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Starfall: Chapter 5: Welcome To Earth?

Closing the case with shaking hands Usako looks up at Frank “Am I on some kind of candid camera show?” Pushing herself up into a sitting position, her ears fold a bit to the side as she looks at Steven as well as Frank.

A look of desperation in Usako’s eyes makes both men wince.

“I’m afraid not Usako.” Steven gently takes the movie case, opens it, taking out the USB like stick before plugging it into the base of the television. Sitting back down on the couch he uses a remote to turn it on and hands the remote to Usako.

“To me, Angela, and Mark. This was out favorite childhood movie even though it was made well before Mom and Dad’s time, heck I think it came out while my Grandparents were still young adults and before they met.” Frank moves to sit next to Steven with a cautious look on his face, while Usako looks down at the remote.

Glancing up at the screen she sees the animated version of the still picture on the box’s cover. ‘Where are my parents? Where am I?’ Dropping her gaze down to the remote, she presses play and the movie starts with the actress for Judy Narrating, Usako’s ears go flat back upon hearing her voice.

Leaning closer to Steven. “Why did you have the movie out, we could’ve broken the news to her differently. Something ‘less’ likely to make her freak out.” They both turn their heads at the sound of Usako smashing the fast-forward/speed-up button, unbeknownst to them, searching for herself.

Steven leans back to Frank. “I didn’t, sis did. Her last text just came through asking if Usako is ‘enjoying’ her gift. I don’t know how she found it out before us though. Thank you though, showing her on purpose I think may be better than if she found it herself.”

Frank lets out a sigh. ‘Angela’s impulsiveness and antics will end up biting her in the ass eventually, then where will that leave Steven?’

The slamming of the remote onto the coffee table draws both their attentions. “Where the fuck am I? I should be there on screen! I was living in the city during the damn Nighthowler crisis!” Picking up the remote, Frank pauses the movie as Steven moves the coffee table to be able to kneel in front of Usako at eye level.

Reaching up, he places his hands on either side of Usako’s head as she pants rapidly. “Look at me! Just because you’re not on screen, doesn’t mean you didn’t exist. I mean, it’s what, a small window looking at a few select scenes in a city of how many beings?”

Usako’s eyes stop their frantic movement back and forth, between herself and the screen, zeroing in on Steven’s eyes, he watches as they constrict into vulpine slits then relax back into a human like circle. Her hands latch suddenly onto his wrists, claws out, but she’s not using them to break his skin.

“I know how movies work Steven! If something isn’t on screen, or mentioned by anyone ON screen, it doesn’t exist. I ‘LIVED’ there! Some of those buildings I’ve walked or driven past! How can they exist and I don’t!” Steven’s gaze hardens, in response she snarls and, tightens her grip on his wrists.

Her claws dig in deeper, yet still not at the point of puncturing his skin, Steven just ignores the pain. “How many beings are in the city of Zootopia Usako Chasofito?” Frank stands and tenses up, ready to help Steven as Usako’s only answer’s continued nervous and stress filled panting once she lowers her lips.

Unexpectedly to both of them, Usako lets go of Steven’s wrists, her anger quickly evaporating. “Excluding Little Rodenta, and ignoring the estimates of the vagabonds under the city in the old bunker system. One and a half million mammals of various species.”

Rubbing his wrists, Steven gives a small nod. “And you’re only a single, um, mammal among that number, to use your phrase. The chances of this window catching a glimpse of you is so minuscule, if it did, you should buy a lotto ticket because you’re damn lucky.”

Shaking her head slowly. “I don’t feel lucky. I feel like I’m the only survivor of some catastrophe, that I shouldn’t have made it out from. At the same time, I don’t know how to feel about the fact ‘that’ fox.” Usako points to Nick’s visage.

“Is on the cover instead of anyone else.” Pushing herself into the backrest, Usako tries to make herself smaller to the world.

Steven takes a seat next to her. “I don’t know how this all works, though I can assure you, just because where you’re from is a movie here. Doesn’t make where you lived before any less real in my opinion.” With Steven sitting next to her, Frank pushes the coffee table back into place.

After handing Steven his phone, he takes a seat in the chair. “You blamed us for treating you badly because you’re a fox. If I remember the plot of the movie from when I showed my kids, I would think you’d be happy he’s earning respect for all the, Um, fox species?”

Letting out a sigh with just a tinge of a whine, which causes a momentary pause of noise from the kitchen, Usako stares at Frank. “Because for about two and a half octets, he did everything and then some to live up to, and exceed how other mammals view foxes. Shifty, Untrustworthy, thieving pelts. Who lie to everyone, including family, for personal gain. Then suddenly out of the blue, he helps that rabbit. A Mammal Inclusion Initiative hire catch the mammal behind the savage crisis. Whoop de do, all’s forgiven! I don’t even remember if he even had to pay back all his back taxes he skipped out on.” Shaking her head, Usako goes back to watching the movie.

The scene is Judy’s first day, and not long after Nick has swindled her out of twenty Anamilian Dollars. “One good deed doesn’t erase a lifetime of making life hard for those who’re like me. He leveraged this one good deed to get into the ZPD, the bunny didn’t even have to go through half a dozen rejection letters. I on my own deeds got into a military academy, if they think the police academy is tough, try military boot camp. Not to mention anyone who knows anything about either institution knows they reject almost everyone’s first application. It’s how they weed out those who ‘really’ want to be a police officer or military officer, compared to those who did it on a whim.”

Usako’s tail beats the couch cushion into submission as she takes a moment to compose herself.

Giving a fatherly smile to Usako, Frank holds his hands together, intertwining his fingers. “So you feel Nick doesn’t deserve his fame from his role in the Nighthowler crisis Usako?”

The moment Frank finish speaking, Usako lets out a barking laugh. “Like Karma he doesn’t deserve it! It should belong someone who’s kept their snout clean. A vixen, or tod, who’s resisted the temptation and pressure throughout their life to join the skulks red foxes, arctic or any fox species make to help them survive! Some mammal who despite all the odds worked their way to a pivotal position for mammalian history!”

Steven stands and heads into the kitchen upon hearing a woof from Charlie in response to Usako’s earlier bark.

Frank, glancing to the frozen frame of Nick on the screen and then to Usako, lets out a chuckle. “Someone like you perhaps I take it? The ‘first mammal to travel faster than light’ as you stated earlier to me and Steven.” Usako’s tail instantly stops beating the couch.

Drooping her ears, Usako lowers her head a bit. “Yea, someone like me. Not that it matters, everyone must think I’m dead since I didn’t show up on that old probe’s camera eight minutes after I activated the drive.”

Switching positions from the chair to the spot Steven just vacated, Frank sits down next to Usako and gently moves to hold her head up by her chin. “Well, you’re not dead, which is a good thing. Though as far as I know, there’s no way to contact them to tell them otherwise. I don’t know if I would have the wherewithal to keep my head on as I plummeted to the ground or walk around with an injury like you had.”

Usako tilts her head a bit when Frank lets go. “I only told you two I crashed, not what happened before.”

Frank smiles. “Well I kinda figured the reason you crashed was that you didn’t have control in some form or another. Not to mention a controlled landing doesn’t result in impalement on any part of the pilot’s body.”

Both of them stop their conversation to watch as Steven leads Charlie into the living-room and to a door near the stairway. He pauses and lets Charlie go down the stairwell first, then closes the door after himself.

Usako looks back over to Frank. “Where does that door lead?”

Checking the time on the clock, he looks back to Usako. “The basement. They’re most likely getting you better cloths to wear.” Grabbing his suitcase and bringing it closer to himself Frank lets out a sigh.

“Considering your descriptions of those two, and considering the history lessons my parents and grand-parents gave me. I wouldn’t worry too much about judy and nick mammals. If they’re a diversity hire and fame rider as you say, then things tend to work out as real life weeds those kinds of um, mammals out.”

Usako smiles a little. “That’s close to what my grandmother and to a small extent my parents taught me, and continue to tell me when I bring them up. The goddess Karma makes sure those who act well, are well rewarded and those who act poorly get an appropriate punishment. My grandmother made sure our family attended Karma’s church regularly, so I heard that a lot.”

Chuckling, frank smiles and nods. “Interesting, we have a concept of karma, but it isn’t a goddess. It’s more of a universal rule. Do onto others how you would have them do onto yourself, as my church’s Preacher would say.” He gives Usako a sorrowful smile.

“As much as I would like to spend the day here conversing with an honest to god alien. The Mercer’s aren’t my only patients in town, so I need to get going. I’ll be in contact and I promise, I won’t mention you to anyone. Last thing we need is for some government spook to come and take you to God knows where.” Standing, Frank gives a polite nod to Usako as she watches him show himself out of the house.

‘Karma… What did I ‘DO’ to deserve to end up like this? Was it the fact I never paid much attention to my Grandmother’s devotion to you? Is it because as a kit I wanted to be anywhere else than be in your church every Wednesday?’ Looking at the screen with the paused scene, Usako’s ears focus on the basement door and tilt a bit. The noise of both Steven and Charlie shoving heavy objects around echo up.

Glancing at the remote, she sighs, picking it up, and hit’s play. ‘Kinda curious now as to how much they got right and how much they got wrong. I mean the city was almost in a state of self segregation of the citizens. I mean I know it’s going to paint those two in a great light, I just want to know how much they do that.’ Placing the remote on the cushion next to her, Usako lets out a heavy breath and watches.

By the time Nick in the movie stands up for Judy’s position and mid-way through his talk with Judy, Usako is forced to hit pause upon hearing the two walk up the stairs.

Looking over, she watches both Steven and Charlie exit the basement slightly covered in dust with the latter carrying a yellowed plastic bin. ‘Just what’s down there?’

Steven looks around the living room. “I take it Frank had to go?”

Nodding, once, Usako climbs down from the couch and walks over to the pair. “Yea. So I guess my new clothes are in there?”

Steven takes the tub from charlie motioning for him to go back to the kitchen, he does so silently. “Yup, though I don’t know exactly, which pieces of clothing mom and dad saved form Angela’s wardrobe. So you may not find anything that is suitable.” Walking back into the living room, Steven places the tub on the coffee table.

He glances at the television then at Usako, quirking a brow.

Shrugging once, Usako moves to open the container. “I… was curious to see what they got right and wrong… Wow, umm your sister wore these when she was a kit?” Usako pulls out a god awful shade of pink tutu from the top of the bin.

Steven reaches in and after rummaging about pulls out a nine to ten year old girl’s faded pink jeans and baby blue shirt. “The term is kids for young humans. Also, sis has always been unusual in one way or another. She is strong-willed and stubborn though as you’ve noticed.” Handing them to Usako, she winces at the sight of them, but accepts.

Steven takes another glance at the television before looking back at Usako.“So, how much of it matches up?”

Usako uses a claw to make a hole in the jeans for her tail before putting them on. “Surprisingly, a lot of it so far. I mean this entire time period was under a microscope during Bellwether’s trial.” Usako pauses.

“I’ll keep that word in mind, same as Goats by the way, they call their young kids.” Wiggling herself into the jeas. ‘Damn these are tight, then again I’m an adult and these are for a juvenile human.’ Getting them over her hips and her tail in the hole, she zips them up.

“I mean where I’m at right now, where police chief Bogo, illegally threatened Judy over her job earning him a black mark and a pay cut. Not to mention the media throwing him under the bus. He still has his job but rising any higher in any sort of office is no longer an option, so the public expects him to retire soon.”

Steven laughs. “Political glass ceilings in a children’s cartoon.”

Usako shrugs and puts the shirt on, the Bio-Morph collar only stretching the shirt a little. “Hmm a little tight in the bust but otherwise this fits nicely. Thank you, I feel more like a civilized mammal now that I have clothes on.” Climbing back up onto the couch as Steven puts the top on the bin and slides it under the coffee table.

Taking a seat next to her on the couch, Steven glances at the clock then back to her. “It will be a few hours till sis gets back for lunch. You can watch whatever you want on our system, I’ll even pay for anything that will need to be purchased. After all, it’s my fault your stuck in the house till tomorrow.”

Picking up the remote, Usako presses play. “I want to finish this, just to see what else they got right and wrong, otherwise my curiosity will bug me til I do.”

Steven nods. ‘She’s certainly calmer than I would be if I learned the world I came from was just a cartoon compared to earlier. I hope she isn’t just bottling it up though.’ He looks over and watches her as Usako’s attention’s wrapped up in the movie.

‘If it wasn’t for her modest bust and wider than a child’s hips. She would pull of the child look to be honest.’

Laying his head back, Steven just idly pays attention the movie while occasionally looking at his phone. “So, what’s the verdict?”

Pressing the stop button on the remote, Usako lets out a sigh. “About as well as one gets when keeping the events safe for kits or kids and to keep it under three hours. More mammals had been turned savage than shown and more were hidden in the former asylum. The population was already self segregating by the time judy came back at the end. The rail thing was true, but it also caused the collapse of part of a city block, though thankfully no deaths. There’s a memorial there now for mammals killed by those turned savage.” Taking the remote, Steven places it on the coffee table.

Standing, he walks over to the television and removes the usb like drive, placing it back into the movie box and dropping it on the table.

The television instantly changes to a streamed station upon removal of the drive, set to the mid-day news. “Anything else?” Steven looks at her.

Usako nods. “Bellwether didn’t go quietly at all, while the little trick ms m.i.i. Judy played was key in convicting her. What got her arrested was the shootout between the arriving police and her herd of sheep. The museum also tried to sue the police because the gunfire damaged or destroyed irreplaceable artifacts. They didn’t get anywhere. Also… ‘That fox’s’ Family was present at his graduation, unlike in the movie. His father’s a tailor, his mother is a retired secretary, he also has a sister. I don’t know what she does, nor do I care.”

Looking at the television, Steven rubs the stubble on his chin. “Now that you point it out, it was kinda odd he didn’t have family to be honest. He wasn’t that old and Foxes have litters not single births not to mention the movie kinda mentioned litters with Judy’s family size.” The commercial on right now is yet another cleaning product. With the catchphrase, so simple a bio-morph can use it.

Both of them ignore it.

Smiling a bit Usako nods. “I have a sister and a brother too.” Usako pauses a bit as she lets out a small sigh. “To be honest, I think that helped. Knowing the movie they made is more or less a child friendly version of those events makes it feel like possibly that my home is still out there and it isn’t all contained inside ‘that’ thing.” Usako motions to the usb device as a ding from Steven’s phone draws his attention.

He takes it out and looks at it, then turns to shout in the direction of the kitchen. “Charlie, make sandwiches. Angela is on her way back for lunch.” Usako’s ear flicks at the woof Charlie replies with.

Steven looks back to Usako. “I’m glad to hear that. Honestly, I was wondering there for a moment if you’d go crazy if you learned about it, and I assume that’s what sis wanted when she hid the movie here on the coffee table. Anyway, on a more pleasant topic, what are your sibling’s names?”

Usako folds her ears back a bit. ‘I don’t like the implications of what Angela tried there…’ Raising her ears back up. “My sister’s name is Sasaki and my brother’s name is Dalium, I’m the eldest though. By a few minutes more or less.”

Steven chuckles. “Hey I’m the eldest too, by a few years though. Humans only give birth to a single young, sometimes twins, even rarer are triplets, me and my siblings were all single births.” He stops talking as the news comes on.

A semi visible female human monotone silhouette floats inches in front of the actual screen while behind her previously recorded footage plays at a high frame rate. [In today’s top story. Southern California National guard, Led by Federal agents executed an elimination raid of a newly discovered gang located in a border wall city. This new gang came to the attention of federal authorities after high instances of drug overdoses, humans without proper resident or citizen papers, and Improperly registered Bio-Morphs were found in nearby cities.]

The Silhouette shrinks to one fourth its normal size, and moves to the corner while pointing to the screen behind her. ‘Wow it’s like something out of a sci-fi show, holographic television.’ Sitting there with her eye’s wide while not paying much attention to what the host just said.

Meanwhile, Playing in the rest of the screen space is a body cam view of what would be normal for a full on military operation. APC’s roll up and open fire on a cul-de-sac of houses as fully armed soldiers with weaponry that Usako can’t identify pour out of the vehicles interiors.

Glancing to Steven, then back to the screen, Usako tilts an ear as an intense fight breaks out. ‘As the host said, this isn’t a police action, this is a search and destroy. Why do all the gang members look similar to, yet different to Steven? Why are they being executed rather than captured?’

The host continues on. [After an intense firefight, lasting over an hour and claiming the lives of two southern California guardsmen.] Id photo’s appear on the screen of the two killed.

[With the gang threat eliminated, the Guardsman put the gang leaders into military custody, due to federal law they’ll be charged with treason and attempted insurrection of the United States of America, they face the death penalty if convicted.] The image changes to a set of telephone numbers and websites that scroll by.

[Authorities strongly urge those who know the location and or the description of known humans and Bio-Morphs they smuggled into the country to come forward. Residents, this may be the chance for you to complete your duties to become citizenry, Citizenry, it is your duty to report these lawbreakers. Aiding and abetting their illegal presence in this country is a crime. Their presence drains money and resources away from actual citizenry. As we all remember what happened to the country when this was left unchallenged about a century ago.]

The news program has Usako’s undivided attention now, the tech behind it no longer a concern of hers.

[In national politics, The state of Florida narrowly voted to fund, with help of only a minimal amount of federal aid. The relocation when possible, and the rebuilding when needed of dwellings of residents and citizenry affected by the refusal of the tides to recede in recent years.] The scene changes to one of Mami with the tide’s refusal to go out and streets under up to a meter of water.

[Citizens and residents in Florida need to prove their citizen or resident status first before aid will be dispensed to them. Those who lack this are encouraged to seek aid from charities and wherever possible, any insurance contracts left after the twenty fifty-five declaration of the industry to cease handing out new policies in coastal areas. Other coastal states have their own programs, our viewers in those states should look them up to see if they qualify.]

Steven grabs the remote and with a few button presses, drops the television into a silent program choice menu as he sees Usako’s ears fold back in distress. “That’s enough of that. Sorry, we were glued to the news last night for personal reasons.”

With flat folded ears she looks at Steven, her tail twitching wildly. “What the hell was that!? Why did those humans look like you, and yet, didn’t? Why were they killed for being in a group? Why was the news mammal saying residents and citizenry? And, what in Karma’s name is wrong with the tides?!”

‘Of all the times the Television had to follow its setting, why now? Defaulting to the last streamed channel after a movie rather than the random one it kept doing before…’ Steven runs his hands through his hair and let’s out a sigh.

“Okay, I’ll start with the easy one. As I told you before, Humans are the only intelligent species here. Only, not all Humans look like me and my family. We’re Caucasian or White, our distant ancestors evolved to live in the Northern Hemisphere, so our skin became lighter, to better absorb the suns rays needed to create vitamin D. Especially since sunlight is weaker the farther north you went. We’re also a small percentage smaller on average than others except Asians. Again an adaptation against the cold our ancestors had to deal with.” Usako tilts her head a bit.

Glancing down at herself and then up to Steven. “Arctic foxes like me are smaller than red foxes for the same reason if I recall correctly.”

Steven relaxes a little. “Good, you understand. There are other races too, humans whose ancestors lived closer to the equator got darker skin and other physiological adaptions to deal with more intense and more constant sunlight, as well as heat and other environmental factors. We can all breed and produce viable offspring, so we’re one species, but we should keep in mind our differences, so we can complement each other. As compared to sticking our fingers in our ears and ignoring them.”

Usako tilts an ear. “Just like the different colors of ‘red’ foxes?”

Tapping his fingers on the couch, he then shakes his head. “Close enough of an example without getting into advanced high school level biology, lets just say there’s enough internal differences that some have different medical and dietary needs compared to others. They can also be identified by their skeleton alone.” Steven glances at the TV, then the clock to check the time, then back to Usako.

“As for why they were killed for being in a Gang. It’s because Gangs are criminal organizations that in area’s they operate, usurp the authority of the state and federal government and assert their own will on the people living there. From before a century ago, till about eighty years ago, we used to view it as a criminal matter, nothing more. This didn’t stop them operating, nor did it even slow down their spread across the country.” Pausing for a moment to think.

“Actually, come to think of it, it helped them. Locking their leadership up gave them protection they’d never be able to form on their own. Anyway, after the years of blood and lead in the late twenty twenties and early twenty thirties, the new federal government considered them a military threat rather than criminal one. To sum up their reasoning, ‘a free society can only exist if the government holds the monopoly on law and order.’” Usako looks at Steven with her jaw slightly hanging open.

Shaking her head, she folds her ears back again. “That makes little sense. Citizens can’t form groups and congregate? That’s like a dictatorship!”

Steven holds his hands up and shakes his head. “Calm down, they can form groups, they just can’t use them to enforce their will on others. Tell me, what happens to a country, which allows subversive elements to operate inside its borders unimpeded and unopposed?”

Taking a few breaths calm down, Usako’s ears rise back up to their normal position. “It may eventually be taken over by them?” putting a slight tilt in her head to show her unease at the answer.

Lowering his hands, Steven nods. “Exactly, they institute their own laws and forms of ‘justice’ over citizenry. Trampling the rights the people have. Especially if they’re formed from large groups of people who arrived here with no intention of assimilating. Becoming an insurrectionist state within a state, so for the rights of the people who are victimized by them, they have to be destroyed. This is how the country can ensure all its legal residents and Citizenry get equal treatment under the law. This limitation also applies to religious organizations who want more of ‘their’ faithful in power and especially to political parties. They’ve been gone since the years of blood and lead, thank god.” Pausing for a second, he then continues.

“It’s also a good segway into why we have residents and citizens…”

The front door opens, and a sweat laden form of Angela walks in, turns, and stops to stare at the two, before pointing at Usako. “What the fuck is she wearing?” Walking closer, she spots the yellowed plastic tub. “My old childhood cloths?”

Usako tilts her head at the sight of Angela.

Standing up, Steven heads her off from entering the living room. “It’s better than the rags you threw upstairs for her this morning.” Looking her over with a critical eye, he then meets Angela’s gaze. “So are you going to behave? Or do I have to confiscate your phone again while you’re here for lunch?”

Sighing Angela shakes her head. “I won’t do anything to her.” Noticing she’s being stared at by Usako, Angela glares back at her. “What are you looking at?!”

Pointing at Angela’s entire body. “You’re completely soaked, but it’s not raining outside.”

Angela only laughs in response. “It’s hotter than the devil’s taint outside. I’ve been sweating buckets since I left the house this morning. Humans sweat, unlike other animals and Bio-Morphs who pant.”

With a look of disgust, Usako looks at the two of them. “You do that, over your entire body?” She waves a paw, pointing to their entire bodies.

Steven chuckles and nods. “Yea, if I remember my biology class from high-school correctly, it’s why humans are mostly hairless.” He scratches the back of his head.

“We’ll go out as early as possible tomorrow morning to retrieve the black boxes and whatever else you want from your craft to avoid the summer heat.”

Moving out of the way, Steven lets Angela into the living room.

Turning on one of the overhead fans Angela takes a seat on the chair, Steven sits down on the couch next to Usako. While Charlie, carrying a tray with three plates, each one with a roast beef and cheese sandwiches on them enters the room.

He doesn’t look either Steven or Angela in the eyes, yet he makes eye contact with Usako as he places the tray on the edge of the coffee table. Transferring the plates to it, he picks up the tray and walks back into the kitchen silently.

Tilting an ear curiously, Usako watches as Angela picks up her plate with a shit eating grin as she stares right back at her.

In response Steven glares at Angela sternly as he picks up his plate.

Doing the same as she did for breakfast, Usako walks over the cushion. Picks up the plate and walks back to where she was sitting, placing the plate in front of herself. “You were about to tell me why the news talked about Residents and Citizenry Steven?” She looks over to him before taking a bite and wagging her tail at the taste.

Angela watches Usako with a bemused grin on her face as Steven chews and swallows before answering. “Well, because of what happened during the times of lead and blood early this century. The citizenry and election process changed. If you’re born in this country or legally immigrated…” Blinking a few times, Steven sighs.

“Before you ask, you’re not an illegal alien, just a, well, actual alien. Anyway, all of them are considered legal residents. They have full rights under the revised constitution. Only, they’re not allowed to vote, only Citizenry have the privilege of voting. The reason being is, before the change, low to no information voters would be easy to manipulate. Political parties with hands in the media would shape opinion on what the elite of the political parties wanted the people to vote for. Rather than the people determining what they, the politicians should do.”

Usako stops eating, places the sandwich down, folding her ears back. “Then what’s stopping the citizenry who can vote from voting to remove freedoms or anything else from the residents?” Figuratively biting her tongue.

‘I wanted to say, enslave, but they seem to already ‘have’ slaves it seems.’

Holding up a closed hand, Steven extends one finger. “One, all rights have been enshrined in the constitution in clear language that can’t be interpreted any other way.” He extends another.

“Two, the bar to change the constitution has been raised. The unanimous vote of the house and senate. Ninety-five to ninety-eight of the states have to pass resolutions with the same margins.” Raising the third finger.

“Three, each state’s counties have to have a resolution put up in a special election, and two thirds of the county’s in the state have to approve for it to move to the state legislature.”

Raising a forth. “And finally forth, each vote on the matter will be public record, everyone can see who voted for or against it, While the voting for an amendment has to be done on tamper proof paper. Then stored for twenty years for anyone to audit.”

Usako looks at the remainder of her sandwich. ‘That is a pretty high bar to pass.’ Then she looks to Steven as he lowers his hand. “So why doesn’t everyone just do what they need to do to be a citizen then, so they can vote too?”

Angela’s laugh at Usako’s comment, mildly startles her, resulting in her tail puffing out a bit. “Being a citizen makes you a defacto soldier ‘Ms.’ Chasofito. Doesn’t matter if you earn it via service in the military or service to the community. You’re considered an active reserve unit, and can be recalled at a moment’s notice for any reason. It’s also a legal minefield when you vote, if you vote on a public proposition and you gain from the outcome, you may face a conflict of interest charge depending on if they consider your participation as such when anyone challenges it.”

Picking up her sandwich, Usako takes another bite, then puts it back down. Much to the amusement of Angela. “So you’re not a citizen? Also, what so amusing about me eating this sandwich? You keep smiling when I take a bite.” Angela snorts out laughing at that.

Angela points to Steven. “Hell no I’m not. I wouldn’t want to be a citizen and end up dying in some unpronounceable country. Bro there, spent four years building low income houses, among other demeaning tasks that they can’t train Bio-Morphs to do to get his citizenship, as for what I find so amusing.” Angela and Steven glare at each other, Steven tenses up just for an instant.

“You look so freaking adorable in my old clothes. Those were my favorite pair of jeans when I was eight or nine years old.”

Usako tilts her head a curiously upon seeing Steven relax after Angela says that. “Well, they’re a little tight in the hips, and the shirt is tight in the chest. I also had to make a hole for my tail. You’re ‘proportions’, are obviously a more recent development it seems.” Usako pauses for a moment to lick her lip, enjoying the taste of the sandwich.

“Being in the military isn’t that bad, once you get past basic that is. Basic is the only part that’s hell.” Stuffing the rest of the sandwich in her mouth, she places the plate on the coffee table.

Angela rolls her eyes. “Like I’d pass basic… Also, I said, I was nine years old, or one octet and one year in your terms last time I wore those. Female humans don’t hit puberty till their twelve or thirteen now with oil based plastics banned.” Angela looks at the tub of clothes for a moment.

“New products made from them that is. They contain chemicals that bind with the same receptors as estrogen.”

Usako tilts an ear a bit at that. “So do most mammals back home.” She pauses for a moment. “So um, what’s wrong with the tides?”

Steven places his empty plate on top of Usako’s, Angela follows suit. “End result of well over a century and a half of emitting carbon dioxide well exceeding the natural system’s ability to absorb it. Glaciers are more or less gone, and the ice-pack on both poles are in the same condition. Thankfully the predicted crop loss never happened as both human modified and natural grains or other agricultural plant life proved to be more hardy to this hotter world than anyone predicted.”

Letting out a sigh at the word ‘hotter’ Angela stands and heads for the kitchen. A moment later she returns with several bottles of water in her good arm. “Even if our grandparents believed the scientists back then, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference now. It would’ve still resulted in ungodly hot summers like today with mild to non-existent winters like the last one. Steven, I’m going back out. I’ll be back before dinner after putting the Bio-Morphs sans Charlie back in their containers for the night.”

Watching her fumble with the door, Usako only looks back at Steven after the front door closes. “How? We’re in an Ice age, or at least back where I come from is…” Smiling gently, Steven takes out his phone, taps a few places before showing it to Usako.

On the phone’s screen is a map of the world.

The map shows no ice in the northern area’s, and almost no ice on the Southern Pole. So much so that the continents Usako knows are unrecognizable to her.

Pointing to Florida on the map, she gives a shocked look at Steven. “That thin strip of land is only a fraction of what I remember seeing from orbit.” Next, tracing a line over parts of North America and Europe with her claw.

“Where’s the edge of the perpetual layer of snow? The forming glaciers?” Turning her focus to the eastern part of the map, Usako just stares agape at all the open water.

“What happened to the strip of land connecting the old country with North Anamalia? I mean sorry, America here? My grandparents traveled the highway built there. Not to mention the giant isthmus of land reaching down to Australia’s gone! Only the plateaus are visible as, islands?”

Moving the phone to face himself, Steven hmms, then taps a few places before showing it to her again. “Does this look more familiar to you Usako?”

Quickly scanning the landmasses with her eyes for a moment, Usako nods back to Steven. “Yes it does, though the water level appears a little lower than normal.”

Putting his phone away Steven sighs. “That was an estimated world map showing what the water level and coastline looked like during the last ice age. A funny thing is, If it wasn’t for the effects on the climate we humans have hand for millennia, and especially in the two to three hundred years during the first couple industrial revolutions. We’d be in another ice age right now, heck due to how the media at the time sensationalized the discovery of this fact. They had people believing there was another ice age just around the corner and everyone would die.”

Usako laughs loudly. “I find it hard to believe they would let the media do that.” Only to stop upon seeing the serious look on his face. “You’re not kidding, are you?.”

Picking up the remote, Steven surfs the various programs available. “Sadly no, I’m not. It’s still a topic of heated debate over if they should be restricted or not, even as they continue to make a buck at sensationalizing things. Cooling, Warming, Nuclear, Viruses, even people both political and private. The latest thing they’ve latched onto is the fear of some plague coming from a colony world.” Steven comes to a stop on a documentary talking about how people lived in the years between nineteen seventy and two thousand.

Blinking a few times at this fact that they let the media run rampant, Usako distracts herself by watching the documentary for a few minutes to come to grips with it. ‘So familiar, and yet, so alien. I remember some of those toys and appliances that either I had or my parents did, yet they were slightly different. This is so weird.’ Shaking her head, she looks over at Steven.

“Back home, there’s libel laws and laws forbidding harmful stereotypes to be broadcast, at least in the local area of Zootopia and camelfornia. I mean they can’t outlaw dirty looks, but at least it’s nice not being called a pelt or worse when getting groceries every week.”

A slight frown of disgust appears on Steven’s face. ‘That sounds like what my grandparents fled from at the start of the years of lead and blood.’ Glancing at the television, he sighs and hands Usako the remote, making up his mind on what he’ll be doing this afternoon.

“Here, we don’t have much for entertainment, so my offer still stands., if you find anything interesting you’re allowed to watch it. I don’t mind paying for it if needed.”

Usako tilts an ear as takes the offered remote and places it next to herself. “I get the feeling you’re going somewhere.”

Nodding once Steven stands. “There’s some old things my grandparents owned that I have to find. Also, sadly I doubt I’ll convince my sister to agree to having you sleep in our parent’s old room. So I’ll have to clean out a nook down in the basement to put the cot and some blankets for you to sleep on.” He mentally sighs as he sees her ear’s wilt.

Only for Usako to force them back up. “I understand, really. Thank you for giving me a place to sleep other than the bare floor.” Picking up the remote, Usako draws her attention to the television as she hears Steven head to the basement.

Examining the remote in her hand, she smirks a bit. ‘It does look kinda comically large in my paws come to think of it.’ Shrugging, she navigates the menu, only to end up right back to what Steven turned on.

‘Even in another dimension, there’s so little to watch no matter how many channels you have. Sigh, if I had only kept my head straight earlier I wouldn’t be sleeping in someone’s basement tonight.’

Tossing the remote to the side, she lays back against the backrest of the couch. ‘Damn this is weird. Hearing them talk about stuff I grew up with like they’re so old… If I remember correctly, my sister still has our family super pawtendo. Here it’s called a Nintendo it but does the same thing!’

Hearing someone entering the living room she quickly grabs the remote thinking it’s Steven, only to stop herself from pressing pause as she watches Charlie enter.

He looks around with a submissive posture, but upon only seeing Usako in the room, Charlie shifts his posture to a more, natural one, utterly surprising her. It’s slight, and something Usako only knows due to the body language cue lessons one has to go through when working with wolves of any kind in the military.

Gently placing the remote down on the cushion next to her, she speaks gently and softly, knowing he can hear her with those ears of his. “Steven is downstairs… It’s not true, is it? When I locked eyes earlier with you, I didn’t see the eyes of an unthinking animal, but a thinking mammal.”

Charlie glances over to the door to the basement, then back at Usako sitting on the couch. ‘What is she? She looks like a young Bio-Morph, but smells like an adult. Yet she’s able to talk like a human.’ With an ear flick, he slowly nods his head in that what the humans say isn’t true.

Usako folds her ears back. ‘They’re so nice to me, yet they treat this poor mammal as a slave! What is wrong with these humans!’ Raising her ears back up she doesn’t bother stopping her tail beating the cushion.

“Can you speak? He won’t hear us, so you don’t need to worry about Steven getting mad.” Usako hits the volume up button a couple of times, just to make sure the television covers their conversation.

Charlie's ears shoot up in surprise. ‘She thinks I can speak human?’ Widening his eyes he rapidly shakes his head back and forth, trying to say he can’t.

‘I can only woof when in the house, any other sounds results in this collar shocking me, how am I going to…’

Spotting the pen and paper on the computer desk, ignoring the plates he came in for, he walks over to grab both of the writing implements.

Usako tilts an ear curiously as she watches him walk over to the computer desk. ‘What is he doing?’

Charlie picks up both items, first gently holding the pen in his right hand, then shifting it to his left before picking up the pad of paper. ‘Dad taught me when I was a pup how to write, along with Mom who was a natural-born Bio-Morph. I… I haven’t been able to do this since they caught Mark treating us like people as my dad would say, I hope I remember how.’

Usako stands on the couch to get a better look at Charlie. ‘Is he, writing something down?’

She stands there curiously watching him till he turns around and shows Usako the pad of paper. His writing is a crude but legible form of english.

[We can’t speak human. I can’t make noises other than woof, or I get shocked. All Bio-morphs are smart. Some are made from humans! Even though the talking picture device says otherwise.]

Usako’s ears shoot up again and her tail goes still. “If that’s true I should tell Steven! Maybe this is all one big mistake about treating a mammal like this, I do wonder if he was lying about the collars though.” Charlie’s eyes widen and he shakes his head.

Pulling back the pad he quickly writes his reply down. [No. He’ll get angry like his parents and throw you out like his parents did his younger brother Mike who did the same thing. Steven is telling the truth about the collars. After Mark took my sister’s collar off, humans in black and white vehicles took him away for a short while. Then his parents, disowned, I think it’s called, Mark.]

Usako’s eyes widen. ‘What kind of situation did I just walk into? These mammals called bio-morphs are intelligent, yet if a human does anything to help them, like remove their collars, they get arrested?’

The sounds from the basement cease, causing both sets of ears to intensely focus on the basement door. Hastily and wordlessly, Charlie rips the pages he wrote on out of the pad of paper, tears them up and stuffs them into what looks like a self-made fold in his only clothing, his shorts.

Usako opens her moth only for Charlie to shake his head to silence her. Quickly putting the writing implements back exactly as he found them. She shuts her mouth while Charlie picks up the plates, quickly, and quietly dashing back into the kitchen.

Charlie turns on the kitchen sink faucet moments before the door to the basement opens, and out walks a dust encrusted Steven carrying some old notebooks under his arms.

Sitting on the chair in the living room he places them on the coffee table then wipes the dust off his arms. “Cot’s set up downstairs. Pulled some clean towels and a blanket or two from the dryer. Couldn’t find any pillows for you to use though, I’ll get some tomorrow since I have the feeling you’ll be here a while.”

Smiling, Usako looks over at him. “Thank you, it’ll beat sleeping on the floor tonight.” Her ear twitches. “So, what are those?” Pointing over to the notebooks.

Steven, Picks one up and gently cleaning the cover off with his hand, he turns to show it to Usako. “My grandparent’s diaries and journal’s on my Father’s side of the family. They lived through the period of blood and lead while having the wherewithal to document everything they could on paper like this, rather than on the computer they had. A tech giant went under during that time and decided to take a large portion of the internet with them rather than die gracefully.” Gently, he hands it over to Usako.

Taking it, she slowly runs a paw over the cover, feeling aged laminated paper crinkling. ‘This feels ancient, yet last time I went to the grocery store they had this same style for sale, just under a different name. Was I thrown to a different time period as well?” Looking back up to Steven, Usako takes a slow breath.

“Why did you dig this out to hand me this?”

Steven runs his hand through his hair, finds it covered in dust, then sighs. “Because what you said earlier reminded me of what I’ve read those when I was a little boy. I suspect you may have slipped a bit through time as no state can do any such thing you mentioned and not have the wrath of the federal government come down upon them.”

He rubs his dust covered hand on his pants leg. ‘Sigh, I’m going to need a shower to clean it all off of me, aren’t I?’

Her ears shift back just a bit as she eyes the notebook warily. “This, this isn’t twenty nineteen, is it? Or at least your ‘universe’s’ version of it.”

Shaking his head, Steven coughs a bit, causing Usako to let out a small chuckle at the dust cloud it causes.

“The year is twenty-one hundred. About eighty-one years in the future if your world parallels this one, which I would bet it does considering how similar things are from what you told me so far.”

Usako nearly drops the notebook.

Deciding it would be better to keep it on the couch next to her, Usako places it there rather than risk the ancient thing. “Yea I think I’ve reached my quota of shocking facts right now…” Pausing a minute to still her tail. “Where exactly were these for you to coat yourself with a layer of dust like that?”

Standing up, Steven sends a small cloud of dust into the air, again. Then cleans off the chair with his hand. “In the very back of our basement. Inside the old bunker my grandparents built down there, well, you’ll know why if you read that. Let me just say it wasn’t a nice time to be alive.” Pausing for a moment to wipe some dust off his face, he sighs again.

“I’m going to take a quick shower and change my clothes. Charlie will get you anything to drink if you ask.”

Watching him head upstairs, Usako glances between the first of the notebooks and the television. ‘Mindless programming, or the possible future of my world, if it does parallel this one…’ Twitching her tail back and forth in thought for several minutes, it slowly comes to a stop as she taps the power button on the remote, then picks up the aged notebook into her paws.

Leaning against the backrest and Flipping through the first few pages, Usako tilts an ear. ‘A polarizing elected official, clashing of ideas, a media taking one side. Kinda like the political drama at home.’ Reaching the end of that notebook, Usako places it on the coffee table next to the others, and picks up the next one on the stack.

Then the next notebook after she finishes that one too.

The violent opening and shutting of the front door draws Usako out of the little world she was in, then glances at the clock. ‘I’ve been reading for hours?’

Angela walks into the living room covered in more sweat than when she came in for lunch. Ploping down on the chair, she looks in the direction of the kitchen. “Hey Charlie, do you have dinner ready yet? I’m starving.” All she gets in reply is a single woof before turning to smile a little too happily at Usako.

Returning Angela’s glare, Usako tilts an ear. “Is seeing me in your kid-hood clothes really that amusing for you even after all the time that’s passed since lunch?”

Wiping her brow with a forearm, and undoing the knot in her hair Angela continues to smile back. “Among other things. Kinda wanting to see you in that tutu I had when I was nine, now ‘that’ would be a funny sight. A fox in a pink tutu.”

A cleaner looking Steven walks by the living room and into the kitchen, stopping their conversation as they both watch him. “Good boy, you did a good job making that.” His voice echos back into the living room.

Usako’s tail gives a slight twitch. ‘Hearing him say that sounds even more demeaning knowing these Bio-Morph mammals are intelligent.’ Taking a breath causes her muzzle to wrinkle a little as she gets a nose full of the newest scent in the room, looking over to Angela for the cause.

She sees Angela fanning herself by moving a part of her shirt up and down.

Shaking her head, Usako tries to clear her nose of the scent by huffing. “Thank you for reminding me of how you humans smell! I had gotten used to it while I’ve been inside all day to the point I didn’t smell it, that is until now.”

Stopping what she’s doing, Angela stares back at her. “Well you try spending all day outside in this heat and see if you come out smelling like roses. ‘Ms. Chasofito’!”

Usako folds her ears back in disgust. “Pass. Heat and Arctic Foxes don’t mix.” She then looks over as Charlie and Steven carry in dinner on a large platter.

Placing it on the coffee table, Steven hands both Usako and Angela plates just as Angela looks back at her brother. “Cheese pizza? We can’t be running low on food in the house already this early in the week.” A hint of a smile forming on her face.

Steven gives his sister a stern look in responce, as if daring her to try it outright. “No I just thought we would have something simple for our guest here.”

Taking her plate, Usako moves closer to the coffee table, then grabs a slice. “I don’t mind having pizza.” Taking a bite out of it before she even sits back down, Angela bursts out laughing at her.

Steven face-palms. ‘Sis is going to tell her, I just know it, and learning the truth will make Usako angry. Sigh, I hope I don’t have to call Frank again to patch her and possibly me up…’

Angela picks up a piece. “Are you sure? It’s ma…”

“I think Usako knows what a cheese pizza’s made of Angela.” Steven’s tone of voice draws Usako’s attention as Angela just gives a shit eating grin when he cuts Angela off.

‘Why is sis able to bait me like this…’ Steven sighs.

Usako looks down at her plate after a second. “What is in it Steven?” Placing it down on the couch next to her, Steven has her complete attention now. Her tail lightly twitching back and forth.

“Bovine milk based cheese, they used bovine milk in the dough too.” Steven gives an angry glare at Angela before looking at Usako.

Only for him to stare dumbfounded at the lack of anger or disgust from Usako.

Only blinking once, Usako runs her tongue over her teeth. ‘I’ve wondered what bovine milk based cheese would taste like and I know some bovine women sell their excess milk while pregnant to supplement their income. The whole team was going to order some pizza made with it for us to eat once I got back to celebrate, sigh. I guess I got to have some anyway.’

Turning her attention to both Steven and Angela. “Well, you could’ve just told me it had cheese made from bovine milk. Thanks for the treat Steven.”

Usako smiles at the two of them as Steven looks at Angela with a smirk on his face, Angela only frowns in response.

Only for it to morph into a mischievous smile. “Oh brother, why don’t you tell Usako what was in today’s breakfast and lunch as well. I’m sure she’d like to know.”

Steven’s smile morphs into an angry glare at his sister while Usako tilts her head.

“I’m not telling her that!” Getting up, Steven stares Angela down. She in turn stands and returns his gaze.

Grinning, Angela pokes Steven’s chest with a finger. “So you’re not telling her that the biscuits had pork, aka pigs in them, and the sandwiches were roast beef. Made from cows that we farm and slaughter on site? Fine then, I’ll tell her… Oh wait, I ‘just’ did!” Steven backs up and looks over to Usako expecting the worst.

‘I… I ate other mammals!?’ Feeling sick to her stomach, Usako starts to dry heave as if to try to remove what she ate earlier in the day. Much to the amusement of Angela.

Steven moves the coffee table out of the way and kneels in front of her. Only for Usako to push him away once her dry heaving stops, forcing Steven to take a small step back.

Angela plops down onto the chair giggling wildly at the scene. ‘Finally got that thing back for nearly taking my hand and arm.’

“You hid it from me and allowed me to eat the flesh of other thinking… Mammals…” The anger in Usako dies nearly instantly.

“I didn’t know how you would react if I did tell you.” Steven sits down on the floor, thoughts of getting his own slice of pizza the furthest thing in his mind.

Angela’s giggling follows Usako’s anger in quickly disappearing. ‘Why isn’t she getting angry at him? She should be pissed.’

Looking down at the pizza, Usako just slides it to the side and slips off the couch. “You were speaking the truth that humans are the only intelligent mammals here?” Picking the plate up, she politely places it onto the coffee table.

‘Besides Bio-Morphs that is, but I’ll take Charlie’s advice and not mention that…’

“I was speaking the truth Usako.” Steven glances back at his sister for a second as Angela frowns back at him.

Turning his attention back to Usako. “And sis should be added to that list of unthinking animals for this stunt of hers. Yes I did hide the fact those meals had meat in them from animals you only knew as thinking being's til today. I did so simply for lack of a way to break it to you and the lack of alternative foods to serve a guest.”

Grumbling under her breath, Angela flips Steven off, then grabs a slice and stuffs it into her mouth.

Usako, glancing at the basement door for a moment, looks Steven in the face. “You said the cot down there was ready for me?”

Steven nods. ‘Okay, this is definitely a good outcome, better than getting beat up as I expected.’

Usako manages a weak but tired smile. “Then I’ll see you in the morning. I think the day is catching up to me.” Walking over, she opens the door and heads downstairs.

Closing it behind her, she completely ignores the argument between Angela and Steven over what just happened as it reverberates through the door.

‘That’s nice of him. At least trying to not make it look like I’m sleeping in the basement.’ Easily finding her way to the cot lit by an old desk lamp propped on top of a box. She finds the area surrounded by curtains, so she can close them to shut out the piles of boxes and storage containers that fill the place.

Stepping up to the cot, Usako takes a sniff. ‘The place is a bit musty, but the blankets and towels smell clean at least.’ Slipping off the shirt and pants, she folds them, and places them on the floor next to the cot. Arranging the impromptu bedding to her liking, Usako closes the curtains before laying down and switching off the light with a paw.

‘I’m done with today and it’s surprises…’ She yawns. ‘Well it could be worse I guess. Food, shelter, and companionship. I hope tomorrow Angela treats me better, not to mention hoping there’s stuff to salvage from the crash. Now if only my bruises can stop aching…’