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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 132: I Refused To Go Back... I Swore I Would Never Ever Not Ever Go Back... I Didn't Want To Go Back... But, I Went Back... (Our Resolve Part Four)

Day 1012 (Continued)

"So something did come out of that meeting!" I said elated after seeing the credits.

Of course I had to immediately contact Dongo.

"Dongo!"

"Oh hi Alex." The spotted hyena said, his face was full of concern.

"Guess what! That meeting we had with Yama Kite was productive after all! He created a new gameshow. Lady Ursa and I just watched the first episode. It didn't follow Leslie's suggestion where humans and beastials work together to overcome obstacles for a reward or prize but you know what- it worked."

"Actually pet, it pitted humans and beastials against each other for prizes." My bear knight said making an observation. "But you did see at the end the two opponents came together in the spirit of sports-beastmanship."

"And Ms. Award whipped Biff's butt!!" I said. "In weird way, it was like watching a sporting event and oh- in the credits Yama Kite thanked us."

"Did you, Dongo or Ms. Arrow suggest this program to him?" My she beast asked.

"No not at all." I said to my warrior bear.

"Then perhaps it was something in your meeting inspired him Alex."

"Well judging on how the program ended it looks like it is going to become a weekly series." I said to the leader of the Consortium who looked quite preoccupied.

"Mr. Dingo something wrong?" Lady Ursa asked the spotted hyena.

"Sorry." He responded. "I am worried about a friend of mine. I haven't heard from him in the last day or so after trying to contact him- repeatedly."

"Maybe, he is just busy." I replied.

"No that is not like him, we talk almost every day." Dongo said to Lady Ursa and I.

"Well why not go and visit him?" My she beast said to the concerned hyena.

"That does sound like a good idea. He has been going through a rough patch lately."

"What type of rough patch?" I asked.

"He separated from his mate of five years and decided to start over." Dongo answered.

"Start over how?" My fierce ursine warrior asked.

"He bought a farm house and moved to the country."

"That sounds nice Dongo." Lady Ursa said.

"When I last spoke to him he told me he was having problems. He has experienced some weird things after immediately moving in- doors closing and opening by themselves, furniture moving, weird shadows drifting along the walls and floors. Three days ago he said he saw an apparition staring at him from the front window as he left for work. He is starting to think the house is haunted."

(That is freaky.)

Hearing that I looked at Lady Ursa and she at me.

"Dongo, that farm house doesn't happen to be located here in World One?"

"It is why?" The spotted hyena asked.

"If it is what I think it is, there is something you should know." I said to him.

And so....

"That is unbelievable." The he beast said.

"All of it is true. Your friend just purchased something that was cursed long before he was born. It would be in his interest to cut his losses and run." I warned.

"I am going to try to contact him again. I will talk to you later." Dongo said breaking the connection.

My mistress and I cuddled in front of the hub that evening after that shocking revelation. But despite whatever we watched, my thoughts circled back to Dongo's friend and the horrible mistake he had made.

(How could someone be so uninformed? When buying property it is only logical to check on its history. But then again the Fox family didn't.)

"You are awfully quiet this evening pet." My lady bear said. "I know our day was tiring, but it wasn't that tiring."

"I am just thinking about the Fox's farm house and wondering what has happened there in the two years since the Ghost Hunters investigated."

"The property was sold to another, an unsuspecting owner and the Foxes recouped their losses." My pregnant bear said casually.

"At the expense of yet another." I countered.

I am still finding it hard to believe that place is haunted despite Arthur and Minka's through investigation." My she beast said turning off the monitor and collecting our dinner plates.

"Why is that mistress?" I asked following her into the kitchen.

"Because it is throughly outside of anything I have experienced." The brown bear replied.

"You could also say that about the greys that abducted you." I said to her. "Why is it easier for you to believe in aliens yet not ghosts?"

My warrior bear did not answer. Instead she picked me up, slung me over her shoulder and carried me off to her chambers.

As I drifted off to sleep that evening while being embraced by my lover, my thoughts again moved back to the new owner of the cursed farm. Was the level of activity there worse than what the Ghost Hunters had experienced two years ago?

Day 1016 (Afternoon)

Down with the High Evolutionary! Down with our animal overlords! A group of protestors chanted as they marched up and down a street in the theater district.

"How big is this pocket of lawlessness pet?" My she beast said as we watched the crowd of angry humans walk in front of the prototype.

"About eighteen of them. They seem to be in their twenties." I said studying the image from the front mounted camera.

*On the contrary this group is expressing their frustration with being marginalized in this society because they don't have fur, fangs, claws, paws, tails or plumage.* Overwatch observed. ** **

"Well you think they would express their displeasure in a less threatening manner." I said as red headed man holding a sign glared at Wallaby who happened to walk by him.

*And what were you doing in your early twenties Mr. Winter?*

"I was living on the street, stealing, breaking into stores in order to survive. But not protesting."

"Regardless our protest just turned into mob." Lady Ursa said grimly.

**Projection System Engaged**

"Protestors you are now our prisoners!" Lady Ursa announced via the loud speaker.

"Unfair!" a man in the crowd shouted back. "We have the right to complain!"

"The High Evolutionary allows personal expression but only to a point." My bear knight said powering on the prototype. "But this group has now become a mob."

"When?" A woman next to the man in the crowd shouted.

"When you sprayed an innocent passerby." Lady Ursa said gesturing to a panda who was wincing in pain near by.

I climbed out of the prototype to check on the ursine. He was covering his face and crying out in pain.

"It is bear repellant! A direct attack on an innocent!" I shouted back to Lady Ursa.

"You idiot!" The man next to the woman shouted at her.

**Side-pods engaged**

"Congratulations you bad humans are now prisoners of the Knights of Wundagore." Lady Ursa cackled. "But please feel free to try to resist!"

There was a registered shock amongst the eighteen protestors who realized they were collectively screwed because of the actions of one of them.

**Static Pulse Engaged**

Two balls of electricity discharged from each side-pod of the prototype and hit the eighteen protestors. Interestingly enough, some in the crowd had tried to flee before being neutralized.

I ran to a nearby shop to get some towels and water for the panda beastial while my mistress called in her latest take down. Within fifteen minutes several transport vehicles arrived to haul away all the protestors- including the female that had used bear spray on the panda.

"And so another pocket of lawlessness has been dealt with." My she beast said.

"And peace returns to the theater district." I added sitting back down in the prototype.

*Alex, Lady Ursa, I have a incoming communication from Sanda.*

"Put it through Overwatch." My bear knight said.

"Lady Ursa, Alex how is your day been going?" Sanda asked.

"Steady, but nothing we can't handle Watch Supervisor." My she beast said.

"Good. I am sending you to check on a missing beastial."

"Okay...." I said to the caracal. "Who?"

"I am sending you the file now." The Watch Supervisor said.

*I have it now Watch Supervisor.* Overwatch said displaying an image of a aardwolf.

"That is your target Steven Cheetah a hub technician originally from World Two. He recently transferred to World One and bought a abandoned a farm on the outskirts or the city." The caracal said.

"Really?!" I said looking at my lady bear.

Mr. Cheetah looked like a hyena but had stripes not spots on his body.

"He was reported missing because he hasn't been to work in the last few days."

"Who reported him missing?" Lady Ursa asked.

"A close friend and coworker." Sanda replied. "According to his friend, Mr. Cheetah had claimed the property was haunted."

(Oh no!)

"It is the Fox family's former home." I said disgusted.

"Yes the previous owners of the property was a family by the name of Fox." Sanda said looking at his notes.

"I participated in an investigation there two years ago. That place is haunted- to the extreme."

(And I don't want any part of it!)

"We will investigate and report back Sanda." Lady Ursa said ending the communication.

"Mistress with all do respect, are you nuts?!" I said looking at her. "What part of haunted don't you understand?!"

"Alex there are no such thing as ghosts." She said powering on the prototype.

"So what was that I showed you on the Ghost Hunter's live feed two years ago?"

"That looked like mist in the house." She said as we proceeded south toward the outskirts of the city.

(AUGH!!!!)

"Yes mistress there are no such things until you actually meet one. Two years ago, I met several and a few demons too. I DON'T WANT ANY PART OF THIS."

"Pet there is a citizen missing- most likely Dongo's friend he was worried about." My bear knight said.

"What about it? Dongo said he would warn him. It looks like Mr. Cheetah failed to heed Dongo's advice and met a bad end. A very bad end as will we if we set foot on that cursed property."

"Don't worry pet, I will protect you."

Despite my misgivings, my fierce ursine warrior was not having it. We had our next mission and she preparing to see it through to the end.

(There was that anything for the cause mentality again. Alright who was going to protect us?!)

"Overwatch what to we have on Steven Cheetah?" I asked the automated assistant.

*Steven Cheetah age 30. Mated to Stevie Cheetah but currently separated. Mr. Cheetah works for the hub as a site technician. He worked at site four in World Two for five years. After his separation from his mate, he relocated to World One and bought a house in the country. Generally supportive of the empire. Known friends include Dongo Dingo and Zed Zebra.*

(A aardwolf beastial with the last name of Cheetah? He definitely had to be Dongo's friend.)

It took us twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of the city and to arrive at the former Fox family's home. During that time, I had Overwatch playback all the information that the knight core had on the property and the farmhouse. Much of it was pulled from Arthur and Minka's investigation.

The house hadn't changed in two years- it still looked pretty much the same. But as we drove up to it, I discovered that we weren't alone. In the driveway was a familiar red van! It was parked next to white utility vehicle with a logo written on its side.

"It looks like we aren't alone mistress." I said getting out of the prototype.

"It is the Ghost Hunters." My she beast said following me.

Upon seeing us the hedgehog-boy, monkey-girl and their tech expert climbed out of the van and greeted us.

"Arthur, Minka, Flo!" I said to them.

"Hey true believer!" The female orangutan said hugging me.

"What are you three doing here?" I asked.

"Reopening our investigation." The hedgehog-boy said.

"The current owner of the property went missing a few days ago." Minka said to us.

"That is why we are here, we have been assigned to investigate." My lady bear said to the adventurers.

"Riiiight- he wasn't the only one ma'am." The orangutan said.

"There was more?" I asked looking at the three ghost hunters.

"Yes he hired another team to investigate what was happening in the house." Arthur said.

"Whom?" Lady Ursa said.

"The Shadow Chasers." The monkey-girl responded pointing to the white utility vehicle. "They are a well respected group who investigate paranormal happenings on the side."

"And guess what?" Arthur said. "They went missing too."

"Far out." I said looking at their empty vehicle.

"So now there are more missing." Lady Ursa said.

"We were just about to go into the house and investigate." Minka said.

"Wait!" I said returning to the blue coupe.

"Nice set of wheels." Arthur said.

"Overwatch engage the probe and scan the area. A mile radius should do."

*As you wish Mr. Winter. Surveillance probe engaged.* Overwatch said as the probe appeared on the launch platform behind the cockpit.

"Nice tech!" Flo said coming over to peer into the blue coupe.

*Nothing out of the ordinary Mr. Winter.*

"What about Mr. Cheetah or the other paranormal group?" Lady Ursa said joining me.

*I only detect you, Mr. Winter, Ms. Mallow, Mr. Speedwell and Ms. Fuller.*

"So there you have it, the are not here." I said to my mistress and the Ghost Hunters.

"But still we should look around the house and the property pet." My she beast said. _ _

"Flo are any of the probes you deployed still active?" I asked.

"Not at all, one by one they went down over the last few years. Sorry no internal surveillance of the house."

"Damn." I said.

"Let's go." My warrior bear said.

"Well don't let me stop you." I said as Lady Ursa gave me a weird stare- one of shock and betrayal. "Hey I will be with Flo running tech."

"We will go with you ma'am." Arthur said bravely.

"Besides we should take the opportunity to deploy more probes." Minka said. "It would give us the ability to see if the paranormal activity has changed in the last two years."

"Changed as for the better or worse?" I asked.

Minka and Arthur smiled as they accompanied Lady Ursa look around the property and the house.

After being here the last time, I said that there was no way in hell that I would ever go on another ghost hunt again. Similarly Arthur and Minka warned the Fox family never to come back to their former home again because there was no telling what would happen. especially after Minka was responsible for replacing the 'top dog' here. Yet despite fleeing the property two years ago the Ghost Hunters and I were back again along with a disbeliever.

Flo ran tech while our colleagues were making there way into the house. Lady Ursa combed each room of the farm house while Arthur and Minka deployed their triangular surveillance devices.

The orangutan monitored the events in each room from the probes as well as kept audio contact with the hedgehog-boy and monkey-girl.

I had Overwatch scan for any unusual activity in the surrounding area.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us pet?" Lady Ursa teased. "The house is mysteriously devoid of activity."

"I am good." I replied.

But something still bothered me. It was like an itch I couldn't scratch.

"It is quite weird, where are all the ghosts that were being tormented?" Minka asked. As they made their way from the basement, to the kitchen, great room, study and then living room.

"I will be back." I said stepping out of the red van into the driver's side of the prototype.

*I am not detecting anything out of the ordinary Mr. Winter.*

"That is good, but I need some more information."

*How may I help you Mr. Winter?*

"What do you have on the Shadow Chasers?"

*The Shadow Chasers are a paranormal investigations group from Cascade College here in World One. They are comprised of Peyton Palla, Geff Geoffroy and Pia Pampa.* Overwatch said displaying an image of a leopard cat, sand cat and margay on the upper left monitor.

*Peyton Palla age 27 is the defacto leader of the group. She has been interested in the paranormal since meeting the other members in school.

Geff Geoffroy age 26 is the sensitive of the group, he has the ability to see beyond what can be seen. An asset to the team he can detect entities that may otherwise be hidden.

Pia Pampa age 27 is the group's skeptic, she tries to find logical and reasonable explanations to the group's cases. No further information available.*

Well at least I knew who the other paranormal team was. But still I wanted to know what happened to them. I stepped out of the prototype and approached their the white utility vehicle.

For paranormal investigators, they were awfully lite on tech. Or was it mostly mobile? I combed through their hover vehicle looking for clues to their disappearance, not finding anything I moved to the rear where I found some type of video storage device. I gently picked it up and brought it back to the red van.

"It is eerily quiet." Arthur admitted.

"For sure true believers, I am not detecting anything at all." Flo informed her colleagues.

"Hey Flo, is there anyway, I could playback what is stored on this? I found it in the Shadow Chaser's SUV.

"Here." The lady orangutan said connecting the device up to another monitor and workstation.

I grabbed an earpiece and started going through the paranormal group's recordings.

"Investigation 272 we are here at small farmhouse in the countryside of World One at the request of Steven Cheetah who has requested our assistance." A female leopard cat said looking into the camera.

The camera then turned toward the group's client an aardwolf. I suspect it was the group's skeptic conducting the interview- the margay Pia Pampa.

"Mr. Cheetah can you describe to us what you have been experiencing here?" A female voice said._ _

"What hasn't been happening! I bought this place after separating from my mate, I was hoping to make a new start. But after moving in weird things started happening - doors and windows opening and closing by themselves, mysterious voices in the middle of the night, smoke appearing for no reason at all and just this morning as I was leaving for work, I was pushed down the stairs!"

"Did you see who pushed you?" The sand cat asked.

"When I looked, I didn't see anything!" Mr. Cheetah said.

"Can you show us where?" The leopard cat said.

"This way up the steps toward the bedrooms." Mr. Cheetah said trembling.

"Guys I am sensing something." The sand cat shouted out as the group followed the aardwolf up the steps to the second floor.

"What is it?" The leopard cat said turning to the sand cat.

"It is hard to discern, it feels like some type gateway or portal."

"Where?" The margay asked "And to what?"

"Right over here." Geff said to his colleagues. "This area on the--."

**ZAP**

There was a blinding flash, then someone screamed and the recording ended rather abruptly.

"Well we are done searching the main floor. Let's head upstairs and check the bedrooms." Lady Ursa said to hedgehog and monkey.

I quickly rewound the footage and played it back. Something had indeed happened to the Shadow Chasers something they weren't expecting.

"We should also show you the attic madam knight."

"What is in the attic Minka?" Lady Ursa asked.

"That was where we saw four shadows during our original investigation two years ago." The monkey-girl said.

"What is so exciting about four shadows?" I heard my she beast ask.

"There was an extra one in addition to Alex, Arthur's and mine!"

"Were you ever able to explain it?" My warrior bear asked the teenage monkey.

"Nope- probably ghosts though." I heard her respond.

"I told Alex repeatedly that there are no such things as ghosts." Lady Ursa said to Minka.

"He used to share the same philosophy, but it changed after ghost hunting with us."

"How long have you three been doing this?" My fierce ursine warrior asked.

"Since we were cubs eh Arthur? Arthur?" Minka asked.

"Flo get them out of the house! NOW!" I shouted at the Ghost Hunters' tech expert.

"Why Alex?"

"The stairs was where the other paranormal group was last seen!"

"Arthur, Minka, Lady Ursa, this is Flo abort, repeat abort!" The orangutan said- but she was a tad too late.

"WOW!! Serious mysterious!!" I heard the hedgehog-boy say.

"WHOA!!! And how do you explain that madam knight?" Minka said to my mistress.

"I, I can't but there has to be some reasonable explanat--" Lady Ursa start to say.

**AUGH!!**

**POOF!!!**

Then all conversations between the three stopped.

"Arthur, Minka? Are you there?" Flo asked.

There was no response.

"Arthur, Minka?" Flo asked again. "Wow! They are like, gone!"

I then reached for my PDA. "Mistress please respond!"

There was that eerie silence again.

"Overwatch current location of Lady Ursa, Arthur Speedwell and Minka Mallow!" I said running out of the red van back over to the prototype.

*Right away Mr. Winter.... I am no longer detecting them. They are not in the house.*

"When did they leave and where did they go?" I asked.

*There is nothing for an entire mile in any direction Mr. Winter.*

To Be Continued....