Left at Eden - Chapter 3

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Left at Eden

Hailey knocked on the store's door, “Anyone awake in there?” she teased. “7-11 is supposed to always be open you know.”

“Sorry, we don’t serve crabs,” Vanessa said from the other side of the locked door. Ella gave a small twitch of her arm, causing her gauntlet to spark. To her surprise, the crab spread one pincer and gave a little spark right back at her. Then started to wander back to the beach with its friend.

“... O-kay,” Ella said. “I’m not the only one that found that weird, right?”

“That must be how they stun their prey,” Brie said. “Bioelectrical generation. I should bring a specimen back for further study.”

“Right,” Vanessa said as she unlocked the door. Like Candy had said, she was covered in tattoos and piercings, with long black hair, and wearing a black tank top with thin lace for straps. “Just keep it away from me, or it’ll be gumbo.”

“We should bring a few back,” Tricia nodded.

A girl wearing a white top that could best be described as a sports bra, and a silver skirt that could be called a mini mini skirt, came around the corner sipping a red slurpee from a large cup. She didn’t seem to have much need for modesty though because her entire body was covered in neon pink fur, as well as a long tuft of pink hair on her head, pulled into a ponytail.

“We wear clothes as a sign of courtesy to other races.” Candy said, taking note that Hailey was staring.

“Sorry,” Hailey said sheepishly. “Didn’t mean to stare. It’s just... Wow.”

Candy giggled. “I get that a lot, and don’t take this wrong, but for a hairless girl you are cute, yourself.”

“Ah, young love,” Tricia said as Rebecca made a beeline for the tall cup of steaming coffee sitting on the counter, waiting for her.

“I’m in heaven. Hell it could have been cowboy coffee and I’d have kissed you.” Rebecca laughed.

“Promises, promises,” Vanessa teased back. “We just got a new shipment in too. The back room’s got enough coffee to keep Los Angeles awake for a week.”

Ella grinned, “Good thing I lifted the cart off the ship and dragged it up here.”

Hailey walked over to the fridge and grabbed a cold Doctor Pepper, and opened it. She handed it to Brie to taste. “Try that, and tell me it’s not the best thing you ever drank.”

Brie sniffed it, tilted the bottle up for a sip, and then shook her head quickly, blinking, before taking a big gulp. “It’s like... I don’t even know how to describe it.”

“I know right? I’m stocking up a bunch of these for my fridge in my hut.” Hailey laughed.

Ella gave them a surprised glance. “Wait, you mean Brie is speechless? Is that even physically possible?”

Tricia looked behind the counter, “Hey shopkeep, can I get a 20 finger of Old Gold?”

Vanessa stared at Tricia for a moment. “Uh... A what now?”

“A Box of old gold.” Tricia shook her head.

“Oh!” Vanessa laughed. “Sorry. Sure hang on,” she said as she raced back behind the counter and grabbed a box for Tricia.

Tricia reached into her pocket and placed a 1954 british five pound note on the counter. ”That atta cover it?” she grinned.

“Sorry, we only take American currency,” Vanessa teased her as she took the note carefully and held it up to inspect it.

“Then yer up shit creak without paddles, dear.” Tricia laughed. “I’ve been holding onto that since I got here.” she grabbed a lighter from the rack and lit up the smoke, “And i’ve been dying for one of these since I got here too.”

“Wow. I can’t believe it’s in such great shape,” Vanessa said as she handed it back to Tricia.

“These will definitely be worth a lot for trade.” Tricia said as she leaned on the counter and sighed happily.

Candy hopped up on the counter, plopping down and opening one of the dessert cases. “Can I?” she asked. Vanessa nodded.

“Go for it.” Vanessa laughed, “Don’t think my boss is going to care.”

“Sorry for hitting you asleep earlier,” Candy giggled.

“Sorry for pulling your tail,” Vanessa laughed. “It was the only thing convenient, and I was kind of panicking.”

Candy giggled. “It’s okay. I kind of liked it,” she teased as she bit into a jelly filled donut.

“You know I love Catgirl anime.” Hailey laughed. “My friends in my bugout group tease me because I have a pair of cat ear headphones back home too. I even convinced my friend Wendy to buy a pair.”

Candy looked at Hailey, “Anime? What does that mean?”

“Cartoon, or Animation.” Hailey answered. “It’s a popular art style in Japan, an island nation in the east.”

Brie spoke up, “Do you mind if I looked at your comm device?”

“Oh!” Candy said. “Sure!” She reached up and pulled a small earpiece from somewhere within her well-groomed, if thick hair, and offered it to Brie. “Here you go. It’s a universal fit.”

“Hey,” Tricia said, glancing at Hailey now. “This planet does weird things to people. Were you thinking about these Catgirls when you landed in the water?”

“Kind of,” Hailey laughed. “See, my friend Wendy had her headphones with her, and when I was pulled from Earth I was thinking about mine, thinking I should’ve brought them with me.”

“We’ll keep an eye on you.” Tricia nodded. “Sometimes changes in people take a week, sometimes it can take a month.”

“... Changes?” Hailey asked.

Rebecca nodded, “I was a guy when I got here,” she said bluntly. “Almost two months for my change.”

Hailey let out an excited squeal that got everyone’s attention. She blushed. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. The second she had the chance to check herself out, she was taking it, but right now they had a mission to finish.

Brie nodded, “I had a shorter tail and it was green. White and long tails are signs of power on my planet.”

“Don’t look at me,” Ella laughed. “I’m the same Ella I’ve always been.”

“Actually.” Tricia laughed, “I think you may have gotten a bit stronger.”

“I have been working out,” Ella teased.

“Kris isn't even near as strong as you, and he’s Ilonian too,” Tricia reminded Ella.

“So uh,” Vanessa said, “These aliens like strong women huh? I think I’m going to like it here.”

“We’re thinking they’re a female dominated species yes.” Brie spoke up, “The ones that brought us here that is, but they also value male strength and intelligence, so there’s no real emergent pattern that we’ve found yet.”

“They do seem to tend to prefer people who are naturally curious in their preferred field - doctors who push the boundaries of medicine, artists who seek to push themselves, explorers like Rebecca.”

“Ah, that’s why I was chose then.” Candy nodded. “Back home, I’m a psychiatrist and physician. I created a new method of helping people with anxiety.”

“By knocking them out?” Vanessa teased her.

“Combat yes.” Candy winked, “No. I have a small device that I use that emits a soothing audio frequency, triggering a neural response that releases low...” She paused. Vanessa stared. “It makes people relax.” She giggled.

“This comm unit is incredible, speaking of small devices,” Brie said as she offered it back to Candy. “My scanner can barely penetrate the inner shell.”

“It’s borrowed technology from the Traxians,” Candy said. “The Traxians were once our overlords, but now they serve us, in a manner of speaking. As a world, they pay us restitution for their past crimes.”

“Ah, like the woman from the bar,” Hailey nodded.

“There’s a Traxian here?” Candy asked. “I’ve only met a few. The Traxian war was so long ago, I don’t feel that they don’t owe us anything anymore, though. We’re trying to help them get into the Galactic Trade Confederate.”

“Who knew that an entire race of beings with naturally high agility and built-in razor sharp weapons could be such capable fighters,” Ella said half-sarcastically.

“There’s a plant that grows on their homeworld that makes us docile.” Candy sighed. “Even today some abuse it as a recreational drug, even though it’s highly illegal.”

“Is it called Catnip?” Hailey giggled. “My cat Esper, when she gets on that stuff, goes all crazy for like 15 minutes and then passes out for hours.”

Candy laughed. “Okay, so we do get intoxicated from that stuff, but that’s one of the few exceptions.”

“When we get back to the base camp do you mind if I take a blood sample?” Brie asked Candy.

Candy nodded. “Not at all. Just don’t take too much,” she teased. “I need some for later.”

“Your species is new to the planet, and we’re trying to keep record of all of the species that come here, to catalogue how the planet affects them.”

“You said you were here sixty years?” Candy asked. “Assuming that’s approximately similar to a galactic standard year... It sounds like we’re all stuck here.” She paused to laugh a little. “But I can think of worse places to be stuck than among friendly people.”

“Yeah, there’s no way off.” Tricia laughed. “Most of us share the same attitude; it grows on you.”

“As long as there’s sunblock,” Vanessa said. “Goth skin and beaches don’t go well together.”

“Just the stuff on the shelves.” Rebecca sighed. “I burned so bad my first summer here. You're lucky we’re just about to hit the springtime. You’ll have some time to adjust.” They were loading what they could into what Ella called a cart, but the thing was huge.

Brie sighed, “Looks like the sun's about to go down, which means we might have to take the long way back.”

“What’s the long way back?” Hailey asked, still adjusting to life on this planet, herself.

“Oh it takes us by the Ocean Lip.” Rebecca said. “There's a 50 foot drop to another layer of ocean and more islands. It’s kind of weird. No one’s explored it fully yet due to Tricia’s rules.”

“Specifically,” Tricia said, “That until now we had no long range communications, so we couldn’t let ships stay out very long. Something in the atmosphere interfered with our attempts at radio communication, but it seems we’ve found a way around it now.”

“Jesus Christ,” Vanessa said. “This place really is my nightmares. I swear to God if there’s a giant spider within a hundred yards of where you guys call home I’m noping the fuck out, locking the doors, and hiding in the break room.”

“Nope, no giant spiders as far as we know.” Rebecca laughed. “Just regular sized ones.”

Candy reached up, pretending to be carefully reaching for something on Vanessa’s shoulder. Vanessa let out a terrified scream and ducked, looking around. Candy giggled. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

Hailey laughed. “Oh, I hate snakes myself. One of my buddies from my survival group stepped on a copperhead while playing an augmented reality game on his phone last week.”

Candy pouted cutely. “Well, if we’re being honest, I’m terrified of sorrals.”

Ella laughed, “Really? Those things are so harmless.”

“But they’re soo icky,” Candy whined. “And they’re fearless. They won’t think twice about scampering over your feet, with their little icky paws and,” she shuddered. Hailey was beginning to get the picture.

“Rats.. that's what we call them.” Hailey laughed. “Rats and Mice are cute actually. My friend Wendy has a pet Rat named Oscar.”

Candy stuck out her tongue. “They’re devious. Nothing with beady little eyes like that can’t not be up to something.”

“Your people are still superstitious about some things,” Brie nodded.

“Outsiders call it superstitious,” Candy said. “We call it good sense.” She giggled, showing there were no hard feelings for the comment.

“You might know my species as Ionian.” Ella spoke, “Peace keepers by others.”

“Oh sure,” Candy nodded. “We’ve been in the GTC awhile, remember. We’re actually sponsoring the Traxians’ admission, with your people’s help as mediators to sort out the restitution nonsense.”

“Yeah, when I was taken, we were in talks about the situation with both sides.” Ella nodded.

“It’s just a shame they couldn’t have brought your whole ship like they did with Vanessa’s shop,” Candy said, paused, then giggled. “Ship... Shop... Ship shop...”

That caused Hailey to giggle as if she got the joke . “That was a good one.”

It took Brie a moment to catch on. They could almost see the gears turning in her head. “Oh, wordplay,” she said finally. “That’s clever.”

“Ut oh.” Ella laughed. “You got the brain to start working. In a second she’s going to start rambling about 600 words a second.”

“And wait.. Did you pick up on that faster than everyone else?” Brie looked right at Hailey. “Furran humor is very um... unique and sometimes a little subtle. Most people just groan and roll their eyes when they finally catch it.”

“A lot of times really dirty as well.” Candy nodded. “I’ve been trying really, really hard to behave because standing in a literal penis forest was joke enough.”

Hailey giggled, “A pussy in a penis forest.”

Candy grinned broadly. “THANK you!” She started giggling.

“Ugh.” Vanessa groaned. “I got that.”

Hailey laughed so hard she had to stop what she was doing and wipe the tears from her eyes, just so she could see where she was going. “Did I really just blurt that out?” she asked. “Back home, I’d have died if I said that out loud.”

“Don’t worry, on Furra Prime, those kind of jokes are mild.” Candy laughed. “There’s even the more subtle joke at poor Vanessa’s expense that I caught onto after she calmed down. A pussy in a penis forest is bad enough, but she’s a clam diver in a sausage forest.” She winked at Hailey.

That was it, Hailey fell down giggling and rolling around on the floor, she even let out a meowish laugh. “Oh my God! That’s so funny.”

“Like I said,” Vanessa giggled out after a moment, “My own personal hell.”

Brie spoke up again, “Did Hailey just meow?”

“Yes,” Candy giggled. “It would appear you’re about to have two of us to contend with,” she teased. She wasn’t nearly as dumb as she seemed on the radio before, picking up early on what Tricia and Rebecca meant by ‘changes’. Then again, she was a doctor.

Her species was pretty intelligent. They even had intergalactic space travel without borrowing technology. Just because they were playful didn’t mean they were dumb.

“Well that will make things more interesting.” Tricia laughed.

“Maybe I’m contagious,” Hailey giggled as she got to her feet. “One of us! One of us!”

“On of us!” Candy chanted too.

“Oh Goddess no,” Vanessa laughed. “I will shave every strand of hair off my body before I turn into a pink catgirl.”

“Oh we’re not all pink.” Candy giggled. “We come in variety of colors. We used to go to war with other colored species of our kind, and we even wiped out the stardust blue colored species.” she sighed at that. “Those were dark times, and how we were subdued by the Traxians. In a way... We owe them our survival as a species.” She giggled a bit. “But don’t tell them I said that.”

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Comments

Based on the hints you've been giving

They at least have access to metallurgical grade silicon, you wouldn't be able to have solar panels without it, the hint about being able to fix broken electronics provided a scan of a working example could be an OS thing, or it could be the technological differences that mean they don't know how to make the circuitry.
Those electric crabs are interesting, not terribly useful though, even if they generate a fair amount of power, extracting it in a consistent manner is a problem.
I really don't see the gas as useful long term, simply because they just have whats in the store, unless they somehow use it as something to base a bio-fuel off of.

All true

Zoe Taylor's picture

Hopefully it all makes sense in the end. It totally makes sense in our minds though, but I can say without spoiling anything, that you're definitely on the right path :-D

~* Queen of Sweetness *~

Become a Patron for early access ♥

This is why

I consider my habit of putting out a bunch of speculations at once a double edged sword, I am more likely to be informed I'm on the right track, but at the same token, that statement becomes a lot more general.... I do have one question what kind of lights do they use in their huts? Admittedly this question is partially pointed, incandescent lights are fairly easy to make (technologically speaking), florescents require the ability to extract and refine gasses, and LEDs mean electronics grade silicon and at least some circuit etching ability, alien tech stuff means even greater levels of material refinement.

My guess is that most of what

My guess is that most of what they find are tools for making tools, though

Sorry

Double post

Electric crabs

They would be perfect for use as an emergency defibrillator...

Penny

Sounds like the Stardust Blue

Sounds like the Stardust Blue might end up making a comeback... :) I mean, if you're going to swap species, might as well use an extinct race as well.

Gasoline. As long as they can keep it stable (the alcohol in the current blends pulls water from the air, which causes most of the damage in engines from old fuel), they'll have a minimum of 24,000 gallons of 87 and 91 octane. If it was a large station (from the stocking description, I'd call this a large station), they're going to have closer to 24,000 gallons each of 87 and 91 octane, with between 12 and 24k gallons of diesel fuel. If they have an available engine, or generator(s), that's a LOT of run time. Enough to use to find another source of energy. It's also a source of hydrocarbons for whatever matter duplicator they have. (that was the feeling I got about not having a working communications device to duplicate)

One of the largest problems of technology is how you bootstrap yourself. They were complaining about not having supplies. They now have supplies - they won't last forever, but _somehow_ the power is even functioning at the 7-11. (Maybe a generator running off of the tanks?)

They also need to use up that fuel anyway, even if they just burn it slowly. You don't want it to start leeching out into the soil if you can help it.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

that fuel would go faster

that fuel would go faster than you think, and I get the feeling that we weren't hinted at a molecular assembler level duplication, probably closer to a 3d printer, as we know they have had access to metallurgical grade silicon for a while, long before they had the scanner (you can't make solar panels without silicon) also they have other sources of hydrocarbons, they just haven't had FUEL, all carbon based life have hydrocarbons, it'd be better to use the fuel as a chemical blueprint for biofuel.

Unless you found a lot of

Unless you found a lot of other uses for it, or could seal it, it'll go bad before you can use it all. Think about the fact that the average automotive engine could be a nominal two gallons an hour. That means a 12,000 gallon tank, full, could drive that engine for 6,000 hours. That's 250 days, 24 hours a day. A diesel engine (boat) might eat 18 gallons an hour. That amounts to roughly thirty days of operation. They aren't going to be able to go through 36 to 72k gallons of fuel _that quickly_. At this point, we don't know what they have they could use it in. Let's say that it doesn't have all the additives that destroy engines in Houston (worst gas in the country. We have all the refineries for the states around us, and the EPA punishes us for it. Everyone else says NIMBY, and we get the shaft. ) So, the fuel may actually stay good for six months. Let's hope that the generator for the facility is either gas or diesel, and not propane - They'll be able to move the coolers, etc, and then they could have up to six months of refrigeration. Maybe more if they can figure out how to distill something that won't blow the gaskets.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

They want to use it for

They want to use it for transportation, also remember that they have a city, using it up isn't an issue

They can use the gas to help

They can use the gas to help heat furnaces, forges and Glassworks, and that's without developing engines, this will cut down the demand on their power grid making it easier to expand, not the ideal heating fuel by any means, but it does get hot, fuel of any kind is one of those things that no community large enough to be self sufficient with the technology level demonstrated in this series will have no problem using up before it goes bad, the fuel will cut down on power needed to refine anything that doesn't have the purity requirements of semiconductors, even if it can't get the raw materials to melting point on it's own. Not to mention that after using it as a chemical blueprint for biofuel, they can use it to power biofuel production as a bootstrap, and they can also use it as an accelerent, i doubt that they have a shortage of solid fuels, and earlier i was referring to using the fuel for aircraft not just their boats, but they can also use it for logging, even if its powering a generator charging up electric chain saws, its an improvement, i suppose the same is true for mining as well

Gasoline is terrible for

Gasoline is terrible for aircraft engines. You have to make sure the fuel is the right kind of the engine type. (Jet engines, for example, run on what amounts to kerosene. )


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

True, but early aircraft used

True, but early aircraft used gasoline, so it is possible, and remember, they will use what they can get.

Aviation fuel of all kinds

BarbieLee's picture

"We" are using unleaded non ethanol premium in two of our birds. Many of the other pilots are using reg gas as long as it doesn't have ethanol in it. Most pilots use the airport aviation fuel for one reason only. They can get it at the pump without hauling it in cans. Filling a twin with 200 gallons of gas would be a lot of hauling in five gallon cans. The bottom line is if one wanted to fly into the 7 Eleven and fill up, most birds would run just hunky dory on it without any problems.
Jet fuel is like gasoline in there are many different blends. JP4 was the standard. I haven't fueled a jet in..., Never mind, don't ask.
I'm taking Ground School FAA training. Man..., where in the h..l did all these rules come from? They weren't there when I started flying with Orville and Wilbur. Once upon a time we got our license and it was good until we died as long as we kept passing our medical every year. Anyone who has already taken the tests want to sit in for me? I'm NOT going to pass this the first time. I can feel it in my bones.
Have fun with life. It's too short to take it seriously
always,
Barb

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

The problem is that you can't

The problem is that you can't _get_ "non ethanol" gasoline, except for speciality shops. If your gaskets, bushings, and hoses aren't built for it, you _will_ have the engine die. I have a weed whacker I have to take apart and rebuild, due to the ethanol gasoline varnishing the carburetor and destroying the fuel line.

AV and Marine fuels have none of the garbage add-ons that reduce fuel efficiency and destroy parts. (Same with 'Race Gas')


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Again they will use what they

Again they will use what they can get, the lifespan of the engine isn't as important as HAVING the aircraft and fuel in the first place, and they are smart, they probably can extract the ethanol if they really had to, or regularly check and repair damages.

Well looks like we have 2

Renee_Heart2's picture

Furries now one natural the other once human transioning to a cat girl I look foward to see what happens next.

Love Samantha Renee Heart

If they're lesbians, I hope

If they're lesbians, I hope that the species doesn't have a cat's tongue.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

I guess you answered my

I guess you answered my question about her body...she was thinking about not just catgirls but being a girl herself so I guess she finally got her dream come true with the transformation. It may take a bit but it's better than living in secret as female.

I do have to wonder if someone will eventually get her to open up about her past as a boy. Given that she is transforming it may be no big deal, unless their fearless leader still holds old views about TG people.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Don't know what you miss

Jamie Lee's picture

Seems like people never know what they'll miss until they no longer have it.

Coffee, a drink many live on or use to jump start the selves to get going. But as in the story, they didn't realize how much they missed it until it was absent then found. Or something as simple as the famous slurpy from 7 eleven.

So far, nothing has pointed to the reason these people have been plucked off their home world's and brought to the planet. Other than learning others exist in the universe, others who have many things in common, there are no clues as to the main reason this is being done. Unless...it's to help these people learn from each other and they in turn become ambassadors for their respective races.

Others have feelings too.