Nathan sat in the glow of the screen, Tiera had given him access to the system before she'd gone to bed, it hadn't taken him long to learn the system and then discover that it could still interface with his antique tablet. Now instead of barely reading the ships logs on a tiny screen he was barely reading them on a screen that took up the better portion of the wall.

It wasn't that he wasn't paying attention, just that he didn't need to actually read it to know what it said. Shortly after departing the Centauri system the ship was struck by something, which damaged navigation and life support. Thereafter it was just the same message over and over:
2086.11.21.1400

Error: unable to establish location. Revive pod 7 for correction.
Error: life support system failure, pod revival impossible.
Diverting all energy to cryopods.
Pod failure estimate in 876,687 hours

The only change was the date and gradual count down to one by one failure of the pods, until only his remained. He wasn't even sure why he continued going through the several hundred years worth of logs, let alone hourly ones.

“Hal,” Nathan addressed the computer, he wasn't sure why Tiera had given it that name but she laughed and muttered something about being glad he wasn't 'Dave' when he asked, “can you search this document for a major change in the logs?”

“Please define parameters for 'major change'.” The computer replied in it's soft synthesized masculine voice.

“The earliest entry it was able to re-establish a course to Earth.”

The computer instantly provided the results:

2519.02.27.0700

Location established: 1,078,959 kilometers from Neptune. Correcting course for Earth.
Error: anomalous readings from propulsion. Revive pod 12 for diagnostics.
Error: unable to revive pod 12. Reason unknown.
Error: pods 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 failed. Occupants deceased.
All power diverted to pod 12.
Error: unable to calculate power remaining for cryopods.

“That's interesting.” Nathan muttered to himself and decided to scroll up and check the prior logs, only to find corrupted, unreadable data. No surprise given the age. “Hal, jump to the last log before the file corruption here.”

2519.01.29.2000

Location established: 1,999,982 kilometers from Barnard's Star. Unable to correct course. Revive pod 7 for correction.

Error: unable to revive pod 7

Error: life support system failure, pod revival impossible.
Error: hull breach.

Anomaly detected 1,502 kilometers starboard and closing. Revive pod 0.

Error: unable to revive pod 0

Error: pods 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 failed. Occupants deceased.
All power diverted to pod 12.
Pod failure estimate in 270 hours

“That's not possible...” Nathan stared at the date and location, unless he was asleep in astronomy class, Barnard's Star was six lightyears away and the Freedom 7 was only capable of .2L. “Hal, can you check this log entry for corruption?”

“There is no evident corruption,” The computer replied. “The file type you are using is not supported by my operating system though, and therefor it may be reading incorrectly.”

“Can you attempt to restore the corrupted portions of this file?”

“I can attempt it. It may take some time, what priority level would you like this project to take?”

“Low priority.” Nathan replied, “Run it in the background when you do not have other tasks.”

“Very well. I have another low priority task, would you like me to run these two tasks side by side, this will not be detrimental to either task.”

“That will be fine, thank you.” For a moment Nathan wondered why he thanked an AI, but decided not to think about it. He closed out the log file and stretched, stifling a yawn.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Nathan?” Hal asked.

“No, thank you Hal.” Nathan rose as the monitor blinked off, leaving behind a bare wall, and the console powered down save a small blinking red light that indicated it was processing still. He shook his head and started pacing in the small room, instead of answers the log left him with more questions. How did his ship travel six light years in a month, and what happened to it in that month?

He fell in to the couch with a sigh, giving up on the puzzle for the night. There would be no answers unless Hal could restore the corrupted portion of the log file. He grumbled a few expletives about the cold while wrapping himself in the thin blanket Tiera had left him and tried to clear his mind of worry and concern so he could actually sleep.

* * *

It scanned the horizon, the barren rocky landscape broken by streams of molten rock remained free of the enemy. Though it couldn't see them blending in amongst the rocks, it could sense its allies laying in wait for the ambush. Above, it could sense another species of allies hiding in the smoke filled sky, drifting lazily overhead. Their ethereal appearance making them vanish completely in the smoke, even the way they moved matched the natural billowing caused by the hot air currents coming off of surface.

It knelt down to drink from a river of molten rock, the heat filling its stone body and energizing it for the fight to come. As it rose, it stood in a group two hundred strong, each a six legged creature of stone, just like it, their long flexible bodies covered in jagged spikes and ending in two bladed tails. The Sculptors had designed these bodies for war, for this war on this planet, it only hoped they were enough.

A light flashed in the sky followed by a silver streak slamming in to the ground sending a shower of shattered rock in all direction. Another flash and streak followed, and shortly the sky held a steady glow while streaks rained down steadily. As suddenly as it started, the sky grew dim again and the last streak struck the ground. Fifty strong their enemy stood before them, close enough to make out the details of their bio-mechanical forms.

The creatures had a metal exoskeleton covering their bodies which were flesh and blood with metal endoskeletons as well, they stood on three stocky legs attached to a squat torso with six long tendrils coming off, two at each leg. Beneath the torso, situated in the center of the legs hung a swiveling cylinder with an opening on one end. The lack of an obvious head or sensory organs made it wonder how these creatures would navigate the battlefield.

It felt similar confusion amongst its allies, they had all fought these creatures countless times before, but this form was entirely new. Every new form of their enemy was created for a specific purpose, using elements of organic races it had encountered, and usually destroyed, previously.

From the sky came the signal that they were ready, followed by the sentiment being echoed by those concealed in flanking positions. That only left its own group, who after a moments delay confirmed they were ready. It gave the order and all two hundred stone beasts charged, bearing down on the fifty unmoving metal creatures.

The enemy remained unmoving, seemingly unaware of the stampede coming their way, until the first wave struck them. Tendrils lashed out, lifting the stone beasts off the ground and flinging them aside as if they were weightless. The creatures seemed to have omnidirectional awareness, reacting to strikes on all sides, without moving anything other than their tendrils.

After being flung aside itself, it gave the signal for the others to come in. Two hundred more stone beasts emerged from their concealment in the rocks and swept in from either side of the fray, while their allies in the sky unleashed hell from above, projecting beams of energy in to the fight, striking the metal creatures and slamming them in to the ground.

It hung back a moment, watching the fray, they had their enemy outnumbered ten to one, it hoped that was enough. Stone clanged against metal as the beasts leaped upon their downed foes, only to be lifted off and hurled aside by the creatures mighty tendrils. Then there was a sharp crack, and everything changed.

A single stone beast collapsed with a large hole clean through its torso, and no sentience inhabiting it anymore. The bodies were disposable, the consciousness though.. they weren't supposed to be able to die. One of its kind had not been killed in centuries, possibly even millennium.

Panic broke out amongst their ranks as they suddenly learned they were mortal. The panic was only intensified by more cracks, and more beasts falling with their rider destroyed. It watched it happen, realizing the cylinder was some form of short range energy projector. It had no clue how it worked, only knowing it needed to stay clear of it.

It charged back in to the fray, rallying a small group with it, leaping upon an isolated enemy. One of their number fell mid-leap, the rest struck the metal creature with full force, teeth and claws ripping at the creature as it tried to fling them away, but they were too many and soon it found itself without tendrils to grab them as they tore it to pieces, it's blue blood spilling across the battlefield.

The knowledge their enemy could be killed rallied the forces, and they re-organized to strike again in what was to become a bloody and costly battle.

As the battle wore on, its forces were winning, barely, the losses they had sustained were unbearable. It was confident though they would win this fight, but there would still be more casualties, and the war itself would be far from over.

It lead the charge on one of the remaining five only to find itself staring down the creatures weapon, there was a sharp crack-

Nathan's eyes snapped open, heart pounding, breath heavy and labored like he'd just been in a fight. He struggled to untangle from the blanket, before falling off the couch with a thud. His panic faded as he remembered where he was, reminding himself it was just another nightmare. At least, out of cryostasis he could actually wake up from them, though now he just had to deal with a splitting headache when he did.

“Nathan..?” There was concern in Tiera's voice as she walked over to him and offered a hand, “Are you alright?”

“Mmr.” Nathan mumbled, accepting her hand and trying to make his mouth remember how to work. “Yeah. Just a nightmare...”

“Some nightmare.” Tiera pulled him to his feet and wrapped her arms around him to comfort him. “You were thrashing and moaning, and you still smell of fear. I tried to wake you but you weren't responding to anything.”

“I didn't mean to wake...” Nathan trailed off, wrapping his arms around Tiera, her soft fur was warm and inviting. Then it struck him, fur. He glanced, and turned several shades of red as he realized she was naked, and he'd just been trying to use her breasts as a pillow. “Uhm..”

“What? … Oh!” Tiera pulled away sheepishly once she realized the issue. “Sorry... I forgot humans were weird about nudity. I'll find something to put on.”

“It's fine..” Nathan gave a weak smile. If his head didn't feel like it had just exploded and been duct taped back together, he would actually find her rather attractive. She was built like a superhero, tall and well toned, with all the right curves for a human woman. Her breasts were on the smaller side, with two more smaller sets beneath that her uniform had concealed before. The fur on her chest grew paler as it traveled down to pure white between her legs... that thought process though, would have to wait until a time with less brain explosions. “.. guessing I'm going to have to get used to that?”

“Yeah.” Tiera nodded, “Aside from utility purposes and uniforms, almost no one wears clothes. The wealthy do sometimes, mostly to show off.”

Nathan just nodded, his head hurt too much to think of a response while he reached down to pick the blanket up, only to lose is balance and stagger backwards on to the couch. He closed his eyes, massaging his temple and muttered. “... can you maybe get them to stop spinning the station?”

“I'll see what I can do.” Tiera chuckled as she settle next to him and bent down to retrieve the blanket for him. “.. You sure you're OK?”

“Just.. killer headache.” Nathan mumbled. “... probably just not getting enough sleep and.. well... everything.”

“Yeah..” Tiera frowned, pulling Nathan close and wrapping the blanket over the both of them. “More of the same dreams?”

“Sorta, I think?” He hesitated a moment before leaning against the wolf. It was a little odd to him, but she seemed to think nothing it.. besides which, she was warm. “I was different, the enemy was different.. but I had a sense that it was still the same war and the same fighters. I had more details this time.. thoughts that don't make a lot of sense to me, but made perfect sense in the dream.”

Tiera started to respond, then hesitated seeming to sense that he didn't want to talk about it. Instead the two sat in silence for a moment before she spoke again, sounding almost like a curious child. “Nathan... what was Earth like?”

“Uh..” He thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer her question, and thankful for the change of subject. “It was an ugly place full of strife and hatred and greed and destruction. But it was also beautiful, full of compassion, understanding, love... It all depended on what filter you looked at the world through.”

“But .. what was it actually like? Living there in cities filled with people, with amusement parks and lakes and forests and malls..?” She trailed off briefly, and shook her head laughing at herself. “I realize it probably sounds stupid to you, I'm romanticizing something that was every day to you, making it out to be some glorious paradise that I know it wasn't.”

“It was paradise, Tiera.” He smiled, “Of course it had its problems, but it was home. I had a beautiful wife and children, a slightly run down house in not the greatest neighborhood but dammit it was our house. I had an old petroleum engine truck I had been restoring since I was 12, we would pile in to that beast and drive up to the mountains to go camping, cook our dinner over an open fire, play games, tell stupid stories.. and of course make s'mores.

“When we could get a sitter, Trish and I would go out to a movie, usually one of those stupid horror films she loved so much that I never told her I hated. Some weekends I would go to the range, or go Paintballing with my friends while Trish... usually raided with her guild. I spent way too much time at work, missed birthdays and special events. I never forgot about them, ever... I just couldn't get away from the ship. Sometimes, Trish and I fought about that, but we always made up.” He cracked a grin, “I think she started fights just so we'd make up.”

“I'm not sure I understand.” Tiera said after a moment, “If it was so good, why did you leave?”

“Uncle Sam.”

“Huh?” She gave him a puzzled look.

“The US Government.” Nathan replied with a laugh, “When I signed on to work on the Freedom 7, there was a clause that I might have to 'continue on past my 4-year enlistment tour'... They didn't bother mentioning that it might be an additional 50 years.”

“Couldn't you desert?”

“Sure.” Nathan shrugged, “If I'd had a lot of money, and wanted to either abandon my family or try to make them vanish as well. If I'd refused to go on the mission, I would have been court martialed, sent to prison, with no visitation rights, and of course.. no pay. So, I could either not see my family for 50 years and provide for them, or neither see nor provide for my family for 50 years.”

“... I see.” She frowned, before changing the subject. “What's a s'more, anyways?”

Nathan shook his head and chuckled, explaining s'mores and how to properly make them. To which, she of asked what marshmallows were. The morning continued on with questions about seemingly insignificant elements of life on Earth, until Nathan finally drifted back to sleep, to much more pleasant dreams of home, of family, or Trish.