Project D.E Part 1: Chapter 2
A new home
``We are getting close. Do you see it, Evo?'' Through the darkness of the never-ending space, the small Retcan transport vessel navigated. As the pilot had promised, it didn?t take more than a few minutes to reach their destination.
``Not sure...'' The young Evocanis tried to focus on what he saw outside the ship?s window. He thought he saw something for a second, but he was not certain. ``Wait...''
Within the darkness, very slightly, something stood out from the rest. A glare like a star, but not quite.
``All of our ships are linked, as you may know'' Andromeda, the elegant Retcan pilot explained. ``If we weren?t, we wouldn?t be able to see it through our window projector.''
A very wise, safety and strategic method. The image projected on the ship?s window had let them see what drifted beyond. This object at the distance would be virtually invisible to others. A disguise that built-in sensors in ships belonging to Retcans or Evocanis could see through.
``Yes; I see it!'' Husky the Evocanis sprung from his seat.
A set of lights flashing, outlining the base dimensions of something larger. It was a ship without a doubt; a very large one.
``The Ultra-Polished alloy of the ship?s hull reflect nothing but the space around it.'' Andromeda explained. Husky had indeed learned about this very well during his training.
``It?s different knowing this by theory and through simulations'' the young Evocanis recalled. ``Seeing it with one?s eyes makes it clear how effective this method is.''
``A simple, but an effective first-line of defense. Often the best defense is avoiding confrontation at all. It is always wise to be ahead of those who attempt against you. See them before they see you. Act before they ever acknowledge your presence at all.'' Andromeda added. Something in his words held a deeper meaning than his words intended.
No longer he had to force his eyes to see it. Flashing lights at each corner of a massive black blotch in front of them. It soon gained shape. It was it; that very ship that he had studied. The ship that could be the very salvation of the Evocanis race.
``The Prototype D.E Cruiser...'' Husky whispered. That shadowy shape that reflected a slightly distorted image of the stars could now be recognized.
``Lusceonis R-Three-Two. Requesting access.'' Andromeda spoke through the ship?s Com Systems. ``Do you read, D-E-One?''
There was a brief moment of silence, but as clear as if someone was there with them, they heard confirmation.
``D-E-One; Kala speaking. I hear you loud and clear R-Three-Two.'' A female voice spoke through their speakers.
``We are very glad to see you in radar. As before, access is granted, my Retcan friend. Welcome aboard.'' A male voice was heard through the speakers, following the previous one. The way he spoke; very similar to the female character that spoke before.
``Acknowledged, my Evo friends.'' Andromeda confirmed.
It was almost unreal for Husky. Hearing the voice of his brothers and sisters coming from afar in this majestic prototype ship; outside the safety of their Canis Major? Surely something Evos once never thought conceivable. How much had they change during his short life.
He smiled as his blue eyes opened wide in expectancy. He was now witnessing the next step into their growth as a race. No; he was now a part of this change.
?TRACTOR BEAM INCOMING REQUEST? Retcan language wasn?t something Evos found foreign anymore. Husky read this message flashing on the control panel and understood what it meant, despite being displayed in Lusceonis characters. He could not speak it fluently, but reading, and even more so, listening to it, was almost natural now.
``Tractor beam hitch open for engagement.'' Andromeda spoke softly as he inputted a few commands on the all-glass control panel.
?D-E-ONE TREACTOR BEAM ENGAGED? ``D-E-One, the tractor beam has been engaged.'' Andromeda confirmed what Husky read on the control panel.
``Roger that, Lusceonis R-Three-Two. Standby.'' One of the Evos they spoke to not seconds ago responded.
Husky?s attention was now completely engaged in what his blue eyes saw outside their front window. The distorted reflection of space now took a much more defined shape as they got even closer. The ship that would be his home for the next months became bigger. The young Evocanis was in such wonderment that his sense ignored the slight vibration of the Tractor Beam guiding their ship into D-E-One?s hangar.
From what was just a reflection of the stars around them, a bright blue light slowly sliced through the darkness of space in a gap that progressively got larger. ``Here we go, Evo. Welcome to the D-E-One Cruiser...'' The small ship slowly getting swallowed by this embracing blue light, soon the darkness of space was no more. The gates of D-E-One had opened a new world for the young Evocanis.
Husky?s eyes took a few seconds to adjust, but once they did he saw this magnificent hangar now inside the Prototype ship. It was definitely different than Canis Major, not only being vastly smaller, but also, on how everything seem a lot more functional than aesthetically thought. Though a beautiful sight, the bare metal structure of the ship proudly showed no need for unnecessary commodities like trims and adornments. This was defense and research vessel.
``Docking procedure complete.'' The male Evo voice once again spoke through their com systems. ``Standby, R-Three-Two. Hangar gate is sealing and atmospheric pressure being restored.''
``Acknowledged.'' Andromeda responded. A slight bump took the transport vessel to a complete stop. A retractable arm had reached onto them, anchoring the ship to the metallic floor of D-E-One?s hangar.
Husky still sat in his seat, maw open and eyes trying to register everything he saw. There was so much to grasp.
``Are you okay, my Evo friend?'' The elegant Retcan asked. He smiled as he placed his hand-paw on Husky?s lap. ``You don?t seem troubled anymore.''
``Yeah...'' Husky replied still in awe. ``I mean...'' He shook his head and adopted a firm posture. ``I?ll be okay, Andromeda. Thank you so much...'' He now stared at the Retcan, slowly letting out a smile. He needed to look sure of himself and show himself strong. The kindness of the furred aliens that once saved them and shared their technology; all the knowledge gifted could not be of waste. Husky new he could not show weakness.
``I just brought you here, my beautiful Evo friend. That was my job, and one I am surely honored of.'' Andromeda replied returning a warm smile.
``No.'' Husky urged to add. ``Again; thank you for everything your race has done for us, Andromeda.'' Gently placing his hand-paw on Andromeda?s that rested on his own leg, Husky had a hard time finding more appropriate words of appreciation.
``My young Evo...'' Andromeda let out a sigh of inspiration. ``You don?t have to thank us. We just helped our furred brothers through difficult times.'' He affectionately held Husky?s lower jaw, gently caressing the Evo?s muzzle with his thumb. ``Just promise me that you will be strong. Never forget what we have taught you, and always stand by your brothers and sister?s side.''
A nod was all that Husky gave. It was more than just that, but inside of him a fire that slowly started to burn without him even realizing. He had been given a chance to live a safe and peaceful life not only thanks to the kindness of the Retcans, but also to the many sacrifices that the previous generation of Evocanis had given. As frightened by the unknown as he was at that moment, he would give his best and beyond.
A loud hiss. Ears clicking.
Standing before the transport vessel?s hatch, Husky saw how it lowered, welcoming him to his destiny.
``Husky. Take a deep breath. It is alright.'' Almost startling the young Evo, the elegant Retcan sneaked behind him, whispering close to his ear.
Not being able to hold his breath anymore, Husky let out the air in his lungs and took a deep breath.
``Sorry. It?s just that I?ve heard from my brothers that it might feel weird when you breathe different oxygen.'' Husky excused himself.
``You might feel a bit disoriented. Perhaps your head might ache.'' The Retcan hid nothing from Husky. He needed to know what to expect. ``After all, you are used to natural oxygen.''
``It shouldn?t take long to get used to, I suppose.'' Husky smiled at the Retcan, who returned the friendly gesture. The air sure smelled different than Canis Major; a lot dryer and lacking that earthy tone. The dryness and cold could be felt after each inhalation. The air passing through his cold and wet nose stung a bit. The hint of a synthetic scent was hard to ignore.
``Well... Husky. It is time.'' After a few seconds just looking around standing at the edge of the access ramp, Andromeda encouraged Husky to give the first step into the D-E-One Cruiser. Stepping outside of the transport vessel, the Retcan beckoned at the young Evo. ``Come on, Husky! You need to see this with your own eyes, my friend.''
No more he needed to wait. Making haste, he walked down the access ramp. ``Whoa!'' Startled after a misstep, Husky?s reflexes avoided him tumbling to the ground.
``Gravity is managed differently here, Husky. You might lose a pound or two. It is not significant, but it might take a day or two to get used to.'' Andromeda explained, as he had reached to aid the black-and-white Evocanis. ``Are you well?''
``I am. Thank you.'' Husky assured, as he rearranged his clothes and shook his whole body. Letting out a silly smile, he jumped back standing straight.
The mishap had almost immediately been forgotten, as Husky walked around the vessel, and soon witnessed the marvels this battle cruiser had to offer. D-E-One?s Hangar was an experience to behold. Surely the view from inside the transport vessel did very little justice to it.
``D-E Cruiser?s main hangar...'' Husky whispered as he made his way further in, not missing an inch of what his eyes saw.
``Well; really the only one. This is the only entrance and exit on the ship.'' Close behind, arms behind his back, Andromeda followed the bewildered Evocanis with the elegance that characterized his race. ``I am no engineer, but from the few times I?ve been here, it still manages to impress me. A lot of our own design and technology went into this ship. It is... amusing; I mean, to see a ship so like our own, yet not belonging to us.''
``Engineering Bay... Engine Room... Main Deck Access...'' Husky whispered as he signaled various points of interest various meters away, all around him. He surely knew this ship by heart, despite of never been in it outside simulations. ``No way...'' Suddenly, something managed to catch Husky?s attention like nothing else around.
``Yes... One of those will be yours, Husky.'' Andromeda proudly said as he saw the Evo running towards the object.
Aligned on their respective docking spaces, held by a mechanical claw extending from the ground, ten of them sat in all their brilliance. Just like their Mothership, these Fighter Ships showed off the mirror-like finish.
``Mirzam E-V Mark Two...'' Husky?s eyes wide-open. The ship he knew the most of. The ship he was trained to test, now sat in front of him in real-life. He had clocked so many hours in the simulators, and now there it was; finally.
``Again, I am not an expert, but the E-V Mark Two is essentially our own Mirzam R-T, fitted for Evocanis use.'' Andromeda explained, as both their distorted images reflected on the teardrop-shaped fighter ship. So smooth as glass; no visible windows or attachments. Like a gleaming gemstone, this was the pinnacle of Retcan defense technology; now a gift for their beloved friends, the Evocanis.
``This fighter...'' still amused, Husky reached his arm towards the single-seat fighter ship. His padded hand-paw meeting with its reflection on the smooth surface.
``So smooth... Feels so fragile and delicate...'' The hull was incredibly smooth to the touch; a characteristic that took the young Evo by surprise. This was a tool for battle, yet it looked so frail.
``It manages to trick your senses, I can assure you. It did the same to me when I first set my limbs on D-E-One.''
A jolt of electricity ran across Husky?s back. Taken by surprise due to the fact that this voice came from afar. It was not Andromeda who said this.
``But you know as much as I do that Lanthracite plating can take a massive punishment before giving in. You did remember your training this time; no?''
That tone of voice, so soft an gentle. Yet with such a clever feel to it. Husky knew that voice so well.
``Fx?'' Husky instinctively knew who it was, before he could turn and confirm with his own eyes.
``Husky...'' This individual knew him. His voice almost breaking as he mentioned the name of his loved one.
How could Husky not recognize this voice. They grew up together. Not only as Evo brothers, but as family; as siblings.
``It seems they are here for you, my young Evo. I have tasks to fulfill, so if you excuse me.'' With a smile on his face, the elegant Retcan turned around and head back to the transport vessel. He had confidence in these creatures. He knew they were capable, and he knew that bond that they naturally possessed would be the key of their success as a species. United they would overcome everything, and that made the veteran Retcan feel at ease.
Husky knew that presence. Turning towards the familiar voice, he saw that orange and white fur he knew. That warmth that now embraced his body, that soothing scent; it had been there, next to him, ever since he saw the light of the universe for the first time.
``Baby brother!'' Husky pressed his body against the other Evo, and so did him as well.
``Husky... I missed you so much. I?m so happy you are finally here...'' Fx; Husky?s brother. Both of them had traversed the journey that life is; together as one.
The tears of joy had been all shed. All that both Evos had left was to look forward into this journey they had bestowed upon themselves.
``By Canis Major, Husky. You are finally here!'' Yellow eyes complemented that lively orange fur. Fx almost couldn?t help but to jump in joy at the sight of his brother.
``I am sorry, Fx...'' A sigh almost managed to erase Husky?s smile. ``I wish I?d finish the training with you, but...''
``Husky. It?s fine.'' Whatever happened, Husky felt some guilt. ``You are here, and that is what matters.'' Fx encouraged Husky, as he held hand-paws and stared at those blue eyes that he loved so much.
``I tried to push myself too much, Fx. I am not as strong as Hasky; never will.'' The black-furred Evo painfully admitted. ``I?m just a Post-Attack Evo. I?ve lived an easy-'' Before he could finish, his muzzle was gently shut by the soft hand-paw of his brother.
``Shush, Husky...''Fx said. ``That is why we are doing this. We are here to give something back to our older generation brothers.''
``Still... I feel embarrassed to have pushed myself so hard to the point of getting sick. That is not what a warrior would do; not what the Retcans taught us.'' Husky argued his past actions, somewhat blaming himself for not being as strong as his Life-Giver that once had given all to save his brother and himself. She had lost her brother and friends in the last attack, forced to leave them behind for the sake of the newborn Fx and the still unborn Husky. The ultimate sacrifice. How could Husky ever match that?
``Nothing to feel embarrassed about, Husky. You are here and that is what matters.'' Fx stopped any self-loathing attempt from Husky, and tried to boost his confidence. ``Now, let?s go Hus!'' Wagging his tail, and almost hoping in happiness, Fx encouraged Husky to follow him.
``Hey, wait!'' Seeing his brother giving out such a playful energy had an effect in Husky. Natural to his kind, he soon changed the sad face he donned, to the characteristic Evo grin. Wagging his tail, he caught up to Fx who had almost reached the access elevator.
``Come on, Husky! Andromeda needs to leave!'' Fx yelled from next to the elevator. ``Remember that the hangar completely depressurizes when open!''
``Oh! Yes!'' Starting to get distracted by his surroundings, Husky suddenly remembered the training. He knew he had to leave the Hangar in order for it to be open.
?DEPARTURE IN STANDBY. ALL PERSONNEL WITHOUT LIFE SUPPORT MUST LEAVE INTO MAIN DECK.?
``Alright, I?m coming!'' Husky hurried his pace. As quick and agile as it was his race, Husky jumped a few security fences into the elevator deck. Both Evos together again.
``Goodbye, Andromeda!'' Husky waved his arms at the vessel that had brought him to this new world. He could not see the Retcan, but he knew he saw him.
``Goodbye, my Evos. Be well, and good luck.''
from the Elevator deck, they had a complete view of the Hangar. The sharp lights soon faded into a deep blue. Behind them the elevator door opened.
?Fx and company. Please step into the elevator. Thank you.? A synthesized voice spoke from the elevator speakers. Husky recognized this voice as one of the Evos that had guided the docking procedure not long ago.
``Come on, Husky!'' Fx gently pulled Husky from his tail, since the black-and-white Evo appeared a bit mesmerized once again by the spectacle of light and technology.
The gap got smaller, until they could no longer see the Hangar. The elevator?s doors shut tight, taking with them the cavernous echo of such large area. Immediately after, silence pierced their ears drums.
Fx couldn?t stop staring at his brother. He was so immensely happy to finally be together again. Another pearly-white grin, before reaching for a panel on the elevator?s wall.
LEVEL ONE: MAIN DECK. Showing across a small screen on the panel, Husky read their apparent destination.
``Oh, Husky...'' Fx sighed inspired. Rarely he showed himself that expressive. Fx was known for being a quiet Evo. His soft voice was only heard when he spoke in a very smart, and almost sly tone. ``The world you are about to see, my brother...''
``Well, technically I already know. We ran VR simulations on D.E-One.'' Husky replied to his brother?s claim.
``Yet you were still so mesmerized with the Mirzam, weren?t you?'' Fx countered.
``Okay, yeah; I admit it.'' Husky chuckled. ``Being here in reality, is a whole different experience.''
``And that is only the beginning...''
MAIN DECK Flashing on the small panel, this indicated they had reached their destination within the ship. The elevator was so smooth, Husky barely felt they even moved at all, except from the slight pull to the bottom. An almost imperceptible ?swoosh? followed the elevator?s doors opening. A gush of slightly warmer air hit Husky on the face; his whiskers and cheek fluff slightly bristled by it.
``Welcome to D.E-One, Husky.'' Fx extended his arm towards the elevator?s exit, inviting his brother to walk into their temporary new home. Husky slowly walked out, examining his surroundings once again. Lights were dim, color schemes rather cold and dark, yet the whole atmosphere held a mysterious sense of warmth. Tiny lights and random screen panels on the walls flashed or showed various status reports on the ship?s systems.
``Oh, yeah.'' Fx almost forgot. ``You can take your Paw Wear off. Here; give them to me.'' Right next to the elevator, there seemed to be a small locker that had other pairs of Paw Wear sitting there. ``You don?t need it in here.''
Husky paid very little attention to what Fx said, as he placed his now bare padded paw on the deep-blue carpet. It was so soft and comforting, despite looking rather rough and flat in appearance.
``The silence...'' So intoxicating. The ship was so calm and peaceful. The thick silence was only complimented by faint buzzing sounds and beeps from computers and other on-board systems.
``I know. We aren?t doing much today, Husky.'' Fx explained. ``The crew is actually anxious to meet you.''
``What about our Captain?'' Husky asked. He was so excited not only to meet his brother Evos, but also meet the mind behind Project D.E.
``He is... Well; he is currently discussing pressing matters with R-One-Zero-Five?s Captain.''
``No way! You mean...'' when hearing this designation, Husky suddenly realized how important his new duties were. It was almost overwhelming. This was non-other than the Retcan warship that had saved Canis Major once.
``Yes. He and Captain Silver are discussing certain things about the future of Project D.E.'' Fx explained as he carefully placed Husky?s Paw Wear next to the others. ``You know... I mean, it?s...'' Fx sighed. There was just so much he wanted to explain Husky at once. ``We will be very busy in the next days, Husky.'' Fx placed his hand-paw on Husky?s shoulder. ``Do not worry, you will be filled in with all the details.''
A brief smile, and Husky?s attention was again locked into the brand-new ship. He made himself at home, walking deeper into it as he occasionally fiddled with various screen panels and other things. He wasn?t entirely lost, as once mentioned, he knew this ship thanks to his training.
``The dining room smells a lot better than in the VR Training.'' Husky joked. He had just walked into one of the few rooms on the Main Deck.
``Duh!'' Fx replied sarcastically playful. ``Wait until you meet one of our crew mates. That big guy knows how to cook!''
The Main Deck itself wasn?t too big as one would expect. Mostly long corridors and a few rooms. Husky knew this, but he continued to check every single one of them.
``Where is everyone?'' He asked as he now walked around the ship?s Strategy Room.
``Hmm... Well, I know Kala and Zulu are working in the bridge. They are assigned to the ship?s communication systems for now.''
``Kala and Zulu? So that?s their name? I did hear their voices giving us clearance for boarding!'' Husky remembered clearly. At the moment, he was too distracted staring at the ship to realize he had just spoken to two of his crew mates.
``They are brothers; twins, actually. Very funny couple of puffballs.'' Fx described them briefly as the walked down a long corridor. ``You will meet them in just a sec.''
``I can?t wait!'' Husky jumped excited as he noticed how they were going straight to the ship?s Bridge. This was probably the one place Husky couldn?t resist to explore. This was the brain of the whole ship; the very room where future D.E-One operations would take place.
Standing in front of a large metallic door, the words ?Bridge? could be read in metallic-blue letters. There was no control panel for the door. One more step and these doors slid open swiftly. ``Welcome to D.E-One?s Bridge, my dear brother.'' Fx said as he walked proudly into the room, with arms behind his back and his characteristic sagacious expression.
In contrast, Husky?s curious and innocent face expressed awe as he walked into the Bridge. Sky-blue eyes wide open; surrounded by massive windows that made almost all the walls around them, including an even larger one at the front end of the room.
A few seats graced this large room, crowned by a large one at the middle. ``Captain?s chair!'' Husky said, as he excitedly circled around it, touching the glass control panel, remembering all the functions learned during his training.
``As well as the Commander?s, System Engineer, Defense and Communications.'' Fx added. ``But you already know that, huh Husky?''
``Oh, absolutely...'' Husky mumbled as he ever-so-slowly sat on the Captain?s chair. He carefully ran his hand-paw over the translucent panels.
``Hey! You finally showed up.'' A voice not a few steps from him said.
``We were wondering when you would.'' Another one proceeded, almost as if synchronized with the previous one.
Peeking over the control panels surrounding the Captain?s chair, Husky faced whoever just had spoken. He then remembered two of his crew mates where in that very room.
Towards the side of the room, where Husky knew the Com Systems of the ship were, two chairs slowly turned towards him, revealing its occupants.
``Hi!'' One of them said.
``We were so anxious to meet you, Husky.'' The second one, again, almost completing the other?s sentence. Husky stood up, wagging his tail. He was pleased to meet not only two of his crew mates, but also his brother Evos.
Once again, synchronized like they did with their speech, they got up from their chair. Two Evos, definitely shorter than Husky and Fx. Their light-orange fur covered their bodies in a short, yet very dense double-coat. Deep brown, slanted eyes seemed almost expressionless, but their short, curly tail wagged, showing their friendly nature.
``I am Kala!'' One said. The higher-pitched tone of voice made it evident that she was a female.
``I am Zulu!'' The other one said, yet despite the deeper tone of voice showed he was a male, he showed the same mannerisms than the later.
``I am Husky. I am so pleased to meet you, Kala and Zulu.'' wagging his tail, and showing his pearly-whites in a sign of friendliness, Husky approached the twins.
Kala and Zulu circled around Husky, sniffing the air around him, as well as himself. They whispered and mumbled, being almost impossible for Husky to discern what they said. He just stood still, yet curious of what they were doing.
``They do that...'' Fx said, letting out a mild chuckle.
``HI!'' the twins barked at the same time. They looked a lot happier now, staring straight at Husky, while they rested their hand-paws on him.
``Hey, brothers!'' Husky replied a bit confused, as they had introduced themselves already.
``Fx has talked so much about you!'' Kala said. ``Every day ever since we set out on space.'' Zulu finished.
``I bet.'' Husky replied.
``We were wondering how much longer it would take you to get here.'' Zulu continued. ``We could hardly wait to meet his brother. You two are a lot more different than we had anticipated!''
``Duh!'' Kala interrupted. ``Don?t you remember that Fx mentioned they weren?t really blood related?''
Weirdly, the Evo twins started chattering over each other, often making natural sounds that couldn?t be interpreted as words. Husky understood now what Fx had said about these two being rather comical. Surely he hadn?t met two Evos alike.
``Guys, guys!'' Husky chuckled. ``Trust me. We might not be blood related, but the bond Fx and I have goes beyond that.'' He concluded. His tone was much more serious, as he stared at his brother, letting out a tender smile.
It was so true. They mightn?t come from the same womb, but on top of being Evos, they were raised together as one.
``We understand, Husky...'' Zulu chuckled a bit, smiling at the black-and-white Evo in front of him. ``We definitely do.'' Kala finished her brother?s sentence. ``We are very pleased to meet you.'' With the same friendly expression, she wagged her tail and also smiled at the taller Evocanis.
Husky found these two Evos to be a very charming couple of siblings. Indeed they were very energetic, somewhat mirthful; a bit weird, perhaps, but nonetheless his brother Evos.
Introductions aside, they spent some time reviewing the ship?s bridge. Husky knew most of it, but it was a different experience learning about everyone?s position in it. Everyone was assigned to a specific function, and it was quite impressive to see that these two Evo twins had a very important duty within the bridge itself, considering their ?uniqueness?.
``Communications, huh?'' Husky had spent some time at the bridge. Kala and Zulu proudly showed off a list with their daily assignments.
``It?s more than that, actually.'' Kala explained.
``We control access to the D.E cruiser as well.'' Zulu explained.
``All with the Captain?s approval, of course.'' Kala showed her control panel to the curious Husky. Scooched in between the two seats, Husky carefully paid attention, inevitably swinging his head side to side when the twins took turns on completing sentences.
``We can activate the Tractor Beam, access gate...'' Zulu swiftly swiped his digit over the panel, showing various functions. For the untrained eye, these symbols and graphs looked like nothing but gibberish, but Husky slowly made something out of it thanks to his training. ``we can even release atmosphere in the hangar and, of course, pressurize it.''
``Needless to say, with all the precautions taken.'' Kala added. ``Controlling the atmosphere at the hangar is a very delicate procedure; not to be taken lightly, even with the automatic safety protocols.''
Husky nodded without really saying anything. He?s eyes were fixed on the panel.
``Anything we notice out of place, we must inform and properly document. This information is reviewed by our Captain and immediately sent to Retcan engineers in ?R-One-Oh-Five? '' It almost seemed as they were meant to be part of Project D.E. Husky almost couldn?t conceive the fact that he was now one of them too. Soon he would perform the same tests and functions on that ship. Of course, on his own post as a test pilot.
His attention was so fixed into what Kala and Zulu explained, that the gentle touch of his brother resting on his shoulders startled Husky a bit.
``I will get you a uniform, Husky.'' Fx whispered to his ear. ``You stay with the twins if you want. These two are pretty much geniuses. You might learn a thing or two.'' The warm breath of his brother felt so nice. He soon realized most of his worries had vanished. He certainly missed his home and Life-Giver, but now understood this was all part of the same; this was part of Canis Major and what now meant to be an Evocanis. ``I?ll get back to you and we will meet the others.''
``Okay.'' Husky replied. He managed to slightly caress Fx?s muzzle as he backed away and soon left the Bridge.
For some weird, yet funny reason, Kala and Zulu kept on talking, spewing a mesmerizing amount of high-level technical details about the ship?s systems. Husky listened very carefully, but at one point he completely lost them.
``So! With that said...'' Zulu finished his plethora of Engineering knowings about the ship. ``The Ionic Magna Thrusters would be set on override, yet not after engaging the Code Three clearance key-''
``Code three?! No, you dummy!'' Kala interrupted. ``Everyone knows Code Three clearance key does not hold the override decoding algorithm! You gotta go with Code C-1!'' She spoke almost too fast to even begin to comprehend what she had said. ``Right, Husky?!''
``Uh...?!'' Husky was caught off-guard as Kala looked for his support on a subject he probably had to double or triple-check deep within the technical engineer archives of the ship?s systems.
``You see? Husky agrees!!'' The fluffy female Evo told her brother.
``By Canis Major... Both of you are right! You are genius Husky and Kala!'' Zulu admitted his slight mistake, as Husky sat there, maw-open wondering what had just happened.
Despite how eccentric these twin geniuses were, Husky found them absolutely adorable and enjoyed being in their company so much already. There was so much he could learn from them; things that would make him be much more prepared to go through this journey as a D-E Development Team member.
``Husky. I?m having problems finding a uniform your size. Might have to check our secondary storage down in the hangar. Go to the upper deck if you want. There are a few of our team members there. They are waiting to meet you!''Trough hidden speakers from one of the consoles, Fx?s could be heard. Taking a glance at the large concave screen at the far front of the bridge, Fx could be seen in the corner. His name and information read clear under his mugshot.
``Uh... yes. Got it!'' Husky replied, squeezing out from in-between Kala and Zulu?s seats. ``You guys are amazing... Love ya?! See you in a little bit.'' Husky whispered and winked at them as he urgently walked to the bridge?s entrance.
``Yeah, okay Husky!'' They both said, while immediately kept discussing incredibly complicated things between each other.
``Those two...'' Husky walked out of the bridge enthusiastically. He chuckled after the experience he just had with two of his team members. The door slid close behind him, completely muting the chatter between the twin Evos, Kala and Zulu.
``Okay... So if I take the elevator left of the T-junction of the main hall, that should take me to the living quarters in the upper deck.'' He spoke softly to himself. He was still in awe, but the ship was indeed familiar to him. He knew where to go.
As he walked down the corridor that lead to the bridge, he took a glance at a room to his right. There were no walls but instead glass, which enclosed this said room. A large table with a holographic projector in the middle, and very comfy chairs around it were on display.
``Strategy room...'' He said to himself. ``We?ll probably meet here tomorrow...'' He couldn?t wait.
But there was something he was very interested on seeing. So far he had seen the schematics for the first build prototype, but not the real thing.
``Gear storage should be here. That means they must have the experimental armor.'' Not only he was so excited to see his ship, but also the armor he would inevitably wear. At the other side of the corridor, opposite to the strategy room, was this room. Not really as large as one would imagine, but it is were they would gather their equipment before each mission.
The door was open already, as well as the lighting activated. Someone probably was there not minutes ago.
Making himself at home, Husky walked into the room. He knew where to go exactly.
``Yes! There it is!'' Inside a wall locker, the D-E armor was displayed behind a glass door. ``There are more?'' Next to it, more of these lockers displayed other armor units identical to what Husky thought was a prototype. ``They are in production now. Awesome!'' He said to himself. An armor made specially for his kind, made by their friends the Retcans. He could only imagine how it would feel to wear one. That striking metallic-blue, deep black under-armor with blood-red accents. It was so appealing to look at, but much more impressive was the technology behind it.
``I think they are still in final testing phase.''
The sudden voice behind startled him to a jump.
``Yikes!'' Husky jumped as he turned around behind him. Someone was there after all.
``Oops!'' She apologized. ``Sorry, did I startled you?''
Standing in front of him was another Evocanis. Her fur, white as the brightest light. Her brown eyes so full or warmth. Much like him, she sported pointy ears and a curly tail that she wagged in a sign of friendliness.
``You are Husky, right?'' She asked. She smiled at him, waiting for the answer.
``Yes...'' Husky stumbled between words. The female Evo had startled him a bit and he was trying to regain his composure. But maybe there was something else...
``My name is Lya. I?m so happy to finally meet you!'' She said enthusiastically as she placed her hand-paws on Husky?s chest; another Evo way to greet their kind. ``I imagined Fx would run to us excited that you arrived!''
``Fx?'' Husky chuckled. ``I?m not surprised he didn?t.''
There was some silence between both Evos as they stared at each other. They were the same height, build and shared many physical traits despite the difference in color. Unconsciously, this had certainly caught their attention.
``Fx doesn?t talk too much, or show any... well, enthusiasm. He-he...'' Husky chuckled as he stared at her right in the eyes.
``I?ve known him for the past few weeks. I know your brother quite well now.'' Lya responded. ``It?s not that he isn?t excited though.''
``Yeah, I bet he has talked about me quite a bit lately.''
``Oh... you have no idea.'' both exchanged small talk, speaking rather softly. There was something indeed that had managed to charm each other and render them a bit speechless. ``We were all quite hyped to see you face to face, Husky. I didn?t expect to meet you by surprise.'' Lya said. She let out a mild chuckle as well. She took a glance at the large ComPod she held.
``Did I interrupt something?'' Husky asked, trying keep the conversation going.
``Oh! Well, I?m just doing some resource management. I am almost done.'' She replied, shuffling her ComPod and a smaller device she also held. ``If you need to go to the Living Quarters, you can go ahead. I?ll meet you up there later.''
``Uh.. yes. I was actually heading there just now. Fx was looking for a uniform, but I guess he couldn?t find one here, or something.''
``There?s some supply sorting that still needs to be done. There are more in secondary storage. I?ll go check it out.'' Lya swiftly swiped her digits across the large ComPod, most likely searching within the inventory for more uniforms. ``You go ahead and get comfy. I?m guessing you already met Kala and Zulu?''
``Yes, indeed! I just came from the Bridge.'' Husky replied enthusiastically, gesturing towards the bridge.
``I?m pretty sure you found them as charming as we all did the first time.'' Lya laughed.
``Oh, I love them already!'' Husky followed with laughter.
``Anyway. There are still three more of our crew mates you need to go meet. I will see you in a bit!'' She dismissed herself not before playfully booping Husky?s leathery black nose with her own. Her tail wagged as she happily walked out of the room. Husky wagged his tail, watching how his lovely Evo sister walked away. ``Such a pleasure to meet you, my Evo brother...'' She quietly said, stopping by the door, before completely disappearing from Husky?s sight.
What a day Husky had gone through. For a while he had huge doubts about this whole D-E Development Team thing. He had gone out of his comfort zone, insecure of his own ability to cope with being away from home and the one?s he loved so dearly. But here he was, out on the open space. He was not alone. His Evo brothers and sister would go along the ride, always by his side. A new chapter, not only on the Evocani?s life, but also on Husky?s was about to be written.
