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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 2: If Not For You

Day 5: (continued)

My observation was met with a disturbing silence from Dawn, Corbin and my bear.

"It looks like Ben Mastiff and Diamantopoulous were right." I said to my companions.

"Um, who are they big brother?" Corbin asked.

"Ben Mastiff was a proud knight of Sogreth who went rogue and stole a top secret weapon in World Four this past fall. He claimed that the world was ending and he was preparing for the aftermath." I said to the little mongoose boy.

"Alex assisted the knights there in putting him down." Lady Ursa said to the little mongoose.

"And Diamantopoulous?" Dawn asked.

"A dark evil overlord who rules over a realm between ours and the realm of the dead." My warrior bear said to the archeologist.

"Both had dropped hints that something like this was coming. It turns out that they were right." I said to my companions.

(But how did they know?)

"What matters now pet is our survival." My perfect person said.

"We will need food, clothing, water, shelter and most importantly each other." Dawn said to me.

"I see, we are going to need to lean on each other like never before as we grieve over the lost." I said as Corbin traded glances with each of us.

"But for how long?" The little mongoose boy asked.

"Quite possibly the rest of our lives Corbin. Remember the period between the fall of the last government and the empire was more than ninety years." The professor said to her adoptive son.

"Let's call it a night. We will resume talking about our futures tomorrow." Lady Ursa said.

That evening as we settled in for the night, Lady Ursa was preparing to bandage my head when she saw me browsing a book from the study by candle light.

"Decided to catch up on reading Alex?" She asked.

"No mistress. I am writing another journal to record my thoughts and feelings. While I was hiding in that closet in the castle, I wrote a journal to reflect on my experiences and feelings of those experiences of the last three years. Unfortunately it was buried in the rubble."

"Sounds like you were writing your memoirs Alex, not a journal." My perfect person said removing her worn uniform. She did the same to my clothing before pulling me into bed with her.

(Man, did I miss this.)

"I have missed you my love." I said laying my head on her chest and looking up at the ceiling of our 'new' old home.

"And I you pet." She said holding me. "It has been a while since I have had my Essence of Winter."

"How did you get by?"

"By holding you exactly like this, while you were out." My brown bear said to me.

I didn't mention this to Corbin or the professor earlier, but while I was unconscious I saw Diamantopoulous."

"Oh really Alex?"

"He gave me a tour of some new section of his tower in his realm. It was a type of art gallery containing pictures of all who I have known on this world. As I walked through the exhibit some of the portraits disappeared only to reappear in two other galleries- one representing friends that had died during the cataclysm and the other those who had been taken by the entity."

"That is quite a revealing dream Alex." My she beast said embracing me.

"I didn't know what to make of it- if it really did happen or was it just a dream. Although some of whom I had seen in the gallery of the dead- you did confirm were really dead."

"Alex the period we find ourselves in now is truly horrifying. The empire is gone and all that it provided- laws, order, stability, sustainability, civility, knowledge and technology is also gone."

"Now our survival is going to be quite difficult indeed especially given the timing. But you told me once that you loved a challenge mistress."

"I do pet, and this is going to be a big one."

We both decided at that point to turn in. As I fell asleep I thought about the other portraits in that gallery- just how many of my friends and acquaintances survived the cataclysm? But unfortunately in these situations there is never ever enough information.

*POOF*

"Thank you for taking me scavenging with you today mistress." I said as the blue coupe completed its three hour trip from the lost city to our destination. "So exactly why did we decide to return to World One? I thought you finished rummaging through what was left of the city?" I said looking at the destruction and ruin we were flying over.

"I did Alex but I stumbled on something that would be of interest to you." My lady bear said cryptically as she landed the blue coupe at a collapsed apartment building.

"Wow, I can't believe that this was once inhabitable." I said as Lady Ursa exited the hover vehicle. "I mean it is lying on its side."

"Come, I want to show you something."

I followed my warrior bear to what used to be the second story window of the yellow building now on its side. She tapped on it and to my surprise it opened!

"This way Alex." She said climbing through it.

Inside we found a make shift apartment, couch, chairs table laying on the walls of the building. At the far end of the room I saw two familiar faces a boy and girl buffalo calves.

"Bess? Tess?"

"I found them during my last trip here." My she beast said proudly.

"Hi Alex." Tess said.

"Hey Alex long time no see." Bess added.

"You survived! Bring it in!" I said elated to see two of my friends from the consortium.

I hugged those two tightly and passionately. I was then hugged from behind by my perfect person.

!!!

But there was something wrong. Those two wouldn't let go.

"Um, guys you can let go now."

"No Alex we won't ever let you go." The girl bison said.

"We will be together for ever and ever and ever." The boy bison said.

No sooner had Bess said that, my skin crawled and I felt an intense wave of pleasure- an unending wave of pleasure, like it was orgasmic. I had become an Other.

"You have done well reject." Tess said to my she beast.

"I have done what you asked, please take me back!!!" Lady Ursa said. "I long to be in the synoptic's embrace again!!! With Alex here, I am no longer an imperfect."

"Request granted." Bess said. "Hail the synoptic!!"

I felt my mind and conscious pushed aside as the entity took total control of my body. I felt my lips move, I started chanting the entity's name as I too became a spectator in my own body. As compensation I continued to feel the pleasure and extreme bliss of being under ONE's control!

My she beast was right it felt like a nonstop orgasm. If everyone felt like this all the time, there would be no hatred, strife or violence- ever.

"So what happens now?" I asked the entity from within my own body.

"We continue the consortium's mission, to change hearts and minds." I heard my voice utter.

"AHHH!!!"

*POOF*

As I awoke for my dream, I heard my she beast mumbling.

"ONE please!! Please take me back!!! I can't go on!!! I will do anything to be with you!!"

(The hell?! Was she having a bad dream too?)

I gently petted her on the head.

"Mistress, it is alright. It is just a dream."

After some prodding she stopped talking and returned to sleep.

Day 6: (ATF)

The next morning Lady Ursa and I had a meeting with professor Stern and Corbin at their house next door.

"So where do we stand on supplies?" My warrior bear said to our neighbors.

"Corbin and I have enough rations for two months." Dawn said. "But with now four mouths to feed..."

"We are going to run out much sooner and it is winter." The little mongoose said.

"Right so we need to find food either here or in the forest." I added.

"No Alex, too dangerous for any of you- Others could be lurking. Our location could be discovered." My she beast warned.

"What do you recommend momma bear?" Corbin asked.

"I will travel back to World One and start scavenging for supplies. Since I have been rejected by the entity, I shouldn't have trouble moving around."

"Ok what about water? There isn't any in our house." I asked.

"Or any house. As far as I can determine, the central building has the only direct access to water for drinking, washing and bathing." My sister's doppelgänger said.

"What about the rest of the city?" I asked.

"None. There is documentation in the central building hinting that they may be a under ground water supply but Corbin and I have not found it."

"How about answering the call of nature?" My warrior bear asked.

"As far as Corbin and I could determine the central building has the only bathroom. That was the same one across from the mural."

"Does anyone know how that works?" I asked my companions.

"Some type of ancient waste reclamation we haven't quite figured out yet- it is sent to a swamp in the forest." Corbin said.

"What about clothing?" I asked. "We only escaped with what we had on our own backs."

"I was able to find some in World One, but it looks like we will be washing our clothes much more often." My warrior bear said.

"What about keeping warm in the winter and cool in the summer?" I asked.

"That one we haven't been able to figure out either- but for some reason the ancient city is much warmer than outside in the winter and cooler in the summer." The little mongoose- boy said.

"What about ventilation? How are we able to breathe here underground?" I asked.

"There are natural openings to the above that allows air to flow through." Dawn said. "I haven't quite figured out where they are either."

"Perhaps the exits from the lost city to the above ground?" Corbin asked.

"They could be used as entry points for the entity and its followers- we need to talk about defense." My bear knight said thoughtfully. "We are in hiding right now but there will come a time when this place is discovered and it will need to be defended."

(I didn't think about that.)

"Well it helps that the city is located in the center of a maze. I have a feeling that was by design." Corbin's adoptive mother said.

"Hopefully that will be a long, long time for now." Corbin said.

"Never the less, that is something we need to take seriously." My mistress said as her fur bristled.

"Momma bear?" The little mongoose boy said.

"Mistress are you ok?" I said looking at my warrior bear.

"I... I think so. I haven't been totally honest with all of you."

"How so madam knight?" Dawn asked.

"I have been experiencing a lingering effect after being rejected by the entity." My bear knight said.

"What type of lingering effect?" Dawn asked.

"A intense longing to become an Other again. To be under the synoptic's control." Lady Ursa said.

(So that was what that was about this morning.)

"I believe you are going through withdrawal." Professor Stern said. "That brings up another question... what are we going to do if someone is injured? I mean we need a healer."

"I nominate you big brother." The little mongoose said.

"Why?" I asked startled.

"I remember you said that you worked as a healer's assistant at that outpost you were stranded in. In fact you slept with her- regularly!"

(Thanks Corbin.)

"I think that more than qualifies you to be a medic. As for our second patient- perhaps she should stay in today." The human female said to the beastial female.

"No. Winter is not going to wait for anyone, we need to shore up our supplies. I will manage." Lady Ursa said getting up from the table.

"Mistress be careful out there." I warned.

"You forget pet that I am my own backup." She shot back.

"Don't forget that the planet we knew has changed." I said.

"I will have Overwatch watch my back pet."

"Who is going to watch Overwatch?" The little mongoose asked.

"That is right we also need a mechanic to maintain the only working piece of tech around here." I said thinking out loud. "So professor what is on the schedule for today?" I said as our fierce ursine warrior left on her errands.

"You two are going help reconstruct my research that was lost." The archeologist said making a crazed face.

"Ms. Stern?"

"I want you and Corbin to take what is left of my notes and conduct a survey of the city; an inventory really. Identify all the structures within the center of the maze and document them." The professor said.

"And you?" I asked the archeologist.

"I am going to try to recover some other work that I lost due to the EMP. If you start to feel dizzy take a break. Now on your way." Ms. Stern said, um sternly.

"Yes ma'am." Corbin and I said.

So my 'little brother' and I started the arduous task of remapping the ancient city, our new home for the professor. She had done so previously but that data had been mostly destroyed during the fall. So we did it by paper and pencil structure by structure, block by block starting with the central building and fanning out from there.

Corbin and I spent the whole morning on this task. The ancient city was entirely constructed within a two mile radius from the center of the maze. Added protection from the outside world and the entity. So I assumed there were multiple exits in case of invasion for the populace to flee.

We counted about thirty nine houses in a circle surrounding the central building which was the focal point of the city. Looking from the top downward the ancient city looked a target or bull's eye. The central building was like the historic district in World One. All structures pointed toward it.

"It is really amazing how well preserved this place is." The little mongoose- boy said as we left the last stone house.

"Fortunately only empty structures and a lot of dust." I said relieved.

"The professor will probably start having us clean next." Corbin huffed.

"Is there any indication of how long the populace lived here?"

"She seems to think it was quite sometime before the surface was habitable again." Corbin said pointing to a small building behind the house we had just left.

We looked at each other as we opened it.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Hmm... I think that is a bathing stall."

"As in outdoor shower?!"

"The same big brother. That over there looks like some type of storage shed for food." The little boy said pointing to an oval stone structure slightly taller than me.

"Very primative." I replied.

What was weird was that not every house had a outdoor shower. It looked like some of the residents shared the structures. Probably when the central building was too crowded.

"All the same. I think we should use the central building instead." The little mongoose- boy said.

"Agreed. You don't know what you got until it is gone."

Having finished mapping the city, Corbin and I headed back the central building to find the professor. It was around mid day.

"Good job you two. Now wash up she told us. We are going to break for lunch."

"And then after that?" I asked.

"I think I will put you two on cleaning detail." The blond female smiled.

"Told ya." Corbin moaned.

As we headed toward the washrooms the two of us returned to the room with the mural of the giant cloud. We just stared at it. It was a good representation of what had attacked the five cities. But no painting could truly represent the horror of what we had seen the last morning of the empire.

"Let's clean up." I said ushering the little mongoose boy in to the washroom.

Corbin pulled a washbowl towards him from the wall and instantly water started flowing from what looked like a spigot above it.

"This is going to take some getting used to." I said as I did the same.

That was when I noticed that the water flowing into my washbowl was red. Blood red. I looked at Corbin's bowl and the water flowing into it had also turned blood red.

"Try another." I suggested.

Corbin moved to the one to his right.

"I don't remember the water being red." The little mongoose said to me.

I stuck my finger into the bowl and looked at what was flowing on it.

"Corbin, that is blood." I said to him. "Our water supply is contaminated."

"Oh no! What do we do?" The little boy asked me.

We went back to the professor.

"Hey I thought you two were supposed to clean yourselves up?" She said looking up from some a book she was taking notes in.

"It is hard to do when the water is contaminated." I said to my sister's doppelgänger.

"Contaminated how?"

"Blood." Corbin said.

And just like that we experienced our first crisis.

"Damn, we need that water to live." The archeologist said.

"Professor what do we do?" Corbin asked.

"We better investigate." I said to him.

"But the professor and momma bear said to stay here."

"No we better investigate." Dawn said.

"No, I will go I have experience surviving in hostile environments. TOO much experience." I said.

"I don't want you to go out there alone- you are still recovering. Take Corbin, but BE CAREFUL."

(Famous last words.)

"But where do we even start looking for the source of the city's water?" I asked.

"That reminds me big brother." Corbin said grabbing my hand with his paw. The little mongoose brought me into another room which looked like it housed records.

I watched as Corbin went from book to book on a shelf near the door. Before fixating on one with a brown cover. He opened it up and showed me a picture. It was a map of the of the central building's water supply.

"The professor and I found this a awhile back." He said cheerfully.

"Hmm..." I said. "It looks like the water supply is coming from a source northwest of here, but south of World Five and is fed back here by some type of tubing system."

"I want the two of you back here before dinner." Dawn said walking into the room.

"Don't worry we will remain hidden and make sure that we aren't being followed." I said to the archeologist.

(I have been dying to go top-side.)

Carefully Corbin and I left the lost city through the south maze and back to the surface where the professor had started her initial research.

Emerging from the hidden exit, I took a good look around. Corbin threw on his jacket as did I. It wasn't mine, but one I had borrowed from the professor.

Despite the fact that the world as we knew it had changed forever, the forest between World Five and World Four looked pretty much the same. Oh, and there was the red sky which was still present. But the giant cloud was gone.

Corbin and I carefully proceeded northward and then west from tree to tree. The temperature for that time of year was really mild- 40 degrees; winter was technically here, but still hadn't kicked into high gear. Several times we stopped and listened to see if Others were in the forest. There was nothing. But my little brother couldn't shake the feeling that he and I were being watched.

We hiked for about four miles until we reached a stream which looked like it was an offshoot from a river which I surmised was coming from the mountains to flow into the huge lake World Five was built near.

From the size of the stream, you couldn't tell that it was feeding a secret hidden civilization.

"Big brother!" Corbin whispered. "The water is red there too."

I motioned Corbin to follow. Not far from our position we found the cause. A crashed hover vehicle. Lying in the creek we saw two bodies. Both female humans dressed in jeans, tan and blue blazers with boots.

I walked over and checked for a pulse on each. It was too late for them. Both were dead, blood dripping from their wrists, arms and legs.

"More unfortunate souls from the cataclysm." I said to Corbin."

"What should we do?"

"Bury them and find a way to decontaminate the stream." I said to the little boy.

"With?" The little mongoose- said to me.

"More unfortunates souls." A masked man said as he approach the stream from the opposite side.

(Where did he come from?!)

I looked at Corbin. "Is he an Other?!"

"I don't think so." The little mongoose said whispering back to me. "But we should hide anyway."

Corbin and I hid behind some brush and observed.

The man was dressed in a navy blue shirt with a blue blazer, black pants, boots and a mask. Oh, and he was carrying a crossbow.

"I found the source!" He shouted to some companions. "You lugs get to work or no eats." The man said studying the corpses as Corbin and I watched.

We watched as three more emerged from the forest a grey and white beastial- a miniature horse, a young adolescent boy who was dressed in brown rags- he had black hair and red shirt and brown pants and a female fossa who looked like she was in her forties in similar clothing.

"Burial detail?! Now see here!" The miniature horse said. "I was team leader of a restaurant company and assistant to the..."

"And now you are nothing but a grunt." The masked man said. "Now get to work otherwise I will leave you three here. You don't want to be outside after dark."

(What happens after dark?) I wondered.

We watched as the fossa and the horse picked up the females walked about 500 feet back into the forest and buried them there. The teenage then sprinkled some powder into the stream and then looked at the masked man.

"It will take its time to work its way through." The adolescent said to the masked man.

"It better." He replied.

"It looks like they just solved our problem for us." Corbin whispered.

"Good, let's go."

"Big brother, they are survivors! Perhaps they have supplies we could borrow!" Corbin whispered-shouted.

"That is if they aren't under the influence of the entity and are friendly." I whispered as an arrow hit the tree we were hiding behind.

!!!

**THOKK!!**

"You two there... hiding behind that tree! Come out with your arms up!!!" The masked man called out to us.

(Nope definitely not friendly.)

Alex Winter - January 6th, YOE 34...