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Star Fox: Earthborn
1st Installment

Chapter 2: A New Life

David stood beside Fox as the elevator went up to the bridge level. He was nervous: within a few seconds he would face the other members of the Star Fox team, to let them know he was their new colleague. When David met them so briefly in his home, they all had weapons aimed at his head and they didn't seem to be very fond of humans. Especially that blue vixen, who had looked at him with so much hate…
As the elevator reached the bridge and the doors almost silently opened, David could see four figures standing by the large windows, talking to each other. Three of them he recognized, one of them would also be seeing him for the first time.

Fox and David walked into the room and the team turned around to greet their leader.

"Hey Fox, what took you so-" Falco said when he suddenly saw David standing behind Fox.

"What is this now?" the middle aged hare said.

It went silent on the bridge. Everyone was just looking in total disbelief to Fox and what he'd brought with him on the ship. The girl, whose name David still didn't knew, almost looked as if she couldn't decide who to kill: him or Fox. Then, Peppy Hare decided that he wanted some answers.

"Fox, what's the meaning of this? Why is that human here?" he said almost like a father telling his son that it's not okay to go with strangers.

"Peppy, I'd like you to meet David. He's the young man who rescued me from burning and who kept me in good care in his own home. I thank my life to him. And therefore he'll be our new trainee from this day on."

"What?!" it echoed.

Again, there was the awkward silence. Fox's friends looked at each other in surprise, searching for the right words. Peppy didn't like what he just heard, but inside he knew that Fox wouldn't just pick everyone for his team, so he decided to trust on Fox's gut feelings.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be… Then we might as well get acquainted, mister human. I am Peppy Hare: tactical advisor, analyst, topographer and cartographer for the Star Fox team" he said to David.

David gratefully shook Peppy's hand. "I'm David Mulder, of Planet Earth. It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"Alright, bald boy, so Fox thinks you can be our new member ay" Falco said. "Well I ain't buying this crap so see that you get through the training first, then we'll talk some more. And watch your back around here will you!"

"Don't mind him" Slippy said. "His tiny bird-brain causes him to think he's the best. This wasn't what I had expected to happen at the end of our mission, but if Fox thinks you're okay then you're okay to me as well!"

Meanwhile, the girl was listing to everyone accepting the human in their crew. Some more willing than others, but they were accepting him nonetheless. And that she couldn't take. Not now and most certainly not a human.

"Have you all gone completely mad?!" she suddenly yelled at her colleagues. "Do you remember nothing of what we learned about those humans in the past days?! And now you're just going to let one of them into our team? Are you?!"

"Please," Fox interrupted her. "No matter what we may have learned about humans; David is an example for all of his kind and his bravery, determination and respect are perfect for our team. Don't you agree?"

Slippy agreed with Fox. "He got a point there, you know. Imagine what would have happened if other humans had found Fox? Well, we'd have shot them to bits by now, but you know what I'm saying."

"Maybe you should introduce yourself too" Peppy said.

She gave everyone a last look of disbelieve, then she shook her head, looked at David and spoke one word: "Krystal…"

After telling him her name, she pushed him aside and angrily walked out of the bridge.

"Just give her some time," Fox said. "She joined us not so long ago herself and she has been living it rough before that."

"She looked as if she were angry with me" David said. "Is that just because she doesn't like humans? It looks like it's something else."

"I don't know what to make of it" Fox answered. "All I know is that Krystal had a very difficult past, but I think it's best if she tells you about that herself sometimes…"

"Oh David, there's one last member you haven't met yet" Slippy interrupted. "Meet our personal walking supercomputer, ROB 64."

ROB 64, an android built and upgraded by Slippy himself, came towards David and appeared to be scanning him from top to toes.

"Species: human. Detecting good physical fitness and zero injuries. Calculating chances of subject being able to meet Star Fox training conditions. Chances are good" ROB said.

"Androids don't lie" Slippy said with a smile.

"Alright David, since you've met everyone, let's get ourselves seated for the hyperjump back to our own system. We won't be coming back here anytime soon" Peppy said.

David had only heard of the term 'hyperjump' in series like Star Trek. Fox quickly explained that they would have to be at 'warp speed' for about fifteen hours to reach their own solar system: the Lylat System. According to him it would be much more comfortable to be seated while accelerating to such a speed. With the lift-off still fresh in his memory, David took place in one of the remaining large seats.

"That's actually Krystal's chair" Fox said. "But I think she'll be in her room by now."

When ROB counted down towards blast-off, David looked outside to his home planet. It looked so peaceful among the many billions of stars. It would probably be the last time to look upon his world, for his journey had started. Where it would take him was unknown. Then, as ROB reached the end of the countdown, the stars suddenly became strings of light as the Great Fox started its journey back at an immense speed. It was nothing like the lift-off, instead the only thing David felt was the actual acceleration. After some minutes Fox told David it was okay to get up and he took him along to show him around the ship.

"Everything is happening so fast" David thought.

..

Krystal sat on her bed, thinking about what had just happened. Because if she were to believe what she witnessed back on the bridge, Fox would make her live on the same ship with a human.

"And what will be next? Accept him as a colleague? Be friendly to him?!"

The idea alone felt as if she was forced to live with murderers. Krystal was angry, not just with David or with Fox, but also with herself. She was angry because she hadn't been able to use her telepathic abilities to see what David was really like. Back on the bridge she tried to read his mind, but no matter how hard she focused, she just couldn't do it. It was as if something was continuously disrupting her concentration or blocking her spiritual powers.

What Krystal didn't know was that this 'something' was in fact she herself. Such powers as hers required not only a pure soul but also a calm and undisturbed mind. And it was because of Krystal's haunting past and her self-created anger that her powers slowly decreased. She could still use some of her abilities, but they weren't what they had been. As long as she kept cropping up pain and grief inside her, her mind would remain restless.

"Cursed, why couldn't I read his mind?" she asked herself. "Why couldn't I use my powers on him?"

Her head was so full of emotion that it felt as if it was going to burst. Krystal tried to calm herself down using a relaxing meditational chant, one of the skills she mastered.

"I might have been too upset, but that's completely logical. I can't trust him, I mustn't. Inside, he'll be just as bad as the ones who robbed me from everything…"

Then, she heard David and Fox walking by, talking about which room David would be put in. She felt her anger building up, but she withstood the urge to walk out of her room and beat David out of the ship.

"I will not accept him as a member of this team and I will most certainly not accept that human as a friend, never. If he puts as much as a toe in the wrong direction, I will be there to end him…"

..

David walked along with Fox. He'd just seen most of the Great Fox and he was, as they say, freaking amazed by it. Now, they were walking past the team's bedrooms. The rooms and corridors in the living area appeared to be carpeted so you could also walk on it with just socks or bare feet. All the bedrooms had their owner's name on the doors, a thing you had to earn according to Fox.

Fox opened the door to a room which was currently used for unexpected guests. It was a simple room with only the few things necessary, like a bed and a small bathroom and toilet. This was okay to David. He put his luggage at the end of the bed and let himself fall upon the clean sheets.

"Thanks Fox. This is actually pretty comfortable!"

"Good thing you like it. You'll want to use that bed a lot the coming weeks, I can guarantee you that."

"Can I put some things I brought on display here? I've taken some photos and stuff, for memories."

"Sure, no probs. Get some sleep now, tomorrow we'll talk about training."

"At what time am I supposed to get up?" David asked as he put photos of his parents and his younger brother on the night table next to the bed.

"Nine 'o clock sharp, report for breakfast in the common room. Just program the alarm clock." Fox looked on his watch. "For us it's now seven minutes before eleven. Adjust your clock to the correct settings and don't be late tomorrow. Oh, and by the way: welcome aboard" Fox said while he walked away, the door closing behind him with a light hiss.

As David lay in bed again, he thought about what had happened to him in the last couple of hours. How he went from his old bed in his father's house to his new one aboard a spaceship hyperjumping to another galaxy. So much had happened to think about, but he already felt sleep taking over his thoughts like a soft blanket. Strangely, the last thing on David's mind before he fell asleep was the beautiful blue vixen looking straight at him with her turquoise, sapphire-like eyes, telling him her name…

"Krystal…"

TO BE CONTINUED…