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Counter Earth Chronicles

Chapter 144: It Isn't The World That Is Messed Up It Is Those Of Us Who Are In It (All Of Our Tomorrows Were Yesterday Part Five)

Day 1069 (the last night before the known world changed forever)

The female warrior entered the holding cell area and stopped at the desk of its guard placing her sword and service weapon on the table.

"Tauren I want to talk to him." The brown bear said to the guard.

"As you wish my lady." The minotaur said standing up.

"ALONE." The ursine warrior said to him.

Tauren nodded and exited the room. I winced as the fierce ursine warrior turned and marched right towards my cell.

"Would you care to explain to me how a review panel could strip you of you duties, title, label you a pre-rebel and have you thrown into a holding cell?!" She shouted at me angrily. "It was only supposed to be a probationary review! What did they say to you?!"

"All the wrong things." I said staring at her.

DAYS EARLIER......

Day 1064 (Sunday evening in the bear's lair)

"You seem very chipper this evening pet." My fierce ursine warrior exclaimed as I gave her a peck on her cheek.

"Well a little bit mistress. You seemed to have completely recovered from the Great Sickness."

"How would you know that Alex?"

"Your fur, you had grey splotches here and there. It is now completely brown. Your fever is also gone, your voice has returned and you have stopped shaking." I said kissing her again.

"Which means you can stop spoiling me rotten." She said grabbing me.

"Nah." I said as my lips moved to her snout.

"But I suspect that is not all pet."

"Well there is more. Barran is back. While it isn't the avian warrior we knew- in a way it kind of is, well she has her memories most of them." I said as my perfect person stared at me. "What I am saying is that it is close enough. I now understand the purpose of Mr. Caller's business. It is not just so the deceased can have their work continued after their demise but also for the families, friends and loved ones of the deceased as well."

"Interesting, but is that why you seem so excited pet?"

"Ok the big day is tomorrow."

"Yes the master released Spirit from the Maximum and he is stopping by for a visit- I heard." My perfect person said.

I nodded.

"So you are excited to see your boyfriend again." She said teasing me.

"Mistress! If you continue with that logic, you could say that Boris is your mate. I mean he did give you a daughter."

"What time is the meet and greet?"

"Tomorrow afternoon at 1 PM. I suppose he is being taken to a special help facility afterwards for his condition and to make him a productive member of this civilization again."

"That is good pet, I wonder what he will do when he leaves the facility? Most likely he will be looking for a place to live. Maybe I should invite him here."

"Mistress?"

"I saw how he looked at you when we were stuck in that outpost and you did say you wanted a three-way." The brown bear said teasing me again.

"Mistress that was with you and Lea, who is now unavailable. Not you and Spirit."

(If he did come to stay with us, it would be like it was during my time at the facility- sex with my female followed by sex with him afterward.)

"Regardless pet, I will be in the field tomorrow hunting revelers. You will have to let me know how it goes." Lady Ursa said pulling me to her and that magnificent rack of hers.

I slept peacefully within her embrace while briefly imagining Spirit sleeping on my lower back and rump. Yeah, he would love doing that.

Day 1065 (Afternoon)

The next afternoon I was in the cafeteria trying to eat lunch before my much anticipated meeting at 1 PM. My dining companion started to notice.

"You better slow down boy or you're going to choke." The snow owl across from me said.

"Sorry, Six- I am just so excited."

"Yeah haven't you heard? A CLOSE friend of his is stopping by for a visit." A dragon chef overhearing our conversation said stopping by.

"A close friend huh?" The avian beastial asked.

"Alex and him were roommates during a extended sabbatical he took earlier this year and all of last year and part of the year before." The goofy dragon said bouncing his eyebrows at me. "And our little human was dying to see him again not sure why though?"

I gave Sorren such a look as if to say shouldn't you be serving the rest of the lunch crowd?

"So how did your recent seek and capture mission go?" I asked the avian warrior.

"Very well we took out several operatives from Dark Smile. You were right specialist adding Chemar, Coal and Springer to my team was a very good idea."

"I think they would be they are highly motivated since they all came very close to dying during the pandemic." I said to her.

"Sounds like it was a dark time." She said to me.

"That is was, I was quarantined at a farm house in the country forced to wait it out under penalty of death." The goofy dragon admitted.

"Death you mean from the sickness right?" Six said asking Sorren.

"No! Gabe Frost would have killed me if I broke the quarantine!"

"Well I am glad you are alive and well Sorren you are a pretty good cook- most of the time." The avian warrior quipped.

"And Alex and I glad you are alive and well too Barran- kinda sort of." The dragon said leaving to service the lunch crowd.

Six had to cut our lunch date short- she was preparing for some more missions that evening with her team.

It was with great anticipation that I ran into the loading dock of Castle Wundagore at ten minutes to 1 PM. I found Thaddeus, I mean Sir Ram.

"You're on time." He said to me.

"Are your kidding it has been four months since I last saw Spirit. He didn't want me to leave the day I was rescued. I told him that he and I didn't belong where we were and that despite the fact I was leaving, I would find a way to get him out and get him the help he needed."

"I remember- as I recalled you two were close." The big horned sheep said folding his paws behind his back.

"He was my protector and friend while I was trapped at the Maximum Sir Ram."

"Actually he was more than that boy- I could tell by the way he looked at you."

At 1 PM a transport vehicle arrived at the dock, it landed and a grey gorilla stepped out and handed a pad to Sir Ram to sign confirming that he had stopped for investigation.

"Where is he?" I asked the transport driver excitedly.

"Boy!" Sir Ram said trying to calm me down.

I quickly followed the gorilla to the rear of the vehicle he opened the back compartment. It was bare except for a moderate size pet carrier which he lifted and placed on the floor of the loading dock. He then opened it.

"Arf! Arf!" A black, white and orange color canid barked as it launched itself from the cage and ran around me in circles.

"Well enjoy your visit I am going to get some lunch. I will be back in an hour." The driver said as the dog fixated on me and started trotting over.

"Where is Sprit? This has to be some type of mistake!!" I shouted.

Sir Ram took a good look at the pad he just signed. His expression changed to one of surprise and shock.

"That is the Tian mountain dog. It says here that the master deemed him an imperfect; his deficiencies were too great and that he could not be fixed. So he was de-evolved and is to be returned to the wild this afternoon."

I looked at the evil beastial and then down at the four legged canine that was now rubbing up against my leg.

"No!!! He didn't deserve this!! Sir Ram you change him back?! Right?!"

"I could boy, but that would be going against the master's order which is law."

"Sir Ram this is not right! Spirit needed help not labeled defective and discarded. Who does the dictator think he is to make a decision like that? He didn't know Spirit! I did! Beyond the crazy there was good in him!!"

"He is your master and ruler of all of Counter Earth boy! We are to follow his lead without question!" The evil ram said bringing me back to reality. "He looked at the evidence and made a decision. It is irrelevant whether you agree with it or not!"

I was devastated and angered at the same time. To say that I lost respect for the dictator was a vast understatement. I hated him for what he had done. I was tempted to contact the High Evolutionary myself and give him a piece of my mind. But I stopped myself and instead bit my tongue.

"You have one hour before the driver leaves. I suggest you make the most of it." Sir Ram said as he started to leave the loading dock.

He paused as the door opened.

"I am sorry boy. I didn't know it was going to turn out like this." The big horned sheep said as he left.

I decided that with the time I had left to take Spirited Spirit to the roof of the castle where we could stare at the city. World One was bustling with traffic that late December day. The fall weather was turning into winter weather with temperatures only reaching fifty degrees.

"Well, I got you out of there like I promised Spirit. It just wasn't the way I had envisioned it." I said my eyes tearing up.

The mountain dog sat down and stared at me.

"I had hopped that you would have been freed in order to get help for your condition. Once that was under control you could be returned to society again." I said kneeling and looking him in the face.

He again just stared at me, like he was trying to process everything I was trying to say to him.

He then reared up on his hind legs placing his paws on my shoulders.

"You were a very good friend who looked out for me during a time of dark hopelessness in a horrid place- in between yiffing me stupid every evening, night and morning." I said petting him. "And although I wasn't really thrilled with your anti-pregnancy plan with Bertha toward the end, it was still a brilliant idea."

The dog gave me a goofy grin when I said that.

"The idea, not the actual act." Spirit continued to give me that goofy stare. "With everything that is going on- I guess it is good that you will be going back to the wild away from all this. For what its worth, I kind of liked being your little comfort animal. But don't you dare repeat that to anyone!"

The dog nodded then looked at his crotch then at me bouncing his eyebrows. I noticed he was aroused his penis (which hadn't changed since his reversion) was bright red and pointing right at me through his fur.

(That was the Spirit I knew.)

"What?! Eww gross! I take back what I said!"

The hour went quickly. Just before 2 PM. I met the transportation driver back at the loading dock. Before leaving Spirit gave me a long doggie kiss.

"Woof." He said to me. Which I thought roughly meant take care my little comfort animal.

I also realized that Spirit didn't speak to me in Animalian or English despite having known both. Perhaps he lost that ability when he reverted back into a quadrupedal dog?

I watched as the gorilla returned the Tian mountain dog back to his crate, placed it back into the transport vehicle and then departed with my friend. Looking back the last week of December was a bad week for yours truly and I would later learn the empire.

That evening I was paired with Coal in the silver prototype while on missions.

"Micro probe is active Coal. I can see what you see." I said as the junior knight approached a single level home on the west side of the city.

"Alright we only have one shot at this." The donkey said knocking on the door of the house.

"Good evening knight something I can do for you?" A brown and white miniature horse wearing nothing but shorts said answering the door.

"Yes, I am following up on the report you filed about your mate and colts." The grey donkey said.

"Yes, please come in I haven't see them in over three months and I am very worried."

"You believe they might have been abducted by aliens?" Coal said following the horse inside. From what I could see the home was nicely organized with pictures of the father, mother and their two colts.

The horse nodded. "That is the only explanation that makes sense. Phylis hasn't contacted me nor have my little ones."

"Unfortunately we haven't had any luck as well..." The donkey said to the horse.

The miniature horse was roughly the same height and coloring as Spirit. I couldn't get over the similarities.

(I wonder what he is doing now? Sigh...)

"Well contact me if there are any further developments." The junior knight said leaving the home and heading back toward me. "Anything Alex?"

"No."

*On the contrary Mr. Winter there is a substructure underneath the home.* The automated assistant said to me.

I quickly rewound the footage from the microprobe. "You are right AA."

(How could I miss that?)

I quickly deployed the probe and tried to scan the interior of the home. The scans couldn't penetrate the walls.

"I feared as much." The junior knight next to me said. "Switch to the live shot again."

I looked at Coal.

"I left my microprobe on the table in the hallway." The donkey said as we heard some thumping coming from somewhere under the house.

Think you were going to try to leave me huh? You ain't leaving ever again Phylis!

It turned out the missing report was a ruse. The horse was holding his family prisoner and had been for some time. If it hadn't been for AA, the case would have remained unsolved. But that was just the start of it.

Day 1066

Thank you for coming to my assembly today. The master of all Counter Earth said to the crowd of dissidents, separatists, alarmists, revolutionaries who had agreed to meet with him that morning at a neutral location- the World One archives.

Yes, yes your high mucky mucky. I heard a man in attendance said. _It is quite interesting that you would decide to have a meeting with your critics now. _

What's wrong your reign of terror not going well? Another woman in the audience asked. _ _

Not at all this is just a discussion, an open dialog about how to fix some long standing problems in the empire. The High Evolutionary said.

I could only hear what was taking place at the assembly not see it. None of the dictator's enforcers were allowed to attend the meeting or watch any footage from inside. It was just the master and his critics- about 80 of them.

Finally some discussion! I heard another member in the audience say.

It looks like he is sincere, he is here all by himself- no guard either. I heard another human in the audience.

So the master and ruler of all Counter Earth let's open this dialog. How do you propose to fix these long standing problems the empire is experiencing?

So glad you asked. The dictator said. By wiping them clean!

The next thing I heard was a series of pulses and then blood curdling screams as the High Evolutionary was doing who knows what to the rebels that agreed to meet with him to 'work' things out.

(That bastard. Was that what he did to Spirit? Yeah sure you are going to be fixed... permanently....)

"Specialist!!" Lady Vermin shouted over the communicator of the blue prototype.

"Boy!!" Six shouted at me.

"Wha?! Sorry." I said to the female warriors.

"Alex get your head in the game!" Six said berating me.

"We have a runner from THE MEETING which way did they go!" Lady Vermin said.

"Yes, yes! Hold on." I said launching the probe from the blue coupe. I quickly panned left and right looking for the female warrior's target. "I have him."

"It is a her Alex." Six said correcting me.

"Orange hair, brown trench coat, black boots- they are running into that meeting hall 500 feet to your left."

"Hmm... a singles social." The owl warrior said entering.

"So this is where the lonely congregate." The rat warrior said looking at the crowd. "So where is she?"

"There. Trying to blend in with the rest of them. Your days with the rebellion are over Mina." Six said as they cornered their target.

"You fuzzies will never take me alive!" She shouted.

"That can be arranged." The rat warrior said as she fired her weapon. "But not today."

"AUGH!!!"

The warriors caught their target and brought her back inside the meeting room to join the master's other critics who attended his mock get-together which was really a ruse to eliminate his critics by wiping their minds. Mina would be starting her life over again literally.

In the meantime I would get a tongue lashing for being distracted on this mission.

"Alex what is going on with you?" The rat warrior said when she returned to the blue coupe.

"Sorry." I said to my mistress' best friend.

"The boy is still smarting over his loss." The owl warrior said.

"I know you are still upset Alex, but out here you do not need any distractions. Distractions will get you and others killed!" Lady Vermin yelled at me.

"Yes ma'am no further thoughts of my boyfriend... err Spirit."

But my bad week continued.

Day 1067 (Night)

"Another evening another stake out." I sighed. "But on a good note welcome back into the field Sanda."

"Yeah, Alex it is great to be back and on my paws. Are you feeling focused?"

"Yes watch supervisor."

"Good. There have been reports of numerous home invasions in this neighborhood. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this."

"I don't see anything on the probe." I said looking at my monitor.

"Good. I am going to scout around." The caracal said exiting the vehicle. "Keep your ears peeled."

(Right- keep alert.)

"Overwatch access the hub and play the latest news report."

*As you wish Mr. Winter.*

This is a hub news alert! A female fossa said from an anchor desk on an enclosed news set. The knights of Sovereign captured the residents of a hidden remote village in the wilderness west of World Five late this afternoon.

_The colony which they are calling World Six, was apparently formed just after the High Evolutionary came to power by beastial creations who were determined defective by the master and human dissenters. The group numbering about forty, have lived away from the empire for thirty years developing their own society and culture until their discovery and capture for violation of the statue settlement. _

What the High Evolutionary is going to do to the group remains unclear. We will keep you updated as this story unfolds.

"NO!!! How were they discovered?!"

The news report included footage of Basil, Rose, Kip, Gia and other members of the colony being lead out of the village into a transport vehicle. I watched in shock and disbelief as the knight core ransacked the colony.

I dropped my communication with Sanda to contact Lord Tiger.

"Commander, how could this have happened?!"

"The knights of Sovereign were pursing rebels into the forest Alex. One, in their attempt to escape stumbled on the colony and lead the knight core right to them." The tiger warrior said regrettably.

"Did Shira?"

"Not. As far as I can tell, she wasn't captured. That is the only good news." The tiger warrior said as I looked at the footage of the probe. I noticed that Sanda was in a fight for his life!

"I have to go commander!" I said ending the communication and re-establishing the one with the caracal.

"AUGH!!!" I heard Sanda scream over his communicator.

"Well look at what we have here a kitty cat knight."

*Mr. Winter Sanda has encountered the target.*

(And if I hadn't been watching that news report, I would have seen the two masked beastials sneak up on Sanda.)

"FUCK!!" I screamed jumping into the driver seat. I powered on the prototype and sped toward Sanda's position where I found him being pummeled by two rather larger scaly lizard thingies one was dark green and the other was brown.

_*Projection system engaged* _

It is over you two! I shouted as one of the scalies had reached for the caracal's weapon. But if you wish to perish right here and now, please continue to resist!

_*Side-pods engaged* _

The lizard dropped Sanda's weapon and raised his paws just as the watch supervisor gave him a right cross and then his partner right to the face.

"Took you long enough mate." He said to me.

"I was looking in the wrong location."

I didn't dare tell Sanda what had delayed my response. I was not in the mood for another tongue lashing. But I was upset and saddened by what had happened to World Six.

After my shift had concluded for the evening- I took Sanda to be checked up at the castle by Billy before returning back to the lair to cry in my bear's arms.

"Alex, I am sorry." Lady Ursa said pulling me into a hug.

"What is going to happen to them?"

"Well, their fate is in the master's hands now." My bear knight said. "Most likely they will be made an example of."

(OH NO!!!)

For the second time that week I was devastated. I felt sorry for Rose, Basil and Kip. They were kind to me despite Basil knocking me out after we initially met.

I had a tough time sleeping that night, my thoughts dwelled on the friends I had made in World Six and what was going to happen to them- were the imperfects going to be devolved like Spirit or worse? What about the humans there?

Day 1068 (Afternoon)

"Are you kidding me?" A motorist screamed at the hover vehicle tower. "I was only parked here for like five minutes!"

"You aren't supposed to be here for any minutes." The water buffalo said as he prepared to haul away the female's grey hatchback. "There are signs posted around the park."

"Not from the entrance I came in!" The red headed female shouted back at the male beastial. "I didn't see anything!"

"Well sorry about that." The he beast said snickering.

"You damn animals I am sick of you always, always dominating us!!! It is a shame that...." The woman started to say before catching herself.

"A shame what?!" The water buffalo said as he stepped out of his truck locking eyes with the woman. "That all of us didn't perish!!"

"I... I... didn't say that."

"You were thinking it." The he beast said to the human.

"What seems to be the problem citizens?" A ursine knight of Wundagore said walking up to the arguing pair.

"Madam knight, I think I found a reveler!" The water buffalo said to Lady Ursa.

"He is trying to change the narrative." The human female said as she stared at the tall brown bear that had approached them. "He was about to take my hover vehicle after I had parked it here."

"Illegally." The water buffalo said.

"Be that as it may, the signs here are not clearly labeled!"

"Don't care, rules are rules!" The he beast said belittling the woman. Who growled back. "Anyway, I suspect that she is one of the revelers- she started to say that she wished we had all died during the Great Sickness!"

"I... I... didn't." The female said stuttering.

My warrior bear silenced the two, then reached for her tracking chip scanner. She aimed it at the woman's shoulder and read the results.

"There has indeed been a crime committed here today." Lady Ursa announced.

"Great, this is where I get shafted again." The human female grumbled.

"And it is by you sir." My bear knight said addressing the water buffalo.

"What how?!"

"You have an illegal hover vehicle capture operation." Lady Ursa said calmly. "You enjoy preying on the ignorant and misinformed."

"Prove it!!" The water buffalo snickered.

"Very well." My she beast said raising her eyebrow.

*Disengaging halo-projector*

"Hey that is a cute coupe." The human female said as the red prototype appeared behind them.

"You have been captured on video hauling away illegally parked vehicles before parking violations could even be assessed. And now you have been captured physically."

"No! No! No! No!" The he beast said diving back into his truck and taking off with the woman's vehicle on its bed.

"My hatchback!" The woman said as the truck sped off.

"We should get out of the way." The bear said reaching for the woman's hand and pulling her to the side of the road. "Alex!"

"ON IT!" I shouted jumping into the driver's side. "Static pulse should do it!"

*But won't that disable the victim's hover vehicle too Mr. Winter?*

"Right. Then let's improvise." I said pressing the third button in the column of buttons on the weapon's console.

*Side-pods engaged*

I quickly selected tractor hook from the weapon's menu lined up the cross-hair on the windshield, then took the shot.

THWOKK!!!

Both hooks pierced the bed of the fleeing truck just below the woman's hover vehicle. It was now a tug-of-war. I pounded the brakes trying to keep the water buffalo from fleeing. But he was winning.

"AA engage the holo projector and surround the driver."

*Anything in particular Mr. Winter?*

"The entire knight core."

The water buffalo came to an abrupt halt when he realized that he was surrounded by the Knights of Wundagore- all of them.

"It looks like you have been looking for that guy for a while madam knight." The red head said. "Perhaps not all of you animals have it in for us humans."

"Perhaps Ms. Calm- but you were also in the wrong as well." Lady Ursa said crossing her arms looking down at the woman.

"Yeah, yeah I know I was parked where I shouldn't have been."

"AND?"

"And I was thinking bad things as he was about to drive off. But hey, I am not a reveler. I felt sorry for you animal types during the pandemic. I even volunteered."

Lady Ursa just put her paw on the woman's shoulder before heading toward the cab of the truck to talk with her prisoner.

"I thought all you knights were preoccupied keeping the empire from collasping!!!" The water buffalo said raising his paws.

"Time management." My lady bear said shooting the driver with her paralysis ray. The driver and his truck were transported back to the castle to be judged and punished. The woman's hover vehicle was returned to her and my mistress and I resumed the High Evolutionary's reign of terror. Err... I mean looking for revelers that afternoon.

*Mr. Winter I have a incoming communication from Lord Tiger.*

"For me?!" I said looking at my warrior bear.

"Put it through AA."

"Alex, Lady Ursa nice job taking down the 'Nuisance' of Nyaa Park." The tiger warrior said complementing us.

"Thank you commander." My she beast said.

"Something we can do for you today sir?" I asked.

"Yes you are overdue for your probationary review Alex." The commander of the Knights of Wundagore said to me.

"Oh."

"Relax pet, you are still a contractor- your performance for the last 4 1/2 months is just being reviewed to see if you will be granted an extension. It is really just a formality."

"No longer a formality, Ursa." The tiger warrior said correcting his subordinate. In light of the events of the last few weeks Alex's review will be in front of a panel who will be analyzing his performance, conduct and effectiveness." Lord Tiger said to me.

(Hopefully they won't be focusing on my performance on this week alone.)

"When?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning at 9 AM."

"He will be there commander." My she beast said ending the communication.

"Well, that is... sudden."

"You have nothing to fear Alex. You have been a great asset to the knight core- Sir Ram, Lord Tiger, Lady Vermin, Sanda and even myself thing rather highly of you. Think nothing more about it."

I didn't because I would be preoccupied with other distressing things.

That evening as my bear and I were winding down from assisting the knight core hunt down revelers...

"What do you think of the meteor shower Alex?"

"It is wonderful. Seeing this from the roof, the night sky- it reminds us just how small we are and our problems too."

"We can't stay out here too long you know Alex. You have meetings tomorrow pet."

"Yes mistress."

Day 1069 (morning)

The next morning I was relieved of knight work to attend my probationary review. Strangely enough it was in the same location where I had taken my language final. My mistress wished me luck as she was headed out the door.

I decided to visit the commander to see if there had been any more news about World Six prisoners. Well, that was my first mistake. I found Lord Tiger at his desk lost in thought.

"Good morning commander. May I come in?"

"Alex? Yes you can." He said stoically.

"Has there been any more news?"

"Only thirty-nine members of the colony have been imprisoned in castle Sovereign. Shira was not one of them."

"So she either managed to escape or was..." I said thinking.

"From what I can tell, Basil and Gia tried to fight, but were easily over powered. The master will be announcing his decision soon. Say isn't your evaluation?"

"It is commander. Thanks for your time."

I managed to reach to the examination hall on the east wing of the castle with five minutes to spare. As I entered I found that all the chairs were gone only the bench remained. Behind it I found the three proctors for my performance appraisal- on the left side was a bored looking female panda. In the center was a female camel who looked quite stern and proper and on the right was a male sheep who gave me a curious glance. All were wearing dark robes which signified great importance.

"Good morning Specialist." The camel said addressing me. "Please stand on that mark over there."

As soon as I did the room went completely dark except for a narrow white beam that shined on me. It reminded me of my interrogation after my arrival on this world.

"Ah good morning..." I said trying to coax the names out of the panel. They wouldn't tell me.

"Do you know why you are here?" The panda lady asked.

"To review my performance, effectiveness and conduct while working with the Knights of Wundagore.

"And loyalty Mr. Winter to see if you are worthy to continue in your present position." The male sheep added.

"So this is some type of review panel then?"

"A newly formed advisory board that reports directly to the High Evolutionary on such things Mr. Winter and we will be asking the questions from now on." The female panda said correcting me.

I realized right then that I did not like her. Judging by the she beast's tone, this was not going to be as preliminary as the commander and my mistress had thought.

"So you have been serving as in your current position for the last 4 1/2 months is that correct?" The sheep asked.

"Yes. Prior to that I was called on by the knights to occasionally assist on them with their missions- surveillance, intelligence, counter intelligence special projects things of that nature."

"How many missions would you say that you assisted the knights with?" The female camel asked.

"Um, I lost count."

"Thirty? Forty? Fifty?" She asked making a stern face.

"Um..."

"A number Mr. Winter." The camel said cutting her eyes at me.

"I would say north of forty at this point."

"What are your feelings toward the High Evolutionary's enforcers?" The male sheep asked me.

"The knight core? They are the thin line between order and chaos right now."

"Particularly now." The female panda said showing me a pad she had been glancing at. "What we are seeing appears to be revelers who have started resisting capture and the rebellion aiding them."

I watched two Knights of Sogreth try to nab two revelers near World Four. As they approached their target, they were ambushed by rebels. A fire fight ensued.

Just after the panda showed me the footage the male sheep did too of another in World Two and the camel did of another in World Three with Sir Wolf's forces.

"Wow, Ben Mastiff was right, the empire is collapsing in on itself." I said out loud without thinking. That was my second mistake.

"What did you say Mr. Winter?" The camel asked.

"I mean I have worked with a lot of knights over the years from junior to senior grade. I found them knowledgable and effective warriors." I said trying to recover.

"Really? There hasn't been any that you have clashed with? Politically? Procedurally? Operationally?" The sheep asked me.

"Well there have been a few (actually one) but, I would defer to their experience."

That was the start of it and the evaluation went down hill as the three proctors questioned my experience, my knowledge and even loyalty as if I had absolutely no benefit to the empire at all. The panda, camel and sheep painstakingly reviewed all the missions I had conducted with the knight core from the first one with Lady Vermin to the one just yesterday with my mistress. They even counted my time in the Maximum as a mission. "According to them, I had completed 54 with the knight core.

"So what are your feelings toward the High Evolutionary?" The female panda asked as the panel gave me their undivided attention.

"He is the ruler of everything we see. Without his influence, leadership and guidance all of this wouldn't exist."

"That is an interesting non-answer." The sheep said. "So you don't think he has ever made a misguided calculation or bad decision?"

"The curfew for instance?" The panda asked.

"Well...."

"Hunting down of rebels, separatists, alarmists, dissidents and now the revelers?" The camel added.

"He does what is needed to preserve the empire." I said trying to be politically correct.

"What about punishing those who oppose him?" The lady panda said trying to push my buttons. "Recently you watched a mother and daughter who opposed the high master and his creations being punished. Seeing the mother watch her daughter being turned into a beasital didn't affect you?"

"Well I um..."

"What about seeing the mother reverted back into a baby to re-live her life all over?" The sheep asked.

"Well that was disturbing..."

"Did you think the punishment was unjust? What about the man, another reveler you helped capture who you saw turned into a warthog?" The female camel asked.

"You didn't disagree with his punishment?" The sheep asked as the panel gave me their undivided attention.

"Ok it was rather harsh for what he was accused of doing."

"How do you feel about your significant other- your boyfriend from the Maximum? We know you tried to get him some help, to get him out of that prison only to have the master undermine your efforts." The camel asked condescendingly.

"Well I did disagree with that decision Spirit could have been fixed he didn't needed to be de-evolved."

"So you do disagree. How about the hidden colony that was discovered two days ago?" The panda asked me.

"What about it?"

"The master just now has decided to de-evolve all the beastials who were captured and to sentence the humans there to the living death." The camel said cutting her eyes at me.

(NO!!!)

"I wholly disagree! Those who lived in that colony wanted to live their lives free of fear and oppression, especially the imperfect beastials who would have been recycled because of their flaws. That is just WRONG. As was casting aside Spirit without even trying to correct his problems." I said tearing up.

The panel had succeed in pressing my buttons- every single one. I gave them a detailed tirade of my opinion of the empire, its current state, what is wrong with it and why it all relates back to the dictator and the decisions he has been making. The panda, camel and sheep looked at each other in disbelief.

"... And that is the type of sneaky underhanded things he does. If he can't get you directly like the rebels he mind wiped two days ago he will get to you through your family." I said stepping down from my soap box. "That is how he rules."

AND NOW....

"So that is what happened mistress. All of it. Personally I think those three had it in for me the minute I walked into the room."

"No Alex, you forgot your place and the panel succeeded in exposing your biases and prejudices." The bear warrior said cooly.

"Mistress I tried to compartmentalize it, filter out my feelings, my emotions. But when they got to Spirit, Basil, Rose or the current reign of terror happening I lost it...."

"Reign of terror? Reign of terror?! Alex You sound like a pre-rebel!?"

(Ladies and gentlemen mistake number three.)

"Yes mistress that is what is taking place now. I heard the resistance has started coming to the aid of the revelers actively fighting the knights during take downs." I said looking at her. "Mistress, the empire is collapsing in on itself."

"Alex, that panel reports directly to the master. He will hear about what happened today and will not be happy. Lady Ursa said ignoring my last statement.

"Oh." I said looking at the ground. "I also heard he is coming tomorrow to the castle."

"He is." Tauren said from across the room. "He is going to be judging and punishing the revelers that were captured recently. That may extend to pre-rebels."

(OH CRAP!!!)

I had once told the man-spider during a chance encounter that I had a great life here on Counter Earth and that I would not want to screw it up for anything in the world. On that afternoon I did.

"You will remain here and think about your actions today." Lady Ursa growled as she turned and walked out of the holding cell. It was obvious that she was very angry, rather quite cross and would be for some time.

To Be Continued....