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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 71: Now We Are Ready To Be Extraordinary (Rising Part III)

After the discovery of Mr. Day's remains, the away team made contact with the nomadic colony. It turned out that they had been suspicious of the mole that had recently joined their group. Midnight Black quickly dispatched the betrayer who was going to deliver them to the synoptic and they went into hiding. But according to my vision there was a reality out there where Naka and his followers were duped by the operative and became Others it just wasn't this one.

Shakara helped me refine the treatment for the rash outbreak when she returned. With the limited tools we had at our disposal we roughly determined that it wasn't spread by a virus or bacterium but a spore. Possibly arriving when I left ONE or with the new additions the city took in like Ruth Ann or Kenna.

Zhade somehow built up some sort of resistance to the spores and we used his antibodies to devise a treatment to eliminate everyone's suffering. The next question was whether to distribute it to the what was left of the known world or risk them falling under the entity's influence for an ounce of itch relief. The answer was obvious.

Day 178 (Marsh/swamp West of World Three)

"What is he doing here?" The maned wolf said drawing his sword as I stepped out of the blue prototype.

"It is alright Naka, Alex no longer belongs to ONE." Lady Ursa said assuring the nervous leader.

"Hi Alex Winter. Medic of the lost city and former vessel of the conqueror of worlds." I said shaking his paw after he had sheathed his sword.

The maned wolf withdrew it in horror, thinking that he had just been possessed. But nothing happened.

"You see I am a friend." I said smiling.

"A former Other?" Kiwi said running up to meet me.

"Yes, I rejected being a combined being." I said taking the preteen boy's hands.

Kiwi looked like he was wearing dirty brown pants with a yellow shirt. In fact everyone present looked like they had been run over by a hover vehicle. Well, several hover vehicles.

"Is that even possible?" Song said walking up to greet us.

"Mr. Winter is the only person we know to do so." Lady Barq said stepping out of the silver prototype. She was accompanied by a grey and white miniature horse and a cute smiling blue slime.

"That would make him quite unique." Kiwi said.

"It isn't bad being a combined being." Russell said. "Some might find it liberating."

Those present watched as the pony touched the tip the blue slime there was a small flash and again a six year old little avian with the red plumage, yellow beak and the 20 million questions had returned while the Russell clothes and all had disappeared.

"It still freaks me out when the two of you do that." The badger said.

"But hover vehicle is now less cramped." Addy said to the badger smiling. "And I can speak to you again!"

"While the adults finish the introductions and greetings, why don't you go and get the supplies we brought?" Lady Barq said.

"That is bizarre." Naka said. "Are you sure that little monster is friendly?"

"Why?" Addy turned around to ask the maned wolf.

"Don't get her started!" The badger warned. "Trust me, our healers throughly vetted her and the miniature horse. They aren't a threat to any one."

"Hello again Song, Naka, Kiwi." My brown bear said to the chakat, maned wolf and boy.

"Is it true that you two developed a cure to the itch?" The white chakat asked.

"More like a treatment so those who have it don't go mad from all the scratching." I replied. "How many of you are infected?"

Lady Barq, Lady Ursa, myself, Wheels and Overwatch observed as Naka, Song and Kiwi displayed their rashes. The wolf's was high on his thigh. The chakat's was on her back. The boy's was on his wrist.

"About half of the colony." Naka said.

"I would recommend setting up a staging area." I said to the former junior knight.

"Song, Kiwi see to his needs." Naka said to his subordinates.

"It looks like, you have some patients to treat pet." My warrior bear said placing her paw on my shoulder.

"See to it." The badger said. "Ursa and I are going to catch up with our fellow knight."

"Looks like those three are going to be talking for a while." The blond preteen added as I started to follow them.

"This way." The chakat said. I followed her to another tent.

"So how long have you been hiding in the marsh?" I asked my hosts who didn't know that they would soon become my assistants.

"Ever since we realized that we had a spy in our group." Kiwi said eerily as we entered a nearby tent. It was tan in color and well hidden among the brush in the swamp.

"How did you find out?" I asked as we entered.

"The enemy seemed to be breathing down our necks no matter how many precautions we took." Song said adding her perspective.

"Our young leader set up a test to validate his suspicions. That was when the enemy really started closing in; they were only a day behind us. Further observations determined who the spy was." Kiwi said.

"He met a unfortunate demise at the end of my blade." A akita on the floor of the tent said scratching and biting his leg.

"Midnight Black." I said uneasily.

"So you have heard of me human?"

"Serial killer, human hater and assassin. Your reputation precedes you. Promise not to gut me like a fish and I can take care of your um, discomfort." I said sitting down unaggressively in front of him.

*whoosh*

Before I knew it, I found a jagged blade at my neck. My precognitive ability did not warn me of any danger, so I knew he was bluffing.

"You know I am here to help right?" I said nervously.

"Proceed.... carefully." The akita said removing the jagged and very long knife or was that a small sword from my neck?

"Are you always so paranoid?" Song said as she removed the human hater's pants from him.

"In my line of work you can't be too paranoid." Midnight Black said.

"Relax Mr. Akita, I am a friend." I said as I inspected his legs. "I am not here to harm."

"Why would you give a damn about us?"

"Because I can." I said abruptly. "And we need friends."

"My that is a bad one." Kiwi said handing me a bottle of ointment.

I took a cloth and dabbed a wad of the contents from the bottle onto it and then started rubbing it on the length of the rash which easily stretched from his thigh to his lower leg. The relief was almost instant.

"AH!!! This stuff is amazing!! What is in it?" He asked me.

"A mixture of aloe and antibodies from a donor who was immune. Apply this twice a day until it is gone." I said to him.

"Now who is next?" I said looking at my assistants. "How about you Song?" I said to the chakat.

"I can wait there are many many more who are worse off." The white feline taur said.

"It doesn't matter I am not leaving until everyone in this colony has been treated. The itching from the rash is bad enough that it will drive anyone mad from all the scratching."

Song turned around showing me both her backs. The rash appeared to start on her humaniod back and had spread to her taur back.

"That is one of the worst I have seen." I said as I soaked the same cloth in the ointment and started dabbing the blistered spots.

"That does feel nice." She murred.

"Does Naka give you good back rubs?" I teased.

"She doesn't know." The boy responded. "She won't take the next step."

"KIWI!!" Song shouted.

"What's the problem you like Naka, he likes you. One of you two should take the first step!" Song's charge said.

"Ahem! Same orders I gave Midnight Black Song, two applications a day until the rash is completely gone." I said moving on to Kiwi's arm. "I will leave a supply with your healer."

"That is going to be hard to do." She said to me.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"We don't have one." Kiwi said as I finished treating his arm.

"That is one of the most important positions right next to leader. What about Lilly Blossom who treated Midnight Black's injuries?"

"So you know about the caprine huh?" The mercenary said turning his attention to me.

"Um yeah, that was when the mole was observing all of you." I said smiling.

The blond pre-teen and chakat shook their heads. "She decided to leave; the nomadic life wasn't for her." Song said as the next patient was ushered into the tent. It appeared to be an artificial beastistal? By artificial I mean it was a human girl wearing a costume, a fursuit that made her look like a canid beastial; a beagle.

"What the?"

"Just go with it." Kiwi whispered in my ear.

"This is Angi." Song said to me.

"Why is she acting like a beastial?"

"She rejected her humanity and decided to be this instead." Midnight Black added. "Smart girl."

One by one I treated all who had been affected by the epidemic in the colony getting to know quite a few of them in the process. Angi it turns out had suffered so many tragedies in her 13 years of life that she wanted to be someone else, something else as long as it wasn't human.

(Where have I heard that before?)

Naka was the last patient that I saw. I ended up applying several applications of the ointment to his upper back and shoulders as he talked strategy with the two female warriors from my colony.

"...Of the twenty members in your group how many are combat ready Naka?" The badger asked.

"Midnight Black, Myself and maybe another." The maned wolf said.

"Find two more, a third of your number needs to be devoted to defense." My mistress said. "The rest should also be able to fight for themselves if need be.

"You also need a healer someone that is knowledgeable in treating injuries and curing illness." I said piling on.

"I see." The former junior knight said.

"We know we are throwing a lot at you Naka." Lady Barq said gently.

"But you must be prepared or you will be annihilated on your journey." My bear knight said as well.

"Thank you for you guidance and wisdom, Lady Barq and Lady Ursa. Will you stay for dinner?" The maned wolf asked. "I have some ideas I would appreciate some feedback on."

And so our away team joined the nomadic colony for dinner that evening. Their hospitality was unlike anything I have experienced.

"Would any of our honored guests like roasted salmon?" A wombat said walking up to Lady Barq, Addy, Russell, Lady Barq and myself.

"YES PLEASE." My brown bear said taking a stick and its contents from the wombat.

"...So I understand your colony is starting a garden?" Song asked.

"It was our food preparer's idea." The badger warrior said. "We are going to try growing what we need to sustain ourselves. Everyone is going to help out."

"That is going to take some creative planning." Naka exclaimed.

"It is going to require additional security." My warrior bear added.

"Carved beef?"A groundhog said presenting more meat on a stick to us. "Don't worry it is not anyone we know, err... knew."

"Why yes thank you." I said as he cut a portion off and presented it to me.

"Naka have you decided on a second in command?" The grey and white pony asked as the blue slime next to him looked on. "You know, someone to make decisions for the group if you become incapacitated?"

"That would be Song." The maned wolf replied.

"Me?" The female taur nearly choked on what she was eating.

"Yes, you are a damn good advisor; I rely on your counsel daily. I also feel that you would make a great second in command as well."

"Grilled chicken?" A female skunk said offering us even more meat.

"Wow, all of you are sure eating well." I said as Lady Barq and Lady Ursa eagerly accepted.

"Since we are constantly on the move we have to hunt for food. But having great food preparers doesn't hurt either." The colony's leader said.

"Thank you for your hospitality Naka." My fierce ursine warrior said.

"You are most welcome."

"We also have a gift for you as well." The badger warrior said.

"Wow, a cube!" Kiwi exclaimed. "I haven't seen one of these in a while."

"It is one of the few the wasn't damaged by the EPM." The badger said.

"You can contact us if you are in need of assistance as long as you are in range." My mistress added.

"Why thank you. We will keep this in a safe place." The chakat said accepting graciously.

"So how safe is this area during the night?" Russell said nervously as he noticed the sun was setting. The cute blue slime tried to comfort him.

"How is your meal?" The she skunk from before asked me.

"It is wonderful." I said.

"We worked hard trying to make everything just right. For our honored guests."

"You did a good job." The miniature horse said.

"Would you care to take a stroll?" She asked Russell and myself.

I looked at my mistress.

She nodded. "Don't go far Alex."

"What was that about?" The she skunk asked.

"She is just concerned about our safety here out in the open." I said as Russell and I each took an arm. The pony walking on her right and me on her left.

"Don't worry Alex, Russell you are with me Nikka, if you hadn't noticed I am very strong."

The pony looked at the black and white she skunk's biceps.

"I think she is referring to another kind of strength Russell."

"So Nikka how long have you, Naka, Song and the rest been here in the swamp?"

"It has been a little over a week Alex. For some reason our enemies can't track us here."

"Does that have to do with the fact that it is a marsh?" Russell asked.

"Despite the fact that we are out in the open, there are still plenty of places to hide- the base of trees, small shelters and the like." She responded.

"So you are going to stay here a while?" The grey and white pony asked.

"Only until our leaders say it is ok to travel again. They are still in search of the perfect safe place."

"Like another lost city Nikka?" I asked the she skunk.

"You could stay with us." The grey and white pony offered.

"Thank you for the offer- but World Three was our home."

"Well, it is home to a fleet of volcanoes now and some other nasty things." I interjected.

"We will find some place away from all this where we can rebuild our lives." She said assuring us.

"I am starting to wonder about that, how long can we run? For a while we thought our home was 'away from it all.' Eventually we will exhaust our hiding places." I said as we started admiring the night sky and the large moon overhead which was momentarily blotted out by a large triangular object.

"What in the world is that?" Russell trembled.

"Danger." Nikka hissed. "Let's head back to camp now!"

We ran back to where Naka, Addy, Song, Kiwi, Barq, my mistress and the rest of the colony had been congregating. Finding all of them hiding behind brush, and at the base of trees.

"Alex!" The badger warrior called out to me.

"Who are they?" Russell said trembling.

"Interlopers!" The maned wolf said from behind a nearby tree. "Everyone remain calm!"

Nikka, Russell and I joined Lady Barq and Lady Ursa who had taken refugee behind the two prototypes.

I noticed that my beloved bear was catonic; shaking and trembling violently.

"It is the KLISS they found me!" She trembled.

"Mistress, it is alright the tracker tracer they placed on you was removed. Remember?" I said taking her paws in my hand. "They probably don't know you are even here."

"Which means that they are looking for someone or something else." The large badger whispered.

"Who?" Russell said trembling as Addy bounced over while the triangular sky ship moved toward our position.

"Schwee?"

"Addy not now, remain quiet, we are in extreme danger." The grey and white horse said to the blue slime.

"Wheels! Code black! Engage holo projector." The fierce badger warrior ordered while watching me try to comfort her friend.

*I am sorry Lady Barq the holo projector is still inoperable.*

"Damn, that is right. Overwatch engage the holo projector! Set radius for 1000 feet. Make us disappear!"

*Affirmative Lady Barq.* The automated assistant said.

The five of us and the twenty members of the nomadic colony melted into the scenery as if by magic as the triangular ship flew over our location.

Everyone huddled together. I hugged my bear. Russell hugged Nikka and Addy jumped onto Lady Barq as we watched the sky ship float over our location menacingly. Its movements were slow and methodical. We all held our breath until it moved away heading south.

We breathed a collective sigh of relief that was until a hatch on the rear of the craft opened and a narrow white beam of light pulsed through the night sky locking onto its intended target the she skunk in the miniature horse's arms.

!!!

"Ms. Nikka!!!" Russell screamed.

"Not again!!!!" She yelled as she was pulled from his arms.

(OH NO!!!)

"Russell!!!" The skunk screamed as she started floating skyward by some unknown force.

"UGH!!!" Russell screamed jumping, trying to grab hold and pull her back to the ground while she continued to float legs first into the sky.

The maned wolf and akita emerged from their hiding spots and tried desperately to cut through the beam and disrupt what was pulling on the terrified she skunk. Their swords and knives were ineffective.

We all watched helplessly as Nikka floated up, up, up towards the ship.

"NOT ON MY WATCH!!!" Lady Barq shouted. "Overwatch take control of the prototype!!! Hover mode now!! Addy to me!!"

"Schwee!!!" The blue slime shouted.

*Sidepods engaged. Hover mode engaged.*

The badger warrior grabbed the blue slime and stuffed her into the left side-pod weapons tubule and then jumped into the cockpit.

"Russell!!" She called out to the shocked horse who was still staring skyward. "Russell!!"

He dove into the copilot seat. The three of them took to the sky right in pursuit of the triangle spaceship.

The rest of us could do nothing but watch Lady Barq's desperate rescue attempt. They approached the rear of the craft as Nikka was about to be pulled in to the source of the beam.

We watched as the badger warrior fired something from the left side-pod. It hit the source of the beam disabling it. That was when the blue prototype went into a dive desperate to catch something that was falling from the ship. They managed to do so just before the object made impact with the ground.

"Everyone scatter!" Naka ordered.

The blue prototype landed several feet from us while the triangular spacecraft came about for a second pass at our location; it was curious to discover who or what attacked it.

It appeared to scour the marsh looking for its escaped target that somehow eluded it. Finding nothing it pulled a 180 and continued southward.

"Lady Barq, that was incredible!" Naka said emerging from a pool of dark water.

"Mistress?" I asked.

"I am... ok Alex." My bear said trying to recover some dignity. "Well done Barq."

"It was a team effort." She said as she, Russell and Addy emerged from the blue prototype.

"Um did you save Nikka?" I asked the impromptu rescue team.

"SCHWEE!" Addy mumbled.

"Let's make sure that ship is gone first." My bear said.

We waited about a good twenty minutes while Naka took a head count.

"Everyone is present and accounted for except for our skunk." The maned wolf said.

"It should be safe now. Addy." The badger said to the blue slime.

*BLECH* The little monster said spitting out a gooey slime covered mass on the ground.

I went over to inspect the target of the spacecraft's attempted collection while everyone gathered around.

"Nikka?" I said taking her paw.

"I am ok *cough* thanks to all of you."

I performed a quick inspection apart from being very terrified, covered in slime and naked, the she skunk was ok. I also noted that she had similar bar codes on her armpits and on the bottom of her footpaws.

"How long have they been taking you?" My brown bear asked as the badger, horse and myself looked on.

"Since I can remember. I even tried spraying a couple. I really hate them." She hissed.

"That is the first time I have seen some beast openly defying the abductors." The maned wolf said.

"That is our Barq." I said.

(She is a total bad ass.)

"You were pretty amazing too Russell." Nikka said taking his paws. "And you two little monster."

"Schwee!" Addy said.

"Thanks, but I won't be able to sleep for a week now!" The grey and white horse said.

"But what happened to my clothes?" The food preparer asked.

"Um, perhaps that was the only thing the aliens were able take from you?" Mr. Ferguson said to his new friend.

But of course I knew the truth I had seen the pattern before first when Russell returned and then earlier today- it was Addy. If she envelops you, bye bye clothing.

Lady Ursa, Lady Barq, Russell, Addy and I decided to stay the night just to make sure Naka and his followers would be ok.

Nikka decided to bathe and replace her missing clothing.

"That was some quick thinking Barq." The bear said to the badger.

"Thank you. It was time we started to fight back against those who oppose us." The badger said to the bear.

"I am also proud of you too pet." My perfect person said.

"You are?"

"I was observing you during dinner. Your appetite is returning." My perfect person said opening the trunk of the blue coupe. We climbed in and prepared to settle down for the night.

"I guess I should turn in as well." The female badger said opening the trunk of the silver coupe and climbing in.

"That looks like it is going to be a tight fit." Russell observed.

"You could find a place to sleep outside. In the open." Lady Barq said yawing.

Russell looked at Addy. Addy looked at Russell. An idea came to the grey and white pony. He removed his shirt, pants and undergarments placing them on the passenger seat in the cockpit.

The badger was expecting her trunk mates that evening to be a horse and slime but was surprised when a little avian crawled in to sleep with her.

"This is a solution yes?" Addy asked.

"I think so." The warrior said reaching out to embrace the youngling.

"I can see why it is of paramount importance to support this young colony." I said kissing my brown bear.

"Yes pet. I see a reflection of ourselves when I look at them."

"Agreed. I was thinking though. Naka, Song, Kiwi and Nikka aren't the only friends we have out here trying to survive in all this madness."

"What are you saying pet?"

"We have some friends in World Two as well..." I started to say as her eyes met mine.

"You yourself said that place is very dangerous Alex."

"It is, all the world right now is dangerous as well. But if we have the means to push back the darkness even a little bit shouldn't we?" I said asking her.

"You propose treating those there affected by the itching epidemic before they turn themselves over to the entity?" My she beast asked.

"Yes. Last time I was there I didn't really have a chance to search for Dongo or Doria."

"But it has been seven months pet."

"I know. I am also hoping that Sorren, Chemar and Cole are out there somewhere as well."

"Come." My fierce ursine warrior said cuddling me. "I will speak with Barq in the morning. We will make a decision then."

The next thing my brown bear heard was her exhausted little human snoring.

Alex Winter July 5, YOE 34