, he was bulging! His biceps bulged under the skin and veins created paths from his wrist to under the shirt. He felt odd doing so, but he pulled off his shirt and pants to get a better look. His pectorals, trapezius, deltoids, biceps, triceps, and forearms were amazing! He even had a six-pack that could be eight with how well defined his lower abdomen was bulging from beneath the waistband of the briefs. Even his legs and calves were impressive. He felt odd looking at himself like this. Especially with the missing hair and eyebrows. He was grass green and very hairless - like he had hypotrichosis. 

He had come this far. He may as well look down. Troy looked around, then slowly pulled down the briefs. He paid this no mind before, but with this new discovery he had to know. He took a breath and settled down before opening his eyes. He expected to find the pruny thumb hanging above the small walnuts. That was normal. He was a bit larger than the recorded human average in studies. He had to squint his eyes to see what exactly was going on down there now. 

Troy looked down from the mirror at the object. This looked like an uncut penis. Troy was circumcised as a baby. Perhaps with the skin rebuilding itself, it came back? But this almost looked like the sheath the one canine had in the simulation - without fur, of course. He reached down and touched the foreign object. He felt fuller. Thicker. He pulled back the skin to expose what was hidden within. He was moderately relieved to see a mushroom poke out. It looked...different, though. It looked like the tapered end was concave and his urethra was surrounded in a thick skin. It...looked like...the end of the penis he had while he was the horse. It wasn’t quite as large, but visually similar. As he pushed back, there was even a ridge that formed halfway down. This thing wasn’t his. This was - as with the larger musculature - a “gift” from his previous captors. It was still coming out as he pulled his hand away. His hand shook a bit as he reached down and touched his testicles. They felt full. That seemed impossible with how much he’d been farmed for semen. He cupped his scrotum in his hand. These were much...MUCH larger than his original equipment. He glanced at them in the mirror. They were smaller than Luger’s. They looked like Luger’s, though. They had that distinct lemon shape to them. He slid his finger down and could feel the larger vas deferens creating that convex, rounded look. What intrigued him the most was the expanding base of his length.

“What...the...h-...”

“Too much,” he heard behind him.

Troy jumped out of his skin and covered himself up while sheepishly turning around.

“Don’t play with it too much or it’ll fall off,” the giggling Colonel said as she walked towards him.

The Colonel was wearing clothing this time. She was even wearing armor. Handguns were holstered to each of her thick thighs. She held a helmet under her left arm while her right hand held the strap to her automatic rifle slung over her shoulder. She looked like a Tactical Enforcement Agency member from his planet. Her fur was matted down and he could smell the sweat and various perfumes permeating from her skin and fur. Her ears were tied behind her head with a navy blue ribbon. Her expression was contorted into a mischievous grin and glance. Troy’s attempt to cover up made her smile wider.

“Oh! Because I haven’t seen it already,” she sputtered out with a chuckle. She groaned as her tongue swiped her lips, her nose twitched, and she gently bit her lower lip. Her eyebrows danced as she looked down at his hands. “Touched...it,” she whispered through her barely open lips. She held one eyebrow up as she looked up at his eyes. “What do you think? Twelve? Fifteen?” She asked with a sultry whisper with her eyes flashing open wider and wider with each number.

She was right. That didn’t make it any more acceptable for her to be ogling him like this - speaking like that to him. Of course he realized that no one other than the librarian seemed to be bothered by a naked body.

“I stopped in because this area is, well,” she said and shifted her weight to her other thick-booted foot. 

They seemed to be custom made to fit their strange feet. But were they strange? They had animal feet. It was something else he’d have to get used to. Troy had to look up quicker as his eyes landed on those thighs and her hips. The shape of her rectus femoris and her gluteus medius bulging from the fabric of her pants intrigued him far too much. He knew there was still an animal under that suit. But he could feel something stirring inside his chest...and his loins while looking at her. Any further staring and he’d have to resort to drastic measures to hide his growing endowment.

She appeared to think for a moment, then said, “Let’s just say it hasn’t been occupied in quite a while. The engineers manning this station have either perished or were injured in our last attack. I’m aware that you happened upon the last occupant. In time, I’m sure the doctor’s will explain. Then, there’s the others that…” She shifted her weight several times, then found her center as she looked at the floor. “The sickness,” she muttered.

Troy had to know: What sickness? They were more advanced than his own planet. Was there a sickness they couldn’t cure? The other group had this goop that they covered him in. This group had surgical advancements that made it so he could barely see the incision on his chest. Also, he needed to know more about Jon. 

“He was the last one in here?” Troy thought as he joined her in looking at the floor. Possibilities began to flood his mind.

They looked back up at each other in unison. She forced a smile, then nodded his way.

“That mirror was the last thing the other smooth skin,” she said and hesitated with her mouth open. “Jon,” she said assuredly. “He was a fighter. He was barely alive when we picked him up.” Her expression and tone faltered and wavered. “His dying days were spent carving that mirror. When his hands would tire, he would rest beside you...holding your hand.” Her lip began to quiver in time with her quaking voice. Her eyes began to water. “Those three months, he stayed by your side. He kept...willing you to…”

Troy felt a lump growing in his throat. He didn’t care about the pain. He looked away from the Colonel to the mirror. Jon wasn’t known for his intricacy or having a delicate nature. Jon wasn’t one to leave a project unfinished, either. Troy noticed the lower part of the frame was still smooth wood. His home was filled with hand carved wood furniture. Nothing this fancy. Troy could only assume this was a hobby he did before or learned during his time in the company. He never made anything like this. There was something special about it. Troy was going to have to figure out what.

“That was supposed to be a gift to the President for taking care of him. You, too.” The Colonel gave a half-hearted chuckle. “She told him he needed to do more than that to pay off both of your debts.”

Troy looked back at the Colonel as she was finishing wiping away a tear from her eye.

“Anyway. I can take you back to your room if...if that’s where you intended to go.”

Troy looked back at the mirror, then at her and nodded. Despite all the rest he’d had the past couple of days, he was feeling a bit tired. He dressed, then grabbed the communicator and followed her from the room. She pulled the doors shut, then led him through the hallways. Troy stared at the communicator in an effort not to stare at the bobbing fluff of her tail...or her perky rear. 

A peculiar smell touched his olfactory. It was sweat mixed with something slightly musky, sweet, and a touch earthy. There was also...death? No. That last part of the smell was familiar to someone else. He quietly drew in a breath of the scent the rabbit was trailing behind her. Dare he say he was turned on by the scent the rabbit emitted? Jackie was never sweaty around him. He was learning another new thing about himself while he was here. Would there be more?

Troy looked over his shoulder to see if he could see the smelly feline trailing them. He didn’t think she was in front of them. The smell seemed to come from behind him. He couldn’t make out the telltale growl, but he did hear scratching every now and then.

Troy plowed right into the back of the rabbit.

“Ah shit! I’m sorry!” She exclaimed as she whirled around. “I was just going to say that if you want to help me wash up I can take you on a bit of a tour. I have some down time and it would help if you were more familiar with the ship’s layout.”

Troy blushed deeply at the thought of touching her. Jackie never let him touch her like that. Never in the shower. Barely in the sheets, to be perfectly honest. Plus, wouldn’t this be her cheating on her partner? Not that he was intending to breed her. 

Troy shook those dirty thoughts from his head as he gripped the communicator with enough force for it to creak under his strength. On the top of that nonsense cake, she was the first Furry that made his heart flutter and his groin stir. Could he include the mouse in that cake? Alexei? No. This had to be lust and not love. Maybe it had been longer than he realized since his last extraction.

She grinned and raised an eyebrow. “You perv. Washing another isn’t intended to be a sexualized act unless it’s mutually agreed upon.” She evened out her brow. “It’s primarily done in twos to check for disease, cuts, growths, or other unhealthy things. They could be the sign or lead to something worse if we don’t treat them immediately. Sven stayed behind to work on some more training. He won’t mind washing himself. He won’t mind you washing me.” She peeked down at his pants, then back to his eyes. “As long as you keep that thing in check,” she said mischievously. She suddenly turned serious and leaned in towards his face. “Do I make myself crystal?” She asked with all seriousness. She grinned devilishly, then laughed. She turned and began to walk again. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Not funny,” Troy thought. He tapped the communicator and relayed that thought, then followed it with, “I’m not looking to die today. That’s in the past now.”

The Colonel slowed to a stop and turned around. She pushed herself into him and hugged him with her free arm. Troy could feel her soft, sticky fur brush against the side of his head. Her scent marched into his nose and started a musical number. He clamped his free hand tight to try and stave off the dancing in his briefs.

“I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through,” the Colonel whispered. Her voice continued as she choked up. “Though many have faced hardships more severe, that doesn’t detract from the fact that you’ve suffered, too. I can’t pretend to know how you feel or how you felt. Just know that you’re not alone. Not anymore. I’m so sorry you couldn’t be awake to see your friend before he passed. But you have Luger now. I’m still not entirely sure what Suka’s feelings are, but she seems to care for you, too. I...seem to have a soft spot for you now as well.” She softly chuckled in his ear as she squeezed him tighter. “I’m too much of a softy, I’m told.” She loosened her grip a little.

Troy found truth in her words. He believed her. He loosened his hand and held her in his arms.

“Is that crystal enough for you?” She asked as she rubbed her cheek against his.

Troy nodded. She was right. He wasn’t alone anymore. He would have to get to know Luger better. Perhaps he’d even get the chance to talk with the smelly one. He wanted to talk with Bunny about Jon. Though she may not be able to tell him anything. He would have to speak with Alundra. There was so much he didn’t know while he was unconscious. He pieced most of it together, but the specifics still eluded him. He still didn’t know why he was abducted. Why was his semen extracted and his body torn apart? Was it just because of the blank chromosome? Were they trying to save their population by cloning him? Also, he didn’t know why he was saved. Two people know why and the one - Mykol - won’t say. Will Suka - the smelly one - talk? Could she talk? He wanted to get to the bottom of this. Facts were what he craved.

“Anyway, let’s get to the showers. I’ll take you to your room once we’re done with the tour. Okay?”

She pulled away and looked in his eyes with a smile while holding his arms in her hands. Troy nodded and smiled back. Maybe things were starting to look up - to go his way. He just hoped this positive shift didn’t change anytime soon. Did she just squeeze his arms? Troy shook the thought from his head.

“I do hope the Lieutenant doesn't walk in on us,” Troy thought as she let go of him and turned to continue down the hallway. “I just had something nice happen and...I get it now. There are manimal...Furries that are on my side. I don’t want to let them down. I owe them my....my life,” Troy finally admitted.

It seemed that - slowly - his plans were starting to list themselves. He had information to gather, people to talk to, and he wanted to look closer at the mirror. Something about it bothered him. It seemed...familiar...somehow. He still had the problem of what his contribution was going to be. He would think that over for the remainder of the day. Right now, he had to steel his resolve and stave off any excitement to prepare for what was to come. He wasn’t sure he was ready to wash a female - Furry or not.