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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 43: The More You Know The Heavier The Burden

Day 72 (1:26 AM, the north maze)

"...what is a Cody Spencer...?" The former lab creature said to me.

"A preadolescent white furred cat-boy I knew back when the world was whole." I said walking up to the two. "Whatever or whoever this is, is not."

The beastial I was looking at was adult, he appeared to be slightly older than me with a thin build. He was dressed in a white shirt, tan blazer and brown shorts. Completely inappropriate for this time of year as well.

"Alex, it is me! You know, Big Sexy!" He said expecting the were-creature to release him so he could stand up. Of course Rumble did no such thing he just growled. "Um, hi Mr. Wolf, very kind, peaceful and gentle wolf."

"...GRRRRRR..."

"He is until he need not be." I said staring down at the cat beastial. How is it that you bear a striking resemblance to a friend of mine?"

"That is because, I am." He countered.

"The white furred cat-boy I knew would be about fourteen years old now. Not in his late-twenties."

"Alex it is me Cody Spencer!"

"Or a bizarre doctored doppelgänger, monster or even a decoy." I countered.

"...what should we do with him..?" Rumble asked me.

"Let's take him in. The commander and Lady Ursa will want to question our invader." I said as Rumble slung the cat over his shoulder.

"Wow, you guys are paranoid!" Cody said.

"The empire is long gone whoever you are- we are living in desperate lawless times.

"...we now question everything and trust no one..." The werewolf added.

Upon arriving back in the lost city the cat beastial was detained. Since we didn't have a holding area or prison in the entire city we had to improvise; Lady Ursa and Rhinox tied up the former cat-boy to a chair and interrogated him in an abandoned house several doors down from our own.

"All right Mr. Spenser let's start at the beginning how did you find us?" Lady Ursa asked.

"Um, It is not like I really had no choice in the matter, I just kinda came here." He answered.

"You claim to know Alex Winter." The rhino warrior said.

"I also know her too!" Cody said pointing to Shakara- you were in the museum that day with the skunk lady!"

"You do look familiar." My devious person said. "Hmm..."

"Alex and I were students of professor Love! She taught us Animalian!"

The cat beastial may have been thirteen years older than the white furred cat-boy I knew, but their maturity level was identical.

"He does bear a striking resemblance to Cody Spencer." My bear said crossing her arms.

"We met at the World One History Museum for a tour. That day I wandered off and volunteered for an secret study- an illegal secret study- an enjoyable secret study. Alex came looking for me and was forced to participate by her and the skunk lady!" Mr. Spencer said pointing to the dark tan lioness.

"Ok so you know about that event." I said picking up the commander's mace. "It was common knowledge actually. That skunk lady had been conducting those types of experiments all over the place. She and her minions were being sought after by the knight core."

"Perhaps you should say something only you and Alex know son." The rhino said to the cat.

"...now..." Rumble grumbled staring down the cat.

"My Mr. Wolf those are some sharp teeth!" The former cat-boy said.

"...want a closer look...?"

"Madam knight, Mr. knight, Alex it is me! Honest!" He said smiling.

I stared at the cat. "Easily distracted I see."

"Ok what about the time Primrose, you and I went to the Remembrance Museum entered a weird turbolift and wound up stuck in the past during the 90 year war? We met Dr. First of First Hospital and were captured by one of the six factions trying to take over after the government fell?"

"Shakara?" My warrior bear said to the lioness.

"I could take some fluid samples, but we don't have anything to compare it to- no records." The lioness said to the bear.

"No need, it is him." I said to my companions. "Not many know of that event."

"Phew, finally!" Cody said. "Can someone untie me?"

There was an awkward pause as the werewolf stared down the former cat-boy again.

"Or not." He said lowering his head.

Rumble reluctantly freed Cody from his binds letting the cat beastial stand.

"Thank you Mr. Wolf for you know, not eating me." Cody said hugging him. "Wow you are big."

"...GRRR..."

"Ok, okay no touchie." Cody said backing up slowly as if he had encountered a feral animal.

"So how is it that you are older than me?" I said to him as Rhinox, Lady Ursa, Shakara and Rumble looked on.

"Oh yeah right. From your point of view it has been what three months since the end?"

"...yes..." The were-creature said placing his huge paw on the cat's shoulder. Not in a threatening manner- just a reminder for the white furred time traveler to be truthful.

"Well from my point of view it has been thirteen years."

"How is that even possible son?" The rhino warrior said.

"Primrose and I were known as the Time Hunters remember Alex?"

"That was a nickname- Milo and Lee were the Alien Hunters and Arthur and Minka were the Ghost Hunters, what of it?" I said.

"Well I have been traveling through time."

"How, is that even possible Cody?" Shakara asked.

"Owie, it is with side effects."

"Well you did land on your head remember Mr. Spencer?" I said to him.

"You will be ok sweetie, you only have a bump- nothing more." My lioness said to the cat beastial. "I would advise not to fall head first out of any time portals though."

"So do you want to tell us how you got here and why are you 13 years older than when I last saw you?" I asked.

"I have been moving backward and forward through time." The cat beastial said.

"...for how long...?"

"Oh about thirteen years." Mr. Spencer answered nonchalantly.

"You poor thing." The lioness said.

"Actually, it is not too bad, I have been to the start of the empire, its fall, the start of the previous government, its fall and the years in between to name a few places." Mr. Spencer said.

(Fascinating)

"History was never an interesting subject for me, I found it boring but living it has been phenominal."

"Whoa, slow down- how are you traveling through time Cody?" I said to him.

"...Alex missing obvious..." Rumble grumbled.

"What is that Rumble?" I asked.

"...little cat survived the fall..."

"You are right. Cody did anyone else? Have you seen anyone else?!" I asked him.

"Well, you know professor Love didn't..." He said glumly.

"Primrose?" I asked.

"She did." Cody said.

"What about Lee and Milo?" I said with baited breath.

"I can't be sure, but I think so."

(He thinks so?)

"What about Arthur and Minka- the Ghost Hunters?"

"I don't think they made it."

(Now I was intrigued I had to know everything.)

"Mr. Spencer what happened? I suggest you start at the beginning." My mistress said to the adult beastial.

"It began the morning of the last day of the empire." The former youngling recalled sitting back down as we gathered around him. "By the way what time is it?"

"About 2:15 AM." My lioness said

"That is good, we have a little time." Cody said.

"Before?" Rhinox asked.

"Before Primrose appears."

"Ok you are really not making any sense Cody." I said to him.

"She is being pulled through time with me."

"WHAT?!" The commander said looking at Lady Ursa and the lioness.

"It is like we are attached to each other through a tether, where I appear, she shows up about an hour later."

"...focus little cat..." Rumble snarled.

"Oh sorry Mr. Wolf. The morning of the last day, professor Love had taken myself, Primrose, Milo, Lee, Minka and Arthur to the theater district. We were going to watch a film at the movie theater that the Consortium for Mutual Coexistence had sponsored, then catch a bite to eat afterwards before curfew. It was going to be our end of year outing." The former white furred cat-boy said.

"But the empire was unraveling at that time." I interjected.

"That's right, the seven of us ended up watching some protestors that had gathered there. They had formed a chain in front of several restaurants and refused to leave. The knight core got involved and was forcibly disbanding the crowd. As they were hauling away the protestors, we heard a few talking amongst themselves about some sort of communication failure that was going on. It had started in World Five, proceeded to World Four and Three. There hadn't been any contact with any knights from those cities. The junior knights on the scene thought it was odd.

That was when the sky started to turn red. It was a shade of red that I had never seen before, none of us had seen before. Then a huge cloud formation appeared from the north. It slowly approached smothering everything that was in its path. There were explosions and debris falling from the sky in that thing's wake, kind of like a real bad tornado.

Arthur realized the debris that was falling were hover vehicles- it was like each and everyone was suffering from some type of mechanical failure. He left our group to get a closer look while Milo, Lee, Primrose, Minka and I stayed with the professor."

"That thing was the phantom cascade." I said. "I watched it move in from Castle Wundagore."

"Lady Vermin and I got caught up in that thing as well." My warrior bear said recounting. "It had ravaged World Five, Four and Three several hours earlier."

"Well at the time none of us had any inclination of what was taking place. Minka went to join Arthur when his communication cube failed, so did everyone's. That is when everything turned upside down; buildings started floating, citizens were being pulled skyward while it was raining debris. Professor Love called out to Arthur and Minka to take cover but they were out of earshot. She then attempted to run to them but as she did panic spread as those in the streets started trampling each other trying to escape whatever was happening. There was also those inside restaurants, stores, shops and theaters who didn't know what was going on. Our professor was stampeded by those trying to flee."

(And again Diamantopoulous was proven right.)

"We watched helplessly as those two and the buildings they were next to were pulled into the sky by some unknown force." Cody said tearing up.

"What are we going to do?" I remember hearing Lee scream.

"Run!" Primrose shouted.

"Running is good!" I remember Milo saying.

"But what about Arthur, Minka and our teacher?" Someone asked.

"We can't help them if we are also sucked into the sky or smushed!" Primrose shouted.

"Primrose grabbed my paw, Milo grabbed Lee's and we ran as fast as we could in the crowd trying not to get trampled, all the while the chaos continued to approach. As Primrose pulled me away I saw Milo and Lee fall on to a human couple. They all managed to crawl into a doorway as the crowds ran by. The man looked at his companion then at the panda and wolverine. "It's coming what are we going to do?!" Lee shouted. That was when the woman put her hand underneath Lee's chin. She mouthed something to her like she was trying to reassure or comfort Lee. I thought I saw Milo mouth something in response like he was undergoing a realization- it is you. Or something like that. That was when the man and woman grabbed Milo and Lee and disappeared in a small burst of light as the doorway and the storefront there were in was sucked skyward."

"...what happened..?" Rumble asked transfixed.

"He doesn't say much does he?" The former cat-boy remarked.

"I think Milo and Lee ran into that alien couple. Talk about dumb luck!" I said.

"...manassas...?" Rumble asked.

"So you told them that story huh Alex?" The cat beastial remarked.

"Yes. They were an extraterrestrial couple who took refuge on Counter Earth while fleeing the entity. Milo, Lee and I made their acquaintance a few years back. After realizing who and what they were. We helped them with their human disguises so that they could better fit in."

"I think Milo and Lee fled with Hue and Cassia. I never saw them again after that day." Cody said.

"Most likely they are no longer on the planet. Perhaps exploring the universe with the couple maybe?" Lady Ursa said.

The werewolf was intrigued.

"Adventure of a lifetime." I added. "What happened after that?"

"Primrose and I darted down an alley desperately seeking shelter. We did get away from the crowds but when that section of the block started floating we knew we were finished. We made our way into a theater prop store as the building started heading skyward. Not five feet from the front door was a room within a room. Well it looked like that anyway- it was that turbolift- you know the one that had taken us back into the past? It appeared right in front of us! Left with no options we quickly entered, the door shut and we were transported a some where, some place, some time, I think, arriving at some place in what looked like World One which was a burnt out husk, but we saw a lot of construction taking place by humans, beastials and some weird looking creatures we have never seen before. They were rebuilding buildings, painting walls, repairing streets.

I was about get out of the turbolift when Primrose pulled me back in- there was something weird with those we were observing, they had goofy looking faces, and bizarre stares. They were also chanting- that the new era had arrived and we were living it. She surmised that it was some type of strange cult and that we should not get off of the turbolift. We let the doors close. When they opened again it we were in another place and another time."

"Where did you two end up?" The commander asked.

"The distant future I guess."

"What did you see?" Lady Ursa asked the former cat-boy.

All eyes locked on Cody Spencer.

"A dried arid desert wasteland nothing for miles in any direction. No, wait there were two beings one was a nude male armadillo and a nude human female and they were bowing repeatedly at a bizarre creature- it had the head of a bull, the body of a wyvern and the tail of a snake. We definitely didn't want to get off there! She said as the being and the worshippers noticed us. The doors to the turbolift closed just in time.

When they doors opened up again, we were in a winter wasteland outside of a building under construction well two of them. Off to the side were shackled prisoners shivering next to a sign that said Outpost Of The Forgotten. Primrose realized they were waiting for the structures to be finished so they could be incarcerated. Obviously we turned down this location too."

Lady Ursa and I traded glances with each other at the former cat-boy's revelation.

As the doors closed. She told me that we would have to be really choosy; wherever we disembarked we would most likely would be stuck there forever. So we sat and let the turbolift move us through time. The next location was a large white room with a small black dot in the middle. It looked quite fascinating."

"That was all?" Shakara asked.

"Nothing else." The cat beastial said. "Primrose thought it was the moment of creation."

"As in conception?" Lady Ursa asked.

"Yes of the universe." Cody said.

(Wow.)

As the former cat boy was retelling his story, a yellow oval ring appeared next to him.

"It is about time she got here." He said.

"You mean?" I said.

"Yes, it is her." Cody said.

My mistress darted to the event horizon of the time portal just in time to catch the rabbit as she fell through.

"Gotcha!" My lady bear said making a two paw grab.

"OOF!" Primrose said as she landed on her butt. "Cody?" She said looking around.

Like the former cat-boy, the rabbit girl was thirteen years older than when I had last seen her and had blossomed into attractive adult beastial. Not as hot as Lea, mind you but still attractive.

"Cody where did we turn up now? Madam knight? Alex? Is this that city we saw earlier?"

"It is and guess what? We showed up at the right time! Survivors!" Mr. Spencer said to Ms. Willow.

"You have been here before my dear?" Rhinox asked the rabbit beastial.

"Yes, it was after this place was abandoned. We decided not to stay."

"Was that the only time you visited the lost city?" Lady Ursa asked.

Primrose nodded.

"It would have been really interesting if you had arrived during its construction or spoken to its previous inhabitants." Shakara said to the time travelers.

"In your travels have you seen any other survivors?" Lady Ursa asked.

"You mean as in other refugee camps?" Cody asked.

Primrose shook her head. "The destruction of the empire was pretty through. After the world ended there were pockets of survivors who fled to the wilderness- most perished during the lawless times afterwards."

"Don't forget the harsh winter as well." Cody interjected. "We only saw three refugee camps."

"One in what was left of World Two." The former rabbit girl said.

"We visited that city not too long ago. It is a very dangerous place." Shakara said.

"And will be for some time to come- many factions will fight for what was left of the city. Some to try to resurrect the empire. Some to form a new society. There would be constant turnover." Cody added.

"There was also the Grand Kingdom for a time."Ms. Willow said.

"For a time?" My she beast asked.

"Yes, the leader of that place and his followers fell to the synoptic- betrayed by one of their own." Cody said.

(Wow.)

"I think I should be writing this down." The commander said embarrassed.

"And then there is the lost city here." Primrose said.

"That is it? Just three?" Shakara said.

"It is as we said the fall was the fall." Primrose said.

"We were hoping that there would have been other refugee camps say near World One." Lady Ursa said. "We only found a trading post."

"Not that we could tell or ever find, just some pockets of survivors." Cody said. "We have found refuse and remains from those who have lived out that there.

"Or perhaps there were, the survivors just traveled far to the west away from the former empire." I suggested.

"Perhaps in time erecting another refugee camp or civilization you haven't encountered." Commander Rhinox interjected.

"So you and Primrose have been using that turbolift you encountered to jump around time periods?" My lion lady asked the former rabbit girl and cat boy.

"Not exactly. Prim and I eventually decided to get off. As we did, the doors did close stranding us like they did that time before."

"But you were able to find the turbolift again to resume your traveling right?" I asked them.

"Actually we haven't encountered it since." Cody said.

"Then how is it that you are shifting through time now son?" The rhino asked the cat.

"Well we ended up in the lab of a renowned scientist of the empire." Cody said.

"It was actually the night before the fall." Primrose said picking up the story. "We told him what we had seen and experienced. He refused to believe us no matter what we said to him."

"He was busy with knight work- and trying to preserve the empire. By refusing our warning, he wasted precious time he could have used preparing or evening trying to prevent what had happened." Cody added.

"He was so stubborn. We got through to him a tad too late even though he had done some time traveling before- inadvertently but his equipment had been incapacitated. He repaired it, and activated it the day of the cataclysm- but it wasn't working just right and we have been jumping through time with him." Primrose added.

"Just like the turbolift only it is at random not staying any longer than 32 hours before moving on again." Cody added.

"That sounds really bad." I said as our meeting with the two time travelers was interrupted by the third- the scientist they had met after stepping out of the elevator. I mean turbolift.

*FLASH*

Unlike before there was no oval ring. The Time Hunters companion just appeared next to the former cat-boy and rabbit-girl. As the light dissipated a ram was standing next to Primrose and Cody.

"I am glad to see that you two arrived in one piece." He said looking at a black PDA.

I looked at my mistress and she at me.

"SIR RAM!!!!"

To Be Continued....