FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Author's Note: So figured I'd continue exploring the outback in this chapter. Or at least my version of it. Keep in mind I'm not native to Australia so I apologize if I get some things wrong. However, this is MY version of it. I'm not going to be 100% accurate. So take two chill pills and a glass of iced coffee and call me in the morning. *waves* Tootles. (Tried to get all the text the same color but for some reason it doesn't want to be have. Sowwy)

(Gabriel)

Once in the pressure chamber I closed my eyes and activated it; mentally grimacing as I felt the scenting mist cover me in ant pheromones. That bit of unpleasantness completed I stepped forward to the connecting tunnel which would eventually lead me into the giant tunnels that housed our ant farm.

Now the ants had made these tunnels themselves and we sorta borrowed our own entrance. However the ants are stopped from heading this way with a scent trap that acts as a barrier. To the ants all the exits to their home are being guarded by their deadliest predator.

Which unfortunately like the ants themselves have supersized. Nothing is scarier than fighting off a damn hard shelled ant eater that is the size of a small damn apartment when above ground and the size of an 8 foot snake when above. At least their nose was and that was the only unarmored part. The strength of their shell deflected most bullets...but was weak against explosions. Thankfully the local government had been generous in showing us how to rig our own hand-held grenades.

I'm not going to share the formula. I would rather the peeps that read this section of the story walk away with all limbs intact. Suffice it to say they make nice booms that stimulate my inner need to blow stuff up.

Back to the tunnels from the entrance I started it would curve gradually down till I was standing about 2 meters or 8 feet underground. once that depth was reached I would be coming across one of the ant fungal farms. Usually we could have our machines hidden in the ceiling of this room harvest a few ants at a time without causing an alarm to the colony though the ants had to be sprayed with another pheremone scent which essentially marked them for death. At which point all other ants basically ignored them.

Now these tunnels were fed oxygen from the outside though these mushrooms did help to produce some of it as well albeit in smaller amounts. Still they were quietly helped along by us to ensure a stable food supply for the ants.

While I walked I checked on the ones that were nearby and they all seemed to be in good health at least for fungi. At least the displays that we had around each growing bed were determining that everything was optimal.

While I was inside I heard a distant rumble of thunder and couldn't help but gulp. Sure these diggings were protected from the weather but rain had another unfortanate side effect. Nature went quite literally wild with what felt like a single drop of water.

I moved to exit the colony thoughts of checking out the rest of the place banished from my mind. Once outside after the chemical bath to wash off the last of the chemical cocktail and setting the suit in the auto cleaner I glanced up at the sky which had went from it's usual clear blue to a dark forboding black. "Shit." I said out loud before moving to run towards the tool shed.

Once I had the door open I slapped a button on the side wall and the alarm started blaring in the house. The structure shuddered and then with a moment it was covered in an anti-vegitation field. As for myself well the nano machines had begun to work their way from up from the containment device I had opened and within a few minutes I was covered in a yellow-ish armor like shell and at my mental building my weapons flew from the side of the shed wall where they hand been anchored to my hands and the fuel tank to my back.

My weapons at the moment were two twin machetes sharper then diamond but lighter than a butterknife. As the distant thunder cracked over the land again the tell tale rain began falling down upon the land. As it hit the green menace sprouted with a vengeance rearing up like some sort of eldritch being before crashing down onto the soil like a wave from the ocean.

However this wave could consume our house and home and eat us alive without blinking. Mother Nature at least in the outback was determined to survive and if not for the tools I wielded, me and the rest of the family would have long been consumed under the green hungering beast.

Don't get me wrong I normally love nature but if this wasn't kept in check by us then the family and myself would be long dead. Our bodies feeding the hungry green monster. At any rate I made sure the hose had no breaks in it and the stench of alcohol still hit my nose confirming that the contents were still ready to be used.

A breath. A final check of my weapons then I was out to face the beast while it was still a distance away it was racing closer by the second. Of course realistically I knew that it would take about an hour to reach me if I just stood still but I couldn't risk it getting that close to the house so I moved to meet it.

After a 30 minute walk, which I could still see the green menace quickly approaching in the distance. I prepared myself for the incoming combat.

I wish I could tell you that it came crashing down like the stallions of old that it gave a scream of defiance as I set to it with my blades. But fortunately it was a lot less dramatic though despite my efforts it still attempted to get around me to my home which I managed to beat it back.

At one point the flame thrower was humming merrily and the excess explosive energy was shunted off into a few grenades which I took the liberty of throwing as often as I could. When they spent their explosive payload they would morph into little spider bots which would rush back to my side and settle back on my belt and start the redrawing of the energy all over again.

By the end of my three hour battle I was exhausted stank of smoke and was covered in water. Some of it my own sweat under the armor shell. It had been close but I was able to at least keep it at bay for now. I would have to keep an eye on the weather the next couple days becuase if it rained again I'd have to come out to do battle with the green monster once more.

I dragged my scaley butt back to the house and once out of the uniform and a quick cold shower I plopped myself into bed and passed out after setting my phone alarm to go off if any more rain storms were detected.