Chapter 4: Testing the Prototypes

The door hissed shut with a finality that sounded like a tomb sealing—or a factory starting its first shift. I was pinned to the mattress I’d just reinforced, and for the first time in my life, I regretted being so good at my job. The bed didn’t even creak. It just sat there, sturdy and expectant, like a launchpad.

The Alpha, now completely out of her armor, was a mountain of silver-grey fur and pure, predatory intent.

“Alright, look,” I stammered, my hands instinctively reaching for a wrench that wasn’t there. “Before we ... engage the drive ... we should probably talk about safety protocols. Human anatomy is a bit more ... delicate. We don’t have built-in shock absorbers like you guys.”

“I have seen your ‘delicate’ frame in action, human,” she whispered, her muzzle hovering an inch from mine. “You moved with the precision of a piston. Now, show me your maximum displacement.”

She moved, and the sheer weight of her nearly drove the wind out of my lungs. I reached out, trying to find some leverage, and my hands buried into the thick fur of her shoulders.

“Wait! Wait!” I wheezed. “We’re running into a clearance issue! I need to adjust my positioning or I’m going to blow a seal!”

“Adjust then,” she growled, her tail lashing behind her and hitting the bulkhead with the force of a whip. “I want to feel every gear turn. I want to know how a master mechanic seats the components.”

I shifted, trying to find a way to navigate the situation without ending up in the ship’s infirmary. “Okay, okay. I’m ... I’m finding the alignment marks. But you’ve got to stay still, Alpha! If the housing moves while I’m trying to torque the bolt, we’re going to have a major malfunction!”