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In all his time on the Providence, there were many times Algernon had fallen off ledges. Most of the main walkways had railings or other safety features to prevent such accidents, but the routes specific to the engineers tended to be more perilous. However, all of those times he was either harnessed or latched on with his tail, so they only led to momentary panic.

This time, he was so taken off guard that it took him a moment to realize he was even falling. Even if there was something for his tail to grab on to near the shutter, he was too far away to do anything now. He could only tumble over and over in the air, hurtling towards the ground below with nothing but the rushing wind filling his ears.

Before he became a splat on the ground, he came to an abrupt stop against something soft. The air was forced from his lungs, and before he could recover his savior grappled him in a vice grip.

When Algernon’s brain finally caught up to him, he realized that he was in the arms of a large hybrid, holding him firmly against themselves and trapping him in their bulk. His terror from falling quickly returned and he tried to cry out, but a massive paw was wrapped around his muzzle.

Another hybrid dropped down from the side of the vehicle. It was a skunk clothed with tattered scraps of clothes and with unkempt fur, definitely not part of the Clergy. When she turned to face him, Algernon couldn’t help but whimper in fear. A manic grin was spread across her snout and her pupils bore into him like he was a piece of meat.

The skunk pulled a jagged shiv from their belt and wielded it at the possum. “Better not try anything stupid, rodent,” she jeered, “Or else your innards might become outtards.”

At that chilling remark, Algernon’s body decided that it was time to pass out, and his world quickly became dark.

---

Waking up had never been a pleasant task, especially with how early the engine needed to be started, but being awoken by several smacks across the face was by far the worst wake up call he’d experienced. He flinched in shock from the slaps and his eyes flung open. A rat was standing over him with a disapproving frown on their face. What was Armand doing here?

Then he remembered: he’d been kidnapped. Panic began to take hold again. This wasn’t Armand. Although the rat before him had a similar gray pelt to his boss, this one wore a fancy tricorn hat and had a sleeker feminine appearance.

“Flaming hell, it took you long enough to come to,” she said with annoyance.

After his initial shock Algernon realized that his face stung all over. She had probably been at it for a while. He tried to get up, but realized he couldn’t. “Wha-”

Looking down, he was coiled neck to toe in ropes, with only his tail free to wiggle around. He felt like one of the moorings that adorned the roof of The Providence.

A cruel chuckle came from nearby, and with dread he realized there were more hybrids there. Glancing around, a group of hybrids took up the space surrounding him in a small metal room. The skunk from before was playing with a knife and leering over him. There was also another rat, one with white fur and bespectacled reddish eyes that seemed to be analyzing him.

But by far the scariest creature stood in the back, a hulking badger with scars lining all of their exposed fur, including one carved in the shape of a “W” across their shoulder. The hybrid stood stoically with their arms crossed, staring down at him with a flat expression. Seeing the knife-sized claws on their paws, Algernon shuddered to think what they could do to him.

They all wore garments that looked cobbled together, and judging by their hostility, these could only be the scavengers that he’d been warned about his whole life. He pinned his ears back. This was the worst possible situation he could imagine being in.

“Look at how scared the rat-thing is!” the skunk tittered.

“It looks nothing like a rat,” the pale rat said. “That’s clearly an opossum. They’re much more cowardly than we are.”

“If you say so.” The skunk began picking her teeth with the shiv.

“You! Barge dweller!” the leader bellowed, causing the possum to shrink away as best he could. “You are on my steamer, and as such you will obey everything I tell you, or there will be consequences. Understand?”

Locked onto her dark orbs, Algernon bobbed his head vigorously. With how his jaw was quivering, he didn’t trust himself to speak without breaking out into a sob.

“Good. That colossal steamer you live on, I know it holds valuables inside. However, it’s built like a vault, and I don’t want to waste valuable crewmen getting inside.”

“You mean you don’t want to waste any more than you have already,” the skunk said.

The rat rounded on her. “Silence, you mangy cur!” she shrieked. Her ire didn’t last long though, and she focused back on Algernon, prodding him in the chest. “But since you live on that barge, you must know everything about it, including its layout and weaknesses. Now, since you’re in my control, you’ll tell me how to safely get inside without drawing attention,” she demanded.

Algernon eventually found his voice, but he couldn’t keep the tremor from it. “W-what... What do you plan t-to do?”

“We’re gonna rob it, you dimwit! Now spit it out, or things will start to become unpleasant for you!”

Fear of what these scavengers were capable of threatened to overwhelm him, but the fear of disobeying the Clergy was starting to rear its head. If he sabotaged them, even under duress, would he become unclean like the creatures surrounding him? Would his deity abandon him?

Summoning as much courage as he could muster, Algernon, replied, “I can’t do that! I can’t forsake the creators!”

The leader looked puzzled, and turned to the pale rat. “What’s he on about? Has he gone feral?”

“I’ve heard rumors that the armored barges are full of religious zealots. They’re probably not feral, but their mind might be addled,” the other rat suggested.

The gray rat threw her paws in the air. “Whatever, this isn’t going to go anywhere. Peach! Get over here.”

Algernon had almost completely forgotten about the badger, but with a heavy sigh they started approaching him. Their friendly-sounding name only made them more intimidating. He tried wiggling away but there was nowhere to go, and soon one of the badger’s feet slammed down on the end of his tail. He let out a yip of surprise and tried to pull the appendage away, but it was pinned in place.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” the leader said, “We’ll start at the end of your tail and work our way up. And if you’re still uncooperative, we can start on other limbs.”

He didn’t know what the rat meant until the skunk hunched over his trapped tail and started giggling maniacally, bringing her knife down to his flesh.

“W-wait! Wait! I’ll tell you! Please, just stop!” Algernon yelled automatically.

The skunk halted, her glee immediately turning to disappointment. “Really? We hadn’t even started,” she pouted. “Pathetic.”

His mind finally caught up with his tongue, and he realized that he was profaning himself in favor of temporary comfort. He’d never felt so weak. Tears began to leak unbidden from his eyes.

“Drop the details, or the pain will begin!” The rat threatened.

“There - There’s a shutter where a cannon is b-broken!” Algernon blubbered. “The passage to it is unused and leads past the barracks!”

“Barracks? How many fighters are there?”

“N-no, barracks for the workers. There are only around twelve capable of fighting, m-mostly weasels.”

The leader tapped her chin. “That can’t be true. The barge was a beast to contend with,” she noted, speaking to herself.

“It’s probably built with strong outward offensive and defensive capabilities to offset internal weaknesses,” the badger spoke up for the first time. Their voice was deep and rumbly, but distinctly female, to the possum’s surprise. “You don’t need to be experienced in combat to fire artillery, you don’t need as many scrappers with the amount of cannons they have.”

“Well, can you take a dozen weasels?” the rat asked.

The badger grunted in reply.

“Excellent. Prisoner, tell me where this shutter is.”

“It’s the same place I was p-pulled down from, next to the air compressor,” he said.

The leader glared over at the skunk. “You lizard brain, why didn’t you just tell us there was an unguarded opening in the first place?”

The skunk didn’t seem phased by the barb. “Don’t get your tail in a twist, Frieda. You told me to nab one of the defenseless-looking workers, so that’s what I did. You never told me to look for a way in.”

“I am surrounded by idiots,” the rat lamented. “Not you,” she added to the pale rat, whose whiskers twitched at the remark.

The badger removed her foot from his tail, and Algernon quickly curled it around himself to protect it. “Can you let me go now?” he asked hopefully. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

The leader rounded on him again. “Not a chance. I still need to know where the goods are once I get inside.”

“I-I can tell you how to get to the vault!”

“Do you think we’re stupid?” she growled. “I’m not going to let you lead us into a trap. We’re bringing you with us, and you’ll guide us directly to the treasure.”

His stomach dropped. “No, that’s not n-necessary! I wouldn’t lie, honest!”

The leader spoke to the pale rat. “Go fetch Teddy. We’ll be preparing to raid the barge at nightfall.”

With that the interrogation ended, and she moved elsewhere into the depths of the vehicle. The skunk pranced off as well, clearly excited for what was about to happen. The other rat had also slunk off in the meantime.

The badger was the last to leave. She seemed to be scrutinizing Algernon under her gaze, and he could only sit and tremble. He didn’t know what she was trying to find, but eventually she, too, wandered off, leaving the possum alone to think about the impending disaster ahead. All he could do was pray that the creators would deliver him from this mess.