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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 18: The Threat Of Tomorrow (Conclusion)

Day: 27 (8:22 AM The middle of nowhere between World One and World Two)

We arrived at a one room shack in the middle of the Aard Woods.

"Looks like this as close as we can get to it with the prototype." I said.

"It was designed that way on purpose. We will have to leave the coupe under the tree line here and make our way to the shack." The lioness said.

"Get ready guys." Corbin said looking at our target. "It looks like it is occupied."

Shakara and I saw what looked like smoke from a old heating unit exiting through a chimney on the roof.

"I don't know but doesn't smoke signal that a cabin is occupied?" Corbin said.

*Affirmative Mr. Mongoose.*

"Whoever is in there is probably gone through the supply cache by now." Shakara grumbled.

"One second." Corbin said jumping back into the passenger seat of the blue coupe. "I am detecting three life signs."

"Tough call, we don't know who is in there. It could be like the Frost's farm a gathering place for the possessed or they could be legitimate survivors." I added.

"And here we go again." The lion lady said quietly.

"Alright everyone make sure every portion of your body is covered; don't leave anything exposed. That includes your tails- all it takes is a single touch."

"Says one who doesn't have one." My lioness remarked.

The cabin was rather plain a single 20' x 20' interior consisting of one door with a window to either side of it and two more towards the north and south sides of the structure.

Carefully we approached from an angle. Corbin kept watch while Shakara and I carefully peeked inside. We saw two human children- a thirteen year old boy and girl sleeping on the floor with a black and white husky between the two of them. Nearby was a cube communication device.

(That is Corey, Mia and Lolly!)

"It's okay, I know them." I said to my companions.

"But do they still possess their own free will?" Shakara asked me.

With that I knocked on the front door. There was a long pause as the boy and girl ran around the interior pondering what to do. The mongoose and the lioness winced as they watched the two teens look out the windows at us.

"It is ok, there isn't any danger." I said reassuringly.

"How do you know?" The lion lady asked.

"He just does." Corbin answered.

After a long moment the door opened and out bounded a black and white female husky who growled at me.

"Hey Lolly nice to see you again!" I said to the partial beastial.

The growling stopped and the partial beastial started barking upon seeing me.

"Mom is that you?" A blond girl said answering the door. "Her clothes were dirty and worn.

"Nope not your mom." I said smiling. "Want to guess again?"

"Alex!" The boy said running past his sister right towards me.

"Slow down there you two- how do I know you don't belong to the entity?"

*Arf* *Arf* Lolly said bouncing on me.

"I guess I have my answer." I said smiling.

"Cutie who are these younglings?" The lion lady asked.

"Corey, Mia, Lolly these are my friends Shakara and Corbin. Guys these are Corey, Mia and Lolly Wild."

"So how are ya doing?" The little mongoose boy said smiling.

"Another Corey huh?" The lioness said. "So how did you manage to find and move into my shack?" The dark tan lion lady said eyeing the Wild children.

"This was yours?" Mia asked.

"Umm hmm." The red eyed lioness said eyeing her. "It belonged to a friend of mine. We stayed here when we ah, needed to get away."

"Sorry this was the first safe place our mom found after we fled World One." Corey responded. His clothing equally torn, ragged and dirty.

"This place was stocked full of provisions." Shakara said beginning again.

"Yes and they were delicious!" Corey said as Corbin face palmed.

"You want some?" Mia asked.

"Please and thank you!" Corbin exclaimed.

"What do you have?" The lioness said eyeing the boy.

"Chicken pot pie with mixed vegetables, sauce and gravy steamed rice and water." Mia responded.

"That beats what we have had for the last twenty four hours." I said.

"What's that?" Corey asked as Lolly looked on.

"Mini-rations!" The mongoose and the lioness responded in unison.

So the Wild children invited us inside their shack which had turned into their refugee shelter.

"So Mia, Corey how long have you been staying here?" I asked.

"For the last three and a half weeks." The teenager said to me. "We fled here from World One with momma after the great fire."

"Where are your parents now?" The lioness asked.

"Poppa is gone." Mia said. "He died that day."

"Oh." The lion lady said.

"Way to go Shakara, good job." Corbin said piling on.

"How is Dianna?"

"Momma was devastated but somehow helped us escape." Corey said giving us make shift plates while his sister started to serve us.

"Where is she now?" Corbin asked.

"She went into the forest to get some more firewood two days ago and hasn't come back since. We have been worried sick." Mia said.

"I mean what if she is dead? What are we going to do?" Corey said as he teared up.

"First don't panic." I said to them. "I know these are uncertain times, but if you panic you are done."

"Did any of you attempt to find her?" Corbin asked.

"No, she told us not to leave the shack for any reason especially at night." Mia said.

"Wise advice." My lioness responded. "Do you know what direction she headed off in?"

"North." The two adolescents answered in unison. "We wanted her to take Lolly, but she was confident that she would be fine on her own."

"Looks like we are making another detour guys."

"Another one?" Shakara said staring at me.

"Yes. My mistress and I are good friends with this family with Hue gone, that only leaves Dianna to take care for them, now she is missing."

"Crap- they have nearly gone through all of the supplies anyway." The lioness said checking several hidden doors around the shack. All of them were empty.

Just like that we had another side mission to our main mission.

"Geez, no rest for the weary." Shakara said.

"I guess not, we better get going the trail already may be cold." I said ushering out my companions.

I decided to let Corbin run tactical along with Corey. They would be at the treeline observing the shack during our operation in case Dianna did return. Of course Corey Wild didn't have a problem with that.

"Wow, what is this?" He said as he sat down in the driver's seat.

"A powerful weapon the Knights of Wundagore used." The little beastial said to him. "We are going to use it keep watch over the searchers."

"Cool!"

"Continuous scans Corbin. If you detect anything hostile launch the probe and find us." I said to my little brother.

Shakara and I took Lolly and Mia and headed northward to try to pick up Dianna's trail.

"You know that food you gave us was incredible- especially the meat." The lion lady said to the blond teenager.

"That is because Dianna Wild owned and operated a restaurant and bakery. She knew how to cook as well." I said to my lioness.

"That's right she is the best cook in World One!" Mia added. "Poppa would help out in the restaurant when he wasn't busy right Lolly?"

*arf* *arf* The partial beastial said trotting ahead of us. Mia followed.

"The Wilds were such an amazing couple." I said to my devious person.

"Ok little cutie I will nibble, what made them so amazing?"

"They were a interspecies couple."

"You mean like Ursa and you (and me?)"

"Yes, a human who fell in love and married a centaur. Obviously they couldn't have children so they adopted. First little Corey who was an orphan, then Mia who was abandoned by her own parents."

"What is going on with the husky?" The dark tan she beast asked.

"She was kidnapped an experimented on by a crazed scientist who tried to turn her into a beastial. He didn't quite complete the process."

"So she is a husky in a beastial's body?"

"That's right." I said looking Shakara in her red eyes.

"Weird."

We soon caught up with Mia Wild and Lolly who had gone on ahead of us.

"I know those hoof prints anywhere! Those are momma's!" Mia exclaimed. "Let's go!"

"Hold on you two, do you know this area of the forest?!" I said to the excited girl and partial beastial.

"No."

"Then we better take it slow." I warned.

"Why? Corbin would have warned us if there was any immediate danger." Mia countered.

"Not necessarily child." The lion lady spoke up. "All forms of communication and electronics are down. If Corbin spotted danger it would take some time for his warning to reach us."

"Meaning?" She and Lolly said looking at me curiously.

"Slow down." I reiterated.

"Say Alex."

"Hmm?"

"Were you there the day of the fire?" Mia asked me.

"Yes, more than that happened." I said to her as Shakara looked on.

"There was a large EMP that disabled everything electrical across the empire. That is why there is no communication and the five cities are technically isolated from each other."

"Oh." She said.

"There was also the giant cloud that started sucking residents into the air as hover vehicles started falling from the sky."

"That was around the time the giant fire started and spread. With all electronics down, there were no systems to stop or contain it." Mia said to Shakara and me.

"I only saw a little portion of that."

"How little Alex?"

"I was in castle Wundagore as the empire was ending- I saw the giant cloud approach and the vehicles fall from the sky- that was just before the castle was destroyed, after the High Evolutionary was killed."

"He is dead?" Mia said.

"Very dead. He was murdered by the possessed." I added.

"Oh. Corey, momma and I were hoping that order would be restored and we could go home at some point."

"We are a long, long way from that child." The dark tan lioness said. "At this point there is no structure or order- only chaos. Do you want to know why your momma forbade you and your brother from running around at night?"

"Why?"

"Because there are monsters lurking about. We encountered one in World Four; it wasn't very friendly." The lion lady said.

"Then you also have the possessed running around serving the entity." I added. "They are actively recruiting. One touch and you will be one of them."

"Why hasn't any help come from the other cities?" Mia said.

"There aren't any other cities. During our scavenging we have been checking in on each." I said to Mia Wild.

"They have all been destroyed." My devious person added. "There isn't any assistance coming; we are on our own."

We followed Dianna Wild's hoof-prints for about a quarter of a mile to a clearing where in the melting snow we saw what looked to be signs of a struggle- centaur prints all over the ground like Dianna was trying to fight someone off. The prints turned into drag marks and ended at tire tracks.

"A hover vehicle?! How is that even possible especially since the EMP?" I said to Lolly, Shakara and Mia.

"Your vehicle still works." The teenager shot back.

"Ours is special." Shakara said as Lolly sniffed the ground and pointed.

"They went eastward toward the edge of the woods." I said.

Mia gasped.

"And now we know." The devious lioness said. "I am sorry Mia but your mother was kidnapped. I think we should be on our way."

"Shakara?" I said turning to her.

"It is not our problem." My lioness said coldly.

"Why not?" The human teen asked the aloof lioness. As Lolly growled.

"Our problem is finding food and supplies for us to survive the winter." Shakara said.

"Heartless much?" Mia said tearing up.

"A moment- my lioness." I said leading her away by the paw. "You know what you said was quite indifferent and uncaring."

"Alex there are a lot out there that are suffering right now and we can only do so much." She said whispering to me.

It was at that point I grabbed the she beast by cheeks resting my forehead against hers.

"I seem to recall some weeks ago a depressed beastial crossed into our territory trying to sacrifice herself to harpy. It wasn't our problem either but Lady Ursa, Corbin, Rumble and myself did make it our problem. Do you remember what was the result?"

"You gained an extra set of breasts to fondle at night, a second rump to grope and another cub tunnel to ejaculate in?"

(She would go that route.)

"I was going to say a friend and valuable member of our community." I said eyeing her.

"All because we made her problem our problem." I said staring her down. "We have the means to help this family."

Shakara ended our moment and walked back to Mia and Lolly.

"Listen to me sweetie, Alex and I are going to do everything in our power to find your mother. If the unthinkable has happened, you, your brother and Lolly can come live with us."

"Decided to come out of yourself?" The teen said through her tears.

"Alex just reminded me that if we are in a position to help we should." The lioness said. "Besides you are friends."

"Looks like we are going to World Two after all." I said studying the hover vehicle tracks.

We quickly made our way back to the treeline where Corbin was showing Corey how to scan the area immediately around them.

"What did you find?" The little mongoose boy asked.

"Momma's gone!" Mia said to her adoptive brother and Corbin.

"She has been taken." I said glumly.

"What are we going to do?!" Corey gasped.

"Go get her." Corbin said. "Right?"

I nodded.

"Corey, Mia back into the shack. Lolly keep them safe." I ordered.

"Do not open the door for anyone until we return." Shakara said.

We then piled into the prototype.

"So what is the plan?" My lioness asked sitting down in the driver seat.

"Simple. We head east to World Two and try to find Dianna Wild and return her to her children."

With that we took to the sky and proceeded northward to the location of the struggle at which point we carefully landed and followed the tire tracks of the vehicle that had abducted Dianna.

Following the tracks through the forest was a bit difficult because the prototype was not equipped for the terrain. Shakara had to engage hover-mode several times when we got stuck.

"What type of vehicle can traverse this terrain?"

**A hearty one Mr. Winter.* *

"It is a shame that we don't have an all terrain mode." My lioness commented.

"It looks like we are reaching the edge now." Corbin announced.

The tire tracks ended on a road that looked like it had been paved at one point but now was completely denuded. In the distance was World Two.

"Wow, that is just, just wow." I said.

"It can't be!" Corbin said.

"After everything we have seen it is." Shakara exclaimed. "Another city of the empire completely destroyed."

*Incorrect Ms. Kubari. The city initially appears to be completely destroyed from our vantage point. However a tinsy tiny sliver was spared.*

"Really where? Because it looks like a war zone." I said looking at the remaining skyline in the distance.

"How much is a tinsy tiny Overwatch?" My lioness asked.

*About a block.*

"Well that is more than what we can say about the other cities." I said.

"So what destroyed most of World Two?" Corbin asked.

*Judging by the scorched ground surrounding the city and the devastation within. I would say World Two was destroyed by tornados, many tornados.*

"But this place was chosen because this area was virtually a tornado free zone."

"Virtually little cutie." The lion lady said pulling up the video from the front mounted camera. "Overwatch magnify and pan right."

The areas immediately outside the city were gone the interior of the city was severely damaged as well. Only one block on the east side remained. It was a small portion- but at least it was civilization.

"Shakara let's head there." I said as a little mongoose seated on my lap started to get excited.

My lioness started to pull out on to the dirt road heading towards the direction of what remained. We traveled for two miles before she brought the prototype to a dead stop.

"What gives?" I asked her.

"We have movement." She said to me.

Corbin activated the copilot monitor and keyboard. "I see a black and silver utility vehicle. Four large wheels with a roll-bar across the back. No make that four of them. Should I activate the holo-projector?"

"Too late, we have been spotted." The she beast said.

"How is it that they still work here?" I asked my companions.

"Perhaps they have been modified?" Corbin asked.

*Those aren't hover vehicles Mr. Mongoose but recreational vehicles for traveling on varied terrain.*

We watched as two of the four headed toward our direction. The ATVs were black and silver in color. Each one was driven by a rider. They looked like they were cobbled together from various remnant parts. The riders who approached us looked equally scary in that they wore long black jackets with one piece clothing underneath. They also wore leather masks obscuring their faces with only three slits two for the eyes and one for the mouth.

"Act natural and deactivate all that!" Shakara warned as the two ATVs parked on either side of us.

I pressed the right toggle switch on the weapons console retracting the copilot monitor and keyboard back into the glovebox.

The two riders stepped down from their ATVs. It was hard to tell what type of beastials they were. If I had to guess the one on the left looked like some sort of equine, the one on the right looked like some type of avian. That one was wearing a canister and hose of what looked like some type of portable washing equipment which he/she sprayed its contents all over the blue coupe.

"The hell?" I said. "What are they doing?"

(What is with the vehicle wash?)

After the brief dousing, one rider went over to the drivers side to tap on the windshield while the second observed me and Corbin from the passenger side.

"Can I help you with something masked beastial?" Shakara said batting her eyes seductively after opening the dome for the scary looking road warrior.

"Hmm....lion female. Pleasant enough face, her chest is a little large though." The avian said to the equine.

"So what is a knock out like yourself doing on our turf?" The masked equine beastial said to my lioness.

Shakara looked at Corbin and myself before responding to the scary road warriors.

I just kept staring trying to figure out what type of beastial was underneath that hooded mask. The body type seemed to indicate a horse, zebra, pony or mule. I couldn't tell without seeing his face. While the beastial to Corbin and my right looked like a avian of some sort, but again without seeing the face I couldn't tell.

"Um the city?" Shakara said to the masked road warrior.

"Wow have you made a wrong turn!" The road warrior to our right said.

"You obviously aren't from around here." The one to our left added.

"Actually we were just coming back from a, from the west- we were in the plains for the last month conducting a wildlife study." I said trying to sound believable.

"Boy have you three missed a lot!" They both remarked.

"We have remnants!!" The one said glancing at the other.

"Remnants?" Corbin asked the equine and the avian.

"Hold outs from the old regime. The empire crumbled and you are seeing what is left."

"Well World Two is where we are headed, tall dark and hooded." My devious person said to the interloper. "We wanted to see what was left."

"I can answer that doll- nothing!" The avian to our right said.

"We were also trying to find a bite to eat." The little mongoose boy added.

"Well, there is a little tinsy problem you are on our turf." The masked equine stated.

"You see all roads here belong to us." The avian added.

"Well then we will just fly in." I quipped.

"The skies belong to us as well boy." They said in unison.

"So how is anybeast supposed to get around?" Corbin asked.

"They can't all technology was disabled the day of the fall. But it appears you escaped that making what you have here quite valuable indeed." The avian said walking around the prototype.

"We have a special offer for you three today. Pay us and we will let you pass." The equine road warrior said.

"Say what?!" I asked.

"Pay you?" My she beast said.

"Yes these are our roads. All who use them must pay." The masked avian snickered.

"Um, we are kind of low on funds." Corbin said to the road warriors.

"Then you vehicle will do. Working vehicles are in short supply." The road warrior said producing a red bobble on a string. He swung it back and forth and back and forth in front of the three of us. "Nice isn't it? I got this from a remnant the other day."

There was something bizarre and weird about that pendant.

"If we gave you our only mode of transportation then how would we get around sweetie?" My lioness said still flirting.

"We could take you to where you need to be as long as it is in our turf and after we finished passing you around- all of you." The equine responded.

(WHAT?)

"The two kids would make great offerings and the female I would like to get me some of that." The masked avian responded. "Get out of the vehicle- now."

I looked at the two, their clothing and in particular their hygiene. They were thugs nothing more. But that pendant, I couldn't stop staring at it.

"The being passed around part sounds interesting but, I don't know where you have been. Shakara said. "Sorry handsome not going to happen."

"You can try to get away gorgeous, but you won't get far." The equine quipped.

"I got first dibs!" The avian said to his companion.

The she beast managed to close the dome and drive off. As she did the right upper monitor in the center stack started displaying system failures- many system failures.

"Shakara!" I shouted.

The she beast floored it as the road warriors got on the ATVs and gave chase.

"I think we should show them that we are a little more than just tourists." Corbin said activating the co-pilot monitor and key board.

"Do it." I ordered.

"What did you have in mind adorably cute?"

"Static pulse should do." Corbin said pressing the return key on the keyboard.

Nothing happened.

"It must be down." The little mongoose said. "Trying the holo-projector."

As the little boy pressed the return key his stored image was projected all around the blue coupe. Again we saw multiple Corbins running in each direction.

"That was not supposed to happen either the mongoose boy said. Trying the laser system."

"That must have been the liquid stuff they sprayed on the prototype." I announced. "It didn't even trigger the deflector system."

"I am on it." The she beast said activating the weapons menu she pressed the second button in a column of buttons on the weapons console then made her selection.

We all noted that the right side-pod opened on the passenger side of the blue coupe but nothing happened. It then retracted. That was around the same time the holo-projector crashed.

"They definitely did something!" I shouted.

"Then let's try something different." Shakara smirked. "Pass us around to their friends indeed."

The she beast came to abrupt stop then threw the blue coupe in to reverse backing into the one of the ATVs. Its avian driver was thrown from it landing face first on the ground.

"We took damage!" Corbin announced.

"That shouldn't have happened; the deflector system should have activated protected us." I shouted.

"It didn't Alex." Shakara said very unsteady like.

"Guys did anyone notice that the weapons system did not make any audible announcements?" Corbin said.

"You are right. That must have been one of the systems failures." I said.

"I feel dizzy!" The lioness announced. "By the way we have incoming!"

*groan*

"Two more ATVs!" Corbin announced.

"Overwatch run a complete diagnostic of the prototype's systems. We need to know what is working now." I said as the lioness behind the steering wheel passed out.

The automated assistant did not respond.

"Overwatch?" Corbin called out.

"Shakara?" I said. The lioness was also out.

"Alex we are surrounded!" The little mongoose boy announced.

I had just enough time to look at the upper right monitor and its alarms, and the three ATVs circling us before I blacked out.

"Alex? Shakara!" I heard the little mongoose boy scream as the road warriors closed in.

Alex Winter January 27 YOE 34