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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 39: A Dawn-less dawn (Conclusion)

Day 66 (afternoon)

The trip back home seemed to be shorter than it actually took, probably because I was dreading our return. My mistress on the other hand was trying not to show it, but she was drifting in an out of consciousness.

We arrived at the lost city shortly after mid-day Shakara, Corey, Rumble and Corbin were there to meet us.

"Hi my little cutie." My lioness said greeting me as I exited the prototype.

"Hey." I said hugging her.

"Well look who finally decided to show up!" Mr. Collins said.

As soon as I finished greeting the lioness, I hugged Corey, Rumble who seemed less disturbed them usual when receiving hugs and then Corbin who looked at the interior of the blue coupe and then back to me.

"Greetings everyone." My fierce ursine warrior said exiting the vehicle. "Shouldn't you six be in school?"

"School is canceled until professor Russell feels better." The little mongoose boy said.

"Six madam knight?" Corey asked.

"She is seeing double- I think it is a mild concussion." I interjected.

*The prototype encountered a storm and crashed.*

"...injuries...?" Rumble grumbled.

I nodded.

"Rumble." My sexy lioness said. "Assist me."

"I think I know the way." My perfect person said. "Once everything stops spinning."

"It is ok my lady we are going to take you to the infirmary." Shakara said.

"...t's go..."

"Big brother where is Dawn?" The little mongoose boy asked.

(And here we go.)

"Corbin something happened during the expedition." I said as Corey looked on.

"Oh no!" My little brother screamed.

Corey escorted Corbin to the porch of his home while I expounded.

"The search didn't go as planned."

"So it was a total failure?!" Corey asked.

"No Dawn found another artifact. While we were examining it we were over taken by a freak storm. We tried to outrun it but became a part of it instead."

"That was when you crashed." Mr. Collins interjected.

I nodded.

"Dawn and I were rescued by a strange family but only us two- they tried to kill Lady Ursa."

"What?" Corbin gasped.

*They were escaped lab creatures that despised beastials. Mr. Mongoose.* The automated assistant interjected.

"And you guys couldn't figure out that they were monsters because?" The black haired teen asked.

*They were well disguised Mr. Collins.*

"They tossed my mistress away. Dawn and I realized who and what they were later and escaped. We found Lady Ursa in a chasm. That was where we also waited out the

remainder of the storm."

"But since the professor isn't here us right now that wasn't the only thing you found." The snarky teen said. "Am I right freckles?"

"Dawn found another obelisk and then eight more. Despite being injured she insisted on exploring and investigating the chasm."

"Where were you during all this big brother?" Corbin asked.

"Seeing to Lady Ursa's injuries. The professor thought that since we were stuck there until it was safe to travel, she would study the artifacts."

"And you let her go alone?!" Corbin said tearing up. "Why?!"

"Short stack you know how your mom gets when she is obsessed." Corey interjected.

"She took the probe and was in constant contact with Overwatch and me until."

"Until what?!" The little beastial asked me.

"Overwatch playback the last images." I ordered.

Corey and Corbin walked over to the blue coupe to watch the last few minutes of what the probe recorded.

"What the FRACK!! What the hell were those things and that yellow flash?"

*We still don't know. Mr. Collins. They appeared to inhabit the chasm and disappeared with the professor and the probe to the prototype.*

"I searched the abyss for hours looking for her." I said to the two teens.

"She is gone?!" Corbin asked tearing up.

"I didn't find her- but I found another one of those things. I corned it and tried to get it to tell me what had happened."

"Alex did you get it to talk? Did it say what happened?" The black haired teen asked with baited breath.

"No. Instead, it ran for the platform and disappeared in a vertical beam of light. When the storm ended I questioned the strange family and they told me that whatever we saw had inhabited the abyss and has done so for a long time."

"Professor Stern is gone?" The little mongoose boy asked.

*Missing Mr. Mongoose. She became part of her archeology project.*

"So you don't know if she is alive or dead?" Corey said.

"We don't even know what that platform was inside of the eight obelisks." I said lowering my head to the ground.

"I lost another person I care about! Why do I always end up alone?!!!" The little mongoose boy cried.

"You aren't alone short stack. You have the rest of us to look after you." The black haired teen said placing his hand on Corbin's shoulder. "You can stay with Rumble and I while all of this is sorted out."

"Or Shakara, Lady Ursa and myself." I countered.

*Rest assured Mr. Mongoose we will return to the chasm and discover what happened to your mother.*

"Thank you Overwatch." Corbin said.

"Our lives just got even more complicated didn't they Alex?" The teen said.

"What do you mean Corey?"

"The probe was lost when the professor disappeared. Without it, there is no way to scan for intruders that would threaten the city."

"Yes we lost a very good tactical advantage." I interjected.

"Um it is a little worse that that freckles."

"What are you referring too Corey?" I asked as he was hugged by a despondent mongoose.

"You can add two more to our rouge's gallery." He said to me.

"Let's see there is the Intendant, his thugs, the monsters running around, Others, the KLIS...." I said thinking out loud.

"That vampire bat creature in World Two that tried to eat Shakara and the gangs there." Corbin chimed in.

"That is more than enough." I concluded.

"There is also Ida and Claudius." Mr. Collins said to me.

"You mean that spy of yours working inside the Grand Kingdom?" I said.

"Former. She hooked up with a refugee scientist from World Five who wants to capture and study Rumble."

"To what end?"

"To try to figure out what he is Alex."

"That doesn't sound too bad I suppose." I replied.

"Um it is, he figured out that Rumble has a 'off' switch."

"A what?" I said staring at the two teens.

"It is a fail safe to bring Rumble under control if he gets out of control." Corbin said wiping his tears.

"The two captured and brought us to some underground lab. We only escaped because they were raided by Caden's thugs."

"So they will be coming." I said thinking out loud.

*Mr. Winter I have a message from Ms. Kubari she needs to see you in the infirmary.*

I traded glances with the teen and mongoose.

"Tell her that I am on my way Overwatch."

With that I made my way to the central building and the infirmary on the second floor. I found Lady Ursa in a room next door lying down while Shakara was working on her.

"Alex!" I she said hugging me. I was momentarily confused because we had already greeted each other previously, but I hugged her back.

"Um, you are squeezing my butt."

"It is such a cute one." She coo-ed back.

"I agree." my fierce ursine warrior said.

I stopped to look at her patient who was lying outstretched on her tummy that muscular butt of hers and nubby tail on display for every one to see.

"Shakara why is our bear naked?!" I said breaking our embrace.

"She has a slight concussion." My devious person responded abruptly.

"My lioness, you don't have to strip a patient to treat that sort of injury." I countered.

"Well she also had a dislocated shoulder." The dark tan lioness said innocently.

"Yes which I treated in the field." I responded.

"Um, I missed her and you my little cutie?" Shakara said resuming her treatment; she ran a triangular instrument over our lover's head.

(That was a Shakara answer.)

"Mistress how do you feel?" I asked.

"Naked. Loopy. Naked and loopy pet."

"It is amazing that she isn't hurt worse." The lioness said.

"That is a testament to the safety devices on the prototype." Lady Ursa said. "The injuries happened when I was tossed over a cliff."

"Rest my lady. We will finish your treatment regimen this evening." The lioness said as she squeezed the brown bear's behind. Your turn little cutie."

(I am sure it is.)

Shakara gave me a broad smile while escorting me next door to the infirmary. I sat down on the counter while she looked at what was underneath my bandages.

"Those are some nasty marks."

"The weird thing is I am not entirely sure when I got them." I replied.

My lioness cleaned my wounds, applied liquid skin and dressed my bandages. Just as a familiar rhino walked into in.

"Commander." I said.

"Greetings Alex. I heard you had returned. How was your mission?" The rhino warrior asked.

"Awful."

"Ursa told me as much." He replied.

"How was yours?" I asked him.

"Even worse." He said to me as Shakara finished rebandaging my shoulders. "No sign or clue of Lady Barq only numerous remains of those of those that perished. Russell and

I also engaged the enemy."

"Corey and Rumble did also- two of them. I guess the only consolation is that Dawn, my mistress and myself didn't make any enemies during our mission- but I wouldn't exactly call them friends either."

"Explain." He said to me.

"We encountered a group of monsters who had escaped from Komison Industries in World Three before the fall. They were masquerading as a human family and living in the prairie."

"The professor had observed that escaped lab creatures were coalescing into tribes." Rhinox said. "But disguising themselves?"

As Dawn and I got to know them- we discovered that they were tolerant of humans but despised all of beastial kind."

"I take it their handlers were beastials little cutie?" My lioness asked.

I nodded.

"That would explain why Alex." She said while the commander remained silent.

I looked at the two. "Something else?"

"Tell him." The lioness said to the rhino.

"The enemy we encountered was a small white rabbit. She called herself Poa."

"That doesn't sound hostile." I said looking at the two beastials.

"She is an Other Alex." The commander said.

"Oh."

"She was combing the forests for additional vessels for the entity. Russell and I competed with her over a lone survivor who decided to gave up his existence to join them after reflecting on his miserable life. During the fight for his soul Russell got too close and was touched."

"You mean he became an Other!" I gasped.

"Yes." The commander said.

"Oh crap! What are we going to do? Everything Russel knows the entity knows! We are going to be wiped out!"

"Not exactly little cutie."

Shakara and Rhinox took me down the hall to another room where we found the grey and white miniature horse sitting on the floor- the only thing he was wearing was a blanket.

(Shakara was right he was well endowed.)

"You two brought him back here?! Are you nuts commander?!" I said darting behind the rhino.

I looked at the pony and he seemed to be well... normal. There wasn't a goofy smile or that dazed look I have come to know so well. Only tears. Russell had been crying.

"Alex." The pony said to me.

"Didn't you say that he had become an Other?" I said to the commander.

"I was." Mr. Ferguson said to me. "It was ecstasy! It was orgasmic! The moment Joseph touched me I felt a giant, violent wind sweep through my very being! I was beyond scared! I couldn't move! I then heard Poa's voice."

"What did she say?" The dark tan lioness said.

"Do not fear we are all ONE. It felt like someone was separating my consciousness from my body. I was thrown into a corner or a back room as some thing took control. I was about to complain when I was bombard with wave after wave of pleasurable pleasure! It was beyond description!"

"What did it feel like?" I asked the miniature horse.

"One orgasm, continuous, unending, everlasting." Russell replied. I now know why Others have that peaceful goofy stare. "There was also a knowledge exchange- that thing, the entity, ONE is quite old and long lived. It shared something with me."

"What did it share Russell?" The commander asked.

"It is hard to put into words... my creation, my birth, my life, my home, my community, my city, my world, my existence, the universe and all of creation- there was a purpose for everything IT MADE SENSE!!! ALL OF IT!!! And then the exchange, it ended. I was tossed aside."

"What happened Russell?" The lioness asked.

"I felt a very sharp pain, then the entity abandoned me for some reason; I was rejected. I don't think it deemed me worthy. When I came to it was evening. Poa and Joseph were gone and the commander brought me back here."

"The entity is gone?" I asked my devious person.

"I feel so empty, baseless and without purpose." The grey and white pony said.

"Why do you say that son?" The commander asked.

"While I was connected, I felt like I was part of something, something big- like my whole purpose was to be with ONE. My existence before was a empty black and white

canvass. When I became ONE that canvass became a large fresco painting encompassing an entire museum. Now I am that empty canvass again, baseless, directionless something that doesn't belong." Russell said curling into a ball. "It is as if my life doesn't have any more meaning or purpose." He said sobbing. "I don't know what to do!"

"Get some sleep son." The commander said exiting the room.

"Yes Rombolt. I mean sir."

"You two are on a first name basis now?" I asked.

"Alex, Shakara walk with me." The rhino warrior said exiting the room.

Shakara and I followed the commander downstairs to his office. We followed him inside and sat down, while he shut the door.

"It is fortunate the entity to rejected him. Because if not this would be ONE's auxiliary site." I said out loud.

"I made a tough call to save this city." The commander said sitting behind his desk.

"SAY WHAT?" I said as the lioness clasped my hand.

"I killed Russell." The commander admitted. "At least the entity thought I did."

"Um, how?!" I asked.

"The various settings on my service weapon." The commander said.

"Ingenious! A low level blast in concert with the paralysis and confusion settings made the entity think it's vessel had been mortally wounded and its organs were shutting

down after being hit. Like it was dying. Thinking you had delivered a fatal shot it abandoned Russell." The dark tan lioness concluded.

"That was quick thinking commander." I said.

"I hoped it was before ONE could learn about the lost city and all of us here." The commander said. "We now have several problems to deal with."

"Russell is going through withdrawal and will most likely want to rejoin the entity." Shakara concluded. "That is going to be very problematic."

"That can't be allowed to happen under any circumstances." I said.

"He can't ever find out what I did to sever the link either." The rhino warrior said. "This will have to remain between us here in this room."

"There is also a command structure issue." My lioness said. "Both our leaders are um, unavailable."

"I guess that means I am in charge while Ursa is recovering." Rhinox said.

"Which means the search for Barq and Dawn will have to be put on hold for a while." I said.

"Well, I would recommend that security protocols be modified if we are going to resume searching for survivors, there needs to be some type of rules established in encase of contamination." The dark tan lioness said.

"You mean in case we encounter more of the possessed?" I said.

"You got lucky this time commander or so we think. But what happens if you get touched next time? Or Alex?" Ms. Kubari said in a serious tone.

"We could come back here and infect the rest of you all." I said to my devious person.

"I see your point my dear. No more missions until we figure out a contingency plan." The rhino said.

"So with two warriors down what are your plans for security detail this evening?" I asked the rhino warrior.

That evening Shakara and I decided to look after our patients in the central building. I applied another layer of liquid skin to the miniature horse's laser wound on his chest.

"How are you feeling Russell?" I asked.

"LOST. If I was with ONE, this wound would have been healed."

"Perhaps, but you would not be you and we would be missing a member of our community." I said kneeling at his side.

"Rhinox said that I was relieved from my obligations until further notice. Who has the watch tonight?"

"The commander made some changes this evening- he and Corey are watching the south maze, Overwatch and the blue prototype are watching the eastern maze, the automated assistant on the silver prototype is watching the northern maze and Rumble and Corbin are watching the western maze."

"I heard about Dawn. How is the little one doing?" The pony asked.

"Devastated. He is going to need all of us to look after him until we find out what happened to his mother."

"I see." Russell said lying on his side- he was still only wearing the blanket and partially listening to me. It seemed like his world had shattered and he was only partially here; the rest of him was elsewhere.

"If there is anything you need just ask for it." I said.

With that I went to the room just adjacent to the infirmary where I found my females.

"How are you feeling my lady?" The lionesses said as she finished running the triangular device over my brown bear's head.

"Still loopy Shakara and out of sorts." My mistress replied.

"I see." The red eyed lioness said as I walked in on them.

"You seem to be taking your time treating my concussion Shakara." Lady Ursa concluded.

"Darn it! You have seen through my vile plan!" The dark tan lioness hissed.

"So you were keeping me like this for a reason?" My loopy warrior bear asked.

"Indeed." The lioness quipped.

"Why Shakara?!"

"So I could do this!" The lioness shouted creeping predatorily toward her patient.

!!!

"Shakara!" I shouted.

*smooch*

The horny lioness kissed the brown bear right on the lips. To my ultimate shock Lady Ursa just let it happen.

After falling to the lioness' devious plan the loopy warrior enacted her own.

*grab*

"EEK!" Shakara shouted.

"Someone didn't think about the consequence of her actions!" I said approaching the two. "You are about to experience Lady Ursa's super snuggle attack. It is quite devastating."

To our surprise the lioness just let it happen.

"It looks like someone did not receive enough affection when she was younger." My fierce ursine warrior commented.

The female brown bear pulled the dark tan lioness right on top of her into a big bear hug.

"Welcome home my loves." Shakara said.

"It it is great to be home." I said sitting down next to the embracing pair before a brown paw pulled me in to the love circle. "Love is such a much stronger emotion than hate, or fear."

"Speaking of being with our loved ones, what are we going to do about Corbin?" My perfect person asked.

"It will be up to all of us to look after him mistress." I said to her.

"I think he could stay with us for a while and then Corey and Rumble for a while." Shakara said.

"What about Rhinox and Russell?" The warrior bear asked.

"Rhinox is going to be very busy filling in for the professor and Russell is a mess right now. I think you are going to have to help him through his withdrawal- he potentially could be a danger to all of us." I said to my females.

The next day the commander had a meeting about all that had transpired and how this community would go on without one of its leaders.

In the days to come Lady Ursa would do her best to try to help the lost pony. But despite her best efforts, everyone's best efforts Russell Ferguson would continue to spiral downward.

Alex Winter March 8, YOE 34