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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 129: The Price For Paradise (Our Resolve Part One)

"It makes sense now!" I said as Doria, Neil and I struggled within our bindings.

"That we have been caught?" Neil said exasperated.

"Or that we fell into Intex's trap." Doria interjected as the serval listened to us prattle.

"He was working with the cleanser!" I said.

"You mean that tabby that went on that crusade to liberate the world from all humans?" Neil asked me.

"Yes, the knight core worked with a wild life expert to track and finally apprehend him. Our expert believed the cleanser to be a domesticated beastial feline. But he was only half right." I said to my Consortium companions. "That was how Morris Hunter was able to kill so many in such a short time!"

"So when Morris was captured, the crusade didn't stop...." Doria added.

"It didn't, it just took on another form." Neil concluded.

"You three are very perceptive, for a flawed species." The serval said.

"Unlike you who lied to us, we are actually trying to make this world a better place." The female brunette said to our captor.

"I am too, by eliminating the most vile and dire threat this world has ever faced- humanity. Which you three happen to be part of." The he beast said. "Only then can this world truly be free from that which threatens it- YOU."

"Do you really believe that rhetoric? I know for a fact sir that not all us humans are bad and not all beastials are good. You for instance." Neil Winter said eyeing our captor up and down. "If this flawed species is eliminated the planet will still be imperiled. Do you want to know why?"

"I have a feeling you are going to tell me anyway." The serval said.

"Evil beastials like you who believe in unholy crusades for the betterment of the society." My doppelgänger's brother said.

"Only love will conquer hatred and fear." Doria said. "That is what we are trying to do build a better tomorrow, a better future, a better world through peaceful coexistence, tolerance and understanding."

(I couldn't have said it better myself!)

"You and that hyena disgust me! What is he thinking! Coupling with a human!" The serval said.

"That our philosophy is superior to yours." I said as the horrid beastial drew his weapon.

"So you are just going to murder us in cold blood?" Neil Winter said looking the he beast in the eye.

"Why yes, I love impaling and decapitating. It may be bloody and less inefficient than inter-blast, but there is a certain joy I derive from watching the life drain out of my prey along with ignoring their pleas for mercy." The serval grinned devilishly. "The dismantling of the Consortium For Mutual Coexistence begins now!"

DAYS EARLIER...

Day 992 (World One. Basement)

"Is that our target?" I asked the female buffalo next to me.

"Affirmative. Right where Cinder said he would be- atop this building thinking about ending it all." Tess said to me.

"Alright let's see if we can talk him down."

"Victor Villan?" Tess asked addressing the despondent human in a white shirt and sweatpants who was standing on the ledge of the building precariously.

"What do you want bison?" The brown haired man asked.

"We are with the Consortium For Mutual Existence." I said nodding to Tess as we decided to approach the disheveled thirty year old from different angles.

"We saw you profiled on Why Are You Poor? last night." Tess said.

"I am nothing but a worthless, stupid good for nothing; no one cares about me, I can't even provide for my cat!" The man said crying.

"Not exactly. You are defining the totality of your life based on your appearance on a hub program." I said to him.

"If you let us we would like to help." The female buffalo calf said.

"A freckled blond kid and a adolescent bison?! Weird! You are too late to make any sort of difference." The man said as he lifted his right foot and prepared to walk off the roof of the thirteen story building.

"NO!!!" Tess and I screamed as the man went over the ledge.

**SNATCH**

"It is ok, I have you!" Bess said grabbing the man from a hidden ledge below as he was about to fall to his death.

"There were two of you beastials?" Victor said surprised.

"Yes and it may not seem like it, but we care." Bess said hugging the man tightly.

"You seem to be the only ones that do." Victor said sobbing.

"Nice grab Bess!" I said to him.

"Uh guys can you get us back to the roof and quick?!" Bess said as he continued to hug the despondent human.

The two buffalo calves and I helped pull Yama Kite's latest victim back up to the roof, into the building and down the stairs.

"This Mr. Villan is your lowest point. From here on each day will get better." Tess said to him.

"We are going to take you to a friend who will help you rediscover the joy of life, the joy of you being you and to help get yourself back on your feet." Bess said.

Victor did nothing but sob glad that someone actually cared about him and his struggles. Apparently Bess and Tess's inspirational words were heard by more than just Victor, as we were leaving the building we got mobbed by several more of its tenants.

Day 994 (Evening)

"Hi everyone!" Dongo said beginning our weekly meeting via the hub. "How has everyone's week been going?"

"Busy." Bess said. "There doesn't seem to be enough hours before curfew."

"And no matter what we do it is just not enough." Tess said agreeing with her brother.

"Hey guys what's wrong?" Neil said adding his voice to the conversation.

"Bess, Tess and I were helping Why Are You Poor's latest victim this past Saturday." I said to my colleagues.

"I saw that episode it was particularity tough to watch." Niko piled on.

"I suppose the target must have been very despondent and/or suicidal after that broadcast." Cider said.

"He was- the three of us managed to save and to get him the help he needed." Tess said.

"But as we were leaving his apartment building we were overwhelmed by many others as well looking for help and a way out of their misery." Bess said agreeing with his sister.

"There are so few of us and so, so many in need." The female teenage bison said.

"Yes, I agree no matter what and how much we do there is so much more to be done." The white female skunk said. "It is overwhelming at times."

Doria, Neil and Cinder nodded.

"You know the answer to that." The hyena said to his subordinates. "Don't focus on what you can't do. Focus on what you can."

"Say fearless leader how did your meeting with that hub executive last week go?" Neil Winter asked.

"Well it was interesting..." The hyena blushed.

"How interesting?" Niko asked.

"Don't you mean productive Dongo?" Bess asked.

"Go ahead and tell them baby." Doria said encouraging her hyena.

"Yama Kite presented a whole bunch of possible pilots for hub series..."

"But none of them would really help bring first and second class citizens together." I said stepping in for our leader. "Only drive them further apart."

"Did you present and/or suggest alternatives that would be appealing to both classes of citizens?" Cinder asked.

"Well, yeah. Yama said that he would take it under advisement with that smug look he gives everyone." The leader of the Consortium said.

"And the quest continues." Tess added.

"But it wasn't all bad news honey." Doria said encouraging her hyena.

"That's right. We successfully located and helped Leslie Arrow who was profiled on Yama's show get back on her feet." Dongo said.

"She got a job in a restaurant in World Two and is renting an apartment nearby." I said to my colleagues.

"You had to disguise her as a beastial didn't you?" Niko said cocking her head.

"Regardless, a win is a win." Neil added.

"It is indeed a shame that we don't have the resources and/or the ability to help everyone that is in need." The little aardvark said.

"Hmm?" Dongo said to the boy genius.

"I think what Cinder means is that we have three members in World One Bess, Tess and Alex. In World Two there is you and Doria. But the rest of us in Worlds Three, Four and Five are pretty much by ourselves." Neil said.

"Hey guys the empire is very big. We do what we can, when we can. That is the best we can do." Dongo said.

"Perhaps not." Doria said.

"Sweetie what are you thinking?" The hyena asked his lover.

"Perhaps it is time for another public meeting." She said.

"You mean like the membership drive we had in World Three two years ago?" Tess asked.

"That wasn't entirely successful." Bess added.

"But Alex decided to join after that meeting and Neil, Cinder and Niko could use additional help in their cities. I tell you what, how about we make it fun?"

"What did you have in mind Doria?" Niko asked.

The female glared at the white skunk. "How about a lake cruise? We charter a boat and tour some of the islands on the outskirts of World Five. We could use the trip to recruit members too!"

"It would be kind of like a working vacation!" Niko exclaimed.

(Please don't say vacation.)

"With the publicity we have been receiving, it shouldn't be hard to generate some interest either." Neil Winter concluded.

"So when should we have this little meeting/get together?" I asked my colleagues.

"Given our work schedules it would best to have this cruise on Saturday and/or Sunday." Cinder said.

"How about this weekend everyone?" Doria asked.

"I think I can get the time off." I responded.

"It shouldn't be a problem for us." The buffalo calves said in unison.

"Saturday is good for me. What about you Neil?" Niko asked.

"I think so." My doppelgänger's brother said.

"Good then it is settled. Dongo and I will make the arrangements." Doria said. "Cinder can you and Niko get the word out?"

"Affirmative." The skunk and aardvark said in unison."

Day 999 (Saturday Morning. Large Lake at World Five)

"Wow that is a big one honey." Doria said to Dongo as we looked at the yacht docked near Harbor Center.

"Well, not that big. It looks to be about forty feet by twenty." Neil said.

"What are those 'arm' thingies extending from the ship?" I asked.

"Pontoons. They help propel the ship." Bess said answering my question. "Say what is the name of the ship?"

"The Rumble-craft." Dongo said looking at the sign near the dock.

"What a name for a ship." I said.

"There is a observation deck on the mid-level and the bridge on the top level." Niko added.

"What is below that?" Tess asked.

"I think it is the crew quarters." Bess said answering his sister.

"Is everyone here?" I asked my consortium colleagues.

"No we are still waiting for Cinder." The white skunk said to me.

"Our boy genius?!" Neil said. "I heard he never leaves his bedroom- he calls it his command center. This is going to be good."

No sooner had my doppelganger's brother said that, a white hatchback arrived and parked near the pier we were standing.

"He's here." Niko announced.

The seven of us watched as the little aardvark from World Four stepped out of the hover vehicle and approached the pier we were standing on accompanied by a chaperone.

(No way!)

I recognized the boy genius's escort almost immediately.

"Greetings and/or salutations everyone." I convinced my cousin Ember to come along on our cruise as well today.

"Um hi." The older and slightly taller aardvark said uneasily.

"Ember this is Dongo the leader of our group. His girl Doria. Next to him Neil and/or next to him is Alex. The buffalo calves are Bess and Tess and the skunk girl over there is Niko."

"HI!" We all said in unison.

"So this is the group that is trying to change the world." The older aardvark said.

"Well change hearts and minds and perhaps that will change the world." Neil said.

It was at that point I ran up to Ember and shook his paw.

"Alex Is it? Nice to meet you." He said to me.

"No, it is outstanding to see you again Ember."

"Have we met before?!" He asked me.

"Yes we have, about two years ago aboard a sky ship." I responded. "You and I have much to discuss."

"Um, I think you two definitely have some catching up to do." Dongo said. "You two go below and talk while we wait for the captain, the crew and recruits to arrive."

So Ember and I went to one of the crew quarters below deck- a small one to catch up.

"So you don't remember who I am at all?" I asked the adult aardvark.

"You do look familiar." He said to me. "But I can't say why."

"They must have blocked, suppressed your memories or possibly even erased them." I said to the Cinder's cousin.

"Who did?"

"The greys." I responded simply.

"You know about that?"

"They call themselves the KLIS. They are extraterrestrial biologists that like to study other species for some unknown reason. They have been abducting and studying beastials from this world for a long time. You Ember are their liaison."

"I.... I am?!"

"As I was saying we met aboard their sky ship about two years ago. Someone very precious to me was taken and I snuck on to their spacecraft in an attempt to rescue her."

"Were you successful?" Ember asked me.

"No, they subjected her and later myself to many horrifying examinations and experiments. The last round left me with severe internal injuries."

"How do you know the greys were using me?" Cinder's cousin asked.

"You told me that yourself. You see you were assigned to comfort those they were experimenting on. We met in one of their holding cells. At the time you told me that you had an innate healing ability and that you would have to use it on me or I would die from my injuries. It turned out the KLIS were testing you to see if you were selfless enough to save a life of a complete stranger."

"And I did?" The aardvark asked me.

"The fact that I am standing here now is proof. You saved my life during that horrifying time and made a life long friend in the process." I said hugging the aardvark.

"I wish that I could remember that but I don't."

"What do you remember?" I asked Ember.

"Since I was little, I knew that I was different. I couldn't quite put my paw on it. But it wasn't until I became an adolescent that I started noticing that there was something really wrong."

"For instance." I said to him.

"I would experience blackouts and missing time; I would be in my room reading at say around 8 or 9 in the evening. The next thing I would check the time and it would be 5 or 6 in the morning! And I would still be on the same paragraph of the page of the pad I was reading! It didn't take me nine hours to move from the top of the page to the bottom!"

"That is quite disturbing." I said to him.

"The weird thing is that it kept happening. When I slept I would see the greys in my dreams- their small bodies with the round heads and the piercing deep black eyes. I would be taken aboard their ship to comfort the terrified; those they were experimenting on. I told everyone in my family that would listen, but no one would believe me. For the longest time, I thought I was going crazy."

"No, I think the dreams you were having was your mind actually trying to recall events that the KLIS had blocked, suppressed or erased from your memory."

"So I healed you?" Ember said asking me.

"Yes. We were placed in a cell together which you called their waiting room between my examinations. You told me that you had had that ability since you were young- some type of blending of the mind and body."

"I took care of your aches and pains?"

"Yes. Each and every one up to when the KLIS nearly killed me." I said blushing.

"They... they returned you back to the cell with... a punctured lung and a punctured liver." The brown aardvark said. "How did I know that?"

"You said that unless you healed me, I would die from my injuries by morning."

"And you were totally grossed out." Ember said trying to remember. "But it was the only way you would survive- there weren't any healers available. So...."

"You and I were intimate." I said blushing.

"We became... one... I healed your wounds and we shared our minds in the process." Ember said recalling.

"I saw your past and you mine. Shortly after that I was returned to the planet and that was the last I saw of you until today."

The four foot brown aardvark seemed to be overwhelmed by what I had told him.

"Are you still being abducted?" I asked him.

"I think so. But it is so hard to remember." Ember said to me.

"Well, you aren't the only one- the empire finally came out and admitted that this has been happening to some in the population for the longest time."

"And that they are powerless to stop it as well." The aardvark sighed. "Hence the protests."

"That is true." I added. "Ember that night you saved me from going to the Great Beyond. I will always be grateful- beyond words."

"You're welcome. Should we head back upstairs and see how the others are doing?"

"Yeah." I replied. "But let's keep this between us. The others knew I was abducted by the KLIS, but not that you healed me."

"Fair enough, I won't talk about it either."

As the two of us headed back upstairs, we found Dongo, Doria, Neil, Cinder, Niko, Bess and Tess still waiting by the boarding plank to the ship.

"No takers?" I asked my colleagues.

"Apparently not." Niko said.

"Perhaps having this meeting on a Saturday was a bad idea." Doria said regrettably.

"It appears everyone is too busy complaining about the state of things and/or trying to get what they need done before curfew." Cinder said moping.

"And it is the weekend!" Bess said.

"Even the captain is late." Tess added.

"Dongo, why don't you contact him?" Neil suggested.

"Right." The hyena said picking up his cube as a serval wearing a white shirt and pants came walking towards us.

"Sorry for the delay everyone. I was running late. I am your captain for this cruise- you can call me Intex."

(What a bizarre looking cat.)

Captain Intex was indeed a interesting feline- he had long arms and legs, his fur was a tan-ish yellow with numerous spots. He also had a short striped tail, big ears which did not compliment his small face.

"Excuse me sir, but what type of animal are you?" Doria asked curiously. I thought I was familiar with all feline species.

"I am a serval human- err madam." He said bowing.

"Um captain Intex where is the rest of the crew?" Ember asked looking around.

"They called out. I suspect they had some things to do before 7 this evening. So it will be just us. So you are the Consortium For Mutual Coexistence."

"Yes captain. I am Don--" The hyena was about to say before the serval cut him off.

"You are Dongo their leader. And let me see next to you is Doria, Neil, Niko, Cinder, Bess, Tess and Alex."

"Very good captain." The hyena said.

"I have been following your group's exploits for some time. It is amazing that you convinced humans to join you team Dongo- they are such flawed creatures." He said nonchalantly to us.

"Would you care to elaborate captain?" Neil asked growing irritated.

"I mean humans are such imperfect creatures in that they are prone to hurting themselves and their own kind for greed, ego or personal gain."

I looked around at the shock on they hyena, skunk, teenage bisons' and aardvarks' faces and then their was Doria who was growling like some feral animal as the captain walked by her to board the ship.

"Imperfect creatures?!" The brunette grumbled.

Dongo quickly reined her in. "Down sweetie your fangs are showing."

"How insensitive and/or rude!" Cinder added.

"It looks like your group only had one taker. You all can settle down in the observation deck. We are about to depart." Captain Intex said.

As the ship powered on and took off the nine of us entered the observation room.

**VAROOOM**

"I thought this meeting was really going to have a strong showing." Doria said trying to forget the insensitive comments the captain had made.

"What a waste of time." Bess said.

"We could have been out helping others." Tess added.

"Hey guys we all have been doing that collectively nonstop. So this recruitment drive didn't turn out the way we had hoped." I said.

"Despite that we did have one beast attend- Cinder's cousin." Neil said. "So let's give him the demonstration."

"Did I say I was only here as a chaperone?!" Ember responded.

"Yes let's orientate the new beast." The white skunk said looking the four foot tall brown aardvark up and down. "So I heard you live in World Three..."

"Hey, I live in World Three." Neil added.

So the eight of us gave Cinder's cousin a brief history of our group, its purpose, and overall goals.

"So by opening that movie theater in World One, you tried to bring first class and second class citizens together." The aardvark said.

"There is nothing like a shared experience to bring everyone together- like now for instance." Dongo said.

"Are their any plans to open any more of these theaters?" Cinder's cousin asked.

"We are working to get another opened in World Two." Doria said.

"Nice work." A voice said entering the observation deck.

Doria and I looked at the far side of the room and traded gazes with our serval captain.

"I love the creativity and just how inventive your little group is." Intex said. "The Consortium for Mutual Coexistence." The serval captain said sizing us up. "The group that is trying to alleviate human suffering and decrease the hopelessness humans feel that is fueling the rebellion. Very noble."

The way the captain said that made me feel like he was deriding us for our efforts to make the world a better place.

"But be forewarned my friends, there are those out there -rebels, separatists, alarmists and dissidents that may resent what you are doing and target your group."

(Wow, I never thought about that.)

"Um captain Intex, is there a reason you away from the bridge?" Doria asked turning toward him.

Everyone knew Dongo's main squeeze had taken offense to the comment.

"For that matter who is piloting the ship?" Dongo asked.

"Oh don't worry about that, I have the ship piloting itself, I do that from time to time while I mingle with my passengers- now if you look to your right that is the Grand Islands chain he said beginning the tour. This is the extreme edge of World Five and the empire past this point personal communication devices like your cubes will fail." The serval said directing our attention to a small chain of islands to our right not more than a mile long and half a mile wide.

"Let me guess no one is allowed to reside here outside World Five's boundaries. I suppose that is why the islands are uninhabited and/or our cubes aren't working."

"Very good young Cinder.... boy genius." Captain Intex said.

Our group stared at the island chain as the yacht piloted by.

"Moving right along everybeast, err everyone, to your left is Strawberry Island. This horseshoe shaped island contains a lagoon on the its north-side, forests on the southeast and southwest side and high plateau in between. It measures about three miles in length by three miles in width. The island is obviously uninhabited- not much but birds hang out there- the non-beastial type.

**WUD** **KRUNCH!!!**

"Um captain did the boat just go crunch?" I asked as the yacht shook violently.

"What happened?" Bess asked. "We stopped moving."

The nine of us followed the captain out of the observation deck to the bridge.

"Relax everyone it looks like we have just run aground." The serval said looking at some of his monitors.

"On what?" Niko asked.

"A reef." The captain said. It looks like we are going to be stuck here for a while."

"What do we do?" Tess asked.

"The nine of you are going to take the sub craft in the back with some deck chairs out to the island and enjoy yourselves. While I straighten this out." Captain Intex ordered us.

"If you like Ember and I could stay here and/or assist." The little aardvark offered.

"No, no that won't be necessary. All I have to do is wait for the tide. Besides it was my mistake."

So the nine of us took a small sub watercraft and headed toward the island's lagoon. Upon our arrival we set up the deck chairs and lounged on the beach. The fall weather was a unbelievable 75 degrees, sunny with nice waterside breezes.

"Nice beach." Doria said.

The girls immediately started sunning themselves- and making requests.

"Dongo dear." Doria said to her hyena. "Could I trouble you for some blocker?"

"Sure." The consortium's leader said arriving at his lover's side.

So the hyena started tending to his female's needs. Doria rolled over as he lathered sun blocker on her back.

"Bess dear!" Tess called out to her brother who just face palmed.

"Neil sweetie?" Niko called out.

"Don't even." My doppelgänger's brother responded_. _

"You are so horrible to me." The white skunk pouted. "I don't bite."

"No you just spray and when you do, it is usually me who gets it." Neil said as he started massaging the she beast's back.

"Those two act like they are a mated couple." Ember said to me as we continued to stare at the grounded yacht.

"Hmm...." Cinder said thinking out loud.

"Something wrong?" I said to the Consortium's little genius.

"What has your fur frizzled cousin?" Ember said to Cinder.

"There is something weird and/or odd about our captain." The little aardvark said.

"How so?" I asked.

"Did anyone notice that that reef surprised and/or caught him off guard? A yacht captain?" Cinder said.

"Limited experience in these waters?" I said reaching.

"Maybe." The little aardvark said.

"I also thought it was weird how he referred to all of you and the Consortium as well." Ember added.

"I also thought there were rules about captaining lake craft with limited staffing." The older aardvark said thinking as he Cinder and myself continued to watch the stranded yacht which suddenly powered on and then piloting away leaving us on this remote deserted island.

**VAROOOMMM**

"Alex did captain Intex just do what I thought he did?" Ember said looking at me.

"Yup, he did." I said.

"DONGO!!!" The aardvarks and I said in unison.

"Now, now everyone calm down." The hyena said "There has to be a logical explanation captain Intex piloted off like that."

"He is prejudiced against humans as evidenced by his insensitive and/or hurtful comments towards Alex, Neil and Doria." Cinder said.

"Or maybe he had a reason to leave- a much sinister reason." Ember added.

"I know we are outside communication range, but I think you should try to contact him." Doria said to her hyena.

Our fearless leader tried his cube but couldn't send a communication out. But he did find a recorded message.

"Hmm. There is a message on here. I must have received it before we left shore." Dongo said playing it.

Dongo it is Captain Intex from the Rumble-craft. I hate to do this to you last minute but I have to cancel your island tour today my staff called out. Can we reschedule for next weekend? Let me know.

I traded anxious glances with the two aardvarks, my fellow humans, the bison teens, the skunk and the hyena.

Bess found the courage to ask the obvious question. "If captain Intex canceled on us- who was that piloting the ship?!"

"Some beast who stranded us in the middle of nowhere." Dongo replied.

To Be Continued....