Shifti - User contributions [en]

User:Nikon

2020-05-03T01:56:38Z

Nikon: Removed long abandoned WiP

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

{{author page}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

User:Nikon

2019-10-03T21:16:17Z

Nikon: Removed WIP I thought I had removed.

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]

Chakona Space
*[[User:Nikon/Relics|Relics]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

{{author page}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

User:Nikon

2013-12-12T14:08:04Z

Nikon:

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]
*[[User:Nikon/Coming_Home|Coming Home]]

Chakona Space
*[[User:Nikon/Relics|Relics]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

{{author page}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

User:Nikon

2013-12-12T14:07:41Z

Nikon:

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]

*[[User:Nikon/Coming_Home|Coming Home]]

Chakona Space
*[[User:Nikon/Relics|Relics]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

{{author page}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

User talk:Jetfire/Astra-naught

2012-08-30T09:55:48Z

Nikon: Created page with "I liked the story. Anyone want to start taking bets on when they integrate?"

I liked the story.

Anyone want to start taking bets on when they integrate?

User:Nikon/Relics

2011-02-15T21:28:57Z

Nikon: Added category

{{title|name=Relics|author=Nikon}}

{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}
{{Universe|Chakona Space}}
{{author's note|Ok. I keep getting bugged to do some writing. I've got three hours of nothing at the end of my shift at work and Documents-To-Go on the phone. I think I'll start with a dream of mine. a horrible, horrible marysue, butchering the Chakona space setting. (By the way, all science officers in SciFi settings sound like vulcans in my head)}}

{{dropcap|T}}he SS Celestial moved though the blackness of space on a normal cargo run between systems. Aboard its crew worked though their routine. Not a single human on board this vessel, every crew member was a taur of some sort. On the bridge a lone chakat sat monitoring the ship's course. Shi yawned drowsily, as not much happens between the stars.

A small red light began to blink on the console. The chakat poked at it a few times with a feline claw. Shi sighed and spoke into hir headset. "Captain, you may want to come up here. Sensors picked up something."

The captain, a stellar foxtaur, came onto the bridge and floated next to the pilot. "What do you have Trail?"

"It appears to be a spacecraft or probe of some sort. And I think it's old, maybe pre gene wars. I won't know unless we get closer." the chakat, brought up the Celestial's course and that of the unidentified object. "It's slightly off our current heading."

The captain put a paw under hir muzzle. " How much extra time would it add for an intercept course?"

Trailwalker worked the computer plotting the potential course. "Only 20 minutes if we do a flyby and snag it with the tractor, longer if we rendezvous. We do have two hours of slack worked into the drop schedule and the extra empty cargo bay."

Captain Starguide thought it over, hir ears twitching with thought. "Lay in that intercept course and tractor it aboard, maybe it might be of interest to the archaeologists on Chakona Prime."

"Yes captain" the chakat worked at setting in the new course. "Course laid in and set. two hours and four minutes to intersect."

The foxtaur turned to leave. "I'll see to waking everyone up. keep an eye on that craft. I'd like some forewarning of what we're snagging."

Starguide was in hir quarters reading a book, when the com chirped at her. Shi pressed the button. "Captain, we have the craft on full sensors, we'll be there in 20 minutes at this speed."

"I'll be right up." Shi floated though the ship to the bridge to watch the capture. "Any more info on what we're snagging?"

"It appears to be a satellite, old too. I'm seeing some solar arrays and there does seem to be a large cargo area, we won't know more till we snag it. We'll have to be careful of those solar arrays though in bringing it into the cargo bay," Ein replied, watching the sensors.

The pilot called out, "We've got visual." On the view-screen came a small bright dot that quickly got bigger.

"Ok, Ready tractors, we've only got one shot to snag it." Starguide twitched hir tail as shi waited to get closer. "And engage the tractor."

A ray of soft light reached out from the Celestial, falling on the ancient satellite, suddenly changing it's momentum and trajectory. "Captain, we have it, pulling it in," called out Ein.

Two space-suited taurs floated out in a small vehicle to help with the capture, attaching cables to several tie-downs on the satellite, letting it be towed gently into the cargo bay by the mule. "Kzz. Captain, we have a successful capture, and the sat is secure." came across the radio. "Captain, I see a doorway on the sat, permission to enter, cargo bay is still in hard vac."

Captain Starguide rubbed hir muzzle. "Permission granted, but wait for Ein. Ein, suit up and document everything."

The tawny furred chakat nodded and floated to the airlock. In moments shi was floating out of airlock and to the satellite. The three taurs made quick time unsealing the door, and looking in with their helmet lights.

"Captain, I'm seeing what looks like an airlock. Entering now." Ein floated in, followed by Silvermoon. "There isn't enough room for more then two of us, looks like it was designed just for those about human sized. Closing the outer hatch now."

The outer hatch closed, allowing the inner one to be opened. The two chakats carefully looked inside. "I'm still reading vacuum in here. I'm seeing cabinets lining the room, with the centre open. Looks like storage. There's a large hole in the top of the room, looks like access to the rest of the sat."

Ein floated over to one of the cabinets. "Each one is labeled with what looks like a name with 'Personal Effects' in English under it. I'll check the cabinets on our way out, Heading up in the sat."

Ein pushed off the bottom and floated up though the hole leading to the next room. "I don't see any ladders or supports, so I'd guess that all this was loaded in micro-g. I can see there is another level above this one." Shi looked around at hir surroundings. "I see a dozen metal cylinders ringing the room, each seems to have a control panel next to it. There's a window on the tube, covered in frost. I'm going to wipe away some of the frost to see what's inside.

Shi wiped away the frost with hir gloved paw and gasped in shock. "Captain, we have frozen bodies in here!"

{{Separator|k}}

Captain Starguide sat on the bridge. Shi couldn't believe what shi just heard. "Can you repeat that Ein, did you just say that there were bodies in there?"

Shi watched a feed from the cargo bay as the reply came back. "That is correct. Frozen bodies. Human so far."

"Pull back, and seal it back up, I want another staff meeting in 15." The Captain floated off to hir cabin to do some reading on procedure.

Shi floated down the to the common room 10 minutes later, and hooked hir paws under the bar at the head of the table and looked at the others gathered. "I've gone over the regs, and I can't find one to cover this situation." Shi looked at Ein and Snow, the ship's doctor. "I need an opinion from you both how to go forward."

Ein spoke up. "Captain, I think we should first make sure that all the systems are working correctly, and that the people in cryo and still... viable. If it is pre war, then we have no idea if any of them have survived, no one has been in cryo that long before."

Captain Starguide turned to Snow, and hy spoke up. "I would agree, our first responsibility should be for the health of those in cryo, and worst case, we may have to thaw them out to save them, if things are deteriorating."

Starguide took a few deep breaths in thought. "Ok, you two go in, and I want a full tricorder scan of the inside. Assess the health of that craft and the people inside. Maybe there's a computer or some record on why these people were in cryo. I think it might be best for safety if we pressurize the cargo hold, just in case. Sunstorm, if you could see to it. Ein, Snow, get what equipment you need to get down there. I'll monitor you from the bridge. Let's get to work." Shi unhooked her paws, and headed off to the bridge.

Snow headed off to medbay, and Ein down to engineering with Sunstorm. Snow and Ein meet up at the pressurized cargo bay and looked up at the satellite. Ein turned to Snow. "I'll go in first, then you can follow. Take as many readings as possible. The cryo pods are on the 2nd and 3rd levels." Shi pushed off and floated up to the entry hatch, the skunktaur following behind.

Ein opened the airlock, and a small rush of air filled the vacuum inside. "Captain, we're going to need some extra air in here. I'm going to tie myself onto the sat, while I open the inner airlock, it's still under vacuum."

"Understood, the environmentals are set to compensate," came the reply over the radio.

"Ok, breaking seal now." Shi undid the inner hatch and air around became a torrent as it seeked to fill the sat. After a bit, the wind stopped. "I think we have the pressure equalized. We're going in now."

Ein floated into the lower compartment of the sat. "I'm going to see if I can get anything out of the computer, you go up and check on the people."

Snow nodded and took off to the upper compartments. Hy started to scan each tube. "Not looking promising. The cryo on most of these have been compromised, the coldness of space kept the bodies from decaying, but.. all the ones so far are too far gone to be revived. It looks like they were dead before they were loaded." Hy finished hys scans. "None of the ones on this deck can be revived. I'm heading up to the next one."

Snow headed up to the upper deck, while Ein worked on interfacing with the sat's computer. Ein spoke over the com, "Captain, I've got a connection, but his thing is old. The tricorder has more processing power then the hunk of silicon in here, but I am getting data. The satellite says it's owned by a company called CryoStar, and it seems that all the people aboard were put on in a attempt to cheat death. I've got a launch date Captain, 2019. It must've broken orbit, and gotten flung out of the sol system."

Snow interrupted, "Captain, we have two in here that are intact, and could live, but I'm not sure if we could revive them. Plus, Ein, could you come up here and check these scans. I think the cryogenics is failing. Captain, if we want to save these two, we may have to do it quickly."

Ein floated up beside Snow. "Captain, I concur the readings Snow is getting. I think if we hadn't come by when we did, they might have been too far gone to save."

"Captain, I would like to bring tanks 13 and 22 into medbay and see if we can save these humans," Snow spoke over the comlink.

Captain Starguide had hir paw under her muzzle in thought again. "We need to, saving lives is more important than anything else. Do what you need to make it happen."

It took a few hours to unhook and move the cryo tubes, hooking them up to a better power supply. Snow worked on both humans, carefully working to unfreeze them, and repair any damage for resuscitation.

Snow let out a deep sigh. "Captain, please come to medbay. We need to talk.:"

Starguide glided into the medbay a few moments later. "What's wrong Snow?"

"It's their bodies, they're just too far gone, the primitive cryo just did too much damage to fix. But their minds are intact, if there was some way to save them." Snow hung hys head.

Ein came into medbay from the small science station in the next compartment, "Captain, there may be one way to save them, but it's a very long shot."

"I think a longshot is all they have right now, what is it Ein?" Starguide floated next to the beds with the two humans.

"Remember that human who was accidentally turned into a chakat during a transporter accident? There's been some work on duplicating the results, with some success. We might try the same with our transporter. But for it to work, we'd need someone to volunteer their body to be copied."

Starguide looked a bit shocked. "That is an interesting idea. But could it work... we do have some extra cargo containers that can be used as the extra mass needed. Ein, get right on making the preparations. Sounds like time for another staff meeting." Shi took off for the common room.

{{Separator|k}}

Starguide sighed and pushed a stray strand of headfur that had floated into hir view. Shi looked at her frazzled crew around the common table. “I'm sorry to keep calling these, but this is a very unusual situation. As I'm sure you know, the satellite held humans in cryo. Unfortunately, the cryo was so primitive that only two have survived, but not enough that we can revive them intact. Ein has a possible way to save both of them. Shi is wanting to use the transporter to copy their minds into new bodies. We would need two volunteers though to copy. I won't order anyone for the copy, but this would be saving two lives that can't wait for planetfall.” Shi looked around the room at hir crew.

Ashera raised hys paw. “You can copy me for one. Anything I can do to help,” the skunktaur spoke up.

Starguide looked out. “Anyone else?”

“I'll do it. If it will help,” Sunstorm replied. Hir long fennec ears twitching nervously.

Starguide took a deep breath and let it out. “Ok, you two talk with Ein, and let's hope this works. Snow can also fill you both in about your copies, who they are. The rest of you, back to your duties."

Half the crew left for whatever duties had been assigned. Ein looked at the nervous skunktaur and stellar. "I'm sure you both have questions, so ask."

"How is this going to work?" Ashera quietly asked.

Ein answered, "As you know, the transporter is actually two transporters in one. One for the body, and one for the mind. Normally when you are transported, you mind and body are separated then put back together on the receiving end. For this, we're going to use an existing pattern in the transporter, one copied from each of you, to put the mind of the humans into."

Ashera looks skeptical, "This can be done?"

"I'm going to use information from an accident and from some new research following the accident. I believe it can be done," Ein answered.

"Who are these people?," Sunstorm spoke up.

"We have some information from the sat's computers. All the humans in cryo were in there because they had passed away, and were hoping that some future medicine would be able to revive them." Snow passed over two padds with the information retrieved, and continued, "Greg Johnson, 34, died due to a cancer spread though his body. It says that he was a software engineer. It says he was an avid baseball player, but not much more."

Snow pointed to the other pad. "This is an interesting one. Stephanie Raccoon, 38, transgendered, died due to an accidental drug overdose. The transgender may help us here, as she may adjust better. It says she was a photographer, and a 'furry'. We're not sure what that last part means, but there are some entries in the ship's computer about a group of people who talked about morphs before the first was geengineered. We've already prepared two of the unoccupied cabins we normally use for passengers for them. I wish we knew more about these two, but the records are spotty."

"What is going to happen to them after this?" Sunstorm asked Ein and Snow.

"We don't know, that will be up to the authorities on Chakona," Ein replied.

Sunstorm looked at Ashera, then back at Ein and Snow. "I'm ready to do this."

Ashera nodded in agreement. "I'm ready as well.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls of the ship's transporter and looks at the platform with a very nervous skunktaur standing on it. The gravity generators had been turned on to make it easier to position on the transporter. "Are you ready Ashea?"

Ashea nodded hys head. Ein powered on the transporter, a glow surrounded as the skunktaur was converted into energy. Ein reversed the transport, and Ashea reformed on the transporter pad. "Ok, pattern has been saved. You can step down. We'll try the first transport now." Ein spoke into hir com, "Snow are you ready for the first transport?"

"I'm ready at this end, I've got Mr Johnson on life support, and about to start cerebral resuscitation." Snow pressed a button on hys tricorder, and a jolt went though the dead human."I have brainwave patterns, he's there. Ready for transport."

Ein powered up the transporter, the human on the table vanishing with a sparkling glow, along with two storage containers next to him. "Applying the new pattern now." Shi pushed more buttons on the controls. A glow came apon the pad, and formed into a skunktaur exactly like Ashera. The transporter went silent, and the skunktaur on the pad slumped over.

Ein rushed up. "Hy's breathing, that's a good sign, let's get hym back to medbay." Ein and Ashera carefully moved the unconscious skunktaur onto a stretcher, and out to sickbay, carefully putting hym onto a scanner table.

Snow started the medical scanner, "We have good vitals and brainwaves are looking good. I think it worked, but we'll have to wake hym first." Snow reached over and grabbed a hypospray. Hy pressed it against the new Greg, and injected a mild stimulant.

The skunktaur on the table opened hys eyes with a small groan. "Whad haggen?" Hys words a bit garbled.

Snow squeezed hys hand. "You're safe. You may feel different, but you are safe."

Greg clumsily turned towards Snow, and his eyes opened in fright. Hy screamed and fainted, slumping back on the table.

{{Separator|k}}

Captian Starguide could hear the yell from the bridge, as could the whole rest of the ship. Shi spoke into her com. "Snow? Ein? Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, but I think things could have gone a bit better. We did the first transfer, and I don't think Greg was ready for the sight of us." Show replied over the
com. "looks like we'll have to ease hym into the idea of non humans."

Starguide shook hir head. "I am guessing you're going to try with the second transfer while hy's out?"

"We'll be starting with that momentarily." Snow confirmed.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls while a very nervous fennec taur stood on the transporter. "Are you ready Sunstorm?

The stellar nodded, and Ein used the controls to turn Sunstorm to energy and back again, capturing her pattern. Sunstorm walked off the platform, and waited to help.

"Snow, are you ready?" Ein spoke into the com.

"I'm ready." Hy pressed the button to send a jolt of life bringing electricity into the dead brain of the human on the table. "And, got brain activity, Energize."

Ein started the transport, and the human vanished along with the extra mass needed for being a taur.

A glow formed in on the transporter pad and a new foxtaur appeared. Shi slumped over much like the last taur, but Sunstorm was ready to catch hir. "Ein? Why is her fur blue?"

Ein came over with the stretcher. "I do not know, there must've been a sight corruption in the pattern. Shi is breathing, but we need to get hir to sickbay to make sure everything is fine."

Sunstorm and Ein carried the new foxtaur into the sickbay, thankful for the micro-g outside of the transporter room. They carefully strapped Stephanie to one of the medical beds, so shi would not float away.

Snow glided over and waved the scanner for hys tricorder over the unconscious foxtaur. "Biosigns are good. Seeing no abnormalities other then the fur. That is a very odd shade of blue, almost looks fake, but it's very much part of hir."

Sunstorm looked at Snow, and asked, "Are we going to wake hir now?"

Snow nodded and picked up a hypospray. "Shi's stable enough, let's see how shi reacts." Snow pressed the hypospray against the new taur's neck and with a hiss, Stephanie woke up.

The blue taur blinked a few times, "Where am I," shi asked with a slurred tongue.

Snow put a paw on the blue fur. "You're safe."

Stephanie looked up at the voice. Seeing the skunktaur over her, shi looked puzzled. "Am I dreaming?"

Snow shook hys head. "No, you're not dreaming. We're as real as you are. What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was at work, setting up for the day's shoot, and that's it," shi answered a bit mangled due to the new muzzle. "I feel weird, and my mouth isn't forming the words right."

Snow held Stephanie's paw. "There was an accident, one of the medications you take was defective, and you got an overdose. It killed you, but you were put into cryogenic stasis in hopes you could be revived in the future. Well, welcome to the future."

Stephanie went wide eyed. "I died?" Shi brought a paw to hir muzzle, and blinked seeing it. "I... I... I'm changed?"

Snow blushed, hys ears flushing red. "In order to save you, we had to put you in a new body. Your old one was too far damaged from the drugs and the effects of being cryogenicly frozen. I'm sorry, there wasn't a human aboard that we could use for your new form."

Stephanie looked at hir paw, wiggling hir fingers. "I must be dreaming. No way I'm this lucky." Shi started to laugh, then cry in joy.

{{Separator|k}}

Both new taurs were moved into quarters next to their doubles, and the long process of teaching them about their bodies and the universe they woke up to.

"I can live with fox, I can live with taur, but why in the name of dog did I have to wake up with a body part I spent 10 years trying to get rid of?" Stephanie fumed in hir quarters with Sunstorm floating across from hir.

Sunstorm pointed a finger at Stephanie. "I'm not the one who designed us, but I happen to like being a herm. You think you've got issues with it, Greg has been freaking out about the whole thing since we woke hym up again."

Stephanie laid hir ears back, still a new feeling for hir. "I do feel sorry for him, I mean hym. Darn pronouns. Hy wasn't prepared for any of this. At least I fantasized about morphs, though I didn't think they'd ever be real." Shi looked at hir new sister. "I hope the sessions with Snow help."

"Hy'll adapt. That's what humans do best right? Even if hy's not human anymore." Sunstorm smiled at hir double.

There was a beep at the door. "Come in," Stephanie shouted.

Ein opened the door and glided in, followed by Ashera carrying a box. "We have made sure there was nothing hazardous in your personal belongings, and they have been decontaminated," Ein spoke to Stephanie. "The Captain thought you might want them as soon as possible, to help in making you feel at home. I'd be careful with them though, I have a feeling that the archaeologists on Chakona Prime would love to look them over."

Stephanie blinked. "Personal Belongings? I didn't think they'd be able to put anything in orbit other then us." Shi grabbed the box, and looked inside. Shi pulled out a padded bag. "Oh my... it can't be." Shi quickly unzipped the bag, careful of hir new claws. "My camera, they shipped my camera!"

Shi tried to lift it to hir eye, but bumped her muzzle into the back of the camera. "Erf.... Forgot about the muzzle. Hope it still works after years in space." Shi looked though the rest of the box, pulling out a book. There was a sticky note on it, 'Hope this helps on the other side, Kris.' Shi looked at the title, and laughed. "Transhuman Space, that is so you Kris."

Shi felt hir ears droop and hir eyes fill with tears. "They're all gone, everyone. Gone." Shi started to cry with a deep grief. Shi felt arms go around hir, holding hir tight. "I just hadn't thought about it yet. This was like a wonderful dream. Everyone, everything I knew is gone, and I'm still here."

Stephanie cried, tears leaving streaks in hir fur. Sunstorm held tight. "We're all here, you're not alone," shi said comfortingly.

Stephanie cried in the arms of the other taur, letting out repressed grief at hir situation. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to hurt this much."

"It's ok, no one expects you to be all sunshine and roses." Sunstorm smiled. "It will take time, and you've been though a lot. But everyone here is going to help in any way they can."

"Thank you. Thank you both." Stephanie sighed, hir ears drooping, a yet another new sensation for hir. "I should go though the rest of the box, see what else was packed."

Stephanie returned to the box, with the two taurs looking over hir shoulder. Shi picked up a plastic box. "Oh, a Solid State drive. Must be full of data, but can we access it?" Shi looked at Ein.

"It should not be hard. I'm sure I'll be able to fab up a connector, and I'm sure the ship's computer will be able to figure out it's data." Ein patted Stephanie's shoulder with a paw. "I do see three more in there, they did send a lot of data with you. We'll have to see what they thought was important to send."

A smile grew on Stephanie's muzzle. "I hope it's my photos and the contents of my computer. I had nearly 20 years worth of stuff on there." Shi pulled out the drives and set them aside.

A blue paw reached into the box searching for what precious treasure was next. "A card?" Shi pulled it out of the envelope and started to read out-loud. "Stephanie, if you are reading this, then you beat the odds. If this isn't Stephanie, hello aliens from the people of earth, please don't destroy us." Shi couldn't stop hirself from giggling, but continued.

"Stephanie, It's been a long five years since your death, all of us haven't forgotten you. Everyone from the list has helped pack up the small cube full of your worldly possessions. What do you know, you really can take them with you. We scanned and converted what we could, and put them on the drives in this box. You've got five years of comics and TV shows to catch up on.

"I hope your camera makes it though ok, and you can find a way to power it. Some thought that your sketchbooks were too precious to scan, so we included them. Maybe they'll help in getting the body of your dreams if genetech is advanced enough. Kris put the game book in, and I found your dice and put them in too, along with a few small souvenirs you had on your desk.

"The listies had our bash this weekend in Florida, and had a huge going away party. There were many toasts in your name. We sent you a picture of the group from that night, all signed on the back with good wishes. Good luck and we will all miss you."

Stephanie touched a paw to the picture, full of human faces. "I miss you all too."

{{Separator|k}}

Stephanie watched out the window, careful to keep her forepaws tucked under the bar on the floor so shi wouldn't float awake. Shi saw a reflection in the window and turned around. "Hello Greg. Feeling any better?" Shi asked of the skunktaur floating at her.

Greg frowned, ears following the expression. "Better then when I woke up, but I still feel like a freak."

Stephanie frowned too. "You're not a freak, Greg, just like no one on this ship is a freak. Everyone just looks a little different." Shi put a paw on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened to you, I was prepared for this, you never were. What's happened, happened. This was the only option to save us."

"I know, I know, I know. It's just still weird." Greg sighed. "Can we please change the subject. What are you looking at, and what'cha got there?"

"Oh, this is my camera, it was in the personal belongings sent up with us. Ein got it working again, and even figured out a eyepiece extender so I can use it with a muzzle. You don't know how may times I've bumped my nose on it." Stephanie smiled.

"I'm just looking out at space. I just can't get over it. We're in space. Floating in Micro-G. Traveling between the stars. It's amazing," Stephanie exclaimed in joy.

Greg looked out the window, as if for the first time since waking up. "You're right, we're in space. I hadn't thought about it, I've been so wrapped up in my own issues to think about it. I use to watch the shuttle launches from my backyard when I was little, but to actually be here."

Hy quickly grabbed and hugged a surprised fennectaur. "Thank you, I needed a happy thought after all this."

Stephanie giggled. "I think we're both going to be ok. Now, there has been something I've been dying to try. Keep holding me." Shi quickly attached the cable release to the camera and put it out in front of them, floating in the micro-g. "Look Ma, no tripod," and shi pressed the button.

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Relics}} [[Category:Chakona Space]] [[Category:Taur]]

User:Nikon/Relics

2011-02-14T09:35:12Z

Nikon:

{{author's note|Ok. I keep getting bugged to do some writing. I've got three hours of nothing at the end of my shift at work and Documents-To-Go on the phone. I think I'll start with a dream of mine. a horrible, horrible marysue, butchering the Chakona space setting. (By the way, all science officers in SciFi settings sound like vulcans in my head)}}

{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}

{{title|name=Relics|author=Nikon}}

The SS Celestial moved though the blackness of space on a normal cargo run between systems. Aboard its crew worked though their routine. Not a single human on board this vessel, every crew member was a taur of some sort. On the bridge a lone chakat sat monitoring the ship's course. Shi yawned drowsily, as not much happens between the stars.

A small red light began to blink on the console. The chakat poked at it a few times with a feline claw. Shi sighed and spoke into hir headset. "Captain, you may want to come up here. Sensors picked up something."

The captain, a stellar foxtaur, came onto the bridge and floated next to the pilot. "What do you have Trail?"

"It appears to be a spacecraft or probe of some sort. And I think it's old, maybe pre gene wars. I won't know unless we get closer." the chakat, brought up the Celestial's course and that of the unidentified object. "It's slightly off our current heading."

The captain put a paw under hir muzzle. " How much extra time would it add for an intercept course?"

Trailwalker worked the computer plotting the potential course. "Only 20 minutes if we do a flyby and snag it with the tractor, longer if we rendezvous. We do have two hours of slack worked into the drop schedule and the extra empty cargo bay."

Captain Starguide thought it over, hir ears twitching with thought. "Lay in that intercept course and tractor it aboard, maybe it might be of interest to the archaeologists on Chakona Prime."

"Yes captain" the chakat worked at setting in the new course. "Course laid in and set. two hours and four minutes to intersect."

The foxtaur turned to leave. "I'll see to waking everyone up. keep an eye on that craft. I'd like some forewarning of what we're snagging."

Starguide was in hir quarters reading a book, when the com chirped at her. Shi pressed the button. "Captain, we have the craft on full sensors, we'll be there in 20 minutes at this speed."

"I'll be right up." Shi floated though the ship to the bridge to watch the capture. "Any more info on what we're snagging?"

"It appears to be a satellite, old too. I'm seeing some solar arrays and there does seem to be a large cargo area, we won't know more till we snag it. We'll have to be careful of those solar arrays though in bringing it into the cargo bay," Ein replied, watching the sensors.

The pilot called out, "We've got visual." On the view-screen came a small bright dot that quickly got bigger.

"Ok, Ready tractors, we've only got one shot to snag it." Starguide twitched hir tail as shi waited to get closer. "And engage the tractor."

A ray of soft light reached out from the Celestial, falling on the ancient satellite, suddenly changing it's momentum and trajectory. "Captain, we have it, pulling it in," called out Ein.

Two space-suited taurs floated out in a small vehicle to help with the capture, attaching cables to several tie-downs on the satellite, letting it be towed gently into the cargo bay by the mule. "Kzz. Captain, we have a successful capture, and the sat is secure." came across the radio. "Captain, I see a doorway on the sat, permission to enter, cargo bay is still in hard vac."

Captain Starguide rubbed hir muzzle. "Permission granted, but wait for Ein. Ein, suit up and document everything."

The tawny furred chakat nodded and floated to the airlock. In moments shi was floating out of airlock and to the satellite. The three taurs made quick time unsealing the door, and looking in with their helmet lights.

"Captain, I'm seeing what looks like an airlock. Entering now." Ein floated in, followed by Silvermoon. "There isn't enough room for more then two of us, looks like it was designed just for those about human sized. Closing the outer hatch now."

The outer hatch closed, allowing the inner one to be opened. The two chakats carefully looked inside. "I'm still reading vacuum in here. I'm seeing cabinets lining the room, with the centre open. Looks like storage. There's a large hole in the top of the room, looks like access to the rest of the sat."

Ein floated over to one of the cabinets. "Each one is labeled with what looks like a name with 'Personal Effects' in English under it. I'll check the cabinets on our way out, Heading up in the sat."

Ein pushed off the bottom and floated up though the hole leading to the next room. "I don't see any ladders or supports, so I'd guess that all this was loaded in micro-g. I can see there is another level above this one." Shi looked around at hir surroundings. "I see a dozen metal cylinders ringing the room, each seems to have a control panel next to it. There's a window on the tube, covered in frost. I'm going to wipe away some of the frost to see what's inside.

Shi wiped away the frost with hir gloved paw and gasped in shock. "Captain, we have frozen bodies in here!"

{{Separator|k}}

Captain Starguide sat on the bridge. Shi couldn't believe what shi just heard. "Can you repeat that Ein, did you just say that there were bodies in there?"

Shi watched a feed from the cargo bay as the reply came back. "That is correct. Frozen bodies. Human so far."

"Pull back, and seal it back up, I want another staff meeting in 15." The Captain floated off to hir cabin to do some reading on procedure.

Shi floated down the to the common room 10 minutes later, and hooked hir paws under the bar at the head of the table and looked at the others gathered. "I've gone over the regs, and I can't find one to cover this situation." Shi looked at Ein and Snow, the ship's doctor. "I need an opinion from you both how to go forward."

Ein spoke up. "Captain, I think we should first make sure that all the systems are working correctly, and that the people in cryo and still... viable. If it is pre war, then we have no idea if any of them have survived, no one has been in cryo that long before."

Captain Starguide turned to Snow, and hy spoke up. "I would agree, our first responsibility should be for the health of those in cryo, and worst case, we may have to thaw them out to save them, if things are deteriorating."

Starguide took a few deep breaths in thought. "Ok, you two go in, and I want a full tricorder scan of the inside. Assess the health of that craft and the people inside. Maybe there's a computer or some record on why these people were in cryo. I think it might be best for safety if we pressurize the cargo hold, just in case. Sunstorm, if you could see to it. Ein, Snow, get what equipment you need to get down there. I'll monitor you from the bridge. Let's get to work." Shi unhooked her paws, and headed off to the bridge.

Snow headed off to medbay, and Ein down to engineering with Sunstorm. Snow and Ein meet up at the pressurized cargo bay and looked up at the satellite. Ein turned to Snow. "I'll go in first, then you can follow. Take as many readings as possible. The cryo pods are on the 2nd and 3rd levels." Shi pushed off and floated up to the entry hatch, the skunktaur following behind.

Ein opened the airlock, and a small rush of air filled the vacuum inside. "Captain, we're going to need some extra air in here. I'm going to tie myself onto the sat, while I open the inner airlock, it's still under vacuum."

"Understood, the environmentals are set to compensate," came the reply over the radio.

"Ok, breaking seal now." Shi undid the inner hatch and air around became a torrent as it seeked to fill the sat. After a bit, the wind stopped. "I think we have the pressure equalized. We're going in now."

Ein floated into the lower compartment of the sat. "I'm going to see if I can get anything out of the computer, you go up and check on the people."

Snow nodded and took off to the upper compartments. Hy started to scan each tube. "Not looking promising. The cryo on most of these have been compromised, the coldness of space kept the bodies from decaying, but.. all the ones so far are too far gone to be revived. It looks like they were dead before they were loaded." Hy finished hys scans. "None of the ones on this deck can be revived. I'm heading up to the next one."

Snow headed up to the upper deck, while Ein worked on interfacing with the sat's computer. Ein spoke over the com, "Captain, I've got a connection, but his thing is old. The tricorder has more processing power then the hunk of silicon in here, but I am getting data. The satellite says it's owned by a company called CryoStar, and it seems that all the people aboard were put on in a attempt to cheat death. I've got a launch date Captain, 2019. It must've broken orbit, and gotten flung out of the sol system."

Snow interrupted, "Captain, we have two in here that are intact, and could live, but I'm not sure if we could revive them. Plus, Ein, could you come up here and check these scans. I think the cryogenics is failing. Captain, if we want to save these two, we may have to do it quickly."

Ein floated up beside Snow. "Captain, I concur the readings Snow is getting. I think if we hadn't come by when we did, they might have been too far gone to save."

"Captain, I would like to bring tanks 13 and 22 into medbay and see if we can save these humans," Snow spoke over the comlink.

Captain Starguide had hir paw under her muzzle in thought again. "We need to, saving lives is more important than anything else. Do what you need to make it happen."

It took a few hours to unhook and move the cryo tubes, hooking them up to a better power supply. Snow worked on both humans, carefully working to unfreeze them, and repair any damage for resuscitation.

Snow let out a deep sigh. "Captain, please come to medbay. We need to talk.:"

Starguide glided into the medbay a few moments later. "What's wrong Snow?"

"It's their bodies, they're just too far gone, the primitive cryo just did too much damage to fix. But their minds are intact, if there was some way to save them." Snow hung hys head.

Ein came into medbay from the small science station in the next compartment, "Captain, there may be one way to save them, but it's a very long shot."

"I think a longshot is all they have right now, what is it Ein?" Starguide floated next to the beds with the two humans.

"Remember that human who was accidentally turned into a chakat during a transporter accident? There's been some work on duplicating the results, with some success. We might try the same with our transporter. But for it to work, we'd need someone to volunteer their body to be copied."

Starguide looked a bit shocked. "That is an interesting idea. But could it work... we do have some extra cargo containers that can be used as the extra mass needed. Ein, get right on making the preparations. Sounds like time for another staff meeting." Shi took off for the common room.

{{Separator|k}}

Starguide sighed and pushed a stray strand of headfur that had floated into hir view. Shi looked at her frazzled crew around the common table. “I'm sorry to keep calling these, but this is a very unusual situation. As I'm sure you know, the satellite held humans in cryo. Unfortunately, the cryo was so primitive that only two have survived, but not enough that we can revive them intact. Ein has a possible way to save both of them. Shi is wanting to use the transporter to copy their minds into new bodies. We would need two volunteers though to copy. I won't order anyone for the copy, but this would be saving two lives that can't wait for planetfall.” Shi looked around the room at hir crew.

Ashera raised hys paw. “You can copy me for one. Anything I can do to help,” the skunktaur spoke up.

Starguide looked out. “Anyone else?”

“I'll do it. If it will help,” Sunstorm replied. Hir long fennec ears twitching nervously.

Starguide took a deep breath and let it out. “Ok, you two talk with Ein, and let's hope this works. Snow can also fill you both in about your copies, who they are. The rest of you, back to your duties."

Half the crew left for whatever duties had been assigned. Ein looked at the nervous skunktaur and stellar. "I'm sure you both have questions, so ask."

"How is this going to work?" Ashera quietly asked.

Ein answered, "As you know, the transporter is actually two transporters in one. One for the body, and one for the mind. Normally when you are transported, you mind and body are separated then put back together on the receiving end. For this, we're going to use an existing pattern in the transporter, one copied from each of you, to put the mind of the humans into."

Ashera looks skeptical, "This can be done?"

"I'm going to use information from an accident and from some new research following the accident. I believe it can be done," Ein answered.

"Who are these people?," Sunstorm spoke up.

"We have some information from the sat's computers. All the humans in cryo were in there because they had passed away, and were hoping that some future medicine would be able to revive them." Snow passed over two padds with the information retrieved, and continued, "Greg Johnson, 34, died due to a cancer spread though his body. It says that he was a software engineer. It says he was an avid baseball player, but not much more."

Snow pointed to the other pad. "This is an interesting one. Stephanie Raccoon, 38, transgendered, died due to an accidental drug overdose. The transgender may help us here, as she may adjust better. It says she was a photographer, and a 'furry'. We're not sure what that last part means, but there are some entries in the ship's computer about a group of people who talked about morphs before the first was geengineered. We've already prepared two of the unoccupied cabins we normally use for passengers for them. I wish we knew more about these two, but the records are spotty."

"What is going to happen to them after this?" Sunstorm asked Ein and Snow.

"We don't know, that will be up to the authorities on Chakona," Ein replied.

Sunstorm looked at Ashera, then back at Ein and Snow. "I'm ready to do this."

Ashera nodded in agreement. "I'm ready as well.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls of the ship's transporter and looks at the platform with a very nervous skunktaur standing on it. The gravity generators had been turned on to make it easier to position on the transporter. "Are you ready Ashea?"

Ashea nodded hys head. Ein powered on the transporter, a glow surrounded as the skunktaur was converted into energy. Ein reversed the transport, and Ashea reformed on the transporter pad. "Ok, pattern has been saved. You can step down. We'll try the first transport now." Ein spoke into hir com, "Snow are you ready for the first transport?"

"I'm ready at this end, I've got Mr Johnson on life support, and about to start cerebral resuscitation." Snow pressed a button on hys tricorder, and a jolt went though the dead human."I have brainwave patterns, he's there. Ready for transport."

Ein powered up the transporter, the human on the table vanishing with a sparkling glow, along with two storage containers next to him. "Applying the new pattern now." Shi pushed more buttons on the controls. A glow came apon the pad, and formed into a skunktaur exactly like Ashera. The transporter went silent, and the skunktaur on the pad slumped over.

Ein rushed up. "Hy's breathing, that's a good sign, let's get hym back to medbay." Ein and Ashera carefully moved the unconscious skunktaur onto a stretcher, and out to sickbay, carefully putting hym onto a scanner table.

Snow started the medical scanner, "We have good vitals and brainwaves are looking good. I think it worked, but we'll have to wake hym first." Snow reached over and grabbed a hypospray. Hy pressed it against the new Greg, and injected a mild stimulant.

The skunktaur on the table opened hys eyes with a small groan. "Whad haggen?" Hys words a bit garbled.

Snow squeezed hys hand. "You're safe. You may feel different, but you are safe."

Greg clumsily turned towards Snow, and his eyes opened in fright. Hy screamed and fainted, slumping back on the table.

{{Separator|k}}

Captian Starguide could hear the yell from the bridge, as could the whole rest of the ship. Shi spoke into her com. "Snow? Ein? Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, but I think things could have gone a bit better. We did the first transfer, and I don't think Greg was ready for the sight of us." Show replied over the
com. "looks like we'll have to ease hym into the idea of non humans."

Starguide shook hir head. "I am guessing you're going to try with the second transfer while hy's out?"

"We'll be starting with that momentarily." Snow confirmed.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls while a very nervous fennec taur stood on the transporter. "Are you ready Sunstorm?

The stellar nodded, and Ein used the controls to turn Sunstorm to energy and back again, capturing her pattern. Sunstorm walked off the platform, and waited to help.

"Snow, are you ready?" Ein spoke into the com.

"I'm ready." Hy pressed the button to send a jolt of life bringing electricity into the dead brain of the human on the table. "And, got brain activity, Energize."

Ein started the transport, and the human vanished along with the extra mass needed for being a taur.

A glow formed in on the transporter pad and a new foxtaur appeared. Shi slumped over much like the last taur, but Sunstorm was ready to catch hir. "Ein? Why is her fur blue?"

Ein came over with the stretcher. "I do not know, there must've been a sight corruption in the pattern. Shi is breathing, but we need to get hir to sickbay to make sure everything is fine."

Sunstorm and Ein carried the new foxtaur into the sickbay, thankful for the micro-g outside of the transporter room. They carefully strapped Stephanie to one of the medical beds, so shi would not float away.

Snow glided over and waved the scanner for hys tricorder over the unconscious foxtaur. "Biosigns are good. Seeing no abnormalities other then the fur. That is a very odd shade of blue, almost looks fake, but it's very much part of hir."

Sunstorm looked at Snow, and asked, "Are we going to wake hir now?"

Snow nodded and picked up a hypospray. "Shi's stable enough, let's see how shi reacts." Snow pressed the hypospray against the new taur's neck and with a hiss, Stephanie woke up.

The blue taur blinked a few times, "Where am I," shi asked with a slurred tongue.

Snow put a paw on the blue fur. "You're safe."

Stephanie looked up at the voice. Seeing the skunktaur over her, shi looked puzzled. "Am I dreaming?"

Snow shook hys head. "No, you're not dreaming. We're as real as you are. What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was at work, setting up for the day's shoot, and that's it," shi answered a bit mangled due to the new muzzle. "I feel weird, and my mouth isn't forming the words right."

Snow held Stephanie's paw. "There was an accident, one of the medications you take was defective, and you got an overdose. It killed you, but you were put into cryogenic stasis in hopes you could be revived in the future. Well, welcome to the future."

Stephanie went wide eyed. "I died?" Shi brought a paw to hir muzzle, and blinked seeing it. "I... I... I'm changed?"

Snow blushed, hys ears flushing red. "In order to save you, we had to put you in a new body. Your old one was too far damaged from the drugs and the effects of being cryogenicly frozen. I'm sorry, there wasn't a human aboard that we could use for your new form."

Stephanie looked at hir paw, wiggling hir fingers. "I must be dreaming. No way I'm this lucky." Shi started to laugh, then cry in joy.

{{Separator|k}}

Both new taurs were moved into quarters next to their doubles, and the long process of teaching them about their bodies and the universe they woke up to.

"I can live with fox, I can live with taur, but why in the name of dog did I have to wake up with a body part I spent 10 years trying to get rid of?" Stephanie fumed in hir quarters with Sunstorm floating across from hir.

Sunstorm pointed a finger at Stephanie. "I'm not the one who designed us, but I happen to like being a herm. You think you've got issues with it, Greg has been freaking out about the whole thing since we woke hym up again."

Stephanie laid hir ears back, still a new feeling for hir. "I do feel sorry for him, I mean hym. Darn pronouns. Hy wasn't prepared for any of this. At least I fantasized about morphs, though I didn't think they'd ever be real." Shi looked at hir new sister. "I hope the sessions with Snow help."

"Hy'll adapt. That's what humans do best right? Even if hy's not human anymore." Sunstorm smiled at hir double.

There was a beep at the door. "Come in," Stephanie shouted.

Ein opened the door and glided in, followed by Ashera carrying a box. "We have made sure there was nothing hazardous in your personal belongings, and they have been decontaminated," Ein spoke to Stephanie. "The Captain thought you might want them as soon as possible, to help in making you feel at home. I'd be careful with them though, I have a feeling that the archaeologists on Chakona Prime would love to look them over."

Stephanie blinked. "Personal Belongings? I didn't think they'd be able to put anything in orbit other then us." Shi grabbed the box, and looked inside. Shi pulled out a padded bag. "Oh my... it can't be." Shi quickly unzipped the bag, careful of hir new claws. "My camera, they shipped my camera!"

Shi tried to lift it to hir eye, but bumped her muzzle into the back of the camera. "Erf.... Forgot about the muzzle. Hope it still works after years in space." Shi looked though the rest of the box, pulling out a book. There was a sticky note on it, 'Hope this helps on the other side, Kris.' Shi looked at the title, and laughed. "Transhuman Space, that is so you Kris."

Shi felt hir ears droop and hir eyes fill with tears. "They're all gone, everyone. Gone." Shi started to cry with a deep grief. Shi felt arms go around hir, holding hir tight. "I just hadn't thought about it yet. This was like a wonderful dream. Everyone, everything I knew is gone, and I'm still here."

Stephanie cried, tears leaving streaks in hir fur. Sunstorm held tight. "We're all here, you're not alone," shi said comfortingly.

Stephanie cried in the arms of the other taur, letting out repressed grief at hir situation. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to hurt this much."

"It's ok, no one expects you to be all sunshine and roses." Sunstorm smiled. "It will take time, and you've been though a lot. But everyone here is going to help in any way they can."

"Thank you. Thank you both." Stephanie sighed, hir ears drooping, a yet another new sensation for hir. "I should go though the rest of the box, see what else was packed."

Stephanie returned to the box, with the two taurs looking over hir shoulder. Shi picked up a plastic box. "Oh, a Solid State drive. Must be full of data, but can we access it?" Shi looked at Ein.

"It should not be hard. I'm sure I'll be able to fab up a connector, and I'm sure the ship's computer will be able to figure out it's data." Ein patted Stephanie's shoulder with a paw. "I do see three more in there, they did send a lot of data with you. We'll have to see what they thought was important to send."

A smile grew on Stephanie's muzzle. "I hope it's my photos and the contents of my computer. I had nearly 20 years worth of stuff on there." Shi pulled out the drives and set them aside.

A blue paw reached into the box searching for what precious treasure was next. "A card?" Shi pulled it out of the envelope and started to read out-loud. "Stephanie, if you are reading this, then you beat the odds. If this isn't Stephanie, hello aliens from the people of earth, please don't destroy us." Shi couldn't stop hirself from giggling, but continued.

"Stephanie, It's been a long five years since your death, all of us haven't forgotten you. Everyone from the list has helped pack up the small cube full of your worldly possessions. What do you know, you really can take them with you. We scanned and converted what we could, and put them on the drives in this box. You've got five years of comics and TV shows to catch up on.

"I hope your camera makes it though ok, and you can find a way to power it. Some thought that your sketchbooks were too precious to scan, so we included them. Maybe they'll help in getting the body of your dreams if genetech is advanced enough. Kris put the game book in, and I found your dice and put them in too, along with a few small souvenirs you had on your desk.

"The listies had our bash this weekend in Florida, and had a huge going away party. There were many toasts in your name. We sent you a picture of the group from that night, all signed on the back with good wishes. Good luck and we will all miss you."

Stephanie touched a paw to the picture, full of human faces. "I miss you all too."

{{Separator|k}}

Stephanie watched out the window, careful to keep her forepaws tucked under the bar on the floor so shi wouldn't float awake. Shi saw a reflection in the window and turned around. "Hello Greg. Feeling any better?" Shi asked of the skunktaur floating at her.

Greg frowned, ears following the expression. "Better then when I woke up, but I still feel like a freak."

Stephanie frowned too. "You're not a freak, Greg, just like no one on this ship is a freak. Everyone just looks a little different." Shi put a paw on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened to you, I was prepared for this, you never were. What's happened, happened. This was the only option to save us."

"I know, I know, I know. It's just still weird." Greg sighed. "Can we please change the subject. What are you looking at, and what'cha got there?"

"Oh, this is my camera, it was in the personal belongings sent up with us. Ein got it working again, and even figured out a eyepiece extender so I can use it with a muzzle. You don't know how may times I've bumped my nose on it." Stephanie smiled.

"I'm just looking out at space. I just can't get over it. We're in space. Floating in Micro-G. Traveling between the stars. It's amazing," Stephanie exclaimed in joy.

Greg looked out the window, as if for the first time since waking up. "You're right, we're in space. I hadn't thought about it, I've been so wrapped up in my own issues to think about it. I use to watch the shuttle launches from my backyard when I was little, but to actually be here."

Hy quickly grabbed and hugged a surprised fennectaur. "Thank you, I needed a happy thought after all this."

Stephanie giggled. "I think we're both going to be ok. Now, there has been something I've been dying to try. Keep holding me." Shi quickly attached the cable release to the camera and put it out in front of them, floating in the micro-g. "Look Ma, no tripod," and shi pressed the button.

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Relics}}

User:Nikon

2011-02-14T09:10:23Z

Nikon:

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]
*[[User:Nikon/Back_to_Reality|Back to Reality]]

*[[User:Nikon/Coming_Home|Coming Home]]

Chakona Space
*[[User:Nikon/Relics|Relics]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

{{author page}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

User:Nikon/Relics

2011-02-14T09:04:56Z

Nikon:

{{author's note|Ok. I keep getting bugged to do some writing. I've got three hours of nothing at the end of my shift at work and Documents-To-Go on the phone. I think I'll start with a dream of mine. a horrible, horrible marysue, butchering the Chakona space setting. (By the way, all science officers in SciFi settings sound like vulcans in my head)}}

{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}

{{title|name=Relics|author=Nikon}}

The SS Celestial moved though the blackness of space on a normal cargo run between systems. Aboard its crew worked though their routine. Not a single human on board this vessel, every crew member was a taur of some sort. On the bridge a lone chakat sat monitoring the ship's course. Shi yawned drowsily, as not much happens between the stars.

A small red light began to blink on the console. The chakat poked at it a few times with a feline claw. Shi sighed and spoke into hir headset. "Captain, you may want to come up here. Sensors picked up something."

The captain, a stellar foxtaur, came onto the bridge and floated next to the pilot. "What do you have Trail?"

"It appears to be a spacecraft or probe of some sort. And I think it's old, maybe pre gene wars. I won't know unless we get closer." the chakat, brought up the Celestial's course and that of the unidentified object. "It's slightly off our current heading."

The captain put a paw under hir muzzle. " How much extra time would it add for an intercept course?"

Trailwalker worked the computer plotting the potential course. "Only 20 minutes if we do a flyby and snag it with the tractor, longer if we rendezvous. We do have two hours of slack worked into the drop schedule and the extra empty cargo bay."

Captain Starguide thought it over, hir ears twitching with thought. "Lay in that intercept course and tractor it aboard, maybe it might be of interest to the archaeologists on Chakona Prime."

"Yes captain" the chakat worked at setting in the new course. "Course laid in and set. two hours and four minutes to intersect."

The foxtaur turned to leave. "I'll see to waking everyone up. keep an eye on that craft. I'd like some forewarning of what we're snagging."

Starguide was in hir quarters reading a book, when the com chirped at her. Shi pressed the button. "Captain, we have the craft on full sensors, we'll be there in 20 minutes at this speed."

"I'll be right up." Shi floated though the ship to the bridge to watch the capture. "Any more info on what we're snagging?"

"It appears to be a satellite, old too. I'm seeing some solar arrays and there does seem to be a large cargo area, we won't know more till we snag it. We'll have to be careful of those solar arrays though in bringing it into the cargo bay," Ein replied, watching the sensors.

The pilot called out, "We've got visual." On the view-screen came a small bright dot that quickly got bigger.

"Ok, Ready tractors, we've only got one shot to snag it." Starguide twitched hir tail as shi waited to get closer. "And engage the tractor."

A ray of soft light reached out from the Celestial, falling on the ancient satellite, suddenly changing it's momentum and trajectory. "Captain, we have it, pulling it in," called out Ein.

Two space-suited taurs floated out in a small vehicle to help with the capture, attaching cables to several tie-downs on the satellite, letting it be towed gently into the cargo bay by the mule. "Kzz. Captain, we have a successful capture, and the sat is secure." came across the radio. "Captain, I see a doorway on the sat, permission to enter, cargo bay is still in hard vac."

Captain Starguide rubbed hir muzzle. "Permission granted, but wait for Ein. Ein, suit up and document everything."

The tawny furred chakat nodded and floated to the airlock. In moments shi was floating out of airlock and to the satellite. The three taurs made quick time unsealing the door, and looking in with their helmet lights.

"Captain, I'm seeing what looks like an airlock. Entering now." Ein floated in, followed by Silvermoon. "There isn't enough room for more then two of us, looks like it was designed just for those about human sized. Closing the outer hatch now."

The outer hatch closed, allowing the inner one to be opened. The two chakats carefully looked inside. "I'm still reading vacuum in here. I'm seeing cabinets lining the room, with the centre open. Looks like storage. There's a large hole in the top of the room, looks like access to the rest of the sat."

Ein floated over to one of the cabinets. "Each one is labeled with what looks like a name with 'Personal Effects' in English under it. I'll check the cabinets on our way out, Heading up in the sat."

Ein pushed off the bottom and floated up though the hole leading to the next room. "I don't see any ladders or supports, so I'd guess that all this was loaded in micro-g. I can see there is another level above this one." Shi looked around at hir surroundings. "I see a dozen metal cylinders ringing the room, each seems to have a control panel next to it. There's a window on the tube, covered in frost. I'm going to wipe away some of the frost to see what's inside.

Shi wiped away the frost with hir gloved paw and gasped in shock. "Captain, we have frozen bodies in here!"

{{Separator|k}}

Captain Starguide sat on the bridge. Shi couldn't believe what shi just heard. "Can you repeat that Ein, did you just say that there were bodies in there?"

Shi watched a feed from the cargo bay as the reply came back. "That is correct. Frozen bodies. Human so far."

"Pull back, and seal it back up, I want another staff meeting in 15." The Captain floated off to hir cabin to do some reading on procedure.

Shi floated down the to the common room 10 minutes later, and hooked hir paws under the bar at the head of the table and looked at the others gathered. "I've gone over the regs, and I can't find one to cover this situation." Shi looked at Ein and Snow, the ship's doctor. "I need an opinion from you both how to go forward."

Ein spoke up. "Captain, I think we should first make sure that all the systems are working correctly, and that the people in cryo and still... viable. If it is pre war, then we have no idea if any of them have survived, no one has been in cryo that long before."

Captain Starguide turned to Snow, and hy spoke up. "I would agree, our first responsibility should be for the health of those in cryo, and worst case, we may have to thaw them out to save them, if things are deteriorating."

Starguide took a few deep breaths in thought. "Ok, you two go in, and I want a full tricorder scan of the inside. Assess the health of that craft and the people inside. Maybe there's a computer or some record on why these people were in cryo. I think it might be best for safety if we pressurize the cargo hold, just in case. Sunstorm, if you could see to it. Ein, Snow, get what equipment you need to get down there. I'll monitor you from the bridge. Let's get to work." Shi unhooked her paws, and headed off to the bridge.

Snow headed off to medbay, and Ein down to engineering with Sunstorm. Snow and Ein meet up at the pressurized cargo bay and looked up at the satellite. Ein turned to Snow. "I'll go in first, then you can follow. Take as many readings as possible. The cryo pods are on the 2nd and 3rd levels." Shi pushed off and floated up to the entry hatch, the skunktaur following behind.

Ein opened the airlock, and a small rush of air filled the vacuum inside. "Captain, we're going to need some extra air in here. I'm going to tie myself onto the sat, while I open the inner airlock, it's still under vacuum."

"Understood, the environmentals are set to compensate," came the reply over the radio.

"Ok, breaking seal now." Shi undid the inner hatch and air around became a torrent as it seeked to fill the sat. After a bit, the wind stopped. "I think we have the pressure equalized. We're going in now."

Ein floated into the lower compartment of the sat. "I'm going to see if I can get anything out of the computer, you go up and check on the people."

Snow nodded and took off to the upper compartments. Hy started to scan each tube. "Not looking promising. The cryo on most of these have been compromised, the coldness of space kept the bodies from decaying, but.. all the ones so far are too far gone to be revived. It looks like they were dead before they were loaded." Hy finished hys scans. "None of the ones on this deck can be revived. I'm heading up to the next one."

Snow headed up to the upper deck, while Ein worked on interfacing with the sat's computer. Ein spoke over the com, "Captain, I've got a connection, but his thing is old. The tricorder has more processing power then the hunk of silicon in here, but I am getting data. The satellite says it's owned by a company called CryoStar, and it seems that all the people aboard were put on in a attempt to cheat death. I've got a launch date Captain, 2019. It must've broken orbit, and gotten flung out of the sol system."

Snow interrupted, "Captain, we have two in here that are intact, and could live, but I'm not sure if we could revive them. Plus, Ein, could you come up here and check these scans. I think the cryogenics is failing. Captain, if we want to save these two, we may have to do it quickly."

Ein floated up beside Snow. "Captain, I concur the readings Snow is getting. I think if we hadn't come by when we did, they might have been too far gone to save."

"Captain, I would like to bring tanks 13 and 22 into medbay and see if we can save these humans," Snow spoke over the comlink.

Captain Starguide had hir paw under her muzzle in thought again. "We need to, saving lives is more important than anything else. Do what you need to make it happen."

It took a few hours to unhook and move the cryo tubes, hooking them up to a better power supply. Snow worked on both humans, carefully working to unfreeze them, and repair any damage for resuscitation.

Snow let out a deep sigh. "Captain, please come to medbay. We need to talk.:"

Starguide glided into the medbay a few moments later. "What's wrong Snow?"

"It's their bodies, they're just too far gone, the primitive cryo just did too much damage to fix. But their minds are intact, if there was some way to save them." Snow hung hys head.

Ein came into medbay from the small science station in the next compartment, "Captain, there may be one way to save them, but it's a very long shot."

"I think a longshot is all they have right now, what is it Ein?" Starguide floated next to the beds with the two humans.

"Remember that human who was accidentally turned into a chakat during a transporter accident? There's been some work on duplicating the results, with some success. We might try the same with our transporter. But for it to work, we'd need someone to volunteer their body to be copied."

Starguide looked a bit shocked. "That is an interesting idea. But could it work... we do have some extra cargo containers that can be used as the extra mass needed. Ein, get right on making the preparations. Sounds like time for another staff meeting." Shi took off for the common room.

{{Separator|k}}

Starguide sighed and pushed a stray strand of headfur that had floated into hir view. Shi looked at her frazzled crew around the common table. “I'm sorry to keep calling these, but this is a very unusual situation. As I'm sure you know, the satellite held humans in cryo. Unfortunately, the cryo was so primitive that only two have survived, but not enough that we can revive them intact. Ein has a possible way to save both of them. Shi is wanting to use the transporter to copy their minds into new bodies. We would need two volunteers though to copy. I won't order anyone for the copy, but this would be saving two lives that can't wait for planetfall.” Shi looked around the room at hir crew.

Ashera raised hys paw. “You can copy me for one. Anything I can do to help,” the skunktaur spoke up.

Starguide looked out. “Anyone else?”

“I'll do it. If it will help,” Sunstorm replied. Hir long fennec ears twitching nervously.

Starguide took a deep breath and let it out. “Ok, you two talk with Ein, and let's hope this works. Snow can also fill you both in about your copies, who they are. The rest of you, back to your duties."

Half the crew left for whatever duties had been assigned. Ein looked at the nervous skunktaur and stellar. "I'm sure you both have questions, so ask."

"How is this going to work?" Ashera quietly asked.

Ein answered, "As you know, the transporter is actually two transporters in one. One for the body, and one for the mind. Normally when you are transported, you mind and body are separated then put back together on the receiving end. For this, we're going to use an existing pattern in the transporter, one copied from each of you, to put the mind of the humans into."

Ashera looks skeptical, "This can be done?"

"I'm going to use information from an accident and from some new research following the accident. I believe it can be done," Ein answered.

"Who are these people?," Sunstorm spoke up.

"We have some information from the sat's computers. All the humans in cryo were in there because they had passed away, and were hoping that some future medicine would be able to revive them." Snow passed over two padds with the information retrieved, and continued, "Greg Johnson, 34, died due to a cancer spread though his body. It says that he was a software engineer. It says he was an avid baseball player, but not much more."

Snow pointed to the other pad. "This is an interesting one. Stephanie Raccoon, 38, transgendered, died due to an accidental drug overdose. The transgender may help us here, as she may adjust better. It says she was a photographer, and a 'furry'. We're not sure what that last part means, but there are some entries in the ship's computer about a group of people who talked about morphs before the first was geengineered. We've already prepared two of the unoccupied cabins we normally use for passengers for them. I wish we knew more about these two, but the records are spotty."

"What is going to happen to them after this?" Sunstorm asked Ein and Snow.

"We don't know, that will be up to the authorities on Chakona," Ein replied.

Sunstorm looked at Ashera, then back at Ein and Snow. "I'm ready to do this."

Ashera nodded in agreement. "I'm ready as well.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls of the ship's transporter and looks at the platform with a very nervous skunktaur standing on it. The gravity generators had been turned on to make it easier to position on the transporter. "Are you ready Ashea?"

Ashea nodded hys head. Ein powered on the transporter, a glow surrounded as the skunktaur was converted into energy. Ein reversed the transport, and Ashea reformed on the transporter pad. "Ok, pattern has been saved. You can step down. We'll try the first transport now." Ein spoke into hir com, "Snow are you ready for the first transport?"

"I'm ready at this end, I've got Mr Johnson on life support, and about to start cerebral resuscitation." Snow pressed a button on hys tricorder, and a jolt went though the dead human."I have brainwave patterns, he's there. Ready for transport."

Ein powered up the transporter, the human on the table vanishing with a sparkling glow, along with two storage containers next to him. "Applying the new pattern now." Shi pushed more buttons on the controls. A glow came apon the pad, and formed into a skunktaur exactly like Ashera. The transporter went silent, and the skunktaur on the pad slumped over.

Ein rushed up. "Hy's breathing, that's a good sign, let's get hym back to medbay." Ein and Ashera carefully moved the unconscious skunktaur onto a stretcher, and out to sickbay, carefully putting hym onto a scanner table.

Snow started the medical scanner, "We have good vitals and brainwaves are looking good. I think it worked, but we'll have to wake hym first." Snow reached over and grabbed a hypospray. Hy pressed it against the new Greg, and injected a mild stimulant.

The skunktaur on the table opened hys eyes with a small groan. "Whad haggen?" Hys words a bit garbled.

Snow squeezed hys hand. "You're safe. You may feel different, but you are safe."

Greg clumsily turned towards Snow, and his eyes opened in fright. Hy screamed and fainted, slumping back on the table.

{{Separator|k}}

Captian Starguide could hear the yell from the bridge, as could the whole rest of the ship. Shi spoke into her com. "Snow? Ein? Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, but I think things could have gone a bit better. We did the first transfer, and I don't think Greg was ready for the sight of us." Show replied over the
com. "looks like we'll have to ease hym into the idea of non humans."

Starguide shook hir head. "I am guessing you're going to try with the second transfer while hy's out?"

"We'll be starting with that momentarily." Snow confirmed.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls while a very nervous fennec taur stood on the transporter. "Are you ready Sunstorm?

The stellar nodded, and Ein used the controls to turn Sunstorm to energy and back again, capturing her pattern. Sunstorm walked off the platform, and waited to help.

"Snow, are you ready?" Ein spoke into the com.

"I'm ready." Hy pressed the button to send a jolt of life bringing electricity into the dead brain of the human on the table. "And, got brain activity, Energize."

Ein started the transport, and the human vanished along with the extra mass needed for being a taur.

A glow formed in on the transporter pad and a new foxtaur appeared. Shi slumped over much like the last taur, but Sunstorm was ready to catch hir. "Ein? Why is her fur blue?"

Ein came over with the stretcher. "I do not know, there must've been a sight corruption in the pattern. Shi is breathing, but we need to get hir to sickbay to make sure everything is fine."

Sunstorm and Ein carried the new foxtaur into the sickbay, thankful for the micro-g outside of the transporter room. They carefully strapped Stephanie to one of the medical beds, so shi would not float away.

Snow glided over and waved the scanner for hys tricorder over the unconscious foxtaur. "Biosigns are good. Seeing no abnormalities other then the fur. That is a very odd shade of blue, almost looks fake, but it's very much part of hir."

Sunstorm looked at Snow, and asked, "Are we going to wake hir now?"

Snow nodded and picked up a hypospray. "Shi's stable enough, let's see how shi reacts." Snow pressed the hypospray against the new taur's neck and with a hiss, Stephanie woke up.

The blue taur blinked a few times, "Where am I," shi asked with a slurred tongue.

Snow put a paw on the blue fur. "You're safe."

Stephanie looked up at the voice. Seeing the skunktaur over her, shi looked puzzled. "Am I dreaming?"

Snow shook hys head. "No, you're not dreaming. We're as real as you are. What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was at work, setting up for the day's shoot, and that's it," shi answered a bit mangled due to the new muzzle. "I feel weird, and my mouth isn't forming the words right."

Snow held Stephanie's paw. "There was an accident, one of the medications you take was defective, and you got an overdose. It killed you, but you were put into cryogenic stasis in hopes you could be revived in the future. Well, welcome to the future."

Stephanie went wide eyed. "I died?" Shi brought a paw to hir muzzle, and blinked seeing it. "I... I... I'm changed?"

Snow blushed, hys ears flushing red. "In order to save you, we had to put you in a new body. Your old one was too far damaged from the drugs and the effects of being cryogenicly frozen. I'm sorry, there wasn't a human aboard that we could use for your new form."

Stephanie looked at hir paw, wiggling hir fingers. "I must be dreaming. No way I'm this lucky." Shi started to laugh, then cry in joy.

{{Separator|k}}

Both new taurs were moved into quarters next to their doubles, and the long process of teaching them about their bodies and the universe they woke up to.

"I can live with fox, I can live with taur, but why in the name of dog did I have to wake up with a body part I spent 10 years trying to get rid of?" Stephanie fumed in hir quarters with Sunstorm floating across from hir.

Sunstorm pointed a finger at Stephanie. "I'm not the one who designed us, but I happen to like being a herm. You think you've got issues with it, Greg has been freaking out about the whole thing since we woke hym up again."

Stephanie laid hir ears back, still a new feeling for hir. "I do feel sorry for him, I mean hym. Darn pronouns. Hy wasn't prepared for any of this. At least I fantasized about morphs, though I didn't think they'd ever be real." Shi looked at hir new sister. "I hope the sessions with Snow help."

"Hy'll adapt. That's what humans do best right? Even if hy's not human anymore." Sunstorm smiled at hir double.

There was a beep at the door. "Come in," Stephanie shouted.

Ein opened the door and glided in, followed by Ashera carrying a box. "We have made sure there was nothing hazardous in your personal belongings, and they have been decontaminated," Ein spoke to Stephanie. "The Captain thought you might want them as soon as possible, to help in making you feel at home. I'd be careful with them though, I have a feeling that the archaeologists on Chakona Prime would love to look them over."

Stephanie blinked. "Personal Belongings? I didn't think they'd be able to put anything in orbit other then us." Shi grabbed the box, and looked inside. Shi pulled out a padded bag. "Oh my... it can't be." Shi quickly unzipped the bag, careful of hir new claws. "My camera, they shipped my camera!"

Shi tried to lift it to hir eye, but bumped her muzzle into the back of the camera. "Erf.... Forgot about the muzzle. Hope it still works after years in space." Shi looked though the rest of the box, pulling out a book. There was a sticky note on it, 'Hope this helps on the other side, Kris.' Shi looked at the title, and laughed. "Transhuman Space, that is so you Kris."

Shi felt hir ears droop and hir eyes fill with tears. "They're all gone, everyone. Gone." Shi started to cry with a deep grief. Shi felt arms go around hir, holding hir tight. "I just hadn't thought about it yet. This was like a wonderful dream. Everyone, everything I knew is gone, and I'm still here."

Stephanie cried, tears leaving streaks in hir fur. Sunstorm held tight. "We're all here, you're not alone," shi said comfortingly.

Stephanie cried in the arms of the other taur, letting out repressed grief at hir situation. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to hurt this much."

"It's ok, no one expects you to be all sunshine and roses." Sunstorm smiled. "It will take time, and you've been though a lot. But everyone here is going to help in any way they can."

"Thank you. Thank you both." Stephanie sighed, hir ears drooping, a yet another new sensation for hir. "I should go though the rest of the box, see what else was packed."

Stephanie returned to the box, with the two taurs looking over hir shoulder. Shi picked up a plastic box. "Oh, a Solid State drive. Must be full of data, but can we access it?" Shi looked at Ein.

"It should not be hard. I'm sure I'll be able to fab up a connector, and I'm sure the ship's computer will be able to figure out it's data." Ein patted Stephanie's shoulder with a paw. "I do see three more in there, they did send a lot of data with you. We'll have to see what they thought was important to send."

A smile grew on Stephanie's muzzle. "I hope it's my photos and the contents of my computer. I had nearly 20 years worth of stuff on there." Shi pulled out the drives and set them aside.

A blue paw reached into the box searching for what precious treasure was next. "A card?" Shi pulled it out of the envelope and started to read out-loud. "Stephanie, if you are reading this, then you beat the odds. If this isn't Stephanie, hello aliens from the people of earth, please don't destroy us." Shi couldn't stop hirself from giggling, but continued.

"Stephanie, It's been a long five years since your death, all of us haven't forgotten you. Everyone from the list has helped pack up the small cube full of your worldly possessions. What do you know, you really can take them with you. We scanned and converted what we could, and put them on the drives in this box. You've got five years of comics and TV shows to catch up on.

"I hope your camera makes it though ok, and you can find a way to power it. Some thought that your sketchbooks were too precious to scan, so we included them. Maybe they'll help in getting the body of your dreams if genetech is advanced enough. Snow put the game book in, and I found your dice and put them in too, along with a few small souvenirs you had on your desk.

"The listies had our bash this weekend in Florida, and had a huge going away party. There were many toasts in your name. We sent you a picture of the group from that night, all signed on the back with good wishes. Good luck and we will all miss you."

Stephanie touched a paw to the picture, full of human faces. "I miss you all too."

{{Separator|k}}

Stephanie watched out the window, careful to keep her forepaws tucked under the bar on the floor so shi wouldn't float awake. Shi saw a reflection in the window and turned around. "Hello Greg. Feeling any better?" Shi asked of the skunktaur floating at her.

Greg frowned, ears following the expression. "Better then when I woke up, but I still feel like a freak."

Stephanie frowned too. "You're not a freak, Greg, just like no one on this ship is a freak. Everyone just looks a little different." Shi put a paw on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened to you, I was prepared for this, you never were. What's happened, happened. This was the only option to save us."

"I know, I know, I know. It's just still weird." Greg sighed. "Can we please change the subject. What are you looking at, and what'cha got there?"

"Oh, this is my camera, it was in the personal belongings sent up with us. Ein got it working again, and even figured out a eyepiece extender so I can use it with a muzzle. You don't know how may times I've bumped my nose on it." Stephanie smiled.

"I'm just looking out at space. I just can't get over it. We're in space. Floating in Micro-G. Traveling between the stars. It's amazing," Stephanie exclaimed in joy.

Greg looked out the window, as if for the first time since waking up. "You're right, we're in space. I hadn't thought about it, I've been so wrapped up in my own issues to think about it. I use to watch the shuttle launches from my backyard when I was little, but to actually be here."

Hy quickly grabbed and hugged a surprised fennectaur. "Thank you, I needed a happy thought after all this."

Stephanie giggled. "I think we're both going to be ok. Now, there has been something I've been dying to try. Keep holding me." Shi quickly attached the cable release to the camera and put it out in front of them, floating in the micro-g. "Look Ma, no tripod," and shi pressed the button.

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Relics}}

User:Nikon/Relics

2011-02-14T09:02:51Z

Nikon: Story Set in Chakona Space

{{author's note|Ok. I keep getting bugged to do some writing. I've got three hours of nothing at the end of my shift at work and Documents-To-Go on the phone. I think I'll start with a dream of mine. a horrible, horrible marysue, butchering the Chakona space setting. (By the way, all science officers in SciFi settings sound like vulcans in my head)}}

{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}

{{title|name=Relics|author=Nikon}}

The SS Celestial moved though the blackness of space on a normal cargo run between systems. Aboard its crew worked though their routine. Not a single human on board this vessel, every crew member was a taur of some sort. On the bridge a lone chakat sat monitoring the ship's course. Shi yawned drowsily, as not much happens between the stars.

A small red light began to blink on the console. The chakat poked at it a few times with a feline claw. Shi sighed and spoke into hir headset. "Captain, you may want to come up here. Sensors picked up something."

The captain, a stellar foxtaur, came onto the bridge and floated next to the pilot. "What do you have Trail?"

"It appears to be a spacecraft or probe of some sort. And I think it's old, maybe pre gene wars. I won't know unless we get closer." the chakat, brought up the Celestial's course and that of the unidentified object. "It's slightly off our current heading."

The captain put a paw under hir muzzle. " How much extra time would it add for an intercept course?"

Trailwalker worked the computer plotting the potential course. "Only 20 minutes if we do a flyby and snag it with the tractor, longer if we rendezvous. We do have two hours of slack worked into the drop schedule and the extra empty cargo bay."

Captain Starguide thought it over, hir ears twitching with thought. "Lay in that intercept course and tractor it aboard, maybe it might be of interest to the archaeologists on Chakona Prime."

"Yes captain" the chakat worked at setting in the new course. "Course laid in and set. two hours and four minutes to intersect."

The foxtaur turned to leave. "I'll see to waking everyone up. keep an eye on that craft. I'd like some forewarning of what we're snagging."

Starguide was in hir quarters reading a book, when the com chirped at her. Shi pressed the button. "Captain, we have the craft on full sensors, we'll be there in 20 minutes at this speed."

"I'll be right up." Shi floated though the ship to the bridge to watch the capture. "Any more info on what we're snagging?"

"It appears to be a satellite, old too. I'm seeing some solar arrays and there does seem to be a large cargo area, we won't know more till we snag it. We'll have to be careful of those solar arrays though in bringing it into the cargo bay," Ein replied, watching the sensors.

The pilot called out, "We've got visual." On the view-screen came a small bright dot that quickly got bigger.

"Ok, Ready tractors, we've only got one shot to snag it." Starguide twitched hir tail as shi waited to get closer. "And engage the tractor."

A ray of soft light reached out from the Celestial, falling on the ancient satellite, suddenly changing it's momentum and trajectory. "Captain, we have it, pulling it in," called out Ein.

Two space-suited taurs floated out in a small vehicle to help with the capture, attaching cables to several tie-downs on the satellite, letting it be towed gently into the cargo bay by the mule. "Kzz. Captain, we have a successful capture, and the sat is secure." came across the radio. "Captain, I see a doorway on the sat, permission to enter, cargo bay is still in hard vac."

Captain Starguide rubbed hir muzzle. "Permission granted, but wait for Ein. Ein, suit up and document everything."

The tawny furred chakat nodded and floated to the airlock. In moments shi was floating out of airlock and to the satellite. The three taurs made quick time unsealing the door, and looking in with their helmet lights.

"Captain, I'm seeing what looks like an airlock. Entering now." Ein floated in, followed by Silvermoon. "There isn't enough room for more then two of us, looks like it was designed just for those about human sized. Closing the outer hatch now."

The outer hatch closed, allowing the inner one to be opened. The two chakats carefully looked inside. "I'm still reading vacuum in here. I'm seeing cabinets lining the room, with the centre open. Looks like storage. There's a large hole in the top of the room, looks like access to the rest of the sat."

Ein floated over to one of the cabinets. "Each one is labeled with what looks like a name with 'Personal Effects' in English under it. I'll check the cabinets on our way out, Heading up in the sat."

Ein pushed off the bottom and floated up though the hole leading to the next room. "I don't see any ladders or supports, so I'd guess that all this was loaded in micro-g. I can see there is another level above this one." Shi looked around at hir surroundings. "I see a dozen metal cylinders ringing the room, each seems to have a control panel next to it. There's a window on the tube, covered in frost. I'm going to wipe away some of the frost to see what's inside.

Shi wiped away the frost with hir gloved paw and gasped in shock. "Captain, we have frozen bodies in here!"

{{Separator|k}}

Captain Starguide sat on the bridge. Shi couldn't believe what shi just heard. "Can you repeat that Ein, did you just say that there were bodies in there?"

Shi watched a feed from the cargo bay as the reply came back. "That is correct. Frozen bodies. Human so far."

"Pull back, and seal it back up, I want another staff meeting in 15." The Captain floated off to hir cabin to do some reading on procedure.

Shi floated down the to the common room 10 minutes later, and hooked hir paws under the bar at the head of the table and looked at the others gathered. "I've gone over the regs, and I can't find one to cover this situation." Shi looked at Ein and Snow, the ship's doctor. "I need an opinion from you both how to go forward."

Ein spoke up. "Captain, I think we should first make sure that all the systems are working correctly, and that the people in cryo and still... viable. If it is pre war, then we have no idea if any of them have survived, no one has been in cryo that long before."

Captain Starguide turned to Snow, and hy spoke up. "I would agree, our first responsibility should be for the health of those in cryo, and worst case, we may have to thaw them out to save them, if things are deteriorating."

Starguide took a few deep breaths in thought. "Ok, you two go in, and I want a full tricorder scan of the inside. Assess the health of that craft and the people inside. Maybe there's a computer or some record on why these people were in cryo. I think it might be best for safety if we pressurize the cargo hold, just in case. Sunstorm, if you could see to it. Ein, Snow, get what equipment you need to get down there. I'll monitor you from the bridge. Let's get to work." Shi unhooked her paws, and headed off to the bridge.

Snow headed off to medbay, and Ein down to engineering with Sunstorm. Snow and Ein meet up at the pressurized cargo bay and looked up at the satellite. Ein turned to Snow. "I'll go in first, then you can follow. Take as many readings as possible. The cryo pods are on the 2nd and 3rd levels." Shi pushed off and floated up to the entry hatch, the skunktaur following behind.

Ein opened the airlock, and a small rush of air filled the vacuum inside. "Captain, we're going to need some extra air in here. I'm going to tie myself onto the sat, while I open the inner airlock, it's still under vacuum."

"Understood, the environmentals are set to compensate," came the reply over the radio.

"Ok, breaking seal now." Shi undid the inner hatch and air around became a torrent as it seeked to fill the sat. After a bit, the wind stopped. "I think we have the pressure equalized. We're going in now."

Ein floated into the lower compartment of the sat. "I'm going to see if I can get anything out of the computer, you go up and check on the people."

Snow nodded and took off to the upper compartments. Hy started to scan each tube. "Not looking promising. The cryo on most of these have been compromised, the coldness of space kept the bodies from decaying, but.. all the ones so far are too far gone to be revived. It looks like they were dead before they were loaded." Hy finished hys scans. "None of the ones on this deck can be revived. I'm heading up to the next one."

Snow headed up to the upper deck, while Ein worked on interfacing with the sat's computer. Ein spoke over the com, "Captain, I've got a connection, but his thing is old. The tricorder has more processing power then the hunk of silicon in here, but I am getting data. The satellite says it's owned by a company called CryoStar, and it seems that all the people aboard were put on in a attempt to cheat death. I've got a launch date Captain, 2019. It must've broken orbit, and gotten flung out of the sol system."

Snow interrupted, "Captain, we have two in here that are intact, and could live, but I'm not sure if we could revive them. Plus, Ein, could you come up here and check these scans. I think the cryogenics is failing. Captain, if we want to save these two, we may have to do it quickly."

Ein floated up beside Snow. "Captain, I concur the readings Snow is getting. I think if we hadn't come by when we did, they might have been too far gone to save."

"Captain, I would like to bring tanks 13 and 22 into medbay and see if we can save these humans," Snow spoke over the comlink.

Captain Starguide had hir paw under her muzzle in thought again. "We need to, saving lives is more important than anything else. Do what you need to make it happen."

It took a few hours to unhook and move the cryo tubes, hooking them up to a better power supply. Snow worked on both humans, carefully working to unfreeze them, and repair any damage for resuscitation.

Snow let out a deep sigh. "Captain, please come to medbay. We need to talk.:"

Starguide glided into the medbay a few moments later. "What's wrong Snow?"

"It's their bodies, they're just too far gone, the primitive cryo just did too much damage to fix. But their minds are intact, if there was some way to save them." Snow hung hys head.

Ein came into medbay from the small science station in the next compartment, "Captain, there may be one way to save them, but it's a very long shot."

"I think a longshot is all they have right now, what is it Ein?" Starguide floated next to the beds with the two humans.

"Remember that human who was accidentally turned into a chakat during a transporter accident? There's been some work on duplicating the results, with some success. We might try the same with our transporter. But for it to work, we'd need someone to volunteer their body to be copied."

Starguide looked a bit shocked. "That is an interesting idea. But could it work... we do have some extra cargo containers that can be used as the extra mass needed. Ein, get right on making the preparations. Sounds like time for another staff meeting." Shi took off for the common room.

{{Separator|k}}

Starguide sighed and pushed a stray strand of headfur that had floated into hir view. Shi looked at her frazzled crew around the common table. “I'm sorry to keep calling these, but this is a very unusual situation. As I'm sure you know, the satellite held humans in cryo. Unfortunately, the cryo was so primitive that only two have survived, but not enough that we can revive them intact. Ein has a possible way to save both of them. Shi is wanting to use the transporter to copy their minds into new bodies. We would need two volunteers though to copy. I won't order anyone for the copy, but this would be saving two lives that can't wait for planetfall.” Shi looked around the room at hir crew.

Ashera raised hys paw. “You can copy me for one. Anything I can do to help,” the skunktaur spoke up.

Starguide looked out. “Anyone else?”

“I'll do it. If it will help,” Sunstorm replied. Hir long fennec ears twitching nervously.

Starguide took a deep breath and let it out. “Ok, you two talk with Ein, and let's hope this works. Snow can also fill you both in about your copies, who they are. The rest of you, back to your duties."

Half the crew left for whatever duties had been assigned. Ein looked at the nervous skunktaur and stellar. "I'm sure you both have questions, so ask."

"How is this going to work?" Ashera quietly asked.

Ein answered, "As you know, the transporter is actually two transporters in one. One for the body, and one for the mind. Normally when you are transported, you mind and body are separated then put back together on the receiving end. For this, we're going to use an existing pattern in the transporter, one copied from each of you, to put the mind of the humans into."

Ashera looks skeptical, "This can be done?"

"I'm going to use information from an accident and from some new research following the accident. I believe it can be done," Ein answered.

"Who are these people?," Sunstorm spoke up.

"We have some information from the sat's computers. All the humans in cryo were in there because they had passed away, and were hoping that some future medicine would be able to revive them." Snow passed over two padds with the information retrieved, and continued, "Greg Johnson, 34, died due to a cancer spread though his body. It says that he was a software engineer. It says he was an avid baseball player, but not much more."

Snow pointed to the other pad. "This is an interesting one. Stephanie Raccoon, 38, transgendered, died due to an accidental drug overdose. The transgender may help us here, as she may adjust better. It says she was a photographer, and a 'furry'. We're not sure what that last part means, but there are some entries in the ship's computer about a group of people who talked about morphs before the first was geengineered. We've already prepared two of the unoccupied cabins we normally use for passengers for them. I wish we knew more about these two, but the records are spotty."

"What is going to happen to them after this?" Sunstorm asked Ein and Snow.

"We don't know, that will be up to the authorities on Chakona," Ein replied.

Sunstorm looked at Ashera, then back at Ein and Snow. "I'm ready to do this."

Ashera nodded in agreement. "I'm ready as well.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls of the ship's transporter and looks at the platform with a very nervous skunktaur standing on it. The gravity generators had been turned on to make it easier to position on the transporter. "Are you ready Ashea?"

Ashea nodded hys head. Ein powered on the transporter, a glow surrounded as the skunktaur was converted into energy. Ein reversed the transport, and Ashea reformed on the transporter pad. "Ok, pattern has been saved. You can step down. We'll try the first transport now." Ein spoke into hir com, "Snow are you ready for the first transport?"

"I'm ready at this end, I've got Mr Johnson on life support, and about to start cerebral resuscitation." Snow pressed a button on hys tricorder, and a jolt went though the dead human."I have brainwave patterns, he's there. Ready for transport."

Ein powered up the transporter, the human on the table vanishing with a sparkling glow, along with two storage containers next to him. "Applying the new pattern now." Shi pushed more buttons on the controls. A glow came apon the pad, and formed into a skunktaur exactly like Ashera. The transporter went silent, and the skunktaur on the pad slumped over.

Ein rushed up. "Hy's breathing, that's a good sign, let's get hym back to medbay." Ein and Ashera carefully moved the unconscious skunktaur onto a stretcher, and out to sickbay, carefully putting hym onto a scanner table.

Snow started the medical scanner, "We have good vitals and brainwaves are looking good. I think it worked, but we'll have to wake hym first." Snow reached over and grabbed a hypospray. Hy pressed it against the new Greg, and injected a mild stimulant.

The skunktaur on the table opened hys eyes with a small groan. "Whad haggen?" Hys words a bit garbled.

Snow squeezed hys hand. "You're safe. You may feel different, but you are safe."

Greg clumsily turned towards Snow, and his eyes opened in fright. Hy screamed and fainted, slumping back on the table.

{{Separator|k}}

Captian Starguide could hear the yell from the bridge, as could the whole rest of the ship. Shi spoke into her com. "Snow? Ein? Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, but I think things could have gone a bit better. We did the first transfer, and I don't think Greg was ready for the sight of us." Show replied over the
com. "looks like we'll have to ease hym into the idea of non humans."

Starguide shook hir head. "I am guessing you're going to try with the second transfer while hy's out?"

"We'll be starting with that momentarily." Snow confirmed.

{{Separator|k}}

Ein stood at the controls while a very nervous fennec taur stood on the transporter. "Are you ready Sunstorm?

The stellar nodded, and Ein used the controls to turn Sunstorm to energy and back again, capturing her pattern. Sunstorm walked off the platform, and waited to help.

"Snow, are you ready?" Ein spoke into the com.

"I'm ready." Hy pressed the button to send a jolt of life bringing electricity into the dead brain of the human on the table. "And, got brain activity, Energize."

Ein started the transport, and the human vanished along with the extra mass needed for being a taur.

A glow formed in on the transporter pad and a new foxtaur appeared. Shi slumped over much like the last taur, but Sunstorm was ready to catch hir. "Ein? Why is her fur blue?"

Ein came over with the stretcher. "I do not know, there must've been a sight corruption in the pattern. Shi is breathing, but we need to get hir to sickbay to make sure everything is fine."

Sunstorm and Ein carried the new foxtaur into the sickbay, thankful for the micro-g outside of the transporter room. They carefully strapped Stephanie to one of the medical beds, so shi would not float away.

Snow glided over and waved the scanner for hys tricorder over the unconscious foxtaur. "Biosigns are good. Seeing no abnormalities other then the fur. That is a very odd shade of blue, almost looks fake, but it's very much part of hir."

Sunstorm looked at Snow, and asked, "Are we going to wake hir now?"

Snow nodded and picked up a hypospray. "Shi's stable enough, let's see how shi reacts." Snow pressed the hypospray against the new taur's neck and with a hiss, Stephanie woke up.

The blue taur blinked a few times, "Where am I," shi asked with a slurred tongue.

Snow put a paw on the blue fur. "You're safe."

Stephanie looked up at the voice. Seeing the skunktaur over her, shi looked puzzled. "Am I dreaming?"

Snow shook hys head. "No, you're not dreaming. We're as real as you are. What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was at work, setting up for the day's shoot, and that's it," shi answered a bit mangled due to the new muzzle. "I feel weird, and my mouth isn't forming the words right."

Snow held Stephanie's paw. "There was an accident, one of the medications you take was defective, and you got an overdose. It killed you, but you were put into cryogenic stasis in hopes you could be revived in the future. Well, welcome to the future."

Stephanie went wide eyed. "I died?" Shi brought a paw to hir muzzle, and blinked seeing it. "I... I... I'm changed?"

Snow blushed, hys ears flushing red. "In order to save you, we had to put you in a new body. Your old one was too far damaged from the drugs and the effects of being cryogenicly frozen. I'm sorry, there wasn't a human aboard that we could use for your new form."

Stephanie looked at hir paw, wiggling hir fingers. "I must be dreaming. No way I'm this lucky." Shi started to laugh, then cry in joy.

{{Separator|k}}

Both new taurs were moved into quarters next to their doubles, and the long process of teaching them about their bodies and the universe they woke up to.

"I can live with fox, I can live with taur, but why in the name of dog did I have to wake up with a body part I spent 10 years trying to get rid of?" Stephanie fumed in hir quarters with Sunstorm floating across from hir.

Sunstorm pointed a finger at Stephanie. "I'm not the one who designed us, but I happen to like being a herm. You think you've got issues with it, Greg has been freaking out about the whole thing since we woke hym up again."

Stephanie laid hir ears back, still a new feeling for hir. "I do feel sorry for him, I mean hym. Darn pronouns. Hy wasn't prepared for any of this. At least I fantasized about morphs, though I didn't think they'd ever be real." Shi looked at hir new sister. "I hope the sessions with Snow help."

"Hy'll adapt. That's what humans do best right? Even if hy's not human anymore." Sunstorm smiled at hir double.

There was a beep at the door. "Come in," Stephanie shouted.

Ein opened the door and glided in, followed by Ashera carrying a box. "We have made sure there was nothing hazardous in your personal belongings, and they have been decontaminated," Ein spoke to Stephanie. "The Captain thought you might want them as soon as possible, to help in making you feel at home. I'd be careful with them though, I have a feeling that the archaeologists on Chakona Prime would love to look them over."

Stephanie blinked. "Personal Belongings? I didn't think they'd be able to put anything in orbit other then us." Shi grabbed the box, and looked inside. Shi pulled out a padded bag. "Oh my... it can't be." Shi quickly unzipped the bag, careful of hir new claws. "My camera, they shipped my camera!"

Shi tried to lift it to hir eye, but bumped her muzzle into the back of the camera. "Erf.... Forgot about the muzzle. Hope it still works after years in space." Shi looked though the rest of the box, pulling out a book. There was a sticky note on it, 'Hope this helps on the other side, Kris.' Shi looked at the title, and laughed. "Transhuman Space, that is so you Kris."

Shi felt hir ears droop and hir eyes fill with tears. "They're all gone, everyone. Gone." Shi started to cry with a deep grief. Shi felt arms go around hir, holding hir tight. "I just hadn't thought about it yet. This was like a wonderful dream. Everyone, everything I knew is gone, and I'm still here."

Stephanie cried, tears leaving streaks in hir fur. Sunstorm held tight. "We're all here, you're not alone," shi said comfortingly.

Stephanie cried in the arms of the other taur, letting out repressed grief at hir situation. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to hurt this much."

"It's ok, no one expects you to be all sunshine and roses." Sunstorm smiled. "It will take time, and you've been though a lot. But everyone here is going to help in any way they can."

"Thank you. Thank you both." Stephanie sighed, hir ears drooping, a yet another new sensation for hir. "I should go though the rest of the box, see what else was packed."

Stephanie returned to the box, with the two taurs looking over hir shoulder. Shi picked up a plastic box. "Oh, a Solid State drive. Must be full of data, but can we access it?" Shi looked at Ein.

"It should not be hard. I'm sure I'll be able to fab up a connector, and I'm sure the ship's computer will be able to figure out it's data." Ein patted Stephanie's shoulder with a paw. "I do see three more in there, they did send a lot of data with you. We'll have to see what they thought was important to send."

A smile grew on Stephanie's muzzle. "I hope it's my photos and the contents of my computer. I had nearly 20 years worth of stuff on there." Shi pulled out the drives and set them aside.

A blue paw reached into the box searching for what precious treasure was next. "A card?" Shi pulled it out of the envelope and started to read out-loud. "Stephanie, if you are reading this, then you beat the odds. If this isn't Stephanie, hello aliens from the people of earth, please don't destroy us." Shi couldn't stop hirself from giggling, but continued.

"Stephanie, It's been a long five years since your death, all of us haven't forgotten you. Everyone from the list has helped pack up the small cube full of your worldly possessions. What do you know, you really can take them with you. We scanned and converted what we could, and put them on the drives in this box. You've got five years of comics and TV shows to catch up on.

"I hope your camera makes it though ok, and you can find a way to power it. Some thought that your sketchbooks were too precious to scan, so we included them. Maybe they'll help in getting the body of your dreams if genetech is advanced enough. Snow put the game book in, and I found your dice and put them in too, along with a few small souvenirs you had on your desk.

"The listies had our bash this weekend in Florida, and had a huge going away party. There were many toasts in your name. We sent you a picture of the group from that night, all signed on the back with good wishes. Good luck and we will all miss you."

Stephanie touched a paw to the picture, full of human faces. "I miss you all too."

{{Separator|k}}

Stephanie watched out the window, careful to keep her forepaws tucked under the bar on the floor so shi wouldn't float awake. Shi saw a reflection in the window and turned around. "Hello Greg. Feeling any better?" Shi asked of the skunktaur floating at her.

Greg frowned, ears following the expression. "Better then when I woke up, but I still feel like a freak."

Stephanie frowned too. "You're not a freak, Greg, just like no one on this ship is a freak. Everyone just looks a little different." Shi put a paw on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened to you, I was prepared for this, you never were. What's happened, happened. This was the only option to save us."

"I know, I know, I know. It's just still weird." Greg sighed. "Can we please change the subject. What are you looking at, and what'cha got there?"

"Oh, this is my camera, it was in the personal belongings sent up with us. Ein got it working again, and even figured out a eyepiece extender so I can use it with a muzzle. You don't know how may times I've bumped my nose on it." Stephanie smiled.

"I'm just looking out at space. I just can't get over it. We're in space. Floating in Micro-G. Traveling between the stars. It's amazing," Stephanie exclaimed in joy.

Greg looked out the window, as if for the first time since waking up. "You're right, we're in space. I hadn't thought about it, I've been so wrapped up in my own issues to think about it. I use to watch the shuttle launches from my backyard when I was little, but to actually be here."

Hy quickly grabbed and hugged a surprised fennectaur. "Thank you, I needed a happy thought after all this."

Stephanie giggled. "I think we're both going to be ok. Now, there has been something I've been dying to try. Keep holding me." Shi quickly attached the cable release to the camera and put it out in front of them, floating in the micro-g. "Look Ma, no tripod," and shi pressed the button.

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Relics}}

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-06-07T06:42:56Z

Nikon: Fixing a typo

{{author's note|This is a story that I'm writing to pass time at work, as it get very slow at night. It's my life since December though now, though the lens of Paradise. This will be sporadicly updated, as I am hand writing this into a blue composition book.}}
{{Universe|Paradise}}
{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}
{{float tag|text=Note: New stuff highlighted in green.}}

{{title|name=Coming Home|author=Nikon}}

''I'm part of a change sweeping the world. One of a million with another million next year. I'm sure you've heard the other stories, but here's mine.

''I currently work in a call centre, helping out the elderly with their Medicare. I'm not the only changed here. There's a snow leopard I moved in with two months ago, and a recently changed coyote. Oh me? I'm a raccoon, changed about two and a half years ago, but a raccoon for much longer.

''I consider myself one of the lucky changed. Not only did I become the right species, I also became the right gender. Thankfully in the April before my change, I got my name changed as I had transitioned to female. Again, I consider myself lucky. There are a few changed to have to deal with becoming both animal, and another gender they did not wish for.

''I picked up the job here because it was recommended to me by the changed network, mainly as a way to catch the changed among our elderly population. So far I haven't come across any, but I'm sure I will with time.

''The changed network here is so different then Chicago's. There are a lot less changed for one. There's also a lot more cold weather furs here, including five snow leopards. I do wonder what it's like for all the large families around here. There must be a lot of changed children, and most of the households here are highly religious.

Stephanie looked at the intro letter to the UCF (Utah Changed Forums). "My that's rambling," she thought out loud. She looked at the computer screen and thought about the last few months, and how it got here here.

{{Separator|k}}

The Raccoon fumed in her car. "Eight minutes! Eight Dog DAMN MINUTES!" She had just gotten fired for going to lunch eight minutes after the five hour limit from her shift start. In this company, that meant a write up, and since she had one for being sick too many times earlier this year, it meant termination. She started to growl, her rather sharp teeth starting to show. She took in a deep breath, composed herself and started her car.

Stephanie drove down the freeway, alternating between crying and pure rage. She pulled into a visitor spot at a large apartment building. She hurriedly got out, and slammed the door of her poor little car. As quickly as her paws would take her, she went into the lobby and punched in a code on the intercom keypad with a clawed finger. A voice came out the speaker, "Hello?"

"It's Nikon, Tina, let me in please." Stephanie said into the intercom, using her internet name, and now her legal middle name. The door buzzed, and she was able to get in. After a short elevator ride, the raccoon stood outside an apartment door and knocked. Another raccoon answered the door. Stephanie barely made it in the door, before breaking down crying.

{{Separator|k}}

The next few days were a blur. Between applying for unemployment, and looking for a new job. With only three weeks till xmas, and the current state of the economy, it made for a lousy job market. Even with the changed network's help.

With xmas fast approaching, Stephanie decided to go home for the holiday. It would be her first time home since her change. The small raccoon (she had lost about two feet of hight with her change, it was so annoying when everyone spoke over her head) loaded up her car with her luggage and took off to Ohio from Chicago. She buzzed along the interstate, listening to a new podcast for the change community, Clawcast. It helped to pass the time and was funny to hear them try to pass the podcast as just a furry show.

Stephanie made a detour in Toledo, heading south to a small tourist trap she had visited years ago. She cruised down I75 listening to more of the podcast. A grin formed on her muzzle as the first billboard appeared, showing a cartoon raccoon wearing a baker's cap. 'Coons Candy 30mi' the sign read. Stephanie pulled off the highway, and onto a snow covered gravel lot in front of a red barn.

Stephanie got out of her car, and a smile formed on her muzzle as her mouth started to water. The candies inside smelled to good to her raccoon nose. She shouldered her camera bag and headed in. She walked in and took in a deep breath, taking in a better smell of all the sweets, before browsing the candies. She wandered though the tables, careful of her tail the whole time.

She stopped as a slightly familiar smell came to her. She looked around and spotted another raccoon coming out from the backroom, and starting right at Stephanie in shock. She knew that look well. It was combination of 'I'm complete crazy' and 'I'm not alone!' Stephanie walked up carefully to her fellow 'coon. "Hello. Nice to see this place lives up to it's name," she smiled at the other raccoon, who was still looking in shock.

"You, you can see me?!" the other raccoon asked nervously. Stephanie nodded. "I'm not crazy?" Stephanie smiled and nodded again.

"Would you like to talk?" Stephanie motioned to one side of the store, thankful it was not busy at the moment. She guided the scared raccoon over to the corner, next to a shelf full of plus raccoons, all wearing baker's hats and aprons. She made a mental note to pick one of the them up. "I take it this is the first time you've seen another changed?"

The other raccoon nodded slowly. She was about two feet taller then Stephanie, looks like she lost no hight with the change, and had kept her human hair, but otherwise was anthropomorphic raccoon. "Well, you are not alone. There are one million of us changed out there, and that number increases every year. Oh, and my name is Stephanie, what's yours?"

"I'm Cathy, Cathy Coons. Why did this happen? It is because of my name?" Cathy looked at Stephanie pleadingly. Coons Candy was a family owned shop, and with that last name, and her change, Cathy must've though it some sorta curse.

Stephanie rested a paw on Cathy's shoulder. "No one knows why this is happening. But it's happening all over, and folks are turning into more then just raccoons. All we can do is group together and support each other. Luckily I know a group down in Columbus." Stephanie reached into her camera bag and pulled out a card. "This has the internet addresses for more information on the change, and support groups." She flipped over the card, it was about the size of two business cards, folded over. She started writing on the back of the card, in one of the blank spots. "I'm giving you my cell number, and the number for the coordinator of the Columbus changed. Don't worry, she's a nice coyote. It's only 50 miles to Columbus, so I'm sure one of the locals down there can help."

Stephanie handed over the card, thankful that the LAFF changed had printed them up. It seemed not a week went by that two to three new changed were found. For some reason Chicago had the largest changed, as if it were the centre of this mess. These cards were a necessity "Did you have any questions of me?" she asked her fellow raccoon.

"I'm just glad I'm not insane, or cursed because of my name. Thank you!" Cathy suddenly hugged Stephanie and Stephanie hugged back. It seemed furs just took to hugs easier then normal humans.

Stephanie stepped back. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some candy, before I make a puddle from my mouth watering." Stephanie giggled and Cathy smiled at her. Cathy went back to her duties, looking a lot more confidant. Stephanie smiled, and picked up some candies and one of those plush raccoons.

Stephanie took everything up to the register. The human at the counter ran up her items. "$47.16 is your total," the human told the raccoon.

"Do you take credit?" Stephanie asked. The cashier nodded and Stephanie took out her checkcard, handing it over with her ID.

The cashier's eye lit up as she read Stephanie's name. "Hey Cathy! Her last name is Raccoon!" The cashier showed Stephanie's card to Cathy and the other workers.

"That's why I sopped. I can't pass up anything raccoon themed." She looked at the other raccoon with a knowing smile.

"Our parents kept threatening to name one of us kids 'Rac' so they'd be 'Rac Coons'." All the workers laughed at that. Stephanie paid, and filled out the guestbook. She walked out waving at the Coons' with an extra wave for to the newly found raccoon. Stephanie got in her car, and drove across Ohio, feeling the buzz of helping a new changed.

{{Separator|k}}

The small raccoon pulled up outside a large white house. She took a deep breath, this time out of nervousness, and headed up to the front door. This was the first time home since her transition and change. She had told her folks about the transition, but not about the change.

Stephanie knocked on the door. "Stephie!" her step-grandmother exclaimed upon seeing her. "Artie's still at work and Pattie won't be back from Norfolk till tomorrow. I'm watching the kids now."

Stephanie heard a small voice off to the side, in the living room, yell out "Tail!!!" Stephanie felt someone grab her ringtail. She looked back in surprise to see a young mouse morph clinging to her tail

{{add|Stephanie looked up}} to see her grandmother looking though her, much like the the other known do when trying to look at a changed for what they really are. Her grandmother's eyes lit up in surprise and recognition. "Zoie! You let go of Aunt Stephie's tail! You know better!" The little mouse let go of her tail. "Your sister Sarah is going to be mighty surprised."

Just then a small puppy boy came out from around the corner. Grandma picked him up. "Say hellow to your Aunt Stephie Charley." Charley just buried his muzzle in his Great Grandmother's sleeve. "He's always so shy." Grandma petted the puppy's ears. "Why don't you put your bags in the coat room, then come and sit with us in the family room."

Stephanie moved a bit mindlessly, in shock. She had not expected this. Not that someone in her family would be a change, yet alone her niece and nephew. She looked between the little mouse and the puppy. "Sarah's a changed?!"

Grandma herded Stephanie's niece and nephew into the the family room, just next to the front door. Stephanie put her few bags in the coat room next to the kitchen, and joined everyone in the family room. She got there in time to see Grandma put on a Disney DVD for the kits. They calmed down instantly. She recognized it as one of the Mickey Mouse ones. Stephanie sat down on the couch, not sure what to do. Her grandmother's voice jolted her out of her shock. "You best wait for Artie and Sarah to get home. I don't pretend to understand what's going on. Sarah thought that there was no one else cursed, just herself, her no good husband, and the kids."

Stephanie just shook her head. Lost Ones here in her own family?! "No Sarah and the kits, er kids are not alone. I guess I best start mentally preparing the welcome speech again. So Dad know? And Pat?" She looked over at her grandmother, feeling a little out of it.

Grandma nodded. "Just Artie, Pattie and myself know. The weirdest thing is, we see the kids as the critters they are, but not Sarah or Dave." She paused a moment and looked at Stephanie. "And it would seem, not you either. Although if I look right I can catch glimpses."

Stephanie watched the kits in wonder. She thought about how the whole world will be changed by the time those two are out of High School. Stephanie stay there for a hour, talking and watching the kits, while waiting for her father and sister to come home. She knew it was going to be a very long night.

Stephanie heard the front door open and the familiar voice of her father call out that he was home. Zoie took off to the front door, as fast as her paws would allow, and jumped into her Grandfather's arms. Stephanie was reminded of the great leaping skill her pet rats had, and internally winced thinking of childproofing for changed children. Stephanie's father, Art walked in carrying Zoie. "Did you have a good day, 'Lil Miss Mousie?" Art asked his granddaughter.

Zoie giggle, "I did!" The mouse waited a second before blurting out. "And Auntie Stephie has a tail just like me! I got to hug it too. She's soft and fuzzy."

Stephanie winced and lay her ears back. It felt like all the colour in her fur drained out. So much for letting her secret out easy. She waved a paw. "Hi dad." She took in a large breath, steading herself. "Um, surprise. I'm a raccoon." She saw the look of shock on her father's face, then of him looking past her.

Art suddenly let out, "You too Stev -- Stephanie?!"

Stephanie nodded. "Me too, and quite a few others. I can explain everything, but I'd rather wait till Sarah gets home. I don't want to explain everything twice." She looked at her father, and smelled the fear coming from him, and seeing the shock still on his face.

Art handed Zoie off to her great grandmother and walked over to Stephanie. The small raccoon stood up, looking up at her father. He had always been taller then her, but now ever more so since she lost some of her hight in the change. Art put out his hand, and Stephanie took it in hers. She could see that he felt her claws, must like he must feel her sister's. "I'm still me. Just fuzzier." Stephanie's father took his hand away and put it up above her head. "If you're after my ears, you'll have to go about two feet lower. I'm not as tall as my ghost." She saw him lower his hand, eyes going wide as she knew her ghost vanished as the field flickered, and he saw her as she really was. "Hello dad."

Art put a hand on her daughter's head, feeling her ears. "You really are a raccoon, and you're a woman?" he asked in more shock.

"Um yeah, it's part of the change that made me a raccoon. So um... you have another daughter now too," she looked nervously up at her father. He took his hand back, and she knew the field snapped back in place. "Trust me, I'll tell you all I know when Sarah gets here. She's going to love this."

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Paradise]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Coming Home}}

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-06-07T06:40:50Z

Nikon: Adding Catigories

{{author's note|This is a story that I'm writing to pass time at work, as it get very slow at night. It's my life since December though now, though the lens of Paradise. This will be sporadicly updated, as I am hand writing this into a blue composition book.}}
{{Universe|Paradise}}
{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}
{{float tag|text=Note: New stuff highlighted in green.}}

{{title|name=Coming Home|author=Nikon}}

''I'm part of a change sweeping the world. One of a million with another million next year. I'm sure you've heard the other stories, but here's mine.

''I currently work in a call centre, helping out the elderly with their Medicare. I'm not the only changed here. There's a snow leopard I moved in with two months ago, and a recently changed coyote. Oh me? I'm a raccoon, changed about two and a half years ago, but a raccoon for much longer.

''I consider myself one of the lucky changed. Not only did I become the right species, I also became the right gender. Thankfully in the April before my change, I got my name changed as I had transitioned to female. Again, I consider myself lucky. There are a few changed to have to deal with becoming both animal, and another gender they did not wish for.

''I picked up the job here because it was recommended to me by the changed network, mainly as a way to catch the changed among our elderly population. So far I haven't come across any, but I'm sure I will with time.

''The changed network here is so different then Chicago's. There are a lot less changed for one. There's also a lot more cold weather furs here, including five snow leopards. I do wonder what it's like for all the large families around here. There must be a lot of changed children, and most of the households here are highly religious.

Stephanie looked at the intro letter to the UCF (Utah Changed Forums). "My that's rambling," she thought out loud. She looked at the computer screen and thought about the last few months, and how it got here here.

{{Separator|k}}

The Raccoon fumed in her car. "Eight minutes! Eight Dog DAMN MINUTES!" She had just gotten fired for going to lunch eight minutes after the five hour limit from her shift start. This this company, that meant a write up, and since she had one for being sick too many times earlier this year, it meant termination. She started to growl, her rather sharp teeth starting to show. She took in a deep breath, composed herself and started her car.

Stephanie drove down the freeway, alternating between crying and pure rage. She pulled into a visitor spot at a large apartment building. She hurriedly got out, and slammed the door of her poor little car. As quickly as her paws would take her, she went into the lobby and punched in a code on the intercom keypad with a clawed finger. A voice came out the speaker, "Hello?"

"It's Nikon, Tina, let me in please." Stephanie said into the intercom, using her internet name, and now her legal middle name. The door buzzed, and she was able to get in. After a short elevator ride, the raccoon stood outside an apartment door and knocked. Another raccoon answered the door. Stephanie barely made it in the door, before breaking down crying.

{{Separator|k}}

The next few days were a blur. Between applying for unemployment, and looking for a new job. With only three weeks till xmas, and the current state of the economy, it made for a lousy job market. Even with the changed network's help.

With xmas fast approaching, Stephanie decided to go home for the holiday. It would be her first time home since her change. The small raccoon (she had lost about two feet of hight with her change, it was so annoying when everyone spoke over her head) loaded up her car with her luggage and took off to Ohio from Chicago. She buzzed along the interstate, listening to a new podcast for the change community, Clawcast. It helped to pass the time and was funny to hear them try to pass the podcast as just a furry show.

Stephanie made a detour in Toledo, heading south to a small tourist trap she had visited years ago. She cruised down I75 listening to more of the podcast. A grin formed on her muzzle as the first billboard appeared, showing a cartoon raccoon wearing a baker's cap. 'Coons Candy 30mi' the sign read. Stephanie pulled off the highway, and onto a snow covered gravel lot in front of a red barn.

Stephanie got out of her car, and a smile formed on her muzzle as her mouth started to water. The candies inside smelled to good to her raccoon nose. She shouldered her camera bag and headed in. She walked in and took in a deep breath, taking in a better smell of all the sweets, before browsing the candies. She wandered though the tables, careful of her tail the whole time.

She stopped as a slightly familiar smell came to her. She looked around and spotted another raccoon coming out from the backroom, and starting right at Stephanie in shock. She knew that look well. It was combination of 'I'm complete crazy' and 'I'm not alone!' Stephanie walked up carefully to her fellow 'coon. "Hello. Nice to see this place lives up to it's name," she smiled at the other raccoon, who was still looking in shock.

"You, you can see me?!" the other raccoon asked nervously. Stephanie nodded. "I'm not crazy?" Stephanie smiled and nodded again.

"Would you like to talk?" Stephanie motioned to one side of the store, thankful it was not busy at the moment. She guided the scared raccoon over to the corner, next to a shelf full of plus raccoons, all wearing baker's hats and aprons. She made a mental note to pick one of the them up. "I take it this is the first time you've seen another changed?"

The other raccoon nodded slowly. She was about two feet taller then Stephanie, looks like she lost no hight with the change, and had kept her human hair, but otherwise was anthropomorphic raccoon. "Well, you are not alone. There are one million of us changed out there, and that number increases every year. Oh, and my name is Stephanie, what's yours?"

"I'm Cathy, Cathy Coons. Why did this happen? It is because of my name?" Cathy looked at Stephanie pleadingly. Coons Candy was a family owned shop, and with that last name, and her change, Cathy must've though it some sorta curse.

Stephanie rested a paw on Cathy's shoulder. "No one knows why this is happening. But it's happening all over, and folks are turning into more then just raccoons. All we can do is group together and support each other. Luckily I know a group down in Columbus." Stephanie reached into her camera bag and pulled out a card. "This has the internet addresses for more information on the change, and support groups." She flipped over the card, it was about the size of two business cards, folded over. She started writing on the back of the card, in one of the blank spots. "I'm giving you my cell number, and the number for the coordinator of the Columbus changed. Don't worry, she's a nice coyote. It's only 50 miles to Columbus, so I'm sure one of the locals down there can help."

Stephanie handed over the card, thankful that the LAFF changed had printed them up. It seemed not a week went by that two to three new changed were found. For some reason Chicago had the largest changed, as if it were the centre of this mess. These cards were a necessity "Did you have any questions of me?" she asked her fellow raccoon.

"I'm just glad I'm not insane, or cursed because of my name. Thank you!" Cathy suddenly hugged Stephanie and Stephanie hugged back. It seemed furs just took to hugs easier then normal humans.

Stephanie stepped back. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some candy, before I make a puddle from my mouth watering." Stephanie giggled and Cathy smiled at her. Cathy went back to her duties, looking a lot more confidant. Stephanie smiled, and picked up some candies and one of those plush raccoons.

Stephanie took everything up to the register. The human at the counter ran up her items. "$47.16 is your total," the human told the raccoon.

"Do you take credit?" Stephanie asked. The cashier nodded and Stephanie took out her checkcard, handing it over with her ID.

The cashier's eye lit up as she read Stephanie's name. "Hey Cathy! Her last name is Raccoon!" The cashier showed Stephanie's card to Cathy and the other workers.

"That's why I sopped. I can't pass up anything raccoon themed." She looked at the other raccoon with a knowing smile.

"Our parents kept threatening to name one of us kids 'Rac' so they'd be 'Rac Coons'." All the workers laughed at that. Stephanie paid, and filled out the guestbook. She walked out waving at the Coons' with an extra wave for to the newly found raccoon. Stephanie got in her car, and drove across Ohio, feeling the buzz of helping a new changed.

{{Separator|k}}

The small raccoon pulled up outside a large white house. She took a deep breath, this time out of nervousness, and headed up to the front door. This was the first time home since her transition and change. She had told her folks about the transition, but not about the change.

Stephanie knocked on the door. "Stephie!" her step-grandmother exclaimed upon seeing her. "Artie's still at work and Pattie won't be back from Norfolk till tomorrow. I'm watching the kids now."

Stephanie heard a small voice off to the side, in the living room, yell out "Tail!!!" Stephanie felt someone grab her ringtail. She looked back in surprise to see a young mouse morph clinging to her tail

{{add|Stephanie looked up}} to see her grandmother looking though her, much like the the other known do when trying to look at a changed for what they really are. Her grandmother's eyes lit up in surprise and recognition. "Zoie! You let go of Aunt Stephie's tail! You know better!" The little mouse let go of her tail. "Your sister Sarah is going to be mighty surprised."

Just then a small puppy boy came out from around the corner. Grandma picked him up. "Say hellow to your Aunt Stephie Charley." Charley just buried his muzzle in his Great Grandmother's sleeve. "He's always so shy." Grandma petted the puppy's ears. "Why don't you put your bags in the coat room, then come and sit with us in the family room."

Stephanie moved a bit mindlessly, in shock. She had not expected this. Not that someone in her family would be a change, yet alone her niece and nephew. She looked between the little mouse and the puppy. "Sarah's a changed?!"

Grandma herded Stephanie's niece and nephew into the the family room, just next to the front door. Stephanie put her few bags in the coat room next to the kitchen, and joined everyone in the family room. She got there in time to see Grandma put on a Disney DVD for the kits. They calmed down instantly. She recognized it as one of the Mickey Mouse ones. Stephanie sat down on the couch, not sure what to do. Her grandmother's voice jolted her out of her shock. "You best wait for Artie and Sarah to get home. I don't pretend to understand what's going on. Sarah thought that there was no one else cursed, just herself, her no good husband, and the kids."

Stephanie just shook her head. Lost Ones here in her own family?! "No Sarah and the kits, er kids are not alone. I guess I best start mentally preparing the welcome speech again. So Dad know? And Pat?" She looked over at her grandmother, feeling a little out of it.

Grandma nodded. "Just Artie, Pattie and myself know. The weirdest thing is, we see the kids as the critters they are, but not Sarah or Dave." She paused a moment and looked at Stephanie. "And it would seem, not you either. Although if I look right I can catch glimpses."

Stephanie watched the kits in wonder. She thought about how the whole world will be changed by the time those two are out of High School. Stephanie stay there for a hour, talking and watching the kits, while waiting for her father and sister to come home. She knew it was going to be a very long night.

Stephanie heard the front door open and the familiar voice of her father call out that he was home. Zoie took off to the front door, as fast as her paws would allow, and jumped into her Grandfather's arms. Stephanie was reminded of the great leaping skill her pet rats had, and internally winced thinking of childproofing for changed children. Stephanie's father, Art walked in carrying Zoie. "Did you have a good day, 'Lil Miss Mousie?" Art asked his granddaughter.

Zoie giggle, "I did!" The mouse waited a second before blurting out. "And Auntie Stephie has a tail just like me! I got to hug it too. She's soft and fuzzy."

Stephanie winced and lay her ears back. It felt like all the colour in her fur drained out. So much for letting her secret out easy. She waved a paw. "Hi dad." She took in a large breath, steading herself. "Um, surprise. I'm a raccoon." She saw the look of shock on her father's face, then of him looking past her.

Art suddenly let out, "You too Stev -- Stephanie?!"

Stephanie nodded. "Me too, and quite a few others. I can explain everything, but I'd rather wait till Sarah gets home. I don't want to explain everything twice." She looked at her father, and smelled the fear coming from him, and seeing the shock still on his face.

Art handed Zoie off to her great grandmother and walked over to Stephanie. The small raccoon stood up, looking up at her father. He had always been taller then her, but now ever more so since she lost some of her hight in the change. Art put out his hand, and Stephanie took it in hers. She could see that he felt her claws, must like he must feel her sister's. "I'm still me. Just fuzzier." Stephanie's father took his hand away and put it up above her head. "If you're after my ears, you'll have to go about two feet lower. I'm not as tall as my ghost." She saw him lower his hand, eyes going wide as she knew her ghost vanished as the field flickered, and he saw her as she really was. "Hello dad."

Art put a hand on her daughter's head, feeling her ears. "You really are a raccoon, and you're a woman?" he asked in more shock.

"Um yeah, it's part of the change that made me a raccoon. So um... you have another daughter now too," she looked nervously up at her father. He took his hand back, and she knew the field snapped back in place. "Trust me, I'll tell you all I know when Sarah gets here. She's going to love this."

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Paradise]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Coming Home}}

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-06-07T05:50:45Z

Nikon: Next part

{{author's note|This is a story that I'm writing to pass time at work, as it get very slow at night. It's my life since December though now, though the lens of Paradise. This will be sporadicly updated, as I am hand writing this into a blue composition book.}}
{{Universe|Paradise}}
{{WIP}}
{{Comment tag}}
{{float tag|text=Note: New stuff highlighted in green.}}

{{title|name=Coming Home|author=Nikon}}

''I'm part of a change sweeping the world. One of a million with another million next year. I'm sure you've heard the other stories, but here's mine.

''I currently work in a call centre, helping out the elderly with their Medicare. I'm not the only changed here. There's a snow leopard I moved in with two months ago, and a recently changed coyote. Oh me? I'm a raccoon, changed about two and a half years ago, but a raccoon for much longer.

''I consider myself one of the lucky changed. Not only did I become the right species, I also became the right gender. Thankfully in the April before my change, I got my name changed as I had transitioned to female. Again, I consider myself lucky. There are a few changed to have to deal with becoming both animal, and another gender they did not wish for.

''I picked up the job here because it was recommended to me by the changed network, mainly as a way to catch the changed among our elderly population. So far I haven't come across any, but I'm sure I will with time.

''The changed network here is so different then Chicago's. There are a lot less changed for one. There's also a lot more cold weather furs here, including five snow leopards. I do wonder what it's like for all the large families around here. There must be a lot of changed children, and most of the households here are highly religious.

Stephanie looked at the intro letter to the UCF (Utah Changed Forums). "My that's rambling," she thought out loud. She looked at the computer screen and thought about the last few months, and how it got here here.

{{Separator|k}}

The Raccoon fumed in her car. "Eight minutes! Eight Dog DAMN MINUTES!" She had just gotten fired for going to lunch eight minutes after the five hour limit from her shift start. This this company, that meant a write up, and since she had one for being sick too many times earlier this year, it meant termination. She started to growl, her rather sharp teeth starting to show. She took in a deep breath, composed herself and started her car.

Stephanie drove down the freeway, alternating between crying and pure rage. She pulled into a visitor spot at a large apartment building. She hurriedly got out, and slammed the door of her poor little car. As quickly as her paws would take her, she went into the lobby and punched in a code on the intercom keypad with a clawed finger. A voice came out the speaker, "Hello?"

"It's Nikon, Tina, let me in please." Stephanie said into the intercom, using her internet name, and now her legal middle name. The door buzzed, and she was able to get in. After a short elevator ride, the raccoon stood outside an apartment door and knocked. Another raccoon answered the door. Stephanie barely made it in the door, before breaking down crying.

{{Separator|k}}

The next few days were a blur. Between applying for unemployment, and looking for a new job. With only three weeks till xmas, and the current state of the economy, it made for a lousy job market. Even with the changed network's help.

With xmas fast approaching, Stephanie decided to go home for the holiday. It would be her first time home since her change. The small raccoon (she had lost about two feet of hight with her change, it was so annoying when everyone spoke over her head) loaded up her car with her luggage and took off to Ohio from Chicago. She buzzed along the interstate, listening to a new podcast for the change community, Clawcast. It helped to pass the time and was funny to hear them try to pass the podcast as just a furry show.

Stephanie made a detour in Toledo, heading south to a small tourist trap she had visited years ago. She cruised down I75 listening to more of the podcast. A grin formed on her muzzle as the first billboard appeared, showing a cartoon raccoon wearing a baker's cap. 'Coons Candy 30mi' the sign read. Stephanie pulled off the highway, and onto a snow covered gravel lot in front of a red barn.

Stephanie got out of her car, and a smile formed on her muzzle as her mouth started to water. The candies inside smelled to good to her raccoon nose. She shouldered her camera bag and headed in. She walked in and took in a deep breath, taking in a better smell of all the sweets, before browsing the candies. She wandered though the tables, careful of her tail the whole time.

She stopped as a slightly familiar smell came to her. She looked around and spotted another raccoon coming out from the backroom, and starting right at Stephanie in shock. She knew that look well. It was combination of 'I'm complete crazy' and 'I'm not alone!' Stephanie walked up carefully to her fellow 'coon. "Hello. Nice to see this place lives up to it's name," she smiled at the other raccoon, who was still looking in shock.

"You, you can see me?!" the other raccoon asked nervously. Stephanie nodded. "I'm not crazy?" Stephanie smiled and nodded again.

"Would you like to talk?" Stephanie motioned to one side of the store, thankful it was not busy at the moment. She guided the scared raccoon over to the corner, next to a shelf full of plus raccoons, all wearing baker's hats and aprons. She made a mental note to pick one of the them up. "I take it this is the first time you've seen another changed?"

The other raccoon nodded slowly. She was about two feet taller then Stephanie, looks like she lost no hight with the change, and had kept her human hair, but otherwise was anthropomorphic raccoon. "Well, you are not alone. There are one million of us changed out there, and that number increases every year. Oh, and my name is Stephanie, what's yours?"

"I'm Cathy, Cathy Coons. Why did this happen? It is because of my name?" Cathy looked at Stephanie pleadingly. Coons Candy was a family owned shop, and with that last name, and her change, Cathy must've though it some sorta curse.

Stephanie rested a paw on Cathy's shoulder. "No one knows why this is happening. But it's happening all over, and folks are turning into more then just raccoons. All we can do is group together and support each other. Luckily I know a group down in Columbus." Stephanie reached into her camera bag and pulled out a card. "This has the internet addresses for more information on the change, and support groups." She flipped over the card, it was about the size of two business cards, folded over. She started writing on the back of the card, in one of the blank spots. "I'm giving you my cell number, and the number for the coordinator of the Columbus changed. Don't worry, she's a nice coyote. It's only 50 miles to Columbus, so I'm sure one of the locals down there can help."

Stephanie handed over the card, thankful that the LAFF changed had printed them up. It seemed not a week went by that two to three new changed were found. For some reason Chicago had the largest changed, as if it were the centre of this mess. These cards were a necessity "Did you have any questions of me?" she asked her fellow raccoon.

"I'm just glad I'm not insane, or cursed because of my name. Thank you!" Cathy suddenly hugged Stephanie and Stephanie hugged back. It seemed furs just took to hugs easier then normal humans.

Stephanie stepped back. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get some candy, before I make a puddle from my mouth watering." Stephanie giggled and Cathy smiled at her. Cathy went back to her duties, looking a lot more confidant. Stephanie smiled, and picked up some candies and one of those plush raccoons.

Stephanie took everything up to the register. The human at the counter ran up her items. "$47.16 is your total," the human told the raccoon.

"Do you take credit?" Stephanie asked. The cashier nodded and Stephanie took out her checkcard, handing it over with her ID.

The cashier's eye lit up as she read Stephanie's name. "Hey Cathy! Her last name is Raccoon!" The cashier showed Stephanie's card to Cathy and the other workers.

"That's why I sopped. I can't pass up anything raccoon themed." She looked at the other raccoon with a knowing smile.

"Our parents kept threatening to name one of us kids 'Rac' so they'd be 'Rac Coons'." All the workers laughed at that. Stephanie paid, and filled out the guestbook. She walked out waving at the Coons' with an extra wave for to the newly found raccoon. Stephanie got in her car, and drove across Ohio, feeling the buzz of helping a new changed.

{{Separator|k}}

The small raccoon pulled up outside a large white house. She took a deep breath, this time out of nervousness, and headed up to the front door. This was the first time home since her transition and change. She had told her folks about the transition, but not about the change.

Stephanie knocked on the door. "Stephie!" her step-grandmother exclaimed upon seeing her. "Artie's still at work and Pattie won't be back from Norfolk till tomorrow. I'm watching the kids now."

Stephanie heard a small voice off to the side, in the living room, yell out "Tail!!!" Stephanie felt someone grab her ringtail. She looked back in surprise to see a young mouse morph clinging to her tail

{{add|Stephanie looked up}} to see her grandmother looking though her, much like the the other known do when trying to look at a changed for what they really are. Her grandmother's eyes lit up in surprise and recognition. "Zoie! You let go of Aunt Stephie's tail! You know better!" The little mouse let go of her tail. "Your sister Sarah is going to be mighty surprised."

Just then a small puppy boy came out from around the corner. Grandma picked him up. "Say hellow to your Aunt Stephie Charley." Charley just buried his muzzle in his Great Grandmother's sleeve. "He's always so shy." Grandma petted the puppy's ears. "Why don't you put your bags in the coat room, then come and sit with us in the family room."

Stephanie moved a bit mindlessly, in shock. She had not expected this. Not that someone in her family would be a change, yet alone her niece and nephew. She looked between the little mouse and the puppy. "Sarah's a changed?!"

Grandma herded Stephanie's niece and nephew into the the family room, just next to the front door. Stephanie put her few bags in the coat room next to the kitchen, and joined everyone in the family room. She got there in time to see Grandma put on a Disney DVD for the kits. They calmed down instantly. She recognized it as one of the Mickey Mouse ones. Stephanie sat down on the couch, not sure what to do. Her grandmother's voice jolted her out of her shock. "You best wait for Artie and Sarah to get home. I don't pretend to understand what's going on. Sarah thought that there was no one else cursed, just herself, her no good husband, and the kids."

Stephanie just shook her head. Lost Ones here in her own family?! "No Sarah and the kits, er kids are not alone. I guess I best start mentally preparing the welcome speech again. So Dad know? And Pat?" She looked over at her grandmother, feeling a little out of it.

Grandma nodded. "Just Artie, Pattie and myself know. The weirdest thing is, we see the kids as the critters they are, but not Sarah or Dave." She paused a moment and looked at Stephanie. "And it would seem, not you either. Although if I look right I can catch glimpses."

Stephanie watched the kits in wonder. She thought about how the whole world will be changed by the time those two are out of High School. Stephanie stay there for a hour, talking and watching the kits, while waiting for her father and sister to come home. She knew it was going to be a very long night.

Stephanie heard the front door open and the familiar voice of her father call out that he was home. Zoie took off to the front door, as fast as her paws would allow, and jumped into her Grandfather's arms. Stephanie was reminded of the great leaping skill her pet rats had, and internally winced thinking of childproofing for changed children. Stephanie's father, Art walked in carrying Zoie. "Did you have a good day, 'Lil Miss Mousie?" Art asked his granddaughter.

Zoie giggle, "I did!" The mouse waited a second before blurting out. "And Auntie Stephie has a tail just like me! I got to hug it too. She's soft and fuzzy."

Stephanie winced and lay her ears back. It felt like all the colour in her fur drained out. So much for letting her secret out easy. She waved a paw. "Hi dad." She took in a large breath, steading herself. "Um, surprise. I'm a raccoon." She saw the look of shock on her father's face, then of him looking past her.

Art suddenly let out, "You too Stev -- Stephanie?!"

Stephanie nodded. "Me too, and quite a few others. I can explain everything, but I'd rather wait till Sarah gets home. I don't want to explain everything twice." She looked at her father, and smelled the fear coming from him, and seeing the shock still on his face.

Art handed Zoie off to her great grandmother and walked over to Stephanie. The small raccoon stood up, looking up at her father. He had always been taller then her, but now ever more so since she lost some of her hight in the change. Art put out his hand, and Stephanie took it in hers. She could see that he felt her claws, must like he must feel her sister's. "I'm still me. Just fuzzier." Stephanie's father took his hand away and put it up above her head. "If you're after my ears, you'll have to go about two feet lower. I'm not as tall as my ghost." She saw him lower his hand, eyes going wide as she knew her ghost vanished as the field flickered, and he saw her as she really was. "Hello dad."

Art put a hand on her daughter's head, feeling her ears. "You really are a raccoon, and you're a woman?" he asked in more shock.

"Um yeah, it's part of the change that made me a raccoon. So um... you have another daughter now too," she looked nervously up at her father. He took his hand back, and she knew the field snapped back in place. "Trust me, I'll tell you all I know when Sarah gets here. She's going to love this."

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-05-22T08:59:09Z

Nikon:

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-05-22T06:01:47Z

Nikon:

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-05-22T06:00:00Z

Nikon:

User:Nikon/Coming Home

2008-05-22T05:39:45Z

Nikon: New Paradise story. Writing the last few months RL though the lens of Paradise.

User:Nikon

2008-05-22T05:31:09Z

Nikon:

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]
*[[User:Nikon/Back_to_Reality|Back to Reality]]

*[[User:Nikon/Coming_Home|Coming Home]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

[[Category:Author]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

Paradise Cast List

2008-01-31T23:41:21Z

Nikon:

'''Return to the [[Paradise (Setting)|Setting Page]]'''

This page is intended for major characters. Feel free to add any other notes you think people should know.

Example format below:

={{Separator|k|[[User:JonBuck|Jon Buck]]}}=

''Jerome Slater''
*Profession: Academic Librarian.
*Place of Residence: North Providence, RI
*Species: Whitetail deer
*Year changed: 2007
*Has appeared in:
**[[User:JonBuck/A Kind of Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]
**[[User:JonBuck/Tall Tales|Tall Tales]]

''Dr. Tara Janssen''
*Profession: History professor at same university Jerome works.
*Place of Residence: Abington, MA.
*Species: Whitetail deer
*Year changed: 2007
*Has appeared in:
**[[User:JonBuck/A Kind of Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]
**[[User:JonBuck/Tall Tales|Tall Tales]]

''Brandon Derrenger'' or ''BD''
*Profession: Medical equipment salesman
*Place of Residence: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
*Species: Lynx
*Special: Gender-changed. Female to other furries, still male to humans due to RDF.
*Year changed: 2006
*Has appeared in:
**[[User:JonBuck/A Kind of Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]
**[[User:JonBuck/Tall Tales|Tall Tales]]

={{Separator|k|[[User:Eirik|Eirik]]}}=

''Bryce Clay, M.D.
*Profession: Physician
*Place of Residence: Tulalip, WA
*Species: Polar Bear
*Year Changed: 2006
*Has appeared in:
**[[User:Eirik/Bare Hands|Bare Hands]]

''Winthrop Fitzgerald''
*Profession: Assistant Commissioner in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
*Place of Residence: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*Species: Horse (Chestnut)
*Year Changed: 2004
*Special Notes: As of 2007, fur with the highest known position in the Canadian government. Travels extensively across Canada. Has wide contacts with other government furs worldwide.
*Has appeared in:
**[[User:Eirik/Bare Hands|Bare Hands]]
**[[User:Jetfire/Poking_the_Veil|Poking the Veil]]

''Phillip Sandrick''
*Profession: Congressman, United States House of Representatives
*Place of Residence: Washington, D.C., Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
*Species: Badger
*Year of Change: Unknown, but prior to 2006.
*Special notes: Highest known fur in US Government
*Has appeared in:
**[[User:Eirik/Bare Hands|Bare Hands]]

={{Separator|k|[[User:Jetfire|Jetfire]]}}=

For a complete list of characters from my Veil series and related stories, please see [[The Veil Bestiary|The Veil Bestiary]].

''Adam Zimmer
* Profession: Lab Tech
* Place of Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana
* Species Male Brown Bear
* Year Changed: 2006
* Has Appeared in:
** [[User:Jetfire/GM'O'Fur|GM'O'Fur]]
** [[User:Jetfire/Twisting the Veil|Twisting The Veil]]

''Alex T (known as AT)
* Profession: Casino Worker
* Place of Residence: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
* Species Female Newfoundland Dog
* Year Changed: 2004
* Has Appeared in:
** [[User:Jetfire/Lifting The Veil|Lifting The Veil]]
** [[User:Jetfire/Poking the Veil|Poking The Veil]]
** [[User:Jetfire/Twisting the Veil|Twisting The Veil]]

''Joseph Ford (Joey, JF)
* Profession: Software developer
* Place of Residence: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
* Species
** Aug 05 to Aug 06: Male Mountain Goat
** Aug 06 to ??: Female Cougar
* Year Changed: 2005, 2006
* Has Appeared in:
** [[:Category:The Veil| The Veil Series]]
** [[User:Jetfire/GM'O'Fur|GM'O'Fur]]

''Michael
* Profession: Geologist
* Place of Residence: Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
* Species: Silver Fox (Male)
* Year Changed: 2005JonBuck
* Has Appeared in:
** [[User:Jetfire/Poking the Veil|Poking The Veil]]
** [[User:Jetfire/Silver Fox Tracks|Silver Fox Tracks]]JonBuck

={{Separator|k|[[User:MatthiasRat|MatthiasRat]]}}=

''Christopher Mattiaz
* Profession: Student in Mathematical Statistics
* Place of Residence: Blacksburg, Virginia (as of 2002)
** Aug 96 to Aug 97: Male Rottweiler
** Aug 97 to Aug 98: Female Donkey
** Aug 98 to Aug 99: Female Brown Bear
** Aug 99 to Aug 00: Male Brown Rat
** Aug 00 to Aug 01: Female Rottweiler
** Aug 01 to Aug 02: Female Donkey
** Aug 02 to Aug 03: Female Brown Bear
** Aug 03 and on: Unknown
* Year Changed: 1996
* Has Appeared in:
** [[User:MatthiasRat/Made Alone|Made Alone]]

''Robert 'Rob' Hallman
* Profession: Student in Networks and Systems Administration
* Place of Residence: Blacksburg, Virginia (as of 2002)JonBuck
** Aug 02 to Aug 03: Male Stripped Skunk
** Aug 03 and on: Unknown
* Year Changed: 2002
* Has Appeared in:
** [[User:MatthiasRat/Made Alone|Made Alone]]

={{Separator|k|[[User:Nikon|Nikon Raccoon]]}}=

''Tim 'Blue' Fredrickson
* Profession: Sales Clerk
* Place of Residence: Downers Grove, IL
* Has not changed, but can see.
* First to have the field break down completely.
* Will not change until the last round.
* Has Appeared in:
**[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]
**[[User:Nikon/Back_to_Reality|Back to Reality]]

 

[[Category:Paradise]]

User:Nikon/Changing Perspectives

2008-01-07T02:07:04Z

Nikon: Adding Series Bar to page

{{series bar
|series=Paradise: Blue's Story
|next=[[User:Nikon/Back_to_Reality|Back to Reality]]}}

{{Universe|Paradise}}
{{author's note|This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's story, [[User:JonBuck/A_Kind_of_Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]. It's set in the same story universe. Please read Jon's story first, or you may find yourself lost while reading this one. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments. Thanks to Bard and Felix with editing, I would be lost without you two.}}

{{title
|name=Changing Perspectives
|author=Nikon
|user=Nikon}}

November 17, 2007

''I'm a human. But I'm also a fur. I dream of being a being that walks around on two feet, and is covered in fur, with a muzzle, and tail. I go to cons, wear fake ears and tails, and have lots of friends who do the same. Lately though, things have gotten a bit strange. More and more folks are getting into the community, and more and more are claiming to be actual furs. Not humans with animal souls, but actual furs. Some of us just laugh them off, but not the old timers, the ones who came in before me. And lately, what I've been seeing at conventions and meetups, has me questioning my sanity.

''Current Mood: WTF?

''Current Music: Alice Cooper - 9 – Poison

{{Separator|k}}

Tim stared at the LJ post he just put up, then over at his roommate for this con. Joe had fallen asleep again in his fox ears and tail, though Tim could almost swear they didn't look like faux fur. He shook his head, feeling his headbanded raccoon ears slide a bit. “I'm going nuts. Maybe I just need a walk.”

It took forever for the elevator to get to his floor, but that was normal at cons. Tim let his mind wander a bit; turning over the strange things he'd seen so far this weekend. The ears that shouldn't have been able to move. The same with tails. Folks that looked to be in full suit out of the corner of his eye, but turned out not to be when he looked at them.

The elevator dinged, opening for him to get in. Tim stepped in, lost in thought. He didn't notice the skunk or fox in the elevator with him until one spoke up, “Going to the Lobby, dear?”, someone asked.

Shook out of his thoughts, he jerked his head and stared. “Oh, um, yes. Sorry.” Tim looked at the pair. They looked so real. There was no way no way they could be wearing suits, but still alarm bells about his sanity went off in the back of his head. Another ding, and the doors opened to the low roar of hundreds of folks talking.

Stepping out of the elevator, a headache instantly slammed into his skull. Everyone seemed to be in suit. 'It's not possible', he thought to himself, ‘there ''can't'' be that many!’ But everyone was anthro there in front of him as he walked out to the lobby of the hotel. Somehow he got himself over to one of the benches in the lobby, and put his head in his hands. The migraine making it feel like his head is about to explode.

Tim felt a hand, an ''odd'' hand, touch his shoulder. “Are you alright, Blue?” Blue was Tim's character's name, as he played a blue raccoon online. The voice was familiar, so he looked up. He saw a paw, not a hand, but a paw! The claws tipping it. That fur. It could only be a-- a paw. Then up at the anthro, the ''fur'', standing over him. Tim blinked a few times, and saw a kangaroo. One that looked ''so'' real that it must have hopped right out of a zoo. Except for the bigger head, the intelligent eyes, the more dexterous hand-- paws, the--

“You don't look so good, want me to get con staff?” the kangaroo asked. His, its muzzle moved perfectly with the speech, there was no way that was animatronics.

Tim was feeling that he really must be losing it.

He looked at the roo, helpless, clueless, and then spotted a namebadge. ‘Bounder’ it said, one of his friends from furnet. “Bounder? Oh, please go and get someone, my head feels like it's going to explode.” Curling up tightly, Tim clutched his head in his hands.

“Ok, I'll go have someone get Perry.” Bounder said.

Tim heard the roo hop off. Not walk, hop. Tim ''heard'' the THUMPTHUMPTHUMP of the hopping. He looked back up. Every species you could think of was wandering the lobby, with the stray human here and there. And the ''smells''. Smells that he hadn’t noticed before. Not just fanboy funk. Different smells. Like the last time he'd been to a farm.

The kangaroo with his friend's name came back, followed by a husky. “Bounder?" Tim asked. "Is that you? And when did you get a suit?” Another wave of searing pain pulsed through his skull, and Tim clutched his head again. It was like his skull was going to explode if he didn't hold it together.

“Suit? I haven't gotten a...” Tim looked up at the shock on Bounder's face-- muzzle-- whatever.

“Oh. Perry, let's get him to a quiet room-- is one of the meeting rooms open?”

A warm furry arm snugged around Tim, helping him up. Furry-- furry-- it just couldn't be--

Perry, the husky, looked at him. “Do you think you can walk for a bit?”

Tim nodded as he was helped down one of the hallways by a kangaroo and a husky. ‘Yeah, this is normal’, he thought.

Tim was led to one of the rooms used to host panels during the day, full of chairs. He blinked as he noticed that all, ''all'', the chairs were tail friendly. They were all arranged facing a table that the panel members would sit at. The husky set Tim down at the edge of a row of chairs.

Perry smiled at him, “Just lie down if you need to.” Turning to close the doors, he called someone named Fox over the radio to please come to the conference room, '''quickly'''.

Bounder sat sideways on one of the chairs. “How you holding up Blue? Feeling any better?”

In fact Tim was feeling a bit better. Especially now that he was away from the crowd. Still he felt very odd, laying here with a Kangaroo and Husky looking over him. “Yeah, a bit. Just-- I think I'm losing my mind.”

Bounder put his paw on Tim's knee. “I understand completely. Fox'll be in here in a moment, he's best with explaining things to newbies. But I guess I should tell you now, everything you're seeing is real. Yes, ''real''. Are you feeling any changes with yourself at all?”

Tim stared, blinking. His mind ground to a halt from what Bounder had said. He didn't feel any different himself, but-- The rest of the world-- That can't be! He was here. And they were there-- here. “No, I don't ''feel'' any different, but you all-- You're ''all'' anthros!" He sighed. "It can't be true, but-- I feel so confused.”

There was a knock on the door, and a fox peeked in. Somebody, some''thing'' nodded, and the fox came inside. Looking right at Tim for a moment, he turned to Bounder, “What's going on?”

“Um... I think the field just collapsed for Blue, I think. I mean, he can ''see'' us.”

Fox looked at Tim again. “Well-- well then! Welcome to the Twilight Zone, Blue. Just kidding, but really, we are furs. Anthros. Morphs." He took a deep breath and let it all out in one long explanation: "This is '''real'''. There are just over a million of us, and these cons are where we can get together and meet without worrying about the norms. This has been going on for about 20 years now, and our population seems to double each year. No one has any idea why it happens, but it just does. It seems that being here, at this con, has broken down the 'field', as we call it, and allowed you to see the world as it actually is.” Turning to Perry, he asked, “Can you get him a glass of water, it looks like he needs it.”

Tim watched Perry get him the water. Perry was digitigrade, walking on his toes. Tim just watched, admiring the movement. Seeing those legs in motion was another nail in the coffin of his sanity. This was ''real''. Tim turned to the fox and roo. He pointed to each of them in turn. “So, you're really a fox, you're really a roo, and you're really a husky? And I haven't been going insane the last few cons?”

Fox smiled. “Yes on the first three, and no on the last one. Trust us, we all know how you feel. We all went though the same thing, though it was us that was changing.”

Tim looked from one to another to another and back. “So, I guess, my next question is, well, what now? I mean, I can't go acting like I see talking animals; they'll lock me up. I mean-- I feel like I've just been let in on the biggest secret ever, and I can't tell anyone.”

Fox put a paw on Tim's shoulder. Tim felt the pads though his shirt, and the small claws. “It's ok, there's still another whole day of con, and I'm sure some of the locals of your town can help. Granted, this is the first time I know of where someone who hasn't been transformed could see us.”

Perry handed him some small orange pills. His claws against Tim's skin felt-- strange. Trying to focus on reality, the new reality, Tim looked down at the pills. “Some Motrin," Perry supplied, "for the headache, should help till you get use to reality.”

Looking at the pills, Tim shook his head, and then popped them in his mouth, gulping the pills down with some water.

“Thanks, you all. I feel a lot better now. Um, could you show me around the con? You know, tell me who is who? I don't think I'll recognize anyone anymore. I-- This isn't what I thought the rabbit hole would be like.” Tim stood up, a little shaky, but quickly getting his legs.

He got a shock as he was suddenly hugged on three sides. He hugged back, knowing that his friends were still his friends, even though the world had changed. He knew he could handle it.

He ''knew'' that the world had changed.

In a good way.

{{Separator|k}}

November 18th, 2007

''Guys, disregard the last entry. Something came up at the con, and helped me get my head on straight. In fact you could say my eyes were opened. I'll say one thing, life will not be boring again. Going to head to bed now. Been a long night, met a lot of new furs, and there's still a long day at con tomorrow before we all head home. For now, I'm going to fight for my half of the bed.

''Current Mood: Happy

''Current Music: A fox snoring

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:Paradise]] [[Category:Nikon]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Changing Perspectives}}

User:Nikon

2008-01-06T21:49:26Z

Nikon:

Paradise Stories
*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]
*[[User:Nikon/Back_to_Reality|Back to Reality]]

Xmas Xchange
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

[[Category:Author]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikon}}

User:Nikon

2008-01-06T21:46:47Z

Nikon:

User:Nikon

2008-01-06T21:43:28Z

Nikon:

User:Nikon/The Saransk Adventures

2007-12-29T16:07:57Z

Nikon:

{{author's note|This was a story for Leasara, part of Linnaeus' 2007 Xmas Xchange. Second story I've finished, and yes, it is finished. Editing was done by Bard and Felix, thank you two very much.}}

{{title
|name=The Saransk Adventures
|author=Nikon
|user=Nikon}}

"Shannon, you've got some mail." her mother said. Shannon turned around to see her mother coming down the stairs to her basement room. "Here you go, dear."

"Thanks Mom." Shannon replied, then looked at the mail as her mother headed back upstairs. She went though the pile of bills and ads, finally stopping at a small flat box. She looked at the label and thought, "Unimedia, Inc.? I don't remember ordering anything from them." She opened the box to find a DVD case inside. The art was of a group of five anthropomorphic mythical creatures, all done in anime style, looking as if they were an adventuring party. "This looks kinda neat!" she thought.

Shannon pulled off the protective plastic, then pulled off those silly security seals, meeping at a static shock as she removed the last one. Shannon pulled out the DVD, then opened her player and dropped it in. She sat back with the remote, and waited for all the legal warnings to pass. There seemed to be a few new ones, but she didn't pay any attention to them.

Finally, the DVD menu came up, showing the five adventurers, a Unicorn, a Gryphon, a Dragon, a Naga, and a Kitsune, along with the title, The Saransk Adventures. Shannon hit the play button, and watched the title for the anime, full of rock music, and the mythics fighting. The end came with a bright flash of light, and Shannon was forced to close her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled somewhere, and opened her eyes to see. All around her were multicolored lights flowing past as she slid down a tube of some sort. It almost looked like a wire frame the inside. Down at her feet was a bright light, getting closer and closer. She put her arms in front of her eyes to block the dazzling light.

Shannon felt herself land on something soft, but was still blinded from the light. Around her, she could hear four more 'ooomfs' of somethings else landing around her. She put her hands down to feel soft grass under her, and could hear birds chirping overhead. Slowly her vision cleared, and she saw she was in a glade, along with four others who had the look of Anime fans.

Shannon carefully got up, still feeling a bit sore from the landing. She looked over the others. They were all guys, and all were wearing anime themed shirts. She looked at the bunch, “Let me guess, you all got a strange DVD in the mail?” They all looked at Shannon and nodded.

“Well, I'm Shannon, I guess we should all find out each other's names before anything else happens.”

The skinny kid, who could be no older then 16, spoke up first. "Um. I'm Steve. Where are we? How did we get here?"

"I'd like to know that too," the guy who looked like a hockey player said. "I'm Morgan by the way."

The last two spoke up, “I'm Felix, and is this all a dream?” The one next to him followed, “I'm Kris, and where are we?”

“I believe I can answer that.” The new voice made everyone jump and turn around. Stepping out of the forest was an old looking female fox, walking on just two paws, carrying a staff. “I summoned you here so that you may save this world from destruction.”

Shannon spoke up, the first to get over her shock at the anthro fox. "With all due respect, how to expect us to do that? I'm sure we know every anime cliche ever, but we're not in any condition to save a world!"

“Yeah, no one asked us if we wanted to save the world, and what can we do anyways?” Kris spoke up from the back.

“You can do much more then you realize young ones. You just need a little bit of help to get you started.” The old fox smiled and banged her staff into the ground.

Shannon felt the ground shake, and the boom in her ears. Dust swirled past her as her skin started to tingle, which then seemed to move inwards until her whole body was shaking. She looked down to see white hair spouting over her arms. She looked over at the others to see that they were having similar changes. Shannon focused back on herself, watching her hands fur over, her fingernails taking on a shiny silver colors.

She felt an odd sensation in her feet, as if they were being pulled like taffy. She felt her shoes fall off, and looked down to see her toes merging into a silver, cloven hoof. She put her hands to her head, as her forehead felt like it was under a great deal of pressure. She felt a horn growing out, pushing her fingers aside. The pressure moved to her face, and slowly a short muzzle formed. She could feel her lip split, forming a goat-like cleft.

Shannon's ears flowed up the sides of her head, pulling out to equine shape and mobility. She could feel the pressure and release as a tail quickly grew. All of her aches and pains vanished, as she was lifted up in the air in the glow of magic. The clothes around her vanished, only to be reformed into a white robe that screamed 'healer'.

The new unicorn morph was set down gently on her hooves. It took her just a moment to get use to the way her new legs worked. This all felt good, right for her. Shannon looked around the glade, seeing the others had changed, each one looking very much like a different class.

Shannon looked for the old fox, but she had vanished into the forest. In her place were five strange items lying on the ground. The gryphon spoke up. "Well! What do we do now?" The voice sounded very much like Felix. Shannon walked over to the strange items. Seeing a staff she picked it up and felt a tingle of power flow through her. "Well, I guess we do what we have to do. Save the world? Find a way home? I'm not sure. But anything is better then waiting here."

The other four agreed, and fetched their magical items, before the odd party wandered out of the forest and off for adventure.

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] [[Category:2007 Xmas Xchange]] {{DEFAULTSORT:The Saransk Adventures}}

User:Nikon

2007-12-29T15:58:22Z

Nikon:

*[[User:Nikon/Changing_Perspectives|Changing Perspectives]]
*[[User:Nikon/The_Saransk_Adventures|Xmas Xchange: The Saransk Adventures]]

User:Nikon/The Saransk Adventures

2007-12-29T15:54:06Z

Nikon: Story upload

User:Nikon/Changing Perspectives

2007-12-14T07:19:25Z

Nikon:

{{author's note|This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's story, [[User:JonBuck/A_Kind_of_Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]. It's set in the same story universe. Please read Jon's story first, or you may find yourself lost while reading this one. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments. Thanks to Bard and Felix with editing, I would be lost without you two.}}

{{title
|name=Changing Perspectives
|author=Nikon
|user=Nikon}}

November 17, 2007

''I'm a human. But I'm also a fur. I dream of being a being that walks around on two feet, and is covered in fur, with a muzzle, and tail. I go to cons, wear fake ears and tails, and have lots of friends who do the same. Lately though, things have gotten a bit strange. More and more folks are getting into the community, and more and more are claiming to be actual furs. Not humans with animal souls, but actual furs. Some of us just laugh them off, but not the old timers, the ones who came in before me. And lately, what I've been seeing at conventions and meetups, has me questioning my sanity.

''Current Mood: WTF?

''Current Music: Alice Cooper - 9 – Poison

---

Tim stared at the LJ post he just put up, then over at his roommate for this con. Joe had fallen asleep again in his fox ears and tail, though Tim could almost swear they didn't look like faux fur. He shook his head, feeling his headbanded raccoon ears slide a bit. “I'm going nuts. Maybe I just need a walk.”

It took forever for the elevator to get to his floor, but that was normal at cons. Tim let his mind wander a bit; turning over the strange things he'd seen so far this weekend. The ears that shouldn't have been able to move. The same with tails. Folks that looked to be in full suit out of the corner of his eye, but turned out not to be when he looked at them.

The elevator dinged, opening for him to get in. Tim stepped in, lost in thought. He didn't notice the skunk or fox in the elevator with him until one spoke up, “Going to the Lobby, dear?”, someone asked.

Shook out of his thoughts, he jerked his head and stared. “Oh, um, yes. Sorry.” Tim looked at the pair. They looked so real. There was no way no way they could be wearing suits, but still alarm bells about his sanity went off in the back of his head. Another ding, and the doors opened to the low roar of hundreds of folks talking.

Stepping out of the elevator, a headache instantly slammed into his skull. Everyone seemed to be in suit. 'It's not possible', he thought to himself, ‘there ''can't'' be that many!’ But everyone was anthro there in front of him as he walked out to the lobby of the hotel. Somehow he got himself over to one of the benches in the lobby, and put his head in his hands. The migraine making it feel like his head is about to explode.

Tim felt a hand, an ''odd'' hand, touch his shoulder. “Are you alright, Blue?” Blue was Tim's character's name, as he played a blue raccoon online. The voice was familiar, so he looked up. He saw a paw, not a hand, but a paw! The claws tipping it. That fur. It could only be a-- a paw. Then up at the anthro, the ''fur'', standing over him. Tim blinked a few times, and saw a kangaroo. One that looked ''so'' real that it must have hopped right out of a zoo. Except for the bigger head, the intelligent eyes, the more dexterous hand-- paws, the--

“You don't look so good, want me to get con staff?” the kangaroo asked. His, its muzzle moved perfectly with the speech, there was no way that was animatronics.

Tim was feeling that he really must be losing it.

He looked at the roo, helpless, clueless, and then spotted a namebadge. ‘Bounder’ it said, one of his friends from furnet. “Bounder? Oh, please go and get someone, my head feels like it's going to explode.” Curling up tightly, Tim clutched his head in his hands.

“Ok, I'll go have someone get Perry.” Bounder said.

Tim heard the roo hop off. Not walk, hop. Tim ''heard'' the THUMPTHUMPTHUMP of the hopping. He looked back up. Every species you could think of was wandering the lobby, with the stray human here and there. And the ''smells''. Smells that he hadn’t noticed before. Not just fanboy funk. Different smells. Like the last time he'd been to a farm.

The kangaroo with his friend's name came back, followed by a husky. “Bounder?" Tim asked. "Is that you? And when did you get a suit?” Another wave of searing pain pulsed through his skull, and Tim clutched his head again. It was like his skull was going to explode if he didn't hold it together.

“Suit? I haven't gotten a...” Tim looked up at the shock on Bounder's face-- muzzle-- whatever.

“Oh. Perry, let's get him to a quiet room-- is one of the meeting rooms open?”

A warm furry arm snugged around Tim, helping him up. Furry-- furry-- it just couldn't be--

Perry, the husky, looked at him. “Do you think you can walk for a bit?”

Tim nodded as he was helped down one of the hallways by a kangaroo and a husky. ‘Yeah, this is normal’, he thought.

Tim was led to one of the rooms used to host panels during the day, full of chairs. He blinked as he noticed that all, ''all'', the chairs were tail friendly. They were all arranged facing a table that the panel members would sit at. The husky set Tim down at the edge of a row of chairs.

Perry smiled at him, “Just lie down if you need to.” Turning to close the doors, he called someone named Fox over the radio to please come to the conference room, '''quickly'''.

Bounder sat sideways on one of the chairs. “How you holding up Blue? Feeling any better?”

In fact Tim was feeling a bit better. Especially now that he was away from the crowd. Still he felt very odd, laying here with a Kangaroo and Husky looking over him. “Yeah, a bit. Just-- I think I'm losing my mind.”

Bounder put his paw on Tim's knee. “I understand completely. Fox'll be in here in a moment, he's best with explaining things to newbies. But I guess I should tell you now, everything you're seeing is real. Yes, ''real''. Are you feeling any changes with yourself at all?”

Tim stared, blinking. His mind ground to a halt from what Bounder had said. He didn't feel any different himself, but-- The rest of the world-- That can't be! He was here. And they were there-- here. “No, I don't ''feel'' any different, but you all-- You're ''all'' anthros!" He sighed. "It can't be true, but-- I feel so confused.”

There was a knock on the door, and a fox peeked in. Somebody, some''thing'' nodded, and the fox came inside. Looking right at Tim for a moment, he turned to Bounder, “What's going on?”

“Um... I think the field just collapsed for Blue, I think. I mean, he can ''see'' us.”

Fox looked at Tim again. “Well-- well then! Welcome to the Twilight Zone, Blue. Just kidding, but really, we are furs. Anthros. Morphs." He took a deep breath and let it all out in one long explanation: "This is '''real'''. There are just over a million of us, and these cons are where we can get together and meet without worrying about the norms. This has been going on for about 20 years now, and our population seems to double each year. No one has any idea why it happens, but it just does. It seems that being here, at this con, has broken down the 'field', as we call it, and allowed you to see the world as it actually is.” Turning to Perry, he asked, “Can you get him a glass of water, it looks like he needs it.”

Tim watched Perry get him the water. Perry was digitigrade, walking on his toes. Tim just watched, admiring the movement. Seeing those legs in motion was another nail in the coffin of his sanity. This was ''real''. Tim turned to the fox and roo. He pointed to each of them in turn. “So, you're really a fox, you're really a roo, and you're really a husky? And I haven't been going insane the last few cons?”

Fox smiled. “Yes on the first three, and no on the last one. Trust us, we all know how you feel. We all went though the same thing, though it was us that was changing.”

Tim looked from one to another to another and back. “So, I guess, my next question is, well, what now? I mean, I can't go acting like I see talking animals; they'll lock me up. I mean-- I feel like I've just been let in on the biggest secret ever, and I can't tell anyone.”

Fox put a paw on Tim's shoulder. Tim felt the pads though his shirt, and the small claws. “It's ok, there's still another whole day of con, and I'm sure some of the locals of your town can help. Granted, this is the first time I know of where someone who hasn't been transformed could see us.”

Perry handed him some small orange pills. His claws against Tim's skin felt-- strange. Trying to focus on reality, the new reality, Tim looked down at the pills. “Some Motrin," Perry supplied, "for the headache, should help till you get use to reality.”

Looking at the pills, Tim shook his head, and then popped them in his mouth, gulping the pills down with some water.

“Thanks, you all. I feel a lot better now. Um, could you show me around the con? You know, tell me who is who? I don't think I'll recognize anyone anymore. I-- This isn't what I thought the rabbit hole would be like.” Tim stood up, a little shaky, but quickly getting his legs.

He got a shock as he was suddenly hugged on three sides. He hugged back, knowing that his friends were still his friends, even though the world had changed. He knew he could handle it.

He ''knew'' that the world had changed.

In a good way.

---

November 18th, 2007

''Guys, disregard the last entry. Something came up at the con, and helped me get my head on straight. In fact you could say my eyes were opened. I'll say one thing, life will not be boring again. Going to head to bed now. Been a long night, met a lot of new furs, and there's still a long day at con tomorrow before we all head home. For now, I'm going to fight for my half of the bed.

''Current Mood: Happy

''Current Music: A fox snoring

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Changing Perspectives}}

User:Nikon/Changing Perspectives

2007-12-14T04:51:09Z

Nikon: Final story after Edits from Bard and Felix.

{{author's note|This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's story, [[User:JonBuck/A_Kind_of_Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]. It's set in the same story universe. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments. Thanks to Bard and Felix with editing, I would be lost without you two.}}

{{title
|name=Changing Perspectives
|author=Nikon
|user=Nikon}}

November 17, 2007

''I'm a human. But I'm also a fur. I dream of being a being that walks around on two feet, and is covered in fur, with a muzzle, and tail. I go to cons, wear fake ears and tails, and have lots of friends who do the same. Lately though, things have gotten a bit strange. More and more folks are getting into the community, and more and more are claiming to be actual furs. Not humans with animal souls, but actual furs. Some of us just laugh them off, but not the old timers, the ones who came in before me. And lately, what I've been seeing at conventions and meetups, has me questioning my sanity.

''Current Mood: WTF?

''Current Music: Alice Cooper - 9 – Poison

---

Tim stared at the LJ post he just put up, then over at his roommate for this con. Joe had fallen asleep again in his fox ears and tail, though Tim could almost swear they didn't look like faux fur. He shook his head, feeling his headbanded raccoon ears slide a bit. “I'm going nuts. Maybe I just need a walk.”

It took forever for the elevator to get to his floor, but that was normal at cons. Tim let his mind wander a bit; turning over the strange things he'd seen so far this weekend. The ears that shouldn't have been able to move. The same with tails. Folks that looked to be in full suit out of the corner of his eye, but turned out not to be when he looked at them.

The elevator dinged, opening for him to get in. Tim stepped in, lost in thought. He didn't notice the skunk or fox in the elevator with him until one spoke up, “Going to the Lobby, dear?”, someone asked.

Shook out of his thoughts, he jerked his head and stared. “Oh, um, yes. Sorry.” Tim looked at the pair. They looked so real. There was no way no way they could be wearing suits, but still alarm bells about his sanity went off in the back of his head. Another ding, and the doors opened to the low roar of hundreds of folks talking.

Stepping out of the elevator, a headache instantly slammed into his skull. Everyone seemed to be in suit. 'It's not possible', he thought to himself, ‘there ''can't'' be that many!’ But everyone was anthro there in front of him as he walked out to the lobby of the hotel. Somehow he got himself over to one of the benches in the lobby, and put his head in his hands. The migraine making it feel like his head is about to explode.

Tim felt a hand, an ''odd'' hand, touch his shoulder. “Are you alright, Blue?” Blue was Tim's character's name, as he played a blue raccoon online. The voice was familiar, so he looked up. He saw a paw, not a hand, but a paw! The claws tipping it. That fur. It could only be a-- a paw. Then up at the anthro, the ''fur'', standing over him. Tim blinked a few times, and saw a kangaroo. One that looked ''so'' real that it must have hopped right out of a zoo. Except for the bigger head, the intelligent eyes, the more dexterous hand-- paws, the--

“You don't look so good, want me to get con staff?” the kangaroo asked. His, its muzzle moved perfectly with the speech, there was no way that was animatronics.

Tim was feeling that he really must be losing it.

He looked at the roo, helpless, clueless, and then spotted a namebadge. ‘Bounder’ it said, one of his friends from furnet. “Bounder? Oh, please go and get someone, my head feels like it's going to explode.” Curling up tightly, Tim clutched his head in his hands.

“Ok, I'll go have someone get Perry.” Bounder said.

Tim heard the roo hop off. Not walk, hop. Tim ''heard'' the THUMPTHUMPTHUMP of the hopping. He looked back up. Every species you could think of was wandering the lobby, with the stray human here and there. And the ''smells''. Smells that he hadn’t noticed before. Not just fanboy funk. Different smells. Like the last time he'd been to a farm.

The kangaroo with his friend's name came back, followed by a husky. “Bounder?" Tim asked. "Is that you? And when did you get a suit?” Another wave of searing pain pulsed through his skull, and Tim clutched his head again. It was like his skull was going to explode if he didn't hold it together.

“Suit? I haven't gotten a...” Tim looked up at the shock on Bounder's face-- muzzle-- whatever.

“Oh. Perry, let's get him to a quiet room-- is one of the meeting rooms open?”

A warm furry arm snugged around Tim, helping him up. Furry-- furry-- it just couldn't be--

Perry, the husky, looked at him. “Do you think you can walk for a bit?”

Tim nodded as he was helped down one of the hallways by a kangaroo and a husky. ‘Yeah, this is normal’, he thought.

Tim was led to one of the rooms used to host panels during the day, full of chairs. He blinked as he noticed that all, ''all'', the chairs were tail friendly. They were all arranged facing a table that the panel members would sit at. The husky set Tim down at the edge of a row of chairs.

Perry smiled at him, “Just lie down if you need to.” Turning to close the doors, he called someone named Fox over the radio to please come to the conference room, '''quickly'''.

Bounder sat sideways on one of the chairs. “How you holding up Blue? Feeling any better?”

In fact Tim was feeling a bit better. Especially now that he was away from the crowd. Still he felt very odd, laying here with a Kangaroo and Husky looking over him. “Yeah, a bit. Just-- I think I'm losing my mind.”

Bounder put his paw on Tim's knee. “I understand completely. Fox'll be in here in a moment, he's best with explaining things to newbies. But I guess I should tell you now, everything you're seeing is real. Yes, ''real''. Are you feeling any changes with yourself at all?”

Tim stared, blinking. His mind ground to a halt from what Bounder had said. He didn't feel any different himself, but-- The rest of the world-- That can't be! He was here. And they were there-- here. “No, I don't ''feel'' any different, but you all-- You're ''all'' anthros!" He sighed. "It can't be true, but-- I feel so confused.”

There was a knock on the door, and a fox peeked in. Somebody, some''thing'' nodded, and the fox came inside. Looking right at Tim for a moment, he turned to Bounder, “What's going on?”

“Um... I think the field just collapsed for Blue, I think. I mean, he can ''see'' us.”

Fox looked at Tim again. “Well-- well then! Welcome to the Twilight Zone, Blue. Just kidding, but really, we are furs. Anthros. Morphs." He took a deep breath and let it all out in one long explanation: "This is '''real'''. There are just over a million of us, and these cons are where we can get together and meet without worrying about the norms. This has been going on for about 20 years now, and our population seems to double each year. No one has any idea why it happens, but it just does. It seems that being here, at this con, has broken down the 'field', as we call it, and allowed you to see the world as it actually is.” Turning to Perry, he asked, “Can you get him a glass of water, it looks like he needs it.”

Tim watched Perry get him the water. Perry was digitigrade, walking on his toes. Tim just watched, admiring the movement. Seeing those legs in motion was another nail in the coffin of his sanity. This was ''real''. Tim turned to the fox and roo. He pointed to each of them in turn. “So, you're really a fox, you're really a roo, and you're really a husky? And I haven't been going insane the last few cons?”

Fox smiled. “Yes on the first three, and no on the last one. Trust us, we all know how you feel. We all went though the same thing, though it was us that was changing.”

Tim looked from one to another to another and back. “So, I guess, my next question is, well, what now? I mean, I can't go acting like I see talking animals; they'll lock me up. I mean-- I feel like I've just been let in on the biggest secret ever, and I can't tell anyone.”

Fox put a paw on Tim's shoulder. Tim felt the pads though his shirt, and the small claws. “It's ok, there's still another whole day of con, and I'm sure some of the locals of your town can help. Granted, this is the first time I know of where someone who hasn't been transformed could see us.”

Perry handed him some small orange pills. His claws against Tim's skin felt-- strange. Trying to focus on reality, the new reality, Tim looked down at the pills. “Some Motrin," Perry supplied, "for the headache, should help till you get use to reality.”

Looking at the pills, Tim shook his head, and then popped them in his mouth, gulping the pills down with some water.

“Thanks, you all. I feel a lot better now. Um, could you show me around the con? You know, tell me who is who? I don't think I'll recognize anyone anymore. I-- This isn't what I thought the rabbit hole would be like.” Tim stood up, a little shaky, but quickly getting his legs.

He got a shock as he was suddenly hugged on three sides. He hugged back, knowing that his friends were still his friends, even though the world had changed. He knew he could handle it.

He ''knew'' that the world had changed.

In a good way.

---

November 18th, 2007

''Guys, disregard the last entry. Something came up at the con, and helped me get my head on straight. In fact you could say my eyes were opened. I'll say one thing, life will not be boring again. Going to head to bed now. Been a long night, met a lot of new furs, and there's still a long day at con tomorrow before we all head home. For now, I'm going to fight for my half of the bed.

''Current Mood: Happy

''Current Music: A fox snoring

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Changing Perspectives}}

User:Nikon/Changing Perspectives

2007-12-08T09:19:06Z

Nikon: Clarification on where this story came from

{{author's note|This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's story, [[User:JonBuck/A_Kind_of_Paradise|A Kind of Paradise]]. It's set in the same story universe. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments.}}

{{title
|name=Changing Perspectives
|author=Nikon
|user=Nikon}}

November 18, 2007

I'm a human. But I'm also a fur. I dream of being a being that walks around on two feet, and is covered in fur, with a muzzle, and tail. I go to cons, wear fake ears and tails, and have lots of friends who do the same. Lately though, things have gotten a bit strange. More and more folks are getting into the community, and more and more are claiming to be actual furs. Not humans with animal souls, but actual furs. Some of us just laugh them off, but not the old timers, the ones who came in before me. And lately, what I've been seeing at conventions and meetups, has me questioning my sanity.

Current Mood: WTF? 
Current Music: Alice Cooper - 9 – Poison

----

Tim stared at the post to LJ that he had just put up, then over at his roommate for this con. Joe had fallen asleep again in his fox ears and tail, though Tim could almost swear that they didn't look like faux fur. He shook his head, feeling the headbanded raccoon ears slide a bit. “I'm going nuts. Maybe I just need a walk.”

The elevator took forever to get to his floor, but that was normal at cons. Tim let his mind wander a bit, turning over the strange things he'd seen so far this weekend, the ears that shouldn't have been able to move, same with tails. Folks that looked to be in full suit out of the corner of his eye, but turned out not to be when he looked at them. The elevator dinged and opened up for him to get in. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the skunk or fox in the elevator with him until one spoke up, “Going to the Lobby Dear?”

“Oh, um, Yes, Sorry.” Tim looked at the pair, they looked so real like there was no way it really was a suit, but still alarm bells about his sanity went off in the back of his head. Another ding, and the doors opened to the small roar of thousands of folks talking.

Tim stepped out of the elevator, and instantly a headache hit him. Everyone seemed to be in suit. 'It's not possible', he thought to himself, 'there are usually only a 10 to one ratio of suits. But everyone was anthro there in front of him as he walked out to the lobby of the hotel. He got himself over to one of the benches that lined the lobby, and put his head in his hands, the migraine making it feel like his head is about to explode.

Tim felt a hand, and it was an odd hand at that, fall on his shoulder. “Are you alright Blue?” Blue was his character's name, as he played a blue raccoon online. The voice was familiar, so he looked up, first at the hand, no, paw, those claws, and that fur could only belong to a paw. Then up at the fur standing over him. Tim blinked a few times, and saw a kangaroo, one that looked almost real enough to have hopped out of a zoo. “You don't look so good, want me to get con staff?” The muzzle moved perfectly with the speech, there was no way that was animtronics, he really must be losing it.

Tim looked at the roo, then spotted a namebadge. Bounder it said, one of his friends from furnet. “Bounder? Oh, you best go and get someone, my head feels like it's going to explode.” He curled up tightly, clutching his head in his hands.

“Ok, I'll go have someone get Perry.” He heard the roo hop off. No not walk, actually heard the hopping. Tim looked back up. Every species you could think of was wandering the lobby, with the stray human here and there. There was also the smells he couldn't smell before. Sure he'd smelled fanboy funk, but this was different, like the last time he'd been to a farm.

The kangaroo with his friend's name came back, followed by a husky. “Bounder? Is that you? When did you get a suit?” He felt another wave of pain and clutched his head again, like he was holding his skull together.

“Suit? I haven't gotten a...” Tim looked up as Bounder got a look of shock on his face. “Oh. Perry, got let's get him to a quiet room, is one of the meeting rooms open?” He felt arms go around him, helping him up. The husky looked at him. “Do you think you can walk for a bit?” Tim just nodded, and was helped down one of the hallways by a kangaroo and a husky. Yeah, this is normal, he thought to himself.

Tim got helped into one of the rooms used to host panels during the day, full of chairs, and he just noticed that they were all tail friendly, facing a table that the panel members would sit at. He was carefully set down at the edge of a row of chairs. Perry smiled at him, “Just lay down if you need to.” He then turned to close the doors, not before calling someone named Fox over the radio to come to the room.

Bounder sat sideways on one of the chairs. “How are you holding up Blue? Feeling any better?” In fact he was feeling a bit better, now that he was away from the crowd, but still felt very odd, laying here with a Kangaroo and Husky looking over him. “Yeah, a bit. Just... I think I'm losing my mind.”

Bounder put his paw on my knee. “I understand completely. Fox will be in here in a moment, he's best with explaining things to newbies. But I guess I should tell you now, everything you're seeing is real. Are you feeling any changes with yourself at all?”

Tim just looked at the roo and blinked a few times, his mind having ground to a halt from what his friend had said. No, he didn't feel any different himself, but the rest of the world had. But that can't be. But he was here, and they were there. “No, I don't feel any different, but you all seem to be. I feel so confused.”

Just then there was a knock on the door, and a fox peeked in, before coming completely inside. He looked right at me, then turned to Bounder, “What's going on?”

“Um... I think the field just collapsed for Blue, I think. I mean, he can ''see'' us.”

Fox looked at me again. “Well then. Welcome to the Twilight Zone Blue. Just kidding, but really, we are furs. This is real, there are just over a million of us, and these cons are where we can get together and meet without worrying about the norms. This has been going on for about 20 years now, and our population seems to double each year. No one has any idea why it happens, but it does. It seems that being here, at this con, has broken down the 'field', as we call it, and allowed you to see the world as it actually is.” He turned to Perry, “Can you get him a glass of water, it looks like he needs it.”

I turned to watch Perry get me the water, noticing for the first time that he was digigrade, and just watched him walk, admiring the movement. Seeing those legs in work was another nail in the coffin that this was real. Tim turned back to the fox and roo across from him. “So, you're really a fox, you're really a roo, and you're really a husky? And I haven't been going insane the last few cons?”

Fox just smiled. “Yes on the first three, and no on the last one. Trust us, we all know how you feel, we went though the same thing, though it was us that was changing.”

“So, my next question is, what now? I mean I can't go acting like I see talking animals, they'll lock me up. I feel like I've just been let in on the bigest secret ever, and I can't tell anyone.”

Fox put a paw on my shoulder, I could feel the pads though my shirt, and the small claws. “It's ok, There is still another whole day of con, and I'm sure some of the locals of your town can help, granted, this is the first time I know of where someone who hasn't been turned could see.”

Perry handed me some small orangish pills, the feel of his claws against my skin felt really strange, but I looked down at the pills. “Some motrin, for the headache, should help till you get use to reality.” Tim looked at the pills, shook his head, and then took them, washing the pills down with some water.

“Thank you all. I feel a lot better now. Um. Could you show me around the con, and tell me who is who, I don't think I'll recognize anyone anymore. This isn't what I thought the rabbit hole would be like.” Tim stood up, a little shaky, but quickly getting his legs. He was a bit shocked as he suddenly got hugged on three sides.

----

November 19th, 2007

Guys, disregard the last entry. Something came up at the con, and helped me get my head on straight. In fact you could say my eyes were opened. I'll say one thing, life will not be boring again. Going to head to bed now. Been a long night, met a lot of new furs, and there's still a long day at con tomorrow before we all head home. For now, I'm going to fight for my half of the bed.

Current Mood: Happy 
Current Music: A fox snoring

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Anthropomorphic]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Changing Perspectives}}

User:Nikon/Changing Perspectives

2007-12-08T08:15:13Z

Nikon: Minor edits

This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's story, [[User:JonBuck/A_Kind_of_Paradise]]. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments.

Changing Perspectives
by Nikon

November 18, 2007

I'm a human. But I'm also a fur. I dream of being a being that walks around on two feet, and is covered in fur, with a muzzle, and tail. I go to cons, wear fake ears and tails, and have lots of friends who do the same. Lately though, things have gotten a bit strange. More and more folks are getting into the community, and more and more are claiming to be actual furs. Not humans with animal souls, but actual furs. Some of us just laugh them off, but not the old timers, the ones who came in before me. And lately, what I've been seeing at conventions and meetups, has me questioning my sanity.

Current Mood: WTF? 
Current Music: Alice Cooper - 9 – Poison

----

Tim stared at the post to LJ that he had just put up, then over at his roommate for this con. Joe had fallen asleep again in his fox ears and tail, though Tim could almost swear that they didn't look like faux fur. He shook his head, feeling the headbanded raccoon ears slide a bit. “I'm going nuts. Maybe I just need a walk.”

The elevator took forever to get to his floor, but that was normal at cons. Tim let his mind wander a bit, turning over the strange things he'd seen so far this weekend, the ears that shouldn't have been able to move, same with tails. Folks that looked to be in full suit out of the corner of his eye, but turned out not to be when he looked at them. The elevator dinged and opened up for him to get in. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the skunk or fox in the elevator with him until one spoke up, “Going to the Lobby Dear?”

“Oh, um, Yes, Sorry.” Tim looked at the pair, they looked so real like there was no way it really was a suit, but still alarm bells about his sanity went off in the back of his head. Another ding, and the doors opened to the small roar of thousands of folks talking.

Tim stepped out of the elevator, and instantly a headache hit him. Everyone seemed to be in suit. 'It's not possible', he thought to himself, 'there are usually only a 10 to one ratio of suits. But everyone was anthro there in front of him as he walked out to the lobby of the hotel. He got himself over to one of the benches that lined the lobby, and put his head in his hands, the migraine making it feel like his head is about to explode.

Tim felt a hand, and it was an odd hand at that, fall on his shoulder. “Are you alright Blue?” Blue was his character's name, as he played a blue raccoon online. The voice was familiar, so he looked up, first at the hand, no, paw, those claws, and that fur could only belong to a paw. Then up at the fur standing over him. Tim blinked a few times, and saw a kangaroo, one that looked almost real enough to have hopped out of a zoo. “You don't look so good, want me to get con staff?” The muzzle moved perfectly with the speech, there was no way that was animtronics, he really must be losing it.

Tim looked at the roo, then spotted a namebadge. Bounder it said, one of his friends from furnet. “Bounder? Oh, you best go and get someone, my head feels like it's going to explode.” He curled up tightly, clutching his head in his hands.

“Ok, I'll go have someone get Perry.” He heard the roo hop off. No not walk, actually heard the hopping. Tim looked back up. Every species you could think of was wandering the lobby, with the stray human here and there. There was also the smells he couldn't smell before. Sure he'd smelled fanboy funk, but this was different, like the last time he'd been to a farm.

The kangaroo with his friend's name came back, followed by a husky. “Bounder? Is that you? When did you get a suit?” He felt another wave of pain and clutched his head again, like he was holding his skull together.

“Suit? I haven't gotten a...” Tim looked up as Bounder got a look of shock on his face. “Oh. Perry, got let's get him to a quiet room, is one of the meeting rooms open?” He felt arms go around him, helping him up. The husky looked at him. “Do you think you can walk for a bit?” Tim just nodded, and was helped down one of the hallways by a kangaroo and a husky. Yeah, this is normal, he thought to himself.

Tim got helped into one of the rooms used to host panels during the day, full of chairs, and he just noticed that they were all tail friendly, facing a table that the panel members would sit at. He was carefully set down at the edge of a row of chairs. Perry smiled at him, “Just lay down if you need to.” He then turned to close the doors, not before calling someone named Fox over the radio to come to the room.

Bounder sat sideways on one of the chairs. “How are you holding up Blue? Feeling any better?” In fact he was feeling a bit better, now that he was away from the crowd, but still felt very odd, laying here with a Kangaroo and Husky looking over him. “Yeah, a bit. Just... I think I'm losing my mind.”

Bounder put his paw on my knee. “I understand completely. Fox will be in here in a moment, he's best with explaining things to newbies. But I guess I should tell you now, everything you're seeing is real. Are you feeling any changes with yourself at all?”

Tim just looked at the roo and blinked a few times, his mind having ground to a halt from what his friend had said. No, he didn't feel any different himself, but the rest of the world had. But that can't be. But he was here, and they were there. “No, I don't feel any different, but you all seem to be. I feel so confused.”

Just then there was a knock on the door, and a fox peeked in, before coming completely inside. He looked right at me, then turned to Bounder, “What's going on?”

“Um... I think the field just collapsed for Blue, I think. I mean, he can /see/ us.”

Fox looked at me again. “Well then. Welcome to the Twilight Zone Blue. Just kidding, but really, we are furs. This is real, there are just over a million of us, and these cons are where we can get together and meet without worrying about the norms. This has been going on for about 20 years now, and our population seems to double each year. No one has any idea why it happens, but it does. It seems that being here, at this con, has broken down the 'field', as we call it, and allowed you to see the world as it actually is.” He turned to Perry, “Can you get him a glass of water, it looks like he needs it.”

I turned to watch Perry get me the water, noticing for the first time that he was digigrade, and just watched him walk, admiring the movement. Seeing those legs in work was another nail in the coffin that this was real. Tim turned back to the fox and roo across from him. “So, you're really a fox, you're really a roo, and you're really a husky? And I haven't been going insane the last few cons?”

Fox just smiled. “Yes on the first three, and no on the last one. Trust us, we all know how you feel, we went though the same thing, though it was us that was changing.”

“So, my next question is, what now? I mean I can't go acting like I see talking animals, they'll lock me up. I feel like I've just been let in on the bigest secret ever, and I can't tell anyone.”

Fox put a paw on my shoulder, I could feel the pads though my shirt, and the small claws. “It's ok, There is still another whole day of con, and I'm sure some of the locals of your town can help, granted, this is the first time I know of where someone who hasn't been turned could see.”

Perry handed me some small orangish pills, the feel of his claws against my skin felt really strange, but I looked down at the pills. “Some motrin, for the headache, should help till you get use to reality.” Tim looked at the pills, shook his head, and then took them, washing the pills down with some water.

“Thank you all. I feel a lot better now. Um. Could you show me around the con, and tell me who is who, I don't think I'll recognize anyone anymore. This isn't what I thought the rabbit hole would be like.” Tim stood up, a little shaky, but quickly getting his legs. He was a bit shocked as he suddenly got hugged on three sides.

----

November 19th, 2007

Guys, disregard the last entry. Something came up at the con, and helped me get my head on straight. In fact you could say my eyes were opened. I'll say one thing, life will not be boring again. Going to head to bed now. Been a long night, met a lot of new furs, and there's still a long day at con tomorrow before we all head home. For now, I'm going to fight for my half of the bed.

Current Mood: Happy 
Current Music: A fox snoring

User:Nikon/Changing Perspectives

2007-12-08T08:10:10Z

Nikon: New page: This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's new Story universe. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments. Changing Per...

This is a story I wrote after a discussion in #transformations about Jon's new Story universe. This is the very first story I've ever finished, please be kind with comments.

Changing Perspectives
by Nikon

November 18, 2007

I'm a human. But I'm also a fur. I dream of being a being that walks around on two feet, and is covered in fur, with a muzzle, and tail. I go to cons, wear fake ears and tails, and have lots of friends who do the same. Lately though, things have gotten a bit strange. More and more folks are getting into the community, and more and more are claiming to be actual furs. Not humans with animal souls, but actual furs. Some of us just laugh them off, but not the old timers, the ones who came in before me. And lately, what I've been seeing at conventions and meetups, has me questioning my sanity.

Current Mood: WTF?
Current Music: Alice Cooper - 9 – Poison

----

Tim stared at the post to LJ that he had just put up, then over at his roommate for this con. Joe had fallen asleep again in his fox ears and tail, though Tim could almost swear that they didn't look like faux fur. He shook his head, feeling the headbanded raccoon ears slide a bit. “I'm going nuts. Maybe I just need a walk.”

The elevator took forever to get to his floor, but that was normal at cons. Tim let his mind wander a bit, turning over the strange things he'd seen so far this weekend, the ears that shouldn't have been able to move, same with tails. Folks that looked to be in full suit out of the corner of his eye, but turned out not to be when he looked at them. The elevator dinged and opened up for him to get in. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the skunk or fox in the elevator with him until one spoke up, “Going to the Lobby Dear?”

“Oh, um, Yes, Sorry.” Tim looked at the pair, they looked so real like there was no way it really was a suit, but still alarm bells about his sanity went off in the back of his head. Another ding, and the doors opened to the small roar of thousands of folks talking.

Tim stepped out of the elevator, and instantly a headache hit him. Everyone seemed to be in suit. 'It's not possible', he thought to himself, 'there are usually only a 10 to one ratio of suits. But everyone was anthro there in front of him as he walked out to the lobby of the hotel. He got himself over to one of the benches that lined the lobby, and put his head in his hands, the migraine making it feel like his head is about to explode.

Tim felt a hand, and it was an odd hand at that, fall on his shoulder. “Are you alright Blue?” Blue was his character's name, as he played a blue raccoon online. The voice was familiar, so he looked up, first at the hand, no, paw, those claws, and that fur could only belong to a paw. Then up at the fur standing over him. Tim blinked a few times, and saw a kangaroo, one that looked almost real enough to have hopped out of a zoo. “You don't look so good, want me to get con staff?” The muzzle moved perfectly with the speech, there was no way that was animtronics, he really must be losing it.

Tim looked at the roo, then spotted a namebadge. Bounder it said, one of his friends from furnet. “Bounder? Oh, you best go and get someone, my head feels like it's going to explode.” He curled up tightly, clutching his head in his hands.

“Ok, I'll go have someone get Perry.” He heard the roo hop off. No not walk, actually heard the hopping. Tim looked back up. Every species you could think of was wandering the lobby, with the stray human here and there. There was also the smells he couldn't smell before. Sure he'd smelled fanboy funk, but this was different, like the last time he'd been to a farm.

The kangaroo with his friend's name came back, followed by a husky. “Bounder? Is that you? When did you get a suit?” He felt another wave of pain and clutched his head again, like he was holding his skull together.

“Suit? I haven't gotten a...” Tim looked up as Bounder got a look of shock on his face. “Oh. Perry, got let's get him to a quiet room, is one of the meeting rooms open?” He felt arms go around him, helping him up. The husky looked at him. “Do you think you can walk for a bit?” Tim just nodded, and was helped down one of the hallways by a kangaroo and a husky. Yeah, this is normal, he thought to himself.

Tim got helped into one of the rooms used to host panels during the day, full of chairs, and he just noticed that they were all tail friendly, facing a table that the panel members would sit at. He was carefully set down at the edge of a row of chairs. Perry smiled at him, “Just lay down if you need to.” He then turned to close the doors, not before calling someone named Fox over the radio to come to the room.

Bounder sat sideways on one of the chairs. “How are you holding up Blue? Feeling any better?” In fact he was feeling a bit better, now that he was away from the crowd, but still felt very odd, laying here with a Kangaroo and Husky looking over him. “Yeah, a bit. Just... I think I'm losing my mind.”

Bounder put his paw on my knee. “I understand completely. Fox will be in here in a moment, he's best with explaining things to newbies. But I guess I should tell you now, everything you're seeing is real. Are you feeling any changes with yourself at all?”

Tim just looked at the roo and blinked a few times, his mind having ground to a halt from what his friend had said. No, he didn't feel any different himself, but the rest of the world had. But that can't be. But he was here, and they were there. “No, I don't feel any different, but you all seem to be. I feel so confused.”

Just then there was a knock on the door, and a fox peeked in, before coming completely inside. He looked right at me, then turned to Bounder, “What's going on?”

“Um... I think the field just collapsed for Blue, I think. I mean, he can /see/ us.”

Fox looked at me again. “Well then. Welcome to the Twilight Zone Blue. Just kidding, but really, we are furs. This is real, there are just over a million of us, and these cons are where we can get together and meet without worrying about the norms. This has been going on for about 20 years now, and our population seems to double each year. No one has any idea why it happens, but it does. It seems that being here, at this con, has broken down the 'field', as we call it, and allowed you to see the world as it actually is.” He turned to Perry, “Can you get him a glass of water, it looks like he needs it.”

I turned to watch Perry get me the water, noticing for the first time that he was digigrade, and just watched him walk, admiring the movement. Seeing those legs in work was another nail in the coffin that this was real. Tim turned back to the fox and roo across from him. “So, you're really a fox, you're really a roo, and you're really a husky? And I haven't been going insane the last few cons?”

Fox just smiled. “Yes on the first three, and no on the last one. Trust us, we all know how you feel, we went though the same thing, though it was us that was changing.”

“So, my next question is, what now? I mean I can't go acting like I see talking animals, they'll lock me up. I feel like I've just been let in on the bigest secret ever, and I can't tell anyone.”

Fox put a paw on my shoulder, I could feel the pads though my shirt, and the small claws. “It's ok, There is still another whole day of con, and I'm sure some of the locals of your town can help, granted, this is the first time I know of where someone who hasn't been turned could see.”

Perry handed me some small orangish pills, the feel of his claws against my skin felt really strange, but I looked down at the pills. “Some motrin, for the headache, should help till you get use to reality.” Tim looked at the pills, shook his head, and then took them, washing the pills down with some water.

“Thank you all. I feel a lot better now. Um. Could you show me around the con, and tell me who is who, I don't think I'll recognize anyone anymore. This isn't what I thought the rabbit hole would be like.” Tim stood up, a little shaky, but quickly getting his legs. He was a bit shocked as he suddenly got hugged on three sides.

----

Guys, disregard the last entry. Something came up at the con, and helped me get my head on straight. In fact you could say my eyes were opened. I'll say one thing, life will not be boring again. Going to head to bed now. Been a long night, met a lot of new furs, and there's still a long day at con tomorrow before we all head home. For now, I'm going to fight for my half of the bed.

Current Mood: Happy
Current Music: A fox snoring

User:Nikon/Untitled

2007-09-12T07:00:07Z

Nikon: Ok, up to the TF now...

{{WIP}}

I was brought into the wizard’s tower by two large guards. I had heard rumors of this mage, and his strange habits. Struggling and scared out of my mind, the two guards put me in the middle of a star drawn into the floor and I found I could no longer move. Though the door came in the infamous wizard, with his long flowing robes. I wanted to scream out my fear and frustration at not being able to move but even that seemed to be taken from me.

“Ah, you found a good one for my experiment,” he exclaimed. {{replace|Then|He}} went to an old-looking book. In a strange language he started to chant in a strange language that I couldn’t even start to understand.

A tingle spread from my fingers and toes, filling my whole body. I watched in stunned silence as soft fur started to sprout all over my body and my hands and feet started to melt{{replace| and flow|, flowing}} into inhuman shapes.

The wizard just smiled at me{{replace|, t|. T}}hen I felt a force poking my side, and the wizard started to say, “Wake up Nikon,” over and over.

The dungeon started to dissolve{{replace|, and|.}} I blinked a few times{{replace|, a|. A}}ir vents and curved plastic met my gaze, along with the scenery going by, bringing me back to the real world. I looked over, {{remove|and}} saw Northpaw driving, and blinked a few more times, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes.

“Northpaw, you just interrupted a wonderful dream,” I said as I glared at him.

“Sorry, but you wanted me to wake you up when we got close to the Florida state line, remember.”

I nodded{{replace| my head,|.}} “Yeah, I remember, but it still was a good dream. Maybe I can resume it later on when we get to the hotel. How far are we from the welcome sign?”

“Just saw the sign before I woke you up, and it said 10 miles. We should be there any moment,” my friend and the driver on this leg of the trip{{remove|,}} told me as he kept his eyes on the road.

We were on our way to a huge sci-fi and costuming con in Orlando called KublaCon. From the amount of email on the furry lists{{remove|,}} it seems this is the must be at con of the year, maybe even pulling in more furs then Anthrocon, and that’s a lot of furs.

Behind us was a caravan of cars{{remove|,}} filled with furs that we met up with on our way from Illinois. Lonny, or Northpaw as he liked to be called, had driven up from Kansas City to pick me up. I had barely enough room to fit my bags in his car, {{remove|as}} he had brought his three best fursuits with him. Some millionaire was putting up a mountain of prize money for the con’s costume contest{{remove|,}} and it seemed every fursuit in existence was going to be at this con.

{{remove|Me, }}I’m a photographer and a fur myself, so I love taking photos of all the wonderful creations that the fur community comes up with. I had saved for a year at my job processing other folk’s photos, {{replace|and gotten|getting}} the money for this trip{{remove|,}} and a brand new digital SLR camera. This would be the prefect con to break in the new camera, as the costs of film and developing would be astronomical!

I got on the FRS and sent out a call to the other cars in the Caravan. “We’ve got the state line coming up. I want to do a group photo in front of the ‘Welcome to Florida sign’ if we can.”

Crackly replies of “10-4” and “ok” came across the radio as the welcome sign came up. Luckily the state had though{{add|t}} about all the folks who like{{add|d}} to get their photos in front of the sign, and made a little turn off next to the interstate{{remove|,}} so they could park{{remove|,}} and not disrupt traffic.

The half dozen cars came to a stop{{remove|,}} and the furs piled out of their cars. We were a strange lot, from the rather thin{{remove|,}} to extremely overweight, college kits{{remove|,}} to greyfurs. I pulled out my tripod{{remove|,}} and several others did as well. Carefully I set up my camera{{remove|,}} and ran over with the rest of the group.

I actually fit in with this motley group{{replace|,|:}} overweight, pale skinned, and needing glasses. In a way though I was the strangest of the bunch as a transgendered fur. I’ve been on hormones for about a year{{remove|,}} and the laser treatments meant I no longer needed to shave. I actually passed for the most part{{remove|,}} and was happy wearing my normal jean skirts and t{{add|-}}shirts, most of which were from furcons, or of raccoons, my personal fur type.

“Say Parmesan,” I told everyone, and waited for everyone to {{replace|giggly repeated|gigglingly repeat}} it. I pressed the button on the camera’s remote and the camera {{remove|went though and}} took a series of photos of our little band.

Who knew that it would be one of the last photos of us together{{replace|.|?}}

-----

It took another 8 hours to get to the hotel from the state line. With myself driving this leg. It was Thursday, and the hotel was still crowded, various folks who could only be described as fans milling around. There was even the occasional costume or two. Folks sure were getting into the swing of things early.

I checked in at the front desk and got the keycards for Northpaw and myself, as Northpaw got a cart to help with his numerous boxes. I was looking forward to a long weekend to relax, and not have to worry about the stress of work and real life. I had even assembled the parts for my own costume, and was going to spend as much of the weekend as something other then human, as I could. I was a bit giddy with excitement, and a bit of fear of going out in costume for the first time.

I helped Northpaw bring up his massive amount of totes up to the room, taking two trips, and a lot of tugging and pulling to do so. My friend had brought three of his costumes with him, and I couldn’t wait to see him in all of them. I had to smile at all the comments that he got due to his tail and furry feet. He was even a bigger fur then I was, and actually wore the lower half of his fox costume everywhere, even to work. Surprisingly most of the comments were positive, with a lot of ‘Nice tail’ and ‘Nice feet’. I wished I could get away with that, though it was a bit like when I went full time myself. Took quite a while to get over that fear.

Flopping on the bed, exhausted from the long drive and ride, I laid down and did nothing for a few moments while Northpaw arranged his costume totes in the room.

“Vikky should be in from Seattle in the morning Northpaw. She said she's coming via the shuttle so we don't have to brave the airport to pick her up,” I said.

“Thank goodness. We had enough troubles with O'Hare for MFF. I don't want to have to pick anyone up at a strange airport,” Northpaw replied while getting everything in one corner.

“Up for some dinner?” I asked my foxie pawed friend.

He smiled and replied, “Sure.”

I clipped on my blue raccoon tail, and I headed off for dinner and to check out what the other congoers were doing. It was a good night, and Northpaw and myself slept well when we finally made it into the room.

-----

A knocking on the door woke us up at a very early hour. I slipped on my robe to see who it was. Though the peephole I could make out strawberry blond hair and glasses. I opened the door to see Vikky standing there with her luggage. “Those red eye flights are awful, but at least I made it,” she said as she came in.

I just yawned and looked at the alarm clock, 7am, just enough time for all of us to get ready for opening ceremonies. I made sure to hand Vikky the spare keycard before I ducked into the shower, then I helped Northpaw into his fox costume.
It was a long slow walk to the main hall for opening ceremonies. We were stopped every little bit by congoers wanting picture of and with Northpaw. Luckily I was there to play a semi-furless lacky. It took nearly an hour to get to the hall, but we still had an hour to spare by the time we got there, and were able to get seats close enough to where the stage wasn't a speck on the horizon.

The best way I could describe the hall would be a sea of people. Almost everyone from the con was here, and still more folks would be coming in tonight or in the morning. The hour flew by as I photographed some absolutely wonderful costumes, and Northpaw got his photographed plenty of times. There was a lot of silicon and cellulose used.

The lights in the hall dimmed, and we all quickly got in our seats. Everyone barely got seated as the lights went out.

There was an explosion of light and smoke up on the stage, and when it cleared, a man dressed as Gandalf was standing up on the stage lit up by a spotlight. He looked around, confused by his surroundings. “Where am I? This isn't middle earth.” Out of the darkness came a stage ninja, actually dressed as one, who whispered into 'Gandalf's' ear. “A convention you say? I'm to open it? My, tis an easy task for a wizard such as myself.” The ninja dashes back into the darkness. “Well then. Let's do this right.” He holds his staff up above. “I, Gandalf the Grey do declare this convention OPEN!” With the last word the staff gets slammed to the stage, and small indoor fireworks went off along the stage. The smoke was back, obscuring the stage, but it cleared to see a lecturn had been set up, with a person wearing the convention shirt standing behind it.

“Welcome everyone to Kubla Kon 25.” All though the hall erupted with loud applause and a few cheers. “This is going to be a great year for the convention. We have some great costume prizes, some wonderful Guests of Honor, and a great programing schedule for you this year. But first I want to bring back out our own 'Gandalf', Albert Adams. This year's con chairman.”

Out from the back came Albert, still dressed as Gandalf. “Thanks Tom. Everyone a hand for Tom, he's this years con co-chair, so any complaints are to go to him first.” A few laughs float around the room at the joke. “But let me bring out the man who made this magical year possible, Eric Winters.”

Everyone got to their feet and cheered as Mr Winters stepped onto the stage in his trademarked black turtleneck and black pants. He gives the hall a small bow in response to the applause. The con chair waited for everyone to quiet down before speaking again. “Mr Winters had been kind enough to supply the price money for this years masquerade and other contests we've set up this year. Everyone, another round of applause for Mr Winters.”

There was another wave of applause, and they got down to the rest of the opening ceremonies, the introduction of the Guests of Honor, and the Staff at the con. With the con fully started, we took off to give Northpaw a quick break in one of the headless lounges, so he could cool off. Then headed off to the dealers room to see what was for sale. It was wonderful to walk though the isles and look at all the different stuff for sale. This was much different then a furry or comic book convention.

Still, I was able to get a few comics and handed my sketchbooks off to some artists. Northpaw found me a cute Mew keychain, complete with pokeball. I found Vikky a cute little mouse plush for her collection. Northpaw gave a lot of hugs and posed for photographs. It was an enjoyable shopping trip.

----

Saturday I had Northpaw and Vikky get me into my costume, a blue draccoon. I even had some oversized props to show that I was a microfur. Thank goodness for friends in Texas. I also helped Vikky into her own mouse costume. She looked nice in the robes and with that staff as I did with my wings, skirt and shirt. We had fun getting into character, to pretend we weren't human for the day.

Northpaw got into some of the costume contests, and made it rather far. We would have to wait for the judging the next day. The Masquerade was beyond belief as so many wonderful costumers had made it out to the con. It was going to be a tough fight for the 1st place prizes.

----

Sunday came, and we were feeling that con high, from having good friends around. The morning was spent with Vikky and Northpaw. Every fur in the fandom seemed to be at the con. There was talk of dead dog parties after the closing ceremonies where the prizes would be handed out. I got all dressed up for the Hall Costume Awards Ceremony in hopes that Northpaw would win something. I got there early enough to get an up close view, but still, thank goodness for a telephoto lens. My camera normally wouldn't work with the latex muzzle I was wearing, but a few months back I stumbled across an ad in Pop Photo for an eyepiece extender. It did the job, and helped make the camera fit the costume more. Vikky sat next to me while we waited for things to start, looking every bit a cute mouse.

A young woman, whom appeared to be a dryad, announced Mr Winters as came out on stage, and the the crowd gave a standing ovation. As he walked up on stage, wearing a strange looking raven's mask, and in all black, I snapped away, capturing the moment. I remember feeling very strange as I pressed the shutter before the world grew around me, and all I saw around me were feet, my camera bag and backpack, huge now and the smell of fear and panic.

-----

User:Nikon/Untitled

2007-08-22T08:17:23Z

Nikon: Added it bit more to the story.

User:Nikon/Untitled

2007-08-22T07:29:06Z

Nikon:

User:Nikon/Untitled

2007-08-22T07:27:53Z

Nikon: New page: I was brought into the wizard’s tower by two large guards. I had heard rumors of this mage, and his strange habits. Struggling and scared out of my mind, the two guards put me in the mi...

I was brought into the wizard’s tower by two large guards. I had heard rumors of this mage, and his strange habits. Struggling and scared out of my mind, the two guards put me in the middle of a star drawn into the floor, and I found I could no longer move. Though the door came in the infamous wizard, with his long flowing robes. I wanted to scream out my fear and frustration at not being able to move, but even that seemed to be taken from me.

“Ah, you found a good one for my experiment,” he exclaimed. Then went to an old looking book. In a strange language he started to chant in a strange language that I couldn’t even start to understand.

A tingle spread from my fingers and toes, filling my whole body. I watched in stunned silence as soft fur started to sprout all over my body, and my hands and feet started to melt and flow into inhuman shapes.

The wizard just smiled at me, then I felt a force poking my side, and the wizard started to say, “Wake up Nikon,” over and over.

The dungeon started to dissolve, and I blinked a few times, air vents and curved plastic met my gaze, along with the scenery going by, bringing me back to the real world. I looked over, and saw Northpaw driving, and blinked a few more times, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes.

“Northpaw, you just interrupted a wonderful dream,” I said as I glared at him.

“Sorry, but you wanted me to wake you up when we got close to the Florida state line, remember.”

I nodded my head, “Yeah, I remember, but it still was a good dream. Maybe I can resume it later on when we get to the hotel. How far are we from the welcome sign?”

“Just saw the sign before I woke you up, and it said 10 miles. We should be there any moment,” my friend and the driver on this leg of the trip, told me as he kept his eyes on the road.

We were on our way to a huge sci-fi and costuming con in Orlando called KublaCon. From the amount of email on the furry lists, it seems this is the must be at con of the year, maybe even pulling in more furs then Anthrocon, and that’s a lot of furs.

Behind us was a caravan of cars, filled with furs that we met up with on our way from Illinois. Lonny, or Northpaw as he liked to be called, had driven up from Kansas City to pick me up. I had barely enough room to fit my bags in his car, as he had brought his three best fursuits with him. Some millionaire was putting up a mountain of prize money for the con’s costume contest, and it seemed every fursuit in existence was going to be at this con.

Me, I’m a photographer and a fur myself, so I love taking photos of all the wonderful creations that the fur community comes up with. I had saved for a year at my job processing other folk’s photos, and gotten the money for this trip, and a brand new digital SLR camera. This would be the prefect con to break in the new camera, as the costs of film and developing would be astronomical!

I got on the FRS and sent out a call to the other cars in the Caravan. “We’ve got the state line coming up. I want to do a group photo in front of the ‘Welcome to Florida sign’ if we can.”

Crackly replies of “10-4” and “ok” came across the radio as the welcome sign came up. Luckily the state had though about all the folks who like to get their photos in front of the sign, and made a little turn off next to the interstate, so they could park, and not disrupt traffic.

The half dozen cars came to a stop, and the furs piled out of their cars. We were a strange lot, from the rather thin, to extremely overweight, college kits, to greyfurs. I pulled out my tripod, and several others did as well. Carefully I set up my camera, and ran over with the rest of the group.

I actually fit in with this motley group, overweight, pale skinned, and needing glasses. In a way though I was the strangest of the bunch as a transgendered fur. I’ve been on hormones for about a year, and the laser treatments meant I no longer needed to shave. I actually passed for the most part, and was happy wearing my normal jean skirts and tshirts, most of which were from furcons, or of raccoons, my personal fur type.

“Say Parmesan,” I told everyone, and waited for everyone to giggly repeated it. I pressed the button on the camera’s remote and the camera went though and took a series of photos of our little band.

Who knew that it would be one of the last photos of us together.

-----

It took another 8 hours to get to the hotel from the state line. With myself driving this leg. It was Thursday, and the hotel was still crowded, various folks who could only be described as fans milling around. There was even the occasional costume or two. Folks sure were getting into the swing of things early.

I checked in at the front desk and got the keycards for Northpaw and myself, as Northpaw got a cart to help with his numerous boxes. I was looking forward to a long weekend to relax, and not have to worry about the stress of work and real life. I had even assembled the parts for my own costume, and was going to spend as much of the weekend as something other then human, as I could. I was a bit giddy with excitement, and a bit of fear of going out in costume for the first time.

I helped Northpaw bring up his massive amount of totes up to the room, taking two trips, and a lot of tugging and pulling to do so. My friend had brought three of his costumes with him, and I couldn’t wait to see him in all of them. I had to smile at all the comments that he got due to his tail and furry feet. He was even a bigger fur then I was, and actually wore the lower half of his fox costume everywhere, even to work. Surprisingly most of the comments were positive, with a lot of ‘Nice tail’ and ‘Nice feet’. I wished I could get away with that, though it was a bit like when I went full time myself. Took quite a while to get over that fear.

Flopping on the bed, exhausted from the long drive and ride, I laid down and did nothing for a few moments while Northpaw arranged his costume totes in the room.

“Vikky should be in from Seattle in the morning Northpaw. She said she's coming via the shuttle so we don't have to brave the airport to pick her up,” I said.

“Thank goodness. We had enough troubles with O'Hare for MFF. I don't want to have to pick anyone up at a strange airport,” Northpaw replied while getting everything in one corner.

“Up for some dinner?” I asked my foxie pawed friend.

He smiled and replied, “Sure.”

I clipped on my blue raccoon tail, and I headed off for dinner and to check out what the other congoers were doing. It was a good night, and Northpaw and myself slept well when we finally made it into the room.

-----

A knocking on the door woke us up at a very early hour. I slipped on my robe to see who it was. Though the peephole I could make out strawberry blond hair and glasses. I opened the door to see Vikky standing there with her luggage. “Those red eye flights are awful, but at least I made it,” she said as she came in.

I just yawned and looked at the alarm clock, 7am, just enough time for all of us to get ready for opening ceremonies. I made sure to hand Vikky the spare keycard before I ducked into the shower, then I helped Northpaw into his fox costume.
It was a long slow walk to the main hall for opening ceremonies. We were stopped every little bit by congoers wanting picture of and with Northpaw. Luckily I was there to play a semi-furless lacky. It took nearly an hour to get to the hall, but we still had an hour to spare by the time we got there, and were able to get seats close enough to where the stage wasn't a speck on the horizon.

The best way I could describe the hall would be a sea of people. Almost everyone from the con was here, and still more folks would be coming in tonight or in the morning. The hour flew by as I photographed some absolutly wonderful costumes, and Northpaw got his photographed plenty of times. There was a lot of silicon and cellulose used.

The lights in the hall dimmed, and we all quickly got in our seats. Everyone barely got seated as the lights went out.

There was an explosion of light and smoke up on the stage, and when it cleared, a man dressed as Gandolf was standing up on the stage lit up by a spotlight. He looked around, confused by his surroundings. “Where am I? This isn't middle earth.” Out of the darkness came a stage ninja, actually dressed as one, who whispered into 'Gandolf's' ear. “A convention you say? I'm to open it? My, tis an easy task for a wizard such as myself.” The ninja dashes back into the darkness. “Well then. Let's do this right.” He holds his staff up above. “I, Gandolf the Grey do declare this convention OPEN!” With the last word the staff gets slammed to the stI was brought into the wizard’s tower by two large guards. I had heard rumors of this mage, and his strange habits. Struggling and scared out of my mind, the two guards put me in the middle of a star drawn into the floor, and I found I could no longer move. Though the door came in the infamous wizard, with his long flowing robes. I wanted to scream out my fear and frustration at not being able to move, but even that seemed to be taken from me.

“Ah, you found a good one for my experiment,” he exclaimed. Then went to an old looking book. In a strange language he started to chant in a strange language that I couldn’t even start to understand.

A tingle spread from my fingers and toes, filling my whole body. I watched in stunned silence as soft fur started to sprout all over my body, and my hands and feet started to melt and flow into inhuman shapes.

The wizard just smiled at me, then I felt a force poking my side, and the wizard started to say, “Wake up Nikon,” over and over.

The dungeon started to dissolve, and I blinked a few times, air vents and curved plastic met my gaze, along with the scenery going by, bringing me back to the real world. I looked over, and saw Northpaw driving, and blinked a few more times, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes.

“Northpaw, you just interrupted a wonderful dream,” I said as I glared at him.

“Sorry, but you wanted me to wake you up when we got close to the Florida state line, remember.”

I nodded my head, “Yeah, I remember, but it still was a good dream. Maybe I can resume it later on when we get to the hotel. How far are we from the welcome sign?”

“Just saw the sign before I woke you up, and it said 10 miles. We should be there any moment,” my friend and the driver on this leg of the trip, told me as he kept his eyes on the road.

We were on our way to a huge sci-fi and costuming con in Orlando called KublaCon. From the amount of email on the furry lists, it seems this is the must be at con of the year, maybe even pulling in more furs then Anthrocon, and that’s a lot of furs.

Behind us was a caravan of cars, filled with furs that we met up with on our way from Illinois. Lonny, or Northpaw as he liked to be called, had driven up from Kansas City to pick me up. I had barely enough room to fit my bags in his car, as he had brought his three best fursuits with him. Some millionaire was putting up a mountain of prize money for the con’s costume contest, and it seemed every fursuit in existence was going to be at this con.

Me, I’m a photographer and a fur myself, so I love taking photos of all the wonderful creations that the fur community comes up with. I had saved for a year at my job processing other folk’s photos, and gotten the money for this trip, and a brand new digital SLR camera. This would be the prefect con to break in the new camera, as the costs of film and developing would be astronomical!

I got on the FRS and sent out a call to the other cars in the Caravan. “We’ve got the state line coming up. I want to do a group photo in front of the ‘Welcome to Florida sign’ if we can.”

Crackly replies of “10-4” and “ok” came across the radio as the welcome sign came up. Luckily the state had though about all the folks who like to get their photos in front of the sign, and made a little turn off next to the interstate, so they could park, and not disrupt traffic.

The half dozen cars came to a stop, and the furs piled out of their cars. We were a strange lot, from the rather thin, to extremely overweight, college kits, to greyfurs. I pulled out my tripod, and several others did as well. Carefully I set up my camera, and ran over with the rest of the group.

I actually fit in with this motley group, overweight, pale skinned, and needing glasses. In a way though I was the strangest of the bunch as a transgendered fur. I’ve been on hormones for about a year, and the laser treatments meant I no longer needed to shave. I actually passed for the most part, and was happy wearing my normal jean skirts and tshirts, most of which were from furcons, or of raccoons, my personal fur type.

“Say Parmesan,” I told everyone, and waited for everyone to giggly repeated it. I pressed the button on the camera’s remote and the camera went though and took a series of photos of our little band.

Who knew that it would be one of the last photos of us together.

-----

It took another 8 hours to get to the hotel from the state line. With myself driving this leg. It was Thursday, and the hotel was still crowded, various folks who could only be described as fans milling around. There was even the occasional costume or two. Folks sure were getting into the swing of things early.

I checked in at the front desk and got the keycards for Northpaw and myself, as Northpaw got a cart to help with his numerous boxes. I was looking forward to a long weekend to relax, and not have to worry about the stress of work and real life. I had even assembled the parts for my own costume, and was going to spend as much of the weekend as something other then human, as I could. I was a bit giddy with excitement, and a bit of fear of going out in costume for the first time.

I helped Northpaw bring up his massive amount of totes up to the room, taking two trips, and a lot of tugging and pulling to do so. My friend had brought three of his costumes with him, and I couldn’t wait to see him in all of them. I had to smile at all the comments that he got due to his tail and furry feet. He was even a bigger fur then I was, and actually wore the lower half of his fox costume everywhere, even to work. Surprisingly most of the comments were positive, with a lot of ‘Nice tail’ and ‘Nice feet’. I wished I could get away with that, though it was a bit like when I went full time myself. Took quite a while to get over that fear.

Flopping on the bed, exhausted from the long drive and ride, I laid down and did nothing for a few moments while Northpaw arranged his costume totes in the room.

“Vikky should be in from Seattle in the morning Northpaw. She said she's coming via the shuttle so we don't have to brave the airport to pick her up,” I said.

“Thank goodness. We had enough troubles with O'Hare for MFF. I don't want to have to pick anyone up at a strange airport,” Northpaw replied while getting everything in one corner.

“Up for some dinner?” I asked my foxie pawed friend.

He smiled and replied, “Sure.”

I clipped on my blue raccoon tail, and I headed off for dinner and to check out what the other congoers were doing. It was a good night, and Northpaw and myself slept well when we finally made it into the room.

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A knocking on the door woke us up at a very early hour. I slipped on my robe to see who it was. Though the peephole I could make out strawberry blond hair and glasses. I opened the door to see Vikky standing there with her luggage. “Those red eye flights are awful, but at least I made it,” she said as she came in.

I just yawned and looked at the alarm clock, 7am, just enough time for all of us to get ready for opening ceremonies. I made sure to hand Vikky the spare keycard before I ducked into the shower, then I helped Northpaw into his fox costume.
It was a long slow walk to the main hall for opening ceremonies. We were stopped every little bit by congoers wanting picture of and with Northpaw. Luckily I was there to play a semi-furless lacky. It took nearly an hour to get to the hall, but we still had an hour to spare by the time we got there, and were able to get seats close enough to where the stage wasn't a speck on the horizon.

The best way I could describe the hall would be a sea of people. Almost everyone from the con was here, and still more folks would be coming in tonight or in the morning. The hour flew by as I photographed some absolutly wonderful costumes, and Northpaw got his photographed plenty of times. There was a lot of silicon and cellulose used.

The lights in the hall dimmed, and we all quickly got in our seats. Everyone barely got seated as the lights went out.

There was an explosion of light and smoke up on the stage, and when it cleared, a man dressed as Gandolf was standing up on the stage lit up by a spotlight. He looked around, confused by his surroundings. “Where am I? This isn't middle earth.” Out of the darkness came a stage ninja, actually dressed as one, who whispered into 'Gandolf's' ear. “A convention you say? I'm to open it? My, tis an easy task for a wizard such as myself.” The ninja dashes back into the darkness. “Well then. Let's do this right.” He holds his staff up above. “I, Gandolf the Grey do declare this convention OPEN!” With the last word the staff gets slammed to the stage, and small indoor fireworks went off along the stage. The smoke was back, obscuring the stage, but it cleared to see a lecturen had been set up, with a person wearing the convention shirt standing behind it.

“Welcome everyone to Kubla Kon 25.” All though the hall erupted with loud applause and a few cheers.

age, and small indoor fireworks went off along the stage. The smoke was back, obscuring the stage, but it cleared to see a lecturen had been set up, with a person wearing the convention shirt standing behind it.

“Welcome everyone to Kubla Kon 25.” All though the hall erupted with loud applause and a few cheers.