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Counter Earth Chronicles - Dual Realities

Chapter 17: Sometimes The People You Think You Know The Best Are Those You Don't Know At All

March 24th YOE 35

8:22 AM Great Marsh (Chaundoon)

A small medical team from World Seven is offering aid assistance to those in need....

Chief medical officer's log. At the behest of my subordinates, I have decided to start working in the field to witness what the locals are calling 'the crazy' first hand.

This morning I am part of an away team visiting the Great Marsh to offer assistance to the tree folk a tribe of plant people our civilization has become acquainted with. The infirmary has received word that some sort of sickness is making its way through their population. We have come to offer assistance.

Also accompanying me is the newest addition to my medical staff Shaman Psi of the sand folk. He is unlike any other individual I have ever met- you see he is a re-animated statue. He never had a mother or father. He is knowledgable and wise most likely from his life experience. I keep asking him his age. He won't tell me saying it would freak me out, I just assume that he is ageless. Regardless- he is quite handsome to look at, his black bottom wear, grey scales, perfectly chiseled chest, beautiful smile and eyes that I could just get lost in for ages...

_Ahem, rounding out our group is Mattimeo Duchess Jua's personal guard and our escort for today's mission. He is short, but professional, bold and confident. If the duchess trusts him with her life I guess I can too... _

"Well here it is the Great Marsh." Mattiemo said as the trio arrived at their destination.

"Yick."

"You seem underwhelmed Penny." Psi said to the third companion of this away team.

"It is a swamp- a very large, damp and wet one." The head of medical said surveying the landscape. The size and scope was massive- almost rivaling the huge lake near World Five on Counter Earth.

"Hence the name." Their short guard announced. "I mean, I detect movement!"

The three watched a patch of plants right in front of them assemble into a female humanoid form of green vines, leaves, twigs and moss.

"Halt! What is your business here?" The plant creature asked. Her yellow eyes fixating on the she penguin.

"Yes, we came from the infirmary in World Seven. We heard you tree folk have an outbreak of some sort." The she penguin replied.

"Two sand dragons and a whatever you are- that is all that was sent?" The plant creature said quite indignantly.

"Yes." Shaman Psi said stepping forward.

"We are here to offer aid and assistance." Mattimeo said.

"But if you think you can handle it on your own we will leave." Psi added.

"We traveled a ways to get here and there is a event my tribe is conducting this afternoon I am thinking about attending." Penny said piling on.

"No! Please forgive my rudeness." The plant creature said back-paddling. "I am Laurel. Please! This way."

The she creature led the trio through the green water to a shoreline where more of its kind lived. There were numerous walking trees, shrubs, bushes and vine creatures of all sorts and their pets; the tribe was quite large.

"Wow, a walking mushroom!" Penny said as she was shushed by Psi.

"Here me! Those who are injured! The healers have arrived!"

The away team was surrounded by the weak, sick and injured- it looked to be about a third of the tribe.

"Wow! Um, yeah, I will be over here." Mattimeo announced.

"Coward." Psi said glaring at their guard.

"Where do we even begin?" Penny asked looking around trying to figure out how to triage all before her.

"With the youngest." The grey dragon said gesturing to a scary looking parent whom looked like a walking tree with green leaves for a face and chest. He had a young child about half his size he was quite concerned about.

"I am amazed at the diversity of life there is on this world." Penny said observing the grey scaled sand dragon as he examined their first patient.

"Now hold still." Shaman Psi said to the youngling.

Nervous and unsure if the penguin and grey dragon were there to help the child stuck out his arm.

"Penny, come and look at this."

"Why are the vines on its arm faded, withered and all brown?" The she penguin said joining her colleague.

"His arm." The sand dragon said correcting her.

"Sorry I can't tell the males from the females- all the tree folk look the same to me." The she penguin replied.

"You really need to get outside your office more often." Psi said correcting her.

"My subordinates have been saying that for some time."

"You think perhaps it is true?"

"Yeah." The penguin said trying not to get lost in the bare chested healer's handsome physique, dashing good looks and beautiful smile... what did he say again?

"Penny this is worst case of rot that I have seen."

"Any idea on how to treat it Psi?"

"Well with the tree folk we can cut away the dead portions and hopefully the rest will grow back. Hopefully."

The shaman's comment drew winces from the crowd and many concerned looks.

"Are you sure madam?" Their guard asked skeptically of another member of the tribe. "Thanks. I will add it to our report. We will do our best."

"Find something Mattimeo?" Penny asked.

"I did. A few of the tree folk are reporting disappearances similar to Kiwi Goodfellow's." The yellow dragon announced. "The most recent happened early this morning. Witnesses heard a WUUUD sound. When dawn came they noticed several in their clan were missing."

"That is correct." Laurel replied. "Only one of the missing has returned."

"When did this start?" Psi asked.

"A week ago." The chief of the tree folk replied as the line of patients continued to advance.

"We better alert knight command when we get back. There has to be a pattern to these disturbances; something we are not seeing." Penny said placing her flipper to her beak.

"Yes there is, the balance is off." Mattimeo and Psi said in unison.

"What does that exactly mean?" The head of medical asked as she noticed that she, Mattimeo, Psi and the child they were examining had started floating as if the gravity in their immediate area had simply been turned off.

The sand dragons looked left and right. It appeared every thing and every body in the marsh was floating.

"What in the world?!" Laurel exclaimed.

"I hate the unexplained." Mattimeo grumbled.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Penny asked.

"Never, this is quite bizarre." Psi said grabbing the youngling.

"It is like everything is topsy turvy, inside out and backwards." Mattimeo shouted as the boy's parent extended his branch arms grabbing the trio to prevent them from floating away.

The tree folk used their vines to fasten themselves and their guests on to anything not aloft to keep themselves from floating away.

"There has to be some reasonable explanation for this!" Penny shouted.

"We call it the crazy." Laurel replied.

"Yeah, so I have heard!" The head of medical shouted as she realized her team were going to be late returning to World Seven.

_9:34 AM Mushroom Forest.... _

*KRAK*

*BOOM*

"It really is amazing! How long has this storm been here?" Corey asked his wolf.

"....two weeks...."

"That is really unnatural." The black haired teen remarked from the ground entrance to Nino's warren.

"....down...." Rumble pushed his teen as another lightening bolt struck the ground radiating in all directions.

*FLASH*

"I don't get it no lightening storm stays for that length in time!" The teen said.

Rumble gave Corey a 'are you for real?' glare.

"Yeah right this is Chaundoon."

The two returned to the warren where they found Nino in a room near the burrow painting.

"The storm has not left?" The ogre-lion asked the pair.

"No." The teen said to their host.

"...refuses to leave..." The were-creature snorted.

"Hey whatcha doing?" Corey asked.

The green being with the slightly muscular physique, with a feline looking face, red eyes, orange mane, dark shirt, dark shorts, white vest, long arms, a pronounced jawline with two fangs and slightly hunched stance was holding a small palate of colors and finger painting.

"This? I am adding to the tribal mural. It is the visual history of my clan."

"So it is like a history book?" The teen asked.

"...art style is quite distinctive..." Rumble rumbled.

"I would call it somewhat of a transitionary period from abstract to impressionist." Corey replied sounding like an eccentric critic in a very high end art gallery.

Rumble rewarded his boy for the snarky remark.

*WHAP*

"OW!" The teen said rubbing his head. "I mean would you be so kind to tell us about it?"

"Sure, why not." The ogre-lion replied.

He placed his paint gently on the ground and walked to the left side of the wall and the start of the mural.

Corey and Rumble sat down and made themselves comfortable.

"My clan traces its creation to a celestial event. Long, long ago when this world was fairly young, Chaundoon was visited by a comet. The comet brushed by this planet raining particles of sky matter. The particles that reached the ground became the first members."

Rumble started wagging his tail as Nino continued.

"The first members settled on the far side of the world where water was plentiful, food was abundant and the weather was mild. They stayed there for many generations. Until one day 'the change' happened; the weather turned inhospitable, there was a drought that lasted for years- crops failed, our prey left, there was hunger, thirst and even disease.

The first members realized that they could no longer stay in their ancestral home." The ogre-lion said pointing to an image of many individuals wandering that symbolized a mass migration.

"So they left traveling through the wilderness, facing many challenges and dangers along the way ultimately finding this forest where they settled forming a colony where water and prey were abundant." Nino said moving from image to image across the mural. "This is where my tribe made their home today until the great disappearances."

"Where everyone in your tribe disappeared." Corey said stepping in.

"Yes. Over the years many have recorded our history on this wall. But since I am the last of my kind...."

"...it is your responsibility..." Rumble concluded.

Corey and Rumble looked at the new images Nino was painting it was of them arriving at the warren.

"Thank you for sharing your story." Corey said to their host. "There has to be some reasonable explanation for what has happened."

"Our prey has disappeared too." The ogre-lion said turning to his guests. "Perhaps this is another indication that it is time to..."

"Time to what?" The teen asked. "Nino?"

"...Corey..."

The two looked at the ogre-lion his eyes had this weird glazed glossy look.

"Nino are you okay?" Corey asked again.

"...nino...?" Rumble said looking at Corey.

The ogre-lion looked like he was in some type of trance- state....

"Rumble look out!"

*SWIPE*

*ROAR*

The creature slashed at the were-creature who managed to dodge the attack. It then charged toward the teen who stepped aside at the last second before hitting a wall.

*KRASH*

"What got in to him?"

"...what exactly..."

The two looked at Nino who was lying on the ground. He seemed so still.

"Nino? Are you alright?"

"...doubtful..."

"Yeah, I know he attacked us for no reason at all." The teen said standing over their host. "He looks like he is hurt really bad."

"...what should we do...?

No sooner had the question been asked. The pair received their answer.

*WUUUUUDDDDD*

The last remaining member of the ogre-lion tribe disappeared right in front of the teenager and his werewolf.

"The hell?!" Corey said looking around as Rumble sniffed the air.

"...he's gone..."

"But where?"

11:16 AM Central Tower World Seven....

The ruler of the sand folk Duchess Jua and King Dragon, the ruler of the combined kingdom, entered the council chamber. Our king was wearing black pants, a blue shirt and red robe with white highlights that hid his bandages. Duchess Jua was wearing a white dress, with a red cape a small golden tiara and shoulder pads. She reminded me of a ancient warrior queen of yore.

In front of the power couple sat the rest of the colony council Shira, Song, Gia, Basil, Masha and Haem. To the immediate right sat Chemar, Ripple and myself still nursing our wounds from our encounter with the savage warriors of the Kenja pride of the S'mar nation. Ripple's torso was completely bandaged where she had been impaled. Chemar had some internal injuries including some broken ribs while I was the luckiest of the three receiving a sprained arm.

"Bring in the prisoners!" Basil grumbled.

My perfect person brought in my assailant who looked better than his companions.

"Now this is what I really wanted!" The feline warrior said eyeing my mistress up and down. "You would have made a wonderful opponent!" He grinned quite arrogantly not that meatball.

"But that meatball beat you fair and square at your game." She said pushing the bound warrior forward.

"ALEX WINTER!!!" Axe grumbled.

I frowned as he entered the room.

Lady Barq picked up and seated the next feline warrior- the bandaged Spear whom medical some how put back together after his battle with Ripple.

"You creature look interesting I would have love fighting you to the death."

"Maybe, when you are healed." The badger warrior said forcing him to stand next to Axe. "That is unless Ripple finishes you first."

Commander Rhinox brought the final defendant in to stand before the council- Club who was in a full body cast. The leader of the crew was lucky to be alive after having a utility vehicle dropped on him.

"Let this meeting between the combined kingdom and sand folk versus the Kenja pride begin." Ms. Masha announced.

"What is this?" Club asked looking around the council chambers.

"A real trial, not the one that you staged against our away team." Shira said standing.

"Why hello gorgeous!" Axe said making a pass at the sabertooth tigress.

She cut her eyes at him.

"You three are accused of attacking three of our own who were on patrol." Gia said addressing the savage warriors.

"Those three of your own were causing chaos and destruction." Spear countered.

"Do you have any evidence of that?" Song asked him.

"Oh hello." Spear said sexing the female chakat with his eyes. "Look around, do you not see what is happening?!"

"We do but we are not the cause of it." Basil said addressing him.

"Really and how do you know that?" Club asked.

"When did you arrive on this world?" Spear asked.

"Six months ago." Haem mimed.

The multi-eyed octopus monster seemed to have unnerved the three on trial.

"What did it say?" Spear asked.

"Six months ago." Duchess Jua said standing.

"And when did the disruptions start?" Club asked grinning.

"A few months ago." I replied.

"I may be just a primitive savage in your eyes, but I do understand cause and effect."

"And you used this conjectural evidence to judge and punish three individuals who you did not know." Commander Rhinox snorted angrily.

"Three individuals who were trying to help the suffering." Lady Ursa added.

"As we all are trying to do." Lady Barq replied grinding her teeth.

"By who's authority?" Axe asked quite indignantly.

"King Dragon and Duchess Jua." Masha said as the two monarchs stared them down.

"We do not recognize your leaders." Spear said.

"To us you are nothing but invaders." Axe added. "Savages."

"Takes one to know one!" Rippled shouted.

"The pot calling the kettle black." I muttered under my breath.

Time seemed to halt as King Dragon, Duchess Jua, the council members, the knights and dragon defenders interrogated the savage warriors. Well, that was what it was supposed to be. In reality everyone was throwing insults at the bound, nude warriors who were throwing them right back.

At the conclusion Axe, Club and Spear started to realize that their self righteous crusade may have been grievously miscalculated and unfounded.

"So what should be done with them?" Song asked.

"Throw them into the deepest darkest pit and let them starve." Basil suggested.

"Perhaps we should ask their victims?" Gia said.

"What do you think Ripple?" I asked turning to her.

My question was met with grumbling, then growling.

"Huh?"

In fact all the sand folk present were growling. Two of the S'mar warriors on trial did too.

"Duchess?" Sorren said looking at his beloved. Her eyes were glazed over and she did not respond.

"It is the crazy!" Axe said panning the room before looking at Spear and Club who were behaving in the same way as the sand folk were.

That was when the duchess and Ripple leaped from their seats to join the rest of the sand folk in attendance to attack Spear, Axe and Club in an all out brawl.

King Dragon, the council members, the medical team and the knight core received a front row seat to 'the crazy' that was affecting this planet.

[MEANWHILE]

March 24, YOE 35

8:22 AM World One (Counter Earth)

"Penny what is your estimated time of arrival?" The Blue kobold on the view screen of her rescue vehicle demanded.

"I am about six minutes away chief." The she penguin announced.

"This is a bad one. I need you there now."

"Right stepping on it."

The scene of the accident was a hilly neighborhood in the northwest side of the city. As she arrived on scene the medic observed two heavily damaged vehicles one was a grey sedan which now resembled an accordion, the second was a brown hatchback with severe rear end damage.

As Penny parked. She observed that the occupants of both had exited their vehicles. There was brown hammer cock checking in on blond haired adult male who appeared to be in his thirties, tired looking face green sweater, dark green pants and red body length coat just laying on the ground.

"He needs help!" The avian shouted to Penny as she exited her emergency vehicle.

The medic quickly removed her emergency pack and her med scanner. She ran it over the blond haired man.

"He is out cold. Slight concussion." The she penguin announced.

"He is lucky that is all he received! That mad man came over that hill back there and crashed right in to me he did!" The avian announced. "Wrecked my vehicle and nearly me in the process!"

Penny then ran her scanner over the hammer cock.

"I am seeing elevated blood pressure, and rapid breathing but no injuries." The she penguin announced as a knight patrol arrived headed by a gibbon.

"Anyone hurt?" The knight asked.

"Only that human!" The hammer cock pointed.

"He has a concussion, I should have that cleared up in a couple of minutes."

While the she penguin was treating her patient she observed the avian giving the knight an earful. He explained how he was parking his hover vehicle preparing to go for jog in a nearby park when the sedan came flying over the hill hitting his vehicle and nearly killing him.

The beastial was very animated. Which seemed normal for someone who had had a near death experience.

"UGHT!!" Penny's patient said finally stirring. "UM, what happened?"

"Lie still you have a concussion." The medic announced. "What do you remember?"

"That asshole! That stupid foul! Why I outta!!!" The man shouted.

"I would like to know as well." The gibbon announced. "Like what you were doing in this area at this time of day without permission?"

Penny and the hammer cock watched as the dazed human failed to answer the knight's inquiry and was hauled away for questioning.

"But... it wasn't my fault!!" He shouted.

"Sorry about your hover vehicle." Penny said looking at the brown hatchback.

"Thanks, but mine is over there." He said motioning to the grey sedan. "We beastials have to stick together right?"

Penny looked at the grey sedan and then the brown hatchback and the grey sedan again as she realized who actually was the REAL victim in the accident. The avian beastial had lied.

That was when she noticed that the hammer cock and her emergency vehicle were gone. Her superiors were not going to like this at all.

9:34 AM A small forest near World Five....

"So what do you think?" The black haired teen asked watching the brown were-creature slurp from a wooden bowl.

"...what is it...?"

"It is stew. A little of this, a little of that along with some broth heated over a fire and made hot. It should take care of the rumble in your tummy Rumble."

"...it is good..." The werewolf said as he continued to lap up the concoction.

"So glad you like it. Now for the next lesson. Sentient beings don't devour stew like that."

"...like what...?"

"Like how you are eating." Corey replied assuming a instructor role. "Watch."

Gingerly he took his own bowl dipped it into the pot he had cooking over the fire being careful not to make contact with the bubbling broth. He then held the bowl with his left hand and tasted its contents with a fork he used with his right hand.

"You see Rumble just like that."

The werewolf watched the teen intently before going back to licking his own bowl with that big tongue of while holding it in his huge paws.

"Ok we will have to come back to that." The teen replied while he watched Rumble's ears start twitching. "What is it?"

"...we are not alone..." Rumble grumbled.

"Another patrol?! They are quite persistent!"

"...it was the fire..."

"Probably my tracking chip." The teen said dousing the flames. He then covered the pot and hid behind a few evergreen trees.

The invaders of the pair's afternoon meal soon came into view two knights- a female dhole and male red panda junior grade.

"Tima and Tandor." Corey whispered to Rumble.

The female canid kneeled to inspect the former campfire while the teen and his wolf just observed.

The two knights looked stunning in their full body length uniforms; it looked like they were wearing some form of blue and black spandex.

"It is still warm Tandor."

"So we just missed them." The red panda replied. "Since we can no longer track the humans- I am not surprised that they are starting to leave their designated areas."

"This camp is relatively new so they haven't gone far." Tima said pressing a button on her lift wrist.

Corey thought that it was her communicator until the red dhole literally disappeared right before their eyes! The red panda repeated the same motion and he similarly disappeared.

"...they are gone...?"

"No it must be a new form of camouflage."

"...camouflage...?"

"They can see us but we can't see them. We need to leave and now." Corey warned.

Rumble picked up his boy, tossed him on his back and started to dart away on all fours but was hindered by his white loin-cloth.

"...here..."

"Geez and I thought you were making progress." Corey said picking up the were-beast's only article of clothing. He received a grumble for his efforts.

"Right, not the time."

The two made their way deeper into the forest. They passed by several tents which seemed to be pop-up human camps.

"Wow, there are quite a lot of these."

Rumble snorted in agreement.

"So the knights can no longer track human citizens how interesting."

"...would explain while they are hunting..."

"And why some are fleeing the slums." The teen said holding his finger and thumb underneath his chin. "Someone should warn them that the knights are of Sovereign are on the prowl."

"...too late..." The werewolf said sniffing.

_"Knights of Sovereign you are our prisoners!!" _

"Right, deeper into the forest then."

The dhole and red panda raided the encampment terrorizing those who were within.

Corey glanced over his shoulder to see two more from the knight core combing through the tent they had just passed looking for stragglers whom he assumed would be dragged back to the empire for punishment.

"...where to...?"

"Anywhere but here!" The black haired teen said to his now loin-cloth-less werewolf.

11:16 AM The Lair Castle Wundagore...

"How is your morning going Alex?" My mistress asked as her image appeared on the view screen.

"Mistress?" I asked.

"Just checking up on you." The female brown bear said. "Now answer the question."

"Still filled with regret, resentment and the occasional flash of rage mistress."

"I read Sir Ram's report. You and he were attacked by that flash mob and well within your right to defend yourselves." The fierce ursine warrior said trying to make me feel better.

"It still doesn't make it right. Mistress, I killed people! A lot of them."

"You brought final justice to those who intended to do you harm Alex, I seem to recall Sorren did the same to those rebels who cornered you during your investigation of Mike Anger a few years ago."

I remained silent.

"This will pass pet give it time."

"I need to redeem myself some how. A make good... maybe do something with the consortium." I suggested.

This time it was the she bear's turn to be silent.

"We will discuss that later Alex." She said he gold eyes staring through me.

"Sounds like you are having a day." I said fishing.

"I am. The knight core is seeing an uptick in humans wanting to depart the empire which is strictly forbidden."

"Once a citizen always a citizen." I replied.

"Not according to them. I will check in again later." My she beast said ending the transmission.

With that conversation ended, I decided to turn on the news while I started my chores around the lair.

"It is so nice being free of that damn curfew." A silhouetted man said to a hub reporter.

"Sir technically the empire's restrictions for the human population are still in effect." The kobold reporter outlined.

"Technically true but they are having a high degree of difficulty determining if we are obeying it! Good day." The man slipped away into an alley just as a knight patrol happened by on their hover bikes.

"And there you have it from the streets of World Two." The reporter said ending her interview.

I was only half listening as I continued to dust the great room, in and around the sofa.

(With all the innovations and technology of the era it is still amazing no one has invented something to alleviate me from having to dust.)

*Beep* *Beep*

"Hmm?" I said looking at the hub monitor.

*Alex Winter this is the automated assistant from prototype nine. Could you come to the loading dock? I have an incoming message.*

"Who is it from?" I replied. "Well automated assistant?"

There was a very pregnant pause before the on board computer of the prototype replied.

*It is of some importance.*

"Let me get this straight, you have an important message but you won't tell me who it is from?"

There was that pregnant pause again. If it was from Sorren, Tauren, Lurie or even Lea- they would have just contact me. None of this secrecy crap.

"Fine. I am on my way."

And so I put on something more than my loin-cloth and made my way to the loading dock. Upon entering, I noticed that the red, blue and grey prototypes were gone and the vast majority of the white ones as well. Save for one- it was to my immediate left.

"Prototype number nine you had a message for me?"

The dome opened, I walked over and sat down on the passenger side of the vehicle. I then placed my hand on the dashboard.

*Recognized.*

"That is interesting, nothing more like Alex Winter prisoner of Wundagore castle? Alex Winter disgraced former operative of the knights?"

*Incoming message.* The automated assistant announced.

I looked up at the upper left monitor in the center stack expecting to see a picture of who was initiating the conversation. There was nothing but text.

Morning Mr. Winter. I trust that you have been monitoring the news on the hub?

"You again! What do you want?"

It was the mysterious individual who had reached out to me several times before. First at the bazaar, then before one of my sessions with Sir Ram, then at the lair during a news broadcast and again now.

To make announcement, you like the rest of humanity are no longer being tracked.

"You mean the system the beastials use to track humans is still offline. It is just a matter of time before it is returned to service." I said stating what I thought was the obvious.

It is and its back up are not repairable and never will return to service.

"And how do you know of that?"

We have made sure of this. This is only the beginning Mr. Winter.

"You said that last time." I replied. "The beginning of what?"

There was a pause before the next string of text appeared.

The new resistance.

"That has been tried numerous times before and has failed. In fact I got caught up in the tail end of the last one."

We are aware of your circumstances beastial sympathizer, but this one will be different.

"And why is that?" I asked.

Because it will succeed.

I stared at the view screen. "That is one of the biggest piles of crap I have ever heard!"

Right now the High Evolutionary is seeing a uptick in human migration.

"Yeah, so what people move all the time."

Not city to city but away from the empire, beasital subjugation and oppression Mr. Winter. This avenue is open to all- including you. Think about it. We are the change that you wish to see.

I saw the text flash as I stood up and left the protype in a huff.

"Yeah right. Me cut and run and abandoned my life here?"

To Be Continued....