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Dual Realities

Chapter 5: The Impossible Is Just The Unthinkable Lying In Wait

March 8th YOE 35

5:35 PM (Counter Earth)

It is evening in World One and two knights and a little human who is on probation are walking through the Exeter Station neighborhood....

"So what do you think Alex?" My fierce ursine warrior asked turning her attention to me.

"It looks like a typical human encampment within the bowels of the city." I replied looking around at the brown and orange buildings that the second class citizens of World One were corralled in by the dominant population on the planet.

"Look deeper." The rat warrior who was with my mistress ordered me.

"I am afraid I don't get it." I replied.

"Through that alley is Exeter Station's Bazaar. Three blocks of shops and stores that service this community." Lady Ursa said to me.

"With the empire's crackdown on human movement and activities things like this have been appearing across the five cities." Lady Vermin said to me. "It is like a hyper local retail center within the basement."

"And you two are here to make sure the populace within isn't misbehaving?"

"Something like that pet." My she beast responded.

I noticed that the two knights of the empire were incognito this winter evening. Over their blue and yellow knight uniforms they were wearing dark full piece hooded jackets disguising who and what they are.

(Hmm.... very interesting.)

"Are you sure about this?" The rat warrior asked the bear warrior.

"Alex has been working hard to regain my trust and he has been making progress with his sessions with Sir Ram my lady."

"So that is why you have decided to let him accompany us while on our errands this evening?" Lady Vermin said to her fellow knight.

"I am right here you know!" I huffed listening to my overseers.

"What was that little human?" Lady Vermin said crossing her arms and looking at me neutral- faced.

"I mean thank you mistress." I replied adjusting my jacket and hat to the cool night air.

"AHEM!!" The rat warrior said correcting me.

"Mistresses." I replied bowing very respectfully to the two female knights. I know that it would be a while before I would completely re-earn my lady bear's trust, but small steps right? Who knows maybe I might even regain my consultant position with the knights? And then I might have the courage to look at my friends without feeling humiliated or embarrassed.

"Shall we go?" The rat lady asked.

I nodded.

"Don't fall behind pet." My bear warned me.

"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am." I said memorizing the corridor and cross alley we were standing in.

"Mmm... quite respectful. Even more so than usual." The rat lady observed.

"No he is just sucking up." My fierce ursine warrior said to her best friend. "This is the first time in a while I have let him out of the castle."

"Indeed. Now where did you say we could find that weapons sharpener?"

"I believe it was this way."

And so I followed the female warriors into the alley. The bazaar reminded me of a good old fashioned flea market on Gaia with aisles and aisles of booths and vendors, merchants, shop keepers and other entrepreneurs selling all types of wares. You name it, they had it. I would also suspect illicit items could be found here as well for the right price.

(So this was how humanity was coping since the rebellion's loss to the High Evolutionary over a year ago? Hey, what is going on over there?)

At a red tent there was small proprietor who appeared to be in his thirties, blond hair, youthful face- nicely groomed. It looked like he was coming back from break; I watched as he put back on his apron and re-entered his stand.

He then started staring at his cube; it had been flashing like he had received a message from someone. He read it. Then again as he tried to comprehend its meaning.

"The customer is ALWAYS right. Learn it, Live it. Remember it?" He said out loud as he lowered his cube he realized he indeed had a customer.

"Good evening madam." The proprietor said greeting a female bonobo who had stopped by his stand.

The female was rather tall for her species. She wore a long peach jacket with brown leggings. The jacket ran the length of her entire body. Given the time of year, it looked somewhat out of place. But so did the red bonnet she wore on her head. Her hair was a deep shade of black- parted down the middle.

She resembled a monkey with a narrow maw, two nostril slits for her nose, big lips and a grey complexion and a brow ridge above her eyes. But those eyes! They were dark and cut through him initially as the beastial studied him intently. But they became softer and warming as she realized that this was the person she had been searching for.

"Hmm... a little young but you will do." She said approaching the counter.

"Glad to hear that, how may I help you today?" The proprietor asked again.

"It is my understanding that this particular stand in this particular place sells some unique wares?" She said studying his face.

"If you mean tonics and potions for aliments that beastial science charges too much to fix you are right, um miss..."

"Buttons." She said pulling a device from her jacket pocket. She then pointed the scanning device at the blond human which seemed to be scanning more than the human's tracking chip. "Yes.... very, very good."

"Um, thank you. I am Louis." The shop keeper managed to say as the female beastial seemed to make an advance toward him.

"Well, Louis do you have a place where we can talk? Perhaps a private room?"

"Yes, of course this way." Louis escorted her to a small room, the red tent behind his stand which consisted of a bed, some drawers and a small wardrobe.

I realized he lived right behind his kiosk.

"My how quaint." The bonobo commented. "Your stand is also your domicile."

"Yes. Now how may I help you madam?" He couldn't quite put himself up to saying her name.

The beastial female rushed forward grabbing his arms and pinning him to the side of the small room.

"Well Mr. Louis you see I am frustrated." She continued.

The proprietor realized the female was quite stronger than he was. From my vantage point I think he made a conscious decision not to upset her.

"Well I think I might have a tonic or potion that may help with that. Is this frustration related to vocation, position, stature or class?" Louis asked.

"Sexual." The she beast said grinning broadly. "You see the genitalia on the males of my species are rather disappointing and do not excite me as compared to you humans."

Louis eyes went wide at the she beast's revelation.

(This conversation was starting to get interesting!)

"In fact it is believed by some that you and I have shared a common ancestor at some point and you humans gained something we lost."

The female bonobo observed Louis reaction as he came to realize that he WOULD BE her treatment for her sexual frustration. She returned the scanner to her pocket and pulled out something else- a clothes removal device, you know what happened next.

"But... madam!!"

*ZAP*

She studied the nude male in front of her for a moment.

"I can work with that." The female said removing her clothes. "Now come show me how endowed you humans are!!!"

In the next few moments there was a lot of shaking coming from the red tent followed by a primal scream.

I pulled back from my vantage point moving on to a stand next door. Those in the alley paid no attention to the sounds.

"Oh my you stuffed me like a pastry!!!" Buttons exclaimed.

"The customer is always right." Louis said as the beasital female licked his chest and kissed him rather passionately. "I can't help but wonder if you treat all merchants like this?"

"No. You satisfied a predefined set of criteria."

"Really? How's that?" Louis asked.

"You are a marginalized citizen, you were burned by the rebellion, decimated by the empire's crackdowns and are struggling financially. The fact you have no mate or children is proof of this. You also treated my condition to my satisfaction; you have earned my favor."

"Madam?" Louis started to say as the she beast cuddled him.

"As compensation I will offer you companionship and a way out of your poverty and oppression." She said smiling warmly at him.

"You would do that for me?" The proprietor lamented.

"You would become my personal screw toy."

"The customer is always right...." Louis said echoing the message he had read from his cube earlier.

(Wow, indecent proposal made and accepted.)

"Alex! Don't fall behind." My bear called out to me.

"Coming!" I replied running behind the female warriors still trying to process what I had just witnessed.

A half a block later I caught up to my overseers whom seemed to be in deep discussion with another proprietor of the bazaar.

"For you two knights, I will offer you a two for one deal." A black haired middle aged woman in a puffy grey blazer, orange shirt and brown pants said to my fierce ursine warrior.

"What is that?" Lady Vermin said leaning in as the woman whispered something only for the two of them to hear.

"You must be joking!" My she beast said crossing her arms.

"I am not, I will have you know my husband is the best weapons sharpener this side of the city. The price I quoted you is more than reasonable."

"It is not." The rat warrior huffed.

"It is."

"It isn't."

"It is."

(Okay... it looks like they are going to be at it for awhile.)

I decided to see what else was interesting on this block....

"I am sorry my friend, but death, is all around you." I heard a voice say to a blond haired man as I walked by a wooden crate flanked by a purple tent. "It is coming for you next."

"What type of physic reading is that?" He screamed. "You madam, are full of it!!"

(That conversation sounded very interesting...)

I just had to walk up to the purple tent where there was a prominent sign- Madam Olga's Psychic Truths. Your past studied, your present analyzed and your future foretold [not responsible for apocalyptic predictions.]

Inside was a rather large green ogre woman trying to calm down her client.

"I am sorry but no, it is not." She said to the man who had become crazed by what the psychic had told him. "Mr. Asi if I were you I would, get your affairs in order, make peace with your enemies and whatever deity you serve, ask for forgiveness of those you wronged, forgive those that have wronged you and if there is anything you want to say to your family, the time is NOW."

The man appeared to be slightly older than me. His face looked like it has been frozen in a scream as if he were in a panic. But then again he just found out that he was going to die... soon.

"Excuse me miss Olga- wasn't that rather harsh?" I asked as he put on his long grey jacket and orange wool hat and departed past me at blinding speed, he didn't leave any compensation for her services let alone a tip.

"That fortune reading was. But madam Olga tells it like it is- blond haired human would not appreciate being lied to if he had so little time left. Besides now he has chance to say goodbye to friends and family instead of not."

"Gee. I guess that makes sense." I said watching her previous client disappear into the crowd. The green woman brought me back to the present.

"And how are you doing this fine evening my friend?"

"Wondering what a huge ogre lady nearly twice my size is doing at a human bazaar like this?" I started to reply to the female humanoid who had two distinct canines protruding from her jawline. She had red markings over her eyes, large ears, a large belly and she wore a long brown robe. "For a winter's afternoon, say aren't you a little underdressed?"

"We ogres don't let the weather bother us as much unlike humans." She said smiling at me. "Would little freckled boy like to have fortune told?"

"It's Alex. And after seeing your last customer I am not so sure madam Olga."

"Really? It could be destiny that you and I were supposed to meet at this moment. Right here. Right now." She said locking her eyes on me.

"Well, I still don't know..." I said looking her up and down. "Most fortune tellers are just flimflam artists... and I received a reliable fortune a few years back...and..."

"And it is quite hard to weed out the good ones from the bad ones." She said completing my sentence for me. "I know what you are going to say- wow, that is incredible, how did you know what I was thinking?"

"Um, yeah."

"Madam Olga knows all and sees all. Well beyond what can commonly be seen. For instance, freckled boy has an itch bothering him that he can't scratch."

I was intrigued.

"Okay Madam Olga. I have some time. Tell me my fortune!" I said eagerly to the large ogre woman.

"Excellent! This way!" She said stepping inside of the purple tent.

I followed the green ogre lady into the interior of her purple tent to a round table with the typical crystal ball on it. On either side were two finely constructed chairs made of brown wood, nicely padded- they looked they had been hand crafted and from Counter Earth's past.

"I like the dacore...." I said looking around. "The outside gave no clue as to the size on the inside."

"Yes now have a seat." She ordered me removing her robe. "No, not there. Over here."

I just stared at her. The big green ogre woman was practically nude underneath that robe!! She had tan unkempt hair, elf ears with circular gold plated earrings, big hips, a bulgy belly, a few scars here and there and bandages on her fore arms and fore legs.

(What did I get myself into?!)

The most shocking thing though was her naughty bits- her tear shaped breasts were bandaged in a criss-crossed like a plus symbol over her tits and her vaginal opening had a vertical strip of tape over its length. Save for all that she might as well been naked.

I kept staring. She wanted me to come sit with her?! Really?

"Come, sit down now. I assure you that it is strictly professional; I prefer more intimate reading with my customers."

(Um, yeah sure.)

So I sat down in her chair... with her. Of course I was extremely uncomfortable. But she soon put me at ease. She removed all my clothing down to my underwear. She then had me rest my head upon her chest and locked me in with her thighs as she prepared to start my very personal, personal reading. One of her hands found my chest and the other my shoulder.

"Now Madam Olga wants you to remain completely quiet; do not give slightest hint or acknowledgement positive or negative about readings. I like to discover truths on my own." The ogre woman said rubbing my chest.

I nodded and relaxed as the tips of her fingers ran through my skin massaging, probing seeking information about my story:

"There is some mystique about you. Your hora is quite different from any I have felt before... most different... wait, you are not from around here..."

"Well, yes and no." I started to say before she shushed me.

"You resonate differently from anyone human or beastial I have ever read before. I would even go as far to say that you are an off-worlder. No, beyond that. Your energy is entwined with that of another- your lover. You have been with that person for at least five years which tells me you haven't returned to your place of origin... or you can't and have chosen to stay making your home here on this planet...."

(Well damn! She learned all that from my hora?)

I started to say something in violation of our professional agreement when her hands moved down to my genitals where she immediately started massaging, rubbing and groping.

"Hmm... your testicles are enlarged and your penis is rather smooth. You have a slight case of blue balls which would indicate a lack of sex and intimacy with your significant other. Possibly a fallout from a disagreement, argument or fight." She said as she continued to knead my scrotum. "You seem to be eager to move past the incident, the issue of contention; to get back to normal. But your partner isn't quite there yet."

(Who is this ogre woman? How is it that she can read me like a book just by analyzing my body?!)

"Your energy is uneasy, inconsistent and erratic. Which would indicate that you are concerned about your present and worried about your future." She said moving on to my flanks and then gluteal folds. "Hmm... this area has been injured, damaged and healed repeatedly. You have received some form of punishment or corrective therapy." She concluded. "Since you are an adult and not a youngling, could this have been for possibly running a fowl of those who have dominion over you?"

That was then I looked up at her.

"Yes, yes madam Olga has tendency to ramble. Enough with the past and present you are here to have your fortune read."

With that the enigmatic ogre lady moved her hands to my shoulders, neck and then head rubbing, stroking and kneading.

"Hmm... I am having trouble seeing your future." She said abruptly.

"After all that you are kidding right?" I said looking up at her.

She reached toward an arm rest on her chair and it immediately starting burning sage. A pleasant aroma soon filled the purple tent.

"Alright close your eyes and let me concentrate. I see... I see... that you and your lover will face a number of challenges in the near term. You will also resolve an outstanding mystery that has been bothering you for the past year."

(Well, I have been wondering about the day of my judgement as the High Evolutionary was about to announce my sentence I seem to recall the castle was being over run- by the rebellion, the KLIS, or was it ONE? We were on the verge of loosing the empire I think and then.... and then... I don't recall. That was the itch I couldn't scratch.)

"Ultimately you will reconcile with your lover and she will allow you to be inside her once again- twice a day or more."

Hearing that was a relief, Lady Ursa would eventually forgive me for my actions that caused me to be judged and punished by the dictator and my blue balls would finally subside!!

(Oh happy day!)

"I also see something else... something further... another future.... It doesn't make sense... another home far from here.... two lovers.... an extended family.... a civilization which will be threatened by what you think at first is an old adversary...."

"Really? Is this one of those choose your own adventure stories?" I asked looking up at her.

"No, they are both occurring at the same time. Like as if they were two different branches from one path or a river that split into two streams. How can that even be remotely possible?"

(What now?)

"Will I over come the obstacles there too, in that second future?" I asked the ogre woman.

"I can't... see beyond that. I don't know."

"If that other future goes wrong will it affect my other or vise versa?"

"Again little human... I just don't know. I think they are independent of each other. I don't even know how that is possible." Came the vague response.

"You said that I have a second lover... in that other future? That is odd, while I have had trysts from time to time, that was only due to circumstance; in the long run there has only been my mistress."

"A bear woman?"

"Yes. madam Olga, now about that second lover- who is it?"

"Is very hard to read like trying to discern details of an island from across a vast ocean. Or observe the surface of another world from across the cosmos. It looks like a female feline. A lynx, puma or perhaps a tigress?"

"I know of a lioness- my healer but she is seeing someone else. Besides she is just a friend." I said standing up from the chair. I then turned to face her and those green knockers of hers.

"I know what you are thinking, but that is all I can see at the moment Alex."

"Please, try again I pleaded. I am clairvoyant myself- but I can only see a few seconds into the future."

The ogre had me turn to face her upon which she embraced me mashing my face into the area between her cleavage as she ran her hands up and down my back, shoulders, neck and behind.

"Nothing further." She said ending the session. "I am sorry."

"Well thank you for... um... trying." I replied reclothing.

"Freckled boy is most welcome. Madam Olga is one of the premiere shop owners of bazaar." She said as she reclothed.

"You mean the humans in this neighborhood allowed you to set up business here? Interesting."

"Look at me boy, I am neither beastial or human." She growled.

She was right she was rather something in-between the green skin, lack of claws, paws or a tail. She did have a lower jaw and protruding canines though.

"So you are more of an independent? So miss independent how much for your services this evening?"

"They are free if you could help me and the other shop owners with something."

(Uh oh, here it cums, I mean comes...)

"I am listening."

"From time to time I mediate disputes between the other entrepreneurs. But recently members of this community have started receiving strange messages. some suggestive, some warnings and others are down right threatening."

"Have you Olga?"

"No. Not yet but is only matter of time. Community is on edge and knights don't seem to care. Perhaps those that came with you could look into this for a nice please and thank you? If so reading is free."

(She knew I didn't come alone? Of course she did.)

"No promises, but l will see if I can persuade them. I have to go now too..." I replied bowing.

Returning to the alley outside the purple tent I found Lady Ursa and Lady Vermin pretty much where I had left them.

"I think we received a good deal." The rat warrior replied.

"The minute that shop keeper's husband saw us, he dropped his price." My fierce ursine warrior added.

"It was probably when he noticed our uniforms." The rat said. "Or when you said that he looked very familiar. Either way it was a very devious tactic."

"Indeed and what have you been up to pet?" My perfect person asked turning her attention to me.

"I was visiting with a friendly ogre lady who was reading fortunes."

"Anything interesting little human?" Lady Vermin asked as she and my mistress gave me their full attention.

"She saw two futures in her reading occurring at the same time."

"My that is a rather odd." The rat warrior replied.

"But what is more interesting is what is happing to shop owners here in the bazaar."

"Go on pet."

"She then told me that members of the community have been receiving ominous even threatening messages, notes and warnings." I said to the warrior bear and rat.

"Do they know from who?" Lady Vermin asked crossing her arms.

"No. But many are alarmed and disturbed. It is disrupting life here. Several requests have been made to the knight core. But they have been ignored."

"Now that you mentioned it, I remember Lord Tiger talking about it." The female rat said.

"Quite the mystery." My fierce ursine warrior said placing her paw to her chin. "I suppose we should investigate while we are here."

"Yeah pretty much." I said grabbing my left elbow with my right hand. "It would put the inhabitants here at ease and may even put the knight core in a better light."

"And if we can I suppose Alex's psychic reading he just received will be discounted?" The rat warrior said.

I nodded. "Yeah that too."

So we started to interview the shop owners, merchants, vendors and entrepreneurs of the bazaar- Olga knew a few who had been targeted.

Olga introduced us to a old short black haired woman several aisles over who sold extravagant hand woven rugs. She had been targeted.

"A note? Why how primitive." The rat warrior said receiving a scraggly strip of paper with burnt in lettering on it.

I know what you did this past Tuesday. If you don't tell, I will and others will know too. A lie no matter what size diminishes us all.

"Tell whom about what?" Lady Ursa said scanning the woman's tracking chip.

The woman grew horrified as she realized someone knew about a dark secret she was hiding. She immediately cast her eyes downward.

"If you choose not to aid in our investigation, there are other ways to extract what we want from you." The rat warrior said removing her service weapon. She then casually adjusted the setting on it right in front of the vendor.

The merchant trembled and then responded. "I cheated on my husband! But no one knows about it! I was extremely careful!" She said blushing.

"Perhaps not careful enough." My warrior bear said staring her down.

"Regardless, it is not an offense against our master or the empire." Lady Vermin said holstering her service weapon.

"But a personal manner that should be addressed before it is made much worse." My warrior bear said taking an image of the note on her communicator.

The female warriors next questioned a florist who showed them a message she received on her pad.

I know you know that you don't love your husband...

"That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard!!" The woman in the orange blazer said. That was when the rat warrior shot her with the truth ray setting on her service weapon. "I married him for his position and stature; he lifted me out of the rut I was in!"

"And the truth will set your free." The rat said to the bear.

"Sounds like a mail order bride." I said to my overseers.

The female warriors looked at me.

"It was a type of arrangement on my world where adult males could purchase their wives." I said. "And the females use the males as a stepping stone to a better life."

"Interesting and it seems the practice is also here on Counter Earth." Lady Vermin replied.

"Again it is not a transgression against the empire. Just a desperate act of second class citizens. I can see why the knights ignored this." The brown bear replied.

As Lady Ursa and Lady Vermin continued to question more vendors of the bazaar the magnitude of what was happing became increasingly clear.

This is not yours to have....

"My that is quite a blatant statement." Lady Vermin said to the trembling food vendor.

"My, madam knight did I mention that you look rather ravishing this evening? Your tail glistens in the sun light." The man said.

"Compliments aside, do you know the meaning of this note?" The rat smiled evilly.

"Um..."

"I have a device that will make you tell the truth." She said placing a paw finger underneath the man's chin. "Whether you want to or not."

"I am not an incumbent food operator! In fact this is my first business! I lied to obtain this spot for my stand! In fact I took it from some else who was better qualified!" The man said flailing his arms.

"And now your secret is exposed." The bear warrior said starring down the vendor.

"Yes I guess it is. But despite my humiliation and embarrassment, my transgression is of little interest to the empire? Right? Right?" He said smiling uneasily as the two beastial warriors loomed over him.

"Then why were you hesitant to tell us?" I asked.

"It was just an act of someone who is desperate trying to get ahead." Lady Vermin said. "Perhaps I should zap him anyway to see what other embarrassing truths he knows?"

A big sweat drop appeared on the vendor's head. He was wondering if he was going to be shaken down by the female knights for anything further.

"Um...." The man trembled nervously.

"Like what is the ACTUAL price for three corn dogs with everything on them?"

"I think what my overseer is saying is that she would like to purchase our dinner from you for a fair price." I said trying to take the edge off of the tension the man was feeling.

And so while the female warriors were eating, I popped the obvious question.

"It appears someone is trying to control those who are here through threats and intimidation. Oh, this is very good!" The rat warrior said to me.

"But how deep does this go and who is behind this?" I asked the female beastials.

"We should continue questioning the victims." My lady bear said as her ears started twitching. Lady Vermin's did the same.

"Mistress?"

"I hear something." My she beast said shushing me.

Nearby....

"Here. You can have these back, with my sincerest apologies." A masked person in a long coat, wearing grey sweater, with black pants and very worn boots replied.

"But why?" A female merchant in a long yellow coat, with worn boots asked.

The thief showed her a note he had received on his cube.

We should do our best not to attract the knights attention for any reason....

"I think what it is saying is one bad act diminishes us all; I heard from a weapons sharpener that the knight core is here in the bazaar."

"And what act might that be?" A fierce brown bear said appearing behind him.

*ZAP*

"You will remain here until you tell us human." The rat lady said showing him the paralysis setting on her weapon.

"Well...."

"It was a robbery. I suppose I had some things he couldn't afford to purchase or barter for so he stole them." The merchant replied to the two knights.

"But I brought them back!!" The thief protested.

"He was motivated by this note." The shop keeper said handing it to me.

"Well now theft is a punishable offense." Lady Vermin said giddily.

"Looks like you will not have to worry about your financial standing for a while- because you are going to be prisoner of Castle Wundagore!" The bear cackled.

"But I undid what I had done!!" He whined.

"Stealing is stealing." The rat said scritching him on his chin. "Since our master's complete and utter victory against the rebellion he has also increased the punishment for crimes committed by second class citizens."

"Wait!! Wait!! You are going to haul me in for such a minuscule crime when another of more severity has just taken place?"

I traded glances with the female warriors.

"What are you talking about?" I asked the man.

"I could show you if you would do me a favor...."

"GRRR... No promises." The brown bear grumbled.

The man led the three of us to an isolated alley at the tail end of the bazaar at the far end of the basement. There underneath a pile of containers was a human hand sticking out.

All three of us then looked at the thief. "I noticed it while on my rounds."

Lady Vermin carefully sorted the boxes to see who was underneath. It was the remains of madam Olga's customer Mr. Asi.

"This is recent." The rat warrior said looking at Lady Ursa and I.

Meanwhile at Madam Olga's Psychic Truths....

The ogre woman was tidying up her purple tent from her most recent reading when her crystal ball started flashing. As the green female approached, she saw a message.

You have a unique ability and a fantastic gift. You shouldn't be wasting it on the insignificant....

The female knights' investigations continued late into the evening. I waited by the white prototype as additional forces from Castle Wundagore converged on the area and every human in the bazaar was interviewed including a particular female ogre.

"Why not use your psychic gift to for your own prosperity?" The rat warrior asked madam Olga."

"Because I can only see others' futures not mine." She responded as the beastial warrior took additional notes.

*Mr. Winter I have a incoming message for you.* The automated assistant said alerting me.

"Put it through."

*There is no audio. Only text.*

I opened the dome of the white coupe and sat down in the passenger seat to look at the message in the upper left monitor:

You are seeking answers to dark questions you have only just begun to ask; the psychic didn't tell you, but the relief you seek is much closer than you would believe....

Like madam Olga and the rest at the merchant community I also had been targeted.

"Who is it from?" I asked the automated assistant.

*Unknown Mr Winter.*

To Be Continued....

[MEANWHILE]

March 8th YOE 35

5:35 PM (Chaundoon)

At a tall tree in the wilderness far and away from safety and security of World Seven....

*Careful Alex.*

"I am being careful Feleen just hold Attack Beast steady while I finish up and then you can run the final checks on the communications relay." I said standing on the roof of the black utility vehicle. "Mistress you have been silent."

"Just taking in the view pet." My perfect person said eyeing a four eyed purple canid that was watching her in the distance.

*Are you sure you are not just missing your daughter Lady Ursa?*

"No Boris and Shakara are looking after her while we are away." The warrior bear said to the sentinel controlling the black utility vehicle.

"Then what is it mistress?"

"This planet has a weird, but unique beauty all its own Alex."

"Oh?" I questioned my perfect person while trying not damage our big project of the day.

"Instead of the familiar blue skies with white clouds, green flora and familiar fauna- you have these varying multi-colored skies, bird beasts, botanical beings, aquatic beasts, aggressive insects, faeries, sprites, mud creatures, other unfamiliar fauna, gigantic mushrooms, two suns and four moons." The mother bear said continuing.

"And then there are the other anomalies- tiered rock platforms, bizarre vegetation and the 36 hour days." I commented as I finished working on the black cylindrical communication relay which was about half my height.

"But you know what pet? It has become home."

"When did that happen?" I said jumping down from the roof of the utility vehicle.

** **** *I think it was a few months ago when...*** Feleen observed.

"Lady Ursa, Shakara and I became Lady Ursa, Shakara, Boris, Beatrice and I. An extended family."

"Yes." My she beast said placing her paw on my shoulder as we took in the view of a huge rift valley in the distance and a large cloud moving overhead. "Although Beatrice's birth was the most difficult thing I have experienced."

"That may be true, but as a result- I now I have three bears and a lioness to look after."

The female beastial gave me a smirk after my wry attempt at humor.

"Ok Feleen the pole is secure, the height should be acceptable- run your tests. If this works we will be able to communicate with World Seven while out in the field as well as the other prototypes."

*Diagnostics complete. The relay is operational.*

"In other words, we are as ready as we will ever be." I said to my fierce ursine warrior.

"Ok Feleen establish a connection with Overwatch."

*Right away Lady Ursa. Hmm... it's not working. Retrying.*

"What is the problem?" I asked as the former sentinel tried to reach the automated assistant of the blue prototype.

*Everything checks out, but I can't send or receive a signal.*

"Gez what gives?"

"The atmospheric properties on this world appear to be different from that of Counter Earth." The female bear said looking at the blank viewscreen in the center of the dashboard.

"Great another setback. Why won't short and long range communications work on Chaundoon?" I said annoyed.

*What if we increase the height of the relay?*

"Well we are pretty high off the ground now Feleen how much higher can we go?"I replied admiring the view.

*How about there?*

"Oh my!" Lady Ursa said drawing my attention to the cloud formation that was moving over the valley.

"What the what?! Is that, no! It can't be! A city in the clouds?! How is that even possible?!" I exclaimed.

"On this world it some how is pet." My she beast said.

"It is a shame Corbin, Dawn, Theresa and Oliver are away. This would be right up their alley." I blurted out.

*I suppose it is up to us then.*

"Feleen?"

*Since our archeological team is out there some where and we have no way of telling them about this....*

"Well at the very least we can see if the relay would function from that height mistress." I said smiling at her.

So I quickly disassembled the structure, placed it in the rear of Attack Beast. A moment afterward I joined my mistress inside of the front cab as we took off to investigate the mysterious city in the clouds.

"Feleen continuous scans." I ordered.

"Pet." Lady Ursa warned as we approached.

**Alex, Attack Beast does not have that capability. You are thinking of the prototypes.* *

"Right. What about short range sensors?"

*The structures we are seeing don't conform to any design I have ever seen.*

"They appear to be sky scrapers from the ground up but instead of pointy tops they are oval shaped." The bear knight said.

"Kind of like a ufos on a stick." I added.

*From what I can tell the structures are solid; what we are seeing is not a reflection or illusion.*

"Mistress that dome over there. Let's land on it and try our luck there."

Carefully we chose one of the smaller sky scrapers- landing on its saucer like top. I exited the utility vehicle, pulled the communications relay from the rear and started reassembling it.

"The view is amazing; I think I can even see World Seven Alex."

"Which means that we are pretty high up." I concluded.

*Lady Ursa, Alex Winter. I don't recommend prolonged testing.* The automated assistant warned.

"Why Feleen?"

*The air is thin here.*

"Acknowledged. I feel a little light headed now. Alex how much longer?"

"We are good mistress. Feleen run your tests."

*I have a faint signal.*

"What is the range?" I asked.

*About a mile and a half.*

"That is worthless." I said to my silent she beast.

*GRR...*

"Mistress?"

"Alex, Feleen we do have something." The fierce ursine warrior said turning her attention to a spire like structure that abruptly rose from the center of the saucer.

*What is that madam knight?*

"Company." She said pointing at a doorway that appeared from the spire.

Inside were what appeared to be multicolored gum drops- large ones. They looked like some thing between a gel and slime. But unlike Addy they had a single eye, small antennae and goopy, gloppy limbs that could retract and disappear within their body and then reappear.

The beings stared at us before 'stepping' outside the spire.

"Feleen has Manderine ever made mention of a sky city on this world or creatures that inhabit a city in the sky?"

*I am afraid not Alex.* The former sentinel said as the creatures, six in total made there way towards us.

"Then we are in a initial contact situation." Lady Ursa said calmly as we were surrounded. "Alex, Feleen make no sudden moves."

To Be Continued....