The skies over Tharhome are a beautiful, if frightening sight. Awesome auroras weave through the torn and damaged space that surrounds the adopted home-world of the Chirr'T'Thar. The damage done during the battles between two ancient and powerful enemies have torn at the very fabric of space time. Amidst this display a small portal opens, and two forms fly out, and down, towards the center of Chareka, the capitol city.
Copernicus's whiskers droop as he realizes how bad the situation for his home world is, but looks back at Melora, who is leaving a fine trail of fur and scales behind her and sighs. He motions for her to follow as he heads into the city of towering buildings.
Melora seems to have 'woken' up, and is as tense as a wire as she drifts after Copernicus. Her eyes dart from side to side and her flight seems quite unsteady. All four claws are unsheathed and what fur that she has left is standing on end.
The skies are a buzz with Chirr'T'Thar flying here and there in the late evening, but few seem to be taking the time to look at strangers, or even flirt. Things must be serious indeed.
Copernicus banks and moves alongside Melora and purrs, "Are you going to be OK?"
Copernicus points to an open topped building that has a ring of plants and vines growing from the ledges in the distance and purrs, "That is a hospital. A place for folks to help you. I hope."
Melora squeaks and answers after a moment, "yah... y'grew up here, I c'n handle it." She swerves a bit then nods. It's obvious that some of what was said doesn't sink in too well.
The worried male remembers her feelings about buildings, but knows she needs attention and he purrs, "I'll stay with you the whole time. I promise. Just follow me."
Melora nods, if a bit short. She's a weak smile on her face as she says, "inta th'mouth o'one of these monsters, I bet?"
Copernicus chuckles, "They aren't monsters, just open topped towers. We'll stay on the first floor so you can always see the sky."
Copernicus presses one of the gems on his arm-band as he remembers that they work here, and growls a few instructions to someone as he banks towards the medical tower.
Melora pauses mid beat then glides a bit. "I.. I trust ye in this. I mean.. I think we're so far from home there aint' annachance o'an ancestor in here."
Copernicus purrs softly, "Yes, we're very very far away from your home. And these buildings are much too new to have ancestors. Do you see that red square inside the building? Let me land there first, then you land after me? Ok?"
Melora nods, sliding in behind Copernicus on the air.
Copernicus lands softly on the padded floor and moves out of the way to let Melora land. Several female Chirr'T'Thar and one male chatter questions at Copernicus, and he gives a few short growls and hands a vial of fluid to one of the technicians.
Melora hovers a moment above the pad, coming down nearly vertically then landing with a thumf on her paws. A few stray scales glitter as they flit down to the floor and as she stands, her claws clatter audibly. Scents of fear come from the feline.
Copernicus pads up and snugs Melora and purrs, "I'll stay right by your side while they examine you. Also, some of the doctors here will touch you, and it should help you feel better. Just rub your sides and such. Is that Ok with you?"
Melora frowns a bit, her eyes darting to the side a moment then glancing at Copernicus again. "I dunno.. I ain't feelin badly, jus tired."
Melora scratches at her side some and more dark hair falls. She frowns and scratches a bit more as the itch intensifies. Bared skin shows through easily, as it is in several places now.
Copernicus ahms, "Well, it may also help with...oh forget it, enough of this tap dancing around the truth. Your fur is falling out like crazy, and your wing scales are dropping like politicians in front of a truth squad. They may be able to help."
Melora says, "Pollenshins?"
Melora says, "Now I've heard o' Truth beheld th'flower, but Truth befelled the flower? Pollen?"
The small squad of Chirr'T'Thar watch their regulator talking with his rather bedraggled looking mate, but none has the nerve to make comments about superstitious primitives. Which is good for them.
Melora scritches across her midsection now, then in a final flurry she just scritches wildly about everywhere. More fur flies and scales fall than ever in those few moments, but afterwards she looks a bit more... relieved?
Copernicus chuckles softly, "I'll explain later and ...eep! Please, let them touch you. It may relieve the itching. And the doctor over there would like to take a small sample of your blood, if that's Ok."
Melora reaches upwards to her face a moment then pauses midair. She asks, "how?"
The female felitaur rolls her eyes but shows Melora the pressure syringe with the small needle exposed. With a carefully polite manner, she purrs, "We just press it against your flank. It'll sting for second, and then it will be all over."
Melora frowns a bit then looks over at Copernicus. She nods a bit and holds quite still. Her fur, though, raises without her consent.
Copernicus rubs Melora's neck gently as the doctor presses the syringe against Melora's flank. There is a short fly like biting sensation, then a brief hiss and the female walks off with the sample.
Melora wrinkles up her nose a bit then shakes her head.
Copernicus snugs his mate and purrs, "Why don't you lie down and rest. The floor is well padded, and the test will take a while?"
One of the younger females, a tabby striped one, lets her curiosity and desire to help get the best of her, and she uses the healing touch on Melora's taur back.
Melora frowns a moment longer then nods. With a bit of a 'thumf' she lays on her feline stomach to wait. Nervously she runs a hand through her headfur.
Copernicus curls up next to Melora, not noticing the doctor yet.
Melora nearly jumps out of her pile of fur with the touch, all the fur on her back rising as she'd not noticed anyone coming from behind. A funny haze flares up around the felitaur for half a moment.
The young Chirr'T'Thar female starts as she is pushed back and purrs, "What was that? I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted to help!"
Melora mrowls, "I didn't do annathin! Honest... Copper? Wha?"
Copernicus blinks and blinks again at being pushed nearly an inch sideways, "Melora kecharra."
Copernicus says, "Something just shoved me away from you. I truly hope this isn't your gate magic going bad, because we have no hope of helping you with that."
Melora shakes her head, "I weren't playin music.. it couldna been. I dunno, Coper, I really don'. All I know.. is I'm wearin out an spooked an seein funny."
One of the male technicians blinks and is about to humph at the mention of magic but he purrs, "Incredible. There was an obvious force generated. But no detectable source of power or mechanism for generating it. By the first mother's haunches, how is that possible."
Copernicus snugs Melora, "I'll take you to my home soon. It's much quieter. What do you mean by you are seeing funny?"
The staff seems to have been well warned by Copernicus, and they wave various sensors and other devices at Melora when she isn't looking.
Melora rubs at the side of her head a moment then shakes it, "not now.. but fer a moment everathin was like lookin through a bit o'glass."
Copernicus hmms, "Was that when Shiearra touched you?"
Melora says, "Jus after... when ye'all jumped back."
The technician that was analyzing the sample of fluid from the crystal is waiting near Copernicus now. She notes he is coaxing the information they need from his mate while also making her feel a bit more comfortable. A true shame he didn't have the patience to continue his medical training past the preliminaries.
Melora runs a hand through her headfur again... nerves. Anxiety prone in here, it seems.
Copernicus hmmms, "So when that "push" came from you, your sight altered. Very strange. Can you think of any reason why you would be losing fur and wing scales?"
One of the "gems" on Copernicus's armband starts flashing and makes a single *beep*. He ignores it for now.
Melora shakes her head. "We don't.. not fer bein pregnant or nothing. We sometimes shed scales an fur fer replacin 'em.. but slowly." She rubs at the side of her muzzle and loses fur there too as she thinks.
Melora says, "Not in alla m'trainin do I remember anna stories of fur loss *with* scale loss either. Fur loss, yah... I was supposed t'be tribe historian y'know."
The technician with the blood sample relaxes slightly. She seems relieved that the alien admitted to already being pregnant, and she doesn't have to bring it up.
The rest of the staff seems to flick their ears a bit, but nothing is said out loud.
Copernicus is looking worried again and purrs, "Well, do you remember what caused the fur losses?"
Melora tilts her head a moment then asks, "anna reason they're givin me an odd look an wiggling their ears?"
Copernicus blinks, "Hmmm? Probably have never seen one of your race before..oh, you mean they just did now? Shieera, what's up?"
Shieera eeps softly and, after a moments hesitation softly purrs, "Well, ah, we have your application to breed your mates. It's set for a couple years from now, and, well...."
Melora comments, "What would ye'need ta add to breed? You work jus fine as y'are, Copper."
Copernicus's whiskers quiver with some humor in his eyes, not enough to overtake his worry but he smiles and purrs, "She is my kecharra. It was not planned, but her race does not control their reproduction like ours do. And my other mates already know about it, so relax."
Copernicus chuckles softly at Melora, "We normally have to let our 'elders' know when we wish to breed. We "apply" for the right if you will. Mostly a formality."
Melora's mouth forms an 'o' then she shakes her head. "That's nuts.. but I guess wi'so many o'ye around.. enough t'make cities an all, it's needed."
Melora says, "Annaway.. th'only record of alot of fur loss is in the earliest of stories. Prolly the fourth or so that we carry. I tol' ye of the sky fires and sickness?""
Copernicus chuckles, "Not that many of us really. We only make cities because we like to be around others. But as spread out as we are, and as few as we are, we have to make sure we don't become inbred. I do remember the story, so tell me about the fourth story."
Copernicus flicks his ears in a signal that means "back off" and the staff shrugs and lets their strange "leader" do things his way, as usual. They do take several notes and start to compare results from the blood sample and the fluid sample Copernicus gave them.
The rose gem on Copernicus's armband continues to flash angrily, and continues to be ignored.
Melora settles a bit, "Well, the part that refers to it is something like this.. As the fires in the cities and flames in the skies settled down, we came out of hiding for the first time. Many died within their holes, from heat and from mystery. Darkness shed on our lands and the illnesses came."
The various looks on the muzzles of the staff form short looks of surprise, and then sympathy, as they realize that Melora's race survived some form of nuclear holocaust. In a matter of seconds, their attitudes become more friendly, and one of the interns puts on some soft flute music.
Melora says, "Some were just stomach ill and nothing that was fed would stay. Others couldn't keep the fur across their flanks an were wasted soon after. Others were blind, and yet others were head-sick."
Copernicus nods, "Radiation poisoning. Truly horrible."
Melora pauses then shakes her head, "no.. no one was poisoned. We knew what plants were okay."
Copernicus scritches softly behind Melora's ears and purrs, "Not that type of poisoning, but that's not important. Finish your story."
Shieera pads up with two large glasses of fruit juice and shyly offers them to the resting pair.
Melora says, "annaway... a few were born different, with wings, then more were born such, and as born.. taken away by th'Howlers. A few returned later but the cities were turned over. Sisters and brothers lost.." she seems to have calmed down alot, retelling that which she knows. She nods to Shieera and carefully takes a glass."
Melora shakes her head once then says, "No fires or flames, though... jus that funny ball of gooey stuff.
Copernicus hmms, "The howlers. I remember you talking about Kane being one of them. So they started to mutate, and then some brought back later? Do you know why they did this?"
Melora shakes her head. "No one ever knew... Kane might, but he's gone."
Copernicus sighs, "I know. Though Wanderer is an "ancestor" now, if we can ever track Keryana down, we might be able to ask her. Or at least that shaman's council. I have a feeling they are your "dark howlers". Not a group I like much."
Melora scritches some more. It seems she's shed most of the fur on that shoulder now. A much faster rate than before.
Melora shrugs a bit and says quietly, "does it matter now? I mean.. that was ages ago. Kane's th'only one I'd been around, and he's not been here fer moon's worth.
The eldest female on the staff, a haphazard calico, pads up and purrs, "Regulator, we have the preliminary results of the tests if you want them."
Melora rubs a hand on her muzzle's side. The short short fuzzy furs on the side of it slide away and only the skin beneath is left.
Copernicus snugs, "It might explain what is happening to you m'love. And a crime such as that, even if it's centuries old, needs to be addressed. Certainly Peralta, please go ahead."
Copernicus's whiskers really droop as he watches his poor mate slowly go...bald.
Peralta frowns as she watches Melora continue to deteriorate. It's obvious the little female stole their regulators heart, and she wishes she had an answer for the worried male. With a suppressed sigh she purrs, "The blood tests show that she is carrying two healthy cubs. She appears to be quite healthy internally, though some odd trace elements are in her blood. These match the ones found in that fluid sample you gave me. It's unclear if they belong in her system or not."
Melora watches her mate a moment then turns to examine her own wings, remembering what Copernicus had to say. A frown crosses her expression as her fingers run across the supple skin that was beneath so many thousands of scales.
Copernicus hmmms, "And what else about that fluid she was suspended in?"
Peralta purrs, "It's similar to the liquid that some races use to pump oxygen in their lungs when having to move under high pressures. It has a high oxygen content. It also contained some odd protein polymers, a very weak sedative and some other things that we can't analyze."
Peralta hmms, and finally purrs, "It had a very high nutrient content, and has some strong healing capabilities. It also had compounds designed to act similar to a stasis field. Especially in maintaining cell stability. Despite what you said, it's pretty clear that whoever put her in that device, they did it to try and stabilize her."
Copernicus bows his head and sighs, "So I caused this to happen because I took her out too soon?"
Copernicus looks pale and purrs, "Well, do you have an idea what is happening to her? And what to do about it?"
Melora seems to finger at the wings a moment longer then folds them closed again. She settles with another sigh then her whiskers seem to droop as she gets drowsy again.
Peralta looks a bit smaller and purrs, "From what we can see, her overall health is fine. But...her cells are...changing, rather rapidly. It appears to be a systemic mutation, not just a simple cancer. We don't know what's causing it, and right now....we have no idea what to do about it. Why don't you take her home, let her get some rest and some food. We'll let you know when we have something useful."
Melora seems to have drifted casually off, sitting upright in the middle of the floor. Her wings are to the ground gracelessly.
Copernicus nods softly to Peralta then looks at Melora, who has been ignoring what was being said, partly because she didn't understand it, but he thinks also partly because she doesn't want to know, that and she's tired. He purrs, "Melora? Melora. I've scheduled a lift for us to my parents house, where you can sleep soundly and safely. Is that OK?"
Melora says, "Huh? Wha... you mean yer parents are higher up?"
Melora shakes herself out of her sleep (and much more fur as well :/) then finally shakes out her muscles and fur. She moves quite stiffly now, both as though exhausted and arthritic. Bedraggled. A nest of fur is piled up about where she'd been sitting.
A 4 inch thick square, 15 feet on a side, floats down into the room and hovers one foot off the ground and waits while Copernicus purrs, "They are about a mile away in another building. It is a bit higher than this one. I just figured we could both use a rest."
Melora pads about the square a moment, her eyes narrowing as she looks. She finally says, "Y'sure about the ancestors?"
Copernicus looks away for a second and wipes away a tear secretly as he thinks . o O (Damn you Wanderer for including her in your scheme. And me for trapping her by killing Ambarr. I just know this is because of me, and I can't bear to lose her, again.)
Copernicus blinks and nods, "I'm sure. No one has ever seen an ancestor here, and we've been here for nearly 10,000 years."
Copernicus pads up onto the floating square, noting her exhaustion is making this a bit easier, as she'd normally be freaking out about everything going on at once.
Melora looks thoughtful then finally nods. After a moment she stumbles up behind him, claws out and clicking against the floor. More relaxed... but still fearful.
Copernicus curls up on the grav pad and motions for Melora to sit next to him. He's shifted to the edge a bit so Melora can be more centrally located.
Melora watches again then finally sits. She closes both eyes a moment later and holds on.
Shieera pads up and purrs, "M'lady?"
Melora opens one eye then purrs quietly, "Hmm?"
Shieera purrs softly, "I...I hope you get better soon. You are very beautiful, or I think you were..I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I mean, I... please drop by to see me when you are well, please?" at which she shyly rubs Melora's forehead with her own and then rushes off.
A small smile crosses Copernicus's face.
Melora looks a bit curious after the feline that rushes off and the skin that shows through flushes with brilliant tones of red. "Um... thanks.. " she says quietly afterwards, not knowing what to do with the response.
Copernicus starts punching in the flight plans to the control pad and purrs, "She likes you Melora. I'd say she has great taste in females. Let me get you home and to a nice comfortable bed."
Melora purrs quietly, "aye... I coul' sleep a moon's turn, it feels."
The grav pad humms slightly as it levitates out of the building, then moves gracefully and rapidly towards the highest tower in the city.
Melora seems a bit curious for some of the flight, but being so sleepy she can't help but to drift off again. By the time they arrive she's out cold once more. A deep sleep that doesn't wake her even after they've stopped moving.
LaGrange Skygazer, Copernicus's father, the one who has been beeping him for hours, looks ready to tear into his son, till he sees the condition of his son's mate. The snarl on his face disappears and he helps tuck Melora in before discussing Tharhome's problems.