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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 143: What Endures In This Life And Beyond (All Of Our Tomorrows Were Yesterday Part Four)

Day 1061 (Continued)

"Barran?!" I said choking on my salad. Billy patted me on my back as Sir Ram pulled his weapon and aimed it at the owl warrior or whoever it was.

"Who are you?! And how dare you impersonate her!" The big horned sheep yelled.

"Whoa, there! I just asked if I could join boys- no need to get hostile!" Six said raising her arms.

I stood up and looked at the avian warrior carefully, her eyes, paws, beak and plumage.

"It really looks like her." I said to Billy and Sir Ram.

I then hugged the supposedly dead avian warrior.

"Whoa, are you that glad to see me boy?" Barran said surprised.

"It sounds like her and even feels like her!"

"How is that even possible?!" The goat exclaimed examining our dinner 'guest.'

"Is this how you greet all your table mates?" She asked us.

"Barran you are dead or supposed to be dead- you were killed on our last mission together." I blurted out stupidly.

"How could that be boy? I am right here and I feel fine."

Sir Ram looked at me.

"I am not sensing any danger." I said to the ram and goat.

"Six what is the last thing you remember?" Billy asked her.

"The horrid night when my team was killed, the morning after and then nothing until this afternoon."

"That was late September- three months ago." Sir Ram's protege said.

"Did we ever find out who was responsible?" She asked.

"A rebel faction known as TRUTH. They commandeered autonomous vehicles turning them against their owners." The big horned sheep said.

"How did they accomplish that?" The she beast said raising her paws up again at the ram's insistence.

"They sent out a low grade signal into World One from somewhere in the wilderness." The goat responded.

"Sir Ram and Mara weren't able to pin point the signal's origin." I said much to the annoyance of the beastial scientist. "You died on a mission to find a relay station that was resending the signal."

"I have no recollection of that at all boy." The snow owl said.

"Is this a ploy by another faction to destroy the knights?" Sir Ram asked his service weapon still aimed at her.

"Mentor." Billy said eyeing the beastial knight.

"Good idea Billy." The evil beastial said nodding.

"What's a good idea?!" I said as I watched the knight motion Barran to the door of the observation room.

"We are going to take a little trip to the chamber of the dead Barran." The evil beastial said. "Nothing personal, I just want to make sure- you are you."

"Okaaay." The supposedly deceased warrior responded.

Sir Ram directed the warrior down the stairs through the castle to where Six's body was stored. Billy and I followed admits shocked glances from the castle staff and other knights. A few minutes later we were in the barren room with the red carpet and the white walls.

The ram directed the owl to a drawer on the far wall of the room. "Open it." He ordered her.

Barran complied. As the drawer opened, she looked inside. We all did.

"Who the hell is that?" The avian said looking inside.

"Barran, our Barran. The more important question is who are you?" Billy said trading glances with her.

"I can assure you boys that I am who I say I am- your Barran."

"That is contradicted by the evidence." The evil beastial said. "Now who are what are you?"

(Who was the real Barran? The first one or the second one?)

"Could she be from an alternate reality?" I said to the two scientists. "Or an alternate time line?"

"I am dying to figure that out." The goat scientist said.

Sir Ram and Billy escorted the owl warrior to lab room B where she was forcibly placed on a chair and hooked up to the mind probe. For the next hour the two conducted exhaustive tests trying to determine where the female beastial was from and who she was. I sat in the corner and just watched the two scientists work.

"Boys I am starting to get annoyed- very annoyed." The avian protested. "There are rebels to take down and I still have to avenge my team."

"You aren't going any where until I say so whoever you are." The big horned sheep said dressing her down.

"Her memories go back to Barran's youth." Sir Ram's protege said studying the images from the view screen.

"Go forward then." The big horned sheep ordered.

We watched as the memories moved toward the present Barran joining the knight core, her past missions, her being assigned to special projects, her becoming the leader of the Rebel Hunters, the last mission of her team and the aftermath and her grieving for her fallen friends.

The next image showed her entering meeting a mysterious looking shop and meeting with a hooded figure. Then nothing until the female warrior joined the three of us for dinner this evening.

"There is indeed a three month gap in her memory." Billy said to his mentor.

"What does it all mean?" I asked the two scientists.

"More tests." Sir Ram said. "In the meantime we need to notify the acting watch supervisor.

Sir Ram nodded at the goat who stared at the confused snow owl he was studying as something was being unsaid between the two. I followed the he beast two see Chemar who was in Sanda's office.

"Thank you two for checking up on Shadow."

"What did you find?" I asked Chemar.

"He is fine- he was just busy." The cheetah said.

"You definitely want to follow up on that. The other Shadow isn't doing so well." Sir Ram said sarcastically.

"Right. What can I do for you two?"

"It is Barran, she came to join us for dinner." I said to the cheetah.

"What?!"

"The boy, Billy and I were eating in the observation ring earlier when she walked in. She wanted to join us." Sir Ram said to floored watch supervisor.

"Was it her? But how could that be?"

"It is, but as far as we can tell we don't think it is OUR Barran. We are trying to determine if she is from an alternate timeline or another continuity." The big horned sheep said.

"Is that even possible?!" Chemar asked.

"She wants to return to duty." I said sidestepping the question.

"No. Not until we determine who or what she is." The nervous cheetah quivered.

"Still working on it. The mind probe showed that she had the same memories up to about three months ago and then nothing until tonight." The beastial scientist said to the acting watch supervisor.

"There is nothing in-between?"

"No."

"That is bizarre Sir Ram. Keep working and let me know what you find out." Chemar said ending our meeting.

"So what now Sir Ram?" I said as we left Sanda's office.

"We are going back out into the field boy."

"Now? But it is past curfew, can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"No. Not until I know who or what that is in room B and if it is a threat to the rest of us." The evil beastial said looking me in the face. "I think the common link is the hooded figure we saw in her memories."

So despite our shift being over, we returned to the loading dock of the castle and the prototype. We had a mystery that the dictator's chief scientist was not going to let go until it was solved.

"Any idea where that shop is or who that individual is?" The ram asked his protege.

_No mentor. Barran isn't sure either. She thinks it is some sort of antique shop but can't remember its location. _

"Send the image to me and keep digging Billy." The beastial warrior said ending the communication. "Damn, a needle in a haystack."

"Overwatch cross check that image against the knight core files. Any matches?"

*No Mr. Winter.*

"Ok Barran called the structure an antique shop. How many antique shops are there in World One?" I asked the automated assistant.

*There are five Mr. Winter.*

"Display them."

*As you wish Mr. Winter.*

"Hmm.... they don't match the picture."

"You are assuming that what we saw was an antique shop and that it was in World One boy." The evil beastial said to me.

"Good point Sir Ram. It could have been just a meeting location."

"It looks like we are at an impasse." The big horned sheep huffed.

"Sir Ram since we were going to leave anyway, I would like to check on something else that is bothering me."

"What is that boy?"

"Overwatch cross reference the knight core files and find the last known address of Zed and Fushia Fox."

*One moment Mr. Winter.*

"That again boy?"

"Please humor me chief scientist."

*I have the information you requested.*

"Let's see it Overwatch." I said not knowing what to expect.

"Current address is on the north-side?" I gasped. "Please Sir Ram, we need to investigate this."

I convinced the senior knight to take the prototype to the north-side of the city across from the park where that gang of nagas were turned into trees. We arrived at a three level brick town house- three windows on the top and middle floors and two on the bottom next to the entrance.

"Nice house." I said as we drove up.

"It can't be them." The big horned sheep said as we stepped out. "They lived in World Five."

"Most likely another couple with the same name." I added as we trudged up the walkway to their front door. "But I wanted to make absolutely sure."

I knocked on the front door.

"Hello, may I help you?" A she fox said opening the door.

(It was them.)

"Sir Ram?" I said staring at the beastial scientist.

"It, it, it is impossible!" The beast said speechless.

"Hello, may I help you sir knight and human?"

"Um yes." I said finding my voice. "We are conducting a status check."

"I can assure you sirs that we are abiding by the curfew as we are law abiding citizens of the empire." The she fox said.

"My dear we need to talk." The beastial warrior said at last finding his voice. "May we come in?"

The she beast nodded. I just kept starring. It had been over two and a half years but Fushia had not changed in the slightest.

The she beast brought us into her family room where we found her mate Zed siting on the sofa reading from a pad.

"We have company Zed." The she fox said sitting down next to her mate.

"Good evening knight. How may I help you? We aren't in trouble are we?"

(That was a matter of perspective.)

"We are conducting an investigation and are in need of information." The big horned sheep said drawing his weapon.

Sir Ram adjusted the setting, checked it twice and then quickly fired at the fox couple.

"Knight! What did you do to us?!" Zed asked.

"Don't be alarmed. It is a truth ray. Everything you and your mate say from this point on will be the truth." The evil beastial said to the surprised pair.

"We were wondering what brought you here to World One? If I remember you two lived in World Five." I said taking a chair near the two.

"We just felt that it was time for a change." Fushia said.

"My sister was acting weird saying that Fushia and I had supposedly died under some mysterious circumstances in the Great Forest some years ago." The male fox said. "She said she had seen our remains and there wasn't enough to put in a box."

"She looked at Zed like she was seeing a ghost despite our reassurances. It was the same thing at the performance academy where I worked and the World Five Primary School where Zed teaches." The she fox added.

"Coworkers that I have known for years were shocked to see that we were alive and wanted to know where we had been for two years." Zed added.

"And?" Sir Ram asked.

"Frankly we couldn't tell them, some thought we had been kidnapped by aliens." The she fox said. "The questions kept coming after that, we decided to use that narrative to explain our absence. Well for a while anyway. Can we offer you anything to eat or drink?"

"No thank you." The big horned sheep said. "We are in a bit of a hurry."

"So what happened after you told everyone that you were abducted by aliens?" I added looking at the fox pair.

"There was the sympathy at first, then came the stares- like we were different. Fushia and I put up with it for awhile but it grew old, so we decided that it was time to make a new start." Zed said to Sir Ram and myself.

"That was when we decided to move." Fushia added.

"How long have you been here in World One?" I asked.

"About two weeks. We arrived during the epidemic." The she fox said.

"Do you remember anything prior to a month ago?" Sir Ram asked the foxes.

"No." The two said in unison.

I noticed that Zed and Fushia were quite calm and composed through out our questioning because they were being forced to tell the truth whether they wanted to or not.

"Have we been taken?" Fushia asked.

"Not exactly, this is going to sound quite impossible but Zed, Fushia, the reason you can't remember anything prior to a month ago is because you two were dead." I said as the two foxes gasped.

"How?" The he fox said giving me his undivided attention.

"You both had gone hiking in The Great Forest and were mauled and devoured by a mutated genetic experiment." Sir Ram said cryptically.

"I don't believe that!" Fushia said.

"It is true. I was there when the creature snapped your neck in half." I said to the horrified female. "Zed's sister was right when it had finished, there wasn't enough of you two left to put in a box."

"If that did happen why don't I remember? You don't look familiar. In fact I have never seen you before at all." Zed said to me.

"Actually, you wouldn't have. You died the night before. Fushia was the following night." I said to the he fox.

"I think this is starting to make sense boy." Sir Ram said me as he performed a quick checkup on the now unnerved fox couple who were still dressed in the sweaters I had seen them in earlier.

"How is that?" I asked the beastial scientist.

"Those two aren' the original Zed and Fushia Fox, Fushia should have remembered you from 001's lair."

"So they are from an alternate timeline or reality too?" I said looking at the beastial scientist.

"Think about it boy- Barran, these two and Chemar's friend- they all couldn't have come from a time shift or another Counter Earth. No boy, I think they are clones. But the question is who is doing this and why?"

(Clones?!)

"We are clones?!" Zed and Fushia said horrified.

"Mr. Fox and Mrs. Fox did you receive any instructions, or directions informing you about what has happened between the time period of your predecessor's deaths and your recent activation?" Sir Ram asked gently.

"There was this." Zed said showing us the pad he had been reading when the pair invited us into their home.

"Can, I see it?" Sir Ram asked. "Boy! this is it."

"You found something Sir Ram?"

"Our lead." The he beast said showing me the display.

"Cadan Caller your life assurance sales beast since YOE 32? What is Life Assurance?" I asked out loud receiving no answer.

"I will need to borrow this." Sir Ram said. "I will bring it back."

"So what do we do now dear?" Fushia said to her mate.

"I don't know." Zed said. "Maybe pick up where the other Zed and Fushia left off?"

"I assume we are paying this Cadan Caller a visit?" I said as we were leaving the Foxes' home.

"Do you even have to ask that?" The evil beastial said as we sat back down inside the blue prototype.

*Sir Ram you have a incoming communication from Billy Goat.* Overwatch announced.

"Put it through."

"Mentor, I have an answer!" Billy started to say- but Sir Ram was quicker.

"The Barran in the lab is not our Barran but another, a clone with her memories." The beastial scientist said to his protege."

"How did you know?" The younger scientist asked.

"We ran into two more clones of the deceased." I said to the big horned sheep's protege.

"This is starting to make sense. I would say that Chemar's friend is also a clone."

"But who is doing this and why?" Billy asked.

"Don't know but the boy and I are going to try to find out. We will keep you posted. "Overwatch access the knight core files and give me everything on a Cadan Caller."

*No information is available Sir Ram.*

"Double check automated assistant."

*I am sorry Sir Ram. There is nothing available.*

"Looks like this person is off of the grid." I said examining the pad that we took from the Foxes.

"Then let's call it a night. I know that you are anxious to check on Lady Ursa." Sir Ram said as we headed back to the castle.

It was about 10 PM when I returned to the bear's lair.

"Busy day pet?" She asked me.

"That is the understatement of the day." I said sitting down next to my perfect person on the sectional. "How are you feeling?"

"Restless pet and ready to get back to being a knight again. I think I excreted as many microbots as I could possibly excrete."

I didn't hear the rest because I was out like a light soon as I sat down next to her.

Day 1062

The next morning Sir Ram called me to the loading dock- early. Like before my brown bear had even awoken- early.

"This better be good knight, I was in the middle of something with my bear."

"I was in the middle of something with my significant other as well boy, rest assured, it is." He said stepping out of the shadows. "We are going on a undercover assignment."

"Where?"

"World Two."

"But Sir Ram that is the Knights of Warwick's territory." I said stating the obvious. The he beast ignored my comment.

"I found our target. He or she is indeed off of the grid using a assumed name. The north end of the city to be precise, just outside the boundaries."

"Shouldn't we let the knights there know?"

"No. I don't want the word to leak out. So we are going to go undercover and assess the target. If they are indeed a threat then we will proceed accordingly."

So that morning Sir Ram and I took the blue coupe to the north end of World Two just outside the cities' boundaries. It was there in the woods off of the main path that we found a bizarre looking house- rectangular in shape long on its side narrow in the middle with a slanted roof and huge window panes on it side and end. The home had its own power source and looked completely self sufficient.

"This looks to be the place- off of the grid." I said to big horned sheep.

"Engage the holo-projector." Sir Ram ordered me. "We need to look like average citizens."

(So is that why you aren't wearing your uniform?)

*Holo-projector engaged*

"We are now riding in a utility vehicle Sir Ram."

We then turned off of the main road, down the forested path and right up to the house.

"Let's go boy."

"Overwatch engage the probe, but don't launch it. Scan the area for anything out of the ordinary."

*Right away Mr. Winter.*

I followed Sir Ram as we made our way from the blue utility vehicle to the front door of the forest house where the big horned sheep knocked on the door.

There was a pause before we saw movement inside and brown rotund caprine- answered the door.

"Yes, may I help you?" He asked us.

He had stunning blue eyes, tan curved horns and a pleasant looking face. He also was dressed in tan draped jacket and brown shirt.

"Cadan Caller?" Sir Ram said to rotund beastial.

"Yes. What is this about?"

"Life Assurance." I responded. "Zed and Fushia Fox recommended you to us."

"So they realized what they were did they?" He said grinning.

Sir Ram and I looked at each other.

I shook my head. I wasn't sensing any danger. None at all.

"Come, come, come in."

We followed the he beast into his forest home which we soon realized was actually a very large lab upon entry. He had us sit down at his desk on the far side of the room.

"So you would like to clone yourself?" He said studying Sir Ram and myself.

"I was thinking about it." The evil beastial said.

"It think perhaps you should start at the beginning. Don't you mean Life Insurance?" I asked the rouge scientist.

"No little human. It is Life Assurance. I created a business to ensure that my customers continue to exist after the have passed on."

"Explain please." I asked him.

"Two years ago I foresaw the coming unrest within the empire and realized that it would lead to conflict like there was during the 90 year war, which brought pain misery and suffering to all involved. That started me thinking- obviously there would be loss of life and eternal damage to those who suffered a loss. But what if there was a way for the deceased to some how keep living after they died? That was the impetus for what I am selling here a way for beastials to continue to live after they died. Life Assurance."

"How?" The evil beastial asked the caprine scientist.

"My clients who are involved in this program submit a copy of their DNA. I then design and build a clone making it to their likeness. Periodically, my clients 'download' their memories into their own personal clone updating it. It is like using a save point in a roll playing game. When they die, the clone is activated and fills in for them resuming their life from the last update there by sparing their family and loved ones from the pain and misery of knowing a loved one has died. In many cases the family is even oblivious to the death. "

(WOW.... that is just wow.)

"Imagine you are some beast of prominence- for example, a scientist and you are working on a discovery or breakthrough when you pass on- say from a epidemic. What happens to the project you were working on?"

"I would assume my colleagues would study my notes and continue my work given enough time." Sir Ram said to our host.

"What if you could or say another you? My business began on a small scale a few years back with Zed and Fushia Fox. But recently has accelerated because of the Great Sickness." Cadan said to us.

"Just how many clones of the deceased are out there?" Sir Ram asked the rouge scientist.

"About ten. Including a Knight of Wundagore who was in some type of special ops unit. She had seen her team die during a mission and considered the work she was doing important enough to want it to continue in the event of her demise."

"BARRAN?!" I shouted.

"So you do know her." The caprine said. "It isn't the Barran that died but another Barran."

"Isn't that against some law?" I asked the rogue scientist.

"There is nothing that says one can't impersonate their-self. Now could I interest you-."

"Thaddeus- Ram." Sir Ram said to our host. "That is quite a program."

(Thaddeus?!)

"It also a quiet and silent program I take referrals only." The rouge scientist and ruthless business beast said giving Sir Ram a small tablet.

"Thank you for that information. I will need to dwell on it for a while before I make a decision. Good day."

With that the beastial warrior and I departed the caprine scientist's lab and returned to the disguised prototype.

"Isn't there something that can be done Sir Ram?"

"Nothing boy. With the exception of the assumed name, he is on the up and up."

"Then why is he hiding in the forest?"

"We need to talk to our superiors." The beastial knight said directing me to the prototype.

That afternoon Billy and Sir Ram, had a sit down with Lord Tiger about their discovery and the rogue caprine scientist and his 'business.'

Day 1063 (Mara's lab)

"Good morning Sir Ram. Mara." I said. "Why did you want to see me?"

(Please don't let it be another experiment.)

Wicked and evil looked up from the red prototype. They had been working on it- probably repairs from extensive use.

"Morning boy. Did you hear the news?" The evil beastial asked me.

"Yeah, Lord Tiger allowed the other Barran to resume her predecessor's duties." I said. "The other Zed, Fushia and Shadow have also picked up from where their predecessors' left off as well.

"As far as I am concerned it is still Barran- just one who is missing about three months of memories and experience." Mara said.

"I don't know it is just creepy. What do we call her? Barran #2?" I added.

"I think she just wants to be known as Six boy." The big horned sheep said looking up from the red prototype.

"It is a good thing too she and the Rebel Hunters will be needed. The rebellion or what is left of it, has hinted that it disagrees with the master's stance on the reveler issue. So the knight core has been informed to expect resistance when attempting capture." Mara said. "But that is not what we called you here for today."

"Then what?" I asked the big horned sheep and his nanny goat.

"The master has acknowledged your valuable contribution to ending the Great Sickness pandemic a few weeks ago." The evil beastial said.

"Really?"

"To that end he has granted your request you made some months back." Sir Ram said.

"The Tian mountain dog has been released from the Maximum." Mara added.

"Really?! So Spirit will finally be getting the help he needs! That is great! I can't wait to see him!"

"I told you he would be excited to see his boyfriend again." The ram said to the goat. "But what will his other lover think?"

"HEY!!" I shouted at the pair.

To Be Continued....